Counting My Blessings - Day 2

Yesterday I counted my most recent "little blessing".  Today I'm counting my first, Jadon.  He was a surprise, in that we didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl.  Ever since he was born, he's been surprising us - always keeping us on our toes.  My labor with him was a grand total of 5 hours (which I thought was really fast... until I had Madelynn, who came in 2.5!).  He came so quickly that the midwife was not even ready to "catch" him, so she scooped him up off the end of the hospital bed, only having one glove on.  He's been difficult to "catch" ever since... the fastest crawler that I had ever seen and, once walking, always on the run.  

It's been such a privilege to be Jadon's mommy.  He's an extremely independent little boy, which has definitely brought it's challenges in parenting.  Some day I will need to remember to apologize to him because, as the firstborn, we're figuring everything out with him.  (I'd like the think that as Madelynn grows, we'll have a better grasp on this whole parenting thing.)  At 3 years old, we're facing that power struggle that I recognize is part of his growing up.  We've had our challenges over the last few months, but I can't help but see how God is changing his heart, and using those qualities that can sometimes be frustrating, to glorify Him and encourage others - his incessant talking to speak the gospel, his stubbornness to stand up for his convictions, his unending imagination to remind me that there's more to life than what you can see with your eyes, his ability to make friends with anyone to remind me that we need to surround ourselves with people to encourage and to be encouraged by.  

So today and everyday, I am thankful for my son.  I'm thankful for his smile, his laugh, his wow-ser kisses, his tenderness, his tackles, his creativity, his thoughtfulness, his love for his baby sister, his ability to make people feel loved and special, his singing, his mischievous nature, and so much more.  

 

~ Carrie ~

Birthday Blessings

Ecstactic... and exhausted.
Proud... and in pain.
Optimistic... and overwhelmed
Blessed... and burdened.

This is how I felt 3 years ago when, after going into labor at 2 a.m. on the day I was due with my first child, I found myself holding him in my arms at 7:04 a.m... all 7 pounds 14 ounces and 19.5 inches of him.   April 2, 2009 was probably the most emotional day I've had in my whole life. 


This year on April 2, not only did suddenly find myself the mother of a 3 year old but also 30 weeks pregnant with my little girl.  Our life right now has been... well, chaotic, but it's also been filled with some tremendous blessings.  

We had the opportunity to host about 25 of our friends and family for Jadon's 3rd birthday party.  We typically invite family members and a couple of Jadon's friends (with their parents).  Other than the 6 family friends who were local, the rest were family members who came out for the celebration.  People had anywhere from a 3 minute to a 7 hour drive.  (Or in the case of one of my sisters, a 2 hour flight that left at 6 a.m. the morning of the party... and she rode back with my northern family at around 1 pm, giving her a grand total of less than 5 hours at our house!  That's one dedicated aunt!)  We were definitely feeling a lot of love from our family!  


To celebrate this day, I went with a Curious George theme.  It's one of Jadon's favorite characters, and made for a fun party theme, especially for a brunch.  

As a side note, this is the second time we've had a birthday brunch for Jadon's party and we love it!  It's different, it's not all that difficult to do, and there are less cranky kids running around.  Jadon was down for his afternoon nap shortly after 2 p.m!  That made for a happy Mom and Dad who had some time to pick up a bit and crash for a few minutes. 


So, for months now I've been doing searches via Pinterest and Etsy brainstorming and collecting ideas for Jadon's party.  We're not over the top by any means, but I do like to do a few (small, inexpensive) things to make it special.  Here are a few pictures from my big 3 year old's special day!  

The color palette, which was played off the books, was red, canary yellow, and light blue.  The mantle was simply decorated with Curious George books that we already had and balloons.  I bought a dozen helium balloons from iParty for about $10 and divided them up throughout the house.  My course of action when decorating for a party at our house is to basically hit the important areas, which is our case is the entryway (it's what everyone sees when they walk in the door, so I tied a couple of balloons there), the living room (hence the mantle), and the dining room (where all the eating takes place).  

Due to some extra craziness immediately before and after the party, my opportunity to take pictures was pretty much gone.  So, did I get a picture of the table and buffet of brunch foods?  Nope.  The kitchen counters displayed an array of delicious foods, some of the highlights being pancakes (inspired from Curious George Makes Pancakes), banana bread (sent to us by my grandmother who couldn't be at the party), and monkey bread (google it if you don't know what it is because it's delicious).

No pictures of the table or anything, but I purchased this tiered cupcake rack for about $12 from the Christmas Tree Shops (kind of splurge, but I know it's something I'll use again).  We also had an 8" round cake that I purchased from a local grocery store (when I saw how many people we'd have coming to the party). 

  
The cupcakes were funfetti with a buttercream frosting on top.  Then each cupcake was topped with some sprinkles, a banana runt (of course), and a personalized cupcake topper.  I ordered the toppers from a seller on Etsy and they were soooo cute!  I purchased 12 toppers for $12.50 (including shipping).

The only thing, other than cake, that Jadon requested for his party was to have party hats.  Of course he hardly wore his, but for $1.99 it was worth his initial excitement.  Also, in the back ground of the above picture you can see a monkey mask (available at iParty 4 for $3.99).  It should be said that although the interest in both of these items (the hats and the masks) among the children was short-lived, several of the "adults" at the birthday party were constantly entertained by either of these.  It was quite amusing.  

The only other costs associated with the party (besides food) were paper goods that were purchased from a dollar-type store that was going out of business (woohoo!) as well as the grocery store, and his gifts, of course.


What do you give a 3 year old who has a ton of toys?  For the past 2 birthdays we've had the philosophy of giving Jadon a couple little things (like a couple books), and then something "bigger" (for his first birthday it was a sand and water table, and for his second birthday it was a tricycle).  This year we really struggled with what "bigger" gift to get for him.  Ultimately we decided that, with the coming of our second little one, one of the greatest things we could get Jadon was some special time with Mommy and Daddy.  Using Jadon's favorite Curious George book as our inspiration, we purchased tickets to the Boston Aquarium for the three of us.  We know Jadon will love it, and it's definitely not something we would just do on a whim.  It will be a special time for our family of three before we become a family of four.  

The down side is that I'm not completely sure that he understood what we were giving him, but he definitely was not disappointed.  You can be sure to catch a few pics from our family adventure to the aquarium sometime in the next few weeks (hopefully).  

 It was a great day to celebrate such a big blessing in our life, and we're so thankful to God for giving us care over him.  We daily surrender this awesome burden back to our Heavenly Father, trusting that as we love, instruct, and correct our son that he will be directed to the One who loves him with a greater love than we could ever imagine.  

~ Carrie

TV Land

Before I was a parent I was a teacher.  I have to admit that I was probably a little judgmental as I got to know my students and learned how things went at home - bedtimes, when homework was done, what movies or t.v. shows they were allowed to watch, what responsibilities they did (or didn't have), etc.  Ashamedly, I often found myself thinking thoughts that began with, "When I'm a parent..."  For all the non-parents who may be reading this, trust me... it's dangerous territory.  For all the parents who may be reading this, you probably know what I mean.  


One of those areas that I've been recently challenged in over the last several months now is television.  In our house, we're not big t.v. people... and I'm proud of that.  But sometimes on those Wednesday mornings when I think, "Wow... What exactly have I accomplished this week?" - it's so easy to let the tube provide the entertainment and teaching for my toddler.   I'm guilty.  Initially I didn't think too much about it.  Jadon hardly watched any t.v. all summer.  He preferred to be outside.  So, as we fell into our new routine, I began to feel a bit convicted (and rightly so).  


I asked myself the question, "What role do I want the television to play in my son's daily life?"  I know of families who don't even have a t.v.  I honestly have to wonder how they do it; and at the same time a small part of me almost desires to toss ours in the trash at times (I said almost).  I don't want t.v. to be the teacher, but what t.v. my toddler does watch I want to be instructional/educational.  I don't want the t.v. to be Jadon's source of entertainment, but I'm okay with him being entertained by it from time to time.  I want what programming that he does watch to encourage his imagination and creativity, but not take the place of it.

Thankfully my conviction turned into action (which is not always the case).  So, here are some guidelines that our family has come up with for toddler t.v in our home. 

No t.v. after 9:30 a.m. (if it's been on at all). 
Jadon is typically awake for the day between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m.  In the next 3 hours, we will all be getting dressed/showered for the day and eat breakfast.  Andy will get ready to head out the door (make coffee, get a lunch together), and I usually clean up from breakfast and empty the dishwasher.  How does Jadon fit into all this?  Obviously he has to get ready for the day (dressed and teeth brushed), but it's really easy for Andy and I to go through our routines and suddenly realize that our son has been doing nothing but sitting in front of the tube.  

We've come to the point that we're okay with a little bit of t.v. during this part of the day (hence the guideline for this part).  What we've also done is made more of an effort to include Jadon in our morning routine.  This could include anything from picking out his clothes and getting himself dressed (a recent accomplishment), to helping get breakfast ready, to helping me empty the dishwasher (he pretty much puts everything away that belongs in the lower cabinets and drawers).  


Let me just say that once we implemented this rule, the t.v. time in the morning nearly vanished!  And, get this... No one has missed it!


Be picky.
I'm super picky about what Jadon is allowed to watch.  So much, in fact, that he knows some of the shows that he can't watch and will tell me if it's coming on next or just turn the t.v. off himself.  Andy is picky, too, and has been known to point out some aspects of certain shows that I felt were okay that maybe weren't as great as I thought.  

I do some research, pay attention to commercials for these programs, evaluate what fellow parents think, and ask myself if the show emphasizes qualities that we also encourage in our parenting.  We tend to look for programs that are intentionally educational, encourage imagination and creativity, and do not go against the qualities that we are trying to instill in our son.  Red flags for us are programs that emphasize whining, complaining, selfishness, and egocentrism.  When it comes down to it, at this point I'm okay with about 75% of the programming on PBS, and then a few shows on the Disney Channel and Nick Jr.  

Stick with 1/2 hour (or less) programs
I find that this prevents endless t.v. watching.  Reserve movies as "special treats", like a family movie night, or the third rainy day in a row, or when a parent is feeling under the weather.  


Make your child turn off the the t.v.  
This sounds ridiculous, I know.  We've really found that this works for Jadon.  Not everyone is okay with their child touching the t.v. (ours is older and not a flat screen - yes, we live in the dark ages), but we're fine with it at this point.  It really seems that by having Jadon physically turn the t.v. off when a show is over he's actually embracing the guideline, rather than having no other choice because it was turned off for him.  We've practiced this so much, in fact, that he will turn it off all on his own accord (even if I didn't say, "When this show is over the t.v. goes off."), and even when I'm not in the room.  It's amazing.  It has totally eliminated the tendency to watch show after show... even when a channel reels a child in my showing the preview for what is next as soon as the current show ends.  


Conclusions
Although this was definitely no scientific process, I know that I've seen awesome results in Jadon as a direct result of us tightening up on the television.  

Jadon's t.v. watching has come way down.  He watches little to no shows in the morning.  The only consistent time in his day that he watches t.v (20-30 min.) is before his nap and this is for two reasons: 1, it's the best routine on the 3 days that I watch another boy while I'm getting him down for his nap; and 2, it really does seem to help slow his body down in preparation for taking a nap. 


Jadon may watch one show around the time that I am preparing supper (let's be honest, that's often essential in preventing meals that consist of blackened shoe leather and mush), and maybe one before bed, occasionally a movie.  


Maybe that still seems like a lot to some of you, or maybe a dream to others, but it works for us.  And this pregnant lady isn't exhausted trying to entertain a 2 year old throughout the day (at least not any more than I already was).  His imaginative play has soared over the last few months.  He's become extremely independent in his play, but has also grown in his family responsibility (discovering things that he no longer needs help with, and participating in chores and helpful things around the house).  Part of this is just him getting older, but another part is less time glued to the television.  He's thinking more.  He's not being entertained as much as he is creating his own entertainment.  


All this to say, whether it's t.v. or something else... whether you're a parent or not... it's important to take hold of areas of conviction in our lives and act on them in faith.  Prayerfully consider what is best for you (or your family) and do something about it, trusting that God will honor your intentions.  And for goodness sake... if you aren't a parent yet take it from me - don't fall into the trap of "When I'm a parent..." because you just don't know until you're up to your eyeballs in diapers and cheerios.  Truth. 


~ Carrie ~

Family Worship

Some time ago, Andy and I were contemplating how to implement a time of family devotions for the three of us.  It's really overwhelming to think about roping down an almost 3 year old to sit still and talk about God for any amount of time.  Let's be honest, getting through a mealtime prayer is often challenging enough!  

During the Advent season, our family has what we call an "advent tree" in which we put up a new ornament each day, in addition to reading a Bible story or passage of Scripture.  We also usually sang a Christmas song and always ended our time in prayer.  Jadon grew to love this time and would often ask multiple times throughout the day to put up a new ornament on the advent tree.  After Christmas was done and I took down the advent tree Jadon was a little upset.  Andy and I realized that this was a great opportunity to begin an actual family devotion time that we call "family worship".  Here's what it typically looks like:

What It Is 

• 10-12 minutes of time together as a family in the evening (after supper), usually on the couch
• Reading a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible
• Talking about the story and what we learn about God in this story
• Sing a song
• Close in prayer

Source: amazon.com via Carrie on Pinterest

This is an awesome time for our family to refocus and spend quality time together.  It doesn't happen every night, but I'd say we usually have family worship 4-5 times a week.  The funny thing is that when it slips our mind, Jadon always remembers.  He looks forward to it!  That's not to say that this time always goes smoothly and that our precious little toddler always cooperates.  There are some evenings when it would definitely be easier to throw in the towel and be done with it, but we press on because we see the time as being so beneficial!  

What It Isn't

Our family worship time is not a time for extreme structure, even though we pretty much follow the same routine each time.  Changing up the location, who reads, who prays, and what songs we sing make each time unique.  

This isn't a time for reinforcing good behavior or giving moralistic lessons.  It's an intentional time of sharing our love for Christ with our son and teaching him about all that God has done for us.

Why We Do It

For some parents out there, a time like this may seem impossible to achieve.  Our lives are so busy, schedules are filled, and people are tired all the time. 

It may even seem overwhelming if you don't see yourself as being gifted as a teacher.  Honestly, by using the Jesus Storybook Bible you are given a lot of direction for application.  In fact, I often find myself challenged by the readings in this Bible.  The writer of the Jesus Storybook Bible recently contributed an article on a well-known blog that addresses the challenges of teaching and applying the Bible for young children.  You can read the blog post here.  It's a very insightful article that really makes you think twice about how to apply the Bible to a life of any age.   

Our church is great (and getting even better) at instructing children through God's Word from a very early age.  We are so appreciative of that, and yet are very cautious that this is not the only or even the primary means of Jadon's biblical education.  Andy and I desire to express our love for Christ and all that He's done for us to our son, and not just on Sundays but everyday.  Our time of family worship is a great, intentional way to do that. 

I would totally encourage you to not wait until you think your child is "old enough" to understand everything or sit completely still for the whole time.  The sooner you start, the sooner both your child and you will begin reaping the benefits of this time spent in God's Word and in prayer.  

~ Carrie ~

It's Time for Something New

Two words - cabin fever.  Yup.  It has officially set in.  

My son keeps looking out onto the deck and asking to go play outside.  I can't blame him.  I keep finding myself gazing out the kitchen window at the blue skies and warm sun.  Then I look at the outdoor temperature, in my mind hoping that it will miraculously say it's in the 60s.  Yeah... that hasn't happened yet.  

When it's warm outside, it's all I can do to keep my boy in the house until 9:30 am (sometimes I let him out earlier...).  He's clearly an outdoors kid.  Now here we are in February, there's no snow on the ground (which is no different from the rest of the winter), appears to be beautiful outside, and it's still in the 30s (if that).  Oh, and might I add, Punxsutaney Phil saw his shadow.  I don't put any stock in Groundhog Day, but still... it's a downer.  

Yes, I'm complaining.  And for those of you fellow New Englanders who may argue that we've had a few seasonably warm days lately, you're right.  Unfortunately those few hours that the temperature dares to climb into the 40s (or higher) happen to be lunch and nap time here in toddlerland.  Yet another downer. 

What can be done about cabin fever?  

"Sing to the Lord a new song;

sing to the Lord all the earth."

Psalm 96:1

This is a psalm that I have heard referenced several times over the last month, and it's what came to mind this morning during another late-morning toddler tantrum.  I find myself blaming the weather for my son's outbursts.  If only I could send him outside... he'd be a different person, much easier for me to handle!  The weather is only partly to blame.  Sin nature is the other part - both mine and my son's.  

So guess what?  It's time to start singing a new song.  It's time to change things up again.  Where do I look for inspiration?  None other than Pinterest.  Oh yes, my friends.  If you haven't joined, just do it.  Here are some ideas I've come across that I'm hoping will help change the tune at our house.  

Source: tiffkeetch.blogspot.com via Carrie on Pinterest

"I love you this much!"  So fun!  

Source: mybabyfaves.blogspot.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Change things up with a "new" game.  Seriously... would this take any more than 10 minutes? 

Source: rustsunshine.blogspot.com via Carrie on Pinterest

Once again... cute and easy!  Could be artwork to send to grandparents, too!

Source: Uploaded by user via Carrie on Pinterest

Definitely more time consuming initially, but I'm pretty sure my husband would have as much fun with this as my son!

Just a few ideas that we may be trying soon!  Whether you have a toddler or not, how are you going to "sing to the Lord a new song"?  Open the door long enough to let the grouchies out (and still keep the heat in) and rejoice in the Lord with each new day.  


~ Carrie ~

Give Them Grace

Amazon Link

I recently began reading a book that I received as a Christmas gift from my husband.  It's called Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus, by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson.  Like I said, I've just started the book (I'm on chapter 2), but from the very beginning I was captivated and felt compelled to share a portion of the forward to this book (which begins with a quote from Michael Horton's Christless Christianity).

"What would things look like if Satan really took control of a city?  Over half a century ago, Presbyterian minister Donald Grey Barnhouse offered his own scenario in his weekly sermon that was also broadcast nationwide on CBS radio.  Barnhouse speculated that if Satan took over Philadelphia (the city where Barnhouse pastored), all of the bars would be closed, pornography banished, and pristine streets would be filled with tidy pedestrians who smiled at each other.  There would be no swearing.  The children would say, "yes, sir" and "No ma'am," and the churches would be full every Sunday... where Christ is not preached."

"This is scary - mainly because what Barnhouse describes is what most of us want for our children.  Jesus or no Jesus, we just want them to obey, be polite, not curse or look at pornography, get good jobs, marry a nice person, and not get caught up in the really bad stuff.

It may come as a surprise to you, but God wants much more for your children, and you should too.  God wants them to get the gospel.  And this means that parents are responsible to teach them about the drastic, uncontrollable nature of amazing grace."

I'm really excited to keep reading this book, and I'm sure I'll be posting again - at least once I'm finished to give a few final thoughts on the perspective on parenting that this book gives (which so far, I'm completely in agreement with).  Happy reading!  

~ Carrie

Exasperating?

My dad is a tease.  Always has been, and always will be.  He's always known just how to get my sisters and I going.  (Of course he rarely did it to my brother because they were on the same side.)  In the midst of these moments of, "Dad!  Did you really?  Are you serious?" - my sisters and I would eventually look at Mom, who would inevitably end the joking around and relieve our fears.  Then, while trying to hold back a smile, she would look at my dad and say, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children" - to which, he would nod and smile back at her with that twinkle in his eye.

It was a long time before I really knew what my mom was talking about.  Of course, she was mostly kidding around, it was her way of saying, "Stop teasing them so much!"  She was, however, quoting an important part of Scripture that I never really took the time to understand.  

 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4 

This verse comes in the context of and a well known passage about families and relationships.  In fact, many of us grew up hearing the first verse of this chapter, "Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right."  Many a teenager has responded to this verse with rolled eyes or groaning, and then, the next verse continues with the same message about honoring your parents.  (Is it possible that even as an adult, I still struggle a little to hear those verses?!)  

Now, I'm the parent.  Now, I get to say these verses to my child during moments of reproof and correction, right?  Well... yes.  But now as a parent, it's especially important that I keep reading and arrive at verse 4.  Even though Paul directs his words at fathers in particular, it is still applicable to mothers, too.  

As I read and reread this verse, I'm forced to ask myself 2 questions.   The first is this: "How much of the anger in my home is caused by me?"  Paul Tautges asks this question in an article that he wrote called 25 Ways to Provoke Our Children to Anger.  The second question is: "Am I raising my child to simply do as I say, or am I leading my child by example to live as Christ?"  Far too often I fail at setting the example of maintaining my temper, accepting blame, showing forgiveness, and many of these things that Tautges challenges readers with.  

I'm thankful for having great parents who I still rely on as I now find myself in the parenting role.  It's not as easy as they made it seem, at times.  It truly is a calling of great responsibility that I must continue to challenge myself in, lest I find that my sinful nature taking over the godly example that I desire to be to my son.  And I'm sure there will be a small dose of teasing along the way, too.  Hey, I am my father's daughter.  :)

~ Carrie ~

The Light at the End of the Tunnel: Patience & Grace

There are a lot of things that I've learned since becoming a parent (approximately 2 years, 4 months, and 10 days ago). Here are a few of them.

• If you pick it up for them, they will throw it again.
• Just when they get into a routine, they change it.
• Even though they liked it once doesn't mean they'll like it again.
• When you want them to listen, they don't.  When you don't want them to listen, they do.  
• If you tell them not to, they will.  

And that's just off the top of my head!  Well, I guess another thing that I've learned is patience - and boy have my husband and I had our patience tested, especially starting at the end of February when our precious little almost two year old decided (after 3 successful weeks of sleeping in a toddler bed) that he no longer wanted to sleep in his bed anymore.  He, in fact, wanted to sleep on the floor - so long as he was being forced to stay in his room because if either my husband or I left his room, he would be out in an instant.  So we went from a happy toddler who transitioned perfectly into a bed, to a miserable bed-time boy who refused to stay in his room, let alone sleep in his own bed.  

Jadon sleeping in his toddler bed for the first time.  This lastest for 3 weeks before he went on his "bed strike".

After almost a week of this pattern we figured out that this was probably going to be the way it was for a while.  The question we had was, "How are we going to fix this?"  I mean seriously, a two year old who only wants to sleep with his pillow and blanket on the floor.  That's not good.  We tried to get him to sleep on a sleeping bag on the floor, but he would have none of that.  Ugh.  


In despair, my husband and I sat down to formulate a "plan of attack".  Ultimately we decided that we had two problems: sleeping on the floor and not falling asleep on his own.  Instead of tackling both problems at the same time (which was obviously not working), we decided to first work on how he was sleeping, not where.  He wasn't going to sleep on the floor for the rest of his life, so that seemed like the less major issue for the moment. 


After a month of progressively working ourselves out of his room, we finally had a little boy who would fall asleep on his own.  Now to get him to sleep in a bed!  That actually proved to be the harder thing, believe it or not.  We eventually got him to sleep on a sleeping bag on the floor (which actually proved helpful in a few overnight stays away from home).  So from approximately the beginning of May until the end of June, Jadon continued to sleep on the floor, but at least on a sleeping bag.  We continued to try to convince him to go back to his toddler bed, but he wanted nothing to do with it.  Finally at the end of June we were going away for almost two weeks and were going to be staying in a room that had a twin bed in it for Jadon.  Positive thinking took hold of me and I bought a bed rail to bring with us.  We arrived and I showed Jadon his bed and installed the bed rail.  He loved it, and a few hours later (when it was nap time) he went soundly asleep without so much as a peep out of him.  Ever since that day he has slept in his own bed, including when we came home to the same toddler bed that had been in his room for 5 months!  


It was a long wait, but I'm so thankful for the patience that God granted my husband and I during this time.  Whenever family members or friends asked us if Jadon was "still sleeping on the floor," it was so disappointing to say yes.  I think every parent has those moments from time to time when you think to yourself, "Yeah, guess I'm not winning parent of the year this year!"  Yet, God still grants patience and grace.  


I'm trying to remind myself of this as we began potty training this week.  Hopefully this will not be a 5 month long ordeal, but I know that God will provide the extra dose of patience I need to make it through all of the big messes and extra loads of laundry I've been doing no matter how long this continues!

~ Carrie ~

2 Thumbs Up

This is a blog I read last week (by the recommendation of my husband) written by Kevin DeYoung that had me laughing out loud at several points. I appreciate a Christian pastor/writer who cuts to the chase, has a firm grasp on reality and a sense of humor. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Parenting 001

~ Carrie ~