The other night, Steve was getting an update from each child at supper. He asked them about their school lessons and then they started volunteering their own information.
Our 12 yo was petitioning to get her own facebook account, email address, and blog. She prepared a speech which she delivered on why she should get those things. When that didn't get her the results she hoped for, she delivered in flowery Old English a list of Thou Shalts, Thou Shalt Nots, Thees, and Thines related to having her own facebook account. At that point, we told her to drop the subject for the night.
The 8 yo had a different suggestion. He wants his own pocket knife, "because he's responsible" ... he said. A few minutes later, he was teasing a sibling and then said, "Wait. Is teasing responsible?" LOL!! I guess he didn't want to do anything to hurt his chances of getting a pocket knife. He also wants a bullwhip like Indiana Jones uses, and a lasso. His older sisters think we're insane for considering giving him any of the three.
Steve wanted to know who had knocked over a stack of his papers during the day. I told him I had no idea, but I'd guess someone under the age of 6. I had already asked around and got a "Not me" from everyone. But we tried again that night. The 3 year old sweetly said "No" when asked if she did it. The five year old gave us a disgusted and shocked look and said, "NO!" He sounded seriously affronted, and Steve and I both started laughing. LOL!! That was not the response we expected.
Another day that week, my 8 year old came up to show me his ensemble for the day. He had on a plaid button-up shirt he liked, his jeans, and his Jr. Ranger hat. He showed me he had a toy holster on his belt with a toy gun in it, too. Then he said in a very serious tone, "I've even got a pencil in my shirt pocket." I asked him what the pencil was for, and he didn't know. But he said it so impressively I had to laugh (inside). Is he aspiring to be a "nerd" with the pens in the pockets, or does he think Indiana Jones comes equipped with pencils in his pocket. I guess he just felt very "prepared" with his toy gun and his pencil.
Some of our children are going through some "growing pains", with emotions all out of sorts. It always makes me laugh when they're in the midst of an emotional meltdown, or a heated discussion ... and they somehow trip up what they say. It's just fun to be able to take what they said and turn it back around for your side of the discussion. They may not appreciate it, but they usually crack a smile. Sometimes we just need that moment to break the heaviness of the discussion.
I love my kids. I love them when they are succeeding and doing well. I love them when they are getting along with each other. I love them when they are arguing and bickering with each other. I love them when they are struggling with a school concept. I love them when they are challenging me, or having an emotional meltdown.
Parenting isn't always pretty. It can get pretty messy, in fact. When you've got toddlers and teens having emotional meltdowns, with middlers scuffling with each other ... it can REALLY be messy. But we just keep cleaning up the emotional messes, picking up the literal messes, and persevere in love ... for them ... and God. I'm so thankful God gave them to us, and that I get to be a homeschool Mom. It is a blessing and a privilege to be with them each day.
I picked up a placque at a yard sale the other day. It was cute, but what really caught my eye was the quote on it. I thought of giving it to someone else at first, but then decided I needed this reminder myself.
"The Everyday Angel"
For a good everyday household angel, give us the woman who laughs.
Her pastry may not always be just right, and she may occasionally burn her bread and forget to replace missing buttons, but for solid comfort all day and every day she is an absolute delight.
Home is not a battlefield, nor life one long, unending fight.
The trick of always seeing the bright side, of polishing up the dark one, is a very important faculty, one of the things no woman should be without.
We are not all born with brilliant sunshine in our hearts, but we can cultivate a cheerful sense of humor if we only try.
~~ From An Old Scrapbook ~~
It's a reminder that I don't have to be perfect ... supper can be a flop, and I may not sew all our clothes. What really matters is that I make our home a peaceful and joyful haven ... and that begins with my own attitude. Am I peaceful and joyful instead of anxious and crabby?
Just a reminder to cultivate a cheerful sense of humor amidst the dirty dishes, dirty diapers, dirty clothes, dirty children, and piles of schoolwork.
Last night, 3 year old L got out of bed and came into our bedroom. She was so tired. She opened the door and said, "Mom, I have to ak you a kestion." (I giggled at her pronunciation since she is just so cute.)
I asked her what her question was.
She climbed up into our bed and said, "Well ..." (yawn)
"Why do kittens wiggle?" "because they like to play"
"Why do butterflies fly?" "because God made them to fly"
And she had one more question I can't remember today. It was something about people because I remember saying "God made us that way."
I looked over at her when she didn't reply to my last answer, and she had fallen asleep. I carried her back to bed, smiling as I thought about her last-ditch effort to stay awake by "aking me a kestion".
One of my favorite books is Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola. I love it because it is the story of a homeschool mom (Carol) in the 30s. It gently teaches lessons about parenting, marriage, homeschooling, serving others, and frugal living ... all in the form of a story.
One of my favorite lines in the book is when Carol's sister-in-law encourages and praises her by saying, "Motherhood is the basket in which you have placed all your eggs." I love the imagery that line creates ... being focused on one thing, cherishing it, protecting it. I've always wanted that to be true of me ... that my marriage and children were the basket I placed all my eggs in.
I was thinking about that yesterday, and wondering if I was spreading too many eggs in other baskets, and how well I could protect the eggs in the motherhood basket with the other baskets filling up. Then today I read this devotional about "The Homeschooling Mom's Perfume". And I had to ask myself what type of aroma my daily life is creating.
Is my service at home a pleasing aroma to God, and my family? Or am I stinking up the house with my attitude, harsh words, and impatience? If I'm stinking up the house, is it because I've got rotten eggs scattered about from trying to maintain too many baskets? Is one of the baskets my own pleasure, and is it overflowing with eggs invested in it? Would the other baskets be better cared for if the basket of selfishness and wasted time was less stocked?
I don't have the answers yet, but it's something I will be pondering this weekend. Are there too many baskets? Which ones are most important? How can I best tend my baskets?
"Mom, can you get me more water and ice in my cup?"
"Sure, sweetie, where's your cup?" (the dreaded question)
"I don't know." (the feared response)
"Where did you have it last?" (somewhat hopeful)
"I don't know." (Of course not. Sigh.)
"Has anyone seen L's cup?" (usually not)
And the hunt is on.
Am I the only one traipsing all over the house looking for spill-proof sippy cups every day?
Often, we give up and start a new one, in a new color, and just make a mental note that if the purple one shows up, it goes straight to the sink.
Sometimes they show up weeks later -- which is really nasty!
And then there are the moments I notice her drinking from the wrong color cup, and I have to quickly try to recall how long THAT one has been missing as I call out, "No! That cup's old!"
It wouldn't be so bad if it were only one child. But, 5 yo M still takes a sippy cup to bed, and now Baby G has started using cups, too. Of course, 3 yo L thinks every sippy cup is hers, and will sample them all.
And then there is the milk cup, water cup, and lemonade cup situation ...
Surely I'm not the only one.
And yet, every time I help them track down their cups, I'm giving a sip of water to the little ones. If I do it patiently and lovingly, I'm doing it for Jesus.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matthew 26:40
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1-2
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 'Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!' " Philippians 2:3-8
"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1
Now, thankfully, finding a lost sippy cup isn't the same as being obedient to death on a cross ... but it does remind me that if Christ humbled himself for me, I can humble myself and serve my family with love, patience, and joy!
Did you play house as a little girl? I did ... longer than most of my peers.
Sometimes it feels like I am still playing house ... pretending to know what I am doing. I am so far from perfect, and today I am feeling it more than most days.
I sometimes bicker with my husband over petty little things. The honest truth is he tries to get me to bicker at times, because he finds it funny to make me angry. He laughs then and tells me I am so Irish, and I am cute when I get angry. (Something I am sure that Irish people everywhere are now angry about.) I usually look at him and tell him he is as stubborn as he is Swedish.
I lose my patience with the kids. I raise my voice at times. I let too many little things slide, until the house is a mess and then I am frustrated by it. I say "just a minute" too often.
We watch too much TV. Really, we do. We play on the computers too much. We love to read, but we also spend lots of time in front of "screens". Sometimes we do both ... read while watching TV.
I am perpetually behind in laundry ... either the washing of it, or the folding of it. I have conquered this bad habit several times in my adult life, but I have slipped back into it again.
I let the math grading pile up for weeks sometimes. Um ... lots of times. I say "just a minute" when the kids need math help ... and it usually is longer than a minute before I get there.
Many weeks I plan our school week on Monday ... sometimes even on Tuesday. They do the basic textbooks and catch up last weeks reading on those Mondays where I have not planned yet.
Yeah, I have a garden and chickens ... but I usually wait until the weeds are overwhelming the plants before I go weed it. Steve is keeping me accountable this year, but I tend to huff and puff and drag my feet until I get out there and discover it isnt that bad after all.
(This entire post is without apostrophes in my contractions because I somehow messed up my keyboard and it is using that apostrophe key to pull up a "Quick Find Links" panel at the bottom of my screen. Oddly, though, the quotation mark works. Should I keep using formal "is not" or should I just leave them without apostrophes like isnt? It is driving me batty and I can not fix it!)
Back to previous paragraph ... dragging my feet, procrastinating, etc.
The same thing is true about folding my laundry. I keep putting it off, and then once I start I wonder why I waited so long ... it doesnt really take that long, after all. (sorry for the no apostrophe thing ... again)
I am always looking for the easy way. What is the easiest way for ME to teach this to my kids?
I have chickens now, but I still do not have a good chicken house built. I have never killed a chicken, never plucked a chicken, and I usually handle my meat after it is "packaged" by a processor. I hope my chickens live good long lives ... I am not looking forward to killing or gutting or plucking.
I do not bake very often. I quit baking my own bread several years ago. I use more paper diapers than cloth diapers most weeks. The "shoulds" still hang over my head, though. I "should" bake more often, I should bake my own bread ...
We have not started our 4-H projects ... pre-entry is next week, and the fair is in a month. I am not cut out for this.
I am lazy. I procrastinate ... obviously since the 4-H projects are still not started. I am impatient. I do not plan my menus unless we are having company.
I only look like I have my act together. Sometimes I feel like I am pretending. I am still playing house. Surely I am not the wife of 15 years, the mom of 7 kids, the homeschooling mom raising chickens and planning to start canning!?!? Am I really a mom of a new high schooler? How can that be me?
But it is.
So now you know ... I am real. I have faults. If I sound like I have my act together, remember I am just playing house.
Ten years ago, I sat in a hospital ... holding my newborn Baby C. She was so tiny and precious ... but she had kept me up the entire night before ... and it had been a long hard pregnancy ... the worst of all. I threw up 5 times a day for 12 weeks. I had a 3.5 year old, a 2 year old, and was running a home daycare.
As we neared 30 weeks, I began to have pre-term contractions that would last for 5 - 12 hours. We ended up in the hospital for monitoring to be sure it wasn't pre-term labor several times. Thankfully, despite being tired sore from the "false labors", I never dilated. During one of those visits, we discovered her cord was around her neck and being compressed during each contraction. Then began several weeks of non-stress tests to be sure the cord around her neck wasn't causing her distress. They finally concluded she was fine, and then we had to wait for her arrival.
She was finally here ... but we had decided she would be the last! I told Steve it had been the worst pregnancy ever. "They keep getting worse ... what would the next one be like?" (The answer is that none of my pregnancies have been as bad as that one.) We'd hoped to have 3 or 4 children, but we agreed to stop at 3. Steve had already met with the surgeon, and we just needed to schedule his appointment.
Soon she was 4 weeks old, and I was so in love with her. I was mourning that she would be our last. Steve had been too busy with work to make that appointment. I debated telling him I'd changed my mind, but I didn't want to seem fickle. I asked Steve about his surgery ... if he'd called the surgeon yet ... he hadn't. We talked and decided we were just too young to take that step. (Now I'm sure if it had been really important to him, he'd have found the time ... but he even postponed hernia surgery two years later until it fit into a vacation time ... although I was sure his hernia would strangulate and become abcessed. I'm a caring and concerned wife, you know.)
Now I look around at the ones who almost weren't. 8 yo J ... our first boy and C's best friend. 5 yo M, the one who looks like my Dad. 3 yo L, the cute and funny toddler who brightens our days. 8 month old G ... our sweet baby boy who brought comfort when my Father-in-Law was dying. Three wonderful boys and a bundle of sunshine princess ... I can't imagine what life would be like without them. I know it would be drastically different.
I know that having 7 kids instead of 3 does shape our life. If I only had 3 kids, ages 10, 12 and 13 ... I might have gone back to work. If I only had 3 kids, ages 10-13, we'd spend differently than we do. If I only had 3 kids, we'd have a different family dynamic and viewpoint. If I only had 3 children, we might use a different homeschool curriculum.
Having 7 kids isn't necessarily better than having 3 ... I'm not playing the numbers comparison game ... but it does make life different. We made a choice 10 years ago that has changed our life dramatically. I recognize that who I am today and where we are as a family is very different from what it might have been if we'd stopped at 3.
I don't regret it at all. Each one of these "almost wasn't" children is a blessing in our life. They are unique and bring a different flavor to our family. They each have a future chosen by God that I can't see yet ... but I pray they will follow Him and make an impact on the world around them. Just by being here, they have changed my world.
It isn't always easy. C and M have been the most active of the children. M and L made a needy combination over the last 3.5 years. J stretched me as I adjusted to being a mom of boys, and not just girls. Sometimes the number of children to keep track of, disciple, and nurture is just tiring. Sometimes the laundry pile seems like a mountain I'll never conquer.
Like any mom of any number of children, I get discouraged at times. Sometimes I am sure that I'm failing and they are all little heathens bound for a life of crime (don't we all have those days?). But my life isn't marked by discouragement ... that isn't my focus. I am blessed, and these children bring me joy.
We stood at a crossroad ten years ago ... we had to choose a path. We made our choice, and I don't regret it. At the time, I was just thankful for Steve's busy schedule that kept him from making that call while I had time to reconsider. Looking at it now, I'd say it was God leading me through my husband.
Ten years ago, did I imagine I'd have four more children, including 3 boys? Not at all. But, I praise Him for each one of these blessings in my life, entrusted to me to raise and nurture in the ways of the Lord.
Trusting in Him,
April
PLEASE know that this post is not meant to be making any statement about those with larger or smaller families. I really am not. I'm merely pondering the difference in our life because of the path we chose ... and the "what could have been" aspect of it. That is all.
We try to parent our babies to sleep, to quote Dr. Sears. We rock them, nurse them, or snuggle them to sleep. We have had a few babies who preferred to fall asleep in their own space, but most have needed to be soothed to sleep by Mommy or Daddy's presence. We've never let a baby cry it out, and don't intend to.
But the past few nights I've been noticing that Baby G is growing up. He's been rather alert and not wanting to settle down to sleep. Keeping himself awake is the name of the game, instead. And he's like an octopus.
First his feet are both pressing into my thigh as I lay beside him. Then his hands start to clap. Then he puts one foot on my leg and one on my tummy. Then he has one hand pinching my nose and one hand grabbing the collar of my shirt, while his feet are still on my tummy and leg. And the whole time, his mouth is running ... cooing and babbling and laughing and squealing.
Then ... well you get the picture.
So, we're up tonight, when everyone else is asleep. At least it's not really late ... I don't mind being up at 10:30 pm ... it's when it stretches to midnight that I start to mind. But even then, the quiet time with my baby is so sweet.
As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I made the choice to be a more active blogger. I didn't want the blog to become only a series of reviews, so I purposed to write personal blog entries more often.
As I began to become better acquainted with the other Crew members, we began to discuss our blogs and the art/science of drawing more readers to our blogs. Everyone wants to have more readers, but I also felt it would be best for the Crew and the vendors we were reviewing, if I had more blog traffic. The more people who came to my blog, the more who would see my reviews and learn about the TOS Crew.
So I set out to have more giveaways, participate in more carnivals, post more often, and participate in more memes. I began to read more articles and blogs about increasing blog traffic. New terms like "google page rank" became important to me. (FYI, I didn't have a page rank at the time, but I'm now at 3/10. For now ... it will probably fall again.)
As the Crew began to wind down, and our last items began to arrive, I didn't want the fun of reviews and visitors to my blog to end, so I eagerly signed up to review books with several publishers. And then the books started rolling in, 5 at once, and the emails for more review opportunities kept coming in.
And my laundry piled up, the garden called me, the children whined at me, and I took a look at myself. I realized I was so focused on me, my blog, and others ... that I was neglecting my calling to my family and my home.
I am a stay at home mom. I am a homeschooling mom. I am a wife. I am a homemaker. Those are my first callings. Those are what really matter to me.
I'll still be doing some reviews, although in the future I'll be careful not to overcommit. I'll still have occasional giveaways. I'll participate in some memes and carnivals (I'm looking forward to more regular additions to the Simple Woman's Daybook actually). But I want my blog to be what it originally was: a place to share with friends and family about our family, a place to encourage other homeschoolers, and a place to record my thoughts about motherhood and being a Christian.
Even more importantly, I want my marriage, my children, my homeschool, and my home to reflect that they are my priority. I have some work to do here, to restore order, peace, and beauty to our home and school. I need to spend more time reading God's Word and listening to His Voice than I have been.
I hope that the changes I'm striving for will be evident in my blog, as well as our home.
We've already established that my children have busy minds, busy hands, busy feet. Well, I have to confess they also have busy mouths. This is one area my parenting has been weak in. My kids talk back at times (daily?), they say mean things to each other, and they are rarely quiet.
Lately, 3 yo L has joined in the mouth busy-ness. She started off saying, "I don't like you!" to her siblings when she was angry. That escalated into "I hate you!" Then they morphed together into "I don't hate you!" That apparently is even worse than hating someone ... little does she know that she's actually saying she loves them. I'm trying to teach her to say "I'm mad at you" instead of .the unloving phrases. But it's hard to correct her when she makes you laugh every time she says "I don't hate you!"
Well, she apparently caught on that we were laughing at that statement, and it wasn't having the impact she desired ... so the little sinner decided to add more oomph to her insults. She pulled out the potty language. "P**py head" being her favorite one. Sigh. My first child didn't use such words at the tender age of 3 ... but my sixth is a different story.
We were sitting at the homeschool group's science fair this week when 5 yo M and 3 yo L had a disagreement. L stood at the back of the church's sanctuary and loudly proclaimed, "I don't hate you! You're being a P**p!"
It echoed through the room.
I admit that first I snickered, and I wasn't the only one. Then I let myself feel embarrassed. Such a lovely young Princess she is, surrounded by 3 boys. So sweet, so innocent ... not! I'm trying to bring them up in the teaching of the Lord, honest! We're still working on it.
I'm 35. I remember when my Mom was 35, and that seemed SO old. Middle-aged, I was sure. Now that I'm 35, it doesn't seem so old. My friends who are older than I am assure me I'm not middle-aged. But I'm okay with it. I'm comfortable as a 35 year old wife and mother. It's who I am.
I realized I was "there" when I bought a new pair of shoes. I was excited about my tan suede, block-heeled loafers. I couldn't wait to wear them to church. And then I had a flashback to elementary school. My Mom bought a pair of black leather penny loafers with a block heel. She was so excited. I thought they were ugly. They didn't have pointy toes, pointy heels, or a shiny finish. There weren't any bows on them, either. As I put on my own loafers, and remembered my Mom's loafers, I realized I was a middle aged mom.
One of my sisters is approaching 30, but not there yet. She's single and hip, and she bemoans my lack of fashion sense. My hair isn't stylish, I wear too many nursing shirts, and my jeans are "relaxed fit". She teases me that I wear "mom jeans" with the straight legs, high waist, and relaxed fit. I've watched "What Not To Wear" with her, and I know that they are always encouraging those middle-aged moms NOT to dress like a mom.
I find that really funny. I am a Mom. I'm 35, married, and a Mom. Why wouldn't I wear "mom jeans"? I'm not trying to get any one's attention, after all. Why should I dress like a 20-something young adult when I'm not?
But as I've begun to notice over the past year that many of my clothes were wearing out, stretched out, and needing to be replaced ... I took my sister's comments to heart. I set out to find some shirts that weren't too baggy (although I still won't do the plunging necklines that are so popular today), and I tried not to buy "mom jeans".
It was hard. I wanted to buy the high-waist, relaxed fit, straight leg jeans ... because they make me look tall and thin. They are the "fit" that I know and they look good on me.
I set out to find something more modern and updated, however. I wanted to be able to show my sister that I had bought something that was new and different ... not "mom jeans".
I first ordered a pair of boot cut khaki slacks with relaxed fit and a "below waist" style. Not low-rise, but below the waist. The boot cut pants make me look short! And not as thin as my straight leg pants, either. But I decided to adjust to my new "body image" and ordered a pair of boot cut jeans, as well. Those are more slimming and less shortening ... but I don't like the below waist style.
What is with the below-waist style? Every below-waist item I've ordered (including 2 pair of denim capris for summer) has not fit well. If the rear and hips fit well, then the waist is so loose I have to wear a belt. If the waist fits well, then they're just too hippy! I don't have large hips, and I consider myself to have fairly normal proportions, so I find this really odd.
I wonder what mannequins they're using to fit these jeans to. Apparently not one that looks like me. In the future, I'll probably stick with the "mom jeans" ... because they look nice on me, they fit well, and I don't have to wear a belt to keep them up. Besides, I am a mom. A middle aged one, at that.
So, if you see me around town, and I look a little shorter or heavier to you ... it's the jeans! But maybe they'll make me look younger, too. I bet I have the "wrong shoes" for my new pants now.
Trusting in Him,
April
By the way, I just want you all to know that it's really really WRONG for a middle-aged Mom to have to deal with pimples still. It's especially wrong when she gets a "pimple" on her neck that grows until it's swollen and 2 inches wide. It's even more WRONG for a second one to start to form on her chin. It's somewhat a relief when she sees the Dr. to find out that it's actually an MRSA (the bad staph) infection. However, it's still embarrassing. Because she isn't going to want to explain to everyone she sees that she has MRSA, but is on antibiotics. But if she doesn't explain it, then they just are left wondering why she's wearing 2 bandaids, or why her neck is so swollen. Thankfully, antibiotics work wonders, and swelling dissipates quickly. However ... it's still wrong! Believe me! It's probably her punishment for vainly trying to buy non-"mom jeans". So, if you're thinking of updating your own style, beware!
I know I've mentioned Marie Bellet before, and I have her website in my links. I know her musical style may not appeal to everyone. I enjoy it, but even more I love the words of her songs. She writes songs about Christian motherhood, parenting, large families, and marriage. I listen to her music when I need encouragement, or when I just need a reminder of who I'm serving and why I get up every day to take care of my family.
I thought I'd share this you tube video of her singing. This is on her second CD, entitled Ordinary Time. You can buy her music from her website: Marie Bellet.
She did it again! That toddler of mine, the 2 yo busybody. This time, she conducted a science experiment ... unsupervised. She decided to study the conduction of heat. So she took my long thin crevice tool from the vacuum cleaner and held it up to something hot (so far we don't have a reliable confession as to what) and melted the end of it. My crevice tool is now curved 90* to the left at the end.
I found it that way, lying on the living room floor. I questioned my 5 yo first. I thought he might be the culprit. But the 2 yo stepped forward and confessed. I asked her if she put it on the kitchen heater (we have a stand-alone old propane heater in the kitchen). I thought she might have touched the front of it while it was fired up. She said yes. But she later said she put it on the bathroom electric heater, and it went beep beep beep. Then she told Steve that she put it on the electric living room heater.
Those little electric heaters don't get that hot, I don't think. We just use them to keep the chill off the room when we turn the furnace down a bit, to lower propane expenses. Although the part about the heater going beep beep beep is disconcerting. Just what does she do when I'm busy?
I really think she had to have placed it against the kitchen heater, or stuck it up near the burner on the propane stove when I was cooking something.
So, this little "sizzler" of mine needs more careful supervision. Who knows what type of experiment she'll try next! (If you're wondering why I called her a "sizzler", take a look at the Sizzle-Bop! website.)
Here I am again. Laying my plans at God's feet, serving my children in sickness. I'm learning once again that God's plans are not my own.
This week was supposed to be the buckle down week, the week where all school assignments and chores get done after a slow start to our new year.
This week was supposed to be a week of celebrating 5 yo M's birthday, and enjoying warm weather while it lasts.
This week was supposed to include me writing a couple reviews and posting them early.
This week was supposed to allow me to read my library book.
This week was supposed to be the week where everyone recovered from the respiratory flu they caught last week.
This week was not supposed to be the week when 2 yo L AND 4 month old G both started wheezing.
This week was not supposed to include breathing treatments from a noisy nebulizer.
This week was not supposed to include sleeping on the loveseat, beside the humidifier, with a baby on my chest and a toddler on the couch ... listening to them cough and wondering how long we'd make it between breathing treatments. (The answer to that was exactly 4 hours for Baby G, and all night for 2 yo L.)
This week was not supposed to include going back to the Dr with at least two children.
I'm tired. I'm worried.
But sometimes God's plans are not my own. There are lessons to be learned in all things. I learn to love, to die to my self, to trust in Him when I care for my sick children and give up sleep for them. They learn God's love, His ever-present faithfulness when they see it in me and my care for them.
Please pray for them. Pray they recover quickly.
EDITED to add update: Baby G has congestion in one of his lungs, and is now on an antibiotic. But he threw up mucous and medicine right after his first dose. I'm hoping it was the tylenol I was trying to give him, and not the antibiotic I had just given him.
Do not wrap presents in the middle of the day, in your bedroom, when you know your bedroom door doesn't lock, or even latch shut. Do not assume that the 2 year old and 4 year old are going to be able to resist popping in on you, through your unlocked bedroom door. (And what parents in their right mind do not have locking bedroom doors? I don't know, but it's the bane of my existence, it seems. In our previous house, the door also didn't latch or lock, and it would only shut fully for half the year.)
Do not get exasperated when your husband is occupied and can not come to your rescue when the 2 yo and 4 yo have popped in for the 5th time in ten minutes. Do not decide, when they refuse to leave, that you're just going to lock your "old as dirt" door. Do not grab the skeleton key from the closet door to see if it will fit in your bedroom door. Do not actually lock the bedroom door and return to peacefully wrapping presents.
Yes, that is what I did yesterday. Steve finally came along to see what I had been hollering about earlier. He asked to come in. Can you see where this is going? I couldn't unlock the door!! I tried for several minutes with the skeleton key. Then I slipped it under the door to Steve, and he tried. Then he tried to take the door knob off. That wasn't helpful, so he passed the key back to me, and I tried again. That time it finally worked.
I've been instructed to never use a skeleton key in any door in the house again. And the 4 yo and I finally worked out a system. I wrapped his presents super fast while he delivered other presents to the tree for me. When he was in the room, I occupied him by letting him fill out the gift tags. I'd spell, and he'd write. So, he doesn't know every single gift under the tree, at least. Between his writing (on the floor) and gift delivery, I managed to finish wrapping gifts.
Maybe I should have put a bedroom knob with lock on my Christmas wish list. *giggle*
I've had a draft sitting here with the title "We are NOT the Duggars" for a couple weeks now. I was going to write a mini-rant on people comparing us to them ... someday when I had time. Well, I just changed the title.
The Duggars had their baby girl yesterday. Their 8th baby girl, their 18th child. Jordyn-Grace Makiya Duggar. Congratulations to the Duggar Family! I truly mean that. If you don't agree with the Duggars or have a "bone to pick" with them, I don't want to hear about it. Don't leave any comments like that here. I wish them all God's best.
The reason I had a draft titled "We are NOT the Duggars", is because I get tired of hearing about them. Someone asks how many kids we have ... we say 7 ... and then the Duggars come up. Sometimes it's just a "Hey, have you heard of that family with 17 or 18 kids?"
Sometimes we get "blessed" with a rant all about what they dislike about the Duggars. I kid you not. When my Father-in-law was hospitalized, one of his nurses was ranting at Steve about the Duggars and their family rules. My Father-in-law was in intensive care, and the nurse is going on and on about large families to my husband, while his Dad is in the hospital. A total stranger!
Sometimes we overhear whispered conversations about the Duggars while people are looking at our family. I think I hate those the most ... because I don't know what comparison they are drawing, or if it's a good or bad conversation.
We are NOT the Duggars. Yes, we have 7 kids, and yes, we homeschool. But 7 kids is not 18. The Duggars have 2.5 times MORE kids than us. (Do the math!) Their children arrive closer together than ours, and they have a history of twins. Even when we are their age in about ten years, we will not have 18 kids.
It just blows my mind that people look at our family, see 7 kids, and it's so huge to them (apparently) that they immediately connect it with a family who has been blessed with 18 kids. To me, that's a huge difference, but maybe not to others.
Please, don't assume that because we homeschool and have a larger than average family, that we are like the Duggars. Not all large families are the Duggars. Each family has their own style, their own personality, and their own way of doing things. Please don't lecture me on what you don't like about how the Duggars do things, because we are NOT the Duggars. For good or bad, we are not the same.
Yes, we have let God plan our family size ... but His plan for us isn't the same as His plan for the Duggars. And He didn't create us to be carbon copies of the Duggars. We really do have our own personalities, our own style, our own faults and our own good qualities. Please take the time to get to know US and not just assume we are like the Duggars.
Now, as I said earlier, I have nothing against the Duggars or their way of doing things at all. I'm glad they've let others see inside a large homeschooling family as they have. I'm glad they are so open about their faith and their decision to let God plan their family. I know I would not want a camera crew in my home like that, nor would I want to be recognized everywhere I went. My issue isn't with the Duggars at all, but with people who make assumptions about US, based on their perception of the Duggars.
Wow! I just realized that if I am so "blessed" to hear what others dislike about the Duggars ... what about them? How often do they get publicly lectured by TV viewers who disagree with something they've said or done? That would truly be horrible. I could not handle that. I think each time someone brings up the Duggars to me (for good or bad), I'll pray for the Duggars. I'll pray for them to have the grace to continue walking the very public path they're on.
Anyway, Congratulations to the Duggar family! I know Jordyn-Grace will be loved and cherished and well-cared for. I know she will be raised in the teaching of God's Word. She is blessed already.
And just in case you're wondering ... no, we aren't a blended family either. That's another assumption people sometimes make.
2 yo L has been making us laugh lately. She's very verbal, and she cracks us up.
While my mother was here after Baby G was born, we realized that her apologies lacked something ... sincerity, maybe?
"I sorry. That was not an accident." Really? She says this all the time!
She also makes us laugh when she agrees with us. She always says, "Uh, huh! That's right!"
When she isn't sure what you mean, L says, "Huh? What you talking about?" in a sweet voice.
When she wants to nurse, she says, "Me want mooky. I like mooky." Who can refuse that request for milk? Never mind that it makes me feel like a cow, at times.
Today, though ... I heard myself say something to her that sounded rather nonsensical. "Your hands are cold, maybe you should put some socks on." I know it sounds crazy, but her hands were cold. So, I reasoned her feet were likely also cold, and her whole body would warm up if she warmed up her feet. After all, the head and feet are two places we lose body heat rapidly. But it sounded silly when I said it.
At least she is usually honest. Today I asked who had dumped out the blocks. She proudly replied with a loud and cheerful, "ME!" She even raised her hand. So, then I told her she needed to pick them up ... and she made a face that obviously said, "Aw, man! Not that."
Also, today she was talking with 13 yo A. 2 yo L told her oldest sister that she was Molly, our dog. So 13 yo A decided to play dog with her. A told L to Sit, Lay Down, Roll Over, etc. 2 yo L did each thing she was told. Then, A told L to "shake". L proceeded to shake her whole body instead of holding out her "paw" to shake hands with A. A just laughed and brought L to show me how she plays dog ... complete with "shaking" for Mommy, too. Again, she shook her whole body instead of holding out her paw. Cute, cute, cute!
Communicating with a 2 year old can be so much fun.
And if you're wondering ... yes, I've been saving up blog posts in my mind all weekend, and just now getting them posted. No, I haven't started the laundry yet.Yes, I'm still in my pajamas at 4 pm. Yes, I have been holding the baby most of the day. Yes, the kids did resume homeschool today. No, all my days are NOT like this. I promise.
Tuesday we were preparing for homeschool group. I looked at my 4 year old and saw white undershirt (his favorite shirt lately) and knew it was stained, but figured oh well. Then I saw blue jeans and cowboy boots. Okay, that'll do, I thought. Arrive at homeschool group and take a closer look. Cowboy boots are wearing out in one toe ... oops! Blue jeans have a hole in the knee ... double oops! Tshirt is not only stained, but has several small pinholes in the front of it ... triple oops! Oh well, at that point there wasn't anything I could do about it. So, my ragmuffin and I attended homeschool group, and patronized the library before going home.
Wednesday, he was in a MOOD ... and not a good one. I knew before we left for church that he was not going to be obedient enough to go to his class. I'd need to keep him with me. What I didn't know was how miserable that hour sitting in the car was going to be. (I had intended to take him, 2 yo L, and baby G to an empty room ... but he fought against that.) Then we arrived home and more tantrums over bedtime snack arose. He's determined to learn the hard way that Mommy means what she says ... and to make us all miserable in the meantime.
Then, he was awake twice in the night, whining and fussing. Plus the 2 yo woke up once in the night. And Baby G decided to live up to his nickname twice ... Mister Grunt ... so I had to take him out to the living room to rock him to sleep where his grunts wouldn't wake up Steve or 2 yo L.
It wasn't a restful night, and I was not a pleasant Mommy with the whining 4 yo at 1:30 and 3:30. And I laid there thinking some not so nice thoughts about my dear hardworking husband who had gone to bed at 10 pm because he didn't feel well. He kept asking me to take his temperature to see if he had a fever, which he didn't. I'm sure I'm not the first wife to sit and think some of those thoughts in similar circumstances.
At least things look better by the light of the day, after some coffee and iced tea. But by evening, I'll be dragging, living on caffeine and chocolate.
This too shall pass, right?
And just to encourage me, and anyone else who has had a week like mine with a 4 yo, I'm posting some of my favorite encouraging quotes.
"The most important occupation on earth for a woman is to be a real mother to her children. It does not have much glory to it; there is a lot of grit & grime. But there is no greater place of ministry, position, or power than that of a mother." – Phil Whisenhunt
“Bricks and mortar make a house, but the laughter of children makes a home” – Irish Blessing
“The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes.” – Harold B. Lee (1899-1973)
"Homegrown children take a lot of hard work -- and sometimes "it ain't pretty." Other times, it's breathtaking." ~~ Passionate Housewives Desperate For God, pg. 21
“Biblical motherhood means sacrifice, selfless love, and faithful dedication. It means we’re there with our families – body, mind, and spirit.” ~~ Passionate Housewives Desperate For God, pg. 21
“What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow.” ~~ Martin Luther
At least their hugs and kisses and sweet smiles this morning help me forget the frustration of the night before. I know God makes them cute for their own self-preservation. They're easy to forgive, and fatigued Mommy brains forget quickly, too.
Every time we have another baby, people ask us where we're going to find room for the baby. Literally. Before we moved here, we had a 3 bedroom 1200 sq. foot home, and 6 kids. Now we have a 3 bedroom home that is almost 1800 sq. feet, plus an unfinished basement. The bedrooms are smaller than our previous home's bedrooms. Even though we have a larger home now, we've already been asked how we fit everyone into our home.
The answer is bunk beds, toy shelves, creative storage solutions. At the moment, the girls' room has two bunk beds. 2 yo L's bunk is empty, waiting for her to move from the toddler bed in our room to the girls' room. The boys' room has a twin bed, and a twin daybed with a trundle under it. Eventually, we'll have to start using the trundle for baby G, but at the moment it's only used when my sisters are all visiting at once.
We have toys in the bedrooms, and toys in the living room. But, we would get rid of toys and other excess stuff to make room for our children! I often tell people we don't have too small a home, and we don't have too many children ... we just have too much stuff.
Baby G has a bassinet in the living room for napping, and sleeps in our bed. Eventually, he'll move to the toddler bed that is beside our bed. Finding room for their clothes, and getting new dressers has usually been more of a problem than where the new baby will sleep. But some creative rearranging usually solves that problem, as well.
This pregnancy, the big issue was actually our vehicle. We had an 8 passenger Suburban, and were expecting our 9th family member. We tried finding a front bench to replace our two captain's seats. Steve called every salvage yard and used parts store we could find in central and eastern KS ... but kept coming up empty. Finally, just four days before Baby G was due to be induced, Steve located a bench seat for us at a salvage yard in a small town about two hours east of us!! We didn't get it picked up until Baby G was a week old, and we didn't get it installed until this weekend.
Sunday was our first time driving anywhere with the new bench seat. It works wonderfully, although Steve and I are still adjusting to having a teenager sitting between us. There go our semi-private quiet conversations as we drive. *giggle*
It was much less expensive than one of the fourth row benches, and safer. It was definitely less expensive than buying a larger vehicle, although we do hope to do that soon. It even matches our interior perfectly. I had told Steve I didn't care if it was purple or red or polka dotted ... to buy it and we'd put a cover on it. But it's exactly the same upholstery as the rest of the seats. Just an additional blessing.
So, we've officially made room for this baby, too. Praise the Lord! I had tried not to stress over the seat problem. I told myself repeatedly that if we had to drive 2 cars to church and not take any family vacations for awhile, we'd just have to trust that it was God's will for us for a time. I did reach a point of accepting that, and was very surprised and blessed when Steve finally found a seat, at the last minute.
I'm very thankful for God's provision, once again. And, as He often does, He provided in His time, at just the right moment ... not too soon, not too late, and not when I thought it needed to be accomplished. Just another lesson in trusting Him.
After Baby G was born, my mother came to stay with us, and help out. She came, mainly because she knew Steve's Dad was still in the hospital ... in and out of the ICU ... and that Steve would need to be able to go see his Dad at times. And that was true.
When Baby G was 5 days old, Steve's Dad took another turn for the worse. So Steve took the oldest 5 kids and went to see his parents. They were gone for 3.5 days, although to hear the children tell it, it was a week ... or a month!! His Dad is stable now, although still in ICU. We are trying to decide when to take the whole family out there, so his parents can meet Baby G.
Mom was here, to help with chores and to help care for 2 yo L while I focused on Baby G. While Mom was here, I felt funny about spending much time online, so I didn't do any blogging. Then she left, and I couldn't think of what to blog about. So I just didn't blog. I've had a window open to start an entry for several days, though.
But this morning, I was lying in bed next to Baby G after Steve left for work, and several different topics were flowing through my mind. (It's his first day back to work since the Friday before G was born.) I was composing blog entries as I lay there, so I decided to do some blogging before the kids woke up.
Baby G is doing pretty well. I'm having oversupply and over-active letdown issues with nursing, unfortunately. I've been able to control this issue for the past 4 children, by not switch-nursing. (I didn't learn about it until my second child was 9 months old, but it was an "aha moment" when I learned about it.) But, this time, with nursing 2 yo L and Baby G, I'm struggling to get it under control again. I don't remember it being much of an issue when I was nursing M and L at the same time, and I'm not sure what I did differently then.
I realized yesterday that Baby G has a bit of thrush, and I need to get that under control quickly. And he's having some diaper related issues that I am trying to diagnose ... it's either a result of the oversupply of milk (foremilk/hindmilk imbalance) or a reaction to something I'm eating (like dairy). So, I'm cutting dairy and trying to gain control of the oversupply and overactive letdown. Then we'll reintroduce dairy later, to see which issue we're dealing with.
We're still having our "baby break" from school. This will be our third week off, and I need to start thinking about when to resume schooling. I'll definitely take next week off, but may resume on October 13. We'll see.
In the meantime, I have to help my children choose their 4H projects this week. We need to turn in our project lists next week at the meeting. Some of the children don't really care and have no idea what they want to do, but others are hyper-focusing on all the choices and are paralyzed re: making a decision. So it's time for me to help them decide. This is our first year in 4H, and we're still trying to understand what the project choices include, and how it all works.
And that's our little update (although not brief).
Baby G is here! He's a healthy little boy, born Tuesday afternoon, weighing 8 lb. 9 oz, and 21 inches long.
I'm sorry I didn't post sooner. We came home from the hospital on Wednesday, and have been settling in, establishing nursing, and helping 2 yo L adjust to having to share Mommy's lap, time, and even share nursing.
All is going well, however, and we're so thankful for our latest blessing!
The past 5.5 weeks have been complicated and full of unexpected twists for our family. Steve's father was put in the hospital 5.5 weeks ago, with infections and gangrene in his legs from complications of vascular disease caused by poorly managed diabetes. The first nearly 2 weeks of his hospitalization were out of state, and 4 weeks ago, Steve traveled out of state to bring his parents back home. His father has been right back in the hospital ever since arriving home. 2 weeks ago, he had one leg amputated below the knee, and just over a week ago, he had the second leg amputated below the knee. He's been in ICU ever since his first amputation 2 weeks ago.
Steve has spent probably half of the last 4 weeks with his parents, 4 hours away from us. In the past 10 days, he has been AWAY from home 7 nights. He has been up late many nights, and has had to get up earlier than usual to get to work on time from his parents home. Thankfully, he works almost halfway between our home and his parents home. Otherwise, this would not have been possible for him. Even so, most of his spare time has been spent on the phone, following up on his father's care and taking care of details for his parents. When he is home, he has struggled to balance spending time with his family, keeping in touch with his parents and his Dad's doctors, taking care of necessary chores he is falling behind one, and even tele-working from home.
The children and I aren't used to having him gone so much, and especially not in the final weeks of pregnancy. Two days ago, the news we were receiving from nurses and doctors (although there was some conflicting and confusing information) seemed to indicate we could be facing a funeral next week ... the same week the baby is due.
Steve and I decided to ask our Dr. about inducing the baby on my due date, so that would be one less factor to worry about. Induction was not something we originally wanted. We've been induced before, without complications, but we realize that it does increase the risk of complications and we've avoided it in the last two pregnancies, and had hoped to do so with this one.
Thankfully, Steve's father has begun to improve, but we've decided to leave the induction scheduled for Tuesday. Everything has been so chaotic and overwhelming for the past 5.5 weeks. Although, we're hoping baby comes on his own, before Tuesday.
So, although the circumstances are not what we desired, this baby will be born sometime in the next 4 days ... unless the induction just doesn't work, although that has never happened to us before.
So, a little while ago we had WW III break out between our 2 female cats and the dog. Sweetie, our Mama Cat, just was wild, attacking Molly Dog and Melody cat and anything that got near her.
It was freaky!! I heard the yowling noise and came from the kitchen to try to see what was going on. It sounded like a cat was dying, and then there was the sound of claws on wood floors as the 3 animals were running around. And the noise of kids trying to get out of the way. Then 4 yo M and 2 yo L started crying.
I had no idea what had happened. I didn't know if Molly had done something to one of the cats, or what. Kids were asking if she had rabies. 13 yo A wondered if she was demon possessed. I kept trying to get close to her. I wanted to separate the animals, but there was no way to get in there without getting hurt.
Finally, Sweetie ran off and hid under the bassinet, but continued to yowl and spit. Melody cat was walking around with her back arched, as well. Molly was trying to get close to the cats to see what was wrong, but I had the kids hold her out in the hallway away from them.
I moved the bassinet aside and tried to talk soothingly to Sweetie. She took off, but I noticed something blue on her tail as she ran past me.
Thought a second ... ... and then I asked who had put a clothespin on her tail.
7 yo J sheepishly confessed to doing it. He said he wanted to know if it would feel to her like it does to him when he puts it on his nose. Leave it to a 7 yo boy!!
So, I had to get down on my hands and knees, and peek under the dining room table. I talked soothingly to her, then reached out (afraid she'd scratch me all up) and managed to get her by the scruff of her neck. Then I slid her out toward me and took the clothespin off her tail.
But wow! That was just wild. I've never seen anything like that. I'm afraid Molly probably has scratches we can't see under her fur. Kids said at one point Sweetie was hanging from Molly's neck. Ouchie!!
At least no people got scratched. But all the animals are acting gun-shy at the moment. Molly is following me around. Sweetie is still hiding under the dining room table. Melody is still looking confused like "what was that all about?!?!"
I still can't believe that was ALL because of a clothespin!! And a plastic large one that doesn't pinch as tightly as the wooden ones, at that!!
And 7 yo J has been told he is NOT to EVER do ANYTHING to ANY of our pets like that again ... they are not his toys or experiments.
I just realized it's been over 2 weeks since I last posted. We're fine here. We've just been incredibly busy with Steve's father being in the hospital in another part of the state, trips to see him, starting school, and getting ready for the baby.
Also, about the time I last posted, we found 5 little kittens in what we felt was an unsafe location ... so we moved them to a safer spot. But we apparently messed with them too much, and the Mama cat quit coming to feed them. So we spent 2 weeks bottle feeding them, weaning them to food, and burying them one by one. We've buried two already, and have another one to bury today. *sigh* Lesson learned ... don't mess with kittens no matter how unsafe you think their position is. Of the two that remain alive, one is definitely smaller than the other and we aren't sure if he'll be the next to go, or not. The lone female is so much more robust, that we are hoping we don't lose her.
I have 12 more days until my due date, and still have details to take care of. We started school 2.5 weeks ago. This is our third week, and we will try to get one more week of school in. There are still details and chores to do before the baby comes. Some of them are not things we usually leave until the last minute, but everything has been so different this time, and then Steve's Dad's health has thrown just one more gigantic issue before us.
The pregnancy continues well, and we're praying for a safe delivery and healthy baby. We're definitely counting down the days now ... and reassuring people that I don't usually go early. Everyone seems to expect it after "so many babies". I wasn't early with my 6th, however, and doubt the 7th will be any different.
And that's our last two weeks in a nutshell. I'm hoping we can have a very productive weekend, so I can relax for the final week of the pregnancy.
I had no intentions of trying to potty train 2 yo L right now, but she is potty training. None of my children have been ready or willing to train at age two, since my firstborn. The rest were 3.5 yo, and almost 4 yo. I thought I had another year before this was going to come up. But, with just 4 weeks until baby is due, she definitely seems ready to train.
It has been over a week since this started. One night she had undone her diaper while Steve and I were busy. We told her siblings to get her to sit on the potty chair until we'd be free to diaper her in a minute. Well, surprise! She wet in the potty!
It was another 2 days before she used the potty again, but she succeeded that time, too. For the past week, she has succeeded once or twice daily.
I'm not really encouraging her to train. Her siblings are encouraging her more than I am. But usually she just removes her diaper and declares she's going to use the potty. Sometimes she succeeds, and sometimes not.
This was definitely not in my plans, but I'm not going to stop her, either. I need to begin to work with her more directly and intentionally. It will be easier to do now, than it will be in 4 or 5 weeks after baby is here. She has older sisters to help her, but once we get to the stage of messing in the potty instead of just wetting in it, they will be reluctant to wipe her.
Why do my children always choose inopportune times to potty train? 13 yo A first tried to train when R was due. I discouraged that, and she instead trained when I was in the midst of unpacking after we moved. 4 yo M chose to train when I was in the midst of packing for the move here last Fall. And it seems one other child trained around a due date, also ... but I can't remember who.
Steve finds this very funny. He is laughing. I am merely resigned. He says it is because I didn't have enough to do or worry about. Really?
At least we no longer have a fully carpeted house. We've already tested the fact that wood floors make cleaning up accidents easier.
So, here we go! I guess we're potty training again.
and you let her walk, she will be the slowest person in the group.
If you give the 2 year old a slushie to suck through a straw, she will walk slower than she has ever walked before. It is amazing how slow a 2 year old can walk with a slushie in the mall. It's directly converse to how amazingly fast they can run when they want to.
If said 2 year old needs to "fill her britches" she will also take every opportunity while lagging 6 feet behind you to duck into aisles, hide under clothes, and basically try to disappear to do her business. While this can be extremely cute when she peeks out at you with a grin from behind the first stack of clothes, it gets very old after the 15th or 20th attempt.
If you keep a close eye on her, you can keep her moving and retrieve her from her hiding places too fast for her to do this business ... until you reach your destination, where she will find a corner, and stink up the store.
Of course, she will stink up the store just 20 minutes after you changed her diaper ... thus necessitating that one parent walk her across the mall to the bathroom AGAIN to change the stinky diaper. (Thus stinking up the entire mall along the way).
All because you didn't want to get the stroller out of the back of the Suburban, and you forgot to pack a baby carrier.
2 yo L loves to sing. She loves music. She sings as she plays ... Bible songs, silly songs, made-up songs. Well, her older sisters have been enjoying watching musicals over their summer break, and she has enjoyed them, too.
12 yo A was watching South Pacific the other night, and 2 yo L was fascinated. At the end of the beach scene with the songs "Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair" and "I'm In Love With A Wonderful Guy", 2 yo L suddenly threw her arms wide (just like Nellie did) and loudly sang in toddler-ese "I'm in LOVE with a wonderful GUUUYYYYYY!!!" It was so cute and funny.
Last night she was doing that again, although I didn't quite place what she was singing so loudly at first. That was my first mistake.
My second mistake was leaving her alone in the shower while I dressed, after we had taken a shower to cool off from the hot hot day.
After I was dressed, I went to get her out, only to find her washing her hair ... AGAIN!! Her hair was covered in shampoo and she was dancing around in the shower. She wasn't singing, but it sure looked like she was trying to act out the song, "Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair". So, she had to get a second shower to rinse all that shampoo out of her hair.
She's never done anything like that before, so I can only blame it on letting her watch South Pacific.
So, be careful what you let your 2 yo watch ... even the most innocent of movies can have interesting and messy consequences. It's a good thing those 2 yo's are just so cute.
I think many stay-at-home moms, and all homeschooling Moms have heard this before. Well, add in a larger than average family, and it gets even worse. "You must be superwoman."
I'm not. I am just an average woman trying to do what God has called me to do. I don't always do it well. In fact, I often do a very mediocre job, and sometimes I just completely fail. One morning this week I was so overwhelmed with all that needed to be done to clean the house, after too many days of just relaxing. I was feeling very discouraged with the struggle to get my children to work with me. I had basically given up that day, before we even began.
Well, my pity party grew as I folded clothes, until I was crying as I put clothes away. I'm sorry, but you can't cry secretly in a house with six kids, no matter how hard you try. I finally went to my room and shut the door, but within 5 minutes I had 6 kids standing around my bed staring at me. What a novelty!! Mom's crying!!
After I reassured them no one had died, and baby and I were physically fine ... I did finally tell them I was just discouraged. I didn't want to use my tears to manipulate them, but I did want them to know that I was discouraged.
Then we got up and we all started working. I did most of the work, and I am still feeling it in my achy muscles, but the work was done. We just need to work on the concept that if we don't work daily it will all fall apart again. My oldest will be 13 next month, but we still do not have the area of chores and cheerful obedience regarding chores conquered. None of us are perfect here.
There are other times I just lose my patience and raise my voice. And I have several children who mirror that right back at me. If I let my irritation or anger show in my voice, it is returned to me in their response. I know this ... and yet I still let my frustration and anger show too often.
I am selfish. I am impatient. I get tired of the daily grind of homeschooling, housework, and raising a large family. Too often I procrastinate and don't give this task my best efforts.
How do I do it then? With God's help. I've been listening to our Selah "Hiding Place" CD in our car, and it touches my heart. The first two songs on the CD totally express my dependence on my Lord and Savior.
Selah -- You Raise Me Up
When I am down, and oh my soul, so weary.
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be.
Then I am still and wait here in the silence.
Until You come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.
There is no life, no life without its hunger.
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly.
But when you come and I am filled with wonder.
Sometimes I think I glimpse eternity.
You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.
You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up, to more than I can be.
Selah -- Part the Waters, Lord / I Need Thee Every Hour
When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord
When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea
When I cry for help, oh, hear me
Lord and hold out Your hand
Touch my life
Still the raging storm in me
I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford
I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee
I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain
I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee
When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord
I'm not superwoman. I'm not perfect. I'm not even that patient. But, God is continually working in my life to change me. I am more patient and less selfish than I once was. And I pray I become even more patient and less selfish.
When I turn to God, and lean on Him, I can do this. I can stay home, and homeschool my large family ... in a manner that is pleasing to Him. With Him, I am more than I could ever be alone. And I need Him, always. Not only do I need Him, but He is faithful and He will give me everything I need to complete the task He has called me to do.
"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” " 2 Corinthians 12:9
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
"Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:7-9
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
A few weeks ago, I spent a day or two sewing. I made our traditional double-layered flannel baby blanket with the satin blanket ribbon binding. And then I converted some flannel receiving blankets into double-layered burp cloths. We also have diaper service quality prefolds that we use as burp cloths.
I've also been admiring these teeny tiny pocket diapers that are waiting for baby. I've never had size small pocket diapers before, so I'm looking forward to using the 3 I have. Two of them are small FuzziBunz, and the blue snowman one was made by my friend Tina of Heartland Dreams.
The majority of our cloth diapers for the baby are Mother-Ease diapers, though. We have one small Sandy diaper (the whale tag), and a drawer full of their One-size diapers (on the left). We started using these when 9 yo C was a baby, and we have acquired a large supply of them since then. We love how soft they are and that they fit our babies from the time they are a few weeks old, until they are 2 yo. I like the Sandy's, too, but we mostly use the One-size diapers.
The One-size diapers fold down for smaller babies, and have lots of snaps for adjusting the fit. Steve loves that he doesn't have to pin them. I love that they don't have complicated washing instructions. This last picture shows how small they can be (and yes they are loose when we first start using them), and how big they can be. Although you can stretch them larger than this picture shows, and this isn't the loosest snap setting, either.
Mother-Ease also sells small liners we use as baby gets bigger, and once we can stop folding the front down, there are snap-in liners to make the diapers thicker. These diapers are fitted diapers, and do require covers (unlike the pocket diapers I first shared). We really like using Mother-Ease Airflow PUL snap covers, but we keep some Dappi Nylon Pull-On Pants (NOT VINYL!) around for backups, as well. We use the Dappis more with our little babies than older kids, though. They're very soft, and don't leak.
(The Mother-Ease link I've enclosed isn't working for me at the moment. But I was just at their website a month ago, so I'm hoping the link will be working again soon.)
Anyway, I was just in the mood to look at my baby items again, and decided to do some blog-nesting ... it's more fun than the closet cleaning nesting I really should be focusing on.
Welcome to ElCloud Homeschool blog. My name is April, and I'm married to my best friend, Steve. We have 7 active, creative children ages 14, 12, 10, 8, 5, 3, and 11 months. This blog is where I share about our Christian faith, our family life, our homeschool, and my reviews of curriculum and books. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is our goal for our family and our homeschool.
... and then I asked who had put a clothespin on her tail. 
