Organized Chaos

The BLAHS have hit me

2009-11-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

I think I was standing near the couch. They did one of those football rush-thingamabobs and knocked me flat on my butt on the couch, and there I've wanted to stay ever since.

I've just lost my motivation for everything. I want to veg and play video games. I think I must've switched bodies with a teenage boy. A Freaky Friday kinda thing. Except I haven't even talked to a teenage boy in months. Hmm. Maybe I did a FF with a 35 yr old mama's boy who still lives at home? That is more likely, eh? He probably bags my groceries at the local grocery store. Or is the door greeter at Walmart. Ooh, then if I'm having his urges, he's having mine! He's wanting to hold the babies of strangers and buy baby clothes. And ooh, isn't that nailpolish pretty! About now, he's having a major identity crisis.

Oh, I'm crazy. I ramble entirely too much.

I have a counter full of dishes that need to be scrubbed. And things that need to be mailed. And ordered online. And I'm still sitting here.

Yup, still here.

Come back in an hour. If I'm still here... well, I'm too unmotivated to even think of something that will motivate me. You'll have to come up with a brilliant idea of your own.

Anyone want to bring me a glass of lemonade?

HEY. If they can do it, I can do it, too.

2009-10-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's not time to start decorating with turkeys and saying "Happy Thanksgiving."

But if the stores can start playing Christmas music and have Christmas displays up and it's not even Halloween, then I can change my blog background to this ADORABLE little turkey and polka dots.

I love all things polka dotty.

And I love brown, chocolatey brown. In fact, I'm craving some chocolatey happiness as I type this.

Anyway. I just love love love this background, and I don't want to only use it for November. I'm getting started early. So what? I'm a procrastinator about tons of other things, so maybe this evens it all out?

No? Party pooper.

And we have a mouse.

2009-10-15T03:49:00.000-07:00

Bleck.

Last fall/winter we had a visitor, too. He lasted a meager two days, I think. Now to make short work of this guy, too.

Yesterday when we were eating dinner, I thought I heard a "clink" of the dishes in the kitchen - and all of my children were staring at me from around the table. So, it wasn't them messing around in there.

Then this morning at 4:00 when I got up, I heard it again when I was leaving my bedroom. And then - gasp! - the little poop dob on my counter.

Ok, rodent. The war is on.

*looking over my shoulder and whispering* Do you think the guinea pig will take this personally? I mean, it's not like they were close. She wasn't going to see him at the reunion this summer or anything.

That's one way to put it.

2009-10-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

My 6 year old was startled very badly. With her eyes wide open, she said, "My heart was running around in there, crashing into all my bones!"

I love how expressive she is at times. And original.

Ben accepted Christ as his Savior!

2009-10-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

It was his turn to sleep with me. He just brought up the subject himself, lying there. I wish I could even remember what question he asked.

Anyway, we began talking about sin, was he a sinner, etc. He answered right away - understood everything. I was frankly surprised because of how much less mature he is than the girls were at this age, and they got saved at a later age.

So then I asked if he wanted to pray right then. "No. It's bedtime. I'll do it in the morning."

Morning came. He remembered and still wanted to. Just to make sure, I went through the questions again. He really understood. So he wanted to pray. Now, with the girls, they wanted me to help them with what to say. Not Ben. He jumped right in and said, "Jesus, please forgive me for my sins. Amen." And that was that.

I told him he was now my son AND my brother. He laughed and said, "That's silly."

I'm so happy. I've had the privilege of praying with all 3 of them. I've asked God to let me pray with all of them, and so far - so good!

Weather vanes and weather radar are so yesterday.

2009-10-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke with a headache. (And no, it wasn't a child, lol.)

My head is usually a good indicator that we have new weather blowing it. I'll get a nasty migraine a day before. And today, I woke with one.

So right now, I want to lie on the couch to close my eyes. But I'm also hungry. But I don't want to make it. Any chance I could snag a passerby as they walk past my house so they could come in and take care of things for me?

Hmm, here's an idea. Since I've obviously put those weathermen in my area out of work, maybe they'd be willing to take a part time job as my cook? Ah well, it didn't hurt to ask.

October started off with a bang

2009-10-02T05:14:00.000-07:00

Just ask my poor 3 year old.

I had to take her to the ER last night for two staples in her head. She hit her head pretty good while playing outside. But what a tough little girlie she is - no numbing and yet she didn't cry! She actually didn't even make any noise. I think if I got two staples in my head, I would've at least made some sort of noise. She just laid quietly.

I was instructed last night to wake her every two hours to make sure she doesn't have any other issues from the head injury.

After two wakings, I quit trying, because she was sleeping with me... she kept crying out every time she'd roll over onto that side of her head AND she started kicking me in the jaw repeatedly while she was sleeping. Yep, I think she was fine.

Woohoo!

2009-10-01T02:42:00.000-07:00

Monday and Tuesday I spent at a friend's house, sewing. I'm not a quick seamstress, so it took me two days to only make a jumper and a skirt. Ah, but! I learned how to make an invisible zipper, how to put in binding around the neck and armholes, and how to make your own pattern for a skirt.

The jumper is denim; the skirt is brown corduroy. I really need to take pics so you can see. Being really dark fabric, though, I doubt you'll see much. Mostly I want to show off the detail of the jumper. I know this sounds boastful, but I did a really good job. It looks so very good, and I really thought I'd mess it up horribly. I'm discovering that I can actually do this stuff!

I've always said I'm not domestic - I don't enjoy cooking, cleaning, or sewing. I like homeschooling, and I love spending time with the kids. But here I am, starting to look pretty domestic, lol. I've started grinding my own flour, making homemade bread, sewing clothes for the kids here and there... I even made flannel crib sheets last year with no pattern. Of course, it turned out super simple, but I was pleased that I did it myself.

Funny how things go.

Guinea Pigs and 911 - what a day!

2009-08-24T05:15:00.001-07:00

Last night, we returned from a short trip to a state fair. On our way home, we stopped by a pet store that sold small animals and bought a guinea pig. After our less-than-stellar experiences with a dog and cats, I figure an animal in a cage is more the way to go.

Her name is Almond. She is brown and white, the shade of brown being like the outside of an almond. Hence the name. Yes, we're sophisticated in our methods of picking names.

I paid WAY too much money for a RODENT. And rodent accoutrements are surprisingly expensive. I actually did a double take when he told me the total. Yikes.

We got her home, got her cage set up, and Hannah proceeded to sit near the cage with her drawing pad and pencils. She drew and drew Almond and drew her some more. (Homeschooler alert!) I think we'll make this part of her science this year.

Then, as we were readying for bed, I was in the living room, telling Ben to put on a pullup. Then I left him to check on the girls. When I came back, he wasn't there. His pjs were on the couch. I called him a few times, thinking he was upstairs doing something. No answer. I sent Hannah upstairs to tell him to come down. She said he wasn't up there.

Then the search ensued.

After looking everywhere I could think of, and checking those same places over and over, I started to be really concerned. I started calling him, "Ben, this isn't funny. If you are hiding to be funny or silly, you need to come out now. Mommy is getting worried." No Ben.

I had locked both the front and back doors before I had noticed he was gone... I thought. Did I or didn't I? Was he outside? We went out and yelled and yelled. No Ben. I checked in the van. Ben? No, no Ben.

Now, I'm starting to cry. Which made Hannah start to cry.

I called a friend and told her. I told her that I needed her, and of course, she said she was on her way. Then she said, "You need to call 911." I so didn't want to.

Calling 911 takes this to a new level, to a new place, that I didn't even want to entertain. But, call 911 I did. I talked to an operator who was very kind, and I had to repeat some things for her because my voice was hard to understand - the tears were clogging my throat.

The police were here very quickly. They asked us to leave the house so they could check for him alone. It took a few minutes, but then I heard, "We found him!"

The sweetest words known to mankind.

He was curled up in the window seat of my sewing room. Because of how close the sewing table is to the window, he was impossible to see. They found him by using their flashlights. He had been purposely hiding, smiling from ear to ear, even then.

The officer gave him a serious talking to, but it didn't phase him at all. I guess at 4, you just don't get it. Or at least my son didn't. So, he will be missing out on some fun things for the next few days. I need to find a deterrent so this never happens again!

Muscle Man!

2009-08-12T14:15:00.001-07:00

Hannah was struggling to open a jar of Musselman's applesauce.

With a strained voice, she said, "No wonder they call it Muscle Man's applesauce. You have to be a muscle man to get into it!"

Man Naked

2009-08-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

When we were at my folks' house, Hannah was mildly shocked that Grandpa was walking around "naked." My dad quickly corrected her.

"I'm not naked. I just don't have a shirt on."

"Grandpa, it's still naked. It's what I call Man Naked."

Kiss the Pig

2009-08-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

Q: What do you get when you cross an affection-loving boy with his 4-yr old sense of humor?

A: The following strange scene...

While I was walking around the kitchen doing this and that, Ben attached himself to me in a few strange postures to hug me in any way he could. He just kinda walked along with me, so I asked, "Are you gonna come with me anywhere I go?" He smiled a sweet smile, simply saying, "Yes."

So I pulled some evasive maneuvers, only partially dislodging him, but it caused us both to giggle. Then he stood behind me, threw his arms around my roomy backside, and declared, "I'm gonna kiss your butt crack."

I tried getting away, but the more I did, the tighter he held on. And then came The Noise.

He began snorting like a piglet, making the sound in the back of his throat. It truly sounds like a little pig.

So then I had a little boy firmly attached to my butt, making pig noises. What is one supposed to take from this?

Why is my husband referred to as Beefcake?

2009-08-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

The following is a repost of an old story. It explains where my hubby's title of Beefcake comes from. Aside from the fact that I find him totally sexy, of course.

Last night, our two girls (ages 5 and 4) decided to put on a play for us. This was their first time, and I knew it was likely to be comical, but it was beyond hilarious.

First, they each took a part - one took Sleeping Beauty and the other took Snow White. Snow White had her turn first. She was to sit down and scrub the steps and sing. Well, the scrubbing lasted 2.4 seconds, and then she was off singing and just kept walking until she completely left the room... and never came back. (Snow White is our 4 year old.) This frustrated Sleeping Beauty very much!

Well, then it was Sleeping Beauty's turn, and she enlisted the help of her 2 yr old brother to be the Prince who kisses her - but she insisted it be on the cheek, thank you very much. He walked over to her, looked down at her and said, "No kiss," and walked out. More frustration from Sleeping Beauty.

So Sleeping Beauty asked her daddy (who was in the audience) to be her prince. He walked over, kissed her on the cheek, and then proceeded to fall over limply next to her.

"Daddy, what are you doing? Are you dead?"

And Daddy, keeping his eyes closed says, "No, I caught it from you and now I'm Sleeping Beefcake."

Back from a small vaca

2009-08-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Went to my parents' for a week. It was just the breather I needed.

I think my kids ate their collective weight in ice cream. It was consumed nightly and with relish. Meaning they delighted in their treat. Not that we had relish on the side. *Shudder*

Oh, yes, and one day my mom made a cake. Several of them said, "Whose birthday is it?" That should tell you how often I bake cakes.

While I was gone, the local fencing company finished our new chainlink fence in the backyard. Hooray!!! That is another big project off the list I've made to accomplish while Beefcake is deployed. (That reminds me, I should repost the Beefcake post!) Have to admit, my favorite project is the kind where my main responsibility is writing out the checks.

It all boils down to: I've just gotta DO it.

2009-07-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

With 5 small children, finding time to make it to the gym, any gym, is pretty impossible for me. Especially since my husband is often traveling for the Army, and even now is deployed. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I have begun building my own little "gym."

I have a treadmill and a special chair to help with sit ups (I'll explain that in a moment.) I think the next thing I'll buy is set of small dumbbells. I need to bulk up this pitiful set of arms I have.

I have the most awesome set up for my treadmill. I knew I wouldn't just get on there for an hour and keep walking. No scenery but the wall in front of me. Simply music is a no-go. So I've tweaked and experimented until...! I have rigged my portable dvd player to the console of my treadmill and now I watch movies while I walk!

As for the special chair: I have a bad back, and sit ups strain my lower back muscles. This chair takes the strain off my back and isolates my tummy muscles. It also helps me not strain my neck. Is there anyone else out there like me who ends up using their neck too much when trying to do sit ups?

Now, I've only had these things about 2 months. So have I seen incredible results? No, but I know it is good for me and WILL yield results... if I can just keep at it.

Even with my beautiful set up of watching movies and old tv shows on dvd, I still have to get on there and just DO it.

Sometimes, self-discipline is hard to muster up. It's like a warped circle. What is the key to self-discipline? Well, bottom line is you still just have to make yourself do it. So the key to self-discipline is to have the self-discipline to develop self-discipline. Wha-?

What is that green thing in my fridge?

2009-07-23T20:40:00.000-07:00

No, it's not mold. Or even old jello. (Green jello is ick, by the way. Red jello is the only way to go in my book.)

Instead, it's my son's beanie alligator. No one would fess up to who put it there. Guess the summer heat got to him a bit?

New piece of furniture

2009-07-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

As homeschoolers, we need lots and lots of storage space. What we had been using was a sad little black shelf unit my husband had used in college. It was made of pressed wood and had definitely done well considering, but was looking rather pitiful. It only had two shelves, and each shelf was only about 2 feet long.

So I went to a fabulous little store in the area; they sell solid wood furniture at super prices. It is so much cheaper than a furniture showroom, because it comes unstained. BUT I pay them to stain it, which only adds about $100 to the cost. You can't beat that! So I got this solid oak shelving unit for a mere few hundred dollars. Yes, it's true!

Obviously, I've put stuff on every shelf, but do you see how much room is unused? I'm so happy! This piece will serve us very well!

My girl was an actress for a day!

2009-07-22T03:29:00.000-07:00

I signed my oldest up for an art class in a neighboring town. They were to learn how to paper mache, make puppets and props, and then perform some small plays for the parents at the end of the week. They chose "Hansel and Gretel" and "The Gingerbread Man."

I'm really tight on how much of my children I show online, but since she was the fox in "The Gingerbread Man" and wore a mask, I can post a couple pics!

Ahhh! Beware the one-eyed fox! Actually, a bit of a "wardrobe malfunction" when her hair kept falling down into her eyes under the mask.

Her entrance into the play - she was cute and funny, eliciting a lot of giggles from the crowd. And no, that is not me in the background.

Talking to the gingerbread man.

Eating the gingerbread man!

I loved watching her do it all. She was so very cute and blossomed quite well. She is normally a very shy child, and even cried the first two days when I dropped her off. But the teachers said she never acted shy once she got in there. And certainly when it came time to do the play, she wasn't shy at all! I was so proud!

Good talk with my man.

2009-07-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with him. He is having, as usual, a busy day over there. It's nonstop until he goes to bed, every day.

He called because he saw on our private blog that I was dealing with some pretty intense emotions regarding his deployment.

We had a great talk. I found out some of the things he is feeling, which is really good because he isn't the sort of guy to just offer those tidbits. Turns out, he feels the same way I do. Wow, is that good to know. It's very reassuring and comforting. And more importantly to me, he doesn't think I'm a wimp to feel this way.

Sadly, our talk only lasted 15 minutes. Suddenly he blurted out, "I gotta go." Ahh, well, another day, then.

Raisins = wealth?

2009-07-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

My 2nd child just asked me, "Mommy, if we had no raisins, and we had no money, what would you call that?"

My oldest piped up, "Poor."

Having a large family can save you money

2009-07-19T08:17:00.000-07:00

Don't believe it? Then let me share my Friday experience with you.

The kids and I were at the mall, when I decided that I wanted to look in a jewelry store for a necklace. There was a HUGE sale going on, so I thought it was worth a shot.

Everything was gaudy and huge. I asked the saleswoman if they had anything small and delicate - much more my style in terms of jewelry. (I like simple, delicate, elegant.) She directed me to the clearance counter. Score! Clearance is definitely up my alley!

There I found a small diamond necklace that looks like THIS. Except mine is done in yellow gold.

The lady broke down the discount for me (50% off, plus another 30% off), and it quickly went from a nearly-$300 necklace to a mere $101! Then she offers me the lifetime warranty on the necklace, which was incredibly reasonable.

After some hemming and hawing, even leaving the mall at one point, I went back to buy the necklace. She tells me the total is only $113. I questioned her, because that was less than what it should have been.

She smiled and said, "I gave you an extra 10% off." When I pressed her for a reason, she just smiled and said, "Because I wanted to." I pressed again (I know, some of you are saying, "Just shut up and take it!"), but I was very curious. That was the 3rd discount!

She finally just said, "Well... you have five kids."

So there you have it. Who says having a lot of kids is too expensive? It actually saved me some money!

What do you think of the new look?

2009-07-18T22:14:00.001-07:00

I am so excited about this little makeover of my blog! I like the name, the look, the colors - all of it!

Take notice that I did keep my pseudonym, but will be changing the kids'. No, these will not be their real names.

Now, please be patient with me. I've started converting the posts from the old blog to the new coloring. The old colors I used are so hard to read here and look awful with the updated color scheme. I'm all the way to 2007, so it may not affect you at all, unless you are the sort of person who likes to go back and read old posts.

The roosters are such slackers

2009-07-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I woke up every morning around 4 a.m. for no particular reason. That happened... oh, probably 5 or 6 mornings. So I gave up and adopted the if-you-can't-beat-'em, join-'em outlook.

And I now go to bed around 8:30 with my children and get up at 4 a.m.

I am not a morning person by nature. I prefer to hang out with the owls each night and join folks for lunch the next day. (Of course having children has changed how late I stay up and sleep in.) But this is working remarkably well. This way I am getting at least 3 hours of solitude every day, guaranteed.

By the time the kids get up in the morning, I've had some serious alone time. I've read my Bible, exercised, and conquered any projects that I wish.

I never thought I'd be living the "early to bed, early to rise" lifestyle!

I made homemade bread!

2009-07-08T12:14:00.000-07:00

Recently I got a grain mill and a Bosch. So now, I am making homemade bread! After 2 failed batches, this was my triumph! Behold, and marvel!

Fresh from the oven!

See the beautiful waffle pattern on the lower half of the loaf? That is a nice touch from the bread pan.

Ooh, what lovely bread slices. Moist, soft, yet firm enough to make a great sandwich!

YUM. Don't you want some?

All sliced, bagged and ready to be frozen or used!

Thinking of changing my blog

2009-07-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

I was thinking TOTAL makeover.

New pseudonyms for the kids, for myself. New title. New look.

LOL whatcha think about that?

Just want to essentially start over. Something light and fun.

Yes, I know. I'm fired.

2009-07-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

But if you fire me, then there won't be a blog. Not that there will be a loss of posts or anything if you fire me.

Let's see... since I last posted, not much has changed. Just one tiny thing: I'm starting to make my own bread. I'm cheating a bit and using a Bosch to do the dirty work for me. Shhh, don't tell!

Even grinding my own flour. I can't believe I'm doing that. But it is so easy. Dump grain in one spot. Turn dial. Flour comes out in a different spot. Voila. Fresh flour.

So, am I fired?

On to the adventure!

2009-05-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

We said goodbye to my husband the better part of a week ago. It was very difficult, but now we are marching on. We'll be okay.

He's called 3 times so far, and it is so good to hear his voice. It's amazing he can be so far away and yet I can hear him so clearly. And to hear his laugh... that is like music.

My older kids have mentioned a few times that Daddy is going to die. That is sad to hear from your children's lips. I have talked it over with them, reassuring them as much as I can. They seem to understand a bit more that death isn't inevitable, but I'm sure we'll have to cover it again.

And we're going to have an adventure while he is away. He'll have his own adventure, and we'll have ours. Lots of field trips and exploring the area we live in. Starting some new traditions for us to help fill the lonely hours, which I hope will make some great memories.

All in all, I feel hopeful, even if a bit lonely for him. Oh, the things we will have to share with him! And then he won't have to worry about us back here. He can do his job, knowing we are ok.

Saying goodbye

2009-05-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

Don't worry - I'm not leaving blogging.

I just have to send my husband off to a different country.

This is very hard. I'm trying so hard to hold on to the hours, but they are slipping through my fingers. I am praising God, because I was supposed to drop him off tonight with his unit, but we've been given a bit more time. I'll take every bit I can get!

Once again, I wish I could bottle up certain moments to keep for later. Wouldn't it be wonderful?

Projects!

2009-04-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Today, hubby and I started ripping the carpet up in the living room/dining room/great room area. We had no idea what sort of state the hardwood floor underneath would be in. But let me say, it is beautiful!

We will be calling for an estimate this week, though, for some small repairs and sealing to be done. Not much has to be done, but we want it done well, as we need to sell this house when the Army moves us on.

I also have some other projects that are screaming for their turn, so once this is done, it's on to the next thing. Isn't it always?

Mixed greetings

2009-03-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

I tell ya, when you go out with 5, you get all sorts of reactions.

Several older ladies got lots of enjoyment from my bunch.

One man chuckled everytime he passed us, especially when Emily discovered something inside her mouth was bleeding... she kept touching it, looking at the blood, wiping it on her shirt, and exclaiming: "I'm bleeding!" Then she'd repeat the entire process. Goofy kid.

One mom was eager to talk to me, as she is expecting her 3rd. She is hoping for 4, but her hubby says no.

Then this one... two young women out, one of which was the mama of 2 little ones. The mom who had no kids says (upon seeing me and my bunch), "Girl, and you think you have it bad..." and then they both looked at us with disdain. I wanted to speak up, but they weren't actually talking to me, just loud enough for me to hear. And they allowed me to see their reactions to my family. But still. I figured with their reaction, nothing I could say would be taken well.

Oh yeah, and the lady today who told me that she appreciated the sweet manners that my kids have. That made me feel really good!

Squeaker is now a YEAR OLD!!

2009-03-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to hear the cliche things we all say at this point in our babies' lives?

"Where has the time gone?" "I can't believe my baby is one already!" "It seems like he was just born!"

And yet I mean all of them.

As for an update on the little guy, he has 5 teeth for sure. Not sure if that one tooth that has been bugging him has popped through yet. He still has his blue eyes, which makes me happy. (I have a brown-eyed boy, and I was hoping for a blue-eyed one, too. I think it's fun when they are so different.) He has been taking steps for a bit now, but isn't truly walking yet. I think he probably could, but he is too chicken to go for it. Oh! And he has a small dimple in his right cheek. None of my others have a dimple, so it excites me. However, the sort of dimple it is, I half wonder if it is the chub in his face that is giving him the dimple... guess we'll have to wait to find out for sure.

He's actually super shy. He hides from other babies, lol! I admit that I love how he curls up on me when another person comes near. But if you are at home with us (and he is used to you enough), he is so fun and active. He talks and talks, even seems to sing sometimes. He goes up and down our stairs with the older kids to the playroom. They can't shake him, but they actually love it. Sweetheart (my 4 yr old) will actually get down on Squeaker's level to ask him to play with him. It's pretty sweet.

Oh yes, one more thing - he has a trade mark growl when he is happy, of all things. I suppose for him it would be akin to a cat purring. He just growls and growls. It's pretty amusing.

The weird thing for me is... no new baby in sight. I'm trying to savor his each and every... everything! I wonder if he'll be the last or not. If he is the last - what a way to end that season! He is just SO wonderful. I cannot complain a bit!

Let's play the Opposite Game!

2009-03-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, to test you, let's start off easy...

What is the opposite of happy? If you said "sad," give yourself a sticker.

Let's try another: the opposite of hot? If you said "cold," consider yourself smart!

Here's the toughie: the opposite of closed eyes? If you are my 2 yr old daughter, you said:

"Close your eyes open!"

Thought for the day - from a 5 yr old

2009-01-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

At dinner tonight, Sugar-n-Spice said:

"I wish bad manners were good." All with a wistful expression on her face.

This girl really lives up to her name.

Girls vs Boys

2008-12-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

I was tucking Sweetheart in tonight, and as I left the room he said, "Wait! I didn't kiss you!"

He threw his arms around my neck and gave me a sloppy kiss. I smiled into his hair and said, "You are wonderful."

"No, I'm not!"

"You're not?"

"No. I'm not a girl who is wonderful. I am a boy who is cool."

Oh, my mistake. Girls are wonderful; boys are cool. Got it.

Kid funny - Sweetheart

2008-11-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

I told Sweetheart to go use the bathroom. While he was sitting there, I told him to try to po*p.

He made some grunting noises, then said, "Nope. My po*p's not crawling out."

What Thanksgiving traditions do you have?

2008-11-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

So far the only real tradition to do with that specific holiday is that we make a Thanksgiving tree.

This is NOT a decorated tree, like a Christmas tree. It is a brown tree made out of construction paper or posterboard. We hang it on the wall - bare. Not a leaf on it. Then every day, we each write on a fall-colored leaf (made out of orange, yellow, or red construction paper) something we are thankful for. By Thanksgiving, the tree is full of beautiful leaves.

We start this tree on November 1st and add our last leaves the day before Thanksgiving.

A serger!!! A SERGER!!!

2008-11-10T17:07:00.000-08:00

I may be crowing prematurely (and I hope not!), but my mom called tonight to tell me that my grandma (actually a friend of the family that we call Grandma) will be giving me her serger!!!

She says she just doesn't have anyone to sew for anymore, and neither of her two daughters will use it, so she is giving it to me for Christmas!! She also asked Mom to help her go through her stash of fabric to pick stuff out for me.

I am THRILLED!!

Can't stop smiling!!

I think I may not be touching the ground when I walk...

Finally, some progress! bodily functions alert

2008-11-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

Sweetheart is finally, finally getting there. He only does well if he is naked... at peeing, that is. Pooping is another story. Naked, he will start to and then run to the bathroom to finish. So then I have poop in various places and down his legs, plus the bathroom is a disgusting mess. But if I don't have him naked, then he will pee and poop in his britches.

This does not a happy mama make.

Especially when Squeaker is near Sweetheart, because Squeaker crawls around now and has actually eaten (yes, eaten!!!) his brother's yuckies.

Mothering is not for the faint of heart... or stomach.

Hidden Costs of Peaches

2008-09-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

When we bought this house last year, we discovered a peach tree in the backyard. It didn't produce fruit last year, but it has this year. I wasn't able to put away as many peaches as I wanted to, as it's my first year figuring out when to pick them, and I think I picked a bit late.

However, I have lovely fresh peaches sitting in my freezer, swimming in their juices and a bit of sugar. I tasted the juice and YUMMO!!!

But I was wondering... seeing how I didn't even plant the tree, and the tree does all the work for you (we didn't even spray for bugs), would you call these the cheapest peaches I've ever gotten? Or, considering the fact that we bought this house and the tree came with it, would you say they are the most expensive peaches I've ever gotten? *wink*

Glimpses of the kidlets

2008-08-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd let you in on how the kids are doing. It's amazing when I think about it how fast they are growing.

Sunshine is in first grade this year. She loves loves loves school. In fact, the girl *enjoys* tests. Can you believe that? Her reading level is wonderful. Tonight she brought the newspaper to me, pointing to an article she had gotten about a couple paragraphs into. And speed drills for math excite her. I love my little nerdy girl! (Made in her mama's own image. I was in Math Club in high school, where I voluntarily spent my Saturdays at math contests.) She's got a couple permanent teeth now and more on their way. I see braces in our future... Also, she has discovered that she loves sewing on my machine. She made a purse the other day for herself.

Sugar-n-Spice is doing preschool and loving school as well. So far, I show her things pretty much once, and she has it. I know it won't always be that way, but it is an encouraging beginning. No one wants the initial experience to be like pulling teeth. She is ever so much like her name, too. We go from sweet moments when she tells me that she loves me even more than she loves her friends (lol) but then we are disciplining her for telling one of said friends that if they don't share, she is going to kick their *ahem*. (I know everyone deals with their kids picking up a few unsavory phrases here and there, but I kinda hoped we'd avoid it for a couple more years.) A roller coaster ride with her for sure, but hey, let's all admit it: we love our rides, don't we?

Sweetheart is soooo enamored with Spiderman/Peter Parker. Mistakenly, some days I call him by his given name and am quickly chastized for not remembering to call him Spiderman/Peter Parker. And it has to be the entire name of "Peter Parker" if that is the day's alternate identity. I can't get away with a simple "Peter." Part of the obsession (or maybe the reason for the obsession) includes all 3 Spiderman movies. We are also still working potty training this little turkey. And just today I found out why it is going so slowly - he prefers the diaper route. He would rather just not be bothered with the toilet, thank you very much. Bribes of candy do not entice him. So we're off to try something he might be interested in: Spiderman stickers. Think it'll work?

Shortcake has become quite the singer. And it is so adorable!! Just today I heard her ask Squeaker if he wanted to hear the song "Fishers of Men." It came out something like, "See Fishuh Men? I may fishuh men, fishuh men, fishuh men..." etc. If you know the song and can figure out toddler-speak, then you totally just understood that! I also canNOT keep that girl out of the refridgerator. She has also found a stubborn streak when it comes to naps and bedtimes, as well as wanting to sit in a regular chair instead of her booster chair. She is two and wants to be seen as a twelve-year-old.

Squeaker is 5 months old now. He been rolling over for awhile, grabs anything within reach, growls in pleasure (hilarious), and loves to watch Shortcake. He is no longer breastfeeding and seems to miss it. He won't take a bottle from anyone else if I'm around - he only wants Mama to give him that bottle. I think he is also entering the separation anxiety phase. I admit sheepishly that I love that he wants me. Oh yes, and if you should elect to hold the kissable bundle, wear waterproof clothing; he drools.

Projects, projects

2008-08-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Don't know what is going on at your house, but ohsomuch is going on here.

I have a to-do list that I've been working on. It has 28 items on it. Oh yes. 28! And that doesn't include the big projects I'm working on slowly, either. Big projects like repainting the kitchen cabinets, taking down the wallpaper in my house, or trying to get ready to do a yard sale. None of those 3 will be accomplished this summer, I'm afraid.

Ooh. And I just thought of another two things to add to my list. LOL That wasn't a joke - I did!

It's self-inflicted. Brilliant.

2008-07-16T04:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I started feeling icky. Then the nausea turned into stomach cramps that have wakened me off and on all night. I have spent many minutes wondering what is going on. I recounted how one of my kids had been barely sick on Friday. Thought about what we had for dinner. Should be no problem there - I pulled frozen meat from the freezer that was precooked.

Suddenly, it hit me. Oh no. Not good. Earlier in the day, I'd taken a drink of water from a bottle that had been used to feed a baby bird with a dropper. ACK. I kept thinking I needed to throw that bottle out. And forgot.

So what do I most likely have? Salmonella. From contaminated water. In other words: food poisoning. Yippee.

The good news is, no one else will get it. Not even the baby, as you can't pass salmonella through breastmilk. And the other good side is: hubby is on leave, so if I get it really badly, he is here to feed and tend to the kids whilst I languish on the couch. LOL

So far though, just cramps and nausea. The last time I had food poisoning was when I was preggy with Sunshine. I know what to do: keep from getting dehydrated (throwing up/diarrhea) and wait it out.

Guess what fun is going on at our house?

2008-07-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

We are potty training!

I had tried it about 6 weeks ago (or so), and it was a total bust. I'm giving it another go after changing some things, plus Hubby is home for more than a week on leave. That makes a huge difference!

We are training both Sweetheart and Shortcake at the same time. They are 3.5 and 2 years old, respectively. So it is time. Especially for Sweetheart. Can I get an amen?

It is a funny little ritual. All 5 of us - the 4 older kids and myself - go into the bathroom. One of the trainees sit down. We sing two songs all the way through, then practice wiping. Then second trainee takes a turn. Repeat with two different songs. Repeat wiping practice. Then we all file out. So far, no one has successfully made it in the toilet. But as soon as they do, we'll be getting candy. Yay!

Anyway. Wish the kids luck. Pray for me. And my carpet.

Oy Vey

2008-07-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

I told Sunshine tonight that her new name was gonna be Scissors.

Why? Oh because of the little matter of about 12 inches. That is roughly how much of her beautiful hair I'm gonna have to cut off to fix what she did today.

She has the most beautiful hair down to her rearend. It is just gorgeous. We get comments on her hair almost every outting. And now, it will be up to around her shoulder blades.

Not only that, but she took the same scissors to her sister's hair (Sugar-n-Spice) which has literally taken us YEARS to get to a decent length. S-n-S's hair doesn't grow. She still has a patch in the front of her head that is only ONE inch long (yes, that is correct). She will be 5 in a few months, and it still hasn't grown past an inch long. Her hair is finally to her shoulders, after 5 years of growing and growing. She has had two trims in her entire life! And Sunshine decided to cut it.

When I discovered it, I felt like laughing and crying at the same time. Still do.

Kids. What do you do with them? Take pictures first, then get angry, right?

Wallet World

2008-06-28T03:26:00.000-07:00

Yet again, the van atmosphere leads to deep questions in the back seat.

Sugar-n-Spice: "Sunshine, do animals have wallets?"

Sunshine: "No. Everybody but God and animals have wallets. If they did, it would be a wallet world! Except China. They don't have purses in China."

The only thing we can assume is that since all she really has seen of Chinese pictures are the women in traditional garb, she thinks they don't carry purses.

But oh, how I laugh when I remember this conversation!

The most wonderful news!!

2008-06-20T03:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Sunshine got saved!!

She has prayed to accept Christ as her savior several times in the past, but I've always wondered which of them were sincere, since she could answer all sorts of questions about salvation and sin correctly, but something didn't feel right. However, only God can truly judge and know her heart, so I kept hoping that she was saved.

But this last week, she has expressed an interest in it several times, and finally yesterday she asked some really intuitive questions, especially for a 6 yr old. We had a GOOD talk, maybe 15 minutes long or so, and despite the many interruptions from her siblings, she kept focused on the topic. That tells me it was truly important to her.

So we prayed together, and afterward, I told her that she is God's child, and so that makes her and Mommy and Grandma all children of God, which would make us... "Sisters?" When I told her that was right, she got a real kick out of it. Then I pointed out that if God is the King of kings, then she would also be a... "Princess!!" Oh, the grin that spread across her face!! She couldn't stop smiling!

So I am thinking this time is real. Oh happy day!!!!! And I got the honor and priviledge of pryaing with her, leading her to Him. Can there be a greater honor for a mom?

You'd be SO proud of me

2008-06-20T03:37:00.000-07:00

(Btw, before I start, I could have sworn that I had posted since I got home...? Guess not, Mater.)

Ok, before I can tell you what you should be proud of, gotta tell you the background. The hubster was gone a month (military stuff) to a state far,far away. He just got back last week. Well, being the only grown up in the house during that time, I got a little tired and in need of a breather, especially since the baby still isn't sleeping through the night.

So I took 24 hours away for a little recharge. I went to a hotel for a night and slept in a marvelous bed, with ten pillows!! I lounged in that bed for hours. I slept in. Around caring for the baby, of course - since he is a nursing baby, I took him, but he is easy to care for, so it truly was a break. I went shopping here and there, and even bought myself a couple things.

And, I've not allowed the guilt monster to attack me over the money thing. It has tried to creep in there, but I've kept it at bay.

So, are ya proud?

Heading home today

2008-05-28T04:46:00.000-07:00

I had toyed with the idea of staying for another weekend, but I'm going home. Well, and the Bahamas sounded good, too, but I don't suppose that would work too well. Imagine the look of horror on other people's faces when I would board the plane with 5 tiny children. LOL!!

As far as the sickies, someone has been sick all week. I just checked Shortcake a bit ago, the child this all started with, and she has a fever again! Ugh. Hopefully going home will allow her to rest better.

(Oh, and hello, Tami! It's nice to "meet" you! Thanks for the comments you've been leaving! You've made me smile. )

I despise this guilt I seem to fight!

2008-05-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

I am so tired of the Guilty Monster whispering in my ear!

I am referring to the stuff we wives and mothers carry around when we aren't doing anything wrong. While we are here with my parents, I had decided to allow myself to do a few things just for *me*. But spending the money is plaguing me - before I actually spend it, while I am spending it, and after I'm spending it!!

And in case you were going to ask - yep, hubby is totally fine with me spending it. He even said, "Do not feel guilty!" to me. But it's there anyway.

I feel the same way about asking my parents to watch the kids while I go get out alone. Mom told me not to feel bad, especially since they adore the kids and look forward to taking care of the kids. Yet, there it is again.

Argh. Am I not allowed to do anything to recharge or give myself a treat? Where does this come from? Who started this nasty cycle? Is it part of being used to putting the kids and husband first, so to do otherwise is hard for me/us?

Saying hello from my parents' house

2008-05-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

We took a break and drove to my parents' home on Wednesday. The kids did great for the drive, including Squeaker, who slept the entire way! We plan to be here for a full week.

Now, this trip was to serve a few purposes: to let friends and family see the new baby, to attend a cousin's graduation (he was my ringbearer when I got married), to finally end our sort of quarantine while baby was so new, and to give me a chance to grab a break here and there.

The funny part about it all is that we aren't getting a chance to see several of those friends and family and right now, plus two of my kids have gotten pretty sick since we arrived. So I guess it is just as well that those folks are not available.

Shortcake starting running a vicious fever yesterday before dinner (it is being managed, but it goes sky-high quickly), and she has diarrhea. Sunshine started vomitting early this morning. So I guess you can say our quarantine from germs is definitely over!

Hopefully, Squeaker will be spared this nastiness and everyone will be well by the time we head back home next week.

Follow the sound of my voice...

2008-04-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

You're getting closer...

...closer...

... I'm over here! *one arm is sticking up out of a pile of clothes, waving madly* Can you help me out of this pile?

You see, I'm in the middle of a major reorganization of clothes. I have clothes I never put away properly because our stuff was in storage the entire time we lived with my parents, so organization was next to nil then. And then we moved here and had all that comes with moving got in the way of that...

And now we have a big change in seasons, so I need to get the clothes put away properly.

And I'm drowning. Ever have water up your nose? Well it's like that, only it's a blend of cotton and various other materials. And I'm not making very fast headway. Partially because I'm trying to do it around the schedule of a newborn. And partially because I keep finding clothes that the cat found a way to get into the box and pee on the clothes, so now I'm doing major laundry on top of that.

Someone throw me a life preserver. Made from brownies. Thanks, doll.

Do you ever just get overwhelmed with the mothering thing?

2008-04-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

And I don't mean the upteenth try at finding the perfect schedule or routine. I mean, seeing all the things you want your children to know or to be when they leave your home?

I want my girls to be better seamstresses than I am by the time they leave the house. I want them to know more about cooking and meal planning than I did. (And how to pick out good meats, which I still don't know too well.) I want them to have a fire in their heart for God and a true desire to know Him and serve Him, not just be obsessed with the latest celebrity or boys. I want them to realize that while being God's child carries many blessings with it, the greatest blessing is that you have the enormous priviledge of getting to know God in an intimate way. I also have so many things to list for my boys, not the least of which is how on earth do I teach them to be men of God who guard their eyes and thoughts, when I do not truly understand their struggles or how they think? And those are only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many things practical, spiritual, and otherwise, that I want them to learn.

I just sit down sometimes and think, "Oh, today I wanted to do x,y, and z, and I didn't even get close! How will I fit all these life lessons in?"

It all comes to living life with a purpose each day, living life intentionally. Would it be crazy to list those goals and post it somewhere in my house? My first thought is, what if company sees that list? And my hubby would most surely mock the list. (He is just a teaser that way - nothing is sacred. *wink*) But if I don't post it, I won't see it. And if I don't see it regularly, I will get caught up in the day-to-day of laundry, dishes, and diapers.

Thoughts?

Goings on

2008-04-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

Squeaker (who lately has earned the name of "Screamer" instead) had a wonderful night of sleep last night, and consequently, so did I. The first stretch was almost 6.5 hours!!!!! So far this morning, he seems to think he can only nap in my arms. Silly boy. Yet, I love it!

I'm in the midst of the reorganizing of the kids' clothes. Not my favorite chore, but it sure does feel good to see it all slowly come together. Once that undertaking is finished, we'll get back into the swing of things, meaning we'll get into a routine again that includes school.

Hubby is gone for a good stretch. He wants to take some time off in July so we can all just enjoy each other again. Poor Shortcake asks every morning, "Daddy home?"

I still have a few thank you notes to finish. Oh, and must have the children write a couple - they've been given presents lately by friends and family. One of which was a child's Schwinn bicycle! We certainly are blessed over here!

Also, planning to go visit some online friends in the southern part of the state this weekend. Hopefully the price of gas will not cancel the trip for us. I'm super excited, and the children don't know yet. They will be giddy when they do know. It's to be a picnic in a park with other families, some of whom I know already and some of whom I do not.

Well, that is us for now. Hope you are doing well!

Can you believe it?

2008-04-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

I've done the usual precautions with bringing germs into the house, what with the new baby and all. We been around no one who is sick to our knowledge, and yet...

I have a sore throat, I'm sneezing, and I just feel all over yucky. Nice, eh?

Go figure...? The blessing in this right now is that tomorrow we are having a meal brought to us for dinner, so I can just relax tomorrow. I'm going to rest, rest, rest on the couch, and I'm not going to fret over the sty my house will quickly become while I do nothing to keep up with the kids and their messes. *smile*

Oh, and can you please pray that our little Squeaker does not get what I'm coming down with? Thank you!

Oh dear me - please forgive me!

2008-03-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I've been MIA for so long!!

I seriously thought it had only been at most a month since I posted. GULP.

As an olive branch, may I offer the news of our baby's birth???

We had another BOY! He weighed in at 8 lbs, 10 oz and 20.5 inches long. Labor was fast and and furious at the end, going from 7 cms to birth in just 15 minutes. I ended up going all natural without pain meds, which was not in my plan, lol.

The other children are very happy and pleased to have another boy in the family. They love his squeaks and tiny baby parts. They all love to hold him and give lots of kisses. Watching my children joy in another sibling is such a wonderful thing!

Hugs to you all!

Comedy from our house

2007-12-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

~ My favorite memory from Christmas this year: Sweetheart was opening a present, which was toys in the store's packaging. Even though he could see the toys in the box, he jumped up and down shrieking, "A BOX! A BOX!" He was so giddy over a box. Too cute.

~ Sunshine said of her daddy when he was goofing around with a lampshade on his head: "Look, Mom! Daddy's lightbulb is burned out!"

~ And when Sunshine was asked why she was picking at her food, didn't she like it, she replied with, "Not excessively."

Whew, dodged a bullet this year

2007-12-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

My shopping was done about a week ago. Got it all done in a couple hours.

Now before you turn green with envy, let me say that I only had to buy for my kids this year. Hubby and I are not exchanging gifts, nor are we giving gifts to extended family. It's just a rough year financially, so we are keeping it simple.

And may I confess a guilty secret? I am relieved that I don't have to buy a gift for hubby. Okay, do you think I'm totally awful?

It just that the man is horrible to buy for. Horrible. The only things he would be thrilled with would be waaaaaay outta our price range - expensive man toys, you know. Like firearms. Seriously. Even my sisters and parents struggle with buying for him.

One year I just said straight out for him to tell me what he wanted for Christmas that we could actually afford. So he picked an electronic gadget that he said he would get lots of use out of. Perfect. Only he never used it. Not once. It has long-since disappeared.

I used to get super stressed over his gifts, planning even sometimes a few months ahead to find the gift he would surely like. Other years I procrastinated in dread of the whole thing. Either way, it has turned out the same. He is neither impressed nor depressed over his gifts. It's just something he opens and then simply says, "thank you." That's it. And then he never uses them. LOL

So the last year or two I gave up. I started just walking through a store and if I see something that seems decent and might get used, I get it. I think the most successful gift I've given him is an insulated coffee mug. LOL

So does this make me a horrible person? I hope not. Because we're still young, and I have lot of Christmases and birthdays to shop for!

"When I was your age"

2007-12-08T06:46:00.000-08:00

We all heard lots of those sorts of things from our parents and grandparents when we were growing up, right?

Well, in my house, you get to hear it from your older sister, who is a mere 6 years old. LOL

The fun of pretending with Sweetheart

2007-11-26T15:46:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, Dad said he loved to sit and listen to us pretend. I have only sisters, and Dad says that none of us ever wanted to be the daddy when we played house. It made him laugh, but I'm sure part of him would have loved to hear one of us be excited - or at least willing - to be the daddy.

Well, it has been more of the same around here, until very recently (the last week or so) when Sweetheart started being willing to pretend with his sisters.

The first time he was pretending to be Daddy, complete with a military outfit. He was actually lowering his voice a bit to be Daddy! He walked around holding Sunshine's hand as they pretended to be married.

And today, he was pretending to be "Papa" as he calls my dad. I just had to call Dad to tell him. As you can guess, he found that pretty cool. This new little "Papa" was reading books to his "granddaughters" and tucking them in. Pretty sweet.

Update on why I'm not here much lately

2007-11-11T06:06:00.000-08:00

We finally got my computer back from the Geek Squad a few days ago, and they found absolutely no problems. I have no idea how they did that considering it is still crashing! So we will be taking it back again and telling them to look again. The beef I have with them at the moment is that when we picked it up, they said, "Well, you should be able to get on the internet now. We fixed blahblah setting." Um, I could get on the internet before. That wasn't the problem, folks! Did they write down ANYTHING I told them?

Anyway, so with the crashing and absentee computer, I'm limited to dh's laptop, which means I'm limited in how often I can get on here. The man lives on his computer, and even takes it with him at times, so that is why I just am not posting much. But I promise... we get that computer fixed, I'm back, baby!

Hope to see you SOON. *mumbles under breath about the mixed blessings of computers*

To those whose blogs I frequent

2007-10-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't read anyone's blog lately... which means I haven't commented, either. See, my computer has been with the Geek Squad for about 3 weeks now, and all my favorites are in that computer. I'm using hubby's laptop, so the links to your blogs are lost to me right now.

Just wanted you to know that I'm not being rude, lazy, or neglectful. Just not able to get to most blogs now.

Hugs to all... and you could say a prayer for my computer! Sniff.

Sleeping... Beefcake?

2007-10-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

I think I might have found a groove

2007-10-15T04:41:00.000-07:00

The routine that has turned out to be working isn't one I'd choose. But if it works, you go with it, right?

More serious homeschooling on 3 days a week, with a laid-back fun art and music day on Saturday
Tuesday is library and errand day (full day! includes taking all the children grocery shopping)
Cleaning marathon on Friday

Also, I'm sad to say I've discovered that having an actual school room doesn't work for us! GASP! At least, not now with so many other tiny ones about. Surely one day it will, right...? I do so love the idea of having an entire room dedicated to school - bulletin boards, charts and dry erase boards, etc. Ahhh, one day when they are older.

And maybe it's because the room is in the basement right now. But I'm chasing my tiny ones up and down the stairs and can't see what they are getting into, etc. No real way to gate off the stairs, you see. So it will wait.

Also, our daily routine is looking different than I thought. But it is flowing and that is the important thing!

Now, if I can just figure out a magic solution to all this laundry...

Twins? Update

2007-10-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

I won't keep you in huge suspense... only ONE baby in there. Whew! The thought of twins was so overwhelming to me, so I'm relieved.

Dh said he wasn't nervous or scared, but when I came home grinning, his eyes got HUGE and the look on his face was saying otherwise. His shoulders dropped in relief when I said, "Just one!"

It's not that we don't know that twins would be loads of fun in some ways and two babies - why, that's twice the blessing that one is! It's the knowledge that twins are also a lot of work and take real adjusting, at least by watching the few other people we know with twins, anyway. My father is a twin, and my grandma has some stories, I tell you!

Anyway, I had joked with the tech that my theory was that my muscles were just waving the white flag, and she laughed in agreement. Turns out, it is my uterus itself that is larger this go around. It is just already "in the groove" and knows what it is doing! So that is why I'm showing earlier, etc. I truly am bigger, but not because of fluid or two babies, or anything. My body is just a pro at this.

I do have one funny for you - *embarrassed cough*

There was a second sac-looking thing next to the sac the baby is in, and when it wasn't in focus, the different markings I was seeing DID give me a bit of a shock, and I did ask her, "was it that?" Thinking, oh my... there IS a second baby. She just waved it aside and said, "Oh, that's gas." Well, it didn't LOOK like it! LOL

I got the usual picture to take home, and it is a good shot (I think) - you can see the baby's face and a little hand. I had told the children before I left for the appt that I'd have a surprise for them when I got home. (Even though I'm showing already, they did not figure out yet I'm pg.) So they were very excited, jumping around me, "What is it? What is it?" I showed them the face and the tiny hand and the baby's body, and my 4 yr old did not make the connection even after I giving her some clues, but my 5 yr old did right away! She started grinning and looking "knowing" if you know what I mean by that. She touched my belly, hugged it and said, "But I wanted TWO babies!" (She has been saying for weeks that the next time we have a baby, she wanted twins.) We laughed and told her sorry, God only sent us one this time. I'd share the u/s pic, but my computer is in the shop, and dh's laptop won't work with my scanner. Sorry!

YAY!!

2007-10-04T10:25:00.000-07:00

I went this morning and bought a dryer! And they are delivering it today!! I expected to have to wait a couple days - not a couple hours! Praise the Lord!

I don't think I've ever been happy to do laundry before... LOL!

Things are a little off-kilter here

2007-10-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

My dryer is no longer usable, and we have no laundromat in town, according to the phone book. Can you believe that? What town has no laundromat? So limping along until this weekend when we can hopefully find a cheap dryer.

I'm trying to find a good groove for us, and it is still eluding me. So I think we will stay home today from our library plans and just work on stuff here. Gotta try to get some stuff under control in the housekeeping department.

Also, I had all but decided to get rid of 90% of the kids toys. They just don't play with them. They have their favorites and that is all they play with. But dh wants me to just pack them up and stick them in the garage. So, that is what I will do. I'm hoping to do that today...

We are down to a very little tiny bit of food in the house, lol. It's comical when I go to the kitchen to fix a meal. I need to go to the store, just haven't made it yet. Maybe this afternoon...?

Oh yeah - and my computer is down, so I'm using hubby's laptop. As I sit here at the table, my youngest (14 months old) is eating toast and making a fiiiiiiiine mess of herself and the toast. She is cracking me up - letting the whole piece of toast hang from her clenched teeth while she growls. What a NUT.

Got a giggle for you!

2007-09-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

While at my appointment the other day, I saw this hanging on the door:

When I was a kid, I went skinny dipping, but now that I'm older, it's called chunky dunk.

News on the pregnancy front

2007-09-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

Am I carrying one baby... or TWO?

I'm 14 weeks at this point, and at my appointment a couple days ago, I was measuring nearly 18 weeks. Also, I typically do not gain any weight at all until a bit into my 2nd trimester. Um, I've already gained 5 pounds. And dh says I'm already showing. Also not normal for me.

So... I have an ultrasound on the 10th to find out what exactly is going on. If it isn't twins...?
Honestly, I'm just hoping it's a lot of fluid or that this pregnancy is different. I'm overwhelmed at the thought of twins...!

Some "chinese" funnies

2007-09-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

For some reason, Sunshine is a bit preoccupied with the Chinese. I am not sure where it came from, but it sure is giving us some laughs!

First, she keeps leaving the final "z" sound off the word. Pronouncing it "Chinee." Giving us lots of giggles.

Yesterday, I was dressing her little brother for church, and she bounces over, "Hey! He looks kinda Chinee in that outfit!" LOL, which he did NOT. I'm really not sure what her line of thinking was there. He was wearing navy pants and a light blue dress shirt...? But - this made her little brother pipe up indignantly, "I not Tinese!" Well, Mommy begs to differ. While he may not be Chinese, he certainly IS Tinese! (If you are having trouble seeing the humor, think "tiny" in association with Tinese. He is a wee boy.)

And a final funny, Sunshine was acting out some scene in her imagination with a bunch of animals, one of which was a moose. Her daddy was sitting close by, and after she had said something apparently in her own little form of Chinese, Daddy said, "I didn't know you knew Chinese!" Her reply was, "Oh no. That wasn't me. That was [insert name of moose, which I can't remember], because he is a moose." Ahhhh. Because, all moose naturally speak Chinese, right? LOL

Had to expand modesty discussion with my oldest

2007-09-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

We were reading yet again the story of creation. And of course, there was the pic of Adam and Eve naked. Well, we've pushed modesty so much here at home with the girls that she was appalled that they were naked together. She has always pointed out the fact that they are naked, and I'd always sidestepped the issue.

But today she pushed it, so I just took a deep breath and told her that it's ok for husbands and wives to be naked together. Which led to the *very simple* discussion that God says husbands and wives are one, so it's ok. She asks if she can be naked with her husband one day, and I say yes. She had a bit of trouble understanding, but the simple answer seemed to suffice her, anyway... it's just that these sorts of things tend to come out in her play, so I know I'll be hearing her say to her little sister, "You be the naked husband, and I'll be the naked wife." I know I'll deal with it when it comes up, but goodness.

"If I've told you once,

2007-08-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

I've told you a thousand times...!"

We probably heard that a time or two growing up. We might have even said it to our kids. I personally haven't yet, but then, my oldest is only 5. Give me time.

But the thought occurred to me today: what if God were to say that to me? How would He finish that sentence?

Hmm. So here is my list, in no particular order. I'm sure it would be even longer if I mulled over it for a few days.

"If I've told you once, Lily, I've told you a thousand times; _______________ !"

Meditate on Me, not those things around you like inconvenient circumstances, annoying people, and wrongs done.
Stop lecturing people in your head. Let Me deal with them in My time, My way. You mind your own problems. You've got enough of your own sins to be concerned about.
Talk to Me first, before friends and family. You'd be surprised with how fully I can satisfy your need to "get it out." Release it to Me. Let Me be your everything.
Live in the present. Remember you don't know how many days I will give you.
Be patient with your children like I am patient with you.

So how about you ladies? What would your list look like?

Happy update on the vacuum!

2007-08-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not so incompetent after all.

It took 3 men and a half hour to figure out how to put my vacuum back together! They had trouble getting the panel back on, too, and finally wound up replacing two of the screws with better alternatives. And... the best part?

It didn't cost me one red cent. They didn't even charge me for the screws they used. Happy day!

And, my pride is fully intact. No wonder I struggled - 3 men who are handy at this sort of thing had trouble, too!

Errands and vacuums: someone rescue me!

2007-08-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

I'm so tired of errands!

First it started with Sunday - HAD to go grocery shopping, no choice. Was also out of important stuff that had to be gotten at our little town's version of Walmart. (That's right - no Walmart/Target/Kmart in my town. Gotta drive for that.)

Then yesterday I had other business that had to be taken care of on yesterday, no other choices. And today? The same.

I also have vacuum woes. The belt on the brush broke, so I took the vacuum apart to replace it. No big deal - only 4 screws to remove and one panel. Very easy. But to put back together? Night.mare. It will NOT go back as it came off, and while putting it together again, I lost one of the screws. I was so careful to keep track of it, but somehow it is gone. I have searched the floor like a crazy woman, and even looked inside the vacuum. No luck.

So guess what one of my errands will include today? Taking my vacuum to our local friendly hardware store, so one of the fellas there can be my hero.

Have my hubby fix it you say? Well, I would, except the man is out of town on a mission, as the military calls it. And I need to vacuum. Badly.

The cute thing is I called the hardware store and talked to one of the guys there, and I admitted that I felt very foolish for not being able to put the stupid thing back together. When I asked him how much they charged for that sort of thing, he said, "Oh, it should be less than $200." LOL - I told him I should hope so, or I could just buy another vacuum. He did assure me it couldn't possibly cost me much for putting in 4 screws... but I have a sneaking suspicion that it will cost me a bit of my pride.

"Hello, I'm a mother of 4 who daily navigates the complexities of rearing children and managing a household. I can follow a recipe and solve the world's problems with a kiss - but I can't put a few screws back in an appliance."

MIA no longer

2007-08-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

Since hubby was home recovering from surgery, I didn't blog at all. It was a lovely time, once the first few days of recovery were behind him. Thank you for all the prayers!

Stuff is gonna get busy around here soon... my parents will be visiting the first weekend in September. We're starting school Sept 5th, or at least some day that first full week of September. And then the last week of Sept, my inlaws will be here for a week.

Prayers would be appreciated for Hubby

2007-08-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

He had eye surgery yesterday and the pain is supposed to be bad today, but then horrible tomorrow. He has very strong meds right now, but they've been wearing off before he can take another, so he is in lots of pain. And, too, last night he got a tiny fiber or eyelash or something in his eye, and it was even more painful, of course.

Could you please keep his pain level and recovery in your prayers? He's around the house for at least a week to recover. (And pray for no more things to get into his eye!)

Did she redeem the earlier comment?

2007-08-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Sugar-n-Spice told me tonight:

Mom, you are a strong lady. You are a beautiful lady.

I'd much rather hear that stuff, lol.

Yet another blow to my self-image

2007-08-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Says Sugar-n-Spice to me tonight:

Mom, your butt is huuuuuge! It's the biggest I've ever seen!

Hmm. Perhaps I can hang my hopes on the fact that she just hasn't seen that many derrieres, at the ripe old age of 3?

It's ok. Revoke my membership.

2007-08-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

I think I must be a freak of girlish nature. At least when it comes to movies, anyway.

I prefer comedies and drama. There are a few rare romance movies that I like; although, of course, most movies have some level of romance in them because... well, that's life. Right?

Take last night. I went out with a new friend to a movie. The only real choices (in our opinions) were The Bourne Ultimatum and No Reservations. She was completely up for either one... I was not so much. Though I would have watched No Reservations if that is what she really wanted. Thankfully, we watched the Bourne movie.

I'm just not up for the average chick-flicks. The sappy, real-life-isn't-like-this stuff just irritates me. Makes me roll my eyes. Now... I do love Pride and Prejudice in just about any rendition, which seems to violate my rules, doesn't it? I don't know... it is somehow different. Maybe because most of the movie they hate each other, LOL! But this latest version that was out a couple years ago, with what's-her-name who always sits around with her mouth open... oh, what IS her name??? Keira Knightley! (Why do they insist on so many shots with her mouth slightly open??? Doesn't matter what movie she is in... ok, I'm digressing.) Anyway, this last version I liked until the very end. Kissing her fingers, Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy... ad nauseum for moments almost unending. I think I remember saying something like, "Oh hurl." Yes, I'm 10 years old sometimes, I think. LOL

I know I will forever ostracize myself with the following statements, but... *deep breath**... here goes anyway. I do not ever want to watch Steel Magnolias again. Nor Forever Young. Nor Stepmom. Nor Beaches. Nor Always. I think there are a few more, but you get the idea. And some of you are lying panting on the floor right now, gripping your chests, not even reading this sentence because I've just sent you into cardiac arrest. I'm sorry. I'm sure I just broke some horrible code of womanhood or... something.

It's not that I can't see they are fantastic movies. They ARE. Some are classics. Some are just so doggone funny! Like Steel Magnolias... so many great lines have come from that movie. And yet, I despise how hard it makes me sob at the end. I'll never watch it again.

So, I suppose this is where I turn in my membership card to the Normal Women Society? I promise, I won't reveal the secret handshake.

New blessings, new beginnings!

2007-08-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

I am very happy to announce to you gals that I'm expecting another wee blessing. According to every due date calculator I can get my grubby fingers on says that the due date is March 22, 2008. My first spring baby!! No going through a hot summer while sporting my best hippo look! LOL

This baby is a baby of new beginnings, new promises, new hopes. Isn't God GOOD?

Inexcusable vs Unforgivable

2007-07-31T05:20:00.000-07:00

"You can't forgive him! If you do, he's getting away with it!"

That's what I heard every time I felt convicted about forgiving someone who hurt me. It's certainly what it felt like. But thankfully, as a wise friend once told me, emotions are not truth. Just because my feelings tell me he gets away with something if I forgive him doesn't mean I have to believe it. Because it's not true.

Really think about those words: inexcusable... unforgivable. Are those words interchangeable? Well, some people use them as synonyms, but they aren't. Inexcusable means there is no excuse, that it can't be waved away as if it were nothing.

Forgiveness does not magically turn their sin into something that was alright to do. Is that God's attitude when He forgives us? That it's only a sin until you're forgiven, and then it's just unfortunate? No. It's a sin before and after the forgiveness. The difference... is in the forgiveness.

The first thing I did, when I realized that forgiveness wasn't making those sins against me "ok" was I said it out loud. It was so freeing to do that! I said it over and over. It was WRONG. Inexcusable!

"But not unforgivable!" says another voice.

To forgive someone is to not punish them for their wrong. To allow them the grace and room to change. And if I didn't forgive him because I thought he shouldn't be let off the hook, well, then whose place was I in?

Punishing his sin isn't my job. It's God's. Those who wrong us aren't getting away with it; He knows, is watching, and is working, though we may not see it.

Forgiving someone isn't easy, especially the deeper the hurts go. But it isn't impossible. It starts as an act of the will. "I choose to forgive him. I choose to lay down my anger, and I will not punish him, not even in my mind." And at first it has to be done at least once a day. In cases like mine where that person is such a basic part of your life, it has to be done many times a day. Oooh, that just was hard.

But soon God begins to soften our hearts. The anger and hurt begin to fade, and eventually those painful memories become facts, not open wounds.

Forgiving isn't easy. But who wants to shrivel up into a bitter old woman? And if I want to be a sweet old lady someday, I gotta start being a sweet young woman today.

How it went: entertaining

2007-07-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

It went really well!!

Of course, things went wrong (don't they always), but I found a way around it. I had baked banana bread, but it didn't cook all the way through. The center was still pretty raw. It's a new oven to us, so I have some tweaking to do. I just ran to the store and picked up a cheesecake and topping. Wala!

She arrived at 1:00 on the dot, with beautiful flowers in hand. She had done her hair up in rollers and was just a cute curly guest! But her hubby wouldn't come - said it was a "woman thing." LOL So when the afternoon was over, I sent some cheesecake home with her for him. Turns out the kind I served is his favorite and the only kind he will eat. (smile)

We chatted nonstop for 3 hours! We laughed and laughed, and laughed some more. It really was fun. And she read books to my kidlets, which I wondered who it was more fun for - her or the kids? Her grandkids live far away, and she just ate up my little crew.

When she was leaving, she kept saying again and again how we have to do this again because it was so much fun. And it was! I'm very happy with how things went... just really enjoyable and relaxing.

Entertaining tomorrow...!

2007-07-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

It's been on my heart a lot lately to be hospitable. I came upon a verse about hospitality in the Bible that just really grabbed me. It is a simple verse, and the wording doesn't seem to be something that would convict a person, but it convicted me. "Use hospitality one to another without grudging." - 1 Peter 4:9

Within days of feeling the pull from that verse to entertain, I found the blog 4 Reluctant Entertainers, written by Sandy, a fellow Christian woman. Her blog is just loaded with examples of being a hostess and full of lots of encouragement. It will be a long time before I can aspire to her level of hostessing, but after this post especially (on Irish hospitality and pride), I was encouraged to just jump in, with SIMPLE being the thing. We're finally settled in our new home, so now is a good time, right?

Here is the invitation I made to a sweet couple who live two doors down. They are a retired military couple (well, he was the soldier, but hey, we wives are "in" the military, too!), and I simply invited them over for goodies in the afternoon. I think I said, "cookies and milk." Although we are also gonna have banana bread. Also on the invitation, I invited them to "chat the afternoon away" with us. It'll be my kiddos, the neighboring couple, and myself. Hubby will still be at work.

After making the invitation, the kids and I walked to their house and personally delivered it. Since then, we've seen the wife out in the yard, and she was so excited! I've never seen anyone in their 60s so giggly before! It was the sweetest and most wonderful reaction. I never would have thought that cookies, milk, and conversation would bring such a response. She said she "can't wait!" I can't wait, either, and I will definitely let you know how it goes!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

How a boy plays house...

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click on the button to the left. It's lots of fun! And you just might find a few cool blogs to enjoy.

A little note about posts and pictures

2007-07-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

I have hundreds of adorable pics of my kids and even a couple of me and the kids, but... I don't post them for privacy reasons.

One, I have posted about our marriage issues, and very few people in our families and face-to-face friends know. I'd like to keep it that way. If I post pics that are easily recognizable as my family, then the cat is outta the bag.

Two, I am leary about having too much info out there about my kids and their identities. We live in a small town right now, and with my dh often gone, it seems wise to not put ourselves out there. I try to be vague about our location anyway in posts. I don't even post about the weather because it could lead to someone pinpointing the area I'm in.

Of course, this significantly narrows down my Wordless Wednesday selections. Or adding cute little photos to add "awww" value to my posts on what the kids are doing lately. But I'd rather be safe and less exciting than sorry.

Just FYI.

Growing up is so much fun!

2007-07-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

Shortcake now drinks from both a sippy and a straw. She learned both skills in the last few days. Man, does it make things easier. Now when we are out, I don't always have to nurse her, if it's not a good time. Sometimes she still insists, but often she is content with the other options.

Goodness, I just can't believe how big she is getting! She walks pretty quickly now. And she loves to play chase. I chase her by crawling behind her, slapping the ground behind her really loudly, which makes her shriek in glee, while growling at her. She loves it. She gets so excited that she'll get all tangled up in her own legs and crash. Then I attack her and tickle. I do SO love that belly laugh!

A first for me: being tagged

2007-07-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Christi at Jealous Hands for this, my very first meme. Like Christi, I'd seen it around. And now, it has come to me.

Four jobs I’ve held: (How far back are we going here...?)

High school - Wendy's
College - various positions in the distribution center for A Beka Book
1st grade teacher
Camp counsellor

Four movies I can watch over and over again: Ok, I know that there are a TON I could watch over and over, so just picking what pops into my mind first...

Man from Snowy River (and it's sequel, Return to Snowy River)
Kate and Leopold
Topper Returns
Philadelphia Story

Four places I have lived:

Florida
Georgia
Maryland
Missouri

Four tv shows I watch: (well, we don't have tv right now, but when we did...)

Gilmore Girls (I was an addict!!!)
The Unit
Everybody Hates Chris
Whose Line is it Anyway? (Love, love, love those reruns!)

Four places I’ve been on vacation: You know, I can't truly answer this as others have done. I've never been on a true vacation. Didn't even have a honeymoon. Shocking, I know. So, when we got small amounts of time off or a bit of money, we...

Went canoeing for a day
Went camping for a night or two
Visited family

Four of my favorite foods:

cheesecake, plain or fruit topping - but fave topping is fresh blueberries!
brownies
mashed potatoes
french toast

Four websites I visit:

Amazon
Land's End
Truth for Life
Old Fashioned Christian Music Radio - disclaimer: I don't agree with the man's viewpoint on music, but I enjoy the stuff he plays. If you love old hymns, this is a good site.

I'm tagging Michelle, Melissa, Debi, and Kugoi. No worries, though. Participate if you wish; sit this one out if you like.

Did I ever tell you about the time...

2007-07-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

WARNING: The end of the story is not for the squeamish, although I'll try to not be too gross. So if you're pregnant... maybe skip this post.

Rewind my life a few years - back to when I was pregnant with our first baby, and we lived in Florida.

One night, I came home from work (I was a first grade teacher) and was soooo exhausted that I went to bed right after dinner. Not long after, hubby is shaking me hard and telling me to get up because he needs my help. I'm thinking that this had better be doggone good to interrupt this pregnant woman's sleep!

He takes me into the kitchen and asks me to help him look for a possum he just scared.

A what???

Yes, a possum. Aka the opossum. (And did you know it's the only marsupial in North America? Just some trivia for ya.)

He had heard some knocking around in the cabinet that held our pots and pans and had immediately thought, "Great, we've got a mouse." He opened the door, to find a possum sitting right up against the cabinet door, staring at him. It was so NOT what he expected that he slammed the door shut. So now he needed me to help find it.

Well, we "chased" the thing around the hiding places and crevices of our kitchen. I say "chased" because he'd run in and around the cabinets, finding places to get through that we didn't know existed, and at one point, he was behind the stove, climbing up the mechanical whatsits of it. Somehow, hubby hooked its tail and tried to pull it off the stove, but this thing had more of a tenacious grip than two desperate women fighting over a blouse on sale. We couldn't nab him and soon he disappeared into the cabinets for the rest of the night.

It didn't appear to be full-grown, so hubby and I figured that after that scary experience, the little guy wouldn't be back.

We figured wrong.

A few nights later, I was sitting on the floor, watching my hubby play a computer game. Out of the corner of my left eye, I saw some movement. When I turned, there was the possum. Sitting in the middle of my living room, about a foot or so from my knee (I was sitting somewhat Indian style). Looking at me. With those big, black eyes. Just looking at me.

Normally, I'm not a screamer. If you come up behind me and grab my sides, hoping to get a girly scream, you'll be disappointed. I might yell. Or jump. But no screaming.

Until that possum was that close to my knee! I mean, come on. How often does a wild animal do that in your living room? Hubby was a bit peeved with me, because that possum turned tail (groan, pun police are arriving) and ran down the hallway and into our bedroom.

Oh.great.

Hubby cornered the wee fella in the closet... but NOW what? How do we get rid of this thing? We had no guns at the time, and even if we HAD, do you know what a gun of any sort would do to a small possum at that close of range? Then hubby says, "Remember those homemade arrows your dad bought in Uganda?"

Uh oh. You know what's coming next, don'tcha? *gross alert*

Yes, he stabbed the possum a few times, because folks, we had no other choice. It was around midnight, and no conservation agent is gonna come save you that late at night from a young possum. Then he took it outside. I don't know how, because to be honest, I was hiding in another room, covering my ears and squeezing my eyes really tight. But he took it outside and beat it to death. Not pretty. Hubby came in with ... stuff on him, shall we say.

Now, hubby is a hunter. So he's done his share of killing an animal and cleaning it. But there is a world of difference between killing an animal quickly with a gun yards away and then what happened to that poor possum. Hubby was very grossed out about every part of it - the arrow, the beating.

We had wanted to let the fella go, but he obviously wasn't scared of US. He came back, even after we showed we were a threat to him. And we didn't know if he had a disease or what. I was pregnant, and when you know a wild animal isn't scared of you and you have a child to protect (born or unborn), you do what you gotta do.

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-18T05:48:00.000-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday fun, click on the button to the left. It's fun, it's easy, and you'll make new friends!

Gentleness

2007-07-16T05:12:00.000-07:00

I've not been very patient with the kids lately, as you know. I'd love to say that after I wrote that post that everything righted itself, but it did not. That fix was a temporary one. I'm still hormonal and grumpy. And tired. And short-tempered. And tired. And hormonal. And tired. LOL

But as I was having my time with the Lord this morning (a challenge for me, but I can't keep my evening routine of studying because with dh here at night now, it isn't working out), my attention was caught by this phrase in Psalm 18:35 - "thy gentleness hath made me great." David was speaking of God's gentleness. That's a rather unique phrase in scripture, isn't it? And it caught my attention. I mulled over it awhile, thinking how did God's gentleness make David great?

Hmmm, well, David (and I, for that matter) did not deserve God's gentleness. What we all deserve is God's immediate judgment for the sins we commit, right? But He is gentle with us. Long suffering. Patient.

God was gentle with David, instead of harsh, and through time and patience on God's part, David slowly became what he was.

Hmmm. This is what my children need of me. Gentleness. Not snapping at them when I've told them 100 times... or on my snippy days, told them twice and now have no tolerance. They need from me a lifetime of gentleness, mercy, discipline, and love to mold them into what God would have them be.

That brings up a question: how is discipline gentle? What is the alternative? With God, discipline is the gentle option. Loving guidance that, yes, sometimes is SO upleasant and painful. Is it fun when He brings us through difficult trials to bring us back to Him? Nope. Unpleasant and painful. But what is the alternative? Do you know where I'd be without Him? Do you know how horrible my life would be without Him? And my ETERNITY without Him? *shudder* Oh, His discipline IS the gentle option.

So it is with us as parents. Our discipline is the gentle option, or else our children will grow to be unruly, disrespectful, disobedient... and unhappy adults. But also, practically speaking... if I'm being harsh, I'm getting in the way of my children actually seeing where they were wrong. If their eyes are HUGE because I'm wigging out over their 300th argument of the day, how can they see anything but my hissy fit and frustration? How can I ever get them to focus on their part in it all if they are just intimidated by Mom and thinking they don't want to cross me again?

I do think it is ok for our children to see us angry over their sin. God gets angry with us. But my discipline and my treatment of them should never be in the heat of my irritation or anger.

Sigh. I've failed miserably lately. Yeah, I know, the hormones aren't my fault and make things harder. I know you've all been there. But it doesn't excuse being a shrew. My hormones aren't their problem. It is mine.

Military Mommy has a great post that is along these lines, too. Her prayer at the end is so right on. It is wonderfully convicting and encouraging, all at the same time. Take the time to check it out.

Ahhh, the power of love and chocolate

2007-07-12T22:29:00.000-07:00

For the past 2 or 3 days, I've not quite been myself. I've been really on edge with the kids, been having to force myself to talk, and very, very restless.

Hubby has commented several times about how "odd" I've been, and am I depressed? Nope, just in some kind of weird funk. A funk that I'd really like to get out of.

So tonight, after a few days of this, he was giving little affectionate touches as he'd walk past - a squeeze on the shoulder, a quick rub of the back, etc. Then he later put the kids in front of a Veggie Tales video and gave me some real 1:1 quality time as only a hubby can do. And then - he bought me some chocolate chip cookies.

And I tell you, after our quality time, I did feel a bit better. The funk started to lift, but would hit in waves. Very odd. I'm so weird! But then - about a half hour after the chocolate, wow, was the funk GONE.

I told dh that it is amazing what a little lovin' from the hubs and chocolate will do for a girl! And a little thought occurred to me... I'm due for my period in the next few days. So THAT'S what's wrong with me and why those things helped!

Sometimes, being a girl is just so... (what would you put in this blank?)

A little exercise in counting

2007-07-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

As we were sitting at the table today over lunch, Sweetheart began picking up his pieces of food and counting them. Then we played a counting game that went like this:

Sweetheart: One!

Mommy: Two

Sweetheart: Three!

Mommy: Four

Sweetheart: Five!

Mommy: Six

Sweetheart: (paused, looked up at the ceiling in thought...) APPLE!!

Wordless Wednesday

2007-07-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

This is my first entry, as I join the ranks of "Wordless Wednesday" participants...

For more pictures that make you smile or go "awwww," visit Wordless Wednesday headquarters! (You can click this link or click the WW button above.)

Shortcake's busy week!

2007-07-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

The biggest news is that she is now ONE YEAR OLD!!! She had her birthday July 5th. Poor girl was too tired to enjoy her cake. So I forsee a reinactment one of these days. I want some good pics of her digging in!

She also experienced her first fireworks display. She sat on Grandpa's lap and STARED. She occasionally clapped and shrieked in delight. Very.cute. Boy, did it bring back memories of last year's experience at the fireworks show. I was doing my best impression of a hippo. I'm short - between 5'3" and 5'4", carrying my babies straight out front. People stared at me as I'd work my way up and down the concrete steps. The next day she was born, weighing 10 pounds, 10 ounces. See what I mean when I say hippo impression?

As if a birthday and your first fireworks weren't enough, she also started giving us kisses, saying "uh oh" and cut her 6th tooth. Oh yeah, and walking more and more. The week before, her walking to crawling ratio was probably 50:50. This week, we're looking at 75:25.

Dad affectionately calls her "Sookie," which you Gilmore Girl fans will recognize instantly. He says it in this special tone of voice that makes her grin. And although we hadn't seen my parents in about two weeks which made her look at him like... "I think I know you," she instantly threw herself at him when he did the "Sookie" thing. You could just see her little light bulb turn on.

And here I will leave you with a picture of Grandpa (my dad) and his "Sookie."

Friendly customer relations

2007-07-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love it when a company goes the extra mile to be friendly and personable? It makes you feel so much less like just another number or another dollar sign, doesn't it? Takes you back to the good ol' days when people not only did business together, but also took care of each other. Ahhhh, the good ol' days.

But sometimes, you can try too hard. Like when I received this in the mail today...

"Welcome to your monthly mortgage statement."

Hmmm, if that were in a list of top ten least-likely-events-to-welcome-someone-to (this being number 10), what else would be in there?

9 Welcome to going to the prom with your first cousin.
8. Welcome to your first eye-gouging.
7. Welcome to totalling your car.
6. Welcome to stretch marks.
5. Welcome to identity theft.
4. Welcome to losing the superbowl. (Not a sports fan, but I hear that's awful.)
3. Welcome to bankruptcy.
2. Welcome to gray hair.
1. Welcome to root canals.

Organized Chaos

The BLAHS have hit me

HEY. If they can do it, I can do it, too.

And we have a mouse.

That's one way to put it.

Ben accepted Christ as his Savior!

Weather vanes and weather radar are so yesterday.

October started off with a bang

Woohoo!

Guinea Pigs and 911 - what a day!

Muscle Man!

Man Naked

Kiss the Pig

Why is my husband referred to as Beefcake?

Back from a small vaca

It all boils down to: I've just gotta DO it.

What is that green thing in my fridge?

New piece of furniture

My girl was an actress for a day!

Good talk with my man.

Raisins = wealth?

Having a large family can save you money

What do you think of the new look?

The roosters are such slackers

I made homemade bread!

Thinking of changing my blog

Yes, I know. I'm fired.

On to the adventure!

Saying goodbye

Projects!

Mixed greetings

Squeaker is now a YEAR OLD!!

Let's play the Opposite Game!

Thought for the day - from a 5 yr old

Girls vs Boys

Kid funny - Sweetheart

What Thanksgiving traditions do you have?

A serger!!! A SERGER!!!

Finally, some progress! *bodily functions alert*

Hidden Costs of Peaches

Glimpses of the kidlets

Projects, projects

It's self-inflicted. Brilliant.

Guess what fun is going on at our house?

Oy Vey

Wallet World

The most wonderful news!!

You'd be SO proud of me

Heading home today

I despise this guilt I seem to fight!

Saying hello from my parents' house

Follow the sound of my voice...

Do you ever just get overwhelmed with the mothering thing?

Goings on

Can you believe it?

Oh dear me - please forgive me!

Comedy from our house

Whew, dodged a bullet this year

"When I was your age"

The fun of pretending with Sweetheart

Update on why I'm not here much lately

To those whose blogs I frequent

Sleeping... Beefcake?

I think I might have found a groove

Twins? Update

YAY!!

Things are a little off-kilter here

Got a giggle for you!

News on the pregnancy front

Some "chinese" funnies

Had to expand modesty discussion with my oldest

"If I've told you once,

Happy update on the vacuum!

Errands and vacuums: someone rescue me!

MIA no longer

Prayers would be appreciated for Hubby

Did she redeem the earlier comment?

Yet another blow to my self-image

It's ok. Revoke my membership.

New blessings, new beginnings!

Finally, some progress! bodily functions alert