Sunday Fun

Since we were under the weather last week and the boys were unable to wear their Easter outfits to church, I took them out after the service this morning to get a few shots. I am really happy with the way the turned out!

Confession

I have to admit... I use TV as a parenting tool. :-(

I know, I know... it is wrong, but do you blame me? How else do you expect that I get anything done around here? Sometimes I just need 30 minutes without interruption from the gang. TV has been an absolute lifesaver! I try to make sure that the shows are educational, but quite frankly sometimes I am just desperate for anything that is remotely animated. Perhaps that makes me a bad mom, but at least my dishes and laundry are done. :-)

PS - I just wanted to clarify any questions you may have regarding my sons and clothing. Why are they always in just their diapers in my photos? Well, they do own clothing... they just choose not to wear it. We dress them in the morning and within 30 minutes, they have stripped down to nothing but their diapers and socks. Buy hey... it does save on the laundry!!

The Bunny was here!

Since Brendan and I were feeling under the weather, we stayed home for Easter this year. The boys still had fun searching for the treasures that the Easter Bunny had left behind for them!

Carter has found something in the plant!!





Mason is trying to figure out what goodies he has found.





Spencer contemplates what to do with all of his goods!





Look Bro!!



It appears as though the hunt was a success!

New Layout

Here is another Scrap Lift Challenge page I did for Little Dreamer Designs.



Credits: For a full list of credits click here.

Dodgeball

Sorry I have been out of the loop for a while. I have been plenty busy, and then came down with a bug on top of it.

Here is a layout I did of my nephew for a recipe challenge over at Little Dreamer Designs. It is titled "Dodgeball".

The recipe called for:
* colors: blue, red, yellow
* 3 small photos
* 1 large photo clipped to the title
* 1 solid paper
* 2 patterned papers
* 1 swirl
* 3 flowers
* 5 buttons
* 3 ribbons
* stitching
* 1 Little Dreamer Designs font



Credits: For a full list of credits, click on the title "Dodgeball" above.

Emotions

Here are some photos of Mason displaying an array of emotions. Doesn't he look pretty good in his glasses?

Boys??

I have come to the conclusion that boys are just a different breed! They're rough, energetic, and daring. My boys never cease to amaze me by what they do for fun. Take these photos for instance...







...need I say more?

Brothers

I love this new page of the boys in their Lester Fastpitch shirts. I created it as a scrap lift of Michelle Filo at Little Dreamer Designs. It is titled "Brothers".



Credits: Click on the "Brothers" title above to vie a full list of credits.

Spring Training

Look out world... the Ver Meer clan is gearing up for spring training!
With the nice warn weather we have been having, it is no wonder they have been anxious to get outside and hit a few balls.

Two

Here is a page titled "Two" that I created for a scrap lift challenge at Little Dreamer Designs.



Credits: Click the the word "Two" in the description above to view credits.

"Super Spencer"

The post yesterday inspired me to create this page of Spencer.



Credits: Action Hero paper and elements from Amanda McGee.
Grunge overlay from Zoe Pearn. Fonts are Hip Hop Demi and
It Ain't Rocket Science.

Ready...Set...Go!

The boys never cease to amaze me with their tricks and talents. As I was working at the computer the other night, I heard a lot of laughter coming from the boys. It was hard to hear exactly what they were saying, but after about the third time I caught on. They had thrown all of the pillows off of my bed, and were lined up against the wall. They would take turns chanting the words Ready...Set...Go, and leap onto the bed face first. It was quite a show as they would all take off at the same time. I quickly grabbed my camera, and captured the following shots.

This is Spencer in the Ready position.



Carter showed me how it was done. This was his first attempt.



This was his second attempt.



And this was his third attempt. I'd say he caught on quite quickly!



Mason on the other hand has always been a bit clumsier, and he wasn't able to get it down quite right.



Then, it was Spencer's turn. He has always been the ring leader and the most daring of the three. He can leap like no other. Just look at that form!!!



It is just a shame that the high school doesn't have a diving team, because I am sure he would be one of the best they had ever seen!

"Footloose"

This evening was full of entertainment as we headed to the Pops Concert out at school. This was Brendan's first year in both Junior High Jazz Band and Show Choir.



He has played the trombone for the past three years.



This is his first year in choir, and he has really enjoyed it!

Parenting Dilemma #2

As children grow, they reach certain milestones which allow them to become more independent. Between the ages of two and three, most children successfully go through potty training. For some, it is an easy and very painless transition. For others, the idea of using the "big boy potty" is very unsettling. They prefer to hang onto their diapers as long as possible. Our household falls into the latter of the two categories.

I always said that I would train the boys when they were ready. I really wasn't looking forward to the idea of training three at the same time, so I was hoping that they would just catch on and transition smoothly. Then, something happened... social stigma started to play a role. As we would head out into the community, I began to notice that all of the children the boys' age were now wearing big boy pants. I began to feel very self-conscious that I wasn't training my children the way society anticipated. Was I failing as a parent? The boys had shown no interest in using the toilet, and I didn't want to push them and inevitably cause problems later on.

I figured it was time to time to step up to the plate as a parent and get the job done once and for all. It was going to require some teamwork between Rob, the babysitter, and myself, but I was optimistic that the process would go easily. After all, they had transition from the bottle and pacifier with little resistance.

Things started out slow, but the boys started using the toilet when the babysitter was here. (Unfortunately she only works part-time, but I am seriously considering hiring her full-time until the boys are trained.) They were somewhat interested in the process since it was new, but for the most part they refused to use the toilet when Rob or I were home. It never failed that they would go in their diaper as soon as they got off of the toilet.

Where is super nanny when you need her?? I am seeking some advice here for I fear that if the boys are not trained soon they will go to kindergarten in diapers. :-( Feel free top leave some feedback in the comment section because I could really use it!!

Here is the look Mason gives me when I mention using the toilet!



Here is Spencer telling me that he "likes" his diaper!

Hugs

Sending hugs to baby Jackson as he goes in for surgery tomorrow morning!

Credits: Huate Love Page Pak by Julie Mead

Parenting Dilemma #1

We try as parents to do the best job we can, and we try to establish household routines that will be beneficial to all family members. For three years, the boys faithfully took their daily naps. Nap time was usually a two hour period when, we as parents, were able to work on things that we needed to get done. We looked forward to nap time and the peacefulness it would bring.

As time went on, the boys would take longer naps, and inevitably would want to stay up later in the evening. This schedule doesn't work very well in a busy household where there are many things to get accomplished in the evening. The boys need to be supervised at all times, which meant we could get little else done. So a good friend of mine suggested that we change their daily routine to include "rest" time, so that the boys would be tired earlier in the evening. We though it was a great idea and decided to give it a try.

The boys resisted the earlier bed time at first, but were tired enough that they fell right to sleep. By the third day with the new schedule, the rest of the household was in heaven! We had time to get our work done without interruptions. We had time to help the older kids study and complete their homework. It was a great system all the way around.

After the second week of peacefulness, things started changing. The boys decided that they were no longer going to follow our schedule, because they had a plan of their own! They decided that they would like to keep their nap because they enjoyed staying up in the evening. No matter how busy and involved in activities we would keep them, we would find them napping in various locations throughout the house. We are back to square one with the bedtime schedule. I guess we now know who is truly in charge in this house!!

"The Look"

This is the look that I get to contend with everyday! It is the look that I receive when he is unhappy. It is the look I see when I ask him to stop what he is doing. It is the look that usually means: "Make Me". The funny thing about the look is that I usually get it from Spencer... now Mason! I don't know if I can take it from both of them.
I think this is a sign of the troubles that lie ahead!!

Busy day...

It has been a very busy day, and the start of a very busy week! I have something going on every day after school and almost every evening this week. That leaves very little time for photos, scrapbooking, or surfing the web. :-(

Tonight was our annual cheerleading banquet for all three squads. Tryouts for next year's squads are this Thursday! Here is a photo I did of this year's Basketball Cheerleading squad.



Credits: Grunge Overlay by Zoe Pearn

Painting

I was unable to post until now because I have been busy all day painting this beautiful portrait of my niece, Jenna.



Just kidding, I have been busy messing around with some new software!!

I also took all three boys on a shopping trip to the mall this afternoon. I was trying to find the perfect outfit for their photo shoot next Tuesday. I am glad to say the trip was successful!

Baby Cael

I just had to share these adorable pictures of Baby Cael that I took Friday morning. Aren't they cute??



Credits: Font is Satisfaction, Grunge Edge by Penny Springmann,
and Flourish by Anna Aspnes

New Duds

I love these photos of Mason showing of his new duds! :-)







Credits: Grunge Overlay by Jomi van Bekkum
Spattered Overlay by Penny Springmann

Big Helper

As I was preparing for a photo shoot yesterday, Spencer climbed into the "hot seat" to help out. What a big helper!!