Sure, I have my mommy act together...sort of.

For a while this afternoon, I really felt like I had my act together. The dining room and living areas had been vacuumed. The dishwasher was running. Chip was making a snake puppet and the girls were playing together. Si was munching on miniwheats.

Then I thought..."miniwheats? That's strange. I thought he had dumped those out under the table...." Sure enough, he was eating them out of the dustpan. So much for having it together.
Strike one.

And then the big boys got home from school.
"Mom, what's for snack?"
"I don't know. What do you want?"
"What do we have?"
"Whatever you can find."
Strike two in the perfect mommy game. No freshly baked goodies today.

And now, I'm here....and they're watching Scooby Doo, before doing their homework. I guess I'm out in the perfect mom contest.

But this morning my older daughter climbed on my lap.
"Mommy, I have a present for you?"
"You do? What is it?"
She kisses me on the cheek and snuggles up close. "I love you mommy."
"Thank you. That's a wonderful present."
I guess I just hit a home run.

It's Thursday!!!

And it's still rain-ing. So what do the babies want to do? Play in the tub. And that's fine by me. Poor Mr. M had quite a morning without me. Broken eggs in the fridge. The smell of nail polish as I walk in the door. Spaghetti all over the table. Husband oblivious at the computer. When it gets to be too much, just block it out. I walked in. He changed and left for the office. There are some days where he just can't believe what I do in a day. I told him "good luck."
He replied, "You're the one that's going to need it."

I don't know about that. I almost have the table cleared. The younger two are playing together in the tub. I hear them splashing quite merrily.
The older two are watching their newest Veggietales DVD.
Bob is safely back at school after the trip to the dentist. Word from the ped yesterday is that his vertigo is just a side effect of his allergies.
I think things are going to be okay.

Mr. M plays basketball tonight. He'll be okay too.

Sometimes I wish life had a rewind button.

Some mornings just do not start well. Today is one of those, and really, I'm ready for the whole day to be over, and to start fresh tomorrow. The boys were all out of sorts before school. From needing notes and book fair money, to oversleeping and being grouchy, to being out of ham for lunch, to not being able to find shoes, today just did not start on the right foot.
One kid has a doctor's appointment for vertigo at 9:45. Mr. M usually rescues me from taking siblings to these types of things, but today he has a meeting at 10, so he can't. I'm not sure what I'm worried about more. The child probably is just having some complications from his allergies, but there's an outside chance of much nastier things....or the idea of keeping the youngest three goats under control, or not getting out in time to pick up Chip from kindergarten.

Some people say God doesn't give us more than we can handle. I disagree. I think he intentionally gives us more than we can handle so that we learn to depend on him. Please pray for us today.

There are reasons humans and goat both have "kids."

Mine have been in fine form the last few days. Princess P, who is supposed to be on a restricted diet, has become a pudding, bread, cheese burglar....And when she does eat what she's supposed to, it's almost never where she's supposed to. Todays examples include popcorn smashed into the front living room carpet & canadian bacon with ketchup on her bed. Really, I don't want to be dealing w/ red stains on her bed for about another decade.
Si Guy is almost as bad. He has figured out how to climb, well, practically scale the walls...probably courtesy of Chip who really does climb the doorways. He can dump out a laundry basket, flip it over, and haul it to the kitchen to raid cereal, chips,etc. in a blink of an eye...or at least in less time than it takes me to clean up his previous mess. He adores juice and chocolate milk, and hates water, and if I won't give him soda that's fine. He'll just steal mine.
These are all things that are so funny when its someone elses child who's doing them....but drive you crazy when your own act that way. I can't wait until I have grandkids to give fingerpaints and musical instruments to.

If I was....

If I was a 22 month old monkey, where would I hide the battery to my mom's cell phone?
If I was three, what could convince me that new underwear is better than princess pull ups?
If I was four, (almost five!), how could I learn to feel safe and comfy enough in my own skin that I could quit sucking my fingers? (Because I really don't want braces!)
If I was six, how can I learn to take care of my things?! (Or at least remember where I put them?)
If I was eight, (almost nine!), how could I learn to enjoy who I am without worrying about what my friends would think? (and maybe realizing that friends who can't accept who you are might not really be friends.)
If I was ten, how could I learn to balance my life and take responsibility for my own choices? (and maybe, care a little more about how what I do now affects my health later?)

Sometimes, trying to put myself in my kids shoes leads to an ah-ha! moment. A lot of times, it just confuses me more. I pray every day to make a small impact on my children for their long-term good, and to find humor in frustration, peace in anger, and other emotional paradoxes. Most days I have a moderate amount of success. Some days I wonder why children have to act so much like children, but for the most part, I'd rather be around them than adults.

What if I was 22 and getting married again? Is there anything I would change?
No. Not really. I've been blessed.

Baby guy is growing up, and so are the rest of them

whose moniker will be Si Guy from here on out. He's almost two, and really, as much as I hate to admit it, not much of a baby anymore besides the diapers.

This morning I was appreciating how easily young toddlers can be entertained. Si climbed in the tub and "asked" for a bath this morning. He threw all the toys out of the tub and played with the soap. When he wanted out he just stands up and holds out his arms, just knowing I'll always be there to pick him up. My older kids know I'm there for them too, although my hundred pound ten year old doesn't expect me to pick him up anymore...

But back to Si this morning. After drying off in a soft, snuggly, towel, and having a giggle fest it was time to get dressed. Lately he's taken to wearing his brother's shirts. They go down his knees, so it looks kind of like a dress, w/ jeans or sweats peeking out from underneath. He thinks that if he wears their clothes he must be "big" like them.

Now he's sitting on the living room floor w/ the girls, and they are all asking to draw, so I guess it's time to go on to the next adventure. Have a wonderful day!

Mud wrestling anyone?

This afternoon we will be slip-sliding away. Chip has a football game at 3. Our oldest has a soccer game at 2:15 . So we'll be dividing and conquering the mud puddles along the way. The younger kids are excited to get outside. Princess D is also excited that her game wasn't cancelled. It's at 5:20. If it was a sunny day a picnic dinner would have been in order.
Thanks to the invention of "mock crocs" I'm not stressed at all. This time of year I am so thankful for shoes that can be cleaned with a hose and dried with a towel. Kids wash. Their clothes wash. It's going to be a great day.
I understand being fascinated with mud. If I had unlimited time and income, we would have an art studio in our home, complete w/ clay tools and maybe even a pottery wheel. The kids are just getting an early start on their etching skills, using sticks, stones, & fingers. They're learning about stamping and impressions with their shoes. They love the cool damp squishiness between their fingers and toes and the clean smell of the earth after the rain....and so do I.
It's going to be a wonderful day.

Things I love about my kids

How funny they are tops the list. Whether it's on purpose by acting silly or telling jokes, or accidentally through kidisms like picking flowers to plant and watering plants during the rain, I love the humor my kids bring into my life.

Their sincerity. Even if they are sincerely wrong, even our oldest hasn't learned yet how to be artificial. Yes the "it's mine because I want it" of toddlerism can get tiring, but as they get older and gain understanding and empathy that fades away.

Their expectations. My kids expect ME to do the right thing, and are quick to call me on it if I don't. I hate disappointing them, so it helps me rise to be a better person.

Their love for everyone and everything. I am grateful that my children are all kind, empathetic people. They care about not only their family, but their friends...and consider everyone to be their friend until proven otherwise.

Their imaginations. Any of my kids can take me on a journey I never would have dreamed of in a moment.

Just being them. Each one of them is a gift from God and an expression of my husband & I's unity in spirit, being, and purpose. It is enough.

Some days just start off on the wrong foot.

Something about waking up with a diaper over my face just warns me about a morning to come. Si guy woke up bright eyed, bushy tailed, and full of mischief. I have definitely gotten my morning workout already because he has graciously found everything I left out from baking last night.
The medium sized boys just did not want to get with the program this morning. Bob overslept, couldn't find his lunch box, and refused to put on clean clothes until ten minutes before it was time to leave. Chip wanted to go to school in his boxer briefs. Pants are stupid. Our oldest was crowing about how HE was ready early...but had he brushed his teeth?
The girls were also in fine form. Princess P decided to have a picnic for breakfast....in Princess D's bed. While changing the sheet, I noticed that Princess D had been practicing her scissor skills...and using her pillow to cover up the evidence. She soon realized your sin WILL find you out.
Yet despite all the chaos, I really wouldn't change my life or my kids for the world. The boys did get to school, on time and together, laughing on the way. The girls are now playing with their Littlest Pet Shop toys and stuffed animals, including a fascinated Si Guy on the fringe.
I finally have my diet soda.
Life is good.

There goes Peter Cottontail....

Leaving the Easter carnage trail. I spent my morning today in Easter recovery mode. All the colorful foil, eggshells, and plastic needed to be off my living room floor.

Easter is far and away the messiest holiday in our house. We celebrate our risen Lord with style! We have colored eggs, new Bibles/devotionals, and candy for breakfast. We watch "The Easter Carol" Veggietale. We review why Holy Week is important, how the crucifixion and the resurrection are THE core of our faith. We have an Easter egg hunt. Next year I'm going to "hide the word" in some of those eggs! (I hate it when my great inspiration comes the day after a holiday.)

If the weather is nice, we draw with rainbow colored sidewalk chalk and blow bubbles.

Where are the dresses? What about the service?
Well, in years past, when we had only a few children, we would get up for a candlelight sunrise service, but right now our church doesn't have one....so we just don't go. Easter is meant to be outdoors whenever possible. How can you see the "Son-rise" from the sanctuary? Besides, we are the church. I rather enjoy our "family Easter service" at home. It's not that I don't think church is important. We do. We're there most Sunday's throughout the year. It's just Easter is special. We enjoy our quiet communion with the Son, in the sun.

Kids and prayer

I recently received an e-mail from my mom, asking my take on "teaching kids to pray." I've mulled over the topic the last couple of days, looking back at how we do things. I even quizzed our oldest two boys in the van yesterday.

"Guys, have Dad and I ever really tried to teach you how to pray?"
"Nope."

"Do you pray?"
"Yes."

"How do you pray?"
"By myself, in my head mostly."
"I write letters to God in my head." (I LOVED this answer. I'm sure they're delivered by angelic expressions air mail service.)

When do you pray?
"At bed time and at church?"
"At recess, and at bed time."

When can you pray?
"Anytime. Anywhere."
"Yeah."

So they know the basics, and they are both comfortable praying & talking about prayer. How did they learn them?

Example certainly doesn't hurt anything. They've seen a lot of prayer, over lots of things. Yes we pray about the big stuff, but I pray a lot about the day to day stuff too. Sometimes I pray out loud when I can't find shoes, keys, or a parking place. I sing praise songs in the car. Their father sometimes bows his head quietly before one of their games. We pray at dinner. Sometimes I lay a hand on them and pray for them after they’ve gone to bed.

Really though, I think the main reason they're growing in prayer is because we have always presented faith as a relationship. (We've offered to help with the introductions.) When you have a relationship with someone you want to talk to them. And essentially, that's all prayer is, is talking to God. It never made sense to us to try and teach "public" prayer before they understood "private prayer." Jesus warned against "empty words."He wants everything we do for Him to come from the heart. Meaningful prayer is personal. It takes maturity and courage to share it.

That's not to say we just leave our kids alone in a closet without a flashlight. We make sure they have the tools they need. There are a few scriptural principles that we've taught them which helped prayer become a natural part of their lives. After all, "the word of the Lord, will not return in void." (Isaiah 55:11. That chapter gives some powerful examples of why we should go before the Lord in prayer in other places too.)

"God knows us better than we know ourselves" (Psalms 139:1,5-6.) Knowing this truth makes it easier to be obedient in confession. Nothing takes God by surprise.

"God wants what's best for us." (Jeremiah 29:11 of course, and Romans 8. All of it.) It's a lot easier to trust someone when you know they're not out to "get you." It makes it easier to accept God's answer when it's not what we want to hear. It makes praying for their friends relevant. After all, God wants what's best for them too “Do all things as unto the Lord.” (Col. 3:17,23) Praying for God to reveal his will in our lives is important.

"Dwell on the good stuff." (Philipians 4:7-9) It really helps with the prayer cornerstone below.

"Have a gratitude attitude." (1 Thess. 5:18) Thanksgiving is a huge part of prayer. Sometimes we even play a gratitude game at the dinner table, where everyone lists things they're thankful for. According to my search on Bible Gateway, the words give and thanks are put together 85 times in the Bible. I really believe that gratitude is the cornerstone block of a good prayer life. Just look at the Lord’s Prayer. Most of it is acknowledging the greatness of God. It begins by stating our relationship with him. The next stanza acknowledges his holiness.The next one is about how his will is the best, and wishing it to be enforced here as it is in heaven.

Matthew Chapter 6 says a lot about prayer, besides the wonderful example provided by the Lord’s prayer. I believe the key verse of that chapter is Matthew 6:34 “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” If our children are planted in relationship with Christ, prayer will be grow naturally from it.

Every now and then I get a glance of teen-dom.

Every now and then I get a glance at what it will be like to have a teenager. Our oldest is at the changeling stage, where one moment he's a funny, smiling kid and the next he's a brooding young adult. Today it was the latter who came home from school.
"Mom! What's for snack?"
"Well there are apples and oranges on the table."
"Mo-om. Can't I have a junk food snack since I didn't take any in my lunch?"
"Oh I guess. There are some chips on the shelf."
"Nah."
"We have popcorn."
"No popcorn! Can I have ice cream?"
"No. No ice cream before dinner. You can have one of my fiber one muffins though."
"ALL of them?!"
"No, just one."
"Mo-om. There's nothing to eat!"(Staring in fridge w/ $100+ worth of groceries)
"Sure there is. You can put butter on the muffin and have a mug of milk with it."
He sighs and rolls his eyes. "Oh, O-kay."
He eats his muffin then sprawls across the couch in the living room on his DS, with headphones.
Then after dinner..."Mom, can I play outside?" Thank goodness my boy is back.

Rainy Day pick up.

Given the rain we've gotten recently, we should have plenty of flowers come May. Today, when it was time to pick up Chip, Baby Guy was so excited! He brought me his socks and shoes, then climbed into my lap so I would put them on. He then raced to the coat closet and climbed inside. He was ready before the girls even were thinking about going outside.
Once we got out everything reversed. It was the usual stampede out the door, but while the girls raced ahead on the sidewalk looking for puddles to splash in, Baby Guy had just walked across the yard. He stopped, and looked up at me like "WHAT is this? It's cold. It's raining. Can't we go back in now?" I soooo understood how he felt. How many times in life do we anticipate something just to be absolutely wonderful only for it not to be so wonderful....perhaps even a tad unpleasant?
So I picked him up and carried him to school inside my big coat. He snuggled up against my shoulder and held on tight. For a minute, that "baby" feeling came back; the smell, the snuggles. I sometimes wonder how many of those moments we have left.
Once we were waiting in the school's lobby, (because we were early! Imagine that!) there was a new temptation. There's a bronze sculpture of a boy w/ a wheel barrow, and the school always fills the wheelbarrow with something seasonally appropriate. The boy is about the same height as Princess D so it's kind of the endless temptation, especially when it's new stuff. Well, today it had a stuffed rabbit and plastic Easter eggs in it. The toddlers just could not resist opening each and every egg in there, despite my pleas of how it didn't belong to them, and how we had to respect other peoples property,etc.

"Mo-om. The eggs are empty." Princess D exclaimed.

Sure I could have compared the empty eggs to the empty tomb for a great spiritual lesson, but at that moment I wasn't thinking about spiritual lessons. I was thinking about the principal's eyes boring through my back at what my kids were doing.
"Of course they are honey. It's not Easter yet. See the bunny is just getting ready to do his work. If we open the eggs now, he won't be able to fill them with candy for Easter."
"On No! P! Stop! I want candy for Easter!"
It had the desired effect, but I had broken THE RULE. In our house, we have a rule to neither confirm nor deny the existence of imaginary figures like Santa, the Great Pumpkin, and the Easter Bunny....but today I was desperate. I'll confess my sin to Mr. M when he gets home, and have to deal with him rolling his eyes and shaking his head disapprovingly, leaving me feeling like I'm about 2 inches tall. It still was worth it.

Immediately, I picked up Baby Guy and we wandered towards the office door to look at the bunnies on the secretary's desk. Through the glass we see the half day kindies bounding towards us, just in time. Everyone was ready to go home. And for a few more minutes, Baby Guy acted like a baby again.

Gardening girls...sort of

Today when were outside for mudfest the girls took special interest in the violets by the house. They thought the whole yard should be filled with them, so they carefully picked some to transplant to the main part of the yard. Princess D poured some water on the stems around where she had poked them into the ground and watched impatiently. I tried to explain about roots, but she was quite insistent THAT was not the problem.

"Mom, I want to see them grow!"
"Honey it takes time for plants to grow."
"It does?"
"Uh-huh. When we plant seeds it takes several days for them to sprout."
"Ooooh."

About this time Princess P gently lifts them the flowers that we had been discussing of the ground to move them to a better spot.

"P! Don't touch those! It takes years for flowers to grow," Princess D scolds.
Not quite, but I'm sure that's how it feels to a child. I'm not sure I'd mind if they did. Then maybe spring would be for eternity.