One of my son’s love languages is being sprayed with water. Sometimes I climb up in his fort and spray him with the hose while he runs around the back yard. He loves it so much. Today, after I filled his little love tank by drenching him thoroughly, we used the hose to make a water slide.
Annabeth was asleep during all the fun, but I couldn’t resist showing this. She looks so innocent, but it was only minutes before she threw The Tantrum of a Lifetime.
Have a great weekend, Siestas!
I am so impressed that you’re already intune to their love languages. It’s such a help to speak to what truly ministers to them. I also love that you seem to fully realize that with little ones (as well as with tall teenagers) most days are just a mix of the great and the greatly difficult. I used to assume that a “tantrum day” was a total loss. Of course, it’s not: just add water, stir and bake in the TX sun 🙂 What a sweet treat!
Amanda,
You are such a great Mommy!
With love,
Yolanda
Amanda,
Looks like you had a lot of fun with your little guy! Thanks for sharing the pics, I always love seeing your beautiful children! I also put a little plastic pool at the bottom of the girls’ swing set slide. They loved it! Our summers aren’t quite as hot as yours, but with our first dog, I got her a little pool,too,she also loved it!
I am wondering about God’s sense of humor. When my girls were your kids’ ages, they really didn’t have tantrums, I felt so blessed! Now that the oldest is sixteen, she is making up for lost time! I pray that yours will outgrow the tantrums by the time they are teenagers:)Have a great weekend, Siestas! Joan
All you need now is a kiddie pool at the bottom of that slide and you’ve got yourself a water park!
Thanks for giving me a smile today. I remember when
my boys were that age. How special!! Annabeth indeed
looks sweet. Have a wonderful weekend.
Having raised two sons- wish I had spent more time with their favorite activities- You are exactly right, boys LOVE water, slides, and running till they drop! Have Fun-Lots of blessings
Your children are so sweet. The Lord blesses your efforts… I sometimes think the Lord loves parents best. 🙂
Looks like lots of fun!! Sounds like you have had a exciting week.
Amanda,
What sweet babes you have. I love Jackson’s excitement for life…and can I say how BIG he is getting!!!!??!?! Annabeth always looks the role of sweet little girl….she is absolutely beautiful! Enjoy your weekend with your kiddos and hubby!
Love you,
Andrea
Great pics once again Amanda. That “water slide” looked like to much fun. Go Jackson!!!
Why do they look so precious before it turns so “ugly”????
Gotta love um!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blessings for a great weekend to you and your family!!
Bible Bunny in NO MI
What sweet pictures! Enjoy them while they are little, for the teenage years will be here soon enough! When our boys (ages 16 and 13) were younger, they spent most of every summer playing in the backyard – wearing their underwear and nothing else! They had lots of fun running through the sprinkler and playing in the plastic pool from Wal-Mart. Their sister (now 18 and off to college soon) thought they were absolutely silly because they never bothered to put on their swimming suits – they just took off their pants! Those were the days!!!
That water slide looks like such fun. Maybe I’ll try that with my little ones.
And Annabeth, well isn’t she like most of us females? Innocent one minute, throwing a tantrum the next.
They are both precious. Thanks for sharing pics!
Love ya!
They’re so beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
Pictures of Jackson just bring a warmth to my heart. He is such of fun-loving boy.
What fun! My two (son 3 1/2, daughter 14 months) just got a water table yesterday and had a little water fun themselves this morning! What is it about little ones and the water, especially boys and the hose?!?!?! My husband and I often ask each other why we keep buying toys when our son would much rather play with the water hose and sticks. Sadly, I think we shall never learn…
Hi Amanda,
Love the pictures–Jackson is such a handsome boy, and Annabeth’s big eyes are beautiful! Your story reminds me of when my now-15-yr.-old daughter was 15 months. We were on vacation in Palm Springs and my adorable baby pitched a fit just as we were served our dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. I had so looked forward to a pleasant evening out. Instead, I took her out before we upset all the other diners, and my husband had our dinners boxed up to go. She never really calmed down that whole trip, and we still laugh about it now. It took us a long time before we wanted to take her on another trip.
The tantrum of a lifetime is when the tantrum is so intense for so long that the child actually throws up and then continues with the tantrum as if nothing had inturupted it! PHEW! 3 was hard!
My mom was in St. Louis “with” your mom !
Can’t wait til Beth checks in with her story about St. Louis and all the wonderful things that happened there!
oh my goodness. My little 5 yr old (soon to be 6) is obsessed with water spraying. It is SUCH a boy thing. Great idea on waterslide. will do tomorrow. Annabeth is starting to look like momma Beth…..I bet that’s where she gets those tantrums. Haha 🙂
i just attended the event in st. louis.
is there any way i can get a copy of the vows we recited in the end?
first time to see beth.
had an absolute blast with my Kentucky girls chasing travis and getting loved on by beth!
imago dei!
you crack me up – “right after i filled his little love tank by drenching him thoroughly…” hahahaha 🙂
i think our little ones are complete opposites. my little girl will be 2 tomorrow (i can’t believe it) and she is still in her baby bath. it is the funniest thing to see b/c she is very big for her age. she refuses to get in the big bath b/c she says she is “scared”. every time i try to put her in the big bath she cries like i am torturing her. and the ocean, well, put it this way, i’m surprised fellow beach goers have not called child protective services on me considering the way she screams if i take her near the ocean. she is NOT a fan of the water. lol 🙂
i love the pic of jackson with the grass on his neck. its a perfect picture of what childhood should be: wet, dirty, covered in grass, and happy as a clam 🙂 i really wish it were like that for all children… don’t you?
you’re doing a great job manda <3 love ya!
Your Children are beautiful He looked like He had a Ball. God Bless Have an awesome Weekend!
Amanda, Thank you for being transparent with us. Is it just me, or does AB look just a tad bit like her Bibby?!
How fun!
I love the picture of Jackson with grass on his neck and face.
He’s all boy isn’t he?
And that little Annabeth. What a doll!
Your children are adorable!
Oh yes, right in the thick of toddler/preschool life up here in Ohio! I have a 4 and a 2 year old and these tantrums are “good times, good times”. That’s even what I say to myself when a good one is gearing up. =)
I always go into their rooms when they’re sleeping and get all tender and wonder how they can ever be anything but sweet.
Emily
This is a fine idea. One I will be using in our backyard tomorrow to fill up my children’s love tanks. I think they speak the same love language!
Amanda,
Thank you for sharing these pictures. Your kids are beautiful and blessed to have you for their mother. I only pray that one day God will give me an opportunity to have beautiful blessed children, too!
Both are too precious for words! I must admit, as a grown woman, there are times I wish I could throw a fit of all fits….agh, to be young! 🙂 I LOVE our bible study and am thanking God for being patient with me! Enjoy your Sunday!
They are just yummy kids, Amanda! Jackson’s smile has about 1000 watts to it, doesn’t it?! I bet he has a great belly laugh, too! Love that. 🙂
And goodness knows with four I’ve had my share of meltdowns, as well. My oldest was an angel (God knows what He’s doing…I needed that first one to be really good!) pretty much all the time. Slept all night at 10 days old, nursed like an old pro, etc… I was sure that due to my astounding mothering skills he was perfection. Ummmm…yeah, right! A thick slice of humble pie was just around the corner.
Baby number two came along and he’s a bundle of energy, ran before he walked, and has preceeded to have enough meltdowns for two. He’s actually flopped on the kitchen floor like a fish. LOL But, he’s also my cuddly one who wanted to rub mommy’s hair when we watched TV when he was little. He’s the first one to pray over someone when they’re sick or beg to say the blessing, and he cried when the mom died in Ice Age. I could just eat him up! 🙂
Many Blessings to your precious family.
Kristi! I love reading your posts! Are you from the south? I can almost hear an accent!
My “thick slice of humble pie” (LOL!) was just around the corner too! It is currently in the form of a two year old blonde little boy, who rips my heart in two. His sister will always be special, cause she’s the one who made me a Momma, but this boy will cuddle and snuggle to no end, and he LOVES my voice when I sing..”Momma, sing “flow”..you know, praise God from whom all blessings flow lol!
However, when he wants to throw down, there’s none like him…=)
LOL! Busted.
I’m from South Carolina and have an accent as thick as molasses! I love that you caught that, too. 🙂
I love the Carolinas! I have lots of family in North Carolina. I’m originally from Michigan, but live in Ohio now. With absolutely zero cool accent. Although, I guess to you I have one. =)
Awww, how sweet! I remember when my children (4 of them) were little and loved the water hose/slide/pool. Such great memories, and what a mama you are filling up his love tank! Thanks for making me smile and remember when!
Precious photos! I love your son’s grin! Great job, Mom, with the cool water activity!
Such fun! We moved to Orlando 2 years ago and it’s the first move we’ve made that we DIDN’T put in a swing set. Sometimes I look at my back lawn and sigh for the longing of it. No baby pools, no swing sets…now I have scooters, bikes and roller-blades along side the ever growing arsonal of nerf guns. Although, I will admit, a big old rowdy nerf gun fight is a ball! Enjoy the early years. All the time you put in now pays off BIG TIME when they hit their teens. My teens are a delight to my soul and make every second of training (and training and training and training…) worth it.
Amanda, You have wonderful kids. Looks like so much fun. Makes me want to find a slide and do it also. AB does so much looks like her Biddy. Have a wonderful weekend. Blessing to all.
So fun! Enjoy every moment…even the tantrums. 😉
Your kids are adorable!!! I remember when mine were that small! Such little things thrill them! Enjoy that blessed time with them as I can see you are! Blessings!
Pics are too cute…you definitely have precious little ones! I also appreciate you being so open and honest about raising kids…i.e. that such sweet little ones do have tantrums. 🙂 Just nice to know (and encouraging) that you’re in good company! 🙂
Amanda,
You take such reat pictures. Jackson has really grown up and become quite a little man. I loved playing in water with my 2 boys. They would put their swim muscles on (inflatable tubes for arms) and go anywhere. They would stand on my legs as I was sitting on the side of the pool and Iould throw them up and flip them. People would come out on their balconies to watch. It was such great fun!
Annabeth is just a doll. I can’t imaine that precious girl throwing a fit. She always looks like such a little princess. Thanks for sharing pictures of your little darlings!
Jan
Liberty, MO; 6 of us; meeting at various places: Starbucks, church office, homes. Our ages/stages of life, include two 50-something grandmas, 3 middle-aged mamas, 1 20-something newlywed. Our group has been meeting on Tuesday nights for almost 5 years, and this is the first official Bible study we’ve done together. Discussion for our first night focused on the fact that most of us desperately need a time designated for Bible study and we all look forward to growing closer to God during this summer.
I did this growing up except we added the slip n slide to the end of the slide to extend the fun for even longer! 🙂
We are on a business trip for my husband. Sunday we visited a local church and the little one in front of us just insisted we were her grands. Her mother moved so she could sit with us. It made my day. My children are not married yet so no grands, I can not wait. I so enjoy your Grandmother adventures with Jackson. Thanks for sharing!
Such precious children!!! I am glad they are blessed with a good mama.
Jackson looks so big. He is growing so much. Thanks for sharing.
he is such a little doll! You are helping make memories that will last a life time! And wow your daughter looks like your mom!
I love the look of pure joy on his face. That’s what summer days are all about 😉
Those children are precious! Annabeth looks soooo sweet with that big bow in her hair. Did you know there’s an extender piece you can buy at Lowes to make a “run” for the water slide at the bottom? We’re having our kids’ swingset custom built at the moment and that’s when we learned of it.
Blessings,
Toni
Jackson has such an infectious and mischievous little grin…. I bet he is an explosion of fun..
And as for Little Miss Annabeth, she is absolutely A-DOR-ABLE.
Blessings
Victoria
This is too stinkin cute!!!! Makes me want a little one so I can do the same…. Love it, love it.
Thanks for sharing!
You are one blessed momma! They are adorable. Savor these moments….
Oh my goodness. I can’t believe how big he has gotten. He is not a toddler anymore!! So cute.
What fun! It’s always great when we can be pleased with the simple things in life.
We’ve made “redneck” slip ‘n slides with a big piece of plastic and a little dishwashing soap and had the best time.
If Jackson is into firetrucks,the next time you guys come see Aunt Melissa, I’d be happy to see what we could do about showing him a few. My man is a battalion chief.
That is such a sweet offer! Thank you!