Happy wordless wednesday everyone, or in my case, not so wordless!  Many of you are aware that my “baby” is growing up.  I have very mixed emotions about that these days and I’ve held my piece as the moodiness began, even when he grew 2 inches since Christmas (and outgrew all of his clothes - grrr), but reality is setting in a little more each day.  I have been noticing over the last couple weeks that his voice is beginning to change (I’m just noticing it now, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been going on for a while) and tonight we took him to Jr. High orientation (they don’t start here until 7th grade thank goodness). 

This is my boy (not a great picture):

I have to show this next photo since it includes all three of the oldest boys: CJ is 12, Salesman is 9 and Tater is 8 and yes, there IS that much of a height difference (for the moment anyway):

More than a weekend away, this little mini-vacation we’re taking as a family starting today is steeped in tradition.  A tradition that my husband has been participating in for … well … basically his whole life.  This tradition takes place the exact same weekend of every year, in the exact same town, to fish in the exact same lake. 

We will be staying in a rental that is larger than our home and as I mentioned earlier I am SUPER excited.  But more than that I am happy to finally be back, celebrating this wonderful tradition with all of my boys again.  You see, we have taken three years off. 

Three years ago we moved into this house after having lived with 4 sons in a 30 foot RV for 3 months … I was DONE with camping or even the remote idea of spending any time in a campground!   Then the following February 1st we had our Twinkies … 6 weeks early … 2 weeks in the NICU … major risk for RSV.  There was NO WAY I was taking those little ones that far away from home, but no way I wanted to be left alone for even a weekend either.  So we didn’t go.  Things weren’t a whole lot better the following year with the variety of ages, so here we are - seriously needing to redeem ourselves.

Traditions are something that I strongly encourage other families to make and keep!  We have been so blessed by the traditions we have and the wonderful security and passion our children have toward them.  You hear it often, but the years truly are fleeting.  I am amazed as watch our 12 year old young man now.  Thankful that we have instilled what we have in him, but wishing I could have done more.  A normal reaction I know, but I don’t want to wait until it’s too late to recover our lost traditions. 

So I’ll be away for the weekend, busy with our excited half-dozen sons as they get to go fishin’ - some for the very first time in their young lives.  This ought to be fun :)  Wish me luck … or better yet, pray hard for me!  And remember to take advantage of the little opportunities to create a tradition with your children.  We only have them for a few short years and we have to make the most of it!  Be blessed this weekend ladies

One of the most challenging parts of being a mom is getting Quiet Time - those few still moments in a day where things are relatively quiet and you can breathe deeply and take in a little of God’s Word!   Some moms rely on nap and rest-time for their few minutes alone, while many of us have a hard time not using that entire time for cleaning and other household duties, it is a great opportunity to try and squeeze in a little time for refreshment too.  

There were many years when my oldest three children were young that I didn’t make ANY time for this . . . none!  It wasn’t there, I couldn’t find it, how in the world did other moms get time each day?  I was running on empty and used to it.  It’s a common problem with the current price of gasoline to simply buy enough to get us from one place to the next.  That’s what I was doing with my Quiet Time.  Living from Sunday to Sunday, brief moment in Prayer throughout the day and quick verse in the Bible.  At some point your tank will be on E and you won’t know what to do. 

There are so many other benefits that we simply don’t see when we live on Empty.  I didn’t see that spending time each day in the Bible and in prayer would help me see that I need to come to him with everything - big and small.  That spending time with Him each day would allow me to see certain areas of my children’s lives more clearly.  To understand their needs and the direction I should go in my parenting and instruction.  To give me strength, courage, patience, wisdom and guidance through every decision and step. 

Sure, sometimes I’m desperately looking for answers and He seems so quiet.  But it is then that I learn to rely on Him more, to be patient and to LISTEN!  So often we are caught up in getting the answer and getting it now and that’s simply not how He operates.

John 10:27

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Simple verse, but it says so much about the importance of simply listening to Him!

Ephesians 3:16-19

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being. So that Christ may dwell in your hearts in faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

I think that pretty much says it all .  Have a blessed day!

“Kids are just like that today.” A generation of victims who can blame anyone or anything but themselves for everything that happens.  I hear the words “It’s not my fault!” an awful lot these days.  By the time they are 12 many children have been exposed to sex, alcohol and drugs.

Bear with me here as we meander through my mind.  I will not be bleak for long, I promise!

If there is one thing I have always been completely dedicated to as a parent it is that my children not grow up too quickly. The trend today is to expose children to very adult themes, behaviors, attitudes, ideas and information in an attempt to make them a generation that is more informed and less naive. Or at least I think that is why.

Personally, I struggle with this and want my boys to grow up as carefree as possible. Sure I’m busy trying to instill plenty of morals and values along the way and our goal is to help create good, clean, hardworking men who are a benefit to society! Not a bunch of dramatic victims who are desensitized to life, pain and the people around them.

Trying to figure out an appropriate way to talk to our 12 year old about STDs and Sex and more ~ ugh! The school district had a three week long course of material that they taught all of the 5th graders last year. Thanks to an understanding and supportive teacher our son was not exposed to this information as we want him to learn it all from our perspective . . . he’ll know what the world thinks soon enough. Bottom line, it’s absolutely not their place to teach him this information and thankfully we know that they cannot go against our wishes (despite their attempts to inform us otherwise LOL). 

Parenting today can be an interesting combination of truth and counter-”truth”.  A balancing act for those who want to have children who are grounded and morally sound.  But thankfully it is possible and being involved, informed and proactive parents is a key ingredient to raising our children to be healthy adults. 

But there’s an even bigger gift to parents . . . God!  Resting in His guidance, leaning on His knowledge, trusting for His Truth to guide the way!  What better gift could we have been given and I am thrilled and honored to accept that Gift!  Children have wills of their own and will make their own choices through life, but I’m very thankful that every step of the way I can be praying that God’s hand is guiding and directing those decisions. Praying that He helps me to know how to respond and react and direct. Praying that these boys of mine learn that without Him life is indeed very bleak and meaningless. 

2 Corinthians 9:8-10 says this:

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”

Be blessed today!

Based on yesterday’s announcement I am hoping that my “regulars” will understand and forgive my “personal” absence this week.  I sat down so many times to post a little piece of our lives through the week, but for some reason none of it ever made it’s way into a full fledged post.  So here I am needing to play a little catch up on the adventures of the week.

Much of my week was spent further twin proofing the house.  This is definitely NOT to be mistaken for Childproofing a house . . . no, no, no!!!  Soooo much different than that!  They are forever finding new ways to climb to the ceiling (no joke)  and break into things and rooms they shouldn’t have a clue how to get to! 

They learned how to open the front door the end of last week which was very scary considering they like to beeline for the road.  We live in the middle of nowhere ladies and have a gynormous back and side yard, but the first thing straight ahead of you as you leave our front door is the road.  People go very fast on this road, there isn’t a lot of traffic, but they go FAST! UGH!!!!  The panic was about to leave me with a heart condition so the only real solution (bolting the door just isn’t that convenient for the bigger boys when they play outside) was to find door knob covers. 

Sir Lion the StrongWilled apparently has decided two things . . . 1. One needn’t change out of their pajamas until they have been asked about 10 times while mom is busy each day and 2. Crying anytime things don’t go your way may be more effective than screaming and stomping our little foot.  Now, truth be told, both of these things annoy me greatly!  Sad, but true!  I’m an “only ask once” kind of mom and don’t consider my requests “optional” (though most of my children do) so when these two things combine he won’t find himself getting a lot of sympathy from me.  In fact, he’ll usually find himself in a “quiet spot” (away from the room I’m in) to “get a grip”.  Lovely!

Then there’s CJ, the 12 year old weed that we call our oldest son.  Yeah that one.  He has suddenly gone moody on us (again, LOVELY! *sigh*).  The biggest issue we are dealing with is actually not all that different than Lion’s . . . he considers requests as either optional or “when I’m ready”.  HUH???  Why is it that they suddenly think it’s ok to try to change the game plan?  It’s different from what Lion is doing only in the sense that he isn’t saying he won’t do it, he just thinks he should be able to get away with the “just one more” attitude.  Enough of that though.

Tater and The Salesman are pretty much par for the course right now which is good for this mama’s nerves!  They have their little issues here and there and will switch places with Lion and CJ anyday now, but until then I’m thankful for the normalcy!

That pretty much sums up the Froggy group update!  Haven’t done one of them in a very long while, so there you have it!

On the Frog Parent front there is only one thing to report, Frog Daddy is starting a new job with a different company next week.  An exciting development for him since it will at last give him the opportunity to finally be in the position he has been working toward for the last 9 years!  We are so very thankful for this and pray that he will be blessed and that those around him will be as well!

Until next time . . . have a wonderful weekend and HAPPY EASTER! 

I simply cannot resist adding an ultra-delightful moment to your day!  I think you will find this video highly amusing.  I was practically rolling on the floor . . . . ok, not exactly rolling, but it is very funny! 

My hands are not beautiful any more . . . for many years now they have been working hard.  Cooking and cleaning and a mountain of laundry added a few wrinkles here and there.  Doing dishes, tickling boys and bathing babies claimed the perfect manicure years ago!

But for all the beauty that is no more, in it’s place are priceless memories, hugs, kisses, love, games, high-fives, sweet little notes, carefully prepared treats and other unforgettable events that my hands create for my family.

So, if I had a choice . . . I’d  choose the wrinkles, the less then glorious nails and general wear and tear in order to keep the ”marks” of motherhood that have been etched into every wrinkle and blemish I now wear on my hands! 

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It’s very easy to see all the changes that have happened to us physically, and overall in life as a negative thing.  Every once in a while it can truly make a difference if we stop for a moment and remember why those changes were made.

It’s amazing to realize that almost always the change was made for a great reason and that it isn’t something we would give up even if we could do it over again.  So, how about you?  What has changed in your life?

How’s that for a title?  The fact that I’m not getting today’s post up until 8pm might easily be understood when I tell you that I ended up with 4 sickies in my house today!  Yessiree 4!

Last night CJ threw up just before bed, then Lion in the middle of the night, then Baby Bug this morning and hubby felt horrible in the midst of it all.  The “wellies” were fit to be tied though and bouncing off the walls, but once the Salesman and Tater were off to school I just had Monkey boy to contend with. But boy was he in a naughty mood.  He knew perfectly well that I was occupied and buried under brothers, so he wanted to take full advantage of that!  But we survived.

Although I didn’t send CJ to school today (it would be so totally unfair to expose his classmates to him so soon after being sick) he wasn’t doing too well unless he overdid it in the eating department.  So he was a bit of a help when things got truly hairy a few times.

I’ve learned a few things from this round of a stomach bug, so I thought I’d share it with  you.   Obviously you can be only so prepared for illness like this and we’re never entirely sure what form it will come in, but once one person begins showing signs that would be the time to get ready and send the cavalry to the store to pick up a few things.  I have to share first of all how very extremely wonderful it is to have a washer that gives you the opportunity to “Sanitize” at the push of a button!

So here’s my recommendations of items to keep in the home:

• Large comfy sheets to drape the furniture with.
• Plenty of personal blankets that aren’t too bulky and are easy to wash.
• Latex (or other rubber) gloves.
• At least 2 buckets that are particularly good for using for throwing up.
• About 4 old towels
• A BLOG!
• Music
• fun videos, coloring books, etc that really only come out when they are sick, but can help keep them calm during the thick of the storm.

Here’s what to send the cavalry after if you don’t already have it in the house (or better yet, if you have any opportunity to get out of the house for a breath of fresh air it isn’t a bad idea):

• Lemon-Lime soda
• saltines (my family likes a variety; oyster, graham, ritz, goldfish ~ granted, some of them are not appropriate until many hours after vomiting has stopped, but they’re nice to have)
• applesauce
• Pedialyte (for the little ones)
• bananas (do not give these to anyone until you are sure they won’t throw them up ~ this is for me the all-time worst type of vomit to clean up, ICK!)
• rice
• bread for toast
• A variety of quick to prepare meals for the “well” part of the family.  We don’t do cold cereal around here, but on a day like today you know that if you are too distracted they will still be able to eat.
• Soup: particularly chicken noodle or broths

Well there you have it LOL!  It really isn’t that I’m an expert or anything, but I am simply right smack in the middle of it right now and this is what’s working!

Remember to sign up for the contest this week!  Oh, and I have a surprise super quick contest to share with all of you tomorrow!

That pretty much sums up our day today!  Once again reinforcing the “kids are insanely messy” theory, I had so much cleaning to do first thing this morning . . . not normal cleaning, nope, vomit! 

I was awakened in the middle of the night by a silently whispered (Salesman) “mom . . . . mom . . . MOM!” : 

• (me) “huh”:
• (Salesman) “I threw up”:
• (me with a hint of panic) “lovely . . where did you throw up” :
• (Salesman) “In the bathroom sink”:
• (me) “Seriously? did you rinse it out?”:
• (Salesman) “well, I tried”:
• (me) “ok, go get a bucket and go back to bed”

 My 9 year old was extremely proud of himself that he hadn’t thrown up in his bed . . . problem is he had left a trail all the way into the bathroom, all over blankets and clothes and in the sink instead of the toilet . . . oh boy did I have fun with that one!

A few hours later I was awakened by a not quite so silent 8 year old standing by my bed:

• (Tater) “Mom I threw up”:
• (Me, having already had this conversation with another child I can now walk through it while sleeping thank goodness) “Where did you throw up?”:
• (Tater) “In my bed”:
• (Me) “Ok, go get a bucket”:
• (Tater - returning a few minutes later emptyhanded) “I can’t find a bucket”:
• (Hubby - finally realizing what’s going on and getting in on it) “OK, I’ll take care of you buddy, go lay down on the couch.”

You get the idea.  Problem is that during all of this I am dealing with some physical issues myself!  I have a horrible abscess on my leg and have just started antibiotics for it.  It is insanely painful and getting more and more swollen.  Thus the sending the children to get their own buckets and go back to bed.  You see, I usually take care of all that for them!  I get the bedding and anything else all taken care of, replace the old bedding, get them their bucket and settle them in before going back to bed myself.  But today I was oh so limited in my ability to help.

Add to all of this the fact that we have snow and the twinkies are still getting over their colds, our 4 year old is an emotional wreck because he has a cold . . . the only one well is CJ!  So that means he is now the glue . . . poor thing.  I’m really relying on him to be my legs today, he offered and knows that he’ll get benefits from the help he gives. 

I hope that all of you have a healthy home!  Oh, and have you seen all the entries for the Sweet Pea Cakes giveaway?  WOW!  Well over 100 and the contest doesn’t end until the 23rd! 

Have a wonderful Day!

I love it when I visit other moms’ blogs and see posts about this subject!  It is so true that we find ourselves saying things to or about our children that are sometimes very surprising to us afterward when we’ve had a moment to realize the situation. 

For instance at dinner last night things were a bit more chaotic than usual, and from across the room my husband informed me suddenly, ”Hmmm, We have a 2 year old feeding a 2 year old over here!  Never thought I’d see that.”  I had to laugh,  I hadn’t seen them do it, but it isn’t uncommon for them.  Monkey Boy’s hands were occupied with his sippy cup, so Baby Bug decided to “help” him out.  Help that he was perfectly happy accepting . . . until he was done with his cup, then look out!  Suddenly “I want my FORK!” he began yelling in his baby voice.  Oh boy, intervention may be necessary.  How quickly the tide can turn!