Musings of a Mamma of Many

Showcase Sunday Week Two

2011-01-16T22:08:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it's Sunday again! That week flew by.. I discovered so many favorite fun things to share with you, internet!

--- Get ready to have a heart attack. Do you love newborn babies & adorable dainty cute things? Yeah, cardiac arrest. Sew Whimsey. Oh. my. gosh. I need some of these for my girls. And maybe one like this for me.

--- I'm not sure if you'll be able to view this one or not... But this is one of the best things I've seen. Who could not be in love with a bull dog in a tutu in the snow?

--- I know there are a few sites like this that exist, but I did not know anything of this sort existed a few months ago. Woooooooot. They sell one kids item per day at a discount. Worth checking out now and then.

--- A bunch of kitchen art that sincerely amuses me.

--- Maybe one of the coolest things I've seen. And I want it someday. In the room where I have a giant saltwater aquarium. I need this.

So these are the things that tickled my fancy this week, interweb. Send your suggestions along! You can tweet me too!

Morning

2011-01-13T09:13:00.003-05:00

I look at my three year old, then my ten month old, and back to my three year old. "OK - who drank my coffee??" It couldn't have possible been me. I would have remembered enjoying it more and certainly would have felt more awake by now. Maybe there's a leak somewhere in the bottom. That's ok, I just refill to have my "second" mug of the morning.

I love my blue snowflake mug, it's an extra large size that may or may not hold a lot more than 8 oz of coffee. And it makes me feel better to think I've only had two mugs of coffee as opposed to say 8 cups.

Morning is my favorite time around home. Now THAT is saying a lot. To anyone who has ever known me, mornings were not my strong suit. I just wasn't talented in that area. Try as I might, I'd say I got about a C - in mornings. As difficult as some mornings are to get the kids out the door and onto the bus on time, it's so amazing to see the 3 older children really take on personal responsibility for getting ready and getting themselves to school. Sometimes I do a double take when they come home and think "Now I KNOW you did not have that on when you went to school, I wouldn't let you out the door like that?!"

Once I get Liam on the little preschool bus I get over 3 1/2 hours with my two littlest littles. This time has been so fun to really connect with Shiloh and see her own little unique personality come out and emerge from the constant "I'm a toddler and I destroy" personality. Getting to spend so much time focusing on Brynn has also been a real treat to savor his first year. The milestones aren't going by in such a blur.

Shiloh almost always asks for air popped popcorn for a mid-morning snack. She loves the whole process and I don't have to have had my second mug of coffee to get in made, she walks me through the whole process. "Pour it in mom. Turn it on. Now get the butter. Salt! Salt! Salt!"

Brynn's favorite morning activity is bouncing in his jumparoo which is the best. invention. ever. He loves music and it rewards his bouncing with little tunes. He love all the toys around the seat and the ones that dangle above his head. And, mostly that boy just loves to jump. He's going to be an Olympic Pogo Stick Gold Medalist, since they'll have that sport by the time he's old enough. Certainly once I submit these videos of him bouncing in the jumparoo, training for the USA Gold, for a new olympic sport they'll realize it's the competition that's been missing.

I have to get the sheets switched on the beds before nap time here. Now who drank my second mug? I better get some paper towel for the leak that I'll inevitably find from the bottom of my mug.. there must be drips of coffee everywhere around here. Somewhere.

Showcase Sunday?

2011-01-09T13:22:00.003-05:00

So I'm thinking of implementing a new idea here, Showcase Sunday. At first I was thinking, Showoff Sunday but that seemed misleading. I feel like showing off would entail my own accomplishments and the idea is more of a discovery sharing one. I'm indulging my nerdy love of the vernacular here, and showcase would mean to exhibit something in an attractive or favorable aspect. And that makes more sense.

Essentially my idea is to show off cool blogs or items or articles or what-have-you. Things that tickle my fancy that I think the rest of the world needs to know about. It could be something homemade it could be pictures of your dog, really the possibilities are endless.

I'll be starting today with just a few things, but if you want your blog, or dog, or article, or friend, or grandmother's e-store, or whatever to be featured at some point please send me an e-mail or leave a link in the comments section and I'd be happy to review it!

_____________

Showcase Sunday Week One

I discovered through browsing this blog called Beingwoman. I am fascinated and inspired by this idea. Every day the author of this blog posts about women throughout history and what is notable about them. I spent about an hour reading the other night and learned about women I had never heard of and their great personal accomplishments. It's an amazing concept and I personally think women of note and their accomplishments throughout history aren't taught enough. There are some fascinating and phenomenal accountings that I think everyone could appreciate.

Real Sustenance is a blog I have quickly turned in to a favorite of mine. I visit it at least once a day. The author writes gluten free dairy free recipes that are easily convertible into whatever type of diet you follow (for instance, I do eat dairy, so it's not hard to switch the ingredients to the ones I have in my fridge to cook with). She also makes suggestions how to make recipes egg free or vegan if you don't eat any animal byproducts. It's gourmet style healthy food that's easy to follow and super delicious. My kids have even enjoyed every meal I've tried from the blog and I highly recommend the recipes.

And, that's not all!

Real Sustenance also hosts a weekly Sunday event called Seasonal Sunday, where each week anyone can participate and link up a recipe of their own that uses seasonal ingredients! Wondering what in the world to do with all that extra zucchini your neighbor gives you at the end of summer? Now you know. This week's recipe collection from bloggers everywhere is already shaping up into more things to try than days in the week! And it's a great way to connect with other people to visit your blog and try your recipes and vice versa. It certainly helps when you find yourself falling into a cooking rut! This is a GREAT concept that you are sure to love.

Expect to see this blog name pop up frequently. I am such a food lover, and the recipes are so good I know I'll just have to share when I make another delicious recipe from time to time!

And lastly, you must quickly check out this etsy store. The hats and headbands are to die for!

Quarter

2011-01-07T23:39:00.002-05:00

September 30? Really? That was my last blog entry. It doesn't feel like it was THAT long ago. The rumors are true, I got rid of the internet. We were wireless. Wait.. I mean, WIFI free. We were disconnected.

Not entirely. You know me, I did still have my smartphone. I couldn't be completely detached. And as dedicated as I am to the internet, I got way too frustrated trying to blog from my phone.

So we lived a simpler life for a quarter of the year. Now the internet is back because I missed you all so much. And a tiny bit because I'm taking online classes this semester. Apparently internet is required to do that. And also, Time Warner really wanted me back as a customer so they offered to cut the bill in half again for a year. So the quarter year sacrifice was worth it.

I desperately want to get back into the habit of writing every day. I miss that. And while I do really want to write a book about the crazy life of a single mom of 6, with those chapter titles in the post below, I also have had a topic of interest to write about bouncing around in my head for years now. And I'm wondering if this is the year to start it.

Books

2010-09-30T23:07:00.003-04:00

I have so many thoughts that run through my head that strike me as "That would make a great book title" or "That'd be an awesome chapter" Sometimes I wonder if the crazy things I say and/or do should be documented. I try with my blog.. but, well you know me, blog friends. Sometimes I let a month or so slip by (yeah, saw when my last post was. Sorry about that. I really had blogged many times in my head that never made it to an actual post. Funny how that actually works.)

Here's some of the potential things I need to expound on/write my book about my crazy life as a mom to 6 :

*"Your Shopping Cart Looks Like a Pack 'N Play" & more of my favorite received comments

*What To Know About Wearing a Corset To Make You Skinnier - Not admitting I've worn one, just things you need to bear in mind. You know. In case you come across a situation where you would. Not that you wear them either.

*"We're throwing spaghetti?" And other things I did NOT say.

*Alarm Clocks Only Work When You Set Them

*Why is There Applesauce in My Drawer?

*That's Not My Job.

Back to School

2010-09-08T17:28:00.002-04:00

The preparations were numerous. The excitement level was astonishing. New shoes were anxiously put on while outfits were accessorized. My son had to be reminded that no baseball caps were allowed, the summer break made him forget the cap can no longer be a part of regular attire. The girls brushed their hair until it shone, then picture perfect pony tails were put in place finished with hair accessories - Nora's a curly pink ribbon. An hour turned out to be the perfect amount of time to get us all together and out the door, but the anticipation may have had a role to play in that. We may need to plan on more than an hour once the year progresses and the fervor dies down.

It took one complete hour after everyone was home from school to sort through all the various pieces of paperwork that came home and an additional 30 minutes to complete papers and prepare backpacks for the following day. There wasn't even any homework involved! Four backpacks is a lot to go through, I can't imagine when I'll have to be organizing six!

Isaac has a real agenda this year, he is quite proud of how grown up he is now. He isn't in the purple hallway at school anymore either! That's where the rest of his siblings are. It's going to take a while for me to get used to this!

I can smell dinner announcing it's completion cooking from the crock pot in the kitchen. Even though there was not any football/cheerleading practice in lieu of the first day of school we continued on with our crock pot meals anyway.

How did I do this last year while working full time???

Labels

2010-09-08T13:59:00.003-04:00

Back to school.. I barely survived it! More on that later. I really don't have time to blog, but read this article this morning and was so inspired I wanted to share a good, quick read :

Label Their Clothes, Not Their Souls

Seaweed Soup for Football Families

2010-08-30T22:32:00.004-04:00

The time consumed with football practices encouraged me to pursue the use of my crock pot everyday and has proved to be exceptionally beneficial with the perk of providing us with some healthy, filling meals in the hotter weather we've had lately that would typically preclude me from heating up the kitchen as I cook.

Tonight's dinner started out as an inspiration from a favorite cookbook, in which case the creative cooking forces hit me just right and my kitchen took on the recipe with a new twist. Check it out! This zesty soup will knock your socks off, delicious as a side dish or main entree.

Football has apparently transformed from a sport that Isaac played and Giovanna cheered for last year, into part of the family way of life. The afternoons at home have been spent with Isaac and Liam tossing the "pigskin," as Isaac has started referring to it as, while Giovanna, Nora, and Shiloh emphatically shout the team's cheers. All three girls practice them together, with Giovanna taking on the role of coach.

Apparently, our team is one of the smallest in our league. Isaac is a very tall kid for his age but some of these kids, while granted they may be a year older than him, are head and shoulders taller than him. Not to mention many times larger. I have no idea how to help this kid bulk up! Any suggestions?

Things I need to do...

2010-08-21T21:06:00.003-04:00

In case you wanted to be a little bit nosey and know about the loose ends I'm trying to tie up right know/a list to myself :

1. Start documenting recipes. Do you know how hard this is to do in the creative cooking process? I am horrible at remembering what I did after the fact. I created a delicious side dish tonight that I'm going to attempt to blog, and I wish that I could figure out a way to quickly write down what I'm doing as I do it. It's so difficult though... there is a method to my cooking madness. Which really doesn't leave room for documentation. Hmm. Dillema, dillema.

2. Check school supply lists. I have mostly everything, but I need to label (aaaaaauuuugh... the agony) supplies and be sure everything is accounted for and in the new backpacks.

3. Liam (4 year old) has a bad habit of losing shoes. In the weirdest places. Sometimes we'll be grocery shopping and I remember that it's been more than 1.5 minutes and I need to check his feet. Yes. He slips them off, usually just one (I can't explain this), while walking along. I think it's just to try to make me have an emotional break down and buy chocolate or something. Not sure. In any case, his somewhat new *cringe* sneakers have been MIA for a while... and he'll need a pair when school starts. Oh this child. (This one has had 4 flip flop purchases for the summer. Recently a pair did make it's way back home and we have 2 at the same time. Don't expect this to last long. Thank goodness for $1 and $2 pairs of flipflops)

4. Giovanna needs some random items. A) her lollies we bought her for cheerleading literally fall right off. Not convenient. B) a few sweatshirts for school. C) I need to pick up her sneakers from her uncle who rescued them from a vacation abandonment. Apparently the sneakers wanted an extended stay.

5. I need to do a "do raincoats still fit from the spring" check. We will be in rainy approaching winter weather here sooner than I want to acknowledge.

6. Miller needs a trip to the groomer for his nails to be trimmed. After numerous traumatic experiences trimming my dog's nails when I was in jr. high/high school...I will not be doing that again.

7. Research jogging strollers. Suggestions? This is not for jogging as much as it is for navigating sports' fields as an ATV type stroller with those big wheels.

8. Finish blogging so that I don't have my valid excuse for avoiding the dishes in the sink. See item #1 for explanation, if you skipped straight to the end.

This was going to be a blog about dinner tonight, and instead it morphed into a to-do list. Well... there you have it.

A New Dimension of Motherhood

2010-08-10T23:19:00.002-04:00

Blog world - I have had lots of things I've wanted to say to you lately, and not the chance. But I had to rush on here tonight to quickly tell you this :

I just changed a baby diaper by the light of the laptop screen. Yep. I'm a savvy techno mom. Thanks, Apple.

Two Things I Know For Sure..

2010-07-30T23:25:00.003-04:00

Tonight turned out to be spontaneously child free. #1 son went to see Despicable Me with his father last weekend. Which of course means everyone else needed to see Despicable Me A.S.A.P. Luckily for the other littles, they have an aunt who has seen the movie twice already as she loves it so much. She volunteered to take them to the drive in tonight to see it (yes, her third time. I feel like I really need to see this movie now). #1 son was so helpful and darling to his Nana today that she, feeling he was a little left out, offered to let him have a sleepover. So... Brynn and I went grocery shopping. Just the two of us! A little date with my pumpkin pie - who promptly fell asleep in the first five minutes.

So I put in the ear buds and danced around my favorite grocery store enjoying the solitude (as much solitude as one has in a public place with their baby... but you know what I mean, web friends), pushing around the babe, and really enjoying grocery shopping. As I was approaching checking out I bumped into a fellow football mom, who greeted me with "Hey! Some late night shopping alone, huh?" She understands - she has 4 children. I told her I almost felt like I wanted to lap the store again. It was SO WEIRD and fun. Or maybe not fun, maybe I don't know fun anymore. Either way. It was a lot easier.

I unloaded my full cart onto the belt and the cashier actually made polite chit chat with me. "They talk to customers???" was my thought. She kept glancing at me and finally said "What department do you work in here?" I said "Oh, I don't work here." And she said "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you looked so familiar for some reason. Do you come in frequently?" And I said "Well, I do my regular grocery shopping here.... maybe you've noticed me in here because I come often...with all my kids." And she said "Waaaaaaiiit.... do you have like, a LOT of kids?? That always have a hand on the cart??" I said "Yeah.. that's my system.. you probably hear me say "hands, Hands" throughout our shopping trip.. you know... then I always know where everyone is." She said "YES! That's you. You're that lady with all those kids! Are they really all yours? We're all wondering."

Yes. I'm THAT lady. Oh man. I have even become an object of public speculation. I think that means it's definitely time to move to a new town.

Two things I know for sure. 1) The world is entirely too small. 2) I am officially known as that lady with all those kids.

The now

2010-07-26T16:15:00.002-04:00

In case the internet is concerned, on the sleep front, Brynn seems to have effectively increased my milk supply and we're back to our late night + 2 middle of the night waking nursing routine. I can live with this. (Coffee in hand. Literally - right now. mmmm.)

Something about new babies makes me all clucky. I start getting all homey and nesty and wanting to be creative.. I'm currently planning a wall paper stripping/painting event. I'm debating on some color choices but think I've narrowed it down to one from the Pottery Barn color wheel. While I love vivid colors, Pottery Barn always seems to make me feel calm when I look through their rooms. So for the dining area... I think a mellowing olive branch green is the way to go. I'm getting excited. I may hate myself halfway through the wall paper removal process necessary for this task. We shall see.

Super Soccer Saturday was the end of our soccer season extravaganza. My children each played 4 games. They each played phenomenally even though it was sweltering hot. I forgot the sunscreen, but I really am the only one who needs it to prevent burning. Yes, I was a beautiful shade of lobster by the evening. I was able to keep my creamy white baby in the shade thanks to the stroller. The rest of my children continued to bronze further. How I envy their skin tone. Nora scored 2 goals, which put her at a total for 8 this season. Giovanna was able to make a goal which was her first for the year, leaving her feeling VERY positive that she scored at least once this year. Isaac got a second goal in for the season as well. They were all quite pleased with themselves and I do believe that made their end of the year ice cream taste even better.

To keep in line with running around like chickens with our heads cut off, our season for football and cheerleading starts tonight. Oh practices. Football is actually a great sport for Isaac, challenging his limits emotionally forcing him to step outside his comfort zone and grow. We'll see how it is this year, hopefully just as motivating as last year. Cheerleading was also great last year for Giovanna. It seems to come to her the way soccer comes naturally for Nora. It's just her thing. She's super upbeat, outgoing and she's been that way since she was little.

This reminds me I need to start getting dinner together earlier in the evenings now. Hmmmm... Off to prep for our night!

Sweet Home Alabama

2010-07-25T21:20:00.002-04:00

Today.... was a great day. It was not a particular event, or the order in which events occurred. It just was. Today was the first time I felt family in what feels like far too long. Maybe the question boyfriend asked in the kitchen was the moment of revelation for me, "Has this become our steak night?" Family. I understand that may not make a whole lot of sense to most. But in the midst of life gone awry, I'm finding a center. I'm finding myself. I'm finding my family. I'm finding new friends. I'm finding life. Things are starting to make sense for the first time in a very long time. Clarity. I wish I could provide that same, peaceful, calm center for all my loved ones.

I hate that how even when you've ridden out a storm, you can't just pull someone who is just starting their own healing process out of the turmoil and pain. It's worse when it's multiple loved ones going through a wreck on all different levels. I want to pull everyone behind me so I can block the blows life is dealing to them.

But it's not that way. Everyone must follow their own path to see where the journey of life takes them. In some ways I hate it. I can even feel hatred in that I'm starting to realize I look back and I'm on the other side. There shouldn't be an other side. There shouldn't be so much that just is. The truth is hard to swallow.

I love sunglasses. I love accessories in general, as a side note - I can't get enough of them. Sunglasses started to become a safety item in a way. You can hide behind them. Behind your sunglasses, you may be someone mysterious and intelligent. Mostly, you're someone who can't be read because your eyes can't be seen. You're someone who people don't make eye contact with. You can sit on the sidelines and just be. I realized the other night, I took my sunglasses off - to make eye contact. With people I have come to really like and consider friends. I know, normal people can wear sunglasses and have a conversation. This was somewhat of a huge step for me. I told my best friend, who was one of very few friends I hadn't cut out of my life "Hey - I'm making friends.. I'm actually trusting people. And... I like them." When I go out... the store, the spa, the sports games, etc, I see these new friends, people I know, people who have a smile on their face to see me - because they like who I am. Not who I was, or who they think I should be.

I'm not rushing through each day to the next. I'm finding purpose and routine. I'm finding that I'm really enjoying life and who I am. I love my kids. I love my family.

Sleep

2010-07-22T13:13:00.002-04:00

Sleep has become a rare thing around here. Brynn is 4 1/2 months old. We had a night routine before.... nursing once or twice in the middle of the night. In the last week or so night time feedings have become like day time ones - around the clock. Up every 1 1/2 - 2 hours. I know that requesting some assistance from someone with bottle feeding will probably work out against me, since I'm sure he's most likely on a growth spurt and using the increased nighttime feedings to boost my supply.

I'm. Still. Tired.

I want to quit.

But I won't.. because I know we'll turn a corner here soon.

That being said, the littles will have a week long vacation with their dad soon. I will use that time to sleep whenever Brynn sleeps. Day and night. Just like you do with your first baby.. can any of you sleep deprived moms remember back that far? Yes. I am excited for naps. What has my world turned in to? :-)

In my tired stupor, I'm trying to glean some more information on healthy but quick, easy meals. It's so hard with being on the run. I'm thinking of trying out roasting chickpeas finally for a healthy snack. I've been wanting to do that for quite some time now. And considering just having salads for dinners on sports nights. I could make those up in the afternoon so they're ready to go. Plus we could have all sorts of different types and I could get really fancy and try a dressing I want to make.

Well.. time to run off to soccer!

Score!

2010-07-20T23:25:00.004-04:00

It's not a secret among any of my children who the soccer star of the family is this year. This is our first year participating in soccer. Previously my children hadn't expressed any interest. This year they're expressing interest in just about everything they hear of. Which... makes me feel tired just thinking about it. But I also want them to explore their interests to find where their talents and strengths lie. With six children I'm hoping that at least one could receive an athletic scholarship to college! I'm going to keep pushing grades for everyone to be realistic.

We had such a long talk about college, tuition, and scholarships the other day. It stemmed around my advice to save $10 they each received as a gift from a benevolent great-grandmother. After a long talk about saving it turned into what reasons would one have for long term saving. Which lead to my kids asking me questions about my own higher education I'm pursuing currently. I explained to them how if I continue to do well with my grades in my current undergraduate studies that hopefully will be of great benefit to me when I am applying for graduate schools. It made sense to the oldest two, maybe to the third child. They all were quite intrigued with the whole process and hopefully the conversation serves as a foundation for hard work in school and pursuit of higher education.

Nora earns rookie of the year as soccer player in our family. She's an animal out there! In a very gracious, non-boastful type of way. In fact when the soccer moms and I are all jumping up and down cheering after a goal she typically looks at her feet or the other way. She is incredibly focused, driven, and aggressive. It's been a wonderful thing to watch a child coming into something of her own, especially since she falls in the middle and is often in the shadow of her older siblings. That being said, it has also been an excellent lesson in humility for Isaac and Giovanna. They are used to being the best simply because they're older and more capable than their younger siblings. This is the first instance in which that is not true with soccer and Nora. I'm quite sure she could dribble circles around them.

That being said, Isaac scored his first goal of the season tonight. He has been trying so hard, not all the time - there is a little distractibility for him at times, and we often have post-game discussions on why things played out as they did. He can be quite hard on himself, which is always difficult to balance out my response to his harsh self criticism when he is so apathetic at others. Balance.. balance.

It was amazing to see him actively trying out there tonight and using the input I gave him to actually achieve scoring a goal. He's been itching to as the season is coming to a close this week. It's so very cool to see your child when they come to the point of being able to use direction to cultivate a skill when they don't necessarily have the natural born talent.

All in all, while it's rather taxing at times and eats up a huge part of our schedule... I'm really enjoying sports activities for our family.

Remember to Aim

2010-07-20T12:29:00.003-04:00

Remember to Aim

(My parody of Remember the Name by Fort Minor, dedicated to the darling males in my life with whom I share toilets)

You ready?! Let's go!

Yeah, if you're wondering, it's cleaning toilets that it's all about

It's like this y'all....

This is 10 percent luck, 20 percent skill,

15 percent concentrated power of will,

0 percent pleasure, 55 percent pain

And a hundred percent reason to remember to aim!

Boys! Don't need to see their name up in lights.

Snow, sand, or toilets, days or at nights,

From the oldest of them to the youngest of the littles

No left to the right, PLEASE just aim for the middle!

Hope for the best when I go in to clean,

Gloves, bleach and brush - yet I still want to scream!

All the little places on the toilet I didn't know that existed

Thanks to boys I've found them, all the places they misted.

And boys if you wonder how I feel when I enter the room.....

It's 20 percent skill, 80 percent fear

100 percent the reason around the toilet's kept clear

who would've thought I'd want to set the room up in flames

just keep it in the toilet is the name of the game!

I like bleach, boys, but needing it so much can't be right

I don't understand the chaos when you have the sense of sight.

I think I need a gas mask in order to get near

It's the household job that inspires the most fear.

And the fact that when I leave it's sparkling clean, tells you...

This is 10 percent luck, 20 percent skill,

15 percent concentrated power of will,

0 percent pleasure, 55 percent pain

And a hundred percent reason to remember to aim!

This is 10 percent luck, 20 percent skill,

15 percent concentrated power of will,

0 percent pleasure, 55 percent pain

And a hundred percent reason to remember to aim!

What?

2010-07-12T17:19:00.002-04:00

Ok, seriously? Can someone tell me what's going on? What is up with all the comments on my blog posts being in some type of asian character font? Is it just my computer? Can someone else read them? I don't know what they say and I'm afraid to click the links in case they are some sort of horrible virus/spam/yucky-nasty-stuff.

Tutorial Revisited

2010-07-09T22:50:00.003-04:00

Wow, blast from the past. In chatting with a friend this evening I mentioned how I did a photo tutorial to use flat cloth diapers.... and realized... that was a long time ago.

Unfortunately, I'm not cloth diapering Brynn. I can barely stay on top of the laundry situation for 6 kids. I remember my boyfriend saying he was a little sad because he was really curious to see the cloth diaper thing in action. After reviewing this post I'm a little tempted to be honest. I love love love prefolds and flats. I have the greatest clothesline at my new house that I can perfectly envision little squares of white blowing in the breeze as they sun dry. Maybe I'll just pretend and hang the flats up on the line for fun!

I think for the time being as a single parent of six, I'll use my energy to keep barely staying on top of my current laundry and cleaning workload.

There are still little twinges in my heart wishing to wrap a teeny tiny bottom up in those little white squares.

Rant, Rant, Rant

2010-07-09T09:54:00.002-04:00

I had so many other blog thoughts for today, but this one has to get off my chest.

I understand that the male mind works totally different than the female mind. I can't comprehend it completely as a woman, just like I can't comprehend having cancer - experiences I haven't had, and obviously I'll never experience the male mentality. I understand that they can not help their hormonal, physiological makeup. But I do believe men can exercise self control when it comes to their actions and when it comes to what they allow their minds to be filled with and think on. I believe it's possible after having read several books, written by men who put the work in to overcome compulsive behavior, after learning about my ex-husbands affairs.

That being said, knowing it's not a "natural guy thing" that they "can't help" I am so disgusted by the objectification of women. The caveman mentality of ogling the bodies of women as if they are nothing more than their physical make up - and I get it that in that moment of visual gratification those woman aren't anything more to the man than their physical makeup.

To make matters worse, this is so prevalent in the sports industry. Here we are getting kids involved with sports "be a healthy hero!" "fight obesity in america!" "be healthy, exercise!" just to immerse them into the world of professional sports female objectification.

It's widely accepted. Hey, they're guys. This is what they do.

I find it ironic that the same men will gripe when a woman experiences PMS symptoms and make crass remarks about "Sheesh, that time of the month" with disdain about anything they feel is outrageous from a woman. Well guess what - I find your unrestrained hormonal compulsions disgusting as well. Only why are yours totally socially and culturally acceptable?

What got me on my rant was trying to look up a recent trivia contest for a local sports radio talk show. Their website consisted of two basic categories. Sports and hot babes. Really? What do bikini clad women washing cars have to do with the local minor league sports teams? They even have some links to pictures broken down to a rating viewing system of "PG" and "R" Well, gosh thanks. Because that makes it SO much better. I'm a woman - not a cup size. Oh and if you can wrap your mind around that concept, here's another : I have brains and emotions to boot.

I like and enjoy sports. I fail to see how scantily clad women have anything to do with that topic. And I have great distaste for the fact that it's so mainstream that the two go hand in hand together.

I am not cleaning this

2010-07-07T01:00:00.003-04:00

What do children and puppies have in common? They both make messes so extraordinarily horrific you can't believe it's happening to you. Blog friends, you don't even want to know what I came home to today (puppy this time). And he was in his kennel of all things too! I stood there contemplating yelling "I AM NOT CLEANING THIS!" to no one in particular. No one would hear me. We came back home after running an errand at about bedtime, so the kids faithfully did bedtime readiness and climbed into their assigned sleeping places.

I considered calling my boyfriend to tell him how I was NOT cleaning the mess and seriously weighing out the pros and cons of unreasonably demanding he come take care of it.... when I knew he really could not possibly come.

It was the kind of mess that should be wished on the people who make and distribute computer viruses, identity thieves, the people who make snarky remarks about having too many children, and the general population of obnoxious teenagers who don't realize this is the sort of thing their mothers endured for their ungrateful selves. Why puppy? Why?

After cleaning the kennel, mopping the floor, bathing the puppy (who pleasantly smells now of coconut), taking a shower myself because I felt so dirty, lighting a candle and letting it burn for 3 hours, ripping open a box of new fabric softener sheets to sit open in the room (because you KNOW how potent that box is when first opened!)..... I am now blogging to cleanse my soul. And I even spared you the details. See how much I care for you?

I think the #1 thing on my to do list tomorrow is to schedule a serious nap. I believe after today it is well deserved and has moved to the top of priorities for tomorrow.

5 am

2010-07-01T05:55:00.001-04:00

Good Morning, Web Browser! WOW! It is early. There is nothing that I could think of that could rouse me to be up at 5 am than a child or a puppy. This morning it is puppy. Since it is puppy, after feeding him some breakfast we came outside to sit. The brisk cold fresh air woke me quite immediately. Hmmm... alternative to the autobrew? The french press may work just fine after all.

I had to run in and quickly grab my laptop to document that not only was I 1) awake and lively at such an unearthly hour but 2) it’s beautiful and serene at this unearthly hour! I should be rushing to get the pup back into his little bed and to sleep. I certainly don’t think I could handle it becoming a habit, 5 am potty calls. But as he is poking his way around the yard I just can’t help but to enjoy the silence of the early morning.

It’s chilly here.. I initially sat on my cold cement steps. Wow. Don’t do that, internet. Don’t do that. Too cold for that. (may be or may be not the real reason why I’m so wide awake... maybe more realistically than the cold air, or in addition to. No way to really know). So I grabbed a sweater as I ran in to grab the lappy. (And then sat in a chair upon my return)

I think Miller is now getting bored of the early morning. I am not as fun as Isaac to take him outside to potty. Isaac will run around the house with him and enjoy the morning. Mamma just sits there. I really should go back in and try to get a little more sleep while I still can. I may get a load of laundry started first. Wow. WHO AM I? What do they put in the early morning air that is effecting me like this?!?

I hope that you get the chance to enjoy the beauty of a 5 am morning sometime, Internet. Just remember, don’t sit on the cold cement.

123

2010-06-30T15:02:00.002-04:00

123 days straight of exclusive breastfeeding is coming up tomorrow. That will be Brynn's first day as a four month old. While nursing today.. I started daydreaming about feeding iron fortified, processed, junk, boxed inferior baby cereal.... he could sleep longer at night (not always true) maybe start spending some less time nursing (not at all what I really want) and I could have a little more space not being touched constantly (who am I fooling?).

It's funny how the grass looks greener on the other side. Fortunately I know more about nursing and the downsides to introducing solid food early in life. I'm glad I have the self discipline to focus on the long term goal for optimum health and nutrition for his life. I think the myth about longterm breastfeeding is that the breastfeeding mothers always love it. Somedays I'm so tired of whipping out my boob and having to sit down for the tenth time that day because he's feeling a little clingy/on a growth spurt/hungry early because he got distracted at the last feeding. I think it deserves to be said, that while we are proud to do what we do... sometimes we wish it was a bottle/solid food feeding day.

So for all the days where it feels like a struggle, tomorrow I celebrate 123 days of exclusive breastfeeding. Brynn, it hasn't always been easy. But you are a happy, healthy, baby boy. For the tearful days of thrush, the sleep deprived headaches, and living on a 1 1/2 - 2 hour schedule - you are so worth it. 123 days from now I know these days of wanting to just snuggle and nurse with Mamma will be over. You will be learning about tastes, textures, and independence. I'm glad we've made it to day 123.

Chewie chew chew

2010-06-30T11:06:00.002-04:00

Miller (puppy, not another child) wants to chew. Like all puppies do. He wants to chew everything. Everything but the toys and rawhides I have bought for him to chew. Any suggestions?

Froyo

2010-06-29T00:23:00.002-04:00

A little dessert conversation between the boyfriend and I tonight...

Me : "Oh, and we have ice cream."

Boyfriend : "I decided against having ice cream today."

Me : "Because you already had some?"

Boyfriend : "Yes."

hahahahahaha.. I'm amused.

French Press

2010-06-27T09:23:00.002-04:00

I've been considering getting a French Press. Everyone I know that has one raves about them and how they'll never go back to a coffee maker again. My coffee maker has become more fickle recently. It started as a once in a while thing when it would decide it wasn't getting out of bed in the morning to brew me some coffee, to now it rarely turns on to brew. I've been holding out hoping that maybe it would rid itself of this bad attitude and return to it's rightly place in the kitchen, helping me out as I so desperately need in the morning. But it seems to have forgotten where it belongs.

Now don't get proud of me, thinking of how well I handle mornings with or without my coffee. Oh, no. Since this coffee maker debacle I've been nursing my crutch with some diet soda in the morning. I know, as if it could get any worse. Don't judge me - I know you sneak pastries in the afternoon, internet. We all have our vices.

Anyway, so I was all ready to order my first french press when I realized a key missing element - no auto brew. I know, I know - the french press has coffee ready in 4 minutes. But that four minutes equates to probably about 30 for me.

First I have to stumble around my kitchen wondering where I keep my coffee. Because even though it is in the same place, my foggy morning brain always seems to think it's like "Where's Waldo" and you can't ever really be sure where it is. Then I'll have to get the water to boil, which means I have to turn the right dial on the stove on - this is a big challenge. Envision me standing in front of the stove waiting to watch for a red spot to then turn it off and try the next one. By the time that water boils and makes it into the french press we're talking a 20 minute ordeal minimum.

I really like being able to set autobrew the night before. This has been an important feature for me. Not to mention the times where it helps coax my tired rear out of bed when I smell the taunting aroma that reaches my brain like a sweet little song "Come to the kitchen, you don't want to miss this beautiful ungodly early hour of the morning, yum yum yum!"

All that said, I'm still giving the french press a try. I'm sure I'll get myself into an autopilot mode to get the coffee made in the mornings. I'll keep you posted, now go enjoy your pastry.

Give the Tooth Fairy a Break

2010-06-26T18:26:00.003-04:00

In one week, my 8 year old has lost two teeth and my 6 year old also lost her first tooth.

When Isaac lost a tooth at the beginning of the week there was great excitement. He's 8, it's his third tooth to fall out. Pretty normal. Then, Giovanna lost her first tooth yesterday. She's 6 1/2, younger than Isaac was when he lost his first one, but mostly average still for her age. Then today Isaac yanked out the 4th one. I don't know if he just couldn't have his sister steal the lime light or maybe there were rumors of the tooth fairy going broke (there was a boy in his class this year who said the tooth fairy gave out $5 for teeth without cavities.... that raised some ruckus here until I explained that it was molars without cavities.... bought myself a little more time). This particular tooth seemed to not be quite ready. Yet, somehow the boy with low pain tolerance, yanked that sucker out of there. Do you realize what happens when a baby tooth isn't ready to give? It's a gusher. Sheesh. Good thing blood doesn't make me woozy!

Finally

2010-06-25T23:27:00.003-04:00

So finally, after the destruction of my previous laptop (thank you, Shiloh..) I am up and running again.

What's gone on since the last time? My goodness... new house.. new baby.. new puppy.. getting ready for school full time for the first time.. boyfriend and I are trying to make some plans for the future.. Basically you're best off asking yourself what has actually not happened since the last time. Life is still ever a whirlwind.

Brynn was born a healthy 9 pounds 7 ounces. My biggest baby yet! He's been the easiest happiest baby from the get go. I'm not going to attempt the birth story here, but it was great! Boyfriend and best friend were there, the experience was exceptional thanks to the hard work they put in with me. He arrived safely and healthy and has been a sweet little bundle since. I still can't believe I have six children now. Good gracious. So many days have passed where I've wished I had access to blog about... are you all in for the adventures now!

The kids have had a great start to their sports' season. Soccer turns out to be Nora's sport. They all enjoy it, but - wow - she is our superstar! And no, we're not watching the World Cup. Not because of any reason, we aren't against it or anything. We're just not into it. Can I be honest with you? I didn't even know about the World Cup until this year. True story. Never even heard it mentioned. Is it exceptionally more popular to follow in the U.S. this time? I think it must be. I mean, I know I live under a rock. But really.

So we moved into a house next to my parents' farm. Yes, not only do my kids get to be next door but it is a farm as well. Complete with acres to run around, ponds, and baby animals brought with the spring season. It is a dream come true for them. And I have hardwood floors throughout the house and my kitchen is red. Dream come true for me.

Oh, and internet, we are still gluten free! Ok, so I'm not. I cheat. But I cook gluten free and the kids are still going strong. Shiloh has been gluten free her whole life. I am rather proud of us. The littles are so good about checking with people and informing them of their intolerance. It's become so natural. I wish I cold say I could stick with it 100% for me, but I'm a wimp. Too many favorite foods I miss.

I'm terrified to start college full time. I mean, I have to really get this undergrad stuff done and full time is my only option to get this career path underway and accomplished in a timely fashion. But...... my head hurts to think about it. I'll have 3 kids in school full time this fall as well, and 1 prek for half days. Keeping us all on a schedule with homework completed is going to be such a stretch.

It's been so long since my fulltime blogging days, I've probably lost the readers who I know had this info - but if there are any straggler's left out there.. any good recommendations on books for blending families? Boyfriend and I talk lots about our future together and I want to start seriously preparing myself. I want to be adequately ready, not only for the best transition but also to not be taken by surprise by any potential typical issues.

With his kids, mine, and ours (baby Brynn)... I'll be Kate plus 8. Not exactly in the typical fashion TLC would want to do a show about. But.. we're an American family, right?

Cut Outs

2009-11-22T20:41:00.002-05:00

I did it! Without tears, without wasting ingredients, and with many happy smiles cutting out cookies.

Weekend Baking

2009-11-21T10:00:00.002-05:00

This weekend we're going to try some new recipes for gluten free pumpkin muffins and cut out cookies (to cut into shapes of pumpkins, turkeys, and pilgrims of course!). I was really happy to find that particular pumpkin muffin recipe as it calls for using Pamela's mix. That took a little searching. I'm still not in to gluten free baking that requires you to use a mix of 7 different types of obscure flours that are not typically kept on hand. Maybe I'll get there eventually. I make no promises.

Since the kids have a few days off this week I'm still searching for some Thanksgiving project ideas. I found a cute cornucopia template to print out with smiling acorns and flowers and vegetables to color, cut out, and paste. I think I'll also let them do a project my sisters and I did as kids, with sticking whole cloves into an orange - that smells so nice. I just wish cloves were a little cheaper! And of course there's always the old fall back of tracing your hand and coloring it as a turkey!

On Dasher on Dancer

2009-11-15T13:37:00.002-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is less than 6 weeks away. Now don't yell at me for reminding you, I'm sorry if it causes you as much surprise as it did for me!

Thanksgiving has always been a family favorite for myself and my sisters and I want to pass that on to my kids. I'm thinking I need to find some Thanksgiving art projects for them. Carving pumpkins for Halloween was a huge hit. Even Shiloh loved scooping out the seeds. I only cut open one pumpkin at first as I was fairly convinced I'd end up having to do all the cleaning. But surprisingly enough all 5 were really in to it and I just carved the happy faces (happy faces mandatory, nothing scary or ghoulish allowed at our house).

Liam is starting a little 3 year old Pre-K play group in the beginning of December. I had been going back and forth on whether or not to enroll him; partly monetary reasons, partly wondering if he was emotionally ready, partly because potty training was required. He's been very lackadaisical when it has come to potty training. Let me tell you - enrolling him was the trick. He's so excited to go to "school" and play with friends that accidents are becoming fewer and farther between, with less reminders from me to go potty. If only I had discovered this motivating tool last year.... all that money spent on diapers.... *sigh*

The good news with him finally getting the hang of it at this age is Shiloh is completely picking up on what is going on. I bought her own little potty chair since she's such a tiny little pixie that she falls into the toilet (yes, even with the child inserts). She hasn't made the complete connection yet as to when she's supposed to rip off her diaper and sit on the potty, she does it all day long without actually going to the bathroom on the potty chair, but I have no doubt in my mind that she'll be trained around or shortly after her birthday.

Speaking of which, my baby's 2nd birthday will be here on New Year's Day. I can NOT believe that. Although she makes it hard not to notice. Shiloh seems to be gaining about a dozen new words a day here. What a talker, just like her sisters! She's also been sporting a more 2 year old like attitude and temper tantrums. I've taken to tickling her till she nearly cries when she starts with the foot stomping. She's very easily distracted still. Liam on the other hand.... waaaaay past that point. We have to address the tantrums full on, the split second they start, or look out world. He has a temper.

The football season has been over for two weeks now and I'm just starting to feel like we're recovering from the hustle and bustle of the last three months. The girls keep requesting ballet lessons and Isaac is pushing for ice or floor hockey. I told them we'd discuss it all in the new year. This Mamma needs a break.

On the kitchen front...... I'm looking for some fun recipes that include brown rice. We've done rice stuffing, met with some success. Only half my kids were interested in rice pudding. I have a lot of brown rice to use and they're tired of it as a side dish. Rice and beans is fortunately well liked so we are having plenty of meals with rice included. I'm wondering if anyone has anything unique or fun that calls for brown rice.

Hope you're all well! Get ready for t♦urkey!

Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

2009-10-26T17:27:00.002-04:00

I have often linked to one of my most frequently visit blog favorites. In fact, I reference Stephanie's blog for my personal use in the kitchen multiple times a week. Recently Stephanie has published her own cookbook which I received last week.

Let me tell you, Make it Fast, Cook it Slow will NOT disappoint you. Filled cover to cover with delicious, easy to make crockpot recipes you will easily utilize your crockpot as a daily kitchen tool instead of a "once in a while" meal assistant.

Our most recently tried recipe from the cookbook was Tamalie Pie, which the kids loved - and so did the weekly grocery budget! Using beans and other canned ingredients, we had leftovers for lunch for very little cost per serving.

I'm telling you, with Christmas coming this is a great gift to give and ask for!

Major Flaw

2009-10-18T17:01:00.003-04:00

I have my laptop back! My power cord has three parts. One that plugs into the wall, one part from the power brick to another part which is an attachment that plugs into the comptuer. The last part is only about 2 - 3 inches long. This poses a problem when it becomes disconnected from the rest. It also seems to scream out to my children "Unplug me from the rest!!" Usually when it is taken it resurfaces again shortly. This time it has been missing for about 2 weeks now. Isn't it amazing how reliant we become on internet access?

I do everything online from paying bills, to balancing my checkbook, to shopping, to research and homework, to menu planning and making a grocery list at the local store with their online sales flyer, to using recipes and looking up new ones. Why have paper copies when it's all bookmarked? Yikes, I'm learning my lesson!

In our area of the country the fall weather has had a bite to it, constantly reminding us that winter is around the corner. Today the kids and I got pumpkins from a local farm. Costume planning is causing great excitement around here, along with upcoming school parties.

We have a fire going every day now to keep the house toasty and warm. How quickly that was needed! All the kids are outfitted with coats, snowpants, hats, mittens, and scarves for the year. Now we just have to work on boots, which may sadly be a necessity in a matter of weeks.

This year everyone has their own rubbermaid shoe box for their outdoor accessories. Previously I had done boys and girls bins. Then we did individual bins last year for each person's winter items. Now I've learned it's even more organized to have everyone get out the door if their shoe box only contains their daily hat, scarf, and mittens. This way they aren't searching and digging and creating general disorganization. Extras and spares are kept in bins seperately up high in the closet. Hmmm... I'm going to have to get a mat for wet boots too!

How do you organize and store all your winter necessities?

Fall favorites

2009-09-28T16:02:00.003-04:00

Fall is my favorite season. Does anyone know why we have both the words Autumn and Fall to describe this time of year? Is one correct and one slang? I grew up saying "fall", so I feel the need to continue. I started writing "Autumn is my favorite..." and promptly erased it. The "voice" just wasn't me.

I don't know why, but I love to wake up in the morning with my face feeling slightly cold while the rest of me is nice and toasty under my blankets. I don't share this sentiment in winter, as I can't stand the thought of dragging myself out of bed in that kind of cold.

We went apple picking, pumpkins are making appearances at road side stands and famers markets, and the weather just begs for hearty meals like soups, stews, and chilis to be made. Enjoyed with a fresh from the over side of cornbread slathered with butter of course.

The air is crisp and the foliage enrapturing. The display of colors seem to be celebrating the summer we had. Perfect weather to enjoy the outdoors in a nice sweatshirt or sweater without necessities of winter bulk.

I think making some spiced cider in the next few days is in order.

Time saver

2009-09-22T22:53:00.003-04:00

Call me crazy, but spending 15 minutes or less typing in one day is far worth handwriting a note for a few minutes every morning.

At the beginning of this school year when I had 2 young elementary kids who would be buying lunch every day, I decided to get the menu ready at the beginning of each month. There is a calender with the lunch options sent home. I highlighted each day's choices that the kids would get. Then I took the few minutes to type a quick "Today Isaac(or Giovanna, for her notes) will have the Sloppy Joe on the Gluten free bun in his/her lunchbox, mashed potatoes, garden salad, and peaches" with the day's correlating date for each school day that month.

I then stapled them to the calender menu, and just tear off the note for each child and put it in their backpack the night before.

I will never go back to handwriting!

Snuggles

2009-09-19T21:15:00.002-04:00

I should be sleeping since I'm not doing homework.

I'm not. I'm blogging while waiting for my cold medicine to kick in so I can breathe and lay down simultaneously. The little things you forget you take for granted.

I have taken to turning the lights off and resting on the couch to keep little sneaky children from getting out of their beds for mischeif making and general sleep procrastination. This has been especially necessary with Shiloh. Shiloh became a baby escape artist a while ago. Her tiny little self is so agile and the upper body strength she has developed is amazing. I'm pretty sure she is in better shape than I am.

So the nightly ritual of going to bed, staying in bed, and staying in bed without multiple escapes to actually fall asleep can be quite a project. Tonight all her older siblings fell asleep and I was lying on the couch repeatedly taking her back to bed. Her last miniature escape attempt I decided to see what her reponse would be if my eyes were closed and she thought everyone in the house was sleeping except for her.

Darn her little pixie like, tip-toe walking, cuteness that she is! She climbed up on the couch with me, snuggled up and laid her head on my chest and fell right to sleep. How am I going to resist that every night???!

Testing 1, 2, 3

2009-09-18T20:50:00.004-04:00

If I still have subscribed readers then I'm guessing this post catches you by surprise. 1 year ago my regular blogging went out the window. So many times I've wanted to blog, get my thoughts out logically, and keep writing. But it's been so hard to figure out the transition of where my blog had been going and the direction it will take now. If my regular readers are still out there, a lot will not make sense - other than the drastic changes in my life will probably account for my silence in the blogosphere.

I was tempted to do one of three things. 1) Not blog again. 2) Erase previous posts like I used to tear out pages from my journal when I was a kid and then move forward. 3) leave this blog to history and start a different one.

Instead I think I'm going to do the brave thing and just pick up the pieces and keep blogging here. If you feel so inclined as to peruse my past posts feel free to do so. I'll give a few details to help clarify much of the new information in future posts and hopefully help make sense of the different direction. I'm sure some may have questions. Feel free to ask. I may or may not answer depending on the difficulty.

My life in a nutshell right now...

I'm a single mom to 5 wonderful kids
I'm working full time as a receptionist
I'm working 1 class at a time towards my associates in liberal arts.
My oldest son was diagnosed with Aspergers earlier in the year (I can't remember if I blogged about finally getting an official diagnosis)
My kids are starting their school year at our local public school, I have a 2nd grade, a Kindergarten, and a Pre-K student. The 3 year old left at home thinks it's terribly unjust he has to wait another year before starting pre-K.
The current activity consuming our time is football that my oldest is playing, the Kindergartener is a cheerleader for his team. The younger siblings are dutifully learning all the cheers to also cheer along their big brother at his games.
I have a handful of other big things I'm just not ready to post about yet
My crockpot is still a big lifesaver and I'm still trying to utilize it more. I'm toying with the idea of one to start a breakfast cooking overnight. And one for starting dinner either the night before or in the morning. I love slow cooking.
My dog still plays good dog/bad dog and I find myself thinking he's much craftier than he lets on.
My kids are still gluten free.

I have so many blog ideas in the works but felt like I needed to get the above details out in the open to help make sense. I'm working on getting our ever hectic life more and more organized. It's become almost a fun challenge. At least it helps to lessen the stress to look at it that way :-)

Just typing this all out here has been so cathartic! I've missed you, internet.

The latest roster

2009-06-09T21:10:00.003-04:00

I type out my first sentence "Finally slowing down a little" then delete it in correction, does my life ever slow down?

Tball is over. It was Giovanna's first year. She did great. I'm glad it's done. 3 days per week of tball + 3 days per week of baseball = 6 days per week of mommy running around like a chicken with her head cut off.

Isaac is in baseball, it's his first year of coach pitch. His games are still going. He's finally started to catch on to the concept of really watching and waiting for a good pitch - thus enjoying the game more since he isn't striking out.

Nora is anxious to play tball next year. I'm hoping she and Giovanna get the same set of coaches (I hope they do it again!)

Liam is still as much a destroyer as ever. Very very busy. On the potty training front we seem to have made some small progress. He's still mostly disinterested.

Shiloh is suddenly a toddler. I swear it happened over night. Sweet little baby giggles have transformed into shrieking tantrums. She's still smiley and so darn cute. She's constantly doing things that surprise me on a level of showing how intelligent she is. She has joined the ranks of destroyer with her brother. The 2 of them are exhausting me. I'm hoping I can find some kind of sport for Liam to participate in one he turns 3 so he can get tired out.

We have the month of July pretty open for right now. I'm hoping it stays low key. June has been real busy thus far. There will be no sports going on in July. In August football + cheerleading start up. But at least those are on the same day, so Isaac and Giovanna will be doing that together. I've noticed that while it feels hectic to be so involved in sports activities the kids are sleeping a lot better through the night and later into the morning. I'll take it :-)

Tonight I made Taco Soup which won over my dinner crowd. Deeeeelicious! Tomorrow I think I will be trying this recipe for the first time.

As always, I'm finding lots of things I'd like to do, read, participate in, etc that I have no time for ;-) Everyone fell asleep rather well tonight. I might indulge and watch a movie while eating chocolate chip cookies. MMmmm

Shark

2009-06-02T00:22:00.002-04:00

If I could, I would give every mom each one of these

And one of these

They have literally changed my life and that is NOT an overexaggeration. They are amazing. I love love love them. The steam mop does a fanastic job on the floors. I've used it on tile, laminate, hardwoods - all great. It's just as fast as a swiffer - without the overpowering scent of chemicals. It's definiltely the most efficient type of mop since the steam takes care of the elbow grease usually used with handwashing that a traditional mop lacks.

The handheld steamer is PERFECT. Ever find a spill that you weren't informed of? Or something sticky? Or... something all of use want to pretend we never find at our own homes? Yes, the steam is amazing for getting all that stuff up quickly. I used it to clean my refrigerator today, my least favorite of all chores. Not only was it so much quicker, but it made the job much more pleasent. I think my least favorite chore will be taking the trash out now because the steamers can't do that for me ;-).

Selling the stash

2009-05-28T13:38:00.002-04:00

So as much as I love cloth diapering, I just can't do it right now with some of the turns our path of life has taken. I pretty much haven't cloth diapered since my last post after getting all those diapers.

I went to go post on the cloth diaper swap board today and they've changed the forum! So while I wait until the next thursday that I'm approved to be a member of... here's what I have if anyone is interested. I have low, low, low prices because I just want the giant basket out of here. Feel free to make alternative offers, and I'd be willing to sell the whole lot together real cheap if you want to take everything. All prices include shipping costs.

1 wahmies diaper pail liner. I have a handful of citrus deodisks I'll toss in for free. I think the color is orchid. $10

1 XL Dream Eze cotton SQ fitted, natural color. Slightly discolored. $6

2 XL Dream Eze cotton SQ fitted, purple. $7 each, or $10 for both. 1 natural.

2 XL Dream Eze cotton SQ fitted, yellow. Slightly discolored $6 each or $9 for both.

*or $20 for all 5*

6 Baby Beehinds Bamboo one size fitteds. Best diaper EVER. 1 was bleached somehow. 1 is pretty worn. The rest are like new. blue, purple, 2 teal, 1 pink, and 1 orange. All come with 2 snap in bamboo doublers. $18 each, or $90 for all size (this is such a steal)

1 L periwinkle Thirsties cover. Some slight discoloration around the legs. $7

1 L Red Thirsties cover. Some slight discoloration around legs. $7

1 Kissaluvs size 2, blue. $5

1 M Blueberry Diapers cover in pink and green dots, snap closure. $9

1 M Aqua Thirsties cover. $9

1 M Dream Eze cotton, yellow. $6

2 kissaluvs size 1, 1 has some spots on it, still soft. $8 for both together.

1 size 1 little beetle pink cover (my all time favorite) $12

1 S pink thirsties cover. Very light discoloration on front aplix from me spilling coffee... almost came out $7

1 S fitted Little Beetle velour, white. Missing 1 snap - doesn't effect function $5

1 S AIO Rumpster diaper, burgundy, lots of pilling but in good condition with lots of life left. $6

1 Mother Eve 1 size pocket diaper in Raspberry with 4 layer hemp/microterry insert *New* $10

1 Wonder Works 1 size pocket diaper in light pink (almost white) snap closure $5

1 Small Tail Feather pocket diaper, butterflies (my favorite pocket.. so stinking cute) $8

2 pairs MOE breast pads $5.00 for both

1 pair of little beetle wool breast pads $5.00

3 snappis $1

1 Baby Beehinds Bamboo fold up booster $4.00

11 prefolds, not all were even used before. These are the best. Blue thread - so I believe regular size. $15

10 prefolds, not all were used in this size either. Green thread - so I believe the toddler size. $15

Circular motion

2009-05-14T13:55:00.003-04:00

There are days when I run in circles. The truth is, if I literally went outside and ran in a circle for hours even that would be more productive. At least I'd be reaching my target heart rate and burning calories.

It's the kind of day where multiple toddler disasters feels like I might as well throw in the towel, enjoy a cup of coffee, and hope tomorrow is better.

And yet I'm thankful for having older kids to know that this time period of life will pass and pass quickly. I remember when Isaac was 3 thinking that I was never going to accomplish anything of significance. And by significance I thought things like keeping up with laundry, having clean counters, and no food on the floor.

Is it so much to want all the beds to be made, the counters clear, and the floors clean? I think not. But an army of toddlers think otherwise.

The two littlest ones are napping and I laughed at myself when I realized I thought "I'm a few steps ahead now!! Bring it on little people!"

I raise my coffee cup to all you other mom's of lots of little ones out there.... to conquering the little people.

Like a baby

2009-05-07T19:17:00.004-04:00

Driving along an ordinary stretch of road became immediately amusing as my 7 year old broke the silence (of course silence is aka no music, no dvd, but plenty of child chatter in the back) "Mom.. how old are you anyway?"

I think every mom knows that question is coming eventually. We just wonder how much time we'll get away with before it's asked.

I answered his question with a question, "How old do you think I am?" Dangerous, I know.

He said "Hmm.... 21?"

WOW

"Great guess buddy, but I'm not 21"

He tries again "20?" I shake my head. Then he comes out with this :

"Oh my gosh.. you're 17 aren't you? Wow you're like a baby still."

Giveaway

2009-05-04T21:30:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been a little while since I've discovered a giveaway I was interested in.

I stumbled upon this blog from one of my favorites recently, and I know that you'll all be very interested to browse around $5 Dinners as much as I am right now!

Anyway, she's having a giveaway for a cute lunch tote! I'm thinking this is perfect for picnicing with my kids or for your mom's who do homeschool co-ops each week and bring lunches! Good luck!

The Perfect Lemonade

2009-04-29T22:01:00.001-04:00

So I tried making lemonade this afternoon. I found this recipe that explained how to make the perfect lemonade. And it came out tooooo sweet for me. The kids were happy of course :-)

Essentially you make a syrup of 1 c. sugar and 1 c. water, heat it up until all the sugar is disolved. Mix it with 1 c. of fresh squeezed lemon juice and then add 4 cups of water.

Do I just half the sugar? Or is there a better recipe out there? Any ideas on how to really make the perfect lemonade? Summer is coming... I think fresh homemade lemonade is a must!

Repetition

2009-04-24T10:02:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I find myself staring at things I've never noticed. Like this label on my outdoor garbage can.

I start wondering about things. The first item on the bulleted list is "hinged lid" and then down at the bottom, the last is "Don't forget the lid" Really? Because the list is so long I would have forgotten already? Seems a little redundant.

Furnishing

2009-04-22T12:34:00.004-04:00

So it seems I know 4 different people moving into new places. I have no idea what would invoke the idea that I should be asked furnishing questions... but I have. More from some than others.

Let me say, tons of fun. I've been browsing used, vintage, and new furniture and home decor. Can I tell you this has been a crazy fun time? The only down side is I am constantly finding things I'd like for my own house.

I have no training in fasion, decor, or design whatsoever. I used to think I was bad at it. But I guess when I'm working with someone else's budget and not stressing over my own it's so much more fun.

I wish I could figure out a way to turn this hobby into a job. How would one do that?

Fibbing

2009-04-10T10:59:00.002-04:00

The whir of the vacuum grabs my attention from the kitchen. No one had asked to vacuum, no one should be vacuuming, and the room it was coming from especially concerned me. As I glance down the hallway I see a wide-eyed, whispy haired, pixie like child peek her head out the door. Taking in my apparent attention to the sound, she says "It wasn't me that turned on the vacuum, Mom."

"Oh really?" I ask. "Nuh uh. Not me." She claims. "Hmmmm... but you're all alone.. who could it have been?"

Feeling quite certain she is in the clear she shrugs as she walks back, confidently saying "I just can't know for sure."

And I think to myself........ it begins.

Hello blog!

2009-03-28T18:30:00.003-04:00

Catching up on blogging life here.....

*Sister is doing well. Still lots of resting and healing, thank you for your prayers. She's starting to gain much of her energy back.

*Isaac is thriving in school recently, since about mid-February his progress has sky rocketed and he is loving school.

*Giovanna and Isaac are signed up for TBall and Coach Pitch this year, starts in a few weeks. They're terribly excited.

*Liam still exhausts me to the point of feeling the need for napping every day ;-)

*I created this amazing dinner tonight that was tastey, healthy, and kid approved. Take a look.

*Can't believe it's almost Easter... how this year is flying by already! Do any of you put your kids in matching outfits? I usually try to do so. I thought I'd be frugal this year and just put them in their usual dress clothes..... but I'm sorely tempted.

*God is so good. Always.

Accident

2009-03-15T21:51:00.003-04:00

Back from my blogging hiatus. My sister was in a terrible car accident a week ago, God miraculously protected her life. She does have a number of injuries, not at all life threatening, that cause her quite a bit of discomfort if you would like to be praying for her. It's been a bit busy but I am so thankful to Him for His goodness and mercy!

Shopping Mistakes

2009-03-02T12:44:00.003-05:00

On Sunday I had a shopping experience. And when you shop, it is an experience. Most of the experience is contributed to by marketing and advertising. I love shopping in Pier One. The lighting, the colors, the feel... everything carefully arranged to say "This could be your home.. see how much you like it?"

Some places are so amazing that shopping becomes more of an encounter. Those times and places are rare.

Sometimes there are places that have not done much, if anything, along the lines of creating a positive experience. Sometimes we ourselves contribute negatively to a shopping experience based on choices.

And Sunday, I was both in a place that did NOT contribute and made bad choices along the way.

It all started out so simply. I walked in a store needing to buy a last minute baby shower gift. I know me doing stuff last minute shocks you, that I would be unprepared. Believe me, it takes me by surprise too when I realize I forgot yet again to be organized ;-)

First of all, there is no order to the store I chose. There is no rational explanation for how it is laid out. Not to mention, I don't think anyone was working there. So I couldn't stop to ask for some assistance. So I wandered aimlessly for a bit. My first mistake was that I did not grab a cart upon entering. Then there was the second mistake. Sunglasses on sale. Hmmm..

So I try a few pairs on and find some. I eventually stumble across the baby section. Since I was late getting a gift, and not at the store the mom registered at, I was the girl that brought the necessities for a gift. Some people like that, some people don't. I hope she did. Next thing I know I'm carrying a pack of diapers, a box of wipes, a set of baby towels, a bottle of baby wash, and sunglasses. I need to still get a card and a gift bag at this point, and have no idea where that is either.

The longer I wander through the store the more the mistake of not getting a shopping cart is becoming clear. If you ever wondered how coordinated I am, well - you should know I was expecting disaster with every footstep carrying so many items. I finally decided I was going to do it - I was going to steal someone else's shopping cart. As I continue to look for the cards, I also keep an eye out for an abandoned cart. Please know I have never taken an innocent bystander's cart before. I don't make a habit of this.

So there I saw it, no one was around, and I sort of circled around the area first to look for someone it may belong to. I hope it was sincerely abandoned because I dumped my stuff in it and ran. I half expected that as soon as I took it an angry person would be there demanding how dare I take their cart? It became even more crucial to find the cards and gift wrap ASAP.

FYI - cart stealing while shopping completely ruins the experience. I had to get out of there quickly!

As I approached the checkout it was clear that there was at least one employee working there. I waited in a long long long long line to purchase the items. I thought, where do I live that there would be only 1 employee responsible for 20 customers waiting in line, in the middle of no where?? This is not the case. Clearly security was watching and creating a situation in which I was trapped waiting and scolded for unfair shopping techniques.

All in all, it wasn't the best experience, I may have ruined someone else's experience by taking their cart, but I did get some sunglasses out of it. I think I need to get out for a shopping encounter to make up for that one.

Quick Post

2009-03-02T10:37:00.004-05:00

I have a running list of things I'd like to blog about. But I don't have time right now, as Liam appears to be satisfied with keeping me busy cleaning one disaster after another! I finally caved and let him use my camera to entertain him to at least get the latest mess cleaned up without another one being created simultaneously. Now he's busy for a few moments snuggling his moose every so often calling me to join him.. I just might.

But I thought I'd leave you with a verse that meant a lot to me today.

Psalm 17:15 "And I—in righteousness I will see your face;
when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness."

About boys

2009-02-26T07:45:00.006-05:00

I grew up with 4 sisters. No brothers. I had some male cousins... but not the same.

When I was expecting my first, I was really hoping for a girl. After all I'm a girl, I understand girls, what would I do with a boy?

I'm so glad I had an ultrasound... it gave me some time to prepare. Because low and behold...... a boy was to be my first child. I remember being excited.. but panicky. What would I do with a boy? How do you raise those??? It was like going to a foreign country where you don't speak the language.

Well, being a mom to boys has been downright awesome. And here are a few of the tips I've learned along the way....

1) Exhaust them or be exhausted. Boys are bundles of energy. Be sure to live somewhere with a great yard and if you're going to buy them toys... buy ones that will wear them out!

2) Boys eat. A lot. I don't even want to know what it's going to be like when they're teenagers. My 2 year old can out eat me already. The boys can easily consume 10 pancakes or 6 eggs each for an average breakfast. So keep them fed and fed often.

3) Nerf guns are cool. And I mean crazy cool. I had no idea they were so much fun. I highly recommend having a Nerf arsenal in your house if you have boys.

4) Work out. Boys will keep you on your toes. You'll need to be strong and in shape to climb up trees to help them down, to keep up with them at tball or hockey (see #1), to securely hold a flailing, angry toddler, and to have dance-offs (yes, boys like dancing too at least when they're younger!).

5) I'm still the girliest girl. But even girly girl mom's are awesome if they know most of the marvel superheroes. Learn those.

6) Star wars. If you don't like it, learn to. There are few things more precious to a boy than a light saber.

7) Anything can be turned into a flying object. Be careful of what's in reach.

I'm sure there are so many things that have become second nature to me now that I knew nothing of at first. But let me say... I'm so glad I have boys!

Winning

2009-02-23T12:24:00.004-05:00

Some people thrive under pressure. I, for one, want to take a nap when I start getting stressed out. Well... ok.. you got me, I just want to take a nap all the time. Shiloh still doesn't sleep through the night. Some day when she does sleep through the whole night there will be a party thrown in honor of the rare full night's sleep. I know Tara knows what I'm talking about.

I've decided to become educated. I would say I've been educated before, but having 5 kids in 6 years may or may not have done enough brain damage to remove the previous education.. I'm not sure yet. I suppose we'll find out as I study. Either way, I do not have any college education.

Last November was momentous for me because I actually chose a field that I would want to earn a degree in. That was a big problem for me when I graduated from high school. I just couldn't decide what would be worth studying. I don't know if this was because I thought I should be certain before footing the bill for my own college education, or if it was because I graduated at 17 and I wasn't ready to make that choice, or if it was because I thought (at that time) college was overrated.

In any case, I learned about CollegePlus! a coaching system that helps you achieve your bachelor's degree in less time, which is good considering how old I am to be starting at the beginning of this degree thing. After I earn my bachelor's I plan to apply to Graduate school in my home city here to study Physical Therapy.

Yeah. I know. It's a long road even without 5 kids. But it will be worth it. I'm very excited.

Anyway, CollegePlus! was having an essay contest in which your essay would win a scholarship for a year of free tuition if selected. I immediately started doing my research and put together a few different outlines based on different thesis statements. I started working on a rough draft and was doodling at it from night to night. My sister, a graduating English major, was going to proof it for me when I was finished.

Then... the pressure. Wednesday I got an e-mail at 10 pm reminding me the essay was due at midnight. WHAT?! I thought for sure I had read it to mean it wasn't due for another week after that. I panicked. I wasn't ready. I wasn't going to be able to have my sister proof read it. It was going to be rushed, not how I wanted it, and I was not confident.

At 10 pm the answer seemed obvious "Go to bed. You won't do a good enough job to win." Then some stubborn part of me thought, if I don't even try.. of course I won't win. As my late grandmother always used to say "You got to be in it to win it!" So, I polished it off and sent it in with a few minutes to spare.

Guess what? I didn't win. But I was SO PROUD of myself for not giving up. That the pressure came and I pressed on. And while I didn't win, they said they were very pleased with my essay and the research done and offered me a small discount off my tuition.

All in all, I felt like a winner.

Answers

2009-02-21T00:07:00.005-05:00

There are many times when I just don't have words. I know everyone finds themselves in that place from time to time. I frequently feel like I often don't know what the right thing to say is. I'll replay conversations in my memory after they've happened thinking about what I should have said.

But feeling like you don't know what to say or don't quite have the right words is different then not having the answers. What do you do when your kids ask you questions that you are still asking yourself? What happens when they are upset about things that also upset you? What do you do when they realize that something in the world is very very very not right, and they want it righted... how do you tell them it's just not possible sometimes, especially when they think you have a knack for making people understand everything and anything?

Great, Greater, Greatest?

2009-02-19T23:26:00.005-05:00

There are lots of great things in life. But I feel like we rank great things into categories.

First of all, there's the Obvious Great that we always feel guilty if we don't remember to mention first. That would be things like God, His creation, miracles, chocolate, etc.

Then next I'd say comes the Thankful Great. This is where we remember the things that are also great we need to be thankful for. Such as three meals a day, clean water, Internet, warm and dry places to live, medical care, chocolate, etc.

Then there is the Indulgence Great. These are the things that we relish in, that we really want to say "Is there ANYTHING greater than ________" but we remember to reference it so as not to insult the Obvious Great and the Thankful Great things. These are things like lying on a beach in the carribean, chocolate, long nights of laughter with friends, facials, snorkeling, jumping down waterfalls, etc.

I got thinking about the different levels of great because I initially was going to start my blog with "Is there anything greater than having an amazing hairdresser who is also your sister??" And certainly, the Obvious Great is greater. But... now you know what I mean.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-18T10:31:00.002-05:00

Proof my 2 year old's head is in fact the size of a bowling ball

Launched

2009-02-17T16:34:00.002-05:00

CLEARLY... the issue here is that I have too much time on my hands. We all know that.

To help solve this dilema I have, in fact, *drum roll*...... started another blog.

For those saying "huh?" and scratching your heads.... it's not another blog of my musings. I'm frequently asked for my recipes by friends. Today when I got a request from one I said "You know... I should just put together a blog of my favorite recipes." She said "The blog thing sounds like a GREAT idea!"

Thus, My Life as a Chef was born.

I cook so often and in such great quantity it's about time I have a record, an online cookbook if you will, of my favorites.

I also will use this blog as an opportunity to put your best recipes in the spotlight! Feel free to send recipes to me, I'll whip them up and put them up to share. Highliting your recipe and blog (if you have one).

So click on over, nothing too exciting yet. Recipes to come!

Cheating on Starbucks

2009-02-12T09:30:00.005-05:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love coffee? I must have right? I was a little bit of a fanatic. Although coffee and I do not go way back.

Although let's start in the beginning. The only way I could stomach coffee was something extremely flavorful, gourmet, and more like dessert than beverage from Starbucks. My first experience was back in high school. I wouldn't touch coffee. A friend of mine said "Oh you will. I'm going to introduce you." We went to Startbucks and he bought me a Caramel Macchiato. That's where it all began. Caramel Macchiato's were my thing. I loved loved loved them. I loved to get them with extra caramel and a shot of vanilla. At 5' 8" and 120 pounds I could afford those kind of extravagent calories.

Eventually I tried other yummy coffee treats, but never real coffee. Like the stuff my parents drank; black, flavorless, bitter and stinky.

Coffee was a treat for me, a snack if you will. I didn't call myself a coffee drinker, since that didn't even happen on a bi-weekly basis. Fast forward through the next many years of my life as a non-coffee drinker.

Then there was Liam. Liam was born. I should have took it as my first clue that it had nothing to do with the fact that I had four children, as I thought at the time, it was God - preparing me for how the boy would exhaust me once he could move. Brewing coffee was always an algebraic equation I could never seem to remember before. After Liam was born I made my pilgrimage to my coffee pot each morning, the mecca of my kitchen.

Coffee was no longer fun.
It was no longer dessert.
It was essential to life.
Coffee was like air.

So my coffee dependency has been a bit of a joke among friends and I. Until recently... my need for coffee has been less and less, and I have even more kids now! How is this you say? I finally started to get disciplined about taking my vitamins from Melaleuca. I have found mornings where I've forgotten to make coffee now! Crazy.

I've even found myself deciding to have one cup just for the enjoyment of the flavor. Weird.

I thought the state of my exhaustion was beyond repair, no going back, damaged forever by childbearing and sleepless nights. Apparently I was wrong. I've been feeling awesome!

Expect your stocks in Starbucks to take a severe hit.

Fran's Furniture

2009-02-11T23:54:00.006-05:00

I like craigslist. A LOT. I love to buy and sell. I browse craigslist frequently for items that I really want but will definitely not be buying for myself in the near future. I keep thinking that maybe I'll find a great deal.

For instance I really want a leather couch. So I keep an eye out daily. You should see some of the furniture that comes in leather, I wonder why people bought it to begin with! Anyway, tonight I was looking through and I see someone is moving and needs to sell their black leather couch and chair quick. And it's a good price! I'm even more excited when I see there's a picture and I click it.

My first thought is "Yuck! This looks like furniture that should belong to Fran Drescher!"

What in the world makes me think stuff like that? I laughed to myself. I became even more amused the more I thought about that statement, then proceeded to google Fran Drescher's furniture. To prove my point.

I learned that Fran's furniture is actually mostly wicker and white and quite attractive. Completely unexpected.

I also learned that you can get framed prints of Fran Drescher for your home decor. Really? Who does that??

All in all a very amusing night. Check out the furniture section in your local craigslist for a few giggles here and there.... and if that doesn't amuse you.. well, you now know some miscellaneous facts about Ms. Drescher. Consider yourself smarter.

I stand corrected

2009-02-11T14:34:00.003-05:00

Due to some personal reasons, last fall, after having started homeschooling, my son Isaac had to enroll in our local public school.

I really love homeschooling. I believed in it, for it's purpose and in it's foundation. I was also homeschooled for the latter portion of my own education.

As a second generation homeschooler, I had a very strong convictions and opinions on homeschooling. I had staunch beliefs about the public school system and government education. I cringed as I sent Isaac his first few days, looking forward to the future to when I would be able to withdraw him. I had certain expectations for having to fight and negotiate for the things my special needs son would require. I didn't think the understanding he requires would be there.

I have to say all my stereotypes of public school education have thus far been rendered void. I've been amazed at the very personal instruction and dedication that is given to Isaac specifically. It's the end of the second quarter and I've had 3 meetings with his teacher and 1 with his special ed teacher. I was pleasantly surprised when they called our last meeting wanting my insight to draw me in to creating a plan that I thought would work best for Isaac.

His teacher sends home a weekly newsletter with not only the accomplishments of the past week, the schedule of the upcoming week, weekly spelling words, but also what exercises parents should be doing with their kids at home daily to continue to lay the foundation of their children's education. It's not at all "shipping your child off to be with someone else for 8 hours" but parents are fully expected to be committed and actively involved every step of the way with their child's education.

It wasn't my first choice. Or my second. It was never the plan. I was thoroughly opposed to the idea. But I stand corrected. It's been a great choice for Isaac.

Baby Wearin' Mama's

2009-02-10T16:47:00.001-05:00

Hey Mama's, quick note to let you know my friend Kristin over at Bits and Pieces From My Life is having a GREAT sling giveaway. She's giving away 3 slings of your choice a pouch sling, a ring sling, and a hotsling! Check it out and be sure to sign up!

Heirloom

2009-02-10T13:54:00.003-05:00

It was a long, long day Saturday. The kind of day where you're physically worn out but reminded that you are, again, stronger than you think. Before my grandmother had passed she left her dining room furniture set to me. This was no small gift. Sentimental value aside, the pieces were more than I can imagine being able to afford for a long time. The table alone being large enough to comfortably sit ALL of my children around it is a treasure. Extra bonus? The deep, dark, cherry that I've always loved. Maybe I've always loved it because that's what I grew up around visiting my grandma's house. Who knows?

And as the sentimental value goes.... aside from all the childhood memories, family parties, holidays, and laughter shared around the table, aside from that it belonged to my grandmother, I learned it's been in the family for a long time. I found this out as my uncle was helping carry pieces out to the Uhaul truck as he said "I can hear Mom's voice in my head right now "OOOOhh!!"" he said in a voice mimicking grandma's quite well, "Ohh! Careful! That was great Aunt Til's you know!!! STEVEN!"" I hadn't known the furniture had belonged to my great, great aunt as well. It made so much sense that grandma had picked a softy like me, who not only could use the furniture so much with a family the same size that she raised but someone who clings to special heirloom pieces that can be passed on generation to generation.

As I arranged and rearranged pieces, settled china and ceramics into the china cabinet just so, I collapsed in tears. Such a hard year 2008. So many regrets. Wishing I had made the time to visit my grandparents more at the end of their life. I was too busy with things so trivial I can't remember what they were. I can't get that back now and that hits my chest like a knife. I remember very vividly how much they loved me, and that was the unique theme at both of their funeral services which were packed full of people. Every one that knew them felt especially loved by them. Among the grandchildren we all thought we were grandma and grandpa's favorite!

I sit typing at the table, not wanting to move, feeling somewhat connected to them in this moment of reflection.

I think my grandparents would be very pleased to see how the furniture fits into my house. Each piece in a place that fits so perfectly it's as if the house has been waiting for it since it was built. There is a glass flared vase with flowers in the center of the table, something that would be the first thing to catch my grandma's attention and receive comment from if she was to walk in my house right now. The small amout of precious things I have displayed in the china cabinet she'd declare over. I think if they were here for a visit and sitting at the table with me my grandfather would ask me to sit at my piano and play for him. It wouldn't matter that it's the same piece I've played for the last dozen years since I've stopped practicing. He'd still love it just as much.

It's amazing that a few pieces of furniture can transform me into a different time and place. I can't help but desperately wish that I was a kid again sitting in their dining room, and their table, planning on sneaking another chocolate out of the candy dish. Now I'm an adult sitting in my own home, wondering how things changed so much from childhood to now - such a short time. I miss them so much. Yet it's such a comfort to have something of theirs here. Thinking of how much they would like that means a lot to me. Given what kind, generous, loving people they were - something that would mean a lot to them makes me happy.

Love you Grandma and Grandpa.

Brrrrrrr

2009-02-06T15:01:00.006-05:00

WOW has it been cold. Do you live in the frigid north? Are you managing to stay warm!??

I've been having fun planning warm weather activities once spring rolls around.

I've wanted to go camping with my kids ever since I had my first and haven't done it. This year is the year!

I've been doing some reading online for how to camp successfully with children. Here are some of the tips I've gathered:

*Do a test run of camping in your backyard. This gives you (and the kids) practice at setting up and tearing down camp, cooking outdoors, and the whole experience with the safety of home nearby.

*Read books about camping together.

*Create Camp Chore Cards for your kids so that everyone has their own special jobs to help things run smoothly and keep the peace.

*Plan special age appropriate activities : giant bubbles, scavenger hunts, fishing, etc.

*Remember special snacks for nighttime. Maybe something that is a "comfort food" in case they get a little homesick.

*Bring a disposable camera for each child to take their own special pictures of the trip.

*Make sure you bring alternate "inside" activities if you have bad weather.

Do you guys have any of your own family camping tips to share?

The Art of Conversation

2009-01-15T16:54:00.005-05:00

I've tried to explain Isaac's type of communication to people. It's so hard because traditionally people think that when you say someone has trouble communicating they think in terms of "verbal" or "non verbal."

You can have a conversation with Isaac. But it can be difficult and completely all over the place. This article does such an excellent job explaining the difficulties that autistic kids can have socially, even though these children are exceptionally bright. Below is an excerpt from what would be a normal conversation with Isaac except that unlike Alex, it would take Isaac a lot longer to get back to the original conversation if he was especially fixated on the topic of instruments.

Math and numbers are easy for 10-year-old Alex Lee. He can tell you what pi is out to 100 digits.
But Alex doesn't do so well with chitchat. On a late fall day, he meets with psychologist Brian Freedman.
Alex asks Freedman if he knows how to play the piano.
Freedman starts to reply that the two weren't having a conversation about pianos, but Alex interrupts him: "What instrument do you play?"
"Hang on," Freedman repeats, "were we talking about me playing the piano?"
"No."
"What were we talking about?" Freedman asks again.
"What instrument do you play?" Alex continues.
"Were we talking about me playing instruments?" says Freedman.
Finally, Alex replies, "No."
"No," Freedman agrees.

Coicidentally, Math and Numbers are Isaac's strong suit as well. And, with the great progress he makes with his coaching, I have no doubt that Isaac will be making great conversational strides like the example in the article!

Please Add

2009-01-14T12:52:00.005-05:00

Please add comments with your own experiences and link from your blog so others will too. I think we all need a good chuckle so we don't sit down and cry ;-) It's amazing what they can accomplish in so little time.

Things Children Will Do While You're in the Bathroom:

* Eat all your chocolate truffles you bought for yourself for the first time in years.

*Throw pennies down the other bathroom sink.

*Create "Body Art" with a sharpie on themselves and baby sister. (Liam said "Wook at my "too's" mommy!)

*Climb the piano, sing and dance on it.

*Drink maple syrup from the carton like it's milk or juice or something.

*Sneak a can of frosting into their closet to save and eat after bed time and the lights are out.

*Line the hallway with tissues to prepare for playing "wedding."

*Change the wallpaper on your cellphone.

*For that matter, make calls from your cellphone to random contacts and say "Mommy's on the potty now" to whoever answers.

Animals

2009-01-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

I like animals. I do. I own two of them..... although you will regularly hear me express my displeasure with them, I do enjoy having them around. We have a dog and a cat. We've had a fish tank (yes, it did contain fish!) in the past. I kind of miss the fish. My kids have a tendency to over feed them... which they apparently cannot survive, no matter which species.

While I like animals, I enjoy them, always want to have at least a pet or two, understand why people have varieties of types of pets, you will never hear me describe myself as an animal lover.

These are the things I've seen animal loves do that just strike a deep chord within me as being not right. Don't be offended if this is you. I just am not an animal lover.

Animal lovers will share their food with their animal. Not in a toss-a-bite-from-the-table type way. But in a I'll-let-you-lick-my-ice-cream type way.

Animal lovers will run to grab one of their own hair brushes to brush out a little tangle in their pets fur.

Animal lovers will send out Christmas pictures of just their animals (animals and people is another story, I get that).

Animal lovers refer to themselves as "mommy" or "daddy" when talking to their pet.

Animal lovers will KISS animals. This is what got me thinking of this today. I saw a picture of a girl kissing a horse. I like horses, I used to ride every week in high school. But I never, ever kissed one. Just thinking about getting my lips that close to the smell of horse gives me the shivers.

So where do you rank? Do you dislike animals? Do you like animals? Are you an animal lover - and if so can you explain the above things to me???

True Mom Confession, alternate title Emma's Mom

2009-01-12T17:28:00.007-05:00

I actually had to look through my posts to see if I've used this title already.. because whether you have 1, 2, 5, or more kids... we all have our moments of "True Mom" incidents to which we could confess.

I liken it to the story's my very good friend tells me about "Emma's Mom." Her daughter has been in class with Emma for a few years and at all the parental involvement options at school Emma's Mom is always there - looking like she walked off the cover of Glamor Mom magazine (I know, it's not a magazine, but shouldn't it be??). She always brings the best snacks, decorative art supplies, and has all the kids wishing "I wish my mom was like Emma's Mom." Emma's Mom also has Emma in about every after school activity you can imagine; sports, dance, girl scouts and somehow manages to still have all her homework in on time.

When you have someone like that in your life to compare yourself too you start feeling like you fall way, way, way short. I personally think Emma's Mom is a myth. Oh don't get me wrong, my friend doesn't lie. I know for sure that she has run ins with Emma's Mom. The problem is that while there are those out there who look like the Glamor Mom cover model, we ALL KNOW that no one can juggle a million impossible things at once. Unless of course she has figured out an alternate energy source to sleep... in which case..... if I find that I'll let you know ;-) **back to sipping my coffee**

But when we all admit to those less than stellar Glamor Mom moments, we become a true mom - our transparency is what makes us real. Isn't it funny how the thing we cringe to be real about someone looks at as "Oh, no one would judge you for that." And suddenly we feel a lot lighter? Not so far off the scale of Emma's Mom?

So as we all know, confession is good for the soul... and because I love all you souls out there I am confessing.. there by, in my very-humble-but-of-course-completely-accurate-opinion, being a true mom.

I fell off the bandwagon. I did. I almost made it... but I didn't. The gluten free diet. Wait! Before you gasp! The kids are still gluten free, it's true. I actually made it through November, past Thanksgiving - which is nothing short of a miracle. Pies & stuffing? Two of my favorite ~~holiday~~ foods of all time. It all happened on a very long, hungry, foodless day.

My van was on it's last leg.. or, what do you say? Wheel? It needed some enormously large repairs. I feel as though I can't complain about this because I put almost 70,000 miles on the van and never had to have it repaired for anything. So I was looking at a repair that was more than the van was worth. While nothing compares to being completely debt free, it seemed to be a better option to put the money into another vehicle I could put 70,000 miles on. So off to the best car dealership I have found.

They don't hassle or try to upsell you or rip you off in any way. That's my kind of place. Even going there in the morning, knowing exactly what I wanted, having the salesman waiting for me... the whole process still took well into the afternoon. In getting the kids arranged at their different places I forgot to eat breakfast. Then I was at the dealership past lunch.... and I'm pretty sure you can see where this is going. I was so hungry, my only options were fast food, and Burger King french fries (which are gluten free) can only fill you up so much. So I did it.

I ordered a whopper. With cheese. And I ate it. Ooooooohhhhhh.... it was so delicious. I savored every bite. And after that I was a goner. Christmas cookies - of course! Pizza and burgers here and there (I've really missed those!). Here we are in January and I'm finally admitting my indulgence of gluten.

The house is still gluten free. I still cook gluten free. So the majority of my diet is gluten free. But... I did, I strayed off the straight and narrow. Boy this makes me want a cheeseburger right now. So you all should feel a lot better right now, knowing I'm not Emma's Mom. :-)

Potty Training... or maybe it's Mommy Training

2009-01-11T21:58:00.003-05:00

So Liam is 2 years, 5 months, and five days old. Potty training successes so far since my last post on the subject? None.

This kid perplexes me. His communication for his age is rather good. Which continues to emphasize to me that he is capable. I know boys statistically train later than girls... but man, I tell you I'm out of ideas! The things that worked for the other kids do not appeal to him.

First recommendation in all the potty training literature? Buy a potty seat. Right. Except, Liam will tell you those are for babies. Which he is not. He will sit on the big potty and the big potty only. Understandable since all his big siblings use the big potty.

Only.... he's never used it. He tells me he prefers his diaper. Hm.

Second major suggestion is to pick out character underpants. This is where we really get into a dillema and he gets angry. He wants Dora the explorer. In case you were unaware...... Dora seems to be exclusively put on girls underpants. Oh we know about Diego. Liam likes Diego. But he wants Dora underpants. The few tries at the store has resulted in angry tears. I'm about to cave and let him train in girls underpants... does it make me a bad mom to let him sport Dora undies?

The idea of earning treats - doesn't care. Not even for chocolate.. which you know, I'd do anything for! So we're really at a dead end here.

I'm holding out for the spring/summer which is when potty training really made sense to my older son with the excitement of peeing on trees, bushes, and other items outdoors. Hopefully that'll do the trick!!!

Any good training secrets out there??

WHEW!

2009-01-11T21:43:00.002-05:00

Is anyone out there? :-)

I'm still here! I promise. So shortly after my last blog post.. my son was using the computer. Being mechanical and intuitive the way boys are he noticed the battery getting low. The long story short, since I am not a technological wizard, is that something with plugging part of the cord into the power brick thing... on the wrong side cause prongs to be bent off? In other words, it was broken. Beyond repair. Actually, I don't know if power cords are ever repairable....

In any case! Right before the holidays and everything... it's now well into January and my first thoughts? WHEW! We made it. This past few months felt even busier than usual. Ironic since we had fewer things to go to than usual! I think it has something to do with the kids getting older, have you found that to be true?

It feels quite nice to have the weeks on the calender much emptier, getting back to the school routine, enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning watching the snow drifting peacefully (although..... I could do without the snow just fine ;-)!!)

In looking back on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years I find myself drawing from a lot of childhood memories. My kids are at ages where I remember family gatherings and holidays, the magic and excitement! The thrill of seeing family you've missed for a long time, snow angels, hot cocoa, and of course..... presents? Oh yeah.. that's the big excitement for my kids now too :-)

So my question for you is, while it is certainly easy to take a deep breath and give a sign of relief that it's all over - looking back what was the best memory of the holiday season for you?

Stumbling along

2008-11-02T22:26:00.002-05:00

I have to start out by saying that having so many people praying for me is so uplifting. I've sat down a dozen of times to blog without really having much to put out there. I think you run out of things to write when you've run out of things to think.

I have to say this, because I do have something I want to share of a more positive note, to people who clearly do not know me well. I do not put stuff out here on my blog, or say things in life, or live in a way because I like the attention or enjoy pity.

My typical way for years was to be very careful publicly, which I think is a generally good rule. But it didn't work out so well for me.. because in this case, I think most people would have seen the signs long before I did.

Being reduced to public pity is very difficult for me. I'm thankful for my blog readers who choose to comment here that are steadfast people who pray instead of pity. I'm a strong person who doesn't know what to do with most people's pity or heartfelt "do you want to talk sometime" offers.

And the idea that I'm enjoying the attention that is brought to me in this time of my life is clearly absurd. I'd give up all attention from any friends for the rest of my life if that meant I could wake up tomorrow and this was just a bad dream that didn't really happen. So do me the favor and don't read my blog if you're such a naysayer.

With that out of the way.....

I'm desperately craning my neck, turning my ear toward heaven, listening for any word that I might hear. I'm trying to seek God and cling to the "rock of my salvation" as it's all I have that is sure. In many tear filled prayers and calloused cries asking God what He was thinking and where He was, I've spent most of my time venting the pain I feel to Him.

In one of the early days when I was in too much shock and raw pain to even hear Him or feel His presence I received 2 e-mails from 2 different people within minutes from each other. These people don't know each other and clearly this was a God thing. They both said they felt they should share the same passage of scripture to me. Maybe this would be somewhat coincidental if it was from Romans or something - but it was from Habakkuk! Did you know people actually read that part of the Bible? ;-) (that was a joke!!)

A week ago in a moment of prayer when my heart actually started to quiet down a bit, not reeling with as much emotion, I felt like I should look up Zechariah 2:7-10. In case you couldn't tell by the Habakkuk joke, I don't know the smaller books of the old testament so well... so I really didn't know what to expect. There was a lot to think over in that section, much that spoke personally to me. But what jumped out to me the most was this "for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye--" That really stood out to me and I didn't have much of a reason why... but it just felt significant.

Last Monday I was traveling to see some friends for a while and was feeling a bit nervous on my first flight in one of those tiny, rickety planes.. not my idea of fun. So I thought I should read a Psalm first, and planned on reading one I know well that is a favorite. Instead I quickly prayed "Lord, which should I read?" and "17" was the number that was in my mind immediately. I thought it was a mistake. I couldn't remember Psalm 17 being a significant chapter for any reason. Yet I read it anyway and what did I see when I got to 17:8 but this "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings"

All of a sudden I felt like God is trying to slowly reaffirm to me that I am the apple of his eye, dear to His heart. He hears my words, my feeble attempts to pray, my stumbling along sort of attempt at faith, the cries of anguish, it is all laid out - as if I've been emotionally gutted and He sees it all, knows it all, understands it all. And He chooses to speak to me that I am the apple of His eye.

I didn't know that phrase was in the Bible once much less twice. To be reminded of how cherished and loved I am by the King of Heaven really meant so much. It's something to hang on to when the going gets rough.

So this is where I am today. Thank you for your prayers.

Thursday

2008-10-16T12:11:00.002-04:00

Strange details stand out to me right now. The other morning there was a beetle crawling in the shower. I'm washing my hair.. and the invasion of a beetle in my shower was so wrong. That is not supposed to be there, not supposed to happen. I watched it crawl around thinking why would it be there in the first place? Everything is out of place.

A stranger being rude or kind is equally perplexing. I feel this heightened awareness of people around me. I wonder things like if people can tell what I'm going through when they look at me. of course if they could they wouldn't ask me questions like "How are you?"

Which has got me thinking about that question in itself. I can't count how many times I have asked "how are you?" to someone not anticipating what the response could be. Do we really want to know how people are when we ask? Are we prepared with an answer if they say "not good at all"? What are you supposed to say to a stranger that you have no interest answering the question of how you are?

Making rounds

2008-10-14T20:05:00.002-04:00

When a life altering crisis happens... it doesn't happen all at once. Oh it does happen all of a sudden...but then it happens every day, slowly... over and over.. for how long I don't know yet.

Normal phone calls and innocent questions to see how you are turn into reliving the wreckage as you update the person on your life.

I have been unusually quiet in the blogosphere for a reason. Maybe some day I will be brave enough to write why. But as for today, I sit just trying to reclaim this little piece of my life. The writing that connected me to people I've come to cherish and the outlet for my thoughts.

This first post in this new book (certainly not a new chapter, but a whole new story) of my life has been difficult to imagine writing. I haven't known how to go about it. I can't pretend there has been no reason for my silence and yet I can't put everything all out there either.

But I am here, I'm writing and I'm taking this first step in getting my life back.

I have been trying to visit the blogs I love slowly. Even that has been difficult as everything I read is now going through a totally different filter.

It still needs to be said that I have missed you all.

M.o.M. Review : My Father's World

2008-09-24T09:47:00.002-04:00

A little late this week... but here we go!

I mentioned a while back finally taking the plunge and buying curriculum. We have been using My Father's World for 1st grade and Kindergarten for our two oldest. It has been going great. Let me just say that I love this curriculum. It's so well planned out, easy to use and takes a huge workload out of scheduling. Instead of having to spend the time making school plans, etc, we've been able to make more trips to the library and be involved in more sports/gym activities.

The kindergarten is perfect for our 4 1/2 year old. She knew a lot of her letters and numbers already, but didn't have everything mastered. So it's been great for her. Not to mention our kids have memorized some scripture, learned about Creation in depth, and have been excited every morning for school to start.

I love that while everything is planned already, I can still tailor it to our needs - not do some activities, or do things on a different schedule than suggested.

Isaac has been doing very well in first grade while being challenged in some areas. A lot of his weaknesses are being targeted this year and he's improving quite a bit. We started early this year, in mid-August, so we could go at a little more relaxed pace. I can't wait to see where Isaac is in a month from now given how well he's done so far!

I highly recommend buying the deluxe packages from MFW which I went back and forth over doing for a long time. I feel like it's been so much simpler to have everything we need that's suggested for the curriculum - although I'm sure that just using their Basic would be fine too, you'd have to do more work to pull your whole year together.

I bought an extra Kindergarten workbook for Nora. I knew she'd be completely unsatisfied doing something different from both big kids - and I was right. She doesn't retain the information as well as Giovanna but she enjoys the worksheets and projects just as much. She does quite well and even if I have to buy the same thing again for her next year I'm sure that she will do quite well next year.

I like that for both the Kindergarten and 1st grade they do a 100 chart, so that's something I can have our 3 kids sit down and do all together in the morning. We also all go over the Proverbs verse Isaac is working on memorizing.

We start our morning with Proverbs, then Math. After that I give Isaac his different workbook pages to do while I tackle different reading skills for the girls or their own worksheets. Then we go from there with the planned things for the day. I really like that I can do some of the same things with all the kids together.

All in all I highly recommend this curriculum for anyone who : Doesn't have the time for in depth scheduling or doesn't like or isn't good at the in depth planning, has more than one child, if you want a curriculum that is not just by a Christian publisher but everything is Biblically based, want something that incorporates a lot of fun hands on projects for all subjects, need something with lots of new creative suggestions for you.

Standing Out

2008-09-17T23:15:00.003-04:00

Every so often a scripture I've read numerous times and heard quoted innumerable times pops up out of the print and starts to dance around in my mind.... poking different parts of my brain causing me to think of it through a new light. Tonight I was reading Romans 5 and this verse started to appear differently to me...

Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Now what exactly do you think that means? Specifically the connection between hope not disappointing + God's love in our hearts from the Holy Spirit?

Wordless Wednesday : Lifting Babies Makes You Strong

2008-09-17T09:59:00.001-04:00

Got Zucchini?

2008-09-16T20:52:00.003-04:00

I love that you can search Taste of Home recipes based on the ingredients you want to use. Love it, love it, love it! Tonight I tried out Zucchini Pizza Casserole. The kids thought it was fantastic! I thought it was pretty good considering how many mistakes I made with this relatively simple recipe. I don't know how I did so many things on accident... but I did! I also have had this strange aversion to meat lately... maybe I'm trending back towards my former vegetarian ways since I'm not pregnant and craving meat constantly. I think next time that I make this I will both follow the recipe correctly and I will make cornbread to go with it - I think it would be the perfect compliment to this meal. That and it will make it less meaty.

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (15 ounces) Italian tomato sauce
1 medium green pepper, chopped

Directions:

Place zucchini in strainer; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze out moisture.
Combine zucchini with the eggs, Parmesan and half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Press into greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture.
Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green pepper. Bake 20 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Can you guess?

2008-09-16T18:25:00.002-04:00

I stopped by my favorite local road side stand for some home grown garlic. I happened to pick up these also. Want to guess what a paid for all of them? By the way, some of the zucchini is so big it's not only wider but longer than my arms!!!

Peace in the Home part 1

2008-09-16T11:41:00.003-04:00

The session at the Above Rubies retreat that I went on that spoke most to my heart Nancy called "How to have Peace in the Home." I don't think Nancy would mind that I share her 14 points here and expound on them myself.

The very first point was, pray for peace. Some of us may sort of cringe inwardly when we hear this because we are frustrated with the lack of peace and then convicted for the lack of prayer. Others may roll their eyes like "Oh of course pray is the first point." But it's so powerful. Do you pray for peace in your home every day? I have not. I just sort of magically expect it to happen, and I'm let down when it's not there. Kind of silly, isn't it?

Nancy said it's a concept of sowing and reaping. Nothing happens by nothing. How true is that?

The sowing and reaping concept led into her second point, speak peace into your home.

Nancy shared about reading scripture at the morning and evening meal. I have young children, so although I may not expect any great theological discussion from them - I do believe speaking God's scripture contains power within in. And I think that just reading the scripture out loud to them will sow seeds into their little hearts and minds. This is not hard to do. My children are very quiet while they eat, and they eat a lot, so I have ample time at breakfast to read whatever scripture out that I'd like!

One of the more important things I took from this second point was that peace is not necessarily quiet, peace is an atmosphere. Think that one over.

Today I encourage you, stop right this moment and pray for peace in your household. Then make an effort to speak peace in some way. Whether that be through reading scripture out loud, or speaking a gentle word to someone. Please, share your thoughts on this and of course the results!

Monday M.o.M. Review : Help

2008-09-15T10:53:00.002-04:00

I know I review things on Mondays. But I've received lots of e-mails saying "everything ok??? You're so quiet lately"

I feel like I've been up to my eyeballs in work. Homeschooling 2 is much busier than homeschooling 1. And 5 kids is busier...especially since the baby has decided she's a mover and a shaker... oh and an eater? Everything goes in her mouth. Everything.

In fact, if you wonder if she has something there's one quick way to find out. Say her name. She does this little laugh she only makes when she has something in her mouth, and she then tries to crawl away quickly as she can. I know, I'm in trouble already.

So in an effort to always let you know "The How" of being a Momma of Many..... my review today is on Help. Yes. Help. Every so often, we get to a place where we all need it. And since we started school a month ago I'm really needing it.

Last week my lovely sister-in-law watched my 4 big kids so I could get in some power cleaning it is amazing what you can do when you aren't stopping every 5 minutes, and my mother in law washed a basket of the kids clothes too! Talk about help!

I finally decided I needed to get serious about having a mother's helper around. A girl from our new homeschool co-op is going to start coming on Mondays - starting today! She'll play with the kids for a while so I can do the same power cleaning. I'm hoping that this is going to keep us up to date with all my other time spent on homeschooling.

It used to be really hard for me to ask for help. I guess I felt like I should be able to "do it all." I think that I have to recognize the limitations of being only one person and that no one expects me to do the impossible... except for maybe myself, I expect that of myself quite often.

However, one of the many key points I took away from the retreat I went on during the session on creating a peaceful home is that "Clutter is worse than dust." Amen and amen to that. I've always known it, and I'm always trying to find ways to be more organized. I think the key is to finally just start getting rid of things. If we don't use it, give it away. If it's been broken and not been fixed for more than a month - throw it out.

I'm slowly working on the clothing situation. I really liked Brietta's lists she shared for approximately how many clothes she keeps in the house for each child. A very practical list. I also liked the suggestion of having things in outfits. Too many "mix and match" items suddenly creates a closet full of clothes - lots of possibilities yes, but also lots of laundry.

So... maybe you don't need help getting back on track, maybe you need help with a project, or a question. Today, make an effort to reach out for what you need. I know that friends and loved ones love to help, I should have realized that a long time ago.

The kitchen update

2008-09-13T13:05:00.006-04:00

So after many requests, here is what happened with the kitchen.

The faucet stopped working. It was going to be just a simple replaced the faucet job. But when my husband took it off, he saw something was done incorrectly.. and the sink underneath was corroded and ruined.

Ok, so sink and faucet! Except when he pulled the sink out... the counter was ruined.

I didn't take a good before picture. But this gives you the idea of what the kitchen looked like when we moved in. This light blue counter top that stains, I mean really.. laminate that stains??? Yes, it does/did.

This is a picture of the first piece of new counter top Jake put down.

And in this picture, the morning light coming through the window makes the counter look much darker than it is. But the sink is black speckled granite looking, so that is accurately dark. And my new faucet. I can finally wash dishes! Who would've thought that'd be so exciting? Hmm.. not me ;-)
And while we're at it.. here's a picture of the new color we will be painting in the kitchen. I know.. normally, you think you'd paint before putting on the new counter and sink, etc. Except.. well.. I was without a sink.. for weeks. And in a house with 7 people, that just cannot be. I almost broke down and resorted to paper plates and disposable flatware - but I didn't! Aren't you proud? I had growing admiration for pioneer women back in the day.

It's called Pumpkin Pie. I can't wait! Jake and I are doing all the work ourselves.. so it's going to be quite a while till the finished product. But I can't wait to see it! I will definitely put up the "after" pictures for you all to see!

Wordless Wednesday: Avacado

2008-09-10T12:39:00.002-04:00

The First Experience : uncertain... but happy to be allowed to put something in her mouth

Avacado today : Super excited!!!!

Where in the world

2008-09-08T13:17:00.003-04:00

Have I been? No, the kitchen sink issue didn't swallow me whole - although it almost did.

But I actually skipped Gluten Free Friday and no review here on Monday??? Is the world still revolving?

Well, I was away this weekend and actually hoped I could throw a couple blog posts up about what I was up to! But the service was too slow and I finally had to give up until I could come home.

I was at my very first Above Rubies retreat!!!!!! In case italics and 6 exclamation points doesn't convey my excitement to you.. maybe those of you who read Above Rubies will understand this....

I MET NANCY CAMPBELL!!!!!!!!!

If you aren't familiar with Above Rubies I really highly suggest that you sign up to receive their magazine. It's a free subscription. They operate based on donations, so whenever they have enough donations they go to press with the next issue. I have been overwhelmingly blessed by their ministry. If you're able to donate when you sign up, please do - you will not be sorry! There are a number of books from the Above Rubies store that I have LOVED and would highly recommend, I'm pretty sure anything of interest to you would be worthwhile. I haven't bought anything yet I didn't enjoy or learn from.

In this week I hope to share with you a number of things that really spoke to me this weekend that I hope to carry into my family life.

The most touching and amazing thing about the whole weekend was the group of women. There were somewhere between 50-75 women I'm going to guess, and I'm really not good at guessing numbers. There were babies, young girls, teenagers, young single women, new moms, older moms, grandmothers and any other description I can't think of. The amount of love, joy, acceptance, and generosity in that place was overwhelming. I have never, ever, been at any other type of Christian gathering that had the same atmosphere. Not to overlook that this gathering had the greatest amount of diversity! There were women who were what I would call more traditional wearing beautiful dresses and head coverings as their daily attire, there were women who were very classically feminine although that didn't necessarily always mean dresses, there were a few hippies and more modernly dressed women such as myself (that doesn't mean I don't dress femininely or beautifully! I just hope the descriptions can portray what I mean). There were all sorts of different denominations of the Faith represented.

There wasn't an ounce of condemnation or "why don't you do this my way" at all. I met so many women with beautiful hearts who just wanted to talk about God, His goodness, His faithfulness to their families, Biblical womanhood, and more. I enjoyed encouraging and being encouraged by all the women I met. And it was amazing to see that there could be a gathering of people who come from drastically different walks of life who all love the Lord and that was their focus. Loving the Lord, their families, and each other.

And, it was a place where the question "How many children do you have?" was asked in anticipation of high numbers.

What a weekend!

Why I'm Not a Pet Groomer

2008-09-04T21:39:00.002-04:00

There were dozens of different careers I dreamed of while growing up, and while I was definitely a pet person back then being a pet groomer was never something that had crossed my mind. I liked pets a whole lot more back then than I do now.

We have a collie. His name is Duke. He's 7 and generally a good dog. Every once in a while he does something so annoying that I remember he's a dog and not a person, because most of the time he's so quiet and obedient and generally a great house mate to all. So we have this love/hate relationship going. There will be long stretches of time between the annoying things, so much so that I start to think what a good boy he is and that last thing really wasn't a big deal. I let my guard down. And then I wonder "Why... why do I have a dog???"

And my kids want a puppy. Ha!

My long time readers may remember that a while ago I crawled under the deck to save him when he was stuck. He must have forgotten the fear from that experience because he now gets under their regularly, fortunately he can also get himself out now.

The problem with that is his long fur has been getting all tangled and matted and gross. When he gets to be a huge mess, the groomer charges more.

So I decided I'm going to do it myself. I bought some dog shampoo, marched outside with my pink polka dot rubber gloves, and started bathing the dog. He sat so patiently, looking up with his sad eyes until it was over. I know how much he hates getting wet and he was so good... I thought, what a good dog I have. I run inside to get him a big bowl of dog food that he happily munched on while I brushed him. I took scissors to all the matted places around his legs and belly and thought "Boy the groomer is going to wonder what happened next time we go."

I give him a quick pat on the back thinking, "Hey.. that was not bad at all. Maybe I should do this myself from now on instead of paying someone." I then run inside the house to grab the broom to sweep the sidewalk and come back out... to..... what???

It took about all of five seconds to figure out he had decided his clipped hair looked more interesting than food (mind you, this dog won't touch bananas, apples or pretzels..... useless) he tried eating it.. made himself sick all over the sidewalk.. then rolled in it.

Yes. His nice clean fur was now disgusting. And that it why I am not a pet groomer. You can bet your bottom dollar that he's going to the groomer now after all! Forget the cost, I wasted a whole afternoon naptime's worth of time getting him clean - twice!

Stretched

2008-09-01T13:38:00.004-04:00

I'm finding myself stretched thin lately. Stretched thin for time and energy. Stretched thin in being limited to how many hands I have and how many places I can be in at once. There are so many things I love that I don't even consider working into my schedule right now as I try to desperately get things accomplished.

There was a time in my life where this all would have got me down. I'd give in to the stress. I'd get angry with everyone in my family. Because clearly, everyone in my family has wronged me. It's the kids who need the constant discipline who are consuming my precious time. It's my husband who leaves shoes on the floor or items all over the bathroom counter or dishes on the floor from a midnight snack who wastes my time since I have to stop to pick up after him.

I'd start feeling very sorry for myself that my load was impossible to bear. I'd be frustrated that it was all up to me to do everything. There would be numerous fights with my husband in which the resounding theme was that "I'm not a maid!"

And all I can think back on now is how bitter and sad that was. I can choose to give in to the lies that accompany stress and believe them. Or I can choose to see myself as blessed as I am. That each task I do is an opportunity to show love to my Savior and love to my family - my children and husband. My life isn't about what is undone but about what we are accomplishing. Things are not perfect. But I was a miserable person when trying to attain perfection.

The days go by all too quickly, my sweet little round faced baby is now 8 months old today. I have realized over the years that the time is rushing by and that if I don't stop to be thankful I will not have any pleasant memories to look back on.

So I challenge you moms today... when you feel like there is not enough of you to go around, throw that list out the window. Instead of feeling inadequate be thankful for the ways you were able to serve your God and your family today through your hard work. It's not insufficient, it's more than enough. Your cheerful heart and good attitude will go much further and last longer than any work of your hands will (which we both know will quickly be undone again by little people).

Monday M.o.M. Review : I found the Ultimate Prefolds

2008-09-01T13:01:00.003-04:00

There are two types of cloth diapering moms.

The first mom has more than she needs, so that she is never without a diaper and is comfortably washing every so often, even without running out of diapers.

The second is the mom who has just enough.. or almost just enough. This mom feels like she just finished washing and is turning around to throw them in the wash again.

I am both of those moms. I am mom #1 for Shiloh, she has plenty as she still easily fits into and uses our flats.

I am mom #2 for Liam. This boy is a super soaker, and it's been hard to find diapers that are large enough and absorbent enough for him. I mentioned how much I love Baby Beehinds Bamboo Fitteds. They fit him great and are very absorbent, but on the higher end for price (although they are a one size fitted, and I do think they're worth it).

I finally decided I was tired of running out of diapers for him and trying to desperately wash and dry before he was running around pantsless. So I thought prefolds will be an inexpensive way to increase our stash, and I can use them during his awake times. My experience with toddler prefolds and my oldest two when they were diapered was unimpressive. They were absorbent, but would be saturated by morning and very bulky after quilting up. But I figured for an hour or two while Liam was awake it should suffice.

My favorite seller of prefolds is an ebay seller. Her username is granitesmith. She has fantastically low prices, great customer services, fast shipping, and good products. I noticed that since I last bought prefolds they had a new kind they had specifically manufactured for softness, durability, absorbency, and resistance to pilling. They're also supposed to be the heaviest toddler prefold on the market.

Let me tell you - the description is beyond accurate. These prefolds don't quilt up much and they are snuggly soft. They are nice and trim (in contrast my previous experience with prefolds on toddlers) and they amazingly absorbent. I was shocked at the first diaper change that Liam's diaper hardly appeared to be wet. I used one for nap time before I was brave enough to try one out for the night. After using it for the night I couldn't even believe it. While other diapers are usually wet to their maximum absorbency these prefolds were still dry in places - and I only used one for night time! They are easily snappiable and I highly recommend them.

Gluten Free Friday Week 11

2008-08-29T08:45:00.003-04:00

I know I've been distant here in blog land (I'm actually a little afraid to open my google reader)... we have lots going on. Currently without a kitchen sink. Started our homeschool year. Husband starts his new job soon. And just the general, 5 kids ages 6 and under bit. Whew!

This past week we found two glorious things. Our local grocers sells gluten free ice cream cones. And, we ordered gluten free pizza from a restaurant that was delicious. I'm so excited to have that available to us! The restaurant also sells just the crust you can buy and freeze and gluten free bread. Again, I emphasize to find your local celiac support group for whatever information they have on local places around you. You might find a Pizzeria!

Also.. my husband thought he would be nice (poor guy) and pick up some brown rice bread from the store, knowing that I hadn't made any and might like some. Um... don't. buy. it. It tastes like sand. You just don't even want to attempt to give it a try. Take my word on it. Please.

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Gluten Free Blog of the week: Gluten Freeda

This is not so much a blog as much as a resourceful website. Lots and lots of recipes to search through - in which I especially like how they rank how difficult it is to cook :-). They have a neat little section called What Gluten-Free Kids Like.

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With the kitchen sink out, cooking is down to mostly grilling. So, few new recipes we tried this week. But I did create this one that was amazing!!

Wordless Wednesday : My Buddy and Me

2008-08-27T14:04:00.002-04:00

Heavenly Tofu

2008-08-23T20:16:00.003-04:00

Tonight I made a recipe that was so delicious... I think the clouds may have parted and I heard songs from heaven.

I've wanted to try to figure out a home made General Tso Sauce. I know that traditionally you eat it with chicken.. but I wanted General Tso Tofu.

First, I recently learned how to cook tofu so that it comes out like it does at restaurants. You take a block of extra firm tofu, slice it into pieces you like (I like small bite size pieces, so you get lots of flavor with each bite) and put it into a plastic ziploc bag. Toss in a tablespoon or so of cornstarch and toss it until evenly coated. Then you toss it in a hot pan with melted butter or olive oil and resist the urge to stir until it's nice and crispy on each side. Voila. Crispy tofu.

So this wasn't at all like the take out General Tso I've had. But.. it was spicey and it was delicious.

3 TBSP Soy Sauce
3 TBSP Sugar (I may try honey next time to see if it helps thicken the sauce)
2 TBSP Cooking Wine
1 1/2 TBSP White Wine Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Chili Paste
A few dashes of garlic powder
A few dashes of dried minced onion

Mix all the ingredients, add desired amount to your crispy tofu and toss to coat. Serve with rice or rice noodles. Have a tall glass of water ready. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Gluten Free Friday Week 10

2008-08-22T14:15:00.003-04:00

Well, we're in the double digits now! How official :-)

When we need something quick - I really like grabbing something by Amy's Kitchen from our local grocery store. My personal favorite is the Cheese Enchilada. And at around $3.** a meal it's not any more expensive than fast food. We just have to wait to get home to warm it up and eat it, which has stopped the children from feeding my van leftover french fries and hamburger buns.

Another great quick on the run meal is to grab deli meat, cheese, and lettuce and make a wrap. The kids love this. It's also a pretty tasty and nutritious "meal" you can get at any grocer's. This is something you can eat in the car - if necessary.

The other day we were going to visit with family for lunch and I had to shop at a store I'm not really familiar with. Not feeling like going the lettuce wrap route I thought - salad. Quick, easy and not hard to pack full of protein. To our bowl of lettuce + other veggies I added a can of chick peas, walnuts, and an avocado chopped up. I was concerned the kids would complain about needing more so I grabbed a pack of Ball Park Franks. Turns out the salad was their favorite after all, and when we got home they polished off the bag of leftover salad!

Also, I think I forgot to share with you.... International Delights Coffee Creamers are gluten free. How I could forget to mention this I don't know! I'll often drink coffee black when I go out, but I love indulging myself with a little vanilla creamer in my morning cup of coffee. It just makes me happy to be greeting the day. When they say "Delight in every cup" they are not kidding.

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Gluten Free Blog of the Week: Eat Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, Low Sugar Just be advised that wheat free doesn't necessarily mean gluten-free, but you know that already. So browse to your heart's content! I especially added this blog just for you, Rissa, because her Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, Low Sugar French Toast sounds amazing.

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If you blog gluten free and would like to be considered for my gluten free blog of the week please feel free to send me an e-mail or leave a comment. I'd be happy to review it. I basically just pick bloggers who have recipes that strike my fancy ;-)

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This week I made Two Potato Salad. Kind of. I doubled the recipe, our store did not have yukon gold so I used red potatoes, and did not add red onion as much as I love red onion (I thought raw onion would get too many protests, the kids are on an anti-onion kick recently which is bizarre considering they'll eat a raw radish like an apple. But I never claimed to understand those little people...) It. was. delicious. It was... sweet potato heaven. It was... perfect summer food. I love sweet potatoes so very much and to have a new way to serve them is perfect for me. I also love it because it was a delicious potato salad that was crisp in taste from the dill and the apple cider vinegar- not slimy full of mayonnaise-fatty, plain, tasteless globs of salad on my plate.

But it is sweeter, and if you don't like sweet potato then this salad certainly is not for you. But it is for me, that's for sure! Yum yum yum!

More attention

2008-08-21T13:23:00.003-04:00

If you've just stopped on by, I'm tackling questions that people wonder about "big" families. I personally still think of us as "just us" and forget that our family size is a bit of a cultural abnormality. We aren't perfect, please don't look at my baseboards or in my cupboards, and most certainly not in my bedroom, when you come over, but we are happy and love what's going on in our "large" family. Take a look at this post if you want to see how this on going series got started and please feel free to leave any other questions that I can give you my view on.

Did you think I had forgotten? Oh no I haven't. I still have more questions and I plan to answer each and every one of them! :-)

ryleeandnoahsmom asked:

Do you feel like for the most part, there is enough of you to go around. Basically, do you feel your kids get enough individual attention?

The way I feel? Well, I feel like there is never enough of me to go around! There is more laundry, and cleaning, and cooking, and snuggling, and playing than one person can tackle around here! I try to prioritize my days as best as I can and keep a balance in my mind of what is really the important stuff.

But as far as the kids getting attention... I do think that being a stay at home mom is extremely advantageous for that. I don't think they are lacking in the love, affection, attention department whatsoever. I especially feel as though homeschooling greatly helps with this. Getting to teach, encourage, and cheer each one of them on provides a lot of special individual attention for each one. Do I spend an hour a day one on one with each child? Of course not.. too many others would go neglected :-)

But we live "in the moments" which is practical... because isn't that how life is anyway?

Also, I think answering Rissa's question here has some good points about individual time with kids as well.

I'm amused

2008-08-21T13:21:00.002-04:00

My children amuse me. They say and do the strangest things that appear completely normal to them.

For instance as I sit here, Liam keeps trying to see if he can sneak in licking my arm without me noticing. Why? I don't know. When I look at him he averts his gaze as if he's thinking about running off and doing something else.

The other day we realized how much our kids have associated gluten as a negative, when we heard Nora say "Hey don't say that! That's gluten!"

Giovanna has taken to using this phrase if I happen to spice up what I'm wearing (if I wear something nicer instead of holey jeans and an old t-shirt I don't mind destroying while cleaning) "Hey! Why are you lookin' fancy!??!"

Isaac's obsession with Star Wars has reached an all time high now that my sister took him to see Clone Wars. Everything is turned into a light saber if he's not actually playing with one of the three light sabers in the house. He's commonly shouting "Hey! Padmé!" to get one of the girls attention... and they actually responding now. The only thing I'm not crazy about is that he's taken to occasionally referring to me as Chewbacca. Why can't I be Princess Leia?

Wordless Wednesday : The Curly Kid Got a Hair Cut

2008-08-20T09:28:00.003-04:00

Curly Kid Before:

Curly Kid During:

Curly Kid After:

Tuesday Thoughts

2008-08-19T20:16:00.002-04:00

My sister shared the following conversation she had with my daughter the other day:

Giovanna : "Why do people buy iPods?"

Jessica - was not given a chance to respond

Giovanna : "I mean, why do they buy them if they don't use them? They buy them just to have them and not use them?"

Jessica : "What do you mean?"

Giovanna : "My Daddy has an iPod and he never uses it. It just sits around all the time." (not true, by the way)

Jessica : "Well..."

Giovanna lets out a big sigh : "I wish I had an iPod"

Jessica : "So you could not use it?"

Giovanna : "Yeah... like everyone else"

In God We Trust

2008-08-19T13:32:00.002-04:00

Right now there is a chance for Christians to let the mainstream media know how we feel about our nation's foundation on Biblical truths.

MSNBC is conducting a poll that I encourage you to participate in as soon as possible. They're asking the public, should the motto "In God We Trust" be removed from our currency?

Right now the votes stand at 36% say "Yes. It's a violation of the principle of the separation of church and state." and 64% say "No. The motto has historical and patriotic significance and does nothing to establish a state religion."

How's it going?

2008-08-18T14:14:00.002-04:00

I have found as I plod on with gluten free living that I sometimes have the mindset that there's a destination in mind. That I'll reach a certain week number, say... week #85 and I've hit my goal and it's all done. The fact that this has been a chosen, albeit needed, lifestyle has yet to sink in sometimes.

I'm asked often "How do you do it?" "How's it going" "How do you resist the cravings?" "Can't you have it just once in a while or in small quantities?"

Have I ever mentioned how much I love food? Yes? Thought so. This was not easy for me. I've mentioned that too? Who'd have thought.

I think the key thing in giving anything difficult up is having a good support system. My mom and sister are both GF and when I'm having an attack of "GIVE ME BROWNIES OR ELSE" they know where I can get or how to make what I've needed to get me through that. Which leads me into my second point, have things on hand in your pantry for when you need that something special, that snack, or last minute quick dinner.

It doesn't feel like agonizing sacrifice when you're craving brownies and you pull out your Pamela's Brownie Mix and make some. It DOES feel like sacrifice when you want brownies and everyone around you is eating the gluten filled kind. So be good to yourself. If you know you can't make the switch without "x" then help yourself along.

The funny thing is I thought I'd desperately miss things like brownies. I have found that the more time that passes while being gluten free, the less I'm craving and missing certain things. The gluten free brownies aren't half bad either. In fact, I'm craving sweets a whole lot less.

In giving up gluten I decided to give up my other big weakness. I've stopped drinking Coca-Cola (which actually is gluten free). Anyone who knows me knows what a big deal that is. I was tempted to give in and just have one at a restaurant the other night but my sister ordering an Evian peer pressured me into making the right choice. I'm glad I did after all. But when I was dying for a coke, I'd settle for a Snapple Peach Ice Tea instead. And slowly... I've found myself drinking less and less of that. It's much cheaper, anyway, to buy the lemons I've been getting weekly and tossing a slice in with a glass of water. I'm finding that so much more refreshing (not to mention exceedingly healthier).

So cravings over all are subsiding and I'm finding myself inclined to wanting the healthy things now that I've gotten most of the junk out of my diet. Gluten and Coca-Cola are two things I never thought I'd give up, and here I am.

Can I have just a little gluten or have gluten once in a while? No. Does a vegetarian eat meat sometimes? No, because that would make them an omnivore. When you choose to go gluten free for health reasons you have to do it 100%. It's not a fad or a quick weight loss diet. It's a lifestyle decision. For us, we chose it not because we preferred to eat that way but because of necessity. Which means - no gluten. Not a little. Not ever.

The funny thing is, I think that it may not be long before I prefer our gluten free living. I'm really enjoying the creativity and the yummy food it has brought along the way.

Monday M.o.M. Review : Canon MP610 All in One Printer

2008-08-18T10:51:00.002-04:00

After our first year of Kindergarten last school year it became evident quickly that we needed a good printer/scanner/copier for numerous reasons. I did quick research on Consumer Reports, then read the reviews on Amazon for their quick pick, and we bought this :

The Canon MP610 Printer/Copier/Scanner. We've had it for several months now and I am so very happy. It prints and copies quickly and high quality.

The copier has numerous neat features, like copying and repeating down the page just one section of the original document you scanned. Really neat if you have a handwriting page that you want your child to practice just one part of.

Also, you can copy out of a book and take away the black outline where the book doesn't fill in on the copier - do you know what I mean??

All in all, we are very happy. I would recommend this printer to everyone!

Gluten Free Friday Week 9

2008-08-15T20:04:00.002-04:00

The first thing I would like to share with you this week, is that in the last several things I have learned something new about soup - it can be eaten without a side of bread. Whether that be rolls, bread sticks, slices of bread, crusts, croûtons, or crackers - you can actually eat soup without those things. Yes - you can have that with your gluten free versions. But... I've come to be able to enjoy a bowl of soup without the need for some kind of bread product. Interesting.

I finally got to try the Turtle Mountain Cookie Dough ice cream I told you all about. Before I tell you how delicious it was, I have to say the coconut flavor took my by surprise. Yes, I know the ice cream was made from coconut milk. Somehow I didn't expect coconut flavor with cookie dough ice cream. Coconut flavor and all - it was delicious!!!! Oh what a treat! I enjoyed every little tasty bite I had.

I had a case of Kay's Natural Gluten Free products sent to me to try out. The kids loved every single thing they tried. I have to say, my all time favorite was their oh-so-yummy Kay's Natural Cereal.

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Gluten Free Blog of the Week: It's All Gouda I found this blog off of the blog I mentioned last week. I'm not 100% sure she always blogs gluten free.. but the numerous recipes I've read on her blog all are so far! I can't wait to try her homemade polenta recipe!

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Recipes I tried this week.... recipes.. recipes.... what did I cook this week? I can't even remember yesterday.

Actually, we went out twice in the last week (don't tell me I'm spoiled, that sort of thing RARELY happens) to both P.F. Changs and Outback Steakhouse, both have gluten free menus. So those are two chains all over the place that if you're traveling and need a place to eat - there you go!

The Garden

2008-08-14T09:48:00.010-04:00

So, I mentioned a while ago wanting to tell you about our garden this year. This year, we read a bit of Square Foot Gardening and decided to make raised garden beds from cinder blocks. Nothing we've planted in the ground has flourished.

So first Jake tilled the area we'd like to use for garden space.

Then as we laid the cinder blocks down to make the first garden bed, Jake sifted through the soil. This was a very long process. So long... that we only got one bed done and we were late getting our plants in the ground as it was! This is what the soil looked like before.

This is what Jake made to sift the soil:

Then he'd take a small scoop of dirt, and use his hands to pick out the big rocks, large clumps of weeds, and rub the dirt around as it sifted down.

And this was the result:

Once the bed was finished, we mixed in peat moss, vermiculite, and wood ash.

Our goal is to make more beds sometime before the winter, so that they're ready for next year. But we'll follow the advice in Square Foot Gardening next time and make them about 4x4 instead of our 10x10.

Here are the latest results of the growth in the garden. I hope we have enough warm weather left for everything to ripen!!

Our hot peppers:

Our tomato jungle:

And... last but not least, the mysterious pumpkin plant growing in our compost! That's right! We think the pumpkins we had last fall must have been heirloom because they have reseeded and we have about 5 pumpkins growing with at least a dozen more flowers!

Flip & Tumble Giveaway Winners

2008-08-13T09:56:00.003-04:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the Flip and Tumble Contests! We have winners! I wish I had a bag to give away to all of you, but I don't think Flip and Tumble wants to donate another hundred... sooooo, I have 2 of you! Please check your e-mail inboxes! If I don't hear back from you by Friday I'll have to select new winners (yikes, that sounds so mean. Don't make me be a bad guy!)

Congratulations on giveaway #1 to Shannon! Comment #34

Shannon, get back to me with your address and I will be sending you the pink/raspberry Flip and Tumble bag!

Giveaway #2 was a little harder. There were a number of stories that I could relate to, I shared your embarrassment, or have actually had happen to myself on more than one occasion. I had 4 other people read the comments and weigh in on their opinions. The winner was Gina, whose story made me laugh right out loud, and I could perfectly imagine this happening to me if my children were given the opportunity. Gina, congratulations - the lime/sky flip and tumble bag is yours. I hope it brings a happy, peaceful, non-embarrassing shopping vibe your way ;-) Make sure you get back to me with your address!

Gina said...
Oh, gosh, how to choose...how about the time my twins managed to stick their skinny arms up a gumball-type vending machine and release numerous superballs into the wild? And then they crawled around underneath the machine on the nasty floor, while I cowered in embarrassment over at Customer Service? Yeah, that was a classic.

August 6, 2008 6:36 PM

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-13T09:39:00.000-04:00

Strawberry Fields

A gift worth giving

2008-08-12T12:27:00.004-04:00

This year for family birthday gifts, we've explored the idea of gifts that really mean something. I made something for my mother-in-law, as homemade gifts always carry something sentimental with them forever. We've given ducks and chickens through World Vision in honor of the birthday person.

For one family member's birthday, we bought her a gift from the Mashiah Foundation.

We bought her a quilt from their Women of Hope ministry. They make beautiful wall hangings, table runners, bed quilts, coasters, aprons, oven mitts, and more. Extremely reasonably priced and it helps Nigerian women who had know hope to be able to provide income for themselves and their children if they have them.

Here's a picture of the beautiful red and white, 12 block wall hanging that I didn't want to give once I had it in my hands ;-) It was that beautiful!!

I've been thinking of how it would be nice to get a new bed set for our bedroom and I think from now on whenever I need a quilt/blanket I will be ordering it from Mashiah Foundation, since it supports something so wonderful.

How about you? Do you have any other special ways of giving that goes beyond blessing the giver and receiver?