Last Week in a nutshell. . .

We've been busy here.  But, not the kind of busy that can be blamed on anything in particular.  We've just been busy with life, everyday, ordinary life.  My days are full ~ everyday.  It seems I cannot ever get everything done that needs to be done.  I'm in constant motion, and yet I am behind most days.  But, I am beginning to realize that this is a stage of life.  I will not get caught up, not for a while.  So, I'm just trying to do the next thing, to do the best that I can day in and day out. . .

I am 34 weeks pregnant, and this baby kicks wildly.  I am thoroughly enjoying myself, loving feeling the kicks and wiggles.  Feeling a little one wiggle within is one of my all time favorite things in my entire life.  I just wish that I could make my skin translucent, so I could watch!!  I often think of an old post by Ann Voskamp where she talks about being in labor with her 6th child.  And, as she endures the labor pains, her husband holds her and encourages her with these words (as best I can remember), "We do not know that we will pass this way again."  And, I did not plan this, my fifth pregnancy, and I do not know that I will be given the opportunity to pass this way again.  So, when my legs and back ache at the end of long days, and I finally climb into my big warm bed.  I feel that little one adjust itself and wiggle about within, and I think to myself, "Enjoy each moment because I do not know that I will ever pass this way again."  And, what an amazing and wonderful way it has been!  I'm so thankful.

And, on that note I will say that I feel so blessed, but I do have my days full of insecurity!  What are we doing kind of days! Yikes!  A month or so ago I was somewhere and out of the blue someone I had not seen in a while made a beeline for me.  She took one look at my belly, then looked me directly in the eyes, and asked a quick simple question. . .

"Are you crazy?"

And, I felt like a 6th grader again.  I had forgotten that feeling.  She meant it harmlessly, but it stung for days.  It is really a nuisance to be overly sensitive, but I am that and that I am. And, I suppose I am a bit crazy, too.  But, you know what?  

I'd do it all over again.  Every pregnancy.  Every baby.  Every toddler.  Every stage.  I'd do it all again, and I'm so thankful to have been given the privilege!  I love my guys! 

I have taken so many pictures lately, but they are completely unrelated.  I am going to post a few of them just for fun!

I love how these two are bonding lately.  I think Lije is finally realizing that God gave him a special friend in Eriky.

I began nesting last week.  So, I got the big boys to help me get things organized.  I thought they did a great job with the garage.  I sent them out to straighten and organize the outside toys all by themselves, and they did such a good job!!

Then I dumped the four downstairs bins out in the middle of the living room floor and got them to sort and organize them back into their appropriate bins.  Again, they did a great job!!

I took a picture of all my "stuff" while I was making this week's lesson plans last week.  I don't know why, but it is one of my favorite things to do!!!  I love reading through everything and planning.  It is always a peaceful, fun time for me.  I thoroughly enjoy it!

On St. Patrick's Day the boys did their school work with green pencils!  It was a fun day.  We finished up early and headed to Deana B's for lunch!  I got to sit on the back porch and swing while my children played in her fenced in backyard!  Ahhhh. . . the life!  Eriky D took his nap on me while I sat there just a swingin' and enjoying the sunshine, warm weather, and good adult conversation!  Bliss!

At breakfast the other morning the boys were amazed at how fat this poor bird was.  And, they were right to stare.  This bird was FAT!

And, here is my baby.  He is still my baby ~ even if he is 2 1/2 years old!!

I fell in love with this quote. . .

And, now I am off to bed!  :-)

Rainy Day Rambling

What a glorious rainy Tuesday afternoon we are having!  I've always liked Tuesdays, not sure why?  But, I always have.  Yesterday was out of control, but today has been bliss.  We all need a day or two like this each week.  The rain has my boys couped up inside, and I like that!  They are playing indoor basketball ~ living room court.  The dog is sleeping soundly on his bed in the sunroom.  Every so often when the boys remark loudly, he'll raise up one heavy eyelid and peep out at them.  But, then, he slowly closes his eye again and drifts back into peaceful blissdom ~ breathing slow and deep and loud.

My daily laundry is done ~ waiting in everyone's respective basket to be put away.  I am sipping coffee ~ enjoying the rain and a good basketball game ~ Oregon versus Indiana.  Lije is curled up by his "buddy," the sleeping Rain.  I love listening to him whisper sweet words to his furry friend.  He loves hard, my Lije.

And, in the distance I can hear the cry of my youngest coming from his room upstairs.  So, I am sending Lije to talk to him and give me a minute or two before I have to leave my coffee and rainy window view.

Erik Daniel asked to sit in his bed earlier today and look at books.  He sat in there for a good 20-30 minutes all alone and flipped through books.  This completely baffled me.  None of my other children would have ever asked to be confined to their crib all alone.  He is unique.  They all are.  Sweet loves.  Each one so different from the others.  At times I try to compare them, but, seriously, they are so different.  It simply isn't possible.

JCT, I am convinced is not from the same planet as Erik and I, and I am not sure how he landed here.  But, I am soooo glad he did!!!!  He adds so much to our world.  Yesterday Joshua was given a University of Oregon, Singler, jersey.  JCT put on a Duke jersey, so they could play Singler vs. Singler. But, JCT was struggling with the fact that his Duke jersey did not have Kyle Singler's number on it.  Later, he announced to me that he wanted a Kyle Singler jersey.  I quickly said, "Well, you'll have to talk to your Daddy about that." He turned his head, flipping those long straight strawberry blond strands, and said, "Oh, I don't need to do that.  I've already talked to Sean, and he'll take care of it."

Oh, he will, will he?

So confident, that funny little man!!

Then, today I announced to the boys that Daddy bought us a new DVD player.  Our old one has been broken for a while now.  JCT quit playing basketball, smiled up at me, and said, "Oh, good!  What kind did he get?  A Blu-ray???"  Seriously, JCT, a blu-ray?  Erik and I are not techno savvy. We just kind of float along, and before we are completely outdated we join the rest of the world.  We got our first smart phones a few months ago. Before that, we were both using "Go" phones.  I'll never regret that move!  But, to be honest, JCT was more excited about my iphone than I was!!  As soon as I brought it home, he asked for it.  He played with it for a few minutes then asked when I was going to buy some apps.  He is something.  And, no, Erik did not buy a blu-ray.

Now all my little monkeys are playing upstairs ~ hide and seek, I think.  And, my thoughts are beginning to turn toward dinner.  I am thinking we will do something simple and fun that everybody likes ~ like breakfast for dinner ~ pancakes, eggs, and fruit.  Eriky D just came to sit with me.  He says, "De dunder scures me!"  And, I'm okay with that because I get to steal a bunch of sweet sugar from the baby soft skin on the back of his neck.  Yum!

Yesterday evening I called my husband from my car outside his office and asked if he would let me in.  He came out to find me all alone ~ the boys at home with a sitter!  You should have seen his smile!!  I highly recommend surprising your husband at the end of a long, hard workday with a night out alone with you, his favorite friend.  We enjoyed a quiet evening, looking across a gently lit table and talking about all the things that we haven't had time to talk about lately.  And, after we discussed the main things, we just enjoyed chit chatting over a yummy meal.  I love quiet alone time with my love.  On the way home, Erik joked that he almost forgot we had a houseful of sleeping kiddos.  It felt like old times.  Marriage is such a gift ~ a gift I never forget to be thankful for!!!  We've been through so much together, and I love that when we are alone, the richness and fullness and love is not only still very much alive, but over the years it has grown in depth and beauty and tenderness.  It is truly an amazing thing to share your life with another.  I'm so grateful.

I keep thinking one of these days I will post about one of our school days, how it works, what we do, etc.  But, every day differs here and there, and so I keep putting it off!  I keep thinking I will nail down a schedule, and then I will post that so I can have a record of what our year looked like this year.  But, I have come to the realization that with young children you have to be flexible, and I will never have a strict schedule that we adhere to perfectly each day.  We have an order of events.  Three of us have check lists that we keep up with throughout the day.  But, I tend to go with whatever is working each day.  If at 8:00 the little boys are busy playing in the sunroom, I don't make them come sit and listen to a story.  I do math with one of the big boys while the littles are occupied.  If I want to do grammar with Joshua, but Lije needs some TLC, then I put off the grammar and read to Lije, or I hold Lije while I teach grammar.  And, this is why, we do not adhere to a rigid schedule.  But, I feel we do have order and stability ~ it is just flexible!

I remember Roan telling me once that when her children were young, she would teach while little ones crawled on her head!  I thought, at the time, that that sounded awful, and that I'd never be able to do that!!  I am a tunnel vision girl ~ one track!!  But, God has grown me so much in that!!  Now, I invite my little two to sit in my lap while I teach the big boys!  Especially Eriky! He will curl up, head on my shoulder, silky in his hand, thumb in his mouth, and snuggle in while I teach.  I like that!  And, I envision myself, a couple months from now, holding a newborn while teaching.  The newborn stage is too short!  I'm a believer in holding them as much as possible until they no longer want to be held!!  Life is just too short!

Well, the rain is still pouring down.  My boys are completely occupied in imaginative play ~ knights!  And, only Rain and Eriky are near to me.  They want me to protect them from the "dunder."  Ahh... the peace.  And, I will end with my afternoon's counting. . .

*  Raindrops breaking the pond's surface.
*  Little boys ~ my superhero knights in shining armor
*  Kissing soft baby neck skin
*  Distant thunder rolling
*  A hand or heel protruding from my swollen abdomen
*  A sweet, old, easily frightened, dog
*  A peaceful afternoon in a house full of couped up boys ~ only with Jesus!!
*  Grace that goes on and on and on...

Slowing Down. . .

I move quickly. I always have. I don't do many things slowly. And, for years this has served me quite well. If the teacher said, "Read the first two chapters." I'd go home and quickly skim the first four. If I had a job interview at 4:30, I arrived at 4:15. As a nurse my 8:00 meds were always given out by 7:45. I moved from patient room to patient room at the speed of light. Like good old Elisabeth Elliot says, "Just do the next thing. . ." Well, I don't just do the next thing. . . No, I do the next thing, and I do it fast!! Rush, rush, hurry, hurry!!! It's always been a way of life for me.

But, I am learning ~ wisdom comes with age, they say ~ that being fast and super-efficient isn't always a good thing. I don't like the person I become when I am hurried and frazzled. I don't like her, no, not one little bit. And, my kids aren't too fond of her either. I am learning that slowing down is so much better. So, lately I've been waking up and taking a deep breath and trying to trust God with what He allows us to accomplish each day. Instead of attacking the day with the fervor of a Drill Sargent on speed ~ a Drill Sargent armed with a clipboard checklist and pencil. :-) And, things run a lot smoother around here this way! In fact, on the days when I actually practice what I preach, life is amazingly peaceful, productive, and rewarding in every way!

Yesterday was one of those days ~ an absolute treat ~ rainy and calm. There we were, the houseful of us, with no place to go and lots of things to do ~ quiet, things. My favorite!!!

There we sat, fire in the fireplace, rain pouring down outside, all covered by the same soft blanket, bodies all intertwined, a head on my shoulder, another resting on my arm, a leg kicked over one of mind, two knees tucked under my other leg, and little minds racing with ideas, questions spilling over from young lips, sweet voices begging for another chapter, and Mama just as interested and excited as little men. These are the memories that I will treasure and I am confident the boys will, as well! These are the days! God is so sweet to give this silly mama such sweet moments as these that I will not soon forget.

A Text Mess!!!!

So, yesterday evening, after a long day, I wrote this text to my sweet husband. . .

"You know that thong you clean your ears with, yeah, bring yourself a new one home. P.S. The ear cleaner will not work to unlock the bathroom door, the bathroom that houses the plunger, that bathroom. Therefore, I am unable to unstop the stopped up toilet and this pg (pregnant) mama is having to go upstairs to potty. Your sons opt for the backyard."

This is all fine and well. It is a relatively normal text for me, anyway. Only problem is that after I pushed send I realized that I sent the text to Joshua's choir teacher who I had recently texted to ask what they were going to be doing during choir that evening (caroling, Christmas party, etc. ~ I couldn't remember the plan?). So, I gasped! And, as quick as I could, I grabbed my phone and typed this text in. . .

"Oh, funny - totally meant that for Erik!!!!!! :-) Sorry, you got a glimpse into my crazy life!!! Maybe it made you smile or be thankful for your calm life!!!!!!"

I pushed send as fast as my little fingers could, and then I waited. . .

and waited. . .

No response.

So, I thought, "Take a deep breath, Erin, reread the text. Maybe it isn't so unusual or crazy. Maybe she just shrugged and thought nothing of it."

It is during this rereading of the text that I realized that I misspelled the word "thing" and typed the word "thong" instead. Could it get any worse???? So, once again, as fast as I could type, I texted her again. . .

"And Erik doesn't use a thong to clean his ears!! I meant thing!! I'll never get used to this stinking new phone!!!!!"

I pushed send and waited. . .

and waited. . .

At this point I broke a sweat!!!

No response.

Silence.

And, I am very, very uncomfortable with silence ~ just ask my husband. :-) So, I felt compelled to explain myself. . .

"Long story short ~ Elijah locked one of our downstairs bathrooms. Then, later Joshua and JCT took turns pooping in our other downstairs bathroom and stopped it up, but the plunger is in the locked bathroom which I can't find the key for. And, all day I have tried to pick the lock with everything that I can think of including my husband's very beloved ear pick! There you go! Again, sorry!!!!! :-)"

Again, silence. But, this time at least I felt that I had done all that I could do ~ including laugh so hard that I cried a puddle!! :-)

Finally, sweet Lori (Thankfully, she has a great sense of humor!) text me back!!! Hurray!! This is the sweet girl who used to kid me when I got pregnant for the 4th time in 5 years that I needed to "Lock the door! And, when he knocks, do not let him in!!!" First thing she said when she saw me after word got out about baby number 5 was, "You let him in!!!! I warned you not to let him in!!!" I love her. She's great! Anyway, she said. . .

"Well I was just getting ready to text you and check on the thong thing. Maybe thats why you stay pg! I have laughed for a while. You are so funny."

Later I found out that she was driving to church (she lives out a little bit) and just kept receiving my texts and laughing. . . .

I texted her back. . .

"Glad I could make you laugh!" :-)

It seems I say that last a lot these days!! Oh, me, it's just another day around here. . .

Superman, Nausea, School, and Supernatural Strength to Endure it All!!

Can I just say that we have the best, most kid-friendly, most crazy fun hairdresser in the whole wide world!! This month JCT asked Mrs. Ann to give him Superman hair, and he came out to the van looking like this. . .
Complete with curl on his forehead and all!!!! Awesome! So everyone had to put on their new Halloween costumes when we got home. Here is a Halloween preview! We are just missing our Wonder Woman and Captain America!!!! :-) (Afton and Quin will be joining us for our Halloween superhero festivities!!!)
Aren't they funny??? They totally crack me up!!!

I'm nauseated. If you are anywhere near me, if you talk to me for even just a few minutes, I'll likely talk about it because it is all I think about most days!!! I'm not a lot of fun to be around right now! I dropped my boys off at the nursery Wednesday night, and the nursery worker said that she could tell I was feeling sick because of the look on my face. I'm green.

In other news, I threw up in a public restroom last week. This was a first for me, and I do not care to ever do it again! It was one of those all-time low moments as I squatted there in front of not my potty and puked my guts out. It reminded me of the night I realized halfway to church that I had forgotten to freshen up before leaving the house. And, I had been outside all afternoon, sweating, with my sons. So, I grabbed my melon flavored antibacterial hand sanitizer and proceeded to rub it on my arms and neck. It was one of those moments where you look in the mirror and ask yourself in a very loud, near panic, type voice, "WHAT HAS BECOME OF ME?????" Seriously. I vomited in a public restroom. I actually used that very same restroom today, and I chose my stall, the one I had previously christened, and smiled. I thought about how it will make me smile for years to come because it will remind me of the sweet little one who made me puke there!!

Okay, I promise not to talk about that anymore! On to more important things like school.

We did this on Monday, and it worked very well for us. . .

The boys love to be outside, and with cool weather coming, I think we will be doing school outside most days! Gotta soak up my favorite season while it is here!!! I love the fresh air and cool breezes. . .

One thing that I have really enjoyed about doing school at home is treating the boys to special things during regular school days ~ like Mexican for lunch on a hard day or. . .
brownies to help the little mister get through his math lesson!

I was completely focused on teaching Joshua the other day when I noticed that it had grown quiet in the living room, a scary sort of quiet. I got up from the table to check on the other 3, and this is what I found. . .
It was almost naptime, and they were getting snuggled in and ready! Ha!

And, then one day this week I saw this. . .
I heard JCT say, "Elijah, want to sit in my lap?" And, sure enough, that is what happened. These two are bonding, and it makes my heart so happy. :-)

I won't lie. The last few weeks have been so hard. I have been fighting nausea, tiredness, and feelings of inadequacy. I am operating at full capacity right now, and some days it feels like too much. But, I can't explain the inner prodding that whispers so sweetly, "Keep moving forward. You only see a glimpse. I see the whole picture. Trust and stay the course." And, it has been enough ~ enough for the hard days, enough for this weak soul. I nearly fell to pieces as I read a Bible verse to the boys the other morning. "Be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power." It was all I needed to hear. I don't have to muster up the energy. I don't have to be strong in myself. Be strong in His mighty power, not in mine. This goes back to hiding myself in Him, being found in Him. Letting go of my selfish passions and desires, and allowing Him to move and work freely in me like a cool autumn breeze blowing through my soul~ working His sweet little way into every nook and cranny of my heart. And, in the submission, in the acquiescing, in the giving up of myself, there is freedom. His will, not mine. It is the gateway to His mighty power and His mighty peace.

When we committed to homeschool this year, I thought that it was about me teaching the boys. But, man, I think I am the one who is learning the most through this process. God has pulled me out of my comfort zone in every way imaginable. Maybe one day I will be able to put a few of the lessons into words and write about them.

Let me tell you about a lesson Joshua learned today. We were on our way to Excelsior where they are studying the Westward Expansion. Somehow the conversation went from the Westward Expansion to the Lone Ranger and then to John Wayne. That's the way conversations go around here. Anyway, so, Joshua asked me if there are still cowboys today. I thought of the pioneer woman and said yes. He was thrilled! So, he began asking questions about cowboys and Texas. He was absolutely stunned and disappointed to learn that people in Texas drive cars instead of riding horses. I promised to show him pictures of real live cowboys when we got home. I used a marvelous teaching tool, a remarkable textbook titled The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I highly recommend it.

In other school news, the boys are studying Renoir. One of their assignments was to paint a family member doing something active because this is the sort of thing Renoir enjoyed painting. So, the big boys took turns being models for each other and painting each other. It was really fun! JCT chose soccer, and Joshua chose football. Then, they had to present their artwork to the class. I wish I could be a fly on the wall sometimes!!!

One thing that I have been committed to this year is no school after 3:30. Evenings are for fun, family, sports, eating, playing, etc. So, we don't study. at. all. I teach one on one during the day, making sure that they "get it" during that time. Whether it be spelling, vocabulary, math, whatever, we do it during school hours. But, I started noticing as Joshua's math has picked up and gotten harder that a little extra review might be needed. So, we spent a little extra time during the day on Thursday to study for his Friday assessment. This assessment looked hard to me!! I sent him to the back porch to do his assessment. I snuck this picture of him while he worked. . .
He did sooooo good!!! I was so proud!!! Yay!! Little man!!

What a crazy twisted, tangled, mess of a post this is. It is actually 6 posts combined into one because I am low on time these days! But, I'm not low on cookies. . .

Nothing like cinnamon to celebrate fall!!!!

And, now I'll end on a happy note! This is what came down the stairs when I called the boys to dinner tonight. . .
Naked as a jaybird. Happy as a lark. :-) It is never boring with these silly boys!!

Silly Little Ramblings...

It is a strange phenomenon of first trimester pregnancy for me ~ coffee, my beloved Bifferdoodle, doesn't do anything for me ~ except maybe to nauseate me slightly each morning ~ because I refuse to quit drinking it.

Even if it doesn't appeal to me...

Even if the thought of it makes me ill...

Still I sip on an average of one half cup per morning. It is all I can stomach. How I long for it to taste good to me again!!!!

Sad.

The good old quease is here. It is not constant, and it is not overwhelming, but it is here with me even now as I type this.

Two of my boys refuse the thought of a sister. They! want! a! boy! And, then, one little man wants a sister. He stands alone, but he is okay with that because he is always okay with standing alone. Confidence is his middle name ~ James Confidence Truett. He probably wants a sister so that he can pick out her clothes. He is my fashion man.

But, God already knows what is best for our family. My husband is an amazing boy daddy. When he was in med school he coached a junior high basketball team. And, he didn't just coach the boys on his team, he mentored them. He challenged them to be Godly. He had a huge impact on all their lives. And, today, he does an awesome job of challenging our boys to be men of God. He does it daily, breath by breath, tenderly and humbly. So, will God give my basketball loving a husband a basketball team of his own to mentor (the baby being our fifth man)? Or, will he bless us with something new and different and sweet and pink? We will see what God has already decided! We will be delighted either way! We will embrace this little one with open arms! Crazy to think that I will once again get to hold a newborn with sweet, wrinkly skin!!!!!

In other news, I killed my first yellow jacket yesterday. He dared come into my home, into my kitchen! I called Erik at work and asked if he could please come home and kill it for me so that we could eat lunch. But, he refused to leave work. I guess he thought the sick people in his office needed him more than I did. He not only refused to come home, he said, "Erin. Kill. It." I said, "Can I call Deana B?" He said, "Erin. Kill. It." I reminded him that it was mean and mad and buzzed a loud scary buzz that could be heard throughout the entire house ~ or at least in the kitchen. I also reminded him that he did not marry a brave woman who kills stinging insects (like Deana B). No, he married a weak, fearful woman who stays far, far away from stinging insects and relies on her big, strong, handsome husband to kill stinging insects for her. He reminded me of the time I took a hoe to a snake in an attempt to kill it (not the smartest move I've ever made). I reminded him that it stood up like a cobra and hissed at me, and I dropped the hoe, yelled, "You win!" and ran inside!" It didn't matter, Erik was steadfast, "Erin. Kill. It. I'll call you later, and you can tell me your victory story."

Ha.

So, I sent the boys to the garage to play while I plotted the murder of the evil stinging insect. I chose a broom as my first weapon of choice. But, it took more than a broom to kill this angry yellow jacket. Later after I weakened him with the broom and realized that the broom was not enough to put him to death, I went with one of Erik's grilling utensils. Ya'll he still wouldn't die!!!! I'd poke at him, and he'd buzz. Poke, buzz, poke, buzz, poke, buzz. So, I had no other choice. I had to decapitate him, and that finally did it. He finally quit buzzing. I put his head and body in a ziploc bag so that I could show off my kill to my husband and sons. And, now I am considering hanging the bag by the backdoor to ward off other yellow jackets. They'll think twice before coming into my house!! Ha!

Which brings me to my last rambling point: Fall. It is a wonderful season for many reasons. Stinging insects disappear. That is just one of the many reasons that I love fall!!! We are still having temps much too warm to be considered fall weather! But, I have faith that cooler weather is right around the corner!!! Yesterday as the boys and I were reading, little boys napping, I remembered how JCT and I used to curl up in front of the fireplace last winter during naptime. He would ask for a fire in the fireplace as soon as the little boys were tucked away in their beds. And, I would put on a pot of coffee and hold my little man close! Just the thought of it makes me look so forward to fall and winter and fires in the fireplace. Ahhhh... My head is full of peaceful, happy thoughts now!!!

New Journal

Silliness. . . :-)

But, I am tickled to death over my new journal!! I can't take my eyes off of her!! I think she is so pretty!

There is nothing like a fresh, clean journal ~ just waiting to be filled with heart whispers! I lack only a few pages in my old journal ~ which, by the way, was a marked down to $1.00 Wal-Mart purchase!! My new one is a step up! This time I went to Barnes and Noble in search of the perfect one, and I found her!

I can't wait to fill her up with thoughts, lists, quotes, verses, and prayers!! :-)

The Mighty have Fallen

Or, at least one of the mighty has fallen.

Me.

Up all night in the bathroom.

Need I say more?

I hate the stomach virus with a vengeance.

I love my husband, really I do, and he is an awesome husband. And, he looked very handsome to me last night even in my nauseated state.

I'm sure he meant it as encouragement. . .

But as I held onto the potty for dear life, he wiped my face and neck with a cool rag all the while saying these sorts of encouraging words over me. . . (I followed each comment with my own thoughts at the moment. . .)

"You don't really have to throw up."
Really, I don't? I'm not so sure. . .

"You've just talked yourself into it. You've been thinking about it since Joshua got sick. You just need to think about something else."
What else is there?

"Get up. Let's go for a walk. You wanna go outside and walk around a little bit?"
Ummmm. . . No.

"Come on, Erin, you're okay. Just think about something else. You don't really need to. . ."
Let me show you. . .

And, that was that.

Now, I do feel a bit better today, just achy and depleted of energy. The boys have been great. I even got to take an hour and a half long nap ~ not to mention the dozing that I did on the couch this morning while they played around in front of me. They've done really well ~ especially for boys who are used to getting to play outside most of the day.

The only thing that they are doing that is driving me CRAZY is that they want to watch this video over and over and over and over. . .

And, when you don't feel great, listening to a man sing about waffle fries and nuggets isn't a very good idea. But, I do love, love, love this video!

The Ramblings of a Mother losing her Mind. . .

I love being a mom.

My heart is bursting at the seams because. . .

I love being a mom.

And, here are a few reasons why I love being a mom. . .

Yesterday evening, I leashed Rain, and grabbed my little red-headed, blue-eyed man up and into my arms and headed out for a quick walk. Lijah immediately pointed out the only star visible in the big, dark blue evening sky. His sweet face lit up, and he said, "Tar. Look at da Tar, Mommy." I smiled and admired his sweet little watery blue eyes and rosy wind burned cheeks. Then, he looked me directly in the eyes and said with all seriousness, "Want to see-ya mo tars, pees. Mo tars, pees, Mommy." Oh, if only I could have made more stars appear, my sweet one, for you, I would have filled the sky!

Then, today, after the little boys went to sleep, I pulled out the game Trouble to play with JCT. He was delighted. For some reason he usually wins every game. I always tell Erik that we really need to take him to Vegas one day. I don't know what it is about that child. . .

Anyway, I set up the game and we began playing. And, this is the way the conversation went throughout the game. . .

JCT: "I'm going to win, Mommy. I am going to beat you at this game."

Me: "Let's just play. Okay?"

JCT: "See look my guy is ahead of your guy. So, I am going to win. I'm ahead."

Me: "Yes, but you have 3 pieces that aren't even out yet. And, I already have 2 out, and I have one already back around. So, actually I am winning right now. You need to roll a 6 to get another piece out."

JCT (undaunted): "I'm going to win this game, Mommy. I'm just telling you. . .I'm going to win. My guy is still ahead of yours. See, let me show you."

Me: "Okay, yeah, whatever, you don't really understand that I am ahead, but that is okay. Let's just play the game. Okay?"

JCT: "No, Mommy, you don't understand. I am going to beat you at this game. I really am going to beat you. Just wait. You'll see that I am going to win this game. Look, here is my guy going ahead of yours."

Me: "Okay, now, just quit talking and play the game. Please, let's just play the game!"

This little conversation continued on until, yes, he caught up to me. We both had our last pieces only a few spaces from home. I rolled a 5 which put my piece one space from being home. So, I knew the next roll I was going to win. And, to be honest I felt a twinge of guilt.

But, then. . .

he rolled a 6.

And, as he counted and moved his little piece in. . .

His eyes slowly looked up at mine. And, after his piece was safely in the slot, his victory secure, a sly little smile crept across his face, and he uttered one single little word. . .

"Beat."

In other words, "I beat you, Mommy. Just like I said I would."

I gave him a high five and literally could not stop laughing for at least 3 minutes. Goodness, I love that little man. If only I had an eighth of his confidence. . .

And, speaking of JCT, he is asleep on the couch. It has become a daily event ~ napping on the couch instead of in his room. And, I love it. I get to be with him while he naps! I can't get enough of watching him sleep. I take a picture of him everyday because everyday I think the same thing ~ "Oh, my goodness, he is soooo cute. I have to get my camera!" I am a silly mama!

Joshua was home on Monday, so I let them play through nap time! They were having a blast, so I wasn't about to interrupt them!!

But, here is Tuesday's nap. . .

And, Wednesday's. . .

Thursday's. . .

And, Friday's. . .

And, I had to get a picture with his sweet dino feet in it. . .

Everybody should have a JCT. He is just that great!

And, on a completely different note. . . I really think I am crazy. A few months ago, I was trying to coax Elijah out of the powder bath because I was ready to leave the house to run errands, and Elijah isn't allowed in bathrooms because he does awful things when he gets in them ~ throws toys and magazines in the toilet, puts his hands in the toilet water, etc. So, I said to him, "Erik Daniel, come here. Come out of the bathroom, Erik D.! Erik Daniel, come out of the bathroom! It is time to go!"

Everyone around me just kind of froze.

Elijah was staring at me like I was crazy and not moving a muscle.

Finally, JCT broke the silence and very carefully in a ~ I better talk slow because my mom may be losing her mind voice ~ said, "Mom, Erik Daniel is in the Moses basket over there. That is Elijah you're talkin to." I tried to kind of brush it off and said under my breath, "Yeah, I knew that. Come on, Lijah, let's go."

Yikes!

Then, today, I carried Erik Daniel to the mail box to get the mail. Elijah and JCT followed us. As we were walking back inside, I was looking through the mail. I noticed a thank you note for Joshua from a sweet older lady in our church that Joshua took flowers to on Valentines Day. So, I called out behind me, "Joshua, hey Joshua!"

Then, it hit me.

Yeah. He's at school. He's been gone for like 4 hours. He can't hear me.

I really am losing my mind.

Seriously. It is scary.

But, that is enough of that. And, now another reason why I love being a mom. . .

Yesterday JCT experienced lik-em-stix for the first time. . .

Who needs the stick anyway?

I used to love those things so much!!

Enough rambling. . .

It is good to be a Mommy.

Even if it means that I am slowly but surely. . .

losing my mind.

The Brotherhood Continues. . .

Or, should I say rivalry. . .

Noooo, I'll say brotherhood! Because, after all, brotherhood is stronger than rivalry. And, the brotherhood that unites these little ones' fathers is of the strongest kind.

Brothers from another mother ~ as they like to say!

I mean, really, it is a beautiful thing ~ their fathers' friendship. When they went to the ACC/Big 10 Challenge, Erik packed an extra UNC shirt, and Sean packed an extra Duke shirt. And, when they went to the Duke/Purdue game, Erik wore Sean's extra Duke shirt, and when they went to the UNC game, Sean wore Erik's extra UNC shirt! Now that is true friendship! Friendship that is stronger, much stronger, than rivalry!

But, as an intro to tonight's big game, I had to take these pictures! And, it is their first picture together ~ the first of many, I am sure! I told Deana B it is like an arranged best friendship! I sure hope they like each other! Something tells me that they will!!!

Here is a picture of Quin practicing defense. I think he's a natural, Sean!

Thanks for the outfits Brandy!!!! We love them!

Going Green or Trying, Anyway. . .

Some days, like today, it feels like all my worries, all my struggles, all my problems could be solved with one simple remedy. . .

A cup of coffee.

Bifferdoodle Decaf with a spot of International Delights French Vanilla Creamer.

But, instead of that deliciously creamy, heavenly concoction, I am sitting here sipping another concoction ~ one with much less of that "comfort drink" kind of feel. . .

Green Tea.

I read up on it, and I decided that I needed to try to like it. And, since I drink water all day, the morning was the best time for me to drink it. And, I really don't need all that sugar from the Vanilla creamer, etc. It all made perfect sense when I thought about it, but living it out has been a different story.

I tried last week, but broke down and made a pot of coffee during nap time almost every day.

Hi, my name is Erin, and I am addicted to Bifferdoodle.

And, there isn't a thing in the world that I can do about it.

I'm not addicted to the caffeine - it's decaf.

I'm not addicted to the way it makes me feel warm on a cold day - the green tea does that.

I'm seriously addicted to the way it soothes me. It gives me that warm, cozy, life is good, hello sunshine, happy new day, I can do this kind of feeling. It is like being wrapped in a warm blanket even while I am busily getting my little ones ready and out the door with their Daddy.

To make things worse, I decided to pull out some old CDs to listen to in place of my beloved Christmas CDs which have officially been put to rest until next Christmas. Anyway, one of my choices was an old Chris Rice CD. I put that little sucker in, and before I knew it, the music began and Chris was singing about "Smellin' Coffee." I literally stood still in the kitchen and smiled because only God could have orchestrated that! He is so funny sometimes!

But, I held my ground, and poured another cup of tea.

Green tea, I'm sorry, but try as I may, I cannot make you feel cozy. You just make me feel like I am sipping hot water with grass. Even the mint flavor doesn't help. But, I am trying. Really, I am trying. I did discover one thing that I like about you. The sound of the water pouring out of my teapot into an empty tea cup is somewhat enchanting. But, it doesn't hold a candle to the sound of coffee pouring into an empty mug. So, I'm giving you until the weekend to win me over. Good luck.

But, Saturday morning belongs to Biff.

Hands down.

And, he will have no competition.

For Love of Coffee. . .

I woke up this morning with visions of coffee cups dancing in my head. I was a bit on the sleepy side, and even though I drink decaf something about the taste of coffee seems to perk me up! As I took my shower, I thought about the coffee Erik was brewing in the kitchen. (Erik believes that the man should brew the coffee. One of his patients told him that it was biblical - He-brews!)

Anyway, I could almost smell it. . .

But, when I got out of the shower, Erik informed me that the coffee maker wasn't working.

Excuse me. What did you say?

"The light is on. It looks like it should be working, but it won't do anything."

Oh, me, this was not good.

I could here Biff calling my name, beckoning me to come drink of his cup!

So, I attempted. I unplugged and replugged. I turned the switch on and off 50+ times.

Nothing.

We debated going to Wal-Mart to get a new one asap. But, instead, I had a brilliant idea. We could make "homemade coffee." How fun! And, so we did.

I heated water on the stove top in my tea kettle. Once the tea kettle started to sing, I poured the hot water over the coffee filter ever so slowly while Erik held it still. And oila', in no less than thirty minutes we had brewed almost an entire pot of coffee.

Teamwork.

Here is a picture of what two desperate coffee lovers will do for their morning cup!





And, now, I am on my way to pick out a new coffee maker! Making "homemade coffee" was fun, but I wouldn't want to do it everyday, or anyday soon for that matter.

My Control Journal

It was a few years ago that it hit me. I was doing a Beth Moore Bible study (forgive me, I don't remember which one). As I finished that particular day's lesson, I was overwhelmed by something new God had opened my blind eyes to about myself, a sin that needed to be reckoned with, a sin I had not recognized as sin until that very day. So, I did what I always do when I have a revelation from God. I called Mommy. And, our conversation went something like this. . .

"Mom, it just hit me this morning that I have issues with control in my life."

My mom responded with slight sarcasm in her voice, "Reeaallllly. . . And, you are just now realizing this. . ."

I was completely taken aback. My husband had a similar response when I shared my new found struggle with him. How had I missed what was obviously so clear to those around me?

Denial.

And, I still live there because I really like control.

If I could I would micro-manage my life into a shoe box. Yes, yes, I would. Take for instance the way that I grocery shop. . .

I have a grocery list organized according to my favorite grocery store. I start in the back and work my way to the front. I organize my groceries as I put them in the basket. All items are neatly stacked virtually the same way each time we go since our list is basically the same each week. And, God help JCT if he dares mess with the groceries that I so neatly organize all around him in the back of the buggy. Milk is always lined up against the back of the buggy and all other cold items are placed strategically across the back half of the cart. We work our way to the produce. All produce sits on top of the other items along with the bread. Then, I unload my basket putting produce and bread on the back end of the conveyer belt and work my way to the front where all the cold stuff is kept together. In the middle are all my canned goods and boxed things. It is a beautiful thing, really. And, God help the checker who messes with my organized groceries in order to fill my bags the way she believes is best. Then, I place my groceries in the back of the van a certain way - keeping cold things together, etc., and carry them in the house in this same way. This makes unloading the bags easy and convenient.

Control.

It is a sickness.

It is incurable.

And, I like it, very much. :-)

I won't continue and share the gory details of my pantry organization, toy organization, or my obsession with bins, baskets, and all things that keep order. Let's just say if I am having a bad day I do one of three things. Either I reorganize our schedule, clean out a drawer or cabinet, or if that doesn't do the trick, I load everybody up and we go to Wal-Mart to buy more bins. All of these things truly relax me and just plain make me feel better. I think having children has a way of making one feel completely and utterly out of control. So, any little thing that I can do to make myself feel "on top of it" helps!

A while ago some of you asked about my contol journal. I got the inspiration for this journal from flylady. I use plastic page protectors so that I can use dry erase markers to scratch through things I have accomplished, etc. I have a plastic page protector addiction, but that is another story. I like all my pages typed in my favorite font.

And, now here are the basics of my control journal:

Weekly Goals: This is a general list of goals that I only update on occasion. I read through the list every day or so simply to keep my focus. Examples of things on this page are: Focus on Character Issues with the Boys, Keep clutter off counters in kitchen & utility, Exercise, Eat healthier, Check Flylady - room of the week, etc.

Weekly Schedule: This is a list of the days of the week and the chores and activities unique to that day. For example I do laundry on Monday, Plan meals for the following week & make my grocery list on Thursday, clean out my van & diaper bag on Friday, etc.

Spiritual Focus: This is just a place for me to list lessons that God is teaching me and areas that I consistently need to pray over and remind myself to remain focused on.

My Morning Routine: I once read a book that recommended organizing your day in 30 minute increments. I tried this and went completely crazy. I do long stretches. For example between 6:30 and 8:30 I need to make coffee, breakfast, shower, get the boys dressed and teeth brushed, unload dishwasher, feed fish, etc. This works much better for me. So, the day is broken down into big blocks of time. Also, each day of the week is unique as far as activities outside of the home, so a schedule that is too detailed will simply not work for us. We have certain activities that occur at virtually the same time every single day. For example: Reading & Snack is at 9:30. Lunchtime is at 12. Naptime is at 1. Outside play is from 3:30-5:00. Dinner is at 6:15. Bedtime for the boys is at 8. And, though these times move about a little each day, we pretty much stay within 30 min. of the assigned time.

My Afternoon Routine: It is just what is says. . .

My Before Bed Routine: These are the little things that must be done each night before bed. Lights off, doors locked, phones on chargers, juice and milk cups filled for the next morning, vitamins taken, face washed, clothes layed out for the next day, etc.

I also keep about a years worth, literally, of our family's grocery list in a side pocket of this notebook. Other things that I keep in my control journal are unique to our family. I have Erik's list of landscaping plans for our backyard, and our pool maintenance list, etc.

This journal is certainly not necessary for me to be productive, but I simply enjoy it. I love my control journal. I'm not sure why I love it so much, but I do. It is the skeleton of our day to day life, and it keeps me from feeling out of control. Eventually I'd like to include a list of all our family's favorite meals and monthly menu plans in my journal.

Maybe being a nurse for years and working off a flow sheet has something to do with my desire to keep a schedule. I just know that I am happier and more productive with structure in my day. Hope this has helped! For more information on control journals go to flylady!!!

Six Days Without Biff Are Six Days Too Many

Last week around this time I realized that we were almost out of Bifferdoodle Decaf. I searched the pantry for another bag to no avail. We had exhausted our resources. We were out, completely and utterly out of our favorite coffee (aka the nectar of the gods and liquid gold). We have to order Biff's coffee online, so I knew that I would be without Biff for a few days. Get out the sackcloth and ashes.



Finally, last night I heard that sweet sound ~ the roar of a large truck in my driveway, a large brown truck with three lovely letters on it. I ran and put Rain up, glanced at myself in the mirror, primped a bit ~ oh, I jest. Anyway, with great anticipation and excitement I met the UPS man at the door. He came, just as I suspected, carrying a box chock full of Bifferdoodle decaf ~ 8 one pound bags (and, Biff being the doll that he is threw in an extra bag of his house blend!). I had to restrain myself because I am a married woman and all, but everything in me wanted to hug the darling man in brown carrying a box labeled "coffee" with a cute little picture of a steaming cup of joe on it. Instead I simply said, "I have been waiting for this!!!!" And, he had no idea how deeply I meant those words.



And, now I have just made my second pot today! I am a bit of an extremist! It must be some sort of phenomenon, but I can literally taste the cinnamon. When I have the great privilege of drinking Bifferdoodle day in and day out, I don't even notice all the wonderful flavors that make up the coffee that I love. This morning I poured my first cup of Bifferdoodle in nearly one week, and before taking that first sip, I just paused for a moment. I inhaled the glorious aroma, felt the warmth of the mug in my hands, and smiled to myself. Then, I lifted the mug to my mouth, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Seriously. I don't know why, but I love this coffee. Instantly, I wished that Erik and I were alone on vacation, sipping this coffee ~ perhaps in the mountains somewhere with nothing to do but drink coffee and talk or read. Wouldn't that be nice? Oh, one day, maybe one day. . .

Until then, I will just take another sip and enjoy a somewhat quiet morning.

Destressing. . .

I am presently destressing over a cup of coffee at my computer. That is what I am doing, and it is okay for me to be doing this because I have it on my schedule. I have spent the last two to three weeks revamping our family's schedule - or, well, maybe it is my schedule. . .

I like to use bits and pieces of wonderful organizing tips that I get from my family, my friends, and from flylady. I like the whole "Control Journal" idea that flylady has. And, I have a beautifully adorned notebook that I have kept for the past 2 years with the words, "My Control Journal" on the cover. Oh, how I love that sweet little book. The pages of this precious book house my weekly goals, my morning, afternoon, and evening routines, my weekly schedule of basic activities and goals for each day. Just flipping the plastic covered pages brings me some semblence of sanity. I love it. I love to read my goals each morning to keep myself focused and on the same page. My goals include everything from focusing on character issues with the boys to keeping my diaper bag cleaned out to smiling at my children. Wednesday at naptime is my time to declutter and destress. I decluttered earlier this morning, so I am destressing now! How wonderful!

Life has been the norm around here lately. I am behind in some areas and ahead in others. Isn't that how life goes. But, I feel more focused and purposeful than I have in a long time and that feels good. Blogging is one of the things that I am behind on, but I still haven't figured out how it fits into my schedule. Honestly, it doesn't. I am determined to record all our family's memories, etc., so I will have to figure out something. But, at present there is a sticky note in my control journal on the basic weekly schedule page that says, "Where does blogging fit in?"

Speaking of recording memories. . .

Today as I was placing my darling, innocent, littlest son in his carseat, my two older sons decided that it would be fun to relieve themselves in the two flower pots that flank our backdoor. Yes, and then they ran to me to tell me what they had done! I guess they thought I'd be proud? I walked back to the backdoor to assess the situation. And, yes, yes, there was a small puddle in each flower pot. If only I had turned around in time to catch a glimpse (a picture would have been even better) of their little bums exposed, each boy standing in front of a pot. Being a boy mom is certainly a growing experience. Whoa. I am learning new things each day. They never cease to surprise me with the things they think to do.

Okay, already, I am going to go and play a game with the little mister in a Peyton Manning jersey who has approached me 16 zillion times since I began this post. He has poked me, prodded me, balanced himself on my leg, positioned himself between me and the computer, crawled under the legs of my chair, begged me for candy, for a different CD to listen to, asked me to open a Nutri-grain bar, and presently he is laying across the kitchen counter with his face in his hands looking cute and pitiful. And, I am a sucker for him.

It's March Madness, BABY!!!!!!!!!!

I will never forget the first March after Erik and I married. Oh. my. What a wake up call! I grew up in a family of die-hard Bobby Knight Hoosier fans, and we kept up with college basketball, but Erik took it to a new level. Now we celebrate March Madness like we celebrate the 4th of July and Thanksgiving - except the best part is that it lasts longer than a day! Oh, the joy!

For the first time that I can remember, my Dad's alma mater, Indiana University, is playing my brother's alma mater, the Arkansas Razorbacks. What a game that will be! My parents cheer for the Razorbacks when they are playing other SEC teams, but we all know where their true loyalty lies.

And, my sister and her husband graduated from the University of Memphis. But, let's be realistic the odds of either IU or U of A surviving to play Memphis are. . . well. . . slim to. . . let's be honest, NONE.

Can anyone say Tennessee and North Carolina?

Let's just say if either of them end up playing Memphis, they will be escorted to San Antonio by their fairy Godmother in a bus with an uncanny resemblance to a pumpkin.

I love this month! Let the madness begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a Day!!!

I had two main objectives for this day today, the twelfth day of February 2008. #1 I wanted to make these valentines for Joshua to take to his Valentine exchange party at pre-school on Thursday, and #2 I wanted to make a certain dinner for a certain someone who requests it from me occasionally, and when I don't bring it very often he sings, "You don't bring me lasagna anymore. . ." Sooooooo, since his wife is feeling really crumby and sick and is presently two states away from him, my husband thought that making his buddy lasagna might be a nice idea, and I agreed.



So, I got Joshua out the door with his Daddy, and then turned around and hurried my other two little men through eating breakfast, getting dressed, and the in general getting ready. to. go. Most likely if a little birdie had been spying on me, he would have heard me say my two most commonly used hurried expressions, "Come on let's GO, GO, GO!" and "Chop Chop!" 50+ times in thirty minutes. I finally got everything together, sippy cups, cheerios, grocery list, Wal-Mart list, and a miniscule amount of sanity that I still had at this point in the day. So, we headed out the door.



I opened Elijah's side van door, and all seemed to be working fine, so I put the cute little mister in his carseat. But, when I went to shut the door it wouldn't shut on its own. I had to manually shut it. Oh, yes. I atttempted JCT's side van door, and it wouldn't open for me. I tried cranking the van. Dead. Silence. Nothing. I sat there for a minute my brain reeling. I had way too much to do today for this to happen. So, I did what I always do when I am in a bind.



I called my calm, reassuring, always has an answer for everything, and never gets his feather's ruffled husband, and I did what I do best - gave him an earful. The poor man has an office full of patients, office staff standing in line with questions regarding the health and well being of real people with real life and death situations, and his wife is on the other end of his cell phone nagging him about a dead battery and how am I going to pick up Joshua, and Deana B isn't here, and I need help, and I gotta get to Wal-Mart, and Sean's lasagna is going to have to wait, and this is too much I can't handle it, help me, pray for my nerves today, this is over the top, and now my cell phone battery is dying too, and I've already called AAA like 3 times in the past 6 months for tire related problems, and do they handle batteries in cars, and I can't put 3 carseats in your Expedition, and how in the world will I get this battery replaced with all the other bazillion things that I have to do, and with three children hanging all over me, tell me, Erik how, how, how. . .



If you know my husband, he very calmly reassured me that all would be fine, and he sent one of the girls from his office with his Expedition. She helped me get the little boy's carseats in his truck, and off I went to Wal-Mart and the grocery. Our Wal-Mart shopping trip was rather uneventful, reminiscent of the days when Joshua was 2 and JCT was a baby. My main objective at Wal-Mart was finding a heart-shaped muffin tin for making the heart-shaped multi-colored crayons that go along with the valentine I wanted to make for Joshua's classmates. Found it! Got it! After a bit more shopping, I made my way to the check out counter only to find that JCT had added an additional item to my shopping cart, white decorator icing. Not a problem. In fact, I had been planning to make cookies for valentines day, so I let the cashier ring up JCT's bonus item. But, I neglected to notice that the heart-shaped muffin tin, mysteriously, was not among the items being rung up. Several hours later when the rain was pouring, Joshua was home, Elijah was ready for a nap, and the boys needed to eat lunch, I noticed that the heart-shaped muffin tin was not only not in any of my bags from Wal-Mart, but also it was not on my reciept. And, that meant one thing and one thing only. . . JCT had disposed of it somewhere in that large store we like to refer to as the place of eternal destruction. So, what did I do?



Why, I called Erik, of course.



And, I assure you that he was very glad to hear from me because I was a regular ray of sunshine on this rainy day. And, it was one something, and he still was seeing his morning patients because it is "sick" season, and knowing that he was busy and had much better things to do, still I called and still he listened, calmly.



And, that ladies and gentlemen is why I married him.



He sat very quietly, peacefully actually, once again while I explained how I really wanted to get these valentines made with Joshua during JCT's naptime today, and I have to have the heart-shaped muffin tin in order to make the valentines, and it's raining cats and dogs, and tomorrow is our out of town day so I can't make the valentines tomorrow, so I have to do it today, and it is already one o' clock, and if I don't make these valentines then I will have to search the internet for another kind to make and that could take hours, and I don't have time for that, and yeah, I guess I could have just used store bought valentines, but really I love crafts and I want Joshua to be part of this, besides I looked at Wal-Mart and all they had were silly cartoon characters, and I love paper crafts, and so does Joshua, but what do I do because I don't want to take Joshua to Wal-Mart without a carseat, but there is no other way to get there, and I really need to get there, and it is raining, and I'll have to get everyone out, and we'll all get soaked, and I know Wal-Mart is super close to our house, but what if we got in an accident, and what if the seatbelt wasn't enough to save Joshua, and I could never, ever forgive myself, even though we do live in a state that says it is okay for Joshua to be out of a carseat, still, I can't do it, Erik, but I really want that heart shaped muffin tin right now so I can make the valentines during naptime, and it is naptime now, so what do I do, what, what, what???



What did he say? He offered to borrow Sean's car, get the muffin tin, and bring it to me during his lunch break - which was already almost over. And, of course, I wouldn't let him do that. So, I loaded the kids up and drove the Expedition no faster than 25 mph all the way to Wal-Mart. We got the muffin tin, the only one left, and were home all in less than 20 minutes - one of the few perks of living in a small town!

I got the little boys down for naps, let the dog tinkle, and then tackled the valentine craft with Joshua! I highly recommend this craft! Watching the crayons melt was very fun, and you really cannot mess this craft up! Very fun and pretty!



I have no idea why I am writing all of this. Maybe it is therapy for me now that the stress of the day is over. What happened this evening is another post for another time, another day. I am too tired to tackle it tonight. At present, Vannie still sits stone cold in the garage. But, after Erik finishes coaching his Upwards Basketball team, he is hopefully going to bring home a new battery for our sweet Van that I love and miss. One day without her, reminded me of how thankful I am for her. I will never again take for granted wide opening, automatic doors, and DVD players.

And, here is a picture of what success looks like, resilience, not giving up nor backing down in the face of adversity. . .

I know that the day would have been a lot easier had I just made a simple paper valentine. But, hey, Joshua's classmates will get a cool multi-colored heart-shaped crayon with their valentine, and that makes the whole day worth it. . .

Not really.

Oh, well, so I blew today out of proportion. That happens occasionally in my world. Tomorrow is a new day, and His mercies are new each morning! I am claiming that as I put an end to this whirlwind of a day!

Let Me Let You in on a Little Secret. . .

I sat down a few minutes ago and read through the comments some of you left on my last post, and I had a bit of a guilty conscience. I need to let you all in on a little secret. . . Some of you commented on the way that I looked after giving birth. Let me be quick to say that this did take a bit of effort on my part. You see, I have a theory. And, the theory goes something like this:


Suddenlys are going to happen suddenly, but just because they happen suddenly doesn't mean that you have to look like they did.


Even if your suddenly wakes you up in the middle of the night, you must be prepared. And, I was prepared for just such an event. My make-up bag was waiting on the counter in my bathroom just in case we had to make a flight at night. I even had my "Lord Deliver Me. . ." t-shirt waiting out on my dresser to wear to the hospital with my new never before worn black and white polka dot Yellow Box sandels and a pair of black slacks. Not to mention the pearl earings and the pearl and baby boy blue beaded bracelet that were sitting out for me to quickly put on if need be. . . Oh, yes, I was prepared. My mom laughed at me saying that labor to most people is "work," but to me labor is, as she put it, "an event." And, she is right. They are some of my favorite days of my life. Besides, suddenlys usually involve lots of pictures and often video footage as well. So, in accordance with my theory, I was prepared to make myself look at the very least presentable.


The only problem was that I forgot to grab my make-up bag. . .


So, after I got to the hospital and the on-call MD came in, checked me, and left, I immediately got down to business. "Mom, could you get my make-up bag out of our brown bag?" I said tied down to my hospital bed by monitors and gadgets. She looked and looked, but she couldn't find it. I felt a bit of panic slowly setting in. So, I borrowed make-up from the bottom of my mom's purse. And, if you know my mom, then you know that we don't exactly have the same coloring. She has beautiful olive skin tones, and I am quite fair. But, drastic circumstances call for drastic measures, so I dawned her olive make-up. When you know that one of your very best friends in the world is going to be standing on a chair taking pictures of you pushing (not always the cutest facial expressions) you know you need all the help you can get - even if it is in the wrong color. Suddenly is no excuse.


So, now you know the truth. I'm all about being real. So, in between enduring those awful transitional contractions, what was I doing? I was putting on make-up. . . much to my husband's chagrin. Because even though I have given birth to 3 boys, I am still very, very much a girl. Some things will never change. And now you know the truth!