New Pants

This is my latest sewing project. They are a little short, but I'm going to cute them off and make shorts when the weather gets warm....and STAYS warm!!!:)

Another Vote for Quinoa!!

A hot topic in "Sewing Club" lately, has been quinoa. If I'm not mistaken, Jessica was the first one to make it, and talked a lot about how good it was. It has started a snowball since then. Everybody has been making dinners with it. If you haven't heard of it, it serves a lot of the same purposes as rice, but it's a protein. At least, that's how I've heard it described. I have been wanting to try it, and finally did tonight. I LOVE IT!! Matt said that he likes it too, although, he said if I had made it without all the hype made by my friends, he probably wouldn't really have given it a chance. I have to admit, I probably would've been the same way. We just aren't good at going out on our own and trying new things. I'm so glad I was curious enough to try this though. It's delicious, and so much healthier than a lot of options like it.

I cooked okra, tomatoes and garlic together in a pan. Matt couldn't believe I used tomatoes. I guess I'm growing up a little bit! One night last week, I bought one of those rotisserie chickens you can get at the grocery store. We still had a lot left over from that, so I mixed the chicken with the veges and put it on top of the quinoa. YUM!!

Case kept picking around the quinoa. He was eating the chicken, and putting the veges on my plate. I finally convinced him to at least try the quinoa. He put a spoonful in his mouth, held up his fist and said in a deep voice, "NICE". Ha! Hey, whatever works!

Discipline is a Struggle!!

Case has hit the terrible twos FOR SURE! I love him to death, and there are more good moments than bad; but when the bad come, they hit hard!! We get temper tantrums, and sometimes what's worse, just flat out ignoring us! Tanner, bless his heart, is such a trooper. He has to listen to Case's screaming, and our "No!"s everyday. Tanner doesn't seem to think twice about it, he just goes with the flow. It seems to me like his big brother would be driving him nuts! Good thing I'm not in his shoes!

Do you other moms feel like you aren't getting through to your kids? I feel like we address the same issues on a daily basis, and nothing changes. My mom was very encouraging today. She said "Oh, you're getting through!" She also said this will probably last for a couple years. So, I should know that I am getting through to him, even if I can't see it yet. He will learn! I got off the phone with my mom, and told Matt that she told me what I needed to hear. It's not easy to discipline in the first place, then to not see the results right away is just discouraging. I just needed a little push to keep going, and it will be worth it in the end.

Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it." I can't help but read that and think, "so, if I do my best, do I get the 'worthy effort' stamp, and my kids will turn out alright?" All I know is I have to stick with it. They will learn what is right and wrong from Matt and me. Then, I'll just have to trust that they will make the right decisions in life with what they learned. So, if you are in this boat with me, BE ENCOURAGED!!:)

On a lighter note, I just have to share what is probably my favorite conversation with Case yet. Last night, he was in the bathtub, and had been playing for about 10 or 15 minutes. He had not actually bathed yet. Matt was making cookies, and Case heard the timer on the oven go off. Case: "What's Daddy doing, Ma?"
Me: "He's making cookies"
Case: "I want a cookie"
Me: "You have to finish your bath first"
Case: "I'm done, Ma!"
I loved that he could've played all night, until he realized he could have a cookie instead! I completely underestimate how much he understands. Even though the discipline part of this stage is rough, it is so worth it!!