Maggie's first haircut

Maggie got her first haircut today! I cannot believe she sat completely still and fully cooperated with the very nice lady that sprayed her hair with water, combed it out, and spent a good 5-10 minutes trimming it. She got a sucker when she was all done, and is happy to show anyone who wants to see her new haircut :)

Resolutions

So, this time of year I find so many people resolving to make changes for the new year. I can't help but wonder, WHY do we wait until the new year to make positive changes in our lives? I am constantly evaluating myself, challenging myself to be a better person, a better mother, a better wife, a better friend, ...I suppose this could be disheartening...is there really an end to this goal? The answer is no...and I think that keeps me from complacency. Should I set smaller goals? Probably...each day I set my goals, something achievable, and certain things are constants that don't even go on the list...they are just part of every day.

I strive today, as always, to commit my day to Jesus. To yell less, to love more, to take care of myself, to be strong, to do the hard things first, to spend at least an hour in God's word, to pray, to not be complacent. Do I always succeed? Absolutely not...but my days are spent trying to be faithful to what I am called to be... Proverbs 31:10-31, Colossians 3:12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:14-17.

So, today's goals:
To take Maggie for her first haircut
To have special time with each of the kids (they get to choose one special thing to do with me)
To have a wonderful date night with my amazing husband

And we'll see what tomorrow brings :)

Life...

Life with four kids is crazy...and fun...and stressful...and beautiful...and busy...and so very amazing. It is fun to raise them from infants, and watch how they blossom. In the last couple weeks, the kids are asking for chores, and I'm seeing Mason and Charlotte mature into a nice young man, and a sweet and very responsible little lady.

Charlotte gets home from school and immediately starts on her homework. I help her with her two reading assignments, then her math, then her spelling. This takes a good 30 minutes. Then she gets her backpack ready for the next day. This includes unpacking her snack and lunch, and repacking her thermos and snack for the following day...it also includes taking any wet boot liners or gloves and putting them over vents to dry. After this, she goes up to her room, makes her bed and picks out her clothes for the following day. She does this all without me saying a word, and she never complains a bit. And she is only SIX!! I told her how proud I was for her being so responsible for her homework, and taking care of all of her things. She told me "It just makes it easier when I have all my work done and everything ready for the next day!" Ahhh...a girl after my own heart...she is, in so many ways, her mother's daughter :)

I also made a chore chart today for the kids, I realized it's about time they can start to help with lots of other things. They've been helping with cleaning here and there, and setting/clearing the table, but I think they're old enough to start scrubbing toilets...you know, the really serious stuff :)

What else lately? I had my first root canal yesterday. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't horrible...but I'm quite certain I am only able to say that because of the nitrous oxide I decided was a good idea :) I was a nervous wreck, but the dentist was amazing, and my pain the day after is minimal. The kids are anxious to see the shiny gold cap they are going to put on in a couple weeks. I'm glad they were able to save the tooth, and hopeful the crown will last for a very long time.

On another topic, I have to say how amazingly thankful I am for my marriage. To have a husband that loves God, who works hard, who leads our family (and I need to do a better job of LETTING him lead!), who shows our kids all the things a husband and father should be. I'm thankful for a devoted husband, that is honest, loving, caring, compassionate, and forgiving. I am blessed for every moment I get to spend with him (like our great lunch date today!!). I'm so thankful that I am able to stay home with the kids, that I have been afforded this time to be the mother and wife I am meant to be by taking care of our home and our family. We know several couples with marriages that are falling apart, and it has made me hold mine closer....to be so very thankful for all of the amazing things my husband is. If you read my testimony a few posts back, before I met Matt I prayed over and over for God to send me my partner...my husband...and He heard and answered me in ways beyond my comprehension at the time. The man He sent me was so much more than what I had dreamed him to be. He was not just what I needed at that time, but everything I would EVER need in a husband.

Being thankful FOR things is a wonderful feeling...but it means nothing unless you have someone to be thankful TO. I am thankful to our God for everything He has given to me. My world means NOTHING without Him!!

The end of an era...

Maggie, in the course of the last couple of weeks, has stopped nursing. Instead of 'snuggles' at bedtime, she asks for books.

And now my crib is down...and my baby girl is in a big girl bed :) She is growing so fast, she is so smart, funny, and sweet....LOVE her!!

If I find a mess somewhere, I say "Who dumped the crayons all over the floor?" and she will reply "Maggie did it!". She has great manners and when she wants more juice/milk she says "Mo juice fees!" (More juice please!). She loves to do everything herself...if I try to help her put her pants on she will snatch them from me and say "Self, do it." She loves to suck her thumb, her blanket is always near, and she loves to cuddle. Enjoying every minute watching our little girl grow...

Charlotte prays for salvation

Tonight Charlotte prayed for salvation with Matt and I...I knew it would happen soon, but being there to witness your child pray to our Lord for salvation is beyond words. :)

Testimony

Our pastor had asked Matt and I to give our testimony at church at the Harvest Banquet. He asked us a month or so ago, and the banquet was last night. I am NOT a great public speaker (which may surprise you for as much as I like to talk :) ), so I wrote my testimony out and read it. I didn't want to leave anything out, and I knew I would be so nervous that reading was the only way I was going to get through such an intimate, emotional story.

Here it is...I want to share this for anyone who doesn't know my story, and for our kids, so they can always know how our God led me to His loving arms. Be warned, this isn't written with proper grammar and punctuation, it's written how I think, and how I talk...but you get the picture.

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I was raised in a Catholic home, we went to church every Sunday, we prayed before meals, we prayed every night. A faith in God was instilled in me at an early age. I was taught about sin, about the 10 commandments, and my parents' faith was strong. I remember having talks with my Dad when I was in college, he spoke of how our Lord was the only way he was able to make it through the toughest parts of his life. I am thankful they instilled this faith in me.

I went off to college, and I never lost my faith in my God. But I was missing something...I remember a voice within me...I would hear “I need ____”, but couldn't fill in the blank. I was unsettled, I didn't know exactly what it was I was looking for.

I graduated from college and I still heard the voice. I moved to Rochester to start my career at IBM without knowing a soul here in town. I felt alone, and I still heard the voice.... “I need____”. I thought I needed my spouse...my other half....THAT had to be what I was missing. So I prayed every night for God to send me someone...but not just anyone, I prayed for a loving, kind, man to love. Three weeks later, a friend I worked with introduced me to a handsome, friendly man...Matt Cushing. A short time later, in July 2001, we were married. I was blessed to have found a loving, God-fearing, devoted husband. Our search for a church in Rochester didn’t go too far. I wasn't yet willing to give up the Catholic faith, so we settled at a Catholic church here in town. It worked for us at the time...or so we thought.

To my surprise, I still heard the voice....I was still unsettled. I was happy, and our marriage was amazing, but I was still missing something. So can you guess what I thought I needed next? A baby, right?? We were blessed with our first, Mason, in August of 2003, and Charlotte was born in May of 2005.

In the mean time, much was going on spiritually in our family. I saw my husband reading his Bible, something we never did when I was growing up. We had many talks about faith, and I knew Matt had been saved, but I wasn't sure exactly what it meant. I had trouble understanding how you had to only believe that Christ had died for your sins...I believed that, so wasn't I saved already??

Matt's example and his life showed me that he was different, there was something he had that I didn't...I began to wonder if THIS was what I was missing.

Shortly before Isaac was born in 2007, I realized that being 'saved' wasn't about just believing, it was also about inviting Christ in, to walk with Him on a daily basis, to let him change your heart and your life. I don't remember the date, but I remember sitting on our couch, alone, and praying...it was there that I made my profession of faith. I had finally decided to let Jesus into my heart and into my life. We were still at the Catholic church, and our kids were old enough to start attending Sunday school at our church. We quickly realized they weren't taught Scripture, and we were very unimpressed with the lessons they were learning. We knew we had to make a change. We tried several different churches, but here, at Calvary we found hard-hitting preaching, a fabulous program for our children, and people that cared. We are so thankful to have found our new family here at Calvary.

God was patient with me, leading me slowly and gently to Him. I suppose He knows better than my husband that you can't strong arm me into anything. :) I didn't realize until just a couple of months ago that I haven't heard the voice, or had that unsettling feeling in the last 4+ years that I have been saved. I've experienced hard times and challenges, yes, but now I know where my Rock is...and my faith has never been stronger. I will be eternally grateful for God's voice calling me so gently and patiently to serve Him.

Bye bye baby gates!

It's really happening...my kids are growing up...and it's time to take my baby gates down. There were times I didn't think I'd ever see the day.


















I remember when Matt and his Dad put this up, the work that went into the mounting...notice the extra wood on either side of the spindles?? Genius, right?! It has served us well for eight years...it's crazy that this has been a permanent fixture in our home for EIGHT years! I can hardly believe that "Close the gate!" will be leaving our vocabulary.

You probably think I'm a little insane for getting nostalgic over baby gates, but I have so many memories of the kids staring through them at me...giving kisses through the gate...'spider baby' Isaac climbing it....the list goes on.

Today I cleaned off all the kisses, the crayon, the handprints....and listed them on craigslist. They'll be gone soon I'm sure, but I'm thankful for the amazing memories and beautiful children that we have to fill our home .

Oh, and if you think this is bad just wait until I have to take down the crib!! :)

Whiz kid

Mason loves math...and he's good at it. I'm a Mom, it's my job to brag :)

He is the only 2nd grader in his whole school to pass FastMath addition...so he got his name on the wall. In fact, the only other person on the wall was a 4th grader.



















Also, Mason took the district test to advance one grade in math...he had to score a 90% to pass the test, and he scored a 98.8% (83/84). He had an hour to take the test and was done in 20 minutes. So on Monday, he starts 3rd grade math! We are THRILLED for him, he needed a challenge..and Mason is oh.so.proud of himself.

More posts to come soon...Maggie is mostly potty trained (with very little direction on our part!), Charlotte is doing fabulous in school and is making great progress in reading, and she surprised me tonight with her math and how e.a.s.y it was for her! Isaac is riding his bike without training wheels and just seems so happy lately. Being parents is not easy...but it is so much fun...and so rewarding. We are so blessed!

Maggie in the shower

This morning Maggie wanted to jump in the shower with me...and she wanted to stay in FOREVER! The other kids were all freaked out by the shower at this age, so it's fun to see her want to linger in a nice warm shower...but something tells me our water bill will suffer :)

Happy 8th Birthday, Mason!

Oh Mason, my oldest...the one who first made me a mother...the one that first turned my heart into an expanse of love I never knew existed...oh how I love you! I have to say, this last year with you things have changed so much! I swear your heart has grown 10 sizes in this last year...you are maturing into such a sweet, brave, patient, loving, compassionate boy.

You love to play with Maggie, and are so patient and loving and silly with her. She adores you.

You and Isaac love to do legos together...and lately you two love to fight...although I have to say once you two stop pushing each other's buttons it's amazing to watch how well you can work together and play together. Brothers. I'm so glad you have each other!

You and Charlotte love to climb trees together, you love to buddy up and talk about how you'll both be in school all day together....and riding the bus together. You love to do art projects together, and play games together. It is so fun watching the two of my biggest kids grow up together.

This year, I really feel your heart has changed....this year you accepted our Lord, Jesus Christ as your Savior. You were baptized with Dad and I. You read your Bible every day, you pray (I mean...REALLY pray...your words amaze me!), you think about how you can talk to your friends about Jesus, you read a Bible passage to Isaac and Charlotte every night before bed, your heart is filled with a new love, and I'm SO BLESSED to be your mother. I am SO THANKFUL that God has filled you with a love for Him, and I pray that your heart continues to walk with Him as you grow.

Today we celebrated your birthday by going to the Science Museum. We had so much fun! You loved sifting for fossils and gems. You had a lot of fun in the experiments gallery, and the human body gallery. We picked up some sweet corn on the way home, you had steak and sweet corn for dinner (I had to cut the sweet corn off the cob for you though :) )...then cake, ice cream, and presents. You got a bunch of cool stuff, your favorites were your new Swiss army knife, fishing pole, chess, and Stratego. You played a game of Stratego with Dad after dinner. Then it was time for a shower and some popcorn before bed. It was a really great day!! I can't believe you are EIGHT already!

Happy Birthday, Mason! I love you forever and ever...to the moon and back...I love you.

Mason turning EIGHT!

Tomorrow, Mason turns EIGHT! I asked him what he wanted his birthday cake to look like and he said "I don't know, Jesus dying on the cross or something?" Not the response I was expecting from my 8 year old, but I'll take it!! :)

From there, I thought we could do one of his favorite Bible stories...he chose Noah's ark. The cake is actually pull apart cupcakes, SUPER EASY. The cupcakes are rainbow layers...see pic below.






























This is a card Mason made for Matt and I this morning, completely unprompted. He just said he was bored and just started drawing. I love "as your years go on"...he's just so sweet! :)

Just to sit...

The other night the kids had showers/baths and were sitting down on the eating blanket to watch a show before bed. After picking up the towels, clothes, etc and FINALLY sitting down on the couch Maggie turned from the show and looked at me. She stood up, grabbed her bowl of cheetos and her baby (which was covered in cheetle), walked over to me and said 'ap' (lap). She just wanted to sit on my lap. This was a first...she didn't want to nurse, she didn't want something I had, she just wanted to SIT by me. So we sat...she sat on my lap while she watched the show and shared her cheetos with her baby. It was heavenly....

Maggie at 18 months

Our sweet Maggie is getting big so fast! She is talking up a storm, LOVES to play with her siblings, is starting to potty train, sleeps through the night, wants to do everything herself, loves her snuggles, loves to EAT, loves shoes, and is actually a pretty good listener! She amazes us with how quick she catches on to things...

Tonight I was putting her to bed and she said she wanted 'show' with the big kids (they were watching a tv show before bed). I told her it was time to go to bed...time for the birdies to go to bed, the kitty (across the street) to go to bed, even the ants she likes to play with on the sidewalk will go to bed. She had been playing with a toy duck outside after dinner and she said "Duck...seep....sssss" (which translates as "Duck...sleep...shhhhh". So she not only caught on to what I was saying, but was able to expand to something SHE was thinking about and had been playing with. So clever and cute!

She still sucks her thumb and loves her gingy too!

Here is Maggie out at the land...her shirt is full of cheetos, ketchup, and s'more...needless to say she had a blast! :)

Here's a pic of Maggie being a big girl...as soon as she sits down and goes she says "teet" (treat) because she knows she gets one!

And here's Maggie eating her yogurt (by herself!) sitting on the doc at Uncle Jody & Aunt Chris's cabin. She was miserably cranky right before this...once she got her yogurt in hand and her toes in the water she was a happy girl!

Morning!

Today, my morning consisted of getting up at 6:30am and grabbing Maggie, who had been calling for me, from her crib. I brought her back in my bed where we cuddled, she nursed, and we watched a little Sesame Street. It really is the simple things in life that are the absolute best...

Then it was breakfast for everyone...waffles, fruit, and juice. Now Mason is playing Mario while Charlotte watches, Isaac is still sleeping, Maggie pooped in the toilet (well, 1/2 in her diaper and 1/2 in the toilet...she tried!!), and now Maggie is jumping around the living room (yes, she learned how to JUMP just this morning!).

What to do today? Lately we've kept busy by going to the pool a lot, spending time with friends, we picked raspberries last week, and a lot of time at home just hanging out. Today WAS going to include the fair, but it's raining out :/

I used to get much peace from looking at the 'big picture' when something was going wrong....does *this* really matter in the big scheme of things? I've realized what I was really looking for was not the big picture, but rather to keep things in focus using and 'eternal perspective.'

My soul is the one piece of me that will live eternally....so I am trying hard to spend my time doing things that can enrich and thicken my soul. Why wait until death to start my eternity? My eternity started when I was created...when God gifted my soul to this earth for a short time. THAT is what I want to pass on to my kids too....we have one purpose in life...we have no one to please but our God. I want to teach them to live their lives for an audience of One.

Yeah yeah...deep subject for a blog post. But this blog is for the kids someday, and I want them to see this all...that our parenting was based on a purpose...a goal...and we had their soul...their eternity in mind.

Now...off to get the baby out of the bathroom...she's probably playing in the toilet again :)

3652 days...

That would be the number of days I have been married to my sweet husband...3,652. Yesterday was our 10 year anniversary. It seems miniscule to me, yet so much has happened in that time! Marriage is something that, although I grasped the concept of it, I didn't REALLY know what it meant or what it would feel sharing a LIFE with someone. In 10 years we have created 4 beautiful souls, shared only 1 home, gone through a few jobs, cars, and grown SO MUCH in our commitment to one another. Our faith in our God has a lot to do with it...we've grown TOGETHER.

The Bible tells us "Can two walk together, unless they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3). You can't stay together if you don't have the same purpose, the same focus...if you're not agreed...it would be like two intersecting lines meeting for a brief moment and then going on their own way. But when agreed, the two lines become one...heading to the same point, with the same purpose...'agreed'. I'm beyond thankful to my God for bringing Matt to me...my partner, my love, my other half...the one I am 'agreed' with. We have a purpose in our lives...our God gives it to us. We can only pray that we can live faithfully, agreed, for Him, as long as we both shall live.

I LOVE being married...the day I became Mrs. Matthew Cushing was the start of something VERY good :)

Summertime is getting tricky...

Ok, so the kids have been out of school for a while now, and I'm learning summertime is tricky with 4 kids in the house. They can't agree on what to play, they fight, and really misbehave...and they feed off each other. When one misbehaves the next does too...and so on, and they get each other all wound up. This makes summertime motherhood challenging.

On Wednesday I was SO excited to go to the pool with the kids, but the were so sassy and disobedient I had to take it away...so no pool. I have found that the pool is my biggest bargaining chip...so I use it.

Today I had to go to the chiropractor and last time I had the kids there they were AWFUL...riling up the dog (yes, they have their super sweet dog in the office...the kids love it!), dumping toys everywhere, fighting over the awesome chalkboard wall space, etc. Today before we set foot in the door I laid down my expectations...we were going to divide up the chalkboard space, they were to pet the dog only when they were sitting, and they were all to help pick up any mess Maggie made. It worked, like a charm. They were SO well behaved...I was quite proud of them and promised we could go to the pool this afternoon as a reward.

So then we were off to the library, again, I had exemplary behavior from the fab four (well, Maggie was a bit of a pistol, but 3/4 isn't bad!). I had time to help everyone find the books they wanted, the kids turned in their summer reading logs and got their goodie bag as a prize. It went well, Maggie started to melt down so we left.

In their goodie bags they each got a coupon for a free bowl of noodles from Noodles & Company. Well, it was lunchtime and they were excited to use their coupons, and they were being SOOOOO good, I figured it was a great day for it...since they were on their best behavior and all. I'm sure you can see where this is going....

We are eating lunch at noodles, around the big oval table big enough to seat at least eight people. Maggie tells me she has to go to the bathroom (she's been potty training somewhat)...I figured I couldn't NOT take her when she was telling me she had to go, and since the others were being so good I could leave them for a minute while I ran to the bathroom with Maggie.

So I take Maggie, she willingly sits on a PUBLIC TOILET (those that have potty trained know what a big accomplishment this can be), she didn't go, but we washed hands and head back out.

I round the corner to see another woman talking to my children, Charlotte in tears, and Mason with his tattle face on. I didn't wait to hear the story...I politely thanked the other woman for intervening and not letting my children create any more of a scene, and told the kids to get in the van. Apparently they were fighting about not having enough space and trying to decide who needed to move. Remember, this table was big enough to seat EIGHT, and there are my 7 and 6 year old fighting over space...and ISAAC (at barely 4 years old) was telling them to stop fighting. Aggghhh!!

These kids never cease to surprise me in so many ways! Gotta love 'em!!

P.S. Mason and Charlotte had some significant time in their rooms when we got home, Isaac got to take out bonus marbles for being the one to behave nicely and telling them to stop fighting...and Maggie did poop on the toilet :)

She POOPED on the POTTY!!

Maggie has peed on her potty chair a few times now, and today she was playing in the living room, grabbed her diaper and said 'poop'...I KNEW she hadn't gone yet so I could only presume she was referring to events which were about to occur. I asked her if she wanted to go on her potty chair, she said "esss!" (yes), so off we went.

While on her potty chair she pointed to the big toilet...and said something which clearly meant she'd rather be sitting there instead. So I put the seat on the toilet, sat her down, and she POOPED on the TOILET! She was a little freaked out by it, but we praised her up and down...clapping and saying 'YAY, Maggie!!'...and Charlotte rushed to get her a sucker so I think all in all was pretty pleased with herself.

Wow...my fourth time potty training, and it's still, dare I say, fun?? If I squint really hard, I *think* I can see the end of diapers in my future....

Isaac turns FOUR!!!

Hard to believe, but my little boy turned FOUR today.

Here he is moments after he was born...I marveled at his squishy cheeks...the little tank his 10 pound body was...how he kept his hands by his face...his sweet smell...and I thanked God the true knot in his cord caused no harm...

Today was a FABULOUS day of celebration. We started with a playdate with Jack (and Sarah) at the park, then out to lunch. Then we came home and Jack came over for some more fun with rocket balloons and the hexbug Jack had given Isaac for his birthday. The hexbug, for the record, is his favorite gift.

Jack went home and Isaac, Mason, and Charlotte played while Maggie napped. After Maggie's nap it was time for a popsicle outside, then Daddy came home and it was time for presents outside (a styrofoam ginormous airplane, kid sized golf clubs, a new frisbee, a flashlight, a baseball cap, and a notebook for his secret missions). Then we had pizza for dinner and robot cake for dessert:

Then we went to Rochesterfest for the parade (how often can you say they have a parade for your birthday!?)...really all the kids wanted was the candy from the parade so we stayed for about 45 minutes, wandered around to check things out, had some spaghetti ice cream and called it a night.

Isaac had a great day, and we all had fun with him!

Isaac Matthew, you are such a sweet, spunky, smart, handsome little boy. I love the way you say "Mommy?" and I say "What, Isaac?" and you say "I wuv you." Every time it just melts my heart and you seem to know EXACTLY when I need to hear it. You are learning your letters and their sounds, and your numbers too...and you're much smarter than you let on. You are so much fun to play with, and you are so easy to please. You love to test your limits, but settle quite nicely once you know exactly where they are. You are simply amazing.

I love you, sweet Isaac, with my whole heart...more than you will ever know.

Happy 4th Birthday!

Playgroup

My playgroup has been meeting every week for nearly two years...me and 5 beautiful women and their children. I don't have any family in town, but these women are like family to me...they don't hesitate to watch my kids, listen when I need a shoulder, bring meals when I'm overwhelmed, and are of the rare few people in my life that have seen me at my most vulnerable moments.

This week, our playgroup goes down one member...the amazing Allison Sullivan and her family are moving to Texas. We had our last 'girls night in' last night, and Jackie reminded us of a quote at the end of the movie "The Sandlot":

"When one guy would move away, we never replaced him on the team with anyone else.

We just kept the game going like he was still there."

So, that's what we shall do. Allison, we will miss you dearly, but it's not goodbye... instead... we'll simply say "See you soon!"

Here is the slideshow of playgroup that Allison put together for us...it details the growth of friendship and children...what precious memories...and I'm looking forward to making more memories when you come back to Rochester and when we come to Texas!!

Maaaa-meeeee!!

Maggie's new favorite word......Mommy...and Daddy. She rarely says them short and sweet, they are usually a long drawn out "Maaaaaaa-meeeeee!" or "Daaaaaaa-deeeee!" It really is precious. She never really did the mama and dada things...she just went straight to Mommy and Daddy.

She is now 16 months old, she loves to play outside, snuggle with Mommy, suck her thumb, and eat. She enjoys having the other kids out from school so they are available for playtime all day long.

We went strawberry picking last week, and it didn't take her long to realize the berries in her bucket were de.li.cious. As I pulled my phone up to take her picture...she gave me her first forced, deliberate, 'cheese' smile...how cute is that??