A day in the life of the Kreins home!

Today is like any other day...
This morning Daniel was my alarm clock, about 8:00, I bring him in bed with me to cuddle and welcome the day that we are about to encounter together. I know Matthew will be asleep a bit longer than us, his usual 8:30 is usually right on time. Daniel and I get to spend a little one on one time before the Matthew man joins us though, we get breakfast together, play, cuddle, snuggle, get him dressed. Matthew then wakes up on the dot, and comes out to greet us, still yawning with sleep in his eyes. He really is like me, not a morning person. He likes to wake up slowly. I used to do that before the little guys came. :) Matthew likes to watch his cartoons in the morning, OPB it is. I make him breakfast, which he likes to hold off as long as he can, he isn't a morning person... Then I help him get ready for the day, he brushes his teeth, gets dressed, and then lets me comb his hair, help him wash his face... what a cutie that boy is when he is so proud of himself for being a big boy. Daniel just puts around with us, following us or completely attatched to my right hip. Oh my back... that boy is a giant ya all! After the boys are ready for the day, we turn on some worship music, dance around together, singing to Jesus. Matthew is so into it, really acting like he is playing some musical instrument, he doesn't answer when I ask him which one, who knows if he knows! He just really gets into it. Daniel raises his hands to heaven like his momma, it is so precious... the innocence and purity of a child.
Then we do some art or something... some school stuff, Matthew is really into writing, it is fun to see him want to learn. He is a good colorer too ( I guess I am a little partial!), he has always been into art, drawing, coloring, painting, all that. Daniel just hangs out with us, then we get his turn while Matthew is engrossed on some "project" and we have a ball, he really likes to push, roll, and throw a ball! He is trying to say it too, baaa, baallll... what a kid! He is a fast moving crawler these days, hasn't taken those first steps, but he likes to stand there and he is so proud of himself, he starts smiling so big and his face just lights up when he is on a roll! Daniel takes a nap sometime after this and I get to get a shower! Woohoo! I usually turn on some video for Matthew or he goes in his room to "read". He has tons of books, he gets soooo many from the library. Right now he has this awesome body encyclopedia. It is so cool. Love it, it is huge and so full of good stuff, man, I am learning so much through his passion for doctor stuff, learning about our body, our heart, our lungs... he really is into the heart and blood. He says he is going to be a blood doctor. Steve and I sit there and we are like, hmmm... Matthew how about a heart surgeon, he really thinks that is cool now. I can totally see it. I really can!
I am reading Genesis and Ephesians right now and while Daniel is asleep I try to read some of that, meditate on it, pray... I also am reading the Challenging Child and Sheparding a Childs heart... I love to read. I cannot read at bedtime anymore, (too tired) so I read during the day during one of Daniel's nap times... I know, I read tons of self help books, but I tell ya, they help me, my family, my kids, my friends, even my doctors! Ha! It is so enriching to read. I hope my boys always have that passion, it is such an amazing part of my life, to read, learn, grown... etc. After the Danny boy's nap we start getting ready for lunch. Fun! Today Matthew was like, mom, we need our vegetables. He really loves em. Lettuce, cucumbers, celery, carrots, what else did he have with his chicken nuggets today??? oh tomatoes. Anyways.
Then we go in Matthew's room to play. What a trip that is. With Matthew's sensory stuff, this is a major issue that we are working on, SHARING and letting go of control of his environment. What a task, but so necessary! Daniel is really into Matthew's tools, man, he is like Matthew, starting an interest early. Matthew has two tool benches and tons of tools, so he has a lot to choose from. Daniel loves the wrenches a lot, he likes to mostly hit them against things, bang all over, which throws Matthew into craziness! It's all good!
At Daniels second nap we have encorporated QUIET TIME for Matthew, hello the kid veoted naps at 2! I need my break. I set the timer in Matthew's room for one hour and he has to "play" quietly, read or sleep. Rarely does he sleep. Today I do an Ab Assault from Core secrets workout. Ahhh... feels good! I tell you, I am going to Hawaii in June, gotta get this belly in control! Hee hee! Man, all moms, is it the best to be able to work out, to go walk or something isn't it? I love this weather for the past few days, even if it is cold, I want to walk.
Today after Quiet time we went to the gas station to get gas for the lawnmower... I am talking to the gas attendant, Matthew says, hey, can I have a sucker. The owner always brings him like 3 suckers! Matthew has to always take him up on it, but now he expects it! Ha! We come home and do some yard work, Daniel plays in his stroller, Matthew helps me weed and ho the flower garden, the tulips are starting to make an appearance, their little green sprouts coming out to say hi! I love tulips, I planted a ton this fall/winter! Ya! Matthew helped me clean the wheelbarrow and we chat with the neighbors, nice little town we live in, we know ALL our neighbors, they know us, we know them all really well! It is nice. I have to say!
Then we get dinner going... when daddy is home he usually cooks it! Love it! After we clean up we just chill...we are just hanging out, awaiting baths, bedtime rituals, stories, prayers, cough drops (Matthew thinks he needs one every night!) and growth hormone shots. This is Daniel's fussy time, it is getting to be less of a fussy time as he gets older, but he still has it sometimes. Right now Matthew is pretending to be a clown who is shooting out of a cannon, Daniel is chasing him around, being entertained!
Okay, I forgot to include some stuff, like the two loads of laundry that I did and folded, vacuuming the house, sweeping the kitchen, cleaning the kitchen after every meal, unloading and reloading the dishwasher, keeping up with diapers, the screaming baby, the many tantrums that happen, looking for a birth certificate for an hour to keep our medical benefits, etc... all to keep the peace and happiness of the flow of our home!
A cute little thing: Matthew asked me today if he could go to Poodleland! He meant Snoopeeland! It cracked me up! He goes tomorrow though, so that will be nice. I am taking him one or two afternoons a week, to get a break, and give him a break from me and play with other 4 year olds!
Steve is in the Dalles today... get this, he went to work last night, like he left at 8, he just got done with work a few hours ago, 19 hours on duty... I tell you what, I always say it, I don't know how he does it. He is at the hotel now, out asleep, he will have 8 hours or so to sleep then do another shift to make his trip back home. What a guy! I tell ya, I cannot take his job sometimes... but thank you Lord he has one, thank you God for it all! We miss Steve, it is hard being home for 2 to 3 days by ourselves, but what do you do? Huh? Everything cannot be perfect, we wish that we could change things, I wish that I could count on his schedule, we cannot. I don't know the last time we went on a date... or went to someone elses house for dinner, or to an event together... maybe it was the holidays... but thank you Lord for grace and thank you Lord I get to stay home with our boys right now. We will make it. We look for the positive, and sometimes we need the Lords help to look for the positive, cause man, it really is a bummer sometimes and we only can see the negative.

I just thought of sharing a little of our life with you all... I know sometimes I wonder what my girlfriends are doing all day with their families... so here is mine! Busy, fun, hard, challenging, joyous, amazing, stretching, tedious, tiresome, exhillerating... I could go on~! Blessing to you today!
Love, Sharrie