Where I Come From- Strong Personalities

Journal Entry written by Mom Payne
April 24, 1987

"Tyler I think will be my challenge in life. He is definitely the most strong willed of all our kids. He's presently 3 and he thinks he doesn't have to answer to anyone for anything. He figures he can get food anytime. Go out and play without telling anyone. Wonder off at stores or parks- he's definitely independent!

Frankly I very much dislike writing in my journal, but Glen requested I write down the following episode I had with Tyler so I could laugh about it someday- that is what motivated me today to take pen in hand and catch up a little.

Just after the kids left for school at about 7:30 Tyler was still at the table with his bowl of chex cereal. He said he was full, but I hated to throw away a full bowl so I told him he needed to eat 3 more bites. He said he didn't want to, took his full bowl and dumped it upside down on the table. Milk flowed to the crack and onto the floor along with all over the table. I decided I would try and use natural consequences instead of spanking so I very calmly told him he would have to clean it up. After a couple of minutes of no response I went over and took his hand and helped him grab a handful of soggy cereal and put it back in his bowl. I could see it was going to take a long time and he would enjoy the attention so I told him to finish it- No response. Except a look of defiance. So I said he would have to sit there until it was done. 

About 30 minutes later he got down and went to hide so I picked him up, set him in the chair and told him if he got down again I would have to get a belt and strap him to the chair. Ten minutes later I followed through with that episodes  however, he couldn't reach the cereal which by now he had thrown on a couple of chairs, half way across the table, and on the floor. He asked if I would please take the belt off him and I agreed if he would clean it up so he said he would. He picked the cereal off the table and said he was all done. I explained that now he needed to clean up the floor and chairs.

He then laid on the living room carpet next to the mess and did nothing. After a couple of minutes I went over sat him up and told very very firmly to clean it up NOW.

He just glared at me as if to say, "I dare you to try and make me." I began to count to three- which of course means do it or else! Except I usually inform then in advance what the or else was- but since I as yet was trying not to spank him. I didn't know what the or else was. So I said "1-2-3", he then picked up a piece of cereal, thought about it and a few seconds later, threw it in my face. I was completely stunned. 

Never have I faced such defiance in any of my own children. I was completely calm and had not lost my temper- which I must admit I think was pretty good. I very calmly took him by the hand, picked up the blet I had used in strapping him to the chair and led the lamb to the slaughter. We went to my room and I pulled down his pants, laid him on my bed and for the 1st time in my life I used a belt. I actually spanked him harder with my hand, but somehow the thought of the belt puts a chill in the air. His bottom wasn't even red, but boy was he ever upset. I told him to go clean up the mess NOW and boy did he ever hustle in there and finish up the job. Even though it took over an hour I think he learned more than if I had just spanked him to begin with- at least I know I will remember the experience for a long time.

Regardless of his strong personality, Tyler has been our most lovable child. He has successfully trained me to lay by him every day at naptime by his sweet actions. He cuddles up to me, wraps an arm around my neck, lay on my shoulder, or rubs my back. It is a time of day we both usually enjoy. He tells me I'm pretty and even notices when I get dressed up. He's affectionate to everyone and you can always count on a hug or kiss from him when you want one. 

Tyler also had a very large imagination and for several months was seldom Tyler, he was either superman, a dog, or a Daddy."

So that's were those two turkeys get it from. okay, okay... I guess Tyler can't take all the heat.
Strong personalities. Gotta love 'em. 

Preschool Thursdays

For the past couple of months a friend and I have been getting our kids together for Preschool Thursdays. It's nothing fancy, but I've found that Rachel does so much better learning with a friend. We love having Maden over to play!!! 
We got crazy this past Thursday and made shapes and letters in shaving cream...     

The kiddos loved it! It's funny how with some activities I try to go all out and prepare which usually turns out pretty good, but then all I do is go out and buy a can of shaving cream and it's a favorite. 
You just never know what activities will hit home with your children.

They have so much fun together. Rachel even mentioned Maden in a prayer the other day. 
Rachel, like her mother, has a constant need to connect with people and make friends. 

Things really got crazy when we added food coloring! 
Letters, shapes, numbers, and colors all in one can of shaving cream... 
We are already looking forward to next Thursday.

TOFW- Seek the Good

I finally had the opportunity to experience my first Time Out for Women! I'd heard out them, but had never been to one before. I was very excited to hear the speakers and Lord knows I needed the boost. Having things to look forward to is a must in life particularly when it feels like you're living life one day at a time. 
Since deployment started I've been very tenacious and gun-hoe about always having things to look forward to. It could be small things like the zoo, a long run, a lunch date to Chick-fil-a with my girlies, bike rides, and taking a nap with the girls. Or it could be big things like trips to see family and friends, races, pedicures, and Time Out for Women. If you're feeling blue, may I suggest finding something, ANYTHING to look forward to... it works for me.   The girls and I, correction Rachel and I, have been a little out of sorts in recent weeks and this was just what the doctor ordered. The theme was "Seek the Good". I love that theme because of the word SEEK. Seeking is action, seeking takes effort, and seeking can be a challenge. Sometimes seeking the good means not settling until you find it. Anxiety, worry, stress, and the occasional bag of Dove chocolates is okay! It happens. But there comes a time where I've got to put my foot down and say enough!  I'm going to be happy. I've got to be happy. I need to be happy! Let's go to the park. Let's call a friend. Let's play "Just Dance 3"!  Let's color a picture for Daddy! Let's go to the library! Let's just go for a drive and see where that takes us today... usually target! haha! You get my drift though.  Sis Hinckley puts it best when she says,  "The only way to get through life is to life your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a head-ache."    She's right. Laughing is definitely the way to go. 
The whole TOFW crew... Aunt Jen, Me, Mom, and Nana    

Hilary Weeks spoke about "clicking" for happy thoughts. She is an excellent speaker by the way. Anyhow, my Mom got me my very own clicker. I decided to put in on my rear view mirror and click for positive thoughts while I'm on the road. I'll have you know I'm up to 43 since I took this picture, haha...

Our car's tummy started rumbling so we had to stop to fill it up. During which I caught a glimpse of this little beauty knawing on an apple. Let's see... deep blue eyes, juicy green apples, happy car tummy, strawberries (because her shirt reminded me), kisses blown from the back seat, and my two Payne girls...
click click click click click click...

Prairieman Sprint 2012

Prairieman Sprint Grand Prairie, TX Round 3- 500m swim 20.5 mile bike 5k run
The same sponsors from my triathlon in July sent me an email saying they were doing another one! The moment I read it I knew I was going to sign up. They put on a great show back in July and I definitely wanted to give it another shot. Funny thing, there was a cold front that came through that morning- the first and only so far! Other than a chilly exit from the lake and a windy bike ride, it was great! After talking to several people after the race, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who struggled with the windy bike ride. My little station is all set up and ready to go!   

I really love doing triathlons. They are a lot of fun and you meet some amazing people along the way. It always surprises me that some of the very best triathletes are over 40. They are INSANE. I always leave feeling pumped like I'm ready to do another. Truth is, I don't train a lick for any of them. Training requires a lot of time and daylight that I just don't have right now. At least for the swim and bike part. I just jump in and have fun which means I don't get the best times.  
However, one thing that I love doing is CrossFit. It equals my love for wrestling. And I can see myself doing it for the rest of my life. I RXed "Fran" for the first time a couple of weeks ago! It felt amazing! I didn't set any records, but I have been doing CrossFit for over a year so this is definitely a big deal for me. I didn't set a world record or anything, but it was a personal best. And I'm finally getting this whole "kipping pull-up" thing. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about go ahead and youtube it. It's pretty awesome stuff. But I'll have to save all this talk for a CrossFit post that is long overdue. 
Point is- exercising has proven to be an outlet in my life that I absolutely treasure. It is the best medicine. It helps me be a better me. There really are no excuses, and that's what I like about it. You either do it or you don't. 
I can't wait to run these with Rachel and Maggie one day. I'm going to give them a run for their money.
(And yes, this is the same thing I wore last time. Don't judge. haha!)

After Making Brownies...

We went to the park!
That was one crazy fast slide...   

So fast in fact- that it hurt...

     Of course that didn't phase Maggie one bit, that is until she bit her lip on her 5th go around...

Some of you may have wondered if we actually had brownies to bake after our little batter party... Well, somehow we managed to fill a whole pan! haha! More sugar anyone? 

Did you know that when you eat brownies they do a little dance in your tummy?
Its true, I could feel the little dudes in there doing a brownie jig!    

Maggie believed me...

By the way, if you're wondering who took the pictures of me with my girls... that would the one and only Denise. After a long day of work, she met us at the park. It definitely added sunshine to our day. Thank you for playing with us!
Does anyone else have this problem? It seems to be quite the issue for Miss Maggie...

Let's just take the goldfish along, shall we?

I promise you I did her hair before we left. Hairspray or no hairspray, with whispy baby-fine hair like this there's just no controlling how it turns out. I've got to admit that I love it though...

Denise and Rachel got to talking about sparkly eyes. Rachel was thrilled to know that her eyes sparkle. 
We talked about sparkly eyes the whole ride home. As a matter of fact, we talked about it today!
I can't even begin to describe how much I love this little girl.

Yep, I definitely see sparkly eyes or as I like to call it "fizzin root beer eyes". 
She likes that one too. :)

Mr. Duncan Hines

This is going to be fun...

Afternoon and nothing to do? Let's make brownies!
Rachel was on board as soon as I pulled out the red Duncan Hines box. 
And just like that, we have something to do!

hahahaha!
This picture is just hilarious. 
Sometimes I can't stop laughing!
Like a large mouth bass to a worm...

She's hooked.

"Maggie, look at Mommy and smile!"

And she did it... the whole nine yards even! 
I mean, look at that squinty, gooey, oozey, sticky, sweet as chocolate smile...

Rachel had fun feeding Maggie, and Maggie certainly didn't mind the help...

"oooo Mommy, this is good!"

Chocolate goatee anyone?

And a black and white one- just because I felt like it. ;)
Thank you Duncan Hines, my lovely friend. You were a hit!

Morning Prayers

It was one of those days. Actually, it was one of those weeks... okay, months... {sigh}... where my morning prayers go a little something like this...

Dear Heavenly Father, 

I've woken up at 4:30 to work out. I've showered, read my scriptures, and now I'm praying to Thee. I've been perfect so far today {remember, this is around 6 am}. I haven't gossiped or had mean thoughts. I've already drank lots of water. I've been a good girl. 

But in about an hour the girls are going to wake up. I just want to be a good mom. Please let me think before I raise my voice. Please fill in all my gaps. 

In the name of Jesus Christ,

Amen.

I hadn't gotten my camera out in about 2 weeks. For me, that's like a decade. But on this lovely morning I was going to pick myself up out of this funk and take pictures of my girls. 
They complete me. Let me clarify- We are a team. The three amigos. When Rachel is having a rough day, Maggie is being an angel. When Maggie is having a rough day, Rachel is being a helper. Sometimes both of them have rough days at the same time, then we watch Tangled.
   They are incredibly stubborn. To me, it's an amazing trait to possess. However, it can be rough on Mommies. But let's face it, all Mommies are struggling, learning, adapting, growing, and changing with their babies. And it's all for the better.

She cracks me up. 
Can you tell it was a fast slide?

Something about this picture gets me. She's talking to me. She is quite the chatter box these days. When we're driving in the car, I'm constantly turning down the radio to chat with this little girl... 

She's so cute. 
That's all.

Yep, I just want to be a good Mom. Don't we all? And I do think know Heavenly Father fills in all our gaps. 
I will forever be grateful for my opportunity to stay at home with these two little rascals. 
They complete me.

Labor Day

It's always a nice surprise when little holiday weekends like Labor Day appear. Not that life with little ones changes on Labor Day, but at least its a good excuse to grill, break out the kiddie pool, and buy a pineapple.  She loves having control of that hose. I mean who doesn't feel all powerful with a water hose in their hands? haha... 

Hooray! We're playing in the kiddie pool... for like the hundredth time! 
And it still gets the same reaction...

Don't get me wrong, these two sure can throw down, but they also have so much fun playing together.

It makes my Mommy heart so happy to see them have so much fun together. 
Best Buds...

Hey! Hey! Hey! That was my chair! 
Should I even bother trying get my chair back? That look means business! 
What a stinker! I had to go grill anyway... something I've gotten pretty darn good at since Tyler left.
 Still though, I don't think I'll ever have him beat on that one.
Happy very very late Labor Day ya'll! One day I'll catch up! ;)

Rebel Race- Dallas, Texas

I spotted a Rebel Race advertisement on facebook at the beginning of the summer and couldn't wait to try another mud run. After all, they are my favorite. 

And guess who else came to run the big race? The Binghams!!! Cheylee is one of my very best friends of all time and I can't tell you how good it was to see her. It was like a breath of fresh air and a flood of memories from Aggieland all at once. 

Dave is training for his big Tough Mudder coming up and us girls were just having a good ole' time. Thanks for coming up to Dallas!   

We ran the 15K/9 mile course, and boy what it fun! When I signed up I noticed that the start time for the race was 3 p.m... that's bizarre? 3 p.m. in August in Texas? Did I really read that right? I guess I did. Better hydrate or I might die. 
Luckily it was a freak day in Texas summer history! It was cloudy and cool all day. By the time we finished the sky had turned black and I knew we were in for a down pour! 

Hurry, lets snap a picture before it's too late! 
Me and my Aggie BFF

And we were right it did pour!!! It was cold, the wind was blowing, and all our stuff got wet! Poor Cheylee ended up with a cell phone fatality. We tried to get all the mud off, and then made a dash for our cars. I found mud in my ears a week later! haha! Gross, I know. It sure was worth it! After making it to our cars and putting a "fresh" t-shirt on, we found a little hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint down the road. It was delicious, and the company was unmatched. 
I can't tell you how badly I needed to dive into a mud pit, hang with good friends, and eat a BBQ sandwich. 
Now that's what I call therapy. I'm ready for another one!

More Summertime Fun

Nana and Pop took the girls and I to a fun little waterpark/pool last month. It was a blast and the girls absolutely loved it! I considered moving to The Woodlands just so that the girls and I could go to this pool every day.  Yeah, it was that awesome.

It wasn't too big or fancy; it was just right. Maggie could not get enough of the slide. 

So I'm going to warn you now, brace yourself for lots of slide pictures...

Rachel's turn!

Whew! She went all the way under... She's been funny about going all the way under since the beginning of the summer... I wonder how she's going to feel about it this time...

Oh no! Just what I suspected... goodness gracious, One day she's Miss Dare-devil and the next she's as fragile as a flower... It was a flower sort of day...

Maggie was definitely in a dare-devil sort of mood...

Maggie's ready to take her post, all she needs now is a whistle. 

What, you're not sure about this idea? Don't you trust the Magster? hehe...

Yeah, I think playing suits her best right now. Gosh, we had so much fun. I mean look at this face!

Swingin Rach...

Weeeee!

One of my favorites, big splash!

Seriously, stop growing! My baby is getting too big! At least she's still got those thighs! haha!

Another favorite... splashing pictures are just awesome.

There are some things that make 100+ degree weather bearable, and that pool was one of them! 

It was a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Thanks Nana and Pop!