Ten Together

The End of the Laundry Pile

2009-10-08T22:38:00.005-04:00

"Hey, Mama, you might be a smart Mama," Piggy said to me this morning.

"Really? I might be smart? Why?" I asked.

"Cause, you know where my underwear are," he replied.
(10/01/09 journal entry)

Yes, in recent days I have been a master of the impossible - finding unmentionables in the laundry pile. Piggy's underwear, Lamby's underwear...come to think of it, everyone's underwear. Why is it that underwear is so difficult to find in piles of laundry and why am I the sole human being in this family capable of finding the needle in the haystack or so to speak?

Oh, the laundry pile! I grew up with the pile. I remember pile well, swore I'd never have the pile and here I am a professional of the pile. I have my shining moments of pilelessness and then I have a baby or two or three...or four and five. And, the pile returns.

Well, after a bit of research (oh, yes, research, my friend) and coming to terms with the fact that B and I really do have a big family ("Five kids is considered 'big'? Really? Really, really?"), I think I may have my answer to the age old laundry pile issue. Okay, so I have "the answer" for this week. We'll see how it goes and post another boring laundry post in a few weeks.

The plan is simple. I'm changing how I sort the dirty clothing prior to the ol' wash and fold. In the past - um, day before yesterday - I sorted by color. Darks including reds and jeans, lights - mostly baby clothes, whites, B's work clothes that should be burned (another post for another day), towels, kitchen towels, bedding and cloth diapers. I am a freak and just cannot lump all the laundry together to wash. I mean, white shirts with red socks? Please, that is just wrong people!

So, the amazing change that will end all laundry pile pilfering - I'm sorting by bedrooms. Simple you say? Exactly. I have a basket for each bedroom set up in the basement where the machine of all machines resides - our clothes washer with the beloved, always faithful sidekick, our dryer. I plop those baskets down and leave...them...there...in the basement, not to be taken for pretend play and transformed into a battleship, spaceship, car or train. These baskets are not drums, portions of a "really cool clubhouse" or props in the home version of "Wipeout". These baskets stay in the basement. Repeat after me...they stay in the basement.

To keep mini-laundry-piles-in-waiting from forming in various rooms of the house I have two collection baskets. One upstairs in the hallway, easy for even the youngest among us to use with ease, which is why I fully expect to have several toys in my dirty laundry each week. My little Frog helps when he can. These days his helping hands love the laundry basket in the hallway and the kitchen trash can. I have another laundry basket hung on the back of my basement door to collect any laundry on the main level of the house, like kitchen towels, burp rags, stray socks or whatever. As we go through our day, the dirty clothing is tossed in one of the two laundry baskets in the house. Mini-piles-in-waiting are no longer an issue. Thank you, Lord!

After bedtime stories and the twenty-fourth drink of water is given out, I can simply grab the upstairs basket and bring it down to the basement for sorting. Remember the baskets that are to never leave the basement? They are the sorting baskets! Grab the hanging collection basket as well and...am I using the word "basket" too often? Basket, basket, basket -has the word lost all meaning yet?

Anyway, let's get to the sorting! Two collection baskets (the one from the upstairs hallway and the one hanging on the basement door) are ready for sorting. I have one sorting basket for the boys, one for the girls, one for B and I, and one for B's smelly work clothes. I have another for bedding, then for kitchen towels/washcloths and bath towels/washcloths. Finally, there is one "whites" basket that serves as the catch-all for all white socks, undershirts and the like. How does this crazy sorting baskets-staying-in-the-basement thing work to eliminate my laundry pile? Simple!

After a sorting basket becomes full, I wash/dry the load and easily put the pre-sorted clothing away. I don't have to sort clean laundry at all - the hated laundry pile never forms on my bed! The boys' clothing is easily taken to their rooms and put away, the girls' clothing is just as easy, towels go straight to the bathroom, and so on. Even if I get distracted or run out of time to get the clothing put away, the clothes are still in the right room simply waiting to be folded and put away. All the clean clothes are semi-organized straight out the the dryer. Okay, so the white clothes require a little sorting, but very minimal. My point, the pile just never forms on my bed. Never, ever, ever again. Ever.

Sidenote: Cloth diapers are whole 'nother deal in my mind. I dry bag them throughout the day, soak at night and wash when I have a full load.

So, yes, Piggy, your Mama is smart. She really does know where your underwear are at all times. Unless, of course, your little brother finds your underwear and with a helpful, happy two year old heart tosses them in the kitchen trash can. Then, we will never find them again. Never, ever, ever again. Ever.

Blog on Pause

2009-08-21T16:54:00.003-04:00

Hi all. I'm going back and forth about keeping this blog up and running. I haven't been on in forever - life's been busy and very full. I can't bring myself to delete this thing but I'm not sure if I want to continue throwing my heart out to just anyone who happens by. I'll make up my mind one day. Until then, enjoy the archives!!!

Facebook Distraction

2009-03-13T13:19:00.004-04:00

I haven't really been posting since last November. November!!! Can't believe it has been that long - but time slips by rather quickly with four kids, a new pregnancy, the Holidays and a bunch of birthdays crammed together. And, I must say, signing on to Facebook has distracted me from good ol' fashion blogging as well. It has been great to connect with old friends and stay a little more current with existing friendships. It is funny how I remember everyone to be as they were in high school or college or without a bunch of kids in New Jersey. There are new babies and new marriages aaaand new people I don't even know friend-requesting me. Some are friends of friends and some are people I know that I know I don't know. You know? I miss blogging and keeping up on all the little things that happen around here - the happenings that are meaningless to most readers but are priceless to me as my brain doesn't remember any details it seems. Like Frog's first smiles or quotes from Spikes from a few years back...the things that make any mother smile.

Anyway, I say all that to say, I'll be blogging more and Facebooking less in the coming days. Woo.

Quotes from the Week

2009-03-13T12:40:00.006-04:00

On Wednesday afternoon, as I announced "Naptime!" Spikes jumped up from the playroom floor and exclaimed, "Noooo! I want Lamby to stay up!" and he gave Lamby an extended bear hug. Piggy, who is often the third wheel these days also jumped up from the floor and exclaimed, "And, I want ME to stay up!!!" Then, with a big smile he wrapped his short, three-year-old arms around Spikes and Lamby's bear hug oblivious that he had once again been left out of the loop.

Also this week, Spikes rediscovered his stopwatch when B emptied out the kitchen junk drawer. He's been timing everything - trips up the stairs, bathroom breaks, how quickly Piggy can climb in and out of his crib...everything. He loves the watch - even wore it in bath tub last night, but not before timing Piggy's bath first, "Let's time ya', Filthy...". Piggy didn't mind being named "Filthy", though usually he will only substitute his name for "Johnny" while playing or just being silly. Piggy also names other children "Johnny" if he can't remember their real name. Lamby was always "Sarah" during playtimes until recently when she decided the name "Vanilla" was a better choice. (Perhaps, B's new found love of Wheel of Fortune swayed her?) This week Lamby morphed her chosen name in to "Vanillapea" and decided this new name should also be the name of our new baby girl. As I was about to explain why Vanillapea may not be the baby's name, B told Lamby she could call the baby whatever name she chooses. So, if you all get a baby announcement that makes you laugh and at the same time reminds you of Vanna White - you'll know where it came from.

Gems in the Garbage

2009-03-13T12:16:00.007-04:00

The poem below was in a book I found tucked in one of the many bags of garbage a neighbor left on my porch as "good hand-me-downs". I decided to toss the thread-bare bras with the non-stretchy elastic showing through the torn holes. (I don't keep underwear as hand-me-downs even if they are in good condition - a girl has got to have standards!) Oh, and all the broken toys went in the trash, too, as well as the toys that had been chewed on by their dog. "Gee, thanks."

Two gems I found were a copy of the book quoted in the next post, Meditations for the Expectant Mother by Helen Good Brenneman (1998) and a copy of The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes by Kenneth N. Taylor (1956), a book no longer in print and worth a pretty penny. The books somehow made up for the trash heap left on my front porch.

And, with that said, I want to say a special thank you to anyone and everyone who has generously given us their non-chewed on, in-good-condition hand-me-downs. Our children aren't running around naked because of you. Just kidding. My kids love running around naked. Got ya' again. The kids are hyper-modest, really. They most definitely get their extreme modesty from me. If they were like B...well, that's another blog post...

Song for a Fifth Child

2009-03-13T11:44:00.005-04:00

"Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth!
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking!

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Oh, cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust, go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby. Babies don't keep."

By: Ruth Hulbert Hamilton
Printed in Meditations for the Expectant Mother by Helen Good Brenneman (1998).

First Fire Movie Night

2008-11-07T19:10:00.007-05:00

We are having a movie night tonight after wrapping up a week of B being home on strike. I will miss him so much come Monday! One day we will figure out a way for B to be home more and have less stress on his body from work. One. Day.

So, the living, dining, and toy rooms were cleared of clutter (read: toys, hats, mittens, and children's jackets), B started the traditional "first fire" of the year as it is finally cold enough, and after scarfing down a quick dinner we started the movies.

Piggy was on the verge of tears as Nemo was taken away from his daddy. He had seen the movie several times at Mom's - but I guess it was his first time of "really" watching Finding Nemo. Spikes and Lamby were patiently putting up with Piggy's outbursts and dramatic exclaimations. They were not so patient about the popcorn. We popped on the stovetop with a bit of corn oil and yellow popcorn over medium-high heat. B added salt, butter and a touch of sugar - perfect. Each kid had a cup of popcorn and a drink to enjoy and to keep out of Frog's reach.

Frog moved kitchen chairs all over the lower level of the house as the other three watched their movie. Occasionally he came over to the computer to push a random button then continued on his way, which included a quick walk through the living room to bite any toes hanging over the edge of the couch - usually the toes belonged to Piggy. Piggy is easy prey tonight as he won't take his eyes off the tv, even to save his toes from one-year-old brother nibbles.

It was a quiet, toasty warm evening. I love First Fires.

What tradition(s) have you started in your family?

House Projects

2008-10-27T10:47:00.004-04:00

We've been finishing all our lingering house projects lately after B gave a very moving (and short) speech to me last week. "Let's work hard and get these projects done over the next month..." I think he was trying to convince himself (and his lovely wife) that he wants to get these projects done. Really, he does. Really.

His little pep talk to himself evidently worked as we are flying though projects that have been on our to-do list for months. I LOVE finishing projects. Especially the projects that have been on going for weeks. Ah, completion. So nice.

How do you handle house projects? Do you work like dogs and get them done? Or, do you break the job at hand into smaller portions and spread the project out?

Sweeping with Frog's help

2008-10-22T17:37:00.005-04:00

As I was sweeping the floor on the main level, sucking up the dirt piles with the dust vacuum, I felt a slight sense of "Ah, that looks so much better..." when I heard a crunching/munching sound at my heals. It was Frog with a cracker in each hand. He had faithfully followed me around as I swept the floors eating his crackers happily as he observed my cleaning frenzy. I wonder how much of those crackers actually ended up in the little guy's mouth. Based on the trail he left all over the floor, not much.

Ever feel like you're fighting a loosing battle?

Hairless Guinea Pigs - They Exist!!!

2008-10-17T15:00:00.005-04:00

B and Piggy have allergies. This fact has prevented me from my life-long dream of having a guinea pig farm. I've joked with B that we could buy a hairless guinea pig never knowing the rodents existed...until now!

They are called skinny guinea pigs, or skinny pigs. Amazing, huh?

Here are a few fighting over a carrot...

And, no, a guinea pig farm is not my life-long dream. But, with this new found knowledge of the skinny pig it just may become a dream of mine. Juuust maybe.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2008-10-17T00:42:00.005-04:00

If I can't have one at least I can watch them on youtube...

The kids loved these by the way.

Mothering Basics for Newborns

2008-10-16T22:41:00.004-04:00

I was talking with my neighbor a bit ago about the new mom up the street who was having a difficult time with her newborn. In the course of our conversation it occurred to both of us how little mothers really know about newborns going in to the whole "new baby phase" of life. In this day and age many women are not around tiny babies until they give birth to their own. I personally avoided new babies - I mean, they were so tiny and seemingly breakable. It's like someone wanting to hand you a priceless piece of glassware or something - "Nope. I'll wait until I have one of my own thank you very much. If I break mine, it will be my own fault!"

I remember my mother saying that all things concerning my new baby would "just come naturally". That belief works great until you come home from the hospital exhausted and excited only to find out your natural instincts didn't quite kick in as you thought they would. Every good mama knows to love their baby, but when it comes down to the practical how-tos a few helpful hints would be good to know before you are up at 3:00 am with a screaming newborn.

On that note - here are a few basics that will give any new mother's natural instincts a jump start...

1. When your baby eats (bottle feeds and/or nurses) you have got to burp the baby. The tiny guys often fall asleep while eating which can make "getting the bubble out" a little more difficult but trust me a belch like a grown alcoholic is in there somewhere just waiting to escape. My best luck was to stop the feeding for a moment or two when I heard or felt the baby swallow an air bubble. If Baby freaks - and he will - then, finishing the feeding first. Just burp him before he falls asleep. You want the air bubble to remain at the top of your baby and not work its way down toward the baby's bottom, if you know what I mean. You can put Baby in sitting position on your knees or put him up on your shoulder and gently pat until the burp comes out. Air will come out one way or another - if you get it out as a burp it will save you from having an upset newborn with an upset tummy. And, by keeping the tummy free of air bubbles your baby will have a good feeding and will be content - at least for a little while! Don't be alarmed when what appears to be half of what you just fed your baby comes out with the burp. This is scientifically called "spit up" and it happens to the best of babies. My first baby had "projectile spit up". Really, it was puke...all the time, all over the place, constantly. We should have entered him in some sort of spitting contest as a babe. Seriously. (Sidenote - always bring yourself and hubby an extra shirt when going out with your new baby. Spit will fly even in public. And, if you have a puker, invest in some good quality dropcloths and a couple garden hoses and you'll be just fine.)

2. Swaddle your baby snugly in a lightweight baby blanket to help Baby feel secure and warm even with all his wiggling and stretching. During the ninth month of pregnancy the little guy was trying to tear through your skin and now that he's "arrived" he'll be trying to get out of your perfectly swaddled baby blanket. Don't fret. There are dozens of special baby swaddling blankets on the market now. They have baby pockets that even the most determined wiggler can't worm his way out of. But, any thin, baby-sized blanket will work. I have personally survived four newborns without any investments in special swaddlers so it can be done. The goal in swaddling is not the ownership of the latest baby blanket fad, but to simply keep little hands and tiny toes from flailing as your newborn sleeps. Newborns twitch a lot as they rest and they can easily startle themselves. And, newborn don't like to be startled. Yes, save "peek-a-boo" for a few months and swaddle your baby instead.

3. Another basic I discovered as a new mom was walking. The fresh air would always calm my babies and my frazzled nerves as well. The sunshine, a warm breeze and some much needed change in scenery gives Baby new things to view and sense. With two of my babes I lived near the ocean. A walk along the boardwalk, with the ocean air and sound of the waves would put the baby out like a light. And, it helped me get back in shape, got me out of the house and boosted my energy. Then, I moved to the Midwest and have had fussy babies ever since. Just kidding, they have walking here too. But they are severely lacking in the "wave sounds" department.

4. Singing, humming or even just your voice works wonders when a newborn is being fussy. Talk to them! Have a little chat. Include them in your day through a bit of conversation. They know your voice from the womb and will even search for it in a crowded room as a tiny newborn. With each of our babies we loved watching them turn their heads to find us as they listened for our voice. You can sing anything - make up songs with their names or stories as they get bigger. I sang a special song for Baby Sophia when she was small and she still remembers it at age four. It still calms her when I sing it to her! I try singing to my husband, but it doesn't have quite the same effect, so you have to start young. Why not start with your newborn?!?

5. Movement is another must do with newborns. If all else fails and you have an upset babe on your hands...then get moving, sister!!! Use a baby swing, baby bouncy seat or even yourself to create a rhythmic movement that will eventually calm Baby. While pregnant my babies would be moving all over until I started moving. They'd become still and rest when I moved about my day. As newborns they will continue that pattern and calm considerably with a little movement. Slings are great to keep Baby close, secure and provide a little movement. Heck, strap Baby on your person, go for a walk and sing as you do and you'll be doing all the basics at once! Then, if your little one is still fussy...use my final basic...

6. Dada, or Daddy is the best basic of all. As new moms we need to let the new Dads get in on the action. Dads can connect with their boys or little girls in a very special way and you need a secret weapon when its past midnight and you've been up all the night before. Babies go through phases where one parent is favored or has the special touch that quiets them. It doesn't mean you aren't a great mother, but it does mean you have a great partner when Dad is able to flex some baby muscle and help in calming your little one.

And, you knew this was coming - add your own "basics" to my list. What worked well for you with your newborn? Or, what bit of advice do you wish someone had told you the first time around with a tiny baby? I especially love the "Duh, I should have known that" sort of helpful hint so if ya' got any...add them in the comments.

Lunch Time Conversation

2008-10-15T14:32:00.004-04:00

"Wouldn't it be silly if we cooked with the microwave and heated up food in the oven?" Spikes asked me as I prepped our leftovers for lunch.

"Yes, that would be backwards. Wouldn't it be silly if we typed on the phone and talked on the computer?" I asked him without going into a lengthy explanation of texting and the like.

"Yeah, (paused as he thought for a quick moment) that WOULD be silly!" He said with a giggle.

I continued, "...or what if we washed our clothes in the bathtub and took baths in the washing machine?!?" Spikes and Lamby laughed then Piggy, who was quick to steal a little spotlight for himself, exclaimed, "And this will be funny - if I poop on you guys!!!"

Potty talk dominated the conversation after Piggy's insightful...declaration.

Mouse in the House

2008-10-14T12:33:00.004-04:00

Early on in the summer B told me in great detail about the family of mice that had made their abode behind our patio step. There was Mama mouse and several baby mice that, to B's amazement, had traveled down our gutter and ran in guinea pig fashion (one after another) to their newly formed nest against our house. I told B we needed to relocate our little neighbors before the fall or they would move inside when the weather cooled. Agreed.

Well, it's Fall now and the mice are no longer behind our patio step. Nope. They evidently moved into our basement. Michael protested to sharing his space with a rodent(s?) and demanded we get a mouse trap. I think the gnawing sound was freaking him out in the middle of the night. After finding proof of the said mouse (chewed books that I've had every intention of reading since bible school) we bought a live mouse trap and placed it downstairs just prior to our four day getaway to Columbia this past weekend.

Upon returning home we discovered mice "pooh" along the perimeter of each room in our house, the letter "z" from the kids spongy alphabet set had been partially eaten and one little boy dress shoe lace was nibbled on but no mouse in the trap we had left in the basement. The mice made themselves right at home so last night we baited the trap with peanut butter. Before I had even re-tucked the sleeping kids in bed I heard the trap rattling like crazy. I grabbed B and we got downstairs to check the trap. I should explain that B, good homeschooling parent that he is, told the kids we would keep the mice. AH!!! I asked for a guinea pig - not a mouse! Our Plan B is to catch the mouse family and relocate them to a field or somewhere far, far away. For now, we are collecting the family members one at a time or at least attempting to do so.

Back to my story...

We raced downstairs and then like idiots we thought we could dump the mouse into a tupperware toy container that had a lid. I stood poised with the lid half covering the container top as B opened the trap. A big, fat, gray mouse jumped clear out of the container, splatted on the floor and disappeared into our living room with lightning speed. After searching and listening to Brian retell the events of the mouse escape a half dozen times we re-set the trap and went to bed.

I woke up this morning with B mumbling he was going to be late for work. He had spent considerable time with the mice. Yep, we have more than one. B managed to dump one mouse from the trap into a container. He said it was rather animated with lots of jumps and chattering sounds. B thinks it was the mouse we caught last night as it was big and super jumpy. (Or, maybe all mice are like that...) As soon as he set the trap back on the floor another mouse shot right inside. B decided to deposit this new mouse in with the lively one he had just contained. As he popped the lid open the mouse that had been chattering at him leaped onto his arm, ran up his sleeve and bounced to freedom. Well, at least we had one. A baby mouse. I'm guessing the crazy mouse we caught (twice) is the mother. The baby was more quiet and nervous so B was able to plop it into the container without a problem. That is until the mother mouse came at him out of no where, attaching herself to his face...okay, not really, but isn't that what you expected??? I find myself watching over my shoulder this very moment. That mama mouse is big! I was shocked last night that we had captured such a big yet small animal that had been living in our house - eating and pooping right along with the kids. How creepy!!!

Today we've been observing the baby mouse. The kids smashed Honeynut Cheerios in the air holes for him to have a snack along with the blob of peanut butter Brian left for him. The mouse is cute. Remember, I am partial to rodents....just not ones roaming freely about my house eating educational toys and dress shoes. Tonight we will set the trap again to see if we can catch Mama and to see if there are any curious siblings we need can contain as well. I think we may set a live trap on each level of the house just to increase our odds.

Any guesses on how many mice we will end up with??? I'll keep you posted.

Oh, and my desire for a guinea pig is all but gone. Rodents chew on everything and poop everywhere!!! I already have kids that do that - why add more to the mix, you know?

The Spiral Notebook

2008-10-02T23:54:00.005-04:00

I am a thinker - not a deep thinker or anything, just a thoughts person - like a lot of thoughts, different and seemingly unrelated thoughts...that's my mind as I diaper children, feed children, bathe children...you get the idea. I enjoy thinking believe it or not. And, I love to contain my thoughts and organize them if for no other reason than to free up some space in my head.

The single most amazing tool I use to capture all my many thoughts is the spiral notebook. I slap a date on the top line or mid-page depending on the end of my last entry and away I go. By the day's end I have a mess of arrows, circles, bolded text and blurbs of important-for-the-moment thoughts that occurred during the course of my day. In time I've noticed themes emerge - proof that my mind isn't as random as it seems. My themes fall into pretty simple categories like homemaking, homeschooling, organization, creating/crafting, routines, God, the kids, memory keeping and memory making and, of course, my beloved B. I'm pretty passionate about most of what I blurb about in my notebook. I have my mind on these themes, or passions, and by keeping my mind on them day in and day out I'm continually developing in those areas - or at least I like to think I am! If I read a good book, I take notes about what stands out to me. If I have a good conversation with a friend I may write out a quote or two that struck my heart. The kids amaze me almost daily - and I write it down. At the end of a notebook I have a month or more of my life, from shopping lists to conversations with my four year old to review and consider. I can see what has remained important cover to cover and what has faded in value from one journal to the next.

So many people can't ever determine what they are really passionate about or what their life's calling is to be. I tend to believe our passions are very much wrapped up in who we are rather than what we do. Once we know who we are, the doing has a way of catching up. For instance, I knew before I had children that part of who I am has to do with mothering and being a wife. My family role was and is a large part of my personal identity, but that doesn't mean I automatically became a great multi-tasker or housekeeper overnight. With the deep seated knowledge that, "Hey, this is who I am" came many hours of thought and pouring over books as well as watching other mothers love their families. Then, the doings of motherhood started to take shape in my life. I knew who I was as a wife and mother before I was able to do all the stuff that goes with such a passion. I have a long way to go still, but I have come a long way as well. Lots of passions in life happen this way. The heart is very much there and fully alive but, the skills need to be nurtured and developed to truly live from the heart.

My greatest enjoyment in keeping my spiral notebooks is when I have time to weed out the distractions that filled my mind (the to-dos, the calls to make, the shopping lists) and highlight the themes that have become or always were passions of mine. The cheap, thin notebooks help me keep my perspective on what really matters in my life, and when we're nearly out of toilet paper. Amazing.

Happy Birthday, Frog

2008-10-01T23:18:00.010-04:00

The celebration of all things Frog was today. My motherly plans of a Martha-Stewart-like birthday was gradually reduced to dinner out, purchased cupcakes and a couple debatably educational toys for our soon-to-be-toddler. Frog covered himself in his cupcake, chased his older brothers with his Curious George balloon and has finally fallen asleep in my arms. One year has produced the most amazing baby boy. With his signature chubby cheeks, reddish fine hair and meandering, arched-back walk not unlike that of a cowboy ice skating for the first time (picture it...piiicture it), Frog is unique as our fourth baby and yet he blends among his siblings as well. He is curious like Spikes, easy going like Piggy and whines with determination like Lamby. (Frog has recently adapted his whine to an "ahhh" moo-like extended sigh. He follows me room to room until I take notice and scoop him up.) Frog dances, spins in circles when excessively excited, and reaches out with a few words of gibberish when he needs a toy or more importantly, a cracker. He says "Mama" and "Da" and already attempts to tattle on his siblings with a few more sounds he conjures up, such as "ffff" "pifff" "sssss" "babababaaaaah" and "eeeess", usually used in combination with severe pointing and wiggling of the fingers in the direction of the offender (read: Piggy). I hope to remember Frog's first smiles for years to come - he tosses his head aaaaall the way back and flashes all six of his baby teeth while creating fat dimples in his chubby cheeks. There's nothing better this side of heaven. Happy Birthday, Fat Baby - my one year old boy!

One down, One to Go...Again

2008-09-24T23:25:00.007-04:00

So, Jack is potty trained pretty well - no accidents since Saturday and he's dry through naps, no stickers required. I still diaper the kid for bedtime as I need to steal as much sleep as possible during the night time hours - I say that as all the kids are asleep and I'm blogging. Eh, anyway, I have a dry and clean Jack this week thankfully and wouldn't you know it, Isaac has hit a wonderful bed wetting phase. I know bed wetting is something all parents are suppose to stop and analyse the kid, the kid's surroundings, and so on. I honestly just think the little booger gets cold when he gets up at night to pee and the stubborn thing (don't know where on earth he gets it from!) tries to hold out until morning. He lasts until usually the wee wee (pun intended) hours of the morning then springs a leak. The commotion of a naked Isaac waking me to ask for underwear and the shuffling of bedding that his leak causes usually wakes Noah, who in turn wants to eat, then B's alarm goes off and I'm awake. Tired, awake and looking at another pile of smelly bedding to wash.

I've tried cash rewards (a dime a night for a dry bed and a dry little boy) and I've tried candy and lots of it. I've tried peer pressure (don't ask) and I've tried sister pressure ("I never pee in my bed," Sophia boasts to her brother as we haul the smelly bedding downstairs to be washed again). And, I've tried the cheerleader approach and the disappointed parent approach - both with the same results...a wet bed. So, I wave my white flag - surrender!!! Tomorrow, B is going to buy those bed wetting underwear that are advertised constantly on TV these days. I'm sure they are mad expensive, but with the money saved from Jack being OUT of diapers we can swing it to put my, ahem, five year old IN them.

Poor guy. He's such a good boy. I know this must be difficult for him as he loves earning an easy dime and consuming large amount of chocolate first thing in the morning. I just hope to God (seriously) that he won't be in these things for years. Either he'll have a college fund or he'll have bed wetting pricey pants, but we can't do both. Really it isn't about the money, I just want the boy to sleep at night and to be comfortable, to have restful sleep and all that good stuff growing little boys need - and to not add heaps and heaps of wet smelly bedding to my laundry pile each morning before dawn, that would be nice, too.

Potty Talk

2008-09-20T01:43:00.005-04:00

Okay, so, Giz's "lazy parent" comment on her blog got me thinking about Jack and the toilet. Since he's the third kid an' all I could be potty training him now rather than waiting until three or so as I did with Isaac. I've been throwing the idea out to him for a while and today, after a week of pep talks (fair warnings), we began potty training. I won't bore you all with the details, but we had potty successes and potty failures...um, several. We were due to make the all important trip to the toy store for the highest reward of toddlerhood - the "poopy prize" - this evening, but Brian worked some unplanned overtime so the toy store trip will be tomorrow.

It's so funny how I forget the actual potty training process - what do I do again? You'd think by the third kid it would be second nature or something. Today, I said good morning and put his butt in underwear, reminding him of all our pep talks throughout the week. "See, no more diapers! You are a big boy in underwear!" - spoken in fake, super happy mom voice. Jack stood up, looked over his shoulder at his bottom then shot a famous Jack scowl my way as he crossed his arms, "Put me in a diaper! I don't want to wear these underwear."...and so our wonderful potty training experience began. Yippee.
By the end of the afternoon Jack was more on board with the process. Stickers (and lots of them) helped, as did M&M's and putting Cheerios in the toilet. Of course, now he thinks there MUST be Cheerios in the toilet to use it, but that's a minor detail we can work out later. (Why not keep a box of Cheerios in the bathroom, really? I have Cheerios everywhere else in my house...on the floors, under furniture, stuffed in partially opened doll mouths...What's one more room?) Stickers also helped with Isaac and Soph. Adhesive Supermans (Supermen?) and Doras rewarded them for distracting Noah while I supervised Jack's reluctant deposits in the potty. In fact, the kids even offered to clean up their toys for MORE stickers. I went through roughly 800 stickers in an hour and have a sparkling house from top to bottom - who knew they could alphabetize and arrange by size, shape and color?
Day One of potty training ended with sticker-covered children, a pile of foul smelling bedding and clothing size 2T and one mad little Noah who was sick of being distracted by his older siblings. The plan, as if I really have one, is to potty train Jack and wrap up the weaning process with Noah (he bites) ASAP. Then, with only one baby in diapers, I hope to switch back to primarily cloth diapers. The diaper money saved will be wasted on extras and suburban junk we don't really need and/or go into our heavily guarded emergency fund.

Extreme Makeover

2008-09-17T23:14:00.004-04:00

Sheesh. Time slips by almost undetected these days. I wake up - usually to a whine, a yell or a foul odor...or a combination of all three - then after much needed diaper changes I whisk the kids downstairs to dine on a mildly sugary breakfast and I embark on my day of productivity (all pre-planned the night before). Go me! Usually by noon or so I settle for survival over productivity and set my aim to complete at the very least ONE task on my to-do list. Sometimes I get that one task done. No, really, I do. Sometimes.
This week a neighbor moved from our street and left me with a bit of mother-to-mother advice on her last afternoon in our circle. "You have four kids, you need to get over that." "That" being ownership of a home that isn't in shambles. She'd come by to borrow the telephone, like the whole phone complete with wires and everything, and noticed my slight panic as I scanned my disaster zone of a house that afternoon. Oh, why do people only come over when I decide to live dangerously and say yes to the restless natives, I mean, my children? "Why yes, you may use that mattress left on the floor by our semi-live-in-guest-uncle as a gymnastics mat. Yes, you can bounce toys off it, and each other off it and YES you may play with play-dough, eat pancakes drowning in syrup and use unwashable markers ALL AT THE SAME TIME! Yes, you may have all your toys down from the shelves, pretend you are a marching band and parade over the fresh carpet-like layer of toys AND the crackers Noah left behind on the floor. Yes, you may even eat the newly formed cracker crumbs. Yes, the pillows can be pretend islands scattered across the kitchen floor, I mean, ocean and look, the syrup mess helps them stay in place as you jump island to island! Wonderful! Yes, you may bring EVERY bug you find in the backyard inside the house to be your pets and yes, clothing is optional today and diapers are as well! Sure, eat candy for lunch, pull the files from the filing cabinet at lightning speed to make "rain" and don't forget to empty the bottom two pantry shelves as well. Yes, yes, yes!!!...Wait!!! What do you mean someone is at the door? Quick! Stomp on those bugs, pick up those islands and put on some pants!"
Why do mothers fall in to the two extremes: "hyper-clean mom" or "to-hell-with-the-house mom"??? With four kids it seems that many guests expect my house to be a trash heap while others think that with each baby delivered I'm endowed with more superpowers to juggle homemaking responsibilities, child-rearing and more with great ease, all with a couple hours of rest each night. Well, here's the truth - in our house we ebb and flow. We have good days and bad days - and we have a well, lived-in home.
So, yeah, before that phone was returned to my house the kids were bathed, the house was spotless and smelled of green, eco-friendly cleaners mixed with a garlic/lemon roasted chicken. The kids were lined up in order by height and were reciting memory verses and mathematical equations as I opened the door to my former neighbor.
"Get over it..." NEVER!!! (read "never" with first finger pointed high in the air and much enthusiasm). I will never get over doing my best! Some days my best is getting through the shower, but other days I can pull off an outing with all four kids, prepare a three course meal (I am married to a food-driven Italian!) and still manage to get to bed with a clean kitchen. "Best" is relative to the day, (and let's not forget, the children) but still totally attainable. I think a better term would be diligence, right?
So, what kind of mom are you??? I'm in the middle - not too hyper and not too hellish either. I used to be hellish...oh, the horror! I've never been able to reach hyper-clean status for more than half an hour and even then it was debatable.

Tomato Hornworm Rescue

2008-09-09T10:53:00.007-04:00

We rescued a tomato hornworm from the garden last night. A quite creepy looking caterpillar that will eventually turn into a hummingbird moth. I objected to keeping the strange worm until we learned that wasps lay their eggs on the backs of hornworms. Brian saw an egg covered worm last week and was disturbed once again with the weird bugs found in the Midwest. We figured it was a caterpillar with lots of babies about to hatch - hundreds of hungry babies that would eat our tomato crop while we visited family over the weekend. Well, those eggs belonged to some mean little wasp and the hornworm was sadly the first meal. To save our new friend from a similar fate we dropped him into Isaac's Bug Habitat before bed. "Why would God make those wasps hurt those little caterpillars when they turn into a beautiful hummingbird???" Isaac asked this morning while watching "Thorny" munch on a tomato plant leaf. Yeah, so today we will be learning the difference between a hummingbird and a hummingbird moth. It will be a sad day in homeschooling if Isaac believes birds come from caterpillars! And, I must say I am happy that Isaac named his new pet "Thorny" as opposed to other similar names that could be given to a said caterpillar with a red horn.

Oh, and the picture above is not of our beloved Thorny but rather from this great informational site, VegEdge. Here's the link if you're just dying to learn more about hornworms: http://www.vegedge.umn.edu/vegpest/hornworm.htm.

Homeschooling Beginning

2008-08-20T16:45:00.015-04:00

I'm gearing up for the start of our kindergarten year with Isaac. Our first official school day will be the Tuesday following Labor Day weekend. I am excited and hopeful that I can't screw this up as Isaac knows his ABC's and 123's fairly well already. What more is there???

Honestly, I've put a lot of research into our lessons and choice of methods. It is amazing the variety of styles we can choose from! Hopefully I'll have time to post about our lessons as we go along. I lean way more to the unschooling approach with more traditional methods mixed in to add some needed structure. I like portions of the Charlotte Mason approach and I pulled some aspects of Waldorf school styles into our eclectic homeschool as well. Monica is letting me borrow her My Father's World curriculum so I might use that for our bible lessons or even for Jack and Sophia (thank you Jenny for that brilliant suggestion!) to do a sort of pre-k thing for them alongside Isaac.

We have two good homeschool groups in our immediate area and a few more in surrounding areas. I'm going to shadow a friend this Friday to check out the one in our city. The groups offer classes for music, art, drama, science, dance and more. There is also a reading club and an open gym I heard about just recently to give kids a chance to do the sort of games all children learn in grade school - you just can't grow up without a red ball smacking you in the face during a game of dodgeball, you know? The groups also join together to have a kindergarten graduation and other ceremonies as the kids go up in grade levels in addition to holiday parties and concerts.

Brian and I want to make sure the kids have the best of both worlds - meaning we want a more tailored education for them and the special memories that we feel every child should have, like the first day of school, or shopping for new school clothes or decorating a Valentine's Day box and delivering handmade cards. My favorite memories of school were the hands-on lessons like acting out the meal shared between the pilgrims and Indians - excuse me, the Native Americans, or searching for the pot of gold candy on St. Patty's Day. I also value the challenging projects that I'd somehow pull off like a ten page essay paper or a difficult science project. Educating at home with the support of our local homeschool groups will be a good balance of all the things we want to provide for our kids and hopefully will help us avoid the things that frustrated us about public education as we grew up.
So, we'll be starting with kindergarten and go from there.

Also, I will be writing about all the crazy things that have been bouncing around in my head a little more freely now. I've read a couple amazing books, celebrated Sophia's fourth birthday and had a great time not floating on this past weekend's float trip. Much to write about, lots of good pictures but dinner won't make itself and Brian won't make it either so I have to sign off.

Oh, and welcome all you long, lost friends from Facebook! Was high school really THAT long ago?!?!?! And, weren't we all in the Bahamas like yesterday??? You don't realize how quickly life is going by until you look up one day and see your four children and husband from New Jersey staring at you wanting dinner and clean underwear!

One last thing

2008-07-29T00:47:00.002-04:00

Imagine hearing your five year old son suddenly start speaking like a deaf person for apparently no reason in the middle of a major play session with his younger siblings. You, after a few minutes of careful observation, conclude he has not gone deaf. After questioning him as to why he's speaking like his ears and tongue are not working you get WHAT as the "duh, mama" answer...

Come on, guess!

As I was saying...

2008-07-29T00:10:00.003-04:00

So, Wall-E. We started the movie with great success. All kids had drinks and popcorn. We had candy boxes open and prepared to quiet the first child that ran out of popcorn. Jack was interested through the previews and then he was pretty much done. By the end of the movie we were watching him make his way down the stairs toward the front of the theatre. Sophia preferred to stand as she watched the movie - thank you, Mom, for that genetic trait. Noah was kept quiet with Cheerios and the occasional hand off to Brian. Isaac was wonderful and attentive as usual. He's a good boy. Yeah, so the movie was cute. I liked it with all the fat people rolling around - don't know why that was entertaining but it was. I really like watching a movie every now and then. "Now" being Wall-E and "Then" for us will be in another five years or so.

Oh, and there were hardly any people in the theatre with us so it was no big deal when Jack yelled, "MY POPCORN, MY POPCORN!!!" every five minutes when he'd drop his mini-cup holding his snack. If the seats had been filled I would have stressed a bit more but after seeing that the few other families were much like ours - children outnumbering adults two to one or more - I was relaxed even as Noah bounced on my still chubby tummy when the Cheerios ran out thanks to Sophia who had run out of popcorn, candy, and soda...and my popcorn and soda. Ah, we made it to the end of the movie, unlike the family a row or two ahead of us - and they only had TWO!!!

Completely off the subject - what would you describe as a "good day" with the kids??? Really, what makes you feel like you're on a roll? Aaaaaand, what makes for a "bad day" or a less-than-all-you-wanted day?

With that - I'm going to bed!

WALL-E

2008-07-28T11:10:00.003-04:00

We took the kids as a special little outing to see the Disney movie Wall-E after naps yesterday. Speaking of naps - Noah needs one...like NOW. I tried people, I tried.

to be continued...

Pray for Misty

2008-07-24T10:53:00.004-04:00

Follow the link below and add your email to Darren's list. I found this on Giz's blog. Wow, what a family!!!

The healing service Darren writes about was at the church Brian and I attended while we lived in Jersey - which is also the church that took the youth trip to Florida where Brian met God and was set free from drug addiction.

Little side note - While still in Jersey, Baby Sophia had a tear duct problem when she was born. I'd honestly forgotten until I read about receiving prayer. Soph was going to need a surgery to open up her clogged tear duct so we went forward for prayer at church. Within one week her clog was gone and never returned. Healed. Just rambling now...but check out the link and pass it on through email or your blog.

The site is www.leblanclife.com

Sorry I can't make the link work right, so just copy and paste and away you go!!!

Garden Learning

2008-07-23T12:08:00.004-04:00

Our contained caterpillars, Princess and Jake, have been in their chrysalis' for over a week now. Isaac's caterpillar, Josepher (yes, Jo-seph-er) stopped eating so we released him and much to our surprise Isaac found yet another caterpillar in the garden Then he lost him in a thrilling game of "spin-the-caterpillar" in which a five year old wildly spins his arm for the enjoyment of his beloved caterpillar. The game ends with a caterpillar soaring across the full span of the backyard and three children quickly scattering as a sort of search and rescue team. Even with much pleading and calling to the caterpillar, he never came home. So, three, to two, then three again, and after a little fun, we were back to two caterpillars behind glass on the kitchen counter. I used two pasta sauce jars to contain our new friends. They ate like pigs for days and then got very still on the sticks we propped up for them. The next morning we found two chrysalis' where Princess and Jake had been "sleeping". According to the books we picked up at the library we have three weeks until the butterflies emerge.

With the garden in full swing the kids are learning a lot about produce. Like how much Dada nearly cries when they pick all the green tomatoes. Or, then there was the afternoon that Isaac picked all the flowers off the tomato plants. We're hoping to finally enjoy a tomato from the garden this weekend as long as we keep chasing the kids away with success for another few days. Even with all the garden pillaging I just can't be upset with Jack. He sees a tomato - size and color doesn't matter - he plucks it and triumphantly marches to the patio - "I picked this for you!" Because Jack loves to pick pretty things we have to keep him out of the neighbor's flower garden as well.

So, we have carrots still growing SLOOOOOWLY, the cilantro died (Jack), there are some big watermelons hidden in the vines, the bunnies ate the bean sprouts, the spinach has yet to surface, and the green peppers are doing well. They taste great. Oh, and we have one red pepper plant in the middle that B got by accident. I love red peppers. The parsley is coming back from the caterpillars and the basil is amazing. I pull from it almost everyday. Oh, and our lettuce was bitter so we just let it go and it grew really funky stalks that flowered - and Jack for whatever reason will not pick the pretty lettuce stalks. Go figure.

Working, Standing, Sneaking, Pouting, Playing

2008-06-14T11:24:00.006-04:00

So much updating to do...

Brian has been working mad overtime. He's running work for the shop now and brings the blueprints home to go over at night. I'm impressed. Really. Bri's come a long way since the flashcards he made in Philadelphia at the start of his apprenticeship.

Michael started as a temp for the shop yesterday. He'll be staying with us for a while as he gets settled in his new job and learns the area. We're happy to have him. Having a "guest" has given me some much needed motivation at home. I hope to get back on track with healthy meals and making use of our growing garden. The kids love having Uncle Michael here. I just wish they'd stop attacking him every time he sits on the couch!

As for the kids - when they aren't attacking Michael...

Noah is flying through milestones. He's so all over the house I've thought of sewing a dust swiffer (the washable kind) to the belly of one of his onesies and then "release" him on my floors - that way he can wipe up whatever dust bunnies he chooses not to eat. I am forever pulling Noah out of hard to reach places. He wedges himself into the smallest crawl spaces - behind furniture, under chairs, in corners, into closets, and under beds. He really needs whiskers or something - don't cats use their whiskers to determine if they can fit into tight spaces??? I remember learning that somewhere along the way. Of course, a baby with whiskers would look freakish, but not any worse than a baby with dust bunny "fur" on his belly. And, the little guy is pulling up to stand now. He is too funny because he pulls up on everything - like things that are on the same level he's on. Like a penny on the floor he'll try to pull up on. No, we don't keep pennies on the floor (choking hazard, we know, we know). Just imagine a baby with legs extended holding on with all his might to a toy six inches off the floor. Noah loves the crib side for his pull-ups the most. His big, blue eyes peek juuuust over the top of the rail looking for anyone who can set him back on his bottom so he can pull himself up again. It is a vicious cycle - and very adorable...even the fourth time around.

Jack is still my baby boy. He'll let you know if you ask him - "I is Dada's big boy and Mama's baaaaaby." He's remained cuddly even with the arrival of his brother and entering the terrible twos. Honestly, Jack is pretty relaxed as a kid so the twos - half way through - haven't been all that terrible. I'm trying to get Jack interested in the potty but he's insulted that I would even suggest he leave anything behind in the toilet. I'll have to get some pictures of Jack's amazing facial expressions. He has the best pouting lower lip. You could trip over the thing as Jack pops it out! - usually when he hears an unwanted "no" aimed his way. Our neighbor has a flower garden in her front yard with an ornamental watering can. Well, Jack is just beside himself with the need to touch this can and surrounding flowers. After Brian had chased him out of the neighboring yard several times one afternoon, Jack wandered back by the flowers just as our super nice neighbor was outside. She gave Jack a gentle "no, no, honey" motioning to her flowers. His big, blue eyes got all heavy with the start of tears, his little shoulders drooped and out came that pouting lip. Poor thing! He's such a good boy. Not terrible at all.

Sophia has shot up another three feet. Well, not really, but she has grown a lot taller this Spring. She's no longer chubby cheeks and baby fat - but is now a full on little girl. Soph is still all about the color pink. Her hair has grown out in the form of little blond ringlets - perfect for any professing princess. And, speaking of royalty, Sophia is the queen of fits at this age, or at least she tries to be. She throws her fists down to her sides with great energy - they stop just short of her knees as her face scrunches up with a "But, Maaaamaaaa!" squealed in an extremely high pitch voice that one would doubt could be human. And, usually her following statement is, "I don't want to (fill in the blank)". She's at the perfect age to use reverse psychology but since we don't want to mess with her little mind, we stick to the old fashion rules of doing what Mama and Dada say. Period. Soph is still a faithful napper though we just finished a phase of having to put up a baby gate at her bedroom door for nap time. I found her several times sneaking (and I mean, quiet as a mouse) out of her room to get into lotions in the bathroom. Every princess needs well conditioned skin, ya' know. The gate came out after she squirted a full bottle of bubble bath onto her closet floor. Ever try to clean up bubble bath from a wood floor? The bubble fun just never ends...not...ever. And, with all Sophia's grown up girl ways, she still pops her finger in her mouth and sucks away when she's tired. One hand at her mouth and one hand twirling a blond ringlet - just like she did as a baby.

Isaac just completed his first soccer season. He started out more interested in pulling up clover in the grass than the ball but with his last game this morning it was obvious he has made a lot of progress as a professional pre-school soccer athlete. As the ball was being thrown in from the sidelines Isaac was hit square in the head - he was only a couple feet from the six-year-old tossing the ball in so his head provided a target for the six-year-old. His coach (the beloved "Coach Steve") immediately convinced Isaac that he was the first kid in any of our games to "take a header". Wow! Isaac liked that idea and gave his coach two high fives (all caught on film...or digital memory stick, rather). Isaac is the best natured kid I know. Maybe I'm a little bias - a little. He plays hard and laughs a lot, always cheering on his team. "I kick the ball right down to the goal and let my teammate kick in it because I like to be nice." Yes, he's nice...and the fact that the older and bigger kids are able to reach the goal faster than he can helps him "be nice" I'm sure. His team plays again in the Fall - we aren't sure if we should keep him back so he isn't the smallest kid on the team next time or if we should keep him with his buddies and the all important Coach Steve. Ooooor, if we will even do soccer in the Fall. For now, we have summer to look forward to. And, Isaac, being like his father, wants to be outside every waking moment. He's a master on his scooter - impressing even neighbors with ornamental watering cans - and has many bumps and bruises on his legs to show for his mastering the razor scooter. He'll be starting kindergarten in the Fall and we can't believe our first baby is so big already. Where does the time go?

Speaking of time - this post took quite a bit of it. I should be doing something more productive...like hiding clutter from Michael or getting on to Sophia for having her finger in her mouth again.

One day I'll update on ME - for now, I'm doing the same thing as usual - diapers, dishes, laundry, and picking up toys - aaaand the occasional home cooked meal to keep Brian happy.

Jack MadGab

2008-05-29T15:11:00.003-04:00

Ready?!? Let's play!!!

"He poot on your poodle." "He poot on your poodle."

Can anyone attempt a translation of this phrase from Jack this morning?

I'll post the answer in a bit...

The winner will receive my love and undying admiration since I don't have anything cool to mail out like other mom blogs.

Elizabeth's Baby and So Much More

2008-05-22T18:09:00.007-04:00

Elizabeth had her baby girl! Click my "Giz" link to see the first posted picture of Penelope Grace. So cute! Yes, an Italian/Midwesterner mix makes for beautiful babies.

When I saw her picture I sighed and said "Oh, seeing that baby girl makes me want to have another baby girl!" Isaac sighed as well and said, "Yeah, when I saw all that ice cream on Barney this morning it made me want ice cream."

Sophia smiled and covered her mouth at the very idea of a baby sister. Isaac, on the other hand, spouted off with big hand gestures, "But, I don't even like Jack! He annoys me and keeps me up all night!!!" I looked to Jack - he nodded his head and said, "Yep. I do." Jack has recently moved into our big boy bedroom with Isaac so Noah can sleep in the nursery. The adjustment has been interesting to say the very least. Last night Isaac got up to use the bathroom and Jack worked himself into a fit in less than a minute because he thought Isaac was up playing and had left him in his crib high and dry without a toy in sight. Then he heard the toilet flush and a tired Isaac wandered back to his bed. Jack was willing to lay down again but kept one watchful eye on his bigger brother as he fell asleep. No one, and I mean, no one in this house is going to be playing with Thomas trains or Hotwheels without Jack knowing about it.

I hope Isaac will get used to falling asleep while being watched. I figure this on some level is a payback for all the late nights I had with Isaac when he was a toddler. The child didn't sleep unless Brian or I were in the bedroom with him. Now he has the personal monitoring he's always wanted in the form of a little brother. "I-dit, Iiiiiii-dit!" - and someone to softly sing him to sleep as well.

Rain-out Hotline

2008-04-19T08:51:00.006-04:00

We have Isaac signed up for soccer. We had to sign him up for at least one season of some form of athletics to blend in with the locals. It is an unstated rule that every suburban child must participate in a sport of some fashion from pre-school age on up. Our choices were narrowed down to tee-ball and soccer. We were given the options of going through the city, the county, or through some private school. We opted for the city.

Isaac LOVES playing soccer. With the rain and working around recent scheduled camping trips and funerals he's attended one practice. The forty-five minute practice was life changing for him I'm sure. I know my life has changed - from a stay-at-home mom to now a soccer mom. What does this mean for me? It means that on a rainy Saturday morning my kid has a game scheduled at dawn. Since it is raining I have to call the all important "rain-out hotline". I call for half an hour solid. I get a busy signal three hundred and twenty-four times so I turn to the internet after I get Noah resettled in his crib. Noah slept through the night for the first time last night so he was starving and was passed to me as Brian headed out for work - B's getting in a little overtime today. So, I have a starving baby that wants to eat and I need to know if this game is on or not but every suburbanite in the area is calling the same stupid number. The one single phone line with the say on how my day will go on this rainy, overcast Saturday is locked in a busy signal. Why is there only one rain-out hotline? WHY?!?!?!

I managed to quick-feed the baby and finally make it downstairs to check the website. You know what it says? "Call the rain-out hotline"!!! Forget it. I called the coach at dawn on a Saturday. I woke the man up. You know what he said? "Call the rain-out hotline".

As he read off the number for the hotline I'd been calling since the first bird was tweeting this morning I was thinking to myself that this stupid. "The game has been rained out by the way..." I mumbled a polite thank you and apologized for waking the guy up though he's the coach and was holding out on me. Who knows, maybe someone tried to call us as the first rays of sunlight were coming through the scattered rain clouds. But, I didn't get the call. You know why?!? I was calling the rain-out hotline like every other suburban mother in our city!

Now, I will be known as the mother that calls in the coach in the early AM. That's one step worse than the mother that calls after 10:00 pm and during dinnertime. That's even worse than the mother that forgets to bring the team's snack on her scheduled weekend. Crap, when is my weekend??? I bet the coach isn't back asleep yet. I'll just give him a quick call...

How did you spend your first hour and a half today?

Earthquake Tremors and Personal Ramblings

2008-04-18T17:04:00.006-04:00

I woke up early this morning (4:37 AM to be exact) wondering how my house ended up on a railway. Our bedroom was shaking side to side and our bed was going along for the short ride. Brian and I looked at each other with our heads still on our pillows. Shock. "An earthquake," my husband stated and we bounced out of bed to scramble for the kids who amazingly enough stayed asleep. If I stand outside their bedroom doors and look at them they wake up. An earthquake shakes our entire house, and they snore away. Amazing.

Brian made better time escaping our bedroom than I did as I had to find my glasses so I'd have the ability to see and the ability to grab a child rather than a large stuffed animal - man, imagine making it outside to safety only to discover Sophia was actually a fuzzy Easter Bunny about her size. That would be devastating - and nearly impossible to do as anyone who has ever picked up Sophia knows. I got my glasses on, threw Noah under my arm and headed for the bedroom door after Brian to get the Easter Bunny, I mean, Sophia. The tremor stopped.

What would you do at 4:37 AM after experiencing an earthquake for the first time? The Weather Channel. We turned the TV on just in time for our local on the eights. Nothing earthquake related. Crap. Well, should we to get out of the house, and grab survival supplies on the way out? Or, sleep? Hey, the kids were still out - we would be stupid to waste an opportunity like that.

Before we hit the bed again, Brian searched online and learned about the quake miles away. A 5.4. Not too shabby for a first earthquake. Wouldn't mind it being my last. We faced each other on the bed. "We need some sort of plan, don't we?" I asked. "I'll get the boys, you get Noah and Sophia," Brian said with eyes already closed. "Yeah, and you grab the filing cabinet, too." I have my life neatly organized in that cabinet - my memory files filled with cards, drawings, keepsakes and lots and lots of papers I should toss but insist on keeping so I don't forget what the kids were like at age blah, blah, blah. I was only kidding about the cabinet for all you serious types reading this blog. Brian and I have a standing joke about emergencies no matter the situation: terrorist attack, fire, flood, earthquake or a midnight craving for ice cream. The plan is we'll grab the kids and the cabinet that weighs a million pounds. So simple and so perfect - unless of course, you are being tossed like a rag doll from the earth shaking. Hmmm, we need to improve this plan in some manner. But, again, the kids were sleeping and I was wasting precious time thinking when I could have been in restful bliss. Brian was already snoring.

Aftershocks came mid-morning. So surreal! It was one of those "Did that really just happen (again)?" moments. I watched the garage door rattle and saw the lights flicker - and it was done. I had just enough time to stand to my feet nearly dropping nursing Noah and tell the kids to "get up!, no sit on the couch, no...wait, it's over...sit down...where's the phone...?" Yeah, there is a reason I'm not a volunteer firefighter. I freak out mildly when my house shakes around me (AND when the kids choke momentarily on food they didn't chew properly and they make that "I'm choking" face with their mouth wide open and tongue sticking out and you know something really gross is about to come up in whole form, slightly chewed). Big houses shaking are scary. This is another good reason for living simple in a hut somewhere. A little grass and hardened mud never hurt anyone. But my ceiling falling in on me would cause a bit of pain I bet.

After the earthquakes, I spent the remainder of the day cleaning up poop. The kids have had yet another round of a gross virus this week. Jack had a fever this morning, Isaac is bouncing off the walls more than usual and Sophia has had her finger in her mouth nearly all day sucking away her upset tummy. We've flown through a full box - not a container, but a BOX - of wipes this week. How, oh how, did I survive before baby wipes? Expensive, yet so versatile. I see a bunny trail and I'm going to follow it...I really should get back to cloth diapering. With my overuse of baby wipes this week I made a discovery. I think I just may be allergic to something in our current brand of baby wipes. I've been testing different things to find what on earth I developed an allergy to after Noah was born. It would be a lot easier to go to a doctor, but who the heck has time for that?!?!? Maybe a switch back to cloth is in my near future. Or, maybe I'll make due with my swollen hands and occasional banana lip so I can avoid diaper pails and washing diapers.

Well, I'm rambling and Noah is very unhappy in the baby swing yelling "Bababababaaaaaah!" at anyone who makes eye contact with him so this post is over.

I will be posting about the older three kids in greater length soon, but for now, they are all just about the same...just taller and less baby chub on each of them. My babies are big kids now and life is so full...and really, really busy. Sometimes I feel like my head is spinning...or is that an earthquake?!?!?

She's Got Personality

2008-04-14T12:29:00.005-04:00

My grandmother holding Mom as a toddler. I think that's Aunt Mildred behind them.

This weekend I found myself asking Mom about my grandmother. I wanted to know what her personality was like.

"She was a lot like me," Mom said as she showed me her latest sale finds now displayed in her China Hutch. "She wasn't very learned. She wasn't exposed to much (small town life)."

"So, she had common sense?" I asked, not knowing what a small town mother in her sort of home environment would be like from day to day.

"She knew how to survive. She wasn't giddy, maybe more serious."

Mom told me about life lessons her mother had passed on to her:

When my grandmother's eighteen year old sister died six weeks after having her baby girl, Vera, the dying girl's husband promised to never marry again. The young mother passed away leaving baby and husband. Vera was raised by my great-grandmother and her father moved to Kansas City but visited often. He stayed involved in his daughter's life and he remained alone for years and years. He eventually married when he was in his fifties, but he lived most of his life with that promise to never marry again. "Never make promises to someone who's dying," my grandmother said.

Because small towns are at times difficult places to live if you are poor and "live on the wrong side of the railroad tracks." Cruel words can be a heavy weight if you carry them. "Like water off a duck's back," is how to react to such words according to my grandmother. Let them slide right off. This is useful for any weight someone tries to place on you with their words or judgments. My mom has often asked me, "Lori, have you ever seen water on a duck's back?" And, I know she's telling me to just let it go. People say unkind things but we don't have to carry them. If we do, we'll drown in them. It is best to stay above them.

My Aunt Mildred, Mom's older sister, was a "scrappy" child and would often find herself in a fight of some sort. One day while Mildred sat at the end of the long table in Mom's childhood home my grandmother was trying to explain to her how to "say what you got to say, but with tact." Mom was observing Mildred talking over her mother not listening to the gem she was trying to pass along to her daughter. Mom was sitting on the step at the kitchen threshold taking in her mother's words though they were not directed at her. She's told me this story many times. Hmmm, mabye I need "tact" as well!?!?!

After gleaning these stories, Mom told me about her cousin that had seven or eight kids and a rather vocal mother-in-law who thought her grandchildren were unruly. In the MIL's opinion there were too many kids in the family. The family was Catholic and this cousin's view on family life was "you get married and you have children". Many people think Brian and I are Catholic with our turn around of children! Anyway, this cousin was fed up with all the comments about her many children and their behavior so she asked her MIL, "Just which kid do you think I should have never had?!?! Show me and I'll just knock them in the head now!" Mom heard this story from an aunt when she was a child. Years later when my sister was getting married an engagement announcement was put in the local paper. An elderly woman who lived in the area called Mom saying, "I think we're related!" Mom in the midst of the chaos in her own life at the time went to visit this older lady. While there she heard firsthand about her aunts from this cousin and was amazed when the woman said, "And, so I said, 'Just which kid do you think I should have never had!?!?! Show me and I'll knock them in the head now!...'" Mom had met the woman she heard about so many years before as a child. I told Mom next time we get an ugly response to our little crew of children I'll tryout this response.

So, it was getting really late as Mom and I were standing in front of the China Hutch talking. She said I was falling asleep standing up, but I was totally awake. Totally. I told her I wanted to write all these stories down. She said we wouldn't get to it. HA! There you go, Mom. I wrote it down.

The next morning I asked Mom whose personality I have. She said, "You have your own. You're just greatly influenced by your mother."

Family Update Part I - Noah

2008-04-09T11:15:00.007-04:00

As promised a week or more ago - here's a start on an update on our little family:

Part I: Noah -

Our smallest guy is now crawling. Actually, it is more like hopping on his belly. He gets his knees under his tummy and then throws himself forward, usually planting his face right into the carpet. But, as unusual as his first crawl is, Noah is moving from toy to toy on the playroom floor without a problem...other than a mild carpet burn on his nose. I'm glad he's crawling - I think. He's been breaking out of all our bouncy seats for months now. He wiggles and twists backwards out of any sort of strap or buckle that keep less motivated babies safe and snug in their seats. Noah is all arms and hands these days. He reaches for and attempts to grab everything around him - from toys and clothes to Sophia's hair if she sits close enough to his exersauser. He's a talker with all sorts of sounds and very emotional squeaks and grunts. Keeping him quiet during the other kids' naps is nearly impossible unless he's eating. And even then he's figured out as of last week that he can make noises while eating. The kids love talking to Noah and getting such energetic responses from him. I love watching him explore and interact with the older kids but the best is when Brian gets home from work. Noah yells, squeals and reaches for Brian until his gets picked up and then once on Brian's shoulder he dives his head into the small of Brian's neck. I LOVE baby hugs! My most favorite thing with Noah at this age is having him grab my face. He laughs, smiles and kicks just over his new found ability to grab my nose. And kissing his chubby little neck to hear him laugh is another favorite. The boy is so ticklish it is unreal!
Noah's second tooth just poked through yesterday. The first came through on Good Friday, so it wasn't such a good Friday for him. He is a great baby all around. Happy as long as he's fed, has a clean diaper and snuggled a bit. He's six and a half months old and I can't believe half a year has already gone by since his arrival. The newborn phase really, REALLY does go by too quickly...but I'm enjoying my adventuresome, chubby baby just as much as that tiny newborn I had just yesterday.

What happened to January?

2008-03-24T10:56:00.004-04:00

Wow, so January ended a very long time ago. Man, has it been THAT long since my last post?!?!? NO WAY! Not totally surprising to me as time goes by so extremely fast with four babies. I stay busy, Brian stays busy and we talk on the weekends. The kids are growing like weeds - sprouting overnight. I'll post a family update later this week. This one won't be long since the kids are fighting over plastic Easter eggs - who hid them, who is suppose to find them and any other way to disagree over colored, fake eggs - and Noah is late for his morning nap.

Goals of New Blogs

2008-01-21T10:32:00.000-05:00

Can you believe January is nearly over already? I'm still adjusting my mind to the idea of "2008". In January I usually inventory the previous year and kick it up a notch in my journaling...setting goals, defining dreams - anything to put my brain in overdrive to get me through to Spring. But, with four kids the inventory process is slightly underdeveloped. No big deal, though. The goals are rather simple for the most part - all centering around faith, family and home.

One goal I'm excited about pursuing (unlike the goal of losing my pregnancy weight - oh, dread!) is about our family history. In all four branches of our family (Manley/Mann, Purl, Biggers, and Alvares) there are family members that have collected and recorded that line's history. Our family goal this year is to collect what we can from each family line in the form of four blogs linked to this one. After a season of collecting we hope to have the information - the pictures, posts, and comments - printed so we will have four volumes of our family history to pass along to the kids and even to extended family members that are interested. Brian is excited about this goal (unlike the goals of finishing the million house projects that were started in 2007 - oh, dread!). I'll be working on setting up the blogs this week and making the first posts so hopefully by January's end we can send out an email or letter to invite family to participate.

If you have any family pictures or interesting family articles please scan and email them to me. The blog formats will be very simple - with a picture or story posted and then a place for family to login and make their comments. Hopefully, family can comment about who is in an old picture and what the occasion was, or finish a story we've only heard portions about. Family history is so interesting and every family has a story to tell. With a blog, everyone can add to the story and less pieces are lost or forgotten. Anyway, that's just ONE goal for 2008.

After compiling my goals, writing them down and starting a plan to accomplish them I asked Brian if he had any goals for 2008, "Yeah, to not get you pregnant.". And, when I asked the kids what I should wish for before blowing out my birthday candles this past weekend Isaac said, "Wish for another baby boy!!!". HA! - and, no, I'm not pregnant. I'm pretty content with four at the moment.

With that - I better go. I have to convince Jack that the box of Cheerios does not contain strawberries like the picture on the box.

If You Can't Beat 'Em

2007-12-14T00:32:00.003-05:00

If you can't beat 'em (as in "can't win")...bring 'em downstairs, give them cereal and some milk.

It is juuuust about midnight and me, Noah and Jack are hanging out. Noah had shots today - way too many freakin' shots for one little body in my humble opinion. (Five?!?!? Are you kidding me?!?!?!?). Jack has had an explosion of his eczema this week so after the realization that all the lotion in the world isn't cutting it I brought him downstairs. He can join me and Noah for some midnight fun. Fun being some soggie cereal and watching the weather channel. Woohoo!

One note before I return to my little guys - I got a cabinet!!! Yes, the craigslist is a good thing! Okay, baby crying...and a snow storm is on the way.

My Most Favorite Hobby

2007-12-13T00:34:00.000-05:00

A quick overview of my day before Noah wakes up -
Isaac woke me up soon after Brian left for work this morning to let me know that he wet the bed. Understatement. - To let me know that he created a small pond complete with a soft stuffed shark in his bed. Though he really needed a bath I opted for a super fast (and cold) wipe down with baby wipes from Noah's baby supplies. I tucked the nearly dry, semi-freezing Isaac in to Brian's side of the bed hoping I could get some sleep before sunrise. Enter Sophia. She heard the commotion, "Isaac be quiet, it isn't THAT cold..." and realizing Isaac was allowed the luxury of sleeping in Dada's spot she felt jolted. I explained that it wasn't a sleepover and that Isaac's bed was now a major fishing spot in the Midwest so he couldn't sleep there - he'd drown. Of course, that early in the AM all reasoning with a three year old is out the window (hmmm, can you EVER reason with a three year old???) - Sophia threw a fit, but she did return to her bed. She was juuuust loud enough to wake Jack. By that point the rays of sunlight were peaking in the window and Isaac was trying to play with the sleeping newborn Noah next to him in our bed. All attempts at gaining more sleep were lost. The day began against my will...and so it seems the entire day was against my will.
After a morning of temper tantrums from an overtired Sophia we ate lunch. I mean, I ate lunch. The kids mutilated their meal into a fine powder and managed to cover not only themselves but any and all nearby furniture and flooring. Yes, I was in the room. Yes, in horror, I watched and objected as the mess was created. How can three tiny people make such an expansive and difficult to clean up disaster from meat, cheese and sweetened bread?!?
Fast forward to the end of naptime...
Brian was on his way home from picking up our finally fixed minivan when I went up to get Sophia and Jack. I was on a good roll - dishes done, rooms cleaned up, clutter was minimal, dinner planned. I was planning on diving into a craft of some sort after dinner. Oh, to use my brain and complete a project! Then, I opened Jack's door and knew I had a change in plans. Picture a layer of large legos and Mr. Potato Head parts scattered across a small bedroom floor. No big deal - common in my house. Now add small bits of poop into the mix of toys. In fact, picture poop all over the baby crib and all over the toddler as well. No, I would not be crafting this evening. I freed my evening so I could deep clean Jack's entire bedroom. Deep clean, the scrubbing and cursing sort of cleaning.
I decided to break the task before me into two phases. Phase One was the child. Into the shower he went. Out came a clean and hungry Jack. Phase Two was accomplished in that little block of time after dinner and before bedtime - the bedroom, bed, bedding and tiny toys were scrubbed. I soaked the toys in the bathtub while I scrubbed the crib, mattress and floor. I finished just in time for Isaac to dive into the toilet. No joke.
Brian was helping Isaac along to bed and had to remind him to flush the toilet. Isaac somehow went from the stepstool in front of the bathroom sink to having one leg and one arm in the toilet that was full of pee. No, the toilet wasn't full for very long. That's right, it went all over the bathroom. Floor, tub, mirror - and formerly clean tiny toys that were in the bathtub. The toys got a second washing, the bathroom was cleaned up, and Isaac finally got the shower he needed first thing this morning. Then, since I have this thing about all my kids being equally clean I put Sophie through the shower as well. Bedtime ended with clean, dry bedding and clean, dry children after a short lesson with Isaac on why we don't smear boogers on the walls of our house.
What a day! If only I could convince myself that cleaning was my most favorite hobby in the world! If only...
I'm ending my day checking out the craigslist for a craft cabinet of some sort so I can move my supplies to the main level of the house. Then, when I'm not doing my most favorite hobby, CLEANING, I could do some less favorite things without a lot of fuss.
Noah is waking up and I need to eat a bedtime snack...and I need to get to bed anyway. Tomorrow I'm going on an adventure - the doctor's office with four kids ages four and under. Awe, our first outing in the fixed minivan with our newest little guy. It should be fun. In fact, I think going out with all the kids is my second most favorite hobby...!

Getting Out the Door Thankfully

2007-11-24T23:03:00.000-05:00

Playpen. Check.
Diaper Bag. Check.
Extra Diapers (sizes two and five) and a few thousand baby wipes. Check.
Cameras, both the video and photo varieties. Check.
Bedding for one baby, one toddler, two preschoolers, and two adults. Check.
Laptop computer because you just never know. Check.
Large lime green suitcase containing clothing for four children/two adults for three days plus extra clothing for accidents that will happen inevitably. (Accidents include but are not limited to the following: spills, squished food, dirt, mangled dust bunnies and miscellaneous foul-smelling substances that may attach to my children and/or their clothing at Grandma's house usually producing sticky and/or smelly children.) In all available airspace in large lime green suitcase pack pants, T-shirts, underwear, socks, onesies, sleepers, burp rags, bibs, pajamas, jackets and long sleeve shirts multiplied by six (family members) and again by three (days). Check.
Toiletries and anything useful in restoring sticky and/or smelly children to a normal state of semi-cleanliness. Check.
Coats and shoes ready by the front door to quickly usher children to the truck before one or more needs to use the bathroom (again) or wets (or worse) a diaper. Check.
Child safety seats buckled to ensure a safe and extremely super snug hour and a half ride to Grandmas. Check.
Plastic bowls to serve greasy, fried foods to children in the backseat while traveling to Grandmas. Check.
Drinks to ration over the span of the short road trip to avoid if at all possible a "potty stop". Check.
Cell phone because we have one. Check.
One husband, one toddler, one preschool girl and one preschool boy. Check.
One final walk through to make sure I didn't forget anything. Check.
One baby boy. Check.
Thankful for all the crap I have to pack to celebrate Thanksgiving at Grandma's house. Check.
Getting out the door only two hours beyond Brian's schedule (Woohoo! A new record). Check.

Aaaaand, refusing to use that "priceless" tag line to end this post. Check.

Brennan Manning

2007-11-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

"Once you come to know the love of Jesus Christ, nothing else in the world will seem as beautiful or desirable." An older Franciscan told Brennan Manning the day he joined the Order.

For more, read Manning's biography at www.brennanmanning.com.

I stumbled upon Manning first in a conversation with Jessica Goodwin earlier this week and again when I rediscovered a book buried in a box in our basement written by Manning. Just a scan over a few pages has warmed my heart...a much needed warming I must say. Good stuff.

Noah in the Hospital

2007-11-16T20:03:00.001-05:00

Banana Lip

2007-11-10T17:58:00.000-05:00

How could I forget!?!?!?!

Okay, minor detail from the last week...

While in the hospital acting as Noah's personal milk cow, my upper lip for some unknown reason swelled up. Picture a moderate size banana, flesh color and attached to my face - no kidding!!! I should have taken pictures but it didn't seem like a Kodak moment at the time.

I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind in the hospital, but as it turns out I became the freak show in Room 3405. All the student nurses came by to "check the monitors" when in fact they wanted to get a glimpse of my fat face...er, lip. The nurses debated the cause of my ever-growing upper lip - fever blister, cold sore, allergic reaction - but it was our pediatrician that concluded it must be an allergic reaction. Crazy, because I'm allergic to nothing...until now.

And, I really mean until now. After getting home from the hospital Saturday and my lip finally gave up its fruity ways, I had a day of rest and then broke out in full body hives last night. Come ON! Yes, hives...and I'm allergic to NOTHING. Not a thing, people! Until now.

The Hospital Again

2007-11-10T16:53:00.000-05:00

Around 2:00 am on Thursday Brian took Noah to the Emergency Room. He had a fever that spiked to 102.8 and it was SCARY! By the time Mom arrived from Columbia and my brother, Michael, drove me to the hospital to find Brian, Noah had already been given a room and had an IV attached to his head. The ER staff had just completed their systematic tests with all the poking and prodding. All the needed blood was drawn and we were told to wait. Wait until Saturday morning...in the hospital.

NOTE TO SELF: When rushing to any area hospital always bring a change of socks and underwear...and a toothbrush, extra shirt, some snacks, something to read, a journal, and a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper. If time allows, grab Brian's toothbrush, too.

After learning how to avoid the wires and monitor cords attached to my newborn, I settled in for the two day "mini-vacation" with Noah. I spent hours sitting in a broken, reclining rocker that was propped up against the wall facing the all-important TV. While in the hospital I reaffirmed my personal hatred of cable television, needles, plastic pillows and monitors with annoying alarms, but fell more in love with my newest baby. Noah, even while battling sickness in his little body, smiled and cooed as if to reassure me that he was feeling better. He is an amazing baby with an even more amazing temperament.

This morning after too many hours of cautiously positioning the IV line away from Noah's tiny hands, all attachments were finally removed and we were allowed to return home. We're tired and couldn't be happier to be out of the hospital! Noah no longer has a fever but does have a lingering cough and a few bruises from IV "misses" on his hands and head. Oh, and he has a bald spot as one of the nurses had to cut the mass of tape holding the IV in place from his little head. AH! His first haircut and I didn't take pictures! - isn't that a sin of some kind???

So, no more sicknesses or hospital visits for this family, please!!! Bring on the turkey and the Christmas tree! We need a real vacation!

God's Will from Our Hearts

2007-11-01T23:34:00.000-04:00

Let's say God has His will for your life written on a simple sheet of paper in heaven. And, let's say God gave you that simple sheet of paper to read over. At the very bottom of the surprisingly blank page is an endorsement giving you permission by Almighty God to write how you'd like your life to be lived out. What would you write?

I'm not trying to start a debate about God's will or how much or how little we determine the course of our lives...but I am trying to draw out your dreams. What do you dream about accomplishing in your life? What big picture do you see?

I believe God has placed giftedness and talents beyond measure in each one of us. His intention is that once our hearts are won over by the love of Christ, Jesus will shine through our lives with the use of those specific gifts and talents unique to only us.

What do you love to do?
What makes you come alive or invigorates you?
When do you feel like you are accomplishing something worthwhile?
What things do you consider easy and enjoyable that others view as challenging or uninteresting?
What are your passions?
What do you dream about?
What have others noticed you do well or have great success in?

Jesus has purposefully placed those abilities, dreams and passions in your heart...but not just for yourself.

The bible says we should offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God as our spiritual act of worship. Yes, it is actually spiritual to do what you love, to be who you are. Being real is worship to God when we hold nothing back and give Him our all.

Here are my talents and what I feel I'm good at doing. Here are my passions that make my heart come alive. Here are my dreams - too big for me to accomplish on my own.

God made us intentionally. No matter how your life began He knew you would be here, living and breathing as another wonderful work of His creation. So, if we are made on purpose, shouldn't we live in the same manner? On purpose? With purpose.

To live with purpose, begin with who you are and what comes naturally or with ease. God's will doesn't have to be abstract or unknown. Simply bring glory and praises to God by how you live in this life. Let other see Him through you. Use all He has equipped you with to accomplish His will for your life.

Now take out a simple, blank sheet of paper and write down the things you are passionate about and your dreams of fulfilling those passions. Submit them to God in writing, offering Him your all. All your gifts, talents, dreams - everything that your heart contains - give to Jesus for Him to work through you, bringing glory to God. Keep the sheet of paper. In a few years you may find God's endorsement was at the bottom after all. And, you'll be able to look back and see God's will was for you to be YOU living fully from your heart for Jesus.

My First Day

2007-10-16T00:23:00.000-04:00

Today was my very first day on my own as a mother of four children under the age of five. It was interesting to say the very least. Well, "interesting" may not be the best word to describe today. Hmmm. Imagine a small daycare environment complete with scattered toys and cheerios peeking out from under the furniture and one four-and-a-half-year-old boy with a mild fever and a frog in his throat communicating in his just-created-today version of sign language. He won't speak, but insists on pointing in various directions at objects seemingly non-related to get his dull mother just one day beyond total bedrest and pain meds to understand his request for a drink or that he wants his sister to move from her usual stance in front of the television. Wild waving of the arms like a drunk mime was added to my son's personal sign language in the late morning just as his fever spiked again. Also, visualize an eversoslightly chubby three-year-old girl dancing with Barney and his annoying friends on a throw rug that slides from side to side along the living room floor with each "cool dance move" that she copies from the purple dinosaur on the television. Add a small toddler to the dance floor, or rug, and you have a hilarious scene of clapping, marching, high kicks, singing and giggles...along with a drunk mime and cheerios now exposed as the rug draws them out from under the couches with each tumble and high kick dance move. Oh, and not to forget the newborn that tried his hardest to sleep in the midst of all the signing and dancing. He enjoyed nursing as if I were an all-you-can-eat-24/7-buffet and followed his meals with big burps and filled diapers - but no napping.

Then, there was the introduction of musical instruments. Barney revealed how a little imagination can change any toy or piece of garbage into a musical instrument. So, the dance floor was covered with toys, I mean, musical instruments. And, the playing continued until our late lunch.

Most of my day consisted of Isaac signing and gesturing until he finally consented to relaxing on the couch. Sophia played her newfound musical instruments and perfected her creative dance moves in the middle of the living room floor. Jack, not understanding Isaac's silence and erratic hand/arm movements, turned to his sister and tried his hardest to swipe one of her instruments only to run like heck to the other end of the house hoping she didn't tackle him in the process. Noah wasn't very successful at napping for most of today but he flew through half a pack of newborn diapers while he was awake. I found myself just thankful I wasn't bent over with a horrible headache. I could sit and enjoy the show and my four characters - and secretly vow to block Barney from my tv tomorrow. All in all, it was a hilarious and, yes, even an interesting day.

Back to Normal

2007-10-15T17:36:00.001-04:00

Okay, okay...so I'm not what most would consider "normal" but I am back on my feet - my glorious FEET! - no longer needing to remain horizontal on my bed or the living room couch being tended to by Mom (I love my mother!) and my wonderful, devoted husband (love him, too!). My spinal headache subsided gradually over Saturday and I woke up Sunday morning with zero pain in my head and this morning I had zero pain in my back. What a drastic change! Thank GOD!!!

And, thank you to all of you who prayed and encouraged us throughout the looooong two week process while I was on bedrest. Again, I can't thank Mom, Michael (my taller/younger brother) and Brian enough for being such great nurses. They took care of me, a horizontal blob, our newborn, nonstop pooper/eater, and our three older children, energy-filled-limit-testing-while-Grandma-visits kids, for two long weeks and they were nice the WHOLE time!!! Not to forget all the family and friends that called and emailed to make sure I was still alive. Oh, and to Jenny for taking Isaac for that Monday afternoon (man, it was quiet that afternoon...maybe there's a connection???) and to Fletch and Sherry for the great flea market toys for the kids and to Suzette, Terry and Bob who came over to pray. And, (last "and" I promise!) to my sister for the beautiful flowers she sent to the house - ah, something pretty to look at while I laid on my bed. The kids were thrilled with their very own balloons.

I think that is everyone - if you did something wonderfully nice for my family in the past two weeks and I have failed to mention you by name I will just blame it on the drugs. Pain pills. Lots of pain pills.

So, I am 100% today after a pain-filled couple of weeks. Whew! Thank you GOD for your healing touch and for hearing the prayers of your people. You still work wonders among us in Jesus name.

Final words, as Noah is crying to eat AGAIN - for all of you that offered a meal while we learn to juggle four kids we would really appreciate the help.

sagging of the brain.

2007-10-05T12:26:00.001-04:00

Ouch is what I thought when I read the likely cause of Lori's severe head ache, it's a common side effect when you have an epidural. Anytime one inserts a 1/8 inch diameter needle into the spinal column there is the possibility of fluid leakage which causes a pressure drop in the spinal column fluid which is also the fluid that cushions the brain. So the brain actually "sags" a little, and the pressure of the brain resting against the bottom of the skull results in a terrible headache that worsens when the person stands up. Because Lori was stuck 3 times with the big needle, one of which a blood vessel was ruptured, her chances of fluid leakage were tripled. Also anytime bleeding is involved the pressure from the blood forces spinal fluid out of the column. So my poor wife has been laid up in bed, and feels like she is missing out on this special time with the new baby and the rest of the kids. So... those are the circumstances surrounding her current condition. With that said please say a prayer for Lori to recover, she is in a lot of pain. Noah is doing great and I'm hanging in there thanks to all the help from Lori's mom. Talk to you all soon. Brian.

Bringing baby home.

2007-10-03T17:22:00.000-04:00

Well we finally made it home. Everybody is doing good, Lori is a little beat up but is recovering. Noah is in great shape, a blessing from God, and the sibilings are so excited about their new baby brother. So we welcome Noah Alexander Biggers, and thank God for his life, and pray He will be a great preacher of the Gospel, and fullfill his destiny on earth.
We will keep you updated.

The Baby Has Arrived

2007-10-02T15:38:00.000-04:00

born. 10/01/07 9:48pm 8 lbs. 4 oz.

Here we go again.

2007-10-01T07:52:00.000-04:00

What's up everybody!?
Thought I'd give everybody an update. Here goes our fourth time around. After a long start to our weekend (extremely long for me) you know the 20 hours of work, sorting pricing, setting up ect. that go in to a yard sale my wife somehow managed to squeeze 56 dollars out of the suburban bargain hunters who love to pilfer through other peoples stuff and find that one baby gap sweater marked fifty cents that they think is only worth a quarter. Anyway as long as my pregnant wife is happy. Back to the baby though, Lori's contractions started some time yesterday around 11:00am with mild and sporatic contractions pretty much throughout the day and evening. I think I better hurry up as I look behind my shoulder either that breakfast sandwich I just ran and got her is really hot, or she's breathing through a intense contraction, now about 5 minutes apart, closes to time to go to the hospital. Grand Ma is on the way to hold down the fort, and I imagine we will be leaving here within the hour.So while the kid didn't get me out of the dreadful yard sale this weekend, he has got me out of work this week with plenty of time for my morning routine on this monday morning, now if we can get him out of there in a timley fashion this week just happens to coincide with the fall's prime fishing season. Alright so I'll try to keep you updated gotta run.
Brian.

Isaac's Bedtime Prayer

2007-09-06T11:40:00.001-04:00

"God, whoever you are, you sure are good." Isaac prayed with Brian last night before bed.

Well Said

2007-08-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

"Darn it!" - whispered by Isaac upon entering our bedroom early Friday morning and once again discovering that Dada had gone to work.

"Jesus was homeschooled and He knows everything." - on a T-shirt I've never seen, but have only heard about.

"When I think of home, I picture my family, together eating dinner, snuggling on the sofa, hanging out in the kitchen...Home should be a place that invites warmth, and togetherness, with its spaces used well and well used." - Gretchen Roberts from www.smartsimplewoman.com.

"Did she sugges...susset, sugress..." - Brian attempting to utter the sentence, "Did she suggest that?" after working in record Midwest heat for yet another week. His brain was slightly fried. To solve this frying problem he now wears a "farmer's hat", as he calls it, to block the sun. Pictures will soon follow. Anyway, we ended up driving through our city following my last prenatal visit saying "suggest" repeatedly until it lost all meaning to our ears. Suggest, suggest, suggest, suggest, suggest, suggest, suggest...

NOTE: Other words Brian cannot pronounce include "fluorescent", "breakfast", and "water". They come out "for-es-ant", "bref-es", and "wooder". Water, of course, is debatable depending on the region of the United States you grew up in.

"Can I go outside and plant a cherry tree?" - Isaac asked Brian's permission yesterday afternoon after eating his cherries. I think the plan is for Isaac and Brian to somehow grow a cherry tree in our basement this fall/winter. How? I have no idea. All I know is I have a bowl of semi-chewed cherry pits sitting on my kitchen counter that I am not allowed to throw away.

Quiet Time - Shh, Mama's Sleeping

2007-08-16T01:00:00.000-04:00

I want my kids to have memories of me seeking God and reading the Word like I have of my mother. I remember Mom at the kitchen table reading and reading...then, filing her nails and polishing them...then, reading some more. As a teenager I picked up that late night habit of opening the Bible and disappearing into the passages. How did I know to do that as a younger (and much thinner) woman? I saw my mother doing it and I followed her.

Fast forward to me as a young mother. I decided to attempt an early rise to read from the Word and pray so I got up with Brian the other morning - which seemed to throw off his morning routine, but I refused to return to my comfy, cozy, warm bed. I sat up on the couch and using my baby-filled belly I thought I'd start with a chapter from a revival book I've been reading. Next thing I know Isaac is waking me up asking for Fruit Loops.

So, I am not a morning person. This isn't shocking to anyone who has known me for more than twenty minutes. I function better at night. Brian used to say I got my start at 9:00 pm. I could fly through the house cleaning and/or doing projects with robust energy from 9:00 pm on. Nnnnnnnow, I'm not a night person either. In fact, I could take a nap at any given time of the day. It is beyond me why my children hate naps. I tell them everyday, "Mama would LOOOOOVE to take a nap. You take one for me." I envy their afternoon naps!

Anyway, back to me setting a great example for Isaac of how to sleep on the couch...

I'm not giving up on establishing the ol' "time and place" for meeting with the Lord, but I'm realizing how flexible I have to be with the babies and the minimal amounts of sleep they afford me. I don't know if I will ever be a full on night person again, or if I will ever bounce out of bed before sunrise bursting with energy (unlikely). But, I do know my children will have memories of me seeking God. I will pray and read and pray and read...and nap a little and nap some more...then, pray and read more. And, one day they will follow my example.

Toys Toys Everywhere

2007-08-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

I've got toys upstairs in each of the kids' rooms. I've got toys in the basement. I've got toys in the front room and the family room and throughout the backyard. There are toys in the garage and toys on the front porch. There are toys in the bathroom as well. I really, R E A L L Y, need a good storage system for all these toys!

In our furnished rental in Jersey there were bookshelves with doors on them that contained nearly every toy the kids owned at the time. It was the only system I have ever had work well for any length of time - mainly b/c the kids couldn't get to every toy at once. Well, we've moved from the rental and I can't find shelving with doors on them without it costing an arm and a leg in our new area. Oh, I miss Ikea!!!

Now, our toy ownership has expanded drastically and we have all kinds of toys for all kinds of reasons. Bath toys, sand toys, bikes and wagons, boy toys and girl toys, swim toys, winter toys, board games and stuffed animals that, I swear, are multiplying completely on their own when no one is looking. One system won't work in one room of our house anymore. Sad, but true.

We have purged and downsized in an attempt to see how much storage stuff we need so these are all toys the kids play with over and over. No kidding! So, where, the heck, do I put them?!? The boxes and open plastic bins are not working as a long term solution and now that the majority of our painting is done we can finally get each room set up to use. I can't wait!

Anyway, what works for you all? What do you suggest? Think fully functional, slightly pretty, and very affordable. And, what toys do you put in the kids' rooms and what toys stay in the family areas? Is a separate playroom worth setting up? And, is there a container a bit more pleasing to the eye than a plastic tub but not as breakable as a basket?

With a little thought and some helpful suggestions I hope to get a handle on this organizational disaster in our house. Ah, one more thing to cross off our list as we get established in our home! Yippee!

Don't Sweat the Small Italian

2007-08-14T11:32:00.000-04:00

The "small stuff" - the insignificant life crap that happens from time to time. The stuff we should easily overlook. The stuff not worth getting upset or frustrated over. The stuff like loosing the car keys, running out of diapers late in the evening, or like my small - er, short, Italian mother-in-law.

Brian got a letter today from the UNO Chicago Grill thanking him for "advising us of our failure to make your experience with us a great one." WHAT THE...!?!?! Then, I remembered the one restaurant we ate out at with Brian's parents while they were visiting a few weeks ago was the UNO Chicago Grill. Sigh. B's mother must have complained to the management via email or letter or something on our behalf...signing her son's name and giving our address for a return response. How nice of her.

I called Brian...
"Did you read the letter from the Chicago Grill?"
"No..."
"Your mother must have complained and signed your name..."
"Babe, don't sweat the small stuff. Who cares?!?!"
"I do! Who knows what she said!....blah, blah, blah, BLAAAAAH!"
I continued to quickly rattle off my valid reasons for being annoyed, knowing full well that Brian was only hearing "Blah, blah, BLAH!"
"Look, if you want to contact the Chicago Grill to clear our family name go ahead. I gotta go. I'm in the middle of somethin'..."
"Okay. Loveyoubye."

As I removed myself from my soapbox (I keep one handy in the kitchen for emergencies) I realized that Brian's ability to overlook the "small stuff" is admirable and slightly irritating to me.

Thankfully, the things we have to deal with in our relationship with B's parents have been downscaled to "small stuff" in recent months - mainly by our own perspective change and change in geographical locations. But, still the "small stuff" is something we have to deal with if even to just brush it aside and say, "Who cares!"

Unfortunately for me, when the insignificant life crap comes in multiple doses too close together for my liking I find the growing pile of pooh difficult to ignore. You know, the whole "straw that broke the camel's back" theory? That's me. A big, stupid camel cowering under a load of straw. Itchy, annoying, Italian straw.

And, for all you now wondering about the UNO Chicago Grill...it was totally fine. We even ate the leftover pizza. The fact that the meal was fine was in my running list of "valid reasons to be annoyed" given over the phone to Brian...but, who cares, right? Don't sweat the small stuff.

Family Meals and Variety

2007-08-10T14:49:00.001-04:00

How do you guys - er, girls - plan meals from week to week? I am not the most accomplished cook by any means and I find myself getting pretty tired of what we eat over and over....and over again. How do you keep the variety in your meal planning?

Do you have any favorite recipes that break away from the normal meat and potatoes (or pasta and sauce in our case)???

And, does anyone know of a good website with semi-normal recipes? I am wanting a little variety, but I'm not looking for the meals requiring goat cheese and weird plants that I can't pronounce.

Thanks all!

One last thing - what gives about the disciplines of a good homemaker?!?! - I KNOW there are some fellow homemakers frequenting this blog every now and again, so out with it, woman! How do you keep it all together - faith, family, home? What are the disciplines or skills I should be working on???

Comic Relief, Please!

2007-08-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

It is a somber gathering. Straight faces. Seriousness. Deep discussion. Debate. It could be any number of circumstances - from a funeral, a loved one with an illness is in the hospital, a family disagreement, or a seemingly innocent blog...people are intense, focused, deep in thought...and, yes, I am the idiot in the corner cracking jokes. I'll admit it! I just fall to the pressure, people! I find myself wanting to force a smile or at the very least a smirk upon those serious, stone cold faces. Wit, humor, even a knock-knock joke delivered at the right moment can for a short time put at ease those that are up in arms. So, how about some comic relief?!?!

I heard this joke the other day - er, I read it on a blog linked through a friend's blog...HA...my friend's husband's brother's daughter's birthday blog. Try to follow that one, I dare ya!

Anyhoo...here's the joke:

"A man took his pregnant wife to the hospital to give birth. The doctor told them that they'd developed a new machine and asked if the couple would like to try it out. The machine could take some of the pain of childbirth from the mother and give it to the father to ease the mother's burden.

Well, they thought that was a good idea, and decided to give it a try. The doctor initially set the machine on 10 percent, telling the man that even 10 percent was probably more pain than he'd ever experienced. But the husband was surprised at how little pain he was feeling, and asked the doctor to raise the level.

The doctor increased it to 20 percent, and when the man still felt fine, he raised it to 50 and finally 100 percent.

After it was all over, the man stood up, and stretched a little. Both he and his wife felt fine, and they shortly left the hospital to take the baby home.

It was then that they found the mailman dead on their doorstep."

I love it!!! Anyone else?

Sophie's Baby

2007-08-02T12:06:00.001-04:00

This morning as I was getting Sophia dressed for the day she was very matter of fact with me..."I going to have a baby in MY belly when I grow up." "What kind of baby are you going to have?" I asked. "Baby Ruben...with pretty clothes," she replied, and then added, "and, a pretty face."

Usually the pretty clothes and face indicates a girl for Sophie. She was disappointed that our new baby is another boy, but after much thought she said it was okay if he had pretty clothes. I'm almost sure she thinks the clothes make the girl...literally - as in, if we put that new baby boy in some pretty pink pjs BAM!, POOF!, a girl! I'll let her figure things out for herself when her new brother finally arrives.

I know Sophia will love this Baby Four just as she would have loved a new sister, but chances are he will grow up with embarrassing stories to share about his big sister dressing him in "pretty clothes".

God makes a good salad

2007-07-25T11:09:00.000-04:00

According to a poster hung on the wall at the Magic House, the average four year old asks 437 questions per day. Isaac has been meeting his quota for questions everyday this week.

After the in-laws headed for the airport yesterday, we loaded up the kids and went for a little ride along the Mississippi to clear our heads. Isaac slept for a short while and awoke with a list of questions - most concerning God and how He makes things. It reminds me of the passage in Romans that says creation points to God. "That which is known about God is evident within them; for God has made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have clearly been seen, being understood through what has been made..." Romans 1:19-20. Isaac was looking out his window, seeing all the passing trees, the birds and he had questions for everything...and I mean, everything.

As we were entering the rolling hills along the river...
"How did God make trees?"
"How did God make hills?"
"How did God make bigger hills?"
"How did God make soft leaves?"
"How did God make the whole world?"

As we drove through small towns with old buildings...
"Why did people live in this town a long time ago?"
"Where are those people?"
"Why do people die?"
"Why do babies grow up to be parents?"
"How did God make a person from dirt?"

As dinner time grew closer...
"Why are marshmellows called that?"
"Does God make bread?"
"Can God make a good salad?"

We all agreed that God can make a really good salad - complete with toasted bread and butter on the side. Then, we made our way home for dinner.

Questions continued on through the evening. Isaac always has a few held in reserve to postpone bedtime as long as possible and then....silence.

We are only given a few short hours before Isaac wakes up in the early morning to complete our indepth research that is required to properly raise a four year old. Between the Bible and the internet we should be able to stay one question ahead of him. Maybe.

Enough Already

2007-07-19T01:26:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you all, but I'm tired of reading Al Gore's name at the top of my blog! Time for something new - but I'm too tired to be witty or even slightly clever, so how about short and sweet instead?

Brian is on vacation this week so after a single day of fishing last weekend, we have been banging through our painting projects on the main level. With painting comes the constant migration of things from room to room as the color goes up. I can't wait for the chaos to subside - in part, so I can show people more than one half of our house at a time! "Upstairs??? You want to see the UPstairs??? - Those stairs don't really go anywhere. They're there for decoration."

So, we are more than worn out from juggling paints supplies and three children...what a perfect time to have my in-laws out to the Midwest for a long weekend visit! It should be fun. We're going to run their little Italian/Irish legs non-stop - from the Magic House to the zoo...that's about it, right??? What else is there to do with in-laws in this area? I mean, this is the Midwest...and it is July. That means we have heat, heat and humidity...and more heat..then a thunderstorm and more humidity...then humid heat. Yeah, the Midwest...in July...with my in-laws...and the heat. Good times, good times.

I have more to write but all interesting topics will have to wait for tomorrow...okay, it IS tomorrow...I must...get...sleep.

Good night, all!!!

Painting and TV-less Parenting

2007-07-11T12:33:00.000-04:00

Brian and I finally tackled the main level of our house over the past couple of weeks with paint and lots of it. Whew!!! We started in the family room with a "soft" banana cream that turned out to be waaaaay more banana than cream. Then, we brought the wheatgrass color down from the hallway upstairs to finally (at last!!!) cover over the horrible red wall in the front room/dining room. The kitchen, completely by - no joke - Brian's choosing is blue...an electric sort of blue. Think Bahamas. So, our rainbow of colors that began upstairs has continued to the main level of the house.

Oh, and I can't forget the orange/melon color that beckons all visitors in the entry hallway. Brian put it this way...he had wanted a mellow color to greet guests with a whispering, "Hi, come on in. Have a seat." Instead, when the front door is opened the orange screams, "HI YOU ALL!!! HOW THE HECK ARE YOU?!?!?! COME IN! COME IN! COME IN!!!!" I love the colors and they are all growing on Brian. He doesn't have much wiggle room to complain since he selected the colors this time around.

With all our painting and rotating of furniture from room to room, we've had all our cable and internet wires disconnected during our mini room makeovers. This has meant zero television for the kids and quite an adjustment for Brian and I. I honestly did not realize how much tv the kids watched until it wasn't distracting them. For the first couple days the kids were bored, getting overly punchy with each other and complaining about not having anything to watch. Keep in mind, my kids are four and under! Because we had not intentionally limited their tv watching we had allowed some really bad habits to form. If the kids were fighting or getting overly hyper we'd turn on a show for them. If it was dinner time and we needed them safely playing out of the kitchen we'd turn on a show. If two children were napping and the third needed to stay quiet...yep, another show. Our children are so full of energy and imagination and rather than channeling it all into something constructive, Brian and I had become suckers for the idiot box (this being my mother's reference to the television set when I was a kid - and now, I couldn't agree more!).

So, anyhoo, by the third day a wonderful change occurred - the kids rediscovered their toys and began playing. I mean, really playing. They made up games with each other and played for hours together. One afternoon they amazed Brian and I when they lined up all the kitchen chairs to make a "pirate boat". While we painted, Isaac and Sophia fought off the "bad pirate", Baby Jack, who was trying to steal their treasure. Before the boat was fully constructed the kids were being very high maintenance - to the point that Brian had even wanted to hook up the tv just to get them to relax for a few minutes. But we opted to skip the tv and the kids had a blast playing with each other. Even Jack enjoyed himself once he became a "good pirate" and was allowed on the boat.

Brian and I aren't anti-tv by any means, but we are getting rid of cable. We don't need a tv babysitter so why should we be paying for one? We need to adjust and make more room in our lives for our kids and let them be kids (what a novel idea!). I don't see how the time they spend in front of the television fosters anything good in them - so we are on a new quest as parents to discover what will foster their energy and imaginations.

Who knew a decision to finally get some pretty colors up on our walls would change how we raise our kids!?!?! Now, I wonder what will happen when we clean out the basement!!!

Suburban Thief

2007-06-27T10:12:00.000-04:00

Suburban life has reduced Brian to crime. We came home last night from an outing with the kids to find miniature American flags positioned perfectly at each mailbox entering our subdivision. Other neighborhoods get amazing pools, playgrounds or walking trails to show for their association fees - evidently we get small flags. Well, actually, WE did not. We were one of only two homes in the entire subdivision that did not get a tiny flag. WHATHEHECK?!?!

Have we already broken some unspoken suburban rule? Was it the patch of weeds in our front flowerbeds? Or, the growing oil spots usually hidden under our van - our van that has seen better days...way, way better days? Could it be that Brian upset someone while joyriding the kids around the yard on the lawn tractor - the tractor that happens to sound like a small aircraft about to take to flight? Or have we offended the gardeners that surround our home by allowing our backyard to be the single haven for bunnies in the neighborhood? Yes, our neighbors shoot the bunnies -with arrows, with guns, with all the various weapons of choice people in suburbia turn to when the bunnies come out to attack. Perhaps the bass boat that remains parked in our drive ready for any and all emergency fishing trips is what caused hard feelings among our new community. Ooor, was it the mulch the kids spread evenly over the span of the cul-de-sac, the dandelion patch in our front yard that appears to be growing as if we were doing absolutely nothing to stop its expanse into neighboring yards (gasp!), or our trash can that remains curbside until late evening, the toys littering the backyard, the blow-up pool forming dead grass patches in our yard, or lastly, the garage door that is still dented from my minor parking miscalculation this past winter? Why the heck did we not get a flag?!?!?!

To bring this tangent back to Brian - the suburban thief...Rather than looking like the anti-American neighbors on the block, Brian pulled one of the four flags that were put up along the bushes at the center of our circle and proudly, (and very discreetly) stuck the very small American flag that more than likely won't last through the Fourth into the bed mix of pretty flowers and unidentified weeds at the base of our mailbox. Yes, we are American. Yes, we live in suburbia. And, yes, Brian is willing to steal in a very vain attempt to blend in with the natives. This is what suburbia has reduced us to - American flag theft! The horror!!!

Sad, but true - all the cheap American flags in the world cannot blend our little family into suburbia. The song from Sesame Street comes to mind - "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just isn't the same..." We stand out with our oil spots, lame landscaping and our obvious disregard for the unspoken rules of suburban life including but not limited to my personal love of small, furry animals and Brian's interest in loud motor engines. BUT - we have a flag waving at the base of our mailbox just like our surrounding suburbanites. And, that's all that really matters in life, isn't it???

Family Update

2007-06-15T11:26:00.000-04:00

It's been a bit since I bragged on the kids and since it is finally Friday my brain doesn't want anything "deep" to process - so on with the bragging...

Every age with our three continues to be my favorite age. They are continually doing amazing things - some that make B and I laugh, some that make us want to pull out our hair, but amazing still.

Isaac has always been our talker. At eighteen months old he was having actual conversations with the five year old that lived next to us in our Jersey apartment complex. This didn't fully amaze us until Jack became eighteen months old and we realized how advanced Isaac was as a baby. He's brilliant and oh, so confident. He knows no stranger and has been known to strike up conversations with people in the aisles of Target...repeatedly. He loves to greet the neighbors when they arrive home in our cul-de-sac and is quick to share all with anyone and everyone. This week he's been flashing everyone the poison ivy spots across his chest - his latest and greatest information to share. In addition to freely telling all of what happens in our home to absolute strangers, he has also gained a new found love for knock-knock jokes. "Knock-knock? Who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad to see me?!?"...and then he laughs all the way to the floor. He also likes creating his own jokes that are usually a stream of words that make no sense whatsoever..."Was that funny, Mama?!?"

Sophia is our princess. She's all about the color pink, dresses, and twirling in the middle of the family room..."I a princess!!!". She loves to sing - making up her own songs and her own dance movements. Though Soph will be turning three at the end of this summer when asked, "Sophie, how old are you?" she will respond "I four!". This drives Isaac nuts - since he is the big four year old. I think in part she has put her claim on four just to see Isaac's passionate reaction, "But, she's TWO!!!". She LOVES to torment the boy. This morning he ran from her bedroom in tears because "she kept saying the same words to me over and over!!!" I entered the room where she maintained the "Who, me?" facial expression. With the same intensity that she picks on Isaac, she is gentle and loving to Jack. She walks around the house holding his hand when he allows it and she often sits with Jack making him laugh over the silliest sounds she can conjure up. Sophie isn't always loving and gentle with her baby brother - thuds are heard periodically when she pushes Jack down with her hand square on his chest. She's strong so the slightest shove in this manner sends Jack right down on his diaper butt. Usually, the battle ensues over a baby doll or stuffed animal as Jack loves to carry babies and stuffed animals around the house. Sophia has claimed all babies and all plush animals in our house belong to her and her alone, after all, she's the "greel". And, a final note on Sophia - she is Dada's girl, melting Brian's heart with ease. Sophia still wakes up each morning in her singsong manner "Oh, Daaaaaaadaaaaa, I is awake...Daaaaaadaaaaa, come get meeeeeee!!!" What Dada could ignore such a request from his "baby girl"?

Jack is enjoying his last few months as our "Baby Jack". Little does he know, another baby boy is well on his way. I'm interested to know how Jack will respond to our new baby since he is such a Mama's boy - to the extreme! All through the day he finds me and runs to hug my legs, or places his head on my lap for a snuggle - then he continues on his way. I LOVE it!!! He's beginning to talk - adding to his running list of "Dada", "Mama", "No" and "Bobo". Jack now can say his own versions of lots of words - yes, "es", drink "gink", grandma "maaaama", Jack "ak", lollipop "popop", ball "baw". And, of course he has mastered "MINE!" - which started as a "Maaa" sound and has recently been perfected. "My baw!!!" is a personal favorite of his. Any form of bouncy ball is his toy of choice - and in the same manner that Sophia claims the babies and plush toys as her own, Jack has staked his claim on the balls. Big or small - they are all "My baw!!!".
Jack has a mainly sweet relationship with Sophie with her questioning his new language skills "What you said...what you said, Jack?!?!". And, with Isaac - it is nothing but boys being boys - running, wrestling, yelling. Jack walks around the house with his hand shoved down the back of his diaper nearly 24/7 - why? Your guess is as good as mine, but Isaac laughs and to my dismay, encourages Jack's hand-in-diaper stance. A bit ago I had all three kids just finished with a bath - all three were standing in the tub, dripping wet as the last of the bath water drained. Jack then discovered what his wewe (yes, we use technical terms in our house) was for as he peed a small stream into the bathtub. Seeing Jack shocked, looking at us with a "Did you see that?!?!?" expression struck Isaac as hilarious. He laughed so hard I had to yell at him to stay out of the pee making its way down the drain. Such young boys and already laughing about body functions. What am I going to do with THREE!

And, as for Brian - not a kid, but deserving of a little spotlight every now and then - is still doing glass work all over the area. The heat has arrived in the Midwest so he comes home looking rather worn, but always with some energy in reserve for the kids. Isaac, Sophia and Jack each run to the door with the slightest jingle of the front doorknob - "Dada's home" "Dada here!" "Dada!". Bri has big plans this summer to be out on his boat and smaller plans of fixing up the main level of the house - it is time to say good-bye to the big, red wall. Yeah!!!

So, that's the update on our little family. I'll add pictures at some point for all you distant family and friends - as the kids change a lot from day to day. Love you all - and Happy Friday!!!...and Happy Father's Day to all you other Dadas.

Frugal or Poverty Mentality?

2007-06-12T11:14:00.000-04:00

I've been reading through a book called God's Smuggler. Its about the life and ministry of Brother Andrew - a missionary that labored behind the Iron Curtain, bringing bibles to Christians in Communist countries. The book is amazing and I can't thank Jenny enough for lending it to me! The bulk of what I've received from this read is how supernatural provision was supplied to Brother Andrew - from cars to travel fare. He lived in a zone through faith that could see beyond natural means. He never lacked anything he needed because God would provide for him. God taught Brother Andrew that His servants shouldn't be known as beggars (Hello, American Christianity!!!) and that provisions would come in a "royal" fashion to accomplish the King's work - and the provisions always came to him in such a manner.

At one point in the book God dealt with this man of God about having an "attitude of lack". He lived very frugal with his young family - not buying new clothing, living from a garden in their backyard, eating less meat and more veggies, etc. I would see this as being a very responsible steward of what God would provide for him, yet God addressed this as a poverty mentality. God provided just what they needed to accomplish in their ministry in closed countries, and He also wanted them to learn to enjoy his physical blessings as well - such as a new dress for his wife or fixing up their small home. They continued to live frugal as they both grew up very poor and knew no other way of life - but God had changed their attitude about His provisions from viewing them as rations to stretch as far as they could to a bountiful supply given by the King.

My question is at what point does frugal living cross the line and become an "attitude of lack"? When does our good stewardship change into a lack of faith in God's supply?

And, to address the other extreme - when do we cross the line from being thankful for God's abundant supply in our life into living for ourselves and our own pleasures rather than for the glory of God?

Beginning Homeschooling

2007-06-11T13:16:00.000-04:00

Here we go!!! I'm going to attend a homeschooling, excuse me, "home education" fair next week. My neighbor is going, so I am going to tag along in hopes of getting my feet wet. There will be booths for various curriculum styles and, I'm sure, enough information to make my head spin. I was up in the air about going since I have a year or so before I need to pull things together for Isaac, but Georgia came to my door this morning with the pre-registration form in hand. I'm in.

My super nice neighbor gave me lots of names and organizations to look up before I blindly walked into the fair. She said when she first attended this fair she spent the first eight hours walking aimlessly from booth to booth overwhelmed by the volumes of homeschooling information. So, I have homework this week.

The sites she said to look at were:

Math-U-See
Rainbow Resource
Horizons - for math and language arts
Abecka (or Abeka)
Bob Jones BJUP.com
Explode the Code - for phonics
Sonlight
My Father's World
The Charlotte Mason Approach
Tapestry of Grace
Konos

Whew!!!

Okay, so, all you homeschooling moms - where do I begin??? Any suggestions? Are there some sites you'd like to recommend? What approach do you take in your lessons? Text book with teacher guide or more free form? I think I will go for a split between the two, but I do like the idea of having the various subjects related together by theme. This is how I learned to teach ESL and it worked well with my students - and gave me a little creative license as well.

Ah, so much information. I think it will take me a year to wrap my brain around homeschooling - so good thing I'm diving in now!!!

My Blog

2007-06-06T23:10:00.000-04:00

I feel the need to warn any and all new viewers to my blog about the usually boring and unedifying information that pops up from time to time on my blog - okay, okay, nearly all the time. I post about the kids for my extended family located across the U.S. and I post about homemade laundry detergent and cloth diapers for my fellow mom friends that are pinching pennies right along with me. Only recently have I posted about True Vine since I just couldn't put the movement to words until Brian grasped it all over the last training weekend. And, you must understand that I am ever-so-slightly sarcastic. I love to write about my daily grind in a way that, I hope, will leave my readers with a smile and a fleeting thought "She's crazy."

Aaaaand, if you've commented here I've added a link to your blog...

Prayer Request

2007-05-26T18:17:00.000-04:00

I'll post this since I know a few prayer warriors are lurking week to week absorbing my life without comments...which is totally fine, but now we need you all to pray for a little boy.

A teacher friend of a family members had a student that fell out of a two story window. His parents evidently were helping a family move into this home. There is some bleeding that doctors are trying to figure out the source (primary focus) in addition to skull fractures and swelling. His name is Caleb and he's three.

I'll forward this to our church family for prayer - and I'm sure Monica, Giz and our friendly lurkers will do the same.

So, God heal Caleb from all injury. Thank you for sparing his life! Fill his parents and their entire family with faith and be near them through this difficult time - carry this burden for them. Please heal the bleeding and stop it at its source. Show yourself to be strong on their behalf. You are the God of miracles and we are thankful that we can come to you in faith and know that you hear our request for Caleb and his family. In Jesus name we ask these things knowing you love us and hear the prayers of faith being made for this family.

Good Reads

2007-05-24T21:46:00.001-04:00

I found a good blog this evening...

www.ordinarymother.wordpress.com

I like how honest she is about God and motherhood.

Do you all know any good sites or blogs to get the mind and/or motivation going???

Progessively Me

2007-05-24T10:58:00.001-04:00

As I've posted recently, I am working on being my wonderful self - having purposefully killed the image of June Cleaver in my mind. And, the results are quite the opposite of what I had expected. The chaos in our home has subsided to a huge degree and in its place order has been established.

This process began with me realizing that I am gifted in some things (majority of them I thought had nothing to do with mothering) and for all else I needed to intentionally develop skills to achieve my personal goals. Since my goals shifted from an unrealistic image of motherhood to the reality of Lori being a good wife/mom, I could strive toward my goals with confidence because the goals were fully ME - who I am and how I would like my life to be structured.

After doing a bit of research I pulled some good pointers about having a big family and managing our household. I only searched under larger households because so many people have been telling us what a big family we are about to have (I hardly think of four kids as a "big" family, but what the hey...might as well get the structure down now before any additional babies join the fun). I put these pointers together with some I pulled from the Queen of Clean book my sister gave me for Mother's Day (thank you, thank you, Ang!!!) - aaaand, then one more helpful website (flylady.net) was added to the mix. The result is a flexible routine that fits my random personality - and for the first time the routine is working for ME, not me scrambling to do someone else's checklist.

This coming week, after I get over this virus, I will being compiling a household binder to keep my scatterbrained thoughts in one place. Topics will range from money and shopping lists to lesson plans for the kids and possible family outing destinations. I'll post on the success or ultimate failure of the binder system in the future.

Managing a household touches on so many topics. The binder system was the best way I could come up with to keep them all in order and in one place. On a week to week basis, I deal with finances, kids projects/lessons, family time, God/spiritual disciplines, keeping the house clean and fully stocked with supplies - these being household items such as light bulbs and soap to food, and my own projects for the house, like making curtains or diapers. I'm not sure a binder will be the right method to get organized but I need some sort of visual to get my mind in order and these varied topics flowing with ease in our home. How do you all keep these topics in order and accessible? Are they all placed together or are they separate in your thinking?

Bored Already?!?

2007-05-22T15:33:00.000-04:00

I've been searching through some mom blogs covering the topic of frugality by finding a good blog and following the links. I stumbled upon on blog that was so sad. This new mom was ready to throw in the towel and return to work. Her little baby was going to full time daycare all because she didn't feel rewarded as a SAHM. And, she was bored. Bored with baby and bored with keeping the house. Bored.

Bored: "weariness, and disinterest in, life" - according to the Webster Dictionary. What I want to know is HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? This is the second, no, make that the third, mom I've either read about or talked with recently that just doesn't get the whole SAHM thing. I mean, if you really understand what a mother is - what her role is - then, how can you be bored? Bored enough to give up and go back to the now traditional way of mothering - via an underpaid substitute, i.e. daycare. Are things around the house really that uninteresting?

I have a million thoughts on this subject, but I'll spare you all a lengthy post of my ramblings and just ask this question, er, questions:

Do you find yourself bored as a mother? And, what do you think the role of a mother is within the family? What's our purpose for getting married and having all these babies?

I think our reasons for having a family - for becoming "Mama"- is going to drastically effect the "boredom factor" for each of us. But, I want to hear from you ladies first...

June or Joan

2007-05-21T20:05:00.000-04:00

As it turns out the wonderful housewife of the 1950's is JUNE Cleaver!!! Wow. So, Joan, June...whatever. Hmmm...I like the name June.

My Wonderful Self

2007-05-09T16:14:00.000-04:00

Today has been an extreme blah day. So blah in fact, I loaded up the kids in an attempt to escape the blahs at our house. This morning while doing my online banking, I noticed a certain husband who shall remain nameless spent $10.40 on "the most amazing pastrami sandwich I've eaten since I had one in New York" earlier this week. Upon this discovery, I decided to throw caution to the wind and splurge on the sub-food at McDonald's before heading to the park with the kids.

Ah, the park. The sunshine, the shade trees, the french fries scattered in the dirt under our picnic table - it was enough to chase away the blahs for the afternoon or at least for the hour and a half we were there sweating. - I've come to despise the Midwest's humid environment. Mom says my skin will look great when I'm old thanks to the moist air so, I suppose the trade off is worth all the discomfort. - Once the kids were red-faced and had damp hair, I loaded them up and headed home just in time to lay Jack and Sophie down for a late nap.

I distracted Isaac with art supplies (child-safe scissors, paper, crayons, and a glue stick) and managed to sit in a nearly quiet house for a few minutes - silence, plus the sound of paper being cut and an occasional question from the four year old across the table from me. "What did I spell?" - after reviewing the newly created word "PIOOOS" I had to honestly tell him I didn't know what the word was, "but good job writing those letters, buddy."

It felt great to escape the routine I established on purpose - just last week. How hilarious! I need to face the facts - I thrive in chaos. Sad, but true. BUT, I still have anal tendencies such as the laundry being sorted by color and type, how the bath towels are folded and keeping the refrigerator clean. WHATHEHECK! I am a procrastinating perfectionist - and have yet to figure out what that means for my day-to-day life. Routine?- doesn't happen. Chaos and clutter?- drives me nuts.

Over the next few weeks I hope to find my own balance to being just Me (Hello, Mom! I finally get it: "I'm just me." - yeah, heard it since I was 17 and now it has finally taken root). I need to kill all my pre-conceived ideas of what a stay-at-home mother of four should look like (Joan Cleaver - 1950's housewife). This doesn't mean lowering my standards but it does mean changing my standards to fit within the scope of reality. All of you are wonderful people, beyond me in organization and cleanliness, but still wonderful - just not Me. I guess this is the point at which I stop the comparisons to all you wonderfuls and strike out on my own - to be my own sort of wonderful.

Maybe one day young mothers will compare themselves to me, "Yeah, I want to structure my life like that wonderful, Midwest suburbian mother of who knows how many children. You know, the one with the really great skin."

So, here's to Joan Cleaver. May she rest in peace!!!

Ever Changing Job Description

2007-05-03T11:31:00.000-04:00

I've made a very valuable observation as I've been trying to established a nice, little routine in our home. Since first becoming a SAHM a few years ago I have seen a steady growth in the amount of tasks that are falling under my list of responsibilities alone rather than being shared by both Brian and I. I don't know if this is because I'm getting better at "doing it all" or if I'm being suckered into letting Brian off the hook all too often.

We used to share meal prep and clean up, diapers, kids' baths and the deep cleaning of the kitchen and bathrooms. Now, if I ask for help in these areas I get a wide range of reactions from Bri - all indicating that I'm slacking on "my job". What I can't figure out is the point at which all these tasks became part of my job description! Then, today I had a revelation when I saw the exploding trash can left in the kitchen (again).

It has, by mere default, been B's job to take the trash out as he leaves for work on trash day each week. But, the past couple of weeks I've had to scramble to find appropriate attire in order to dash outside so I can beat the trash collector to our large, outdoor can so all our gross trash will be disposed of and not sit alongside our house - rotting in the can for an extra week. What's amazing is that our full, often overflowing, smelly trash can is usually, ingeniously positioned in the middle of the kitchen floor each week so a certain husband will have to literally trip over the thing to get out the door...yet for the past few weeks the trash has remained in our kitchen and the neighbors have seen a less than desirable side of me in the early morning hours on trash day. The grand revelation you may ask? - that if I take that trash out for another week this will be added to my task list!!! Don't you get it, people?!?!?! It will become MY JOB!

By my dear, sweet husband slacking ever-so-slightly and me coming along each morning and taking up his slack , I am in fact taking on HIS responsibilities one by one...so then a month from now when I ask him to not forget the trash he is wondering why I can't do MY JOB!!! Isn't that a HUGE revelation?!?!?! So, how did I become the do-it-all-queen with a male assistant rather than an equal partner? By taking on tasks as needed over and over and over and oops, it has become my job!

Now, I must admit that most of my responsibilities stem from the fact that I stay at home with the kids. I do feel that Brian works very hard all day long and I should do the same. At times my to-do list overflows on into the evenings - not a problem. But, my beef is with the fact that now nearly everything that needs to be accomplished day-to-day falls under my job description - leaving me to seek out help with my male counterpart.

Okay, okay - think of it like this...

If everything wasn't "my job" both Brian and I would set out to accomplish what needs to be done - such as cleaning up dinner, wiping down the kids, getting them to bed. But, when every freakin' task is mine alone to get done I find myself being such a nag - "Hey, babe could you get Jack, he's smearing cheese in his hair", "Sweetie, can you hand me those dishes on the table and get Jack, he's throwing cheese at Sophie", "Bri, can you PLEASE take the cheese from Jack, and get that chunk out of Sophie's hair", "Brian, argh!!! - I'll do it myself!"

How are responsibilities split in your home? Do you define them, do you do it all yourself only calling on hubby for assistance, or have you figured out the key to tricking him into doing it all himself only calling on you to assist? And, for those of you that have balance in this area of marriage and family life, please write a book or something for the rest of us.

Monday, Monday

2007-04-30T11:20:00.000-04:00

Hey- it is Monday again, people! Woohoo! Another start to another week. I usually do laundry and tidy up whatever mess has lingered from the weekend - usually toys and tools from the kids and Brian.
I've been trying to establish a loose routine now that we aren't in the middle of any major house projects and I was wondering how you all structure your week. Brian says my "job" consists of food, kids, house and bills. These are my categories to work with and now I need help to get my mind around balancing the demands from each. Any suggestions???

New Rule

2007-04-20T15:32:00.000-04:00

This week I've had the kids out enjoying the great outdoors via our fenced backyard. Isaac has taken to baseball - hitting our baby bouncy ball to the fence a few times and Jack just wanders around the yard aimlessly, trying to eat the occasional rock or pebble he may find. Sophia is our bug hunter. I will have to empty her pockets with extreme caution this year. She loves anything that wiggles, has multiple legs and can be found under our patio bricks.

While searching for new flowers in the yard with Jack and Soph - our little girl spotted a flower with a bug she hadn't noticed before - so Sophie being Sophie - she fearlessly reached right down and pet the new bug until it buzzed off the flower and I screamed involuntarily. Sophia had successfully pet a bee. A really big, fat bee.

New rule - bugs on flowers are big "no, no"s. Especially, the big, fat bugs on flowers that make Mama scream.

Dad's Party Pictures

2007-04-05T11:40:00.000-04:00

Surprise Success

2007-04-03T22:49:00.000-04:00

Dad's surprise 60th birthday was a success. Our guests arrived and were snacking away when Mom and Dad pulled up - a little late as planned (Go, Mom!). The crowd was poised with cameras ready at the end of our entry hallway when I rushed in the front door to let them know Dad had gone through the gate to the back of the house. The whole mass of family and friends turned just in time to yell "SURPRISE" to a nearly sixty year old man, my father, smiling sheepishly at our back patio door. Surprise success.

Fifty-four guests graced our home to celebrate Dad's birthday. Many were extended family members that I hadn't seen since I was a child - and now here I am with three children of my own. Am I really a mother of three? No, make that four. Yes, Baby Four - a girl we think, is due this Fall. I broke out the maternity clothing for the party. Either I looked pregnant or I looked like I had grown a rather decent beer belly - both according to Brian are impossible since I don't pay attention to him and I don't drink beer. So, back to maternity clothing. Oh, joy.

The party was our first bash in our first home. We took over the cul-de-sac or "broke in the neighborhood" as one family member put it. A passing thunderstorm supplied just the right amount of mud for all the kids to play in. I quickly discovered that I needed to invest in more - many, many more - towels. Mud covered kids were positioned very carefully in front of each family grouping for pictures. Pictures outside, then inside, and pictures on video - then, more pictures and scanning of, yes, even more pictures. A complete rainbow appeared over the house as guests made their way home. Rainbows are very special to me - so it was a perfect ending to a wonderful day with family and friends.

A full tray of ziti and a tray of meatballs somehow survived the afternoon (guess what's for dinner for, say, the next week or so...). The evening ended with Dad working over his new lottery tickets with a penny and with a quick run to Wal-Mart for new bath towels. After a fast sweep of dried, muddy footprints we called it a day. A very good day.

Happy Birthday, Dad. We love you and hope you remember us when you scratch off that winning lottery ticket. =)

Color, Coffee and Tans

2007-02-07T20:37:00.000-05:00

Well, I feel all the metaphor hoopla is out of my system. Ah. Late night blogging always reads funny in the morning. Hoopla, pure hoopla.

Tonight Brian is painting - oh, wait...am I writing about last night, or the night before....maybe last weekend...or the weekend before the last? Painting and more painting upstairs! The bedroom project has eaten up a majority of our free time since, well, purchasing this home. Seems our little fixer will take some time to do the "simple" upgrades we had planned. "Yeah, a little hole patching, a little paint..." Sure. No problem. Except for the three toddlers in our home. A new home with a mile long list of to-dos just doesn't mesh well with multiple children. And, our life as mild pioneers living in one room needs to end. Yesterday.

It is exciting to see the colors we selected going up room by room even if it is taking a little longer than expected. The house is feeling more like ours. In part, because I don't know anyone else who would choose the colors we chose. They don't exactly "flow" well together - but they are totally us. Okay, totally ME. Our agreement was that I could go crazy bold and colorful upstairs and Brian could do his boring traditional colors throughout the downstairs. Traditional colors meaning "tan" in all its glory. Beige, Cream and Wheat. Oh, the excitement. I feel for the sorry souls who one day will enter our home and for whatever reason find themselves needing to travel upstairs, say to use the bathroom or something. There isn't a good buffer color to transition from the world of tan to the rainbow of colors hidden at the top of the stairway. There will be utter and total shock for all who travel upward in our home. Poor, unprepared souls.

On the brighter side, Brian said he will no longer need a strong cup of coffee to get going in the morning. He will simply enter Sophia's room and stand for a few minutes before leaving the house each day. Of course, if he lingers too long in the midst of the butters, creams and snore colors (if they can be called "colors") downstairs he just may fall back asleep. I think we'll keep the coffee maker - for all the tan that will scream "sleep!" downstairs and for all the painting to be done late into the night while the upstairs project continues.

Life is a Blue Sky Puzzle

2007-01-25T23:51:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been working on a puzzle - one of those thousand piece puzzles where half the puzzle is of a blue sky? I remember Dad working on a puzzle for days - maybe weeks. It ended up being a family affair. Whoever was passing through the kitchen would get sucked into the puzzle work at the table. I remember sliding off the completed portions of the puzzle onto cardboard so other life stuff could happen around the table - like meals or whatever. Then, back to the puzzle!

Our life IS that thousand piece blue sky puzzle. Our goals and dreams, God's will and oversight just scattered over the span of our life. A mess, but we know the Big Picture. (You know, the one on the front of the box.) We fix our gaze on that whole - but know the work is slow and searching. At times the pieces have come together with ease. An answered prayer, a glimpse of vision, the birth of a baby...then another and another. Other times we've wondered if the Manufacturer put the right pieces in our box. "WHATTHEHECK! - how many blue pieces are there, really???" Fifteen moves, bouncing state to state, job changes, pinching pennies - argh! Life has happened and until recently it didn't appear to match the Big Picture. We are learning that God brings chaos to order completely in His timing and with our searching.

There are wonderful seasons when the chaos gives way to a completed segment - not just blue sky but now trees! Then, life demands attention and the pieces that have been fit together are set aside - but not forgotten. We pay bills, go to work, change way too many diapers in one day, and pay more bills. Then, as quickly as the pieces were put out of sight they return to the table and construction begins again. We connect with an old friend, see a project completed with success, and buy a home of our own. People come and go helping in the search - making sense of the endless blue pieces. Giving a word of wisdom, or offering some much need encouragement. We also search alone. Seeking God in the prayer closet and waiting....and waiting. And, so the process continues. Searching, pausing for life, and returning to the puzzle - looking to the Big Picture.

Now, I know why puzzles are enjoyable. They are a challenge but totally doable. I am glad we opted for the big, fat box with the picture of the endless vistas rather than the kiddy puzzle of the orange kitten. Crystal blue skies with puffy, white clouds over snow capped mountain peeks all in the distance behind a deep forest with wildflowers of every color. Yeah, the finished landscape sure beats kitty. But we still have a few sky pieces left...

As for Dad's puzzle. I honestly don't remember if the thing was ever completed. I have a strong feeling that Mom still has that puzzle "somewhere" in her home. Maybe we could pull it out next time we are in town. Oooooor, maybe not...

Going Back to Move Forward

2006-12-15T01:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay - we aren't crazy. There are many, many people out in the Church (big "C") who want to run back to our simple roots of the faith like it was at the beginning. People meeting God around their dinner tables, breaking bread in their homes with other believers. The faith was pure, untouched by greed (until that whole dropping dead at Peter's feet episode - look it up for yourself), and it was full of power. Power to change lives like Jesus had done in his ministry among the masses. The Christian faith in America has too often been reduced to joining a local organization - getting involved, give your time/money (especially your money) to grow the church (little "c"). The American church is void of power which means it must be void of God. Scary thought. So complex and well structured, yet powerless.
Brian and I are getting back to our own roots of our faith - back to a drug addict saved and changed instantly, back to a sixteen year old girl stirred by what she read in the Bible before bed each night. It was all so simple then. It was before Bible school, before church politics, before business meetings and scandals, before building funds, and congregation splits. It was all about Christ and His power in our lives. It seems like going back to the way it was "before" can actually be a step forward. It is true in our personal walks with God and also true for the Church as a whole. Returning to our foundation - and beginning again, paying special attention to build only that which will endure, only what is pure. God is simple. He chooses the very humble things in our world to do exploits. I believe the days of the "Megachurch" are quickly fading. Mini, even tiny, gatherings are popping up worldwide. And, as always, God is going the humble route and changing the world.
I challenge you to simplify your faith. Get back to why you say you believe. What do you believe? Really. Is it lost in all the busy activities done in the name of God? Life is so full without churchy activities on top of it all. Jesus isn't about church (little "c"), but He is about His Church (big "C"). Learn the difference and you'll be at your foundation again. Then, you can build with confidence.

Home for the Holidays

2006-12-11T18:30:00.000-05:00

We have the keys! We closed on Friday. The house (and the mortgage payment) is all ours! We are half moved into the new house and half at the rental. There is so much cleaning and unpacking to be done before Christmas. I haven't even thought of Christmas cards, or even a tree for that matter. Christmas? Already? Hopefully, we'll be unpacked by Christmas Eve. I've got to find that Martha Stewart baking book...it is in a box somewhere downstairs. There are cookies to be made, Christmas lights to be hung, presents to be wrapped!!! I'll send out our new address and phone number in our Christmas cards as soon as I find my address book in the chaos now piled at the new house. When you get the card you can finally erase the pencil markings under our name in your address books and put our contact information in ink. It won't be changing every few months anymore. We are done with the moving, now to get on with the unpacking...

Tim and Monica's three & I-man art

2006-11-30T22:47:00.000-05:00

I love this picture!!! Katie, Makayla and Ruben. Also, as promised - Isaac's "I love Mama." He was copying heart shapes that I was drawing for him and Sophia. I think I am the circle all the way to the left.

Fever times three

2006-11-30T00:37:00.000-05:00

The first of December is this Friday and we are still not in our house. Closing has been extended over and over so we have no clue when we will finally move. We aren't up for the big move this week anyway. All three kids are super sick and Brian is staying home tomorrow to help take them to the doctor and to get a little rest for himself. This is a good thing considering the temp outside has dropped fifty degrees in less than an hour. We have gone from short-sleeved shirts outdoors to heavy winter coats in literally minutes. Gotta' love the great Midwest weather!
Quick updates on the kids - Isaac wrote "I love you Mama" on the little writing toy (will attach a picture tomorrow). He made a great "I". Isaac loves the letter "I". Sophia is talking better and more clearly each day. When asked who Tim and Monica's new baby was this past weekend (beautiful baby by the way!) she responded, "My cousin Ruby...he my friend." Of course, later she was convinced he was her brother. We're working on that. Tonight she told me that Isaac was her "boy sister". We're getting it sorted out. Brother. Sister. Cousin. Whatever. All Sophie cared about was holding that newborn baby. She's such a mama's helper. As for Jack he is WALKING! The best is that he reaches for Sophia and goes to her. She hugs him when he finally reaches her with his baby steps. I have to get it on tape. The kids are all at such cute ages. I wish it didn't go by so quickly. Jack was a newborn like Ruben just yesterday, wasn't he???? Now, he's walking?!?!?! When did I blink?

Almost Home

2006-11-09T15:16:00.000-05:00

Of course, it has been months since my last post. I'm going to stop apologizing for the hit and miss entries. We have been busy! "Blog? What blog?" Our time has been wrapped up in our amazing house search. Well, maybe not "amazing" but pretty exciting for our family. And we have a happy ending - we found a house and are set to close later this month. Whew! What a stress it is finding a house! So looooooong-term, so permanent. I can almost hear my mother saying "Yeeessss!". We are putting down roots only an hour and a half from the rest of my side of the family. We are excited and scared at the same time. This is a HUGE step for nomads like Brian and I. I think we're ready to trade our walking shoes for house slippers.
Okay, so the house - four bedrooms, two and a half baths, fireplace, basement, two car garage and a yard for the kids. It is at the end of a long cul-de-sac and located only two minutes from the main highway Brian takes to work. We have room to grow (here's to baby number four!!!) and won't be wasting any more money on rentals! To say the very least, we are excited.
Now, I am off to take the kids outside. We're having a weird warm weather week (say that five times really fast) in November. The leaves all over the yard are calling to Isaac and taunting him through our patio doors. I better get him out in the fresh air while it is still warm. I hope to write again before the holidays. Eh, we'll see...

Sophie is two!

2006-08-14T11:08:00.000-04:00

It has been a month since my last post. So much has happened! We celebrated Sophia Helen's second birthday. The family met at the St. Louis zoo then we grilled out back at the house. It was perfect weather for the most part. It heated up enough at the zoo by early afternoon to send us racing to the air conditioning. Thank God for cloud cover. The rest of the afternoon was pleasant. We were a little concerned that our tiny rental would be too cozy for everyone, but I think it worked out well. Sophia loved the attention and Isaac was doing everything and anything to steal some spotlight for himself. Uncle Jason found a special place in Jack's heart. Jack loves being tossed in the air and bounced around. Nothing scares him. Jason needed a nephew like Jack. Jack even reached out for Jason to hold him! I think he's only done that one other time with his Dada.
So, Sophie is two. Such a big girl. She says her name now, "Opie" and we finally got her hair out of her eyes. I have given up with keeping hair clips or rubber band in her hair - she pulls them right out. We got her first haircut done on her birthday and we can't stop admiring her beautiful blue eyes now that all that hair is off her face.
Isaac has become the little boss in our home. He's very particular (Sherry gave me this positive spin on the word "anal" - my usual description of Isaac's play-by-the-rules attitude) and now this mind set has expanded to where Isaac has to keep Sophie playing by the rules. This means Isaac is constantly instructing Soph on the proper play techniques, manners at the table, etc. Sophia is the other extreme. She plays by her own rules - she does at she pleases. To say the least, this mix in little personalities keeps life interesting, and loud at times, in our home. Sophie tends to squeal when she's being bossed around by Isaac - and Isaac tends to run...a lot. The kid has energy! And as for Jack - he adds a lot of laughs to our life. He's scooting all over the house. He's been up and rocking on his hands and knees, but hasn't taken off in a crawl yet. He may never crawl - he makes really good time on his belly. The other night I was giving Isaac and Sophie a bath and as usual they were being loud playing in the water and splashing each other. All of the sudden the door pops open and in plops Jack onto the bathroom floor. He looks up and yells a greeting, obviously proud of his journey down the hallway to the bathroom. He is such a happy, playful baby. One morning last week Brian woke up to Jack patting him on the face and cooing. He wanted to play with Dada before the sun came up - and good thing he did, too, because Bri forgot to set his alarm the night before. We've always called Isaac "our little alarm clock" - now, we may have two. Jack is sitting up on his own now and has already mastered communication. He has different cries for hungry, tired. etc. Jack gets his point across no problem. He does the cutest head tilt when he's upset or frustrated. Speaking of Jack being frustrated - the little man is ready to eat so this post is over. Hopefully, I will find my way back to the blog before next month. We'll see.

Six years of puzzle construction

2006-07-13T10:58:00.000-04:00

Brian and I celebrated six years of marriage this past weekend. Whew! We spent six years of bouncing around from place to place, not really getting our footing in any one location. In part, we have been searching for the next step from the school of ministry we attended. Man, how our perspectives have changed since Brownsville! We've spent years praying and years not understanding how God answers prayer.
I've been faithfully (okay, somewhat faithfully) writing in my journals what I felt was the Lord's leading since our beginning in Argentina. With the completion of each journal I'd review the pages and get more frustrated that the pieces didn't seem to fit. We thought of "ministry" in a very limited light so we misunderstood most leadings from God until He brought all the floating puzzle pieces together this past spring. We stumbled upon the house church movement - the emerging church, or "emergents". Google it.
Brian and I knew about home groups, about cell groups, and the like but this networking house church thing was new to us. The strange thing, or the exciting part, is that my journal entries over the past few years were describing something that was already happening in a portion of the Church, but we were not aware of it. God painted a picture for us that seemed like such a stretch - too new, too different to ever really happen - and then He showed us that it IS happening and ultimately that we can be a part of it. Finally, vision. FINALLY!
More in the coming days...for now I have three children to usher outside.

Back in the swing of things.

2006-06-26T16:07:00.000-04:00

We made the big move. We traveled halfway across the United States in one overloaded moving truck towing a bronco truck, followed by our old family car (the family has recently outgrown our little lemon car), followed by a minivan, and finally a compact commuter car bringing up the rear of our train to the Midwest. It was CRAZY!
Man, there is so much to write. I think I'll skip all the details and try to post about the "BIG" happenings recently.
Let's see...
Brian was accepted into the Union out here. Yes! He has a job. Whew!!! He's been working about 100 miles away (so much for getting away from that long NE commute!) but tomorrow should be his last day in the middle of nowhere and hopefully he will be placed with a local shop this week.
Sophia has kicked it up a notch in her words. Her latest favorite - "What!" "What?" and "Iwuvyou". She won't call herself "Sophia" - when asked, "What is your name?", her response is "Me". Soph says "Jack" and "Isaac" clearly and of course she has "Mine!" down pat.
Isaac is all about the spot of dirt under the big oak tree in our front yard. The kid loves the outdoors (like his Dada) and he loves mud, dust, dirt and anything else that he can drive his trucks through.
Jack is aaaaalmost to the point of sitting up. He can hold himself upright with a little help balancing. He isn't scooting forward yet, but he does pivot in circles on his tummy to get around. He can maneuver around the living room floor pretty good. Jack has said "Momommom" a couple times but "Dadadaddddda" remains his favorite expression when he's excited - like when he finds his toes or one of Isaac's toys on the floor. All in all, he's a great baby - pretty chill and happy.
As for me, I've been getting the house unpacked. Ah, another rental. We are leaving a lot of things in boxes until we get into our own home so the unpacking process has gone a lot smoother than with other moves. Our new place is a small three bedroom and works pretty well for us, especially with all our clutter still in boxes!!!
Jack has had it with the exersaucer. I'll write again when all three kids are happy and somewhat quiet.

Spring Pictures - April

2006-05-27T17:55:00.000-04:00

Spring Pictures - March

2006-05-27T17:34:00.000-04:00

MARCH - The sleepy, the sick, and the silly

Sophia - your average three year old

2006-05-27T17:12:00.000-04:00

Isaac and Soph had a well check-up this past Thursday. Brian takes the kids for their shots. I admit it - I am a mess when it comes to shots. I can't stand holding their little arms down or any of that traumatic stuff. Brian's calm, cool and doesn't mind taking over this typically mother-zone in parenting. (Poopy diapers are another story!) So, the doctor weighed the kids - Sophia is the perfect average weight for a THREE year old. She's only 22 months. Brian forgot how old our baby girl was and had to call me. I honestly stopped counting the months with Sophie by the end of my pregnancy with Jack so Soph's been "nearly two" with me for atleast half a year. Other than the minor issue of knowing our child's age, the check-up went well. The kids are healthy and though Sophia is a big girl on the scale she doesn't look that big. I mean, my girl is chubby, but for the most part she's "thick"...picking her up is like picking up lead. The little girl doesn't look nearly as heavy as she is. Just remember to lift Sophia with your knees (Bri's says "legs") and you'll be fine.

Millions of Milestones

2006-05-19T19:46:00.000-04:00

Our little baby is getting so big - too fast in my opinion. Last night Brian felt a tooth about to poke through Baby Jack's gums. I'm not sure what made Bri feel around in his mouth, but that's just another strange thing we do as parents. By this evening his bottom right tooth is barely visible. He's been amazing this past week. I can't believe he was teething! I guess with the tooth comes the appetite for real food. He literally dives for my dinner plate at night and lets us all know that he wants his place at the dining room table. Tonight, I gave in and let him sample a tiny bit of bread. I remember Brian giving Isaac pizza (of all things!) when he was little. We rediscovered the mushy pizza remains about four hours later still in his mouth. Well, Jack left no evidence whatsoever. The kid likes to eat. I had hoped to postpone starting him on solids until after our big move. We'll see how vocal he gets at dinner tomorrow. Oh, and the amazing baby has started saying "Dada". He's been doing the "dadadadada" for about a week and tonight he has shortened it enough to make us excited and run for the video camera. Of course, the camera battery was extremely low, but I managed to catch atleast a couple "Dada"s before the screen blanked out.
So, Baby Jack is a growing boy. A super easy baby. He has to be with all the competition in this house. Sophie and Isaac play with him but only on their terms. Jack seems to enjoy Soph's baby dolls a lot. The dolls that are bald. He latches onto their heads. Sophia is not so keen on Jack's slobber on her babies. "Bop!!!!" she yells at him and tries to snatch the baby away from him, but the little guy's grasp is surprisingly strong. If Jack gets fussy usually one of the kids will find a baby toy and plop in on him. Isaac loves when Jack has some tummy time. I start Jack out by laying him on his back but the kid rolls over immediately and finds Isaac in the room right away...which isn't difficult since Isaac is usually bouncing off the furniture or flapping some toy around making special sound effects that only a three year old can create.
So, Jack is interacting more and more. Sophia is talking more and more, that is, when I get that binky out of her mouth! I pull the plug from her in one room and she hunts down another binky, or "Bebe" as she calls it, and pops it in. She's a stubborn little thing and the sweetest little girl at the same time. Sophie is our snuggle baby. She loves to be rocked and still plays with her hair to fall asleep. She's in that adorable inbetween age -toddler - not a baby anymore but not a big kid quite yet..Isaac tells her often, "You are a liiiiittle gurl". He has such a Jersey accent, poor thing!
"I-man" (Brian's name for Isaac) is 100% little boy. He loves all his trucks and trains though he isn't very kind to them these days. A couple of weekends ago Brian was watching tv downstairs and left the room to get something but never made it back downstairs (very typical for Bri). A bit later we found Isaac intensely watching a show about train crashes caught on video. The past three plus years of monitoring his television viewing went down the drain in seconds. Now, Isaac sets up his poor Thomas trains and "makes a BIG CRASH with a BIG FIRE and the firemans come and the fire gets BIGGER and BIGGER!!!" And now Isaac argues with me (yes, I try to reason with a three year old) that firemen shoot FIRE on buildings and trains.
As for Brian and I - we have been reduced by three rather small, slightly chubby children to gushy parents that go on and on about their AMAZING children. I have both photos and video clips for all the milestones mentioned above available upon request.

Aspiring Plate Spinner

2006-05-18T15:44:00.000-04:00

Okay, okay. So I started this silly blog to keep all family and friends up to date with our ever changing family and I find myself too busy to post all the things I want to. Most days I feel like one of those plate spinners. Ever seen one at the circus or on tv? I think I saw one recently on Sesame Street...you know how it goes...there are pins or whatever that the little guy balances the plates on and then spins them. He gets a few in the air spinning away then has to keep the plates going or they fall and shatter. I don't know why this is so popular as a circus act - what am I saying?!?! I don't know if it is popular at all - ah, my point!...that's motherhood with three kids under three and a half. Multi-tasking the plate spinner style - racing around from plate to plate and then remembering that one plate all the way at the other end of the table (the one that you know you will never reach in time but you try for it anyway). As you save the wobbling plate you realize the plate at the (yet again) opposite end starts to loose balance and down it goes in a dramatic crash.
There are days that Brian opens the front door to a mess of toys, dishes leftover from lunch and a basket of laundry collected before breakfast still waiting at the top of the stairs to be escorted to the basement for a wash, dry and fold, BUT the kids have been kept busy with a game of hide-n-seek and enjoyed an outing to the boardwalk park. I have one end of the motherhood table of tasks spinning away but am watching in horror as the far end of the table of spinning plates- the housework, phone calls to make, errands to run, meals to plan -slow to funny wobbles and begin falling. Ugh.
Other days I greet Brian with a clean house - toys in their baskets in the toy room (the room that toys never seem to want to stay ) laundry done, beds made, and dinner actually started, but low and behold the other end of the table. Plates begin to fall...the kids are bored, picking on each other, and have watched too much tv as I whisked through the house quicker than a Merry Maid.
So, you've heard it here - motherhood is a circus act! I know with more experience and practice I'll be a pro at spinning the loooong table of plates. I admire those women (we all know atleast one) who manages to have a clean house and happy, tended-to children. I have a personal goal to become one of those women. I know it is possible. It just requires focus on ONE table. Atleast, I know it would for me. I don't know how a mom works outside the home, has kids and keeps the house. I know, I know, the husband...Common! Please!!! Only kidding. Brian is wonderful and does way more than most husbands I know of, but still when it comes down to it...when he's out of underwear or work clothes, hmmm...who's fault is it? Ah-huh. "Uh, hey babe, that plate is falling..."
Of course, Brian has his own circus act to perform and in construction his plates are way heavier and way more difficult to balance, let alone keep spinning. For me, if I don't do the dishes at lunch I just have more to do at dinner. If Brian doesn't go to work the bills don't get paid. Hmm, can we say "pressure"? I had a crazy thought the other day - Brian, a mere 26-year-old young man, supports a family of FIVE all on his own. I don't know why that is so shocking to me. I guess that means we're all grown-up. Sigh.
Anyway, I may not be the professional plate spinner I desire to be today. I have a few plates shatter every now and then, but at the end of the day I do manage to have a few plates happily balanced and spinning away. I must admit my life is pretty entertaining. And a tough act to follow.

Worm Trade

2006-04-29T21:38:00.000-04:00

The weather here in Jersey was beautiful today. We took the kids to the park to burn off some energy...Brian burned more than the kids by far. Sophia and Isaac spent the time outside digging in the dirt. Isaac found a grub (that's what Brian called it...aren't those locusts or something...baby ones..??) and Sophie discovered a very floppy stick...an earthworm. Isaac tried his hardest to make a deal with her, "Hey Soph, you want to give me that worm? You can have this grub." Her response, "UH-uh." - translation: "No way!" The kids played, got good and dirty while Brian discovered a newfound talent of doing handstands.

Jack wanted nothing to do with sitting in his little seat. He spent a lot of time on my hip watching all the worm action. Next time, I think we'll leave all the balls and toys at home and just bring some cups for the kids to dig with. Live and learn.

More, MORE, Pictures!

2006-04-05T11:45:00.000-04:00

Sophia is pretending as she plays now - rather than just sucking on all her toys. Isaac has spiked hair (Dada's doing).
Jack is just adorable...still drooling.

More Pictures!

2006-04-05T11:12:00.000-04:00

Photo Catch-Up

2006-04-05T10:47:00.000-04:00

Here are some recent pictures of the kids.
Sophia enjoying Irish soda bread on St. Patrick's Day,
Isaac making his "silly face", and
Jack drooling on the couch.

New Computer

2006-04-05T10:24:00.000-04:00

Brian and I finally got a new computer! Many thanks to my brother Michael for our old comuter. He blew the "fifty bucks or less" rule for the Christmas name drawing that first holiday Brian and I celebrated together back in 2000. Man, am I glad he did!!! We toted that mega monitor from rental to rental and even got the thing fixed last fall to push it for another few months. The classic computer was good while it lasted but with the arrival of digital pictures by the thousands (hey, my kids are cute so I take lots of pictures)the ol' girl just couldn't function. After many pleadings with Brian he concented and Dell sent us a fancy notebook - er, laptop. I LOVE the thing! It's fast and can hold all our pictures without slowing down even a tiny bit - plus we can save all our home videos and make them into DVDs. I have great things planned for this new little machine. Now, if only I had the time to do it all!!! As for our old computer, it has been "promoted" to toddler use for online games including but not limited to Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street, and the like.

For your information

2006-03-18T21:45:00.000-05:00

This is a blog. Bri and I wanted to set it up so family and friends could keep up with the oh-so-exciting events of our household. And, we would like to keep up with your lives as well! So, comment away. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about (Hello, Mom and Dad!) get some help (hello, Michael!!) and type away. We're working on the picture posting. If you haven't seen the kids in awhile, (or ever for a lot of extended family) you'll be shocked at how adorable - and big - they are!

What it means to be Irish

2006-03-18T21:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our first St. Patrick's Day meal of corned beef and cabbage. Brian demanded that our family participate in this traditional feast since our children are one-quarter Irish. I am the only non-Irish person in this family, although I'm sure with my temper there has to be Irish blood in my veins to some degree. And, I actually liked the cabbage! Yet, another veggie that I didn't know I liked. My mother wasn't the kind of mom who forced us to eat the things we didn't like - we didn't even eat the things SHE didn't like - cabbage for instance. The leftovers from our feast that I felt so compelled to seal up in tupperware are already pushed to the far back corner of the refridgerator. Corned beef and cabbage isn't like leftover ziti or meatloaf - meals that somehow taste better with age. No one ever seems to get a craving for cabbage. I have had a craving for a good ruben though.
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Isaac received a few fatherly words of wisdom(?) and perfectly recited what it means to be Irish to me before bed -
1. God
2. Family
3. Hard work
4. Beer
I told Brian that in Missouri number four is "deer".

Baby Jack Pictures

2006-03-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

After HOURS of attempting to get Jack's latest and greatest snapshots posted, I've realized it's not gonna' happen. Our computer has major issues and, since it's smarter than me on so many levels, the issues will remain and my pictures will go un-posted for a bit. I promise to win this battle with the computer! My pictures WILL be posted...Jack might be three by then but they WILL make it online! So, don't forget us - all you family and friends just checking in to drool over our adorable newborn. He's worth the wait.

Baby Jack

2006-03-14T20:05:00.000-05:00