For the love of boys

Adjusting Aaron

2012-02-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

Poor baby Aaron has really been struggling with gas pain since birth so today we took him to the chiropractor to see if she could help. Most people wouldnt even think that a newborn could benefit from chiropractic care but the changes in Aaron's level of relaxation was instant and he is sleeping his first real long stretch since birth. The doctor said he was out of allignment in the exact areas that would cause digestive discomfort so we are very hopeful he will have some relief from the awful gas pains.

Aaron is an absolutely stunning baby, he reminds us so much of Nathan. All the other children are thrilled he is here. Aiden is so happy to no longer be the littlest brother and Savvy just loves taking care of a real baby. We are so blessed that God has given us our precious lucky number seven! Daddy is home with us for 4 weeks of paternity leave which is a new experience for us and I am thrilled to have so much time to focus on Aaron and my own recovery. I spent time before birth preparing the house, freezing meals, and creating schedules so things are going smoothly all around.

Introducing Aaron!

2012-02-14T12:04:00.000-08:00

Our 7th child, our 6th son joined our family on February 11th 2012 at 1:25am. Aaron Hurley Adkins was born at home in the water while his Daddy looked on and his brothers and sisters slept.
On Friday I was very uncomfortable all day and I told Shane I felt like labor would come on soon. I expected it to start sometime that weekend. By 6pm I told him we would probably have a baby within 24 hours. It wasnt long after that contractions were unmistakable real labor. I walked around doing small tasks like laundry and preparing the birth supplies. Shortly after 8 Shane began filling the birth tub and I called the midwife to tell her what was going on. We agreed to call back in an hour with an update.
At this point contractions were ranging between 2 and 8 minutes apart with varying intensity but i could no longer move around through them. I would lean onto a stack of pillows and moan or sway my hips. Shane was continuously adding pots of boiling water to the tub. At 9 he called the midwife back and told her things were getting more intense so she decided to head over. I continued to work through labor as it grew stronger. I was anxious to get in the shower to help with the back pain and I did that a few times through the night. Just like I did during Savannah's labor I wrote Aaron's name in the steam on the window. Between showers I kept my Bible open to Psalms and I would focus on passages that encouraged me to cry out to God. Throughout the entire labor I was praying and reciting scripture in my mind.
When pain had increased I wanted to get into the birth tub but I was nervous that it could be too soon and it would slow things down. I finally got in because my body was so tired of standing. The water felt wonderful and Shane and the midwives continued to add hot water to keep it warm. Pain was intense but contractions were spaced enough that I could rest inbetween. I could feel my body bearing down with each one and I was worried I wasnt ready but the midwives assured me to let my body do its job. I was frustrated that it did not feel like the baby was moving down at all but shortly after that my water broke and made me feel relieved.
In the next most intense and painful contraction I reached down and felt my baby crown and be born into my own hands. It was an indescribable feeling. I brought him to my chest and was overcome with gratitude, thanking God for bringing me through and blessing me with such a perfect gift.
Shane stood behind me and kissed me on my head and we looked at our son- our last baby. We waited for his cord to stop pulsating and then Shane cut it. Aaron was handed off to Shane and wrapped in warm blankets while I moved to the bed. The midwives helped me get situated and I was amazed that I did not need assistance or extra care for bleeding like all my other births. Shane gave Aaron back to me and I held and nursed him in bed. My mom arrived to see him and we watched him get his check up. At 8lbs 2oz he was my smallest singleton baby. I diapered and dressed him myself and we snuggled into bed while everyone prepared to leave us.

So many prayers were answered in Aarons birth, I am in awe of a God who is so gracious. Aaron is the final piece of our family and we wouldnt be complete without him.

Beautiful Autumn Monday

2011-10-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

To Eat Today:

Breakfast- Apple Butter Oatmeal, bananas, oj
Lunch- PB&J sandwiches, peas, broccoli, carrots and hummus, chese
Dinner- lentil&rice cakes, colcannon bake, siced tomatoes (enjoying farm fresh produce bought yesterday)

To Do:
Enjoy Nature- find changing leaves for our nature journals
Enjoy our home- laundry, bathrooms, kitchen, floors
Enjoy each other- do not yell, be slow to anger and frustration, love on each other

For My Children...

2011-10-14T04:58:00.000-07:00

My precious,beautiful everythings... Each and every day you remind me of all that is good and right in this world. You show me that all the worries of the scary adult world can be forgotten in a smile,a laugh,or a hug. You are everything I have ever done right yet at the same time remind me of everrything I am still learning in life. You are the keepers of my heart and the windows to my soul. You inspire me, challenge me, heal my hurts, make me laugh, teach me things every moment we spend together. I have learned more about love and grace from you than anyone else in my life. Every mother loves her children but it seems impossible that anyone could love another as much as I love each of you. Changing diapers, rocking you, putting on pjs, kisses goodnight, making your meals, folding your clothes, wiping your fingerprints, reading stories, teaching school lessons, temper tantrums,sibling squabbles, nursing fevers, doctors appointments, one on one dates, splashing in the pool, walking through the woods, tag with daddy, movie nights, corrections, boo-boos, band aids, christmas mornings, Bible time, every single moment.... These are the best days of my life!

2011-10-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are headed to our favorite place, Berkeley Springs WV for the yearly Apple Butter Festival. I can not wait. It is so beautiful there, a tiny mountain town with a strong heritage. I love walking the festival and buying apple & pumpkin butter and handmade soap. We are so blessed that Memaw and Papy also have a cabin there and gladly take the boys of our hands for a good bit of the weekend. So we get a nice break with our precious only daughter and the boys get some good down & dirty fun sawing trees, hauling rocks and just being spoiled by Memaw.
there is so much to do to prepare for this weekend and I have startwd making my usual lists. I feel like I finally have packing and trip planning down to a science and even though I shamefuly act like I am burdened with the chore, I actually really enjoy the organizing and packing aspect of our family adventures.
I am geting all the laundry in order and lining up stacks of folded clothes with post it notes reminding me what belongs to who. Geting the house in order so we don't come home to a disaster and makinf sure our perishable food isn't wasted is also on the list.
spending time in the mountains always fel s like such an enriching homeschhol experience, studying nature and the lite crites we find.

2 Times the Fun...

2010-11-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

Benjamin James...
You are now 5 years old and you are growing into such a wonderful person. You have a sweet and gentle nature and you are always concerned with others. When you do get into mischief you are quick to confess because "if I tell the truth I won't get in trouble". You are our little artist and you love to create... If only you would keep your 'creations' off the floors, walls, and furniture! You are doing wonderful in homeschool kindergarten and your reading is on the verge of taking off! Your head is still topped with curls and you still have a sweet baby face. You do not like to be separated from Cam at all, even if he is in time out you want to be with him. you are loving and affectionate and you are a joy every day. We are so blessed to have you as our son.

Cameron John...

Dinky Peanut, I can't believe you are already 5! What a strong personality you have! You are fiesty and determined, which quite often drives Mommy crazy but deep down I SO admire this about you and I dont ever want anything to break it! You are pretty selective of who gets to see your sweet and loveable side and I am so happy you save the most for me! You also adore your Daddy and you always remind me that you love us both, not just me like I pretend! Your little finger is always pointing in the air telling someone how things are going to go, because you say so. But when you are sad or hurt you are still the same sweet baby boy and we love to take you in our arms and hold you as long as you let us! We thank God for you every day.

My Perfect Pair...

You look more alike all the time! Sometimes I am not sure who is who and I just call "twin" and the one closest to me answers! You are best friends through thick and thin and I pray you will always have such a loving bond! You both love Star Wars, Iron Man and Transformers. Your imaginations are very vivid and you are often in another world together. You look up to your big brother Nate and you are showing the ropes to little Aiden. It is so much fun to watch you grow each day!

My, How You've Grown!

2010-11-18T09:03:00.000-08:00

Aiden Christopher...
You are 28 months old now. Gone is the quiet, compliant, passive little baby. Now you are a determined, opinionated, stron willed little person. Oh, how I adore you! You insist that you are one of the big boys and you copy them in everything they do, which isn't always a good thing! You love to kiss and hug your 'sissy' but it usually ends in you knocking her over! Big brother B is one of your favorite people and you like to sleep in his bed when you can get away with it. You are sweetly shy and you have an adorable way of hanging your head when you don't want to be looked at. You are probably more of a Daddys boy but you loved to be held and rocked by your Mommy. You will lay your head on my shoulder and softly sing "Mommy's baby, Mommy's baby". You dont say a whole lot, but what you do say shows you have strong opinions! "No!" "Mine", "Bad Boy!", "Me?"

You love to play with Woody and Buzz from Toy Story and your big brothers Star Wars toys, who you call all "Luu!" (Luke Skywalker) in your best Darth Vader voice. We are just starting preschool activities with you and you get so excited for "cool". You are not very enthusiastic about the concept of the potty just yet but I will keep trying! Each day you bring so much joy and laughter to our family! We cherish you so very much!!

Savannah Grace at 8 months

2010-11-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

Sweet Savannah...

Savannah Grace...
You are 8 months old. It feels like yesterday when I saw your tiny face for the first time. Thinking back over the quick passage of these past 8 months makes me wish I would have done more to capture and document each precious day. But here we are...8 months old! You are a tiny little thing but very fiesty. You have lost most of your hair and what's left has an auburn shine in the sunlight. Your eyes are a bright and beautiful light blue with long eyelashes like Daddy and your brothers. There are 4 tiny white teeth when you smile. You are a mommys girl through and through but you also adore your daddy, whenever he leans close to talk or sing to you,you reach out to place your hand on his face. You are a true princess in our house of princes- you are Aidens 'sissy', Nathan's 'little lady', and Brendan's 'little miss'. All of your brothers adore you. You like to sit up like a big girl and when you tolerate being put on your tummy you will scoot around a little. But your favorite place to be is in someones arms! You love to dance whenever you hear music or singing or just someone saying 'dance baby'. I love how you lay your little head close against me and how you get excited in your crib when you hear my voice enter the room. I melt when you make your scrunched nose/open mouth smile- I consider that your 'mommy smile' because you do it whenever I pick you up. Kisses and tongue clicks are how you speak... And of course 'da-da'. I am sure I've heard some 'ma-ma's' but maybe I'm just hopeful! You are quite a demanding little diva and you have the loudest cry ever but I don't mind! You sleep 12 hours at night and usually wake twice to nurse. You enjoy eating solid food, which we specially prepare to help you gain weight. You enjoy yogurt, oatmeal, pears,plums, bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, egg yolk, peas,lentils, green beans, broccoli,carrots, and squash.
Each and every day I give thanks to God for blessing us with such a precious daughter. You are a dream come true

Times they are a changin'...

2010-11-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

so, umm...yeah. Its been a year. Where do I begin? Well, we had another baby. A girl. If I can keep up with this blog I guess I'll have to change the name. Anyway, her name is Savannah Grace and she was born at home in the water on March 18th at 2:22pm weighing 8lbs10oz. She is an absolute blessing and she as made our family complete. The boys are all beautiful and healthy and getting so big. We are now homeschooling Brendan in 6th grade, Nathan in 1st, and Cameron and Benjamin in Kindergarten. Not to be left out Aiden has recently started his very own school time with mommy.
God has been so good.

Grocery Shopping, Our way

2009-09-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Something as mundane as grocery shopping really makes me think. My kids are growing so fast. If the next 5 years pass by as quickly as these past 5 have flown, the days of tiny voices and sticky fingers will be over before I can catch my breath. There will certainly come a time, probably sooner than I am actually ready for, that grocery shopping will no longer require the logistical planning it does now. But at this point in time we have a system in place and it works for us.

It is best to head out early, right after breakfast. Well rested kiddos with full stomachs will usually produce the best results.

Have a list that is organized by departments or categories. This will help prevent back tracking in the store.

Set expectiations ahead of time. I tell the boys exactly what behavior I expect from them and what the reward or consequences will be. My usual plan is to pick up a package of fresh cookies from the bakery right before we hit the check out. If all children follow the rules they are rewarded with a yummy cookie when we get back to the van. If they misbehave then they have the unpleasant experince of watching everyone else enjoy this treat while they go without. Our grocery shopping rules are:
*speak in a low voice
*do not touch or pick up items unless Mommy asks you to.
*stay together
*be polite to strangers
*stand still at the check out

In addition I like to give each child a responsibility to focus on while we shop. These responsiblities may look like this:
Aiden- ride in stroller and look cute.
Brendan- push stroller and add prices with the calculator, keep track of our total.
Benjamin- help Brendan push Aiden, help mommy put items in the cart.
Nathan- carry the list and cross off items as we go along
Cameron- sit in cart (he is the most likely to run!) and hold on to special items that can not get smashed.

If things are going well I try to do a lot of pointing out of different items- especially in the produce and meat section where we can see some more unusual products. I try to talk to the boys about prices and ingredients and why we do or dont buy certain things. We are usually stopped by fellow shoppers at least a few times but the comments are almost always kind and it gives the boys a good opportunity to practice good manners.

At the check out the boys like to watch the total ring up- this is where Brendan gets to see if he kept up with his calculator while I loaded the cart! By this time the boys are getting antsy and anxious for the cookie prize when we return to the van. Brendan loads kids, I load groceries then we have a quick review of where our behavior was really wonderful and what areas we can improve on. Then it is cookie time! (usually for everyone!)

Our menu this week!

2009-09-08T05:12:00.000-07:00

Sunday- Chicken salad wraps, baked beans, green salad (I needed to prep dinner early b/c Brendan had a baseball game and we came home late. We would normally just grab take out on the way home but we need to cut back expenses)

Monday- Grilled burgers, baked sweet potatoes, green salad

Tuesday- Spaghetti, garlic bread, green salad

Wednesday- tacos with fixings, buttered corn

Thursday- Ham & cheddar stromboli, broccoli

Friday- Pancakes, eggs, and bacon

Breakfasts- oatmeal or yogurt parfaits with fresh fruit and juice

Lunch- peanut butter or tuna salad sandwiches with carrot sticks & dip and pretzels

Running List in my Head

2009-06-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

~Wash sheets I spilled coffee on.

~Grocery shopping with the boys.

~Meal planning for the week.

~Catch up laundry.

~Organize closets.

~Mail birthday invites.

~Make lists for Fathers Day and Birthday party.

~School planning.

~Schedule outings.

~Upload pics.

~Clean laundry room.

~Sort baby clothes.

Pieces of Today

2009-05-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

~Aiden getting a good nights sleep, and being such a cheerful little guy this morning.

~Forgoing our scheduled 'Breakfast Time' & making a large pancake breakfast instead- just because they asked for it & because we can manage our own time.

~Nathan sounding out his words so sweetly- I taught him that.

~Aiden clapping his hands along as we clapped out our Days of the Week and ABC songs.

~Spending a few hours soaking up the sunshine in our backyard.

~The simplicity of crockpot spaghetti sauce for dinner.

~The aroma of homemade garlic bread.

~Daddy home early.

~Windows open wide.

~Sunshine filtered through thin white curtains.

~Yogurt, banana, granola & honey parfaits for snack.

~Cameron fast asleep in the middle of play.

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday came & went like any other Sunday. Well, thats not entirely true- Shane's heroic deed (in his opinion) was that he prepared the boys breakfasts & lunches so I wouldnt have to do it. I had to make my own though. He did recently order me jewelry as my Mothers Day gift so he assumed that the day itself could just pass on by- he is not a Halmark holiday kind of guy. But in actuality it was a perfect day- I spent Mothers Day being a mother. I nursed my beautiful baby boy, packed the snack bag and headed to the baseball field to cheer on Brendan and his team. While we were there I watched the little guys blow bubbles and pick me buttercups. I dressed them all in green in the hopes to have a family picture taken but that didnt happen.

I spent Mothers Day being a mother. How great is that!?!? To think that God chose me to mother these 5 amazing people is just overwhelming- I feel so unworthy and so, so blessed. After they were bathed and dressed is clean pj's I cuddled with them and smelled their damp curls- beautiful & perfect moments like that are mommyhood at its finest.

10 months old

2009-05-11T04:32:00.000-07:00

Aiden is 10 months old now! Time is just flying by! I wish that I could just capture these moments in a bottle because they are so precious. Aiden is the sweetest little guy in the world! He loves to give hugs and kisses, he is constantly babbling- and says Mama and Dada quite clearly. He enjoys eating solid foods such as banana, avocado, sweet potato, squash, yogurt, split peas, oatmeal, barley, brown rice, lentils, and beans. Aiden is also quite fond of drinking from his sippy cup.

Now if only he would start sleeping better at night.....

Soccer Boy

2009-04-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

Nathan is playing soccer this sping and so far it has been quite an experience! He is so proud of his shin guards and cleats that Daddy took him out to buy. He was full of anticipation as we waited for the first practice, but when the time came he was actually quite nervous. He did well the first practice but the subsequent sessions have been hit and miss. Apparently he is so awesome he doesnt need to practice.

When his first game day arrived he spent the first few minutes standing still in the field before he finally sat down and was scooped off the field by his coach. Luckily he warmed up to the idea and ended up having a wonderful time running on the field with his team. He doesnt quite grasp the technical end of the game but he does love to run!

Nathan is a highly imaginative little guy and is constantly taking on a new personality. He has continued this at soccer and his coaches are wonderful about indulging this little quirk. It is precious to hear them shouting Go Leo, Go Mr. Incredible!

He is beaming with joy at the end of a game, even though he never goes near the ball! It brings us so much joy to see him so happy, Nathan is so full of life and such a sweet blessing!

In Stitches

2009-04-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

I guess it was going to happen sooner or later- in a house with 5 brothers. Our little Cameron made a trip to the ER last night and came home proudly sporting 5 stitches in his forehead. Apparently all our warnings to Brendan that he can not tackle his brothers went in one ear and out the other as he tackled Cameron into a wall last night.
Who would have thought that dinky little head is hard enough to crack drywall? We didn't think much of the thud- those happen regularly around here- but Brendan's scream alerted us that "there's blood"! I ran down stairs to see my little Cammy's face covered in blood but he was remarkably calm.
I carried him upstairs and we sat him on the kitchen counter to inspect his injury. I wiped the blood away and discovered a good sized gash near his hairline. I was holding a rag on it and trying to get Shane's attention as he was lecturing Brendan. Shane kept saying 'he's fine' and continued to speak with Brendan. I was exasperated as I tried to express that he was not fine and he needed medical attention. I can understand now that his constant assurance that Cameron was 'fine' were for Cameron's benefit but Shane clearly became irritated with me and started to yell like a maniac for a moment.
Lucky for Cam, Mommy & Daddy got it together and prepared him for his trip to the ER. We bandaged his wound, bundled him up and occupied him with a snack. As Daddy drove away I was very sad that I could not be there with my little guy. I stayed behind at home. The other boys and I ate dinner and prayed for Cameron during our blessing. The evening remained quiet at home with the boys constantly inquiring about their missing brother. Brendan was quite overcome with guilt.
Daddy reports that Cam was a trooper at the hospital. He was active and happy through the whole ordeal. 5 stitches later they made a quick visit to Grammy who is spending a few days in the hospital herself. Cameron delighted her with his singing and spelling skills.
On the way home Daddy picked up pizza and ice cream for his brave boy. Cameron does not appear distressed in the slightest over this experience. As a matter of fact, he seemed to enjoy all the undivided attention from Daddy!
We praise and thank God for watching over our sweet son and for blessing him with such a resilient attitude. Let us pray that our ER trips are few and far between!

Precious Aiden at 9months

2009-04-07T04:59:00.000-07:00

Aiden- 9 months

2009-04-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow our precious Aiden Christopher will be 9 months old. Wow. Does it make sense that I am so thankful for growing, healthy, thriving children yet I am also so sad to see how fast these sweet baby days pass us by? It seems that having 5 children makes us more aware of how quickly these precious moments fade away. We look at Aiden scooting and babbling and then we look at the twins and we are totally amazed that they are no longer babies. It feels like a dream- like we went to bed one day with babies and woke up the next with toddlers, then preschoolers. It is even more apparent when we look at Nathan- our long awaited second born. I can close my eyes and see him in his first outfit- a sweet little whale creeper that said 'little squirt'. Now he is playing soccer and learning to read. And then there is Brendan. Has he really been a part of my life for an entire decade? Not only have we watched him grow from baby to little boy- now we are watching him become a young man. I long to capture these moments but I just can not figure out how. Pictures and video just dont seem to do these moments justice. Plus I forget to charge the camera anyway. I pray that each memory will imprint on my heart where I can cherish it always.
Sweet Aiden is such a blessing. His hair seems to be growing much different than the other boys- it looks very light and almost red- but most shockingly- straight! He has 2 bottom teeth and the top have just recently broken through. Our other babies had between 6 and 10 teeth at this age! He is a very speedy army crawler and he is famous for flapping his hands when he is excited or upset or just wants to be held. It is especially sweet to see his hand flapping while he is scooting- he looks like he is swimming.
He is slowly starting to eat solids- we have sampled mashed banana, avacado, sweet potato, melon, apple, and brown rice. We are taking it slowly b/c his tummy is just not ready for larger portions- but he is clearly thriving on mama's milk. Our Aiden is quite a big boy. He is over 20 lbs but we arent sure of an exact weight- he is so robust and healthy he has had no need to see a doctor. Praise God! Aiden has a nice routine but Mommy would like to see him drop a night feeding!
He is a total mama's boy but he also adores his daddy and big brother Brendan. Sometimes when he is playing nicely Mommy tries to sneak away to get something done- but Aiden can easily sense which direction Mommy has headed and he is never far behind.
Aiden loves to knock down block towers much to his brothers dismay, he also enjoys going for walks and looking out the window. He converses with us using a mix of high pitched squeals, DaDa, BaBa, and when you ask him a question- "Yeah". Aiden is recenty fond of giving love- laying his head on his object of affection which could be a person, a toy, or the cat. We do enjoy his love even though it is usually proceeded by a slap.
Aiden Christopher has brought so much joy to our family and we are so very thankful that God has blessed us with him.

Life

2009-01-26T03:55:00.000-08:00

So many posts are written in my head but they just dont seem to end up here. I wanted to write a big Christmas post. I wanted to write a post about my sweet baby's half-birthday. I wanted to write a day-in-our-homeschool post. None of these have made it out of my head and onto the keyboard. Such is life.

And life is good. It is busy and happy and crazy and wonderful. The boys are growing up so fast. Aiden is 6 months old and I get a lump in my throat thinking about how fast these sweet baby days pass by.

The little boys (this is how I refer to Nate, Cam, & Ben) seem so grown up to me now. It seemed like our life was totally consumed by the logistics of having 3 children 11 months apart. It simply dictated everything about how we planned our days, where we went, how we decorated our home- just everything. We would gert frustrated when family expected too much of us or mae rude comments b/c they just didnt "know what this is like. Bust Shane and I have both talked lately about how those days seemed to have passed us by. A huge part of our family life is gone in the blink of an eye. Sure we still have 5 children, but we dont have three babies or three toddlers anymore. It's bittersweet.

Brendan is doing so well at home. He is learning and thriving and it is such a blessing to be able to shape his character everyday. Shane has been making sure to study Scripture with him daily again (we had just gotten 'too busy for too long') and we are seeing glimpses of the little boy who hungered for the Word and loved to highlight his Bible like a grown up.

Yes, life is good.

Baking Cookies

2008-12-19T04:48:00.000-08:00

Must-do's For Not So Great Days

2008-12-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while (ok, maybe more ofter than that) we have a day (or few days) that just don't seem to fall into place. A bad nights sleep, errands, visitors, special events, and being under the weather seem to be the most common causes. This week Mommy has not been feeling too swell and we are on our second Not So Great Day this week.

Because life just does not stop when Mommy wants to lay on the couch we came up with out Must Do List. Shane and I discussed the tasks in our home that are absolute Must Do's to make our family function. Here are the Must Do's for our household:

Easy meal preps- These pesky little kiddos just gotta eat. We always have a few things on hand that can be thrown together with little to no prep involved. Usually not our healthiest options but it keeps tummies full. An example day of easy meals would be- fruit & yogurt for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and mac n cheese or frozen meals for dinner.

1 load of laundry. Our family produces 2 loads a day. Plus diapers. This does not include towels, bed linens, or other items that stand in the path of our little Messy Marvins. Laundry might not be a Must Do for other families but for us skipping a day can set us back for the rest of the week.

Sweeping- Just like laundry- skipping will only cause more work in the long run.

Run the dishwasher.

Wipe down kitchen.

Wipe down boys bathroom. Umm, skipping this will create some disgusting circumstances!

Baby Care- diapers, nursing, cuddling, loving.

Big Boy Care- potty help, refereeing, correction, teaching, snuggling. They might spend the day in pj's but the basics are taken care of.

Family Bible Circle- If we skip this does anything else even matter?

So that is our Must Do List! I am so blessed to have a husband who comes home, rolls up his sleeves and jumps right in. He can just look at me and know what needs to be done. He encourages me when I want to give up. He reminds me that I will feel so much better if I complete my tasks. And on the rare days that I really do give up he is here to tell me that its ok.

Daddy Comes Home Today!

2008-12-12T10:38:00.000-08:00

After a few days away for work Daddy is on his way home to us! We are all so excited to have our family back together tonight. Even a 4 day trip is agony when we love our Daddy so much! The little boys and I have been working hard today to make our home a welcoming retreat for our beloved husband & father tonight! Lets face it- our house isnt ever perfectly calm and quiet, but we have our own little version of peace that is perfect to us! Here is a list that I have completed to help make Shane feel loved and appreciated when he comes through our door this evening. Obviously things arent perfect but I focused on the areas that I know he notices most- so he will know that I love to make him happy.

Everyone is bathed and nicely dressed- we are his treasures and I want us to look the part!

The sheets on our bed are freshly washed.

All floors are swept, mopped, & vaccumed. Daddy loves clean floors & he looks the other way all too often not to make me feel bad about the crumbs & spills.

All laundry is washed, folded, and put away. I know he doesnt like to see overflowing baskets and toppling stacks in our laundry room. He is so great about helping out in this area & Im sure he's expecting to come home to a mountain!

Freshly baked brownies- who doesnt love brownies??

Rooms are tucked & tidied, swished & swiped.

Candles burning, music playing.

All we're missing now is our wonderful Daddy!!

Of Wiggly Worms and Sleepless Nights

2008-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Last night our little Cameron had a horrific nightmare that kept all of us up for nearly four hours. Apparently he was dreaming of worms and it was so vivid and realistic to him that is continued even after he was awake. We brought him into our bed so that the other boys would not be disturbed and that helped for about 2 minutes upon which he realized that the worms had followed him in to our room. Oh boy did he scream.

The poor kid was shaking like a leaf in the wind and when we held him he was stiff as a board holding on for dear life. Nothing we said or did consoled him- he just stood there pointing at the floor to where the worms were lurking and screamed at us like we were the insane ones. After an hour of attempting to convince him it was all a bad dream Daddy decided to just play along and attempt to shoot the worms as Cam had requested. But he kept missing. Because he couldnt see them. A screaming, halucinating 3 year old and a half asleep Daddy shooing the floor with a finger gun while shouting "Bang, Bang" is quite a site.

We kept trading off so when it was my turn I was able to lay him down as long as I kept my arms wrapped around him tightly. However every 10 seconds he had to lift the covers to inspect for intruding worms. He trembled, he wimpered, and finally he had worked back up to a scream.

At this point Daddy was hungry from being awake so long so he took Cam out to the kitchen for a snack. I knew Aiden would be waking at any time so I just went ahead and got him up to nurse while Cam and Daddy were snacking. After munching on some cheese Cam was so exhausted he was falling over- Daddy took him into his own bed and after some careful investigating for worms they both FINALLY slept soundly. As did Mommy. It was 4am.

Aiden woke at 5. Life is good.

Happy Homeschool!

2008-12-08T11:50:00.001-08:00

We are about to begin our adventure as a homeschooling family- meaning everyone will be participating. I have been planning out how to make this work with all 4 boys at the table plus a sweet baby to play with. This is the plan we have come up with.

After breakfast all boys get dressed. We make our way back to the table. The 3 younger boys are given books to look at. Brendan will start the day with grammar. We are using Scott Foresman's Grammar and Writing Handbook. http://www.sfreading.com/resources/ghb.html He will read over his lesson with guidance from me while I am nursing Aiden for his morning nap.

After I lay Aiden down I will make sure Brendan is ready to complete the independent part of Grammar. While he works I will change the twins books out for some phonics related toys for pre-reading. The toys we have include several abc puzzles, card, magnets, and books.

Now it will be time for Nathan's reading lesson. We are using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. After the lesson he will complete the coresponding handwriting worksheet from http://donnayoung.org/

While he is busy with handwriting I will give the twins a preschool level worksheet or coloring page- I have plenty of these from my preschool teacher days. I also occasionally print some from these sites:

http://www.first-school.ws/

http://www.dltkteach.com/alphabuddies/asl/

http://www.alphabet-soup.net/index.html

Now that the 3 little ones are hard at work Brendan will begin his math lesson. We are using Abeka along with some speed drill activities that we make up ourselves. After we go over the lesson together he will begin his independent portion.

With Brendan focused on math I will collect the little boys worksheets and begin an activity with the 3 of them. We will focus on scissor skills, pasting, paint, clay, and other craft materials all revolving around a central topic which we will base on Brendan's current science or social studies unit. As Brendan finishes math he will join us in our activity and he will be responsible for reading to his brothers from library books about our current unit. This way everyone is learning.

While they are reading I will prep a quick snack. After snack the younger boys will go downstairs to play and Brendan should be able to quickly complete a logic or vocabulary activity.

Then it is time for chores! In my opinion chores are essential for developing so many important character traits. Accountability, responsibility, neatness, respect, and most of all- a servants heart. If Brendan completes chores in time he is free to use the computer or play outside (depending on the weather-it is cold!) until lunch. The younger boys watch Mommy do chores, help pick up toys, and happily entertain Aiden who is usually playing on his blanket at this time.

During luch the boys eat picnic style and watch Reading Rainbow. They enjoy seeing all the different books and it gives me some quiet time to nurse Aiden to sleep. By the time Aiden is laid down lunch is over and the kids are down for nap. I usually have to lay with them for about 20 minutes to get the twins to sleep. Brendan is expected to do 1 hour of quiet reading from school related books. While he is reading I need to rush through my afternoon chores- pre-prepping dinner, folding laundry, and larger tasks I just cant do while the boys are underfoot. We have a daily chores and a weekly chores list- I use those lists as my guide.

When Brendan is finished reading it will betime for Science or Social Studies (alternating). For Science we are using Alpha Omega Lifepacs supplemented with library and internet resources. For Social Studies we will be studying our homestate of Maryland with books, the internet, and field trips. Our primary 'work' for Social Studies will be lapbooks.

After completing school for the day Brendan is free to play- his favorite thing to do is play in his 'fort' in the patch of trees in our backyard. When the little boys wake up they will play with Mommy- this is our favorite time to read books and cuddle on the couch.

While I prepare dinner Brendan is expected to supervise his younger brothers. Aiden usually plays in his jumper or exersaucer. Then Daddy comes home and our day is officially over.

So thats the plan. I am working with the younger boys already and hope to just integrate Brendan right into our existing routine. I will post pictures after we begin!

Between Brothers

2008-12-08T09:27:00.001-08:00

N- Hey Cameron, I have a great idea

C- What?

N- You can share your pumpkin bread with me.

C- Nah, I want to eat my pumpkin bread

N- You need to share

C- I'm sharing with myself

N- Cameron if you do not share I am going to hit you.

(This is where mommy intervened)

5 Wonderful Months!

2008-12-02T05:24:00.000-08:00

Our sweet baby Aiden Christopher is 5 months old today! I can not believe he is so big already-it makes me sad that he is growing so fast. It seems like only yesterday I thought I would be pregnant forever, then he was here- a sweet, fresh little newborn. Now he is so big and chubby, full of smiles and giggles. Aiden is an absolute joy each & every day. He wakes up and goes to sleep with a smile on his face. He has been such a wonderful blessing to our family and we thank God for him each day!

Right now Aiden loves to be naked and cries when he has to get dressed, he enjoys squealing and saying ba-ba-ba-ba. When he watched us eat (he sits on Daddy's lap for dinner) he imitates us by smacking his lips. He is very proficient at bouncing in his jumper and mommy is afraid he is going to shoot right out of it one day. Aiden is happy being held and loves to give slobbery open mouth kisses, he also is content to play with his toys on his blanket- where he has a nice view of what is going on around him.

Everyone who encounters Aiden comments on how pleasant he is! Mommy and Daddy surely agree!

Our family

2008-11-28T07:24:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a quiet, relaxed Thanksgiving at home yesterday as the stomach virus continues to move its way through the boys. Today I am letting the boys lay around while I do laundry & some disinfecting around the house. Hopefully Shane will be home early. We have a ton of pie and the boys are still not feeling well enough to eat it!

I am Thankful For....

2008-11-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

Much To Be Thankful For

2008-11-26T10:57:00.000-08:00

Wow, where has the time gone!
We had planned to travel to the Eastern Shore tomorrow to celebrate Thanksgiving with our extended families but it seems that God has steered us in another direction. Little boys with tummy bugs have led us to plan a dinner here at home. This will be our first Thanksgiving with only our own little family unit. I do wish I would have been able to plan in advance- the last minute decision made purchasing and preparing a meal a little complicated so Shane chose to order the bulk of our meal from a local restaurant. He will be picking up a preprepped turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cornbread, sweet potato casserole, and pumpkin pie. I will add homemade dinner rolls, greenbean casserole, buttered corn and cranberry relish since I already have these on hand at home.
It feels very extravagant to spend this kind of money on a meal, and I cant help but feel wasteful. I have felt led to be a better steward of our resources and even though I am still working toward this goal, it feels nice to focus on the blessings of every little thing that comes our way. This week we were considering throwing away the large uncarved pumpkins we picked at the pumpkin patch. That just seemed so wasteful to me so I did a little research about how to use the pumpkins for food- I had no idea how much you can get out of one pumpkin!

The boys are all growing beautifully- I am blessed beyond measure to be the mother of these children. Our little one Aiden is growing so fast- I am trying to cherish each moment. He is positively the most joyful baby I have ever known! Cameron and Benjamin are now 3 years old- where did my babies go?? They are big boys! They alternate between loving and beating one another! They are such neat little people. Cameron is our "Dinky Peanut" and Ben is our "Curly Top". Nathan just turned 4, and he reminds us daily that 4 is very big. He loves to change his name to "Leo" and he is thrilled with all things red. Brendan has become quite a handful, but underneath his spirited persona is a heart of gold. We are bringing him back home to homeschool and I am so excited to have him with me each day.
God has blessed our family so much- I am just so humbled by His grace & mercy. Even with the world around us so chaotic there is much to be thankful for....

A Savior
A Husband
Five Beautiful Boys
Food to Nourish Us
A Home To Shelter Us
A Fire To Warm Us

C Week!

2008-08-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

Highlights from C Week!

Theme Words- carrot, cat, car

Snacks- cookies, different kinds of crackers, carrot sticks

Animal Science- cows

Bible- Creation

Activity- baking cookies

We worked on the ASL sign for a, b, & c. We read books about this week's themes and did coloring and tracing pages.

B Week!

2008-08-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Here are the highlights of our homeschool Letter B week!

Theme words- banana, Bible, bear

Number/Math- #2, the concept of 'before'

Color- blue

Science- Butterfly

Social Studies- Baker

Bible- 'Baby Jesus was Born in Bethlehem'

Snacks- homemade bread/ homemade butter (made in breadmaker)
blueberry biscuits
bananas
blueberries
banana bread

Book topics- Baby Bear, Brown Bear, Bible, Walter the Baker, Butterfly books

Projects- Cut & Paste Butterfly life cycle
Baking Banana bread

1 month old!

2008-08-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

I just can not believe that Aiden Christopher is one month old today! He is just a delightful baby! He is happy and smiley most of the time- even when he is covered in spit up! He is nursing well & very frequently. He wakes about every 2 hours at night. I put him to bed (with us) between 9 & 10 pm and he is usually actively awake between 7 & 8. His eyes are getting very blue and he is getting chubby rolls all over! His interests right now are mommy, his fashionable diapers, and staring at the ceiling fan.

Wow

2008-07-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

Today is my 30th birthday. Where have the years gone? I guess I am really fortunate that I am one of those people who can say that my life (for the most part) turned out as I planned. As a little girl I loved to play house, to set things up, dress my babies, and make everything 'just-so'. For my entire young life my dream of being a wife, mother, and homemaker was ridiculed by everyone around me. When I had Brendan it seemed I may be destined for single motherhood- in a rental assistance apartment, leaving my sweet boy at daycare and pulling my hair out in the career world. When I met Shane I was so hopeful because finally someone shared my view of the ideal family life. Even though our road together was very bumpy- we eventually got here!
Yes I am thankful for my life as a homemaker with Shane and the boys but it is so much harder then I thought it would be!
I still have parents and grandparents who love me so much that they insist on being part of my life every single day, sisters who still lean on me to help solve their problems, childhood friends who call me first when they finally get engaged. Life would not be the same without any of them! So here are 30 reasons that my 30 years have been blessed:

1. My Savior Jesus Christ
2. Shane
3. Brendan
4. Nathan
5. Cameron
6. Benjamin
7. Aiden
8. Mom
9. Mike
10. Sara
11. Melissa
12. Dad
13. Aunt Barb
14. Jamie
15. Toni
16. Nan
17. Pop
18. Aunt Brenda
19. Katie
20. Christopher
21. Ms. Karen
22. Nancy
23. Jenne
24. NPT Girls
25. Jaheim
26. Navon
27. Zamaya
28. Diane
29. Uncle Ed
30. Ben & Jerry

End of A week

2008-07-26T07:55:00.001-07:00

Well I didnt get around to posting about homeschool each day, but school time still went really well. After Monday's introduction of all our "A" topics we focused a little more specifically on each one. Tuesday was our math day and we discussed Adding one. The boys each had a bowl with one tiny Animal and we took turns Adding Animals and counting how many we had. Wednesday was our science day- we read a story about an Ant and discussed the parts of the Ant's body. Then we enjoyed a snack of Ants on a stick. (raisins stuck to a pretzel stick with sunbutter). Thursday was our social studies day, we discussed Astronauts, read a book about space, and did an Asronaut coloring page. On Friday we reviewed our learning poster and did an Art project- we made an Alligator paper bag puppet. All of our snacks and stories this week began with the letter A. The boys were very engaged and are looking forward to B week. I have to make a trip to the library later to get our B books.

Aiden is fitting into our family so well, I just make sure he is changed and nursed before I begin school time. Then he is either sleeping in his bouncy chair close by or riding in his pouch so he can be part of the action. Even though I am a little tired I am working hard to keep the kids in a nice routine. They thrive in a routine setting, but they go totally crazy without one. Aiden doesnt really have a routine yet but I am encouraging one by trying to follow the same patterns with him as much as I can.

School Time!

2008-07-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

We started our preschool homeschool this morning and things really went well. I decided to use the basic curriculum idea from Letter of the Week with some modifications that I choose. Here are some pictures of our Monday lesson.

Here is this weeks learning poster. On Monday we introduce the concepts on the poster and concentrate our focus on the letter sound and the theme words. We focused on the theme word Apple today.
Here are Cameron & Ben coloring their Apple pages. We are working on following directions such as 'Color the apple red, the leaf green, and the stem brown. On the reverse side of their page I have written their name in large letters. We spell each name when I pass out the papers. Nathan can spell his name very well, Cameron can spell his when he is looking at it, and Ben knows most of the letters in his name. (he does have the longest!)

If you look closely you will see that the boys are trying to make the ASL sign for 'A'.

Our books for today support our theme word of Apple. We also read out Bible story- 'Adam and Eve'.
We finished up school time with a snack of apple slices.

And Aiden makes five!

2008-07-11T06:42:00.000-07:00

Aiden Christopher joined our family on July 2,2008 at 8:28am two weeks and two days past his 'due date'. He is an absolute dream of a baby and I am just as in love with our fifth child as with all the others. It is quite an adjustment getting used to our life with five children- four of them being 3 and under- but we are so thankful for each one of them that even the chaos is a blessing.
Thanks to co-sleeping and breastfeeding I am feeling pretty good, and Daddy is just amazed that Aiden does not cry at all at night- meaning he is getting a full nights rest. I dont mind at all though because Daddy has been a huge help with the other boys- getting up with them and doing morning diaper & potty duty and fixing breakfast.
Our family routine is going through a lot of changes and thanks to our Mothers Helper we hired we are trying to keep the other boys on track while I re-evaluate how we plan our day. Its a good thing it is summer time and I dont feel as much pressure with schooling! I am having a hard time taking them outside though- and that can hopefully change soon. I love the boys spending time outside but I worry about the pool and I feel like I cant chase them fast enough.
Im sure it will all fall into place as we move along in this adventure called life- even on the hardest days I feel so blessed to be home taking care of my children.

9 months!!

2008-06-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

When the daily routine does not happen

2008-02-27T06:34:00.001-08:00

The twins woke super early this morning- I didnt want them to play in their room b/c Nathan was still sleeping & not due up for at least an hour. So I took them downstairs & set them up with books. I did my morning routine- make bed & dress, coffee & Bible, prepare breakfast. Nate got up & I realized that he and Ben both have horrible runny noses. Ben also has his sick look around his eyes. We have been blessed with a long run of great health during a bad cold season- especially with Brendan going to school & bringing home germs.

So I fixed them some oj with EmergenC and an herbal immune booser mixed in, opened the bedroom windows even though its cold, stripped the beds, hung quilts out for a good airing, and washed & changed sheets. They are very cranky so I am letting them watch tv & lay on the couch.

Our daily routine is not happening so far! My cleaning & laundry is being adjusted to do some de-germing, and the boys will be allowed to relax with some tv. It keeps them still at least.

Our federal tax return came and most of it is assigned to debt but I did order the little ones all new carseats- Radians so we can fit all of our kids in the van. Its not fun dropping that kind of money at one time but its cheaper then a new van!

To Do Today:
Bedding Laundry
Wipe Downs
Cuddle sick kiddies

To Eat:
Breakfast- banana bread, yogurt, juice
Lunch- sandwiches, avacado & oranges
Dinner- hmmmm, I dont know yet!!!

Yesterday blues & looking forward to today

2008-02-26T05:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was just so worn out from a poor nights sleep, I just couldnt keep up with the routine like I like to. I wasnt as consistent with correcting the children as I should be. I left them alone with activites a few times instead of constantly tomato staking them. I am praying for a better day today! I slept better and only had to wake up once for a child. The boys are all good sleepers but with 3 children I end up with night wakings several times a week.

This morning Nate woke early (again) so we had breakfast a little early. I am so glad I pre-prep breakfast at night. I fill their cups & put them in the fridge, sit out napkins, plates, bowls and any food items that do not need to be cold. It really makes breakfast prep a breeze.

I am also working on 'parking' the boys while I get them dressed. They 'park' on the couch (or as they call it- the garage) until everyone is dressed. Now I am sitting here and they are near me playing puzzles. Laundry is going- my mother blessed us with a bunch of new clothes for the boys and for me so I need to get them all washed & put away. She bought all the little boys (including the new baby) matching baseball outfits to wear to B's games.

Here is my to do list for to day:
Vaccum & Dust
Wipe down bathrooms
Wash, fold, put away laundry
Bake banana bread

Here is our menu for today:

Breakfast- oatmeal, yogurt, orange juice
Lunch- sunbutter sandwiches, avacado slices, strawberries
Dinner- chicken stuffing casserole, veggie, fruit

Reflecting

2008-02-25T05:43:00.000-08:00

Monday mornings are always a time of reflection for me. I think about our weekend, our time shared together as a family, time spent alone with my husband, and the endless possiblities of a new week.

I am constantly frustrated with myself on the weekends because I depend on Shane too much. I want to stick to my same routines and schedules but it is so easy to let him get up with the boys while I get an extra hour of sleep. He's just so sweet about it- he cherishes that little bit of time where he gets to be alone with them like I am all week. But then I wake up feeling off b/c I am not on schedule. *sigh*

We usually take the boys to lunch on the weekends and it is so nice. They got so many compliments on their behavior and how they sing songs while waiting for their food. I am just so in love with my family- I love being out with them for everyone to see!

Today I will start the week off with laundry (1 load of diapers, 1 load of kids, 2 loads of grownup)
I can do most of this with the kids 'helping' me. Then when we go upstairs they will have table time while I vaccum upstairs. Dinner (black bean chili) is already in the crock pot and I will bake some cornbread at naptime.

What our morning looks like

2008-02-21T05:41:00.000-08:00

In a house of little ones our routines are constantly changing & shifting- Im sure when the new baby is born we will need to change things around even more. My goal is to have the childrens routine running like a well oiled machine before the birth- as well oiled as life with toddlers can get anyway!

I wakeup between 7 and 7:15. I make my bed as I am getting out of it and head to my closet & get dressed then I open the blinds- I just love the way the early morning sun shines on my colorful quilt and bright white sheets.

I head to the kitchen where my coffee is brewed and waiting- thanks to my sweet hubby (I dont know how to work the timer). I prepare breakfast which is easy b/c I fill juice cups, set out bananas, bowls, & spoons the night before. When breakfast is done I head downstairs & wake up Brendan. I check my email & IM Shane while I supervise him making his bed & dressing. We go up together & I sit down with my Bible & coffee while he eats.

When I am done with my chapter I bring the little ones from their rooms to the breakfast table. If they hppen to waken early they would have been playing quietly with the books we put in their rooms at night.

We eat breakfast together, then Nathan helps me clean up. The twins watch from their chairs or wipe the table with a rag. After breakfast we head downstairs & get dressed, change diapers, & brush teeth.

I get a bin of books down from the shelf and they sit on the couch while I start diaper laundry and spend a few minutes online.

When I get off here we will simply play with toys together for about an hour while I supervise closely. This is mostly free play for them.

Around 10 we will do our first tidy up of the day and then they will watch me do some cleaning. Our main chores this time of day is laundry and downstairs cleaning. When we are done cleaning I will direct some play.

Around 11-11:30 we head up tp the table & do our school time. We do flash cards, songs and stories. Then I give them an paper and crayons to playwith while I prepare lunch.

At 12 the church bells ring & they know that this means lunch time! We clear away our coloring & say our blessing. Then we enjoy lunch together!

That is how morning looks at our home! (On a good day!)

New Years To- Do

2007-12-28T08:36:00.000-08:00

Deep clean & purge kitchen

Organize, pare-down, purge scrapbooking area

De clutter laundry room

de clutter school closet

re-organize toys, rotating to bedrooms

declutter, re-organize Brendan's room

Work on meal planning

Develop a plan for childrens bedrooms when new baby comes

Cut down internet time

This is my list of new years cleaning. I want to have it all completed by the end of January. I am hoping that now that I am in the 2nd trimester I will have more energy aand I can fix some things that were neglected while I was not feeling well.

I really need to cut back on my internet time. I am totally addicted. Plus it is pretty much my only source of socialization. But I need to spend more direct time with my kids and my home. We are working so hard on child training and its going well but it could be even better if I spent more time supervising them.

Overwhelmed

2007-12-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

I have been so overwhelmed the past few weeks. A lot of that was due to Christmas, but now that its over I am overwhelmed with the results of Christmas. I am trying to look at it like this- if I am overwhelmed it must mean I am very blessed. Kids, laundry, dirty dishes, toys, visitors, are all signs of abundant blessings, right?

I had reached the end of my rope with the behavior going on in our house and I feel like God has really given me peace. Biblical discipline has done wonders for my home life in a very short time. I am a happier, gentler, better mama. The kids are so happy. Sure they are still toddlers but the difference is still amazing.

I am trying to get order back in our house and in my head! But its taking baby steps. When something stresses me out I walk away for a few minutes (or longer) then I go back to it when my head is clear.

Well, I really dont have much else to say, laundry needs to be folded and nathan is being a bully. Ahh, the joys of mommyhood!

Thankful

2007-11-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

I have so much to be thankful for, and I am pretty good at being thankful for the obvious things. But...I need to do better at being thankful for the blessings in disguise that often get overlooked. If I didnt have floors to mop and tubs to scrub then I obviously would not have a home. If I didnt have shirts to iron & a lunch to pack then I obviously wouldnt have a husband who works hard for me every day. If I didnt have the queasies then I wouldnt have a tiny babe growing in my tummy. If I didnt have a mountain of laundry then there wouldnt be anyone to wear & dirty the tiny socks & soft pj's.

I am so so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with my precious family. I love Shane & the boys so much & I could not even imagine a second of a life without them. I am sad for people who dont have what I have.

I am thankful for Christ, without him I would have no one to lay my burdens upon and no hope of the blessings to come.

I am thankful for health- it is so easy to take for granted until you hear of a mama with teminal cancer & wee ones to leave behind.

So than you God for all your good work in my life. I feel so undeserving, so humbled, and so so thankful.

Life Right Now

2007-11-13T06:37:00.001-08:00

I feel like life has changed so much the past few weeks. We did decide to enroll Brendan in school. we were hoping to wait a while but he was being increasingly difficult regarding his schoolwork and he asked if he could go now. He seems so, so happy about his choice. I have mixed feelings. I believe homeschooling is best and I feel very guilty for not making it work. But it just didnt seem fair to keep him in a home full of toddlers all day. The first day I took him to school I came home and started to pack away our homeschool materials and thats when the tears started!

B going to school has really changed our day. It has helped me be more disciplined about getting up, dressed, room cleaned, breakfast prepped, & laundry started before the kids wake up. I also have much more time for the little ones & I am hoping this helps their behavior some. I have a huge chunk of time (naptime) to clean up or rest and then we go pick him up. The structure so far is nice- I am that kind of person & I was feeling like a slacker before. But I do miss him a lot. And right now I should be playing with the kids but I am hiding out on the computer.

The pregnancy is going well, I am starting to feel a little better but I am still pretty tired.

3 years old!

2007-11-05T04:22:00.000-08:00

Isnt he beautiful! Yesterday Nathan Joseph Michael turned 3! He has become such a big boy and he continues to make me laugh every single day! Nathan was only my youngset for a short time but in my heart he is still a baby to me! He loves trains and books, cars and animals. He is a wild animal one minute and a cuddle bug the next! Happy Birthday baby boy! Mama loves you so very much!

Thoughts

2007-11-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is really weighing on my mind right now. I have been adamant for the last 2 years that our next baby be born at home. It has become a dream for me. There are so many reasons both emotional and practical. I absolutely believe it is the best thing for myself and our new baby. Shane has said he will support me in this, he sees the good things about it, he has agreed that we will pay for it. BUT he has admitted he thinks I am being selfish and irrational because the cost of the birth is going to be a huge financial burden on us. He thinks I should consider the hospital because I can go there for free.

So I feel awful. He will go along with whatever I want, but how can I go through with my homebirth if I will know in my heart he resents me for it?

To Do:

2007-10-29T04:54:00.000-07:00

I am so behind in my household duties! Recovering from the wedding, planning a birthday party, and the end of baseball not to mention pregnancy queasies have really medded up my house!

Things I need to accomplish today: (BOLD=done)
ALL laundry including diapers and starting bedding which will be finished tomorrow

Clean & organize fridge

Organize playroom with new toys, put toys away for rotation

School with Brendan

Put heavier blankest on beds- it was cold last night! -partially done

Try to do some meal planning to help with my nausea - partially done

Declutter laundry room- where we shove everything during parties.

General tidy of house (weekend, party recovery) -partially done

Limit computer time -failed!

Spend quality time with my boys

Spend some time in the Word

2 years ago...

2007-10-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today Double Trouble made their grand entrance into the world! Cameron John and Benjamin James are 2 years old today! Happy Birthday my amazing, beautiful, silly, unique, smart, sweet, cuddly, energetic, crazy baby boys! Mama loves you more then words can ever say!!

A full family weekend!

2007-10-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun as a family this weekend! Friday night Brendan's practice was cancelled so Shane went out and gut Arby's for dinner- nothing like fast food to start the weekend off right!! At least I ate a turkey sandwich! The kids all went to bed & we watched a movie together.

Saturday we went to the petting zoo & pumpkin patch & the kids had a great time. Nathan was just in love with the little goats! He was so excited that they would eat from his hand. Shane grilled our dinner & it was so good!

Sunday we all headed to the baseball field to watch B play. There were acorns to collect & a nice dirt pile to play in! And Brendan hit a 3 run homer, pitched a one hitter, and made some really amazing plays! He is such a little star!

We went out for pizza with a family of friends and it was really yummy! When we came home we played outside until the sun went down! So many people tell us we need to get away from our kids.....why????? They are the most fun people I know! Sure they are hard work but they make me laugh & smile like no one else on earth! Shane and I are bored when just one of them goes off to visit grandma for an afternoon! The few times we have gone out to dinner or something we always end up saying "The kids would love .... " or "Can you imagine if the kids were here"

Changes

2007-10-16T06:35:00.000-07:00

Its amazing how one week you think your life is going one direction and then something happens that turns you a totally different way. I had begun to feel so at peace with our family of six and really happy about our boys growing & becoming more independent. And now..... baby number 5 is on the way. Wow. 5 kids? I am overwhelmed with the 4 I have. This is such a shock! I know this is a wonderful blessing but I cant help but be totally freaked about all the 'logistics'.

*I dont think Benjamin will handle this well at all. He is my baby in every way. Nathan will be thrilled- he loves babies, Cameron I am not so sure!

The most difficult part will be that we may end up sending Brendan back to school. I want what is best for him and if I am not going to be able to give him that then I need to realize it & do the right thing. I am also struggling with wondering if it is really fair to keep him home with a house full of babies & toddlers rather then kids his own age.

Also I had developed such strong opinions on how I wanted to raise this next baby and I just dont know if we will be able to afford it. I hate the thought of settling and compromising on things that matter so much to me.

Busy Happenings!

2007-10-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

My wonderful baby sis is getting married Saturday! I can not believe it! We have so much going on around here. Since I am her Matron of Honor I am doing my best to help with things but she is a terrible procrastinator and it is stressing me out. I am making the place cards for the reception. They are a glass heart shaped picture frame with a picture of Sara & Chris. They are ties with a sheer white ribbon and a tag of white cardstock is attached. The cardstock is printed with the name of each guest and the table they are assigned to. Rather then numbers the tables are all named after places that are important to Sara & Chris. There is a centerpiece of red roses & green hydrangeas with a large card in the middle. The card is black cardstock accented with white & velum. It displays a story about why that location is special and the opposite side displays a black and white photo of them at that place. I made those cards as well.

I will be occupied with wedding events from 10am on Friday until late Saturday night and the problem with this is that I will be away from my precious children!! I will not see them from Friday morning until Shane arrives at the wedding with them on Saturday afternoon. Then the twins will be going back home after the ceremony and not attending the reception. This is really making me sad but I will not be able to help Shane with them and we had to decide what will be best for our whole family :-(

I am trying to finish my place cards and get the house in order so that Friday and Saturday will go smoothly for them even if I am not here.

The Evening Rhythm

2007-10-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

*Eat and Clean up dinner

*Family Time (We just play together as a family, going outside, reading books, talking)

*Wind down for bed- baths if needed, pj's, cuddles, stories

*Tuck in little ones for bed

*Walk through & tidy up

*Complete any chores not done during chore time

*Prepare for tomorrow

*Quiet time with Brendan, goodnight Brendan

*Quiet time with Shane

*Shower, reading, bedtime

The Afternoon Rhythm

2007-10-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

*Prepare, Eat, and Clean up Lunch

*Tuck little ones in for naps

*TIdy up downstairs and fold laundry

*Afternoon school with Brendan, one on one with Brendan

*Chore Time * Pre-prep for dinner (this is when I will complete cleaning tasks that I can not do with the babies all awake)

*Quiet Time

*Activity with Nathan (coloring, playdough, books....)

*Babies wake up, get changed then we hopefully head outside to play until dinner time

*Set kids up with toys & Prepare Dinner/ Walk through house

The Morning Rhythm

2007-10-04T12:33:00.001-07:00

In my quest to shift from a rigid schedule to a peaceful rhythm this is my new list of goals for each morning.

*Wake, Dress, Make Bed

* Coffee & Bible

*Get up little ones, change their diapers, set them up with toys or books

*Make Beds & Tidy upstairs (this used to be a detailed list but I just didnt need that much structure)

*Prepare, Eat, Clean up Breakfast

*Boys get dressed

*Set up school & playtime

*Start Laundry & do something on daily to-do list

*School & Play until lunch

My old list was over a page long and it just didnt provide me with the peace & simplicity I need in my life. Do I really need to schedule a time to read to my children? No thank you!

thursday

2007-10-04T12:22:00.000-07:00

This morning Cameron woke everyone up extra early so I took them all downstairs and changed diapers. I sat with them hoping they would ask to nurse like yesterday but they didnt. They were looking at books while I snuck upstairs and made all the beds. I was grouchy b/c I didnt have any creamer for my coffee! Breakfast was once again oatmeal, yogurt, & bananas. After cleaning up breakfast I dressed all the boys and Brendan started his copywork. I was playing animal figures with the boys pretending we were having an animal party but Benjamin just wanted to knock them all down.
Shane surprised me with a cup of coffee so I felt much better. I got Brendan started on Math and I started my diaper laundry. The 3 amigos played puzzles then we sat on the couch to do finger plays- they love this!

After morning school we went outside even though the weather was gray. Nathan ran in circles, Cameron played on the slide and Ben ate wood chips. Brendan read from his novel then narrated it back to me. We came in for a lunch of spinach quesadillas and watermelon. Then while the little ones napped Brendan went outside to work on his Nature Journal. I made bread for dinner, folded laundry, swept the hard floors, and de cluttered the playroom shelves.

Now Nathan is awake and he is coloring with Brendan. When the twins get up we will go back outside and play with chalk and bubbles!

sigh

2007-10-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

Raising children is hard!!! Dont get me wrong, I love and adore my 4 sweet sons but it is no easy job! I want them to be happy and carefree but I also want them to learn about respect and good behavior. I do not want to spank my children- I read things that made me feel like this was a bad choice but I know in my heart that I do not want my children to fear my hand. But I dont quite agree with total gentle discipline either. I think children should learn to obey and respect their parents- if my son does not obey my instructions for basic day to day tasks how can I know that he will follow important rules when I am not around to protect him (playing with the stove, going with a stranger, running into the street)

The thing is- I want them to *want* to please mama- not do it out of fear. But I must be honest with myself- my younger 3 are quite wild. They climb everything, and they seem to destroy everything in their path!! Now that the twins are turning 2 we have been implementing a time out system. I used to disagree with time out but with 3 small children copying each other I just need something!

Weaning

2007-10-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

My precious babies Cameron & Benjamin have been on the road to weaning for a little while now and I am pretty sure it may be over :-( It has been a long, bumpy, amazing road that we have traveled together. Nursing them did not come easily and I am so glad we stuck it out.

Things had been different for about 2 months- they didnt have much interest and when they did nurse they spent very little time latched and suckling, and most of the time being silly. I could tell that my supply was taking a dive.

Also, Nathan had been terribly jealous and this had been upsetting me. I have felt so much guilt over his early weaning and this was not helping at all.

I had decided to continue or morning and evening sessions as long as they asked. Well, Benjamin has always been the asker- Cameron just joins in. On September 28th I just really felt the need to nurse them one on one rather then tandeming. So I did and I spent those moments thinking about how they looked as they nursed. They nursed together for a few minutes that night.

They have not initiated nursing since. I do not even have a little engorgment which supports my thoughts that my supply had died. I honestly feel as though I am in mourning. I have been physically connected to these babies every single day for almost 2 years and now it may be over. My heart is so heavy and I am feeling very guilty that I have not done more to make it last longer.

A Lovely Monday

2007-10-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

In my ongoing efforts to create a peaceful home life I am slowly considering & trying out a Charlotte Mason type homeschool with Brendan. It seems overall to really fit in to the way I want to educate him. I admit I dont know much about it yet but the more I read the more I like. Our day so far:
I awoke as Shane was getting ready for work and I made the bed as I got up. I sat in my chair in the "Pretty Room" to read my Bible. The sunlight just fills that room in the morning and when coupled with the cool breeze at the open windows it is such a great day to start the day.

I heard little noises from the bedroom so I helped Nathan make his bed and the twins get up and come down to the playroom where we change diapers and get settled with a few toys. I went back upstairs and opened their bedroom windows to let the fresh air in. Brendan was going about his Morning routine as well. making his bed, getting dressed, and reading his Bible.

I made a quick breakfast of oatmeal, yogurt, and smoothies. The twins are just getting the hang of using a spoon! After we ate I dressed all the little ones and set Brendan up with his copywork. He did a beautiful job! When he did his math lesson I spent some time with the littles looking at our letter cards, doing finger plays, and reading books.

After morning school we went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. The boys spent an hour pulling each other in their 2 little red wagons. They searched around the yard for grasses, leaves, and sticks that looked different and filled a wagon with these treasures. Then we came in to prepare lunch and Nathan threw a nice fit!

Lunch was sandwiches, fresh strawberries, and carrot sticks- which Brendan snuck into the trash. Then littles went down for a nap and Brendan finished his schoolwork with Reading, Narration, and Geography. I read some more from my Bible and folded diapers while I sat with him.

Now he is tidying his bedroom and I am here! I am hopeful for a great afternoon spent playing outside. When Shane gets home he will grill our dinner which we will eat with baked beans and yummy watermelon!

A Happy Childhood

2007-09-28T13:09:00.001-07:00

One of my greatest goals right now is to give my boys a happy childhood. I want them to love passionaltely, laugh constantly, and live each day for the glory of God. I want them to delight in each simple thing he has given us.
Today we were outside, the little ones running around, Brendan working on his nature journal. Brendan had chosen to write about the roots of the tree that shades our play area. He studied them closely, feeling the rough bark and cool moss. The little ones delighted in tiny baby crickets that hopped onto the sidewalk when we walked through the grass. They tried so hard to catch them & the poor lone cricket that was finally caught found his way to Nathan's digestive system :-S

We collected the leaves that had recently started to fall, trying to find & compare as many colors as possible. Some leaves were simply breathtaking- they must have been in their color changing process because they looked almost like tie dyed. Our God is an amazing artist!

At naptime Brendan and I were inspired by our leaf collection to make beautiful pictures of trees and attach our leaf collection to the paper.

there was so much beauty in our day.

Simple Living.

2007-09-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

The word simple envokes amazing feelings within me. It reminds me of showing my young sons a ladybug on a leaf or enjoying a backyard picnic with my husband as our children run around us. I have taken great steps the past year to simplify our life as a family. I had gotten so caught up in trying to keep the perfect home, be the perfect homeschool mom, perfect child trainer...... I was making my life WAY to complicated. You know there is something wrong when you tell your 2 year old that you cant read a story because its not on the schedule at that moment. Granted, I think routines are essential in caring for a family but I was spending far to much energy "managing" my home then enjoying my home & family.
So am setting a goal of simple living. That means different things to different people obviously. For me it means following a very basic routine and scrapping my detailed schedules. I was so diligent about cleaning on a schedule but I still had to spend extra time cleaning other things b/c with all our little ones I just couldnt predict where the dirt would land each day. So I simply set aside "cleaning time" in my routine. I take care of what needs attention at that moment. We have never had a problem keeping a very clean house so the rigid schedule actually made things harder.
Simplifying our life has also been about living a more natural lifestyle and reducing clutter in our homes and minds. Less clutter in our minds has certainly helped us draw closer to each other and more importantly to the Lord. We have cut out so much unnecessary material posessions and bad influences & it really feels great!! Here is a list of some of our acheivements & goals for simplifying our life.

*We try to cook from scratch and eat as much fresh and organic foods as possible.
*We eliminated our microwave & use the stove to warm food.
*We use simple homemade cleaning products for almost everything.
*We cut off our cable and eliminated all tv for the younger 3 boys.
*We purged a ton of toys and replaced some with simple natural toys to encourage their imagination
*We have been slowly cutting purging our plastic products.
*We scratched our rigid master schedule and replaced it with a flexible routine.
*We are constantly decluttering,
*We recycle

Goals:
Eliminate plastics for food & drink purposes.
Continue to overhaul & simplify toys
Spend more time outdoors
Have a larger garden next year
Research composting
Simplify our homeschool plans
Continue to focus on each & every blessing no matter how tiny!

Cloth Diapering!

2007-08-11T10:46:00.001-07:00

I love cloth diapers! People think I am crazy when I say that but I really really do! I discovered cloth when Nathan was a few months old. My first purchase was a package of Chinese Prefolds and 6 Bummis Super Whisper Wraps. We got off to an ok start, they worked well & were not much work at all. But then I was pregnant with my twins and I did not see how I could do 3 in cloth so we went back to disposables.

When the twins were 3 months old I was amazed how many diapers we were going through! It was expensive and it produced a ton of waste. I decided to break out my cloth yet again. My hubby thought I would give up again so in order to prove myself to him I diapered the twins full time with a very small stash & washing twice a day. He agreed to let me purchase 6 used Fuzzi Bunz on ebay for Nathan and when they arrived we were both hooked! We purchased a dozen Fuzzi Bunz per child and we are still using them today!

It is so so easy to cloth diaper! We keep a regular old plastic diaper pail in our laundry room and all diapers are thrown right in. Poopy diapers are just shaken over the toilet first. I wash daily because my pail gets full fast but its so easy! We do a cold rinse with no detergent, then a hot wash/cold rinse cycle with detergent, then a final extra cold rinse. Once a week I run an extra hot rinse to remove any detergent build up. I start diapers after breakfast and i stuff & fold them at naptime. We stuff one microfiber insert for day time and we add a tri-folded Chinese Prefold for night time.

I store my diapers on a large shelf in our playroom because the kids spend most of their time there. We have 3 stacks- mediums for the twins, larges for Nathan, and a stack of Night Time diapers. I also have 2 wipe boxes of cloth wipes- 1 wet and 1 dry, and a diaper caddy with extra inserts. In the twins room I have a canvas nursery cart with 4 sections. That holds our prefolds and Bummi's covers. They are not part of our daily rotation but we keep them on hand just in case.

When we go out I have a drawstring wet bag that I just keep in my diaper bag. It really is very simple! I wish more moms would know how easy cloth really is!

8 years ago today...

2007-08-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

My precious first born son took his first breath. Brendan has taught me more about love, laughter, joy, and humbleness then any other person I know. When I held that tiny baby I didnt know why God would trust me with something so precious. Now he is becoming a young man right before my eyes. Brendan- I love you more then words can say. Happy Birthday B!

Our Vacation

2007-08-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a week since we returned home from our beach vacation and things are back to normal so much so that it seems like a distant memory. What a wonderful time we had! It was pure joy to spend so much time together as a family.

The boys had a great time. The little ones loved eating sand and dumping it on their heads. They also rode their first kiddie rides at the Boardwalk.

Brendan was such a big kid- riding the waves and his first Upside Down Roller Coaster!

I loved staying in our small 2 bedroom condo- there was something so quaint and peaceful about tucking all our children into bed in the same room and having them eat, play, & read in such close quarters. It really made out own home seem huge. I wonder if I would enjoy such close quarters for day to day living?

On the way home Shane surprised us by stopping at a park in a tiny country town so we could eat lunch and stretch our legs. It was so wonderful it felt like a dream. I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with my husband & children. I am so in love with all of them that I feel as if my heart could burst.

Where has the time gone!

2007-07-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

I really want to be good at this blogging thing but these summer days have kept us so busy! We did a remodel on our utility room which meant no internet for 2 weeks, and now we are preparing to go on a week long vacation-yay! My hardworking husband will be off for 10 days and he really deserves it.

Some of my thoughts:
* Its time to order Brendan's curriculum for next year- I can not believe he is about to turn 8 years old!! I am praying that he will find more joy in homeschooling this year.

* Shane and I are considering using a grocery delivery service. I feel kind of spoiled even considering it. It will cost us less than $10 for the delivery and I think it will make things much easier on me. Currently when I go shopping there are 2 carts that will work for me and if they are not available I need to use a regular cart and my double stroller, plus there is not enough extra room in the van to really stock up. Shane will do the shopping on weekends but I hate to bother him with it. He thinks the delivery is worth it so I think we'll give it a try.

* We are going to the beach for a week! We would never be able to afford it on our own but my parents rented us side-by-side condos right on the beach and we are so excited! The little ones have never been to the beach so it should be fun just watching them! I doubt it will be very relaxing, but fun none the less!

* I am STILL working on tweaking my cleaning schedule :-S With hosting so many get togethers I have just gotten so out of order and its driving me a little nuts.

Well I guess thats it for now!

Our Anniversary

2007-06-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

Today Shane and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary. There just arent words to describe the importance of this day. Being Shane's wife if the most important part of my life, aside from worshipping the Lord. I love this man so very much! He is everything I ever dreamed of.
We did have lovely dinner plans but Brendan has decided to act out badly today and we will not be able to go. I am sad, but we will still spend time together this evening. He sent me 2 dozen beautiful pink roses today- my favorite color!

Friday Blessing

2007-06-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

It seems like lots of people do a Flylady-like Home Blessing on Monday. I prefer to do it on Friday. I want our home at it's freshest & prettiest when my beloved husband is home to enjoy it! After all, he's the one who works so hard to provide this home for us! Then on the weekends he works hard taking care of our yard & pool. He is such a wonderful man!

So the boys and I will spend the day walking through each room tidying up. I wash all bed linens and catch up the laundry. The kitchen & bathrooms get a wipe down and all the carpets are vaccumed. I mopped yesterday so today I will only need to spot clean!

I love the weekends so much! Having Shane home is such a treat!

My beloved

2007-06-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

I am spending today preparing for Fathers Day Weekend. I want the house in perfect condition so that my wonderful husband feels relaxed all weekend long. I am so blessed to call this man my husband. He is an amazing husband, father, provider, and most of all a man of God. He loves the Lord so deeply it is constantly inspiring.

My desire to submit myself to him took time but when I prayerfully realized that submitting to him was God's will my life and my marriage became happier than ever! I have so much joy in my husband! I always want to find ways to show him I love him even during the day when he is not here. One of the ways I try to show this is with his laundry. It may sound silly but I love doing his laundry. My goal is that it is always done while he is at work & he never has to see it being done. I like him to feel that his clothing just appears back in his drawers & closet- fresh, clean, folded, & ironed.

I always try to greet him at the car with saying "I am so happy you're home". Before he arrives I get the children set up with activities, do a quick check that the house is in order, meet him at the car and listen to him talk about his day as he unpacks his bag and changes clothes. I dont call the children to dinner until he's ready- but usually he can't wait to see them so he brings them to the table on his own. His face just glows when the little ones hug him around the legs yelling "Daddy, Daddy"

I am so thankful for my sweet husband. I can never express it enough, there just arent words! I am honored to be his wife and the mother of his children and the person he calls his best friend.

Thursday Post

2007-06-14T04:22:00.000-07:00

Thursday is not a big cleaning day for me so we are heading out to do some errands today. We need to pick up Brendan's standardized test results and head to Target for new swimming trunks, a new curling iron, and Fathers Day stuff. I used to be terrified of going out with all the kids by myself but I feel like I have finally gotten the hang of it & its so much fun. If gas was not so expensive I would get out a lot more!

To Do:
Vaccum downstairs
Wash Shane & Amy's laundry
Diapers
Errands
Dinner prep

To Eat:
Pumpkin Bread, bananas, milk
Sandwiches, watermelon, milk
Chicken cutlets, mixed veggies, salad, ice water

Mid week thoughts

2007-06-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

Our week is going well, this is our first official week of Brendan's summer homeschool. I have been tweaking our routines and schedules and that is going well. Cleaning chores are also going well & the house has been sparkling most of the time. We are also on our first week of Meal Rotation that hubby & I came up with. We are trying to streamline our grocery shopping and to avoid stress over the babies food allergies. It may seem boring to a lot of people but having 7 set meals is not bad at all. Especially since one night is always a carry out treat!

To Do :
Mop all hard floors
Detail clean kitchen
Science Day with Brendan
Homeschool with wee ones
Diapers
Wash rugs

To Eat:
Oatmeal, bagels, bananas, & milk/rice milk

Turkey Sandwiches, watermelon, & milk/rice milk

BBQ meatballs, baked beans, & lemonade

Weekend Recovery A Day Late

2007-06-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Well my family actually showed up Sunday! It was a nice visit until the very end when my sweet 3 year old nephew tripped and hit his head. A huge lump popped up and we were pretty concerned. We kept my sister here for 2 extra hours because she is a single mother and we didnt want her to be alone in an emergency. Nephew was just fine though, after ice and Happy Feet. This did keep me from doing my nightly walk through & put away so I had a bit extra on Monday Morning.

I spent a big chunk of Monday putting all Brendan's schoolwork into a binder for his School Board Review this week.

Today I will finish organizing the binder and clean both bathrooms.

2007-06-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Here is Nathan's sweet little room. When we were expecting Nathan we lived in a small rented townhome but we still decorated a nursery. It was an adorable sports theme. When the twins came along we had to move to another rental home and Nathan moved in with Brendan so all his sweet sports decor went to the babies. When we were blessed with our own home I really wanted a special room for Nathan. I still had this Firetruck bed and Transportation wall decor from Brendan's younger days so I was able to decorate this room with very little money. I bought him new bedding and window tiebacks in a truck theme.

Not shown in this picture are the Railroad and Rt66 signs I found online. He does very well trying to make his bed & put his toys in their place. We did put his dresser inside the closet & added a childproof lock because he developed a fondness for emptying his drawers!

Praising His Holy Name!

2007-06-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

Benjamin's pathology report came in today and his mass is officially benign. I cried tears of joy! Thank you sweet Lord for blessing my baby boy with health & healing. You have carried us through this little adventure and we have come out the other end with a greater appreciation for for all the wonderful gifts the Lord has given us. When I was praying for the best but preparing for the worst I kept saying in my head "The Lord giveth & the Lord taketh away" because I knew that Benjamin was completely in His hands.
Now I can give thanks and rejoice that Ben is not sick! He is well, praise the Lord!

Happy Friday

2007-06-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

Yay it's Friday!! One weeks since Ben's surgery & he can finally get a real bath! Brendan and I are going to work on Homeschool Review & our Friday chores.

To Do:
Vaccum whole house
Mop all hard floors
Diapers
De clutter downstairs rooms

On the menu:
Breakfast: bagels, bananas, yogurt, milk
Lunch: meatballs, watermelon, milk
Dinner: baked chicken, seasoned mixed veggies, ice water

Playing Catch Up!

2007-05-31T08:07:00.001-07:00

Now that Ben is able to play with his brothers again I am working to get back on track with our daily routines! All the laundry is caught up and the bathrooms are sparkling! I am going to do some more detail cleaning during naptime! I have a cleaning schedule but it needs tweaking badly, what worked 6 months ago is just not working with 3 toddlers in the house! Plus I want to amke some adjustments that will allow us to spent a lot of time outdoors this summer!

We are expecting a visit this weekend from my father & stepmother. They have not visited in over a year. They only live an hour away but we are unable to visit them because they are heavy smokers and our twins have respiratory issues. It has been heavy on my heart so I am hoping they follow through and show up this weekend. I am a little anxious about making sure everything is 'just right' for this visit.

Well, the washer just finished my load of diapers!

Benjamin update

2007-05-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

Benjamin's drain was removed today! This makes it so much easier to care for him! The doctor reasured us once again that the mass was probably a clump of blood vessels and the pathology should come back clean. We should have confirmation by Friday.

Daily life has really been thrown off by Ben's care. I am really looking forward to getting back into our routine and enjoying our relaxing summer! We are expecting company this weekend so I will start preparing & planning for that. And maybe I'll actually complete my to-do list for the first time in 2 1/2 weeks!

Today after Ben's appointment I did some yardwork and Shane has been laying new wood chips in the play area. What an amazing daddy!

Dinner tonight will be leftovers so we dont have anything go to waste! There is laundry to fold and tidying to be done!

To Do, To Eat

2007-05-29T03:46:00.000-07:00

Most of my day will be spent supervising Benjamin however I do hope to get some cleaning chores done!

Bathrooms
Mine & Shane's laundry
Tidy laundry room
Tidy playroom
School closet

On the menu for today:

Breakfast- bagel, yogurt, fruit & milk
Lunch- burger dogs, watermelon, & milk
Dinner- BBQ meatballs, peas, icewater

A Lovely Day

2007-05-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

Ben just does not seem to realize he just had surgery! He is running everywhere. In an effort to keep him still we went out to run errands so he could have a nice long stroller ride. During out shopping we stopped for a lovely lunch at Panera Bread. I like it there so much more then traditional fast food, especially because they serve organics in their kid's meals.

The little ones were just so so well behaved & I had a wonderful time with my sweet family! Then when we were packing up the van to leave, my cell phone fell out of the diaper bag and Shane ran it over with the van :-(

Benjamin the Brave!

2007-05-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Ben's surgery went very well. He arrived at Hopkins at 10am and went back to the OR around 12. Daddy carried him back and remained at his side until he was fully sedated, then he had to leave. It was very hard to see my strong husband cry when he came out of the room. We ate lunch and sat in the waiting room but we didnt talk much. I was getting antsy when the 1 hour mark came & went but we were informed that the mass was a little larger then expected but things were going smoothly. Around 2 Dr. Lau came out and told us that the surgery was sucessfull, Ben needed a drain since the area was larger then anticipated, but they were confident the mass was a hemangioma and the results will be benign. This was wonderful to hear but I dont think I will be fully relieved until we confirm it next week.

Ben looked a little pitiful in recovery but after some pain meds he calmed down and we took him home. He spent most of the ride eating animal crackers and raisins. When we got home he was playing like normal- this scared me b/c I am afraid he will get hurt! Shane has been amazing and doing most of the dressing and changing b/c he is a little more relaxed about it. I dont know what I'd do without my wonderful husband.

Ben is on oxycodone and tylenol for pain and we will start weaning him off on Monday. He goes in to have his drain removed on Wednesday!

Praise our Heavenly Father for blessing our family so abundanty. Benjamin is such a precious gift from God!

2007-05-24T07:47:00.000-07:00

Today's to-do list is quite long, preparing for Ben's surgery & recovery. I attempted to start out by going grocery shopping but my credit card was declined at checkout. Pretty humbling/humiliating. I called Shane and he feels badly but I am still trying so hard not to be upset with him. This is the 3rd time this has happened to me. I always ask him how I should pay and how much money I can spend. I know we are overextended & living paycheck to paycheck but why did he want me to quit my little babysitting job if we cant even buy food?? I never want to go in that store again.

Ham & Split Pea Soup

2007-05-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

1 lb bag of dried split green peas
1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can carrots
5 cups water
I throw all ingredients into our large crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir about once every hour and add water if needed. Time and water may vary based on individual preference for consistency & texture. I serve this soup with fresh, thickly sliced bread and a fresh green salad.

Wednesday

2007-05-23T05:13:00.001-07:00

On the Menu:

Breakfast: yogurt, granola bars, peaches, & milk/rice milk

Lunch: turkey & cheese sandwiches, watermelon, & milk/rice milk

Dinner: split pea & ham crockpot soup, fresh bread, green salad, ice water

Things to do:
Organize upstairs utility closet

Laundry

School with B

Work on homeschool closet

Work on detail cleaning of kitchen & laundry room

Our Master Bedroom

2007-05-23T05:01:00.000-07:00

Our master bedroom is quite simple but I find it peaceful & lovely. Shane painted it a shade of gray/green called "Sprig of Ivy". We chose the color from our Pottery Barn patchwork quilt. This pattern was discontinued but I was able to find it on ebay. It is a beautiful quilt! We have not been able to afford new furniture just yet and for a while we were livivng with an empty room! Then I had a duh! moment and remembered my childhood furniture being stored in my mom's basement. We brought it home and it really helped pretty up our room. The dresser in the picture was my great grandmothers.

On the side of the room you cant see we have a dressing table which Shane uses as a nightstand and a taller dresser for him as well. Our old closet doors were in bad shape so we took them down and put up these white curtains. They are Simply Shabby Chic from Target and they really brighten the room well.

We spent very little money and we are quite pleased with the results. Our long term plans include new furniture but I think I'll keep my Nanie's dresser!

Benjamin's surgery

2007-05-22T08:24:00.001-07:00

Ben is scheduled for surgery this Friday to have his mass removed. Praise God things are happening quickly! We are praying that it will be His will for Ben to recover smoothly and that the mass is benign. It will be hard to see our little guy going through something he does not understand so we pray for the strength to carry him through. My sweet baby is so brave!

I will be working this week to get the house sparkling so I can focus on Benjamin after surgery! Detail cleaning both bathrooms, the kitchen, & laundry room must be done. As well as a good dusting & vaccuming of all areas. I need to plan some meals ahead & maybe freeze some.

Weekend Recovery & Monday Morning Musings

2007-05-21T04:14:00.000-07:00

The top thing on my to-do list every Monday morning is something I call Weekend Recovery. The name says it all. Since our weekends are so busy with sports, errands, and family time there is quite a bit of catch up to be done on Monday.

Laundry- I do not wash on weekends so there is a bit of a back up on Monday. I get it all caught up.
Diaper Bag- I re-stock snacks, diaper supplies, and other items so we are ready to go at any time.
Shoes- I give the little one's shoes a wipe down.
Pick n Place- I pick up anything that has been left in the wrong location and return it to its place.

I also take care of anything that has come to my attention over the weekend. Monday chores also include a deep vaccuming and meal planning for the week.

Thoughts for today...
Ben's appointment has knocked me into a bit of depression that I need to shake off. Thank you Jesus for carrying my burdens for me. The goal is to finish Brendan's school year up this week. It should be 2 more weeks but Ben will probably be having surgery next week so I want to make sure Brendan ends 2nd grade on a positive note!

Ben's appointment

2007-05-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

We met with the pediatric surgeon at Hopkins on Friday. I completely expected them to say that the lump was clearly a cyst and could be easily removed. Instead they said they could not tell if it was a cyst or a solid mass so we were sent for an ultrasound. We ended up going to 3 radiology places because of insurance issues. Finally ending up at Advanced where my mom's friend works and was able to get us on the schedule. Thank God for placing her there.

So we found out that the lump is a complex, solid, vascular mass and we will not know if it is benign or malignant until it is removed and biopsied. This was not what we wanted to hear and it has hit us hard. However we know that God is faithful and His plan is perfect so we go forth praying that Benjamin will be ok. My head knows the Lord is in control, My head knows that Benjamin is really only loaned to me. But knowing this does not stop my heart from hurting and praying with all that I am that my precious son will be ok.

My kitchen

2007-05-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

I am going to dedicate a post to each room in our home starting here with our kitchen. When we bought our home last year we needed to prioritize which rooms were most in need of help. The kitchen, while a little on the plain side, was in very good condition. We have tons of nice new oak cabinets and a cute breakfast bar area. In the future I would like to replace the shiny brass knobs and faucet, but that is low on my project priority list!

Praise God!

2007-05-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Benjamin's bloodwork is pefect!

Benjamin

2007-05-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

On Mothers Day (5-13-07) Chris noticed a large lump on Ben where the chest & armpit meet. It is about golf ball size. I took him to the doctor the next day (Monday 5-14) and she was quite concerned. She believes it is a soft tissue mass or cyst that needs surgery to remove it. I took him to have bloodwork done on Tuesday and he was so brave! He did not cry at all! His results are due in today and we are praying that they are normal. We visit the pediatric surgeon at John Hopkins tomorrow morning. I am so thankful that we live close to some of the best medical care in the world when we need it! I am also thankful that things are moving so quickly.

Today!

2007-05-17T05:03:00.000-07:00

On the Menu for today:

Breakfast: whole wheat toast, bananas, & milk/rice milk

Lunch: turkey sandwiches, fresh strawberries, & milk/rice milk

Dinner: burgers w/ onion & green pepper, fresh green salad, watermelon, & ice water

Things to do today:

Vaccum & dust downstairs
Weed garden- lots of weeds after a heavy rain!
Homeschool
Prepare for Ben's appointment tomorrow (paperwork, diaper bag)
2 loads of laundry & 1 load of diapers
General tidy of house

Thoughts for today:
Benjamin's bloodwork is due back today so I am anxious to call the doctor. Praying for normal results that dont indicate anything other than a simple cyst. I need to start organizing Brendan's second homeschool review for June 6th. I also want to pack away our 2nd grade materials and plan his summer school schedule. We are going to focus on creative thinking this summer- with journaling & art & nature. Brendan is such a logical child & gets easily frustrated with the imaginary world! I have not decided on our fall curriculum yet.