Ordinarily Random

A new season for a new reason!

2009-10-06T19:25:00.001-07:00

It's officially turned fall. I am drowning in my day-to-day activities, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I have something to do at every moment of the day. It's the best time for me to start, or in this case, restart a hobby. I am going to start to blog again. Some of my friends and family have mentioned that they miss reading about the Grow clan or the insanities of my daily life and thinking. Some of my dear friends probably don't remember that I ever had a blog. I remember. It's always on the back of mind. I always have new ideas that I want to write about, but never seem to sit and do it, kind of like my ever growing ironing pile in the laundry room.

Because I am insanly busy, I can't promise a daily posting. But, to make myself more accountable, I'm adding extra passion into the blog. I find that the things that get the most attention in my life are the ones that hit my passion button. While I love sharing the "Jen humor" of my day, which I will always be happy to bless you with, I will also be sharing another heart's desire. I want to hit on some heart subjects.

My other passion, besides my amazing family, is showing people that you can live a normal life and still love God! God has brought me through life's ups and downs and continues to do so. He has shown me that we all can live an easier life if we lift each other up and encourage eachother! We all have similarities and God uses them to help us know that there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel, and He helps us see when things should be laughed at and not to be looked at as just another stress in our lives!

Don't fear! I'm not a preacher. I just have a big heart that is bursting with love and want to share it from time to time! Ok! I also have a herd of children that seem to have taken it upon themselves to make sure that I laugh my assets off about something they did at least once a day! I can't wait to show you all!

I hope I look as good as she did!

2009-02-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

This has got to have been the most amazing woman that I will ever have known. She was my Great Aunt Mae!

I loved this woman. She was like a grandma to me. We would go to her condo and swim until our hands and feet were pruny. She would always have a flowered swim cap for me to wear so my hair wouldn't get all tangled in the pool. I would spend weekends with her once in a while. She would take me to the rock museum or to Chicago to a restaurant. It was the first time that I had ever had something called yam chips. They were potato chips made out of yams. We would get our hair done together. She taught me how to make scrambled eggs. At night, we would sit and eat peanut butter toast and watch Jeopardy while she crocheted something for a friend or up and coming baby. She would then turn off the coo coo clock so it wouldn't go off all night and scare me. She is forever embedded into my childhood memories.

She was always the biggest traveler. She has been to every continent, multiple times. I believe that it was said that she traveled to over 147 countries in her life time. After 96 years of living, she went on to her farthest and grandest journey, to be with our Jesus. It seems that heaven was the only place left for her to go! When her time came, I knew that I wanted to be at the funeral.

*Before I go on with my story, I want to apologize. I am about to tell you what happens when you go to the funeral of your deceased aunt with your 4 children. It is the raw truth. Raw, uncensored, and true. I have love, honor, and respect for my dearly departed, but as a mother-of-4 I am always shocked back into reality.

Before we took our trip to Chicago, dear husband and I decided to prep the kids for the funeral. We like to sit down as a family and discuss what they are about to do and how the proper way to act. We discussed the funeral and how it would resemble a church service. We discussed how we need to be respectful and quiet. We told them how some people might be crying because they are going to miss the one who died. We, hubby and I, were feeling quite good about how we handled prepping the kids for the reality of what they were about to see.

As I drove to the funeral, I realized that we forgot to include one very important detail of the funeral. We forgot to tell the kids that they were about to see a real dead body in front of the church! No problem, I thought. I will just talk them through it now. I told them. I told them of how Aunt Mae will be in front of the church in a casket. She looks like she's sleeping, but she's really not even in there anymore. She's living with Jesus now.

No sweat! They got it. We were home free! Sort of.......

We arrived at the the church, late. Whoops! I got lost while using GPS! (Another story for another blog.) The service had already started and they already closed the casket. We snuck into the pew and as quietly as a mother and her 4 children could, we got jackets off and coloring books out. Then it happened!

"Mommy?" in a half shouting whisper.

"What?" I whisper back with one finger over my lips, and a begging look on my face.

"Where is the dead body?" They asked.

Mortified I answer, "In the casket. No more talking!"

2 minutes later.......

"Mommy!" my 3 year old who can't whisper to save her life asks.

"What!" I am now giving the threat of death look, because I know what is going to be asked.

"I wanna see the dead body!" again, this kid doesn't know how to whisper.

"Do not say that again!" I whisper in my most serious of whispering voices.

"But, why? I wanna see the dead body!" she says.

This went on the whole time. Every quiet moment, which is pretty much the entire service since it was a very traditional church, my kids would ask the same question, over and over. The funeral soon ends, thank God. I couldn't have been more mortified in my life! I thought that it couldn't get worse. It did.

When the funeral ended we had to hurry to our car in order to get into the funeral procession for the cemetery. We, of course, had to park across the street. I was trying to rush the kids along when a couple, not one, a couple of the kids started to cry. And I mean really cry! I look around and ask what the problem was.

"We didn't get to see the dead body!!!!!" they cried.

We had a very lonnnngggg ride to the cemetery. They were mournful alright. They cried almost the whole ride!

I almost pray that God let Aunt Mae peek in on us during the funeral. I hope that she was sitting with Jesus and laughing.

You know that your are a slacker with your blog when......

2009-01-26T16:14:00.000-08:00

when everytime you enter the site it makes you relog in your name and password, even though you asked it to rememeber you. Sorry!

My baby

2009-01-25T05:36:00.000-08:00

I woke up in a daze yesterday. Those of you who know me are probably saying, "What else is new?" I'll give that to you, but this was different. I went to bed early. Early for me means before 10:30pm. I slept decently, as decent as a mother 4 can sleep. But, I have this nasty little problem of a 3 year old who thinks she needs to sleep in my bed. I had that girl sleeping through the night in her own crib by 4 weeks of age. But now? Well let me tell you my conversation with her from yesterday.

"It's morning time mommy!" as she cups my face with her itty, bitty girl hands. (Mind you it is still very dark out. I saw a microscopic hugh of orange in the far east corner of my window meaning it's probably about 6am.) She mysteriously crept into my bed around 4am without me noticing, or was it caring?

"It's not morning. It's still dark outside," I say while hoping and praying that my lie would work.

Giggles start...."No, it is morning time, mom." In her most demanding 3 year old tone.

"Oh!" I said. I am soooooo talkative in morning. (This was a joke. I am more of a grunter in the morning. Me talk caveman 'til tea drank!)

As one eye is opened, I look over at her sucking her fingers waiting patiently for her possesed mother to realize she is there. "(Yawn, moan) Where did you sleep last night?"

Lots and lots of giggles start, "I swept in your woom!"

"You're suppose to sleep in your bed, your big girl bed. Remember? You're a big girl now."

"No, I sweepd in mommy's woom."

"Why?"

"Because (giggle) it's funny!"

Another, "You know you're a mom when.." update!

2009-01-09T11:05:00.001-08:00

You know you're a mom when your lunch consists of eating all the half eaten bowls of soup that were left on the table.

*I know all you DINK (Duel Income No Kids) people think this is the most disgusting thing you've ever heard of. You just wait my friends. It'll happen!

I made my man moan at the dinner table!

2009-01-07T17:24:00.001-08:00

Yes, I did! But not in the way you dirty little minded people may think! Let me tell you the background story first. We have had a miracle happen in our house. Three years ago one of kiddos was diagnosed with severe food allergies. It first happened after feeding him a piece of cereal from his daddy's bowl. The poor kid swelled up. He had hives the size of dimes all over his little 9 month old body. He was really, really sick. We didn' t know for sure what had caused such a thing.

The next week, I had given him some baby food that contained some cheese in it. Wrong move! He got more hives and then projectile vomited all over the place. This time we called our doctor. He told us that it was most likely a severe dairy allergy.

We took him to see an allergist, who concluded that Caleb did indeed have a dairy allergy along with an egg and peanut allergy. My heart sank. I knew very well that our entire diets were about to change, and it did!

We made it through. I found 10 different recipes that we all liked and he could have without worry. So for the last 3 years, I have been making the same recipes over and over and over! Life was really getting boring in the food department. My family was starting to believe that I had no ability to bake. My cookies and cakes are not cookie and cake like. They lacked a major something. Do you remember that commercial with the egg, "This is your brain." And then the scrambled egg came, "This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" Well imagine your perfect Nestle Toll House cookies. Now imagine them with out eggs or real butter in them! Any questions?

Well my miracle came. A couple a months ago, I had a conversation with a woman who knows her nutrition. She is a naturopath. She recommended that we try raw milk. At first I was skeptical. Milk is milk, I thought. The only difference between pasteurized and unpasteurized is less germs. At least that was my initial thought.

I did some research. I found out that my opinion is totally wrong. Raw milk is way easier to digest. And, raw goat's milk is one of the easiest to digest, especially for those who are lactose intolerant or have allergies to cow's milk. I was sold! The thought of my son being able to have dairy products sent my mind soaring. To make a long story short, he has been drinking raw goat's milk for 2 months without any problems!

Now for the moaning! Because of my limited recipe ability, my family hasn't been able to try new things. In fact, trying new things is pretty hard for my kids since they haven't had to do it often. That has changed my friends! I made a new recipe last night. I made something that I would order at a restaurant. I made pork tenderloin with a creamy herb sauce. This may not sound as good to you as it did to me, but you have to look at it in my perspective. I haven't had creamy anything in 3 years. I crave cream. I dream of cream! I finally had me some cream yesterday and so did my husband! (This is where the moaning began!)

My husband was eyeing me with every bite he took. I think that I hit a new level of love with this meal! My picky I-don't-think-I-will-like-it kids devoured every bite, even my kid who we swear wants to be a vegetarian, ate every bite of his meat before I even sat down at the table.

So for your blogging pleasure, I have photographed my new recipe adventure. I will leave you with the recipe at the end in case you need to make your mate moan at your dinner table!

For starters, you need 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. I personally use coconut oil because it is even healthier than olive oil, but you can use whatever you have.

Take your 2T of oil and saute 1 cup of minced carrots. I found out yesterday that minced meant really little. I never had to mince a veggie in one of my 10 normal recipes! Because I am lazy, I put my carrots through my food processor for about 3 seconds. I have no patience for cutting things into tiny pieces. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Now add your pork. I had a whole tenderloin that I sliced into half inch medallions. Cook until lightly browned on each side. Remove and keep them warm.

Isn't he cute! When something smells this good, you can't keep him away! Now you need to add to the skillet your flour, basil, pepper, and beef granules. Whisk in your cream (I used whole milk instead!), stirring until thick. Stir in wine.

Return pork to the pan, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until you simply can't keep yours or anyone else's hands away!

Here is the finished plate. I served this with mashed potatoes since we had the gravy in the pan to use as a topping. It went perfectly together! I wish I would have done something more for the veggies, but I got so excited about the meal that I forgot to make something! I threw in a frozen bag of corn just as I served the meal. Yeah, for frozen veggies!

Have fun trying it, and don't forget to think of me when you moan, or not!

Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Herb Sauce

2T of veg oil

1c of minced carrots

1 1/2 lbs of pork tenderloin medallions

4 t of flour

2T of dried basil

2T of dried parsley

1t black pepper

1t beef boulioun granules

1 1/3c of light cream or whole milk

1/2 cup of a dry white wine

1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat; cook carrots for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add pork, and cook until slightly brown on both sides. Remove pork and keep warm.

2. In the same skillet, stir together flour, basil, parsley, pepper, and beef granules. Whisk in cream, stirring until thick. Stir in wine. Return pork to pan, cover, and simmer on low for about 20 minutes!

Oh! The wine goes perfectly with the meal, if there is any left by then!

Where are your calendars?

2009-01-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to give a preview of what we did in school this week. Last month I started my daunting task of making a list and checking it not twice, not even three times, but checking it over and over and over again. It was my list of school curriculum for next year! It is daunting, but I am slightly addicted to curriculum, so the time seems to fly by! Each year I have been ordering samples, and checking PDF files online for all the sample lesson plans of each distributor. Because I am random, I like to see what is out there that we aren't doing as of yet. Sometimes I haven't jived well with the writers of certain curriculum. Sometimes they are awesome, but cost a mortgage payment to buy! Sometimes the learning styles of kids aren't lining up with the way the curriculum is presented.

For instance, my son has the attention span of a fly. He simply needs something that is going to grab him and not distract him. He has to work with his hands in order for his brain to stay focused. My daughter though, loves workbooks! She is the one who loves to have all her work piled before her, and then takes it to another room and finishes it all in one shot. I love her! So out I go into the world of homeschooling curriculum. Let me tell you that this is no small world. Not even Walmart could house all the curriculum that is out there.

Where was I? Oh yes, changing curriculum! Sometimes I find a curriculum that presents things in an awesome way, but it leaves some other aspects out that I loved in the curriculum that I left behind. One thing we changed this year was math. My son was doing just "ok" in math last year. We decided to change companies to do something more hands on. It was a great change, but the new math company didn't have everything included that I was used to having like calendars or clocks.

So what does this hands on mom do? We made our own calendars and decided to call it art! I am actually impressed with my idea, so I have decided to share! I first print off a calendar page from http://www.donnayoung.org/. This is a cool website that offers free printables for calendars, lesson planning, household planning like grocery lists, and lots of other things that I can't remember! Yesterday, we printed off January's calendar onto normal white copy paper.

Then, I took a piece of plain white paper and told the kids to draw something nice for their calendar. One drew herself standing next to her cousin and a snowman that they had just built. (This obviously took place in NY, since Indy doesn't believe in having snow!)

My youngest boy drew himself with his brother and cousin holding swords and ready to fight the world! Some moms gasp at such violence. I personally think it is cute!

My oldest son drew a building with the sun. You have to understand this kid! He just wants to get the job done. No frills. No wasting time. "Let's just do it," is his motto!

After the pictures are done, we staple them to a huge piece of construction paper. I am totally guessing the size, but I think it is a 10x16in. It fits two 8x10 pieces of paper with some room on each side. Here are the pic's to see what we did!

Part of the learning process is that we color in each date as it happens. This way the kids get the concept of dates, months, and days of the week.

This is my boy drawing his building. As you can see he sees something else way more interesting happening in the living room and must hurry up and finish so he can join them.

This is my other boy. He's just proud that he is finally old enough to join in all school fun!

Here are the finished products! I didn't have my 3 year old do one, but I am sure she will want to next time! I am planning all sorts of ideas for the upper pictures. Here is the list I have so far, along with a list of holidays for each month.

January: We didn't do this because I just thought of it right now, but you can take white paper and fold it up an cut pieces out for snow flakes. It maybe the only snow you see if you live close to me. You can decorate it with silver glitter if you are really brave! Holidays: Martin Luther King Jr. B-day, Mozart's B-day, and National Bird Day

Feb: Anything with Valentine's Day! Hearts, Love, kisses on the paper with the brightest lipstick you can find! Come on! What kid wouldn't love that? Holidays: St. Valentine's Day, Ground Hog Day, President's Day

March: St Patrick's Day! Growing up outside of Chicago made me a believer of this holiday! Make clovers or rainbows with pots of gold at the end of them. Take red, orange, yellow, green, and blue construction paper and tare it up into dime to nickel sized pieces. The kids love this! Have them glue the pieces to make a rainbow. You can draw a black pot at the end and take gold glitter and sprinkle the top of the pot for gold! Don't forget Leprechauns! They are fun to draw too! Holidays: St. Patrick's Day, National Pig Day (I never knew!), Vincent Van Gough's B-day (The boys might like to draw this one.)

April: April showers bring May flowers! Make clouds with cotton balls. Have them draw raindrops, or have them dip their finger (notice this is singular!) into blue or gray paint and make the raindrops with their finger prints. Also Easter!!!!! Make a cross or a tomb with the stone rolled away! Make an Easter basket filled with colorful eggs. Holidays: Easter, National Frog month, National Kite Day, Arbor day and Earth day, Firefighters Day, and National Pet Day (Take a picture with your kids and their pet. Put it on their calender. You can have it blown up to a 8x10 for a $1 at Walmart.)

May: May flowers! Get some old magazines or pictures and have the kids cut out pictures of flowers, trees, or anything that is living and growing. Make a collage of all the things we are about to see outside. Holidays: (kind of a boring month!) National Transportation month, May day (May 1), Cinco de Mayo, World Turtle Day, Mother's day!!!!!!!!!!!! (A gentle reminder for them.), Memorial Day

June: Remember that old Barney song, "Mr. Sun, Sun. Mr. Golden Sun, please shine down on me!" Have them draw anything having to do with outside. Balls, pools, parks, or even the sun! Even my 3 year old can draw the sun with a happy face! Holidays: Zoo and Aquarium month, First Hot air balloon flight, Father's Day, Flag Day, International Picnic Day, Paul Bunyan Day, Space Day(Ooooooh! I am thinking astornauts, space ships, the moon, stars, and even aliens if you want to get technical!)

July: Stars and stripes. You could cut out a ton of red, white, and blue stars and make a collage of them. You could tare apart red, white, or blue paper and make fire work pictures with them. Use glitter for the sparkles. After you paste all the paper onto the picture, take a paint brush and brush on Elmer's glue. Sprinkle the glitter on top and voila! Your fireworks sparkle! Holidays: National Ice Cream month (make the biggest ice cream sundae they could imagine! Don't forget the cherry and whip cream.), 4th of July, Beatrix Potter's B-day

August: This is back to school for my kids! Have them brainstorm about either something they want to learn about or something they already learned last year. Draw it. Was it sea turtles? Was it the lunch break? Get them motivated for school. What is there favorite subject? If it is math (that's mine) have them show what they learned last year, like their multiplication facts or something. I used to trace my kids' hands at the beginning of the year to be able to go back and see how they have grown. You could have them make hand prints with paint. It would be fun for a keepsake someday! Holidays: International Clown Week, Watermelon Day (glue real watermelon seeds onto a picture of a watermelon), sports day

September: Fall colors. Find some leaves and place them on to white paper. You can make that your picture. Or! For something a little tricky, but worth the effort. Take your leaf and place it under your white paper. Take a crayon and tare the paper off of it. Lay it on its side and color, pressing hard where the leaf is located under your paper. This should make an imprint and a leaf design similar to your leaf. Use different fall colored crayons for different leaves. Holidays: Labor Day, Grandparent's Day, Teddy Bear Day, Patriot Day (love those history lessons!), Elephant Appreciation Day (make a picture of Horton the Elephant from Dr. Seuss!)

October: Pumpkins, ghosts, gourds, bats, or anything to do with Halloween. Cut a big orange pumpkin out of construction paper. Cut out 3 black triangles and a black mouth. Have them glue them on the make your jack-o-lantern. You can make black bats really easily and take a white crayon to make spooky eyes on them. Holidays: International Dinosaur Month, Farmer's Day, Columbus Day, Pablo Picasso's B-day, Reptile Awareness Day, The Statue of Liberty's B-day (interesting), Halloween

November: Turkeys, pilgrims, Indians, etc. Whatever floats your boat. I like turkeys myself. You can make a body and head with brown paper. Then cut out multicolored strips of paper and make feathers for it, but snipping and fraying the paper. If this is too much for you, try the old tracing your hand and coloring it in to be a turkey. The thumb is the head and the other fingers are the feathers. You could trace dad and mom's hands to make a turkey family! Awwwe! Holidays: National Candy Day (glue candy onto your page), Veteran's Day, National Bible Week, National Cake Day, Thanksgiving

December: Christmas! Or whatever you celebrate. We do Christmas here. You can find pictures of nativity scenes, Christmas trees, or even fire places. Make a Santa face with lots of cotton for the hat and beard. Make Rudolph with his nose so bright (red glitter!). Make the star of Bethlehem with lots and lots of gold glitter! Turn it into a history lesson with making the frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Make a manger with hay. You could use little strips of brown paper, brown yarn, or real hay for the bedding. Another real simple idea is taking a square piece of wrapping paper and having them glue it on. Place a bow on top to complete. You now have a present! Holidays: National Cookie Day, Poinsettia Day, St. Nicholas, Christmas

Make it fun! The possibilities are endless. This is art class and calendar learning combined! Have them repeating months of year and days of the week frequently. Write down all family birthdays, holidays, family trips, or family game nights. You can never forget a family game night if they have it on their calendar! They won't let you. I personally like the family birthday idea, since I can't remember to call them all by myself. My daughter is definitely better at these kind of things than me, and will have no problem reminding me all day until I call the special person to say "Happy Birthday" to them! The kids could then get into the great habit of making birthday cards for all their family members!

One last tool for the projects is this link: http://www.first-school.ws/theme/occasions_index.htm It is a link to a website with free worksheets to color in. They have everything from pictures of presidents to trees. If you need a picture for a holiday, chances are they have it. It's all free! Remember to have fun!

I am thinking that we are getting rid of our current calendars and trying something new and improved! Hey! We did ours on the first day back from Christmas break. My creative juices were not flowing!

Back from vacation!

2009-01-04T17:20:00.000-08:00

How was everyone's Christmas? New Year's? Ours was a jam packed ball of fun! Every year we pack of all the kids and take a lonnnnnnggggg rode trip to Buffalo, NY! It is the perfect place to have our white Christmas! All 22 members of the Grow family come together and celebrate! It is complete and utter chaos, but I wouldn't want it any other way!

Getting there though is half the battle! We have a nice sized SUV that should be able to fit all of us and our belongings without any trouble. SHOULD and can do not have the same definition! We had quite the problem before we ever took off out of our drive-way. Not only do all 4 kids and 2 adults need to fit into the Expedition, BUT the 65lb dog, the dog food and dishes, the Santa presents, the clothes, the extra toys (since grandma doesn't have the right kind), the home school books and supplies, 4 pillows and blankets (grandma didn't have enough at her house), and the snow gear (which includes 6 pairs of snow pants, 6 pairs of boots, 6 pairs of gloves and 6 hats!) have to be packed into the truck. This is no small task my friends.

In years past, I have been able to help pack up the truck. This year was different. I decided that it would be nice to have a cargo pack up on top of the truck. Dear husband decided that he would rather be in charge of packing the truck up himself and he could do it without the cargo bag. He enlisted our daughter's help.

The first thing they did was take all the boots and snow pants and shove them under each and every space they could find. My little girl was in charge of the stuffing and shoving. She crawled her little body up and around all 4 car seats and found places for all the odd and ends. I thought this to be quite genius! The next thing was to find a way to place all 4 suit cases and 2 bags. One bag needed to be gently positioned while being in a spot that no kids would be able to open and peek inside of it, since it was full of the wrapped presents. (This type of instruction is the kind that drives my husband nuts! Hey! Every mom and wife knows that there are details that have to be considered!)

The last step was all the pillows and blankets. After all pillows are handed out the correct owner, we buckle them in. This is also quite the chore. All the seat belts are smashed in from the surrounding cargo or the dog is sitting on it! I have to climb over a mountain of who-knows-what and get my 6 foot long body (2/3 of which is legs!) to the very back of our SUV, without squishing my dog, who is now freaking out or my other 2 children, all to buckle the seat belt that I can't find! I promise I am ready for a nap and the truck is still in the driveway! OH MY!

2 hours after we started loading up, we are on our way! Not one child dares ask for a bathroom break. They are forbidden! No not really, but I do have the feeling that they knew that they would not be getting out of the truck without some degree of difficulty!

Can you imagine if we somehow got into an accident? I don't know how any medical personnel would find my kids! I am sure that they would be fine with all the extra padding, but the firemen would certainly have treated my truck the same way they would treat a cave that had caved in! They would have to burrow tunnels under all the crap that fell around the trapped family! Oh how my imagination takes over!

It was worth every drop of sweat. I am proud of my husband's packing skills. He got all of my desired belongings into the truck and did it again on the way home. We did decide that next trip would have to be different. We are going to have to buy something to put on the back of the truck to fit the suitcases. The kids are getting bigger and truck is continuing to feel smaller! No wonder my dog pants for the entire trip up there!

Saturday

2008-12-13T05:32:00.000-08:00

I would love to tell you how I have decided that this is my day of rest, which it usually is. I would love to tell you that besides a few cleaning tasks, I have nothing planned except trying to find a good Sandra Bullock movie on TBS or reading a preselected book from the library today. I would love to say that I have no one coming over tonight so if I don't want to do the dishes today, I don't have to! But, it's not in my life plan today! Nope! Because I decided that Thursday was the day that I needed to crack the whip and get my house in order. It was a tornado zone from top to bottom. My dear husband actually commented that he has never seen it get that bad before. He usually says this same comment anytime the house is that bad, but this time I had to agree. So we slackers took the day off of school on Thursday, but that means that we have to school on Saturday! It sounded like a good idea at the time. Now, I am not so sure!

Weeeee Got One!!!!!!!!

2008-12-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

Can you name that movie? I bet you can't! I bet that I have to give you another clue. How about the State Puffed Marshmallow Man? Come on! There is only one movie on this earth that has a giant, walking marshmallow man ready to take on the city. If you guessed "Ghost Busters" you have my admiration. I will hold you in the highest respect whenever I see or talk to you.

I loved that movie. When I was growing up, my brother and I used to take my dad's flashlights and shine them in dark places to see if Slimer the green sliming ghost was hiding. We would then pretend that the flashlights were our weapons and sucked up the ghosts just like the real Ghost Buster's would do! We were so cool!

Now? What was it that I felt I needed to share? Oh yes! We got one! My husband, the manly man that he is, finally got his deer this year. He hasn't had many places to hunt, and the places that he has been able to hunt on he's had to share with about 200 other hunters. This year, however, he and one of his best friends were blessed to get permission to hunt on 600 acres of land. Not only did they hunt there, they also got permission to hunt on the land neighboring the 600 acres to make that a grand total of 1200 acres to THEMSELVES! I would say the odds were for them.

He called me while still out of breath from the hunt of his dreams. Finally, instead of driving home with out his primary goal, he brought the family some meat. I am feeling a little pioneerish, but its free and I had some tonight in a stew.........amazing!!!!!

Well here it is. Here is my man with 2008 deer! Great job honey! I am proud! He plans to go out next weekend for round two.

His and Her Toys!

2008-12-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

After neglecting my duty to my adoring readers, I have finally come home to my blog. I have come to the space where I can say what I want, think what I want, share intricacies of my homestead, and have people read them with laughter and find them somehow entertaining! I love you all for laughing with me! Thank you for being patient with me!

Now for your next installment of my random thought process.......drum roll............His and Her Toys! Those of you without children don't worry. This is not about my picks of the year from Toys R Us. With that said, you don't need to cover your eyes. Let me assure you that this is rated G for everyone. I promise! Would I steer you down a path that I wouldn't tread myself?

Now, We were talking about the adult toys (G rated remember!). My husband, being the manly man that he is, is a wood worker. He loves building things from nothing. He loves working with his hands. He loves critically thinking about putting something together that didn't even exist before he thought of it. In order to do this kind of work, you need to have the right tools. You need some good working toys, I mean tools, to get the quality that you want, the quality he must have.

You need.......another drum roll please..............

This is one of the first toy purchases we made as a couple. Actually this is the upgraded version of what we first purchased! If any of you don't know what the brand De Walt means. Just think money! Lots and lots of money.

This is my newest toy! My darling Kitchen Aid Mixer! I have wanted one of these since I first started to put my kitchen together 10 years ago with a Target wedding registry list. Because of my inherited frugality issues, I decided that I could probably get by with a 40 dollar mixer instead, and then I would get more needed gifts at the wedding. I kicked myself for many years after that! My patience paid off though. After hearing how I burned out 3 mixers in 3 years, one of my dear friends saw this on clearance and bought it for me. I am forever and eternally grateful to her. Every woman wants one of these. If they don't, they are lying, or they don't cook!

Now this is his favorite toy!

I wouldn't be showing the true glory of the toy if I didn't show you the name. It is made by Grizzly. This is where I am going to point out the genius ideas of advertising. All men's toys are manly sounding like Grizzly. You know it gives you the image of the big, tough bear that he probably hunted after it tried to go after his camp's food supply. If the tool has the name of Black and Decker on it, then it probably isn't manly enough to be included in a real man's garage.

This is my other favorite tool/toy! My dream machines! If you haven't heard about how we met click here: http://ordinarilyrandomme.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-can-move-mountains.html I move mountains with these girls! And notice the girly brand name: Whirlpool. What comes to mind with that? As if laundry and relaxation ever will coexist! One can dream.

Pumpking Carving!

2008-11-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

With 4 children, things can get pretty messy and out of control in a short time! We had to lay some ground rules before they "had at it" with the pumpkins. Let's remind everyone that we are doing this on my kitchen table that is in a room with a carpeted floor. Don't ask! I have only ever lived a few months in a house that didn't have a carpeted dining room. It seems to be my curse! Even building our own house didn't take it away!

Now, notice in the picture above, my son's first instinct as he grabs the carving knife. I would like to point out to all who think boys won't be boys if there aren't any weapons around. Boys will be boys, and they always find weapons. They make weapons from nothing. They crave weapons. If it is already shaped like a weapon, then it's all the better, and fun!

Princess just jumped right in! "Really! We get to make a mess and you won't be mad????"

Baby Princess is a little disgusted. She took some coercing. Don't worry she eventually realized the reality that she can squeeze the guts all she wants and I won't care!

This is "Mr. Analytical". Not only is he the cleanest kid I have, but he takes the utmost care and time to do everything. The job was not done until every possible seed and gut was removed in as orderly fashion as he could come up with. We eventually had to help in order for it to be finished before Halloween.

My "Hunk of Love"! This is one of his favorite times of year. Fall means a lot of things to him, but this day is ranked on top. Why? Well he is highly addicted to pumpkin seeds. Oh yes, highly addicted. Throughout the entire process of carving he is surfing through the guts picking out every single seed. At least 10 times he makes sure that the kids don't miss a single seed. He has it down to a science. He separates the guts and the seeds, he rechecks the garbage piles to see if any were left behind, he rinses off any left over guts, he rinses again, and again, and then we salt and bake. I am always impressed with his patience while doing this. The beautiful thing about having 4 kids, is having 4 massive pumpkins loaded with seeds.

Coming up! Halloween pictures!

Busy Bee!

2008-10-09T04:32:00.000-07:00

I have discovered something that I actually already knew. Anybody who has read this blog or knows me personally, knows that I am busy. Sure we are all busy. We have normal duties that have to be fulfilled. Some are stay-at-home moms that are the basic cruise directors of their house, some work, some volunteer, and some....well some are really busy doing things that no one can figure out. I can't decide if I want to know or not. I don't have time to. I 'm too busy!

Anytime that I go out to the store, I get looks and comments like: "Wow! You have your hands full! Are those all yours? You sure are busy!". This is when I smile and sometimes chuckle. This is when I whip out the big news and say "Yes, I am busy. And oh, by the way, I home school them!" It's my favorite part. I watch their jaws drop, their tongues roll down to the floor, and their eyes open wider than humanly possible. Then I turn around, clap my hands three times, and ask the kids politely to get back in line behind me. (Ok, the end was a slight exaggeration. One can dream, right?)

So I'm busy. What else is new? I have a full day. What I do sometimes struggle with is the fact that I still look for things to fill my day. No, I am never bored. There is always something to do. I just find things that look cool or sound like a good idea and then spend my "extra" time studying them, or doing them. Or I think that I have all the time in the world because I don't work, and my kids don't spend 8 hours a day in school. Sure we can do things later in the day. Sure we can stay up late and sleep in. We home school. We can do what we want.

Well my dears, I am finding that the more I try to buck my schedule, the more I find that I am yearning for it. I am going for the less is best routine. I am going to stick to that routine. I am going to get off the computer and get in the shower right now. Because even before I sat down to type, I knew that this was not in the schedule!

Quote of the Day!

2008-09-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Andrea is so wise. She leaves me a comment on most of my posts and makes me chuckle. After reading my latest post, she gave me a bit of her wisdom. I have declared it my quote of the day.

TV remotes - one of the reasons men and women will never understand each other!

I don't know!

2008-09-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

TV has been the blame of some weird phenomenons here. The other day, I caught Princess and Batman watching my TV in this position. I don't even ask what they are doing or trying to accomplish anymore. I just laugh, take a picture, and say "I don't know!". Yes, weirdness runs in the family!

We have another habit that's forming in our house. My dear son has taken another step into manhood. He is about to turn six next week! In his great walk through life, he has learned an unwritten man trait. A trait that every woman winces at once in her life. If that woman has married or had multiple brothers, the chances are high that she winced a lot.

My dear first born son has mastered the remote control. He has learned to yearn for it. He knows what each button is for. When he sits and watches a movie, he will not stop looking for it before sitting down. It might as well be duck taped to his hand.

He has picked up the habit of rewinding and replaying the good parts over and over and over again, until his siblings run screaming from the room for me to come and take the remote away. When I come in, he instantly puts the remote down and acts like he didn't do anything. He bats his icey blue eyes at me, and innocently says, "What mom?". I instantly know what went on. I don't know if it is my mom instincts or if it is the reality that I somehow lived through growing up with 3 brothers that all did the same thing. Icey blue eyes or not, I know what he has been up to!

He also has the man habit of high volume. He doesn' t have a hearing problem. He simply has little man ears. My daughter and I can listen to the volume at an average level of 10 to 12. My son and husband??? It is more like 35. I don't know if it is nature or nurture. I have come to the conclusion that it is no coincidence!

A homeschooler's gym class

2008-09-22T04:52:00.001-07:00

This is our PE class! No, I don't organize relay teams, or make them do exercises before each class. I have heard of some moms doing a gym class, but we don't. One of the reason's I don't is because of these pictures. Why waste my time? My kids are active. They run, play, spin, jump, and are moving all day long. Even during our rest time, I have to go up stairs and remind them that it is rest time, a time for rest and relaxation. Which means we need to be resting or lying down, not hanging off of our bunk beds and pretending we are jumping off tall buildings like Spider man!
I would love to challenge anyone who thinks that home school kids are getting anything less than public school kids. If anything, my kiddos are having more fun!

My First Born Son

2008-09-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

When I had this little man, life changed. He brought a certain "oomph" into my life. He is super charged. He is full of life and energy, and at the same time has this little heart of gold. He is so caring. He will gladly give up something he wanted to someone who wants it more. He is the all around kind of guy. He makes friends everywhere. He wants to be just like his daddy.

About a week ago he told us that he wants to be an astronaut pastor. "Really, buddy?" I said. "Yeah, I need to go into space and I want to be a pastor and tell the whole world about God!" he said. My cup runneth over when he says things like that. Only a mother of a little boy could understand how stinking cute that sounds.

Sometimes he says things that blow me away. While at the doctor's office today, he made friends with this other little boy about his same age. They were playing in the little playhouse in the waiting room together. The little boy got excited about something and shouted, "Oh my god!". My son chimed in quickly and said, "Don't say oh my god! If you say oh my god, then God is going to come down and destroy your house!"

I quickly corrected him, but was laughing the whole time. The poor little boy he was talking to probably now has a true fear of God. All because the preacher's son decided to bring forth a little fire and brimstone! I love this kid. He makes my heart go pitter pat. And no, I don't believe that God is going to come down and destroy our houses.

So....How's it going?

2008-09-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

It is going really, really well. Life is crazy, but we are surviving. I have been staying on schedule, mostly. I have been sleeping in until 6am instead of getting up at 5:30am. I know, I know! You think less of me. How undisciplined can one get? 6am wake up, that's for wimps.

Well I am one. I admit it. I like to sleep. I love to have the birds singing to me while I rub the sleep out of my eyes and stare at the wall for 30 minutes. It's what I do. For my first 30 minutes of existence in the morning, I like to live a life of denial. I like to deny that I even have to get out of bed. I like to think of every reason of why I should sleep until 10 or 11. I think things like: "They will be fine getting their own breakfasts today! They won't miss me. They will sit at the table with their school books ready quietly waiting for me. I will be the one welcomed with breakfast waiting when I get up. (Or my favorite excuse!) Sure! We can start school by 10:30 and get it all done before noon!"

I am totally not living in reality when I wake up. I am close to hallucinating. I don't think straight. Like I said, after 30 minutes or so of pondering my day, I decide that I must stick to the plan. I must grab myself by the collar and hoist my butt out of bed. I realize the reality of the situation and I grin and bare it. It's not that I don't want or like my life. I just don't like anything in the morning. After 7 or so, I am completely living my dream.

Just ask my husband. After 9 years of marriage, he still tries to converse with me while I am in the hallucination stage. He wakes up singing like a bird. I grunt or moan with a frown that is beginning to cause wrinkles. I tell him that I hate mornings. He asks, "Do you at least love me?" I give him a look. He leaves for work after hugging me and kissing my forehead. I love when he kisses my forehead. As for the hugging, I wouldn't classify my part of the hug a real hug. I really just lean into him and make him hold me up. About 45 minutes later, after my first cup of tea, I call him on his cell and with a big smile tell him good morning. He laughs at me, then tells me how ridiculous I was after I woke up, and asks if I am now finally awake. I act like I said or did nothing wrong or out of the ordinary. He again laughs at me, and asks if I will ever be a morning person? I then laugh at him, and sternly say "NO WAY! God didn't make mornings for me!".

After my nightmare of getting out of bed early everyday, everything is dandy. School is going great. The kids are falling into my steps just fine. They are learning at alarming rates. We have chosen some challenging curriculum for them and they are surfing right through it. Ok, Ok, it is only the second week of school and they are still reviewing last years material, but they are getting back at "it" very quickly.

As for this blog of mine. I am trying to find the time to do it daily. It might not happen everyday as you have noticed, but I will be posting more often as I find the time. I love doing it, and it seems to me by the remarks of those I see, that you guys enjoy it. So between the multiple grammar, arithmetic, phonics, history, and science lessons in the morning, the scrubbing of bathroom floors in the afternoon, and the nightly laundry sessions that I am called to, I will come to you. Who needs history? Let's just leave the past in the past, right? And math? Why did we invent calculators? Oh! and my favorite, we don't need to wear clean clothes everyday, do we? I mean, we do home school. Showering and dressing are optional!

Anyone who knows me, knows that these last few lines are a total joke! Just thought that I would clear my conscience and reassure you all.

Day one: Who needs organization?

2008-09-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

We started school yesterday. I had this big plan. Our lives were perfectly set out like a clean pair of clothes for the morning. I was prepared man. No one, and nothing could rock my new disciplined life.

He He Ha Ha Ho Ho! Nothing that is, except for life itself. (Note to readers: Every time that I try to be ultra disciplined, I have a catastrophe. Something comes flying into my life like a rock into a windshield. I have learned to embrace this with laughing and not stressing, for I am ordinarily random.)

Anywho, back to the story. It actually started the day before school started. It was a hot Sunday afternoon and we were to attend a picnic. Since my husband is on the church staff, I am sort of required to be there. I really did want to go. I love hanging out with people. I love to eat. Church people know how to cook. I love to watch as my kids are entertained by the other children. Since my kids are home schooled, they almost hyperventilate when other children are around them. They are always ready to make new friends. It was 90 degrees outside, but we had a great time. After a few hours of running hard and playing games it was time to go home. We arrived at home at 4pm and the kids all wanted some much needed rest time. "45 minutes" I told them and myself as I got sucked into my love seat.

Yeah 45 minutes! Famous last words. Try 3 hours later. We all rolled out of our cocoons and awoke from napping. It was now 7pm, an hour before bedtime. Don't you know the rule for the night before school? It is mandatory for kids to get to bed early the night before the first day of school. Every good parent requires it, and then rejoices in the fact that they are awesome parents because their kid is safely tucked into bed and will be smarter because it was early. We ate dinner at 8pm as the kids laughed at the realization that they were awake during forbidden hours. We finally got to put them to bed at 9:30. They fell asleep at about 10, 2 hours past bedtime!

Of course, this messed up the schedule that I worked so dang hard on. Some slept in, and some got up early. The ones that needed to sleep in are the ones that got up early. Mood swings and all, we did it though. We trudged through the murky waters of the first day of school. We, I mean I, cracked the whip and did all 16 subjects. This number is the amount of 4 kids combined. I officially have a 3rd grader, 1st grader, kindergartner, and a preschooler. I would like to face some one who thinks being a stay-at-home mom is boring.

The Indiana State Fair

2008-08-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Do not adjust your computer screen. This is what happens when you take your 4 children to the fair. Your head is not screwed on tight. This is your brain. This is your brain when you decide to go to crowded public places with all 4 kids. Just kidding. This is actually my try at copying an idea from a photo blog that I read. She took the same type of picture, but hers was better. Much better. Mine looks like I was about to drop my camera just as I clicked the button. Maybe next year.

We had an awesome time. We went on the perfect day. It was only 80degrees. 80 degrees and August don't go together in Indy. It is more like 90 or 95 degrees, hence the reason we didn't go last year. The crowds were actually not bad. We went the day after all the public schools started so no one was there. It's another good reason to home school. We got to pet all sorts of farm animals. We fed them too. Princess is now determined to convince her daddy that we need a farm. I am convinced too, but she is better at getting her way with him. (Don't tell him I said that!)

Food was extremely expensive there. We made sure that everyone only ate absolute necessities. This of course included the must have of cotton candy. When else does mom OK eating pure sugar that is a cool color too.

Oh! I love this one. It is the proof that I do exist and that I do go on the family outings with them. I am never, and I mean never, in the pictures. I am the one that takes all the pictures.

Here they are! The other half. We only rode on one ride. Would you believe that one Ferris wheel ride costs $22 for a family of six to ride. They were troopers though. The animals and tractors were enough to keep their minds busy! The biggest attraction was the horse manure in the middle of a walking path. Poor suburban kids. What's as normal as a house fly for ranchers is a shock of excitement for suburban kids. And, no I didn't take a picture of the manure!

It's been a while!

2008-08-29T13:32:00.001-07:00

I have been really busy. I know I constantly say that, but I have been feeling it more this past month than ever. I have been meeting my goals and checking off my to-do list that needs to happen before we venture into our next school year. I have 2 days left and I think I finally have a handle of the fact that we are going to loose 6 hours a day of our weekdays. It actually doesn't take 6 hours to do school. It is about 2 hours per schooled child. Some have more, some have less depending on their grade level and, let's just say this bluntly, their mood that particular day.

Yes, yes it is a lot of work, but it is one of those kinds of jobs that is totally worth it when you look back at it. I know they are getting the best. I know how to push them and when to back off. We work as a team and get it done. Sorry, I didn't mean for this to be an advertisement for home schooling.

I just wanted to say that I started my new schedule today. I now get up at the butt crack of dawn. Actually no, I get up before dawn. The birds aren't even conscious yet. With this new phenomenon of me getting up early, I may have a moment to post the intricacies of my life and family and my random thoughts. I know you miss them. I miss them too. Talk to you soon.

2 Weeks and counting!

2008-08-18T12:44:00.001-07:00

2 weeks from today, my children's lives are going to change. Oh, they are used to change since they have the most random mother in the world. But we have had the most lazy summer that I can remember, and now school is starting in 2 weeks. We have watched way too much TV this summer. I say "we" because I have been lumped into this as of this week. I have been completely obsessed with the Olympics.

I like to be in bed at 10:30. For over a week now, I don't think that I have gone to bed until 12:30am maybe 1am. I am obsessed with watching Michael Phelps and the rest of the swim team cream their competition. My heart starts fluttering the last few seconds before they crash into the wall with all their might. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. I would stop what I was doing throughout the day, anytime of day, to watch swimming on TV. I am so glad it is over. Maybe life can begin again.

Then the gymnastics. Oh, don't get me started. Those little, under aged Chinese girls are adorable, but that's just it. They are adorable, as babies or little girls, not the young women that are suppose to be out there. Go Nastia and Shawn! You girls rock!

See? This wasn't suppose to be about the Olympics. Anytime my mind wanders into Olympic territory, I am a goner. I was writing about school. We are starting. I am going to bed on time from now on. NO MORE Olympics for me! Because, we are starting school! I am terrified. Yet, I am excited. I get to teach long division this year. I get to teach proper and common nouns. I get to teach a 4 year old how to read. Oh wait. He can already do that! (Just a little mom brag!) He is starting kindergarten this year, because there simply isn't any preschool left to teach him. Oh and I will not have any kids in diapers during the day. There will no longer be the unexpected breaks of me going off and chasing down a toddler, to change the never ending stink coming from them, per the request of their older sibling who can't stand the smell of their room. This brings me utter happiness! Even more than watching Michael Phelps woosh by, by 1/100th's of a second to win yet another gold. Football just doesn't do that to me.

Pray for me friends. I am going to a very full plate this year. 3 out of 4 kids are going to be schooled this year. Yikes! I have a lot of kids.

My Love/Hate relationship

2008-08-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

This is my Love/Hate relationship. I love this machine, yet I hate it. I can't decide. It makes me groan and moan with despair when I think about getting on it for 30 minutes a day. It also makes me jump towards heaven when I loose 3lbs because of it.

I haven't been on it for a few weeks. I was doing it everyday without fail last month. I would listen to my MP3 player and glide to a loss of 300 calories a day. I loved that part. I have left overs that need to be tossed out. My "left overs" are the 2.5 lbs per child that seemed to never go away. No amount of breast feeding seemed to melt these last few away. You might be laughing at me that I am so upset over 10 lbs. Well they seem to have all gathered into one spot on my body. They didn't disperse and spread out throughout the 5ft 11in of my entire body. Nope! They all congregated at my midsection and are still having a party.

I hate my elliptical too. It seems to have a light shining on it. You know the "glow" or the "glimmer" from above. It is saying that it could be my salvation. I could have that supermodel body that I expected to have as soon as my balloon inflated stomach popped from labor. Every woman knows what I am talking about here. Right after you have the baby, you look into a mirror with shock. It seems that it isn't like taking the pillow out from under your shirt. You have war wounds. You have had WWIII and maybe IV, V, and VI with your body. Thus the reason we start dropping doe on some type of exercising equipment, or a big fancy stroller that can go as fast an Olympic sprinter. You know, because we would all run like that if we had a stroller that could keep up.

This week I am learning to embrace my love/hate relationship. I am going to learn to get my behind out of bed on time. I have given my husband permission to do whatever he deems necessary to get me out of bed at 6am. This is a scary time for me. I hate mornings. I hate getting up early. I have never been a morning person. I am going to get up and exercise before my kids wake up. (Yuk! I am scared!)

This is part of my new schedule that I am making for our family and myself. I will post more on it later since I am still writing the rest of it. Stay tuned! I also have some great pics of the state fair. Want to see how a family of 4 does at a very crowded fair? It is interesting!

Her Lovey!

2008-08-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

This is Care Bear A. It was a gift for my baby princess on her second Christmas. We had requested it after she went nuts while holding it in a store one day. I had no idea what we were about to embark on.
This is Care Bear B. It is different. I promise. This was bought as her birthday present. We decided that we needed a back up. Every mother has dreams of having a back up blankey or lovey when their child falls in love with it. You can switch them out while washing it, or if one gets lost, you have a back up.
Care Bear A's back side. It's bottom is so perky for a cuddly bear.

Care Bear B. Notice the tail here. Little Princess twiddles it in between here fingers. When she needs extra comfort she takes it's ultra soft tail and rubs her nose to it.

I would like to say that there is a major difference in bears. I think they are the same, but she knows the difference. If I try to hand her the wrong bear, she throws it at me and says, "It's da wong one! Moooooommmmm!" Translation: "What is your IQ woman? Just because I am 2 doesn't make me ignorant!" I still try to give her the wrong one. Sometimes the "right one" is not in a convenient spot. I always try to grab the closest one.

The other night I did get away with giving her the "wrong one". However, she woke up and came to my door at 6:30am the next morning and said, "Mooommmmm! This is NOT da wite one!" And then threw the bear to the floor, and left to find the "right one". Mothers! What do we know!

Unsolved Mysteries

2008-08-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

We have lots of unsolved mysteries in our house. We receive them daily. We don't need ghosts or horror stories from the past to acheive them. We have 4 kids. We have 4 kids that are getting smarter by the day, and they are exploring our world through their eyes. This leads to some discoveries of our own. What for instance would you call this picture? How was I ever entertained before having children? Oprah never did this for me.

Only a few weeks left......

2008-08-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well summer is winding down. Heat wise it is a rip roaring inferno outside before 10am. We have to really get our bottoms in gear to get outside before it is too hot to breathe. Here in Indy, the kids start going back to school in early August. They do this, in my opinion, to escape the last of the heat wave. No one goes outside when it is like this. A blizzard is more tempting to handle than going out and having your eye lashes singed. I am taking advantage of this indoor time to get myself completely organized before we start back at school. My kids are laughing at the fact that they don't have to start for a few more weeks, while their neighbors are getting up early and being shipped off starting this week.

As previously noted, I have been organizing a few closets and doing things that my schedule doesn't allow during our full time school year. I, in the last two days, tackled the two closets that caused me the most fear. I organized dear husband's and my closets. They were scary. They had things that should have been pitched at least 5 years ago. I had shirts that my mom bought me in high school. I don't know what would make be think that a) they would ever fit after birthing 4 children in 5 years, and b) they would still be in style. Good news, they are on there way to the Goodwill.

I have a few more things to do before I feel ready for our next 9 month adventure. I know what you are all thinking right now. No, the 9 months isn't a signal of me being pregnant. I told you that I am done and I mean it. I am thinking of having my tubes tied to make sure that we have a back up to our other choice of permanent birth control. The 9 months means the length of our next school year.

One of the reasons that I think we are going to be successful homeschoolers is that I keep our schedule as light as possible. If things are organized before hand, the year goes much smoother. I keep all running around outside of house to a minimal. By running around, I mean errands that aren't really needed and too many extra curricular activities.

When we first thought about home schooling, my husband was unsure because of my lack of organization. I truly wasn't mad at this. He had a very valid point. I am totally unorganized, or at least was. If I wanted to take on more work, I needed to find a way to make it happen. My weakness was not going to make decisions for me. It is easy to do things that you are strong in, but whoa nelly is it painful to make yourself strong where you are weak.

What did I do? A few things were changed. I joined an online group that showed me how to clean my house really well in the least amount of time. For those who want this link it is: www.flylady.net She is amazing.

Next, I studied things on how other home schooling families make it happen. I only have 4 kids. This seems to be double the work in some people's eyes, but a lot of home school families are doing great things and they have more kids than me. One of my life savers is our chore system. We use a book called "Managers of their Chores" by Steve and Terry Maxwell. I quickly realized that I am one person and simply could not keep up with everything by myself. It also wasn't my husbands job to come home after working 12+ hours and help clean my house.

Now, with the help of the chore packs, the kids are doing things by themselves that used to take us double time with me watching over them and making sure that I remembered every step. My kids have a list of things to do to get ready for bed which include: picking up toys, PJ's on, put clothes in the laundry, pick out new clothes for the morning, brush teeth, go potty, wash hands, and get drink of water. In the morning, before breakfast, they make their beds, brush teeth, get dressed, put pj's away, and comb hair. It is important to note that they do these things by themselves. Yes, we have to go remind them that they are suppose to be doing their chore packs. They are kids and get distracted. For the most part, they do their chore packs successfully.

I do have a few more tricks up my sleeves that keep our house under control, and will share with you my secrets and laughable failures in the future.

A hiking we will go!

2008-08-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

It wasn't really hiking, but it did include some adventures. My in-laws live on a couple of wooded acres in NY. It is beautiful up there. The trees are huge and leafy. Around them is thick brush for all sorts of reptiles and small animals to live. Since we currently live in suburbia we aren't accustomed to going out to our yard and finding God's creatures lurking about. Sure we have birds of all kinds and a ton of bugs, including gigantic grasshoppers and dragonflies. For little kids these things are fun to see, but to really get their attention they need to touch and hold the creatures.
Touching was indeed done. My husband went out and caught a snake or two for the kids to see. Since I have a strict "No rodents, reptiles, or cats" rule for our household pets, the kids were intrigued with the snake. I was incredibly happy for the zoom button on my camera. You wouldn't know it from the pictures, but I wouldn't come within 10 feet of the snake.

I love my girls. Don't you just love her little finger in a totally girly position. She had fun looking at the snake, but she needed some coercing to actually touch it. I would like to point out that one of my boys took a full grasp of the snake. Batman just grabbed it with his whole hand as if it were just a stick. There was no dainty finger petting coming from him. I don't have the picture yet, but will find it soon.

Why would anyone love these things? I am honestly going to have a pow wow with God about the creation of snakes when I get to heaven. I don't think that God ever makes mistakes, but I don't see why snakes really needed to be made. Just look at that tongue! It is saying, "I know I look like a harmless gardener snake, but I would love to taste you!" I am getting the chills just looking at this picture. I need to go to my laundry room and find some peace now! Ta Ta!

Home Sweet Home!

2008-08-04T05:01:00.001-07:00

This is my humble abode! I love my house. We have been blessed to have 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. I think that these are prerequisites to having 4 children invade your homestead. I don't know how people survive without these things that I consider necessities!

We just returned from our summer vacation, to our old stomping grounds of Western New York. Man alive, it is beautiful up there. I love the old maple trees with the lay of the land up there. I love the swamps and forests and rolling hills that they all rest on. Some places are simply serene.

One of my favorite places, if I am not being invaded by mosquitoes, is my in-laws back yard. They have a couple acres of heaven in their backyard. They work really hard to maintain it, but to me it is worth every minute. I will post more on our adventures there later.

When we go up there it is our full intention to take a vacation and relax. We never do any real site seeing or visit big exciting places. We just go to relax, eat 2 to 3 times more calories than we do on any other given day, visit with family (this is a good thing since we like them!), and just get away from life. The cell phones were not being carried around, and most of the time they were turned off. We only responded to emails if we felt like it. If we didn't feel like it, we just used the excuse "Hey, I'm on vacation!". It's a beautiful thing to have such a valid excuse to ignore life.

After 2 weeks quickly zoomed by, we were on our way home. The drive back is a lengthy 8 and a half hours. I know you all envy me. You would just love to pack 4 children with you into a car and drive endlessly home. I do have to say that I have been blessed with the 4 best kids in the world. They are awesome in the car, mostly! We had a very uneventful ride until we came upon an accident that shut down the entire interstate. Of course this happens right after you tell everyone that we should be home in 45 minutes. By the end of the trip, my husband was chucking the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies that grandma sent home with us to the kids. This was an act of desperation after sitting in traffic that ended up adding an extra hour on to our trip. We had previously told them that they could have some when we got home. We didn't feel like cleaning up the crumbs and melted chocolate that would probably be smeared all over.

When we got home, I felt that a burden had been lifted. I soon began to realize something. Before we left, our main goal was to go on vacation to be able to relax. We did and it felt great, but I realized that I was starting to relax more the second I arrived home. I felt my body melt when I smelled my house. It still has that new house smell to it. I melted into my over stuffed couch and then my bed that I purposely had put clean sheets on before we left for vacation.

When I awoke on the my first morning home, I found this cup waiting for me. It is my favorite cup. I use it almost every morning. It holds the perfect amount of my legal addictive beverage. I grasp the handle with one hand and mold my other hand around its perfectly shaped side. Even though my blessed mother-in-law bought the exact brand of tea that I do, it just didn't taste the same as home. It might also have to do with the fact that I was using a cup with a Minnesota Vikings emblem on it. They are the rival team to my Chicago Bears. I felt a sense of betrayal as I sipped from that cup. It just wasn't the same as my happy-go-lucky snowman that smiles at me while I am still in my I-am-not-a-morning-person grumble.

With all that said, I am glad to be where I belong. My house is here to welcome me. My washing machine and I are going to have some one-on-one time today. My bathrooms will once again receive some much needed attention as well as the rest of the house. I feel a sense of pride as I walk back into my position of honor. I love my home. I love being the VP of the house. I love making sure that everything is ran the way I like it, and in the order in which I like. It is home and it was missed.

PS: To all you Hoosiers who are feeling like I didn't miss you: I really missed you. I really really missed you. I can't wait to call you all and hang out with you again. See you soon!

Excuses, Excuses!

2008-07-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

I have neglected my blog this month. I am very sorry. I must apologize from the depths of my heart and soul. I have great excuses though. They really are great. Wanna here? Since it is my blog, I am going to tell them to you anyways. If you don't like it, read another blog. But, I warn you, you won't find someone as ordinary and random as me!

Excuses! Excuses!

1) I am really, really busy. I have a husband, 4 children, and a dog to look after.
2) I am embracing my summer vacation. After completing our first year of home schooling, I am relearning the phrase: summer vacation. I have zero desire to do anything. I want to sit on my couch and eat bon bons. Ok, not bon bons, but Dove chocolates, milk chocolate flavored to be exact.
3) I am doing things that my new found employment (home schooling) has not allowed. I have almost read 6 novels in the past month. Really, I have. It is weird and unnerving to think that I have read 3 times more books this month than I read in high school. Yes, I am sorry to say this is true. I am making up for it though.
4) I am doing some spring/summer cleaning. Since I have limited amounts of time to really deep clean my house throughout the school year, I am taking advantage of the lack of schedule in my house right now. I have washed all bedding in every room. I have washed floor boards, doors, and windows. I hand scrubbed the kitchen floor. I have organized my pantry and hall closet. I have big plans of organizing some closets upstairs, but I am a little petrified of them, and have been pushing them to the end of my list hoping that they will be forgotten until next year.
5) I have found time to do absolutely nothing. I sit on the couch and the kids come and sit with me. I really enjoy this time. I get many "I love you's" and kisses. They come up with the most random questions and explanations. I wonder where they get that from? Once Batman asked if he could have the sky for his birthday? How cute is that?
6) We have been getting outside and playing as often as possible. Due to the amount of stormy days we had, we haven't been outside as much as we would like. They have been enjoying every minute of the sunshine. Dear husband taught our Princess how to ride a 2 wheeler. I am so proud.
7) I spent last week catching up on laundry that piled up on us while we were gone. I am now preparing to pack for our 2 week vacation. Why do I feel like the house has to be spotless in order for us to travel? Maybe the burglars will feel at home when they come?

So there is my list. I promise to be back at it when I get home. We will return the first week of August. Ta Ta for now!

I brought a gun into Walmart!

2008-07-12T19:18:00.001-07:00

Don't you think I would be great at creating headlines for newspapers? I love making up titles to things. I have made up titles to books that I might someday write. I don't really think I have enough material to write them, but I have great titles that would make anyone in Barnes and Noble refrain from there caffeinated beverage and take a look.

You are all probably wondering about my story. Here goes. Dear husband decided that this would be an awesome day to go out for ice cream after dinner. It was a great idea. We all did the dishes and rushed out the door. Let me explain to you now that getting all 4 kids and myself out the door fully clothed, hair some what organized, and shoes on the right feet is quite a challenge. Not to mention, they all need to be securely buckled in their car seats.

So there we were, all 6 of us, standing in line at the ice cream shop. All the kids were yelling their orders to us. When I looked down, I saw my son had his toy gun in hand. We have a no toys allowed rule for our truck, because they always get lost or left in it. I also wasn't pleased with the type of toy he smuggled out of the house. I wasn't trying to hide anything, but I also am not wanting people to think that he can go around shooting whom ever he pleases. I quietly took the gun from him and put it into my motherly sized pocket.

On the way home we had to make a quick stop to Walmart. I ran in to get our items. As I looked down, I noticed that the pirate pistol was half hanging out of my pocket. My first reaction was, of course, to laugh! I love my boys. They are always trying to be heroes. But then my thoughts went to, "What if someone thinks this is a real gun?" All sorts of scenarios went through my mind. I instantly tried to push the gun further into my pocket so it couldn't be seen. It turns out that it was still too big to fit into my motherly abyss of a pocket. Instead of half the gun showing, I now only had the handle and the trigger peaking out.

I did make it out with out anyone knowing. I feel like a dare devil now thanks to my son. Yes, boys will be boys, and may there momma's never cease to enjoy it.

9 years and counting!

2008-07-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my other half, my soul mate, the man of my dreams, and best of all the man God made for me. He and I have been through many mountain top and valley experiences in these last 9 years. We have laughed and cried together. We have fought and played. We have talked and yelled (ok, I am the yeller he is the calm talker.) We have brought 4 beautiful children into this world. Life is good. I can't imagine doing it all without him by my side.

It's funny to think back and remember what it was like before he was there. I feel like he always was there. Yes, we did know each other growing up, but we weren't ever romantically involved then. It wasn't like this movie with 2 kids who saw each other and knew that there was never another human being that we could date. He was the big brother to a friend from school. He, of course, would come flirt with all her friends when they came to play, but they were just that, his sister's friends.

His family later moved away to another state. A few years after that he came back to our church to intern for the summer. It was at that time that I had just ended a bad relationship. I remember walking into church that Sunday morning and swearing off dating. I told God that I had zero interest in dating anyone for a very long time. Oh, how God probably was chuckling at me that morning. I walked into church and into the auditorium. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Service went on as usual, but then he came out and was introduced. I knew who he was, since I remembered him. I also remember looking at him and being reminded how cute he was. Funny how we forget things like that.

The service had ended with prayer that day. Anyone who had wanted it, came up to the front and had someone pray with you. I went up. Some how I was matched up with him! Now you would think that I would have some super spiritual thoughts on my mind at this time. Nope! My thoughts were on my appearance.

I know, I know you don't believe me. Let me fill you in. I am not a morning person. I have never been a morning person. I loved going to church at night. Unfortunately, that didn't fit my mom's ideal time. She woke me up to go with her. I woke up, took a shower, brushed my teeth, grabbed my make-up bag, and ran out the door before she left, which happened in about 15 minutes. I did my make-up while she drove us to church. My hair was sopping wet. I picked it out and threw a head band on. Who was I trying to impress? I told you, I didn't want to date anyone!

So there I was. I was clean. My make-up was done, but my hair! When my hair air dries, it dries into a frizzy mess. I had no frizz eez hair gel on it. My bangs weren't even down. They were pushed back with my head band. For someone who has always had bangs, it is very difficult to go without. All I could feel was the air on my naked forehead. My huge naked forehead. I felt like it was waving and yelling, "I'm free! Look at me! I am deformed and huge! Look! Look!" I felt it waving to whom ever I talked to. Now if you are a male, I apologize. This is what goes through a woman's mind from time to time.

When it became my time to pray, with who I didn't know would be my future husband, I didn't remember what I really wanted to pray about. He asked me, and then I quickly made something up. "Um yeah, I want to become closer to God." I wasn't lying. I really did. I really really did. Thinking back, it probably was close to my original prayer request. I was just taken off guard by those strong manly hands on my shoulders, and those light blue eyes that zapped me of all intelligence.

Who knew? Who knew that a year later, I would be standing up in front of a church again with him? Who knew that we would stand together praying almost exactly 1 year after we met again? That time though, we were praying for God to bless our marriage. And, He has!

I love you dear husband! Happy Anniversary! Love, your random wife!

Oh, just one more post because I like to procrastinate!

2008-07-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

I am suppose to be doing the final touches on my novel of instructions that I am typing up for the babysitter. But I have one more blog to write. It has been on my mind for 24 hours now, and it is itching to escape the entrapment of my mind before it jumps into the sea of forgetfulness that seems to be taking up all my brain power lately.

I went out with a friend the other night. She and I have so much in common. We both grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, just miles from each other and now live in Indiana together. We had never met before coming here. We think a lot alike. Sometimes we just start to laugh, because we have some many similarities. We even share the same name. Get this, I actually worked for her dad's company and we attended the same Christmas party. Yet, we never met! After moving from NY, I was lacking in the friend area. God brought us together here in Indy and I am so excited!

She started to attend our church. While talking together one time, I had mentioned that I am not a normal pastor's wife. She later told my husband that she thought that to be neat. (It was probably more relieving than anything!) I'm not a normal pastor's wife. After trying to live up to the image in one state, I came here and quickly dropped that ball.

Isn't it funny how we make up things in our mind. We here a title of a job or a life style and we paint a picture of what that person is like. We convince ourselves on how they always dress, always keep their house, always talk, always act, and what they probably do with their free time. We put everyone into these stereotypes that we have seen or heard about.

I once read this blog of a woman who was going to marry a rancher. She was an LA city girl, dressing in the latest trend, wearing heals, going to tanning beds, and drinking lots and lots of Starbucks. Then she dated her dashing man who swept her off her feet. When he asked her to marry him, she tried to picture herself as a ranchers wife. Here is what she pictured: "children, I’ll have ten of them, maybe eleven. I’ll have to squat in the garden and give birth while picking my okra. " She pictured herself wearing dish gloves and cutting her hair short, because married women always had short hair.

She did have all her children in a hospital though, she has awesome hair, and it is long and red! And, she only has 4 kids. That's probably why I like her so much! Anyone who has 4 kids has a lot personality. (Here's her story if you'd like to read it! http://thepioneerwoman.com/category/black_heelstractor_wheels)

All this to say, I am not a normal pastor's wife. I don't wear long dresses. I do wear make up, and not too much that it is running off of my face and eye lashes. I don't bring my bible to Walmart. I have high lights and low lights in my hair, in which I get done every 8 to 10 weeks. I watch rated R movies. I do cuss, only once in while. (Sorry mom it's true! Especially when my dear husband pushes the right buttons! It really gets the point across!) I can be loud and opinionated. I don't keep a perfect house. I don't have my little ducklings follow me in a perfect little line through the parking lot. I don't even clean under their finger nails before church. What's the point? They'll be digging in the dirt right after service ends. I definitely don't wake up before dawn. No, darkness in the morning means I need to be sleeping. I let the sun be my alarm. It must be high in the sky before I acknowledge its existence. Even though I know I have a great marriage, it doesn't mean that I can't really be mean to my husband. Sometimes I feel like picking a fight. We get over it very quickly, but I do get mad at him. He just knows, after 9 years of marriage, how to quickly get me to snap out of it. Oh! And I like to ignore my responsibilities and type pointless essays on a blog of mine for an hour, when I should be finishing up my laundry and packing for my trip. That is procrastination at its best folks!

I have neglected my duty to ya'll!

2008-07-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

Did you like that "ya'll"? Some of my dear friends are from down south (say that with a southern tougue). When they type me emails they say ya'll. When they talk to more than one person they say ya'll. We all laugh at them and poke fun. They refuse to give up their southern tongues. It is in their blood. However, I have this little problem that I don't want to tell them.

I began reading these novels that take place in the pioneer days. They are really fun to read, but they are written just like they talked back then. There are words like, "I reckin" or "I'ma fixin' to git to those there thin's". It is interesting to repeat things in my head and figure out what they are saying. I am now on my 4th novel in the series and I am starting to pick up on the language. I had said something to my husband last night and he laughed at me. It seems to me that I am no longer using the "ing" on the end of my words. They all end in 'in' instead. Maybe we are suppose to give up on the midwest and go southwest and build us a ranch? Seeing that I can't ride a horse unless it is guided on a trail and going at a snails pace, I don't think it will happen.

Besides the fact that I try to cram too many hobbies into my jam packed life, I have been really busy getting this here house ready for the sitter. (Translation: I am going out of town with my hubby and I need to put the house back together so the babysitters don't realize the chaos that we really live in.) We are going to a weddin' and my preacher husband (actually in the book they call him a parson) is a goin' to do the hitchin'. And it is goin' to take us 7 hours to git too, but not because we are taking the horse and wagon to the next town over. We are going by car to the next state over.

We will have a child free car ride. We will have a child free trip. We will have a child free hotel room (whoo hooo!). We will sit at the table at the reception and cut our own food and ask for our own drinks. We will dance (ok so I do that dancin' and my hubby does the laughin'! Maybe they'll have a fiddle?). I don't get out much and I don't drink much. So when you put the two together, I am one fun date. Good thing I always go home with the same man.

I promise to get back in the saddle and update ya'll on my life and thinkin's when I git back from that there weddin'. I also promise to talk and write like a normal human being. Ok, me and normal don't go in the same sentence, but you catch my drift. Bye Ya'll!

PS I have never had that many words caught in spell check. It seems that the spell check was made by a northerner!

This is my numero uno child! (as in birth order!)

2008-07-01T07:10:00.001-07:00

I don't know why I haven't written a post about her yet. She is my darling first born. She and I have been through a lot together. Heck, she is lucky to be alive. I mean this because she came upon 2 very young parents who had NO clue on how to raise a baby. When I was in labor with her they told me to push, I yelled, "but I don't know how!" That seems to have been the beginning of many of "I don't know how times!"

She was the perfect first child though. She went with the flow, and usually I was flowin' like like one of those wave pools you see at a water park. You know most of the waves are being pushed to the other end of the pool, but if you are in the deep end they seem to be crashing into each other instead.

She ate well, she started to sleep through the night at 4 weeks old, and she was a very content child. I could put her in her swing and clean or do a load of laundry (this started my journey to mountain making). I would lie her down on the floor and take a shower without worrying if she would get upset. She was always happy. This was the baby that seconds after having the stomach flu, was looking at us smiling. She was that good.

Her one fault though was change. She didn't respond well to us moving out-of-state when she was 4 months of age. She from then on didn't sleep through the night until she was 3 1/2. This was an answer to prayer since I was due with baby number 3 soon after and couldn't deal with waking up with 3 children in one night. (Although, it has happened on numerous occasions.) Her biggest need was me. It turned out that she had major separation anxiety. She wasn't hungry or scared. She needed me. I was "it" in her life.

When we would leave her with a babysitter, she would scream until I would come back. She would do it to her own father too. I worked a few hours a week at a retail store, she would cry the whole time I was gone. The only thing that would make her stop was her favorite Elmo video. My poor husband had watched that 25 minute video about 5 to 6 times in a row to make her happy. He still to this day refuses to stay in the room if it is on for one of little ones.

This kid cracks me up. When she about 2 or 3, I would go through the routine of putting her to bed. She would then, every night start asking, "Mommy, are you leaving?"
"No" I replied as I chuckled. She would ask this every night, as if I leave her when she falls asleep to go bar hopping or out with friends. I hardly ever left her. The only time I was gone at bedtime was when I would go out with my dear husband, and that was only once a month to every other month.

When she was a little bit older she wouldn't scream while I was gone. Part of this is because we had grandma to watch her, and part of this is because she finally understood that I would be back. One night we got home from a date at about 11:30pm. Grandma had put all the kids to bed and was waiting in the rocking chair for us to come home. She went over the night with us, and told how all the kids went down. She mentioned that Princess had a little trouble falling asleep, and kept asking when I would be home. Then my dear mother-in-law said, "I think she is asleep now. I haven't heard her in a while."

Then to my shock, with it being almost 3 hours past her bedtime, I hear, "No, I'm not sleeping! I need a kiss and hug!"

She had waited up for me to get home that night, because she needed me there. Now some parents might say that she needed to be socialized, or she needed to learn that it was ok to be away from me. I am sure that some arguments might sound reasonable on this, but this is a case of a daughter who loves her mommy. I have been given the opportunity to have this little girl look up at me and love me. She has put her full trust in me. Her day is complete because I am there to kiss her good morning and then kiss her good night. I could look at her and say, "Cut the cord kid!" or I could say "I love you too!". With all the unconditional love that this little one gives me, how could I say anything else but I love you!

Are you listening?

2008-06-30T06:31:00.001-07:00

Oh, I am listening. I am listening too much. Is that possible? Did you know that people listen to you? Everyone, even though they might not admit it, is listening and watching someone throughout the day. They are and you are! Analyze yourself. I dare you. When you go out today or tomorrow see who you watch. When you talk to someone, see which part of the conversation you are pondering. Sometimes we ponder and pick up unhealthy things. Sometimes we have attitudes that we want to deal with, that we need to deal with. Then we see someone else with that same attitude and say, "Well they do it!". I do this same thing and then get mad at my kids when they do something that their sibling does.

This same process can happen for the good. Although it may disturb your way of thinking, you might ponder something that you know would be good for you. For instance, when you see or hear something about your health. You may process everything you eat and what's in those things. You may for a while, or a day, or a week, and if you are really good a month, go and change some of your eating habits. This is good for you. You may keep up with it.

Last week someone had shared something they were reading. It applied to her currant situation and she was sharing how it corrected the way she was thinking. She read how an understanding wife is from God. She wasn't trying to be mean to her husband. She is not a person who comes off with a bad attitude or a nagging personality. She simply wanted her husband to be around more. She had read that sentence and it changed her attitude. She thought about being understanding when he couldn't be there and wanted to. She understood that he after 9 years still can't put things away and clean up after himself. It wasn't something that would make her love him less. She chose to love him more by being understanding.

Well, she shared this with me. Now I have told all of you that I adore my husband. He isn't perfect, but he is the perfect match for me. He had a horrible week last week. He had worked late almost everyday. I was getting pretty weary by Thursday. He had told me that he was going to have all of Friday off since he had worked all week, day and night. No problem. I can make it until then.

Friday came. He wasn't home. He got calls from 3 different avenues, and each needed him. I smiled and said, "It's fine. No problem." I was definitely having a problem, but he didn't need me to tell him that. I am sure he already knew. The day flew by and I didn't see my husband until about 9:30pm. I was exhausted. I had grocery shopped with all 4 kids and my mood was being tested. I was walking on the edge of a cliff, and if I wasn't careful, I would have loved to have jumped.

Then this wonderful email popped into my head. An email saying how one little sentence had straightened my friends thinking out. She didn't write it to me to rub it in. She didn't even know what my week was like or how I was alone for 99% of it. She was simply sharing something cool that had happened to her heart that day. Well isn't God's timing funny? I got that email, and was reminded of it throughout my day. I called my friend.

"Woman!" I said. "What the heck is the matter with you? Why in the world would you share something like that? I wanted to drown in my self pity and be mad and maybe make those around me crawl up to me and bow down or something. Now, I feel like blessing them instead and letting the whole week slide like it doesn't matter. Why? Why? Why did you have to send that to me this week?"

She laughed at me, just like all my good friends do. They laugh at me. They do it because they realize that I need to vent and puke up all that is with in me. They know that I choose to laugh at myself instead of get mad at myself. So they laugh at me! Thank you dear friend for sharing your life change. It has inspired me. It inspired me to think on a better level and to just laugh some more.

So here's my challenge. Find something good to look at, to ponder. Learn to adopt it. Maybe it is something little. It doesn't matter. Little things can add up to something big! Oh, and for goodness sakes, laugh at yourself! It is more fun than yelling. I promise. Would I stear you wrong?

Drama, Drama, Drama!

2008-06-26T10:40:00.001-07:00

I don't live a dramatic life. At least, not with in the definition that the media and Hollywood give. I am a happily married woman. I am married to the only man that I will every be married to. He is my other half and I don't wish to be with another man ever. We have a great marriage and relationship. It has come with a lot of work, and even though it probably would rate in the hardest thing I have ever worked on list, it is worth every moment of it. I am surrounded by drama though. It all started with my first born daughter and now with this little bundle. Can't you just see the look on her face? I will tell you exactly what these eyes are saying.

"Look MOM! I am almost 3! I can totally handle this. I don't need you to be any closer than you are! I can do it MYSELF!" Actually some of this was not only said with her eyes, but with her mouth too.

Now, not even 5 minutes into our adventure walk up a creek last week, I had turned around to make sure that our dog hadn't taken off running. With in that 15 seconds, our baby took a couple more steps and lost her footing and went head first into the creek. Of course at the age of 2 1/2 she doesn't know how to swim, so she was head down and breathing in water. Now I would like to point out that she wasn't in any danger. Yes, she snorted up some water, and yes, have we had left her for a few minutes she would have been in trouble, but she is totally fine. No scars, no bruises, just the same wild 2 year old that we always had. I wrote this to show her mood swing after the incident. After the initial confident girl I have pictured above, we got these pictures below.

Her independent creek walking days were over! She would barely let her toes touch the water after that. And instead of the happy go lucky pictures I was hoping for, I got this wonderful look! The eyes are now telling me, "Would you put that stupid camera away and come hold me, NOW!" She was holding a grudge at everyone and everything after that. She was mad at me for taking pictures, mad at daddy for picking her up instead of mommy, and mad at the dumb water for tipping her over. Poor girl. Life is so dramatic!

I can be serious too!

2008-06-24T10:35:00.000-07:00

This is my 3rd born, Spiderman. Aren't his cheeks delicious? He has had these things since he was a baby. I can't even begin to count how many times I have gnawed on, or kissed, or blown raspberries on those babies. As I previously said on his brother's post, he is my little analyzer. We call him little professor sometimes, because he studies everything. He was our surprise. After having our perfect little girl and our boisterous boy, we thought we were done having kids. (Ok, dear husband was more done that I was. And, when asked, he will tell you stories of how I made this one happen. We both know that he (Spiderman) was God' plan now.) Anyways, he came with some bumps in the road.

After nursing this little one for 8 months, we discovered that he had food allergies. He was allergic to dairy, eggs, and peanuts. Along with all of this, he suffered from chronic ear infections starting at age 9 months, and had to have tubes put into his ears. He also has asthma. This little guy has been through a lot. He isn't dying from some terminal disease, but everything is tailored around his menu.

I would just like to take a brief moment to point out that all of this is not coming from a hypochondriac of a mother that tries to shelter her child from everything, and overly babies her son. I am not a germaphobic person. I don't disinfect my kitchen counters and table before and after every meal. I don't believe in every syndrome that the world has made up. I think we can make excuses for everything. We found out about the food allergy thing when he started to get hives from head to toe, projectile vomited multiple times, his toungue swelled, his eyes swelled, and he couldn't stop sneezing. All of this from one piece of cereal taken from my husband milk filled bowl. Something was seriously wrong with this kiddo.

We have taken it all in strides though. I relearned how to cook for the family. I have found recipes that everyone likes and we eat them over and over again. We have found a couple fast food places that have things he can eat. All is well. Sort of.

Last week our other son was on his way to the doctor for a misfortunate happening with a bush (read the last post). On this same morning, Spiderman woke up with a blood curdling scream at 6:30 in the morning. I am not a morning person, so when my child began screaming at 6:30am I became panicked as if he had done it in the middle of the night. He was hysterical. I couldn't calm him down. All he could say was my head, my head hurts. I could tell by the cry that this was some serious pain he was having. My husband ran in and helped me get him from the top bunk and take him to our bed, because mommies bed has healing powers. Usually.

He layed their in pain all day. I had given him everything in my arsenal. He had Tylenol and Motrin together every 5 hours. Nothing would dull the pain. He had no movement of his neck. He wouldn't sit up. He wouldn't turn to look at me. He was in trouble. We were already going the doctor that afternoon for his brother and sister, so we just picked him up and brought him along. My dear husband came home early to help me with him. He picked Spiderman up and brought him to the car. The poor little guy screamed from the pain the whole time. He cried the whole time at the doctor. Anytime I would shift in my seat or try to turn him around to get him more comfortable, he would cry.

The doctor saw all of them. First, he looked at Spiderman. He instantly became very worried. This came on so suddenly and he was in so much pain that he knew something could be very wrong. After looking him over he decided to wait a few minutes and decide what to do. He went over and diagnosed the other 2 kids with poison ivy and wrote out the prescriptions for that. Then he went back to Spiderman. After trying to get him to nod his head or look around again, he decided the best idea was to go to the children's hospital ER. He was very concerned that Spiderman had spinal meningitis or an abscess in his neck.

Our friends happen to call dear husband while I was in with the kids. He had decided to stay out in the car and sit with our littlest one who happened to be napping in her car seat. I had been calling him and keeping him posted on what the doctor's thoughts were. When our friends called we had just found out that we needed to go the ER. They were happy to meet us at home to take care of the other 3 kids, and off we went.

You know things aren't good when your doctor calls ahead to the hospital and they are expecting you. Then they whisk you right back to the room and have your baby lying on a table and having a cat scan done within 15 minutes of arriving there. I tell you what, you want horrible thoughts of "what if this" or "what if they find that?" going through your mind, then watch your son get a cat scan. It will increase your prayer life. I promise.

They then had him go to get some X-rays. This was the part that made me chuckle. There were two guys in there early, early 20's that were the tech's. They came in all cheary and asked Spiderman to pose for the x-rays. He was doing great. Then they needed a picture of a bone that could only be seen if your head is completely back. You have to be looking straight up at the ceiling for at least 10 seconds, without moving in order to get this picture. The whole problem is that my son couldn't move his head without extreme pain.

Now let me tell you a little about Spiderman. He is STUBBORN! Even when in the best of moods, which he wasn't even close to, it is hard to get him to do things that he doesn't want to do. This very young x-ray tech was clearly a bachelor, clearly one who didn't have kids, and was out of his league when it came to my son. He tried and tried to get him to cooperate. It wasn't going to happen. My husband and I smirked at each other, because we knew it was going to take a miracle to get this to happen.

Finally, it had occurred to me that they didn't offer him a sticker or toy. I knew from past x-rays that our family has had, that they are stocked back there. I kindly said, "Maybe they would have a Spiderman sticker for you if you move your head for them." The light turned on for the tech and he offered a treasure box with toys. This worked. He got him to move his head.

After that the ER doctor came in checked him out. He wasn't too impressed with Spiderman's symptoms either. He left to find out what the tests said, because the next step in the plan of action was a spinal tap. This is a very painful procedure that us done to get a sample of spinal fluid and test it for spinal meningitis. I was more scared of this test than the actual problem.

About an hour later the doctor came back in, and something started to happen. Spiderman started to snap out of it. He started to talk to us. He started to move around and wiggle on the little hospital bed. He moved his head. The doctor noticed too. He left us for another period of time and then came back to check to see if he was still getting better. He was. The doc left it up to us if we wanted to do the spinal tap or not. He thought that he was getting better and didn't think it was 100% necessary. We agreed.

We still don't know what caused the pain. He still has it to some degree. All the tests came back negative. We are keeping him in prayer. He is and always has been in God's hands. As one wise doctor said to us last year, "I put them back together, and God heals them."

Something to think about. During our time at the ER, my father-in-law was at his church softball league starting a game. He knew everything going on and had asked all the guys to pray. About 20 guys got together to pray for our little guy. It was at that same time when Spiderman started to feel better. I don't know what God did that day. I don't know if something really serious was happening or not. I do know that at one point of my day, I was in tears for my son. We were crying together, him for his pain, and me for him. I choose to believe that God had intervened for my son.

The Naked Truth!

2008-06-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

This is my first born son. On this blog of mine, we call him Batman. It is a real honor to him that this name has been given. He was the one who first suggested that it should be used. I had to accept his suggestion. Who could refuse those blue eyes? His father first wooed me in with them, now he has inherited the same ones. I'm toast! Previous to having this jewel of mine, I had his big sister. Man alive! I should have realized how easy it was with her! We sat and played dress up, make up, and baby dolls. She would sit and look at books over and over again. She napped well and slept in until 10am sometimes. We were great together!

Well life changed when this little guy came barrelling into existence. I say barrelling because I find it no coincidence that this ones labor was only an hour and a half long. I could have had this child in the car if we lived any farther away. He was born at the same rate he takes life now. This kid sees something and then does it. No thinking it through, no processing the information. He hits life at 150% at all times. I see him as a race horse ready for the race. He is excited, bucking and jumping at the starting line, and then bam! the race is started and he finds more energy than you would ever expect to find in such a little package. His brother is the total opposite. He is more like a golfer. He looks, analyzes, stares, thinks over the direction he should take, and then does it. Not Batman, he sees what he wants and goes for it.

Well last week was one of those times he shouldn't have gone for it! He is a boy, as you have been told, and well boys in our family have picked up this motto. It has been passed down from generation to generation and now has been picked up by my boy. The motto is, "The world is my urinal!" I am serious. My father-in-law says it, my husband proclaims it, and now my boy practices it too. (I am really sorry. Yes, I really must apologize again. I'm sorry that this is not sounding good, but you wouldn't get the whole story if I didn't tell you the naked truth about how this personality and this motto have issues when put together in one body.)

So my bucking bronco of a son has issues with coming inside and using the bathroom while he is out playing. He has no patience for such a thing. It is a huge waste of time when there is a perfectly good bush that needs to be watered. Luckily we don't have neighbors in the back of us, so I don't get too upset when it happens. Well, he decided to save time and relieve himself the other day; however, it was in front of poison ivy! I won't give you details. You can use your imagination. (A friend of mine said that the bush was getting back at him!)

The poor guy was miserable. We had to go to the doctor and get some medicine. This should have been easy. I thought they would give us some super duper anti-itch cream that would miraculously make him better. Nope! They gave him a 10 day round of steroids. Steroids, as a side effect, make you hyper. So, what already had the energy of a race horse, now has the energy of a race horse on steroids. Isn't there a law against that?

Where have I been?

2008-06-22T19:25:00.001-07:00

Well I have stories to tell my friends! I will update you on our week from.....well it wasn't fun. But, it ended well! I will keep you posted!!!! Blah HA HA....keep you posted...you know because I post my blog? Sorry, did I mention that I have been sleep deprived for the past 8 years?

My Grocery Bill!!!!

2008-06-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well in order to keep you all from fainting, I won't tell you the exact number of what I spend just about every 10 days. It is going up and up and keeps doing it. Inflation has a big blame of course, but the growth of my kids is also a big hit.

As earlier posted, I like to copy things that my sister-in-law does. She has found a way to get the grocery bill down by about 40 dollars a trip. I am always willing to follow a money saving tip so I dove into a new world last month! I am a CVSer!
"A what?" you say.
I'm a CVSer.....aka I now shop at CVS. It is a drug store like Walgreens.

I thought these places were glorified convenience stores that gave you prescriptions quickly without having the 20 minute hastle of finding a parking spot, getting into the huge store, waiting in a huge line, and then waiting an hour and spending $100 dollars on who-knows-what at Super-Walmart. But! I was wrong. CVS, my now 4th stop on grocery day, is my new haven. Just look at what I bought:

These are all normal everyday things. I have to buy some of these things weekly. I at all times have these things in my house and sometimes I have back-ups of these items. What is not normal is what I just spent on these items. I will list these out for you and then tally up what you think I spent today.

Charmin double roll toilet paper rolls 12count x 4 packages

ALL laundry detergent 32loads x 2 bottles

2 toothbrushes

1 can of OFF bug spray

2 cans of Lysol disinfectant wipes (can't have enough of these with the dirt bags!)

Size 6 Pampers mega pack (that's 40 diapers, which doesn't sound like a lot, but this is the biggest sized diaper. The package sizes get smaller when the size gets bigger.)

2 tubes of Colgate Toothpaste

Huggies refill wipes 232 count

Carmel Nips (these weren't on sale, but hubby is addicted and I can only find them here)

I buddy soap bar

Well originally my total was $79.12. I was gasping for air. This didn't include my other 3 stops I had to make in order for us to eat this week! My husband would have made me sleep outside. But here is why I shop here! My total out of pocket expense was: (drum roll please............)

$44. 67!!!!!!!!!!

I had $9 dollars in coupons and then these wonderful things called Extra Care Bucks (ECB's) came in and saved the day. If you want to learn more about this, then here is a website that helps explain it all. www.iheartcvs.com

To give you a small idea of how this happened I will tell you this. I got the $6.99 toothbrushes for free. I got paid $0.50 (yes paid!) to buy the Colgate toothpastes. I paid only $4.49 for $9 worth of laundry detergent. I also paid $3.50 each for the packages of 12 double rolls of Charmin toilet paper. (I never buy Charmin. We are now getting the royal treatment in the bathroom!) And, I just got diapers for about half price, and they are Pampers, which I quit buying years ago due to prices! Now I have to find a place to store all this!

Thank you CVS for paying me to shop there. And, thank you for putting up with my 4 children running around in your small store, while doing it!

I'm a thumb sucking wimp! Part Deux

2008-06-18T05:12:00.000-07:00

Well I am still a thumb sucking wimp. I am getting better. I still can't sleep while a storm is present, but I can stop from hyperventilating. On Father's Day, we had this storm come through our town. Now let's point out the happenings just 15 minutes before this freakish thing took over. We had blue skies all around! It was a beautiful 83 degrees. It was the perfect grilling day. We spent our savings on buying steaks for Father's Day. I made strawberry pies for dessert. The day was going perfect. THEN!!!!!!!
This thing reared its ugly face. It came so suddenly it almost wasn't real. Our neighbors had a barbecue with 20 people. They all stood in the front yard with us like we were watching an alien space ship landing. Remember that scene in the movie "Independence Day" where the whole world stood on there front lawns watching the space ship silently move over their heads. This was no different. This storm was cackling at me saying, "tornadoes, tornadoes, tornadoes!" Let's point out here that my kids are happily riding their bikes and drawing on the sidewalk with chalk, and we still had our steaks on the grill. And! after paying out our bank account for them, NO tornado was going to rob us of enjoying them!
Can't you just see the funnel cloud trying to form?

So for all who don't believe me when I say that this is a scary place to live, just look at these pictures. You go from blue skies to the storm that I am going to call "The Nothing".
Name that movie! I promise I did not touch up any of these pictures. Disney Pixar did not come over and color nasty looking clouds over our neighborhood. These are the real deal! We did eat our steaks and watch the storm, from the comfort of my inside dining room!

(If you missed Part 1 of this story click here: http://ordinarilyrandomme.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html)

When we go out to eat

2008-06-18T04:45:00.000-07:00

When we have family time, their are so many options of things to do. Sometimes the kids just like to wrestle daddy and get reminded that he is the almighty hulk of the house (and hunk too ;)), and sometimes they like to show off their princess and knight gear and put on a show for us. If there are no tornadoes, we go to the local pond and fish or just walk around it and throw a million acorns into it. One of our favorite things to do is get out of the house.

We are the "get up and go" type of people. If we have a whole day to just "be" with each other, we usually go somewhere. A lot of times we end up at the mall. We usually go there hungry, so the first thing we do is eat. Now I am not a short order cook. I cook, they eat. Eating at the mall though, is quite the process for us. It actually begins before we even get there. We have to stop at the fast food place across the street from the mall. Spiderman has food allergies and that is the only safe place for him to eat. We get his meal and usually baby princess's meal, because chicken nuggets is one of the cleanest meals for her to eat.

We then head right for a table after making it through the grand central parking lot with all four kids, and hopefully not spilling any of the pop that they are helping us hold. Next, we go for Princess and Batman's food, which is always cheese pizza. Since Spiderman is allergic to dairy products, we rarely go out for pizza. When pizza is an option, the older 2 always order it. After all the kids are happily eating, dearest hubby then goes to the sub sandwich place to order ours. I always make him go, because 1) they don't speak very much English, and 2) he has double the ingredients on his sandwich and I always forget what he wants, not to mention trying to translate it all!

After about 10 minutes, we are all together eating our sandwiches. We are usually getting smiles and looks from strangers. It is not everyday that you see a family with 4 kids eating out. I think it is normal. It's not like we have 6 or 7 kids. By the time husband and I are half way done eating our sandwiches the kids are running circles around our table asking to go play at the play center. We tell them, " in a second" and scarf down the rest of our food and load up on our caffeinated drinks. They then go and play for an hour and come out with sweat filled bodies.

It is fun. Dear husband and I get to talk to each other the whole time and the kids get to see and play with other kids. Since we home school, this is kind of their playground. It is one of our favorite family outings.

I can move mountains!

2008-06-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

I can! And I did! I have a family with 6 people. As you saw in the previous post, they are dirt bags! Major dirt bags. Dirty, filthy, and stinky dirt bags. Unfortunately for me, this means laundry. Lots and lots and lots of laundry.

Before the era of front loader washing machines, I would do about 20 to 25 loads a week. Now this is also the time of spitting up babies, and diaper explosions times multiple children, and a toddler who went through an out fit or 2 or 3 a day. This was a messy season of life for me. I don't know how I lived through it without my dear friends, my front loader washing machine and dryer.

My dear husband bought them for me when our 3 year old top loading washing machine went on strike for the second time in 6 months. It was scary. It was making such loud sounds that I thought it was going to come after me for making it work so hard those 3 years. I would look at her with compassion as if saying, "I know dear! It will only be a few more years and then things won't be so crazy around here. It'll get better, I promise." We would have counseling sessions, she and I. We were both feeling a little overwhelmed. It was nice to have the companionship since we were both learning to live with a husband and 4 children to take of and clean up after. But then she quit on me! She gave up on our adventure together! Maybe if dear husband and I were 2 retired folk without children, she would have lasted longer. Oh, well I am not bitter.
I upgraded!

With 4 dirt bag children, I walked into my appliance store and without guilt pointed to my dream machine and said, "I need you! Will you come live with me?". (Ok, so I begged a little!) My husband being the good man that he is, recognized my desperation and bought them for me! He didn't grumble at the price or size. He even looked around the store and found a more expensive one that could have worked, but I was in love. I knew I had found my match made in heaven!

Now comes the true miracle. Last week I ran out of fabric softener. We are totally addicted to the stuff. Now, I know that I grew up without it. I know that clothing is perfectly clean without it, BUT we are like TOTALLY addicted to it. (sorry for the "like totally" I am blonde you know!) If we don't smell Downy, it's not clean. I could probably get away with not using laundry detergent if the load smelled like downy! I won' t try it though. Remember, dirt bags. Sorry back to the story. I went 5 days without doing laundry. 5 days!!!! Some of you are probably saying things like, "So?" "What's the big deal?". I'll tell you the big deal. 5 days of not doing laundry, is something in biblical terms like... creation of mountains. I wanted to cry at the mountains (notice the "s", not just one mountain, but mountains) of dirty material I had to wash. We had no towels, we were scarce in the under clothing department, and nothing was matching because it's mate was dirty.

Some of you might ask why I didn't just go to the store and buy the stuff. Well good question! I am a hermit. No, really I can be. The sound of loading all 4 kids up and going to Walmart just for 2 things is not thrilling to me. It takes a miracle, or us being out of something like toilet paper, for me to go to Walmart, unless on grocery day.

So yesterday it was finally grocery day! Yeah! We reloaded on our laundry products, and I had coupons too! I started doing laundry yesterday evening and I am going to finish in about an hour! I love my front loader machines. What should have been 12 loads of dirty, stinky laundry became 6. See, I moved mountains!

Just for your info: I now do 8 to 10 loads of laundry a week instead of the breathtaking 20 to 25. Thank you again dear hubby for my machines, and thank you God for giving him the money to pay for them! Amen!

My favorite laundry quote for all who have a family to clean up after: A load a day, keeps chaos away! It's from my favorite cleaning site: http://www.flylady.net/ She is amazing. She also says to sit in front of your dryer to fold your laundry. You are more likely to put it away then! She's a genius I tell you!

Dirt Bags!

2008-06-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah! I said it. I'll say it again...dirt bags! That's what they are! What you don't believe me? Just take a look......

This is what my dear little noodle tried to bring into my house. Let's note here that 4 days ago I washed my kitchen floor. Apparently, they thought that it needed to be dirtied up a bit!

This is Spiderman's back side after playing outside in the backyard. Another note: he also changed once during this muddy day. He tried to hop over the river of mud in our ditch, but he ended up landing in it instead. This was life altering for my cleanest kid. This is the child who screams bloody murder when he drops a pea sized drop of yogurt on the table. Let's just say that he needed his inhaler after the mud bath experience he just had!

Oh, Princess! This girl belongs in Phoenix, Arizona! She tries to where sandals in January. Then she tries to go bare footed in the summer. I will never have white carpet. It is banned from this household. Even brown is seeming to be too light of a color!

To my shock and awe, Batman didn't have a speck of dirt on him. But, but, but! He was dripping with perspiration and had a big glob of syrup in his hair from his picnic dinner. Let's just say that they all had long baths and showers. We didn't want their Sunday school teachers to see the true side of them!

So dirt bag is a fitting definition, isn't it? They are dirty. They just aren't falling under the usual definition of dirt bag.

It's never enough!

2008-06-14T04:13:00.000-07:00

I love my kids. Now that they are older, we have been going out and doing things. Right now we have a zoo pass. They love going to the zoo, and with a pass we get to see as much or as little as we want in our visits. Some days when it is raining (like every other day right now) we just do the inside things. When it is nice outside and the crowds are down, we go all around and see almost every exhibit.

On Thursday, we did the all around thing. It miraculously wasn't raining, but it was HOT. It got above 90 degrees. Let me tell you, when it is 90 and sunny and you are walking on black top the entire day, you get very tired. We did almost all of the zoo, though. I was quite surprised how much area we covered. After walking for 5 hours straight in the sweltering heat, we were finally on our way home in my cool air conditioned truck. 3 out of 4 kiddos were sound asleep when Princess chimed in, "Mom!"

"Yes, honey"

"When we get home, can we go for a walk?" She innocently asked.

"No" I was sure that I was hearing things by then. She shouldn't even be awake back there.

"Why not?" In her "it's not fair" tone of voice.

"Because I am really tired and I am having trouble staying awake to safely drive you home." I was only being honest! What I wanted to say is, "Hello!!!! We just took a 5 hour walk through an animal filled furnace of a zoo!" But I decided to not get nippy.

"Well, I'm bored and I'm going to be bored when I get home!"

Ah, the life of a child growing up in the 21st century. These poor children. How deprived they are!

She finally called!

2008-06-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Just to clear things up. My mom finally called me for my birthday. It was a day late because she was in the middle of Utah, and her cell phone didn't work there. I forgive you mom! I just miss you and waited to hear your voice all day! I love you! And I totally understand.

Mom! You forgot my birthday!

2008-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so she calls me her favorite daughter. She comes to visit me all the time. She usually calls every other day or so. But, she forgot to call me on my birthday. No call, no card.

You gave birth to me 28 years ago. Did you forget about me? It's ok, I forgive you, because I hardly ever send out cards to anyone. But, I do call on birthdays! Are you lost in some canyon hiking somewhere? Are you stuck on a cliff and need to be rescued? Did your helicopter crash? Mom, where are you?

Someones junk drawer junk is my new treasure!

2008-06-10T18:32:00.000-07:00

I have a new treasure! It is something that I used to look at as a waste of money. I would look at people who owned them and thought, "What is the matter with them? Do they know how much money those things are? How many groceries could I buy with what they spent on one of those?" Yes, I was judging, but it was for the betterment of man kind. (Is betterment a word? It is now!)

You are all probably wondering what the heck I am talking about. Me too! No, not really. I am talking about my way cool MP3 player. I swore to all that were living in this world that I would never, ever, ever, ever buy one. Me and my Sony disc man were all I needed when it came to portable music. Besides I haven't used the disc man in like, years. I have a really cool sound system in my truck that the kids and I can jam to. And let me tell you, the sound is kickin'! Everybody knows when we pull up!

Ok, back to my way cool hand me down. I had lightly mentioned to my mom one day, that I wanted an I Pod or an MP3 player for my birthday. (I will never really know the difference!) She looked at me strangely and asked, "Didn't I already give you mine?"

"No" I replied. I do get forgetful, but I would remember this one.

When she flew home from our homestead she looked in her junk drawer and found it. I was so excited. She mailed it to me that next day. 3 weeks later I finally got the guts to try to download a few songs. You have to understand. I am computer disabled. For me to try this was shocking. After 2 hours of messing around with my computer (it was the computer's fault not mine, REALLY!) I down loaded my first 16 songs.

It has transformed my house cleaning and my workout. I went from 15 to 20 minutes of a grueling session on my elliptical machine to 30. I was be bopping and singing. If my kids could have video taped me, I would have died, and then come back to life and killed them. No, not really. But, I am sure that I was a sight to be seen!

So congratulations to me! I am one step closer to the technological side of the world. Or not! I still couldn't figure out how to separate the songs and make files and stuff. There is still hope or bribery of my computer nerd, birthday sharing pal who has to come over and show us how to log on sometimes!

I don't like to brag, but......

2008-06-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday! It's my birthday! It's my birthday! Yes, I am a proud 28. I saw a model on TV that said that she was 28. I felt better about my self after I saw that, not that I compare myself to being a model. I will post later. My kids want to bake a cake for me and I think I need to chaperon that one! Later, gators!

Just what went on while I wasn't home?

2008-06-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well I did have a great time while I was gone. I am up-to-date in '08 for my family scrap book. 20 spreads later I came home. I did call while I was gone, because I needed to. One of the times that I did call I got an exasperated husband asking, "Where have you been? Did you turn your phone off?".

"No, I didn't turn off my cell phone. It doesn't have good reception in the room that we are in, and doesn't always work in here." I said.

"Yeah, well I called and left you a message that we had an emergency!" He exclaimed!

"What!" My heart sank at the thought. Spiderman has food allergies and I thought something happened to him. Or, maybe Batman jumped off of something again and broke his other arm. Or, maybe one of my princess's were bleeding!

"It's fine now" he said. "Baby girl had an extreme diaper issue up to her hair."

"Oh!" was what I said. What I was thinking was "and the emergency is......?", but I was trying to remember that my dear husband doesn't do dirty diapers unless I am out of the picture. Even if I am at the store for a few minutes, he might be tempted to wait until I get home. He will bathe them, but changing them is a different territory.

"So what did you do?" I asked.

"Well, it happened in the car. The car seat got it, her clothes got it, and her hair got it. What should I do?"

"Just take the car seat out and I will deal with it when I get home. Princess can give up her booster seat. She is big enough to go without one, and everyone else can switch accordingly. What did you do with the clothes?"

"I bagged them up and threw them in the garage for when you get home."

You have to know that my dear husband never has to do laundry. I do all of it since I am home, so he hasn't a clue how to turn on my front loader washing machines. He did, however, clean the car seat with some carpet cleaner!

"And what about Baby girl?" I curiously asked.

"Well, (chuckle, never a good sign) I cleaned her up with the baby wipes."

"And her hair?"

"I cleaned that up with the baby wipes too."

"You didn't just give her a bath?" This was a question and a statement.

"Well no." He said. "I cleaned her up as best as I could with the baby wipes and then I sprayed her with Freebreeze."

"You WHAT!" I couldn't believe it. Not for a second. He says things like this to raz me from time to time. I thought this was one of those times.

"Yes I did!"

"Why! Why didn't you just give her a bath? You have to take her to church tomorrow. Give her a bath."

He had no answer to this. I decided to laugh. I laughed until I cried. Then I went in to our scrapbook room and told my friends until they laughed and cried. He ended up not giving her a bath. She survived.

He did, in the end, do a great job this weekend. He made a schedule of fun filled events for the kids, including fishing, eating out, movies with popcorn, and going to the mall and park. He consoled them during another round of tornado filled storms. He was able to get them to bed and church, on time. The house was fairly picked up. The dishes must have been done at least a couple times. I only had 10 minutes worth left in the sink when I got home.

Good Job honey! I am proud of all that you did. Thank you for giving me my scrapbooking time. I was happy to know that the kids were in good hands! I love you!
Love, Mother Duck

Home Sweet Home!

2008-06-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

I am back! Did you know that I was gone? My dear friends decided that after staying at home with my kids for the past 8 years that it was time for me to have a break. Their eyes just about popped out of their heads when I told them that I had never been away from all my kids in 8 years unless I was at the hospital having another one.

Two months ago they had invited me to a scrapbooking weekend away. I had declined at first, because of 2 very valid reasons (well really one was valid and one seemed valid at the time). One reason was that it was a little too pricey for frugal me to spend, especially during this season of life that we are in.

The other reason was that I didn't like the idea of leaving my husband alone with all 4 kids by himself for the whole weekend. Don't get me wrong, he is a highly capable father. He just works a lot, being self employed, and well let's just say this politely. I take care of the home. I am the mother duck. I say, they do. I like this authority. I like making sure everyone is fed, clothed, bathed (this story coming next), and loved. I am not sorry to say that "IT IS MY JOB!!!! AND I LIKE IT". All this to say that my dear friends saw that I needed some persuasion. They got together and paid for me to go with them. That was the easy part. The tough part was convincing my dear husband that I was going to be gone for almost 3 days. He, in the end, knew that I needed to go. So I went!

Some of you might be saying things like, you poor thing, or you really need a break. I did REALLY enjoy myself, and I will be going again next year. I just wanted to give some clarity here. I find that a lot of stay-at-home moms are unhappy with their roles. I am not going to judge anyone on their decision to stay at home or not. It isn't my business. I can just tell you how I look at my own family and hope that someone might gain from what I have already been through.

When I had my first born, I used to think if I could make it 5 years with her, I would be ok. In five years, she would be in school and life could begin again. I could then go back and pick up my life long long dream of medical school. Then child number 2 came. So that isn't so bad. It only added 2 more years at home alone with the kids. I could make it right? Then #3 came and eventually #4. If I had put all my kids in public school, I would be at home with kids for 10 years at least, not including summer breaks. This seemed daunting to me.

I had all these babies and then forgot to find a way to enjoy them outside of cuddling and loving them. My attitude sucked (Sorry mom, for 18 years I waited to say this word, and I no longer feel guilty about it!). I saw a glimpse of my day, and it was sad and scary at the same time. I saw that from 8am to 8pm I was trying to find things for them to do to stay busy. I wanted them to be out of the way, so I could get MY things done. I felt like a broom, sweeping them in their directions if they ever came around, when "I" had so much work to do or "I" had someone to talk to on the phone. I found that my priority was "me" and not "them". I knew that change had to come. I chose this job. I chose to be married to my loving man, and have his children. I chose to stay home and raise them to the best of my ability. I chose to have 4 of them. I could choose to raise them like the gifts they are, or I could choose to barely make it through my day with them. I then decided it was time to "walk on water" with my job and stop trying to "doggy paddle" through this God given role. These kiddos can be raised to change the world, and I have the power to give them wings or smother them with my bad attitude.

But how? I still have to find answers to this all the time. One thing that is so easy is reading to them. This is one of those things that seems too easy. It seems like the short line at the store that your afraid won't be short at all. We make a big deal out of this time. They spread a blanket out on the floor and place pillows all over it. Sometimes I pick a book and sometimes they do. I made sure with birthdays and holidays that we received books that we enjoy. I can't tell you how many times I have read Dr Seuss books in this house. They never get old, even when you're about to turn 28.

One of my best suggestions for this is the book, "Honey for a Child's Heart" by Gladys Hunt. It is a great list of books that are classics and every child would love to hear. I bring it to the library every time we go. Gladys also has this great quote that helped curve my attitude some more, "Give them milk and honey!" Milk symbolizes the physical needs: feeding, bathing, sleeping. Honey symbolizes the sweetness of life, that special quality that makes life sing with enjoyment for all it holds.

There are many options for enjoying your family more. The more you plan to do things that more you will reap the benefits. Go the park, have a picnic, read to them. If you think there isn't enough time to get it all done and play, ask your kids to help. They are much more willing to help you, when there is something to look forward to.

Don't get me wrong here. I am far, far from perfecting this. I still get really busy doing things. This house is always dirty in my eyes. Bathrooms need cleaning, laundry never ends, dusting, mopping, and picking up clutter is always happening. All of this takes up days and days of my life. I am learning that I can still make time for my kids, because they are my priority. I just have to get really creative to do it all.

Ok I am done with my ranting now. This turned into something that I didn't expect and if I don't push "publish post" now I won't do it!

Little Critters Home School

2008-06-05T05:15:00.000-07:00

Here at our home school, academic excellence is top priority. We believe in raising the bar for kids to reach. This student, for example, is doing 2nd grade work already. She is new to our school, but has determination to do whatever is before her. Her elementary school teacher mom is very proud!
Let's show her true colors! The truth is that "Little Critter" as I call her, is doing Princess's school work. I don't know what the going rate for having an 18 month old do your homework is, but I am sure it was food of some sort. Notice the perfect finger position on her pencil. Any teacher would be proud.

*Just for your information: I didn't spontaneously have another child, even though its happened before. This one I look after a few times a week. She is cute enough to be one of mine, but come on people! How many kids do I need to have? I adore my 4, and I need no more! (I chant that anytime I get the twinge to have another one!) And besides, I have my perfect dog to baby!

The following images may disturb you!

2008-06-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

Oh my dear children! I may never have writer's block because of them. This is what I found this morning in my husband's closet. As the CSI, crime scene investigator, in my house I had to decide what was going on here. These poor innocent Care Bears have been tied by their ankles and probably dragged by them too. And talk about positive attitudes, they still have smiles on their faces.

Maybe they were hung by their ankles?

Caught in the act. Yes they were being hung and drug. My baby said that she was putting them in the dungeon. Where do they get these ideas?

My Perfect Dog

2008-06-03T09:58:00.001-07:00

We have adopted! Actually we adopted her 4 months ago, but I thought I would introduce her to you now. This is Lucy, our black lab!

Blue Eyes and I decided that we needed to put a stop to the human production in our house. It was getting a little out of control here! Every nine months a new one was on its way. They seemed to be spontaneously appearing in my womb. We had 4 new humans in 5 years. We still look around, look at each other, and ask, "Where did these things come from?". At the discovery of the last human, my mom asked, "Did you figure out how it keeps happening yet?". I assured her that we found the source and that it will be promptly taken care of!

Now my problem is that they have grown too fast! Did you know that it was possible for a 7 year old girl to grow 2 inches in 3 months? We didn't until yesterday when we remeasured our kids on the wall in the laundry room. To our astonishment all of them grew an inch, all except Princess, who grew 2".

They are getting too big too fast, and I am hitting the beginning stages of empty nesting. I searched high and low for a dog on pet finder, because everyone told me a dog is a great way to get rid of empty nesting symptoms. It took 6 months of searching to find the perfect one. We found her though. Lucy is my amazingly perfect child, I mean dog. To my shock and amazment, my husband who is not always a dog lover, thinks the same about her as I do!

She never has accidents, even when we are out of the city for 16 hours and our wonderful youth pastor "forgets" to let her outside for us. (It all worked out though. I left his daugher's dirty diaper on an extra hour or two while watching her one day. I feel better now!)

She never is aggressive with my kids, even when my Baby Destroyer is lying on top of her. She plays in the yard with the kids with out a leash and never runs away. She is completely submissive. If I yell, she is mortified and will suck up to me for the next hour ( I feel better when that happens too! At least she cares.).

She is always cleaning! When the kids spill, she is right there beside me cleaning the mess up with me! She doesn't shed too much. Although, I do vacuum almost everyday since my kids shed. They shed crumbs instead of hair. That counts, right?

She allows me to baby her! Like this morning when a storm rolled in, again. She came right into my room and needed to snuggle. She doesn't kick, she sleeps in as long as I want, and she doesn't cry if I kick her out of my bed.

She never complains about what I serve her for dinner. I make the same thing for her everyday, and she eats it with out whining!

I love her and so does my family. When people ask how many people are in our family, my kids instantly say 7. They never forget to include her.

I need to elaborate......

2008-06-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

I had said that Princess and I prayed during the storm and it went away. We did, but I didn't tell you the whole story. The wicked (yes, wicked) storm was going on full fledged outside. It had no signs of stopping and we were getting reports of not only tornadoes, but another storm coming that was building strength.

The only thing that would come to my mind was the story of when Jesus was sleeping on a boat and disciples woke him because they were scared of the storm. He looked up and told the storm to calm, and it did. I know that God tells us that we can do all that Jesus did. I believe it and I teach my kids to believe it. This became an example to my daughter of how we can do just as He did. We prayed. We prayed that God would calm this storm and keep us safe just as he did on the boat with the disciples.

As soon as we finished, it happened. The weather channel had updated the screen and it showed our little town. Instead of having the pink, red, orange, or yellow storm colors covering our town, it changed to green. Pink means you are basically at ground zero possibly close to death, red is a little less than death and every color gets a little less. Green happens to be a sign of little more than rain. It was forecasted all night that we could have had the worst of the storm. All afternoon the storm was to be moving northeast right over us. For some reason after we prayed, the storm moved straight east and stayed south of us, no longer moving north.

I know some might say, we got lucky, or it just seemed to happen. Believe what you will, I believe and so does my Princess that God intervened for us. It seems small and minuscule, but he takes care of all aspects of our lives, even nasty thunderstorms!

Thank you God! I still miss New York, but I will stay if you want me to! Oh and if you keep all tornadoes away from me and my little ones I will be very happy. Oh and keep my storm watcher hubby safe too. Amen!

I'm a thumb sucking wimp!

2008-05-31T04:31:00.001-07:00

Yes, It is true! I am the biggest wimp. I was riddled with fear and I could feel my heart beating outside of my chest last night. It start almost 48 hours ago. The storm forecasters said that we had a possibility of severe storms. I now live in the Midwest. When severe storms come, they come with those wonderful things called tornadoes. I miss New York. Buffalo only had one teeny, tiny tornado in the 5 and half years that I lived there, and it wasn't even by my house. Oh, and it was in the middle of the day.

Indiana is proving to be different. Let me tell you the exact lines I hear from my beloved weather people....."Severe Thunderstorms on their way, with a few tornadoes probable! (like they are on the same expectation level of thunder and lightning!) Let us remind you that it is dark and the rain is coming down hard so you probably won't be able to see them coming. The storm warning is in effect until 10:15....now 10:45....now it's 11:30.....we have extended it to 12:15. This storm seems to be calming (as my sky is so lit by the lightning that I actually saw the dimensions and color of the clouds in the sky), but their seems to be another storm right behind it building strength."

My Princess came to snuggle with me along with my perfect dog. She was asking if a tornado was coming. What was I suppose to say? "NNNNNo HHHoNNNey, I I I think it is almmmost ovvver." She saw right through it. We decided to pray. It was the only thing that would work for her and for me. It worked though. Right after that, the storm finally calmed a little. By calm I mean we could see across the street again. We went to bed a 12:45am.

Where was Blue Eyes through all this? He decided that it would be a good time to sit outside under our porch roof and have a glass of wine with a cigar to watch the storm. His way of comforting me was knocking on the front door every few minutes to get me to come over there, and say "Did you just see that? Did you hear how loud that one was? I don't know if I ever saw a storm like this. If it gets any worse I will be coming in!" I would then go back to the couch with my daughter and dog and suck my thumb while watching "Storm Watch" until my eyes hurt. Oh and by the way, my boys slept right through it. Baby girl (I think that is what I will call her) transported herself to my bed and was fine. What a night!

Dear Mother-in-law, Can I move in with you for the spring? I will help shovel! I miss NY! I am great at washing bathtubs and I do laundry.

Sorry no pics of this one. I was shaking too hard to hold a camera.

She spoke to me!

2008-05-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

I got an email yesterday asking what my nick name is? Well I have no idea! I do have this wonderful picture of this mother duck with her 4 ducklings at the zoo. As I chased after her with my camera, my dear husband laughed at me. He totally understood after I explained why of all the animals in the zoo, I chose to take a picture of her. She is an image of my life! She keeps track of her 4 ducklings with love. She protects, feeds, nurtures, squawks at, and raises those babies as any loving mother would. Oh! and let's not forget that she does it in the surrounding of a zoo. Like I said, it is a great image of my life. When a friend of mine emailed me asking what my nick name is? I thought of this picture. "Mother Duck" sounds good for today. Random me might find another name someday that suits my mood better, but for now this works!

You know you need new shoes when.....

2008-05-27T13:03:00.000-07:00

My in-laws were in town this past weekend. They came in to help my dear husband drywall a room at his current job. After they finished in record time, they were available for all out playing with the kids. Today my son was looking for his shoe and noticed a dirty old gym shoe in the closet. Surely it couldn't be daddy's, because it was in the closet. And, surely it wasn't mommies because it was old and dirty and not very girly.

"Mommy! Papa left his shoe!" he proclaimed.

"He did?" I asked.

"Yes! See!" He said.

He then proceeded to show me the shoe. I sadly acknowledged that it wasn't Papa's shoe. It was indeed my old shoe. It still fits. There aren't any holes yet. The shoes just fall into the old and grubby, but still very usable category. They are my favorite lawn mowing shoes!

Gone Fishin'

2008-05-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

We decided to take our kiddos fishing this weekend. They each picked out their fishing poles at Walmart. Princess kept up her image and picked out a Disney Princess pole. Batman picked out a Transformer pole, which later broke and we exchanged for the Spiderman one. Spiderman picked out a Disney Cars pole, and the little one picked out Barbie. My dad would be proud. After almost 20 years, I remembered how to tie the hook onto the fishing line. I remembered how to do the bobber too!

After some great concentration, Batman reeled in a great fish! It was his "Catch of the Day", or his 4th catch of the day. I think God blessed us with a lot of fish that day. I have never caught as many as these guys when I was growing up. Each kid caught about 4 fish. Their lines weren't in the water more that a minute or two before catching something!
"I am way to busy for pictures, MOM!"

Everyone knows that when Spiderman is thinking, pondering, concentrating, or analyzing something he has the face to go with it. His eyes and nose are scrunched and his mouth is slightly open. He was way too into fishing to give me a smile. This was the look that I got.

I could never be more proud or shocked at this! My Princess has unhooked her own fish and let it go into the pond, ALL BY HERSELF! We (I say we, but really Blue Eyes) was so busy taking fish of the hooks for the boys that Princess was forced to wait until he was done. After telling her that fish can only breathe in water, she couldn't let patience get in the way and kill her fish. Instead of letting the little thing suffer anymore, she took it upon herself to do the duty of unhooking and releasing it before suffocation took place.

Yes, at some point in my childhood I took a few fish off of my hooks, but I grew up and realized how gross they are. I asked Blue Eyes if he would stop at home so I could get my old dish gloves so I could help with the unhooking. He laughed at me and declined. He did say that he would handle the dirty work for me. What a guy! I stood by for support.

One of our fishing poles broke in the first 5 minutes of fishing! We made Spiderman share his for 2 minutes. He didn't kick and scream, but the face shows how happy he was about it. My baby didn't catch anything, but she was happy to try!

By this time, my baby and I were at the top of the hill shielding ourselves from the wind. She was hiding her face in my legs and I took the last few pictures of our new hobby! It started to drizzle and I took our napless toddler to the truck. These guys fished for about an hour and a half, and they could have stayed for more.

New suggestions!

2008-05-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Well my kids were wondering what their mom was up to yesterday. I told them. They thought it so cool that they were going to be on a blog, as if they really know what it is. They honestly acted like movie stars! How cute.

I told them that I needed to find nick names for them and they took it upon themselves to give suggestions. The oldest said that hers of course should be "Princess". How fitting. Why would I ever think it should be different?

The boys, well the boys think of themselves as nothing less than super heroes. Dragons are slain, bad guys beaten, and I am saved from the evil of this world daily from these valiant defenders. They prefer "Batman" and "Spiderman". This is very fitting also.

When I asked what they thought the 2 year old daughter should be named, they all unanimously said......"Destroyer". My problem with this is that I see her as my last baby. She will be 30 and have children of her own, and I will still call her the baby. She will always have the littlest feet and nose compared the the rest of my flock. But, she is like a tornado. She is a tom boy. She is the toughest kid in the 2 year old class at church, not to mention the only girl. Boys are not a problem for this kid, when she has two brothers as her personal trainers. Oh, and lets not forget the "sas" lessons from her older, wiser, and much more mature sister. She would fit into the category of "Joan of Arc" or "Cat Woman". In all actuality I might go with these very thoughtful suggestions.

Oh and I did figure out one for my darling husband, "Ol' Blue Eyes". He may not sing like Frank Sinatra, although he does have a beautiful singing voice, he does have the most amazing blue eyes that this world has ever seen. They stole my heart. Those eyes literally came at me like arrows out of cupids bow. They zapped me into his world and I have been there ever since. So all this to say, Ol' Blue Eyes, is his new nick name, or is it pet name?

P.S. I promise pictures by tomorrow. I have inherited another kid for the past few days, and I needed to get some things done.

Ordinarily Random

2008-05-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it. After pondering this for the last couple of months, I have decided to dive in and take the plunge into the blogging world. My dear sister-in-law, one of my BFF, led me down her path, and I in the end copied her! She does this more often than she knows. While on the phone with her I always have a pad of paper and pen ready to go, because she is a great source of ideas for me try. Ok, so I don't have a pad of paper or pencil ready. I am way to random for that. BUT! I do copy her all the time!

I really don't know when it started. She started to home school and a year later I decided to give it a whirl. She reads a book, I most likely purchase it with in a few months. She tells me about a blog, I listen intently for a year about it. Then while hubby is working late, again, I get lost in my new world of "The Pioneer Woman". My SIL started her own blog and I am so entertained by it that I think I must start one too. Well here I am!

I have no idea what I will write about. I do know that I have great stories provided by family which include: my dear husband, my 4 children that I home school (always full of great possibilities), my perfect dog, and may be some great growing up stories as well. I also would love to share some of whats on my heart from time to time.

Because I want to keep some privacy, I am going to come up with nicknames for my family. This is where you come in! I need help, because I am stuck on some possiblities that are draining my creativity.

Have you ever gotten an idea that has blocked all other ideas from your brain? It may not even be a great idea. Then your brain seizes to function, because it feels that it has already done its job. It happens to me all the time! Even when dear husband asks for ideas for his message, he's a pastor, I will give him my best idea. If he doesn't like it, I tend to repeat it a few times with different voice inflections. I am not trying to be annoying, which he might deny, I just can't think past the one idea that I already gave. It's like when someone needs money and you give it to them, and they ask for more. You look at them with a blank stare and say, "I already gave some to you!"

Anywho, I need help with names. My current ideas for the kids are the "Narnia" names. First born daughter would be Susan, second born son Peter, third born son would be Edmund, and the baby, ok she's not a baby anymore, would be Lucy. It works but I am not convinced of them. I can't think of one for my dear husband. He is a pastor and an amazing carpentar. He is full of personality and sensitivity. I adore him. He keeps me happy, litterally. He always has a way to make me laugh and smile, even when I am close to throwing something at him. Which NEVER happens in our house! If you have time, I need one too!