Kitchen Learning for Mama

When it comes to Pecan Sandies - more time in the fridge isn't necessarily better. I left them in overnight, because I was too tired to make them. Not a good idea. When I got them out, they were too hard to roll, so I just kind of "clumped" them together. The second batch was better and easier to roll - which means they are also sticking together better and not crumbling before your eyes.

More is not better when it comes to putting food coloring in the sugar. Paige comes in to the kitchen and said, "Mom, I think you put too much food coloring. It's lumpy and moist!" Thank you Paige! My 10 year old daughter knows more than I do about baking.

More is not better when it comes to letting the Pecan Sandies cool down, so that you can actually touch them and roll them in the moist sugar. Didn't work. They were too cool at that point, or the sugar was too moist. Alas, the microwave to the rescue! Heat those babies up and poof. Uuuh, still didn't work. But at least they are warm enough now to stick to the clean, white, not colored pretty sugar.

Landon comes in 'dying' for a cookie. I put a pretty little cookie on a napkin for him. Cries from the dining room come quickly! "Mommy, my cookie is falling apart," he says. I reply with a gentle, "it's okay, just keep eating it over your napkin." Little pitter patter steps into the kitchen reveal he didn't obey and JUST EAT THE COOKIE! "Mommy, I don't want this cookie anymore," the little ungrateful cutie patootie tells me.

And so are the days of my life.... :) I love them!

Book: Breastfeeding and Fertility

My mama would say that I've been a "readin' fool" lately. I just finished Breastfeeding and Fertility by Jenny Silliman last night.

I haven't met Jenny, but I know we would become fast friends if I did. Well, I may just hush and listen to her talk. She reminds me of a young Nancy Campbell. In fact, she quotes Nancy several times in the book.

Jenny's sweet spirit and calming encouragement really resonate in the pages of this book. Along with that, the ending of all 20 chapters has a resounding theme - breastfeeding delays fertility.

In posting this, I fear (okay, probably not the best word, but work with me) that some may think that I nurse my babies to delay fertility. In truth, this is not the case at all. When we decided to leave our family size to the Lord, we did just that and fully believe that God opens and closes the womb. Understanding that, also means understanding that God has designed a woman's body to nurse her babies for, what the world would call, an extended period of time. In the Bible, we see over and over wonderful references to the nursing mother and from further research, we find that babies were generally weaned between 3-5 years. Personally we don't go this long and I have never tandem nursed my babies. Usually about 2/3 of the way through a pregnancy, I will completely wean the youngest one and even this is a very slow process.

Here is how long I have nursed my children: C13 (never nursed :( ), P10 (11 months), B5 (20 months), L3 (22 months), A1 (15 months and going strong!). My cycle has returned at varying stages, but it was very dependent on how I nursed, and still no cycle with A yet.

My last two babies haven't had bottles. My last 3 haven't had pacifiers. My last 4 have all slept with us or close to us. Even with my oldest, before Big P and I got married, C13 would end up in bed with me along with a bottle (that I laboriously had to get up and make in the middle of the night). With my 4th, L3, I ended up starting my cycle at 7 months because I wasn't eating enough to sustain a good milk supply. I had a miscarriage not long after that.

With A1, things have been very different. He would not eat the solid foods I was trying to give him at 8 months, 9 months, 10 months, 11, and yes, even 12 months. At his first birthday he was treated with pudding instead of cake or anything of the like - because he would just gag.

In the midst of my frustration, I cried out to the Lord for Him to show me what to do. He gave me a peace in the midst of my self-created storm. I then went to the bookshelf and picked out Breastfeeding and Fertility. This was merely for breastfeeding encouragement, not the fertility side. Because I was in the middle of several projects, I just read the back cover and was immediately relieved of my frustrations.

The very things I was resenting and rejecting where the very things that God made my body to do, total mothering!

I was freed. No longer would I be concerned with what others thought about my nursing exclusively at his age (12+ months). He is on some solids - up to 2nd baby foods and 3rds on some things, at this point.

Jenny covers everything in this book and at the end has a list of 20 books she recommends on breastfeeding and mothering. Some of the chapters go into forgiveness (asking for forgiveness for not completely mothering at times, forgiving your own mother if she didn't nurse you, etc.), weaning, sleeping and more. Another reason I really I felt like I could relate to Jenny is because she has struggled with being overweight as well. She talks about nutrition, losing weight while nursing, and a small portion on what she has coined as W.E.A.L.T.H.S. (water, exercise, air, light, thoughts, healthy eating, and sleep - that's another post). She even covers, to a small extent, getting things done around the house when you are total mothering - including wearing an ERGO. I love my ERGO, but honestly I haven't worn it much to carry baby around so that I can get things done. Yesterday I strapped A1 on my back and went to town. He was so happy. Oh, and he is walking some for those that think it's absurd that I would carry a baby of his age on my back!

For quite some time I've considered myself a mother who loved all things natural. But accepting what is and completely embracing what God created you to do - those are different things and now I understand that thanks, in part, to this book!

art print from: http://store.encore-editions.com/Artists/Mary_Cassatt.html

Reminder Cards

As referenced in my last post, I thought I would share what our reminder cards are.

These aren't the same for each child, because each child has different chores, but I thought I'd give you the "jist" of what each set probably contains. These aren't "extra" chores, these are just the basic necessities for living in our home and being part of our family. We do pay our big kids for bigger, extra chores, because 1) I would pay someone else to help out in these ways if I didn't have time to do it myself, 2) This gives us an opportunity to teach them money management skills, 3) they pay for most of their own "stuff" includes all extras and fun things and some essentials - underwear, socks. The more you are responsible for, the more you make, and thus the more you are responsible for paying for. Our oldest son pays his dues for scouts each week and they both tithe off of their money.

Morning Reminder Cards:

Morning - get up and be in a good mood
Scriptures - read your devotional, a chapter from the Word, and do a lesson in your Bible study (this is different for each child and only applies to the ones able to read)
Make bed
Clean room
Get dressed
Brush teeth
Hair
Vitamins
Morning chore (trash for 13 yo; silverware job for 5 yo; laundry switchover for 3 yo)
Breakfast & cleanup (table for 13 yo; dishes for 10 yo; put up your plate, etc. for 5 & 3 yos)

After morning - After noon Reminder Cards:

Chore (vaccuum & dog care for 13 yo; mail, rabbit care, plant care for 10 yo)
Morning school (this has now changed to only "school" for the summer which is math and reading lessons - see other post)
Lunch and cleanup (same as above)

Evening Reminder Cards:

Quiet time (nap for 3 yo; everyone else read quietly)
Project time
Dinner & cleanup (same as above)
Baths
Brush teeth
Pajamas
Clothes
Prayer
Evening (which means go to bed without any problems)

Each one of these "sets" earns a ticket - tickets are redeemable for a variety of things and 2 can be used for 30 minutes of screen time each (1 hour total screen time per day - computer, tv, etc.). Now with summer upon us, they are using the Wii and Outdoor Challenge for exercise in the afternoons or evenings. They are not playing any other "games" on the Wii, except for the Wiikends.

I think everyone should check out accoutable kids and consider purchasing the book. It has some psychological stuff in it, that I'm not real fond of, but there are just a few bones in the book as a whole. Very practical and easy to implement! I'm feeling less and less like a nag!!

picture from: atschool.eduweb.co.uk

Life Lessons from a 10 year old

This morning I took C13 to Dallas for his volunteer job. I only had A1 with me, so I went to Mardel's and piddled around looking at curriculum and coming to some really awesome conclusions on the way home while have a quiet time with God. Big P had been left with P10, B5, and L3 in his charge. I didn't have my cell phone with me (can you believe it?), so no one could contact me with questions about lunch, etc. So, when I got home, I realized that Big P had made hot dogs for lunch. The same hot dogs that were going to be used for another meal. He hadn't read the menu that said PB&J for lunch today.

So, the conversation went something like this:

Me: Those hot dogs were going to be for another meal this week.

Big P: Well, I didn't know and I couldn't call you to ask. I'll get you some more hot dogs.

Me: It's on the menu on the fridge. Your impromptu meals end up messing up the week of menus I plan. (I said this kind of laughingly, but I was serious - read previous post where I explain that my sins are VERY evident sometimes).

P10: Mom, remember when you were listening to that thing the other day (she's talking about Todd Wilson and the Lies Homeschoolers Believe) and he said that if you say anything about the meals that dad makes, he won't ever make them again and he'll say "fine, do it yourself".

Big P: Fine, do it yourself (with a smirk)

Me: You're right, P. I'm sorry. Thank you for making lunch for them.

Me to Big P: It's pretty sad when your 10yo daughter has to remind you how to be a thankful and submissive wife!

Get Real!

I was listening to Todd Wilson yesterday in the car. C13 and I were cracking up!! He was talking about Lies Homeschoolers Believe and he was pretty right on. He's funny, but he was speaking in a serious way about many issues that hit very close to home. He encouraged us to just "get real" with each other. He talked about how when we don't admit the good and the bad in our homeschools, we are a discouragement to other mom's who think we have it all together. And although I've experienced this on the side of being discouraged by someone who isn't real, I never thought that I might be guilty of not being real. So, I wanted to get real with you today, and hopefully you'll all still read my blog and want to be my friend - ha, does that sound like Jr. High or what?

I must clarify that while I'm about to divulge several "real" things, most of them I'm currently working on. I think there is a big difference in being "real" and being negligent.

I'm guilty of:

• yelling at my children, sometimes several times a day.
• being easily distracted and not following a schedule most days.
• not "finishing" a curriculum in a couple of years - just keep plodding forward.
• not cleaning my bathroom sink in a while.
  
• absolutely abhoring the out of doors in the summer, so we stay inside and watch lots of movies. We'll have a pool this summer, so maybe it will be better?
• spending too much money impulsively and then regretting it.
• eating too much and exercising too little.
• not having a quiet time everyday.
• staying up too late for the simple fact that I'm indulging myself (tv, computer, or reading) and always saying that I'll do better and I never do for longer than a few days.
• not making matching outfits for my children, although most of the time they are in clean clothes even if they have to get them out of the basket.
  
• because of my lack of winning my children's hearts to myself, for nagging, for being inconsistent, and for not caring at times, I am dealing with some rebellion problems in my older children.
  

My children are very "real":

• Because of switching curriculums so much, my 13 yo is still working on fractions. And even "realer" - I'm okay with that.
• My 10 yo complains everytime she has to do the dishes (3x per day for the last 6 months). THIS IS ABOUT TO STOP - REALLY!
• My 5 yo still drinks milk at night, in a sippy cup, in his bed, right before going to sleep.
• My 3 yo whines A LOT about various things and runs around the house in his underwear.
• My 1 yo is still nursing almost exclusively and although I'm probably supposed to be okay with that, I'm not. I really wish he would eat solids, get down to 2-3 nursings per day and sleep through the night. I'm just not willing to let him cry it out at this point.
  
• And although you were probably hoping to see something here about how "real" my hubby is, the fact is that I see my own sins so much more than I see his, that it's hard to pick out his "faults" - now! About 6-7 years ago, that was not the case.
  

Everyday I'm thankful for God's grace and everyday I wake up learning to die to myself and live for Him. Everyday I fail in some aspect if not in several!

So, are you willing to "get real" with me. Remember - in order for you to be considered getting "really real", your "about me" list must be much longer than your children's. Getting real is about admitting where you fall short, not about where your children and husband fall short. We say it to our children everyday - you aren't responsible for what they do, you are only responsible for how you choose to respond.

And now, I think I've been very real and I'll try to sandwich this in to some other good posts, so it's not just "hanging out there"! LOL

Tuesday Mornings with Mama

In an effort to really tie heart strings with my children and even win their hearts back to me I am now implementing Tuesday Morning with Mama. Every Tuesday morning I'm going to have a date with my children - one at a time. You'll have to be at least 3 to get one of these, because up until that point you are with me all the time anyway. This isn't set in stone, but it's what I'm thinking.

So, this morning I asked C13 - "hey, do you want to go on a date with me this morning?" and he was like "yea, that sounds great!" So, as soon as Big P started getting up I told him the plans. We were already ready and had the little boys dressed and teeth brushed, etc. so that Daddy could do whatever he wanted with them (they just stayed around here and played, but he didn't have to smell dragon breath!)

C13 and I went to Starbucks and I bought him a Grande strawberries and cream. He's only ever allowed to get a tall - once per month! So this was a huge treat!

We talked about his plans for scouts, history, and we talked a long time about plans for next year's schooling. I wanted him to know that I really valued his opinion. It was absolutely delightful. I apologized for something I said yesterday and for not really giving him what he needed over the past 13 years. I was kind of lamenting about how awful I felt that I had wasted that time. He said "mom, we can pick up and go from here, building our relationship back up and loving each other. we don't have to think about the past. God will fix it." What wise words young man!

Next week will be P9(almost 10)'s week. Then B5, then L3. And then we'll start all over. :) I'm so excited!

My baby is turning 1

Yes, already! I can't believe it!! Oh I was just pondering this morning about how fast they grow up and how we just have to cherish every single moment. I've been doing a lot of decluttering around here, but mostly just of my commitments! I've gotten off all but one creative team and off the Scraps Matter Gang. I just had a real wake up call a few weeks ago that everything was adding too much pressure and I need to clear out the things that God didn't want me doing. He has called me Wifehood and Motherhood - that's it! Anything else has to take a backseat to that and unfortunately the CTs were getting in the front seat. :( I want to cherish these times with my children and I want to be a good mommy for them. That requires that I have plenty to give them - my time and my patience. I'm called to disciple my children and I want to do that wholeheartedly!

I haven't posted in so long because I feel like I always have to get on here and make some major update. Shame on me and my perfection!!!! I'm back to doing flylady. I haven't done that in a long time. It's really helping to shape my house back up! We had our babysitter over tonight and she acted as mother's helper, helping me with the boys while Paige and I got a bunch of things cleaned out. She is a huge blessing and like a big sister to Paige!

I've also been doing some major curriculum research and reading. Please pray for me for guidance. I know that God has called us to homeschool. I know that He has led us to a more natural approach for learning and we are really enjoying more Charlotte Mason methods. But, I still need some direction on specifics, so I covet your prayers!

I snapped this pictures of my little baby boy and had to shared it. It's the only reason I got on here and you still got an earfull!



My photography class is going so very awesomely! I absolutely LOVE it! I was trying to do an assignment of capturing the little parts of my little ones (ears, noses, chubby hands and legs, etc.) and Aiden didn't want any part of it. He just wanted me to hold him, so he starts just crying! I just had to take one more and this is what I got! Talk about capturing the moment! Who ever said that they always have to be laughing or smiling to capture the real stuff?!!

Night friends!!

30 something challenge

In an effort to really fulfill the mission that our family has committed to, I needed to make a challenge for myself. I'm putting it on my blog for the "world" to see so that I can have more accountability for it. Hubby works nights and thus doesn't have the time to "check" my bedtime. So, this is a drastic accountability measure.

As we near the busy holiday season, isn't it important for us to be on our up and up, our best, most energized self? Isn't this important in our motherhood, as well. I've put these three things in order to have that for myself. And while I do realize that many people don't have the same spiritual convictions and beliefs that I do, I encourage you to do as much of this challenge as you can. If you don't have a quiet time with God, I would suggest that you spend some time in prayer and open your heart.

What I have found out is that this a big cycle. I can't do #1 if I don't do #3. I can't do #3, if I don't do #2. And #1 inclines me to do #2.

So, post the challenge banner on your blog if you feel so inclined. Make sure and upload it to your photobucket account before posting it on your blog.

p.s. all the papers and elements to make the banner are from Erica Zane's Secret Sage kit - available at Scrap Matters.com.

I'm (my handwriting!) famous

Okay, before I dive into the subject of that little title, I thought I'd update on how the retreat went. It was FABULOUS!!! That's red for Rubies, of course! Nancy was superb, of course, her message was timeless and so encouraging. She did a point by point on Isaiah 40:11 about the shepherd and how this relates to mothers and mothering. It was beautiful! We also got to hear not one, but 2 incredible messages from Vange. And Serene and Pearl graced us with their beautiful encouraging music - many of the songs from their new CD, This is Our Road, which is a CD with all songs about marriage. On Friday night, when getting ready to purchase the items I wanted from the book table, I realized my money was missing! All of it! I was discouraged, but held on to the fact that it dropped somewhere in the dining hall or the conference room and that God really knew what was best. I kept holding to the Philippians 4:6-7, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, make your requests known to the Lord... I had done a digital framed print of this verse with Bible Art to give to Nancy, the girls, my dear friend Kelly who had organized the retreat, and one for a giveaway.

And while looking through the directory on Saturday afternoon, P.9.G. found the money!!!! There is much more to the story, but suffice to say that I'm married to the greatest man on earth - I'm fairly certain you already know this since I've mentioned it many times before (heehee!) and he was not upset with me for losing the money, but encouraged me to continue to have a good time. Wow! I'm sure he was super excited when I texted him to tell him that I had found it, though :P

And on to my title... Several weeks ago I had my handwriting made into a font by Darcy Baldwin so that I could use it on my digital layouts. I'm fairly certain I blogged about it. Hmmm. Anyway, I purchased the non-exclusive font (since it was cheaper) which means that she can turn around and use it to either sell or giveaway, if she likes it. I teased Big P that I would be honored to have my handwriting chosen to be sold! And guess what?! I was browsing the sweet shoppe site and I found this!!!

How cool is that?! Yes, I'm the sweet one! Heehee! And that's my little star and heart doodles. (Image is linked) I used this font for the names in the directory that I did for the retreat, because I kept thinking that the retreat had such a homey feel last year and I wanted to recreate that in the directory. I also used really cool stitched frames by Britt-ish designs for the pics!

Last week we had a serious cold thing going through the house. When I left on Friday and then called to check on everyone later, Big P was sick :(. I'm feeling better and all that remains of that is now with my big boy, C.12.B. and one of my little boys, B.4.B. But, we brought home a stomach virus from the retreat. :( P.9.G. was down with that all day. I'm going to be heading to bed soon after taking 2 - 1 hour naps today! Got a surprising amount done today around the house - although it doesn't look like it now! LOL

Oh, one more thing. I hooked up with a sweet friend I had made at last year's retreat and we both brought our Dulcimers and were played a bit on Saturday afternoon! She's taken some classes and was showing me some strumming and cords and it was really cool. It's encouraged me to get the dulcimer out and put it to use! :) We are going to learn this thing!

That's it for now... Have a blessed week!

Arkansas Above Rubies Retreat

This Friday, P.9.G. and Baby A are going with me to Little Rock for the 2nd Arkansas Above Rubies Retreat! I went last year and had an absolute blast. This is my 5th Above Rubies retreat! I love the AR one because it is quaint. LOL I have been either helping or planning for Texas for 3 years (2006, 2007, 2008). When I went to AR, it was nice to just sit. This year, though, I really wanted to help my dear friend, Kelly, and volunteered to do the directory for her. She let me! :) It's been really fun, but a big project none the less. So, this is the 3rd Above Rubies Retreat directory I've done and each one is getting better, as I get more experienced at doing it.

Kelly and I have had a great time talking about various aspects of the retreat, things that she is doing differently this year, and both getting uber excited about it all!

I really love Nancy Campbell and her straight from the Bible teaching. It's refreshing! Serene and Pearl will be there again this year singing. And they have a new album out with songs about marriage!!!! Vange will be talking, too. I haven't heard her since 2006! She's a knock your socks off kind of a gal with her strong messages and revalations for mothers!

Woohoo! So, there's my little preview of what the weekend has in store. If you don't know about Above Rubies, please check out their website here! This is an incredible ministry that has been around for over 30 years ministering to women in their highest calling as wives and mothers. I look forward to each issue of the free magazine! Which reminds me that my children need to check the mail because I heard that all those around me have gotten theirs!

Totally Normal!

In case anyone thought that I wasn't a normal mom (I have NO idea why someone would think this, but just in case!) this is what I did in a fit of frustration this morning. I truly get tired of saying the same things over and over (ie. nagging) and yet things don't change the way that I think they should. This morning C.12.B. got upset because P.9.G. left her shoes under the table and he went to put them IN her bed and write her a note as a "reminder". So, this prompted me (in my anger :( ) to write them all a note! Then, it kept going and going. I decided I would keep these up for a few days so that I didn't have to repeat myself.

I then repented of the anger, asked for forgiveness, and am moving on. I left the notes up though. Better than me nagging, right?!


The notes say things like: feed your dogs, train your dog, pick up your things; don't wake up in the morning only to lay back down on the couch, don't dump out milk, don't ask or expect to eat out each week, etc.

***Edited: A friend emailed me laughing at the advertisements on our sticky notes, considering we have 5 children! LOLOLOLOL This cracked me up, too, because I didn't even realize what I had written on. My sister works at a doctor's office and brings us sticky notes - which we use for everything. I grabbed the smallest one I could find (out of my newly cleaned out junk drawer) and started writing! It NEVER occurred to me what the advertisement was for. LOLOLOLOL I'll just say that we don't use medicine in our home, unless someone is really REALLY ill (coughing uncontrollably or with a serious infection), and that's all I'll say about that! LOLOLOL***

On a sweeter note, here's a pic of Baby A (5 months) in the swing when I took him out on Saturday.

Balancing Ministries - Part 1

Are you a juggler? I'm not or doing this might be quite easy. Balancing the ministries (could also be known as priorities) of a mom is probably one of our biggest struggles - although we don't realize it.

It's probably at the root of many of the issues we face on a day to day basis because how we view our ministries determines how we spend most of our time and how our attitude is effected (and therefore effects others, like our family).

First and foremost we must figure out what our ministries are (or should be!). I won't get into a long debate about a woman's ministries. I realize that there are varying opinions on this, but I just prefer to take the opinion of God, our creator, on these issues. I figure He knows us better than anyone, since He created us, so it would be in our best interest to trust and obey (for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey). But I do want to warn you that I will be hitting some hot buttons later.

1. Seek God daily (preferably in the morning). We see it over and over in scripture. Abraham, David, and even Jesus got up in the morning to spend time in prayer seeking God.

Mark 1: 35 says
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Practical tip: Here's what I do to have this quiet time in the morning. I aim to go to bed earlier, but that doesn't always work. I try to get up before the kids. Most of the time this works, but not always - they are early risers and if I stay up just a hair too late, I can really mess up the schedule. I grab my computer and my headphones. I plug my headphones into my computer and pop on iTunes. Big P has loaded the Bible into my iTunes and we just love listening this way. Now, while I love this, I need to also be reading it, so I follow along reading the NIV in BibleGateway.com. It really helps me to soak it in. I am using this to help me get through the Bible in 1 year. You can choose the various ways you would like to read it, chronologically, new/old, old/new, etc. http://eword.gospelcom.net/year/ Here's what my "perfect" quiet time schedule looks like - like I mentioned before, it doesn't always happen this way, but when it does I am truly blessed with a more peaceful day (a commodity in a household with 4 busy children!).

• Praise - I listen to a praise song on iTunes. We like contemporary music, but we don't like to "jam out" to things that we can't understand the words to. What's the point?

• Prayer - God, I want to hear what you have to teach ME today. Before I can teach my children or mentor anyone else, I need to learn.

• Bible - my listening/reading combo mentioned above.
  

• Prayer - Thank you God for your Word today. Please help me to live it out (this truly is the hardest part).

Now, sometimes this mama gets a little grumpy when she doesn't have her quiet time. And a few days in a row can really ruin my week!

Randomly the kids will get up, after I have hit the snooze button 1 too many times! When this happens, I grab my computer, and I put on an old cartoon on for them (or Higglytown Heros) and I do just my Bible reading combo and prayer. It's better than nothing and I've learned my lessons enough to know what it is like without it.

Now, I'm sad to say that on the weekends, it just doesn't happen this way. I am working on our routines and will be implementing my quiet time routine (which is also affected by my evening routine) every day this week, tweaking it, adjusting as necessary, etc. I'll post that later in case anyone needs ideas to spark their imagination.

I wanted to start out with this ministry first. Our first ministry is to ministered to by God. Nothing will really fall into place if that isn't our first priority. It's one of those things that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to us. Cindy Rushton mentioned this in one of her talks and I found it fascinating and true! It's like tithing (doesn't make sense how you can make do with 10% less, or more), and Sabbath rest (doesn't make sense how you can get more done Monday through Saturday if you just rest that one day per week), and it doesn't make sense, in our human minds, how you can have a much better day by just spending the first of that day with God.

A Little Bulge!

Okay, I've noticed it for a couple of days, but this morning even more so. Now, I must say that I did have some tummy weight, which is why it is bulging out a bit more than if I hadn't gained that almost 10 lb. back! I'm watching what I am eating - how much, making sure to get enough exercise (running around the house - I will pick back up my walking today), and drinking plenty of water.

I have a little bulge in the belly! I can't remember when I started showing with my others - how sad is that?! I do know that with my oldest, I was about 4 months before you could really start to see a belly, and then it just looked like a little pudge (as I was skinny minny then!).

They say that the after birth contractions get harder with every child, and I would have to wholeheartedly agree with that! And it's because your uterus is stretching more each time. So, then it wouldn't seem highly unlikely that I would be showing a little at this point - although no one could probably tell the difference, but me. But my tummy is getting harder!

This is my 6th pregnancy, but 5th to carry this far. I'm going to have 5 children! Wow!!! I can hardly believe it. Isn't God good?

Life does get overwhelming at times. The house becomes a wreck, and making meals becomes tiresome. As does cleaning poop out of the bathtub, changing diapers, washing clothes, and all that stuff. But, when I truly think about it, really deep thinking now, I realize how blessed I am! I mean REALLY blessed! My children are loving to me (and sometimes to each other - just kidding, sort of!), they say sweet things, and they thank me for the meals that I make.

I realize that I am in a thankless profession, but my husband does such a wonderful job of thanking me, even when I don't feel like I deserve it. This isn't a job where you go work for someone else all day, get a pat on the back along with a paycheck, and leave at 5. This is the hardest work I've ever done in my life, because it is 24/7. But, I know that God has prepared me for it. He never leaves me!

He is there in the bathroom when I'm sitting on the side of the tub waiting for the 3.5 year old to poop. And he's there when that little boy says "Mama, I poop!" in his excited little voice and waits for a round of applause.

He's there when I am changing that diaper, as messy as it was, while my 18 month old laughs at the funny faces Mama makes and tries to HELP!

He's there when my big boy comes up to me and tells me that he loves me, when we are walking together at the Heritage Village where he volunteers. He tells me all about the history of the building and I am so proud of the boy (ahem, excuse me, young man) he has become.

He's there when my little girl makes me a treat that she has made in the kitchen. She thanks for me for teaching her how to cook and bake and gives me a kiss to go along with it.

And I think about all that I would have missed out on if I wouldn't have been there to do these things with them. Or all I would have missed out on if I never had them at all.

And so, even though the little bulge in my tummy is half from the extra weight, I thank God for being there and giving us the little signs of His love for us. And who would have ever thought I would have been thankful for a bulging tummy?! :) And I thank God for the changes He has made in me!

Joyfully busy at home,
Christine

Whole Lot of Nuttin' Kind of Day

That's about what I feel like I accomplished today! Did a little of this and a little of that. Didn't feel bad or anything, just felt a little unmotivated today I guess. The kids likely felt the same way as they were asking for the day off school. They will do school on Friday instead.

Got some chore cards printed to start the chore system back up. I have been lax about it and the house shows it! I had bought the chore card system from Molly at www.homeschoolwithindexcards.com and really wanted to implement it, just haven't.

So, I sat down today and started printing some off. Then I bought the Mom chore set. It's $2.50, so if it helps me at all, it will be worht it. She is so wonderful and even created a couple of cards that weren't in the kit, just for me! Wasn't that sweet?! She has wonderful freebies on there, as well, so check them out.

The kids played outside so much today - 3 times. They only complained about the heat once. Big P nipped that in the bud really quick, so no more complaints after that.

They just played and played and played! It was so cool and it reminded me once again, why I love the cooler weather so much - everyone is happier. I wonder if we could afford to get a summer home up North - way north! LOL Yea, right! We might be able to shuck up enough money to get an acre of land and plop our pop-up camper on it - but Big P can't take 3 months off his job! LOL He has a nice vacation package, but not that nice! Believe me, I've proposed the idea before.

And so we played around most of the day. Doin' nuttin'.

B.3.5.B. become facinated with some grasshoppers the kids caught in my canning jars. He carried those little critters around with him all day. He told me they were his "friends". It was precious!!! They got dropped a couple of times, which seemed to send the little things into a tizzy. And then he would say "they scared". Yea!!! How would you feel if someone stuck you inside a cylinder and sloshed you around all day! And then stuck their face up to check you out and shook some more.

We were able to free his "friends" tonight when he went to bed. I'm sure he'll get up asking for them tomorrow and they might have to catch some new ones. Using the same jars, of course, that have now been "labeled" the bug jars (and lids, and rings).

He got some ant bites today and tonight his little foot was swollen and a bit bluish. It was on top and didn't bother him until someone touched it. I gave him some benedryl and he was out.

Landon pooped in the tub, so the tub had to be cleaned (again!) and all the tub toys washed.

And tonight, after a pretty lazy day, the big kids and I got to sit down and watch Sugar Creek Gang on DVD- the first episode. They crashed and this mama is about to.

I'll have a more productive day tomorrow, I just needed a nuttin' kind of day! They sure are nice when we take them now and then. :)

Joyfully busy (sometimes!) at home,
Christine