Gone are the days where I carefully plan and schedule posts. Now I simply blog as I feel inspired by life. I have decided there is a time and a place for both.

I know I’m not alone as a mom who finds that the most joy can be brought about by the littlest things that happen each day. It can be a hug, a giggle, a story, a kind gesture or many other almost imperceptable things. But if you look close you’ll catch them.

This was clearly shown recently when CJ our oldest made a completely selfless sacrifice to try and benefit me. It was so kind, so completely loving that it brought me to tears.  I was amazed by this young man once again.  I’m so thankful for him in so many ways.

So today, I’m looking for the little things and praying that I can offer little things to everyone around me as well!

The twins are quickly approaching age 4 and their latest love, especially Bug is to cut their hair. Bug did this twice within about a month and I did what I could with his hair buzz cutting it and trying to still keep it looking cute.

Then about 2 weeks ago Monkey decided to do it as well but instead of cutting a reverse mohawk as Bug has Monkey cut it straight across the front close to his head. Equally terrible looking lol, but Icould work with that a little more… until yesterday.

As most of you know, I have been cutting all my guys’ hair since shortly after my husband and I got married.  This has saved us a ton of money and headaches over the years and it’s a quick job to do at home.

I had cut my husband’s and 3of the other boys’ hair the day before and apparently I had left the clippers box on the counter. Yes you guessed it, in their infinite wisdom, the twins found that box (though the height of the counter is at forehead level) opened it up and proceeded to clip hair.

Now, the crazy part is that, as usual, they were only in there for a few moments before Salesman and I heard and registered the noise in the kitchen. As we investigated, sure enough we found that Monkey had taken the clippers to the front middle of his head and had a crazy looking front only reverse mohawk look going. Bugs had only a tiny section cut out of the front as well, but it was enough to require a full shaving.

As CJ begged to shave them it is the first time that I’ve ever been able to say yes lol. After all what more could he do to them, they already looked terrible. So excitedly CJ prepared the clippers and a twin and began shaving. The twins weren’t thrilled with the process, but they hated afterward when they saw themselves completely sheared down to the scalp.

They kept asking for us to put the hair back on (which we all fell on the floor laughing over of course) and informed me that CJ is never to cut their hair again. To which I replied that as long as they did not cut their hair again I would make sure CJ didn’t have the opportunity to cut their hair again.

This turned into an excellent way to try and keep them from cutting their hair again. Knowing that they would look as they do now and endure another haircut by big brother may very well be my ticket out of the crazy haircut stage.

We will see……

The conversations with the Twinks never cease to amaze me.

Waking up yesterday to Bugs insisting that everyone “Rise and Shine” as he turns on every light was mildly amusing.

Followed on his heels by Monkey announcing, “I don’t get an awwowance, and I don’t have a job!” *big Monkey sigh*

To which I replied, “well you are only 3 so it’s ok that you don’t have a job or get an allowance.”

Monkey: “Well, yeah, I’m 3-2 years old and don’t have a job or get an awwowance!” (he always says he’s 3-2 years old instead of 3 lol).

Well there’s no arguing with that I guess.

As I tried to login to post yesterday, I discovered that my blog was down.  So I took that as a prompt to move on and let it go for the day.  Not sure what the problem was since everything seems to be just fine today but I’m thankful that it wasn’t anything major because I hadn’t backed up for a while and I’d feel terrible if you all had to re-enter the contests.

Life got put on hold again this week as we have had more creeping crud.

On Friday last week I received a phone call from the boys’ school.  It was the health room gal letting me know that Lion had a nasty little infection going in his left hand.  A half hour later I picked him up from school and dragged him to the doctor.  All the while wondering how on earth a simple cut or splinter could cause that nasty of an infection overnight.

An hour of kicking and screaming at the doctor’s office later (they had to clean it out and such – it was awful), a bandaid was applied, stickers handed out and a prescription ordered.  Two days later I received a call to stop the antibiotic they had prescribed since the infection was Strep not staph as they had presumed.  So on to a new prescription he went…. SIGH.

Yesterday CJ was a mess, his head was so stuffed and painful he could hardly move until I’d loaded him up on meds.  Since none of the other boys were in school that day the Twinkies and Tater went to visit my parents and overall it was a pretty low key day.

That afternoon though CJ still wasn’t feeling as well as I’d like and the presence of a fever in addition to some neck pain had me a little concerned so I decided to take him in.  Something he was determined not to do.  You try convincing a 14 year old who is almost 6 feet tall to go to the doctor when they don’t want to… it isn’t fun!

But as we were getting ready to go, Salesman told me his throat was hurting pretty badly, so last minute I decided to take him as well.  After a small check-in ordeal at one of the local walk-in clinics, the boys were checked out.

Turns out CJ just has a lot of sinus stuff going on and needs to take preventative measures to keep it from turning into a sinus infection.  The cultured Salesman’s throat right away and by the time the doc was done checking CJ the results of the 5 min Strep test were ready… and very positive.

Oh Joy!

I have 6 sons and in the 14 years that I’ve been a parent not one of my children has ever had Strep throat.  Something I was quite happy about since there are so many of them and it is so contagious.  Today I might have one more child to take to the doctor…and tomorrow, well, I don’t want to think about that lol.

So, there you have it, we are officially in the middle of the sickies and I can only hope that you are not doing the same in your house!  Have a GREAT Thursday ladies!

I have recently realized (though I have no idea why it took me so long) that my Twinkies talk non stop.  They are just little chatterboxes.

I could almost write a Dr. Seuss type book with their antics…something along the lines of “here, there and everywhere” would be involved because it doesn’t matter where we are going (or not going as the case may be) or what we are doing (again..or not doing) they will always have something to say about it.

I’m not sure exactly when they decided they know more than any of the rest of their family members…all of whom are older than them, but they are positive that they do.  Preschoolers that are unequivocally smarter than the rest of the world are a force to be reckoned with…or feared…or both.

This is the position I find myself in daily.  What crazy scheme will they try today?  Will they have a story to tell or someone to tell off?  Can I possibly keep up?

I have never questioned God’s sense of humor in blessing us with these two adorable little creatures, but that doesn’t mean that I always get it.  None of my other children were capable of getting ahead of me more quickly than these two.

And when there are two of them ahead of you, you are in trouble.

But I digress…

I talk a lot about their funny little sayings and their conversations.  Honestly though that is just a small portion of the interesting life with my twins.  There’s always the climbing of walls, seeing how quickly we can take something apart (or away from a brother) and the ever present search for anything artsy we aren’t supposed to touch without mom being right there to supervise.

These items include, but are not limited to: scissors, tape, crayons, markers, pencils, erasers, etc.

We recently had what I currently refer to as “the incident” with scissors.  Yes, the timeless tradition of cutting one’s hair was exacted by our loveable Bugs a little over a week ago.  Unlike most other children who participate in this ritual of preschoolerdom, my son decided to cut a perfect line, at scalp level, straight up the middle of his head instead of across the front.

He ended up with some sort of odd looking reverse mohawk…nothing short of hideous.  It took me far too long though to work up the nerve to whack it all off.  But I did and he is now a tough little soldier…still with a little baldish streak up the middle of his head lol.

Now the only thing left to do is take a picture and scrapbook it for posterity.  Because there is no way I’m letting him forget it when his son decides to do the same thing!  This is one of the beautiful things in parenting…I think I need to remember it more often!

There are definitely times in life that it feels like it’s raining…then there’s the times that rain becomes a deluge. I’m really not a big believer in the whole “when it rains it pours” theory, but I have to admit that sometimes it feels that way.

That is my life right now.

Don’t worry, I’m not planning on getting all discouraging on you, but I do want to keep it real.  I struggle, just like every other mom I know.  Life doesn’t always go according to plan and sometimes things feel like they are falling apart around you.

I’m not immune to it either.

Of course, the bottom line through it all is how we react.  The dilemmas that face us, the hardships that cross our paths and the pain that we have to work through are all part of the learning curve that develops who we are and what direction we are choosing to go.

I don’t always react the right way.

The consequences are something I have to live with and move on in spite of. But again, they are shaping me, and hopefully making me stronger and wiser.

So today although this isn’t typical of a post you will find here, I just want to send out a message that you aren’t alone in whatever struggle you are dealing with.  Even if the world seems to be falling down around you, you are still not alone.  There are so many people in your life that care and you just need to learn to lean on and trust others sometimes.

It’s hard, and sometimes it messes with our pride.  We have to move past that.

So my prayer for you this week is that if you are feeling run down, exhausted, overwhelmed, or even something way bigger than those…that a friend will come along side you and hold up your arms in your weakness.

Well, fall is officially here.  I know I’ve been a little MIA lately, but with kids getting sick, me getting sick and the end of football season life has been a little nuts.  In the midst of it all I have had a moment or two where I feel like my sanity is a little…well…off.

So, in my effort to stay sane, there are a few things in life that make a huge difference.  Finding the beauty in everything around me (something I talked about not that long ago), and great music.

Two very simple things that are making life so enjoyable.  There are some amazing songs out there that have the incredible ability to lift the spirit.   Add to that the fact that the beauty of the changing colors of fall is impossible to ignore.

So today I have a question for you…when everything starts to get crazy or hectic and life starts feeling a little slanted, what do you do to maintain composure (or regain it as the case may be)?

I talked last week about the fact that this is the time of year for many of us to get a little gloomy.  Although the Washington weather continues to be incredibly (and unusually) sunny and beautiful, we are definitely seeing signs of winter and occasionally fall.   It is just so cold.

The other day though, as I was driving one of the boys to a football game, I was on the freeway when the mountains were suddenly all around me as clear as a bell and as beautiful as anything I’ve ever seen.  It literally took my breath away. (These images on this post are just some I’ve taken driving around “town” lately, definitely NOT the image I’m describing here!)

I do not remember the last time I saw anything so beautiful.  With just a touch of snow on the tips, a couple puffy clouds floating around and gorgeous sunlight.  I could have stopped in the middle of the road right then and there to enjoy the view.  I honestly wish I could have, but of course, I had to keep on trucking down the road.

I was in awe of the beauty God has given us and wondered to myself when the last time was that I really, truly appreciated His creation.  I realized that I do NOT do it enough.  I’m so wrapped up in my daily activities and all the things I need to do that I do not take time to “stop and smell the roses”.

There’s a very big reason that saying has remained a classic for as long as it has.  If we do not take time to look at the beauty around us, life becomes dull, difficult, frustrating, overwhelming, etc. You get the picture.   That notion actually surprised me.  Why do we need to look around?  But when I saw that landscape I mentioned before, it actually made me peaceful I could feel my soul being restored and I felt like God was standing right there with me.

This week, can I encourage you to make a commitment to stop at least once each day, step outside (or go to a park) and find beauty in God’s creation?  As you do, take a deep breath and thank Him for all He has given you.   I am pretty sure that by the end of the week you may be shocked at how refreshed and at peace you feel.

Fall is here, with it are cooler, shorter days that tend to be darker.  Here in Washington, the rains are actually not as bad as normal, we’ve had a lot of sunny fall days…I actually do not remember having so many gorgeous fall days.

So this year, for me the fall gloomies are taking a little longer to set in, but for many the changing of the seasons means a definite change in attitude.

Focus, attitude, perspective and purpose are all ways to maintain…or lose…a great mood.   The choice is, ultimately, up to us.  The problem is that I don’t always feel like “making it work”.

As the weeks progress through fall and winter, I’m likely to offer a variety of suggestions.  Since I often know that a day may be gloomy as soon as I start getting up, today I want to make a few suggestions for starting your day.

Shower!

There’s nothing better than a nice warm shower on a cold gloomy fall morning.  Especially an uninterrupted one.  So many of us moms let this part of our day go a little, but if you have an opportunity to do this, spend a little extra time just letting the hot water wash over you.  Make sure you lock the door too.

We have only one bathroom, and honestly, I usually leave the door unlocked in case anyone has to use the toilet or sink while I’m showering.  We haven’t had any issues with privacy doing this, but when they open the door all the hot air rushes out and it totally kills the comforting affect of the shower.  So, on gloomy days, warn everyone that the door will be locked so they’d better get their business done before you go in.

Comfort Breakfast

Have a favorite breakfast?  Love cocoa or a great mocha in the morning?  Take time to make and really enjoy it on days when your mood is less than fabulous.  Going through a morning on an empty stomach is bad enough, but when you’re not in a great mood, it becomes even worse.

Forget the House

This may seem like the strangest suggestion of all.  I’m not telling you to get out of the house, though that may be exactly what some of you need.  But, go into the cleanest room (nonexistent in my world, but we’ll ignore that fact for a moment) and take the little ones with you.  Cuddle with them, read them a story, play blocks with them, watch a quiet kid movie.  You get the idea.  Lay low.  If you try to do laundry, dishes, clean house and more while entertaining your little ones, your mood is likely to just keep going downhill.  Save those activities for a little later, when your children are napping or having their quiet time.

Yes, there are a lot more suggestions I could make, but for now, I’ll leave it at that .  I think a surprise recipe for a magnificent mocha/cocoa is in order next week…be sure to come get that!

It’s quiet.  At 4:30 in the afternoon, that would normally make me nervous, but everything has aligned perfectly in a rare fall day that is not too cold and not raining, there’s really no practices to speak of  and it isn’t time to make dinner yet.

My children have all gone outside to play.  It’s like they know that time cannot be wasted and there are precious few days before the rains begin and they are cooped up in our tiny house.

Every once in a while a little one will come in bearing gifts.  This time it was Bugs with a sand pail filled with rocks.  Good sized ones too.  Yesterday he was carrying around a cup that contained a “little fella”.  We have not yet identified this unnamed creature he refers constantly to as “Little Fella” and is forever collecting in a cup or a pitcher, but I simply ask him to keep creatures outdoors.

In between it all I breathe.  Not just your typical breathe in breathe out, no a deep sustaining breath.  The kind that you feel down to your soul.  The kind that refreshes you and keeps you sane.

I don’t get quiet often.  I crave it, yearn for it even, but forget to seek it and make time for it.

It’s the same with my time with God.  I need that time, it is sanity and refreshment and the fulfillment of life.  Yet I forget to seek it, make time for it and bask in it’s great abilities to refresh my life and soul.

My quiet moment is ending as I head outside to ensure that none of my children do anything that will damage themselves.  But my wish for you is that you can experience a moment or two of quiet right here and now.

Breathe in, Breathe out and ask God to fill you up!