More Lawson News
Our new home is almost ready! I am just about beside myself with excitement....and I don't mind this little house we're in (an old farmhouse next to the weir in Oakey) BUT I can't wait to have my own bathroom where my toothpaste and toothbrush will remain unmolested by little fingers......I can't wait to have my oven OFF THE FLOOR for the first time in 10 years and actually inside the kitchen, as opposed to outside the U-shaped bench we have here.....I can't wait to live inside walls that are insulated.....I'm so excited to be a house where I can't see the ground through gaps in the floor......and I can't wait, above all, to unpack all of our belongings and FINALLY be organised - I'm starting to get really tired of seeing all my belongings strewn throughout our house in boxes.....
I reckon this is God's way of reminding me to be thankful for our new home!
The house should be completed by Sept 26th, but then we have to have inspections and the handover should be early to mid October. This last little bit of waiting is actually harder than when we first moved here in April!
Today we found out that our site manager is a christian. I'm ashamed to admit I'd completely misjudged him and passed him off as another boofhead tradesman! One of my biggest character flaws is that of assuming things. A big lesson learned today - thankfully God considers me worth teaching :). Anyway, it's always so fantastic discovering new brothers and sisters in Christ!
My children are driving me bonkers at the moment. We go through stages where they'll steer off course every so often and we have to pull them back on course. It's hard work and I'm not a fan of doing the 'teacher Mummy' thing, where I implement behaviour management strategies. But it's an absolutely necessary thing and part of my job. That's what I tell myself whenever I have to do something I don't want to do: the washing up, cooking dinner, talking to a sulking child, making the husband a cup of coffee after both of us have had a long day, etc......it's my job as the wife and mum to do what needs to be done as far as managing the household. The fact that I want to lie in bed reading Persuasion with a tonne of sugar-infused snacks is irrelevant..........
.....so! We're constructing reward systems and drawing along side our children to keep them on the right path. It's really hard to talk calmly to an almost six year old who responds to all your requests in one of four ways:
1. Ignoring. As in, "I've heard you, Mum, but what I'm doing is more important....."
2. My personal least favourite: "NO!" That never goes down well.
3. "I don't want to do that." Very matter-of-fact. And I, without fail, always say, "You don't have a choice!"
4. Blowing a raspberry. This is a new one which has been swiftly dealt with and I'm not expecting to see again any time soon!
My four year old responds to my requests in one of these ways:
1. Ignoring. As in, "Mum, I was in Denna-dream-land and in Denna-dream-land I never have to anything that puts me out......"
2. Crying pitifully.
3. Whining, "But I don't want tooooooooo...." And I, without fail, always say, "You don't have a choice!"
4. The defiant noise combined with a stamped foot. This is my personal least favourite!
So, this has been going on for a while and I've been trying to deal with it without raising my voice or smacking. And of course, it's resulted in Matthew blowing a raspberry the other morning and my realisation that a) I'm starting to blow my stack a lot more with yelling and the odd smack anyway and b) I've given them too much leeway. Time to get back on course and for us to teach them what's OK and what's not.
So, prayer comes first. Then we're doing reward charts for all the three older children. And with that comes definite, clear boundaries about what we will tolerate and what we will not - reinforced with a smack or some time in the 'naughty corner' if necessary.
I realised with a rude shock today that this time next year, I will be preparing my Joseph for kindergarten in 2013! I'm still processing the fact that my third baby will be off beginning his formal education and I only have one more precious year with him at home full time.
Sending Matthew, the eldest, off was OK. I mean, I miss him and he misses us.....but he's the eldest and he was SO ready to go to kindy! Then with Denna, well, she's the eldest girl.....and so after some brief heart-string-pulling episodes, I was able to send her off without too much fussing.
But Joseph's the baby. My baby!
I'm hoping by this time next year I'll be more OK with sending him off.....but I'm not quite there at the moment!
I have a job interview in two weeks time! It's a volunteer position and it's 5-10 hours per week, so it's not so much a big interview, more just sussing out that the arrangement is suitable for both myself and the organisation I'll hopefully be working with. It's work involving young women which is my absolute passion - I've experienced a huge call on my life to the issues surrounding women in today's society. I'm so stoked I get to do some work which will be flexible and suitable for me with my busy family life!
I've also been spring cleaning lately, but not the house - my behaviours! I've been working on my 'silver box' theory. Let me tell you, it's been hard going and I've been trying really super hard to not raise my voice or shout. The progress is painfully slow.....but I'm experiencing some at least. I'm now able to stop and think before I fly off the handle. It's been difficult with the children's behaviour declining a bit lately so it's a bit patchy. But I've managed to pull myself up a few times instead of just seething in the flesh and lashing out with my tongue.
Church is fantastic! As we drive there on Sunday mornings through the gorgeous Gowrie/Glencoe/Birnam scenery, I always find myself thinking, "Are you sure you like it there at church?" and when I get there and our pastor starts preaching, I always think, "YES!". He's fantastic. And get this, he used to be a carpenter! Anyway, his relaxed but truthful style of preaching is really hitting the spot. We love it!
Anyway, this is just another update......I've got a few more 'encouraging'-type posts in my head which I'll get around to soon!
I reckon this is God's way of reminding me to be thankful for our new home!
The house should be completed by Sept 26th, but then we have to have inspections and the handover should be early to mid October. This last little bit of waiting is actually harder than when we first moved here in April!
Today we found out that our site manager is a christian. I'm ashamed to admit I'd completely misjudged him and passed him off as another boofhead tradesman! One of my biggest character flaws is that of assuming things. A big lesson learned today - thankfully God considers me worth teaching :). Anyway, it's always so fantastic discovering new brothers and sisters in Christ!
My children are driving me bonkers at the moment. We go through stages where they'll steer off course every so often and we have to pull them back on course. It's hard work and I'm not a fan of doing the 'teacher Mummy' thing, where I implement behaviour management strategies. But it's an absolutely necessary thing and part of my job. That's what I tell myself whenever I have to do something I don't want to do: the washing up, cooking dinner, talking to a sulking child, making the husband a cup of coffee after both of us have had a long day, etc......it's my job as the wife and mum to do what needs to be done as far as managing the household. The fact that I want to lie in bed reading Persuasion with a tonne of sugar-infused snacks is irrelevant..........
.....so! We're constructing reward systems and drawing along side our children to keep them on the right path. It's really hard to talk calmly to an almost six year old who responds to all your requests in one of four ways:
1. Ignoring. As in, "I've heard you, Mum, but what I'm doing is more important....."
2. My personal least favourite: "NO!" That never goes down well.
3. "I don't want to do that." Very matter-of-fact. And I, without fail, always say, "You don't have a choice!"
4. Blowing a raspberry. This is a new one which has been swiftly dealt with and I'm not expecting to see again any time soon!
My four year old responds to my requests in one of these ways:
1. Ignoring. As in, "Mum, I was in Denna-dream-land and in Denna-dream-land I never have to anything that puts me out......"
2. Crying pitifully.
3. Whining, "But I don't want tooooooooo...." And I, without fail, always say, "You don't have a choice!"
4. The defiant noise combined with a stamped foot. This is my personal least favourite!
So, this has been going on for a while and I've been trying to deal with it without raising my voice or smacking. And of course, it's resulted in Matthew blowing a raspberry the other morning and my realisation that a) I'm starting to blow my stack a lot more with yelling and the odd smack anyway and b) I've given them too much leeway. Time to get back on course and for us to teach them what's OK and what's not.
So, prayer comes first. Then we're doing reward charts for all the three older children. And with that comes definite, clear boundaries about what we will tolerate and what we will not - reinforced with a smack or some time in the 'naughty corner' if necessary.
I realised with a rude shock today that this time next year, I will be preparing my Joseph for kindergarten in 2013! I'm still processing the fact that my third baby will be off beginning his formal education and I only have one more precious year with him at home full time.
Sending Matthew, the eldest, off was OK. I mean, I miss him and he misses us.....but he's the eldest and he was SO ready to go to kindy! Then with Denna, well, she's the eldest girl.....and so after some brief heart-string-pulling episodes, I was able to send her off without too much fussing.
But Joseph's the baby. My baby!
I'm hoping by this time next year I'll be more OK with sending him off.....but I'm not quite there at the moment!
I have a job interview in two weeks time! It's a volunteer position and it's 5-10 hours per week, so it's not so much a big interview, more just sussing out that the arrangement is suitable for both myself and the organisation I'll hopefully be working with. It's work involving young women which is my absolute passion - I've experienced a huge call on my life to the issues surrounding women in today's society. I'm so stoked I get to do some work which will be flexible and suitable for me with my busy family life!
I've also been spring cleaning lately, but not the house - my behaviours! I've been working on my 'silver box' theory. Let me tell you, it's been hard going and I've been trying really super hard to not raise my voice or shout. The progress is painfully slow.....but I'm experiencing some at least. I'm now able to stop and think before I fly off the handle. It's been difficult with the children's behaviour declining a bit lately so it's a bit patchy. But I've managed to pull myself up a few times instead of just seething in the flesh and lashing out with my tongue.
Church is fantastic! As we drive there on Sunday mornings through the gorgeous Gowrie/Glencoe/Birnam scenery, I always find myself thinking, "Are you sure you like it there at church?" and when I get there and our pastor starts preaching, I always think, "YES!". He's fantastic. And get this, he used to be a carpenter! Anyway, his relaxed but truthful style of preaching is really hitting the spot. We love it!
Anyway, this is just another update......I've got a few more 'encouraging'-type posts in my head which I'll get around to soon!
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