Quiet time or Destruction time?

As I turned off the water to the sink, I hear Ristow upstairs crying. He is supposed to be down for his quiet time (he rarely actually sleeps during this time anymore). I run up there and find that he has pulled his mattress off his bed, flung the blinds up and has blankets everywhere. I ask him what happened and see if he is ok. He says he bumped his head when he fell off the mattress. Now I ask if that is what he is supposed to be doing during quiet time. To which he replys "no, the bed was supposed to be a boat mom!" Oh, if only I had know that before.

Earlier today he was in the living room watching a little tv and I hear
"MOM! Its an Emergency!".
I go in there to find that the rabbit ear antenna had fallen off the back of the TV and the tv lost its signal. Goodness! We then had a long talk about what constitutes an emergency. Drama, Drama, Drama.
If these are the big catastrophes for the day, I think we are doing pretty good.

I am headed out of town for the weekend to hang with my girls from college while Christopher and Ristow play,explore and do whatever else they do together this weekend. I am lucky to have a husband that loves spending lots of time with his son. I hope to find them both in one piece when I return on Monday ;)

Rafting

This past weekend we joined Christopher's sister Amy and her husband Todd for a fun weekend of camping and White Water Rafting. We had a great time relaxing by the fire and hanging out. Our rafting trip got started late but once we were there, it rocked. We got to raft down the 1996 Olympic Kayaking course. Sweet! 6 hours later we rafted back to the bus. What a rush.

Todd and Amy then came up to Nashville and stayed with us for a few days. It has been a great visit and Ristow has been a total ham showing off the entire time. He has loved having them around.

Christopher's Birthday

Yesterday was Christopher's Birthday.
Ristow and I got up and decorated the kitchen and wrapped presents, letting Daddy sleep in a little. Ristow was beside himself with excitement. When I finally let him go in and wake up Christopher, Ristow jumped on the bed and sang Happy Birthday about 10 times. I think he wished him Happy Birthday about 100 times. He cheered during presents and says 'Here dad open your new book" He said that for each present, of course telling Christopher what each one was before he opened it. We haven't quite grasped surprises yet.
Ristow then spent the rest of the morning and afternoon with Grammy and Poppy, while I took Christopher out to breakfast and then we rented a canoe and did 7miles down the river. It was a wonderful day.
It was so great to spend that time with my husband, I am so thankful for him and for our relationship. He is such a loving father and husband and I am so proud of him and all that he strives for. He has chosen to make spending quality time with us a priority and for that I am truly grateful.
Happy Birthday Christopher.

Party Enthusiast

Ristow is always up for a party! He loves decorations, singing, cake, everything about parties. I know, who doesn't right? Well yesterday we were talking about Christopher's birthday coming up on Sunday and you could see the wheels turning in Ristow's head.

This morning at 6:15 I was awakened by Ristow blowing party horns. I went upstairs and found him sitting in his room surrounded by party hats, horn blowers and leis, smiling from ear to ear.
He had found my new years party box and was "getting ready for daddy's party".
While at first the horns were a little much for that early in the morning, you can't help but get in the party spirit when you see Ristow having so much fun.
Today, it seems, party horns were a perfect way to celebrate the start to another beautiful day.

I'll make sure to hide them for tomorrow morning!

Super Ristow

I know I have talked about Superheroes, but today was the epitomy of SUPERHERO!

I got Ristow his Superman costume that he has been asking for for months. He was so proud of himself! He asks " What's the problem mom?!" in a superhero voice, waiting for me to give him a problem to solve with his super powers. I use this to my advantage and tell him problems like, "this toy needs help finding its home" or " I can't find my keys" and he dashes away to complete the task. Christopher also discovered that Ristow will eat his fruit and veggies when we tell him that they aid in super strength and other super powers. He will take one bite for each body part, boy do we milk that one as much as we can ;)

I hope this phase lasts. It sure is fun, even the part where Christopher and I wear capes with him, except ofcourse when he wants to save the world out in the front yard for our neighbors to enjoy!

Family Reunion

Today was the McClintock family reunion in Plymouth, Ohio. It was the most perfect weather and a wonderful time seeing everyone. Christopher and I really enjoy this time with his family. Plus we get a much appreciated rest from the demands of Ristow. He played happily and loved the attention.

Christopher's grandma will be 91 this year and she is just so amazing. To see the love she has for her family pour from her eyes as she looks around is so special. She tells me how truly blessed she feels and my heart melts because I feel the same way getting to be a part of her family. She is such a servant and a blessing to everyone. I am so thankful for her and the family that she has raised.

We also take advantage of spending time with Christopher's sister Amy and her husband Todd. We have so much fun with them and Ristow just loves his Auntie Ames. It was fun to watch them play together today.

What a great weekend.

Teaching Gratefulness

One of the things I struggle with right now is raising Ristow to be grateful. Now don't get me wrong, I am not expecting my 3 1/2 yr old to totally grasp this concept, but I don't want him to be spoiled and take things for granted.
He is very polite when given a gift, says thank you and is super excited about getting surprises. Five minutes later it is a different story. The same goes for places we go or fun experiences. As soon as we are finished, no matter how great the activity, he says "mom, where are we going next?" I really want to believe that this mind set is typical for 3 yr olds. Never seeming satisfied, always wanting more. I guess that is a human flaw that is probably built into us. I know many days, I myself struggle with contentment, but that is another topic in itself.

How does one teach the idea of being grateful? I know I tend to give in too much and make one too many trips to the dollar store for a special treat for good behavior. So I guess it comes down to a balance between rewarding good behavior and expecting it on a daily basis that shouldn't need a prize or a treat. I know I need to not give him so much, maybe then he will actually be truly appreciative when he gets something. It is hard for me, this knowing exactly how to parent and raise a good kid. I trust that the knowledge and ability will be shown to me when I really need it. For now I guess I will just try my best and know that God has great plans for Ristow. He is very special to me and I don't doubt that he will one day be a very grateful individual.

Camping

We just returned from our first camping trip with Ristow. Wow, I had always remembered camping being a nice relaxing experience. WRONG! Camping with a 3 yr old is just about the opposit of that. He loved the tent and swimming and fishing and playing frisbee, and that was just the first hour. He wanted to experience everything right away and then move on to the next thing. He did a great job at the campfire untill a hot marshmallow stick ended up on my forehead. yikes!
All in all we had a fun adventure. We decided that next time we might bring a friend for Ristow to play with, in hopes of giving us a bit of a rest.
Oh yeah and we would definitely get a campsite a bit closer to the bathrooms :)

The necessity for a SuperHero!

Ristow has just this week developed the need to wear superhero costumes.
ALL THE TIME!
Spiderman, Superman, Batman, LarryBoy, you name it and he pretends to be it. Blankets become capes and the whole house apparently needs to be rescued. He is the strongest, most brave hero ever, as he says and it makes me smile.
Many of his toys have become a thing of the past as the ability for pretend play flourishes. It truly is amazing to me how fast they change and all the excitement that comes along with it.

Oh no, Ristow has just called to me from upstairs during his naptime
" Mommmmm, come and see, it was an accident!" The words every mom dreads to hear.

SuperMommy to the rescue!

A Trip to Ligonier

Last weekend we spent a wonderful time with my brother Jim, sister-in-law Suzannah and my adorable neice Dylan in Ligonier. They live and work at the camp and as such we enjoyed the many benefits of spending time together and enjoying the amenities of camp life. I got to zoom down the zip line, take Ristow on his first canoe ride, have a campfire, slide down natural waterslides and even let Ristow feed the horses at the barn. So great.
Unfortunately, Ristow got car sick 10 minutes before we got there and upon arrival poor Dylan was in the middle of throwing up. It was an eventful first day. Luckily things quieted down and the kiddos were back to normal.

I think what impressed upon me most was seeing Jim and Zan in the midst of summer life. They are constantly between the house and camp and taking care of Dylan. And yet they never seem to take for granted the enormity of their purpose there. They are there to minister to the kids and staff and draw them into a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. What is great is how I see that displayed in all they do. They shine, even when sleep deprived and frustrated, they shine with a light that inspires me. I am so proud of them and the work they are doing for the kingdom of God. What a blessing it was to get to see a glimpse of that.
Hopefully we will get to see them again soon.