Pecan = (“PEE-can”)

Last weekend, we took the kids to the good ‘ole Pecan Street Festival in downtown Austin.

Sav, Drew (blue), Ben, and E (green) were ready to have some fun!

 

 

The kids were excited about the petting zoo- here with Auntie Dani (btw- Mama made sure there was plenty of hand sanitizer to go around, CRINGE!)

 

Yes, Sav…it is bloody hot!

 

Uncle Dan and little E- checking out the animals

 

The kids quickly tired from the ridiculous Texas heat, and rode on shoulders for the rest of the morning! Benny catching a ride on Dad.

 

 

Uncle Dan and Ethan- having a grand ‘ole time!

 

 

Sweet little Sav and adorable Auntie Dani

 

 

Mama and Drew- all sweaty smiles!

 

 

Savannah scored some balloon animals that she was super excited about…

 

and Mama was super excited about miss thang’s cute little messy pigtails. Her hair just refuses to grow…but its getting longer. I have SOOOO many fun styles in store for her! ;)

 

 

Here is the “kiddie section” of the big street festival

 

 

My 3 little men, heading up…

 

 

…and flying down

 

 

Ethan and Andrew are the only ones brave enough to ride on the ponies.

 

Finishing off the day with some much-loved tortillas and queso at our favorite Mexican food place with our favorite kiddie playground~ Flores!

 

Thank you Grammy and Grampy for a wonderful weekend!!! (as always) Hugs and Love,

 

& the gang ;)

All You Need Is LOVE

Okay, so I might be a wee bit obsessive when it comes to parenting books...(I own a lot of them- yet have not had the chance to read very many of them). When someone tells me about a good book, I will try to make a mental note and purchase it when I can. I love love loooooove to research and study. (SUCH A NERD!) I can't help myself. Just thought I'd share some of my favorite books with you from time to time.

One of my best friends, Mari Goerlich, told me about the "five Love Languages of Children"- and the book totally makes sense!

The ideas in this book have helped Joe and me to understand our individual children better---and what type of love language that each child "speaks". The 5 love languages are: quality time, words of affirmation, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. I understand that life will flow so much more smoothly when everyone's "love tanks" are full....and this book is a great reminder of how to make that happen. I've already seen such a dramatic change in all four kiddies in the last couple of weeks, since I have learned how to speak through their specific love language.

I believe that children act out in various ways when they do not feel loved---and as our kids are approaching school age, we are even more determined to do our best as parents in raising empathetic, caring, and loving children.

As we were driving back from Austin today, Drew and Savannah shouted from the back seat: "Dad- Please put your ipod in!" I looked at Joe and cracked up---it is amazing that our 3 year olds know what an ipod is---makes me feel so old. This age of technology is incredible, yet brings a whole new set of problems with it. I can't even begin to imagine what it is going to be like when they are teenagers!...my mind starts to wander...

Cyber-bullying is ridiculous right now, and it is SO difficult to monitor and control. Don't even get me started on teen-texting...makes my skin crawl. Parents need to be educated about texting and ways to combat negative behaviors like bullying, gossip and inappropriate content being shared. I love to read what smart moms are saying over at BlogHer's LG TextEd forum (which features the one and only Jane Lynch, also known as "Sue Sylvester" from Glee! LOVE HER!) There are five posts each week, and every comment left on each post equals a $.50 donation to DoSomething.org.

This week’s topic is: “Mobile Meanness: Is Your Child Taking Part”. (Would YOU know if YOUR child was participating in/ or the victim of mobile meanness???) Go check it out and feel free to add your own questions or expert advice.*  ;)  GREAT INFO!

Another book that I really like is "Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World.

Isn't that so true? It begins early---start (NOW!) teaching those precious babies how to be loving, compassionate adults with the desire to serve others. When it comes to children, meet all of their needs, not all of their wants, etc.

I know for us, it is SOOOOO easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of life. I'm tired! Plain and simple. When it comes to parenting, its sad to say- but I can put myself on auto-pilot for hours...just to get through the last half of the day. You know what I'm talkin' about? Just. DONE. Exhausted. TIRED. Tired of using my brain, tired of using my voice to discipline, tired of not being able to hear myself think, tired of just going through the motions...

SNAP OUT OF IT!

I need to constantly be renewing my heart and spirit...and I LOVE doing so- with prayer and a good parenting book (especially while I'm working out---you can find me underlining and writing notes as I read & sweat) Such a goob! But give it a try- it definitely makes the hours go by much faster.

Do you guys have any specific books that I should check out? Would LOVE to hear about your favs!!!


*I have been selected as a BlogHer compensated LG TextEd Ambassador

My Silly Little Quad Monkeys

Love. Them.

 

The kiddos were learning about the color BLUE at school, and were supposed to wear BLUE this week. I realized that school mornings had become so rushed- trying to get myself ready for work and getting the kids fed, dressed, packed, and loaded- that I hadn’t taken an early morning school pic in a very long time.

 

Must. Do. This. More. Often.

I don’t think its possible to love them anymore than I already do… (Ethan, Sav, Drew, Ben)

 

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Post-Pool Party

You’ve gotta love afternoons spent at the pool…the kids come home and CRASH! (Well, 50% of mine do anyways)…

 

Aww, she’s so sweet…….. when she’s sleeping (haha. jk. kinda)

 

Little angel…(who just happens to wake up cranky EVERY SINGLE TIME!) Sweet Benny Boy- getting SO big!

 

This girl not only looks exactly like her father…she sleeps like him too! ;)   (I just couldn’t resist having a little fun with Savi while she was comatose! Its like pestering a sleeping lion.)

 

 

Arrr! Captain Savvy Scuttleboots of the High Seas

Ever since the quads were little babies, they thought it was hilarious when Joe would talk like a pirate. Now that they are older, we will randomly catch them walking around talking “pirate lingo” to each other.

 

Tonight Sav was busting out some awesome phrases (faces and all), so I quickly grabbed the camera:

 

 

Roadtrip, Steece-Style

If you were ever wondering what the Steeces do to pass the time on our (never-ending) family roadtrip weekends, this short video clip will give you a good idea (taken with Joe’s iphone…not the best quality- but you get the idea).

 

We usually have the whole burb a-rockin’! ;)

 

Look for Drew putting on his sunglasses before he starts jamming---as if to cue his alter-“party”-ego. Dude cracks me up.

 

 

 

Joe & Uncle Ed took Savannah and Andrew to Austin to play with Grammy (on her anniversary- Grampy was out of the country for business) for the Labor Day Weekend, while Ben and Ethan hung in Waco at Granna’s & Papa’s with me. We like to split up the kids every now and then…change up the dynamics of the group…they get more individualized attention…

 

Well…that, and the fact that weekends are SOOOOO MUCH EASIER with only 2 of them! ;) (no joke…like a billion times easier!)

 

Hope you all had a fantastic Labor Day Weekend!

Fall. School. Happy.

Here are the little munchkins on their first day of school for this 2010-2011 school year. (Ethan, Sav, Ben, Drew) 

Was this really the best picture you could take, Suz? No. I’m just deathly afraid of yellow jackets/wasps/bees and I abruptly moved this photo session indoors…due to a VERY pesky and aggressive early morning visitor. gah.

 

“Dinaco”- the blue race car, made it to school with Ethan for the day---he had a kung-fu-like death grip on it, so I chose not to win that battle on the first day of school…as a favor to his teachers, of course. ;)

 

 

Gosh…they are looking SO big and grown up lately! (SUPER nice that they can put on their own backpacks and walk up to school like big kids).

 

I never work on the first day of school…and its almost a cruel taste of what life COULD be like with hours of uninterrupted solo-time. (Don’t get me wrong- I absolutely LOVE work…crave it, really).

 

But it was absolute bliss to stop by Starbucks on the way home,  pick up my all time FAVORITE seasonal treat, and enjoy it in a quiet, childless house. If you haven’t tried a Pumpkin Spice Latte, my friends, you have not lived. (throw in a Pumpkin Cream Cheese muffin and you will have just found your new “happy place”). Joe makes fun of how much I LOVE these two items. Sure I just met my quota of calories for the entire day, but I was happy as a little lark for those 30 minutes. ;) 

 

Besides, it didn’t make the massive pile-o-clean-laundry such a headache to fold. ;)