THE NEELY HOUSE

As we all know kicking things always fixes everything. I want to start this back up to give me an outlet and to document my kids growing up. I should have continued it along time ago b/c I've missed documenting so much of Avery and Asher's lives over the last couple years. Anyway, to catch you up, Avery is 5, Asher will be 3 in July.

THE DAYS ARE LONG, BUT THE YEARS ARE SHORT.

Best standing-in-line-at-walmart-talking-to-the-person-in-front-of-you-because-the-lady-in-line-wrote-a-check wisdom ever. As this blog has so appropriately proven :)

Things that I have realized in the last two years about parenting MY two kids:

Avery is not a mini adult that I should expect to be on my level. about anything.

Avery knows more about reverse psychology than I do.

Avery has a keen fashion sense.

Avery is a daddy's girl through and through.

Avery is connected to the spiritual more so than any child I've known.

Avery will sing you the most theologically interesting song you've ever heard.

Avery is motivated by fun, energetic activities. Yay for gymnastics!

Avery is bossy. I'm clinging to the fact that this will later turn out (with some good direction) to be some kind of leadership quality :)


Asher has me wrapped around his fat little pinky. Every part of him is squishy and I LOVE it. He is definitely a momma's boy.

Asher is funny w/o even trying. He just has the cutest, funniest gestures, mannerisms, faces.

Asher HATES to clean his room and will spend HOURS in his room "cleaning." (Kids aren't allowed out of quiet time until rooms are clean.)

If a normal kid comes into contact with a germ, he gets a cold. If Asher comes into contact with said germ, he gets pneumonia. This kid's lungs have issues. Asthma issues that is. So if you see Asher and he doesn't sound like he's hacking up a lung, consider it a rarity.

Asher doesn't mind if he's poopy. This is troublesome b/c my nasal passages have been so scarred from all the horrid poop I've changed that my olfactory senses have been numbed to the smell of my child's poop. So, sit in it he will.

Asher has the sweetest lisp that I hope doesn't go away any time soon, but for goodness' sake before he gets to middle school.

Asher is happy. Asher means happy. Well done.

Things I've learned about myself and parenting:

There is such a thing as hyper modesty... and Avery's got it... at least on the top half. Avery seems to forget about modesty when it comes to the bottom half but God forbid anyone see her neck or her shoulders.

If I don't make a list or schedule of things to do with the kids for the day, it won't happen. An out-of-sight kind of brain has its advantages and disadvantages.

There isn't a magic gnome that comes and cleans my house while I sleep, as much as I want that to be true. Cleaning throughout the day is much easier to maintain than letting things go for a day... For me, as the kitchen goes, so goes the rest of the house.

Praying with my children and hearing them pray is the sweetest part of my day. That and watching them sleep... all the annoying things of the day melt away for me at those times.

We are homeschooling Avery and thus Asher until we think they are ready to go to school, if ever. This is going to be the big one for me. This is going to be my test of faith in Jesus and his power to overcome my sin and selfishness. Go team Jesus.

I love my friends. I have never had better friends than I do now. Real friends. Real relationships. Real love. Between Mystery Church and Christ In Youth, I think we'll be here in Joplin with this group of people for a long time. And that makes my heart smile. Yeah I know... hearts don't have mouths. shut up. you know what I mean.