Adam

Adam started Kindergarten this year! Adam is an amazing little boy! You have no idea! He is the best boy I have ever met! He is smart and funny and kind and has the most amazing heart!!!

He is still into superheros and is now into Star Wars! He has some good buddies at school and some even better girlfriends!

I pray over him daily before I drop him off at school.

He reads very well and a high high level and all his buddies ask him to help them read.

He was in church choir.

His teachers seem to like him alot! They say kind things about him daily! Warms mamma's heart!

My sweet boy accepted Jesus into his heart right before Christmas. He talks about Jesus often! How God is really our Dad. How we are NEVER alone b/c Jesus is always with us. How God is the strongest superhero. How he is going to be in heaven one day. His daily coversations about God warm my heart.

Claire

This past year
Claire potty trained right before she turned 3.
I stayed home for about 3 days straight. On the 4th day we had a FULL day out of the house! full day we had to be gone....and she had NO accidents! Fully potty trained even at night in 3 days! We had a blasat! Probably best 3 days of my life....seriously.
Claire is a spitfire! She trys and DOES keep up with Adam. She wrestles with him! tackles him! You name it...she does it!
She is not really a picky eater but she never eats. It takes forever to get her to pick up a fork and put food in her mouth!
She still likes to be rocked to sleep at night! But she has become very attached to Adam and wants to sleep with him nightly. Problem is....she STAYS awake and keeps Adam awake so we can't really let them sleep together or neither one of them get sleep. So what she will do is cart blankets and pillows in the the jack and jill bath and she will talk to him under the door. ARG! So sometimes we try to let them keep the doors open and they lay backward in their bed so they can look at each other through the doors. (this still keeps them awake)
Claire is a doll! She has a little bob haircut and has a personality to go with it!
I can't think of many words or phrases...but let's see - she says commote for remote. She calls us silly mommy. She says - 'ya know this' alot. She loves her brother!!!!! She always wants daddy!

Past comments

This past Christmas was one of the best ever!

A few keepsake notes
Claire asked Santa for ONLY 1 BIG box of candy canes

Adam asked Santa for 2 real puppies, Thor hammer and mask and dino zoomer.

Claire did receive a BIG box of candy canes, her 1st bike - Elsa and Anna and an Elsa doll.
Adam received a dino zoomer and a scooter!!! (thor happer and mask were given by Aunt Shanna) and UMMMM Santa doesn't deliver live animals.

Christmas break was amazing! We never really once got up and rushed off to do anything. Brent and I took turns doing our runs. And we spend alot of time staying home and relaxing. It was nice to NOT rush off anywhere! We started our first ever Star Wars marathons! So we all stayed up late watching movies and slept in late.

An amazing happy Christmas!

New Year, New Us?

Happy New Year!

It has been awhile since we have done a post.

We are a No resolution family! We don't really do them...we make changes everyday. But this year seems different..... good times are rolling in for us 2015.

We are all getting in shape. We are hoping to travel. We are hoping to be a happier, healthier group.

My sweet kids

Reminder this blog is to help with journaling our family so forgive brags but one day I would like for my kids to remember that their parents LOVED them 1st and foremost!

My children sometimes amaze me when they are sweet! Melts my heart and gives me a little confirmation that all is well in the world!

We took the kids to a last minute class party Easter egg hunt! After the count down from 10....Adam and Claire took off running. Adam would stop at each pink egg and pause his hunting to make sure his sister saw it and got the pink egg! He may have been more excited to Claire to get her pink eggs than he was for him to get any eggs. After the hunt, when the excitement of opening the eggs proceeded...Adam once again would take anything pink and give to Claire.

Spring Break

As a mother of a 5 year old and a 2 year old we do not plan for Spring Break. Once Adam is in school we may be one of those families that plan trips on Spring Break. This week, we are just trying to do family time! See people we love!

Life thought #2

Valentine's Day

While as a girl I LOVE the colors and ambiance of Valentine's I do not care for the holiday. I mean really if my bday was new V-day I would be thrilled because I do love all the advertised 'must-haves' But we do not really contribute to this holiday. Years ago, while I was young and working, I liked the LOOK of having my husband send me flowers. I mean who does NOT like having flowers or balloons walked down a hallway full of school kids. It is a high. A rush and I loved it. Still do. Maybe that came from never getting anything from anyone other than my family as a kid. I was jealous in HS of all the girls who got stuff. I never did. So maybe being a teacher I wanted my husband to make up for all that lost time. But one day.....I realized how expensive the PLAIN flowers were on that day and delivered at that. It wasn't worth it. I told my husband that day to never ever do that again.

In truth, I would love to be given grace when the house is a mess. I would love to be given grace when I am DONE DONE DONE for the day. I would love to be given grace when the laundry isn't done. I would love to have a FREE day. A day to not feel guilty for doing nothing.

Also, in this day in age I really want my kids not to expect things. It's hard when things are given for every single thing. Here is what I have been doing lately.......We homemake our things. I know it might seem cheap but at age 2 and 5 having hanging hearts and a candle light dinner made their absolute day. Don't get me wrong.....I do have to give them some heart candy, stickers, bracelets and pencils. But that was it. It wasn't candy overload. NOWAY. It wasn't stuffed animals that end in a basket. It was a few cheap treats to make their day and a memory that lasts for a lifetime! Candlelight again next year

Life thoughts 1.

I have been thinking well....always about how much life would be better if just......

1. If people would help others not feel alone in their struggle! Be with them. Listen. Uplift them! Wouldn't many be so much happier if they had someone love them, support them, listen to them. WITHOUT judging!

Selfie family style

Having fun with the new 2013 word of the year - selfie family style

Whew, been awhile!

Kids have been adorable lately! Claire can now get out of her room by herself! Opening doors and a whole new world opens up! The cutest thing lately is she sneaks out of her room and goes in to Adam's room and gets in bed with him! Sigh!

My thoughts for the day

As I am hoping you know by now, I try to be as honest with people as possible. I try not to sugar coat things. With this said it has me thinking about a few things today. I have been wondering if my past is defining my future.....well of course it does but in this situation I wonder if being voted Miss Nieve in high school really has made me nieve. I feel extremely picked on lately. It makes me wonder why. Am I an easy target? I don't quite understand it. I don't really enjoy being picked on at all. I have a hard enough time as it is with self-confidence so why add fuel to the fire. I also don't believe that I am a fully energetic lively person that is full of charisma that has people draw to me and joke around with me. I guess I am throwing a small pity party. I find myself telling satan to LEAVE me alone. I do feel as though he is messing with my mind and I have to tell myself that I am beautiful and loved my the most wonderful God. So tooting my own horn......I feel like with all the negatives I have there are more positives. It has me questioning who do people see me as because I don't feel by any means that anyone tells me or compliments me. (see being needy I know) But I feel like I build people up daily and why are people stingy with their uplifting comments. So I may be a little unorganized. I have junk drawers and my closet is a mess. But my floors are almost always clean. My carpets are vacuumed everyday if not every other. I rarely go to bed with dishes in the sink. I always set the coffee and unload the dishwasher. When I do the floors at least every other time I do the base boards and dust and the bathrooms. I would think that that would make up a little bit for my hidden junk drawers and spilling over tupperware closet. So I am not the best laundry person but 29 days out of the month clothes are easily found and organized. And I get compliments on Claire everywhere I go. So Adam needs a haircut right now....I'm a little late. But on the flip side he has a great hair style that isn't spiky or long or in his eyes. I would like to think that him needing a haircut would be overlooked because let's face it....he doesn't go too often with shaggy hair before we get that done! So I don't check all my voicemails and when you look at my phone it looks like I have 15 unopened voicemails. But on the positive side......when I see a missed call...I CALL BACK! I don't go through listening.....I call back to talk. So I have unorganized unanswered emails and I am horrible with dates but I will rarely forget your name or your face or what you need prayer for!!! I was picked on today about my workout hair. hmmmmm Well, at least I'm working out. And on the flip side of that one.......There are things I care about in this world and things I don't. I care about being treated with respect and treating others with respect. I don't care about mistakes for the most part, people are people. I care about trying to live my life to glorify God. But I don't really care to keep up with the Jones. I care to teach my children about the love of Christ. I care that my family is fed and comfortable and loved. I care that my kids are happy. Anyway, point being I care about people and if that means my hair is flopped up, my face is broken out, my belly is flabby, my clothes are comfortable then please love me for me...take me as I am. And please....build me up too. This life is hard, being a Mom and a wife is the hardest thing I have ever done. I do enough on my own to tear myself and my self worth down.....I don't need you to help.

California Vacation

Well, the Dunagan family did it again! We went on a huge vacation to California for 10 days with the kids! Why did I say with the kids.....I can't think of anything we have done without them. All our trips are with them. But some people seem to think this is weird or hard to do. To us, it is normal. The kids did wonderful. Now how they bounce back to 'normal routine' tomorrow will be a different story.

We boarded the airplane for California on a Wednesday! What a blast. The kids had a great time on the airplane. I made Adam an 'activity' book and he worked on that book the entire time. Did not want to watch a movie at all....just wanted to do his activity book. YAY mom! Claire took a nap on the plane and after 4 hours we arrived in California. California was beautiful. I enjoyed every second of our trip. (except we all got sick but we still braved everything)

We stayed in Daly City at our favorite hotel chain - Hampton Inn. We were welcomed with a guest of the day sign and some nice treats. We spent 3 days in San Francisco. We did almost everything. Walked the entire Warf. Walked to Giardelli Square, walked up and down all the side streets. We went to Fort Point below the Golden Gate Bridge. It was pretty cool. We went across the bridge to Saciledo. We ate at an Italian restaurant in Saciledo. We went to the Golden Gate Bridge visitor center and hiked around to a cliff that over looked the ocean and might very well have been my favorite part. I couldn't help but wish that in a different time I could have lived there and enjoyed solo runs everyday. What I different life that would have been. It was so beautiful. We ate Clam Chowder on the pier overlooking Alcatraz. We ate fish sandwiches on Pier 39. We walked all the way to China Town! Loved the little walk. On our walk back we found a park and let the kids play. And of all things I almost forgot that I loved, loved, loved the seals!!!

From there we went to Yosemite National Park! Oh my word loved this! We stayed at the Teneya Lodge. It was a blast! It was very family friendly. Families were everywhere! And I absolutely loved that. We could sit by the campfire and roast marshmellows, we could ice skate, swim, play in the arcade, hike, sled...you name it from this lodge we could do it! They had 4 restaurants just in the lodge and I honestly loved this....if we were hungry we could just charge it to the room! The weather for this trip was perfect. It was cool with old snow on the ground and sunny. We had to layer because it was chilly to start our hikes but once into the hike we would be sweating. We saw some of the most beautiful sequoia trees. HUGE! Loved it! We saw some waterfalls and a few days later we had a 'lodge day' while it snowed fresh powder snow that covered everything! Then we went tubing in Badger Pass. The next day the snow started to melt and it was about time to leave from there.

From there, we went toward Napa Valley! And it was pretty. BUT ummmmmmm not our thing. Total let down for us! Enough said.

We stayed in Fairfield and went to Jelly Belly Factory! Blast! Then we went to a local California kids park called Fairyland. Good concept and all for the kids.

Then home!

mom confession #207

So here is an observation from my day. Well, let me back up a little....you need to know that I struggle with comparing myself to others and that has occurred full force since having kids. It has taken me a little bit of time to realize that even though my kids may not do some things as fast as yours but they may memorize something quicker. Each person is unique in their own way. God made us all with different talents....my kids included. So I to some extent stopped worrying that Adam doesn't color as well or write his name as well but he sure can memorize and remember important information.

I also compare myself to other Mom's. Today I realized we all have good and bad days. Now, overall I may still not be as knowledgable and firm as my sister, compassionate as my friend Amber, as smart and well rounded as my friend Colby, as fun, protective and creative as my friend Tommie, as energetic, positive and happy as my friend Nikki, as good as my friend Jessica or as funny as my friend Nichole........but on some days and I mean SOME days......I have my own qualities that I am proud of. I feel the need to toot my own horn here because let's face it....no one else is going to do it for me. But on some days... I dance with my kids to their own beat. On some days, I help them memorize Bible verses. One some days, I teach them how important it is to clean their space. On some days, I make them huge, fantastic yummy breakfasts. One some days, I make their FAVORITE meal. On some days, I let them jump on the bed. One some days I let them splash water where they want. One some days, I decorate their sandwiches into fun shapes. One some days, I play airplane. One some days, I go the direction they want to go. On MOST days I read and rock them at night. And on ALL days, I tell them I love them more than anyone and that if I could chose any other 4 year old boy and 18mo old girl in the whole world....I would choose them over and over and over and over again! And on ALL days, I pray with them and pray for them and pray over them!

So am I a great mom? no. Am I a perfect mom? no. Am I a loving mom? YES!

Now don't even get me started on what a crappy house cleaning wife I am! :)

Mom Confession #208

Ok so maybe we are really not at our 208th confession but goodness I should have one a day and that would make it more than 208. Anyway, whew today was a rough day. I did cart the kids around all day. Trying to get stuff done. I feel so bad for single parents who have more than one child or even married parents who have more than one child but no family around to help out. I just loaded and unloaded and loaded and unloaded and in each trip both children got more and more fussy. Yall - I totally skipped Claire's nap and she takes 2 most days we are home! Poor baby fell asleep in the walmart shopping cart. And I wonder why she is throwing terrible two tantrums with me! I mean TERRIBLE TWO screaming on the floor, kicking feet tantrums. Her screams are so loud and hoarse that I am fearful her vocal cords will be damaged. Yesterday, Brent took care of the kids all night while I ran errands and they were little angels for him! Arg, they must be tired of me and I should take time away more often since it was all so good. Regardless, today I am exhausted. I actually remember when Adam was three slightly dreading getting out of bed b/c I would be faced with his tortuous threes!!! Today, was the first day I laid in bed and dreaded getting up to face Claire's terrible twos. I actually walked around thinking....hmmm I wonder what I am sounding like to strangers. I can't help but think of my friends Amber or Mari or Candice or Colby or Amy or Chelsea or Lynette or Elizabeth and I think they are always so calm and perfect and happy! How do they do it? How was I able to be such a wonderful, calm teacher and I am such a non-patient Mom to my own kids!!!! Arg!

Clairebear around 16 months old

So Clairebear is a doll. By this point in her life she has acquired a few nicknames. They are:
Swiper - because she is quick and will swipe something off a counter when you are holding her so quick!
Bumper baby - because oh my word....she bumps into EVERYTHING. Even when there is nothing in the way she will stumble and fall on her face. Sometimes she will zig zag and fall into a WALL! I turn around and she has new bruises on her forehead. Makes me a little sad. By the way, when I was a baby my nickname was Bumper
puppy - sometimes I call her puppy because she whimpers and begs for food like a puppy.
And of course Clairebear!

She by 15 months learned to climb up on the table and purposely fall/slide off. She all on her own will pick up her diapers and just walk straight to the trash and throw it away! WOW!!!!! She will wipe up anything that has spilled. She will put things back to the exact place she knows it goes. And she will sort her food. So if a green pea falls over to the rice she will pick the green pea up and put it back in the correct pile.

Way early on she was grabbing shoes to put on herself. She started doing this EARLY! She surprisingly almost always puts the correct shoe on the correct foot!

She also will try to put her bows back on her head. :) Mamma so proud!

She is a cutie!!!

10 things I hope my son will know

I saw this idea on the web (of course) and thought I would blog the same.

1. I love you with all my heart

Adam, I love every thing about you. You are so funny! You make me laugh often. I love how sharp you are. I love you more every single day!

2. It is ok to cry

Adam, life is tough and I want you to know even though you are a boy and I want you to be TOUGH, it is also ok to cry. It is an emotion given by God. Life will be unkind. Kids are unkind. Girls are unkind. Even parents can be hard. God will work miracles in your life and at those times when you are moved by the Holy Spirit show emotion! It does not show weakness....it shows strength in who you are.

3. It is ok to get dirty

Adam, as a toddler you would get dirt on your hands and raise them in the air and whine. You wanted us to see and wipe your hands clean. I get that! God wants to create a clean spirit in us. But as a boy....GET dirty. Messes happen! It can ALWAYS be cleaned! roll down hills. make mud pies. dig in the dirt. play in the ditch. explore the woods. climb trees. spill your milk. fall in the grass to catch a ball.

4. Accidents happen

Adam, this goes a little with the one above. But I want you to know that we are not perfect. God did not create to be perfect. He sent His Son, Jesus to be perfect for us. Perfection is impossible. So when you spill your milk. It's ok. Accidents happen. When you break a toy, it's ok. Accidents happen. When you leave the door open because you are so excited to be home, it's ok. Accidents happen. When you forget to take your shoes off because you want to come in and play, it's ok. Accidents happen. We all make mistakes and accidents happen.

5. Pink is great too! (this theme I stole)

Currently, as a four year old, you tend to choose pink as a favorite color. Now, later in the day your favorite color is blue or green or black etc. But when you want to color on a piece of pink construction paper...do it! If you want a pink balloon grab it! Color does not define who you are and who you will become. I LOVE you!!! I love YOU! I love you!

6. Life is a journey not a competition

Life is tough as I said before. This world puts competition on almost everything....sports, grades, clothes, friends, house, money, etc. It is tough and even our own mind and selfishness and sin adds to the competition. Remember to enjoy the journey that YOU are on. You may not learn to write your name faster than your 4 year old classmates but you can recite 8 Bible verses, the pledge, songs and states. Everyone learns different things and different speeds. One way is not better than the other.

7. It's better to give than receive

God tells us that whatever we do for the least of these we do for Him! Remember to give to others and by give I don't always mean financial. Give your time. Give your knowledge. Give your word. Give your strength. Give your heart! I promise.....you will 'feel better' if you serve others without expectations. Let me say that again....without expectations.

8. Accept others

Adam, accept others for who they are and their differences. You may not agree. Honestly, God may not agree but God did not give us permission to judge others. God said who has not sinned let them cast the first stone. Love others as Christ loves you! Christ didn't die on a cross so that we can pick and choose who to love. He died for us all regardless of sin. Love others as you would want them to love you! Again, that doesn't mean you have to agree. On the same topic....don't be grey in the position you stand for in life! Life is black or white! Gray makes us stand still or float. That is not ok. Take a stand and be strong and KNOWLEDGEABLE in your stance! (back up for stance with the Word of God)

9. You are special

Adam, you were created in the image of God. God knew who you were, who you would be before you were ever given to me. He knows every single hair on your head. And because of that intimate relationship YOU ARE SPECIAL! God has a plan for your life. LISTEN. LISTEN! Have a passion for the Lord. Read His Word and you will recognize God when he speaks to you! You will hear his plan! You are special. And because you are special.....I am blessed! You were a gift to me from God! I love you!

10. To be a child on your knees

Adam, I pray you are a child on your knees so that you will be a man on your knees.

My dear Adam, I prayed this over you before you were a thought in my mind. I fell in love with this song when I was in college and knew it was a song that tugged at my heart. Adam, God loves the innocence of a child on his knees and loves the humbleness of a man on his knees.

I need to say at this time that about 2 weeks ago after reading a book you asked if we could pray to God by your bed on your knees. SURE! And you have been asking to do that ever since. Praise be to God. At at this time I pray that God is giving you a passion for Him that never fails.


Love you sweet Adam! Love, Mommy

Oh my sweet children

Oh it must be said everyday but WOW I LOVE MY KIDS! I really think I have the best kids ever. (shouldn't every parent think this of their own kids?) I think Adam is so funny and handsome! His facial expressions and charasmatic gestures when he speaks makes me laugh! He will be told something once but when told again he will say something along the lines of 'ohhhh ooops ohhh yea I forgot silly me' Yesterday while cuddling in bed with me he asks to go skateboarding at the mall please!!!!! Skateboarding????? I think he meant ice skating. And Claire is just a doll. She is at this stage at 15mo where she runs full speed into our arms. I mean a full speed running sprint and just trusts that we will catch her when she dives into our arms. sign Tonight when I took her to bed she cuddled up with me in the rocker and snuggled her little nose into the crook of my neck and sighed! I true sigh of relief that the day was over. Awe I just love them.

Prayers

Tonight during story time I read Adam a book that said something about At night it is time to kneel and pray and thank God for the day and Adam says, 'Mommy, I want to pray to God by my bed on my knees.' OK!!!!!!! Sure! Anytime!!!

Couple of Adam funnies

This morning while in the bathroom Adam panicked and said Mom, one and two....there are only two toilet paper rolls!!! We are almost out and then we are all gone!!!!!!! Mom, why are we going to Toyota? Me: because I need them to turn a light off! Adam: not mine? You can't turn mine off because when we go into the garage and the garage door closes, it gets dark and I can't see. I need my light to see.

Mom Confession

Hmmmmm Couple of confessions: Have you ever seen your 14mo old go for the dog food and you stay seated thinking surely she won't eat it. OOOOps there she goes but surely she will spit it out! NOPE! Down the belly it went! Who does that? And I just let her! Ever smell your child's dirty diaper in a store without a spare and think.....hmmmm she hasn't sat in it yet. Maybe I can go to the bathroom and shake out the clump and put the diaper back on and keep on going? thought crossed my mind.