Boy this blog is dusty, I haven't been here in ages. 

Oh, I remember this post .  And this one.

Oh yeah- learning to knit, ha ha.  Was that only a year ago?

Wonder who else is still here?

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This year's Christmas card.

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This was taken 2006, in Savanah.

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Sibling conflict? My home is no stranger to sibling conflict.  The children do get along most of the time, thanks to Jesus. But when the talks and the Bible verses just seem to bounce off their hardened hearts- it is time to get the string.  I want to make the point that they are stuck with each other for life so they might as well learn to work and play together.  So, when the same two children continue to have issues with each other or avoid each other day after day,  I tie these children together at the wrist. It doesn't take long for them to begin to work together.  It has made some very funny memories! And the best part is that they become a heart bonded team working together to get this crazy mother of theirs to allow them to be untied.  Just knowing that I will do this crazy thing makes them motivated to work things out. I haven't tied anyone together in years. Come to think of it, my 7 and 5 year olds would benefit from this experience. What I hope and pray is that their hearts would be tied together for life. What things do you do to help your children get along?

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My dear husband delivered my new baby today.

Isn't it the cutest little baby computer you ever did see? He bought it on ebay, for me!!  I am learning to feed it and had to work out a little colic difficulty in connecting to the internet, but I think we are bonded already.  One manly son has offered to buy me an outfit for the little thing so I can carry it around with me. Where is the best place to look for a case that is feminine and not outrageous in price? 

Now if my ISP will just fix our service so we have internet after dark when the children are in bed. Our internet goes off when the street lights come on. Is that weird or what? So I get snatches of blog surfing in the afternoon, but I really want to check out your sites and see what you are up to. Perhaps our ISP can extend our service's curfew now that I have a new baby computer to play with.

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For the past 2+ weeks, our internet service has been spotty, as in everytime I am trying to do something-like post- we lose service. I apologize for leaving you sorting my socks for weeks. No, there were not 2 socks that match, and I was so amazed at the abundance of socks without mates that I had to share it with those who understand. Maybe I should just send them off to Valerie, but sock puppets are also a good idea. I am buying all white next time. 

 I am sure you also understand how much I miss reading blogs and Goggling  the meaning of the word "malapropos", of which I may never be guilty because I don't know enough long words to misuse them.  I had to Google "difficult words" to even get a difficult word to use as an example.  I am going to click "Add new entry" now and hope it doesn't deflocculate.

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After yesterdays little blog therapy session, I went to the library and started a new hobby-learning HTML and web design. So if my tempate starts to slant or something, you know why. It is a fascinating topic. I read a children's web design book, made my first little baby web page, and started reading HTML for Dummies. 

I was also playing the laundry game, and wanted to invite you to play. Can you find the 2 matching socks?

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Tonight I have savored the aroma of Son-ripened suffering, seasoned with trust, in Especially Heather .  In case you haven't heard, she recently learned of an invader, an inoperable brain tumor. If you have never read the story of her youngest daughter, do.  Her post today  changed me.   

Please support her in prayer.

To help, follow the "For Heather" button in the side bar. Go today. Even one dollar will help.

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Today was the first day of home school baseball. We haven't gone to  baseball since the season when I had an infant in the sling, a toddler in and out... and in and out of the stroller, two preschoolers playing in the dirt  T-ball and the three young sons on other fields hitting home-runs and making triple plays. At least in their minds, if not on the field.  "Oh, say can you see..."

That was six years ago. Then we moved and life got complicated and baseball got dropped. Until this year. Today we drove past my oldest child's workplace as we headed to the fields for the other eight to play.  I sat and watched my current preschoolers play in the dirt T-ball (some things haven't changed) and talked with the moms juggling infants and toddlers. I felt so...not me!!  Fortunately my baby left his coach and climbed up in my lap before I completely drifted off into twilight zone. Me? No babies? Weird.  I still start down the diapers aisle in the grocery store, quite ready to load the cart.  I still carry a diaper bag, granted it has knitting in it, not diapers, but I cannot leave the house with less than two bags on my shoulder. Years of habit do not die that fast.  Anyway, where was I? Baseball: Once a week, two hours, eight weeks, all the children play.  I love this game!!  The light in my 10 yo boy's eyes tonight, the confidence in his step, all because he hit the ball!!  Did I say, 'I love this game'?. 

OK, my last post was part of the game "Two truths and a lie", and cammiemelisabray got it right!!  Not only have I never run in the Atlanta Marathon, it gives me palpitations just to think of it!  Running after preschoolers? Yes. Running and running and running? No.

I tried so hard to trick you into thinking I had twins weighing 11.5 lbs. each, but of course you are all too smart for that.  My 3 yo was born on his brothers 13th birthday, and they both tipped the scales the same weight, too. It is very bizarre that they also act in many of the same ways.  

I didn't catch and eat the shark alone. My dad was a part-time commercial fisherman and we did it as a family once, just to say we caught a shark. It was exciting and scary and delicious barbequed.

Here is this Tuesday's:

1:  I played on a softball team.

2:  I played on a basketball team.

3:  I swam on a swimming team.

Go Braves!!!

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What fun over at sagerats.  I love games like this, can I play?  Here is mine.

Find the fiction:

1: I ran in the Atlanta Marathon.

2. I gave birth to two 11 and a half pounds boys on the same day. (this was one item I could not use)

3. I caught and ate an 6 foot shark.

Which 2 are true, and which is not?  ( don't give it away,  floridamomto4 !!)

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Ms. Frizzle has nothing on us:  At 10:30 this morning I was driving with Mrs. Incredible through downtown Atlanta with 12 children in the van. We were on a mission. Picnic, tour the dairy, eat ice cream,  explore Bass Pro Shop, climb mountains (not us, the boys)   We went, we saw, they conquered.

This is the only picture I can post of our mega field trip today. Why? Because I forgot to bring my camera, and my stupid old dinosaur of a computer won't recognize  floridamomto4 's  camera.  So here is the one picture I took with my phone. My 7 yo, her 5 yo and my 5 yo looking at the fish at Bass Pro Shop.

The brownies are gone and Mrs. I is sitting here mocking me so I am going to bed now. You will have to check her blog after she gets home to see the pictures of the boys climbing the rock wall, our three 5 year olds, and stunning pictures of all of us in hair nets at the dairy.

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Can you tell that daughter #1 is very excited about the impending arrival?  Who is arriving? Let's get a little closer:

My Friend the Super  and her super children! (click link for the last adventure)  She commented anonymously then, but she now blogs here.

I can hardly wait. She was forced to be my friend when we ended up in nearly all the same classes in junior high, then I followed her to her church, and then I followed her and moved into her room at college. Poor thing, she is stuck with this stray puppy. I love her!!! And she coming to my house!!!

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I was so inspired by my Florida friend,  that I brought home our own garden today. My John-John loves grape tomatoes, so I bought him a plant. He, and all his sisters, love strawberries, so I got those too. I also bought lettuce, broccoli, bell peppers and sandwich tomatoes. Nothing says summer to me like a tomato sandwich when the tomato is still warm from the sun.  That and children in the splash pool, splashing away horseflies (oh, what you are missing dear friend, not living in the country), but I was talking about the garden, right? Well, after several balmy days,  two nights ago the temps dropped to frost level. Perhaps it was for me?  I wasted the opportunity however and took the children to the ice skating rink without my coat and new scarf. I froze, indoors and out,  and consider myself about 20 cards shy of a full deck.

So I get a new scarf when it is warm, and buy tomatoes when it is cold. Perhaps I lost a few more cards than I thought from that deck.

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The weather was warming and buds and blooms were beginning to appear, and I had just finished my winter scarf last week.

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I have never seen such total joy over a bag of gum and a chocolate milk.

Today is my 5th son's 5th birthday.  (Is that as confusing to read as it was to type?) Due to my extreme lack of organization skills, I have developed a tradition that has turned into a major memory maker. You see, there have been many birthdays over the years that have, well, snuck up on me.  I wouldn't mind if they were my birthdays, but what kind of mother, on the eve of her precious baby's birthday, is totally unprepared? Am I the only one that this happens to regularly? Is it a good excuse that most of their birthdays are in the 2 months following the holidays, and I am still in the throes of a fudge hangover? Nah, I didn't think so. Well, now we just call it a tradition and I LOVE it. The darling birthday child heads to the grocery store with mom, in his or her disguise as an only child. I buy them just about anything they want in the store, and I love every minute of it. Every single one. We laugh, we talk, we linger in the toy aisle and stroll down the snacks aisle. They get anything they want for dinner, and chose two containers of ice cream, any flavor they want.  The older ones plan ahead and we have great menus. But the little ones are really fun, because they are so surprised. Today was total joy.  First stop was the drugstore for contact solution for me. CAleb (son #5) sees some candy and says, "Daniel (son #1) would like these." I ask him what he would want and his eyes light up over a bag of bubble gum. "There's enough in here for EVERYONE for DAYS!!!!" 

"So lets get it for your birthday."  Total joy expression #1.

Realizing dinner will be late, I decide to get him a snack. So we head for the chocolate milk. Total joy expression #2.  

I won't bore you with all the details, but I have had a joy filled day, thanks to my new 5 year old. Happy Birthday, Caleb. I love you.

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The youngest man at my house just turned three. He has strong opinions, is very affectionate and is the most encouraging voice in the house: "Mom, did you make this dinner? You did! It so good! I like it!"  He  loves to stroke my hair."Mom, come here and let me pet you."  But it is yesterday's strong opinion I wanted to tell you about.  I was very busy decluttering a long neglected area of my home, in the final stages of victory, about to see order and tidiness the likes that have never been seen with all the stored toys arranged on their shelves. (These are the off rotation toys, he has free access to everything in the playroom) Little Man was, of course, with me and had just finished playing with the model animals. Replacing them on the shelf, he decided he wanted to get all the Fisher Price toys out.

LM: Mom, I play these?

Me: No, I am almost finished here and it is time for some lunch.

LM: (mumblings that I am not listening to in my haste to finish)

LM: (louder)MOM! You not say that. It bad word. "NO" It bad word, Mom, you not say it.

Me: I am the mom (something he needs frequent reminders of) and I can say no.

LM: (sigh, huff sort of sound)

Busy with my tasks, I am not really paying attention to his mild rantings.

LM: MOM! Look at me.

I turn to see him standing there with his index finger rubbing back and forth on his forehead.

LM: It say right here "Say Yes"

Made aware of the scrolling marquee on my sons forehead, I am not deterred, the toys will remain on the shelf. I try distraction. I do not chose this battle with him

Me:  Come on over here and see what I am doing. You can help me do this great job. (He loves to tell me I am doing a great job)

LM: You not do great job.(ouch, this from my little encourager?)

Me:  I'm finished. Come on downstairs now. (we go)

I get busy putting away the stuff from upstairs. I am still oblivious to the deep tragedy in my son's heart (I can be very dense when decluttering) because he is not crying, just giving me a very adult cold shoulder treatment.  Undoubtedly, not noticing was the right thing to do in this case.

I am bending down and putting stuff awaywhen I get nearly knocked down by my Little Man as he gives me a sideways hug and begins petting my hair.

LM: You do VERY good job, Mom.

I just love my Little Man.

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With all the activity IRL, I went on a blog fast.  And I really got a lot accomplished, but I miss blogging and visiting your blogs, so I am glad to be back. 

I am now cooking in the new kitchen, even though it isn't finished, but I am determined!  My aunt is finished with all the tests I needed to take her for and is in fine health. The home school co-op came, and went, and we have found the last wayward plate of abandoned food(I hope), but still can't find one little boys shoes...? AND I finished 4 dishclothes and almost fininshed a scarf (those long doctor visits).

So, did ja miss me?

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I was 

• managing the affairs of a large home educating family 
• caring for my special needs aunt  
• and adjusting to the major lifestyle change that follows when dh leaves the corporate world to start a family business

Being naturally stupid brilliant, I had an idea: Let's convert the useless garage in this old house into a country kitchen. We can do much of the work ourselves, and it will be a great bonding time. 

That was two years ago.  I have learned

• that children living amid chaos are rowdy and uncontrolled (duh)
• it is impossible to be consistently patient with someone who is both older and younger than me, unless I am full of God's peace 
• and that rice and pasta go straight to my fat cells. 

I have also learned that my old house is not This Old House. The new country kitchen for Christmas 2005 doesn't have a sink (or a countertop or cooktop or a ...) in 2007. My hope for joyfully working with my children in a family sized kitchen got all mixed up with the drywall dust and was clogging my mind and choking my hope.

Roget's Thesaurus: Fatugued, haggard, pinched, strained, taut, tired, worn.

So I needed a hobby.

• Something that left my mind free to interact with my children.
• Something heirloom-like to remind me of eternal values
• Something to do with my hands besides lift carbs to my lips.

I wanted to do something that brought order to my scattered  mind. Something I could actually finish. Only to despair. 

O, me of little faith.

 The sink and cooktop are not hooked up, and dh is still building the upper cabinets, but I have hope again.

In addition,

• my children are beginning to remember they live in a house not a playground
•  a draining conflict regarding my aunt is resolved
•  and I have lost 5 pounds.

Roget's Thesaurus: hale, refreshed, relaxed, rested, robust, vigorous 

 Thank you God, for giving me knitting.  You always know best.

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We took the youngest six fishing during our camping trip this summer.

It was a lovely day, the sun was shining, the lake was beautiful and the fish weren't biting. What?! You thought I wanted to catch something?  That would ruin everything. Who wants finger fish gut and chop heads off?  I just wanted to cast and hold the pole. The children wanted to catch something, but they don't know any better.  When my second born went fishing with my grandpa several years ago, he was thrilled to catch a beautiful bream, take it off the hook and watch it swim around in the bucket. Later,  Grandpa Doug started the delightful process of preparing little Alex's fish for the frying pan, so he could enjoy the fruits of his manly conquest. He explained each step and had Alex watch his technique carefully, no doubt expecting him to try it on a future fishing trip.  What Grandpa didn't understand was that Alex's silence wasn't interest, it was grief. Grandpa was murdering Freddy the Fish.

John-John and his dad

 Well, if we could all catch fish like John-John, there would be no need for the harsh realities of fish-are -food, NOT friends. Every time we cast out for him,  it didn't matter if he reeled in fast or slow, it didn't even matter if he cast in the water or on land, he caught this little yellow fish.   You'd think he had caught a whale. It kind of reminded me of Dory playing the guessing game with Marlin.

Speaking of great fishermen, check out at Caleb's casting technique.

This is what I like about fishing.

Early the next morning the menfolk, including the now manly Alex,  headed out for some serious fishing and had some success.  Joshua had worked hard to dig up worms, and with those for bait, he caught several fish. I was glad I wasn't there.  I grew up fishing, and have caught more fish than I can count, but I still feel sorry for the poor little fishy.

As a matter of fact, I do fish like a girl!

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And yet another reason I love home education.  I teach my preteen daughter Preschool Education 101, Crafting 201,  and African Arts with USA Objects- which counts toward her degree in Cre.8.ivi.T  by the way- while simultaneously having craft time with my elementary and preschool age children.  Never mind that this was their one and only craft of the year. Well, unless you count what they are crafting under their beds.

I just love my job.

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