Three little kids in the Jimenez household have caught the art bug! Yes, three...Tyler, Amy and JASON! Ever since they started their art classes at Noah's Art...the kids have been making "projects" all throughout the day. Every spare minute they have they want to work on their "projects"!

Little update on homeschooling..we are all still alive and its actually going really well. Initially, I had a little panic attack within the first three weeks and tried three different curriculums for reading. My poor children were a little confused. But now, I've settled down and I'm really enjoying our new routine. I'm sure the progressing grades get harder and harder but I'm not looking too far ahead...just to tomorrow! Tyler and Amy are loving "school-time" and I can see little seeds of learning starting to sprout up in their little minds.
Amy was hard at work the other day during "rest-time". She came downstairs and was quite proud of her achievement! This is what she had written...without any help from Mom:


Here's a closer look...




She wrote...Amy Tyler Dad Mom! So cute! And she was so proud that she could actually write words!!! Yeah!

Those are words I like to hear in association with losing weight or dieting. I'm not a huge fan. I know its good to learn self-control in eating and its great to workout and be healthy...but its not quick, easy, or painless.

But I have found a new way to lose weight. I lost two pounds in two hours with this new method....I'm serious!!!!









Here's the before and after pictures of how I did it:



Too bad I don't have any more hair to cut off! :-)

Getting some "love" (smothered)...

A little scared...

Doing better...

One on one...so much better...

I am deep in the throes of trying to burn off my baby fat! Well, technically...its not "my" baby fat...its Jackson's...he loaned it to me - he has plenty to spare! :-)
Anyways...Jason has been talking about cupcakes for the last two weeks. We went to a gourmet cupcake shop and Jason had this dark chocolate divine cupcake (and I had a crumb! :-). He has had a craving for cupcakes since then. So, I indulged him...even though I knew it would be suicide to my diet!!!
The kids helped me make the cupcakes, lick the batter, and frost them. Yum! Please do not ask me how many now reside on my hips and backside...or how much harder I've been hitting the gym. I would have to tell you the truth and your respect for me would dwindle considerably! Oh well! Life is short, right????

















I couldn't get the camera out fast enough to take a picture of Jason eating the cupcakes (yes, plural!). He had a whole one down before I could even turn the camera on!!! Of course, I enjoyed every single teeny crumb...and even licked the frosting off the paper!!! :-)

Childlike faith. To have faith like a child. To believe without wavering that God is in control and He will take care of His children. To have complete confidence that Jesus died for our sins and rose again.
It has been such a learning process having kids! Here I stand as the Mommy...trying to teach my little kids all I know (ha ha ha) and God continues to use them in my life to teach me all HE knows!!!! The other day was such a prime example...
The kids and I were out and about running errands. We had stopped to look at something and two women, a newborn and a little girl were next to us. Of course, I started talking to the other mom about "newborn-stuff"...breastfeeding, sleeping, crying, etc. Amy and Tyler were talking to the little girl and the other mommy.
When we were done talking the other mom came up to me and told me about the conversation she had had with Amy. Apparently, the other little girl was talking about ghosts. The mom asked Amy if she was scared of ghosts. Amy...just looked at her (you know the look) and said, "No...I believe in Jesus." The mom said, "Wow, so do I."
This didn't follow with Amy's theology obviously - to believe in Jesus and STILL be scared? So she kept talking, "Well, I believe He died on the cross for my sins...and He rose again." The mom agreed with this also. This really baffled Amy...so she pulled out the big guns..."Well, I go to church and my dad is a pastor."
Now I'm not sure that this approach will have them coming out in droves to church...but she had absolutely no problem sharing her Jesus with others. There are no barriers, insecurities, inhibitions about telling others. My little evangelist has inspired me to be more pro-active about taking every opportunity given to me!

Tyler and Amy are only fourteen-months apart. They do everything together and generally have a great time doing it. They have a lot of the same facial expressions, sayings, and reactions to things. But they are a BOY and a GIRL...thus, lies the difference between.
Last week I went to a consignment sale and shopped for their entire fall/winter wardrobes. I came home with two baskets overflowing with clothes and great new toys. Here is where the fun began...
I like to have the kids try on all the clothes to make sure that they fit, etc. I started with the BOY and this is how it went...
...quickly put the clothes on and off so as to get back to playing with toys
...all the clothes were baggy-fitting and definitely had room to grow in
...everytime he tried them on - he made sure I knew how tough and strong he looked in them
...was done trying on ten outfits in ten minutes!

Now onto the GIRL...
...took FOREVER trying on each outfit
...wanted to see how "this shirt" went with "these pants/skirt" (yes, she is only FOUR)
...danced and pranced with each new outfit
...everything was snug-fitting and trim
...ran to the bathroom and stood on a stool to look in the mirror
...begged Daddy for a big mirror so she could see better
...took an hour and a half to try on six outfits!!!

Jason and I chuckle at the differences between the two of them...and yet marvel at how naturally they fall into their separate roles of boy and girl. We will do everything in our power to encourage what God has beautifully instilled within each of them and celebrate the differences between them!

Jackson is practicing his smile. It takes awhile...there aren't many moments in his day that he has time to practice. He is usually busy trying to focus on the faces in front of him (which he usually has two in succession...hm, can you guess who those would be) or listening to all the noises around him or of course, sleeping! But today...he spent some time practicing...this is his progression!

One of my favorite movies growing up was...The Sound of Music. I would walk around the house singing at the top of my lungs, role-playing Maria and the Captain with my Barbies, and dreaming about hiking up the mountains of Austria. (Which actually came true when I went off to Bible college...another story)
Today, Amy and I were hanging out while the boys went off to "work-out" so I decided it was time for her to be introduced to the VonTrapp family.
She LOVED it!!! Granted, she didn't understand some of the dialogue or what exactly was happening but she got the general idea. And she was absolutely entranced with the singing. Now she will take my place singing at the top of her lungs throughout the house (because I, of course, have matured and no longer do that...hee hee!!!)