Life is so busy...we haven't had time to blog about it!

Whew - the past week has really been busy around here, which brings me to why you haven't heard from me online! I usually think about what I would like to blog about throughout the day, but don't seem to find the time to sit down and do it as often as I woudl like. So, this blog will have the highlights that I meant to chronicle daily...but haven't.



First of all - Naomi Grace turned ONE on August 24th. Hard to believe my "baby" has moved from the baby-stage into the toddler-stage. She had a great pool party with several family members celebrating with us and she almost showed off her new trick of trying to walk. She took her first two steps the night before her birthday and I honestly think she would walk across the room if she wouldn't think about what she was doing. She gets too concentrated and then falls down on her rear. I am not wishing the time away and don't want her to grow-up any faster than necessary, but I am looking forward to her being on two feet as opposed to all fours crawling...just for the sake of cleanliness. Our baby girl just lights up our world with her precious smile and we have been so blessed by having her in our lives this year.



Potty-training with Natalie has gone remarkably well. She has such a mind of her own but thankfully it appears that she has made up her mind to use the potty. She had an accident-free day yesterday (and told us when she had to go) and so far today has been accident-free and also telling me when she needs to go. She is doing GREAT and loves her big-girl underwear. She also loves chocolate candy and I think the combination of M&M's and Princess underwear has really done the trick for her. She has earned herself a princess Barbie doll for all her efforts and has been telling us what a big girl she is every 5 minutes or so.



Nichoas has some VERY BIG NEWS! He is a KINDERGARTEN student now! We had made the decision because he is a July boy to hold him back a year and start K next year. We had him enrolled in a Peer Model classroom at The Center here in Pittsburg where he was suppose to be a role model kid in a class that was mixed with normal functioning kids and kids with special-needs. We thought this would be great for him but when we realized at Orientation last week that the other kids in his class were mainly 3 year olds, we decided that wasn't the best option for him. We were afraid with such an age difference that he would regress and not feel stretched to learn more. So on Friday we checked out our Kindergarten options and decided on the public school near our house - George Nettels Elementary. This morning when Momma woke him up and asked him if he knew what today was, he popped right up and said "YES, KINDERGARTEN!" He was pumped. The picture above is of Nicholas with his teacher Mrs. Sours. When Momma and Daddy left his room at school he wasn't even looking to make sure we were still there...he was off with Andrew (our neighbor who is also in his class) meeting new friends. It was probably a harder day for Momma...realizing my oldest baby is growing faster than I thought possible. It seems like just yesterday when I held him for the first time and he fit snuggly in my arms. Now he's waving good-bye on his first day of Kindergarten...and I would be lying if I said I didn't have tears in my eyes as I finish this post. :) I know you other Momma's understand...

I will *try* to update tomorrow with all the great insights and things he tells me that he learned on his first day of school. I am sure it will be a HOOT!

Let's make a deal!

There seems to be a lot of "deal-making" going on around the Brueggemann home right now. Let me fill you in.


Last week we started potty-training Natalie more seriously. By serious I mean that we are stripping her down naked or putting her big girl undies on and giving her as much juice and milk as possible so she pees a lot. Of course this involves the acceptance of puddles but I keep her on the hardwoods or tile for the most part and so far no accidents on the carpet! This strategy worked wonders with Nicholas and we seem to be having good luck with Natalie too...stay tuned for more on that. Of course like any self-respecting parent, we have rewards for actually putting pee and poo in the potty...which brings me to the topic of this post.

The organization freak in me has devised a "pay-out scale" for potty-training and it goes like this:

1. Natalie pees in the potty upon adult's request = 1 M&M.
2. Natalie pees in the potty after telling an adult she needs to go = 2 M&M's
3. Natalie poos in the potty (regardless of who initiated it) = 2 M&M's

Well, that has been working well over the course of the past several days however I am now realizing that Natalie has caught on to the pay-out scale and is in the market to play "deal or no deal" when it comes to using the potty.

Here's our latest example:

Momma: "Ok, Natalie let's go use the potty."
Natalie: "Hmmmm, 2 M&M's?"
Momma: "No, that's only if Natalie says she needs to go potty."
Natalie: "Oh, ok. No potty."
Momma: "Well, no chocolate."
Natalie: "Ok, Natalie go potty."
Momma: "Wonderful."
Natalie proceeds to use the potty...
Momma: "Great job, here is your M&M."
Natalie: "No, TWO M&M's..."
Momma: "No, Mommy brought it up."
Natalie: "No, Natalie did. Natalie say go potty."
Momma: "Grrrrr..."


Another example of deal-making happened last night with Nicholas. We were reading Tom Sawyer and we read about how his Auntie pulled his tooth. This subject worries Nicholas a great deal because the idea of one of his teeth coming out isn't pleasant at all. We have told him about the tooth fairy and we reiterated this last night. Our sensitive Nicholas looked scared to death so we said that the great thing about losing a tooth is that you get some money from the tooth fairy. Our conversation went like this:

Daddy: "It's great because when you lose a tooth the tooth fairy brings you money in exchange for the tooth."
Nicholas: "Did the tooth fairy bring you money?"
Daddy: "Yes, she sure did!"
Nicholas: "How much?"
Daddy: "Oh, I think about $0.50 a tooth."
Nicholas does not look pleased. He can smell a rotten deal...
Momma (seeing that he isn't thinking that sounds worth it): "Well, there's been inflation and teeth are worth more these days."
Nicholas: "How much are they worth now?"
Daddy: "Oh, I would say about $2."
Nicholas: "Or maybe $3 or $4 Daddy."

Virtual Scrapbooking!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

6 Things That Make Me Happy

Inspired by "our Ms. Laura" as Nicholas calls her, I have decided to recount 6 things that make me happy. After spending a wonderful week on the beautiful beach with my even more beautiful family...this list couldn't be easier.

6. Chocolate Chip Cookies - I will do Jillian twice in a day if it means I can still induldge in this little treat.

5. Foot Rubs - my husband who works so very hard and is on his feet just as much as I am during the day is still so very sweet to give me foot rubs even when I don't ask. I love you Josh!

4. My Pets - I love all animals (well are snakes included in that list?) and my dogs and cat are at the top of that list. There is nothing like the love you get from your dog. Even when my kids say they would rather have Daddy read them a book and Josh thinks I am nagging him...Olivia and Andi think I am perfect.

3. Reading - BOOKS MAKE ME SO STINKING HAPPY! The only problem is that I read them too fast and then I have the book let-down...until I find another page-turner!

2. Bedtime Prayers - I love hearing Nicholas (and now Natalie) learn that they can pray to God just like they were talking to Momma or Daddy. I adore hearing the things they pray about and are thankful for...it gives me such a precious peak into their worlds! And it makes me so happy to know that every time they pray, they are developing what should be the most important personal and intimate relationship they will ever know.

1. My Family - It is one of my heart's greatest pleasures to watch my kids experience wonderful things for the very first time. I have witnessed this several times throughout the week with them seeing the ocean for the first time, building sandcastles and seeing dolphins swim. I love to hear them laugh while they play in the sand or jump in the waves with Daddy. And I have especially enjoyed watching Josh experience all these wonderful things again through the eyes of our kids. My family is such a amazing gift from God and they couldn't make me happier.

So now its your turn - what makes you happy?

Kids say the darndest things...

We are in Florida and enjoying ourselves very much! We wanted to provide a few pictures and also pass along some of our most memorable quotes from the journey thus far...

Natalie when seeing the ocean for the first time:

"WOW - Slip n' Slide"

Nicholas recounting how much he loved the beach:

"It was so cool that it was all the letters in the alphabet!"

Natalie when boarding the swamp tour boat:

"Gonna get me a gator Daddy!" (this girl has no fear)

Lessons from the Tank

We got Daddy a 37 gallon aquarium for his Father's Day gift and Nicholas and Natalie were PUMPED to get it set up and filled with fish. We purchased decorations similar to the fish tank in the movie "Finding Nemo" so you will notice Mt. Wanna-Hocka-Loogie is in there, very cool.

So yesterday we set out to PetSmart to find some friendly fish for our tank. Nicholas (with a true heart like his Momma) chose the feeder fish because "that way they won't get eaten"...

Natalie on the other hand wanted the Cichlids (who are often agressive and will eat the other fish in the tank)...go figure.

So Nicholas was very excited about his fish and decided to name just one on the way home from the pet store. So he chose one of the two black fish and named him "Iffy". Good, good...but might be an omen here to name a feeder fish who cost only $0.27 "Iffy".

So the kids fell asleep on the way home and Josh and I set about getting the fish into the tank. Well lo and behold when we are about to introduce them to their new, spacious environment outside of the plastic bag they have been cooped up inside, we notice "Iffy" has passed on to that big fishbowl in the sky. Oh heavens...out of all 8 fish, the one he named has to be the one to die?? Well, we agree that we will just say that the other black fish that survived is "Iffy" even though he has a bit more gold to him, surely Nicholas won't be able to tell the difference.

Wrong

Skip to this morning when Nicholas wakes up and runs to the fish tank. He stares at the tank for about 30 seconds...

Nicholas: "Where is Iffy?"

Daddy: "Right there, see?"

Nicholas: "That's not Iffy"

Daddy: "Oh, well one of the black fish didn't make it so I guess that must have been Iffy"

Mommy rushes to the scene because she can sense a meltdown.

Nicholas: "Iffy DIED??"

Mommy: "Yes, honey...we are sorry."

Nicholas: **Begins to cry**

Mommy: **Begins to cry too**

So all this crying over a $0.27 fish who didn't even make it home from the pet store. So we talked about how sometimes people and animals we love die but we can remember how happy they made us and we are certain "Iffy" is swimming around happily in his heavenly fishbowl. :)

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Nicholas is so inquisitive - he asks approximately 12.3 questions every 8 minutes or so. Josh says he thinks he was the same way and can remember bombarding his dad with questions. I think we are paying for his raising now. But of course we are happy Nicholas is a bright and curious kid who thinks things through. I hope this always serves him well (like it has Daddy).

Here are some recent questions:
(Kindly insert "Hey Daddy" or "Hey Momma" before each one)
1. Why do we need clouds? Are they just for pretty or for God to eat?
2. Why did God have to be confusing and have rain, ice and snow...aren't they all just water?
3. Do brown cows make chocolate milk? Where are the pink cows who make strawberry milk? (asked before I had a chance to answer the chocolate milk question) Does Momma make white milk or chocolate milk for Naomi?
4. (Question asked of Momma in what could only be called a condesending tone) So why don't you work like Daddy does? He always works and you just stay here. (Oh brother, if he only understood)
5. Why are babies in Momma's tummy if its God that makes us? Followed quickly by - How does God make the babies? Are there instructions to follow?

So as you can see...he has a lot on his little mind. He also has a great imagination and the things he comes up with keep things interesting. We were driving between Joplin and Pittsburg the other day and there were a lot of trees on the sides of the road.

Nicholas: "Those trees look like shapes."

Daddy: "Oh, what kind of shapes do you think they look like?"

Nicholas: "Well that one looks like a cowboy riding a dinosaur. And that one looks like a pig choking."

Right, right - we see that too. :)