a fireman's son

some babies sleep with teddy bears,

but not a fireman's son.

braces faces

 

 they both got braces.

i teared up.

and not just because they are getting older.

 

but, because we can afford these little pieces of metal.

they are just a luxury item in my book.

braces won't help my boys get to heaven

and they are not a need, just an expensive want.

but, also because the husband and I decided to spend money on them.
money that we could have easily spent on other things.

somehow, us having metal put in our boys' mouths makes me feel very grown up.
that is a good feeling.

 

i am counting.

2 boys down.

3 more to go.

a spring favorite

today is one of the best!
it's sunny and warm outside and we don't have anything to do.
denim and linen make the perfect spring outfit for me.
and this is one of my very favorite skirts.
great weather, a favorite skirt, a day with my man and boys-
what more could a girl ask for!?!

of course a yummy dessert will make it better.
every sunday we have this tradition where we take turns deciding what dessert we will make.
today is caden's day to choose.
some how i agreed to making 2 coconut cream pies.
why we need 2 pies, i really do not know.
 but, yes, we will eat every single bite of both.

of course i am linking up with fine linen and purple.

on technology

my 2 boys in middle school each have their very own ipod.

after they got these powerful little boxes, they were always in trouble.

they turned into these weird rude zombie boy humans.

  they always had their faces glued to those tiny screens and ignoring all of life going on around them.

 after a while I realized that the problem was not the boys.

it was our parenting.

we had turned them loose with those little powerful boxes
and had never given them any guidelines to follow.
 

 here is the list of our guidelines/rules.

and I know in 50 years these rules will seem hilarious to all of us!
 

........................................
no ipod zones:
anywhere in public
school
upstairs after 9pm
in the car - unless approved for long trips

no texting after:
school nights:  8pm
weekends:  9pm
or before 9am

no playing on your pod until after supper and all homework is finished.
you may quickly text your friends before this time.

all passwords will be known.
no bad language, no ungodly things, no porn.
do not be disrespectful to others or yourself.
real live people in front of you come before the ipod.

you can:
download good music.
take pictures of your life.
play puzzles and word games.
download the rosary and use it.
turn off the ipod and be a kid:
talk, play, run, ride, read.

be a kid as much or more than you play your ipod.
and it is okay to be bored.
.......................................

these rules have helped our family.
the boys are no longer zombies.
they are pleasant again and learning how to use technology-
which i think is appropriate for their age.

more thoughts -

the husband is the only one who knows the password to download apps.
they do not have access to the internet.
they do not have access to you-tube.
i read their posts and texts.
(there is no such thing as privacy in our house.
that is proven every single time i walk into the bathroom.)

now, will we let our other 3 boys have an ipod this young?

 we do not know.
but so far this is working for us.

boys-

 

a warm windy day + a bed sheet + rollerblades