growing & learning with him
Deb won the Farm Rich Giveaway that ended on Monday! Creativity My Passion won the Barnes and Noble gift card offered as a prize to one of the blog posts linked to Read.Explore.Learn. in July. I randomly selected both winners and I have contacted them via e-mail.
There will be two new giveaways launched this weekend and another Read.Explore.Learn. link up contest that begins tomorrow. Please stop by and check them out.
We planted two pumpkin seeds beside the our shed after our first attempts at gardening failed.
After awhile, two sprouts grew out of the ground. Then giant leaves appeared
JDaniel and I went to visit my sister Michelle’s family in Atlanta last week and when we came back the plants had started taking over the yard. My husband claims they tried to grab him as he drove past them on the riding mower.
I told JDaniel they are like Jack’s beanstalk. They seem to grow bigger and longer over night.
Our pastor Andy Lewis preached on the verses in James that speak about the tongue on Sunday. He challenged us to think about what we say and why we are saying it for a whole day this week. “Words grow,” he reminded us. “Words can take root in people’s hearts. They can change they way someone feels about you and they can make you wish they could be taken back.
His words hung in my heart when we left church on Sunday. I felt challenged about the words I say to my family and those I love.
My sister Kate who was down visiting last week (Yes, last week was filled with visiting with my sisters!) commented on how she hears my words come out of Jdaniel’s mouth.
In some ways that is a compliment. He speaks in complete sentences and uses lots of different kinds of words. In some ways it is a challenge. He is frustrated and demanding at times. He can try to order others around. I have heard him say, “ I need it right?” more than once.
JDaniel may be just what I need to monitor my words. He shares with me the words I have taught him while I speak with him and with others.
I want my words to grow and bear fruit. I do not want them to spread emotions and ways to interact with others that are not good to my son.
This post is linked to Mrs. Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday!
I am currently working on my next Mary Lee story. It will probably be posted at the end of the month.
As the mom of a boy, I love to find blogs hosted by moms of boys. Life Without Pink is one that I really enjoy. Tina, who hosts Life Without Pink, has two sons. One of her sons is younger than JDaniel and one is older. She has her hands full, but her posts remind me that boys are fun and can grow past the tough times. 
Mom can you get off the computer and come play with me?”
My five year old reached out his hand and started pulling me off my chair.
I looked into his big blue eyes and that’s when I had my ‘aha!’ moment.
I turned off the computer, grabbed both boys by the hands and went outside to play.
We never had so much fun.
I didn’t check email, follow up with work, or worried about cleaning up the crumbs from lunch.
No, I was soaking up this moment with my boys and realized this is where I need to be.
Watching their eyes light up and hearing them giggle, filled me with joy.
I have a hard time slowing down because working full-time from home and keeping up with every day life is never ending.
But I have realized then I need to set limits because one day….
I will wish that my boys would grab my arm one more time to play a game, or watch a movie together.
I will be glad I was standing in the driveway when the bus pulls up and being the first person to ask them, “How was your day?”.
I will miss the hectic schedules and loud noise coming from the playroom.
My boys will be grown and I’ll be grabbing their arms asking them to come play with me.
The Internet and household chores aren’t going anywhere but my boys are…and I’m pausing to enjoy it!
By Word of Mouth Musing and Things I Can’t Say are hosting a wonderful link up called The Story of My Bog. It is a wonderful opportunity for bloggers to share how they started their blogs.
My post is more of how my blog got its name, but I hope you will enjoy it anyway.
Once upon a time there lived a man named JDan Junior. He and his wife Hazel had lived a wonderful life. They had been blessed with five children. Three of the children were girls and two were boys. The oldest boy had been given his name, Joseph Daniel. He loved his name and hoped that someday his son would pass it on to his son.
Years went by. The three girls got married along with his younger son. Altogether they gave him nine grandchildren. There were seven girls and two boys in bunch. He loved each of the immensely. He doted on them and enjoyed sharing their accomplishments with all that would listen. He was the best GranDan he knew how to be, but deep in his heart he longed for his older son to get married and have a son. He knew this little boy would be given his name.
Years passed. JDan Junior’s oldest grandson was getting married. His youngest granddaughter was getting ready to start middle school. His oldest son was dating someone seriously, but would she be the one.
I was the someone JDaniel3 was dating back then. I went to the oldest grandson’s wedding not knowing if I was going to be the one, but I hoped I would be.
Seven months later I found I was the one and we got engaged. I think GranDan started to let the hope of a grandchild named after him flicker in his heart when Jdaniel3 announced our engagement.
After we had been married for a year, we called them with the news that we were expecting a baby. Both my in-laws were thrilled. Both wanted to know if we knew whether the baby would be a boy or girl. While they wanted us to have a healthy baby, I truly believe they were praying for a boy.
It didn’t take us long to find out that the baby was a boy. I knew as soon as we found out what the baby was we what his baby’s name was going to be. We had talked about it shortly after getting engaged. It was important to JDaniel3 to carry on the family name too.
It was so exciting to call my in-laws and tell them that Joseph Daniel the Fourth was going to arrive in the Spring. They had had a tough early fall. GranDan had had a stroke and for awhile the whole family worried he won’t recover.
My in-laws like to tease that it was the news of JDaniel4 that spurred him on. He truly was pleased.
When I decided to start a blog I knew I would be writing about was being a mom. But what should I call the blog. I love that my son’s name carries with it the heritage of three Jdaniels. I love that he carries on the legacy of many generations having a Joseph Daniel.
When it came time to type a name on the header I typed, the words that represent my role in the family legacy. I typed JDaniel4’s Mom.
Please stop by Things I Can’t Say or By My Mouth Musing to link up your blog story.
This is the first year for Back to School shopping at our house. JDaniel will be starting preschool this fall. We are both excited about his opportunity to not only go to preschool, but to go with one of his closest friends. Although he won’t really need to wear clothes much different than he has been, we did go shopping and get a few “new” things. Each one was a deal. You know how much a love to find a deal.
What did our back to school shopping look like?
I went through the hand me downs from my sisters to figure out what clothes he had inherited from his cousins. He had a ton of pants. I think I counted four pairs of jeans and five pairs of tan pants. There were several button down shirts and a few t-shirts. I love getting to shop in my closets.
We went to an outlet mall not to faraway from home and found shirts he can wear this fall and next spring for about $3.50 each.
I went on line to look for a pair of shoes that JDaniel can wear to school. He has never had a new pair of shoes before. All of his shoes have come from my sisters or consignment sales. When I brought him over to the computer to show him the new shoes. He commented that he could just wear his red rain boots. There may days when he gets to wear them to school, but I didn’t think he could wear them everyday.
My favorite consignment sale started on Wednesday night and we got the remaining items Jdaniel will need for the spring and fall. They have clothes that look barely worn there. I love getting wonderful clothes in great shape for a reasonable price. I was able to pick up some sweaters, a thermal vest, and a few long sleeved shirts.
JDaniel doesn’t need to gather school supplies this year or select a lunch box for preschool. Those things will have to wait until he starts kindergarten in two years. For now I am so thankful that we were able to get everything he needs for school for under eighty dollars. I know the big dollar years are coming. Maybe I should starts saving for them now?
Welcome to week four of the Read. Explore. Learn Summer Reading Challenge- July Edition! This meme was designed to be a place for you to share the learning opportunities, crafts, field trips, and other activities you have done this week that tie-in to children’s books. I look forward to seeing ways you have learned with and explored books.
Remember each post you link up counts as an entry in the the July edition of the Summer Reading Challenge. One post linked up to Read.Explore.Learn during the month of July will selected to win a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card. I will select the July winner and announce them next Friday
Steps:
Almost every night Jdaniel crawls out of bed and stands on the stair with his arms outstretched. “Mama, I need a hug!” he declares. I give him a hug and walk with him back upstairs.
Hugless Douglas wakes up in the spring needing a hug. After getting dressed to seek a hug, Douglass finds something big to hug. The rock he finds is too heavy. Then he looks for something big and tall to hug. The tree he finds gives him splinters. He looks for something comfy to hug and he finds a bush. The bush is filled with sheep that don’t want to be hugged.
After much trying on his own, he asks an owl for help. He even tries to hug the owl. The owl doesn’t want a hug either. He finds a rabbit and tries to hug him. The rabbit doesn’t want a hug, but he know someone that does want Douglas’ hug. The rabbit leads him to cave that was his mama’s winter home.
In the cave Douglas finds the perfect person to hug. His mama loves his hugs. She even hugs him back.
We love this story by David Melling. The pictures are filled with humorous animals reactions to being hugged. The owl covered in band aids is so silly. This warm book makes you want to reach out and hug someone you love.
What did we do?
Card Making
We made two special ladies cards this week to let them know that they are special. My mom will be seventy one next week so, we made her a birthday card. I love that he has eyes or are they ears. One way or another I love details in this picture.
I hope both ladies enjoy their cards. If you get a minute and would like to lift up a prayer for Mrs. Showalter, I am sure Elizabeth and her family would love it.
Disclaimer: I was sent this book to review by Tiger Tales Books.
Mary Lee sat on her favorite white rocker watching the day turn to dusk. Her grey curls has begun to hung down low on her forehead. The summer air was still warm. The temperature earlier in the day had been hot and steamy.
Beside sat Frank her husband of fifty years. He had starting to doze in his rocker. Mary Lee loved to listen to the crickets chipping and Frank’s light snore fill the air around her.
She loved this time of day when things slowed down and she could just remember.
Mary Lee had such wonderful things to remember.
She and Frank had met in college. He was football player and she was the math tutor that helped him pass the required math classes for his major. Frank was actually a very good student. He just needed someone to go over things with him a few times. Frank loved to say that had met over the pluses and minuses.
After college they had gotten married and moved to Simpsonville, South Carolina. It was a small factory town. Frank had gotten a job in the business office of one of the factories and Mary Lee had worked as a bookkeeper for the local elementary school.
They had lived in a small house and saved money for several years to move to this big old Victorian on main street. On Sunday nights they had walked by this house and dreamed it would one day be theirs.
Mary Lee had fretted about the train tracks that lay only 100 yards away. Would it be a dangerous place to raises the children they would have? Frank had assured her that the picket fence around the house would be a deterrent and the backyard is where their children would want to be to play ball and chase butterflies.
Chiildren came quickly once they had moved into their dream house. First Sarah arrived and then Martha. They had hope for a boy too, but God closed that door and they had just the two girls.
Sarah and Martha had become their world. Mary Lee stayed home to raise them. She loved taking care of them.
On laundry day she enjoyed hanging their little dresses up on the clothes line in the backyard. The girls loved to grab onto the drying clothes and spin the circular clothes line around and around.
There had been many hours of creating special cookies and pies for dinner along with tiny cookie bites or fruit tarts made with the leftover dough.
The girls had loved to ride their bikes and trikes all over the yard. One would have thought the hard Carolina dirt and lumpy grass would have been hard for them to ride on, but it hadn’t held them back.
Mary Lee slowed her rocking and shock her head sadly remembering how quickly time has passed.
It seemed to her one fall that the girls had been in elementary school and by spring they were all grown up and beginning families of their own. How that had happened? Mary Lee couldn’t recall. It seemed like they went from little girls to ladies in mere minutes.
Each of the girls had stayed in town. They lived with their husbands and children not faraway. Mary Lee and Frank saw them often.
Mary Lee loved being a grandmother. She loved getting to see her girls as moms. They were wonderful moms.
Rocked slowly back and forth again. Mary Lee glanced across the yard at a tricycle covered in green by the tree near the front gate. One of the girls and forgotten to put it away one night and there is had stayed.
Frank had offered to take it out of the green tangle that surrounded it and Mary Lee had insisted that it stay. When he had asked her about it ,she had replied that it was a lesson. Frank had wanted to know about the lesson the tricycle had taught her. He loved to listen to her share her thoughts.
“The lesson,” she replied, “is that time is fleeting. You need to enjoy each moment and cherish each memory. That tricycle reminds me of our girls when they were little and loved to ride. It makes try to guess what must have caught their attention and drew them away from it and on to something else. It reminds me that for a time the white picket fence contained their whole world and they couldn’t bike beyond it.
Frank had a tear drop slowly from his eye after she shared the tricycles importance and agree that it needed to stay right where it was.
Mary Lee now wiped at tear from her eye. What a wonderful memories she had to think back on! What a wonderful lessons she had learned from them
End Note:
We walked a house on the 4th of July and I snapped a picture of this tricycle tangled near the tree. I had know ideas what story I would be able to weave based on it. I just knew there was one. It took most of this month to find Mary Lee and glean what reason there might have been for tricycle to be there.
I have no idea who lives in this house or why the tricycle is there. I am thankful that it was. I have loved getting to know Mary Lee and her story this month.
This post is linked to Mrs. Matlock’s Alphabe Thursday!
I love visiting Little Bit Quirky’s blog . I try to get there more than once a week, but I always read her post of Thursday. She is one of Mrs. Matlock Alphabe’s students. It was through Mrs. Matlock that I first found her site.
Little Bit Quirky writes about her life as the mom of a wonderful young lady with autism. She is a valiant supporter of her daughter and seeker of what will be the best for her.
Below she questions why I asked her to write a Pause Life for a Moment. Here are some of the reasons:
1. She is a wonderful writer. Her words flow.
2. She is a mom I would love to sit down and chat with about life. I think she would have a lot to teach me. She already makes me pause for a moment and think about what is best for JDaniel.
3. She is so real in the way she writes. I wanted you to get to read her words and get to know her.
JDaniel4’s Mom asked me to write a post about how I take small moments to keep my sanity in this crazy life we call motherhood.
My first thought was, “Write a guest post? Is she insane? Who has the time? I can barely hobble together posts for my own blog!”
The truth is, I only have one child, who is now 7 and has been going to school full-time. She has Asperger’s, so I chauffeur her around to her speech and social skills appointments after school. I had more free time than I knew what to do with!
Because of this, I took a part-time job that allowed me to work while my daughter was in school, but be with her after school to be sure she does her homework correctly, arrange play dates, and take her to her appointments.
While I love working again, I have no “me-time” anymore. None. Zilch. Nada.
Why did JDaniel4’s Mom ask me to write a post on this topic? I’m so not the person to be doing this!
Anyway, over the summer, my daughter is attending camp 4 days a week. She stays home on Tuesdays because she has her speech therapy and her social skills class scheduled for that day. It’s the one day I don’t make the 2-hour commute (round-trip) to work. I don’t even work for the most part on Tuesdays! We use this day to sleep in and live life at a slower pace. It’s nice to have a day where we don’t have to run around non-stop like crazy, headless chickens!
Another interesting thing happened. On one of these Tuesdays, my daughter had an opportunity to play with a couple of sisters she’s never met before. In order to accommodate the long play date, I had to cancel her speech therapy. The play date was loads of fun, and my daughter had much better social interaction than she would have in speech therapy.
We did go to her social skills class. Interestingly enough, the behaviorist pulled me aside after class to tell me that my daughter did an amazing job in class. She had never seen her do such high-level communication skills such as read her peers’ body language to determine if they were listening to her, then change her approach to get her peers’ attention. The behaviorist was floored!
Me? I really thought the 6-hour play date had a huge influence on my daughter’s success in her social skills class.
Sometimes, slowing life down a bit can bring great developmental leaps!
Please stop by Little Bit Quirky and read more of her wonderful words.
I am been asking other bloggers to share their recipes with me this summer. I promised to feature them in one of JDaniel’s muffin tin meals. I had three bloggers share their recipes. Two of the recipes have been featured already. The other will be featured next week. Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas shared an idea rather than a recipe with me. Her idea was to spell Jdaniel’s name in French toast. I only have large letters in cookie cutters. The amount of French toast is would take to spell his name would be more than he would probably eat.
I decided to take her idea of French toast and search Pinterest to see what recipes came up. French toast on a stick stood out to me among the rest of the ideas I found. I had previously found a pasta salad on a stick recipe on Pinterest and pinned it to one of my boards on the site.
That gave me two meal ideas on a stick. Both ideas could be served at a brunch or a lunch. Voila! Brunch on a stick became the theme for this week’s tin.
JDaniel has fruit with French toast served on a coffee stirrer rather than a real stick. The pasta salad on a stick is made of cold cheese ravoli, pepperoni, and grape tomatoes.
There is a cup of syrup and a cup of Vidalia onion salad dressing and a cookie in the second row.
You may be asking what is Pinterest? It is a booking site that allows you to bookmark links you love and displays them on small boards. The boards are like bulletin boards. You can set up board for specific areas of interest. I have a board for Muffin Tin Monday Ideas and one for Read.Explore.Learn. Ideas.
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If you are interested in joining Pinterest, please let me know. It is by invitation only right now, but I can give you an invite.
I would still love to try some of your recipes! If you have one you want me to try, please include the link to it below.
This post is linked to Muffin Tin Monday.
Last Saturday JDaniel and I headed to the French Celebration in Fountain Inn ,South Carolina. The celebration was in honor of Bastille Day which was earlier in the week.
JDaniel noticed the giant Eifel Tower in front of the festival right away. He loved that he could walk right under its arches.
We then moved to the food area inside the building. They were serving coffee and but, what really caught Jdaniel’s attention was the Skittles Eifel Tower project set out for kids to work on. At first he didn’t realize that Skittles were candy and he just placed them on the outline. Then some other children came over and one of them announced that Skittles were their favorite candy. JDaniel’s ears heard the word candy and suddenly he became less interested in the building on to the design.
There was also a display of children’s book on a table with an accordion. JDaniel loved playing the accordion. I am not sure the other people that came in for coffee and a pastry were really into his musical presentation.
A lovely lady with samples of various vinegars and oils was also in the food area. We really enjoyed trying out some of them. She mentioned that she gives tours in her shop and would love for us to come by. I think we will be going. It will be fun to see her shop and try more of her products. She said that they serve ice cream with some her products at the end of the tour.
Our final stop at the festival was the French Dog Parade. We watched stuffed dogs, little dogs and big dogs cross the stage with their owners. JDaniel loved sitting in the front row and clapping for the participants as they marched by.
