It Is Early

I am turning over a new leaf, or stone as it may be, and am planning to wake at 5:30 at least 3 mornings per week.  And I don't mean because one of my children is waking me.  I mean intentionally setting a beeping alarm to rise me from the dead.  I know.  I am past insanity.

I realize that this all depends on the type of night my little bundle brings me, not to mention the fact that I will need to go to bed much earlier than my norm.  My goal is to at least be showered and ready for the day before the little ones stir.  Preferably, I will have a coffee in my hand as well.  Time with the One and exercise are on the top of my to do list. 

So here goes nothing (or sleep)......


Yesterday I had a little alone time with my Sam.  We enjoyed a beautiful evening outside together.   I loved just watching him chase the animals and play in the dirt.   

 I love this face.  This next one is his silly grin.  I could eat this up.....

 We need to cut the grass.  But the baby is cute. 

 He loves to chase the chickens and it is the most fun to watch. 

 We have three new kittens and I'd better show them off.  They are farm cats to live outside and hunt mice, or whatever... They are adorable and hilarious.  Sam is holding Belle - and so proud of it!  I promise, she enjoyed snuggling with him, despite what this photo may look like. 

 

Here is Ella with Charlotte - 

 And then there is Peanut driving the lawn mower.  I love how half of her face has markings -

.Here is to an early start on the day and week.  Must...keep...drinking....coffee.... 

Just For You

I needed to go to Target this past week.  I mean, I NEEDED to go.  It felt like some genetic predisposition; a Minnesota native who needed a fix.  It had also been a month since I was away from the house without the tiny ones.  It was time.

The problem is that I must drive 45 minutes to get there and in order to justify the time and gas, I must make the trip as productive as possible.  I make a "to do" list that is longer than what any normal human could accomplish.  Three stores in 3 hours with many items to buy.  I smell trouble, but I'm in denial.  

My first store is a success.  I make a couple of returns.  I browse for specific items.  I find them.  I check out feeling victorious. 

My second store is a wee bit different.  I'm feeling the time crunch.  I walk in to Home Depot with many things on my list, knowing that I need to come out with a vanity and sink for the new bathroom without the help of my hubby.  I don't like what I see.  I hem and haw.  It culminates with my on the phone with hubby, hunched over a vanity on display and saying (in a not so happy tone), "This is not fun for me!  This is not ME time!  This is stressful!".   As I stand up straight from my ranting, I notice a nice man with a Home Depot smock pulling a huge crate of vanities, waiting for me to move my pathetic self out of the aisle so that he could do his job.  Fantastic.  I'm surprised I didn't hear, "Can someone help the crazy woman in aisle 4?".  I bought the other items and left (quickly before the police were called) without a vanity.

I drove the 10 minutes to Target and went flying inside.  I had my OCD list on the clipboard all ready to go - all in the order in which I walk through the store.  Coupons were ready.  I was feeling great until I heard the dreaded, "The store will be closing in 20 minutes.  Please make your final selections....."  My blood pressure skyrockets.  I had only made it through produce and meat!  I went in to hyper-drive.  As the lights were being turned down, I was darting toward the checkout.  The only customer in the entire store was me, pathetic me, with a cart overflowing with food for the next several weeks.  I smiled at the gal at the checkout.  She smiled back.  I love the people who work at Target.  She even took all me coupons.  I love that.  I still felt like a big looser. 

What in the world is my point of all of this ranting?  I'm not sure, really.  But on the 45 minute drive home, I thought about my freak-out on the phone with my dear husband and I knew that it wasn't about not buying a vanity.  It was the idea that so often, "me time" as a parent is spent doing things that aren't for you, or in any way relaxing.  I don't refuel from my day when the kind people at Target are telling me that I have no more time to shop.  I may be away from the house, but I am certainly not eating my bon-bons and having a pedicure (which, you know, I never do anyway). 

Earlier in the day, my dear friend reminded me that we need to refuel daily.  I suppose my once per quarter goal isn't going to cut it.  So I have a fair amount of work to do in this area.  I made the long drive home that night count as I sat in silence.  No radio.  No screaming from that back seat.  Just my time to talk with the One and be thankful. 

Last night I had a night out with a couple of amazing women.  They are moms, wives, sisters and friends.  Laughing and talking with them refueled me.  Then I came home to a clean house, folded laundry and sleeping children - complements of my dear hubby (who may have been making up for the fact that he was late coming home from work, which made me late...but I folded laundry makes you forget about the details.....I think he is on to something).   I need another night like that.  

So tell me, what do you do for you?   

A Year and A Third

There isn't much significant about a baby turning 16 months, unless of course it is your baby and he is your youngest and last (no comments from the gallery).  

At this age, he changes way too fast - and sometimes not fast enough.  

He has always been incredibly independent and is now confidently walking down the stairs alone.  You would think a child could at least appease his mother and crawl down on his tummy.  But no.  He must walk alone and upright to prove that he will be his own person.  

He continues to be far more cuddly than our other kids were at this age.  My favorite is when he snuggles his Daddy.  This is often seen while dancing to Christian music blaring from the ipod- Sam's head laying on Jason's shoulder and his arms wrapped around him.  Sometimes this goes on for several minutes.  There's nothing sweeter than a snuggle between my hubby and our baby.  I could cry each time I see this.  Seriously. 

Sam has not grown in his love of various foods, despite my valiant attempt to appeal to a more grown up palate.  If it has chunks, forget it.  If you could call it "baby food"  than bring it on.  Have I mentioned that I am tired of making and buying baby food?  If you would like a sampling of foods that he doesn't care for, come check out our floor under the high chair following meals.  Spicy taco meat is a sure hit.  Go figure. 

He loves to look out the egress window in his new room and see all the toads.  There are often 10 or more.  It is like National Geographic over here.  We cannot skip this event before or after naps or we will hear about it in the form of high pitch squeals that cause you to loose hearing.  Don't skip the toads..... 

The screaming.  The screaming has gone on for months now.  The poor little dude screams a high pitch scream when he is frustrated or excited.  I can't always anticipate when it will happen or I would cover my ears in preparation or worn anyone in a mile radius to take cover.   I cannot tell you how many times I have had to apologize to people in public places when he lets out a scream and it makes strangers jump.  I quickly leave the vicinity.  And I have tried EVERYTHING I can think of to discourage such behavior except sending him away to toddler camp.  Could you imagine if toddler camp actually existed?  We are open to suggestions (about stopping the noise, not the camp). 

I started reading Good Night Moon to him a couple of weeks ago at bedtime.  On the third night, he put his index finger to his mouth and said "shhhhh" when I got to the "old lady whispering hush" part.  It made me melt.

He still wakes a couple of times per night on a good night.  When my Facebook friends post status updates about how their baby is sleeping all night, or they are so sad that their 4 month old is waking once a night to feed - I pretty much loose my mind.   You reach a level of insanity at some point of sleeplessness.   I feel sad for Sam - as frequent waking doesn't make for a restful night.  But one day he will sleep in a room that isn't in our house.  And then I will miss those middle of the night moments when he needs me.  I just teared up.  Moving on .  

His feet are huge.  He is in size 8 now.  I had 3 really cute pair of size 7 boys shoes that he never wore.  Sigh. 

I can't imagine my day without his slobbery, open mouth kisses.  Thankfully, I am still talking about the baby.  I know that other small children don't appreciate these kisses like I do.  But he just has so much love to give.   He makes me smile each day with all the sweetness he showers on me.  I hope that never changes.  

I'm Back....

As the Pioneer Woman recently blogged, you must tend to your blog as you would your garden. 

My garden is full of weeds and taken over by squash beetles.  I water it when the ground cracks and I am ready to let it go for the winter when it is still 94 degrees outside.  It has rained the last few days - so I have been very happy that I have not been needed in the watering department.  God has taken care of that.  Why won't he just write my blog? 

In my defense of bloglessness, the computer that holds our pictures will not connect to the Internet.  You may know that I love to blog about pictures and without them I feel lifeless, without direction and dramatic.  I realize that I could upload the photos to a jump drive and then download them to the laptop and then upload them again.....but that is too much loading and I just don't feel like it.  I would rather complain that the silly thing isn't working.

It would be a long night to catch up on all that has happened in the past month.  So I have a few points to bring things up to speed as well as my deep thoughts of the day.  In the great words of Princess Bride,  

"No, there is too much. Let me sum up..." 

• We had a fantastic time in Minnesota.  If you have never lived away from a town where all of your family lives, you can't imagine the insanity of trying to spread yourself between every dear person you want to see.  A joy and a challenge.  
• Jason's Grandma Naomi passed away.  We were able to see her in Minnesota while she was in hospice and Jason was able to fly back for her funeral to be with family.  
• We had a week of experiencing hand-foot-mouth disease at our house.  It was about as fantastic as it sounds.  I don't recommend it.  
• Despite the illness, we spent the Labor Day weekend moving in to our newly finished basement and moving Ella to her own room (she's been sleeping on our floor since the end of May).   It was much harder than moving in to the house the first time since we had to unpack every box that had been kept outside in our shed and search for poisonous spiders.  We didn't want them moving in to the basement with our children.   I love organizing, but this was a little intense.  
• Ella and Owen started violin lessons.  Sigh.  
• Ella started home school co-op classes and I meet some fantastic women who didn't care that I was completely overwhelmed the first day.  I feel so blessed by that.  
• I learned that communication and expectations are so very, very important.  I think I knew that before - but God drove it home again. 
• Jason has been working crazy long days at work.  We miss him lately.  
• I joined a wonderful new Bible Study group with other Mom's called Entrusted With a Child's Heart.  I am so excited to get to know the other women - just wish I could learn all the concepts in 15 minutes.  Patience....
 

Our big deal of the week is that I finally kicked off my "official" start to homeschooling for the year (better late than never..??).  Now, I struggle with this concept because we are teaching 24/7 and there is not anything official about it, except to say that I am more organized and documenting things that we cover each day.  Our late start is attributed to my inability to focus on school when the basement was in major transition.  I wanted our office desk back and books unpacked and the house to be a little more "in order" - whatever that means.  

The kids are loving a little more structure and I have come to a fantastic realization: I get more done when I don't multi-task.  Don't get me wrong, I still have to feed the baby while teaching math and putting Owen's pants on (he looses them with regularity).  But when I focus on one major item at a time, life goes on with many more smiles in our house.  

I read an article last year in The Homeschooling Today journal that talked about multi-tasking as a form of anxiety.  It makes sense.  When we can't give our all to one item at a time, we cannot give our best and we cannot enjoy the moments that are meant to be lived - like listening to Ella teach Jason all about volcanoes when he came home from work today, or playing with the kids in the mud after a really good thunderstorm.  

Despite the frequent insanity, I feel incredibly blessed to be at home with my kids all day to learn these lessons...together.  

With Grace

Naomi Nimis - Grandma to Jason and Great Grandmother to our kids- passed away last Wednesday morning.  She was 91 years old.  She has 11 children, 25 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren and was a foster mother to 13 babies.  What a beautiful, giving heart she had.  What a wonderful example to all.  

Her funeral is today in Minnesota.  I am thankful that Jason is able to be there and sad that the kids and I are not.  It is sure to be a wonderful celebration.

Some things I will never forget.....Her love of babies (see rocking video on my facebook page).  She always wanted my babies to weigh less so that she could hold them more.  Her smiling face when we would walk in for a visit - usually peeling potatoes and making the kitchen smell really good.  The way she would sign "G'ma" on cards.  How she sent me hand written notes when we lived far away, or just across town.  Her rhubarb cake and fresh baked bread. The way she would sit at the head of the table for meals with a smile on her face, even when she couldn't hear all of the crazy conversations going on around her.  How she kept in touch with all of her (very large) family by email, letters and was even on facebook.  How she loved to travel.  How she would sit in her rocker and read, read and read.  How she was very ready to pass away so that she could see her husband, Fred, after 18 years.....

We are so blessed to have had her in our lives.  She was the last of our grandparents to pass away.  She will be missed.  We know she is so happy.

Here is Jason with his Mom and Grandma - holding Ella. 

Grandma holding Owen - she just loved the babies!