Monday, August 6, 2012

Potty Training Problems

Since Rafi turned 2 we have really been serious about the potty training situation. It didn't take her long to catch on, but I realized it is all about being consistent and communicating with her. What I mean by that is, all we ever talked about for a while was going potty and when we were not talking about it- we were actually going to the potty-about every 20 minutes. (Any of my friends who have been through this I am sure feel my pain)

Well, last month heading home from Dallas (after the flea market situation) we stopped off to get a bite to eat and let Rafi have a potty break. I took her into the empty restroom and she went to the bathroom. Then I asked her to wait while I had a turn. Of course, at that moment someone else comes into the bathroom. As loud as she possibly could she says "OH MY GOSH MOMMY- YOU POOPED IN YOUR BIG GIRL UNDIES!" After about 5 minutes I finally caught my breath from laughing and said "no I didn't honey." She rubs my arm and kindly says "oh I see, you only tinkled, its ok!"

As I came out of the bathroom to wash my hands, the other person was standing there looking at me. I felt like I needed to explain that we talk about going potty a lot since my daughter is 2, I felt that I needed to tell her I in fact did not poop or tinkle in my "big girl undies." but instead- I just avoided eye contact, washed my hands and did a walk of shame back to our table.

Potty Training:
Rafi- 1
Mommy- 0




Monday, July 9, 2012

Favorite Flea Market Finds

This weekend we traveled to Dallas to watch my husband graduate. We had so much fun celebrating, relaxing, swimming and my personal favorite- eating!

As the weekend came to an end, my sister in law said there was a HUGE flea market on our way back to Austin. We look up the place online and this is the homepage that we see:






We all think this place looks pretty good. White people chatting about prices, a carousel for the kids, may even get some yummy food and a good buy.

As we pull in, we realize this place had a lot more than we could have ever imagined. I wanted to share a few of the "special" items we found while browsing the place.

First, in case you have a 7 year old daughter that you like to take to the clubs with you, look no further- they have a dress for that very thing!




What's that? Your daughter has her club clothes, but you don't?!? No worries- this is class all the way:

Have you been looking for that special shirt to wear to the gym? Church? First Date? There are so many at this place to pick from. Lucky for you the prices are cheap so you can get one for every occasion.


Looking for a bra that is just your size? Clearly they know how to help you here:

And this one is my personal favorite. Gems like this don't come along in your every day mall. This is a pair of panties that has a zipper pocket in the front. I suppose there is a time that we all think "wow, I am starving and could really use a late night snack. I sure wish I had a pocket in these panties to stash some crackers in."
Needless to say- we had some good laughs while looking around, but I will say that the home page of their website is very misleading. It was a million degrees there, not one white person to be found (except me!) and we never even saw a carousel. Maybe they should use this picture of the back of my shirt as I was getting in the car to leave. This would be more accurate of how you will look while shopping at this place.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Very Important Life Lessons

I have had an interesting few weeks to say the least. I think there are times in our life that we are in a season of growth. That's exactly where I am right now! Learning and growing. I have learned a few life lessons this week that I feel are worth sharing, in hopes that you will learn from my mistakes.


1. Sometimes you should stick to what you are good at.
     Over the past couple weeks we have been going out to my mom's property in Bastrop to work on the land. Because I had both of my kids out there, I was really useless in the "work on the land" department. How much can you really get done with a 2 year old and a baby strapped to your chest in 100 degrees?? So Tony and my mom did most of the work while I kept the kids inside. Finally I decided that I should really let my mom have a break (well, if you consider watching my kids a break) and I would go out and do some work. Tony convinced me that the brush mower he bought was "just like" using a weed eater, only easier. Not that I would know the difference considering I have never used either one of these things, but I thought- hey, how hard can it really be?!? I was outside for 5 minutes using this machine and somehow was able to break one of my mom's windows in her RV and a window in my car at the same time. 5 minutes, that is it. I realized in that moment I am no good at yard work and instead will stick to taking care of my kids and the A/C!





2. Think before you swim.
    I went to the lake with my best friend and our kids the other day.  Of course having 3 small kids meant it took like 1/2 an hour just to get swimwear, sunblock, floats, etc. on. By the time we finally got them ready to swim they were so eager we just ran to the water. I was playing with the kids while my friend held Beck on the shore. Suddenly I felt a bit "heavier", but the kids were so happy I didn't bother to give it another thought. As I started walking out of the water I realized I had forgotten to take off a very important piece of new mom gear- my nursing pads. Similar to what a diaper does when it is soaked in water- these do the same thing! Lesson learned- Super Absorbent does not play favorites when it comes to liquids. It just absorbs!





3. You don't always have to be the cool parent.
    We went to visit my dad on Sunday for Father's Day. As we were leaving he said he had a slide that they no longer use and we should take it home for Rafi to play with. What a GREAT idea! I was so excited. First thing Monday morning I set the slide up for Rafi and of course I took it to a ghetto level. I set the slide up to go straight into the very small kiddie pool we have in the backyard. We happened to also buy a slip n slide the day before that I went ahead and set up as well. Rafi played all morning and had so much fun. Then after nap time she wanted to go right back out. But this time she decided she wanted someone to play with her. How could I say no?!? After seriously hurting my leg trying to show my 2 year old sweet moves on the slip n slide, we moved over to the pool slide. She said "mommy, you do it with me." Again, who can refuse this?? So, I get on the slide- of course I have to sit sideways since I didn't actually fit on the slide and there I went. Rafi was clapping and screaming "GREAT JOB Mommy!!" So- I did it again, and again... Finally the pool had enough. On my last slide, my legs went straight through the plastic. As I sat looking at half my body hanging out of the pool and all of the water gushing out, all I could hear was Rafi no longer encouraging me, but instead saying "Mommy, why did you break my pool?? I need a new one!" (Oh how they turn on you quickly.) After pulling myself out of the disaster zone, I decided I'm going to let Dad take the cool parent role. He is way better at it than me.


Friday, June 8, 2012

Celebrating a Beautiful Life

For those who don't know, my step-dad- Rodger passed away on May 19th. This week, we gathered with family and friends to celebrate his life. There were so many people who loved Rodger that were unable to attend so I am sharing the words I spoke on Wednesday here. Rodger was a beautiful example of God's love and will be forever missed...


On behalf of my mom, Sandra and our entire family we would like to thank you for being here today. Your support, love and prayers over the last several weeks means more to us than you will ever know.

When my mom asked me to say something today, I started reflecting on the last 14 years I have been blessed to have Rodger in my life and I was immediately filled with thanks. He was an incredible person. This is something I have always known, but in the last 2 1/2 weeks I realized that the rest of the world knew this too. We have received so many cards, calls, flowers, emails and letters from so many people who have been impacted by Rodger’s life. As I looked at our dining room table this week- covered in stories, pictures and kind words about one person- it made me ask myself- what made Rodger Davis so special?

Yes, Rodger was funny. He could often be heard telling a joke or saying crazy things to keep us laughing. He was brave- I mean he did co-sign for me to have my first brand new car when I was just a teenager. That takes some guts!! And he was obviously talented. Anyone who has ever seen the things he built knows that. But I believe there are some fundamental characteristics about Rodger that made him different, unique, and exceptional. Characteristics that we can all work on in hopes that one day- we too can make a lasting influence on those around us.

First, Rodger was an incredible leader. It was an honor to have him as the head of our family for the last 14 years. In 1 Peter 5 we are instructed to “care for God’s flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God...Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way.”
This is exactly how Rodger lead us. My brother Chris and I were not Rodger’s biological children. He didn’t have to invest in us- but he did. God entrusted us to him and because of his kindness, concern and love for us- it was easy to submit and let him lead. He never forced anything, but instead allowed us to grow and change while he graciously helped to shape us.

Rodger was also generous. 1 Peter 4:9 says “Be quick to give a meal to the hungry a bed to the homeless- cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all can get in on it. If words let it be God’s words, if help, let it be God’s hearty help.” Almost every time I talked to Rodger he was either on his way to help someone or on his way home from helping someone. I feel like most of the time he was helping me as I am terribly challenged when it comes to yard work, appliances, cars, well- many things. But Rodger was always happy to lend a helping hand.
However it was Rodger’s generosity with words that I will really miss. He was an encourager. He was always quick to point out what someone was doing well, offer praise and always speaking life. I know his kind words will be missed by many.

Third, Rodger was a wonderful friend. Proverbs 27:9 says “just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.” Being around Rodger was just that- refreshing. When Rodger married my mom we talked about what “title” I would give him. He said I was welcome to call him my step dad, but we both thought it sounded odd. We agreed that he would be called my “other dad.” Eight years after accepting that title, Rodger helped to give me away at my wedding. At the reception we danced our father/daughter dance to the theme song of Toy Story- I am sure many of you with kids could sing it “You’ve got a friend in me!” Rodger will always be my other dad, but he was as good of a friend as he was a father.

My husband Tony asked me a couple weeks ago- “What do you love most about Rodger?” Without hesitation I said “I love Rodger because he genuinely loves me.” To me, this is the characteristic that really made Rodger different. He loved me not for who I wanted to be, but just for who I am. In all my faults and failures, in every good day or bad- he just loved me. And it wasn’t just me. He loved everyone like this. 1 Peter 4:8 says “ Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically everything.” Any downfalls Rodger may have had, were outweighed by his genuine love for people. If I could model one characteristic of Rodger’s, I pray that it would be this one.

I know that this will be a hard season for everyone as we transition into a world without Rodger. But Romans 5:3 tells us to also “rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

I pray today that we would all receive the hope and peace only the Lord can give in this difficult time. Take comfort in knowing that Rodger is in a much better place. A few days ago our 2 year old daughter told us “Papa is in Heaven playing the guitar with Jesus.” I cant imagine that it could get any better than that.

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Craft-less Mom

I often laugh about the fact that I just don't "do" crafts. What I mean is- I totally suck at doing crafts. I don't enjoy them. They often seem to take too long, make a mess, and honestly I feel like I could be doing a million other things.  I DO appreciate my friends who are super crafty. I think its amazing that people can knit blankets, sew clothes and even do basic things like use a glue gun. All things that are totally out of my league.

As my daughter gets older and we have started working more on arts & crafts, Bible stories, etc. this lack of craft skills is really starting to prove challenging.

A couple of weeks ago, Rafi was asking me to draw a picture of her.  Although it is not the best picture, I was able to get through the whole eyes, nose, hair part, but then she kept asking me to draw her hands and arms. So- I had to break down and tell my 20 month old I just couldn't do it. Every picture she has, looks just like this:





Recently we have been working on the 7 Days of Creation.  When we talked about God making the birds and the fish, I made a picture for Rafi to color. When she was done we hung it up in her room so that when Tony got home she could tell him what she learned about. After I put it up I said "now what did God make Rafi?" She looks at the picture and says "Fish and Bats." I realized I better put labels on it to help Tony later that day.



Yesterday we learned about Noah. After reading the story in her Bible, I thought we would do a little craft to really help the story sink in. My goal was to make the ark mobile, so I made a slit in the paper and made it to where the boat could move across the waves. A very ambitious task I know. Well, I didn't really know how to create the ark, but an even bigger problem was that I didn't know how to draw ANY animals. So- this is what we came up with. Obviously that is Noah in the boat.


All of these things should make me want to try harder, take a class, or at least ask for some help. But instead- I think I will just start using my printer more and doing a lot of coloring sheets to go with our stories. And let's be honest here, children retain stories much better when told over a bowl of ice cream as opposed to a craft any day. So- for any of my craft-less moms out there, have no fear! Just give your kid sugar, and you will be way cooler than the other moms ; )

Sunday, January 29, 2012

The Rules of Pregnancy

As I am sure most of you know, Tony and I are expecting our second child in April. What an exciting time it is knowing that we are going to have a baby boy and Rafi is going to be a big sister. It would seem that it would just be natural that everyone you encounter to be as happy and supportive of the situation, right?!?

Well, after many intersting situations and lots of stories from my friends who have experienced similar things- I have decided it is just about time to have a little handbook with a few Rules of Pregnancy. I am including examples on some of these for those of you who need a little more detail. And YES, all of these stories are true.

First- NEVER address weight when it comes to pregancy. I tweeted about this yesterday and I don't mean to get stuck on the issue, ok- well actually I do, because it is a big deal. I won't speak for all women here, but I will say for myself- gaining weight is probably my least favorite thing to do. I like it even less than having to actually work out to get the weight off. I am sure most of you reading this would never dream of saying anything about how huge someone is, or ask them if they are having twins, but I can assure you, some people just don't get it. I actually had someone tell me (who I didn't even know) that she would be praying for me as she had, and I quote "no idea how I would be able to keep up with a toddler for another 3 months considering how large I am." I will refrain from typing out what I wanted to tell her I was praying for, but it may have had something to do with her safety if I happened to see her in the parking lot when I left. So, do all pregnant (well and non-pregnant) women a favor- unless it is something along the lines of "oh my word you are so skinny" just don't talk about our weight.

Second- Just because my belly is sticking out, it is is no way an invitation to just jump all over me. I personally am not a touchy feely person. I am sure you are all shocked by this. So for hugs in general to make me a little uneasy, imagine what it is like when I don't even know a person's first name and they walk up to me and begin rubbing my stomach. Can you imagine anything more akward? What if I went up to you because you got a new hair color and just started petting you like a puppy? It's inappropriate. Should you ask and are cleared for touching, then and only then is this ok.

Third- It's never a good idea to share horrible birth stories with someone who is about to pop. You are already freaked out about this process and the last thing you want to hear is the worst case scenario. When I was about 8 1/2 months pregnant with Rafi I had someone tell me how she broke her hip bone giving birth to her daughter and considering we were the same build, she would not be shocked if that happened to me. Wow! That really makes you want to go into labor. My funniest/horrible story came just a few days before I had Rafi. Someone shared a story with me that they had seen on the news that week. It was about a woman who got a staph infection after having her baby in the hospital. Apparently it was so bad that the woman ended up losing her arms and legs, and now had this infant to care for. Talk about a motivational speech. It was so tramatizing to hear that immediatly after I had Rafi, I turned to my friend Stacy and said "do I still have my arms and legs?" Seriously, none of these types of stories help, best to just keep to yourself.

Finally- Unless you are a doctor, and more specifically MY doctor, please hold back all medical opinions. I am certain you probably know more about the risks of epidurals, c-sections, placentas, cord blood, etc. but really, I am going to guess my doctor may know a little something about these things too. If he doesn't I will be sure to use my life line and ask the general public for their expertise on the matter.

I am sure there are many more rules that others would like to include. If you have any, please share, and include any funny stories you have. I only write these things in humor because I have learned the best way to stay sane in the pregnancy process, is to just laught about it : )