From Watson with Love: parenthood

Fancy fathers. Dancing daughter.

Happy ultra-belated Father's Day to all the men out there who raise children, who wipe snot boogies, who change diapers, who go to work, who support their spouses, who parent alone, who tie shoelaces, who scare all the monsters away, who kill household bugs, who plunge toilets and take out the trash, who wash the car, who mow the lawn, who always take care of business.

Being a Daddy is a tough job, but it is the most rewarding and valuable one that you will ever work to fulfill.

I am truly thankful for the fathers in my life. Without them I would not be where I am today: a grateful mother, a humble college graduate, and an all around sane person (most of the time).

My dad with Sawyer and my husband, GG.

I love my dad, Kevin Sr. so much! He taught me to never give up on my dreams, that family is always first and education is second, then comes all the rest. He is my role model. He served in the military, then went on to become a police officer. He completed two associate's degrees, two bachelor's degrees, and now he is finishing up his master's degree, all while supporting a family of six (eight including their dogs)! I can always lean on him for support and guidance. He is the best grandpa too.

And, I am so, so, so blessed to have GG in my life. Without him I would not be the mother that I am, and I would not have had the opportunity to finish school and continue on with my graduate degree after our babies were born. He is my rock and support. He loves his children dearly, and they love him (even more than me, I think). I love you Gavin, even more than words can express, and I am forever grateful that you chose me to be your partner in life and in parenthood. Goodness knows that no one could put up with my shenanigans quite like you do. Hugs baby.

Last weekend was terrific. Harper had her first ballet/tap recital, and completed her first official year of dance. It was rough sometimes getting to class on time with a fretful girl, who just didn't feel like dancing. Other times, she was elated to see her friends and play freeze dance. I think it was a great year, and we are so blessed to dance with such an amazing organization: Denton Dance Conservatory.

Harper got a beautiful "rose" from her doting grandparents.

Harper is to the left of the tall girl in the middle. She's a star.

Harper was so proud of her accomplishment after her recital. She loved seeing all the big girls in their grown up point shoes and tutus. All of the dancers performed well, and the whole show was really terrific. Congrats dancers on another stellar performance!

We spent Father's Day with the Cooper family and Aunt Megan at Sixflags. As Texas summers go, it was very HOT and humid. We enjoyed several rides, slides, misters, and even a couple coasters. Too bad at the end of the day someone stole my good friend's cell phone. That was not cool. Not cool at all.

Bathroom breaks and sunscreen time.

Nice pose dad and trying on hats with mama.

The Watson family and Sylvester showed up just in time.

Cooling off under the by the misters.

Wonder Woman and our first ride of the day, a coaster.

Despite the phone casualty, we had a wonderful day with friends and family. It was a great Father's day weekend.

I forgot to mention this, but the kids and I spent Friday evening organizing Lita's (my mom) scrapbook room. It was a lot of work, but she was able to empty about 12 iris containers that will go up for sale online soon (that's a lot of scrap). She is donating all her extra 12x12 papers and embellishments to Denton Scrap, a non-profit organization in Denton to get kids and adults crafting outside of the box.

AND, this week baby Sawyer turned two! I guess he's not a baby any longer. I'll post pictures of his awesome Mickey Mouse themed splash party next week.

Happy Birthday sweet boy!

Also, I rearranged my scrapbook room, reorganized my scrap drawers and storage unit as well as installed a new (to me) TV. It is awesome. I will do an entire post with lots of pictures next week. Just a little sneak for now.

Always a work in process; I'm super excited for the new TV.

[a little change]

Oh bless this slight change in the weather, and bless this new semester in school. Bless the little changes that happen in our families, in our thinking, in our creativity, in our desires, in our fashion choices (yes, those too), and the good changes that are happening around us all the time.

Change can be rough for many folks, but oh goodness, I appreciate and accept change; I wish big change happened more often. I just get bored. I can't help it. My mind is always wondering off to other things... if you know me personally, you know exactly what I'm talking about. My husband can certainly vouch for this.

Right now, I am feeling especially motivated in my life. I feel motivated to pursue my passions as a family life educator and get out there and help people who are the inspiration for all of my work.

Although I am spending more time than ever at work and school, I am committing more time to my family that I didn't balance so well before. We have a wonderful routine, and it is working rather well.

How many of you have struggled with your children going to be at night? Well, for our family, it has been a battle for years with our 4 year old. She fights going to bed, practically every night. I am taking a graduate Family Relations course this semester, and my first assigned reading for the class dealt with the topic of good parenting resulting in misbehavior in children; read this article if you have a few minutes, especially if you have little kids; it is definitely worth your time: "Good Parents, Bad Results" from US News and World Report. Well, after reading the article, I came to the conclusion that some of my parenting skills, weren't really cutting it. Despite spankings and time outs, my daughter was still acting out literally everyday! So I made a change in our nighttime routine:

After bath time, we lotion up, pick out jammies, brush hair, get a cup of water, and pick out two books, 1 for brother and 1 for sister. I tell them before we read the story, "We are going to read two books tonight, then you're going to lay down, and I will sing you one song tonight." We snuggle in bed and read our books. By this time, Harper wants to talk about the story or ask me questions about the coming day, or whatever pops into her little head. I engage her, listen, and answer. I don't shush or poo-poo the conversation. It's the little moments like these that we as parents are meant to treasure. They go by too fast. I sing my song; it's usually "Make You Feel My Love" or "Hushabye Mountain" while I lightly touch her arm or back. Then I give a kiss and a hug. Check on Sawyer in his bed, tell them goodnight and leave the door open a crack as I step into the hallway.

We've been practicing this for a few weeks now, and yes, we sometimes still have trouble, typically about one night per week; overall, our nights have greatly improved. It is just taking the time to answer the often silly and mundane questions, be engaging with your children, even if they are fighting sleep; give them the attention they crave in a positive way.

I am simply putting off my 'important' mommy stuff, and spending quality time with my children during those few moments that we have together throughout the day. It is just so important.

Also, I am feeling motivated to scrapbook again after a short break that lasted a few months. I took time off from blogging because I had nothing new to share that I wasn't sharing on Facebook, but I realize that not everyone who reads this blog is my Facebook friend. So I have been scrapping lately, at least 1-2 times per month and a little more. I've been taking more pictures, that I now need to get developed, and I am instagramming like a crazy person.

Just to sum up the last few months:
- Sawyer began fully walking last week
- I'm in my third semester of grad school
- GG and I spent our 7th wedding anniversary in Vegas this summer
- I visited Memory Lane Inn with my friends and family in July
- Sawyer turned 1 in June
- I attended the Great American Scrapbook Convention in June and assisted the awesome Donna Downey
- Harper turned 4 in April
- Harper is a preschool home-schooler as of August
- GG and I bought a new-used 2010 Scion XB back in May
- March you know, came and went, nothing memorable that I can speak to
- February, I turned 27.

That is all I have to share for now, but I will do my very best to keep you all informed of fun stuff, scrapbook pages I've completed, family fun that we are having, etc, etc.

Since I've been out of touch, what are you lovelies up to? I hope that you're still being creative and pushing yourselves to make time for fun in your lives.