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.