Our Children: Brock

It has been a while since I have blogged.  Sorry about that.  Hope everyone is doing well.  I thank you for tuning in and reading about us!  

Brock Thomas Eaton is our four year old little boy.  He has always been the calm one of the family. He is in Pre-Kindergarten at the Preschool where I teach (he is next door to me!).  He is a laid back, easy going child.  Brock is VERY into Thomas the Train, Ole Miss, and sports.  He is the little boy who likes to snuggle with his mommy and daddy on cold mornings, has a contagious laugh, and can (and will) sleep any where! 

Brock is very sensitive of others feeling.  This effects him at school, church, and just playing with friends.  After Christmas, we always go through our toys and pick out ones to give to boys and girls in need, Brock came out with ALL his Thomas the Train "friends" (as he calls them) because, "they are so much fun to share."  Fletcher and I knew we had to be very careful with how we handled this.  We told him that this was going to be a gift and we would not be getting these trains back, but he could still give them away if he wanted.  After a few minutes of thinking, Brock came back with most of his Hot Wheels cars.  He said he was not ready to share his trains, but he knew the little boys would like this just as much!  

Because he is quiet and thoughtful, he has to fight for a voice at the dinner table and pretty much every where else.  His sisters are very vocal and loud!  Brock will normally sit and listen and then fill us in on his hysterical anecdotes later.  On the phone, he is the same.  Somedays when we talk to relatives, he says hi and bye.  Others, we have to tell him to say good-bye!  

He is very smart (like his Daddy).  This past summer he started adding and subtracting on his own.  He shocked us by writing his name at the doctor's office during his check-up!  He memorized stories and songs very quickly and will act them out very dramatically.  

Unlike Mary Grace, Brock has no allergies!  He eats just about everything, but when asked what his favorite thing to eat is he will answer: "Wendy's chicken nuggets, french fries, and chocolate milk!"  

Our Children: Mary Grace

I thought this week I would let you know a little about our children.  We have three little ones. Mary Grace is 6 years old and in the first grade,  Brock is four and in pre-k, and  Bethany is 18 months and is into everything!  They are the best thing in our house and make each day interesting.  Tonight I will share about our oldest, Mary Grace.

Mary Grace is very much into cheerleading/gymnastics and music.  She cheers for Upward Basketball and wants to take gymnastics.  She starts smiling when we pull up to the church on game day and smiles the whole time!  We are thinking that maybe the next step might be to take gymnastics.  We are members of the YMCA so we are looking into that.  

Mary Grace is very compassionate and has a tender heart.  She always looks for the good in others and forgives people very easy.  This year she has started going to "big" church with us and ask lots of questions.  She loves reading her Bible and learns verses very quickly.  In school, she is an excellent reader.  Right now we are reading the Junie B. Jones books.  She says they crack her up!  

Mary Grace has severe food allergies.  She is allergic to all dairy product, eggs, and goat products.  If any of these products touch her, she breaks out instantly.  If she eats any of these products she must have an Epi-Pen and go straight tot he ER.  We have learned to adapt many menus to make them "Mary Grace Friendly."  I am going to start posting them for you to see and try if you would like.  This recipe is for a King Cake.  It is one of my favorites and I love to have it for my birthday.  We have not been able to have one because of her allergies.  We found a recipe that we are going to cook as a family.  We'll let you know how it is.  

http://kitteekake.blogspot.com/2008/02/king-cake.html

Joyfully,

Susan

The Little Things

I just finished counting all the loose change we had laying around  the house, car, bottom of purses/diaper bags, etc.  It was very close to $50.00!  It is hard to believe that pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters can add up to so much.  

The same is true with words.  It is funny how little words can mean so much!  Last night, Mary Grace had a slumber party with three of her friends.  She was so excited!  The girls met around lunch time, played outside, had LOTS of party food and then got ready to go to the movies. Around 6:30 we got a call that Mary Grace was sad.  Fletcher and I took turns talking to her and when we hung up, she was a little better.  She told her friend's mom that she just needed to talk to us and that made her feel better!  

While Mary Grace was partying, Brock and Bethany were with us.  Brock had a special Brock Day where he gets to do whatever he wants.  He got a special lunch, play date with his best friend, special dinner, and REAL ice cream!  Then he slept in the bed with me.   Out of all that, sleeping with mommy was his favorite part!  

Fletcher and I are noticing that our children's love language is quality time.  It does not really matter how money we spend to them as long as it is with us.  It's funny how we as parents get caught up in the material things but children don't.  I guess somethings we should learn from them.

Joyfully,

Susan

PS~Bethany can't talk to tell us what her favorite thing was, but I bet it was cuddling with her daddy!

My New Year's Hopes

This weekend, I sat down and decided that I would start my New Year off early.  So on Sunday I cleaned and organized like a mad man, worked on a budget, set up a work-out routine, and prepared a bible study for me, Fletcher, and the kids.  Yes, I am very ambitious.  And when I went to bed I had accomplished them all for that day.  Well, it is almost 9:00 now and I am so tired.  I have four lunches to make for tomorrow, laundry and dishes that are calling, and two children who keep getting out of bed (Mary Grace lost her third tooth today and both she and Brock  are afraid that the tooth fairy is going to take them away.... where do they get this stuff from)!  Needless to say, I can't do it all.

I don't know why we try so hard to do so much each day.  (For me it's to be the best at my job and still try to do the things I see my stay-at-home-mom friends do.)  We have no one to impress yet these things seem so important to us.  I have decided to reevaluate my goals for the New Year.  I want to spend more family time together without the TV on.  Dinners where we sit and talk and not rush through to get to the next thing on the "To Do List."  I want to spend more time supporting my husband in what he is doing and be proactively involved in it too.  

I know that this is not my time to be the room mom or the PTA member, but I can be there for my children and support them in school and church activities.  I want to surround myself with people who are positive about life and not ones who point out its flaws.   Finally, I want to give my stress to God and let Him handle it because I can't handle it any more.  

I hope that you and your family will sit down and come up with your hopes for the New Year.   Its a great time to reflect!

Joyfully,

Susan

PS  I still want to continue learning to be organized at home and will probably keep cleaning like a mad man. :)

Hello!

This is our first post on the Eaton Family Blog Page.  Our hopes are that we will give others a glimpse of what happens in our crazy and wild, yet loving home.  If you don't know much about us... get ready for some excitement.  If you do know us... the laughs will continue.  We will also share what is happening in the world around us and our insight about it.  Fletcher and I will both be writing; his will be more profound than mine. :)  From time to time there will be photos and maybe some videos.  Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback to let us know your thoughts.  We look forward to sharing with you often.

Joyfully,

Fletcher and Susan