Being tested as a mom.

I really didn't want to post this so close to the New Year because I don't want it to come across as me making a resolution for 2014, I think resolutions are fake and I only keep them for maybe the month of January. Let me start by saying I am not a very patient person to begin with even when it comes to other aspects of my life besides my kids.

For the past four or so months Tae has really been testing my patience and just me as a mom. He screams, he throws tantrums, he whines, he begs, just everything to really get under my skin. The worst is when we are in a store or out in public and he sees something he wants. He is bound and determined to beg and cry until he gets what he wants, even if it means throwing himself on the ground and whaling his arms and legs. This isn't just sometimes it's EVERY.SINGLE.TIME we go into public. It's so embarrassing I just choose not to go anymore. He also acts like this at home and it kills me, he wants what he wants and will fight until he gets it. He is a very determined child!

He watches a lot of television but honestly it's the ONLY time he isn't screaming. I read an article one time saying that too much T.V. can cause ADHD and other problems in children. So here I am turning on a movie for him, kicking myself in the butt because now I think I'm a terrible mom for letting him watch it. I want him to play with his millions of toys but he just won't. When I was a kid it was hard for me to entertain myself and I totally see that in him. He is very dependent on others and I don't want him to be like that. I need to learn how to teach him to play by himself, in his room, ALONE!

I know that I am not alone in this, there are several other moms out there who have kids just like Tae. This however is my first time going through this and I am really being tested. There are days I just give up and want to lock myself in the bathroom until Michael gets home from work. I can't do that so I must figure out a solution to resolve this behavior in him. I know deep down inside he is a brilliant, smart, happy kid I just have to dig for it. And I will dig for it. From now on I want to focus on his positive characteristics and bring out the good in him. I want to give him attention and praise when he is doing something good and instead correct the behavior that is bad instead of just yelling at that behavior.

So these past four or so months I have been yelling and screaming just like him and I've came to the conclusion that this isn't solving anything. He is learning that yelling and screaming is the right way to do things. I'm not saying that I will completely stop yelling at my kids because I know that will not happen. I am however going to make an effort to be more calm, cool, and collected towards them. Hopefully me showing them how to act in situations will help them learn the same traits.
I am going to try and limit Tae's T.V. time and instead work on playing with him in his room and teaching him how to play by himself. I need to lead by example and he will eventually follow.
I've realized that many of the reasons Tae acts the way he does is because well 1) he's two years old-terrible twos as they call it, and 2) because he is just following my lead.

I want to be a better mom for my kids, I feel like we can always improve the way we go about teaching our kids and I want to fix how I teach mine. Instead of yelling and losing my patience I am going to stay calm, BREATH, and teach Tae how he should act!

In conclusion I love that Tae is testing me because I feel like it helps me become a better mother and better person overall. I learn from my mistakes and improve myself while also improving him! We are going to get through this time and we are going to do it together!

Christmas time has come and gone!

Boy was it an awesome Christmas this year! 

It was Avery's first Christmas and I have to say he enjoyed it very much!

Michael's parents and sister came out to visit and spend the holidays with us. We had such a good time with them here, we didn't do much though because somehow Michael got sick. (Someone always gets sick during Christmas time). 

Tae and Avery woke up, well we had to wake Avery up, on Christmas morning and three hours later we got done opening presents. They got a ton of clothes as well as even more toys. I think we could open a toy factory here we have so many. As I type Michael and Tae are in Tae's room playing with his new Christmas train that Grandma and Poppy gave him. 

It was such a good Christmas and now we are ready to ring in the New Year!

I'm going to stop typing now and just put up a bunch of pictures! 

Here are the pictures that would have ended up on a Christmas card had we sent them out. So Merry Christmas to everyone who was suppose to get a card! 

Also indeed we had are first EVER white Christmas this year!

And here are pictures of Christmas morning,

        

Tae and Avery got awesome presents from Santa this year. Tae got a bike and Avery got a walker!

Happy Birthday Jesus! If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have this glorious day to spend together! I am so thankful that I am getting to know Him more and more! I can't wait to teach my kids the meaning of Christmas and what it is really about! 

Until next year, see you all in 2014!

All moved in!

Sort of... Just waiting for our stuff to get here! 

The drive from Mesa to Fort Morgan was a long one, 16 hours and 5 minutes to be exact! The kids did amazing, we seriously got so lucky. They only started fussing when we got stuck in traffic for an hour in Colorado Springs! Tae didn't go potty in his seat at all. We stopped on the side of the road at least 15 times. Once when we stopped Tae had a great conversation with Michael: 

Tae: no daddy I want to go potty in that tree 

M: no Tae go potty right here in the rocks. 

T: no daddy I want to go on the tree

M: no Tae right here 

T: okay daddy but you get me a white rock 

He seriously made a laugh when we arrived at the hotel and he had like 20 rocks! 

We got into the house and are working on making it are new home, it will help when we have furniture. 

We are slowly but surely adjusting to the weather. Being from AZ I never understood why people had separate waredropes for summer and winter, being here I understand it now. You can't wear shorts in CO in December! 

I'm currently working on making friends :) I found a few social things to attend which helps get us out of the house. 

I am looking forward to living here though, it's something different and forcing me to branch out! 

Leaving AZ! 

All bundled up and can barely move!! 

I will post pictures of the house after the goods arrive :) 

Fun at the zoo

Went to the Phoenix zoo for the last time in a long time. Of course Tae loved it and Avery was the perfect baby! 

Overload of pictures!

Must I also mention my story of how I left Avery. We parked the strollers to go into the petting zoo and as we were walking in Chelsea goes, "hey where is Avery?!" Oh my goodness I just left him sitting in the stroller. I ran out to get him and he was just chilling trying to touch the tree!! Such a good baby!! 

New Hair Color...

Went to Wal-Mart with Michael and Chelsea today and decided I wanted to dye my hair. As we were looking at dye Michael picked out my color, I was hesitant but decided to try it. I've never done this to my hair before. Usually it's the lame brown or blonde color...

So here it is my new hair color 

and I am DIGGING IT!

Before I dyed it...

During...

It's...

R.E.D.

And I love.love.love it! 

I might actually keep it.

So thank you Michael for daring me to go this color!

Reminiscing

Four years ago today Michael and I both left our homes bright and early and headed off to the Army. Michael in Kentucky and I in Arizona left this morning having no idea what was going to happen in four years. 

A lot has changed and many things are different then how I pictured them happening. For instance, when I left this morning four years ago I did not picture myself being married let alone have 2 kids. I pictured myself getting out of the military, with today being my last day. I pictured myself moving back home to AZ, going to school, just living the life of a young 23 year old. NOPE that is not at all what happened. 

This morning four years ago I cried, my dad cried, everyone cried. I left, got on a plane and headed to South Carolina. It was the hardest most stressful day of my life and I wouldn't take it back for anything. I was headed into a new life, one on my own. No more mommy and daddy to take care of me, it was just me and I was scared.

I loved the military and HATED it all at the same time. It taught me so much and even though I cut my time short I learned so much and still use those things I learned in my everyday life. 

Every single day I think about what would my life be like if I had not got discharged 3 years early. I think about where the military would have taken my family and what it would have put us through. I do sometimes regret the decision I made, the one where I got out way to early, but then I think about how much better my life is now that I'm not tied to the Army. I am able to stay home with my kids, I can leave whenever I want, and most importantly we make significantly more money then if I had stayed in. 

Even though I was only in the Army for a year I will never ever forget the experience I went through and the friends I made. I thank the Army everyday for giving me Michael and giving me my children. Who knows where I would be if I had not joined and left this morning four years ago!

Where in the world did October go?

It's November, which means it's the start of the holiday season! 

October is over and to be quite honest it flew by. It was a very busy month for the DiFrank family including moving!! That's right we are FINALLY out of Wickenburg!

Moving was super stressful and quite disorganized, I wanted to write a blog post about how to make moving easier but our experience this move was anything but easy. We were literally packing boxes the day we moved and just loading random stuff into the truck that didn't have a box. However it got done and we are finally out of Wickenburg! Ahh so exciting!! I do have one tip for packing that I did learn off of Pinterest, oh how I love that sight! 

To prevent us from having to take all of our clothes off of the hangers I learned this tip,

Pretty fancy ehh!! It made moving the clothes SO much easier, just slip on a garbage bag, shove the clothes into them, and when you arrive take off the bag! BAM done!

Also here we are in front of our first house we ever lived in! I will honestly miss this house, we brought Avery home to it and it's the first place I actually enjoyed living in! 

    

And then Halloween happened! I had the cutest Buzz Lightyear and Woody this year! Tae had so much fun trick-or-treating, he took the candy right out of the people's hands and straight to his mouth. He was so cute I can't wait to go again next year!

Bring on November! I have joined a gym and am ready to kick off these extra pounds! I am also ready for Thanksgiving and tons of turkey! Yum Yum!

Here is to a great month and an awesome holiday season! November means December is coming which means CHRISTMAS!