Wit by Amanda: 2017

Friday, November 24, 2017

October 2017

October has been a crazy month for America. A lot of scary stuff out there...I saw this quote that was so beautiful from the late great, Mr. Rogers and I dont ever want to forget it.
"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster', I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in the world".

October is our anniversary month and one of my favorite months because of the perfect weather. It was a busy month but we had a lot of fun! We celebrated a lot and did a lot of "pumpkin fun". Jack and Francine were in their first wedding and they were adorable.

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

So Francine...not sure if she was admiring me or making fun...I came upstairs and she had her backpack on and pretend phone and she was saying, "Hi this is Amanda, and this is Amanda's voice".

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - This kid has a routine every week on Sundays. We head into the coffee shop, he gets a coffee cup, a water bottle, and turns on a floor lamp (that for some reason is never on when we walk in).
Personality/Growing up - This kid! When he is needing some attention, he will go into the living room and turn on my favorite music or Christopher's...depending on whoever he needs time with at that moment.
Learning - We like to go to the library on Wednesdays after Jack's school. Each week, I have been trying to teach him more and more about the library system and how it works. He loves the library and his favorite part is he likes to look up books on the computer and then go find them. That's my boy!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - She has been quite obsessed this month with unicorns. I had their Halloween costumes picked out (Woody and Jane from Toy Story). It was going to be perfect, then... she found out about unicorns...and it was all she could do. Anyway, it ended up being absolutely perfect! She was the most adorable unicorn ever.
Personality/Growing up - Francine woke up and told me that her elephant wants to be a unicorn, and her baby bear wants to be a caterpillar, and she wants to be a cow.
Skills - This child has reasoning down. She is 2! If Jack has two toys in his hand and he is headed out to the car, she tells me "Jack has two toys so I need two toys". This is literally the storyline all day every day. If Jack does anything, it has to be fair and Francine will make sure and let me know!

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

Her Hair! :)

Her teacher sent me this from school!

Fall at Cheekwood!

Holiday decor up!

Thursday, November 23, 2017

September 2017

September - one of my favorite things happen each year during this month! We go to beach in Seaside! It literally is one of my most favorite places and I love just being there! I also have happened to be there for 3 of my birthdays the past couple years and that makes it even more fun! Came back from the beach and fall kind of hit Nashville it seemed. My mom and brother came and visited us for a few days. We went to a wedding for our "little bro" this month in Chattanooga and got to spend time with Christopher's parents briefly.

I got this quote from a friend's Instagram and it just made me feel so convicted about how and what we say to our kids. I want to do better at this!
"Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become"

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**
We watch the CBS Sunday morning show most Sundays before church and the 1st commercial break is always the same guy from Belmont University doing the same commercial - Jack asked if that guy is in Nashville and I said, "Yes he's at the college thats on the way to children's hospital". Jack then said, "What?! We should go visit him!"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Jack is excited about a lot but one of my favorite highlights of this month is his point of view when it came to sunsets. He just glowed when he realized that the sun was setting at the beach. He made sure everyone stopped what they were doing to see it with him!
Personality/Growing up - This kid melts when I tell him I am not happy with him. In our enneagram work, we have definitely had to work on making sure we dont use that as a manipulation with Jack. He wants to please his parents so much and we want him to learn right from wrong not because he wants to please us but because its the right thing to do. Definitely think he is in the dependent stance.
Learning - He has been learning a lot about coloring and art this month. He loves to draw the ROYGBV rainbow or put his crayons in that order. He always looks for patterns or how things are connected. We got ourselves one smart little guy here!

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - So Francine is picking up on reasoning. She will say to me, "Are you happy with me?" I will say, "No, Francine I am not. You made a bad choice." So she will say, "Ok I wont do it again...ok?"
Personality/Growing up - She is definitely our "Sassy Francine". She knows right from wrong but she chooses whether she is in the mood to make good choices or not. I have been trying to tell her over and over that she is not a bad person, but she makes bad choices. She is a good person. :) She is a character and definitely the reason for us to be on our needs daily praying! ;)
Learning - This kid is so smart. She is in the phase of "why?" all the time. At the 2-day school, she is doing great and she always loves coming home and telling me what she learned.

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!

the Sunday photo has become a highlight each week!

Seaside!

Francine's heart checkup

Mom and Phillip visit!

Phil and Kendra's wedding!

Children's Museum in Chattanooga

Thursday, September 21, 2017

August 2017

August! Back to school this month. It makes me a little sad/teary that this will be our final year as "play" school. We really have a child starting school in 2018. I remind myself constantly to enjoy these moments because this may be the best it will be. We did a potty training boot camp this month with Francine and she is doing pretty well with it! The big/tragic event of the month is Jack broke his tibia bone at a trampoline park at the beginning of the month. By the end of the month, he was back to normal, but there was a little while there where he couldn't put weight on his leg for 8 days...and he had to be carried around at all times. We still were able to do most of the things we wanted to do for summer and he was able to start school the first day with all of his friends (and his handy walking cast). We had friends visit from Japan this month. We said goodbye to some friends who moved away. For the most part, August was a great month and we were able to make some really great memories together!

**Funny/Sweet Story's of the month (I remembered to write down)**

Jack and Francine are going to be in a wedding in October (Say a prayer for us!) The other day Jack was talking to Francine about it and he said, "I'm going to be a bear down the aisle" (ring-bearer). Oh lord...we don't need any bears at the wedding. :)

This might be the best thing out of Francine's mouth...EVER! Christopher told Francine to stop whining a couple weeks back. And Francine responded, "I'm not whining...I'm just talking!"

#Jackamadeus - BIG BROTHER update!

Highlight - Wah-Wah - our first broken bone in the family! :( He has been quite the trooper through it all but it was definitely an unknown and unexpected turn of events in our life!
Food - This month has started a new thing for Jack. He asks with almost everything, "is this healthy?" He still eats it even if its not, but man at least we have a mindful kid!
Personality/Growing up - Sometimes I just look at Jack and he is that little boy that we love and cherish and sometimes I look at him and he is like a grown teenager. It feels in those moments that I want the days to slow down for sure and not get away from me. He is so inquisitive to his surroundings. He experiences everything in such an uninhibited place. I am learning through raising this sweet boy!
Learning - Jack started in the 3 day program at Christ Church Dayschool this year. Preschool is here! :)

#Francineclaire - LITTLE SIS update!

Highlight - Potty training happened this month, while we had a broken leg boy at home and there was not much leaving the house. Over all I will say its been a success for sure!
Food - I think this month she has turned a curve on being not as picky as she one was...Amen!
Personality/Growing up - We were at West Elm and as we were going inside I told her to not touch anything in the store. So she walked around the store and was putting her head on everything and keeping her hands far away from the furniture. Welcome to the world of Francine...where she listens but just wants to cross the boundary a little bit! :)
Skills -She is becoming quite the mommy to all of her animals and babies. And sometimes to her brother even. They were in the bathtub playing and I heard her a couple weeks back saying "Little boy, little boy...you need to listen to me...you need to listen to me". :)

Until next time....here are some photos from life lately!