Three Things on Thursday

1.) My husband grew up doing construction because his Dad is a general contractor. Even when we were dating Tim and I would often drive around looking at houses, and it's a pastime we still enjoy today. So it's no surprise that our kids enjoy it, too. They loved the Parade of Homes this year, and we all get excited when we get a chance to walk through a house still under construction. We speculate about what the rooms will be like, how the homeowners will decorate, and whether they will have a good view.

So the other day Nate and I were driving around a new neighborhood waiting for Emma to finish her piano lessons. As we slowly cruised down the street, I heard Nate say, "Holy cow! That house is kinda HUGE!" (I couldn't stifle my giggles.) Hearing a two-year-old and eight-year-old comment on houses is hopelessly cute!

2.) I've been reading a book called "Romancing Your Child's Heart." It's an excellent book that encourages parents to "out-romance" the competition (There IS competition for your child's heart!). It's made a BIG difference in our home and my parenting. I find that I am way more patient, and I have way more time to engage with Emma and Nate. We embrace the moment more often and have enjoyed lots of trips to the park, walks, bike rides, cuddles, books and just silly time together. It's especially cool to see my children responding with positive behavior and kindness to one another. I would highly recommend this book to any parent.

3.) Did anyone hear there was an earthquake in Colorado a couple days ago? Maybe not since the Virginia earthquake overshadowed anything else newsworthy that day, but I find it interesting that several websites say these quakes are not uncommon in the southwest part of our state. I did not know that! Read more here and here.