SAHM I am – Page 12 – Hay Happens and Hay's Happen

September 15, 2015November 26, 2015

Paying attention

One of the things I’m teaching Tot is to notice things around her. Also, when she is engaged in activity, focus! This Playdoh activity kept her focused and engaged for a solid hour.

This morning, we read our Bibles together in my bed for about thirty minutes. Awesome.

She focused and paid attention today in gymnastics to Taina, and she seemed to enjoy it immensely! Alton and Avery are wonderful classmates also. Taina said Tatum seems like an old soul.

This concept also leads to LISTENING. Sometimes, she makes the choice not to listen. For example, today, she really wanted one of the Lysol wipes, and freely took it from under the sink and grabbed a few too many. As she was doing this, I repeatedly asked her not to do this and to put it back. So, she threw it. Ah…a moment of learning opportunity. I just stared at her and she knew that wasn’t nice. She did not listen and knew it. Immediately, she picked it up, put it back and apologized. BIG KISS! Awesome. Gosh, getting mad is normal, but how we react and carry out being mad is another thing. She may have wanted some wipes, but sometimes you don’t get what you want. Mad.. Instead, let’s stop, take a breath, and say, OK, maybe next time, Mommy. Practice!

I’m so proud of how she is responding to learning. Sure, she makes mistakes everyday, and so do I! Shoot, why would we need Jesus if we were perfect? But, her recovery time is so quick, and she is also quick to apologize and learn from it.

I’m paying attention, Tatum. I love you!

September 13, 2015September 14, 2015

WHO YOU ARE!

There is a battle brewing in the world. Some would say it’s war against nations. Some would say it’s a battle in the workplace. Others say it is among familiies. According to our Pastor, Terry Crist, he says the REAL issue is the issue of identity. We all struggle with the question, “WHO AM I? WHO WAS I CREATED TO BE?”

It makes sense that the common man wants to belong and be important somehow.

WE have a choice: One can listen to how the world defines him/her or one can listen to how GOD defines him/her. This is the message I want Tatum to hear. Her identity, our identity, is what GOD says about her and us.

So, Tatum here it is:

YOU ARE LOVED BY GOD; that is your identity. You will struggle with wanting to be affirmed by people. This is natural! But do you know what? A mistaken identity will lead to wrong behavior. This comes from Proverbs 23:7, As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he!”

Honey, spend time on your inner man. Spend time nurturing your soul and getting to know God. Know that He loves you with All that He is. You must understand who GOD made you to be. (too many people spend time on their bodies and minds and relationships and although VERY IMPORTANT, they can’t define you.)

Sure, you have your hard work. Some will say, “She is such hard worker.” Awesome! That may be true. But that is not WHO you are.

Others will say, “Oh, that Tatum…she is so smart and well read!” She keeps on the latest world news, reads the funnies, enjoys books.. Again, wonderful! But this is not WHO you are. And then others will try to define you by your relationships. You have many loved ones, and even in church, when others are running amok, you listen and are kind. This is all important and good. BUT your identity is being at the HEART of God and His HEART is Jesus, His gift to us. YOU are more than the identities the world gives you. Ephesians 1:11 says IN Christ, we found out who we are. As a follower of Jesus, your identity comes from your relationship with him. 2 Corinthians 5:15-17 “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.…”

Tatum, you are a NEW creation. Not as a little beautiful girl (although true), but ONE LOVED AND ADORED BY GOD. He has GIVEN you Jesus. Jesus gave HIS life so you could not only have Him live in your heart but also to have a relationship with GOD!

1. It’s a complete transformation. AND now..We live with a GREAT expression of gratitude and great expectation. 1 Peter 1: 3-4″ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” WE ARE IN HIM!

2. We now live a resurrected life. HE CAME TO GIVE US LIFE! (A new one!) and He came to give us life abundant. You’re a new self, Tot. Colossians 3: 1-3 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.…”

3. SO this world gets tough and the people in it may disappoint, but know that your citizenship is in heaven and you’re a new citizen with a REAL Father. Jesus is your LORD (God is your FATHER!) Phil 3:8-10: “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;…”

Tatum, your identity is that of a child of THE Father. God. He gave us Jesus, His son, who died so that we may LIVE LIFE ABUNDANTLY and to HIS glory! Let’s do that. Let’s make the most of our life, loving others, being a light, leading others to the truth, and putting our FAITH in Jesus.

I love you darling, and may you always remember WHO YOU ARE.

September 12, 2015September 19, 2015

I’ll do it on Saturday

Potty training is so fun.

Just today, Tatum was throning and did her thing. The only part missing was the #1. Being Sunday, and worried that she’d have an accident at church, I said, “Honey, you really need to pee in the potty because we have to go!”
She just looked at me.

“Ok honey, when do you think you’ll go?”

She replied, “Saturday, mommy.”

OK, then. Saturday. She’s got a way to go in holding it.

September 11, 2015November 26, 2015

MIM is the word!

Musical Instrument Museum is more than a word! It’s a paragraph. Man, that place is filled with so much history and entertainment.

We decided to take Tatum to enjoy the museum since she is still free. As we approached, there was only one school bus and one car, so I figured it would be a perfect day to go. And it was.

There are many rooms of different instruments, but instead of entering each room of “do not touch, stand, sit or move (basically), I looked for the experimental room. But first, we had to see the incredible kinds of displays they had.

THIS is a guitar. No frills.

Clear and present

Finally we made it to THE ROOM. The experiment room. We could hear it from the hallway….a world of noise from a group of middle schoolers. I felt right at home. Tatum enjoyed playing on first, the ukelele and even sang us a couple of melodies. The famous Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the ABC’s. Delightful.

Anger management 101

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They gave us headphones for the tour, but Tot was more interested in wearing them for pretend. One thing she loves to do is pretend! It makes time with her so much more fun.

After THE ROOM, we mosied the gift shop of course, and although filled with expensive trinkets, it still was filled with fun odds and ends. It’s time to return soon to the MIM and take in all it has to offer. Especially the cafe!

September 9, 2015September 9, 2015

Strawberries and Beans

After lunch every day, Tatum and I work on letters or numbers, and then read some books. So, we put on her uniform (usually Thomas T-shirt) and get to work! Of course we make it a big game, and she jumps right in.

Last night, while Pinteresting, I found the most fun idea. I cannot take credit for all of these fun things we do, but I can make it my own in how I implement! This morning, I printed the sheets out, laminated, and voila! We have strawberry cards. Now, for some beans. Knowing that I’ll never use all of the great northern white beans in the large lb. package, I opted for these.

We sat down, poured the beans in a little white container and Tatum was hooked! First, we went over the cards with dots, and matched them to the number cards. Then she had to cover the dots on each strawberry with beans as she counted.TADA!Putting the beans aside, now she had to put the number cards on top of the correct dot cards.

I was so impressed with her enthusiasm, effort and success, that I had to give her a cookie. Trader Joe’s has these letter and number cookies, and they sure come in handy when we are learning!

The beans are continuing to fascinate her as she sits and pours them into various cups. Next time, we’ll try kidney beans for a change of pace, No?

September 5, 2015September 5, 2015

Rockin’ with Jack

Visiting with Amy and Jack today turned out to be a jam fest.

Their new house lends itself to the music and all the noise. Definitely a rockin’ good time.

September 5, 2015September 5, 2015

Love Affair

I admit it. I love books.

Tatum seems to be adopting this admiration as well. This morning, she screamed, “MOMMY!!!”, and after the 14th yell, I came in. She had to go potty (yeah!) and wanted out (no!) It was tooooo early, but the potty did call, so I got her out. She asked if she could come into bed with me, and so I agreed. (can of worms just opened)

As she lay next to me with her babies nestled into my head, she whispered, “Mommy? What are we having for breakfast?” Toast, I’d answer. Then two seconds later, “Mommy? What are we doing after breakfast?” Amy and Jack, I’d succinctly answer. After the third, “Mommy?” I kindly said, “Tatum, go get a book and read.”

So she did and STAYED in her room. I slept for thirty more minutes.

This wonderful picture made me realize something about Tatum. She loves to relate. Her ability to enjoy the character in the book makes her experience that much more exciting. She has to FEEL something for an animal or a person in the book, and then she makes him/her come alive. The dialogue she uses is like what we see and do every day, and watching her act it out via a book is priceless.

This proves to me that reading really engages the mind, creates imagination, and allows one to not only laugh, learn, and grow, but to enter a new world for a short time.

I continue to LOVE buying books and my LOVE keeps growing for all that has been written! Man, the creativity! We also go to the library weekly and pick up about ten new ones and take them for a test drive.

Here is an update to some of my new favorites (from another post).The books I buy for Tatum are for four to eight year olds. Why wait?

Veggie Tales makes some fun books that sing the last page! She loves to play them all at the same time. Great messages.

Bernstein Bears teaching values

HELP! Was a test drive from the library and we loved it. It’s about true FRIENDSHIP

This book is “What a Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong in a picture book. We read it (well, I sing it), then I play the real song along with the book. (He’s much better than me!)

This Knuffle Bunny trilogy is by my favorite children’s author, Mo Willems. It’s brilliant, hilarious, and down right FUN! Tatum just adores Trixie.

Another fun book. Inspires the underwear delight!

Fun to sing this book with Tot.

These were another test drive success story. This Little Cub and Old Bear find each other and fall in love. The become Father and Son. Sounds familiar: Mommy and Tot.