A Blessed Journey Of The Brumbacks: September 2011

Over the past months I have been faced with my girls not listening and doing what they want to do. They both have different need's in their age groups. So it's been overwhelming when nothing I am doing is helping the situation.

I never really had much of a problem with Mariah who is five. She would test her limits as any child. Then she started kindergarten. It take me five times to get her to do something and get a attitude along with it. Olivia who is two and a half has always been my little rebel. She is very strong willed and want's it her way. She will through tantrums in public and at home. A typical two year old behavior with her need of independence. When trying time-outs and taking things way from them. It still wasn't affective for them. I believe this is when I would yell to try and get their attention. All this has accomplished is them yelling to try and get what they want in return.

This is when I knew I had to do some research and find other way's to try and help us. I came across some really good websites with helpful advice. First off I found this solution.

Think in terms of teaching your kids to listen instead of punishing them for ignoring you. I suggest parents teach their kids to listen using the A, B, C and D's.

A. Ask in a no-kidding-around tone of voice
B. Be clear and specific
C. Communicate your request in six words or less
D. Don't make not listening an option

Read More http://www.ivillage.com/discipline-makeover-getting-your-child-listen/6-a-128351#ixzz1ZAr7lQbo

I then found a princess sticker chart for the girls. Each day before bed if they have been good all day they will get a sticker to put on their princess chart. When it's all filled they will get a small treat. It's something to reward the good behavior.

With a few day's of positive attitude and faith that my two adorable daughter's will change their behavior around. It has helped. We work toward's our sticker chart with no yelling and following the rules the first time it was told. I just know they way children are today, I have to start early on what is the wrong and right way to act. They also are learning to use more manner's. I started to feel like I had been failing as a parent and was really upset about all of this. I turned to my prayer's and knew that putting more time and effort on helping them make better decisions everything will all work out! Looking forward to seeing where we are in a month. I will keep you posted.

After reading blogs of other family's, I have decided to start blogging again. Looking at my older post, I can't believe that it's been a year since I have wrote. So much has happened this year. This year has probably been the hardest year I have had to face. Along with the bad there has also been a lot of good. I will try to sum up in one post our year so far.

On New Year's Eve to ring in the new year we had my family over for the night. It was so much fun as we played games and ate some good food. I got a call from my best friend as she got engaged that night. I just knew this year would be great as we were off to such a great start.

Mariah turned five in March and we had her party at Chucky Cheese. Hopefully she won't want to do that again. She had a blast, which is what matter's most. But I just felt like it was so busy and everyone was everywhere that it wasn't like we were used to. I like having the parties at home, where I decorate and play games to match the theme. In March also my Mom turned sixty and my niece turned twenty. It was filled with birthday's of milestone's. Ryan and I were also very honored to be God parent's to sweet little Finn who was born in March.

The spring time was spent with Mariah playing soccer and Ryan the assistant coach. We had practices every Wednesday and games Saturday morning. It was fun watching four and five year old's get in there and learn how to play the game. Summer was approaching so we started planning our summer with concert's,Coney Island pass,a trip to Marco Island Florida with our family and Corrie's wedding in North Carolina. I just couldn't wait for summer to start.

June started off great with celebrating Ryan's birthday. I enrolled the girls in swimming lesson's at Coney four day's a week. They loved it and got a little more comfortable with being in the water and going under. Mariah even jumped off the diving board and Olivia would go under the water!! Ryan and I celebrated our six year wedding anniversary. Then it all changed...

June 28 was a pretty day. After dinner Ryan and I were doing yard work and the girls were playing with the neighbor kids. Ryan gets a call from my sister that my grandma was going to the hospital and was unresponsive. My heart about fell out of my chest. My mother n law meet's us and get's my girls and the family rush's down to the hospital in Georgetown,KY. They used the paddles and brought her back and was on the ventilator in icu. All the family was by her side as they didn't think she would make it through the night. Well Grandma as very strong woman that she is held on for weeks. She got out of icu and in a regular room where she was off the ventilator and talking some. I got to look in her eye and tell her I loved her and she told me it back. From then she went to hospice. I spent July going down to the hospital in Lexington and being with her as I knew it was just a matter of time. We had our vacation planned for Florida when this was going on. It was one of the hardest decisions but we went ahead and flew down and tried to have a vacation. We ended up and flew back early cause she was getting worse.

It was the week of Corrie's wedding. Grandma was the same so we went on down to North Carolina for it. I was the Matron of Honer and Mariah was the flower girl. We were driving down the application highway early in the morning and it was just so beautiful and peaceful. I looked at Ryan and said "I wish Grandma would go have peace like this". The girls were waiting patiently to get to NC. We finally saw the sign and we get a call from my sister that Grandma is taking the turn for the worse and it will be just a matter of time. An hour later Grandma left us and went to heaven. As much as I wanted her to have peace, my heart just shattered.We attended Corrie's beautiful wedding and woke up early to go back to the layout. It wasn't a few weeks later we got a call that Ryan's cousin had passed away. We headed down to Atlanta to say goodbye to another precious family member.

Ryan traveled to New York and Vegas in August. I had just been in a funk. My birthday came around and I just wanted to do nothing really. Birthday's I love to go and celebrate and hang out with family and friends. I just remembered last year I was so excited that when I went down to visit Grandma she was doing good and looked like herself. I was born on my older sister's birthday and she turned forty. I knew that I wanted to through her a surprise party at my house luau theme. It turned out great! She was surprised and the family for the first time this summer relaxed, laughed and had a good time.

The summer has finally ended and it's Fall. Thank goodness this year is almost over with. With all of this my faith as grew stronger and I have learned a few lessons this summer. Life is so short to sit back and not open yourself up. It can be taken in a blink of a eye. From this
you will see how I have let go of grudges and have opened my life up. This will be continued....

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