A Shameless Mommy Brag!

Just a couple of weeks ago, Abby gave her daddy a very grand compliment. I don't remember what he had said or done to deserve such accolades, but she turned to him and said, "You're the best daddy in the whole United States!" He jokingly asked her if there were better daddies in other countries, and she just laughed and said, "No!"

So, Abby may have the best daddy in the whole United States, but I think that I have the best kids in the whole world. Seriously! Just last week, Abby turned 5, graduated from preschool, and had her first-ever friend party. Busy week! Just reflecting on where she was when we started the school year in September, I can see how much Abby has grown and changed. She's a very bright little girl; she's already reading chapter books and loves the Junie B. Jones series of books by Barbara Park. In fact, she's been reading more than the simple, three-letter words for quite some time. She learned how to better follow directions--something we are still working on at home, but at least she can do it for school. She did learn how to write all of her numbers 1-10, which was something we hadn't gotten to yet. The biggest reason we had her in preschool was social; she simply needed more interaction with kids her own age. She became friends with some very nice kids this year, and we'll be sure to have play dates with some of them during the summer.

Abby was already a very caring little girl, and that was really refined during the school year. She would come home and tell me about this child and that one, and if one of her friends missed school because they were sick she would pray for them during bedtime prayers; one child's daddy recently lost his job, and she shared that with Ben and me and prayed for him and for that child's family and asked God to give him a good job. She's taken notice of which of her friends is going to have a new baby in their family soon. Toddlers and preschoolers can definitely be selfish little people; preschool was so good for Abby because it got her outside of herself and made her more aware of those around her and the needs they might have. I'm not saying that she was a selfish, spoiled, introverted child before; but I am saying that she needed this experience to really help her realize that there is more going on in the world around her than just what happens in her own family. Abby has always been anything but introverted, and she has a natural ability to make others feel welcomed and loved. She is thoughtful in gift giving, and she really pays attention to what others like and dislike.

Hayden turns two tomorrow. Where has time gone? I cannot believe that I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old! Well, I should revise that; I can't believe that Abby is already 5, and the shouts of "Mine!" and "I do it!" are all reminders that Hayden is soon to be 2. :) It has been fun to watch him because he is so different from Abby. He has absolutely no fear at all; he'll climb on anything, and Abby was never one to climb. He loves to bang things around and crash his cars, trucks, and trains; he loves to kick and throw balls; and he has just recently taken an interest in books. He'll sit through Good Night Moon a few times, and then he's ready to hit the ground running again.

Hayden and Abby are both caring kids, but Hayden is more of a cuddler and snuggler. He shows affection physically,where Abby shows affection in things that she does for you. Their love languages are definitely different!

I am actually quite proud of Hayden's "I do it!" attitude; before we went on vacation he didn't realize that he could "do it," like feeding himself with a spoon or fork or wash his hands. Something clicked on vacation and he suddenly became this semi-independent little boy who no longer wants help feeding himself, and just in the last week he has learned how to put his socks and shoes on. Sometimes he gets his shoes on the right feet! I really didn't expect him to be able to do socks and shoes just yet; in fact, I never even tried to teach him. He just took it upon himself one morning and walked into the kitchen with both of his socks and his tennis shoes on, strapped and on the correct feet, and said, "Look!"

He is very compassionate. If someone has a "boo-boo" he asks if they're okay; if someone coughs or sneezes, he asks if they're okay. If Abby is in time-out on the couch, he'll go sit with her most of the time.

So you see, I believe that I have the best kids in the whole world. They're not perfect, just like none of the rest of us is perfect. They argue and fuss and whine just like other kids, and they make mistakes just like other kids. But I truly believe that I have the best kids in the world.

I love Jan Karon's Mitford series. The book that I have been reading off and on since completing the series is titled The Mitford Bedside Companion. It is a compilation of the best of the series with essays added by the author. It's a great book, but don't read it until you've completed the series!! It could spoil some things for you!

In this book, Ms. Karon devoted a short chapter to "Popular Questions from Gentle Readers." In this section, on page 206, she says, "Brag on your kids. To them."

Since reading that one line, I have tried make sure that I do better at praising the kids to them, and doing more than just the "Good job" kind of praise. I want them to know that their mommy thinks they are the most special kids on the planet.

I'll say it one more time: My kids are the best kids in the whole world!!

Aren't yours? :)

VACATION!!!

I think that the lesson for our family during the last six months has been thankfulness and realizing that it is so much more than just words--it's an attitude of the heart.

When Ben and I married almost 10 years ago (May 29, 1999), we said that we would take a cruise for our 10th anniversary. Obviously, we had no children at the time, so we couldn't truly picture what life would look like 10 years down the road. So here we are, 2 kids, a dog, and almost 10 years later, and we have taken our trip. It was wonderful! As I stated in the last post, we took a Disney Cruise; with kids, this is absolutely the best way to go! We are both so thankful for the gifts we've been given in Abby and Hayden and really couldn't picture taking a vacation without them, so we chose to go on a 4-night Disney Cruise to the Bahamas.

First of all, we drove from our home in Virginia to Cocoa Beach, FL, in two days. I think we hit all of the welcome centers in the states we drove through, and we have pictures from each one. They were welcome breaks to stretch little and big legs alike, chase bubbles, play with sticks and leaves, pick flowers, climb trees, and even take care of some necessary business. We always stayed at each one longer than we had originally planned... but do you want to know something? There was a lot less grumpiness and there were fewer melt-downs because we did. And I must tell you that it felt absolutely liberating to be free from the constraints of time! For once, we weren't in a rush!

On Sunday, April 26, we drove the short distance from our hotel in Cocoa Beach to Port Canaveral and were truly awed by the sight of the cruise ships in the port. They are huge! I've watched the shows on the Travel Channel that talk about cruise vacations, but until you actually see a cruise ship with your own eyes, it's nearly impossible to grasp just how big a cruise ship really is. Immediately, we found our cruise ship--the Disney Wonder. It was pretty easy to spot... the red stacks with the Mickey Mouse ears on the sides of the stacks really helped. :) Ben dropped the kids and me off at the terminal, we unloaded the luggage, grabbed our carry-ons, and he went to park the van. So off I go, into the Disney Cruise Line terminal with a 4-year-old girl, a 1-year-old boy, and two pieces of carry-on luggage on my shoulders. Once we got through the security checkpoint, I saw that this was not an uncommon sight! The kids even got to stand in line to see Minnie Mouse while we were waiting for Ben to meet up with us. When we were finally all together again, we quickly got our Key to the World cards--one for each person, which unlocks your stateroom door and gives you access on and off the ship at ports of call--and got Abby signed up for children's activities. She had a blast in the Oceaneer's Club!

Once aboard the ship, we were treated like special guests. Your family's name is announced as you enter the ship, and applause is heard all around. We were taken to a restaurant called Beach Blanket Buffet for lunch, and someone was there to help us carry our trays and find a seat as soon as we got through the buffet line. So helpful! After lunch, we deposited our carry-on luggage in our stateroom then went up to Deck 9 for a party. There were characters there dancing and singing and everyone was having such fun... and we were still in the port! When it was time to set sail, we went to the railing on Deck 10 and waved goodbye to the onlookers on land. Hayden loved seeing the water; Abby loved seeing the characters; and Ben and I were amazed that this little dream vacation of ours was finally a reality.

The Bahamas were really fun; we were in port in Nassau for the second day of the trip and went to the Ardastra Gardens and Zoo. The kids thought it was fun to see the flamingo show there; Abby has declared that flamingos are now her favorite animal (I think it's because they're pink) and Hayden still says, "Clap for birdies!" We got to ride a bus in Nassau, and both kids fell in love with busses on the spot. I wonder if it's because they didn't have to sit in their car seats??

The third day was spent at Disney's private Bahamian island, Castaway Cay. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe this island! I have never seen water so clear or so blue, or sand this white, or such an abundance of perfect seashells. While we were swimming at the family beach, we actually saw a few fish swim past, and you could see all the way to the bottom, no matter how deep the water was. There is even a pirate ship at Castaway Cay... how cool is that? (It's the one from "Pirates of the Caribbean.")

The kids loved spending time on the beach and in the water. Abby found out that it was super fun to get really wet, then roll around on the beach, stand up and triumphantly declare, "I'm dirty!" and then run back into the water and start the process all over again. She was so much fun to watch! While she was doing this, Ben and I were taking turns holding a sleeping Hayden. When it is time for his afternoon nap, nothing else matters! Bless his heart, he tried to stay awake. He even went to sleep holding his own special treasures: two small seashells that he picked up out of the water. Nothing could pry those treasures from his little fist!

As I said at the beginning of this post, the last six months have been a lesson in thankfulness. I am so thankful for my family. God has blessed me with a husband who is a hard and diligent worker, a man who is a fair boss at work and a fun and loving husband and daddy at home; He has blessed us both with two wonderful children. What gifts they are! Abby brings laughter and silliness to any and every situation. Hayden is still young enough and small enough to want and need that loving, cuddling touch from us. I have said from the time he and I came home from the hospital that he is my "slow down and take it easy" baby, and it still holds true. Both kids have precious smiles and beautiful laughter, and we got to see and hear so much of that while on vacation! I am so thankful for the 10 days that we got to spend together. The kids seem to play together better; Abby is a little bit more patient with her brother; we are both more patient with the kids; Hayden seems to be talking a lot more than before we went on vacation; and both Ben and I really appreciate the small things even more. Sure, we were treated like guests of honor while on the cruise, but even at home we have heard a lot more "please" and "thank you" going around the house.

This vacation certainly ranks at the top of our family vacations so far, and we are in no way on a quest to top it any time soon. Maybe next year we'll go camping, and that could very well blow this vacation away. We got to spend uninterrupted time together as a family. We were able to slow down and just enjoy being together... something that we need to do a better job of in our everday family life. But more than that, I am so thankful that God provided for us to take this vacation and that we were able to take in the beauty of His creation in another part of the world. Only God could create water so blue and so clear; only God could create the sun that shines so brightly; only God could create the magnificent flowers and plants that we were able to see during our vacation; and only God could create in us hearts that are eternally thankful and in awe of Him and His creation.

Yes, I loved vacation and would love to take another cruise sometime. I loved watching the kids interact with the different Disney characters. I loved getting away from the everday-ness of life and having the opportunity to reflect on the wonderfulness of my Lord. Who else could create an ocean that vast, or skies so blue?

Above all of that, I am thankful for today. Remember, today is a gift!

Don't wait for vacation to show your family how much you value and appreciate them. Don't wait for a holiday or a birthday to tell someone how much you love them. Walk in thankfulness today... Vacation is a drop in the bucket when compared to the rest of the days of the year. Enjoy today! Laugh today! Make today memorable! Every day can hold the specialness of vacation when you have the right heart attitude. Be thankful!

Choices

This blog post is coming to you from beautiful Savannah, GA! We just took our family vacation and are on our way back home. We drove from our home in VA to Port Canaveral, FL, to embark on our first ever Disney vacation: a Disney cruise! I will blog more about our vacation once we arrive home and I can upload photos.

First, if you have always want to take a Disney vacation but you think your kids are too young for the park, definitely opt for the Disney cruise. Hayden, who probably would not have enjoyed rides at this age, absolutely loved getting to see Mickey Mouse! Mickey Mouse was the whole point of the vacation for him. Abby loved getting to see the other characters and getting their autographs.

During our vacation, we have had both fun times and what my husband has termed the typical "Doyle" vacation. Everything started out smoothly but we have had some major bumps along the way.

Two days into the cruise, Hayden threw up after eating lunch. I didn't get too concerned about it because kids throw up all the time. The next day, however, while at Castaway Cay, he had his first episode of diarrhea. Let's put it this way: we hadn't made it to the family beach yet and had to stop at a little shop on the island to purchase a new pair of swimming trunks for him. This wasn't too alarming for me, but I started to really pay close attention to his actions and mood after this. Could he have a tummy bug, or is he just getting a new tooth that I haven't noticed? The answer became quite clear when we returned to our stateroom and he had another nasty diaper. So, off we went to the ship's doctor. I told him what Hayden's symptoms were and that I thought he just had a tummy bug and needed some Pedialyte or Powerade and a bland diet. The doctor agreed with me and sent us on our way with some Pedialyte popsicles and orders for Hayden to be isolated in our stateroom for the next 48 hours. What?! That was the remainder of the cruise!

I told Ben this and he and Abby chose not to go to the restaurant for dinner that night but instead ate in the stateroom with Hayden and me. Guest Services on the ship sent a DVD player to our room and a list of DVDs that we could choose from so that we could help keep the little guy entertained. Any laundry soiled due to Hayden's upset tummy would be cleaned free of charge by the laundry services. All non-alcoholic drinks ordered through Room Service would be free of charge; in fact, even the snacks we ordered through Room Service that we should have paid for ended up being free of charge! And their housekeeping/Room Host staff even came twice to put clean linens on our bed during the night.

Now, here's the choice: be completely bummed that the rest of the cruise was "ruined" or continue to be thankful for the little--and not so little--things and find ways to still make it special. I must admit that I had a few moments of being bummed. All Hayden wanted to do was see Mickey Mouse, and I thought that he might not get to do that. We were finally able to take him to see the Mouse, and he has not stopped talking about it yet! It was fun, though, to be able to take Abby by myself to see "Hannah Montana: The Movie" on the ship, even though we had already seen it in the theater. We even stole away for a couple of pieces of pizza afterward!

Fast forward to yesterday when we arrived in Savannah. The toilet in our hotel room got clogged, the air conditioner stopped working, and then Hayden threw up in the middle of the floor. I'm sure the maintenance man is ready to see us go! Ben and I really took all of this in stride. The icing on the cake, however, was last night when I had asked Ben to run to the store to pick something up for me. We parked in the hotel's parking garage, and while backing the van out of the parking spot, Ben completely wiped the driver's side mirror off when he side-swiped a support pillar in the garage. Here is where we both failed the choices test. I am sorry to say that we both got angry about this. I think that it was just too much to take in, you know? We had both hit our breaking points with things that had gone "wrong" when this happened.

After sleeping last night, however, we have both seen all of this for what it is: a humorous vacation! The choice is to laugh about it or cry about it, and we have chosen to laugh. I am very thankful that my husband did not get injured when he had the accident with the van; I am also thankful that we have now had more opportunity to walk around the historic district of Savannah and have even had chances to ride the bus here. The kids think it is great fun to ride the bus! I am thankful that Hayden is getting over this tummy bug. And I am thankful for all of the time that we have had to spend together as a family during this past week. The kids have loved seeing their daddy all day, every day.

The lesson here is that every situation has a choice to be made; how you react reflects your level of thankfulness at that moment. And just about every "bad" situation looks funny the next day.

Make the most of your day today! Glorify God with all of your choices, and always express your thankfull to Him. And don't forget to ask yourself the question that the Laughing Cow commercials ask: "Have you laughed today?"