Halloween Night in Urgent Care

The night was finally here! The one Joel and I had been talking about every day for a month straight. Although the kids costumes had been almost worn to shreds already, for them, putting them on again Halloween night was such a thrill! Hair was curled, glitter sprinkled and Iron Man was fully armored. To top off the utter childhood bliss, COUSINS were here too!!!

The night had some greatly anticipated plans for many of us, including myself. I couldn't wait to see Avery really enjoying her Rapunzel dress feeling like a princess, and of course watching Joel in all his 4 year old glory, psyched out of his mind to go trick-or-treating. I knew early on that Gracey would be in warm cozy clothes that night instead of wearing her ADORABLE little Cinderella gown (as she had been sick for a few days before), but she is still too young to get the Halloween excitement anyway. 

As October 31 approached, I became more excited as I imagined myself trailing behind "the kids in character" with Gracey snug in the wagon, as I sipped on some hot apple cider. We knew that Mark couldn't join the fun this Halloween because of the evening class he is taking, which was fine since Halloween to us really isn't that big of a deal. Thankfully though, I had my cousin Sandra and my parents here to help me make the night happen and share in these sweet memories. 

To make a long story short, and sad in a way, I ended up missing it all. Gracey's breathing quickly became worse and I knew she couldn't wait to be seen until the morning. So after I dolled up Avery girl and Joel was feeling awesome in his Iron Man suit, I loaded them up in the car and waved them good by. After all of that, I didn't get to see them in action. I was sad. All I really wanted was for them to have a blast with their cousins, but truthfully, I wanted to be there watching. 

Well, as moms with sick babies do, I took a deep breath and pulled it together. Gracelyn needed her mommy and I wasn't going to miss that. Not a chance in heck! The poor thing looked so pitiful and I could hear her breathing from the other room. So off to urgent care we went, where she ended up needing a steroid injection in the tush an inhaler for those little lungs. By the time we got back the trick-or-treaters were home safe and sound, bathed and ready for bed. 

All in all the night was great. The kids had the time of their lives and my baby got what she needed. My family stepped up and supported us when we needed them most, and I am so very grateful for them. God protected my children's eyes from the spooky evil bits of Halloween, which can be a challenge, but I prayed a lot. So thank you Lord for a wonderful night with family making memories :)

Update:

One week after another for 3 weeks, Joel, then Avery, then Gracelyn where sick. As of today (Nov. 5th), I can now say that EVERYONE IS WELL! Praise the Lord!!!

Today I...

Am still in my Pj's and so are the kids (it's almost 2:30pm YIKES!). Have had one cup of coffee but could use another. Feel particularly grateful for my mom, she's pretty swell. Have a sick 1yr old and it's quite the challenge.  Feel sad for my Gracey girl when I hear that pitiful whisper of a voice as she tries to talk or cries. Am still not done with our school day, and only because I'm the one dragging my feet. Need to find a yummy crock pot stew recipe for the beef sitting in the fridge. Am loving Nicole Nordeman. Like Lisa, I have several loads of laundry to conquer. Wishing I could choose what Thanksgiving crafty thing I want to make (let's see if I can manage to get one done before the NewYear). Am getting lost in thought while staring at the golden yellow tree that's peeking at me over my back fence.

What's your day turning out like today?

My view (with a slight glance to the left).
I have so much to be thankful for.
 And today it's this tree in all it's golden glory :) 

School Room

Oh how much fun I am having creating this little space! It is very much a work in progress and one that I LOVE to work on. Yard sale scores make up 90% of what you see and another 90% off what you can't. Hidden away in our cubbies are tons of great preschool supplies, thing-a-ma-giggers and just down right FUN STUFF, almost all of which came from garage sales! While we don't sit here for very much of our school days yet, the kids really like there classroom and so does their teacher :)

Since this picture was taken, school began and there is now about 5 weeks worth of preschool art and crafts by Joel and Avery hanging on the walls. Their eagerness to learn, and excitement for life inspires and encourages to keep teaching, showing, singing, reading, creating, etc.

There in the middle are Joel and Avery's little desks.
(I bought three of them at a garage sale for $5 total)

Here are our cubbies. Super awesome way to organize.
Inside the boxes that hold smaller items (manipulatives/blocks/puzzles/craft supplies),
 I use Zip Locks to keep things from being mixed up and dumped out easily (Ehhemm, Gracey)  

Not only does this door lead to all of our non refrigerated food, it also holds the
 "If- Then" chart and the "Brother Offended" check list.
Needless to say that this a very important door in the Poncy house!

The One You Need

It's as though they heard my prayers, or saw my journal. How could a song so perfectly encapsulate what my heart cries out? As surprised as I was to have heard such familiar words, I do know I'm not the only parent who is desperate for their children to find Jesus. This song touches a place deep within me. It's a place that aches with that desperation.

(kids waving goodbye to daddy)

His grace is sufficient for me, an imperfect parent who points her kids to Jesus.

Just a Quick Tip

A big THANK YOU is in order to my sweet friend Lisa. She told me the easiest way to make your own colored macaroni/rice etc. for kid crafts! It could be that I'm the last to find out this fun DIY trick, but whatev ;)  I'm just glad I could add it to my little bag tricks :) Hopefully you'll appreciate it too!

Ingredients:

    1gal  Zip lock bag

 Hand Sanitizer

Food coloring

   Uncooked Pasta 

Directions:

Pour pasta (1lb box) into Zip lock bag. Add a healthy squirt of food coloring, and a couple squirts of hand sanitizer. Then shake shake shake (fun for the kids to help with). After pasta is evenly covered and you like the color (add more food coloring for darker color), lay pasta on lined cookie sheet to dry.

And there you have it...  

Fun, Cheap and Easy! Some of my favorite words :)

***Toddler activity during "Red Week": 

Fill large bowl with RED macaroni. Mix in a bunch of small objects and have him/her spend as much time needed to find everything hidden. Talk to your child about each object as it's found (ex. did you find a blue ball, wow pretty pink bow, two round buttons...) After a few times, before they pull the object out, see if they can identify it by touch only. 

A little closer. A little longer.

Rainy day schedules... aaahhhhhhh :) Mommy's favorite.

Something I am so thankful for is that each of my kids would rather cozy up to mom and dad, than do just about anything else. Yes, they are young still, and I realize that they may not want to as much when they're older, but that's why I REFUSE to waist these moments I have now.

But have you noticed that even your naturally cuddly kids come a little closer and stay a little longer on rainy days? Yesterday my robe seemed to fit only me, yet magically today there is room for me and three more. Which of course gave me a great excuse to keep it on longer :)

If the clouds are sprinkling your house today, I hope you'll join me in ditching the "to do" list. 

Today calls for Books, Blankets, and Hot Coco. 

I would love to hear some the ways you like to enjoy your rainy days. Leave me a comment below sharing your family's secrets ;)

First task of the day... Light the fire :)

Second... Cuddle and cartoon :)

 Today God gives me rain. 

He knows my needs. He rains down His love on me. 

Thank you Lord, I love you too.

Here's what school looks like for our drizzly day: 

(lots of cozy couch learning today)

• Have the kids try to be really quiet so you can hear the rain drops. In a whispery voice tell them why it rains and how good rain is for the earth. Ask questions like: Who/What drinks rain water? Where does rain water go (after nap we'll put on raincoats and go look at the rain gutter outside)? If we had no roof over us, what would happen in the rain? Use books or computer a resource for information and pictures. 
• Teach and sing "The ants go marching two by two". (we march around and sing together)
• Look up weather forecast for tomorrow. Cut and Color in a cloud or glue cotton balls with Raindrops underneath. 
•  Teach them about Noah and the Ark. Read the story from your Bible or a book. Have them think of as many animals as they can but also talk about the reason God chose Noah and how Noah believed and obeyed God.
• For phonics today will go over "ai" words like: rain, trains, brain, snail, mail... incorporate rhyming sounds. (I only have preschoolers so I don't have goals for them mastering this stuff. Simply introduction and exposure for mine will do for now. 
• We are actually on the Letter D this week so I think I'll we'll the word Drain. You know... "the D says 'duh', and "dr" says 'durrr'... and then on to the 'ai' sound, and so on :) 
• For counting we will use 2 dice and twelve mini marshmallows (rain clouds) each. Each kids rolls and counts the black dots, then pulling from his pile for mallow, he counts out the same number. We do that over and over again (I say things like "two on this die PLUS two on this die equals four.")  Joel usually copies what I say. and of course we clap and cheer, celebrating addition, hahahaha.
• And then we read, and we read, and we read! 

*This list is in no particular order. Yes, I would love to accomplish all that's listed above today, but IT'S OK if we don't. Or maybe we can actually do MORE! That is the beauty of homeschooling... It can flex and adjust with our day. Especially in this season of mommy hood, I am grateful for the flexibility! 

Okay, so I'm ready...

After a loooong break from blog postings, I can officially say that I'M BACK! Some may be wondering why I stopped in the first place, and some of you have already asked me. The answer is that I really just needed some time to evaluate WHY exactly I was blogging in the first place. The truth is that I found myself questioning what the point was for someone like me to have a blog. I don't have any particularly special talents or hobbies to showcase. I don't have a heart warming/inspiring cause that I use my blog to support. And I don't have an intriguing topic of which I am well studied or versed in.

Can you see how this puzzled me a bit? I needed a break to determine where this desire to blog was stemming from. In fear of being another brainless fad follower, who ends up with a blog that is drenched in self promotion, dreadfully egotistical, and is an eye rolling false reality... I quickly closed down shop.

Before I go any further, I should be clear on one thing. I am, by no means, a blog hater! In fact it's quite the contrary. There are many blogs that I really enjoy reading. God has used people I don't even know to bless me and teach me things through their words and photos/videos. How fantastic is it that we can reach so many people so easily now.

It may seem to some that I've spent too much time fretting about all this, after all "it's just a blog." But I couldn't disagree with them more. I would rather error on the side off not blogging at all than to have carelessly painted a picture myself/my life that is oh so far from the truth. I say careless because so many people don't even realize the perception they are putting out there for others to see. Prettying up some of the ugly truth does no body any good. It's in the ugliness that we see the beauty of Grace. I can relate with imperfection. How about you? I need a savior for a reason. I don't want to be afraid of saying so. If I'm going to take the time to blog... than for me, it better be for more than just showing pictures of my (totally awesome) family ;)

Do you get what I'm saying?
Is this making any sense?

It does in my head, but how it comes out is bit rough around the edges. And how appropriate! That's one of the ways I describe myself. Saved by grace and rough around the edges. God is at work in me and I have lots more to learn. I hope with all my heart, that I can share with you what's on my heart, and that it points you the heart of Jesus.

She's TWO darn cute

As she grows older with each new day, my prayer for Avery is this. That she comes to know and love her savior Jesus Christ. I want for her heart to long for the Truth of God's Word and that she would cling tightly to it in both hard times and happy times. I pray that her hope is found in the Lord and not in the things of this world. I want her to see this world as only temporary, and that until she is called home for eternity, her life glorifies God. Thank you Lord for our precious Avery Anne. She brings our family joy and a depth of love that cannot be replaced. May Your will be done in her life, Amen.

Around Avery's birthday (Jan 19), things were just so hectic and I couldn't find the time to complete a post about it. I have had a draft saved for a while now, but finally decided I've got to share something. Plus, with all the Avery drama in the last week I got to think'n about her birth and life over the last two years.

I remember this like it was yesterday...

First Kisses

Another tiny blessing

My First Girl 

Sleeping Beauty

So, as I spent OVER AN HOUR looking through old pictures of Miss Avery Anne, I came across this set of adorable shots. She has been the expressive girl that she is today since the moment she was born. 

These were taken at about 8 months old.

 She is the Ham of the family :)

 The number of ways this girl can move her little face is amazing.

 She truly is the most happy, goofy, playful, sweet and tender little girl I've ever met.

 "I love every little round and squishy part of you Annie Girl."- Mom

And now...

Our little Avery Anne is TWO!!!!!

Here are some pictures from her Birthday Dinner

The Birthday Girl Cake!
(I made it from scratch and it was a hit!)

She's got the candle thing down!

We are so blessed to have her. Thank You Jesus

Still a silly goose

The party girls!

We love you sweet Avery Anne. You are such a special little girl and I hope that's just how you felt on your 2nd Birthday! 

Lost and Found

You ever have one of those days (or in this case, moments) that makes you feel like you just lost 5 five year off your life? Yeah, well...

What started off being a swell afternoon meet-up at the mall with some friends and their kids, ended up coming extremely close to my biggest nightmare.  Avery vanished.

Between me and my 3 girlfriends, there where 7 children to watch who were all under the age of 4. Not to mention that 2 of these are babies that had to be held, and on top of that, 2 of my friends are very pregnant... Sorry to through out so many numbers there, but this just puts the situation into perspective for you. It was crazy!

Needless to say, the play area in the mall was crawling with kiddos. We were all sort of keeping our eyes on the kids that belonged to our group, even though it is only natural that I was keeping a close eye out for what my munchkins were up to as well.

We were in the middle of handing out snacks and sippy cups, when I began scanning the sea of little heads looking for Avery. It's funny how when you're just even thinking out loud, "I don't see Avery", the moms around have an instant, simultaneous reaction. Their heads pop up, their brows narrow in as their eagle eyes search the crowd. Within seconds there is an unspoken, almost telepathic communication that says loud and clear, "She's not here."


I was out of my seat and exiting the play area faster than I could even think of where to begin searching. My friends were just steps behind me and quickly scattered every which way hoping that we'd cover every possible direction she could have gone. With Gracey on my hip I headed straight for the nearest parking lot exit (that Avery would have noticed) in fear that she would have gone outside near moving vehicles, but to be honest that wasn't the first nightmare that went racing through my head.

Somehow, with me, I instantly fear that someone has taken her... I know, that's a bit overboard for the first minute or so that I can't see her, but I can't help it and so I don't ignore it. After a few more minutes of calling out for her and cluelessly running from here to there, I found myself gearing up to shout at the top of my lungs. I didn't know what I was going to say, but it would have been loud and gotten lots of people's attention.

What seemed like 20 minutes passed (really it was about 5) and she was found. Avery had walked out of the (opened) enterence to the play area, and walked down a long tiled hallway that employees use. At the end of it was an elevatore and of course, my 2 year old, knows just how to use it. I can just imagine her proudly pressing the buttons and without a fear in the world, traveling alone up to the 2nd floor.

There on the 2nd floor Avery was spotted escorting herself off of the elevator. Some kind stranger looked down over the railing and called out to someone below that they had found her, and then kept her near until I could get to her. Of course, on my way up to get her, I felt myself crumbling under the flood of emotion that I was trying to hold back while looking for her. Those minutes of fearing the worst were enough to wipe me out for the rest of the day.

I tryed to compose myself a bit before Avery saw me crying. I wanted her to know how much she scared mommy and how dangerous that little maneuver was, but at the same time would she understand that that was why mommy was crying? Regardless, the tears kept coming, we had a stern chat and long hug, and I have no doubt that Avery saw how serious I was about her leaving mommy.

So... (deep sigh of relief)
Thank you to all my gals who treated the search for Avery like a search for their own child. Thank you Lord for keeping her safe and that she was never for one moment out of you sight.

I know that this sort of story sounds really familiar to mommies out there who've got toddlers... Isn't it just the WORST THING EVER??? UGH!

Poop Don't Stank!

It truly frightens me how often I realize that my kids are doing or saying something I never intended on teaching them. I'd like to say that there are only the loveliest of things that they are picking up from me, such as picking up toys, doing laundry, singing bible songs, sharing their food, etc. Unfortunately that's just not the case. Now as I am sure that my kids are learning some good for watching and listening to me, it's the not so good stuff that have been shining through lately. It moments like these that I'm noticing quite often in the Poncy house...

As I was straightening up the couch pillows for MILLIONTH time yesterday, I look over to see Avery very carefully expressing her maternal instincts and tending to the needs of her baby doll. As I watched quietly from a distance I quickly observe the situation that Avery found herself in. Her baby doll pooped.

After flipping the baby upside down to confirm the source of the smell, Avery ever so slightly says, "Uh-Oh. PooPoo". And then, proceeds the lay the baby on her blankie and get to work. Here is where the story goes a bit south... funny, but south. Pulling down the the diaper, Avery slowly leans forward with a look of hesitation.

Alas, the moment has arrived. The moment when I watched Avery perfectly act out exactly what I do approximately 5 time a day. As she peered in at the mess below, a look of disgust and horror came across her face. With a quick blow of stench out of her nose, she closes the diaper back up as though willing the problem to disappear. Looking at her sweet little baby doll Avery begins to say with a crinkled nose and shaking her head, "Oooo, icky, stincky, stinky poopoo". She reaches over to the dried out wipey that she sees on the floor beside them and begins to wipe up the mess carefully. All the while her head is slightly turned and is looking out from the corner of her eye. Luckily, when she was finished and the diaper was back on, she picked up her baby and with a big kiss, hug and a smile says, "Yaaa, all clean"!!!

Now, all this to say that I really hope I am not creating some sort of complex in my children. How horrible would it be if they have poop insecurities for the rest their life? I mean really! Not that anyone walks around proud of their "smelly deeds" (with the exception of my brother maybe). I guess the lesson that I will take from all of this is to maybe tone down the drama a bit. I don't need for my kids to think that their "Poop Don't Stank" (no one ever turns out quite right with that in mind)... But must I make a spectacle of those "brown lil' buns"? No. I really shouldn't. Even though me and the kiddos end up laughing about the silly faces and sounds mommy makes, I would hate for them to be feeling embarrassed or ashamed about such things :)


Just a thought,
Amber ;)

2nd Week of Feb.

Big Kids Date at MULLIGAN'S!

As you can see... Mark and Joel are in HEAVEN right about now! They had so much fun out there on the race track together. I'm sure Mark has dreamt about moments like this for a long time. Just the boys doin' boy stuff :) After they raced together for a while, they headed over to the kid race track and Joel drove all by himself!

You may not be able to tell, but in the picture below, Joel's face is priceless!

Avery isn't quite tall enough to do the race cars...

But we found some fun for her too!

These are three of a million pictures I took of G when J and A were napping. She was a trooper and I managed to get some cuties :)

P.S. If you are a mommy and you're reading this... I have found that a great way to tier out your little munchkin before nap time is a nice long photo shoot. As you play and snap shots here and there, it's not long before both of you are thoroughly pooped!

On a sunny afternoon this week I had Gracey outside on the grass to soak up some rays. Joel and Avery were busy riding bikes and playing chase and didn't even notice her sitting there... So I thought. I went inside to grab some snacks and a few minutes later came back outside to find all three of them hang'n out together on Gracey's blanket. I just love how much my kids enjoy being together. I love that Joel and Avery love Gracey so much and even though she's just a baby, they actually like to hang out and play with her. Avery is such a little mommy already. She likes to feed Gracey her bottles and snacks, and then makes sure to "burp" her. Joel is Gracey's "personal assistant" I like to say. He is always attending to her needs and doing all he can to keep her happy. Also, Joel is both of his sister's protector. He is so careful with them and shows such sympathy whenever either of them is upset :)

Such sweeties God's given me :)

1st week of Feb.

Hello all!

With Gracey on my lap and my other two opponents currently distracted from completing their mission to sabotage this blog post, I'll have to make this short and sweet.

Speaking of sweet, I made a Valentines Day cake. Yes a bit early, but I figure since it's February (and I wanted cake) it's not too early to celebrate.

This is a Double Layered Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Filling and Frosting. YUM

It is actually my 2nd home cake in about a months time. I think I have stumbled upon a new hobby, because I can't even tell you how much fun it it to bake from scratch! Plus, I think it's therapeutic for me also :)

Also this week...

Grammy Came To Cuddle

1st bath with all three little noodles together

Daddy and Gracey where being sillly at lunch time

That's all for the photographed events, but lot's more went on in the Poncy household...

Mark started his second semester back at Taltot

I joined an adult soccer league and have my first game tonight

Gracey got her two first teeth in and had a check up w/the Dr. 20.5 lbs and 28"

Avery has been consistant on the potty

Joel was a big boy and went to a meeting with daddy

(Mark said he sat quietly and patiently)

February Week One... A Success!

Anonymous blessing

We decided late in the day that, after being cooped up in the house for days fighting off a cold, we would get out for a bit and head to our family's favorite pizza place for dinner. With Mark still looking for work, money is tight but sometimes a good pizza night out is just what the Doctor ordered! Our meal was as good as ever and the kids were on their best behavior while enjoying the live music and people watching (a.k.a staring). With tummies full and Gracey giving all the signs for "it's bed time", we started to clean up and asked for the check. To our sweet surprise, our waitress began to explain to us that a man sitting behind us earlier, had paid for our meal. She explained that he had just left and that he wanted to remain anonymous. Mark and I both with instant gratitude and thankfulness to God that He would use someone we don't even know to bless us this way. That God would move in somebody's heart to do this at that very moment, was further evidence to me that we have a loving God who provides for His children.

Thank you Jesus and I know you too will show your love and kindness to the man that did this for us.