The year in review!

One of the great things about having little kids is that time just flies by, and they change so much. One of the hardest things about having little kids is that time just flies by, and they change so much.

Take Baby Guy, a year ago he was just learning to pull up and pull things off of shelves. Now not only can he pull boxes and jars off of shelves, he can open them and dump them out on the floor. He's his own vending machine. A year ago he could just kinda babble and point. Now he can say "I wan'" and "T'ank oo." There is nothing cuter than a one year old who says thank you.

A year ago Princess P was scribbling and had no idea of ownership. Now she draws cats, people, and has a sense of what's hers. She can tell stories and hold her own. She'll even be out of pull-ups soon.

A year ago Princess D was learning counting and colors. Now she knows letters and letter sounds, and has her first "real" bike. She's moved from care bears to Barbie. She had her first "real" classes away from home. In some ways, this is her big year, with kindergarten looming ahead.

Chip has had a huge year. He started kindergarten, played his first organized sport, took extra science classes, and so much more. He's gone from knowing half his letters to being able to read short stories from Dr. Seuss and the Beginners Bible. He makes friends everywhere he goes. He's just a joy to be around, and that's something I hope never changes.

Bob has grown a lot this year. He's a kinder kid than he was a year ago. He's realized that his drum is on the off beat, and is okay with it. It's still music. He's a determined, hard working kid. He earned his first real Bible this year...by reading his first chapter book by himself. His self confidence is building, and it's nice to see him coming into his own.

Our oldest is growing up at an astounding rate. He's really not a little kid anymore. I often refer to him as the changling. His basic nature is still the same, optimistic, funny, faithful...but he's getting into deeper waters, starting the process of really growing up. He's starting to realize that not all friends are equal, and that his values are his own, not something he just magically inherits from us. He's entering a world of swirling emotions and changing interests, wanting to be anchored to us, but still sail his own ship. The balance between work and fun, and realizing they aren't mutually exclusive, is his current struggle. The year ahead will determine a lot about him and his character, but so far so good.

As for me and Mr. M, we've had a good year too. Mr. M still has a job after massive cuts in the company. We have a church home where we can contribute according to our gifts. Our kids are in a great school with great parent involvement. The year ahead may bring us a new home, one we can really call our own. At this pause, we're looking forward as much as back, and enjoying the present immensely.

May you all have an abundance of junk food, friends, and entertainment to bring in the new year!

And on the fourth day of Christmas.......

we go over the river and through the geese to my Uncle's house. Uncle M & his wife live in a lovely neighborhood off a lake full of geese who are all thankful they weren't on the menu for Christmas.

Their house is always decorated for a magazine, complete with a really, really, tall Christmas tree and lots of musical snowmen, santa's and more. I always tell the the kids to pretend like they're in a museum when we're there. The problem is, to them, a museum=Wonderscope. We haven't taken them to the "hands off" kind yet.

But it's okay, there were presents. Musical ornaments that kept them entertained. A spinning Uno game, and some veggies, chips and juice. A fine afternoon by any kid's standards.

And when it's time to go, the only words we need are "slushees anyone?"

So on the fourth day of Christmas, my uncle gave to me, some cool kitchen stuff, and some musical ornaments for our tree..

On the third day of Christmas.....

We played with our Wii wannabe...and watched Kung Fu Panda x3.

Oh yeah, and we went shopping for some Merry Christmas to me! Mr. M's Dad & his wife sent each of our kids $10 to spend at Wal-Mart. They couldn't have been happier with bricks of gold. Our two year old daughter apparently has inherited the shopping gene. For her $10, Princess P bought a tinkerbell purse, a tinkerbell pillow with blanket, and a strawberry scented bath set complete with sparkly pink bag with a heart on it.
Chip was all about Spiderman bath stuff. A "mad science lab" with goggles and fizzles, and a couple of scrubbies.
Princess D found herself a complete set of makeup with about a dozen of everything, nail polish, body glitter, lip gloss, body glitter, nail polish, eye shadow, & some more body glitter, and "body art pencils." What are those for??? Not sure us parental types want to know.
Our oldest son is kind of a junk food junkie. He bought a bucket of "smore" candy, some Dove brand chocolates, a comic book, and a camping thingie that's a compass, thermometer, and clock all in one.
Baby Si just wanted a ball.
I think they all had a great time. Next up, on the fourth day of Christmas......

The game is afoot!

Tomorrow kicks off the "official week of holiday" around here. DH has the good fortune to be off from 3pm Dec. 24 thru January 2nd. If all goes well we hope to see two sets of parents, some siblings, an aunt & uncle w/ possibly a cousin or two, a great bunch of friends, a movie, a bowling alley, and Grandma's home arcade and entertainment haven. It's a busy week for a week off. Knock on wood that everyone gets/stays relatively healthy.

The kids are wild with excitement! Tomorrow is Uncle D! Why didn't his plane come today? Well, that white Christmas we all love dear isn't exactly an airplane's best friend...but tomorrow...tomorrow we'll see.......

Then tomorrow they'll be saying "One more day until CHRISTMAS!" and the one night of the year we desperately need them to go to bed early, they'll be up trying to think of excuses to come try to sneak peeks at presents. Except the presents don't appear until they're asleep. So it makes a VERY late night for mom and dad, especially on years like this, where a certain little girl is getting a b-i-k-e. (One year we had three! What were we thinking?!) Us elves need those cookies.

THen Christmas morning will come wa-ay too early, but no one can leave their room until 8. (Of course there are "spy runs up and down the stairs, and much whispering about the mystery of who gets which wrapping paper and which stocking.....All the presents for each child are in the same paper, with NO name....It does a pretty good job of keeping them from opening them before we're ready. Then all we have to do is have one parent yawn, and with a eek, giggle, uh-oh off they go.) The rest of Christmas will just have to wait. No one wants a blog opened about it too early.....so to all a good night.

Being content

I know it's been a while, but we had a case of sick kid followed by very sick mom around here. This exact moment is the first moment I've felt fully human since Thursday morning. I'm far from over it, and my sleep schedule is all upside-down, but I'm definitely going the right way now. So I thought I'd post a note on a study I did a while back.. Not exactly Christmas-y, we'll get back into that when my brain has fully returned, but meaningful nonetheless. So here's my take on 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 The verse will be boldface. My thoughts will be italic.

Make it your ambition to live a quiet life

(This goes smack in the face against what our American culture tells us, but it's truth. Quiet = contentment, whereas if one always seeks thrills, it seems the thrills keep having to get bigger.)

To mind your own business

(Ouch. How hard is that for most of us? And again, it goes against our culture. Tabloids would not exist if people could just follow this one simple command.)

& to work with your hands.

(God made us to work, not to try to get out of it. Why? Keep going.)

so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders,

(Lifestyle witnessing is the best!)

and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

(Work hard so you can be free!)

That's all for tonight, but it's great to be back.

Exhausted in futility.

Some days just feel like an exercise in futility. Today is one of them. I went to the store last night to get a fruit tray for church this morning. 8am call, it's canceled. Well, at least the kids are enjoying the fruit with their lunch.
Fast forward to 10:45.

"Guys, it's time to get ready to pick up Ethan!"
"But word world isn't over yet!"
"That's okay. It takes longer to get ready when it's cold."

10:55. The girls are playing in their room.

"I MEAN it this time. Let's get our socks and boots on."

"Noooooo!" Says the two year old princess P.

10 minutes later. We're supposed to be at the school NOW.
Princess D is ready, after much convincing.
Baby Guy has everything except his boots on, but his boots are in the car Dad took to work. I'ts okay I can carry him.
Princess P has been wrestled into socks and a coat, but mittens and boots are still a no go.
another 10 minutes go by. She has mittens on, but is still screaming about the boots.
3 minutes later, a teacher's aide knocks on our door. She brought Ethan home for us.
"Thanks. "
"We have Ethan now mom! Can we take this stuff off and play?"
"Sure Honey."
"Mo-om! Can I have lunch?"
"In a minute honey. Mom needs a rest from getting ready to get you, okay?"
"Okay."

We now interrupt our regular holiday programming

for a snowfall outside, an avalanche of drawings, and a sick 17 mo old boy. Yep, baby guy has been out of sorts since last Friday afternoon. His fever broke Sunday night, but he's still a tad congested and has a bad case of velcro-lint syndrome. Anyone ever try to pick lint out of velcro? Well, that's the effort it takes for me to remove baby guys arms from around my neck. I'd just let him stay there, but I do have to cook, tend the two year old and stuff.

Now he's starting to feel better he does occasionally detach himself, to color with markers, steal his sister's drink or his brother's lunch, or strip. Yep. If it's just a t-shirt or elastic waist pants baby guy is proving his non-babyness by removing it. Today he's zipped into a sleeper so he's stuck.

Baby guy is also starting to speak in phrases like "where'z i' go?"

He's growing up pretty quickly. MaybeI may need a new, more age appropriate name for him on here. Or maybe not. As long as he wears dipes and drinks from a sippy cup...nah. He's the youngest. He'll always be my baby guy.

Princess P prefers purple paper

Princess P drew bears with bellies on every piece of purple construction paper in the house today. They all had four limbs, necks, bodies,two eyes, two ears,a nose, and big smiles. She was so proud of herself. So proud, that on Dad's watch...she tried the same thing with finger paint on furniture. Ah, the joys of being two.

Princess D is much more pristine. She spent the afternoon carefully tracing stencils onto white paper, making sure everything lined up just so. Paper and pencil and her imagination keep her busy most of the day. And she is the princess in almost every scene, and her noble brother, Chip must rescue her.

Nah, he'd rather be the dragon. She can save herself.

Or maybe they'll just get out the big legos and build a castle....for baby guy to knock down.

Really, even the most ordinary day is an adventure. And it looks like we might still have some purple paper for tomorrow after all.

We all love Horton

Our family watched "Horton Hears a Who" four times so far. Since we missed the nine pm deadline for redbox last night, I'm pretty sure I'm going to see it a few more times today.
The messages Horton has are important, so I really don't mind. "A person's a person no matter how small" is one of our key mantras around here. "An elephant's loyal 100%" and "I meant what I said, I said what I meant" are important too. Even adults have problems following through on promises sometimes when the going gets tough for them.

Besides, everyone knows that Horton being an elephant is the most important part. Well, at least Princess D knows. Elephants are her favorite animal. We have a book about an elephant in Africa. We have Dora's talking baby elephant. We have a couple of Kohls' cares for Kids elephants, including Horton.

But for now, Princess P has claimed Horton. He was right next to her in bed last night, lovingly tucked in with jag. Horton must really made an impression on her to share Jag's spot. Probably because he acknowledged her, after all " a person's a person, no matter how small."

Perfect snow

Yesterday we got the perfect amount of snow. Just enough for the kids to play in and melt off the roads by morning. Last night our oldest and his friend J went out and had a snowball fight, complete with boots and mismatched gloves. It was ten year old heaven.

This morning, the toddlers were glued to the sparkly stuff outside the window. When it was finally time to pick up Chip from Kindergarten, they could hardly contain themselves. On with boots and coats, and out to make tracks. literally. Baby Guy and Princess P just couldn't believe it. Everywhere they stepped, a hole in the snow was left behind. This stuff was magic....until they stuck their hands in it. Then it was just cold. That's okay....Mom's coat has pockets. A toddler on each leg just slows her down a little.

Princess D was very insistent on NOT wearing her boots. She was sooo ready to come back inside by the time we got home. Snow inside your tennis shoes doesn't feel very good. Nothing a nice warm water soak couldn't fix though.

Chip is still outside playing. He's dragging a plastic bat through the snow to draw pictures in the back yard. Maybe he'll build a snow-leaf man with his brothers when they get home later.

I still love the snow too, on days I don't have to drive. It's just so pretty, so sparkly, so Christmasy. It's like the stars have fallen onto the ground. It's a wonder to behold, as are my children's different reactions to it. Let it snow...and snow...and snow.

I don't care if I'm ever rich or famous....

I just want to be a star....Remember that song from Nunsense? I''m pleased to say, although neither rich nor famous, our kids were all stars tonight at the Christmas pageant, complete with bathrobe costumes.

Our oldest was the "lead shepherd, who knew all the on/off cues, and helped the others remember their lines. He enjoyed hamming it up w/ the boyz2men version of "When shepherds watched their flocks by night"

Chip just enjoyed jamming to the music. He was appropriately kindergarten cute, especially in his over-sized silky burgundy and navy paisley robe.

But, it was Bob who stole the show. He had that perfect little kid loud voice. His line was spoken sweetly, and his singing solo had mamas in tears, not just me. He was truly the star of the show...and everyone knew it. Sure a fifth grader had the lead, and his brother had more lines. Yet, it was the tiny second grader who put his whole heart into every song that won the audience today.

Good job boys. There will always be room for you.

Which holiday is it?

This morning Princess D is sitting at the other desk behind me happily making valentines.

"Mom, where's the valentine stuff?" she asks, peering into the craft cabinet.
"Honey, it's not out yet. It's only December. Valentines Day is in February."
"Oh." she sighs sadly, with her head tilting down.
"But you can make valentines anyway if you want to. There's construction paper right in front of you, and we have glitter glue and everything."
"Really! Glitter Glue?!"

You'd think glitter glue was the world's greatest treasure from this response, and to my kids it probably is. I only buy the stuff a couple of times a year. It has a mess potential only rivaled by paint. I should probably buy it more often. It's a lot easier to clean up than paint. On the rare occasions I buy paint, they look up to the heavens to see if the sky is falling.

So, glitter glue, construction paper, and scissors have occupied our daughter for the entire morning so far. Valentine's Day, Christmas. It's still about love.

I wanna hippo.....for Christmas

That is the one Christmas song guaranteed to put a smile on my face and a giggle in my throat every year. AND this year, with the Kohls cares for Kids Curious George special, I may get one!
I haven't heard it on the radio as much in recent years, so I sing it for my kids. They think it's a scream too.

My older boys prefer Jingle Bell Rock. The toddlers singing Away in a Manger, complete w/ twinkly star hands, gets me every time.

Proof of Mr. M's maleness is his taste in Christmas music. The redneck twelve days of Christmas and that great classic, Grandma got Run over by a Reindeer. "Chipmunks roasting on an open fire" and the Christmas version of "Here's Your Sign" get honorable mention. Christmas is the only time he'd be caught dead on a country station.

We like to sing carols when we light our advent candles too. Usually the more solemn ones like O Come O Come Emmanuel, Silent Night, and O Holy Night. After all the fun, it's good to quiet down and remember what Christmas is all about.

A day in the life of Baby Guy

As I sit here holding a sleeping baby guy, the afternoon calm just washes over me. Toddlers smell so nice right after a bath. And this nap was hard earned, by both of us.

He's had an exciting morning of pulling ornaments off the tree, then storing them under the couch; climbing things that aren't meant to be climbed like toys, tupperware, an empty cider jug an older kid has kept around for a craft, whatever; jumping off various pieces of furniture to discover the best way to land, and so much more. He ate a yummy lunch of rice pasta with butter and shaker cheese with a juice box chaser, and was back in action.

Then, the big bad mommy declared it bath time for him and Princess P. He's okay with water now, so that's an improvement. He likes to play with buckets and bubbles and rubber ducks. Bath time would be just fine if he didn't have to be washed! He does need to be washed though, so howling like an injured hyena, with his head on mom's lap (just to make sure she gets wet too!), he pays his dues, and plays in the tub until his lips quivering give away that he's getting cold.

Nothing like getting out of the tub in clean clothes, eating a banana, and smooshing it around in your hair.....screaming hyena part two. All that screaming sure wears a guy out. Where's my boobie bar?!

And so it goes. Life with him around is never dull, and really quite fun.

Not of this world....

As a moderately conservative Christian, I sometimes get put out by how we don't fit in. My kids haven't seen the movies their friends have seen. We've missed several PTA events because they're scheduled on Wednesday. And now, an organization my kids participate in that is supposed to "support" spirituality has scheduled their "holiday bowling party" for 11.am. on Christmas Sunday. So of course, our boys won't be able to attend. I feel like the Grinch.

Yet, the boys have taken it in stride. As soon as they saw the date and time, they instantly understood. They didn't try to beg or wheedle. They didn't grumble about it being unfair. I was truly uplifted by their response. I am proud of who they are, and the character they demonstrated. I predict a family bowling outing will probably occur during Christmas break.
Mr. M has the week off work. It should be a great family time.

But seeing what's coming doesn't make dealing with the present any easier....kind of like waiting for heaven. The Bible warned us about this feeling. That we'd be strangers and aliens. And really, it beats what our brothers and sisters around the world are going through by miles. It's kind of like complaining about a hangnail when your brother is hemorrhaging. Sure a band aid might be nice, but there are bigger things out there that need our help. I'm so proud of my friends who are missionaries, both long term, like the folks we know in Ireland, and short term, like my dear friend who's going to India for fifteen days leaving her husband and four children behind whom she's so very dedicated to day in and day out. They all sacrifice their personal wants for the good of the Kingdom. My prayers will be with them all. May we all continue to grow in faith.

Getting ready for Christmas.

This weekend was spent getting ready for Christmas. We put up our tree, strung and hung the ornaments, and got out the snow globe and advent wreath. Maybe by next weekend we'll have candles and find the mystery tote with the advent calendar and stockings.

Some of the AWANA kids were getting ready too, buying their family presents in the store. My kid, not so much. He bought a pair of "foam disk guns." He did participate in the spirit of giving though. He gave one to his younger brother promptly upon arriving home. They then "exchanged" shots in the holiday spirit, much in the same manner they exchanged snowballs earlier in the afternoon.

Princess D looked outside and saw the snow. "Is it Christmas?" She wants a barbie with a horse that eats carrots. You know she's ready.

Princess P and Baby Guy are all aglow with the lights and music. "LOOK! 'OOK!" they chorus together.

By the end of the weekend, mom & Dad are tired, but the house is twinkly. The first Sunday of Advent has passed. O come o Come Emmanuel.....and to all a good night.

All things sparkly.

Right now princess P is all sparkly, because she used some glitter glue as body paint when she got tired of decorating ornaments. Baby Guy was quite indignant, because well, he'd woken up to join the party and we were cleaning up! How dare we. The differences between our kids definitely show up at Christmas tree time.

The last few years, we have made all our ornaments for the Christmas tree. There are lots of reasons for this. It allows the kids to take ownership in the process. It's fun and creative. It's inexpensive, and craft foam is safer for the toddlers too. It also creates a nice path of each child's development, as they proceed from the glob phase to the line phase to the pattern phase.

This year, our oldest two boys are big enough to move on from craft foam and glitter glue. They're working on foam balls with straight pins, bitty beads, and sequins. So this year we'll have some shine to go with our sparkle. They want to do the "stained glass" ornaments too, but I'm still not sure if I'm that brave.

I need to find our adornaments book, so I can copy some off for Baby Guy to color with crayons. It wouldn't be complete without the representation of what Christmas is all about.

Our tree represents our whole family. Everyone gets to take part. Mr. M puts it together and strings on the lights. I purchase the ornament kits and make a few examples of each. The kids put it all together, and then we all hang them on the tree.

We're making the ornaments today, so that we have time for them to dry before we string them and hang them on Friday. Our "drying day" tomorrow will be spent at Mr. M's mom's house, stuffing our faces with turkey, and playing games and watching football. Since she's taken over Thanksgiving the last couple of years our "ornament" tradition has gone much smoother.

So yeah, our holiday kickoff is a little early, but what's wrong with a little sparkle? It's just one more day to enjoy and appreciate what we have.

Life, death, and fire

What kind of people set fire to a playground for little kids? What good can come of that?

Yet that's exactly what happened at our boys school on Saturday night. Three teenage boys set fire to the little kids (k-2) playground. It's hard to have a gratitude attitude about such things. Yet remarkably, my kindie is not upset. The big insurance people will take care of it, after all. He's going to get a NEW playground. Besides, he only gets recess on Fridays.

I predict my second grader is going to be much more upset. He's all about justice, rules, and right. He's going to be following the situation until the "evil people" (as my kindie put it) get caught.

As for me, it's just one more line in the bad country song our last few weeks have been. My cousin's kids can't eat. (see food post earlier this month.) My husband's grandpa died. And now someone burned down my kid's playground.

It's hard to have a gratitude attitude in such circumstances. Yet I still can find things to be grateful for. A generation ago, my cousin's darling boys would be dead by now. Modern medicine is a wonderful thing. My husbands grandfather lived well into his nineties and knew the Lord. He's reunited with his wife of 60+ years now. And while the windows near the playground were damaged, neither the roof, nor nearby grass and trees caught fire. My kids still have a school to go to. Nobody was injured by the fire. The district has adequate insurance to repair the damages. Our kids get to see firsthand what happens when people don't think before they act, and have the opportunity to do better. And I know they will.

Cats? Who needs cats? We have toddlers.

Before I married Mr. M, I was a serious cat person. So much so, that in early marriage we attempted to keep one my cats, and adopted a stray kitten who needed vet care. The animals had to stay outside due to Mr. M's cat allergy. Neither situation lasted long.

Now that we have children, I realize that my love for cats is probably linked to my love for toddlers. Both like to sleep on your face. Both like to be played with when you should be working.
Neither cat nor toddler can fully decide if it's better to be out or in. Both love you unconditionally, on their own time. Neither one of them cares who's bed it is, that's where THEY want to sleep. Neither one has any fear about wrapping themselves around your legs when you're walking carrying food. Both cats and toddlers have that constant quandary of trying to decide what's more important, constant attention or total independence.

Cats are cheaper to feed, and can be left alone all day. Cats stay cats for ten or twenty years. Cats don't speak any form of English, so you have to guess their intentions by their actions.

Toddlers only stay toddlers for a couple of years, then they turn into preschoolers. They need constant supervision, but are also continual fun. Toddlers can hug you. Toddlers can say "My mommy!" Toddlers are constantly growing and learning about the world around them. They do not need a litter box their entire lives.

They grow into people, and if we're lucky and do our job right...they'll take care of us when we're old, or at least pick a nice nursing home. And if I don't do things right, I guess I can always get a cat again.

How to tell them

Mr. M's grandfather died this morning. He was a pillar of faith. He expressed all the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22 right up to the end, especially peace, love, & joy. He was preceded by his wife four years ago. Their marriage was a beacon of hope to us all, that it can be done.

That said, we received the call this morning after the older children had already left for school. That means I have to tell them when they get home. The older children will remember his house, and his magnificent train set he had set up in the basement. They may remember the mug collection from all fifty states and the organ in the living room. They will remember visiting his room at the retirement community and that he seemed tireder once he moved. But will they remember who he was? Or the stories he had to tell?

Will they ask us about death? After all, other than taxes, it's about the only certain part of life. Will they ask us the big WHY questions? And do we have the answers they will need?
Will they realize how blessed they were to know him at all?

I really don't know. Yet death is a part of life, and really it's just a comma. For Granddaddy, the best is yet to come.

Time alone??

What's that? We have six kids. Despite the facts, Mr. M and I had a whole six hours alone yesterday, courtesy of his mom.

Beforehand I was a tad anxious. We'd never left Baby Guy more than five minutes away. The older kids were a tad indignant that we would eat out and go to a sporting event without them. Why should we have any fun without them? For the most part, they got over it with the word "Grandma." Our oldest had a hard time puzzling it out though.

"Date?! What you do you need a date for? You're already married!"

Quite frankly, we've had more dates after we were married than before, and we both like it that way. (The before number is two, in case anyone was wondering.) There's no pressure in married dating, no wondering if they're going to "like" you, and no worrying about getting too close or attached. Once your married, there's no such thing as too close or attached, and we don't marry people we don't like.

Married dating is more about reminding yourself about all the things you do like about your spouse, having a dinner where no food is thrown on the floor and you don't have to cut anyone's meat. It's about having a conversation that does not include the word mom. It's about doing something fun without having to stop and count noses every fifty yards. It's about not having to load a bag, bring money for snacks, remind people to wash their hands. It's a reminder of what life was like before, and will be after.

As soon as we get back to the car, I call mom. "How are the kids doing? We'll be home soon." We'll have years for peace and quiet later. I'm ready to get back to my kids.

Me do it myself!

Independence seems to be a running theme in our house these days. Our two year old wants to pour her own "milk" on her cereal. Our four year old is wanting tie her own shoes. Our eight year old made his own cinnamon sugar this morning, (or on his first try "sugared cinnamon!) Our six year old packed his own lunch for a "full day" of school today.

Now Chip is usually only a half day kind of guy. He likes come home, fix a can a spaghetti for lunch, do his homework, and bounce off a few walls in the afternoon. Today, there's a field trip to see a puppet show in the afternoon, so he's allowed to stay. His teacher has a sub too, so the "iron lady" is in charge. I hope he'll be okay.

Our oldest is growing up in so many ways it's unbelievable. Sure I still have to remind him about homework and chores, but he is getting more responsible about taking care of his things. He learned all his lines in the Christmas play without our help. He can go to a friends house with permission, and be trusted to get home almost on time.

Then on the other end of the spectrum, there are our older relatives who are starting to give up their independence. My husband's grandfather quit driving a couple years ago. He had to have a housekeeper after that. Then he moved into a retirement community. Now he's just out of the hospital from a severe heart attack, and Hospice is helping with his care. He's still around though! And his mind still works. He has maintained his intellectual independence, and that's no small feat for someone well into their 90's. It takes a lot of strength to keep going when you need that much help.

The thing is, we all need help...and when we don't accept it when we need it it just makes a mess. My husband's grandfather is wise enough to know and accept that. My kids are not. Thus we sometimes have cereal on the floor, cheese crumbled by a dull knife, a broken piggy bank, or hurt feelings. Yet when they come around, one of them holds the dustpan while the other one sweeps. They ask us how to use a sharp knife. We taste the sugar cinnamon and help them add more sugar. Working together makes all of life sweeter.

Kids and their stuff

This morning Chip was looking for his November homework. I handed the crumple papers to him, and he was very indignant about it's condition.
"Well, if you want it to be in better shape, you have to take care of it."
"But Mom, it's all the same shape!" And so it is, after all 8 1/2" x 11" rectangles.

Princess D has learned the hard way that doll hair does not grow back, that markers on walls don't wipe off well with bedsheets, and that it's hard to tell which clothes are clean and which aren't when you leave them all on the floor. She is gradually edging towards leaving her clean clothes in the drawers and putting the dirty ones in the basket. Her efforts might work better if Princess P didn't think of the laundry basket as her royal ship.

Baby guy of course, is just a toddler. He thinks in terms of me and mine. He doesn't care about the where yet, just the who. He'll play with anything, anytime, and leaves a tornado in his wake. Princess P is a little mommy, and will often follow along, trying to "clean up" behind him.

The oldest two boys are faring better. Our oldest realizes that something left on the floor might go in a trashcan...and that electronics left out might prove enticing to younger siblings. The law of the jungle has been helping him learn to be more responsible. Bob has always been my neat-nick. His clothes and room are generally neat. I'm not really sure where he got that from.
Maybe he could teach me.

All in all, I'm glad stuff isn't anyone's first priority.

Baby Guy, the melting pot

Kids who are further down the line may not get as much individual attention, but they certainly have a greater variety of experiences. Take our Baby Guy. I've never seen an 18mo old who kicks a soccer ball correctly before. Much to Princess P's dismay, he's also an expert tackler. He also LOVES to dance. So perhaps he does get something from from tagging along to all the others activities.

He does still have interests of his own though. Jacks Big Music Show is his favorite thing on t.v. He is one of two children in our house who likes beans. His favorite fruit is bananas in an apple house. He seems to have an avid interest in pole vaulting lately. He found half a curtain rod, runs with it horizontally, puts it down vertically, and tries to jump. Maybe we watched too much of the Olympics this summer.

He learns to like to do what we all do. He colors with his sisters and puppy piles with his brothers. He loves the outdoors. He "helps" sweep and unload the dishwasher. He tries to steal the mouse and keyboard to the computer. He loves stuffed animals, books, balls, and Greys Anatomy. Maybe he'll grow up to be a surgeon. Maybe he'll grow up to be park ranger or software engineer. Who knows? As long as he grows up loving God, life, and people I think he'll be okay.

Our first "free" weekend.

This was our first "free" Saturday since mid-August. In some ways, it was a relief to not "have" to be anywhere at any certain time. In other ways it felt like ground zero.

9:30am...kids are told to clean their rooms.
11:00 am...kids informed that the cafeteria does not open until their room is clean.
11:15am, even boys room is done. (2 & 6) They get lunch, and help Dad move the computer from our bedroom to the family room. (Baby Guy is more than happy to throw the papers off the desk so Daddy can move it.)
12:30pm. Odd boys (1 & 3) start cleaning their room, because well, they're hungry.
2:30 pm...Mom sits in their room until it is done.
3:00 pm....Mission accomplished! Last bedroom is cleaned, and ready to vacuum. Now if they'd just fold their laundry....

In addition to helping me get the boys to take care of their stuff, DH moved a desk, two chairs, two couches, a bed, and the entertainment center to new locations to appease my "fall cleaning bug." I can't clean in Spring. We have soccer.

I attacked the bathroom, with bleach....wearing navy pants and a navy sweatshirt. Not my brightest moment.

The girls were busy with care bears, tea parties, crayons and kitchen raids. Princess D was in charge, of course.

And all this was before the errands of the day.

After the errands of the day was an attempt to watch the KSU football game, and listening to the boys play "stuffed animal war." This is an exciting game that is essentially a mix between a pillow fight, king of the mountain, and a catapult. For added excitement, they allowed Baby Guy upstairs to serve as a "mine." Any stuffie he touched would automatically become "mine."
Chip and KSU were predictably the targets of the day, so we had to put an end to it.
Now everyone's asleep, and I just hope I don't wake up to a stuffed animal ambush. After all, all is fair in love and war.

Rise and Shine

One thing they don't tell you when you bring the baby home. Forget about sleeping in for about ten years.

Our three oldest boys were all up before seven am this morning.
"Can I watch t.v.?"
"Would you please get me breakfast?"
"Aaaah! I get you evil emperor!"
"Hy-yah" kicking the spider man bag Chip got for his birthday.

No t.v., no breakfast before eight on Saturday. get yourself a piece of fruit. Quiet down, your sisters are still sleeping....or were still sleeping.
"Mom, I want oatmeal, w/ pineapple! please?"
"Hiiii!" Baby guy says hi too, and crawls across my face to get between me and Mr. M.

They are trying to be polite...
All right. We're up. Isn't that what diet coke is for? It looks like it's going to be a cheerful, action filled day.

Food, the blessing and the curse

Since we've been working w/ Princess P and her new diet, she's definitely been feeling better. More smiles and fewer tantrums are welcome in any two year old. BUT, her dipes have still been having issues off and on, and now I feel like an idiot. Part one of the mystery was solved two weeks ago, when at the grocery store, I realized I had broken one of the cardinal rules of allergic kids.

*READ all labels EVERY time you shop.*

It turned out, our favorite waffles had soy flour in them. So, we just bought french toast sticks. (Ever try to make gluten free, dairy free, EGG FREE, french toast? This is why allergic food is so expensive. They probably run through a thousand recipes before they find one that reasonably resembles the original food.)
My other mistake, was thinking I *knew* the list. It turns out one of our favorite oils is taboo, as in, tested at the same level as the stuff that makes her break out in hives taboo. EEK.
So I call my ever sympathetic MIL, almost crying, and she brings me down to earth. I am doing my best. She is getting better. I am still feeding her a well balanced diet, which is no easy task with her restrictions of beef, shrimp, gluten,milk, soy, eggs, and more.

And then I realize how childish I am, and how it can be so much worse. I have a relative w/ a child who can eat no food at all, except dum dums. He is getting a tube put directly in his stomach today, so his formula will have a direct route. He's three. Her faith, strength, and grace amaze me every time I see her. And on top of this, her toddler, who's only about a month older than baby guy, is getting scoped out for the same illness. Here's a link to more info about the disease, and a new foundation to raise funds to fight it. (You may have to copy and paste it. I am not a genius in these matters.) http://www.gardnerfoundation.org

Seeing her attitude, and what she's going through, makes me look like a whiner in a rose garden. Sure, there are thorns, but it sure isn't a thistle patch. I'll be praying for her family today, and ask that you would do the same. Peace be with you all.

Our kids only thought they had the day off today.

There was a "teacher improvement day" today, so our older boys were home from school. One of their teachers muttered to me last week about how election day should be a federal holiday, so no one would have to work, instead of adding childcare to the parent problem list on this already short day. I think there's something behind that idea. We live in an elderly neighborhood. They all get up and dressed, go vote in mid-late morning and have lunch and shop and make a day of it! Why should retired people have all the fun? What better thing to celebrate than our ability to cumulatively support our right to sort of have a say in our nation's government?

Nonetheless, my husband still had to work, so this is how our day went.

I let them sleep in, eat Halloween candy for breakfast, and watch a little t.v. Then I sprung them.
"Shoes on guys!"
"Where are we going?"
"the backyard! It's a beautiful day to clean up the yard."
I promised them extra money in their allowance and to lift all digital entertainment limits for the afternoon if they would help with yard work this morning....and amazingly it worked!
They had great fun raking the leaves, putting the leaves in bags, and puppy piling on the bags to flatten the leaves.
They took turns helping Princess P "help" with her little tykes rake and leaf bag. They took turns making sure Baby Guy didn't escape. He even got in on the leaf pile action, more in the throwing of leaves than gathering them. Some of them got in the bag, really.
By lunch we had four bags of leaves and three bundles of branches/sticks.
Then they enjoyed the beautiful day from inside on the couch, the computer, and the lincoln logs and foam blocks upstairs. No tantrums, no fighting, nobody sick, just enjoying being together. Today was a great day to be a mom.

Kids vote day

Today my boys voted at school: #1 voted for McCain for lower taxes, (Lower taxes for who?) Bob voted for Obama, because, well, he's going to win anyway, (which, fortunately or unfortunately, is probably true.)

Chip voted for blue! "I don't know who he is, but blue is my favorite color!" I wonder how many people are going out tomorrow who are voting for blue or red, as opposed to issues and ideals. I wonder how many people will vote based on the signs in the neighborhood, the sermon from pulpit, or the endorsement from the paper. The thing about democracy is that it only works well with an educated public. I sometimes wonder if we really are educated enough to make these decisions well.

Who am I voting for tomorrow? Well, there are six seats up for grabs here.....I think I'll be a nice shade of purple.

I. am. what? hero!

Tonight was hero night at AWANA. It was a blast, and I got a peek at the perspective of all our kids.

I've been worried about our oldest lately, with the mood swings, attitude shifts, etc, but tonight gave me renewed hope for his heart and future. He chose to be King David, complete w/ foil crown and harp, and a wrapping paper roll sword. He was puzzled and pleased that one of the older boys had picked Shepard David. I took a lot more comfort in this mind synch than the one at Halloween where he was Anakin Skywalker and his best bud was Darth Vader. Man, there was a conversation on choices and how they affect us......

Bob reused his Optimus Prime costume...totally masculine, moving, and well adorable. Hard core on the outside, sweet guy in the middle. It was a great fit.

Chip also recycled his Halloween costume. Although who doesn't want to be a knight in shining armor, or at least rescued by one?

The littles didn't get to participate, except for the pampered princess D, because well, the knight had to rescue someone!

I'm just hoping they realize that in the end there's only ONE hero. Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let freedom ring~

Today was the last game for both soccer and football, and both Mr. M & I sighed in relief. We love our kids. We love the sports they play. We love the discipline and physical activity, teamwork,etc.
We do not love what it does to our schedule.

Yes folks, we now have two nights and Saturday totally free for chores, family fun, or just breathing. And our kids get a break too, before they get burnt out. Chips last words today were, "When is my next football game?"
"In March."
"Why?"
"It's too cold in the winter."
"Aw man, okay."
NOBODY tell him about indoor football, please.

#1 was just happy to have his pizza party, pictures, and medal for a job well done. He finally has realized he CAN be athletic, if he works at it.

So we're glad they did it. But we're also glad we don't have to set an alarm on Saturday morning, that our cold winter days can be spent w/ hot apple cider and books, and our evenings can be toy and bubble filled baths instead of quick showers and straight to bed.
Sometimes it's nice to have the freedom to just be.

How do you have time to blog?

A childless blogger friend of mine asked me this recently. Really, I don't, but just like a quiet time, if it's important enough to me, I'll find time to do it....but there are definitely consequences.

This morning, Princess P is still asleep, and Princess D and Baby Guy are stuffing their faces....so I can be here. Most of the time, t.v., food, and/or naps are involved.

Yesterday's epic took me too long to write that way, so I paid the price. Yes, while I was sitting here pegging away, thinking my kids were watching DragonTales and Word World, Princess P decided she needed a new career in carpet styling, and Princess D was so excited to tell me about it.

"Mom, mom, P got into the hair gel!"

We recently had a "crazy hair night" at AWANA, so we had this monstrously huge $1 bottle of hair gel for the occasion. We had it and the orange hair coloring up on a high shelf for Halloween. Apparently, the shelf wasn't high enough.

Fortunately, it was the slimy, goopy, fun she was after, as opposed to expressing her artisitic side, so the carpet was only slimed, not colored. I blotted up what I could with towels, and am totally open to ideas on how to get the rest of the dried crunchy spot out.

When I went back after lunch to finish the post, I thought all was well. They were eating after all. Uh, no, apparently I left the ground cloves too close to the edge of the counter. My kitchen had a great spicy smell from the floor for the rest of the day. At least I knew how to clean that up!

And so for today, I am out time. The oatmeal is gone. Baby Guy is climbing me, and Princess P is awake.

Our first "project"

Yesterday afternoon, after our ten year old went through the usual routine of throwing his lunchbox, backpack, and coat on the floor, being told they did not belong on the floor, rolling his eyes and moving them,, and begging for food, he had some big news to share.

"Mom, I need to make an election poster!"
"Okaaaay, when is it due?"
"Tomorrow."
"Did you really just find out about this today?"
"Uh-huh."

All rightie then. As soon as Dad gets home from work, we need to go to WalMart. Our previous round of markers is long gone, either as mistaken toddler edibles, caps left off, or as murals next to Princess D's bed. At least they gave him the paper for it.

At Walmart, we found a blinking, light up, patriotic pin, glitter star stickers, markers, and candy.

"Mom, pop rocks! They're so cool! They explode in your mouth."
"UH, yeah. I know."
" How? "
" Well, pop rocks have been around a long time, even when I was a kid."
"Whoaaa. That's some vintage candy then, can I buy some, please?!"

We all know the pop rocks ended up in the cart, along w/ a bag of hersheys bars and twix . I have such a love/hate relationship with Walmart in October.
Rocks popping in his mouth, we run into Price Chopper to get bread and salad to go with dinner, and head home.

After dinner..."weren't we going to carve pumpkins tonight?"
"It's okay. You have to do your poster. We'll do pumpkins on Thursday."
"Oh, it wasn't something I have to do. It was only if we wanted to."
Internally, mom goes "WHAT! We have to eat dad's cooking for something you didn't HAVE to do?!" Externally, responsible parent mode is still in order.
"I don't think so. We've already gone out to buy the stuff, and you said after school you had to do it."
"But MOM."
"The pumpkins will still be here, really. Have you cleared the table?"
Uh-no. So he goes and comes back. "Done"
"Is it clean where you want to make your poster? You don't want to get food on it."
Of course not. A few minutes later, we finally have a clean table.
"Okay, now where's you're rough draft?"
"Huh?"
"Take the skinny markers, and a different piece of paper, and draw a sketch of what you want to write, where you want the stickers,etc."
"I wanna picture of the candidates on there too."
"Okay, I'll go get a magazine w/ their pics while you're working on your rough draft."

Back to Walmart, only to find out they don't carry Newsweek or Time. So we try the QT across the street, no dice. Then back to CVS. Ah, victory. Time has the perfect pics.

I get home, and he's ready. We get the official poster out, along w/ a ruler and pencil. I show him how to center it and make "cheater lines" for writing straight. He does the rest, except for erasing the pencil marks. Mom gets that job. Overall, he did a great job. Dad even got the light on the pin to work. Senators McCain and Obama overlook his slogan " Your vote COUNTS". Great job #1.

Kid snips....

This is not just because all of my kids need haircuts right now, although the girls shouldn't...but their last round I went to the wrong kiddie cutting place. Always, Always, go to the one up North Mom. The difference between North and South is truly a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde type of thing, same name, totally different attitudes. No, it's because I can't string together enough thoughts on the same kid today to make a fun entry, I'm MAD....mom attention deficit. So...

#1) Where is my sweet ten year old, and who is this sleepy, grumpy, indifferent being that's taking over his body? Fortunately, the alien always leaves after a few hours, but it's unpredictable when he'll show up.

#2) The sign on his door cracks me up. Stay out no girl with the picture of the smiling skull. So does his name for his bank, big baseball cute piggy. He's in the golden days of middle childhood. Enjoy.

#3) Football was FREEZING last night. He was crying at the end of practice, but immediately turned off the faucet when the letters QT came into play. There is no problem too big for food .

#4)Princess D is counting down to Halloween. Only 2 more days! She's also discovered the joy of flashlights, and searches out dark places to explore. Now if she'd just explore her closet....

#5)Princess P. She's well, a two year old. Full of vim vigor, and finally adjusting to her new diet. I think we're on day three of not raiding forbidden food, but the apples and corn chips are an entirely different matter. Nothing like reaching into a bag of apples to find a bite taken out of each one.

#6) Baby guy, otherwise known as JAWS. He was in a biting mood yesterday. Shoulders seemed to be especially tasty. Food, not so much. There are reasons I sweep under the dining room table with a broom before I vacuum.

They're all mine....mine...MINE! Whooohahaha. And for the most part, I love it that way.

Whatever floats our boat

Today, after Sunday School we came home to make our boat for "boats 'n floats night" at AWANA.
Our time frame, about an hour.
Our tools. An airbed, rope, brown duct tape, and a black sharpie.
Our bodies. Boys #1,2, & 3....and one perfectionistic neurotic mom.

In the end, we really did end up w/ something that looked like a log raft, from a distance with my glasses off. But hey, for 6, 8, & 10 year old boys it was great!

Come time to load it in the car, we discovered it was too long to fit in the van sideways, and too windy to tie it to the top. So the boys got to ride to church w/ a "raft" resting on their heads.
Mr. M then got the priviledge of wrestling against the wind to get it into the church gym. He won, barely.

Their real reward was a comfy, airfilled seat on the gym floor, popcorn, candy, and a movie.
Not bad pay for an hours work.

On your marks, get set, drive.

That pretty much describes our day tomorrow. We even recruited grandparents to help!
First drive is to the soccer game. I'm so happy it's at 11:45 instead of 8 or 9am. Then we will divide and conquer, one to football, the other home w/ said soccer player to get him ready to go to the new indoor water resort w/ a generous friend! The third car involved in this time will be taking Bob to a swimming party. That's right, it's October, and two of our kids need swimsuits and towels tomorrow.

Somewhere at football we meet up with the grandparents, drive home, eat dinner, and drive to church for a pirate party! The kids are so wired...they've been singing Veggie Pirates sing along karaoke style all morning. Those shots of apple juice are so strong in the morning.

So that's what's up tomorrow, assuming we can get them to sleep tonight.

conferences

Don't parent teacher conferences feel like a grade card for parents? It seems like were doing okay.

Our oldest son is doing well. His abilities are way above grade level for reading and math. He's kind and courteous. He's eager to help. His main flaw is that he reads too much. Instead of participating in class, he'd rather participate in a dragon battle, change bodies w/ someone, or other fun things in books. I think there other more fatal flaws out there.

Next was our kindie's conference. He's fortunate enough to have a teacher who appreciates him for who and what he is. Her main thing is could his homework make it back to school, completed? Mmmm. Sure, as soon as I find the superglue to glue it in his folder and the duct tape to tie him to the chair. She loves how sweet, tenderhearted, and kind he is to everyone. He has no enemies. Overall, about what I expected. Yeah Chip!

Our last conference was our second grader. The teacher thinks he's the brightest kid in the class. She appreciates how funny he is & how he tries to be fair and kind to everyone else. She just wishes he'd be fair and kind to himself. Perfectionism is a terrible burden to bear. We know, but we don't know how to help with that one either. Really, he's pretty well liked and he seems to be getting past all his IEP worthy difficulties in language. Once he settled into the new room and routine, he's taken off well.

All our kids got mostly good checks on their take-home sheets. So I guess, everyone passed.

Princess D and the stuffies

It seems our four year old, princess D, has a new calling....to immerse herself in stuffed animals. Tonight, she's sleeping with "my cow." She and the giant cow are on the floor, because her bed is FULL of the other stuffies the girls share.
During the day today she was lovingly tending her mommy bunny and baby bunny. "Look mom! The baby fits in the mommy's tummy, and comes out her back." Mommy bunny also had a handle because she's a purse.
She has to have them in pairs too, because there's always, always, a mommy and a baby. She was estatic to get mommy elephant in July, because she had "baby elephant" since Christmas. The elephants are her favorite, because they remember everything just like her. I think that's why she's sleeping with the cow tonight. It's lonely. It's okay. Mommy D is here.

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed.

One tackled his sister and they fell fell in giggly glee. Yes, the littles are still here, and a la Harry Potter, they solemnly swear they are up to no good. Sometimes, I wonder if they do have the invisibility cape. The way fruit snacks, pretzels, and juice disappear around here is amazing.

It wouldn't be a big deal either, if Princess P wasn't supposed to be gluten free. But she is. And we still have not reached the point where she's gone 24 hours without raiding something, whether it's a sibling's cereal bowl or scaling the shelves for those pretzels while her brother is nursing. She's not convinced that her owie behind is that big a problem. She's just happy the tummy ache from the milk is gone. She's been dairy free willingly for about a month now, and her mood has improved immensely.

We've tried different solutions already. We store the "safe foods" on a different shelf. We try not to serve forbidden snacks in front of her. We bribe her w/ yummy alternatives, which she eats quite happily. She just wants both!

Why not ban gluten from the house? Well, I have this person around called a husband. He and our oldest son would stage a rebellion. I also have three other kids who are not GF. My grocery budget is already equal to my rent, and I just don't have the funds to double it....and other silly things like that.

So that leaves us with trying to outsmart a two year old. I guess our lack of success says it all. We'll just keep trying. We've almost gone a whole day once, it's just a couple more hours the next one, and the next one.....

Happy birthday #1.

Our oldest son is ten today. He's always been considerate. I went into labor around noon, and he was born at about 5:30 in the afternoon. He was the decoy baby. First babies are always so perfect. They are content, quiet, cheerful. He was such a great baby we had five more.

Fortunately he's grown up to be that way as a kid as well....except for the quiet part.
He's changed lives around him from the get go. When I was not working due to morning sickness with him, I walked to the park. I met Mr. M's first real employer's wife there.
He's drawn his father into coaching soccer, PTA, and other social settings. His full, fast paced schedule made me get more organized. He's recognized at school not just as a team player, but a team builder.

He has great character He's open about his faith w/o pushing others away. He's smart, athletic, and fun to be around. It's not just me. The kids from his school tell me these things too.

My blue eyed blondie has a bright road ahead. Here's hoping we can keep him on it. Happy Birthday baby...(..mo-om.)

weekend wonderland.

I think this weekend was probably the best weekend we've had as a family in a long time. I almost pinched myself because it went so well.

Friday night was soccer practice in the mud at the middle school. Phoebe and Silas found a glorious mud puddle to keep them occupied. They looked like two pigs in a pen. Phoebe was wearing crocs, so her shoes would just hose off later. Silas was wearing Phoebe's old tinkerbell shoes....We bought him his own BOY shoes after that. It was really fun watching him run around in the light-up glitter shoes for a day or two though.

Saturday morning, Mr, M took our oldest to his game, and the rest of us stayed home and watched cartoons and ate junk food. Saturday afternoon we all went to help a friend paint his house. Way too much testosterone in there. I played with the kids in the back yard, and made a snack run w/ the youngest four, who followed instructions and stayed in their strollers in the store. Leaving the store was the weekend's main hiccup, and it wasn't any of THEIR fault.

After we had loaded the groceries, the kids had climbed in the car, and I had started the engine, Princess P yelled "MOMMY!" I looked and she wasn't buckled....so I turned around to fasten her in. The van somehow put itself in reverse, and scraped the paint and mirror off another car. ACCCKK! The poor guy didn't have insurance on the car, and said he'd just glue the mirror back on and not to worry about it. I still got his phone number. He's a pastor at a Missionary Baptist church downtown. I'm pretty sure if he can't afford insurance he can't afford to fix the car either. But still, it was amazing to receive such mercy over such a major screw up. Our van now has some red paint streaking as a memento.

Back to our almost perfect weekend. We get the snacks back, the kids all wait their turns and graciously share with the unrelated child they've been playing with. About the time they start getting bored, Mr. M decides it's time to go.

We go home, eat and realize our toilet is busted. Mr. M graciously provides us with a bucket to flush it with. Sunday is church, lunch w/ grandparents, football, and AWANA. We're not home at all, so the busted toilet doesn't bother us.

Lunch w/ grandparents was at Joe's Crab Shack. It couldn't have gone better. We arrived right when they opened, and set the kids free in the sand and play area. They came in and washed just in time to be fed. We left just in time to miss the disco ball and loud music.

Football was great, other than the mystery of the missing banana, and the mystery of the missing mouth guard. Coach had an extra mouth guard, and no one checks your underwear, so Chip still got to play, and he did what he was supposed to! Grandma and grandpa were there. His team won. It couldn't have been better.

AWANA was crazy hair night. All of our kids had a great time w/ orange hair coloring and gel.

Today it's back to reality. I have a toilet to replace, dishes to catch up, and a floor to find again, but it was a really wonderful weekend.

judgement day, school style

Yes, yesterday was report card day. It's funny how much you learn about your kids on this day, not just from the "report card", but from their attitude about it.

It was Chip's first, and he could have cared less. He's in Kindergarten, I guess that's appropriate.

What's not appropriate was a minus in counting. He can count to 29. How high are they supposed to count the first quarter of kindergarten? Of course, when he counts at home, he bounces as he counts, preferably on a bed. They probably don't allow that at school. He also had an "I" for neatness. Looking at the pile of old bills, drawings, dust,etc. on my computer desk, or the war zone called our family room, I think it's pretty clear where that came from. It's a wonder it wasn't an "N". And of course, the lovely comment of "looking forward to conferences."

Bob is my academic guy. All those S+'s. All those +'s for study and behavior habits. He was in perfectionist kid heaven. But again, that comment, looking forward to conferences. What's that supposed to mean?

Then our oldest....He was really thinking we were just going to hand him a new game for his DS. Then reality sank in. He didn't get straight A's. He hadn't earned his new game. The B+ in language we would have overlooked. But a B in Math, from a competitive mathmetician who placed 2nd in Mathletics?

I think the comments explained this one. "Two areas he can improve on is paying attention in class, and slowing down to improve the quality of his work." Time to review life skill fact #153. "Even if you've done it a million times, you have to do it right THIS time. Much of your adult life will involve repeating tasks you've already mastered, and going to classes for things you already know." Followed by kid eye roll and "can't I have a game anyway?" Nope. No game, but here's your $10...which he promptly lost because he wouldn't stop playing the thing to put it away. I told him, if I find it, I'm keeping it....and also pointed out that if he hadn't lost that, and the $6 he had before, he would have enough money to buy his own game at the resale dealer.

"Really?"
"Really."
"no fair!" And back to his game.
Time for life lesson #25. If you don't take care of your stuff, you just won't have stuff.
and #2, IF you really want something, you'll be willing to work for it...seek and yea shall find.
But he's not receptive to life lessons right now. He's in the middle of a game! No C's. He gets to keep his DS. He's okay with that.

He also got the best comment of all. "I appreciate his respectfulness of others and genuine friendliness." So he got an A+ in the areas that really matter. And truthfully, I couldn't be prouder of any and all of them.

Good morning to you. You live in a zoo.

Mr. M left for work at six this morning. He must have had some psychic premonition about the kids....or he just looked out the window and saw it was raining.

Wednesday mornings are always a challenge. The two older boys get home from scouts around the time they should be going to bed Tuesday nights, but still get to visit with grandparents, take showers, etc. By the time they get to their rooms, it's at least an hour after they should be asleep.
Last night, after they were in bed, as we were finishing up in the kitchen, we heard some clinking noises from upstairs.

"Honey, could you go see who that is? It might be Chip with that late nap he took?"

Nope, #3 was fast asleep. It was our oldest, still awake and trying to stay that way, at 10:30.
At that point, I knew getting him up this morning was going to be fun.

This morning getting everyone out of bed wasn't that bad. It's just baby girl, our kindie, and our oldest were ALL in fine form. To stop the screaming two year old, so my morning headache would cease, I used every parent's favorite bad parenting device. The T.V. Curious George worked wonders for her, but what I gained in noise control, I lost in focus with the older boys,

Eat breakfast at the table. Do you know where your backpack is. Yes you have to wear socks. Take your umbrella with you. I know it's not raining now, but it's supposed to rain all day. Lunch? You want a school lunch today. Where's your lunch? No, trail mix and milk is not a complete meal. Stop whining. You poured the cereal; you eat the cereal. If you don't go to school today, you don't go to practice tonight. Stop watching the t.v. and put on your shoes, find your folder, eat,etc. I'm such a witch in the morning.

Click! They're out the door. Finally. I forgot to make sure our kindie had his library books.
At least they all had backpacks, umbrellas, and wore jackets. And they're together. So hopefully, they'll stay that way.

I wish I could leave at six am every Wednesday.

Are you ready for some flag football?!

Yes! We had practice tonight! Yes it was raining and cold! Yes, my kid was the ONLY one w/ a waterproof jacket. I guess I'm not a tough enough mom. Truthfully, I questioned our sanity in even going until I got there. Then I saw all the other parents were crazy too.

And really, the kids didn't care. They had a great time w/ sanctioned, official, playing in wet grass and mud. What more could twenty five to seven year old boys want? I admit, there were times when it looked more like wrestling than football, but isn't that the fun part?

For the first half of the practice, my son, the clueless defender, tried to maintain a headlock on the offensive player who was, ummm..blocking him. Then he realized he was supposed to get the ball! He then successfully ran the wrong way, to where the ball started as opposed to where the ball was going. After chewing on his mouth guard for a few minutes, spinning in circles, and shoving his hands in and out of his pockets, he finally got a clue. He even got through the offensive line to the ball carrier a couple of times. I was so proud. Then he started running the wrong way again. Ahhh.

Practice was ended 1/2 an hour early due to it being dark, cold, and wet...and the kids being so young. Coach yelled at the parents about dressiing their kids for the weather. I felt bad my little linebacker didn't have a hood. His hair was soaked. He forgave me though. There's nothing a large order of fries and some hot apple cider can't fix. Can't wait for the game this weekend.

Pumpkin time!

I swear pumpkins are October's version of coat hangers. As of today, we have 4 large, one medium, and 4 small pumpkins gracing our home. This Friday, our kindie will be bringing home one from a field trip. Next Saturday, they'll be selling more at the school carnival.

Our kids love pumpkins so much, right now we have a jack-o-lantern tablecloth. Very high class in a preschool kind of way. Our centerpiece, pumpkins of course!

After we've rounded up all the pumpkins, we'll have our annual jack-o-lantern fest. The little kids will either paint or color their pumpkins with markers. The bigger kids will sketch designs for theirs, and "assist" their father in gutting and carving them. I'm sure the event will earn a blog entry of it's own.

Our oldest even had his hair spray-painted pumpkin orange at a local mall's pumpkin fundraiser today. If I ever figure out how to post pictures, I'll post it.

I love pumpkin season. I love baking pumpkin bread. I love eating pumpkin pie. I love seeiing how creative our kids our. I love teaching them that the best lights shine from within. It's truly one of the best times of year for everyone in our home.

Walk this way!....

This is one of those mornings I'm glad to be a part of the PTA. It was walk to school day this morning! We had a nice mini-breakfast set up for the kids, and our Risk Watch person was even considerate enough to have the donuts last in line, so they wouldn't cross contaminate the apples/oranges. A small detail that this mom of allergic kids is very grateful for.

The kids acted like it was Christmas at school! They got to draw on the sidewalk, get free zipper pulls and activity books about safety, and jump from footprint to footprint we had left on the sidewalk.

I had semi-celebrity status as several of the kids recognized me as x's mom or y's mom. All three of my boys had classmates/friends who sought me out like a prize at a treasure hunt. It's always nice to verify your kids have friends at school.

The school officials were all out and smiling. We had an officer speak about pedestrian safety, the nurse about why walking is healthy, an official from the city sanctioning our official "holiday."

All in all, the morning couldn't have gone better. Hopefully the rest of the day follows suit.

The pitter patter

of raindrops is truly a peaceful thing. On rainy days, around here, you'll find at least one toddler/preschooler at a window, absolutely mesmerized. It's better than t.v.

The air of calm extends everywhere. Those who can sleep in a bit longer. The girls play house in their room so they can watch out their windows. Baby guy is just a tad snugglier. The big kids will settle into chairs w/ homework and books after school...without the "I wanna be outside" restlessness.

Sports practices get canceled, so the evening continues the calm. We get caught up on folding laundry, doing dishes, and talking to each other. By the end of the day, everyone is tired....and hoping for sun the next morning, so we can all go out and play in the mud.

sick kid week

Sick kid week is coming to a close...I hope. Five of our six children have had the fever-headache thing. To me, it's just a reminder I'm no Florence Nightingale.

"Mom, I don't want cereal for be'kfast. I want waffles."
"Well, you know where the freezer and the toaster are."
"Hmph."

"Can we watch tv?"
Yeah, just keep it on PBS or noggin...
"But I'm sick. Why can't I watch Boomerang?"
Because Boomerang gives ME a headache.

Then there's my "good mommy moments" when I'm holding the sick child...and the sick child is gloating to her baby brother who is protesting below. I just want to put them both in bed.

Yet there's something kinda sweet about a sick kid, especially the older ones. It's nice to know they still need us once in a while. Also, hard times, like illness, give us a chance to see people's real character....and my kids really are doing okay. It's me that needs the work.

In the still, of the night......

another night of radio in my head. But I really do love the still of the night. I love watching my family sleep. I love having an hour or so of quiet time before I crash. I love having time just to listen.

Tonight, that stillness was earned, because our three youngest children were all sick today. I think baby guy is about over it, but the girls are just going down. Poor babies. I wish I could hold them all at the same time. Nonetheless, one sick kid is the work of three healthy ones, especially when they're little, so three made today a survival day. Really, it was okay. That's what cable and V8 fusion are for. Mr. M, my hero, even came home early from work to help manage things, and let me take a nap since I woke up feeling not quite so great myself.

But all that is past now. It's just me and the crickets. It's amazing how peaceful and content I am, given the swirls of change around us. But that's only because it is the still of the night.

Acts Chapter 5

This week at Bible Study, our section was Acts Ch. 5. Most of the ladies were freaked by the instant death thing. My focal point was not idiot and his wife though, it was how the apostles counted their lashing as JOY> to share in the Lord's suffering.

I'd had a pretty down day. I had to go the bank w four small kids, pay rent w/ four small kids, and take care of a sick 16mo old all day. Princess P ran laps around the bank lobby. Princess D spent the day trying to get lil sis in trouble. Chip was still bouncing that balloon, when he was supposed to be writing the letters J & K. The older kids didn't want to do their chores, or their homework. I had plenty of whine and cheese today, and finished Mr. M's reeces.

Then I go to study, grumbly, spent, don't wanna be in church attitude and all, and read how the disciples counted it joy to have bleeding backs and still be able to walk away after the lash.

Talk about conviction. I have a house to clean. I have food to prepare. Baby guy was home with me, not in the hospital. My older kids don't mouth off and generally do what they're told. My girls usually are rays of sunshine. Chip's a whole rainbow, light bouncing off everywhere.
The pastors wife told me how great my oldest son was, that he was patient, respectful, and compliant. Talk about a warm fuzz. I prayed with my favorite prayer partner.

I really have nothing to complain about...so with a chastened, content spirit, I'm finally ready for bed. Thank you Acts Ch 5.

One shaken bottle of soda w/ mentos uncorked.....

That's what it's like to have a freshly recovered, rested, six year old boy stuck at home for the day, because his fever broke at 6pm instead of 6am the day before. Fortunately for me, he had a new toy to play with. Unfortunately for me, it's one of those bopper balloons.

First, early this morning, "Mom, will you blow this up for me, pleeeaaase?"

Snort, grunt.....after your brothers leave for school okay? That bought me half an hour!

Then as the fading backpacks turn the corner, "NOW?!"

Allright. So I get to spend 15 minutes huffing and puffing, and blowing the hot air in. Then I tied the end. Then the "bop.bop,bop" began...

Look mom! I'm good at this!"

"Sure are honey." So he bopped his way through the entire morning...Princess D was indignant he wouldn't share at first, but then wrapped herself up in colored pencils and a notebook.

Now we've had dinner, dh is waiting to work on the puter. And the bop, bop, bop, that has beein going all day long has just entered the room. Good luck honey.

I'm not the only one!

Today, our almost ten year old ran home yelling "Mom! Mom! I'm not the only one!"

Okay, honey...as I ushered him in the door. Not the only one that what?

Still huffing, with a big smile he says, "I'm not the only one who wears deodorant." What a relief for him to know he's not the only one that's starting to REALLY grow up.

Last weekend I had pulled him aside, and granted him a pump of clearasil face wash to help fend off the couple of pimples that were appearing on his face. At the same time, I pulled out the unscented stuff and instructed him on washing his face and under his arms daily when he was brushing his teeth.

"MO-om."

"Please, for me?"

"K"

Then today it was all better, because he knew he wasn't alone. I'm glad he's not the only one.

Monday, Monday.....

It'll be all right. Remember that old song? So far, my Monday has been all right. True, my overactive Kindie is home sick from school, but he's being pleasant and calm. The calm part is the proof that he's sick.

The girls are sharing colored pencils and drawing.

Baby guy is banging on the bottom of a pail.

I'm sitting here, wondering how long all this peace is going to last...and then remembering I do have a house to clean.

That's all right. Happy that there's nothing more major today.

Sunday, a day of rest?

I'm not really sure any day is a day of rest in our lovely household of eight, but today was especially fun. Sundays are always fun, because we have to get our kids in church worthy clothes and to Sunday School by 9:15. They wake us up to go, so we assume it's important to them. They just don't understand why they can't wear stuff w/ holes in it, shorts, or pajamas. A couple of them don't understand why they have to wear clothes at all! That said, we usually manage to be leaving the house by 9:15, so all they miss is music time. I'm still trying to decide if that's really accidental.

This morning was especially challenging, because in addition to the usual greased pig wrestling match w/ Princess P and baby Guy, we had to have all of Chip's football stuff ready to go, and all the kids stuff for AWANA in the car because there would be no time between church and church for anything except football. It seems football has overtaken our life. In the end, we left at 9:30ish, and knew that after church we'd have to buy Chip a new banana, because, well we couldn't find the underwear for his old one. (Yes, the cup part really does look like a banana in his size. It's even yellow.)

So engrossed were we in finding the necessary equipment, we forgot to pack food for a meal. So all I had in the car was a bag of apples, a bag of chips, and a bag of pretzels, some bottled water, and some gatorade. It was an allergic parents nightmare when we had to get lunch after church...on the way to the game, in a drive thru. Princess P's food panel just came in, and like Bob it turned out she can't have gluten or dairy, but the kicker is she can't have soy or beef either....so we had to find a drive thru, w grilled chicken w/o soy sauce or other "added" flavorings. Thankfully, there was such a drive thru in the same parking lot as where we had to buy the banana! The day was saved!......(but our budget was not.)

After lunch, we raced to get to the football field before the 1pm picture time, (yes this was after a church service that got out at noon, and a half hour + drive from there ta boot.) I took the younger kids to the playground so baby guy could fall off some equipment while Princess P stole his drink and Bob ran back and forth for things he "forgot" out of the van. At least Princess D had fun playing.

Then I herded the two babes into our 1.5 stroller, and headed to the game. The photographer didn't show! The kids were fine having some "team building" exercises, but the parents were a tad upset for being there over an hour early for pretty much nil. We all pulled together to watch the game, and our team won! So at least it ended on + note. Except our day hadn't ended.....

Back to church for "teen parenting" class, otherwise known as 12 steps to a sane parent. I hope our kids come through okay. We just enrolled as a "prep course", but now are wondering if we should have just kept the blinders on until the ride started....

Then AWANA. I run the store and tonight was our first store night. We just had a major adjustment in pricing, and everyone is still figuring it out! But all in all, no great comedic moments there, and for that I'm grateful.

We're finally home, kids are snacked, and we survived. Now I can finally rest.

Being grateful in all situations

Today, I ran out of gas...on a four lane divided road next to a six+ lane highway. Yet, there was so much to be grateful for in that half an hour.

I am grateful I didn't get in a wreck. The traffic in that part of town is always busy, and this was right around lunch!

I am grateful I was able to get off the road, into a parking lot....(sort of. I lost my power steering as I was turning in, and stopped by the curb for outgoing cars.)

I am grateful I was stopped by a curb, rather than a car, tree, or building.

I am grateful my dh was working from home today!

I am grateful baby guy was asleep while we waited 30+ minutes for help to arrive.

I am grateful my girls were both in good moods, having just come from THE salon...so they each had a new toy to play with.

What I'm also grateful for, is that we don't live in that area. I was stuck for over half an hour, and many people honked, glared,etc....and only one checked to see if help was on the way and offered an encouraging word. There are at least three churches within a mile of where I was stranded. It's sad when no one has time to be salt or light.

I'm grateful to know that in my own neighborhood, I could look in any direction and someone would be stepping out to help a stranger in a bind.

I'm grateful for the people in my church, who I could have counted on if Mr. M hadn't been home. I'm grateful that we have been guided to a community that loves each other, the unsaved, and Christ.

I'm grateful, that all things in this life are temporary....and that my eternity still lies ahead.

Preschool Principles

If you are in the kitchen, I'm hungry.

If you are cleaning/have just cleaned a room, I must play there NOW.

and the corollary that if you've just put something up, I must get it out.

There is no better time to play in the mud than right after a bath.

The best place to use the bathroom is anywhere but home.

The baby's nap time is the best time to demand endless attention and want to play noisy games.

I want whatever we're out of for lunch, nothing else.

I have to do it myself! (Even if I can't quite yet.)

The best time for a hug/story is when you're holding someone else.

Okay, really, anytime is great for a hug, story, kiss....except bedtime. Cause I can't go to bed unless all that happens first!

I LOVE you mom, no matter what.

(Yeah, I love you guys too.)

Monday Madness

I have survived another Monday. With it came many victories! From Bob not flipping out over a sub at school, to Chips successfully tacking a kid twice his size at football, it was a good big kid day. Our oldest told me about the mathletics practice tomorrow, did his homework, and paid attention at soccer practice. The school age kids had a great day.

The not-quite so big kids did not have it go over as well. Princess P decided she needed to alternate between being a ghost and a mummy all day. Her little pink princess coverlet went with us to the park, to the school, to the dinner table.....pretty much anywhere but bed. She would hide under it to try and sneak into places she didn't belong, like her 4th grade brother's hall at school. She would wrap herself up in it and demand to be carried papoose style, by me, while I was trying to push an umbrella stroller w/ a 40lb 4 yo. She'd look at me through her sheepdog bangs and plead to be held. How could I resist?

Why was the 40lb 4 year old in a stroller in the first place? Well, she kind of touched something she wasn't supposed to while horsing around w/ her sister. Between the two of them, they somehow knocked a brass sculpture down on top of her foot. She had a swollen, bruised ankle that demanded ibuprofen and ice for a couple of hours in the afternoon, but had recovered enough for her to be a table dancer at soccer practice in the evening.

All this action w/ carrying the 2yo and having the 4yo get carriage service left baby guy as a free agent! Woo-hoo. He was excited. He got to PUSH the stroller instead of riding in it. That was definitely a site to see. He wasn't too crazy about Princess P's attention demands the rest of the day though. He especially enjoyed wedging himself between us when I was trying to change her pull ups.

So I guess that's how Monday madness goes. Mom has a comedy of errors, and the kids all end up happy at the park. Now if I can just get the boys to sleep!

Party on,...with unicorns!

Well, we survived pager week and the two birthday party + a football game weekend. All and all it went well. I really wish our kids had video cameras attached their foreheads, so I could see everything as they do, while they're doing it.

Princess D got to spend the night at her grandparents castle, chase butterflies, and attended a skating party for a friend's 4th birthday party. It was her first official party, and due to dh's company picnic, we could not take her. She met up with us at Chip's football game, with a new purple unicorn in hand. She had "traded" the popcorn she's allergic to that was in treat bag for it, so she got a "corn" too...Ha ha ha.

Our Marathon day started with a trip to an Indian Mission for scouts at 9:30. Martin took the three amigos, I drove through McD's for an emergency caffeine stash for us adults. Baby guy thanked us by having an exploding diaper, which I had napkins and a water bottle to clean up. I found the "car wipes" after he was changed, of course.

Back at the mission, I took the toddlers on the "fall experience" point and smile tour. See the leaves falling? See the squirrel? Absolutely riveting entertainment, at least from the toddler point of view.

After we lassoed the kids back in the car, it was lunch for the allergics, and off to the zoo for the company picnic! Well, okay...it was off the the zoo's discovery tree, farm animals, and outdoor playground. Probably the highlight of everyone's day was Mr. M chasing the kids on the playground. Mr. M waved and smiled at a few of his coworkers and then it was time to go to football.

That's where our whole family united, and our poor little line-man lost his game on the last play....but nothing keeps him down long. His sissie was home, there was a treat bag to steal! She didn't care. Princess D had her uniCORN!

And that was just yesterday. Today is a whole different adventure.

Birthday Month

It seems like September is birthday month. Between last weekend and this weekend, my kids are invited to three birthday parties, and Chip just had his birthday play date on Monday.

Birthday play date? Yeah, I'm not into the rent a hall, stuff kids with sugar and send them home w/ stuff to clog mom's vacuum scene. Been there, done that. Our first birthday party was a gymnastics party for our oldest when he turned five. It took great pictures, but the stress to enjoyment level just wasn't worth it to us. He got to do cool things, but he didn't really get to interact with his friends that much...and there was just too much "stuff" involved, both in getting it together and in what he took home.

His next brother down we tried birthday at the park! We had some planned games and food. It was a small gathering and lot of fun, w/o the huge outlay of money or the loot fest that takes kids focus off what's really important, their friends. So that's when we found what we were in to.

As is so true in every area, Chip is #3, and his party is a year late, and it's planning stepped down yet another notch. So we didn't have cake and games. We met at BK and the moms talked and the kids played. Everyone STILL had a great time. He's still talking about it now, three days later.


Not that anything is wrong w/ the "production" parties. We have skating and swimming parties coming up this weekend. Both kids involved are wild with anticipation. They'll come home and say, "can we?" Can we?"

And I'll say, maybe next year.

Tonight I get to be McMom. It's kind of ironic I drew this job from the PTA list because well, three of my kids can't eat at the Mc place due to celiac disease and food allergies. This is clearly an example of sacrificing the individual for the benefit of the community.

Why am I doing this? Well, I'm a stay at home mom, so I can be somewhere at 4pm, when normal people are just getting off work. My dh has flextime, so he can be home early to stay with the allergic kids. I love my kids school, and I love the 10% of sales they get from the Mcplace just for hosting these things and sending out a few fliers.

It also drives home to my kids the idea that we are a part of a larger community. That sometimes we do things that aren't necessarily about us, or even the best thing for us as individuals, because it is the best thing for our group as a whole. That's a hard lesson to drive home. Even adults have a tough time with it.

Most importantly, every time we volunteer for our kids school, club, den, it lets them know we care what happens to them, and want to be involved with them. We don't have to lead. Not everyone is a leader. We just have to be there.

That's enough reasons for me to be McMom tonight.

Happy birthday, little musketeer!

Today, in about 3 hours, is when our third son was born six years ago! With his birth the world gained an eternal optimist with unending energy. My friends would be telling me to relax. How can you relax when you can't even sit down for three years?

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's danger baby!

Yes, this was the guy who scaled the baby gate at 18 mo, pushed a chair to the stove, put a pot on it w/ a bunch of wooden utensils in it, then turned on the burner.

This was the three year old who climbed out the window of his sister's room, jumped from the ledge to the "low" roof, NAKED, right before his dad came home from work....in November.

His older brothers, Mr. Compliant and Mr. Rule Follower, didn't really know what to do with danger baby at first....then they realized that all the trouble they got into should be his fault.
It was almost as good as "not me." Eventually, they realized that he really did have most of the "cool" ideas, and so they became friends. Nothing like three boys in just under four years to keep a mom on her toes!

It's been messy. It's been hectic. It's been hair raising at times, but the third musketeer brought some much needed adventure to us all, along with the lesson that everything really does turn out okay, most of the time. He knows there's almost nothing that a smile and a hug can't fix.

He's now six. He's grown up a bit. He'll always be adventurous and bold. It's just now he has better outlets for it, like flag football and car races. Hopefully, he'll always be happy too. He thinks he'll be.

Mail Time~

I wish I could be excited as my kids about mail. Our mail lady usually comes around 10:30. Today she came at 2:00. My youngest four children were leaping in the air and zooming around the room.

"Mom! Mom! The mail is here! The mail is here!"

From my adult perspective, that's like saying " The British are coming! The British are coming!" Sure there's the occasional "goodie", like a letter from grandma or a gift card from a nearby business...but overall, mail for adults usually means spending money.

To a kid, it means something new! My 2yo carries around the junk mail cell phone flier like it's goild. My four and five year old children look through every advertisement like a treasure map.

Today, our four year old daughter hit pay dirt....a birthday invitation! Her first!
"Oh mom! It's from my princess friend, at church!"
Well, it's a skating party.....for four year olds? Should be humorous, at least.
She doesn't care. It's a party, and she's invited and her brothers aren't. For once, she's not a tag along. That's the real prize...and it came in the mail.

The destructive duo

The destructive duo are having a dynamic day. They have emptied out diaper creme, dish soap, baking soda and salt today. They have disassembled my entire canned tomato shelf. They have climbed on the end table next to the entertainment center to play frisbee w/ the DVD's. In some ways, it's been a very frustrating day.

In other ways, it's been a lot of fun. Cans make great blocks. Kosher salt makes a fun sand substitute. And at least they were cleaning when they were playing the soap.

They've learned some important skills too. They took turns with the cans. They shared the soap bottle. They practiced balancing and climbing. The sharpie did not end up on the walls or carpet. Princess P has acquired the coordination to keep it on her skin.

Now if I could just acquire the time and patience to keep up with them, and get it all cleaned up!
I guess we all have something to learn.

Two syllables that strike fear in every parents heart..

Uh-Oh.

Whether followed by the impish grin of a toddler, or the ummom of an older child, we all know that uh-oh means trouble.

Sometimes it's just a clean up job, like the two year old who decided to wash herself in the bathroom sink with an entire warehouse club sized bottle of shampoo. Those are the moments you'd want to take a picture of.....if you still had a camera. The camera in the toilet was an uh-oh of an entirely different level.

It was more on par w/ the toothpaste in the charger of the cell phone. The phone still works. We just switch batteries to charge it.

But those little kid uh-ohs aren't anything compared to what happens when they get older.

After toilets and toothpaste come markers and scissors. Some kids give themselves sharpie art "tattoos." Almost all kids color murals on the walls. Some kids cut their hair. Other kids cut their dolls hair. A few, especially creative kids make snowflakes out of their bedsheets. Uh-Oh.

The middle childhood uh-ohs are more forgotten projects, homework w/ food spilled on it, younger siblings in the backpack & missing library books. Now our oldest is approaching the tween and teen years, I'm wondering what uh-ohs lie ahead. Will they still be fixed with a hug, a smile, and maybe a trip to Wal-mart or Lowes? I certainly hope so, but fear it won't be.

As a mom, am I really prepared for what lies ahead? Where the minor uh-ohs are still minor, a bad haircut or a forgotten chore. It's the majors that are intimidating. Instead of a camera, it's a car. But uh-ohs are still mostly about things. So hopefully God will give me the grace to remember an uh-oh is an opportunity to learn. To have a positive attitude about mistakes, about consequences, and about moving on. That uh-ohs are opportunities to encourage our kids to grow, accept responsibility, and live in grace.

Now I hear mom! It's time for me to go. I just hope the next to syllables aren't uh-oh.

Babies are drugs.

My name is mama M and I am a babyholic. I have had a baby in the house for the last ten years. Now our last baby is sixteen moths old and I'm not pg again, it's dawned on me that this is probably it until grandkids.

Baby Guy isn't stopping any clocks for me either. Sure he still considers me his own personal 24 hour buffet, but he's started choosing other things first sometimes. I'm nothing compared to some applesauce or diced peaches. He likes to be held when he's tired, but loves to run after a ball. He still likes to nap in my bed, but sleeps in a toddler bed at night. He even has teeth and can use a few words, like mom and juice.and NO. Another six months, and the only baby thing left will be diapers.

Another year or two, then it's preschool or parents day out. Then, for the first time in over a decade, it will just be me and an empty house. The first day will be liberating. I'll go to the grocery store, alone, before the kids are in bed. Maybe I'll do something exotic like go to a bookstore or have lunch with a friend. The second day I'll clean like a madwoman thinking, finally! I can get caught up! The third day I'll be crying, just wishing someone would color on a wall...or take apart the pan cabinet...or need me somehow.

Yet inside I'll know they all still need me, to sign their homework, take them to practice, watch their concerts and games, and assure them all of what great people they're becoming. They'll need me to volunteer in the school, the church, and elsewhere to show them how to be a giving member of the community. They'll need me to listen to them, as they learn how to make decisions & figure out who they are. They'll need me to start following my own path again, to show them I trust them to find theirs. They'll need me as their counselor and friend...hopefully for a long time.

And then they'll have babies of their own. If I'm lucky, they'll share.

I just had my best birthday, ever.

I didn't get lots of presents. The only material gift I received was from my mom. My cake and ice cream was generic swiss roles and gallon tub vanilla in front of a t.v. after the kids had gone to bed. We didn't do any special activity, just for me. Didn't matter. It's still number one.

My kids went the whole morning without an argument or complaint. The bigger kids got the littler ones breakfast so Dad & I could just hang out together a little longer. They kept the t.v. on approved preschool aged programming without being asked. They went on a couple of last minute errands before lunch without begging to eat out. It was great.

Right after lunch, our oldest had a soccer game in breezy, rainy weather...that his team lost. Yet the whole team remained positive, pointing out to each other how they had improved. My son helped bring the equipment up the hill without being asked. He was focused during the game and smiling afterwards. My in laws came to watch, and stayed! It was a great way to start the afternoon.

As soon as we were loaded up from that game, we had to hustle across town to our third son's first flag football game. It was raining more, and colder. The kids had forgotten their coats. There wasn't much room to play. Yet G'ma and G'pa stayed, and the kids alternated between watching and playing, and still no one complained. They were just happy their brothers team won! It was his first team game ever, and he cooperated every inch of the way.

After that, it was time for dinner! So we went to our favorite kids eat free on Saturday place. Everyone drank water, and no one complained. Everyone stayed at the table, and our family had a fun, relaxed meal together that I didn't have to cook! It was great.

Then we came home, and the kids showered, storied, and went to bed....with Dad supervising while I hit our favorite one dollar movie place. I got to watch a chick flick eating ice cream and swiss rolls, alone on the couch....and now it's quiet.

I've gotten to see how my kids are growing in character in great ways. That, truly made this the best birthday ever.