Do You Discipline?

This week I am linking up (for the first time) with Blogging Guru and SITs Girl Extrodinarre Mama Kat of Mama's Losin' It. 

Each week Mama Kat has a list of blogging prompts to chose from and write about. 

Then link up on Thursday and join the chaos fun!
Here's her post for this week.

This week I chose this particular promt:

Name a pet peeve you have about how other parents raise their kids. Go on…stir the pot.

This is something that has truly been weighing on my heart lately.

I have watched many people that I love dearly mess up their lives and their children's lives by neglecting to do one simple, yet important, thing:

DISCIPLINE

Many parents today think that it's okay to let your children have control and that it's okay for them to run amok and do whatever their little hearts desire because, well, "they're only kids". Then when their children get older and begin to get out of control, they try to pawn them off onto other people because they can no longer handle them.

If you had only disciplined your child from the get-go, you wouldn't be having this problem, now, would you?

I'm not talking about yelling or spanking your child when they do something wrong, but I do feel that children NEED to be corrected and suffer consequences for their actions. And, contrary to belief, "talking" to a child is NOT a consequence! Feel free to take away a privilege (or ten), put a child in time-out (age appropriate time length, please: 1 minute for each year of age), have them write sentences or a lengthy apology note, give them extra chores, and yes, when it is warranted, it is okay to spank your kids!

The book of Proverbs states: "He who spareth the rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him correcteth him betimes" (Proverbs 13:24). This means that if you are not showing your children when they are doing wrong, and correcting them you are doing them more harm than good!

THIS is why we have a larger amount of wayward teens now than ever before.

THIS is why your child shows you little to no respect.

THIS is why children everywhere are disrespectful to each other and to adults.

Parents, for all that is holy, PLEASE learn to discipline your children!

Wordless Wednesday - Goodies

The other day I made some Brownie Pops with my wonderful daughter.
The sprinkles were delightful and just begged to be photographed,
so I obliged the little attention-hogs.
So glad I did.
Incidentally, the story and the recipe will arrive on Saturday's post.

Sometimes, you just gotta have sprinkles.

For more Wordless Wednesdays, visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Marriage-Minded Monday - The Importance of Communication

Each Monday I will be talking about marriage and home-and-hearth.

I have learned men's greatest secret.

Are you ready for this ladies?

*men are not mind readers*

I know that comes as quite a shock, doesn't it?

But it's true.

One of the largest complaints I hear from my female friends about their husbands is:

"He never does _____" or "He ALWAYS does _______"

And then go on to say:

"He KNOWS it bothers me!"

But, does he?

Does he REALLY?

Have you TOLD him it bothers you?

"No, but he should know!"

How can someone know it bothers you if you don't tell him?

Believe it or not, many divorces have been finalized over such.

Another example comes straight out of my own marriage:

"Honey did you remember that we're going to ______ today?"
"Uh . . . No, you never told me."
"Yes, I'm sure I did! We have to leave in five minutes and drive over three hours and we both need showers and get the kids ready!!"

"You never told me!"

"I'm sure I did! We also have to stop and buy a wedding gift!"

"YOU NEVER TOLD ME!"

This one happens more than I'd like to admit in my house.

*dramatized to get the point across*

Communication is the number one key to a happy, joyful marriage.

If something is bothering you, you NEED to tell your spouse - weather it's something they did or something else in the world that's been weighing on your heart.

If you're having problems talking to your spouse, you should look at why:

Do you fear their response?

Do you fear YOUR response?

Do you harbor resentments?

If any of these are an issue for you, take a deep breath and say a prayer. Then when you discuss your problem, be sure to do so at a time when you're both in decent moods. Sit down in an uninterrupted time, and make a promise to each other to not use harsh words or yelling. When you're talking about your issue, do not bring up issues of the past - they have nothing to do with the issue at hand. And remember to LISTEN as much as you talk - your spouse wants to be heard too, and I'm sure they have a few things on their mind they'd like to share as well!

Another solution - one that's good for the entire family - is something called a "gripe book" or a "communication journal" - it's for every family member to write down things that have bothered them during the week - then once a week the entire family sits down and talks about the book. The rules are - no retaliations, no arguments, no accusations, especially at the round table.

If you find that you are STILL having problems communicating, it may be time to talk to your pastor, priest, or a marriage counselor. But keep in mind the more you talk, the easier it becomes.

Silly Saturday - Summertime Blues

We all know what summer means for our school age children -
BORED
ANNOYING
KIDS

And for those kids that haven't gone to camp or summer rec (like mine), it's even worse.
Sure they have video games and TV, but what happens when they wear out?
And it's not like they can go outside every day in this Texas summer heat (104 last week!!!!!)
And on top of THAT . . . Craft supplies can be PRICY.
So how in the WORLD do you keep bored kids entertained on a hot summer day??

One of my favorite activities to do with the kids involves a bit of recycling (sort of).
We take old newspapers and wad them up into (loose) balls, which we then put into two boxes.
Then we take chairs and blankets, move a bit of furniture around, and make two "forts".
Even numbers on each side of the room and then . . .
SNOWBALL FIGHT!

My kids can do this for hours.

Other newspaper activities:
Paper Mache (you can make homemade paste by following this recipe)
Paper boats (if you live close to a pond or creek, you can have a boat race!)
Paper hats

So what if you don't have newspaper?
Well there are a few other recyclables around your home I'm sure: Paper towel or toilet paper rolls, scratch paper, magazines, fliers, chip cans, applesauce/yogurt containers (washed) - these can all be used to make some amazing recycled crafts!

Okay, so the craft idea is out the window for some reason or another (I don't keep trash, I don't want to clean up the mess, kids to young, kids too old) . . .

Give your young ones a couple of sponges and spray bottles of water and let them clean your kitchen floor (hey, this works!! They have a BLAST!)

If it's not TOO hot out there, water guns, a small wading pool, and water balloons are all cheap as is running through the sprinkler.

While the summer heat can be unbearable for many of us (some more than others) there are ways to work around it and ensure that our kids aren't bored ALL the time (lets face it, they're going to bored at SOME point).

What are some of your favorite summertime activities?

TMI Fridays! Swimsuit season . . .

Welcome to another edition of TMI Fridays!

This week is all about . . .

SWIMSUIT SEASON

*insert ominous music here*

I. Hate. Swimsuit season.

Unless you're a supermodel, are ANY of us REALLY happy with the way we look in a swimsuit?

Probably not.

And many of us are wearing swimsuits that we have NO BUSINESS wearing.

Don't give me that look

You know who you are.

*old men in Speedos*

And then you have the older people on the planet.

First off - I love old people. 

I think they are a wonderful addition to society - wise sages that teach us the ways of life. 

Interesting stories to keep us entertained for hours. 

But there are some things on an older persons body that should just. be. covered. up.

If it sags below the belt, it needs support!!

Speaking of old people . . .

My mom and I started a water aerobics class yesterday. 

I wore a swimsuit for the first time in over a year. 

It was a new Speedo-brand conservative-cut (yes, that's a style, LOL) sports suit.

But there were oh, so many problems.

First of all, before we get into anything, let's just say that I am a big  svelte large okay I admit it, I'm obese (thus the water aerobics). 

So when I say I don't look very good in a swimsuit, let's just call that a HUGE understatement.

Second, as I have been dieting and exercising for a long time, the suit 

(which I thought I ordered in my size) 

was slightly too big.

It was slipping down my back. 

At one time I thought someone was going to remind me that crack kills! 

And there were wobbly bits that were hanging out that should, by all that is holy, NEVER be hanging out!!

I would post a picture, 

but I'm sure none of you want to ruin your keyboards by being sick on them.

What do you hate the most about swimsuit season?

Blogging Schedule . . ? Yes, Blogging Schedule!!

How many days have I missed out on a stellar blog post b/c I was stuck in the world of writer's block? Countless, I can tell you.
I was reading a post by another blogger several weeks ago, and they mentioned that they had a schedule for their blog - certain topics for certain days.
I thought she was crazy.
But then, I thought, maybe . . . JUST maybe an idea like this would work for me - captain scatterbrained.
So I've decided that I'm going to give it a shot.
Every day will be "themed" - now these themes aren't set in stone - so if, for example, I have another topic weighing on my heart or I just can't thing of anything to write for that theme I may write about something else. But this will give me - and you, kids! - an opportunity to see "what's in store" for the week! I will also be posting this list somewhere in my sidebar soon.

So without further ado, here's my new Blogging Schedule!

Marriage Minded Mondays - discussions and tips on having a happy and successful marriage
Tasty Tuesdays - I will be linking up with a few of my favorite blogs to share recipes and cooking tips
Wordless Wednesdays/Word-Filled Wednesdays - I will be linking up with 5 Minutes for Mom for their weekly meme OR I will be discussing a Biblical topic
Thougtful Thursdays - Writing about whatever's on my mind
TMI Fridays - The weekly free-for-all is back! Beware - some of these stories will be gross! Mwahahahahaa!
Silly Saturdays - Craft/Activity ideas for kids, funny stories, kids guest blogging (am I crazy . . ?)
Scriptural Sundays - I will be posting a bible verse for the week here.

So, there you have it, kids. My blog schedule. If any of you have one you'd like to share, leave a comment! What's YOUR blog schedule?

TMI Friday! Attack Of the Ants

TMI Friday is back!

Can I just say right now how much I hate bugs, in general.

Oh, butterflies are nice.

I dig the occasional ladybug.

Moths aren't TOO bad.

Roly Poly's are sweet.

And ant lions (aka doodlebugs) are fun to play with.

Everything else can go, as far as I'm concerned.

Especially roaches and ants.

Especially ESPECIALLY ants.

I. Hate. Ants.

Guess which of the above I am currently waging war against? 

No, dummies, not ladybugs.

ANTS

Little tiny black sugar ants.

My husband calls them something else that I'm not allowed to say here 

(shame on you, Dear Husband for using such language!)

These little suckers are EVERYWHERE from the kitchen to my kids' room!

EV. 

RY. 

WHERE!!!

In the kitchen they're all over the counters and I've even found them in the cabinets.

In the dining room they're all over the table and the computer desk.

In the living room they're all in the couch.

In my kids rooms they're on the floor and in their beds!

AAAAAACK!

Luckily they're just the little black sugar ants and not fire ants.

For the past week, I have cleaned, scrubbed, vacuumed, wiped, washed . . .

I'm exhausted.

Yesterday, I think my kids think I lost it.

"Gotta KILL the little suckers . . . 

Gonna . . . 

Squish 'em SQUISH 'EM SQUISH 'EM . . . 

NO! Not YOUR house MY house . . . out . . . OUT!!" 

squish squish 

BAM BAM BAM 

(on the counter trying to squish them with bleach wipes)

THEN. 

I found it.

Their ENTRYWAY

I found some boric acid and filled the hole with it, giggling maniacally.

My kids still think I'm nuts. 

But today, we have fewer ants.

So I think that this morning I'll mix a good concoction of sugar and boric acid and see how they like THAT little feast.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Beware evil little ants.

Your days are numbered . . .

PMM - Proud Mommy Moments

Thanks everyone for all the comments on my last post in regards to "branding". 

I'm so glad to know that you all like me just the way I am! 

So to that end, I decided that today I was going to link up with my good Bloggy-Mommy-Friend KMama for her weekly "Proud Mommy Moments". 

For more information on Proud Mommy Moments, visit KMama here and then come join the fun!!

My children have very distinct personalities.

First you have Garrett - he's the late-bloomer oh-woe-is-me emo kid (without the dark eyeliner). He loves to build with his legos, and create these amazing scenarios.

Then you have Christin. Christin is the typical pre-teen girl. Into boys and hair and makeup.

Then there's Emily. Emily is the social butterfly - she'll make friends with anyone and everyone - even in the middle of the grocery store.

And finally you have Jacob. The one we call "little man" Jake is the clown of the group. He's the jokemaster, the silly tickle monster, the one who will repeat an action over and over again if it will elicit a laugh.

This is a Jacob story.

We taught Jake his first knock knock joke at a young age. 

It was the one about the interrupting cow. 

For an almost-two-year old, his timing was impeccable.

Then he started creating his own knock knock jokes. 

Not quite as funny, but still kinda cute as he is only three.

For example:

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Butt.

Butt who?

My butt is on my bottom!

Then the hysterical laughter occurs. 

Not from us, mind you, but from HIM - 

who thinks his jokes are the funniest in the world.

I just hope that he doesn't decide to break one of these . . . 

er . . . HILARIOUS . . . jokes 

out in the middle of church.

That would be a not-so-proud-mommy-moment . . .

Okay! Now it’s your turn. 

Type out your Proud, or maybe not-so-Proud Mommy Moment and link up with either KMama or Emmy Mom! Don’t forget, PMM isn’t just for mom’s…anyone can link up! Join us each week for this fun meme!

What's My "Brand"

As I look back on some of my older posts, it dawns on me that I am the most scattered person on the planet.
The whole point of blogging, if you want followers, is to have a theme - one theme - and you stick with it. But here, I have a whole variation of themes! This blog is proof of my multiple personalities.

First you have the mommy posts. These are the ones with pictures of my children, funny daily anecdotes, recipes, household tips . . . That's what my starting intentions were with this blog.

Then you have the "pious" me - the religious posts. Make no qualms about it, I am a Christian and I am loud and proud about it (although not pushy). These posts focus on the spiritual aspect of my life - what God has done for me, what I wish he would do, a bible verse, a religious debate . . . Things like that. The more I got to know my Jesus, and the closer I got to Him, the more in-depth these writings became.

Then you have the snarky, witty posts - the TMI Friday moments, and the real-world, in-your-face, (attempts) to be funny.

Let's face it, these three "me's" just don't really go hand in hand, now do they.

So, my dear readers, I ask for your help. Out of the three brands, which do YOU prefer? The "Mommy" me, the "Religious" me, or the "Snarky" me - your votes will help determine the future of this blog!