Lesson Learned

Last week we went to my oldest son's swim team family bonfire.  I called the hostess to confirm she really meant "family...as in the whole family".

"Yep," she said.  "The entire family is invited."

"Well, then there will be 8 of us there."

"Oh, 8 people?  Oh.  Well...that's great.  See you Saturday."

Most of the other high-schoolers were there with their parents.  A few had brought some younger, elementary-school aged siblings.  We were the only ones with pre-schoolers.  But we were there.  All there.

This home was beautiful.  The back yard was a children's paradise with manicured paths through the woods leading back to this chalet-style shed and fire pit.  In the shed, which was painted red and had this cute curving roof and covered porch, the upstairs had been transformed into a hide-out of sorts.  There were a few cots stored up there for impromptu campouts.  There was also a fire pole descending from a balcony on the 2nd floor to the ground.  Attached to the side of the shed was a cool rope swing that you had to climb up on a platform to mount.  And over to one side of the woods there was a zip line.

My little girls first tried out the rope swing, but it being dark and all, the big kids kept walking into the swinging path and the girls would hit them.  So they decided to try out the fire pole.  I went inside to help them at the top and my husband stayed down below to catch them.  There were 5 or 6 swimmers in the upstairs of the shed hanging out -- my son being one of them.  He was showing off his little sisters to the other kids....particularly the ladies.  Little sisters have magic ways about them....making all kinds of young women want to talk to Kyle.  And he knows it.

After the girls had slid down the pole a few times, they asked me to try.  So, being the cool mom (not!), I attempted the fire pole.  My husband looked at me and shook his head as I was going down.  It was slow.  And ugly.  Not quite the picture I think he was hoping for.  When I got to the bottom, one of the high-school girls who was debating about going down was being teased and prodded to go for it.  While I was standing there, her phone fell out of her pocket and landed right on my lip.  Yeeeeeoooooowwww!  Now, I couldn't scream or cry or make any other obnoxious noises because we did not know any of these people.  The young woman was still standing on the balcony asking, "Where's my phone???"

I wanted to shout, "It hit me in the mouth, you moron!!", but for my son's sake, I kept my mouth shut.

After that we made our way over to the fire pit to hang out.  My two girls were hanging on my lap whining.  One had a tummy ache.  One was just being two.  I was talking to an older woman who said to me, "I just can't believe you can carry on a conversation as if nothing is going on."  I realized that they must be making more of a racket than I thought.  The four year old was still complaining of the tummy ache and I decided I better take her to the bathroom.  We made our way into this very large, well decorated and immaculately kept home.  The girls were fighting over who would go first because they both had to go "weely bad".  I decided Charlotte should go first because if we were going to have an accident, it's WAY better to have a pee accident than a poop accident.  Especially at someone else's house.  Charlotte sat.  And sat.  And sat.  Gwen was grabbing herself and laying on the floor with her feet up on the wall.  "Get your feet off their wall!!!!"  Oh my word.  They would know for sure whose muddy feet were on their wall.  Definitely not any of their kids.  I made an executive decision to remove Charlotte from the potty so Gwen could go.  Charlotte protested and stayed right next to the toilet with her pants pulled down ready to jump back on as soon as Gwen finished.  Once Gwen finished her business, Charlotte climbed back on.  And sat.  And sat.  And sat.  Nothing.  You know, there's only so long that it's OK to hang out in someone's house when they are not even inside.  "Charlotte, you are going to have to wait and go at home.  We have to go back outside now."  She did not like that plan, but got up and went back outside with me.  Continuing to complain and whine.

I had finally had enough and asked Matt to drive the 2 little girls and I home and then come back to stay with the others.  The girls were glad to gather their things and head to the van.  I think the other guests were glad to see the little girls gather their things and head to the van, too.  Charlotte complained the whole way home.   "My tummy hurts."  As soon as we pulled into the driveway and parked, she said, "I think I'm gonna barf."  We quickly opened the door and she had no sooner set foot on the driveway then she let fly.  Oh....was I ever glad to be at my own house.  And good girl for doing it outside where I did not have to clean anything up.  Just send daddy out with a bucket of water and all's well!  Once that was over she was her chipper, content self.  Ready to watch a movie and get her PJ's on and hang out.

Guess I learned my lesson....when it says "Family Cookout".  It doesn't really mean the WHOLE family.  Some things are better accomplished with a small group.  Next time I'll know.

Kids Say...

Over the weekend I let the little girls watch Tangled.  It's a version of the story of Rapunzel -- the girl with the long hair trapped in the tower.  Afterward, Gwen kept talking about blue jeans.  "You be blue jeans, I'll be purple."  I could not figure out what she was talking about.  After a long go-round of questions and explanations, she emphatically told me, "You be Blue Jeans....you know the boy who is Purple's friend".  The main character other than Rapunzel is a young man named Eugene.  Gwen had decided his name was Blue Jeans, and she had also decided that Rapunzel's name was Purple.  Hilarious.  She and Charlotte are really into pretend...."you be the mom and I'll be the baby".... "You be the dog and I'll be the girl"....."You be the horse and I'll be the rider"....and on an on.

Then today, Gwen was going potty before her nap.  I realized she had wet herself.  "Gwen, did you potty in your pants?" I asked her.

"No, Charlotte did."

"Charlotte peed in your pants?"

"Yes.  She did.  She did it."

Now that's an interesting explanation.  Never heard of someone peeing in another person's pants.

Cooks in My Kitchen

I have some chefs in my family.  My oldest daughter LOVES to bake.  She has become the champion apple pie baker of our extended family.  It's a killer apple pie -- with a graham cracker crust and crumb topping.  Mmmmmm.  She also recently whipped up some gingersnap cookies.  They were pretty good, too....although I must admit I'm partial to chocolate chip cookies (or more specifically the dough).  She asks about twice a week if she can bake something.  I usually cringe.  I hate other people in my kitchen.  Which is funny because I am rarely in my kitchen alone.  I don't want others messing with my stuff, using up my ingredients, leaving a mess even though they promised to clean up when they were done.  I know I should be thankful she wants to be in the kitchen, and I should work with her more and more -- turning over dinner to her eventually.  Not sure I can give that one up!

Also, my oldest son, a freshman in highschool, likes to step into the kitchen occasionally.  He and the other two boys like to watch cooking shows on PBS on Saturday mornings.  (Don't ask them about it, they would probably deny it!)  I think that America's Test Kitchen or BBQ U is their favorite.  Anyway, last Saturday I slept in until 8:00 and woke to find Kyle making crepes.  Yes, you saw that correctly....crepes.  My 14 year old son was making crepes.  He had seen them make them on TV and had to have them.  He filled them with eggs and cheese and served them up to all of us.  Pretty impressive, I must say!  He was so humble about it..."they are too thick - they should be thinner than a tortilla and these just aren't quite the way I wanted".  It was so cute.  I just can't believe he made crepes!

My worst kitchen nightmare is my two little girls wanting to "help".  Oh, I just want to scream when I hear that word.  It's usually when I decide to make cookies.  I try to sneak in there and make them, but as soon as the mixer starts up, they are right there on the kitchen chair they pulled over.  Asking to crack the eggs, dump the flour, measure the salt, eat the dough.  And you know what???  It usually DOES happen exactly the way I think it will.  They get shells in the dough, they spill the flour, they measure too much salt, beg for more chocolate chips and fight over who gets to lick the beaters.  Every time.  Is that wrong?? Aren't moms supposed to love having their little chicks gather 'round and make cookies together?  Well not this mama.  I want to be alone in my kitchen - preferably with my little corner fold-down TV on, doing my own thing.  I guess that will come in about 15 years, huh?

Date Nights

Something that I was completely unprepared for as my kids get older is how hard it is to find "couple time".  Matt and I love to go on date nights - we try to go out at least once a month.  It doesn't always happen, but we look forward to that time.  But we also enjoy just hanging out together in the evenings after the kids are in bed.  That used to be an easy task....throw the kids in bed (maybe even a tad early - they couldn't read the clock anyway!) and have the whole evening to ourselves.  Now, as a freshman in high school and a seventh grader, the oldest two aren't buying it!  They can read a clock now (thankfully) and they want to stay up later on the weekends and watch their own movie or play a game with us.  That leaves a very small (and sometimes nonexistent) window to have couple time.  We still love to hire a sitter -- a senior in college who has been babysitting for us for 12 years -- and go out.  The sitter is for the little kids, but also to calm our hearts so we know they are safe and not fighting with each other.  She's been around us for so long that I no longer have to even give her instructions or set out PJs.  She walks in the door and we walk out... totally at peace that the kids are going to have a ball, be well fed, and go to bed happy and on time.  Ahhhh.   It's good to still crave time with your man after 18 years of marriage.  I do love him and loving having time with him!  

Creative Genius

We have gotten back into our normal routine of school, chores, meals, kids activities, sleep, repeat.  While it was a blessing to have my sister-in-law and two nephews stay with us for three weeks, it's also nice to get back to it just being the eight of us.  Funny, isn't it.  I used to think our house was crowded with eight!!!  All I needed was a little perspective.

Today, the girls were making a craft that called for using some tape on the back to hold a piece in place.  I don't know about your house, but around here, tape is a hot commodity.  I buy the mega pack....like 6 rolls at a time.  I have no idea what they use it for, but it's always gone within weeks.  Anyway, today I was looking all over for the tape.  I just had four new rolls last week.  The boys kept telling me, "It's all gone.  We used it all."  But I just couldn't believe them.  Sure enough, not a roll to be found.  Now, what to do about that craft that needed a piece of tape to hold it in place.  That's when I walked past the box of bandaids that had been left out on the counter.  Perfect!!  So we have two little pictures of Ruth (from the Bible) gathering wheat - and 2 real wheat stalks tucked into her basket on her back held in place with bandaids.

Later this afternoon I was outside with the kids cleaning up our pumpkin display.  We had at least 12 pumpkins carved and/or painted for Halloween.  We had set up a little table in the front yard to display them properly on Monday night.  But now that it's Wednesday....and November 2nd, it was time to clean it up.  When I came back out from running something into the house, the boys had a hammer and were taking turns whacking a pumpkin that had never been carved.  Fairly harmless fun, I thought to myself.  But then the 4 year old stepped up and wanted a turn.  She started using the "pull the nail out" side of the hammer.....hmmm.....maybe not so harmless after all.  With that, my husband came around the corner and asked very calmly, "Would you like me to call the ER now to make an appointment for the kid who hacks into their leg?"  OK.  I got the picture.  I then suggested that they work on it with their baseball bats in the middle of the yard.  One at a time.  One hit per turn.  Everyone else standing in the driveway. The two boys had their metal bats, the 2 year old had the orange toddler wiffle-ball bat, and the 4 year old had a hockey stick.  It was a good challenge.  Of course, they completely obliterated the thing.  Shredded it into hundreds of pieces.  Good clean (or dirty) fun.  And no one got hurt.

Life is Different Now

It has been a good, long while since I have posted.  Life has sort of been turned upside down over the last month.  My brother, Geoff, took his own life on Sept 25th.  Since that date we have been preparing for the funeral, traveling to Montana for the service and then back to Indiana for another service and adjusting to life as it is now.  His wife and two small children have been staying with us since then.  They are preparing to return home on Tuesday.  It's hard thinking about them leaving.  It's like a little part of him is still here since they are around.  When they leave, I think it will feel very final.  We know that Geoff is now at peace and is in heaven with his Savior - that does bring comfort.  We also know that he had struggled with depression for at least 15 years, with the last year being very hard - a daily battle to stay alive - and that now he no longer has to be in that ugly place.  In the end, his body just could not handle one more doctor or prescription or treatment.  He was very sick.  It's all well and good to understand on an intellectual level.  But making your heart understand is a whole different thing.  Making children understand.....a whole different thing.  It will be a long time of grieving.  But God is good.  And I am determined to praise Him in this storm.  One of my very dear friends sang that song at our celebration of life ("Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns).  That is what I am clinging to.

Blessings

There's some pretty yucky stuff going on with a family member.  We are in the middle of all of the mess - counseling, hugging, loving on this person.  When I am able to back away for just a bit, I am reminded just how blessed I am.  I have a wonderful husband and 6 kids who are healthy and happy.  (I must just say that I am not bragging here -  not saying my husband is always this perfect man -- he's broken and imperfect.  In fact, he told me this morning that he was sitting in church thinking about how flawed he was and how flawed I was, but yet we work together with Christ to fill in each other's gaps.  My kids are also not perfect -- they're whiny, argumentative, and irritating, but we're working on it!)  I am so thankful for friends -- deep, real, true friends.  Friends who cry with you when you don't know what else to do.  Friends who help out this family member even though they have never met them.  Friends who are praying for this situation.  I am also thankful for extended family -- for difficult circumstances forcing family to have to work together and be real with each other.

I spoke at a mom's group at our church on Friday, and as I was introduced the host gave a little bio including all of my "awesome mom" stats:  married 18 years, 6 kids, homeschools, funny, etc.  It was very humbling, but not an accurate or at least not a complete picture of who I am.  I didn't want these young moms to be intimidated by me.  I'm the farthest thing from "mom of the year".  I used a visual of a beautiful crystal glass filled with the dirt I swept off my kitchen floor.  We all put on our beautiful side and show off how shimmery and sparkly we are, but it's when you are willing to tip the glass on its side and reveal what's inside that people can really get to know you, dirt and all.  That's the real me -- the dirt on my floor.  You can know about me...the gum wrapper revealing what kind of gum I chew, the bandaid wrapper showing that someone had a cut, the corn silks showing what we ate for dinner, the parts of my front door wreath that got knocked to the ground by 2 kids playing chase.  That's the real me.  And, yes, I do package it in the beautiful glass -- we all do.  But if we are going to be true, we must be willing to look at and accept the "dirt".

WHY???

Why....
-  does she crush up the egg shells in the sink and rub the goo all over?
-  does she squirt half a tube of toothpaste all over the sink and rub it in?
-  does she eat the blue ice packs you put in coolers?
-  does she sing, "ooh, baby.  ooh, baby.  Oh, yeah!" in the grocery store?
-  does she only wear one shoe to the pool?
-  does she only make it half way to the pool on her bike and then want me to carry her and the bike (and the pool bag, towels and inner tube) the rest of the way?
-  does she think whoopie cushions are hilarious -- saying she's going to do a "booty sit"?
-  does she chew up apples and spit them out before swallowing?
-  does she insist Barbie also get sunscreen on before she goes to the pool?
-  does she see our favorite check out woman at Target and say, "Miss Maria!  I wuv her.  I wuv you, Miss Maria"?
-  is she so darn cute....particularly after a bath with those blonde curls hanging down in her face?

Sometimes it's so hard not to be irritated all day long.
And then she looks at me and smiles and says, "I wuv you, Momma" and instantly the frustration melts....at least until I discover the next mess.

Oooh -- it's been a while

Life just has a way of whizzing by.  Last time I checked, it was mid-summer....now we are clearly into our fall routine.  Football, school, chores, etc.

My oldest is two weeks into his FRESHMAN year of high school.  How can that be???  Didn't anyone tell him that I am not old enough to have a kid in high school??  He's getting along great, though.

Next oldest is in 7th grade.  She is so happy to be back at school because it means more face to face time with her friends.

The next two - 5th and 3rd grade are at home with me and the little girls (although they are not so little any more).  They are two and four now!  And......fully and completely potty trained.  Yeee Haw!  That is one thing I am not sad to leave behind.  I got sad when we took the crib down and when I moved the rocking chair out of the former nursery.  (I had nursed all 6 babies in that chair....it's hideous, but my tush sat in that thing for many, many hours)  But I will never miss changing a diaper.

My brother is living with us temporarily.  It makes for a whole different dynamic.  The kids get all hyper and excited when he walks in the door - each one talking faster and louder than the other so that they can be heard when they tell him all about their day.  His wife will be following him soon and then they will move into their house here.  It will be so fun to have cousins and aunts and uncles around.  We have never had that before.  I am sure it is culture shock for him - having moved here from rural Montana...you know, noise, traffic lights, paved roads, strip malls.  They are all foreign concepts to him!

One thing that I just have to share my excitement about -- three of my kids got baptized last week!  What a joy it was to see them decide to make a public statement of their faith.  My husband and I feel so blessed.

My final thought....Gwen's version of the "ABC's".... "next time don't you sing with me."

Boys!

I have one boy in particular who loves his mama.  He is always affectionate and ready for a hug or a kiss - both to give one and receive.  Today he went to our neighbor's garage sale and bought me a present.  I always cringe at those words:  "Look what I bought you at the garage sale!"  This was a carrot shaped piece of artwork with 6 small cheese or butter knives with carrot tops that stick into the large carrot.  Now I have to figure out what to do with it as it is neither practical or physically beautiful.  However, it is beautiful in one way....my youngest son picked it out just for me.  He spent his own $2.00 on me.  Not on candy or a toy or anything else except his mama.  And for that reason we will use it tonight at dinner when we eat our pizza and it will be proudly displayed on my kitchen counter.  It will sit next to the ShrinkyDink with the words, "I Love You" on it and the 3 inch tall Sculptey clay letters that spell out "I LOVE MOM" and the heart shaped rock and the red wooden heart wall hanging bought at the last garage sale.  And every time I walk in my kitchen I am reminded that I am loved very much!

I also picked up my daughter and middle son at camp today.  Can I just say, ten year old boys stink.  Especially ones who have been at camp during a week of 95+ degree heat.  I could hardly stand to love on him when I saw him.  But, of course, I did.  Then he got in the car and took off his shoes.  Shoes he'd worn all week with no socks.  Oh, heavens.  It was RIPE in there.  I can't put my finger on the exact smell, but if you mix body odor with bad breath and clothes that have been wet in a pond and never dried fully and nasty foot smell, then you have a pretty good idea of what we put up with for an hour and a half.  When I got home I unpacked his clothes and found 3 pair of clean underwear.  Now, this camp was only 5 days long.....do the math.  (2 pair of underwear worn over 5.5 days)  Perhaps this was adding to the stench.  Perhaps.

Now, I am waiting for cookies to come out of the oven.  For that is my love language.  Food.  I love to bake cookies for my kids and their friends.  I can smell the ooey, gooey warm cookie smell right now.  To me it shouts, "I love you!"  I am not always great with physical affection, so sometimes cookies are my hugs.  It just feels good to have all 6 kids back under one roof.  Crazy good, you know?

Messes and More

A long time ago we had a dog named Fred.  He was a good dog, but really disgusting in many ways - he ate the insides out of diapers and had to have 15 teeth pulled because they were so rotten and one time he pooped into a floor vent in our house.  Earlier this week, I had the unpleasant task of remembering Fred by cleaning up an accident that was very similar to the "poop in the vent" incident.  Gwen, who is completely pee trained is struggling in the potty department when going #2.  She pooped her pants in the middle of lunch - so I cleaned her off and left her without underwear thinking it was almost nap time anyway.  Not even 10 minutes later, I see her in the family room pooping again....and it's runny.  Puddling at her feet, running down her legs.  Oh.  My.  Word.  And so, as I was cleaning up her mess again, I was reminded of Fred!  Then, she announced that she needed to go more.  I put her on the potty, she did her thing and then proudly exclaimed, "Me did it!"  But I couldn't even be happy for her.  How 'bout the other two "misses"???

Other than cleaning up after Gwen, this has been a pretty quiet week.  Kyle and Ben went to their grandparent's to visit and Joel and Gretta are at camp.  They slowly start trickling in later today and by tomorrow afternoon, everyone will be home.  Sunday was an emotional day for me.  When we dropped Gretta off at camp, she was not feeling well.  Actually, she was trying to decide if she felt well enough to even stay.  I knew how badly she wanted to be there - with two school friends in her cabin, even.  The counselors were great and really encouraged her to stay - telling her that she could sleep at the nurse's station for the first night and that they just knew she would be feeling great by the next day.  After a long and tearful deliberation, she decided to stay.  It broke my heart to leave her when she was crying.  It reminded me of leaving my kids at the church nursery when they are crying.  It about rips my heart out!  And, no matter how big they get, I guess it will always be the same.  I heard an interesting saying:  A mother is only as happy as her saddest child.  So true!  The good news is that I haven't heard from camp.  They said they would call if she was not well within 24 hours.  So at this point, no news is good news.

Is It Wrong??

To begin, Kyle got home safe and sound from camp.  It was a wonderful experience and we can't say enough good things about HoneyRock Camp.  The kids were very excited to see him - both little girls running up and screaming his name.  Joel trying to act cool and also trying not to cry.  Very sweet to a mama's soul!

On a totally different note....

Is it wrong......
- to hear one little girl say to another, "Lay on me and lick me like a dog."????
- for one (unnamed child) to eat THREE full size corn dogs in one sitting???
- to order a large Diet Coke for me and 2 small ice creams for my little girls only to realize I'm 16 cents short....and then cancel the 2 ice creams so I can still get my Diet Coke????

Yes.  It's wrong.  All of it.  But, sadly, it's all true.

Big Brother

The kids are all desperately missing Kyle.  He's been gone for 2 1/2 weeks. Matt and I leave today to go get him.  We'll be back in 48 hours - 22 of which will be spent on the road.  Thankfully, we aren't taking any kids with us -- that's way too much car time in that short of a span.  Anyway, yesterday a friend was asking me if I was missing Kyle.  I told her that I was, but that it hadn't seemed like 2 1/2 weeks.  Ben, who was standing near by, said, "What??  It seems like it's been 20 weeks!"  This is the same kid who told my mom that they couldn't swim in her pond without Kyle because it just wasn't any fun without him.  I think that there will be six kids very happy to be reunited on Friday evening.  I'm just wondering how long it will last until the arguing starts?????

Cosmetics

What is it with little girls loving to put in make-up and such?  On Friday, Charlotte came running downstairs yelling, "Mom!  Gwennie has your special white stuff all over."  It sounded dangerous and I didn't even know what she was talking about.  I ran upstairs and found Gwen with my Mary Kay facial lotion with SPF 15 lathered all over her right leg.  It was thick enough I could have mistaken it for shaving cream.  (Note to my Mary Kay lady.....I need more lotion and cleanser ASAP!)

Yesterday I took the two little girls to Target so Charlotte could pick out something using a $15 gift card she got for her birthday.  We stopped in the shoe section 1st.  She was debating a cute pair of pink sandals. While we were weighing the pros and cons, Gwen took off her own shoes and found a pair of cute, pink, sparkly Hello Kitty shoes -- and they were just her size - all without my help.  Charlotte decided against the sandals, but I could not get Gwen to take off the sparkly shoes.  She wore them around Target with the little stretchy chord between them, making her take little shuffle steps.  When we got back to the toy area, Charlotte quickly found a pretend hair styling kit (hair dryer with batteries that make it really blow, a curling iron, straightening iron, brush, pretend lipstick, etc.).   She was SOLD.  Thinking that Gwen would be sad because Charlotte had a whole new bag of goodies, I bought her a tube of Lip Smacker chapstick.....THE ENTIRE TUBE OF LIP SMACKER WAS GONE - TOTALLY GONE - BEFORE WE GOT HOME. It was in her hair, around her eyes, on her chin.  There were chunks of it on the floor and in her car seat.  She had been digging pieces of it out with her little finger.  Stinker.  So much for trying to be nice Mommy.

While the girls got the hair stuff out and started playing, I made mac n cheese for lunch.  When I served them, I told them that the macaroni was a little warm and to eat their strawberries first.  Then I heard the mini blow dryer going.  Charlotte was cooling off their mac n cheese with her it!  Genius.

As I was starting to type this out, Charlotte came running up to my chair, grabbed it and swung herself around.  The chair back split in two.  She stood totally still, not even blinking, knowing she was about to get it.  I turned around and said, "How many times have I told you not to yank on the chair??"

"About a hundred," she replied.  Ohhh.  It's so hard to keep a straight face when they answer you so seriously.

Tomorrow at our pool is the annual Fourth of July party.  They have all sorts of games throughout the day.  My older kids have been counting the days.  Gretta is anxious for the Starburst toss (thousands of candies thrown in the water followed by a free-for-all) while Joel and Ben have literally been practicing for days for the Big Splash Contest.  The winner gets $5 to spend at the concession stand - which is equal to 5 candy bars!  It will be a nail-biter, I'm sure!

Happy Fourth of July!

Trufe

Yesterday, as the little girls and I were in the car, they told me that their babysitter had taken them out for ice cream while I had been gone.  Then they told me that she had take them to a new hamburger/hot dog/ice cream place in town.  They continued to elaborate the story telling me they had actually eaten lunch there - and Charlotte went into great detail about the hamburgers they had gotten and how Gwen had to eat two more bites before the babysitter would let her get ice cream.  The babysitter had not said anything about taking them out to lunch, so I was trying to figure out what the truth was.  I asked them, "Are you guys making up a story or are you telling me the truth?"

Gwen replied, "I do trufe you."

Still unsure, I called the sitter to get the full explanation.  They had gone to the new place for ice cream, but had not eaten lunch.....so Gwen was not "trufing me" after all.  

Two and a half is a great age for funny sayings.  I love to hear her little sentences and phrases....like the things in front of buildings that squirt water up in the air = "Water Mountains"

"Where Wobber" = Where's Robert (her favorite lifeguard at the pool)

On a different (and heart-melting) note, when Gwen got out of bed on Tuesday, she went into the boys room.  "Ky-o??  Ky-o??  Where Ky-o?"  She had forgotten that he was at camp and was searching him out.  She misses him.  They all do....and so do I!

A College Prank

Today I took the kids to see Cars 2.  It was fun.  We got there early enough for the $5 show.  Gwen fell asleep on my lap and the other kids only went through 2 large popcorns.  All in all not a bad morning!

When we got home Gwen wanted to ride her bike - which is a Strider.  It's a mini two-wheeler with no pedals.  She pushes with her feet.  She really wanted our cat to watch her...???  But, the cat had other interests.  Gwen was pushing along and looking backwards over her shoulder to make sure the cat was paying attention when WHAM!, she ran into our car.  The cat didn't even seem to care.

On a totally different note, my husband was a part of a very funny prank in college.  He and his teammates took apart and reassembled a VW Bug in their coach's office at Wheaton College.  This is his coach discovering the Bug....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOSaGvMchEU  Enjoy!

Sorry. I'm Back.

Wow.  Has it really been 6+ weeks since I last posted.  We have been so busy around here.  I have started trying to work a few hours from home each day.  Two hours.  Really shouldn't be that hard to put in 2 hours worth of work (data entry on my computer), but I am struggling!!  I can only do it during nap time when my little ones are asleep.  But then all of my other chores like cleaning my house, doing dishes, laundry, etc get pushed aside.  It's like every single minute of my day is accounted for.  We are trying to figure this out...is it worth it??  Is the relatively paltry amount of money worth it???  I'm starting to think not.  In the mean time, I have had a few of you very kindly ask me if I was going to continue blogging.  Yes, yes, yes.  I want to!  I'm glad you enjoy reading my posts and it's cathartic for me!  I have to tell someone about the crazy things that happen in my life!

So what's going on with our family??  Kyle just left on Monday to go to camp for 3 weeks.  Yikes -- 3 weeks!!  It's way up in Northern Wisconsin.  I'm sure he's having a ball.  It's right up his alley.  This is after a week long fly fishing trip with his grandfather.  He will be a freshman in the fall.  Believe me when I tell you I am not old enough to have a freshman in high school.

The other kids have quickly busied themselves this summer with the local swim team.  They walk over to the pool for practice and then go back later in the day to hang out.  They had a swim meet last night and it was 65 degrees and rainy.  YUCK.  But they all got up this morning to go back over to the pool.  I was going to let them sleep in.  Gretta has been involved in horse camp both as a camper and a helper.  Charlotte has started swim lessons and within 8 lessons has gone from being afraid of putting her head under water to being able to do a front and back float!!  She's quite proud of herself -- and VERY buoyant!

I took the kids up to a friend's lake house in Northern Indiana.  This woman has been my friend since we were 12!!  We had a ball (at least I did...not sure how she felt about the 6 of us invading her beautiful home!!).  She treated us royally -- took the kids tubing and feeding us.  Even Gwen went tubing...my
2 1/2 year old went tubing.  It was hilarious.  She's a daredevil.  And seriously cute.  It's a scary combination.  

As I write this, my husband is outside on the front porch with a few children telling them stories about his days as a sniper in the army.  This is a fictitious story, but they are asking him questions.  I just heard, "Dad, were you really a sniper in the army??  I just can't imagine!"  This all started a few months ago when we played 2 truths and a lie at dinner.  If you've never played, it's pretty self-explanatory.  You tell the other people 3 things about you they don't know.  Two of them are true and one is made up and everyone else has to guess the lie.  Better with adults because kids aren't great at lying -- especially our own kids because as parents we pretty much know everything about our kids.  But it's still fun!

I promise there is more to follow.  I'm back.  Thanks for being patient!

Phonetic Spelling At It's Best

COWQUELATER ---  that small thing with number buttons that you push when you have to add up big numbers.  This was Joel's attempt at spelling "calculator".  One of the best phonetic spellings I have ever seen.


This morning while I was in the shower, Gwen and Charlotte were playing in my room and pretending to go on "dates".  They would come in and tell me they had gone to a restaurant or the park, etc. and tell me all about their adventure.  During this, Charlotte came in and said, "We went to have noodles and then we had bubble stidey."  I did not know what she was talking about and asked her if it was a dessert.  "No.  Bubble Stidey.  You, know.  At M-mas (what she calls her grandma)."

I was still not clear.  "Like when you blow bubbles with M-ma??"

"No.  Bubble... Stidey. (Said very s-l-o-w-l-y and with much emphasis)  When M-ma has her friends over in the morning and they talk."

Ahhhh....got it!!  (Bible Study)

Oh, and I Forgot to Mention....

In my last post I forgot to mention that this morning Ben decided to make some juice. We buy the frozen concentrate and this variety was Strawberry, Kiwi, Apple....dark reddish/purple.  He was having trouble with the lid of the concentrate container and it was already thawed out because I had set it out early for the kids.  He decided to pop it off really hard.  SPLAT!  Purpleish red concentrate all over the countertop, running down the cabinets, splattered all over me and Gwen (on her face), all over the floor.  I kept stepping in sticky spots all day.  I even found a patch on the other side of the kitchen about 2:30 this afternoon.  Ugh.

Gretta Made Me Do It

Yesterday during nap time, I could hear Charlotte banging around in her room.  Occasionally, she does not sleep, but she will stay in her room and look at books or play quietly - which is totally fine with me.  When I went to get her up, she sat up in bed and said, "Gretta came in my room and told me to mark on my bed." Gretta had not even been home during nap time, so I knew this was an invention of her mind.  I started off by asking her to tell me why the support board for Gretta's uppper bunk was lying on the ground.  "It just fell out, " was her response.  Hmmm.  Everything was sounding very suspicious!  She had spread out a small blanket on her bed and was sitting on it.  I then asked her where the mark that Gretta told her to make was.  She stood up and lifted the blanket up.  There on the sheets was a 6 inch mark from a red pen.  (The pen was still in her hands).  Hmmm.  Now, I'm no detective, but I started to put the puzzle pieces together.  I told her that I knew that Gretta had not been in her room and asked if the mark was an accident or on purpose.  "On purpose," she answered.  "And I found your red pen, Mom!"  Not really a big deal in the scheme of things, but the lying could not go unpunished.  Oh, it's so hard to spank a really cute, sorrowful 3 year old.

Today we went to Target for our grocery run (one of 3 places we are now stopping - Aldi is now making the list + Costco -- if you've never been to Aldi, it's an experience, but prices are really good, especially on produce).  To begin, there were no double carts on the grocery side of the store, so we had to trek to the other side.  Gwen has figured out how to "houdini" out of the straps and was standing in the seat within minutes.  I knew she was due for a BM and although I was hoping it wouldn't happen there, I was pretty much counting on it.   Sure enough...middle of the produce section, I caught a wiff.  So off to the bathroom we went.  Good thing I caught it early or it would have been U-G-L-Y.  Not that it was pretty to begin with, but if you have toddlers, you know what I mean.  Then the girls kept getting out so they could "help" me get things.  At one point, Gwen pulled marshmallows off the shelf and started trying to chew through the package.  The entire time Charlotte kept asking to go to the candy section because she had earned $5 at her grandmother's house.  So as we made our way to the check-out, we stopped by the candy area.  She made a bee-line for a big box of Starburst.  You should have seen her beaming smile as she paid her $1.07 for her box of candy.  She was so proud that she even got her own bag and receipt.  We finally finished and rushed home to take naps so that I could turn around and pick up Kyle and Gretta from school.  Grocery stores are much easier to navigate solo....as are most things.

This weekend we will be going to Home Depot to pick out all of my annuals.  That's my traditional Mother's Day gift.  We pick them out on Saturday and then my gift is that the kids plant them on Sunday. I just spread them out where I want them and then sit on the front porch and watch them work!  I love it!

Happy Mother's Day to all my fellow mothers.  You are doing a great job.  If you can get to the end of a day and say that you fed your kids, clothed your kids and loved on them a little, it's a good day -- and you are doing the right thing.  Sometimes we get so caught up in the "woulda, shoulda, coulda", that we beat ourselves up.  We get paralyzed by our to-do lists.  But, step back and look at your beautiful children.  Go give them a big hug, tell them they are special to you and that you love them.  Then sit down and take a load off.  You deserve it!

Where's My Towel??

I got out of the shower yesterday morning and the towel that I had set on the toilet to use was gone.  I looked around, but then had to get a new one out of the cabinet.  Still unsure of where the towel was, I walked into my bedroom.  My bedroom door was open, so I walked over to shut it.  It was there that I discovered Charlotte on the floor in the hallway with my towel spread underneath her.  She was painting her toenails bright pink "all by herself".  The polish was ALL over her toes.  And the towel.  I was not very happy....but at least it was on the towel and not my carpet!

Gwen has taken to telling me to "hode on"  (hold on) when I ask her to do something.  Very cute, but totally not appropriate.  It's made me realize how much I use that phrase.  Like ALL the time.  "Can you get me a drink, please, Mommy?"  and I reply, "Hold on.  I'll be right there."  She also told me earlier this week when I asked her if she needed to potty, "No yike it potty."  (pretty easy interpretation, but if you are not used to 2 year old speak, that means, "I don't want to go potty, but thanks for asking.")

Today at Costco I let the kids get a treat at the snack bar.  My rule is if you get an ice cream, I get one bite! I got a Diet Coke.  One child I will not name, but is old enough to not have to ask this question, said, "Why do you get Diet Coke?  Does it have less calories or something?"  ------  Uh, yeah.  DIET coke.

It's going to be a good night.  Last night of The Office with Steve Carell.  He's my favorite!  And then tomorrow I'll be up bright and early for the royal wedding.  Yep.  Getting up at 5!  Gretta wants to get up with me, too.  A little girl party!

Better go get dinner started.  Kids are starting to drool and growl.

Six Dozen Eggs

Today I boiled 6 dozen eggs for my kids to dye.  I know, maybe that seems like overkill, but they really like to dye them.  And what fun is it to get all that stuff out and only be able to dye one or two?  I've decided just to view it as a craft.  The eggs cost me about $1.25/dozen....they each get their own dozen to dye however they want.  Will we eat them all?  Pretty close.  Most will just get eaten whole and I will use some in a casserole the kids like that has wide egg noodles, thick chunks of ham, slices of hard-boiled eggs and a creamy white sauce.  It's a tradition!  Beware that if you stop by in the next few days we will offer you a hard boiled egg!!

I had some interesting questions here today.
#1 - "What is a pervert?"  Oh, my.  I asked where in the world they had heard that word.  "At Grandma's.  We watched a movie called The Sandlot and they call one of the boys a pervert."  My definition was a boy who is always trying to see girls' private parts -- like peeking in their room when they are getting dressed or oogling them in a bathing suit.  "Oh, YUCK!"  was the reply.  Although, after the birth of my second child our family doctor was in the room checking out the baby.  I had realized post-partum - since I could actually see my toes -  that I developed toenail fungus.  I asked him about it while he was there.  Being the jokester that he was, he replied, "I hope you know that only perverts get toenail fungus."

#2 - "How does a grandma get pregnant with her own grandson?"  Thanks, Oprah.   It really was an interesting show.  A woman and her husband could not conceive and the grandmother-to-be offered to be the surrogate.  But it was a little difficult to explain.  Hmm.

We just came up out of the basement from a tornado warning.  Had to drag all 6 kids down to the basement  about 9:45 PM.  They were down there for about an hour.  Of course the three oldest fell asleep, but the youngest ones were wide-eyed.  Ahhhh - they are finally back in their own beds and our house is no worse for the wear, thank goodness!   Off to bed myself now.

"Do Not Step -- Cat Barfe!"

This sign - "Do Not Step -- Cat Barfe!"  with an arrow pointing to the direct location was made by Ben and placed on the floor last night.  He didn't bother to clean it up or even tell anyone verbally.  He just made the sign with a pink marker and placed it on the floor and went on about his business.  That's the story of the life of a mama, huh?  Clean this up, clean that up, wipe up this, wipe up that.  If anyone else sees the mess, they quickly sidestep and pretend they never saw it.  (Although the sign clearly gave it away that he saw it...he just wasn't touching it.)

I have been inspired to start a mentoring program with my daughter, age 12.  It is a study written by Shelley Noonan called Beautiful Girlhood.  It's all about the transition from girlhood to womanhood.  You read a short chapter in a book of the same title and then follow along in the companion guide.  I had heard Shelley speak a couple of times before and always loved her.  But this week I had the opportunity to speak one on one with her over the phone.  She spent about 20 minutes encouraging me.  She has such a beautiful spirit.  You can find her materials at www.pumpkinseedpress.com  If you have daughters, I highly encourage you to check out her resources.

Upon recommendation from my husband, here is a recipe for a lemon cake.  It was his birthday request.  I must admit....it is really tasty!

Lemon Glaze Cake
1 pkg Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme cake mix
1 pkg lemon instant pudding (small)
4 eggs
1/2 c oil
1 c water

Grease and lightly flour a bundt or tube pan.  Mix all ingredients in a mixer.  Pour into pan.  Bake at 350 for about 1 hour (check at 45 min).  While in the pan and still hot, prick all over with a skewer or fork or toothpick and pour glaze over cake.  (Glaze:  6 T lemon juice + 1 c sugar mixed and warmed, but not to boiling, in the microwave).  Let cool completely.  Invert cake and ice with lemon icing (I just use the store bought tub).

Maybe you can make this as an Easter treat!

Legos

We have a new Lego store that opened on Friday.  My two middle boys (ages 10 & 8) LOVE Lego.  From the day we heard a Lego store was coming, they have been saving pennies.  They have gone to both sets of grandparent's to work and earn money.  Usually, these two can't save a dime between them.  It just burns a hole in their pocket.  But, they were so diligent in saving.  They both had over $200 to spend.  When we arrived at the mall at 10:00 AM, it was already a 40 min wait to just get into the store.  Thankfully, I just had the two of them.  We played a few games of "I Spy" to pass the time, then I saw an Eddie Bauer store right there and left the two of them in line for a few minutes and went in to pick out a few birthday items for my husband.  Very good use of my time, I must say!  After we were allowed into the store, the boys made a bee-line for the Star Wars sets.  It was so fun to see them with their eyes wide open.  I don't know why it was such a different experience for them.  They pour over every page of the Lego catalog when it comes.  They trade nights reading it at bedtime.  It is so rumpled and dog-eared at the end of just one week.  But I guess it was the opportunity to be able to see each kit in person and touch the box and double check, "Yep, that giant kit is still $400".  (Yeah, you read that right....this one Star Wars kit is $400)  After much deliberation, adding up totals in our heads, putting certain kits back, second-guessing others, they finally decided on their purchases.  We then had to make our way back to the front of the store to get in the giant line to pay.  We waited another 30+ min to check out.  Again....I was so thankful the little girls were not with us.  The store is really cool with many cool models made up.  They even have a Mini Figure station where you can assemble your own Lego guys.  You pick the head, the hair, the torso, the legs and one accessory.  You get 3 "guys" for $10.  It will be even more fun in a couple of weeks when the hype has died down.

Also, another fun thing.  You can sign up all of your kids for free bowling for the summer.  Go to kidsbowlfree.com and enter in your kids names, ages, etc.  Then, from now until the end of August, they can bowl 2 free games EVERY DAY.  This is no joke.  You have to pay for shoe rental.  Each week they send you an email with that week's coupons.  And for $30 for the summer you can add 4 adults to that, too.  It's a great deal.  Around here I know that Woodland Bowl participates in this.  All you have to do is make a reservation for the day you want to go.  There are no special hours or other strange requirements.  A free activity....what could be better?!

Do You Have a Vacuum?

The freezer part of our fridge was starting to run warm.  The ice cream and frozen juice concentrate were melting and the frozen waffles were just "refridgerated".  The repairman came out today and was explaining that sometimes the "motherboard" malfunctions or gets a burn spot.  Sometimes the heating coils quit working.  Sometimes the fan motor blows out.  He pulled the fridge out all the way from the wall and said, "Do you have a vacuum?  I've found your problem."  The entire vent on the back of the fridge was covered with dust bunnies.  Thick dust bunnies.  When he removed the outer cover, he whistled.  "Wow.  You should see all the dust on these coils.  No wonder this thing can't stay cool.  You've got no where for the heat to escape.  It's covered with dust."  So I paid $75 for him to vacuum out the inside of my fridge.  I guess that's better than having to replace it, but WAY more embarrassing.  I would usually pull it out enough to get my broom back there and sweep the floor, but I never knew I had to actually clean the back side of the fridge.  Now I know.  And so do you!

Also - I wanted to pass on a suggestion.  I have found a company called Shirley's Prepackaged Crafts.  She sells a 9 month (Sept - May) subscription of crafts delivered to your door.  Each month you get 12 crafts along with the instructions and all the supplies needed (except glue, tape and scissors).  They are geared toward preschoolers.  Each month has a theme, a color and a shape of the month.  She also includes tips and fun snack suggestions.  You can buy just one month for $18 or you get a discount if you order all 9 months.  We have done 2 of the crafts for April and the little girls had fun.  Each one only took about 5 - 10 min.  She can be found at www.shirleysprepackagedcrafts.com  If you want to try out the May kit, you have to order by April 15th.  Isn't that a great idea?!      

I am working really hard on cutting my grocery bill WAY down.  I have been meeting with some other moms who have it all figured out.  So far I am spending about $100 less/week.  I still have some work to do, though.  My next goal is to get to Aldi and Walmart and compare prices to what I usually spend at Target and Costco.  We'll see.

Also, I'm needing a little motivation.  I signed up to do a triathlon which is happening on April 17th (didn't realize it was Palm Sunday when I registered).  Anyway, the two people I signed up to do it with have backed out - for legitimate reasons.  But now I don't want to do it, but I've paid the money, but...., but....., but...   Anybody free next Sunday who wants to do a sprint tri???

Pee Problems

What is wrong with my kids????  Seriously.  A week ago, Ben put a pillow down his pants to be funny pretending he was a fat man.  Joel said something silly then started tickling Ben, who then started laughing so hard he peed his pants and his pillow.  Really.  Have you ever peed your pillow??  Then last night I put clean sheets on Ben's bed at 8:15 PM.  At midnight, Matt took him to the bathroom like we do every night and discovered that he had already peed the bed.  It's not the peed bed that bothers me.  It's the peed bed when the sheets have only been on there for 4 hours.  Plus, I didn't see that the plastic cover I put on under the sheets had a hole in it -- so it was a peed mattress.  Not just sheets.  (which is bad enough....we have SO MUCH laundry that trying to add a load of sheets, blankets and comforters really messes with our system).

Also yesterday, Gwen (who as I have mentioned before has regressed in the potty training department) was outside naked from the waist down.  She came running in saying, "Potty!"  I rushed her to the bathroom only to discover that there was poop on her leg.  That meant that she had pooped somewhere and come in to tell me.  I cautiously retraced her steps and found a small pile on the back patio.  How disgusting is that??!!  Cleaning poop off your back porch from your daughter?!  I was so eager to get to the pile I spotted that I stepped right in a pile that I had overlooked.  I had shoes on, but still.  I have cleaned dog poop off my shoes before - and that's bad enough.  But to clean human feces off your shoe is just wrong.  What is wrong with this child?

On a positive note, Matt and I went to Cincinnati over the weekend for a homeschool convention.  It was great.  We had a fun time being away together and going to the various sessions and looking at all sorts of cool materials.  I tend to go to more of the parenting seminars than ones on actually homeschooling your kids (hmmm - maybe that's my problem!)  Anyway, on Saturday afternoon Michelle Duggar spoke.  We don't have cable, so I have only see their show one time in a hotel.  But, I have heard all about them.  I was not sure what to expect, but I was so impressed.  She had some great insight and thoughts on being a mom.  One she shared was how she keeps her voice calm and quiet.  She was convicted several years ago about yelling and since then she thinks about how when you have other people's kids in your home you don't yell at them because they might go home and tattle on you.  Well, the kids in your home do belong to someone else (God) and they won't need to tattle on you because He already knows what tone of voice is being used.  Ugh.  OK.  Great word picture for me.  She also encouraged us to praise our children 10x as often as we scold them for whoever praises our children will ultimately hold their hearts.  How true.  They will gravitate toward those that like them and let them know!

So get out there and find all the great things your kids do today....and hope they don't poop on the floor.

Footwear Optional

My mom and I just returned from taking the kids on an overnight to Mammoth Cave in KY.  It was a fun 2 days.  It's just about 4 hours round trip from where we live.  Just long enough for me to think twice about doing it again.  My older kids CAN NOT ride in the car without picking, fighting, irritating, etc. each other.  We do not have a DVD player in our car, so we rely on old-fashioned fun...how many blue cars can you find, highway bingo, stories on CD, coloring contests.  It gets a little old after a while.  But, the caves were really cool and they had fun.  My mom and I were worn out.  Mammoth Cave is very impressive, although it's a dry cave in most parts which means that there are no stalagtites or stalagmites.  We also saw Diamond Cave which is very wet and full of formations - almost to the point that it looks fake, like something you would see at Disney if you went in a cave they had replicated.  The little girls were troopers and did well.  (Except for Gwen pooping right as we were entering the cave for our 2 hour tour - with no bags allowed and therefore no diapers or wipes)

Gwen has a shoe problem.  As in she takes them off randomly.  Today at Target as I was headed to the checkout, I realized that she only had one shoe on.  We had to retrace our steps, finding it in the middle of the bread isle.  Everyone just stepping around it.  Last week one morning when it was about 35 outside, I had taken her clothes all the way off because she had spilled juice.  When I went upstairs to get her new clothes, she pulled on her slippers and let herself outside.  Buck naked except for the pink slippers.  The boys, who were outside shooting hoops, were mortified and brought her back in.  She was mad that she was being made to come back inside.  You think the cold air on her tush would have been enough to make her want to come inside immediately.  She's also totally regressed in the potty training department.  I thought we were very close to being done -- but alas, NO!  If she's home, with no pants on, she never misses.  If you put pants of any kind on her, she pees in them and then tells me afterwards.  Ugh.  I was having visions of no more diapers.  I guess I could always just take her out "commando".  But then CPS might come after me.

This week is spring break for our school system.  In our town the majority of the people travel over spring break.  So it's totally dead around here.  And then, to top it all off, it SNOWED today.  Really snowed.  Nothing stuck, but I have to admit that it made me envious of our friends in Florida for the week.  Although that would mean an even longer car trip.....probably better that we are staying home!

Sometimes You Just Can't Win...

...And sometimes you can!  As for the "can't win"...Yesterday I was in the shower when I realized that there was no conditioner in there.  I took the empty bottle and tried my best to make some more by swishing water around in the bottle.  I did not have much success because that had already been done a couple of times before.  When I got out of the shower, I went to grab my towel only to realize that my choice was between a wet towel or a hand towel.  There was nothing else left in the bathroom.  I choose the hand towel, although after drying off one arm it was no better than the wet towel. 

The day did get better (not that I don't love my kids....really, I do!) Joel and Ben are spending a few days at their grandparent's.  They are working to earn a little money because there is a Lego store opening here in a few weeks.  So I am down by 2.  This was also the same day that Charlotte had Mom's Day Out.  So for this one morning, I had just Gwen.  What a treat!  Do you know how much you can get done with just one kid in tow?  Do you know how clean your house stays when there are just 1 or 2 little kids around?  You clean it and it stays that way for several hours.  Usually I am satisfied if it stays tidy for 20 minutes.  I could get used to my older kids being gone during the day....hmmmm.....school???  Is that what it's like when your kids go to school all day??  'Cause that could be really appealing!

Here's a recipe for you, too.  It's yummy and easy.  I would suggest buying the boneless, skinless chick thighs at Costco.  They are usually $1.99/lb.  Plan on at least 2 thighs per person, more if you have big eaters.

Sticky Chicky
16 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Sauce:
1/2 c BBQ sauce
1/4 c reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/4 honey or maple syrup (or I have even used brown sugar)
1 T chili powder
1 T dijon mustard
1 T grated gingerroot or 1 t dried ginger
2 t minced garlic (about 2 cloves)

1 T cornstarch mixed with 1 T water

preheat oven to 400.  spray 9x13 with Pam.  arrange chicken in pan in single layer.  whisk all sauce ingredients together (not the cornstarch mixture).  pour over chicken and turn pieces to coat evenly.  bake uncovered about 40 min. 

remove chicken from pan.  pour sauce into a sauce pan.  add cornstarch mixture.  bring to a boil over medium heat.  cook until bubbly and thickened.  Serve with rice and extra sauce on the side. 

What's This??

Today we went to our last (yeah!) basketball game of the season.  As we were leaving, Charlotte found a rubber band on the floor and put it on her wrist.  She was so proud of her find...her little treasure.  When I put her in her booster seat, she spread it out on her palm and asked me what shape it was.  I didn't realize that she had picked up a silly band.  As she held out the shape, I was taken aback.  It was in the shape of "boy parts".  "I am not sure what that is.  Let me ask Daddy."  Unfortunately in the transfer of trying to figure out the shape, the rubber band "broke".  Darn.

Once we arrived home I realized Gwen had taken her shoes off.  She had her left sock off and both shoes were back on, but on the wrong foot.  "Where's your other sock?"  I asked her.  I was searching under the seats, on the floor, under her rear end....it had disappeared.  Then I went to rotate the sock that was on her right foot b/c it was twisted.  I realized then that she had put both socks on the same foot.  So the sock was there the whole time.  Right in front of me.  Always keeping me guessing.  Because I have nothing better to do.  :)

I am also working on our budget.  I am really trying to shrink my grocery bill.  Boy, it's hard when there's 8 of us and I want to eat LOTS of fruit and veggies.  I will share with you and great tips I pick up.

Busy

Wow.  You know, no matter how hard you try to simplify, when you are mom with kids in the house, there just never seems to be much down time.  I have been wanting to share some stories, but unfortunately, blogging is lower on the list than, say....feeding the kids.  Or reading my book for our small group study (didn't even get around to getting that one done!).

I spent the better part of yesterday getting our new computer set up - and the printer to go along with it.  I had to call tech support a couple of times to figure it out, but I now have 2 laptops and the desktop all hooked up to the wireless printer.  All by myself!  Isn't that amazing. ( The wireless printing thing, not my skills at setting up the computer.)  A lot of the computer set-up issues stemmed from the age of our previous computer.  It was almost 9 years old, which in computer age is like 205 years.  It's even worse than dog years.  The word processing program on our old one is not even recognized by the new version and the young guy helping me at the Mac store had no clue what that program even was.  He was probably in Jr. High when we bought that last computer.  I also had to call into the wireless router people because we had somehow lost our secure internet connection.  And while I trust my neighbors for the most part, probably best if other people can't access our network.  All this tech stuff...and I am NOT a techie.  

Side note:  if you have a front load washer and you are getting 'the smell', stop using liquid fabric softener.  The repair man told me that it is made up mostly of animal fats.  Isn't that the nastiest thing you have ever heard?!  Also, he said to make sure you are using no more that 1 Tablespoon of the HE detergent.  1 Tablespoon.  That's the maximum.  We were using WAAAAAYYY  too much detergent.  It's amazing how long that giant bottle of Tide will last when you use just 1 T.

Here's a recipe for you.  It's for Chicken Tetrazini.  I have made it with turkey, too.  It freezes well, so it's easy to make one, freeze one.  I usually find it works well to make spaghetti for dinner one night early in the week and make double noodles.  Then put the extras in a ziplock and use them at the end of the week for the tetrazini.  It saves a step and makes it even easier to assemble.

Chicken Tetrazini
cooked spaghetti (not sure exactly how much...just what looks right for your family)
1/2 stick butter
3 T minced onion or 3 t dried minced onion
1 can cream of chicken soup (reduced fat works, too)
1 can evaporated milk (I use the 2% variety)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 c parmesan cheese
2 c cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 c or more shredded cheddar (use medium or sharp for best flavor)

melt butter in a large sauce pan and cook with onion.  Add chicken, soup, milk, spices and cheddar cheese.  stir to combine.  add noodles and toss to coat evenly.  put into a sprayed 9x13.  sprinkle with parmesan.  bake 30 min at 325.

Enjoy!!!

We are off to Laser Flash this evening.  My husband will take the belated birthday child + a few friends. I will be with Joel at another basketball tournament -- 1 game tonight, 3 tomorrow and up to 4 games on Sunday if they continue winning.  Then we will all gather back here afterwards for cake and ice cream.  Actually it's an ice cream cake that I make by layering ice cream sandwiches (3 layers with 4 sandwiches in each layer) with a mixture of pudding, coolwhip and oreos in between.  Then I frost the whole outside with coolwhip and freeze it overnight.  Then you just slice it into pieces to serve.  Looks really cool with the chocolate and vanilla layers.  And it's yummy, too.  Seriously, what's not to love about that!

Three Wet Beds in Two Days

Yep....three peed beds.  Two of them on beds without mattress protectors.  As if we need more laundry around here! 

Also last week, Charlotte put red marker all over her lips.  When I asked her about it, she said, "It's not marker, it's blood.  My lips is bleeding."

"Well, it clearly looks like marker to me.  Don't lie to Mommy, Charlotte."

"I'm not lying.  It's blood from my teeth."

I asked her to go sit on her bed because she was lying.  When I went up there 20 min later to put her PJ's on, I asked her, "Why did you lie to Mommy?"

"I didn't lie.  It's blood."

"Charlotte, Mommy can tell that the red stuff on your mouth is marker.  I will not be reading books to you tonight because you lied."

"OK.  It is marker.  Now can I have books?!"  (Do they really think we are that dumb??)

On Thursday, I had to take Gretta to the doctor for her physical so she can run track.  (for those of you that know her, yes, you read that right....Gretta running track!  we'll let you know how it goes!)  Anyway, I had to wake Gwen up early so we could get to the doctor.  She was all sleepy eyed even as we pulled into the parking lot.  But, as always, the highlight of a trip to the doctor is a sticker.  She very excitedly picked it out....and placed it directly on her stomach skin.   Ooooo no.  That's not going to be good, I thought to myself.  Sure enough, when I tried to remove it her stomach skin (sweet, smooth, pink skin) pulled waaaaay out.  She had a red mark on her tummy for 24 hours where that thing had been.  Most upsetting though was that the sticker was no longer sticky and would not stick on her shirt.  What a way to start your day, huh?

Then yesterday, Charlotte sat down and said to Gwen, "Take off my shoes."  And then "Gwen, hang up my coat."  Of course Gwen just does whatever Charlotte asks. 

Gretta said, "Charlotte, Gwen is not your servant."

"Yes she is."

"No, she's not."

"Then who is???"  Good question!

Well, it's rolled around to Ben's birthday today and we finally had birthday plans figured out.  We were going to celebrate with grandparents today and do a birthday overnight next weekend.  Then one set of grandparents missed their flight and the other set has a grandma with a broken rib.  So he opened his gifts from us and we went out for ice cream after lunch.  He doesn't seem too bothered.  He and Kyle are outside right now with this giant ball that you actually get inside.  They seem to be having fun.  Anyone want to take bets on how long before that ball pops??  We also got him this really cool catapult that you build.  It's from this company that makes working models of all sorts of wooden "machines", like siege engines.  The website is www.pathfindersdesign.com  They are out of Victoria, BC.  Neat stuff, especially if you have boys that like to build things.

Enjoy your Sunday!



 

Movies & Ben

I have a couple of movie recommendations.  That's always a little tricky.  Sort of embarrassing if you watch it and hate it and wonder what in the world I was thinking!  The 1st one is Fireproof.  It's an old movie and sort of cheesy, but touching and real all at the same time.  Matt and I were inspired to get the book, The Love Dare, after watching the movie.  I think it will be a wonderful exercise in really practicing love. 

The 2nd movie is fairly new to video.  It's called Get Low.  It stars Robert Duvall as a hermit set in the 1930's.  It's based on a true story of a man who plans a funeral party for himself while he's still alive all because he wants to tell the story of why he's lived his life the way he has. 

And....Mr. Ben.  He's set to turn 8 on Sunday.  If you passed him on the street you would probably guess he was at least 10, maybe 12 by the way he's built.  His face is still baby enough to pass for 8, though!  He's been all into planning out his b-day this year.  He's had a running list since before Christmas.  He adds things daily, too.  The latest being a hamster and a cross bow.  Sure.  He also wants to have a huge party and take everyone to Laser Flash.  Problem is Laser Flash costs at least $15/kid and he's only got about $50 to spend for his party.  I keep offering other options and he's not buying.  The poor guy is also getting irritated because Joel has a basketball tournament this weekend and next and they can't give us the schedule for those games until the day prior to the tournament.  That means I can't really plan a party until we know Joel's schedule, which means I think we should wait until after the tournaments.  But then it's spring break and that means a party mid-April, which to an 8 year old might as well be next year.  So he really feels as if he's getting the shaft.  What's a mom to do??  I want the kid to feel special, I just have other things I have to work around!  I will let you know the outcome once I finally figure it out!

Pink Tutu

Last weekend I attended our church's women's retreat.  It was so nice to get away and spend time with my girlfriends and have some GREAT teaching.  A noted Christian author and speaker, Cynthia Heald was the speaker.  She spoke on Becoming a Woman of Simplicity.  She was so real and dynamic and approachable.  I just wish she would move into my house and speak softly to me about what's important and what to just let go!  The most important lessons I took home were to simplify my life physically (commitments, TV viewing, computer time, cell phone usage, etc) so that I can abide with Christ.  I think that our family has done a good job simplifying.  We don't have a lot going on outside our home.  The kids all have a sport or two they play - but never more that one sport at a time.  However, things get a little hectic because sometimes that means 3 kids are involved in their "thing" on the same night.  Spring is usually a nice season for us because we don't have any baseball players and Gretta hasn't started riding yet.  Anyway, I think we have the 1st part down.  The second part - abiding in Christ - is where I am struggling.  I know it's so important and yet I find myself wanting to do it on my own.  I would encourage you to read her book(s).  Here is a link to the one she referenced.  It's her most recent.

So, why did I title today's post "Pink Tutu"??  Well, it involves a story from my day today.  This morning I took Gwen back to JC Penney to get her 2 year old pictures taken.  No barfing today.  She was healthy and ready to go.  Out of all the pictures I did find one to order and can check that off my list.  As I was leaving I announced to the kids that we were going to Costco which is right next door to Penney's.  The photographer asked about Costco.  "What do they sell?" (really??) "They have produce?  Is it a grocery store? How much is a membership?"  I didn't know the cost of the membership.  So then she hands me her business card and says, "When you get there, find out the cost of the membership and call me and tell me."  What?!?!  I don't even know this woman.  She's a single lady.  I am standing there with 4 kids in tow and she wants me to call her.  Give me a break!  I told her it would probably be better for her to call herself.  After all, I am trying to become a woman of simplicity and that was one task I just did not want to take on.  (Side note:  you can split a Costco membership with someone else.  You get 2 cards and they do not have to be for the same family!)

Today at Costco it was "super-duper sample day" (my term).  They always have samples, but today it was everything my kids love - chicken nuggets, pizza, fresh squeezed OJ, gogurt, trail mix, salted nuts, gatorade, peaches, and more.  They were happy campers.  I almost wished I had a Twitter following so I could let all my friends know about it!    

While at Costco, I had purchased Charlotte an Ariel swim suit that came with a swim t-shirt.  She wanted to try it on immediately once we got home.  As soon as Charlotte put on her suit, Gwen had to have hers on too.  "Swim too, swim too"  Both of them are pink with tutu skirts.  They stayed in their pink tutus for about an hour.  Playing, riding their little push car and even eating lunch in them (Costco frozen pizza -- $9.99 for 4 frozen cheese pizza...and they are great!).   

And, finally, I am almost out of diapers.  Can I hear a "halleluja"??  Gwen has been dry on her own initiative for several days now.  Even #2 is making it into the potty.  She has been the easiest one I have ever had (and the earliest).  Love it!  (Better not get too prideful or the Lord will put me back in my place, huh?)

Stuffed Shells

This is a recipe you have probably made before.  I just forget about it, but my kids love them.  They warm up great for left overs and also freeze well.  Sometimes I make a double batch and freeze once assembled, but before baking.  Just mark on the aluminum foil what is in the pan and the date you put it in there.  This is enough to feed our family of 8.  If you have  smaller clan, you could make one, freeze one with these amounts (Might want to get 2 jars of sauce if you do that).  Also, get creative...if your kids will eat spinach, mix it in with the cheeses.  If you love a certain cheese variety or spice, add it.  You really can't go wrong.  

Stuffed Shells
1 box jumbo shells
1 container ricotta cheese
1 container small curd cottage cheese
1/4 c parmesan cheese
2 beaten eggs
1 t garlic powder
1 t or more dried basil
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Boil noodles until al dente.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Meanwhile, mix cheeses, eggs and spices.  Spray 9x13 with Pam, then spread a thin layer of sauce over bottom of pan.  Fill each shell using a spoon.  Spread sauce over the top.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 30 min. 

The Last Few Days

Friday was interesting.  It snowed overnight last week Thursday - Friday.  A 2 hour delay for the oldest two turned into a full day off for the snow.  Funny thing was the roads were totally clear by 10:30.  It warmed up and was a beautiful day with 5 inches of snow on the ground.  Gwen had woken up at 6 AM by coughing and throwing up in her bed.  I reassured myself that the vomit was cough induced.  After all, I have one with an easy gagger.  If she laughs too much, coughs too hard, cries for too long, etc. she will throw up.  Anyway, she went back to bed and I had to wake her up at 9:30.  I had to get her up because I was taking her to JC Penney to get her 2 year pictures taken.  But then she threw up in the kitchen.  I still attributed it to coughing and we got shoes on and headed out.  Then she threw up in the car in the parking lot at Penney's.  OK.  No pictures, but maybe I could run in next door at Costco and get the 5 things on my list.  No sooner had I pulled into my parking space when she really let fly.  Vomit everywhere.  Charlotte, who was sitting next to her, covered her eyes and kept saying over and over, "I'm not gonna look.  I'm not gonna look."  Now Costco was out.  Definitely couldn't blame it on coughing at this stage.  She had a stomach bug.  Back home with absolutely nothing accomplished except a 2 year old covering herself and her car seat in puke.  I just made more work for myself as the stinkin' car seat had to come out and get all taken apart and laundered.  BUT, my saving grace was that at 2:00 I was picked up by a girlfriend and whisked away to our church's women's retreat.  We even had time to stop at the outlet mall on the way down.  And can I just tell you that I bought the most awesome skillet.  I have been needing a new one and I walked into this kitchen store and there it was....a 15 inch skillet with stainless interior, copper middle and aluminum exterior.  It's made by All Clad, and it was on sale, too.  Exactly what I had been looking for.  I couldn't wait to get home today and try it out!  (and I did....sausage gravy with biscuits and eggs for dinner).  After our retail therapy we drove to a state park inn for the retreat with 250 other women.  I got home this afternoon after 48 hours away.  It was lovely.  Especially because when I got home, everyone was healthy and had made a full recovery.  I can't wait to share with you all about the lessons I learned at the retreat...but that will have to wait for another day for I am worn out and headed to bed! 

L-O-S-E-R

If any of you were thinking that you were in the running for Mom of the Year, I just wanted you to know that the award has been presented and I am the official winner.  Best you can do is 2nd place at this point!  Last night I dropped Joel (10 years old) off at basketball practice at a local elementary school at 5:20 for 5:30 practice.  Matt left to pick him at 7:00, but returned without Joel.  "Where's Joel?" I asked.

"Funny thing, " Matt replied.  "Practice didn't start until 6:45 and is over at 8:15."  So, Joel had been alone at the school - no other person in the building, no phone to call us - for an hour and a half.  ALONE.  I am sure he was freaked out.  Of course, he acted like he was fine.  But I know him and know he was terrified.  Not to mention that I hadn't fed him dinner because he would be home by 7:15.  This is the boy that gets REALLY grouchy if he isn't fed regularly.  His metabolism is super fast.

In all seriousness, as I drove away from the school after dropping him off, I thought, Isn't it interesting how much more comfortable I am dropping him off than I would have been with my 1st child?  I would always have walked Kyle into the building.   Guess I need to revert back to my old ways, huh?

Potty Training

Well, this week has been interesting!  I decided I would take some old costume jewelry I had plus a watch to the place in town that buys gold and see if I could make a little spending cash.  I had my hopes set high.  Too high.  I have sold some old gold chains and earrings that are missing the match and done pretty well.  I had heard the man mention that he also bought good costume jewelry.  So, in I marched with my treasures.  He took one look at them and said, "Do you have small children at home?"  I answered that I did.  He then said, "Take these things home and let them play with them.  They aren't worth anything."  Bummer.  All my hopes dashes.  Just like that.

Gwen has started potty training.  That's one of my least favorite parenting tasks.  I am a firm believer in the "Naked and Elbow Grease" method of potty training.  Meaning that I leave their pants off because it makes them realize that they need to do something about the stuff coming out from between their legs.  The only problem with that is when they don't make it to the potty.  Yesterday we had 1.5 pee accidents and 1 poop accident.  I have to tell you, though, that the poop thing was not entirely her fault.  Yes, it came out of her body.  But, in all fairness, she was bending over and squatting down to pick something up when all of a sudden she tooted....and out came a bit of poop, too.  I don't think she knew it was coming.  At least it was on the hard floor and not the carpet.

Since my last few posts have been about Gwen, I thought I should fill you in on the happenings of the other 5 children who occupy our home.  We don't want one to feel more important than another.

Kyle, who is in 8th grade, has been trying to decide what his feelings are about high school.  I can tell you that I don't feel old enough to have a high school student, but nonetheless, we have been weighing our options.  I think we have settled on him staying at the local public school.  He's comfortable there...and the boy thrives on comfort. 

Now, I have to brag on my eldest daughter.  Last Sunday Gretta stayed  home from church because she had been running a fever the night before.  So off we went for 2 hours leaving her at home.  When we walked in the door at 11:30, there on the neatly-set table, was brunch.  She had made the entire meal (pancakes, fruit salad and fruit smoothies) by herself and timed it out so that it would be ready when we got home. 

Joel is feeling much better since my post about the mystery illness.  He's back to himself and is completely immersed in basketball.  He dribbles in the garage when it's raining and is outside every free moment when it's not. 

Ben is also playing basketball.  He's in a league with 1st and 2nd graders and being that he is a VERY TALL and THICKLY built boy, he's much taller than the other kids he plays against.  My husband even commented that Ben could have tooted and knocked one particularly scrawny kid over.  He looks like a moose out there! 

Charlotte is becoming Gwen's little mother.  They have giggle fits (and cat fights).  She LOVES to go to school...which is only a mom's day out program one day/week for 3 hours! 

Oh, and I better give you another "Gwen-ism":  "wub ew"....especially cute when she tacks on "mommy" at the end.  "Wub ew, mommy".  I love you, too, Gwennie!

"Fulf"

"Fulf" - definition:  a two year old's way of saying, "No, thank you, Mommy.  I want to do it all by myself".  Of course it does not come out nearly so sweet.  It's more shouted than spoken and has a very defiant tone.  Two year olds are notorious for wanting to do everything by themselves, whether they actually can or not.  Like buckling her own car seat, getting herself dressed, washing her own hair, brushing her teeth, putting on her shoes, zipping up her coat....doesn't she realize that I am only trying to help??  How much easier it would be if she just let me get the coat turned the right direction, the knots out of her hair before she brushed, the shoes on the correct foot?

Funny thing:  I can just picture God saying the same thing about me.  "Doesn't she know how much easier this would be if she would just let me help her?"  But instead, I run around in my own way shouting "fulf".  God is there waiting, wanting me to turn to help and ask for help, knowing full well that I can't do this (life, mothering, etc) on my own.  You know, I am convinced that God gave me my children (and 6 of them, at that) to teach me a thing or two!

Another funny Gwen conversation:
Me: "Gwen, why did you ________________?" (fill in the blank...spit food out of your mouth, throw your plate to the ground, bite your sister)
Gwen:  "Cuzth"
Me:  "'Cause why?"
Gwen:  "Ida know"
Me:  "That's a NO, Gwen.  You know we don't _________." (again...fill in the blank)
Gwen:  "OK Mama"  (said with an adorable smile on her face)
Then repeat the conversation 5 minutes later when she does it yet again.

Sixty Second Clean Up

I read an article in a magazine over the weekend about a 60 second cleanup.  I gave it a try last night and it's fabulous!  It won't suffice if you really need to deep clean, but if you are just needing to straighten up a room, it's a fun idea.  Here's how it works:  set a timer for 60 seconds.  Gather your kids and assign tasks if needed.  On "go", everyone works as hard as they can for 60 seconds.  I was amazed.  We did the family room and then the school room last night before bed.  They think it's a game and are willing to work hard and not be distracted for that time.  Who can't commit to 60 seconds!?!  Plus, with everyone working, it really can get done!  You should try it.  I would love to make the 60 second clean up part of our evening routine - especially for our family room and school room.  The author recommended that if you have a small room, like a bath, that you want done, that you do 60 second shifts...one kid at a time with a specific job while they are in there.  Fun idea!

Casserole Recipe

Tried this one last night on request from Ben (8).  He saw the recipe on the back of the mac n cheese box and asked for it.  There is nothing healthy about this, but it was pretty tasty and one of my kids even said it was a "top 10 favorite".  The recipe is on the back of the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe box.  I doubled it for our family.  Quick and easy...maybe your kids can even make it!

1 pkg Kraft deluxe mac & cheese, original cheddar
1 cup chopped ham
1 cup frozen peas, thawed, drained
1/2 c milk
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Make the mac & cheese according to directions.  Stir in ham, peas and milk.  Spoon into a baking dish (spray it first).  Top with cheese.  Bake at 400 for 15 min.

Two Mistakes

Mistake #1:  It's killing me.  I cut Gwen's hair.  She's got these beautiful golden locks with ringlet curls.  The back was getting a little long and sort of "mullet" looking.  Plus, with the length, it wasn't curling as tight.  So I thought a little trim would be good -- layer it a bit, take some of the weight off.  Not so.  Oh, I am in literal pain every time I look at her.  Very little curl....maybe it's just because it's too short.  More likely it's because I cut the baby curl out.  The front, top and sides are still curly, the back is just chopped.  Honestly, it looks rather stupid.  I just want to cry.


Mistake #2:  I invited Joel's basketball team over for an ice cream party this evening.  Plus parents and siblings.  We are at 25 people.  Now I'm regretting it.  We have a cabinet missing a door, trim around a window that needs to be replaced, a tiny, cramped kitchen (especially with 25 people in it).  Why did I do that???  But, I know that true hospitality is not waiting until your house is perfect so you can show it off.  True hospitality is inviting people into a warm home filled with love....serving from your heart, not your best china.  I have to get over my house.  It's NEVER going to look perfect.  I am NEVER going to have my entire "to do" list completed.  But, I can't let that stop me from having people into my home.  I have to get over wanting to "entertain" and start focusing on be hospitable.  So, here's to a fun night (and hoping people don't notice the missing cabinet door).   

Rite of Passage & More

Well, Number 6 has officially been accepted into our family....she pooped in the tub while taking a bath last week.  All of my kids have pooped in the tub (at least it's before they are potty-trained...is this just my kids??).  You know, there's nothing like sitting down on the side of the tub ready to wash them and looking in the water only to find a good size poop sitting in there with the two girls and the Barbies and other bath toys.  They were oblivious.  Totally gross.  I quickly pulled them out and put them in the other tub, took the bath toys to the dishwasher, drained the tub.  The dilemma then becomes how to get it out of there.  Before I had a chance to clean it, Hubby (knowing full well what was in there), told Joel to go shower.  It was a funny, albeit disgusting, prank.

More news:
Yesterday I woke up with a horrific UTI.  It came on very suddenly and progressed very quickly.  In about an hour I was feverish and feeling quite terrible.  After visiting the doctor and getting my prescription, I came home and laid down on the couch to wait it out until nap time.  I put the 10 year old and 8 year old in charge of the 3 and 2 year olds.  That's always interesting, but honestly, I didn't care what they did.  Nor could I have done anything about it if I didn't like what they were doing.  At 2:00, after the girls laid down for their naps, I climbed into bed and slept until 4:30.  When I woke up I could hear dishes clattering and other kitchen noises.  "Oh, no...please don't let them be making me a snack in bed" I thought.  I know, that sounds really caring, but all I could think of was the mess I couldn't bear to think about cleaning up.  I made my way downstairs and found my dear neighbor (she's a widow that my kids think of as their 3rd grandma) directing the kids.  She had washed and put away all of my dirty dishes, had the kids straighten and vacuum the entire downstairs and set the table for Valentine dinner.  She is such a dear woman.  My kids were proud of their work, and I was so thankful for a clean house.  Feeling much better today and so thankful for the access we have to medical care.

Over the weekend, Matt and I went on a date.  I love to go on dates with my man.  While a weekly date would be ideal, it's not very realistic given our schedule and budget.  So we try to go monthly.  We went to a yummy pizza place and then saw The King's Speech (stopping at the grocery to get our candy 1st to save a little $!).  It is fabulous.  We really enjoyed it and recommend it if you have not seen it.

Hope that you had a fun Valentine's Day with your family!  

Sigh.....

Warning:  I am in a foul mood.  The day started out nicely...early morning, no one else was awake, running on the treadmill at the gym (trying to get in shape for a triathlon in April), stopped at the grocery store to get each of the urchins a doughnut, home to shower.  THEN...mid shower I realized I forgot to pack lunches when I got home.  I was basking in the glory of "great mommy-dom" over the doughnuts (they are a HUGE treat around here) and just forgot to pack the stupid lunches.  I was running late because Fridays are my day off from homeschooling and so I don't feel the urgency to be back downstairs dressed and ready to read to the boys by 7:30.  I was enjoying my nice hot shower, even taking time to shave my legs (gasp!).  But, back to the lunches...I rushed out of the shower, threw on my clothes and ran downstairs, started putting 3 lunches together (2 kids + hubby).  Hubby had offered to drop kids off at school (wonderful treat for me) and they were ready to leave.  That's when I realized Gretta was not ready for school yet and she had to walk out the door in 3 minutes.  Now, let me 1st tell you this is pretty much an every-morning-thing.  The girl can't walk by the TV without stopping for a full 5 min -- putting shoes on is a 10 min ordeal.  Going upstairs to brush teeth takes a full 5 min just to get up there b/c she has to walk by the TV.  (I know, turn the thing off, you say.  Yes, but it's keeping Charlotte occupied while I get everyone else ready to start the day).  No one else has trouble with the TV on.  They can eat and watch at the same time.  (we raise talented kids, I know!)  Anyway, I was irked that once again I was having to say things like, "you are leaving in 3 minutes", "do you have your coat" (duh...it's only 3 degrees outside), "have you brushed your teeth" (another 'duh').  Finally, out they all run to van.  Only for me to realize that a gift she needs for a Valentine party is sitting on the counter.  (oh, and she left her laptop at home yesterday).  Then, I see Kyle's PE activity report which is due every Friday.  He had asked me to sign it earlier and I had told him I would after I showered.  But, then I forgot.  And so did he.  Can I just tell you, I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE BACK OVER TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.  Ugh.  So begins the grouchy part of my day and it's only 9:00!  Now, here's the other thing that's making me irritated today:  I am taking the 4 younger kids to an indoor playground.  Fun!  Yeah, it is fun.  They burn some energy, I can sit and watch.  But you know who else is there....young, perky moms.  You know the ones.  Still in their late 20's, cute figure, cute clothes, flowing bouncy hair.  And then there's me...fly-away hair (our water softener is not working), cute t-shirt - but it's under my big, bulky, warm sweater.  Why do I care??? Why do I compare myself to them - or anyone for that matter???  God made me just the way I am.  He loves me just the way I am.  He doesn't like when I don't honor myself....it dishonors Him, too.  I am trying to combat this.  Maybe if I just wear a big sign around my neck that says, "There's a reason why I am like this.  I have six kids...so back off!"  Hmmm....that doesn't sound very loving and approachable, does it?  Probably not a good option.  I could sit meekly in the corner and glare at them....probably not what God had in mind either.  Guess I need to in there with my head held high, proud of myself and of my kids.  Because you know what?  I am doing something fun with my kids.  I am spending time with them.  I am honoring my kids and myself.  OK, God.  Please forgive me for not loving me.  Please help me to have a fun day with my kids and not compare myself to others.  Help me to be the woman, mom, wife you want me to be.