After having the summer off for fun and growing up, Sienna went back to Preschool today. It's still one day a week and I get to be with her. It's a co-op, the parents volunteer and it's helps to off set the price. Sienna is now in the 3-4 year old class and has a wonderful teacher named Ms. Chris. She is what every parent dreams about for a teacher for your child. She is super interactive with the kids and is almost like a fairy in the mist of children. I was even captivated by her magical guilty. I really think Sienna will have a great time this year and will learn a lot. Today we got to meet new friends and discover all the cool things in the new BIGGER classroom. Today we learned about the color red, and did lots of stuff with red. From painting with red apples to reading stories and singing songs about the color red. I really like this teachers style of teaching and think it will work well with Sienna's personality.
As I looked around the room a notice that this class has a lot of girls in it, i think it was about 5 boys and 15 girls. Last year Sienna was only one of four girls in her entire class. And this year it's the opposite. I think it will be good for Sienna to be around other little girls, and hopefully make some friends. I really want her to connect to one or two girls and have play dates and such. Last year she really wasn't interest in any of the kids. So here's hoping a new year and new kids might change that.
Sienna did great all morning, remembering to go to the bathroom when she needed it and listened well to the teachers instructions. The goal this year is for the kids to learn to do things on their own and become independent. Which Sienna is already on her way and i think school will help her even more. She had a great day and loved being there. As we drove out of the parking lot she asked if we were going back tomorrow. I told her that we only go on Monday's and she said, "how can we get more Monday's?". She cracks me up! I am so glad she loves school and is looking forward to going again.
I did a lot of research on line about potty training and found some great idea's and article's. I found this great website called www.tinyplayground.com they have tons of stuff for mom's. I found two very cool Potty Charts, and used this one. Sienna got to put a sticker on the chart every time she went in the toilet. Also for the first three days i set a timer. Day one the timer was set for every 10 minutes and when it went off it was time to sit on the potty, the next day it was every 15 minutes and then every 20 minutes. It made for a few long days of sitting in the bathroom. However by day four i knew when she needed to go and Sienna was used to being in the bathroom and using it. Sienna is loving being a Big Girl and wearing panties. She has even gotten up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I am just in amazement of how well she is doing. I can't believe i haven't changed a diaper in a week! PRAISE GOD! It will be so nice to be diaper free for a few months before the new baby comes. And I am so happy i will not have two children in diapers and the same time. So pray for us as we keep going ahead with potty training.
For our "God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:29
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:24
This is the sunset i saw tonight. It's stunning with it's bright colors, the sad thing is the colors come from the wild fires we are experiencing here in Southern California. Makes you wonder how can something so beautiful come from something so destructive?
Then these verses came to my mind. How God is a all consuming fire, yet He is the most stunning thing in all the world. And then i read a article about how sometimes our hillsides need to burn in order to purify the ground and bring about new growth. And although it's destructive, it's a good thing. Now don't get me wrong, it's not ok for people's houses to burn down, that's horrible and sad. I'm just saying that fires only purpose isn't just destruction but purification.
Isn't that how God makes us grow? It seems that we have to walk through the fire to become the person God meant us to be. That we have to go through rough times or difficult situations to see what God's purpose for our lives is. I am feeling like i can look back at the past year and see that God had me walk through the fire for a purpose and that i am on the other side, stronger in my faith and closer to Him. I also see where God wants me to be. Although being tested and walking through the fire is hard, upsetting and a struggle. You end up on the other side the person who God meant you to be. Praise the Lord for His lessons and His plans.
Today I am reminded of one of my favorite sayings, "I would rather walk with God in the dark than go alone in the light. " Mary Gardiner Brainard. Spend some time talking to God today and praise Him for the fires you have had to walk through.
We took her to Over the Rainbow children's hair salon for her first hair cut. I have had several people ask me why i didn't cut her hair myself. Honestly i didn't want to mess it up. She has stunning long blonde hair, I was afraid that i might mess up and need to chop it all off. It just made better sense to have someone else do it. Maybe i will be brave enough the next time she needs a trim. The hair place was so cute, it was all Wizard of Oz themed and had lots of toys for kids to play with. The lady who cut Sienna's hair was super sweet and really knew how to work with kids. Sienna did a great job of sitting still and said she felt like a princess. After the cut the hairdresser braided Sienna's hair and put curls in it, oh and sparkles! Sienna loved all the special treatment. It wasn't just a hair cut it was a experience. After the hair session was over Sienna got her picture taken on a huge rocking horse, got a special certificate for her first hair cut, a lolly pop and a balloon. It made me want to get my hair cut there. hehe :)
If you could be the best at anything in the world, what would you choose?
I would want to be a master communicator. It would be a blessing to be very good at communicating in about every single relationship you can think of. From being a better wife, mother, sister and friend. I would able to communicate the best ways to tell others about Christ. And have people understand me better as well. Now don't get me wrong, I'm good at talking and chatting, but that doesn't mean I'm the best communicator. Sometimes i am very misunderstood and judged harshly by people. If only i could communicate better i would feel some of my biggest mistakes and failures could have been prevented.
Once at the sleep over we all made cookies and played games. It felt so good to be around a group of teenage girls again. I have so missed all my old youth group girls now that they are all away at college. And although i have sad good bye to 6 girls, God has blessed me with a new group of 15 girls! I can't wait for more fun nights like tonight and creating new memories with this new group of girls.
Thanks Laurie for having the sleep over at your house and for being such a blessing to the Canvas Ministry!
I just couldn't stop laughing. She hears and sees everything. So i thought since she was showing interest in biscuit making, maybe we should make some biscuits for real. So I went online and look up a biscuit recipe by Paula Deen, of course. And Sienna and I made biscuits to go along with our dinner tonight.
Well I learned one thing, I may not be good at making biscuits. They turned out ok, they just never rose. Either my baking powder is bad or i'm not a biscuit maker. However even though they didn't turn out perfect, Sienna and I had the best time making them and that is what matters. I cherish these times with my daughter. So get in there and find out what your kids are into and do it with them. They will love that you showed interest in what they like and feel special that you made time in your day to do something with them. It's these little times that will make all the difference in their lives.
Biscuit Recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons Italian herbs
- 1 cup of cheese
Directions
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, Italian herbs and salt together. Cut butter into mixture until it begins to look like cornmeal.
Make a well with flour mixture and slowly add milk into the middle. Knead dough with your fingers and add milk when necessary and mix in cheese. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to desired thickness. Cut with small biscuit cutter.
Butter bottom of skillet and place biscuits in pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.
This is a photo of my daughter living up to her middle name. When Daniel and I were deciding on names for our first born daughter, i just loved the name joy. Even when she was still inside my womb she brought so much joy to us. I was so excited to be having a baby, and praised God each time i heard her heart beat or felt her move inside me. And now for almost three years she has made the joy in our lives over flow. I praise the Lord for the gift of my beautiful girl, and can't imagine my life with out her in it. She is such a happy girl, so sweet and helpful. She has never been difficult or troublesome, she continues and will always be our joy.
Don't you wish you laughed and smiled like that. I love this photo because it captures true joy right in the moment. We should all strive each day to have that same kind of joy, even in the little things.
I love you Sienna Joy, you are such a special girl and I thank God for you everyday!
I love shopping in cute little boutiques and seeing all kinds of hand made items. However sometimes stuff from those shops can be pricey. So if i see something i like i either by one of that idem or try to remember how it was put together so i can recreate it. Well while at a local boutique a couple of weeks ago i stumbled on the cutest little hair bows for little girls. I love do Sienna's hair and putting ribbons in it and this bow made it much easier to do, since it was a clip. I bought one, i wish i could have bought more but at $8 a piece there was no way i could afford more. Once home i sat down and inspected it to see how it was made.
It took me a little while to figure it out and to go through all my craft stuff to see if i had everything i needed. I was pleasantly surprised that i had everything i needed already. I love projects that cost practicably nothing. So today Sienna and i sat down and made three of these really cute hair bows. It was a fun project to do since we are trying to stay inside and out of the 100+ heat we are experiencing today.
Here is what you will need to make one:
* Scissors
* Hot Glue Gun
* Glue Sticks
* Hair clips of any kind (whatever works in your daughters hair)
* A straight pin
* Assorted colorful ribbons
Now I will try to explain how to make them. I do much better if i show people how to do something not type out instructions. So I hope this makes sense.
Step 1: Chose two ribbons that you would like to stand out the most. Cut one color of ribbon into two about 7 inch pieces and the other color into three 5 inch pieces.
Step 2: Loop one ribbon into two loops and place middle through straight pin. Add a little hot glue to center and loop and place the matching piece of ribbon. Now you should have four loops of ribbon.
Step 3: Repeat step 2 with next color of ribbon. Now it should look a little like a flower.
Step 4: Cut three inch pieces of accent ribbon and least three different kinds. Place center of each ribbon through straight pin and top with hot glue to secure.
Step 5: Chose completely different piece of ribbon to finish with. Something that brings all the other ribbons together color wise. Cut ribbon into two 4 inch piece. Loop and place just like in step 2.
Step 6: Ok now it's the tricky part. Hold bow really tight as you pull pin out. Using and piece of ribbon that matches your bow , put a little bit of glue on the very middle of the bow on the top most ribbon and rap entire bow with piece of ribbon. Then put glue on the bottom of ribbon a secure to clip, rap ribbon around both bow and clip and make sure it's tight. Now you should have a very cute ribbon bow for your daughters hair.
I hope these instructions help you to make some cute inexpensive hair clips for your little girl.
