Two-Year Olds Pick Up More Than You Think :)

Just wanted to share something funny that happened this evening. First let me set the scene. Matt's sitting at the dining room table on his computer and I'm straightening up in the dining room and the kitchen. Klaeyton is in the living room building train tracks and playing with his trains. Matt and I start having one of our laughing arguments as I call them where we just pick at each other. 


Me: You're a weirdo!
Matt: No you're the weirdo!
Klaeyton (from the living room): Your mom's a weirdo!


Ok so if you don't already know, we crack the "your mom" joke all the time with everything and apparently Klaeyton has picked up on it. 


Oh the joy of being an ordinary mom.

Couponing

I'm sure you all have heard about this new craze. Craze it may be, but it works, and if you're interested I'll be making posts periodically about some of my coupon adventures. So I started a new label titled "Cha-Ching" and it encompasses all of the great deals I have gotten using coupons and sales and what not. I'll even give a glimpse of how I do things :)

The Promised Land...

If we could visit Kentucky every month we would. We love it there. We made this trip to visit the Hardens and to bring one back with us ;) So it was a short trip (they're all too short) but an eventful one. 

One of Klaeyton's favorite things to do is ride the "tractor" with Papa. The spent the morning enjoying the nice weather and being good workers in mowing the lawn for Nana. It's such a joy to your children have a blast with their grandparents. I love that when we go to Kentucky, Klaeyton acts as if we never left. He waltzes in and gives hugs and kisses and begins talking non-stop. It truly warms the heart. 

Another thing I love about Kentucky is being able to just relax and breathe a little. This is Klaeyton being goofy with a pair of glasses Nana gave him to play with. 

This wasn't taken in Kentucky, but I had to add it. Aunt Lana has officially moved in and Klaeyton's prancing around in her shoes to prove it :)

Easter 2011

Don't they all just look so precious? This was Easter morning before church...I wish I would have taken an after photo when Klaeyton was covered in chocolate, hair all messy and no shoes and Jules' dress was covered in spit up. Why don't I think of these things at the time?

Yeah...as you can probably tell...Klaeyton wanted nothing to do with that Easter Bunny...He was clenching his teeth to say cheese only so that Jess would give him candy afterwards. I couldn't help but laugh. 

We didn't do Easter festivities until Monday when we were in Kentucky (More to come on that). Klaeyton did so well hunting for eggs! I think next year I'm going to use an alternative to that yucky grass...what a mess.

Good Earth Friday

When I woke up this morning and did my usual Facebook check, I noticed that not only is today Good Friday. but it's also Earth Day, which got me thinking. I just finished reading The Case for a Creator not long ago (it's by Lee Strobel) and to get off on a slight tangent...it's a very scientific book dealing with the idea of an intelligent designer vs. darwinism and other evolutionary theories. It has to do with a lot of earthly science and it popped into my head when I was thinking about writing this post. Anyways...Earth Day is all about remembering to take care of the Earth and Good Friday is about remembering that Jesus sacrificed himself for us. The fact that both these remembrances are on the same day causes us to also remember that the Earth that we take for granted is a gift from God. I did some research today on the relationship between taking care of our Earth and obeying God. Here is a short jist of my conclusions:

God created Earth:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." (Genesis 1:1, 31)

God owns the Earth and everything on it and has allowed us to rule it:

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' (Genesis 1:26)

God loves and values Earth:

"God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31)

I think that obviously if God loves and values the Earth, shouldn't we? God tells us to love one another because he loves us, so why shouldn't the Earth be any different? If we look around, not only are people hurting people, but we're destroying the very thing that God gave us to sustain ourselves. 

So today...pray...for Jesus died an excruciating death for you...and plant a tree...because we're killing one the biggest gifts from God. 

Wants and Needs

One day we were all walking around Target and we stopped to look at the toys. Klaeyton normally does very well in the store (probably since I'm a firm believer that you have to actually take a child into the store in order to effectively teach them how in act in one). Well this isn't a story about a wild store tantrum, but as we walked by the trains (Klaeyton's new obsession) we hear "Mom, I neeeeed a Thomas." Of course the first thing Matt and I do is laugh because it just sounded so funny. We spent the rest of the trip trying to get Klaeyton to say "I want a Thomas" instead of "I need a Thomas". 


This became an ongoing thing, and we're actually still working on it. Whenever Klaeyton wants something we hear this whiney "I neeeed...such and such." It really made me think because I thought I was doing much better with deciphering the two whenever I, myself speak. Apparently not. But it is nice to have such a cute little boy reminding me that there aren't nearly as many things that I need verses things that I want. 


And I can firmly say that this is something that I deem so very important in raising a child. Especially in today's society that says we have to have all these material things that ultimately determine our worth. I want Klaeyton to know that God will always provide for what he truly needs but that he has to understand the difference between a need and a want. 


Ultimately, I think we should all step back every day and Thank God that our needs are met and that we have the means to obtain things we want. 

A Month Old List

1. We all know how bad I am at keeping this blog thing up. I need to just ingrain in into my routine each week and then maybe I won't go weeks without posting. 


2. I have ingrained running and exercise into my routine! Anyone who knows me knows how much I hate physical activity so this is quite the accomplishment for me. I gotta get myself buff for vacation this year :) 


3. I can now run for twenty minutes without stopping. Woo!

4. Jules is now eating cereal and 1st stage foods. And she's already 4 months old. Where did this time go? She weighs 13.6 lbs which is almost half of Klaeyton! It's gotta be the formula chunking her up. But she's definitely happier and has quite the little girl squeal. 

5. Klaeyton got a hair cut :) If summer ever shows its face, he won't be sweating to death. 

6. Speaking of summer...we are sooo ready! This was taken on one of those rare warm days here in Ohio. 


7. Matt is officially an STNA and is in the midst of finding a job. He starts school this summer at LCCC going for most likely his RN. It's definitely exciting. 


8. I'm still working for the church from home and I'm also an Avon lady :) I really like getting free stuff :) here's my website www.youravon.com/allisonharden and here's my facebook page where you can get all sorts of updates www.facebook.com/allisavon. 


9. Klaeyton's new toy obsession is Thomas. And of course it's definitely an expensive obsession...


10. I already have an idea for my next post, Yes! :) hehe at least you know it won't be weeks before the next one.