Welcome to the World, little ones!

Well, our week took a turn for the better. Our guinea pig, Sasha, had started looking somewhat "well rounded". I got the feeling she might be pregnant.

As a precaution, we set her aside from the male guinea pigs, in her own little spot - as they all have free run of the garden.

Caitlyn and Jaina came running in, at lunch time, shouting "Mommy, she is licking something!" and "I saw a little brown face!"

What precious little things did I see when going down to the garden. 2 perfect little babies, in good health and Sasha is well. The girls were overjoyed to to see the new little arrivals.

Below is a video of the little ones in the "big outdoors" for the first time.

On Friday night, my dear Husband came home from work and told me to get ready, he is taking me out. He had arranged for the children to go to his parents. After we dropped them off, we went for something to drink, then a movie (The Duchess) and he booked a table for supper in a nice restaurant afterwards. What a nice valentine surprise! I keep telling him that now I know why I married him, ha ha ha.

One of THOSE days!

Jaina has not been feeling too well, so this morning she just did her maths (her favorite subject) before going downstairs.

Caitlyn was not in the mood for maths (her worst subject), just the mention of it sends her into a bad mood. Well, thankfully she finished her maths but the mood and attitude stayed. You see she is 10 years old and the MOODS are starting to set in. I have not slept for 2 nights, being up with Jaina, so I am tired.

Then came the big blow up over Caitlyn's english lesson, simple past and future tenses. After calmly explaining it 3 times, I still got a blank look with "I don't understand". What she was really saying was "I don't feel like doing it, I want to go downstairs and play with my sister".

It ended with me shouting "Well if you want to be lazy and waste your brain away by not using it, GET DOWNSTAIRS!" and Caitlyn did not waste anytime. She is now downstairs happily playing with her sister.

Aaaaargh! What was my previous post about?

I am too tired to remember!!!

15 Things NOT to say to Children

1. "Look how well-behaved your brother is!"

(Yup, well they are not the same child. Are they?)

2. "Stop crying this instant!"

(The situation might not seem so bad to us but it might be heart wrenching for them)

3. "You are not really angry."

(We cannot undermine or deny our children's feelings or imply that they should not be expressed)

4. "You never / you always ..."

(Any generalisation runs the risk of limiting a child to what he or she is at the moment - whether good or bad)

5. "I'm sick and tired of telling you to clean your room. The next time I have to remind you ..."

(Oh, the idle threats. How will our children ever take us seriously. If you are not going to do it, don't say it)

6. "You're the best ... in the world"

(This is a tough one. We try to encourage by exaggerating praise. Our children cannot be fooled and know whether our words ring true or not)

7. "OK, five more minutes"

(Negotiations, negotiations. And then we still ask ourselves why we have whining children. Let your yes be yes and your no be no)

8. " You can be so difficult sometimes."

(Been there, said that. This is self-esteem damaging. Oh, it hurt just to type that.)

9. "I haven't got the time right now."

(Well, you don't have 24 hours to give undivided attention but the suggestion is there that they are less important than what you are busy with) -

Eeeek!

Need to take a break now, my girls say that they are hungry!

Okay, back now, lets carry on!

10. "Please pull yourself together."

(Adolescence is a time of intense emotion and ignoring this or suggesting it's a sign of weakness is insensitive and may cause communicating emotions later on.)

11. "No-one asked you your opinion."

(Don't reject your child's opinions. If you shut them out of adult conversations you will only have yourself to blame if she never offers an opinion when she is older)

12. "I don't like the friends you hang around with."

(This is a tough one too, as influence is a huge thing in their lives. They identify with a peer group. If you criticise the group, feel like you are criticising them and take it personally. Try to widen their social group)

13. "You should be a doctor/lawyer/teacher."

(Allow them to develop their own ambitions)

14. "After everything I have done for you!"

(Oh the guilt! Nobody asked us to spend an hour preparing a meal or giving up a full time job. We are what we are because of the love we have for our families. Expect nothing in return and love the surprises when they happen)

15. "You're looking a bit chubby, aren't you?"

(Ouch, I have seen this happen before my eyes. Someone said it to a young girl, I saw her flinch. There are so many eating disorders out there, we don't have to add to them. As the saying goes "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all!)

I think we have all fallen short somewhere along the line, but the wonderful thing about life is, we are allowed to make mistakes. We just need to learn from them and strive to do better next time.

Love leaves the Dust

If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper, not a homemaker.

If I have time for waxing, polishing and decorative achievement, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness, not Godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh.

Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window.

Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up spilled milk.

Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys.

Love is present through the trials.

Love reprimands, reproves and is responsive.

Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, then stands aside and lets the youth walk into adulthood.

Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection.

Now I glory in God's perfection of my child.

As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is LOVE!