Jackson's 5th Birthday Questionnaire

For the past two birthdays I have done a series of questions with Jackson. Here is last year’s. And this one is from his third birthday.

1.       What is your favorite color? Blue

2.       What is your favorite toy? A controlled airplane (remote control)

3.       What is your favorite fruit? Apples and bananas

 

4.     What is your favorite vegetable? Broccoli (Don’t think so…)

5.       What is your favorite drink? Chocolate milk and orange juice

6.       What is your favorite movie? Ninja Turtles (He has actually never seen it, but has been asking.)

7.       What is your favorite animal? A giraffe.

8.       What is your favorite song? Stronger (Kelly Clarkson song... he also listens to Christian tunes too, Mom ;) )

9.       What is your favorite book? About Ninja Turtles (we neither own nor have read a book about Ninja Turtles… sometimes he just gets ideas in his head and he can’t get them out J)

10.   What is your favorite snack? Crackers

11.   What is your favorite game? Checkers (Josh is teaching him to play)

12.   What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play with bicycles

13.   What do you want for your birthday dinner? Mac and cheese (we failed him here)

14.   What is your favorite restaurant? Moes (this is true, we go there frequently after church on Sundays… Kids Eat Free!)

15.   What is your favorite thing to wear? A pirate costume

16.   Who is your favorite person? RJ

17.   What is your favorite thing about yourself? I’m good at playing checkers

18.   What do you like to pray about? About mac and cheese

19.   What is God teaching you right now? Listening to people

20.   What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to tell people not to get sharp knives, only mommy and daddy and Jackson will be able to get sharp knives when I’m a grownup. (Not sure if we should be worried or not… J)

 

And that concludes this year’s edition of Jackson’s Birthday Questionnaire. Thank you for reading!

Jackson's 4th Birthday Questionare

Posting this a little late, but better late than never. J Last year I decided to start asking Jackson questions on his birthday every year to record his interests and just watch how he grows. Here is the post from last year if you want to read it.

Questions for 4 year old Jackson:

 

        1)     What is your favorite color? Orange

2)      What is your favorite toy? Trains (he had a train-themed birthday party)
 

3)      What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries

 

4)      What is your favorite vegetable? Salad
 

5)      What is your favorite drink? Milk

 

6)      What is your favorite movie? Toy Story

 

7)      What is your favorite animal? Horse

 

8)      What is your favorite song? Veggie tales song

 

9)      What is your favorite book? Veggie Tales
 

10)   What is your favorite snack? Popcorn

 

11)   What is your favorite game? First he said "organic", when I inquired further he said "baseball game"
 

12)   What is your favorite thing to do outside? Pedal and roll on the bike
 

13)   What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Chicken pot pie (and that's what we had)
 

14)   What is your favorite restaurant? Sweet Frog

 

15)   What is your favorite thing to wear? Dinosaur shirt
 

16)   Who is your favorite person? Daddy

 

At this point he started getting silly. :)

17)   What is your favorite thing about yourself? That I'm sleepy.
 

18)   What do you like to pray about? About ducks.
 

19)   What is God teaching you right now? Grandpa
 

20)   What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be five.

 

Scrubbing Floors the Clean Way

Today I am going to go in a slightly different direction than my (not so) usual posts and share some practical information.

We have been trying to eat and live healthier. We are gradually getting away from processed foods and turning to cleaner foods. It is a long journey but we are making progress. In the past few months I have also been revamping how we clean. I don’t really like the idea of my kids breathing in toxic fumes or crawling on floors that have chemicals on them.

My most recent venture was in scrubbing (on my hands and knees, thank you very much) the kitchen floor. I found this blog via Pinterest last week and decided to try out her recipe. It is:

1 gallon of hot water

1 cup of white vinegar

1 tablespoon dish detergent

1 tablespoon lemon juice

 

The solution, I thought, worked really well. I did have to change the water about 3 times and still have about a third of the floor left to do (my floors are nasty). The hubby was gracious enough to take the kids to the grocery store and get our weekly shopping done while I scrubbed away. The solitude was lovely and took the sting away from the task at hand.

 

One thing I want to rant about mention is how awful linoleum floors are. If you are redoing your floors or building a house, never use linoleum. For one thing, I’m pretty sure it’s outdated; there are so many options out there that are far superior, and another thing it is a pain the behind to clean. Linoleum is kind of soft. I have dropped a knife before and it stuck in the floor. So when your floors are constantly being walked on and babies are throwing food on the floor and children are spilling milk (to name a few), then you have really nasty floors. And the softness of the floor just holds that dirt and grime in there. It is not impossible to clean, but nearly. And there are some spots that I just cannot get clean no matter how hard I scrub… the floor has like absorbed the dirt. (Yeah, I used the word “like” improperly. So like sue me) Anyways, if we ever remodel our kitchen (pretty please?) then I will definitely be putting in some good solid tile. End rant.

 

So after cleaning, now I can rest comfortably knowing that my kids can eat food off the floor or crawl around on it and not have to worry about harsh chemicals being ingested through their mouths or pores. J

 

Before I leave you, another solution that I LOVE is for cleaning the bathtub. I’m pretty sure I saw this one on Pinterest too. You take 1 cup of really hot white vinegar (I just heat it in the microwave for a couple of minutes) and 1 cup of dish detergent (I use blue Dawn) and soak your bathtub, the walls, the faucets, everything. The vinegar will get in your nose and it stinks horribly so I usually close the door and turn the fan on. I leave it for about 2 hours to soak. Come back and just wipe with a sponge and rinse. My shower has never been cleaner (ahem, when I do this regularly). And once again I don’t have to worry about those darn chemicals.

 

Thanks for reading.

Until next time. Your sporadic blogging friend,

Kelly

Happy Valentine's Day! 50 Reasons I Love and Appreciate My Husband

I love my husband dearly and this post is dedicated to bragging on him and just sharing with the world my great affection for him.

50 reasons why I love and appreciate you:

1)      You listen to me.

2)      You have a sincere love for God and desire to know him more.

3)      You wrestle with Jackson every night.

4)      You let me sleep in whenever possible.

5)      You support me when I want to have a lazy day (without judgment).

6)      You are the most patient man I know.

7)      You love to learn.

8)      You love to teach others the things you have learned.

9)      You work hard to make me feel loved.

10)   You make me feel beautiful.

11)   I love how after reading to Jackson you pray about whatever he wants, even if it is “Elmo learning how to flush the potty.”

12)   You have made me and our children the top priority in your life.

13)   I can ask you a dumb question without feeling dumb.

14)   You never expect me to do anything, but you appreciate when I do things for you.

15)   You spoil me.

16)   You are a great provider.

17)   You work hard so that I can stay at home with our children and have never once complained about the financial sacrifice.

18)   You romance me.

19)   You support me in all my crunchy behaviors-however short or long-lived they may be.

20)   You give me lots of hugs and kisses every day.

21)   You make me laugh.

22)   You always go shopping with me.

23)   You get up in the middle of the night with our kids when they are sad or scared.

24)   You have the most beautiful brown eyes.

25)   You are very handsome.

26)   You let me put my cold feet on you in bed.

27)   You’re my best friend.

28)   You love teaching Jackson new things.

29)   You kill bugs. (You even drove  home from work one day to kill a giant spider for me)

30)   You open doors for me.

31)   You always change the radio to my stations as soon as we get in the car.

32)   You have a great sense of responsibility.

33)   I can trust you.

34)   You are willing to help friends in need at a moment’s notice.

35)   You make me feel safe.

36)   You are kind.

37)   You are a great cook and always willing to make/help with dinner.

38)   You are generous.

39)   You are content.

40)   You treat me with gentleness.

41)   You remember the kind of chocolate I like.

42)   You have never had a thought about the future that did not include me.

43)   You encourage me.

44)   You let me have the remote whenever we watch TV and never complain about my choices.

45)   Your confidence in me, inspires me

46)   You are thoughtful.

47)   You value my opinion.

48)   You would sacrifice anything for your family.

49)   You love me just as much as I love you.

50)   You argue with me that you love me more. J

Christmas...

There is so much I need to get off my chest. The clarity of my mind has been seriously lacking lately… maybe from lack of sleep? At the moment I do not have complete clarity of mind, but there is just something I need to share before I lose the freshness of it.

This may be sacrilegious to some, but I really did not enjoy Christmas this year. Actually I felt kind of disgusted by it. I was disgusted by the consumerism of it and the materialism that is just blasted in your face all the time.

Jackson, my three-year-old, was completely caught up in it… he was like a greedy little monster looking for his next gift “victim”. Ready to tear open another box. And honestly I don’t think he could really enjoy any one thing because he was so caught up in opening the next thing. Granted, he is three years old, so taking the time to savor something is a lot harder for him than it is for someone older. But I know he can appreciate things when he takes the time to do it. I don’t want my children to grow up with a “gimme! gimme!” attitude. I want them to realize that there are less fortunate people in the world and I want them to be grateful for the things they have and even if they were to receive nothing for Christmas, to still be grateful for their loving family and Savior. We are truly blessed and I just want them to know that.

Now, before you start thinking that I have this “holier than thou” attitude, think again. I am so guilty of falling into the same trap my three year old does. If you take me to the mall I turn into a panting dog. I just see things and I become very discontented and unhappy. I just want want want all of these things! (Insert panting dog sound.) Ugh. I don’t want to be like that at all and I really hate when my mind starts going in that direction. There is something about Christmas in particular that turns me into a greedy monster. I guess I start thinking about what I want for Christmas and I come up with a grand list of things that I “need” to have in order to make me happy. When will I learn that they will never make me happy??

I don’t really have a solution for this yet. Right now I just need a heart check on a daily basis. I need to cling to God, especially during the celebration of his birth. That is what we are celebrating, right? It is so easy to forget. <sigh> I feel like in December I get so busy with doing this and that for Christmas that I put God to the wayside to focus on things that “need to get done.” Also, next year I would really like to serve somewhere on Christmas Day as a family. I want us to be grateful for everything God has already given us and willing to give away anything we posses at a moment’s notice if we feel God leading us to do so.

Thanks for reading. I have so much more to write, but alas the children await! J

Contentment

I’m sitting here having just posted 5 new things to my online wish list, most of which are at least $50 or more and then I ran across an article from Fox News listing the 10 poorest countries in the world. Haiti is number one. 77% of their residents are below the poverty line and I’m sitting here in my cozy house feeling ungrateful and discontented with the stuff I currently have and I just want more stuff to take its place, because maybe it will make me a little happier. It won’t. More than half of the Haitian population lives on less than $1 a day. $1 a day! Their average annual income is less than what I spend on groceries for a month. I want to be disgusted by my own wealth and my own desire for stuff.

I’ve been thinking about what Jesus said in Matthew 19:23, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Wow, that is pretty heavy stuff. Most of us have all of our needs met daily. We are rich compared to the rest of the world. I rarely give it a second thought that we have shelter and delicious, healthy food on the table every meal and the only time I go hungry is when I’m taking care of my kids… but that is at the most an hour and I can eat pretty much whatever I want.

Often, I am so busy entertaining myself, entertaining my kids, making plans for entertaining myself or my kids and the list goes on. We are a rich society and I don’t want to be so caught up in this life and all the luxuries that I have that I lose sight of the Kingdom of God. This life is a vapor compared to the life waiting for us.

I want to be a humble person and be thankful for all God has given me. He has given me so much! I am blessed! I don’t want to keep comparing myself to my friends and neighbors, feeling envious that their car is 5 years newer than ours or that they get to buy the latest fashions. I don’t want to lose my worldly possessions, though if God called me to do that, I want to be okay with it – I just want to live a life glorifying to God and take those things he has blessed me with and use them for His glory. And I don’t want to take what He has given me for granted!

I don’t want to be so distracted by my worldly possessions that I put God to the wayside. I want to be content in every circumstance. In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul says this:

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

A few weeks ago I was pondering this verse and the idea of contentment. I think I’ve had the definition of true contentment wrong. I’ve always thought it had to do with being happy with all your STUFF… like I am feeling happy that we have been blessed with our old minivan. Basically, being happy with what God gave you and not worrying about what other people have. It may have a little to do with that, but I think true contentment has to do mostly with finding satisfaction in God, in being content with Him. And when that really happens I don’t think worldly possessions matter.

God, I want to find my satisfaction in you! And I want my true desire to be for those who don’t know you, not when can I replace my dishes.

Jackson's 3rd Birthday: 20 Questions

Thanks to a few blogs found via Pinterest, I have decided to start asking Jackson (and Amelia when the time comes) 20 questions every year on his birthday. I think it will be fun to see what his interests are every year and how they change from year to year. And I’m hoping to be extra ambitious with it and make a scrapbook of it so he will have it as a keepsake when he is older (or I’ll keep it as a keepsake). J

So, without further ado, here is my Q & A with Jackson:

1)      What is your favorite color? Brown (coincidentally the only color he currently recognizes)

2)      What is your favorite toy? A birthday cake (he is definitely in birthday mode)

3)      What is your favorite fruit? Strawberries

4)      What is your favorite vegetable? Cantaloupe J

5)      What is your favorite drink? Apple juice (interesting because we rarely have apple juice in the house)

6)      What is your favorite movie? Cars

7)      What is your favorite animal? Giraffe

8)      What is your favorite song? Veggie tales song

9)      What is your favorite book? About Jericho (the Bible?)

10)   What is your favorite snack? Crackers

11)   What is your favorite game? Basketball

12)   What is your favorite thing to do outside? Run

13)   What do you want for dinner on your birthday? A cracker J

14)   What is your favorite restaurant? Chick-fil-A

15)   What is your favorite thing to wear? Cars underwear J 

16)   Who is your favorite person? Nana

17)   What is your favorite thing about yourself? Chewbacca (from Star Wars… next year he'll understand this question more) :)

18)   What do you like to pray about? About the lion’s den and dinosaurs (he is currently scared of both)

19)   What is God teaching you right now? I learn about Jonah (Jonah is the current theme at church)

20)   What do you want to be when you grow up? Fly airplanes J