Praying for our Children

I'm sad to admit it, but a lot of my days include this prayer right around breakfast time:
"Dear Lord, Please do not let me kill these children today. It would be entirely too messy and I'd have to explain myself to many people- specifically a JUDGE. Amen."

Seriously, we do pray for our children and family every morning, but my friend Gina gave us this amazing prayer chart at Bible Study recently that lists a specific character trait to prayer for your child for each day of the month as well as Bible verses to correspond with those.

This is what it looks like:


Don't worry, I thought of you, too! Go to Scribd by clicking here to print one out for your refrigerator, daily notebook or wherever you will see it each day.

Please note that I did NOT create this. Full credits are listed at the bottom of the page and it is from Frazier UMC in Montgomery, AL {a wonderful church} and adapted from an article written by Bob Hostetler in Pray Magazine.

This is a great chart to use even if you don't have young children! You can pray for your current or future spouse, your friends or your family. All of us need these characteristics reinforced in our every day lives and who wouldn't love a little praying?

Speaking of prayer, one of the most wonderful prayers I've ever heard was about 4 years ago from my friend Jill's husband Casey. They work in ministry {so, he has an "in" with God} on college campuses {now at LSU}, but they visited our Sunday School class to talk about their ministry.

The majority of couples in our class had young children and he prayed that our children would come to know Christ at an early age {how had I not been praying for this??} and he prayed for our children's friends- that they would be good influences in their lives.

How powerful are both of those things?
Amazing.

I've already started praying for my children's spouses {is that spice?}, as well, so they will be able to put up with me.
I have a strange feeling I'm going to be a handful.

What do you pray for every day {for your children, family or yourself}?
Also, if you want to leave a prayer request in the comments section, I would be honored to pray for you and I'm sure everyone else would, too! {You are welcome to leave it anonymously}.

Need to Steamroll Your Children?

Monday was a tough day. Jason stays late at work on Monday nights and the kids were at their finest that afternoon. Just see my Facebook status update if you have any questions:

So, we had to DO something. That probably meant I should back away from the computer and Facebook, but I'm no child development expert.

I am getting to be more of an expert on making something from nothing at our house, though, and had just read something that day about Flat Stanley. I decided we should make some lifesize Flat Children for fun.
Here's how you can get in on the action if you need an activity to save your children from being killed , beaten to a pulp , kindly and lovingly disciplined.

Oh, and it's a ton of fun to do, too!

* First, get out the newspaper from Sunday that you never read and lay several pieces on the floor and tape them together.

* Have the kiddos lay flat and still {ha} so you can trace them.
{Henry does not understand those 2 words, so he just helped with Ollie's.}

* Next, cut out the shape to make a Flat Ollie {disproportionate neck optional}.

* Be sure to keep an eye on 2 year old, because a massive tape wad incident could occur at any moment.

* Cut out pieces of construction paper to make face and let child act like Picasso and place them anywhere they'd like.

* Then make clothes for your flat child and have them decorate their wardrobe. {If they have trouble with this, show them their current drawn-on wardrobe and let them know they are actually allowed to do it, now.}
* Let little brother in on the act since coloring is his favorite thing to do.

* Practice giving High 5s.

* Then enjoy your Flat Ollie!


Right now, Flat Ollie resides on the back of the door of Round Ollie's room. I keep thinking he's going to wake up screaming that Flat Ollie is coming to get him, but so far he hasn't been creepy. Hopefully he won't come to life like Kim Cattrall in Mannequin because he would be really weird looking!

After this, our Monday night got much better. Since I love it when that happens, this post is linked to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

What is your go-to activity when things are getting crazy at your house?

Why I love Chuck- and Zac Levi, too

You might have picked up by now that I am crushing on Chuck. I love the show {as mentioned here}, I begged NBC to put the show back on {here} and now he is getting an entire post dedicated to my love.

As I was explaining this infatuation to my husband last night {you think I could keep it from him?}, he said that I loved Chuck because he was just like him. I told him I didn't know he was a secret agent with a computer in his brain and let it go. Then I woke up convinced that he was right!

Here are the Top 5 Reasons My Husband is Just like Chuck/ Zac Levi:

1. Chuck's cover is that he is an IT guy
This means a computer guy. Chuck is in the Nerd Herd {which is the TV show's version of Best Buy's Geek Squad}.

Jason will happily tell you he is a nerd.

2. Chuck is always dependable
Chuck {almost} always catches the bad guys at the end of the hour- despite the fact that my heart is racing and somehow I always wonder how he's going to make it out of this predicament.
Jason is extremely trustworthy. You can really count on him to do anything he says he will do. Period. That's one of the many things that made me marry him.

See, look! He was even voted Most Dependable in high school.



3. Chuck is funny
The show is hysterical. One of my favorite quotes from the last episode:

Awesome/ Devin: "You're incredible! Is that your spy training?"
Chuck: "Duck Hunt, Nintendo."

Jason is, of course, funny, too. When we were scanning in the above picture this morning, I told him how he was *rockin* his braided leather belt.
He quickly responded, "Yes, my pants were definitely NOT on the ground".

4. Chuck is charming
Do I even need to elaborate on this?

Of course my hubs is charming, too! Anyone who can find a date at Space Camp is a winner!

5. Zac Levi {the real life person who plays Chuck} is a Christian
He's on the cover of Relevant Magazine this month and talks about being a Christian in Hollywood, his family and upbringing and how his goal is to be friends with people and show them God's love through his words and actions. How awesome is that?
And, thankfully, my sweet hubs is a wonderful Christian man and leader in our home.

The last reason is enough for me to love them both, but since I am a happily married woman, I think Chuck is just going to have to move on without me.

But Harry Connick, Jr.... I will see you next week, my friend. Oh yes. I will.

Girls Getaway, Bella Band and a Jean Story

Ever need a getaway? Just a quick escape from reality for a breather?
Anyone remember that Calgon commercial?

Some dear girlfriends of mine were kind enough to invite me on one of those last weekend! They have met for many years in Birmingham {a central location to all of them} and I was thrilled to be able to hang out with them on Saturday. Birmingham is about a 2 hour drive {or less} so I went down early in the morning and was met with these for breakfast:
Now you know why I love them!
Monogrammed cupcakes... For breakfast!
These are my kind of people.

Our day included eating, talking and eating with a tiny dash of shopping.

We went to lunch at this place called Bottega that was amazing! Mary keeps a file for every major city of places she wants to go and this was in the file. I used to be like that... back when I had free brain cells. She is just amazing! { Secretly, we decided she chose this restaurant for the risque lighting, but we just let it go because we love her. }

This is Lane, Heather and Jill

And Holly, Mary and emoi.

You may remember Holly, Mary and Lane from the 4th of July. Holly is married to my cousin Marcus, Mary is Holly's sister and Lane is Mary's neighbor and {everyone's} friend.
Heather and Jill were college roommates and Heater grew up with Holly and Mary. If I could put a flow chart on here for you, I would. I told you the South was like this.

After perusing some adorable shops in SoHo {that's South Homewood, peeps}, we noticed a Yogurt Mountain. Have you ever been to one? It was amazing! It was like diving into Candyland {my dream as a child} and pouring yogurt on top!

You pay for your creation per ounce {45 cents/ ounce, I think} and you get one guess as to whose was the most.
*Ahem*
Yes. That's right. Mine was on the top left there.




And it was tough. Really unbearable. But somehow we all scarfed it down.


I left after a long day of eating and laughing and more eating, I drove my fat and happy self back home. A little getaway was just what I needed!

: : : : : : : : :

On Monday or Tuesday this week, I asked the wide world of Facebook if I needed a Bella Band or not. I got a mixed response, reviews and opinions. But my favorite was of my afore-mentioned friend Lane who said, "It's in the mail"! WOW! And sure enough! It got here yesterday.

Here's what a Bella Band looks like. You wear it under your clothes so you can wear your regular non-maternity jeans until you literally can't zip them at all. This is SO much more comfy than the rubber band around the button. I wouldn't have believed it, but I love it!
And, Lane sent me a LIME GREEN one! One of my favorite colors!! Thanks, Lane!!


Here we are early this morning. How am I up and dressed, etc? That's because my children were up at 5:30 and 6 am {begging to watch Chuggington, btw. Have y'all seen that new Disney cartoon, yet?}. The children who usually have to be dragged out of bed at 7.
Yup. Same ones.

And Jason made me take this pic below. You can see how thrilled I am.
I'm only adding it because of Woody. That's Sheriff Woody, of course. Ollie was insistant that he be in the picture. We laughed so hard when we checked these. That little sneaker.

This is 13+ weeks if you are keeping track. And remember, my friends, this is child #3. My body said, "Hey! We know how to do this! Everybody to the front... pop out! YAY!!!" and there you have it. I already look kinda preggers.

Quickly- the jeans: they are $150+ Seven jeans. But you probably know by now that I am super cheap and would never pay that. Ne-vah. But, I was cruising the Goodwill {or the G-Dub as I've affectionately started calling it} and SAW THEM THERE! For 5 dolla.
Yes. That will make you holla.
They were a little big, but I figured they would work since I'm a little on the big side right now and THEY DO! I cannot tell you how happy I was.

This level of happiness is like living at Yogurt Mountain and never getting a brain freeze.
And finding perfect shoes on the same day. While someone feeds you monogrammed cupcakes.

Yes- it was that good.

Do you have a G-Dub near you? You really should check it out!
And any girls weekends planned? Cupcakes are a must!

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Here is a shot of our half bathroom downstairs.
Let me know what you think is wrong with this image.


Here are my thoughts {I have a few}:


This is what it looks like almost every. single. day.
You might not know this if you or your family uses an ordinary amount of toilet paper, but that stuff isn't cheap!
Thus you'll notice that half of that pile is wadded rolled right back up.

There are many things wrong with my housekeeping {I wish I would have had a home ec class... seriously!}, but I will just mention that those green letters are conveniently located on top of a serious dust pile. And I only noticed it in the picture.

Has anybody tried those TP protector things so your crazy spirited warm and loving 2 year old doesn't do this every day?
Let me know!

P.S. The rest of my house is decent {except for the other bathrooms, of course}.

P.P.S. Seriously, if you know anything about those vents, please don't keep it to yourself!