Inspired

Feeling inspired by this quote today in how to love my kids when loving them seems to make them miserable (read: lack of positive emotional response to my "loving actions"):

"For most people, to be loved is to be made much of. Almost everything in our Western culture serves this distortion of love. We are taught in a thousand ways that love means increasing someone's self-esteem. Love is helping someone feel good about themselves. Love is giving someone a mirror and helping him like what he sees.
This is not what the Bible means by the love of God. Love is doing what's best for someone. But making self the object of our highest affections is not best for us. It is, in fact, a lethal distraction. We were made to see and savor God - and savoring him, to be supremely satisfied."
John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life

My Little Preschooler

Jackson it not in official preschool until August, but he is clearly getting more bored and wanting more structured play at home. Luckily my amazing friend Jen has written this curriculum for doing preschool and home and we are following along. Here's the blog if you're interested: http://orchardhomeschool.org/

We did our first week at home and Jack took all of one day to love our morning circle time. It is nice to start the day together with time to talk and listen to the kids. This week was all about patience and we learned about a lot of bible characters who had to be patient. Here's our Noah's Arc banana boat snack

 And making our fruit loop rainbows. It's fun that he is actually mature enough for crafts. He understands the directions and will work hard on it. In the past he's not been interested at all.

 Learning about caterpillars waiting to become butterflies!

 Before he burst out.

 Cosette participates in circle time too, but she tends to run around and be crazy. I do the snacks and crafts with Jack when she naps. She got cacooned too, but the video cut out before she got her butterfly wings. But you can see she's very interested.

 We made our own Very Hungry Caterpillar. Jack had to pair up the foods to feed him. A big hit.

 We had to go off script and add butterfly wings.

So proud of him for learning his memory verse! "Be Patient, bearing with one another in love." I think this is the sweetest video ever. Melts my heart.

Saying his morning prayers

Puzzles

Can't believe how big this kid is getting. He's doing his bigger kid puzzles 90% himself with almost no help. It's so cool to see him work on it again and again until he masters it. The 3+ toys are perfect now!

3rd Birthday

This morning was Jackson's 3rd birthday party. What a big day for us. We hosted a pretty big party with a ton of his little friends. It was also very special because we did a double party with Jackson's buddy Andrew. They get along very well and are both sensitive little boys.

Jack and Andrew trying to pose.

We woke up to a drizzle and I was pretty panicked that the party would be a bust. I did not plan the menu or the guest list expecting to have everyone inside. Once you see the food and crowd you will understand my panic. I prayed about it and felt peaceful. When we had to make the call about where to set up, it was dry enough outside to go for it.

The party theme was dinosaurs playing baseball and eating waffles. I know, not very succinct. However it included all of Jackson and Andrew's favorite things and that made it awesome.

 Andrew's mommy is my friend Sarah and she made the lovely baseball cake. Needed some last minute touchups, but turned out great in the end.

 A waffle party demands delicious toppings and syrup flavors.

 Andrew Allosaurus and Jackson Jaxartosaurus loved the the spread

 Mini waffle kabobs for the kiddies and oatmeal waffles for the adults, and the kiddies too.

  Keeping with the waffle idea, we had our popcorn in waffle cones.

We gave a variety of dinos out as favors. Jackson made sure to get all of the stegosauruses in one place.

 He loves his party!

Chose chocolate for his first waffle. Cosette chose to eat the yogurt dip exclusively.

 Eating with friends

Just a little more chocolate please

 Loving it. I've never seen him sit contentedly and eat for so long. I guess that's the effect waffles can have on a person.

 His lady friend lunching at the sandbox.

 Filling up

 Cosette looks a little guilty here

 Clara is lining up the dinosaur fossils

 Just so happy!

 Eating sand and yelling about it, like usual

 It's story time. We read "Dino Baseball" a very cute book

 Kids love stories

 Cosette is not listening, but harassing the bigger kids

 Cosette is up to something and Adelaide is totally annoyed.

 We couldn't get that chocolate sauce off his face.

And a couple of small gifts. This was a no gifts party, but there were a few little things to open

 What a difference a year makes. Our 4 year friend Leah is able to operate the whip cream can and make waffle designs. Maybe next year.

 Caught in the act of being a dino

 Cake Time!

 These are the sweetest boys.

The lovely Miss Sarah cuts the cake.

 With my buddy. Not pictured is Dan who took off work to help me set up and was the only grown man there. Thanks Babe, you rock!

 I can't believe he's 3 this week. It seriously seems like about a year ago he was a little tiny thing and now he's a walking, talking, jumping, singing, pouting, reasoning, smiling boy. We couldn't be happier to have him.

 Our favors were dinos and baseballs.

 The dino eggs made from yarn turned out great. I think we'll hang them in his room to remember our great day.