Testing

Grace is currently testing her mother and father. She knows the things she's not supposed to touch and climb and throw. Yet, repeatedly she is testing us to see how we react. Her favorite thing while eating is sitting in her high chair, taking a drink and then dangling her cup over the edge of the high chair while looking us directly in the eye. It's like she's thinking, "I'll drop. I can do it. I am in control here."  It is so hard to hold a straight face and be consistent about what we say "no" about. Look at this face... Too sweet and innocent to ever cause trouble right? Right.....

Before I became a mom, I remember saying that I would be a "yes" mom. I've come to realize how hard it is to always say yes to this child. During "Moms & Mentors" at my old church, I learned that discipline is an act of love. As much as I hate giving Grace the pat on the hand, I know she responds to it and it's helping her learn boundaries and keeping her safe. I try to keep in mind proverbs 13:24 "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him." I know it's controversial to some and you have to decide as a parent what works for your child. We've come to realize that Grace has a strong will and quite the personality already. I checked out James Dobson's Bringing Up Girls from the library this week and cannot wait to read it and get some take always.

Today, I needed some encouragement and a friend posted a link to this video. I hope you love it as much as I did:
http://www.faithit.com/moms-kids-video-confession-touching/

Monday, we tried our hand as being parents of two. We watched Carolina so Gustavo and Jennifer could have a date night. It was a blast. The two girls played so sweetly and I'm so happy the Franks could have a night about them! :)

Tuesday we went running/walking with Sarah, Ryan, Jennifer, and Carolina in a nearby neighborhood called Cross Creek Ranch. It was a gorgeous 60 degrees and cloudy. Ah, the illusion of fall. Cross Creek is located about 10 minutes from our house in Fulshear. This neighborhood has been designed to be a "retreat," it's supposed to feel like the country with tall grasses, trees, and wildflowers. Here's the view from a lookout spot.

After our run, we went to story time. The theme was shoes and unfortunately, Grace has blisters on her ankles and wasn't able to wear shoes. After story time we went to a little cafe for a treat and coffee. Good times all around.

Wednesday we went to Costco which was a struggle. I have been trying to stick to a strict budget and we're nearing the end of a long month. I made a list for Costco and stuck to it which was HUGE for me :) Wednesday night we had an evening play date with Sarah and Ryan at our house. We had pasta, enjoyed each other's company and watched the babies play together. Both of our husbands have commitments on Wednesday nights. Thankfully, I'm blessed to have someone to spend the evening with. It makes time go much faster. 

Thursday we had bible study in the morning followed by a nap for Grace, a long run for me, and a trip to the library. Friends came over for Dragon's Breath Chili. The wife is pregnant and loving spicy foods so we thought it would be a good opportunity to make this. We all loved this recipe (I don't do the bacon grease thing and substitute 1.5 lbs of ground turkey and 1 lb of spicy turkey sausage for the meat). Grace plays well with their boys so we had a little down time to just chat with the couple. 

Friday was a rough morning but we powered through. Grace is getting some teeth in and she's SUPER fussy. We brought dinner to a couple who recently had a baby. Food = the greatest blessing to new parents!

We met Alex at the gym after work. After the gym we went to the Franks house for dinner. They made delicious pasta and were so sweet despite our baby being so cranky. After dinner we went to their clubhouse for a little fall festival they put on. They were showing a Charlie Brown movie on a projector, had a bounce house, and other games that were beyond Grace and Carolina. We headed back to their home for Mexican Train and chaos with the babies. Here's documentation of it:

Saturday, our whole house slept in until 9! Jackpot! We spent most of the day painting our wall in our living room, strapping the TV to the wall, and boxing in my garden with wood from a palette someone threw out. Here are some pictures:

Saturday night we went to dinner with another couple at Lupe Tortilla. It was lovely fellowship and excellent food. Following dinner, we had a movie night in our backyard with Hocus Pocus. We had some treats, cool weather, and wonderful company.

Sunday we went to church and had lunch at Chuy's. It is a hot spot after church and provided us with bellies that were full beyond reason. It was incredible! Not quite as good as Heaven on Seven's vodoo chicken enchiladas but a great substitute. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and studying. Bonus of having chili for dinner = chili dogs later in the week:

I hope everyone's weeks are off to a great start. In case it started off rough, here's a recipe (courtesy of Kelli) to give you a pick me up:

Snickers Dip

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese (softened)

8 oz. container of whipped cream

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 full size snickers bars (or to your liking)

Combine all ingredients in the food processor.

Chill for a few hours (or over night).

Enjoy with graham crackers or pretzels. :)