Back to School with Twins

Man. How do I have girls in Kindergarten? I don't know. That means I'm old. But I am not going to accept that, so stop it.  As I look back on the last 6 years of the girls lives, I think some of it went so S_L_O_W and some of it went so FAST! Now that I have 6 year old twins, I can say.. the first two years of having twins is SUPER hard.. but since then I feel like its actually easier than having just one at a time.

At Two my girls started playing with each other and entertaining each other.. So It wasn't my responsibility to entertain them all the time because they had a built in playmate! That part has been so nice! The other thing that is nice about twins is you go through the same stages at the same time.. So I haven't had to go back to the Bottle stage.. or the baby food stage.. or the Don't stick your finger in the electrical outlet stage.. They Are always in the same stage.. Wearing the same clothes.. Going to the same Grade.. That part makes life much easier! Also.. my twins really like each other. They are complete opposites of each other so they really do enjoy hanging out..

Speaking of this.. I decided to keep the girls together for Kinder. In theory I could have done a couple things.. I could have separated them, I could have put them in 1st grade, I could have put one in Kinder and one in First.. But.. Jordan and I decided the best solution for us was to put them in the same class in Kindergarten. Cross would have been fine in 1st grade, and Londyn probably would have too, but since their birthday is late May everyone told me "You won't regret having your kid at home an extra year" so we opted for Kindergarten.

We also opted to keep them together because they are such different little souls. They share some friends, but also have different friends and different things they like to do. They are night and day different when it comes to personality! They wanted to stay together this year, so we let them. They usually separate twins, but I figure there's going to be plenty of times in their lives that they are sick of being around each other, so while they WANT to be around each other, we should let them!

So off they go to Elementary Public School.. Isn't it funny what we decide is so 'scary and new' for our kids, but was perfectly acceptable for us? I mean I'm from Canute.. the country.. the farm.. So Private school was never an option for me. We didn't even have a private school in Canute.. Yet up here in "the City" (This is how I referred to OKC most of my life because I'm country) we almost feel guilty if we don't try to put our kids in a private school.. Jordan and I opted for public school because we didn't want to be 'school poor'.. by paying so much in tuition each year.. I mean if we had all the money in the world would we do it? SURE.. but we don't.. so there's that.

Its just funny because you look around and think.. Well.. I didn't go to Private school and I turned out ok.. I didn't have a computer and I turned out ok.. I didn't have a smart phone at 8 and I turned out ok.. Perspective I suppose. We parents already feel guilt about almost everything these days, but really when you think about it.. we are all doing just fine by being present and doing the best we can.

I can't tell you how many books on Parenting, Discipline, Daring Greatly, Love and Logic and Pregnancy I have read in my lifetime so I can "Feel" like I'm Equipped to parent.. But at the end of the day, we just all have to do what is best for our family and trust that the Lord has gifted us these kids to be OUR kids and they were built for US, and he will have his hand on them and us the rest of our lives. Trusting is hard. Faith is Hard. Parenting is Hard.

So far they have loved everything about school. They've made new friends.. enjoyed going through the lunch line.. They are asking me for lunch boxes.. I told them I would get them a lunch box, but I wasn't putting anything in it! ha! My kids are GREAT eaters. .not picky at all, so you can bet your sweet Bippy if someone else offers to feed them a delightful lunch.. I'm not making one!

We have had some family members going through health issues lately and that has been hard. Jordan also got super sick for a week and that was hard too. Lately it seems we've had one thing after another!  Life is always full of unexpected Circumstances and we just have to roll with the punches.

We are so thankful and grateful for awesome family members who step up and help us, and awesome friends who support us. Its taken me 40 years to find an amazing set of friends, but I'm sure grateful that I found them! Brene' Brown says "Joy is probably the most vulnerable emotion we experience in our lives" and I agree, because at the second you are experiencing Joy, you realize that in the next second something terrible could happen.. So be Grateful for all the moments. Celebrate the joys, and be grateful. Besides.. Positive people live longer.. I talked about that on my show yesterday.. so for no other reason.. be joyful and positive.. because it will make you live longer.. lol.. Enjoy this cooler weather while we have it!

Stop Chasing it..

I woke up this morning compelled to talk about this.. I feel like since I turned 40 I've just become more clear about what I need to be chasing and what I do not..  I think sometimes we spend too much time chasing after things that are not chasing us.. Because lets think about it.. If you are having to CHASE something, that means its running FROM you.. Now, why would we want to be chasing something that is wanting to run away from us? I don't know, but we all do it.. 

Chasing Relationships.. When we are younger, we usually at some point end up chasing a relationship that is not worth our time. We end up chasing the things we "thought" the relationship was, or would be.. or at some point was.. but then we keep chasing it because we want it back. Even if we realize its really not worth chasing, we still chase it because sometimes (as humans) we would rather have something toxic, than to be alone.. But.. in relationships you really have to think about it.. Do you really want to be chasing someone that is running from you? Someone that doesn't think you are worth running toward? NO. So stop chasing them.. in fact.. My favorite country saying on this is "Don't let the door hitcha where the Good Lord Splicha"..  I will tell you this.. when I finally found the ONE (Jordan) It wasn't just me chasing after him.. he was running toward me, and that makes all the difference in the world. So wait for the one that runs toward you. Its worth it. 

Chasing Friends.. I used to spend a lot of time chasing friends.. I would always be the one that setup the hang out.. or invited them to lunch.. or asked them to come over. I was the one always texting to check in.. or asking how they were doing. At some point in the past few years I've realized.. "People make time for things they want to do".. so.. guess what? That wasn't me. They didn't care that much about spending time with me.. texting me back.. or meeting me for lunch.. because if they did, they would show up, and they didn't.. so I moved on.. Run toward friends who run toward you and for you. 

Chasing Career.. Oh man.. I did this for so dang long! I thought I for sure had to be the #1 Radio Morning show in a Large Market.. and I did everything it took to make that happen.. I do not regret that. I still love doing radio, and its for SURE my passion. But I've realized now, that I'm in a different place. I'm a wife. I'm a mom, and those are Super important jobs, so I can't continue to be obsessed about my career because I have to be obsessed with my marriage and my kids right now. Its a different stage of life, and its OK. I chased the carrot for so long, and did so many amazing things! I'm grateful for all those opportunities, and now I'm super blessed to get to Still do Radio while being a good wife and mom (Thank you Hank FM for being amazing to work for) Its all about compromise. Run toward a career that rewards you. 

So as I was thinking about this.. I realized its way more fun to Chase things that are running toward you. I have an amazing Husband that loves me and runs towards me.. Hilarious Kids that run toward me.. an Awesome group of friends that run toward me, lift me up daily, show up, and fulfill me. I also have a Savior that is always willing to run toward me.. even after I've done something stupid.. or let him down, He still shows me grace. He's never too busy to listen to me, and He is present in my life.. I should run toward him more. 

Run Toward things that will run back to you. Run toward people who are not only running toward you, but meeting you half way. Remember People make time for the things they want to do.. so if they aren't making time for you, thats OK.. but don't bust your butt to try to convince them to. I am a good time. My kids are also pretty entertaining.. if people don't want to be around Me, or them, that is OK.. but I'm no longer going to beg for it to happen, and I'm not going to seek that out. I have so many people who DO want to be in their lives,  DO want to be in mine, that DO show up, that THOSE people are who I'm going to run after.. because if we are being honest, I'm tired, and ain't nobody got time for chasing people.. 

"Make Room for what matters... Let go of what doesn't" 

What all Mama's.. wish Daddies Knew..

Let me start off by saying, I am married to the most amazing man in the world. He was built for me By the Lord, and I'm so glad I waited for him. He's smart, He loves the Lord, He's kind, He's patient, He is handsome, he is a good provider, a good daddy, and he is the perfect calm to my storm.. This is a man who didn't get to take a break when we had a baby.. because we had TWO babies, which meant he always had to take care of a baby as well.. And He has consistently stepped up to the plate. However.. He has told me many times that he is not a mind-reader.. and I keep expecting him to magically turn into one somehow.. 

With that said, marriage is Work. Its hard to meet expectations, and its certainly hard to get anything done when you have kids! Its hard to make time for each other, your kids, your activities, your church family, your extended family, and yourself.. Most of the time our spouse is who gets whats leftover from a day of hard work.. taking care of the kids.. just doing the daily grind, and its sad, because you don't want to give the 'left-overs' to your spouse when they are so important to your life! But.. This is a hard stage of life, and sometimes that is what happens, so we are going to need to Lean on the Lord during these times.  Ladies don't forget to pray for your husbands.. Husbands don't forget to pray for your wives, and both of you.. Pray for your kids! Pray for Wisdom, discernment, and for sure Patience.. because we will all need it! 

I was diagnosed with Flu A last week, and as a result.. (as frequently happens when Mom is sick) the responsibility of the kiddos has to move to dad.. because mom is now a nest of germy, try-to-avoid-like-the-plague-so-your-kids-don't-get-it-Flu-Mess.. So with that said.. I thought I would try to capture some things that all Moms.. wish Dads Knew..  By the way, this is NOT intended as a Man-Bashing piece.. these are things that Jordan and I have talked about that he wishes I would just SAY.. as opposed to Wishing he would just DO them.. 

1. For the last X amount of years your kid has been alive.. they still need the same things to leave the house.. Every. Day...Clothes..Shoes.. Coat (if winter) brushed hair.. brushed Teeth.
2. We know you can't do Girl hair... Like Braids, Pony tails, etc.. But.. Do whatever you can, because that still helps us! Brush the girl hair.. slap the girl hair to the side of their head with a cute bow.. grab a sweet winter hat and throw that on.. All of that is helpful to us when trying to get the kids out the door. 
3. Please pickup after yourself.. when you make us pickup after YOU and the children it makes us think about ways to physically harm you which is not super for the marriage. It also sets a good example to your children, that everyone needs to pickup after themselves and Mom is not everyone's maid.. 
4. If you don't know how to do laundry.. or you are unsure about what to wash together.. Grab all the towels and the kids clothes, and wash them on cold. Pretty safe bet, and it helps us with laundry!
5. If you have girls.. You are one of the most influential men in her life, and she is looking to you on how to be treated by other men, so lift her up.. remind her how smart she is.. how creative she is.. How you love the way she is kind to everyone.. Not just that she is pretty.. Tell her all the reasons you are proud of her. Don't miss out on a chance to praise her because its going to matter to her the rest of her life. 
6. If you see me picking up stuff, or cleaning the house.. its in your best interest to look busy.. or go outside.. You watching ME clean while you are chillin in your PJ's, or on your Ipad.. again goes back to me wanting to cuss you under my breath.. 
7. If I've asked you to do something 7 times.. Like.. take out the trash.. Spray the yard.. etc.. and on the 7th day you do it.. please do not ask me to High-five you. There's a good chance by the 7th day I've already done it. If you don't have time, I completely understand that, but it goes a long way if you will say "Hey babe, I can't do that today, but I'll happily tackle it on X day".. but that means you really do have to do it by X day.. 
8. 90% of the time the moms have to get up and get the kids ready.. take them to school.. pick them back up.. pack lunches etc.. So if you want major brownie points.. Grab your kiddos on a Saturday or Sunday morning and take them to breakfast.. then to the park. .then another place that lets you be away for another hour so your wife can just sleep past 6am.. 
9. Bigger Bonus--Take them out for an afternoon and tell your wife to go to a coffee shop and enjoy a good book.. or have her plan a night out with her friends to go grab dinner and tell her friends how freakin awesome you are for watching the kids right now! 
10. Never miss a chance to brag on your wife. There's a good portion of the time that we do NOT feel pretty.. We do not feel romantic.. and we don't feel like we are doing a great job at life.. Tell her she is.. Your words to her let her know you still think she's pretty and she's killing it as a mom. 
11. If we go through the effort of cooking you a delightful meal (even if we threw it together, but still made the effort).. PLEASE help us clean the kitchen. Don't make us tell you to do it, if you see us doing it.. just come on over, and jump on in.. PLEASE. 
12. I'm a working mom.. Which means I work all day just like you do, and when I get home, I'd also like to sit in my chair and do nothing.. but I can't.. there are still a million things that have to be done to get supper ready, baths taken, bed clothes on, kiddos tucked in.. so anytime you can help me with those things, Is SUPER appreciated. 
13. If I'm sick, or can't pick up the kids.. cook supper.. give baths, etc.. and you Do it for ONE day.. Please don't expect accolades from me. Remember I do these things each day, and while I really do appreciate you subbing in for me, as opposed to telling me how awesome you are for doing it, how about saying "Man.. after doing what you do all day.. I realized, it sucks! High five mama! You are killing it" 
14. If I'm tired at the end of the day.. from doing all the things.. Don't expect me to jump you at night...unless you've also done some of the things that would help me have enough energy for jumping you.. See This Book...  From Dr Kevin Leman.. 
15. Our Marriage is the most important thing to our family. So its up to us to treat it as such. Remind me that  we need a date night, or some time to ourselves or a little extra grace when we get home.. Hug me and kiss me in front of our kids. We are setting the example of what marriage commitment looks like, so lets give it our best! 

And with that said.. Ladies, you also need to thank your man.. and respect your Man. I recommend something like this taped to his windshield before he leaves for the day..

"I know I probably don't thank you enough for being a good provider, and for taking care of us, but I want you to know I appreciate you. I am very aware that sometimes I'm hard to deal with, and I thank you for being able to love me on days that I'm unlovable. There's not a day that I wouldn't choose you all over again, and there's not a day that I am not glad I'm going through this mess called Life with you! 

Together.. With the help of the Lord, WE can do this!!!

Branson Fun

Well hell. I'm behind on this blog, but I needed to tell you about our Branson trip from November, so forgive my tardiness.. But here we go.. . So with that said, I'm going to give you some Things you need to do if you are taking a trip to Branson with Kids.. Keep in mind my girls are 5 years old..

1) Dolly's Stampede-- This is so much fun for the whole family. Its a little bit pricey, but for the price you get dinner and a show! They have Trick Riders, stunt riders, fun entertainment, and of course.. DELIGHTFUL food.. that you eat with your hands! So its a 4 course meal made of magic.. we started off with a yummy bread and soup, then Corn and Potatoes, Pork loin and chicken, and of course dessert.. Its way more than you can eat, but you will spend some good time trying, because the food is good! The girls loved the interaction that goes on with the announcer and Crowd, and they loved all the horse tricks.. They even got to meet Skeeter After the show! Cross was sad they didn't sell Dolly Parton Dolls, lol.. they loved the show. They also have a lot of times to choose from which makes it easy if you need an early bedtime.

2) Raiding the Country Vault--This is for all my Country Music fans.. of all ages.. This is one of those shows that I had not heard about and a friend texted me while I was there so we decided to go.. Man I'm so glad we did! This one was one of our favorites things we did while there! You are basically taken on a blast from the past of some of the legendary country music songs of all time.. and they are performed by stellar artists like Billy Yates, Eric Heatherly, Michelle Poe, and more! Here's the summary:

"Raiding the Country Vault brings the history of country music to life, featuring classics by the biggest acts, including, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Glen Campbell, Waylon Jennings, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Brad Paisley, and many more. Raiding the Country Vault tells the story of country music from the 1960’s to the 2000’s and is performed by an all-star cast, many of whom have had their own chart-topping hits, have written major hits, or who have toured with the biggest names in the business."

It was so good! The Girls loved it because they sang Dolly and Willie songs, and my mom and I loved it because it was ALL GREAT SONGS! So make sure if they are performing, you get to go!

3) Silver Dollar City--Christmas Version--This is so much better to do when its not fully crowded. Last year we went really late (like left to get there by dark, so like 4pm) and we ran into an hour of traffic, no parking places left, and a MILLION people.. This year we went on a Thursday morning and it was perfect! It was rainy, so we all bundled up and the girls literally got to ride every ride as many times as they wanted! We did all the rides they could do, and they loved the rollercoasters best! It was chilly, but really nice because there were no lines, and we just rode and rode! It was also still cloudy enough to see all the pretty lights. If you stay past dark you will get to see the Christmas lights parade which is awesome, but if not, its still fun to go and ride the rides and see the lights! 

4) SAMSON at the Sight and Sound Theater-- Oh man. The girls are STILL talking about this one, and its led to them being OBSESSED with Samson! If you haven't been to the sight and sound theater for a show you are in for a surprise.. Its literally a million watts of lights, a massive stage with live animals, and a wrap around stage that puts you RIGHT in the middle of all the action. It was over a 2 hour show and the girls were GLUED to it the whole time. Londyn had to have a Samson suit after we watched this, and she still loves telling everyone about the show and how much she loved it! All of the characters come to life, the stage comes to life, and everyone loved it.. they do different shows throughout the year, so don't miss this one.. 

5) The Lodges at Timber-Ridge-- This is the place we have stayed the past two years.. because they have Lodges.. so this way we can all stay together. We stay in a 3 bedroom lodge with 2 fireplaces, an amazing balcony, kitchen, dining, washer dryer, and more.. We LOVE this resort.. Now don't confuse this with just the WELK Resort.. they are right by each other, but we love the Lodge way more.. You also get access to the game room (That has a Playstation, ping pong, pool etc) and an indoor pool with a slide and water spray area. The girls loved this, and its a nice thing to have when you have some downtime before you go to evening or afternoon activities. SUPER fun! They also have a Christmas Elf that will come in and Read your girls a Christmas story, give them cookies and milk and tuck them in a bedtime. Super cute! 

Other fun things to do:.. We loved the Butterfly Garden, going downtown to all the Branson Landing Shops.. We went to Mels Hardluck Diner where all the servers sing, and thats always a good time.  We love the Drive Thru Zoo, & eating at Landry's.. We Also went down the Branson Coaster and the girls LOVED it. The Go-karts were closed, but everyone has told me those are super fun too. We had a Great trip! So if you are thinking Branson sounds "Old" or you won't have things to do with your kids, you will.. there is PLENTY to do. We went on a Tuesday Through Saturday and that was enough time to do all the fun things we wanted to do. We had a blast and my girls are the happiest when they are with us and grandparents, so its a win win for a trip like that if you are planning one in the future! 

Ok.. now that I'm caught up on Branson, I'll write a new blog about 2018 as a whole.. I've realized that as I'm getting older.. things don't work like they used to.. blargh.. More to come!