Writing My Story...

Lately I have been pondering if I want to write about "my story". I almost feel some bloggers have their own personal or special story they end up sharing. Now that I have been set in my family life and things are settled, I am able to look back and see the whole picture. I can finally write my story with an ending. Although is there ever an ending to a story? Or maybe it's just a new beginning to a story. While I was thinking about writing my story, I contacted the close people in my life and questioned if I should even write it. They made me feel empowered to write. Now your probably questioning what "my story" is? My story is about my journey of a teenage mother. What it was like finding out a couple weeks before my 18th birthday I was pregnant. Along with the journey of what it was like being a teenage mother. There are so many factors that play a role of a teenage mother. Tough decisions that are heartbreaking to think about even still to this day. I will admit I made the best decisions ever, by raising my beautiful daughter! I can't wait to finish writing my story and for my family, friends, and reader to read it. Maybe it will help others and maybe others will know exactly how I feel and felt.

Me and Evalyn's first Birthday party.

A little glimpse; It wasn't easy taking a simple shopping trip to target with my daughter. I would get evil stares from ladies, judgment staring you right in the face everywhere you went. Afterwards I would get in my car and remember sobbing with hurt that someone could judge you when they don't know your story. They Didn't know I was an amazing mother, that I was engaged to her father; let alone trying to live life as normal as I could trying to pursue college.

New Years and New Traditions

Happy New year! My husband and I choose to stay home with our daughters again this year. I can't imagine ringing in the new year without my loves. I had some fun activities planned for us through the evening. until the migraine I was fighting through out the day made a turn for the worse. No medications, not even my topamax were working,  For those who don't know me on a personal level, I am a chronic migraine sufferer. We are in the midst of figuring out the causes and other prevention's besides prescriptions. That could be a whole different post! Anyways, I wanted to start a new tradition that involved making "tatter tot casserole" for New Years Eve dinner. Thankfully, my husband was able to pull off our first year of the tradition. After dinner my daughters and I made our own party hats. They were able to decorate their party hats however their hearts desired. It's a lot more fun for them instead of buying the hats, and saved us money. As the night went on mostly as planned as I was trying to truck through the horrible migraine, we played and relaxed. One by one the girls fell asleep. My husband and I were left. We both fell asleep shortly on the couch! Yup, we missed the ball drop. I'm okay with that though, there's always next year.

New Years day was spent as family time. We started another new tradition , baking a New Years Day cake. Along with a New Years day special dinner that consisted of bacon wrapped lil' smokies. They were a total hit with the girls. Along with our special dinner the girls had their sparkling juice in special glasses; boy did they feel on top of the world!

I feel so blessed to be able to start these new traditions with my family. I'm ready for 2013 and to see what it brings. 2012 was a year to remember like most years. This year it was filled with many emotions for my family in these four walls. Only can we take from last year and  have it make us a better person for this new year. Therefore my New Years resolution is to be selfish and focus on my family in these four walls this year. To thrive to be a stronger wife and an even better mother. What lives in these four walls are most important to me, and need my attention the most. So I am calling it selfish, hehehe!

As Of Lately...

Lately around our home we have been spending a lot of family time. During the busy holiday season it's important to take a step back and remind ourselves what's truly important. This time of the year can become so hectic and stressful. From Christmas shopping with the long lines at the check outs to preparing for Christmas day. So this year I made sure we took that step back and relaxed. I grew up with what I would call, "go with the flow" parents who were rarely stressed. If they were they were super at hiding it. I want to be those parents. 

During our step back, the girls spend special time bonding, remembering what sisterhood is about. Something I wish for them to never forget. 

 While taking our step back, our oldest daughter learned to spell out words and write complete sentences all on her own. We are so proud of her big accomplishment. 

Although we had to take an unwanted trip to urgent care for our youngest daughter due to an ear infection, she did exceptionally well. Her first one yet at 16 months. She is now feeling much better now!

Our silly middle daughter. "take a picture of me mom!"

 We taught Our youngest how to color. She loves it, and does quit well.

We have been spending a lot of time finger painting with sponge brushes.

I snapped a picture when I caught Daddy reading with Baby H. I didn't want him to notice so it's a little fuzzy. I can tell this step back is rubbing off on him finally. 

 At night I may be guilty of letting her stay in our bed a few times. Their only little for so long. I feel so blessed and thankful for to enjoy these moments as a family.

Have you took a step back to relax this holiday season?!

The Positive Jar

Do you have a strong willed child? This idea just might work for you and your kids. This past week one of my crafts was our “positive jar”. I have to admit, it is working fabulous. I have researched other “jars” that parent's use. I tweaked our jar to what fits our daughters the best.

    First we came up with the name together. I gave them two options and my oldest added another. We choose to go with the name; positive jar. We couldn't decide if we wanted to fill the jar up with gems or rainbow poms. Therefore we choose to use the gems and rainbow poms. The gems are for good behavior. For example,  picking up their toys without me repeating myself and etc. The rainbow poms are used for what are called, warm fuzzes. In other words, acts of kindness. I didn't want the positive jar just to be about behaving well and having good listening ears; I wanted it to also help with them getting along. For instance, if I see them playing nicely together with no fighting, I will sneak a warm fuzzy into their jar. Or if I hear them say something kind to one another. You get my drift? From there I came up with some rules for our daughters positive jar.

The positive jar rules.

1.)Teamwork. I only made one jar on purpose. Therefore they have to fill the jar up with teamwork.

2.)The jar can only by filled by good behavior, and warm fuzzes.

3.)I do NOT take them back out for repercussion

4.)Once the positive jar is full, they get a reward. 

Please excuse my non artistic paint writing. Wrong brush, oops!

    

Vicks VS. Bedtime cough; And Other Remedies!

I have conquered the nighttime cough. We have been battling this dreadful cold that is going around. With this unwelcoming cold is a nasty cough. *Please note that I am not a doctor.* I have heard about the trick of applying vicks vapor rub to your child's feet, then putting socks on over it when they go to bed. It's suppose to suppress the cough through the night. Once I heard of this, I went online and did some research. Come to find out other blogger's and websites also have confirmed it to be true. So now I had to do my own experiment.
I went to our local store and bought the Vicks vapor rub. It was for my 6 year old so I bought the original one. Fact: The original vicks vapor rub says on the website its good from ages 2 and up. Vicks does have a "baby rub". Their website says good for 3 months and up. I though I'd throw that fact out there for parents like myself with older and younger children. I came home and she was already laying in bed, I applied the vicks  vapor rub generously to the her feet.Then I put on her socks for the rest of the night. I heard no coughing the rest of the night or in middle of the night. Amazing huh? You may even apply as the original directions say. My daughter and I even enjoyed the smell, may be weird.

Here are a few other cold/cough remedies my family likes...

*Green tea with raw honey. (Warm for our daughters, hot for my husband and I.)

*Of course drinking a lot of water.

*2 Tablespoons of raw honey and 1 cup of orange juice. We also use apple juice. (We use this as a cough remedy also)

*Cod liver oil. We take this when we start to feel sick or when we are sick. 

*Elderberry syrup. (A great flu preventative. If you or your child already have the flu it's a great speedy recovery.)

*Washing Hands and teaching our kids to cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing. I can't preach this enough in our home!

I try to find new natural remedies for illness for my family. If you have a tradition please share it! or just know a natural or not even natural cold/flu remedy be kind to share by commenting! 

We keep stock in our tea year round. 

Evalyn's First Dental Appointment

Evalyn had her first dentist appointment this week. Or was it one of my first parenting tests? Yes, I know, a couple years later than they say the first appointment should be. No judging allowed. But really, when should the our children's first dental appointment be? I hear so many different ages. I have heard as soon as they start getting their baby  teeth in. Or once their baby teeth are all grown in place. Sometimes I even hear at two years of age. I was confirmed three years is a good age for their first dental visit. Okay, so I was off by three years, once again please don't judge me. It not like I wasn't going to take her.
I have to admit, I, myself enjoy going to the dentist. There is just something about the dentist that I tend to find relaxing. I was hoping the same would rub off onto my daughter. I will also admit, I was nervous this time, being it was for my daughter and not me. I felt like I was being tested as a parent. I could tell she was a little nervous as well. Although she has always been good at hiding it. As we were called back to the exam room and she sat in the cool motorized chair, my head started spinning with the "parent test". As I'm sitting in the chair next to her, I start thinking to myself, "Did I teach her how to brush her teeth well enough? Did I teach her how to floss correctly? Oh gosh I sure hope she has no cavities!! If she has a cavity I've failed the parent dentist test!"
I have to say she did terrific and did not freak out at all. And no cavities. Yay! She does have her first medium wiggly tooth so far. We are excited about that! They were actually impressed with her teeth brushing. I think she walked out of the office feeling pretty proud, and I gained an A+ on the "parental dentist test" with one child so far anyways.

So Alike yet so Different

Having three daughters being raised by both biological parents; you would think they would almost be like twins right? That's far from the case! All three of our girls are so unique.

 Evalyn is our first Daughter! She is very tranquil. I often think because I had her at a young age, God knew what he was doing by give me a calm baby. Still to this day she shows tranquility.

  Vivian is our second Daughter! We call her our firecracker. She's the one with the loud voice in the family who loves to talk. She loves to be active and wouldn't sleep if you didn't make her. In other words she has the middle child syndrome. I often tell my husband, "if she were our first, she might of been the only!"

Lastly, Helen, the baby of the family! She isn't so much of a baby now that shes 12 months, yet shes still a baby to us. She is a mixture of both. We see tranquility and yet a little of the wild child side.
All three of our girls beam with their own personalities that we love to pieces. They are so determined in what they have passions in. When it comes down to it, they love and nurture each other. We love them more than anything and know they will do BIG in this world someday!!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3988370/?claim=xpqu53a2zdx">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>