Behavior Board

I have been working so hard on behavior and consequences for the boys. I have read alot of articles and tried to find something to work. A couple of months ago, my boys begged me to buy a movie and I decided to buy it and make them earn it - and it worked.

I gave them a ticket (picture below) each time they did something nice, followed a rule, put their clothes away without asking, etc..
and once I realized that was the best way to teach my kids to follow the rules and help around the house, I got an idea for a "behavior board." We also use stickers for the boys that they can earn by making good grades or doing random acts of kindness without being asked. They put their stickers onto a cut-out such as the balloon below and then once they get 20, they can turn them in for 30 minutes of one on one time with the person of their choice - mom or dad.

We sat the boys down and let them help list the rules, pick the rewards, and actually help me make and decorate the board. We did this the day before school started and I am going to have it framed and then I will hang it somewhere for the whole family to see.

Be a STAR and follow the rules is our family motto. I encourage all my mom friends to give this a try because it has made things so much easier for me. Between school, homework, football, and DJ's work schedule, I need anything to help me get these boys to listen and also to appreciate hard work.

Do any of you have something similiar to this or use a method in your home? If so, please share for the other moms reading so that we can all share ideas!

Football Time In The Jackson House!!!

We might be five days away from UT football and in pre-season for my Titans but...

My babies have given me the fever already...football fever that is!!!!!
Ace's first home game, first year playing! Jackson, #7!!

Here is Ace watching Blaze's game with his buddy, Jayden (this was on his birthday - happy birthday buddy!!)

They have worked so hard and are so dedicated. It's hard to believe that my 5 year old can withstand practice three to four nights a week, two hours a night, in 100 degree weather! We are teaching them early what it means to stay dedicated and work hard! Vision plus energy equals success!!

Go Mountaineer Orange - Jackson Boys #20 and #7!!!

Puppy Love - Zoe Belle Edition!

This is the new addition to our family, Zoe Belle Jackson. We got her for protection (she's a pitbull) however, so far, the only thing she is good for is licking toes! :)

Three Months...We Still Miss You.

Our baby passed away three months ago and not a day has gone by that she hasn't been a part of my day's thoughts and memories. It has been a hard three months, but we have always truly been blessed. When you go through a tragedy, you learn things about yourself and the people who are closest to you. You learn who truly cares and who never did... but, most of all, you learn about mercy and grace from a loving God. You learn that God does NOT make mistakes and this WAS part of his bigger plan.

Rest In Peace Sweet Baby, We Love You And Miss You Everyday!

Movin On Up...

This picture (above) pretty much sums up how I have felt lately. I know that I complain alot about my husband's work schedule, but I just cannot stress enough how much harder it is to get work done at home when there is only one parent there. We finally had to sit down and make some big decisions for our family...
Does anyone recognize this school?

This might give you a little better hint.... :)

We are moving to Kingston! My hometown :)

We still have to - put our house on market, get our house ready to sale, let the boys finish up football season and at least one six week period of school, find a house to rent or purchase, pack up our whole house, giveaway or sale some of the junk we have accumulated, and somehow do all of this... around DJ's hectic schedule of running a store in Pikeville (40 minutes away!)

Pray for us as we embark on this adventure as a family!

Life Is Random (So Are My Posts!)

I had this tattoo designed for Allie. It has been three months since we suffered the loss of our child. Not a day goes by that I do not think about what life would be like right now if the doctors could have kept her alive in the womb. I would almost be six months pregnant and probably complaining about the hot weather. I would give anything to get her back, but I know she is resting in the arms of Jesus and I hold tight to that when I am feeling depressed. I am still trying to decide where to put the tattoo and also the size. I'm also wondering if I should put her death date in the cross. All ideas welcome.
I can't imagine life without these boys. They make everything so fun. I took them to a random lunch last week and they had a blast wearing LJS hats and pretending to be pirates! Never a dull moment!!

And my last random (very cute) moment of last week was seeing my dad running and playing on the playground with my babies. It is one of those memories you can just never forget and replay over and over in your head... they love their poppi so much - and we don't get to see him as much as we wish we could (but that's going to change soon!!!)

Family Date Night!

I have been really inspired by a few bloggers recently, especially Kelly over at www.kellyskorner.com and I have promised myself that I will start blogging more and taking more pictures so that I can look back on these wonderful memories and smile.
DJ had the chance to take a Friday off which is rare so we decided to suprise the boys when they got off the bus - and take them on a family date. We rarely get the chance to have a weekend family night because of DJ's work schedule so we took advantage of it and headed to Cookeville! First thing first, we stopped by Miss Carolyn's house to pick up this years Titans tickets! We met Carolyn through an online website called LSN which locals use to sell things they do not need. Sweet Carolyn's husband was a huge Titans fan and saved up his whole life to get Season Tickets to the Titans games. Soon after he bought them, he tragically passed away and she continues to get the tickets every year even though she never goes to the games. Although she started as a stranger, DJ and her have become good friends and every year she gives us first choice on tickets after her children pick. She loves getting to see the boys and always gives them a gift when they come too - I think she secretly always hopes the boys are with us when we come! We picked up four tickets to two of the games and will probably pick up more next month once we get the "football fever". GO TITANS!

These are the moments that melt my heart. We went out to eat at our favorite restraunt in Cookeville, Logan's Roadhouse. Then, my sister in law called and told us she was taking her child to the derby at the local fair so we decided to stop by there and see her too. Then, of course we did a little shopping and got the boys some cute new stuff, and then headed to Burger King because they have the cutest little playplace that the boys have been begging to try.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing my children having fun with their daddy! Everyone who is a part of the car business knows that the hours are not family friendly. Right now, DJ is working a 13 hour day, sometimes 14 days in a row before a day off work. They are preparing him to move up into another branch of management and that takes alot of hard work and dedication (post with details to come!). I am so so so proud of the man that he has become. I know this is not the first time I have talked about it and it will not be the last, but I cannot believe the change he has made in his life - all for his family. You will not find a better husband or father than ours and we are so lucky to have him. It also makes me think about what life is like for military families - God bless you all for defending our freedom!

First Day Of School 2011

Wednesday was their first day of school! How cute do they look? We went to school to register and the boys got to meet their teachers, then we spent the rest of the day shopping for school clothes and supplies. They sure are growing up fast! I am so proud of the young gentlemen they have become and I can't wait to see what this school year holds for us - not to mention this mom will have a little more free time. As a Nation, let's all pray for the children going back to school this year ; bullying seems to get worse every single year.

The Way I See It - Teen Mom Edition

I have mentioned on my blog before that I watch the shows "16 And Pregnant" and "Teen Mom" and I love the rawness of the emotion coming from the teens as they struggle to be young and parents at the same time. I was also a teen mom and got pregnant at the age of 19. It was so hard to try to grow up and figure out who I was, all while trying to give life to a human being who depended on me 24-7. As I have watched the show, I realize that I am more and more like Amber Portwood, although you may all not see that. You see, alot of her anger and hurt issues, I have also dealt with - and also needed counseling. When I watched the episode where Leah is playing and she just walks out because the pressure is too much, that is exactly what happened to me. I remember wanting to enjoy my kids, but not being able to because the anger of the past mixed with the stress of the present didn't allow me to be the mom I had hoped to be. I cannot imagine feeling like that and having to deal with this -

Could you imagine having cameras following every little move you made? I sure can't. We all make mistakes and about 25% of teenagers today are becoming parents before their 21st birthday. We only see a small percentage of their life, yet Amber will always be known as the mom who hit her baby's father on national television.

I just wanted to encourage my readers to think about what this has probably done to their lives. We do not know what the future holds for Gary and Amber - and I do not know them personally, but I do catch myself reading the negative media or visiting TMT (a website dedicated to all the Teen Moms and everything they do!) and feeling sorry for them, especially Amber. The media will never give her a chance to be a positive role model for her daughter. Even if she does completely change in rehab, her and Gary get married and live happily ever after, and they ride off into the sunset - she will always be seen in a negative light. And for those of you that say she made the decision to be on the show - think about how many stupid decisions you made when you were SIXTEEN years old. She was just a baby herself! I'm sure she nor her family had any idea that this would become a crazy teen sensation!

If you take nothing else from this blog post today, please just look at this face and see the hurt she is experiencing. She has been through more before the age of 21 than most of us go through our whole lives. The majority of us will never have our fifteen minutes of fame - and we should be happy about that because we have seen firsthand what the "popular media" can do to a person's life.

Change Is Gonna Come.. And Extras!

First things first, I have decided to change the blog up a little bit. I do 100% of the posting and this is my safe place to talk about all types of things so I have decided to change the overall feel and look of the blog. I will be going from "Life In The Fab Lane" to "Ashley's Avenue - Life as mom, wife, designer". I think it will help the blog to open up for more viewers and to further explain what the blog is all about. I want to talk about my family, but also have an outlet as the learn the basics of Interior Design. I'm hoping to have the new blog up and running within the next three weeks. It should be here on this website, but if for some reason we decide to move it, I will post the details later. I am looking for a website domain to be able to post on, so we shall see how that comes together for me.
I posted awhile ago about the case of Johnny Clarke and Lisa Straub who were brutally murdered sometime last year. There are still NO leads. I have become close to Johnny's mother and I promised to continue to ask for prayers and to post story details to keep the case alive. If you would like more information, you can add www.facebook.com/ripjohnny. This is a Facebook page run by his family only. There are so many untrue stories being told about the case, but straight from his mother, there are NO leads.
Am I the only person who thinks Jessica Simpson looks pregnant? I saw this picture on Tuesday and had to come post for you all to get a look. I think she would be a wonderful mom, but it might put a detour in her wedding plans. What happened to marriage THEN baby?
How absolutely cute is this? Blaze is the perfect child. I couldn't ask for a better son!!
His little brother on the other hand is a WILD CHILD!

I hope no matter where my blog ends that you all will continue to follow me on this journey called life :)

I Would LOVE Some Advice!

I am needing some discipline advice. Nothing seems to be working with my little monkey, Ace. He is in this phase where he is breaking or messing with everything in our home and it is getting very expensive. We have had to replace televisions, toys, gaming systems, lights, fans, carpet, etc.. over his destructive ways. I hate to complain and try to keep this to myself, but I would love to hear some advice. I am feeling alot like the two women in these pictures tonight! Please leave a comment or e-mail me with your ideas or what has worked for your child.

I Need Some New Friends!

I love the ones I have, don't get me wrong, but I am ready to make some new mom friends. I am about to be a full time housewife - I say that instead of stay at home mom because after 7 years of being one, my kids are finally heading to school full time. I will have all week to get caught up on housework and get this house organized and clutter free. I also look forward to having time away from my children so I can enjoy them more when they are here. I am interested in finding some mom friends, possibly even a bible study group, yoga class, etc.., to do something with at least one day a week during the day. Anyone interested? You can comment here or email me at momwifedesigner@gmail.com.