We're busy.....

Trying to make this little beauty our new home.  It has been, and will continue to be a very time consuming and exhausting process- probably mostly due to the fact that we are in a bit of a hurry.

If all goes well with inspection and financing, we will be deep cleaning (foreclosure) and moving 4 weeks before the baby is due, so it doesn't look as if things will be getting less busy for us for a long time.

Just wanted to update on what we've been doing.  More details to come as things become more official.  Wish us luck!

Family time.

Sometimes we have a hard time thinking of something we can do as a family that we would all enjoy.  Usually we sacrifice and do something for Chase and we end up bored, or we do something for us and Chase ends up screaming.

But every once in a while we find the perfect thing that fits us all.  For Chase just getting outside and being able to run free, choosing whichever direction he wants to go- is a good day.

For Daniel, getting outside and spending time together is a good day.  Especially if we end up on a farm where he can teach us what it takes to run a farm and tell us stories from his childhood days of farming.

For me, a good day is just being together and being able to play with my camera.  I don't have very willing subjects to play around with so when I can talk them into holding still once or twice for a picture, that makes a good day for me.

What do you do when your bored and trying to save money?

Wander around the pet store...

It entertained this kid for an hour....

And he would have kept going if the store hadn't closed.

Wish I would have thought of this a long time ago!

Cap-owner- a conversation between Chase and his daddy.

Daniel : Chase where is the can opener?  I can't seem to find it.

Chase: Cap owner?

Daniel:  Yeah, I can't find it anywhere.

Chase: Ina get a cap owner.
Chase jumps down from his high chair and runs out of the room.

Chase: Cap owner!!
Runs back into the kitchen from his bed room with the can opener in hand.

Sing a song...

Chase's favorite part of church.  When he realizes that we are on our way to church he asks the whole way there if we can "sing-a-song". 

It's the only part of church that he will sit still for more than 15 seconds.  Literally.  He won't sit for the whole song, but once a song starts he will sit for longer than any other point in the meeting.

By the way... notice his cute little bow tie?  My sister, who used to pretend to not be crafty, made it and two regular ties and I won them for Christmas.

The bow tie is Daniels' favorite.

Nature vs. Nurture

The great biology vs psychology debate.

I hated this topic being drilled so much in school when I didn't see any point.  When this topic was presented in school I thought,  that's easy.  It's gotta be both.  Things are rarely so simple and extreme as to lie on one end or the other without taking in some consideration of the other side.

And where does that balance lie?  Where does biology leave off and psychology begin?  I never really cared.

That is until now.

You see, I was at a church meeting last night when Chase decided that he wanted to go up and touch the props that were being used at the front of the meeting.  Since that would be more than a little distracting with what was going on, I refused to let him and we had to leave the room.  I spent the majority of that meeting standing out in the hall and only made it back in long enough to tell the other leaders that I was needing to take Chase home.  (These ladies are REALLY grateful to have me be called to "assist" them believe me.  I am SO much assistance with Chase in tow.  Sense my sarcasm?)

It was walking home... in the dark.... with my arms full of new books from the evening..... along with Chase's toys.... and it being freezing outside ... and 7 months pregnant.... (does it sound as dramatic as it felt yet?) that I started the realize why nature vs. nurture is actually important after all.

I realized this because Chase for some unknown reason decided he had had enough and wasn't going any further.  I reorganized all the stuff in my arms to pick him up and that wasn't what he wanted.  He screamed, kicked, and scratched causing me to drop everything in my arms.  When I let him down, that's also not what he wanted.  He couldn't tell me what he wanted.

I couldn't see any other choice but to pick everything back up, grab Chase and head for home despite the kicking and scratching- so I did.

It was at this point that I started to wonder if this was part of Chase's personality, his biology, his pre-mortal spiritual personality, his age, OR have I trained him to throw these fits.  Did I give in too many times when he has thrown fits?  Could I do anything to prevent something like this in the future by changing my parenting?  Or was this just another one of those terrible two's tantrums that he would grow out of over time?

I maintain my original belief that both nature and nurture are responsible, but where does the balance lie?  Suddenly it seems a lot more important.

The Birthday....

A couple weeks before Chase's birthday, back in November, I ordered this wagon for his present.  It was delivered in a box that had a huge picture on all sides of what was inside and Chase knew immediately he wanted to "ride it!"  I hurried to hide it in the back room explaining that it was for his birthday, and though tears were shed, it was soon forgotten about.  When he came out on his birthday and saw the wagon he instantly remember that this was called his "birthday". 

We call it a wagon, he calls it "birthday".  Tom-ATE-os; Tom-AH-tos.