Fun weekend!

What started out to be a pretty yuck week, ended up with a lot of fun! Kylie got sick on Sunday afternoon with runny nose and cough and by Monday it had really progressed so I took her in to the doctor. Thank goodness I went ahead and took her! She had gotten the Croup! Don't know how, why, or where, but she got it. So, she was pretty poopy until Wednesday and is now finally back to her old self again. So, now we've had the stomach virus and the croup in the last month or so...I hope we're done for a long while!

On to the fun parts! We spent Saturday with our sweet friends Melissa and Lainie. Kylie and Lainie go to the same preschool and have been buddies since before they were two. Lainie's birthday is today and she told her mom all she wanted to do was have Kylie over for cupcakes! I thought that was so sweet. Instead of just having cupcakes, Melissa planned a fun day for all of us. First, we took the girls to get their nails painted. I must say Kylie picked the absolute ugliest color in the whole place - yellow! Then, we picked up a smoothie and headed to Zilker Park to ride the train. It was a beautiful day to ride the train and do some sight-seeing, mostly of people on the trail! After Zilker we went to get some pizza for lunch. The pizza place is right across from Hey Cupcake! this great little trailer that sells amazing cupcakes. So, after lunch we walked over there and each got one of the biggest, sweetest, yummiest cupcakes I've ever had. Wow, that was sweet! After we satisfied our sweet teeth, we headed over to Zilker Gardens for the Dinoland exhibit. It was a pretty neat exhibit. They had fairly realistic renditions of all kinds of dinosaurs in the trees and around the area. We were all tuckered out after this and decided to head home. I know I was exhausted!!! It was such a fun day and Kylie and I are both so thankful for Melissa and Lainie's friendship!

Today's excitement was the annual Candy Carnival close to our house. It was a fun dress-rehearsal for Halloween. I wasn't so sure how it was going to turn out, but Kylie looked adorable. I painted her face and her hair. She begged me to buy her purple hair spray at the store and I caved. It was cute though, definitely added a special dynamic to the whole get-up! She got to play lots of games and got enough candy to last us until Halloween for sure. After she took a two hour nap and then had her fair share of candy tonight, she's still awake and it's almost 10!!! Not a great way to start the week, but oh well, it's Halloween!

Good night, sleep tight!

Every time I hear another mom talk about how their kid goes to bed at 7 and wakes up at 7 I think to myself, really? Is that possible?
We've struggled for the last couple of months with the nap or no nap thing with Kylie. She really needs a rest during the day, but when she gets one she's not falling asleep until 10:00 at night! So, we decided that just isn't going to work. So, we've been trying the no nap for a while now. I'm happy to say night-times were going smoother and much earlier which is great, but the down-side is that Kylie acts like a little monster by around 5:00!
To top it all off, for who knows how long now either Adam or I lays with Kylie every night until she goes to sleep. Every night! Then, when she wakes up in the middle of the night she wants one of us to come in there and lay with her again until she falls back asleep! When this happens 2 or 3 times a night it's like having a newborn all over again. Kylie has never been a good sleeper, but Adam and I are at our whit's-end!

The good news! For the past two nights Kylie has gone to sleep completely on her own and has not woken up either night! I figure if she can learn to go to sleep on her own, then she can fall BACK asleeep on her own. It's only been 2 nights, but man I'm happy about it!

This parenting thing sure is hard! You want so badly to do whatever it is that you can to make your child happy and when you have to do those things that you know are going to hurt them (like a shot) or scare them (going to sleep alone) it's hard not to just crater and want to fix it. As I sit in the living room hearing Kylie cry for a good ten minutes that first night she was trying to sleep alone my heart just sank. It was horrible. I knew she was scared and I could almost feel what she was feeling. Last night I went by her room and said a prayer for her that she would sleep peacefully and not be afraid and then I felt I had done exactly what I needed to do in this situation. I know there are times where I'm going to have to let her face her fears on her own. I'm just thankful her angels are always with her! I know they'll watch over my baby even when I can't.

I just realized that it's been a while since I've posted my last blog! I've been so busy with work and everything else that I've let it go a little longer this time!
Kylie was sick from Thursday through Tuesday with some type of nasty stomach bug. I don't know where she got it, but she got it good. She sure was a trooper! I really was so proud of how she handled it. It was hard for her to be restful when she started to feel better, but she was a good girl about it.
We had our big Hill Country vs. Westridge football games this week. It was fun to have both cheer squads there together since my sis Deanna coaches the Westridge squad. It really has made an impact on the fans to see how the squads have come together. We think that's the best thing for the program since they'll all be in high school together. It's a great feeling to be a part of these young ladies' lives. They are so special and each have their own unique qualities and talents!
Adam and I are looking forward to a night away this weekend. We are going to the Cattle Barron's Ball in Dallas. It is a huge event with music, lots of food, lots of fun! We love to go and hang out with friends from BU. It will be a great time! I need a little getaway!

While we try to teach our children all about life,Our children teach us what life is all about.~Angela Schwindt

Fall is coming!

This is my favorite time of year. I open the door to let Harley out in the morning and a little chill comes into house. I can open the windows and let the fresh air in. I can wear shorts, pants, short sleeves, long sleeves. I love it. It still gets pretty warm in the afternoon, but the mornings and evening are amazing.
We spent some of Saturday with our great friends Derek, Holly, and Ryan Brown. We love spending time with them and Kylie loves to entertain "baby Ryan". I think she'll make a great big sister someday! She gets a bit concerned when her toys are chewed on, but overall, she is so great with babies. She loves to help dad and I in the nursery at church. It is precious to see how sweet and gentle she is with little ones.
We didn't get any of the havoc that Ike brought on to Houston and Galveston. I bought waters and some extra food just in case and it barely rained! I know it's been crazy in Houston, so I'm thinking about you Houston friends! I hope things can get back to normal soon!
Not much else going on. Work is crazy right now as I prepare to launch my Camp 2009 program. It's my largest project of the year and takes so much time and work. Cheer is also busy as we prepare for our big pep rally next week. I think I get more nervous than the girls do! I'll post pictures of them from the pep rally after we have it. They are too cute.
Well, I'll write more soon....

Cole Turned Three!

It's hard to believe Cole is already three years old! We had a great time in Keller at the D'Amura's house to celebrate Cole's birthday. Baby Lucy is just adorable and her smile lights up the room! The party was a circus theme with fun activities for the kiddos. They seemed to like the big inflatable the best, of course. I had the job of painting faces, but it turns out the kids had more fun drawing all over me! I'm really glad we were there for the party. Kylie loves to hang out with her cousins. We have to break up some "disagreements" every now and then, but at the end of the day, they all really love each other. Happy Birthday Cole!

In Max Lucado's Words...

"My child’s feelings are hurt. I tell her she’s special. My child is injured. I do whatever it takes to make her feel better.
My child is afraid. I won’t go to sleep until she is secure.
I’m not a hero. I’m not a superstar. I’m not unusual. I’m a parent. When a child hurts, a parent does what comes naturally. He helps.
And after I help, I don’t charge a fee. I don’t ask for a favor in return. When my child cries, I don’t tell her to buck up, act tough, and keep a stiff upper lip. Nor do I consult a list and ask her why she is still scraping the same elbow or waking me up again.
I’m not a prophet, nor the son of one, but something tells me that in the whole scheme of things the tender moments described above are infinitely more valuable than anything I do in front of a computer screen or congregation. Something tells me that the moments of comfort I give my child are a small price to pay for the joy of someday seeing my daughter do for her daughter what her dad did for her.
Moments of comfort from a parent. As a father, I can tell you they are the sweetest moments in my day. They come naturally. They come willingly. They come joyfully.
If all of that is true, if I know that one of the privileges of fatherhood is to comfort a child, then why am I so reluctant to let my heavenly Father comfort me?
Why do I think he wouldn’t want to hear about my problems? (“They are puny compared to people starving in India.”)
Why do I think he is too busy for me? (“He’s got a whole universe to worry about.”)
Why do I think he’s tired of hearing the same old stuff?
Why do I think he groans when he sees me coming?
Why do I think he consults his list when I ask for forgiveness and asks, “Don’t you think you’re going to the well a few too many times on this one?”
Why do I think I have to speak a holy language around him that I don’t speak with anyone else?
Why do I not take him seriously when he questions, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)
Why don’t I let my Father do for me what I am more than willing to do for my own children?
I’m learning, though. Being a parent is better than a course on theology. Being a father is teaching me that when I am criticized, injured, or afraid, there is a Father who is ready to comfort me. There is a Father who will hold me until I’m better, help me until I can live with the hurt, and who won’t go to sleep when I’m afraid of waking up and seeing the dark.
Ever. And that’s enough."