I found that when I was looking at other people’s blogs recently (after a long time of having not) I worked myself into agitation thinking about the things we weren’t doing that other people were doing or the things we were doing “wrong” that other people weren’t doing. Basically I got sucked into the trap of comparing other people’s best selves to our worst selves.
So, lest anyone think that all the smiling pictures below represent the Tingens all the time being perfectly happy and well-behaved (and silly, according to Natalie’s definition of the Tingens)…rest assured that we also have our share of tantrums, toddler demands, whining, potty messes, whining, house being in a constant state of disarray, whining, still haven’t figured out what we’re eating for dinner, whining, and Mom needing to go into time-out in the car so she doesn’t yell and throttle her children. If there is a car in the driveway. Which there wasn’t for awhile. Because:
1. van stalled in church, hung out for a week in lot. 2. mechanic went to church lot, checked it, nothing wrong. 3. Tingens went together in Neon to pick up van, parked Neon, started up van. 5. Neon wouldn’t start. 6. Neon towed to shop for a week. 7. van stalled in church again on different Sunday. 8. this time the transmission/power train thing went out. 9. goodbye van to junkyard.
Good thing is, we now have a functioning car which we bought on craigslist (picture below).
In those same weeks of the car saga, we were all sick for 2 weeks, the fridge stopped working and wasn’t replaced for another week so we used the fridge like a cooler with lots of bags of ice, the kitchen faucet broke, and some windows came off their tracks so they had to be fixed as well.
Glad things are back to normal.
To summarize, with so many ups and downs and things not always turning out the way we planned, we have turned to prayer a lot and seen positives in the craziness, which when it comes down to it really hasn’t been that crazy, when you think about awful stuff that other people go through. Honestly for me motherhood and homemaking has driven me to my knees more than any other challenge/blessing in my life, and I love the Lord for His infinite mercy and patience with me.
So many good things in life! Natalie LOVES primary at church, especially singing. Also fun to hear Hazel talk about nursery, “my norsery.” Natalie – and by extension Hazel – is also getting excited about learning Spanish (yay!). They love silly “jokes” (anything that makes them laugh they call a joke) and pretending with each other. Also love making Tyrus laugh, which is usually pretty easy to do, because Tyrus is a really easy-going, happy guy.
PS. I uploaded photos from mine and Jacob’s phones separately, and it’s just not worth the time to get all of them in order. They both start with Tyrus’s baby blessing day.
home made nonflying kite
Olaf kite from Target that actually flies
splash pad
battle wounds from splash pad
7 days accident-free! Frozen movie and CD! (we were desperate)
potty certificate and new panties
potty certificate and new panties
one of two Tall Ships at Yorktown on our spontaneous trip with Heidi
I’m pretty sure this was when Natalie pretended she and Dad were getting married and these were their wedding outfits
don’t you just love babies
Natalie getting ready for a date with Dad, purse and all (coins for buying an outfit at Once Upon a Child)
on the plane with Dad to Utah
moms doing yard work, dads hanging with kids
el galan taking the girls for a spin
Daddy time
decided there’s no way we’re going through any toddler poop crisis again, so we’re starting early with Tyrus. We don’t catch him all the time but it’s actually working! My friend convinced me it’s possible
Natalie’s idea to make Rapunzel hair
awesome family time at park. Chasing girls playing “steal the princess crown (headband)”
what actual picture-taking is like
yawn
blessing day
thanks family for coming to Tyrus’s baby blessing
grampa and grandson
Nana and Papa with seventh grandbaby
Natalie’s new fish Benelobe (like Penelope), potty prize
Hazel’s new fish Blue, potty prize
outside the art museum
I grabbed Hazel just in time from walking under the ropes onto this amazing sand design
ah the tire swing
girls camped while Dad went on a high adventure scout campout
even Dad didn’t do smores on his campout
Natalie has decided the deciding characteristic of our family is SILLY!
pirates on a treasure hunt with Heidi at Kroger while I was picking up a few things across the store…thanks Heidi!!
Happy 4th of July!
liberty!
This year we tried a new fireworks location we heard about, Chimborazo park. The pre-fireworks time was awesome…picnic, big park, no crowds. At fireworks time we figured out why there were no crowds…could barely see fireworks, they were so far away! Also, no bathrooms. So Hazel and I went on a bathroom search, only to find this smaller, hidden, practically abandoned park down the hill. We took the steps down and found a secluded spot…
enjoying the spoils of a visit to the ice cream truck
July 4th was also our potty party, celebrating 2 girls 7 days accident-free! Hooray for independence! Pin the panties on the princess…
Toilet paper toss…
Underwater undie fishing
kids ready for church before parents
mall play area
Hazel got her hand shut in the van door, went to doctor and got x-ray
random adventure to Cold Harbor battlefield. Turned out to be a nice mile walk. Interesting to see the trenches and think about people fighting there years ago
after the battlefield walk
check out the optical illusion of Heidi’s leg and foot!
random adventure to Yorktown. Had heard about Tall Ships in the Harbor, and we spontaneously took a family trip and invited Heidi despite the pouring rain. Online it mentioned 2 ships that you could go aboard; I didn’t realize that those would be the ONLY two ships in the harbor!
I love little footprints and handprints
climbed to the top by herself
visit from Trina and Nana!
Children’s Museum reading
Trina built an awesome block building
Trina got to spend a lot of time at the Virginia library doing family history research. One day I went with the kids and dropped Trina off, then strolled around the capitol a bit
Happy 30th birthday weekend getaway! Finally got to go to Tucano’s after years of lamenting that there wasn’t one nearby only to find out they have one in Newport News. Visited a beach afterwards
silly!
Natalie’s violin made out of sunglasses and a pencil
This is a great climbing park
I think this was his first time in a swing? or at least his first time enjoying a swing
couldn’t pass up this hilarious sign for a maternity store
Jamestown Beach trip
Hazel in Utah with Dad for brief weekend business trip
lots of time with friend over summer. Caterpillar
glad hna Mejia could come back and visit
haha they slept in the same position
and another night in the same position too
6 months old
waiting in the chapel while the tow truck guy came to get the van
awesome time with the Showalters. Yay they’re finally closer!
walking to Julia’s school
she got to the highest spot
brilliant idea of divide and conquer…Heidi takes three older kids out to Children’s Museum, I stay home with two little boys
Children’s museum
van died. new car from craigslist
Thanks Brent and Jenny for last-minute babysitting for me to do a temple trip!!
pumpkin patch
eating hay
entered corn maze at 4:44
out of corn maze 5:01
triumphal corn maze team!
view of the corn maze from bottom of the field to where we came out by the tree
sun shining through condensation on window
tree by the prickly bushes
ice cream after flu shots. girls did awesome!
getting ready for trick or treating at scarytown
University of Richmond campus to eat trick or treating candy
blue died. also all of Jacob’s office fish died, so he brought home the tank and we put Benelobe in there. He’s much happier!
2 Responses
Oh, Tonya, I’m glad I’m not the only one! All the whining and craziness happens at our house too, and I only have one kid to generate it. 🙂 I can definitely relate. I’m so sorry about the car troubles and sickness and broken fridge. Even though like you said, it could obviously be worse, stuff like that throws the whole schedule out of whack which no small thing with little kids.
So nice to see your pictures and hear your stories! I totally understand the whining, everything else, whining. I feel like that’s all that comes out of my kids’ mouths all day every day! I have seriously wondered if my kids are ever going to love each other, and if there is something wrong with us and if they’re truly unhappy because of all the anger and whining they exhibit!(Although every once in awhile happily enjoying each other’s company happens!) I’ve recently updated our blog a lot and if you ever want to see what our house looks like all.the.time, just look at the piles of dishes or toys and clothes strewn across the floor in the background of any of our pictures – that’s not just “been making a birthday dinner and cake all day” dish and junk mail pile, that’s how it is all the time! It overwhelms and frustrates me every day. We also have potty issues, with our almost 5 and a half year old. She wets or poops her pants multiple times after school STILL! Having 2 you were potty training at once must have been a horrible experience for you to go through. (Not to mention the kitchen breaking and being sick!) I love the pictures of the girls playing and posing together, and I love the picture of Tyrus in his seriously handsome onesie. The vantage point and focus along with him looking so cute make it look like a professional picture! Sorry for the rambling…I hope you have a great day!
2 Responses
Oh, Tonya, I’m glad I’m not the only one! All the whining and craziness happens at our house too, and I only have one kid to generate it. 🙂 I can definitely relate. I’m so sorry about the car troubles and sickness and broken fridge. Even though like you said, it could obviously be worse, stuff like that throws the whole schedule out of whack which no small thing with little kids.
So nice to see your pictures and hear your stories! I totally understand the whining, everything else, whining. I feel like that’s all that comes out of my kids’ mouths all day every day! I have seriously wondered if my kids are ever going to love each other, and if there is something wrong with us and if they’re truly unhappy because of all the anger and whining they exhibit!(Although every once in awhile happily enjoying each other’s company happens!) I’ve recently updated our blog a lot and if you ever want to see what our house looks like all.the.time, just look at the piles of dishes or toys and clothes strewn across the floor in the background of any of our pictures – that’s not just “been making a birthday dinner and cake all day” dish and junk mail pile, that’s how it is all the time! It overwhelms and frustrates me every day. We also have potty issues, with our almost 5 and a half year old. She wets or poops her pants multiple times after school STILL! Having 2 you were potty training at once must have been a horrible experience for you to go through. (Not to mention the kitchen breaking and being sick!) I love the pictures of the girls playing and posing together, and I love the picture of Tyrus in his seriously handsome onesie. The vantage point and focus along with him looking so cute make it look like a professional picture! Sorry for the rambling…I hope you have a great day!