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.