kids are unique

anyone who has more than one child will tell you that parenting one child is not the same as parenting every child...
some who only have one child will agree with this, but many without children, have not seen the light.

we are parenting 3 t h r e e children. they are not the same sex, but they are not all different sexes, so that is not the main thing different in parenting... some with only one, or one of each gender may think that the differences come in the genders

we have been discussing how to best parent these children, because we lost our owners manual, and evidently the office that issues these manuals has been permanently vacated...probably too little pay and too much work if you ask me

while eating their afternoon snack today, the children were worried about who had more crackers, and who had more popcorn and who was not sharing... actually the oldest and the youngest were worried and sitting beside one another and quite concerned with their current situation. the oldest is on the verge of 10 and the youngest is fast approaching 3....

as they sat fussing back and forth, I threw a few m & m candies from a partially eaten bag onto their popcorn.... the bag of candy formerly belonged to the middle child, who was quielty eating his popcorn. I did not count the m & m's just opened the package and tossed a few on the popcorn to clean up a bag... the oldest counts hers first----4, she says" I only got 4 "and quickly counts her youngest brothers-4 "he got 4 too, how many did Wes get, I bet Wes (middle boy) only has 4 too, right?"

I explain that the candy belonged to the middle child and the oldest tells him thank you for sharing, and he, quietly eating his snack, says, 'that's what friends are for"

and you wonder why parents don't treat every kid the same......do you know have any idea where they moved the office where you get those manuals I mentioned earlier?

October

We have not fallen off the planet, but we have been running around it.
Jaylee started school and this AR reading is gonna be the end of us... really she is better and things are starting to settle down (knock on wood)
She will be getting glasses, so we will have to get some photos when they come in
The boys are doing well... Wes had a birthday, his golden one he turned 5 on the 5th. He is getting so independent and he is so congenial. He is really easy and we are thankful for that. He can buckle himself in and get himself out of the car seat which is a GREAT help.
Kolin is ending his terrible twos but don't shout a victory cry for us yet, he is entering his troublesome or is it trying threes. All I know is we are fastly approaching....
I have several stories to tell, but I just wanted to document where we have been... and in case anyone ever checks, we are still alive.

Rockwall fun

While in Dallas, we took the kids to a new development called Rockwall. It has some neat fountains and is right by the lake. They also have a water garden of sorts that people can run and play in. It was really pretty at night. The photos were hard to take b/c the kids were running, it was dark, and the lights were reflecting. I took so many photos of them in the water, I ran out of battery for the fountains and lake front. This what we ended up with.... the kids had a blast!

Kolin, happy boyThey did try to stand still for one photo Kolin blew a shoe
Wes stayed relatively close to us
This is the reflection of the lights on the water spray. Each has a spray of water coming out of the ground
The light house in the background at Rockwall... before they played in the water
Another view of Rockwall at dusk
Wes is about to leap out of the photo

Kolin kept coming to tell me "Be careful mom, you'll get wet"
I liked this photo of the water spraying on Jaylee...looks like something someone professional might take

Wes and Wes

Had to include one photo of Wes and his namesake Wes.
It has been too long since we had a photo of them together. Here is the beginnings of the sore stomach from the previous post....Uncle Wes getting ready to float the creek. He is telling me to not take a photo....It was too late! I love the shoes! They were Kory's size gigantic and Wes literally cut them down to fit him.....

Photos at the old house on Bar Diamond Ranch

While at the ranch in Montana, we went up to the old house that Uncle Wes' grandparents had built and lived in. It is a neat place to take pictures, so that is what we did. I am by no means a professional photographer, but I had a great backdrop and even better subjects....

Jaylee, Wes, and Kolin at the old houseSweet boy looks so innocent... looks can be deceiving
When I grow up I'm gonna be a rock star,I think I'll be a model...I love to have my photo taken
If we all smile pretty can we be finished?
We love going to Montana. If it weren't so cold, maybe I could talk Jason into moving there....We had not been in 6 years, but I plan on it not taking so long next time.

While there, we floated the creek, but did not have a camera. I was floating with Wes, but hit a rough spot and we both fell out. I reached into the water and pulled him out and handed him off to Susan. I felt much better while he was with her. We laughed and laughed on that trip down the creek. Uncle Wes and I were at the very end of the travelers and he was a hoot! My stomach was hurting by the time we got finished. Jaylee and Kolin loved it and Jason went down the creek one more time with both of them... he is much braver than I.

We took our dog, Suzi, to MT with us and she too went down the creek. She did not know what to think, and kept trying to get on my inner tube with me! I am a sucker, and I don't want anyone to drown, even the dog! But she has really sharp clawn, like a cat, and I hated to share and us both be without a tube by the end of the trip. That is one thing that made me laugh about U.Wes, he kept saying he was loosing air, and he was floating really slow, and sometimes he would ask me if he was moving. I guess you had to be there, but it was funny

July in Montana: fish hatchery

We spent a week in Montana on Jason's Aunt and Uncle's ranch. One day we took the kids to the fish hatchery. They loved it. They enjoyed seeing the fish, walking the paths and feeding the big fish. Wes is a big fisherman.... so he was in heaven. Jaylee and Kolin liked it too...

Jason showing Wes and Kolin where the spring is coming out of the ground This is the natural spring that feeds the hatchery and a creek that runs through the area
Jason showing the boys where the water is "springing" from the earth Jaylee, Wes, and Kolin on a pathway bridge... hoping to get a good Christmas card photo
Photo in the tree... the mosquitos were bad, and the kids were being good sports about the picture taking process
One more, maybe this one will suit our mother
They wanted dad to be in the photo too

June 2007, Red River

Jason and the kids outside of Red River Jaylee always want to take the photos....I think she should be in the photo, but she did a really good job getting everyone in the picture

We made our 2nd annual trip to Red River Family Encampment this year. We love being in the mountains and it is a virtual feasting upon the Word while we are there. The kids love it and look fw to going again next year. Jason's mom met us this year and we stayed in a condo not far from all the activities. We highly recommend anyone who has the time to plan on being there in 08.

On the way to RR and home we took a few pics. If we are gonna be bloggin, we will have to be better about taking photos. Here are a few photos from the trip.

Jaylee and Wes on a rock by the road leading into Red River coming from Questa

Me and the kids on the rock... I usually get to take the photos... that is how you know I am there, there is a photo :) Jason showing the kids to look for fish
On the way home from Red River, we always stop at the log... it is a tree trunk that has been hollowed out and water is flowing through it.... " a river runs through it" literally...
Wes at the log