tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90250513235793339872024-03-13T14:31:18.831-05:00Life With Nine KidsMom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.comBlogger250125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-34991902419783280802021-01-13T03:26:00.001-06:002021-01-13T03:26:41.639-06:00Mother’s Day 2020 <div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ricky took the younger kids to pick out some Mother’s day presents for me on Saturday. I knew what they were up to but before leaving Madeline (4) hunted me down to ask me if she could go for a ride with daddy. I told her yes and she continued excitedly, “We are going for a ride, nothing else..... Oh, AND YOU CAN’T GO!” It made me laugh so hard. ❤️😂❤️She’s so darling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was the first time they have been to a store in seven weeks. They got home hours later and I was tilling up my flower garden in the evening. (Ricky had texted me earlier that he was keeping them out a bit longer to give me some quiet time. ) 💕 Once home they ran up to me grinning ear to ear and told me they just went for a drive nothing else. 😂🤗</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Mother’s Day morning </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I could hear them running around excitedly</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and shouting at my bedroom door for me not to look or come out. Madeline came in to tell me a few spoilers, which I actually didn’t even really hear, and Bea (6) yelled at her. 😂</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I took a nice long shower and then the kids were too excited to wait any longer. They had the cutest things for me. Ricky lets them pick out whatever what they want if he takes them shopping for gifts. That’s how I end up with preciously fun things like a Hula hoop and a unicorn piñata. (I did indeed impress the kids with my hula hooping skills. 😉) I love the unicorn piñata so much and haven’t had a unicorn piñata since I was a little kid. It is a pull string kind so I got to keep it intact while the kids happily got to the candy. The kids picked me out flowers and plants to plant outdoors and some cute garden decor. I love stuff like that. I love that my birthday and mother’s day are in the spring because I love ALL the garden stuff! The kids picked out their own gift bags for my gifts too. Everett got me a Noah’s Ark gift bag for his gift (like for a baby shower) which was so cute of him. I love seeing what they pick out. He picked me out a adorable frog planter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ricky made me eggs Benedict for breakfast and he even bought Canadian bacon for it. He isn’t allowed to eat or even be around mammal meats as they cook (the smell and vapor can make him feel sick) due to his Alpha Gal Allergy. But, he heated it up wearing a n95 mask and wore gloves handling it. 😂 😷</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I wish I had gotten a picture. I was cracking up when I caught him cooking it. I told him I was fine with the way we now normally make it since his allergy (with turkey bacon which he can eat). He said Mother’s Day is special so it seems like a day to have the real thing. Lol! So cute and sweet! It was delightful and absolutely delicious. I appreciate his willingness and creative way of doing it. He definitely didn’t have to do that but I enjoyed every second eating it and that he put so much thought into it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">As if I wasn’t spoiled enough, Ricky and the kids had also driven to Baskin-Robbins to fetch me a quart of Daiquiri Ice, a childhood favorite. Our town’s store doesn’t carry it, so I knew he had to drive a bit further to get it. (He tried to buy it for my birthday in April but found out our store doesn’t carry it. Also as he tells it, they thought he was saying ‘bags of ice’ instead of Daiquiri Ice. 😆😆😆And it annoyed him so much he doesn’t want to go back to that one! lol!!!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">So that’s what they did with some of their time out. Very thoughtful! I’ve loved it since I was a little kid and it’s to this day a very special tangy, lime sorbet style treat!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The lottery scratchers, spring flowers, and mimosas from Ricky were really cute and sweet. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to win though ...I’ve long known I have already hit the lottery marrying him!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Oh! And Sage brought me home a cheesecake when he got off work! Which is still in the fridge in the basement that everyone but me has forgotten about. Nom nom nom. 😂🐷🍽 </span></div>
Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-61738056271627511142018-09-18T09:11:00.000-05:002020-01-17T16:02:15.504-06:00Up, up, and Away! Day at the Balloon Races!<br />
What better way to start blogging again than to share my love for hot air balloons! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right before we left that morning</td></tr>
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We love to go to this yearly event but hadn't been in years. I really just needed a two year break from most the things we usually did because Madeline has WORN ME DOWN! This child is busy. So, so busy. She never stops moving and she just loves destroying things (just wait for the cake below). I was very determined to go to the races this year and we made it! It was slightly different, the location was changed and it was harder to navigate the grounds, but we had fun. It's an all day event. The balloons don't launch until 4:30 or so (wind depending). In order to get parking and enjoy the other festivities we arrive around 11am. So this is quite a long day with kiddos. I wish I had a picture of all the stuff I had packed for the all day event. I left a lot in the car upon realizing we had to walk a mile. I packed our small drink cooler, food, toys, blankets, etc in two ROLLING suit cases. I fancy myself a genius for this.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only picture of the crew walking a mile and rolling two suitcases and a wagon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before we left the house, super fancy Beatrice! </td></tr>
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Ricky and I have been working out and eating better lately. We decided
we would cut back on drinking alcohol so we packed flavored sparking water.We lasted all of an hour and a half in the heat, with six kids, rolling luggage, parking stress, a literal mile walk from our car with eight of us, crowds, and the added stress of lines with kids. It was me who broke. I grabbed Ricky by the arm pointed to a beer stand and told him to get us Blue Moon because neither one us wants to do this without beer. Hahaaa! He did not argue. The cold beer was so refreshing in the heat. Moderation ya know? <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't look like he just worked a 60 hour work week, but he did!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The snow cone truck gives you a lei if you order a large snow cone (we ordered all smalls), but they gave
us lei's anyway because we ordered so much and they probably felt bad for
us in an endearing way. We were literally juggling kids, beer,
money, snow cones, a baby... and two kids could not make up their mind to save their lives. Chaos is my life. It's not that I thrive in it (ok maybe I do) it's more that I'm just used to it. It stresses Ricky totally out though. I just roll with it, which is funny because he is actually the more laid back person in general. He's fairly stressed on this day because the poor guy just worked a 60 hour work week and he is dealing with crowds and juggling snow cones, and he worries about the kids a lot when we are out with crowds. But, now we have beer. I think sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow cones and inflatables = childhood memories</td></tr>
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Aunt Sharon made me my darling skirt and I'm absolutely in love with it. I got so many compliments and everyplace I walked I could hear a trail of people behind me commenting about my skirt. Dozens of people stopped me and told me how cute it was, how nice I looked, how fun it was. So, that was super fun! At balloon launch time I ran around like a chicken chasing balloons in a secluded area while my patient husband snapped photos. He always helps me chase my wild ideas and dreams! I hope he truly knows how grateful I am.<br />
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Before the launch we played with our parachute I brought, met huge caterpillars, ate lunch and cake, "relaxed", and ran around. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strawberry cake was a little smashed from a trip in a suitcase, Ha! But it was good!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope found a huge fat caterpillar. I pretended to eat it. It's something I do with bugs more often than is normal to freak little kids out. LOL. I'm weird. We put him back where he was found. </td></tr>
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Everything is good. We are chilling. Kids are happy. It's a really hot day, but we are okay.<br />
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Then all of the sudden we look over and Madeline had stuck her head right down in the half eaten cake. Just for fun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not sure if this is the face of regret or pleasure in her mischief. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bea is laughing her butt off about it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I mean this is what I do. I don't even flinch. I'm SO NOT SURPRISED. It's Madeline! </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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My photos of the skydivers came out really great this year...<br />
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Layla, teenager now, doesn't get in front of the camera very much. But she took a couple cute photos of me and Ricky. Unfortunately people were walking by. Ha! So I have to get them photo-shopped out. For now, they are there. I don't have time for Photoshop right now. I have nine kids. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">We picked a super secluded spot, but once in awhile there were suddenly people. And I was doing this. lol.</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And This. </td></tr>
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And that's our super fun day at the balloon races. I have actually been in a hot air balloon before! When I was 20 years old. It was super fun and not scary at all. I've become more afraid of heights over the years though, but I do hope to fly the open aired sky in a basket again some day. The basket I was in was huge! Huge! like it could fit 15 or more people. These baskets are so tiny: <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine traveling in the sky 30 miles like that! </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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There is a hot air balloon fiesta in New Mexico that looks so stunning the photos and videos online gives me goosebumps. More balloons take off there at once than anywhere in the world. In 2011, 345 hot air balloons took to the air within one hour, setting the world record for the most hot air balloons launched in one hour. I get insanely excited about 40 balloons, I cannot even contain my excitement for this! I have to start preparing Ricky for the crowds! LOL! (And I can rock that skirt!!!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-40PYV6quuLw/W6EAyTwnZQI/AAAAAAAAGuw/_XIGNyf5m1cdzpdFv5tnHHzxlbc7xTHZwCLcBGAs/s1600/abf1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="515" height="232" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-40PYV6quuLw/W6EAyTwnZQI/AAAAAAAAGuw/_XIGNyf5m1cdzpdFv5tnHHzxlbc7xTHZwCLcBGAs/s400/abf1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: 2011 <span style="font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">ALBUQUERQUE, NM, USA -- Officials with the 40th <a href="http://www.balloonfiesta.com/" target="_blank">Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta</a></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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One more super huge detail of the day: Charlotte (21) was at home for the day and after we left in a rush there were dishes, toys, and messes everywhere. You know what that is like, no matter how hard you try there is just so much that gets undone when you prepare for a huge outing, especially if kids are involved! She cleaned the house up while we were gone. That is the best gift anyone can give their mom. The gift of relaxation when you get home! Ah. My kid is so great. I seriously can't explain how appreciative I was --and I really didn't get to relax when I got home, but I was able to easily attend to 20 other things without added stress or worry, because the next day we went to the zoo and I was unpacking and then packing for that... and that's just crazy! Coming soon, the Decade Dame's Pin Up Day at the zoo post! BUSY WEEKEND!Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-55069703269091592492018-01-12T14:37:00.001-06:002018-01-12T14:37:16.945-06:00 The Manhattan Toy Company: MiO Doll House Review For Christmas I searched high and low for dolls and furniture to compliment our empty old wooden dollhouse. The original dolls and pieces had been long gone for years. I really didn't care much for the same old doll house stuff that had been circulating around for years. I really couldn't find anything else though. I was about to give up when I saw this on a Google image search I did for dolls and doll houses:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E4pnL9EPSiI/WlWU_ZKkIEI/AAAAAAAAGcg/MHrH5ZFhPO4YwMf9VngiYj0pxLTu-NDFQCLcBGAs/s1600/mio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E4pnL9EPSiI/WlWU_ZKkIEI/AAAAAAAAGcg/MHrH5ZFhPO4YwMf9VngiYj0pxLTu-NDFQCLcBGAs/s320/mio.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello cute people. Why are you so round and cute!?</td></tr>
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And then...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P1waKmSfEHg/WlWVTOe0hBI/AAAAAAAAGck/pO0MIxuCpkAU42BtH0IGgMr6TEzu2OxTQCLcBGAs/s1600/mio2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P1waKmSfEHg/WlWVTOe0hBI/AAAAAAAAGck/pO0MIxuCpkAU42BtH0IGgMr6TEzu2OxTQCLcBGAs/s320/mio2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HOW CUTE!</td></tr>
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I learned they are called MiO, I visited <a href="https://www.manhattantoy.com/collections/mio">The Manhattan Toy Company's website link</a> and found a new little world waiting for me. The soft little bean bag bodies looked perfect for younger kids to grip and play with, and especially to set down and stand upright It's very frustrating for a young child when the toy they are playing with won't stand up. I noted right away there were various open ended ways the houses and other materials could be manipulated. If these toys sparked creativity and imagination in me, imagine what a child would think! I was finally excited! At first I thought I'd just get the little soft people, but it didn't take long for me to convince myself that I needed to keep our regular wooden dollhouse in storage a bit longer and embark on a brand new play adventure for our family.<br />
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Plus, I saw this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree house with a tire swing! Just take my money now. </td></tr>
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If you subscribe to their emails they give you a 20% off coupon. Cool deal! As soon as my order arrived I wanted to see those little people! They were indeed cute! Later the evening, when the kids were sleeping, I played with the new toys. I was very pleased with everything. I sat on my bedroom floor testing them all out while telling my husband repeatedly to keep coming in to look at what I had made. It was hilarious! On Christmas morning the kids loved them!<br />
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I noticed right away that this wonderfully fresh toy is about play as much as it's about set up. With so many other doll houses my kids only seemed to enjoy setting up. However, the tree house, the homes that change from one to two story (or more!), the car and trailer, the roofs that can double as tents for camping, the various people and animals, and even the trees and blocks, they all provide so many ways to create, play, and story tell. I notice that with these we are telling a story as we build. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One thing we added to the set, which was not from The Manhattan Toy Company, is a stacking rainbow. See the curved wooden pieces? It's a wonderful add on. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004R3TM9Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1">You can find the wooden mini stacking rainbow here.</a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Watch the price though and look for deals. They are usually $19.99, but are $34.95 right now.) </span></div>
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<br />Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-26507073479973728992018-01-09T11:30:00.000-06:002018-01-09T11:36:58.446-06:00December 2017: The Decade Dames and Christmas Eve!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This
month has lasted forever but in a good
way! I feel like I've really gotten to be present with my kids and we
have
done a lot together! I'm so grateful were able to fit in almost
everything we wanted to do before Christmas. We had fun hibernating at
home for most of the month. We had friends over a few times. We
did lots of crafts. We also made and painted salt
dough ornaments, baked several batches of cookies, decorated candy
graham cracker houses,
and re-decorated the entire Christmas tree not once but twice! (Madeline
pulled it over once and then we
decided to buy a new one that was on clearance at Target) Beatrice (4)
had a Christmas performance on December 16th at pre-school. Ricky's
parents were able to drive out for it. Lastly, we took a leap of faith
by calling a contractor to give us a quote on finishing our basement and
adding a massive two story sun room and patio to our house. We still
want to move rather desperately but we cannot find anything that fits.
The quote came back and it's in the works as a maybe. One huge change we
have had lately is that we got rid of all our chickens and ducks. We
don't have time for them. We are working on re-homing our goats but have
not been successful yet. We are downsizing because we have too much to
do and just can't keep up. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IVuM2H-Inrc/WkCtOFrSBpI/AAAAAAAAGVE/FRH5P2tI_W8YlGHJbas0QZ-o3cggHG9gwCLcBGAs/s1600/beabake.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IVuM2H-Inrc/WkCtOFrSBpI/AAAAAAAAGVE/FRH5P2tI_W8YlGHJbas0QZ-o3cggHG9gwCLcBGAs/s320/beabake.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the hard butter soften. She was so cute waiting.<br />
What ever shall a bored girl do when the butter<br />
is not already pre softened? </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
December was a great month! I can't
possibly find the time to write everything I'd like, but I need to
highlight some things that important to me while I can though.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSbIAgsLfRY/WkCtOeJOBpI/AAAAAAAAGVI/z2pp5dY-2swrEJ2qX3JdXnc5-WJSrhgpACLcBGAs/s1600/beacookie.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSbIAgsLfRY/WkCtOeJOBpI/AAAAAAAAGVI/z2pp5dY-2swrEJ2qX3JdXnc5-WJSrhgpACLcBGAs/s320/beacookie.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snicker-doodles for daddy! His very favorite. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfrSn1W8uOo/WkCt90ZZQRI/AAAAAAAAGVM/QMTHIWsEY9AMOJSIzOQKLB5Gc_NNPeXWgCLcBGAs/s1600/c7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> </a><br />
<img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="806" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZfrSn1W8uOo/WkCt90ZZQRI/AAAAAAAAGVM/QMTHIWsEY9AMOJSIzOQKLB5Gc_NNPeXWgCLcBGAs/s320/c7.jpg" width="268" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for the tree knock down, Madeline.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have (and love) a small white kitschy Christmas
tree, but I was becoming nostalgic for a green tree this year. When I
mentioned it the kids were <i>all excited!</i> We have had a vintage
white one for years. I had it on a rotating tree stand and it wasn't a
good fit. To be honest, the whole thing was getting annoying because it
kept leaning in the poorly fitted stand, and we just wanted a change. We
decided we would buy a new tree at the end of the year when they went
on sale. While doing last minute shopping though, I noticed Target had
them 50% off the week of Christmas! I knew instantly Ricky would LOVE
this tree. It was love at first sight for me. It is so classic and
beautiful looking. It has white lights which he likes. Its tall, slender
and classy. Its branches are thick and the color is rich, it is
slightly varied at the tips in both color and texture. I bought it and
had it all decorated when he came home that evening<i><b> and h</b></i><b><i>e LOVED it. </i></b> His reaction was great!!<b> He loved it! </b>Of course pictures don't do it justice, but oh well. Sharing anyway. <b><br /></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVY7HnyMSbc/WkB56rxX-FI/AAAAAAAAGUA/_oLhYtNbWVMpvN1MKdonLBna8a1mA-F4QCLcBGAs/s1600/tree.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1293" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVY7HnyMSbc/WkB56rxX-FI/AAAAAAAAGUA/_oLhYtNbWVMpvN1MKdonLBna8a1mA-F4QCLcBGAs/s320/tree.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh,
I'm not giving up on my vintage white tree. I'll just love it in
another room. It's loud and bright, like I like my decor. lol Madeline
kept stripping it of ornaments, too. You can see the bottom is missing
lots --and there she is happy to plunk more off as I take a picture. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcCZEuwB--0/WkB6ySk262I/AAAAAAAAGUI/wFQmCwOP2eYZLfyNWg8H0FWLa2WrERsTgCLcBGAs/s1600/tree3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mcCZEuwB--0/WkB6ySk262I/AAAAAAAAGUI/wFQmCwOP2eYZLfyNWg8H0FWLa2WrERsTgCLcBGAs/s320/tree3.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up close pic: I'm excited because our new tree just sparkles! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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In
addition to festive December things, I de-cluttered the basement,
halfway cleaned out the garage, and gave away a ton of clothes. I really
have been
so busy this past year juggling kids (Madeline especially since she's a
handful), so it felt really good to have so much momentum in such a busy
holiday month. I guess in a
way I felt back to my normal self. I know I've been accomplishing a lot
just by raising and caring for my baby, but there were (and are) also
lots of
things left undone that I wanted to get back to! Everything just fell
into place his month -but I also worked really, really hard at it! The
younger kids are doing Reading Eggs and Teaching Textbooks on the
computer to fill in school gaps with me being so busy. </div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>The Decade Dames</b></div>
<div dir="auto">
Part of this belongs in its own post for fall, but we all know I'll never get around to that!<br />
In
October I joined a group of women who dress in pin-up style fashion and
other period or vintage wear. One day I saw a local group share a photo
on social media that caught my eye. They were called The Decade Dames.
They were posing with a local
police officer and with his police car as a "support your local police"
photo shoot. The Dames were all in 50's dresses and hair. I was like <b><i>WOAH, WAIT! WHAT? Where and who
are these gals? They are my people! </i>I dress like this!</b> Well, I
tracked them down. They were in fact taking
applications for more vintage loving Dames to join them in having fun,
dressing up, supporting each other, and also being a positive influence
within the community, including anything from charity/service projects
to
going to car shows, nursing homes, and any other local events. The sky
is the limit!<br />
<br />
I know, Right!?</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pJoQWCKUS28/WkB-Q5KlT3I/AAAAAAAAGUQ/J7Lf4DPDTNoB-zzP6Izn5QlFo4n5AbFdgCLcBGAs/s1600/octme4.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pJoQWCKUS28/WkB-Q5KlT3I/AAAAAAAAGUQ/J7Lf4DPDTNoB-zzP6Izn5QlFo4n5AbFdgCLcBGAs/s320/octme4.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hair style practice before even finding out about the Decade Dames!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So I just nervously showed up at the meeting and
they welcomed me. It was super fun! Just founded in June 2017, they have
a very fun and full calendar of events, service projects, and community
presence in the county we live in.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LPTfQE0ypMo/WkOsDGdoChI/AAAAAAAAGZ0/JGTOmevKpO8mwrvL-Xc7IfFuykfZIZyBwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4491.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LPTfQE0ypMo/WkOsDGdoChI/AAAAAAAAGZ0/JGTOmevKpO8mwrvL-Xc7IfFuykfZIZyBwCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_4491.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yqKMR9DjIJ8/WkB-SBczbFI/AAAAAAAAGUU/bR2QvlPo7pwYnGzQKIge1xiV0VwMf5r6QCLcBGAs/s1600/octme1.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yqKMR9DjIJ8/WkB-SBczbFI/AAAAAAAAGUU/bR2QvlPo7pwYnGzQKIge1xiV0VwMf5r6QCLcBGAs/s200/octme1.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b>Picture of me on my way to the first Dames meeting in October!</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIcz6ieLLlw/WkMuUB9riII/AAAAAAAAGZc/ve0G6wqvpKYVZJKfbXmtmqNhii3tB8JWgCLcBGAs/s1600/dame1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIcz6ieLLlw/WkMuUB9riII/AAAAAAAAGZc/ve0G6wqvpKYVZJKfbXmtmqNhii3tB8JWgCLcBGAs/s400/dame1.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rIYhaOFd36s/WkMuV0tvUjI/AAAAAAAAGZg/HevLYrr9fWsaL5MI-W8-0N_bdnVNOo0QwCLcBGAs/s1600/dame.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rIYhaOFd36s/WkMuV0tvUjI/AAAAAAAAGZg/HevLYrr9fWsaL5MI-W8-0N_bdnVNOo0QwCLcBGAs/s400/dame.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Dames were featured in a county wide community paper in October.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9SqpJT5wSc/WkMuXGn8laI/AAAAAAAAGZk/iPwtkke9VvQJ05bs7DuFgvwd7LhI_-4ygCLcBGAs/s1600/dame3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="960" height="299" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9SqpJT5wSc/WkMuXGn8laI/AAAAAAAAGZk/iPwtkke9VvQJ05bs7DuFgvwd7LhI_-4ygCLcBGAs/s320/dame3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this fun or what??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> <span style="font-size: large;">Wreaths Across America: My First Decade Dames Event</span></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6NZlVR8EDC8/WkCq3wCcfVI/AAAAAAAAGUs/R4SBF0iJ8QsLIIm7uJC-HfH2iYmhQTw4gCLcBGAs/s1600/weathaacrossamericagroup.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="960" height="245" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6NZlVR8EDC8/WkCq3wCcfVI/AAAAAAAAGUs/R4SBF0iJ8QsLIIm7uJC-HfH2iYmhQTw4gCLcBGAs/s400/weathaacrossamericagroup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Every December Wreaths Across America takes place in
over 1200
cemeteries across our nation. Volunteers place Christmas wreaths at the
resting place of veterans. This is a family event, which was perfect for
my first event! My younger kids were especially excited to meet
"Mommy's new fancy friends." That's what Bea calls them, my fancy
friends. I don't go very many places alone, so it's been a big deal that
I have a once a month meeting I go to. (Mom is going someplace: WHAT?!
WHY?! LOL!)<br />
<br />
We walked at least two miles at
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery placing our assigned six wreaths at
the headstones of veterans, thanking them each aloud by name so they are not forgotten. We were offered
four wreaths to place but I said we could do six! The day turned out great. It was a
beautiful, peaceful, and sunny 60 degree December day. I was blessed to share it with my
family, as well as with my Decade Dame sisters who lead the group in this <span class="text_exposed_show">fundraising
effort for the wreaths. The kids were excellent. It was very sweet
that they were a part of this as well. I cannot believe they did so well
because we walked so much! Seeing all those wreaths laid
is really a beautiful sight. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-optA621XTuI/WkCr_-MiFyI/AAAAAAAAGU0/qwUBx-FsHYsem_IyD2PD_5ZJzSVI_faDwCLcBGAs/s1600/wreath1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="1600" height="151" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-optA621XTuI/WkCr_-MiFyI/AAAAAAAAGU0/qwUBx-FsHYsem_IyD2PD_5ZJzSVI_faDwCLcBGAs/s200/wreath1.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show"> Thank
goodness I had Ricky to navigate the large map for us. (He's really
good at figuring things out in general...he's an analyst, so...) Prior
to the event I suggested that I could go with some kids and leave him
home with others if it seemed too crazy to take everyone. He just kinda
looked at me like: <i>Nope.</i> He affectionately said, "I'm not having
you go alone." This is mostly because I have a simply terrible time
finding my way around things like this and he would never see me again!
Haha! I was so thankful he wanted to do this as a family and that he is
always eager to navigate for me no matter what we are doing! We had to
walk really far across nearly the entire cemetery. (The whole grounds
are 296 acres, so we didn't actually walk all that, but boy oh boy we
did walk A LOT!) We also had to walk up a big hill, down a big hill,
across a huge uphill gravel/dirt wash, then down and up a hill AGAIN.
Once we got to our furthermost wreath assignment laid we could hit all
of our other wreath assignments as we walked back towards our van. We
didn't have to cross the wash again. Ricky mapped it out perfectly for
us. It was so adventurous and fun for the kids! At one point Everett was
up the wash and accompanying hill while I was down below far away, but I
could see him a bit. He saw me and started howling towards me,
"Awooooooo!" I howled back at him loudly for fun. Sebastian, who was
near Everett, joined in and howled as well. Suddenly four deer came
flying out of the woods like crazy. I could see Everett turn around as
he ran towards his dad high tailing it out of there. It scared him good.
It was very surprising for all of us and we all had a good long laugh
over it! </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WxuYN69h4GY/WkCsNTw-nBI/AAAAAAAAGU8/puvn4_9yhU8l-h_W4txCb9dspItzNCOzQCLcBGAs/s1600/p3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WxuYN69h4GY/WkCsNTw-nBI/AAAAAAAAGU8/puvn4_9yhU8l-h_W4txCb9dspItzNCOzQCLcBGAs/s200/p3.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uEjdb3CkxJU/WkCr6fSnl3I/AAAAAAAAGUw/avw5QAbhMXwOWNFHSaGiW3URw0p8By-fgCLcBGAs/s1600/p1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uEjdb3CkxJU/WkCr6fSnl3I/AAAAAAAAGUw/avw5QAbhMXwOWNFHSaGiW3URw0p8By-fgCLcBGAs/s200/p1.jpg" width="150" /></a><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSpArlzs7so/WkCsFxs3XEI/AAAAAAAAGU4/dwpTPzpRhRoopkRQLT3ZYvFyK0e8EYX5ACLcBGAs/s1600/s1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1423" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSpArlzs7so/WkCsFxs3XEI/AAAAAAAAGU4/dwpTPzpRhRoopkRQLT3ZYvFyK0e8EYX5ACLcBGAs/s200/s1.jpg" width="177" /></a><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6p8pHycNvYw/WkCsnPkxJ9I/AAAAAAAAGVA/dqJ06iAVS5UspHpJzCl1TEy38CIBu5NLQCLcBGAs/s1600/family3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1600" height="169" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6p8pHycNvYw/WkCsnPkxJ9I/AAAAAAAAGVA/dqJ06iAVS5UspHpJzCl1TEy38CIBu5NLQCLcBGAs/s320/family3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My family!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br />
</span></div>
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<b>Christmas Eve Eve</b></div>
<div dir="auto">
I
always want us to get our wrapping done before Christmas Eve. We never
do! EVER! We are always up until 2 or 3am wrapping tons of gifts. Its
utterly exhausting! Well this year I was determined! This will happen!<i> And it did!</i> Yay yay yay, I mean seriously! YAY!!!</div>
<div dir="auto">
On Christmas Eve's Eve I was wrapping presents and having a cold adult beverage in
the union suit PJ's I wear only a couple times every year. My kids
always laugh at me when I get these out. I usually put them on and run
through the house dancing and singing because I'm a goofball. Last night
I suddenly realized I've had these for 25 years! 25 years in a row I've
worn these pajamas at least once each December. In the past I've worn
them to grocery stores and school just for fun, to family parties, under
snow suits, and to bedtime. Who could have known these pre-internet
smiley face pajamas from the 90's would now be called Emojis! Lol!
️Traditions are so fun, and they are the heart of holidays. I have also
stayed true to myself by expanding my wardrobe over the years to
include Santa suit pajamas, elf pajamas, an elf dress, and finally a baking themed
gingerbread house dress. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-guN5jtYGX_o/WkCkLh9TadI/AAAAAAAAGUY/IL4f6Oi_ESsjQxoTZFPd7DNfbCUZ7kgcwCLcBGAs/s1600/mesmile.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-guN5jtYGX_o/WkCkLh9TadI/AAAAAAAAGUY/IL4f6Oi_ESsjQxoTZFPd7DNfbCUZ7kgcwCLcBGAs/s320/mesmile.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rockin' 25 year old pajamas! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were blessed with snow just in time for Christmas.
It's the biggest snow fall we've had in nearly two years at only two
inches! We missed snow and it was a beautiful and welcome surprise! </div>
<div dir="auto">
I
wanted a picture outside today wearing my gingerbread dress in the
snowscape! Bea darted out with me for a picture with me as well! </div>
</div>
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<b>Christmas Eve</b><br />
On Christmas Eve we made an appetizer tree
that turned out to be super cute and fun. The base is a Styrofoam cone
wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it clean and reusable. The toothpick
sticks I got have stars at the end of them, but any would do. We used
cheese, salami, grapes, two kinds of olives, apples, tiny pickles, and
cheese. It was a big hit! We will do it again!<br />
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A
tradition I started long ago, and the kids beg for every year, are
Santa pancakes (or waffles, we did frozen waffles this year). Strawberry
hat, chocolate chip eyes, whipped cream beard. They just love
assembling these!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;">A yellow pepper for reindeer and cookies for Santa</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas! </td></tr>
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<br />Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-64962375179921963812017-10-31T12:10:00.000-05:002018-01-09T12:13:04.319-06:00Fall 2017: It happened fast<div>
I went looking for a fall of 2017 blog draft so I could work on it... and it doesn't
exist!? What!? I thought I wrote some stuff down! (Well, I know I did, so it's lost or deleted.) Well, I tell you what, I had planned on
writing a lot more than I did this year regardless. I don't know how the other big family mom bloggers do it. I'm whipped. Not sure they have a two year old like this though:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yzi86ToYQY4/Wjysz-LhVDI/AAAAAAAAGS8/XVDZnVyEDIYXAWn_ye65TR7iUIBVoGkCQCLcBGAs/s1600/m5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="862" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yzi86ToYQY4/Wjysz-LhVDI/AAAAAAAAGS8/XVDZnVyEDIYXAWn_ye65TR7iUIBVoGkCQCLcBGAs/s320/m5.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeline's still high impact lol!</td></tr>
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I'm literally trying to type right now but everyone keeps standing over my shoulder and talking to me. It's so frustrating! I usually type late at night if I can. I literally fall asleep at the keyboard nearly every time I do though. Eventually I hit save and go to bed. And I do that <i>for months. </i>We
started Reading Eggs back up in November. I'm having such a hard time
focusing and pulling the day together. Madeline makes it so hard. I have
been telling myself for a year that this is only temporary. It's really
hard, but it's only temporary! I'm STILL at that point where I'm telling myself that...</div>
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and in the meantime:</div>
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So, did fall 2017 even happen? These pictures say it did:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0KwqtGFoP94/WjytXVubOVI/AAAAAAAAGTg/Wgcrmeznh4IWV8O9mYNbujYcVjja21OIACLcBGAs/s1600/oct1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0KwqtGFoP94/WjytXVubOVI/AAAAAAAAGTg/Wgcrmeznh4IWV8O9mYNbujYcVjja21OIACLcBGAs/s320/oct1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I swear my kids wear clothes...sometimes. lol. (Free Range. You know.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made this mummy this year! Next year we are planning on making a swamp monster!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gunnar in the middle of everything</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xO8690haa3Q/WjytLeMEhXI/AAAAAAAAGTM/A8qCwm-3vtYUajTfx9qPWUf-52jcztflACLcBGAs/s1600/h4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="751" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xO8690haa3Q/WjytLeMEhXI/AAAAAAAAGTM/A8qCwm-3vtYUajTfx9qPWUf-52jcztflACLcBGAs/s320/h4.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Trick or Treat haul was SERIOUS. The kids had a blast trading candy for weeks. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-peNKcUDjhGA/WjytLtYdH_I/AAAAAAAAGTQ/KaZuR74rXlUuV0_XL2cfucaFtiLPP3hbACLcBGAs/s1600/h5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="793" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-peNKcUDjhGA/WjytLtYdH_I/AAAAAAAAGTQ/KaZuR74rXlUuV0_XL2cfucaFtiLPP3hbACLcBGAs/s320/h5.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope and I were Roller Derby girls! This is at our homeschool Halloween party. We had beautiful fall weather.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g49dtN1qedk/WjytLG7LbsI/AAAAAAAAGTE/7KjF7w7BBxw50NViX-0toQuwUAJEf6zBACLcBGAs/s1600/h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g49dtN1qedk/WjytLG7LbsI/AAAAAAAAGTE/7KjF7w7BBxw50NViX-0toQuwUAJEf6zBACLcBGAs/s320/h.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethan (17) as Joker!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Birthday Season</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Birthday season runs from August 1st until October 28th. We celebrate six birthdays in three months</span></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Layla's 13th Birthday</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Layla turned 13 on August 1st.<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sadly, Layla was sick in late July. She soon had pneumonia symptoms right before her August 1st birt</span>hday! We thought we'd be headed to the hospital if we didn't act fast. Luckily we knew the signs (uh, she had every one!). Early Sunday morning I called our doctor's after hours number. She talked to me over the phone and we got Layla on antibiotics right away. Layla had just been in to the doctor's office the week before. When Ricky picked up her prescription he proactively bought an oximeter from the drug store to check her blood oxygen levels. Her coughing was getting so bad and she could not breathe at times. I went online and bought cans of Boost oxygen and had it shipped overnight. (Amazon Prime!) It's oxygen made for high altitude day trips/hiking, headaches, strenuous exercise, or just a pick me up because some people are into that sort of thing. I wasn't messing around, I wanted some just in case. We didn't do this in place of a hospital, but to help us avoid the hospital and possibly make Layla more comfortable. Her blood oxygen levels never dropped dangerously low but they did drop. (Especially during and after huge coughing fits, which of course is to be expected). This helped us put our mind at ease though. Most importantly, she liked it and it felt like we were doing something to help. She also took </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Drocera homeopathic with some probable success. We also had her on near round the clock Mucinex. We really believe if we hadn't acted so quickly we would have been in the hospital. I'm very glad I had her in to the Dr. the prior week so that they knew her situation and could help us act fast on the antibiotics on a Sunday! We have had too many emergency room visits the past few years! So thankful she recovered with home care and no ER $ visit!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">What I wrote on her birthday:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It's been scary and hard. She has barely eaten anything in days. The other kids are hit or miss with the illness, but mostly alright. Ricky and I are a force. Sure we are a bit unwell too, but we are taking turns sleeping as needed because some of the kids need care at night, especially Layla. Though things are hard, things are also amazing because we are doing this together. As a mother I felt heartbroken that Layla's much anticipated 13th birthday is being spent so sick. I'm also sick and therefore tired myself. I am doing the best I can, which means presents got done but no decorations or other special thing. We certainly aren't doing sweets today. Then in comes Charlotte (20). She apparently went to the store without us even knowing and bought all this stuff. Outside, so the kids didn't see, she carved out this amazing cake of healthy fruit for her little sister. Candles and all. I cried when she showed me. I'm just so thankful she made Layla's birthday special! Layla was so surprised, grateful and happy. And then thankfully Layla ate for the first time today! I'm so thankful for Charlotte. She really saved the day. </span></span><br />
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A birthday being memorable or special doesn't always mean it was the most fun or best of times. Memorable can also just be everyone pulling together for you and making you feel loved. I think Layla felt very loved.<br />
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<b>August 23 -Sebastian's Birthday </b><br />
Sebastian is often easy going and likes to keep close to home. We really haven't ever done anything elaborate or big for his birthdays. He usually wants the same things every year and since we are so busy with birthdays in general he gets a laid back birthday! This year I really wanted to really go all out for him now that he was turning nine. I took him to get his hair cut and to buy a new shirt. When Ricky got off work we all went to a hibachi grill! It's something several of the kids had never done. We just knew Sebastian (and others) would think it was fabulous and fun. We had such a fun night!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeline jumped into my arms right after this. Poor kid! I kinda sacrificed her for the photo. I got my punishment though. She made me hold her for 30 minutes! lol! The fire DID NOT jump over the edge as it looks. It's contained in the griddle. The photo caught it like that though. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How funny is this picture of our teen boys: Ethan is catching shrimp. The photo bomber guy we don't know at the other table is making a hysterical expression.Ethan was amazing at catching shrimp! Hidden talent.</td></tr>
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Beatrice was SUPER cute going to the restaurant. I told her we were going to a fancy restaurant and to get dressed. In no time flat she was dressed, headband was picked out, and she had her dress boots on. As we were leaving up she adorably exclaimed to me, "Oh I'm so excited to be a real fancy person!" She would not hold still for a picture, but I got one blurry picture at least. <br />
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<b>Everett Turned 7! </b><br />
Everett wanted a Scooby Doo style monster hunt for his birthday. Read about it <a href="http://here./">here.</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><b> Penelope's turned 11 on October 17!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";">Penelope had part one of her birthday in Mansfield, Missouri a month before her actual birthday! I wrote all about it here: <a href="http://halfdozenkids.blogspot.com/2017/09/our-trip-to-mansfield-and-laura-ingalls.html">Mansfield trip </a></span><br />
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<b>Madeline's Birthday! </b><br />
Madeline turned two on October 28th!<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LPmDBURZTZI/WjytMjPz2WI/AAAAAAAAGTY/B_cUAVRwzCQuHid5KMuFLFf7MQfiosrjgCLcBGAs/s1600/m2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LPmDBURZTZI/WjytMjPz2WI/AAAAAAAAGTY/B_cUAVRwzCQuHid5KMuFLFf7MQfiosrjgCLcBGAs/s320/m2.jpg" width="240" /><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EYobfYdsQpw/WjytLw-FF8I/AAAAAAAAGTU/ExnhJNHGUdI1HGUpTDS1Fkkqil0MgUKOQCLcBGAs/s320/m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Madeline loved this walking, flipping, barking puppy. She had a good day at home with family and we played and just hung out. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";">While writing this I found a couple things in my email draft folder I had started. </span><br />
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<b>September 1, 2017</b> </div>
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Dialogue between me and Ricky I saved to remember:</div>
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Me: I'm so exhausted. There's just so much to do. I don't know what I'm going to do. Everything is just SO hard...</div>
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Him: We knew this would be a hard time. It's okay. It's hard and we'll get through it. </div>
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Me: We knew it would be THIS hard? </div>
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Him: Yeah we knew birthday season was coming up, and school, and the boys turning 18 and...</div>
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Me: I'm talking more like long term. You know, the having<i> NINE</i> kids thing.</div>
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Ricky: Oh that. Yea. We had NO IDEA what we were doing with that.</div>
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(And then we laughed REALLY hard together.)</div>
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<b>September 25, 2017</b></div>
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I
had a fabulous weekend with my husband. Bring married to him is the
absolute joy of my life. I had a great weekend despite juggling really wild kids
with him, kids that we literally didn't know what to do with at times.
Everyone says we make it look so easy, and at times we sure do. But, raising all the kids
is crazy hard. I'll admit, we didn't think easily a few was that hard.
That's why we went in for more. Everyone has a different threshold. Not
sure why we wanted to actually find ours!? Ha!</div>
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The
weekend was really nice though. We talked, connected, and even reviewed
our life, love, and our future. I once read when you marry
someone you marry three people. The person they are, the person you
think they are and the person they will become as the result of being
married to you. That's pretty heavy handed and something next to nobody
even begins to think about. It's true.</div>
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Over
the weekend we took personality tests and discussed why our marriage
works so well and we compared how well we fill each other's lives with
happiness. We are vastly different people, but yet so much
the same. I began to think about the people we were when we met...and
the people we became. Amazing! </div>
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Ricky
told me that what we lack we find in each other. That was so
incredible to hear. What an amazing couple we have become! By fate. By
chance. By love. But also by choice! </div>
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Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-69007236557994608612017-09-29T03:46:00.000-05:002018-01-09T01:52:48.037-06:00Our Trip to Mansfield and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and MuseumAs an early birthday present for Penelope I took her on a trip to Mansfield, MO to visit the Laura Ingalls homestead and museum! Her actual birthday is in October, but Wilder Days is held in September each year and we wanted to go! There's a big parade in town, lots of fun events, a fiddle off, and a pageant at the town park and amphitheater near the high school. We have been meaning to go for years and I realized time was slipping away from me. Penelope will always love Laura, and I am willing to bet her passion will find her in Mansfield many more times in her life, but she only has but this one chance to go to Mansfield as a (barely) 10 year old girl. At first we were going to take the whole family, but I soon started to worry about not being able to spend the quality time with Penelope at the Laura Ingalls-Wilder Museum that I had always imagined. I became concerned that Ricky and I wouldn't get to see much of the pageant because one of us would be juggling almost two year old Madeline at all times. Bea and Madeline, and even Everett, are really too young for us to take to most places without some degree of chaos. I really wanted to experience the trip<i> </i>with Penelope rather than just something we drove her to go see and do. It was a last minute resolution that I would just take Penelope, Sebastian, and Layla. We also invited Ricky's parents and sister to meet us there too! That made the trip even more fun! So, Ricky stayed back at home with the kids. It's about a three hour drive from our house. To a lot of people that's a little, teeny-weeny day trip, to me it's <i>A BIG DAY TRIP</i>. I'm not really a good traveler! And, I left my nursling baby at home. It's a big deal to leave a whole day from morning to bedtime! One day it won't be, but right now it just is.<br />
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We stopped for yummy pastries on the way and had a very nice drive through the country to Mansfield, MO. The park and amphitheater where the pageant is held had a playground and a great layout overall. It was nice to know for next time that this will be totally do-able with younger kids. While waiting we bought some handkerchief dolls that were for sale.<br />
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<b>The Pageant: </b> “<b>Laura’s Memories</b>”<br />
<a href="http://www.laurasmemories.com/">The pageant</a> was very enjoyable. It's full of little children of all ages and it's so fun to watch! The kids work so hard and the program comes together so nicely despite a very large cast of mostly children! It really told so many stories. It was so neat to have read the books, so all the story lines and songs were already very familiar to follow. Penelope looked on in awe. She had a quite serious face for most of the performance. I think she was so amazed as it came alive.<br />
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After the pageant we headed out a couple of short blocks away to the cemetery where we got to pay our respects to Laura. Penelope left a pencil on her tombstone thanking her for writing and sharing her stories with us and the world.<br />
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Penelope loved the brief bit we saw of Mansfield and so did I. We then headed to Rocky Ridge Farm!<br />
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<a href="http://lauraingallswilderhome.com/">Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home and Museum</a><br />
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There's a large museum expansion that just opened up this year. It is filled with so many personal items: clothing, shoes, toys, books, handwritten notes, real sewing and lace hand stitched by Laura. (She was wildly talented.) So many items that belonged to and were once used and well loved by all the family. It's a beautiful, touching tribute and time capsule of their lives. It was extremely special for us, even breathtaking at times. It amazes me more than ever how many people feel so connected to her and her family through the stories about her life. It's remarkable to ponder over and over how it really wasn't all that long ago
that people had to work harder than we could ever imagine working just to
survive. When I was a young girl I enjoyed Little House on the Prairie the book and I loved the television show. I think it's really quite special and amazing Laura ultimately got to talk to and hear from her fans as she lived out her days on Rocky Ridge Farm. She died a very famous and well known woman. I think it's special Laura got to know the imprint she made on generations of people, even having the Mansfield library dedicated to her while still alive. And now here we are,<i> MORE GENERATIONS enjoying her work! </i> It's a very special legacy that brings tears to my eyes. <br />
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Each year more than 30,000 visitors from all 50 states </div>
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and about 20 countries make their own pilgrimage to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home<br />
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You couldn't take pictures in the home, but at the entrance of your tour you could take a picture with this accurately sized Laura cutout. She was very little!</div>
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There was no photography allowed inside the home, but this photo I found (stole?) online. </div>
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I ADORE the kitchen. </div>
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The kitchen was divine and I loved it so much. The wallpaper made my mouth drop open. The home is perfect in every way. I absolutely fell more in love with it with each room we explored. I think we all did. I cannot wait to visit with Ricky. He loves old homes too and grew up in an old farm house himself. Ricky's parents and sister Deanna loved it too. We have a real *love* for this kind of thing!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right after snapping this photo I was told I wasn't allowed to take photos in this area. OOOPS! </td></tr>
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This is the beautiful Rock House, a beautiful more modern home that Rose (Laura's daughter) built for her. This is where the Little House books were written. Rose, a successful author herself, first encouraged her mother to tell her stories on paper. </div>
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You can read about both homes and their roles in Laura's life <a href="http://lauraingallswilderhome.com/?page_id=39">here </a></div>
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Penelope's birthday gift from the gift shop: a new beautiful prairie dress, and Sebastian's coon cap.</div>
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We went a little crazy in the gift shop. We bought bonnets and coon hats and a lovely print of the below artwork.<br />
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Back at home we started planning next years trip. The other kids are so excited. I immediately followed a bunch of Mansfield pages on Facebook to keep up to date with the town. For fun we tried to think of businesses we could open up in Mansfield. Penelope wanted to move there so bad! (still does!) So we day dreamed about it and looked at maps of the area. Immediately the kids got right back into their prairie games at home. Something adorable is that Madeline will answer to the name Baby Grace just as well as she naturally answers to Madeline because they play so often. (Laura's youngest sister.)<br />
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I started a Facebook page to record the prairie kids' adventures, crafts, and play. I hope like minded Little House / Laura fans might find us. You can find that here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Little-Playhouse-on-the-Prairie-187033185176705/">Little Playhouse on the Prairie </a></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-7849205052611524802017-09-21T00:52:00.000-05:002017-12-31T00:53:15.017-06:00Everett's 7th Birthday Mystery<div dir="auto">
<b>September 21, 2017</b></div>
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Everett informed me that he wanted a Scooby Doo party with a mystery hunt. He wanted just his family in attendance. I had weeks I could have planned this, but I was suddenly wondering <i>the day before his birthday</i> how I was going to pull this off. I felt unmotivated and lacking in creativity. I really needed some motivation. Thankfully, he finally dropped a couple of hints, "Mom, if there is an alien monster then make it leave slime behind as a clue." That's brilliant! I wish I would have thought of that! I had no idea what monster I was going to use, but now I had a starting point. It's an alien monster! We have several alien costumes. We are super into decorating and dressing up for Halloween.</div>
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The other request he made was that I be the monster that gets revealed at the end. He wanted ME to be the monster in disguise. I'm glad he told me because I was fully planning on making one of his older brothers do it. I was not getting out of this that easily though. I now had to write, direct, and star in this production. Ok. Deep breath. Keeeeep thinking..<br />
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That evening Layla asked me what my plan was. Um, I still didn't have one. As Shaggy would say, "ZOINKS!" </div>
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I also needed Scooby Snacks. (Another request of his!) I had forgot to get them, but Layla and Penelope reminded me. (They are brilliant and organized helpers!) So, off to Target I went at 9pm.<br />
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Once back home I still basically had NO plan for this mystery hunt. Sheesh! I was feeling like I was in big trouble! What the heck am I going to do!? I'm usually so creative! I sat on the couch tired and uninspired for a while, but then I remembered that I thrive under pressure. I can do this. I decided I would just write this thing out freehand and off the cuff. If it rhymes great, of not then who cares. This isn't a Broadway play. This is a children's hunt for a monster and this can be simplified, do not over think it. I seriously gave myself this pep talk at 11:30pm!!!</div>
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I had the whole simple thing written in well under 10 minutes. This was going to work!<br />
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<b>The Hunt!</b><br />
Early in the morning I sneakily slipped out the front door. Ricky took Everett to the bedroom to "wake" me up only to find this: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-egbnQhZDmJ0/WjIIprUaw5I/AAAAAAAAGQw/0I7rSEMqxwwun_mcMVIk7X9Jo5PqYa6cACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-egbnQhZDmJ0/WjIIprUaw5I/AAAAAAAAGQw/0I7rSEMqxwwun_mcMVIk7X9Jo5PqYa6cACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_4030.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dummy monster alien in my bed</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in the kitchen the night before trying on my costume. Told ya we have aliens. LOL.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Everett was encouraged to run from it with Ricky's help. Ricky rushed him to the kitchen to get his shoes on and for the clues to begin. The first clue was taped to the back door. Layla meanwhile gathered up the monster dummy in my bed and threw it out the bedroom window. I was waiting outside for it. I grabbed it and ran across the street in the cemetery to my hiding place!<br />
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I don't have a picture of the back door clue, but it was something really simple to lead him to open up the back door. Then Clue 2 was on the porch gate:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second Clue... and Slime! </td></tr>
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The second clue read: "You think you are sneaky but you ain't, you are seven not number
eight. You won't find me, I disappear -unless you look for a deer here! "
This makes him go to the garden because that's where we have had deer
problems this year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third clue found at the garden: "Watch out by the road, or you will be squished like a toad!" He is then lead to the mail box, and all over the mail box I placed slime, prompting him to open the mailbox. Inside was a box of Scooby Snacks and the next clue. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You might need a Scooby Snack before you go on...for I am where the dead belongs...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Across the street in the cemetery was this on a tree. This was just clue to let him know he's on the trail.<br />
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He then sees trails of gifts that lead him further.... I'm behind a trash barrel that's also next to a tree, giving me plenty of hiding space. I pop out and scare him, he takes my mask off. It's fun!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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Easy but fun. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lm_5xElpPJk/WjoGXVCPzZI/AAAAAAAAGSI/rXMv7STBL4c0UlxdoR4XSqVKSV1T7ut9wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4034.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lm_5xElpPJk/WjoGXVCPzZI/AAAAAAAAGSI/rXMv7STBL4c0UlxdoR4XSqVKSV1T7ut9wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_4034.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is me in my bathrobe at 7:15am hiding behind the trash can, in the cemetery, in dewy grass, waiting. You wouldn't believe how much adrenaline you have when waiting behind a trash can and tree hoping you see your newly seven year old when he gets close!</td></tr>
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So basically he had a great hunt. I startled him, he laughed, it was cute. He got to pull my mask off just how he told me he wanted to unveil me. The whole thing is on video somewhere. He told me it WAS EXACTLY what he wanted. (PHEW!!)<i> </i><br />
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<b>What Actually Happened </b><i><br /></i><br />
<i>But, OH NO it didn't all go quite as planned at first. OH NO it didn't. </i>The part where Layla throws the costume out the bedroom window...well the window got left open. Unbeknownst to me, as the hunt just <i>barely</i> got started, our dog Gunnar jumped <i>OUT THE DAMN </i>bedroom window. I was crouched down in the dewy grass and dirt of a graveyard watching ants scurry about, starting to sweat in my too-warm bathrobe for an entire twenty minutes before I realized something was very wrong. Obviously, the clues were all small and easy! This was taking WAY too long. When I finally called the house phone Charlotte answered. She told me Gunnar was loose, Everett was crying but she was distracting him. Everett actually said to her, "My birthday is ruined." Why no one came and got me is beyond me! I was just left alone to die of old age in the cemetery. (lol)<br />
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Gunnar is doing much better now, but this was not long after the acted very aggressive towards a neighbor and her dogs. (Like, basically acted like he was attacking them and even me when I tried to get him. Did not bite or hurt anyone though.) We thought we'd have to put him down he was so horribly aggressive. It was only after talking to a rescue group for his breed and a vet that we felt we should give him another chance based on several factors including that he didn't actually harm anyone. We were scared to death about him getting out again though. So, this in our eyes was an emergency and needed our immediate attention. (Presently he's doing so well that we wouldn't have even worried about it until Everett's brief hunt was over, but this was back in September.)<br />
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Leaving my costume behind I emerged from the cemetery, I could see Ricky and some of the kids 50 feet feet away or so pointing and talking and then running. They spotted him. I ran like I've never ran before. I caught up with them and ran right past my family like a bat out of hell. I ran after that damn dog all the way into the woods behind our neighbors house. There is a narrow brush lined path and I just kept running down it. I kept thinking over and over <i><b>no frigging way Everett's birthday monster hunt is getting ruined!! </b></i>I was a mother bear chasing after him. I finally spotted a blur of white in the thick brush and I kept running. I said under my breath some expletives. He lead me close to an abandoned barn that I knew about. He stopped and looked at me and I called him, I quickly changed my demeanor and told him he was a good boy. He still wouldn't come to me. I pretended to trip and fall down and cry. I thought maybe he would try to help me. He's come to Bea before in the house when she was hurt or even just throwing a fit. Nope. He looked at me, looked at the barn, then took off running for it. I jumped up after him and yelled, "You're NO LASSIE!!" Finally I caught up with him again. He was a bit tired and I was able to lunge at him as he slowed to a trot. I literally thought to myself <i><b>THIS ENDS NOW</b>!</i> I grabbed him by his leash just as he slowed to catch his breath. I barely got him. Once I had him he was fine. He never tries to get away if you have hold of him. We actually kept a leash on him a lot just in case he got out, so that was already on him. It worked like we thought it might need to -something for us to grab onto. I ran him back to the house triumphantly, but also with that total mad as a wet hen mom look on my face. I mean, I don't even think I smiled once until I saw Everett finally unmask me. I was in survival mode. I ran back to the cemetery on shaky legs. I still didn't even know it was the window that he got out from. I didn't ask questions until later. I was so sweaty and my legs felt like jello. Now I had <b>a ton</b> of adrenaline. The monster hunt resumed. This was ALL on a Thursday before Ricky got ready for work! Exhausting and stressful! Needless to say none of that was supposed to take that long! Thank goodness Ricky could be late. <br />
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Whew! The stuff you do for your kids. (And meddling dog!)</div>
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Zoinks!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everett picked Chinese take out for dinner! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everett age 7 the BIRTHDAY BOY! I took him to Mc Donald's for lunch and got him a haircut. He loves Mc Donald's
but we don't go very much, so it was a great treat for him. He also had
his favorite orange soda and said this was the best birthday ever. The face says it all! Great Birthday. </td></tr>
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Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-26216732649303609732017-08-22T23:12:00.000-05:002017-11-12T00:00:42.299-06:00THE ECLIPSE of 2017<div align="center">
<b>August 21, 2017</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A moment like this happens once in a blue moon...</td></tr>
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Our home was to be in totality for the eclipse. We were so excited and I read so much about what to expect. We had friends over, made homemade t-shirts and had a fabulous party. The whole experience was very special to me! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QkYqi4Jq0gg/WgfbJTpMuXI/AAAAAAAAGME/1NesJCscWbwbw-DIQ3GUhSNDXVE7UHO_ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QkYqi4Jq0gg/WgfbJTpMuXI/AAAAAAAAGME/1NesJCscWbwbw-DIQ3GUhSNDXVE7UHO_ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3026.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safety eyewear ready to go! Pictured: Four of our kids and five friends!</td></tr>
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I had no idea that the colors and contrast, the detail and structure of the eclipse, well, that image is beyond reproduction. When you see it on TV or in pictures, it's NOT the same thing. I was shocked that there is not really a true representation of it as it is seen in person. It was truly shocking! It was jaw dropping. I felt amazed and it was truly spectacular. I had read previously from eclipse chasers that once you see your first full eclipse you immediately want to know how you can do it again. Where, when, and how... </div>
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This was proven true for everyone in our group. What surprised also was how unlike dusk it got. As the replication of evening unfolded all around me, it did indeed become dusky. There is a sunset that spans 360 degrees. But it was a weird Sci-fi type of dusk. A glowing dimming experience that can't really be explained. Another descriptor I had read was that it is a "Sci-fi like" experience, but I failed to fully understand that too, until it was me standing under the enormous sky looking around in awe. </div>
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Birds did fly off weirdly like 'they' said they would. Our ducks came all at once to the exact place where they bed down to at night. They sensed an urgency to bed down quickly as it became not only darker much earlier but also at a faster pace than they were accustomed too. Shadows of the disappearing moon appeared on everything. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shadows of the crescent moon danced up the walkway to our home</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each hole in my colander was a tiny crescent moon reflected onto the paper! So beautiful! </td></tr>
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It was spectacular. I will see it again. I will do this again. I must. When the moon covered the sun it was breathtaking. I for sure thought three minutes of totality would seem much, much longer than it did. It doesn't look like any of the high quality pictures or videos that are available. And.... it was over faster than I expected.</div>
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The kids and Ricky loved it as well. Everyone did, and it was so much fun! We have video of our crowds reactions and that is really cool. I had read not to waste much (if any) time recording or photographing it. It would be hard to get a very good image unless you really knew what you were doing, and it would not look the same anyway even if you had the experience. Some of the best advice we got from a scientist online was that if you do anything then video people's reactions. That's where the special moments will really be captured. It was so true! We have a great video of oohing and ahhing and excitement! There is also a clip of me as the moon breaks away from the sun thus ending its totality. I'm stunned at how fast it happens. Immediately you need your glasses again. Immediately everything brightens. It's like slow but fast. It's weird. So, I'm totally geeking out on the video. I even choke up with tears a little because it's so dang beautiful and its such an amazing thing. Lastly, I have a video clip of Sebastian (9) immediately inquiring in a dumb founded way as he literally trips over words in wonder and amazement, "Mom... Hey, Mom...um, how often does, I mean when can I see this again?" Immediately the words repeat in my head that I had read three says ago:</div>
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<i> <b>Once you see totality you want to know how you can possibly see it again. </b></i><b></b><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b></b><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is picture is totally how hard of a dork I actually am!</td></tr>
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Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-26707161533954491152017-08-14T10:42:00.000-05:002017-08-14T10:42:34.452-05:00Summer 2017<div dir="auto">
We flew into summer full force and full of excitement, I expected glorious family time, BBQ's, swimming at the creek, giant flamingo blow up rafts, and lots of relaxing outside time. I also daydreamed about getting away with Ricky to a nearby resort or maybe a far away resort...maybe a fancy rooftop pool or if need be a simple water park. Could we plan a much deserved getaway? Wait, we have a baby. I quit daydreaming and realized that we'd have to stay nearby. However, in actuality he got swamped with work while I was swamped at home and nothing transpired or worked in our favor for a small dreamy getaway. That's okay, we will still enjoy the awesome long summer days ahead of us... right? RIGHT? </div>
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In reality we have been at least 90% busy trying not to just simply drown! We had only about 10% of actual free time/fun. It's our own fault really. I'm not complaining, but reflecting; good gracious we really have done it. This summer has been nutso! Nine kids is a hearty load of various healthcare appointments, food, laundry, dishes, noise, and everything else in between. And the animals. They take up more time than I ever think they will. We are exhausted. Madeline climbs EVERYWHERE and EVERYTHING. She reminds us of Everett! I used to say seven is the hardest number of kids! (Everett was the seventh) now I say nine is. ;) (Admittedly, this was unscientifically based more on which babies and kids were the most difficult at the time, not the <i>actual</i> number of kids.)</div>
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Madeline is soooo clingy. My mind is in 1000 places trying to tackle too many projects both old ones and new. Most of the time I tell myself I must thrive on chaos, because every time I think we should pull back and lighten the load we end up just doing more! </div>
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I have a hard time telling myself that I can't do it all. So I pile up my to do list as high as I want and if it overflows it overflows, and if I make a mess then I make a mess. But I never, ever run out of stuff to do. </div>
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Madeline chipped her front teeth in early summer. It was caused by Sebastian and Everett fighting over her! Sebastian felt Everett was being too rough in his play with Madeline so Sebastian grabbed Madeline from him, then they both end up pulling on her in disagreement!! I was close by at the kitchen sink telling them to let her go. Wellllll, they let her go alright. Just as I turned to take a step towards them to get her, she flew smack into the fridge like a rag doll. I was so mad I was almost blind. I had to take her outside because if I didn't I was going to scream at them until I ran out of air. I paced the driveway holding her and I checked her teeth. To the pediatric dentist we went. He filed them smoother and the x ray looked as if there was no damage to the root. It can still take weeks for nerve damage to show up though. We should be out of the danger zone now, her teeth are holding up and there is no damage to them other than slight cosmetic. They broke off in nearly the same place. </div>
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Our toddlers are always both wild kids and wildly unlucky with teeth. Charlotte broke hers in half at 14 months old slipping on a picnic table and landing on them, Sebastian broke his falling outside, Everett cracked his on the bathtub! Bea's front teeth were doing poorly due to decay despite aggressive attention to hygiene. Eventually we had hers capped. I just want my kids to keep their baby teeth! </div>
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I finally planted tomatoes in late June because I found discount plants and planting makes me feel so good. I just had to do that for myself. Penelope (10) and I planted pumpkins, too. They are coming up great and we have so much fun watching them grow!</div>
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June and July seem like a blur. It seems like we ran into a string of bad luck, I'm not sure if bad luck is the accurate descriptor I'm looking for, as we are very lucky and blessed overall, but I can't think of a better way to describe mounting auto bills (yes again --as was experienced last summer), sickness, wildlife problems including owls and possums that culled our flock of at least 20 hens down to just four laying hens over several months time. ONE single night a possum killed eight young chickens in one go at it. Nature has not been kind to us this year, and now, after trapping those pests, I'm at war with a much bigger pest: deer!!! They were munching my sunflowers like crazy. I used some top rated stinky spray that deters them and it seems to help for now.</div>
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<b>Everett</b></div>
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Everett (6) is having an emotional time and needing a lot of slow, calm attention. He has full-on emotional outbursts over everything! He goes through this phase from time to time. Probably around growth spurts. It's hard balancing all this STUFF and also remaining calmly present for the people that live this crazy life too. Six can be a hard age and he is a middle child. So I'm always trying so hard to make things better for him. He's wild, hilarious and sweet but also emotional and sensitive. </div>
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He has outbursts like this funny and quirky one I wrote down: </div>
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Everyone's eating yogurt at the table right now. Everett jumps up suddenly, pulls his pajama pants down (no underwear, no shirt on) and has an outburst, "Ughhh YOGURT! FINE! I'll eat naked!" Apparently he got yogurt on his pajama pants. He sat back down and in a calmer tone this time announces to us with confidence, "Good thing I like being naked!" We just stare in disbelief until sassy Bea chimes in, "Uhh you CAN'T be naked, GET some clothes on you EVERETT!" And I'm like, "Yeah you have to wear clothes." He obliged and left the room. <br />
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Cute:<br />
I showed and made the kids cup-o-noodles instant soup from my childhood (My Grandma Smith had these for lunch frequently which I fondly remember!) and Everett said, "Wow, did they have these in prairie times?" </div>
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And then the sweetest moments ever like these recently: </div>
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<i><b>"Thanks for my peanut butter and Jelly mom. And thanks for life for me. For my life you gave me."</b></i> </div>
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One of the kids casually said that I don't work (as in a job outside the home, which is true). Another kid said I did work. But Everett (age 6) out of nowhere adds his profound opinion, <b><i>"Mom doesn't work. Mom has a destiny. Mom takes care of kids because it's HER destiny. And it's really hard."</i></b> </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">My heart melted. My six year old summed up my entire beautiful, messy life. </span></b> <b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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(By the way, this totally made up for him swiping out of my hand earlier the breakfast sandwich for dinner I had made for myself. Literally OUT of my hand! He gave it back and said sorry. He has impulses. I know this.) </div>
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<b>Charlotte (20)</b></div>
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A few mentions about our oldest, Charlotte. Her hard work paid off when she made the dean's list last semester for her excellent GPA. Last year she was invited to join the honor society at her college. She became Vice President of her chapter within a couple of short months and then President by the end of the semester. She got to go on an expense paid honor society trip to Branson, MO. She has worked VERY hard, studies almost all the time, and we are so very proud of her. She helps around here as much as she can. Two weeks into summer break she was already working at a bakery part time for summer. She's motivated, awesome, helpful and just a great young lady. We are very proud of her. Can you imagine how interesting yet challenging living in a home with 10 other people, most of them under age ten, all while holding down jobs, going to college and having a mother who is constantly wanting you to stop leaving her dang dishes in your car. Haha! :)<br />
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Recently, Charlotte found out her very hard work and huge amounts of studying paid off because she was accepted into the physical therapy assistant program she was working hard to get into. Then a day later she received a "surprise" letter in the mail! Charlotte was awarded a nice scholarship from her school to help her pay half of this fall's 2017 and half of this spring's 2018 semesters!! SO PROUD OF HER!!!!!!!</div>
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<b>More of the stinky....</b></div>
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Our main computers all went out on us. And our ipad is missing. We wonder if the baby threw it away. So, we need to do something about that and now writing / posting is harder than ever! As if I needed another obstacle to writing besides falling asleep exhausted every night at 8pm! Ha! I've been convinced I couldn't really type a blog post on my phone but here I am.<br />
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Speaking of exhausted, here's a funny text from recently when Ricky brewed coffee and we were going to try and enjoy some TV watching together. The baby woke up and I fell asleep trying to get her back down:<br />
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When I woke up the next morning it was the first laugh I had of the day. <br />
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We message each other a lot in the evening and sometimes it's the only time we talk in the evening! But sometimes it's sad and not that funny. We really do miss each other when it gets crazy! <br />
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<b>Dog Trouble</b></div>
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In the late spring/early summer, Gunnar, our one year old pup who was supposed to be a Great Pyrenees but is actually an Akbash (more about that below) had an incident that devastated us. </div>
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This is what I wrote at the time:</div>
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I am having a hard time focusing after crying for two days! Gunnar was triggered by strangers and jumped our fence (we had feared it after finding out he is not a Pyrenees) and he was very aggressive. There was a huge fight (mostly him) with my neighbor's dogs and I felt I had to protect my neighbor and her dogs. No one was injured. She was traumatized and I was devastated. I was sick over it. I cried for two days. It was that bad. We were in extreme fear for ourselves and her dogs. After talking to Akbash rescue and going to my vet I feel better. They both assured me that if he had wanted to do damage he would have. A rescue mentor who knows the breed well told be this breed will purposely threaten and act like they are coming at you but don't make contact. So he's not an immediate threat, but we are taking this beyond serious as we well should. He is mainly triggered and a threat to dogs passing by. Akbash dogs are horrible for this. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me hugging Gunnar's head after I was crying day 1. He knew something was very wrong. And he acted different and somber after his outburst. At this point thought I might have to put him down for viciousness.</td></tr>
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We do assume we will have to rehome him through the rescue, but since we are heartbroken we are still researching. He still needs neutered and that is on May 1. The vet thinks we should do all that first, too. We still have the jump the fence issue though, which is only an issue so far if he sees a "threat." Unfortunately everything to him is a threat! A privacy fence is a heavy consideration. At least with the info we have now we get time to assess our future and get used to the idea that he may need a new home. So I can stop crying at least for now. (Vet thinks a new home will stress him more and give him anxiety issues since he is with us so much.) We can take it one day at a time for now. This is taking extreme planning and he has to be inside if we are not home. He can only go outside with close adult supervision and on a long tie out for no more than an hour. My neighbor is thankfully not angry with us! I have visited her twice now. She and I had a great conversation. There are other dogs on her walk giving her trouble too. And we are the only pet owners taking this seriously. </div>
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He has redirection issues which is horrible. That has been improving, but not perfect by any means. This means he bites us if we try to stop him from going after his target. His harness has made him able to walk on a leash willingly and be pulled away safely so that is great. Our vet says it sounds and looks like we have spent a lot of time with him which is key to teaching him.</div>
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Months after writing all of the above, I wrote to Akbash rescue on their Facebook page thanking them for helping us:<br />
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We thought we got a second Pyrenees puppy last year, but the breeder was either ignorant or not truthful. I did not want an Akbash, as I know they can be territorial, jump fences, and need lots of work, but we realized it all too late when Gunnar was around six months old. We hoped that around one year old we would not have to rehome him for the typical reasons. I am so thankful Akbash Rescue gave me the time, support as well as the advice I needed to hear on the phone (through my tears!) without being judgmental. They saved us from having to give up my best pup friend. <br />
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Every night my Gunnar follows me around the house. From doing the nightly dishes, to reading to the kids, to brushing teeth (he lays RIGHT in front of the sink every night lol), and then laying near the kids at bedtime. Family pets are so special! I *totally* get why our vet said re-homing him would traumatize him and if at all possible he should stay with us. I am so glad I made the call to Akbash rescue as well as contacting the vet so that they could both educate me and help us make the choice to keep him and how to proceed from there. I'm so glad he is responsive to his new routine and supervision. He is not allowed outside alone except in one small area for very short periods of time. He has a larger area to run in a couple times a day with us supervising. It's been very rewarding taking care of him! I didn't think I could do it because we have lots of children and my time is limited. But I stay home full time and I wanted to do everything I could to help Gunnar stay with us. I did it! And I'm so glad! I have even worked with him and our goats, and he's quite good at herding them! I am working on him not chasing chickens now. He is a joy and I feel so lucky he can stay with us. Thank you Akbash rescue for taking my call months ago. Happily, we can keep our friend and family member!</div>
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Now, don't let me fool you, he's still a pain in the ass teenager dog. But he's really improving. His redirecting issues are even getting better. If I'm careful I can feed him and the other dogs treats together. (Akbash dogs are extremely territorial of food, like they go full on crazy! Lucky for us it's only an animal issue and not also a human issue! Some have issues with any pet or person and food!) He is very sweet and affectionate. Most people don't get to see the sweet, ridiculously affectionate dog we live with because he's SO territorial. He's a heavy duty guard dog. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is making it through our front door with him here. A guard dog is important to me -this is a little over the top though, but okay...it's what we were handed.</div>
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We have been thinking for six months or more now that he needs a buddy to play with because he's very playful. He's too young and rough for the kids to really actually run and play outdoors with and our other dogs are all old farts. :)</div>
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<b>Summer Season bad luck treks on...</b></div>
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In June (or May!?) We had a beloved cat (my favorite cat) get a snake bite and die. He was only one year old. I was so mad about that. We took on the care of FOUR kittens though, so it the blow was lessened because of affectionate cuteness, but I still was really mad and bummed out for a couple weeks. He's buried next to my garden. One of our rabbits broke through a probably poorly latched hutch door and unfortunately Gunnar found it first and killed it. He comes from a long line of varmint hunters, so the breeder said. Not much you can do when that happens. (he's not allowed in that part of the yard anymore) So that was a bummer. We thought our rabbits were both girls. It was HARD to tell! However the remaining rabbit, a short while later, had babies! And then preceded to eat each and every one of them. I am, at this point, seriously fed up! </div>
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Our kittens we named after my Grandma Wanda and three of her siblings: Wanda, Georgia, Doyle and Dairy. I thought perhaps after we fix them and raise them for a year or so we can take a couple to the farm house (assuming they are okay with it and assuming we fix it up and stay in it more) so that they can mouse the property and hang there when they are older. They already prefer the outside to the inside, but that wasn't my intention. However, they just love living under the cool porch right now. They are super sweet and so friendly. I love our cats even though I don't really consider myself a cat person. We, um, have seven cats. The kids play with them and take such good care of them that they are just the sweetest </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They hang out with the kids all the time</td></tr>
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<b>Madeline LOVES to climb stuff.</b> This is worth repeating again because it is a huge, massive drain of my time! <br />
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She's. Everywhere. I go through weeks of split personality disorder where I am like: "Grow up already I need space and time" to "My goodness, I love babies so much I must enjoy this moment, nothing matters, stay little -cobwebs and dust go to sleep 'cause my baby won't keep..." to back again, "Oh.My.God, I can't get anything done, I want time to garden and make pie, and the dishes and laundry are slipping into a disaster, and the other kids need me, I'm tired and I can't water the ducks with her because she stands in the water with her shoes on <i>every time</i>, she throws dog food everywhere, throws spoons, climbs on everything....and.child.get.<wbr></wbr>off.my.freaking.boob!"</div>
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Oh.But.Motherhood. <br />
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Life Is Perfect.<br />
It's this back and forth struggle all the time. </div>
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<b>Bea</b></div>
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Bea turned FOUR and we had a fun flamingo party our house and at the creek with friends and a GIANT blow up flamingo raft. We narrowly dodged a thunder storm that threatened to ruin her creek party! <br />
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<b>Bea funnies:</b><br />
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One day while I was trying to get the baby down for a nap Bea wanted to watch Berenstain Bears on the computer. Layla was helping Bea but didn't know the password so they had to wait for me to sign it in. For fun while they were waiting Layla passed the time asking Bea what she thinks my password might be. Her ideas are adorably hilarious: </div>
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<i>Hug your babies </i></div>
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<i>I love babies </i></div>
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<i>Wear shoes or you'll get a splinter in your foot</i></div>
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<i>Take a bath or you'll get a rash</i></div>
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<i>Homeschooling is the best</i> </div>
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Instead of saying last weekend, Bea calls a previous weekend "yesterday weekend." And I love it so much. </div>
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Bea talks so much and it's adorable. She says amazingly funny things and unexpected things that make us laugh. For example: suddenly she handed me some cheese she was eating and she said, "Here mom, here is my cheese, it is rubbish." </div>
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<b>Aslan's Last Days</b> </div>
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Aslan is our Great Pyrenees and the first dog Ricky and ever had together. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TLyFnuvmvfo/WY3EIMqVsLI/AAAAAAAAGEI/YRYl8O02sCc80JqDLZ9V5z0HOb38d2x7QCLcBGAs/s1600/18424053_10155087664541047_5059817648431382825_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TLyFnuvmvfo/WY3EIMqVsLI/AAAAAAAAGEI/YRYl8O02sCc80JqDLZ9V5z0HOb38d2x7QCLcBGAs/s320/18424053_10155087664541047_5059817648431382825_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sebastian and Aslan at 3 am years ago</td></tr>
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Aslan had been having subtle problems in his hips for years. The years passed, he became old and he had trouble getting around. Some days were better than others. Eventually he'd spend days at a time laid up and unable to walk, but he always got back up eventually. One day he just couldn't anymore. We spent about three months caring for his every need around the clock. We put him in our own home "doggie hospice." We bought dog wraps (diapers), fed him extra special food, toted him inside and outside for fresh air, set him up doggie TV, cleaned and bathed him, tended to pressure spots. It was a tremendous amount of love and care. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aslan watch doggie TV on YouTube</td></tr>
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Aslan's Hospice Care Room</div>
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One day I commented on how great we were doing caring for him but that it can be so hard. </div>
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We spent a lot of money on comforts for him and a lot of time washing his bedding, diapers, the floors, etc. He was no small dog: At his largest he was over 100. As he became sick he weighed 80-90 lbs. (less at the end as he lost mass before his passing) Ricky said caring for him and spending the money to care for him is the one the way he can thank him for watching over his family all these years and times he was out of town for work. I thought that was really sweet and special. </div>
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Finally, Aslan was exhausted and so were we. We made and cancelled THREE euthanasia appointments for him. We didn't want to give up on him. We waited as long as we could but could tell we were all growing tired. Aslan would attempt to army crawl around the yard and get sores from dragging himself. He couldn't go far, but he could make it across the front yard eventually. Somehow he'd roll down the porch stairs to get to the yard! But we never saw how he did this. Pyrenees' are stubborn and this ol' dog was being no different. We'd clean and treat the sores he caused himself by dragging (also bed sores). It got too hard after a while, the bathing became SO hard, and as the sparkle started leaving Aslan's eyes and it became time to face the music and say our goodbyes. His condition would only deteriorate him in the future and we wanted to avoid kidney failure and other eventual breathing/ eating complications. </div>
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I originally didn't want to be there for his passing, but when we loaded him up it felt natural to climb into Ricky's truck with them. The vet was super impressed with how we took care of him disabled for so long, so that felt good. The vet thought it was great timing so that was nice. It was all so extremely peaceful. The vet gave him a kiss on the head which was extremely touching. He gave him a sedative that made him sleepy. He fell fast asleep and started snoring. The vet then gave him the injection, he changed fro. Snoring to breathing deeply, he took in several fast breaks through his nose and it was almost endearing. His heart stopped in about five seconds. It was so peaceful and even beautiful. I cried only a little as we left and the extremely kind staff wrapped old blankets around him and said we could keep them. The compassion was touching and amazing. I'll never forget it. </div>
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We stopped at a store that has lots of concrete statues for sale to buy some grave markers. It was for us too, but I thought the kids would think it was special to have something to give and commemorate our beloved dog with. </div>
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We drove to the farm where PaPa (Ricky's dad) dug us a grave with his trench digger. Ricky's dad is so thoughtful, and so it comes to no surprise that he was thoughtful about where to put Aslan for his final rest behind the old farm house. He also had extra shovels and a rake for the kids to add finishing touches. We all participated and had good closure. I want to plant something next year to add to the area. I had photos to share but they are on Ricky's IPOD and I have not nabbed them yet. <br />
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We also celebrated Ricky's parents' 40th wedding anniversary! We had a small but wonderful party at the farm with just us and Ricky's sister. </div>
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<b>Aslan's Backstory</b> </div>
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People always love the story of how we got Aslan. We bought a Great Pyrenees pup from some friends well over a decade ago and named him Aslan. His father was absolutely massively big, his quite fitting name was King. Aslan means king in Turkish. (You may recall, Aslan is the lion's name from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe)</div>
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We had Aslan for about nine months or so before he disappeared on us. I literally watched him walk away that afternoon (we were on lots of property then) and unlike every other night, he just didn't come back when I called him for dinner. I was pretty upset and started posting signs and buying LOST ad space in the small local paper. Nothing transpired and we eventually gave up. An old time farmer called me an unexpected three months later saying that he probably had my dog. I went over to his farm just as the sun was setting. An old man in overalls promptly brought me a big white dog on a rope leash. He said he just showed up two days ago. I looked over the dog and wasn't sure. He didn't really respond to "Aslan!" I told myself surely Aslan would remember me...right? Or, maybe not? Seriously, a lot of Pyrenees dogs look the same. It's not super crazy to not be able to recognize your dog if you have a Pyrenees. I didn't know what to think. It looks like our dog. He sure didn't seem to know me though. I walked him around in a hesitant circle for a second as the sunset quickly turned to black sky. I told the old farmer that to be honest I wasn't sure if he was my dog. His reply, "Well do you want him or not? And you can't bring him back if you take him." </div>
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I lifted this huge dog into the backseat of my car, I just shoved him in like Rabbit trying to shove Winnie the Pooh through his rabbit hole. This dog didn't know what to think either. We didn't even have a mini van back then this was so long ago! And off I went. </div>
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We kept him chained to our porch for a month. (When he wasn't inside.) One day we let him off the chain and held our breath. "Aslan" was home and never left again.</div>
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It's a hilarious family story amongst the kids. They love wondering if it really was the first Aslan or not. We all do. Sometimes we'd call him Aslan 2. Pyrenees dogs aren't known for being super excitable or even personable in a reuniting situation per say. A lot of them are farm dogs. They patrol. They bark. The are lazy and noble. They are like lions. Can you tell two lions apart? Not always. Aslan's personality was always kinda dry and so was Aslan 2's. We will never really know. He lived a full and noble life though. </div>
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<b>Birds</b> </div>
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Thanks to our optimistic and clearly not rational thinking brain, our new ducks, chickens, and turkeys arrived somewhere during all this craziness. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeline is obsessed with duckies!!</td></tr>
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I thought it would be easy to care for them because of the predictable warm summer weather. We wouldn't need to use heat lamps long. Not was I only right, but we were thrust into a nearly month long horrible heat wave. We lost a few birds from the heat. It really shouldn't have happened, but three birds got flighty and stuck in between a wall and their brooder. I guess there was a gap in their cover allowing a couple to get out with enough effort. So.Sad. It makes you feel like crap when that happens. We also lost one laying hen from heat stroke, which was just a fluke unfortunate incident. This leaves us down to only three current laying hens now. </div>
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Ricky made us a new cute turkey tractor. Once the turkeys are fatter we can let them free range. These don't fly over fence (because they get too fat) once they get a bit older. </div>
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Ethan (17) has been helping so much with the animals and I'm so thankful. We have been SO busy and I have been swamped with that cute and clingy baby. It's exhausting doing just about anything and I'm struggling to keep up! So he has really stepped up to help for many months now and I'm really thankful. </div>
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We made a couple farm visits to the family farm and my family also visited us this summer. The heat wave drug on in a painful way. The grass dried up. We were bored. Illness struck. I got a cough and then the other kids did and then we got better and then sick AGAIN, somehow!? It dragged on forever. It felt like winter except with hell-like temperatures outdoors. Layla somehow developed pneumonia and it was awful but we acted quick and got her antibiotics! She almost had to go to the hospital. </div>
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I somehow pulled a large muscle in my upper back/ shoulder blade area . I was barely mobile for a week. After an hour long massage at my chiropractor's office and some rest it's still getting better. I couldn't lay down or even take a full deep breath without it being excruciating. I had a cough too and that was killer! I finally discovered if Ricky pushed on my back while I coughed the counter pressure helped me through the stabbing pain in the pulled muscle as I coughed. Ricky worked from home the week my back was out and Layla was so sick. Every time he heard me start to cough he'd run over ad push on my back. I was so thankful!</div>
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Here's what I wrote on my private Facebook on Layla's birthday:</div>
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<b>August 1, 2017</b><br />
You guys, things are hard right now. We have a bad sickness and Layla got pneumonia. Her 13th birthday is today. Two days ago we thought we'd be in the hospital. Luckily we knew the signs (uh, she had every one!) and on Sunday called our doctor's after hours number. We got her on antibiotics and even some oxygen. (We did that on our own -you can buy oxygen in cans on Amazon!) She's doing better, though recovery is still going to take a bit. It's been a little scary and hard. She has barely eaten anything in days. The other kids are hit or miss<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show"> but mostly alright. Ricky and I are a force. Sure we are a bit unwell too, but we are taking turns sleeping as needed because some of the kids need care at night, especially Layla. Though things are hard, things are also amazing because we are doing this together. </span>As a mother I felt heartbroken that Layla's much anticipated 13th birthday is being spent so sick. I'm also sick and tired and doing the best I can, which means presents got done but no decorations or other special thing. We certainly aren't doing sweets today. And then in comes Charlotte. She apparently went to the store and bought all this stuff. Outside, so the kids didn't see, she carved out this amazing cake of fruit for her little sister. Candles and all.</div>
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I cried when she showed me. I'm just so thankful she made Layla's birthday special! Layla was so grateful and happy. Her face just lit up when we brought it to her in bed. And then thankfully Layla ate for the first time today! Happy Birthday to my sweet and funny Layla! And thank you SO much to my wonderful thoughtful Charlotte!</div>
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<b>Not Enough To Do: Let's buy more things to feed ;)</b></div>
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We wondered more about getting a friend for Gunnar. We have two beagle mixes that are getting older and limp sometimes (GREAT more hip problems). They are nice dogs but are kinda grouchy when it comes to other dogs wanting to "play." We have been keeping our eye out for a Newfoundland for at least six years but never found any within 200 miles. Then Suddenly SHE pops up on Craigslist; a not very good photo of a supposedly $50 Newfoundland (originally paid $600 by her first home. We'd be there THIRD HOME). They are moving. So we think this over for a couple weeks. Can't believe no one has nabbed her. I finally ask if she has any trouble or issues. Does she like cats, kids, farm animals? They say she's super sweet and deserves a good home. No issues. Runs with goats. Hum.</div>
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Gunnar rates two stars out of a six scale for "gets along with other animals" on any site you look at. You know what he rates a six at? Territorial jerk-ass. BUT, also, a redeeming five at loyalty and affection. :) </div>
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So due to the even natured temperament of the breed (mellow friend for Gunnar?) and the fact that this Newfoundland is a girl, AND the fact we have wanted one forever, we nervously (I do mean VERY nervously) went to get her. We were nervous because we knew we had too much on our plate already! We were nervous because what if she was not a good fit for us, or us for her? </div>
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She's as sweet as they said. Her name is Shadow. She happily wagged her tail and loaded into our van. The second she saw baby Madeline (1) strapped in her car seat she rested her head right on her. She loves kids. Newfoundlands really do. The breed was memorialized as "Nana", the beloved guardian dog in J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. On the way home we stopped off for some Iced Tea at Mc Donald's. I gave Shadow a drink of water and visited with her. She was SO happy. So sweet. So darling! I couldn't hold back my excitement, "Oh Ricky, I'm not nervous anymore! She's so sweet!!!<br />
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Sadly, Shadow is underweight from just having FOURTEEN puppies. Her skin and teats are sagging badly as she's all stretched out from nursing the 14 puppies. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's fabulous and gorgeous despite needing some TLC </td></tr>
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They had never fed her puppy chow to get her enough calories, vitamins and minerals for nursing, and instead fed her extra eggs. Poor girl. I can feel her ribs on each side of her and her hips. They were nice people, but it's still awful. She also had a large sore spot filled with pus I would later find on her. <br />
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Also, we had a surprise... when we got her a muddy little puppy greeted us. </div>
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<b>WHAT!? Her last puppy.</b> They didn't tell us Shadow was a mother in milk still. They didn't tell us she had a litter of <i>14 puppies</i> until we were picking her up. This all unfolded. They had apparently sold all the pups but one, they kept this one (perfect) female puppy back for themselves but decided that it would be unfair to take her the apartment they were being forced into. I don't know their back story, but this seemed to be a single mom and the whole thing was sad. They seemed to be losing their hobby farm. </div>
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What do you think happened next? Yup!!!!!!!!!! PUT THAT PUPPY IN OUR VAN! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Friends Forever</td></tr>
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We hit the puppy jack pot! The puppy is affectionate and amazing. Her father is a Great Pyrenees. She is still unnamed thus far, except Everett (6) calls her Aslan 3. Hahaaa! </div>
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The night we brought the puppy home we bathed and combed her for two hours the fleas were so bad. They poured from under her eyes. It was truly horrible. Charlotte graciously offered to go to Walmart at 10pm to get us Capstar because I was exhausted but could not go to bed with her like that. Capstar kills all the fleas quickly and in about a half hour. </div>
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The momma, Shadow, is a very sweet girl. She follows me to feed and then follows me back. She's super chill. She's beautiful! <br />
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She does bark a ton at night, which is a bummer because I asked and was told she didn't bark at night. I was looking forward to a not barky dog. But it's not like I wound not have gotten her anyway. </div>
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We've given her a kind home with lots of kids to enjoy and she's eating a ton everyday. She doesn't know how to sit. (How do you not teach your dog to sit? I already have her puppy sitting for food at 12 weeks for goodness sakes!) Shadow lived most her life with goats so gets along great around here and it's kinda nice having a mostly outdoor dog! Although, as she becomes a part of the family and accepts us as hers too she'll probably more readily want inside too which is fine. She's more comfortable outside it seems for now. She's great with children and animals. She comes right to us. </div>
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Gunnar is of course not used to Shadow yet. But, he's having a good time with the puppy for now. This is gonna take some time, and that's ok. There have been improvements. He's just a turd and wants her to be all fine when he growls. He wants to be able to act like a jerk, growl, and then have no dogs make a reaction. Then he'll know he's the boss-alpha and feel cool. Well nobody wants to be growled at. So she growls back sometimes. One growl thrown his way and it's on like Donkey Kong! So there have been times when he hasn't growled and they seem totally okay. We don't/ cannot leave them alone together yet. Except, they did get out together briefly when we were working in the yard and we suddenly looked up and were like 'Oh my goodness they are together!!!' They did fine. We need to back off and let them work it out to some degree, but it's scary! And we don't want anyone hurt! We started walking them each on a leash around our property. Ricky with one and me with the other. This keeps them moving and happily sniffing their surroundings and occasionally each other. It gives them a focus other than staring at each other awkwardly and possibly fighting. This has worked great!! It's bonding time! And it makes sense! It looks like they will get along, I think Gunnar is getting used to the idea! It's only been two weeks. I think he's actually doing okay for two weeks. As soon as he acts like a gentleman she'll accept him. </div>
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<b>Old Toys Made New</b></div>
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One more thing off the to-do list; last weekend we took down our playground because it was getting old and falling apart. Madeline would not stay off of it and ran around on the playhouse top and it was really dangerous. Dangerous because a couple boards were missing and also because she ran by the edge. We could hardly go outside because we were up there ALL the time because she had TOO much fun trying to kill herself up there. Ricky's going to rebuild a smaller playground with a monkey bar area later. But for now, we took the play house and crows nest and turned them in to Little House on the Prairie play structures! The crows nest we made into a cute covered wagon! It took Ricky and I just 30 minutes to screw pool noodles over the top and cover it with an old white tarp. He added some supports and I added a trunk for storage supplies and a seat. It's so darling and fun! The kids play in it non stop! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After Ricky removed the slide, bars, and swings, we used this plastic play structure to help us lower the rest of it down!</td></tr>
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I've been taking a break from our weekly park days with our homeschool group to try and regroup. It's amazing how just one day a week can still be too much when I have so much going on. The chores are NEVER done and I noticed the kids needed some home time too. We also had summer camp and family visit! Aunt Sharon, Aunt Holly, Grandma Wanda and Echo visited! We had such a lovely time with them as usual and I'm so thankful they came all the way from Reno to see all of us. <br />
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I have had extra time at home but I haven't even made the time to unpack our brand new printer and get it printing our new school books from The Thinking Tree yet! But, we are really gearing up for fall! Fall is when everything falls into place for us it seems: Schedules, school, the weather, family time, and thank heavens earlier BEDTIME for the kids and more grown up time for mom and dad!! Later this fall most of the ducks and turkeys will be butchered and sooner than that we are selling our goats. That will be a huge relief! We are going to attempt to finish painting the exterior of our house in hopes that it will get us that much closer to selling one day. We are always looking for property. But honestly, we are too swamped to do anything serious anytime soon. <br />
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In September we are going to Mansfield, MO to Laura Ingles-Wilder's homestead. We will attend a play about her life and tour the Museum. I remember four and a half years ago reading Little House on the Prairie to Penelope, reflecting on how that book has shaped our lives since is nothing short of magic. What a true gift Laura left generations of children and adults that feel kinship to her family and that era. Our children play prairie, call each other Laura, Mary, and Carrie. Everett has played as Pa before. They name their baby dolls after Grace, Carrie or Mary. It has inspired Penelope to create art, sew her own doll, make Little House toys to accompany her cabin, and enjoy ALL the books in the series. Penelope wears her dresses and aprons most of the week. I feel like I helped give that gift to her and the kids too, by opening that book up and reading to them. You never know what beauty and discovery can come from a good book! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope with baby Bea fall of 2013</td></tr>
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Penelope has begun arranging her Little House paper dolls and with her camera in hand to create stop-motion animation! Aunt Sharon sewed Penelope, Bea, and Madeline all each two new prairie dresses this summer! They are precious and I need to get a picture of them all together still to add here! <br />
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I told the kids that I wondered if I would tear up and feel overwhelmed with emotion when I visit the museum. They laughed at me. Because they are kids. They don't realize and I probably haven't properly expressed to them that I was once a child reading Little House, too. I was a young girl who was drawn to and adored the TV adaptation so very much. And now my children are enjoying it with so much passion, love, and imagination! One day they'll understand how generations connect. And I hope when they do they bawl like babies over it! ;) Haha! </div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-7030244137995766762017-04-05T01:31:00.000-05:002017-05-23T01:07:15.482-05:00April 2017<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
April showers bring May flowers! The grass gets green, the birds get busy
building nests, bees visit patches of dandelions and clover, and bright tulips push up toward the sun.... Andddd....I was born! <br />
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April is a great time of year, unless you are a financial analyst like my dear husband is. My
birthday lands at a pretty bad time of year for Ricky. He used to take my birthday
off. But, since quarter end is the first week of April, and we have
collected nine kids over the years (lol) it's gotten increasingly hard
for him to spend the day or evening with me on April 4th. We do get to sneak away from time to time,
but it's <i>NOT </i>usually during the first week of April. Every year he tries
to at least get home early, and most years as of recent it just doesn't
work out. I had a feeling this year would be tough too, so I
planned my own party! Bea wrapped a
bunch of flower bulbs that I picked out last week and she had the best time giving them to me. I acted like I had
never seen them before. I hadn't looked at them since I
bought them, and I was delighted at all the cheery color and fun of
them as my gift! </div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg" /></div>
Beatrice
also made me a window frame out of Popsicle sticks. When Bea gave me
the window she lamented in the sweetest concerned three year old squeaky
voice that it was crooked. She even hung her head down sadly! I told
her I love crooked windows. Her whole sweet face lit up and her smile
beamed. It was precious and I adore my Popsicle stick window!<br />
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
</div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
First
thing after breakfast I took the teens to their finance class, but
before we left we found a dead chicken and a very wounded one. That was a
hectic start to the morning. I was just going to to kill the wounded
one but it was wiggling around a bunch. I was too hasty and rushed (AND
IN A DRESS) to take it over to the killing cone for slaughtering. I
stopped and examined it more...what if she's just real hurt but not
mortally wounded? Its eyes were swollen shut. But, sometimes people
look pretty darn bad at the hospital after a severe injury. (Then again,
they are AT AN ACTUAL HOSPITAL.) Reluctantly, I put away the hatchet
and stuck the hen in a box with pine shavings until I could get back
home and care for her. While I drove I thought about all the miracle animals
I've seen and the compassionate people who saved them. A special floating "wheel chair" for a disabled fish and a wounded turtle with tiny wheels
for front legs. Dogs with two legs. Realistically, chickens have a
pretty low survival rate once badly injured or ill. Over the years you
lose wayyy more than you save. I'll just stop the suspense and tell ya
now: Cupcake (I quickly and aptly named her since it was my birthday) didn't make it. I should have put her out of misery after
all. I once found a floppy, cold and drenched chicken after a bad
rainstorm. I brought her inside and warmed her in a sink bath and blow
dried her feathers. That girl made it. (Just fell like adding a happy
chicken story here for good measure.) </div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
Back to my Birthday...<br />
I told the younger kids I'd take them to Target to get cake
decorating supplies. I browsed the birthday section and found a unicorn
headband and super cute plates.<br />
<br />
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It dawned on me that I had never had a
unicorn birthday party, probably because I was so into unicorns as a
child that it never crossed my mind. Unicorns weren't on my radar as a
once over birthday thing. Unicorns were something I did <i>everyday</i>. But now I'm a grown up. A really big grown up, I'm now at level 39 and it is unicorn party time, because it's been ages since I've unicorned! </div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
Back
at home after Target I made an electrolyte solution for Cupcake, the hurt and
probably dying chicken, I packed its wounds with an antibiotic ointment,
and then it was time to help Bea (3) and Everett (6) make cakes. It was
around this time I realized throwing your own birthday party is a lot of
work. </div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
I quipped on my Facebook: </div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
<i>"I
am juggling four kids making each their OWN cakes for me (it's for me
right?), two of which want to make them from scratch, them also
fighting, a broken bowl, a one year old playing in dog food, and a hurt
chicken I'm trying to nurse back to health. (A very hurt chicken. Blood,
everything.) And I'm doing it all with a unicorn horn on my head because I
am having a unicorn party. Wild day."</i></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
Penelope
and Sebastian were not thrilled they had to wait all day to make their
cakes. I am only ONE person though and they want to make theirs from
scratch. I heard a good bit of complaining about them having to wait. As the other cakes cooled Charlotte got home from college. She
enthusiastically, because she's the best adult-kiddo ever, whipped out
her cake airbrush supplies and started whipping up frosting. Thank God
for Charlotte. </div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
<br /></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
She
got busy with the kids decorating and letting them do list the work
while still helping them create. I was off to pick up the teen boys from
class. I had to hurry because I had a 3:00 birthday massage appointment. On the way to get
the boys I knew I should get gas (gas light has been on all day) but guess what kind of person I am?<br />
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<br />
However, on the way home I was chatting away so happily with my teens about my crazy day that <i>I forgot to stop for gas on the way home.</i> Nearly home the van made a couple of slower weird feeling jerks only
detectable by me. My van was thirsty. I was nervous there for a sec, but we made it home. I promptly got a big gas can out of the garage.
(Ricky could be reading this thinking, so that's why I don't always have as much gas
as I think we have on hand for the lawn mower... Heehe.) I quickly put some gas in (no actually I stood there <i>forever</i> because it's not fast pouring gas in from a gas can into a huge van) and I felt like a
dork and laughed at myself. As I'm gassing up the kids walked out and show
me UNICORN CAKES because they couldn't wait any longer!!!! I loved them!! They had edible sparkle glitter and star candy embellishments you can't even see as well in photos. Very magical!</div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
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</div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
Then I took off in my van again. I
made it to my birthday massage appointment (and got gas from a real station), a big thanks to
all my lovely kids at home holding down the fort. When I got home the
LAST thing I wanted to do was make more cakes! However, Sebastian and
Penelope had their turn of cakes to still do. I didn't have to do a lot, they could mostly do it, but
I'm still needed to help. As they finished up Layla and I decorated outside and took pictures, we enjoyed some cake, too. Bea and Everett couldn't wait for cake so we had cake before dinner. I actually do cake before dinner a lot. They leave me alone to do dinner that way. Besides, after dinner is cleaned up the last thing any mom wants to hear about is getting more food out! <br />
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</div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
I actually had no dinner planned and it was 5:30 or so. I kinda thought dinner plans would just fall into place. I had going out or ordering pizza in my head. Ricky soon texted me a sincere message about how sorry he was he wasn't home yet. He also joked that we should move my birth date. I texted him back: <i>You are an amazing husband and you love me unconditionally everyday of your life. You always think of me first and I have everything I could need and you always strive to give me more. You don't have to be sorry. </i></div>
<div class="gmail-m_-5038149085629295892gmail_msg">
<br />
I ordered pizza around 6pm. I had wanted to go get Mexican with Ricky and
ALL the kids but I was certain he would be too pooped from work, plus I was way too exhausted, and Madeline is at a very hard restaurant age anyway. I ordered pizza and had everyone help me pick up the house before dinner. Ricky walked in as we got the couch bed out and
we all ate in the living room watching something family friendly (AFV probably), I don't remember because Ricky and I fell fast asleep nearly immediately after dinner. Couch beds are the best thing ever.<br />
Aside from my massage and flowers to plant, I also got nice new rain boots, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Conair-Roller-Super-Clips-White/dp/B000R87B1Q/ref=sr_1_1_s_it?s=beauty&ie=UTF8&qid=1492239269&sr=1-1&keywords=hot+roller+clips">better clips</a> I wanted for my hot rollers, and a book<span style="font-size: x-small;">: <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Dunwoodys-Excellent-Instructions-Homekeeping/dp/0446530131"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="gmail-a-size-large" id="gmail-productTitle">Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping: Timeless Wisdom and Practical Advice .</span></span></a></span></span> <br />
</div>
I have spent the last few days doing yard work. I love yard work. I love gardening. I love the kids playing outside all day. I love flowers. I love rain boots. I love spring. I love baby chicks and kids that love them, too. I love the world I'm in when everything turns green. I love fresh air and blue skies. I love warmth. I love little voices next to me asking me questions about earthworms, grubs, and gardening. I love seeing tightly wound Hostas pop up from the ground. I love teaching a kid how to mow. I love my husband. I love spring. Life is so good. Thirty-nine is amazing.<br />
<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">
-Margaret Atwood</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Rainer Maria Rilke<br />
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/rainermari147755.html?src=t_spring</div>
<br />
<div style="left: -99999px; position: absolute;">
In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.
Margaret Atwood<br />
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/spring.html</div>
<br />
<br />Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-41727883918697759552017-03-03T09:26:00.000-06:002017-08-14T10:56:34.367-05:00Come to Think of it, How Do I Do It?<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
Madeline is a very clingy baby. Which means it's hard to get housework done. <br />
<br />
I feel like I
get nothing done. I have more clothes needing folding than I did with a newborn and my kitchen is grimy. I
hate running out of room around here and feeling like we need to move to
a bigger house. I hate our half painted exterior (we started removing
the shutters and painting our house last year). I hate my unorganized
basement and half hung curtains down there and a much needed plumbing
repair for the washing machine outlet. I hate all the things that are
undone, the a pile of to-do lists, our annoying goat fence repairs...I hate writing about it. I hate complaining. I hate being unappreciative. I hate using the word hate.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
</div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
After reading what I just wrote above my frustration begins to wane. I am forced to remember how fortunate we are, how this home is
large and we only think it's shrinking because we keep adding kids to
it. I remember that we go to the grocery store and we afford plenty of food. I remember the
kids are in gymnastics and homeschool groups and they go to homeschool dances and
summer camp. We are healthy. We are so blessed. Life with nine kids is not easy, and this
past year I have realized it more than ever. But we do love it even if it means
that things stay undone and get neglected...even if it means I can't finish
projects, even if it means I don't have time for painting or fixing up the
laundry room. Even if it means stuff goes undone while babies get nurtured. Sometimes though, I have to tell myself that its also okay to get frustrated and fed up and not to feel guilty about it, I'm human! <br />
<br />
When I have mini freak outs of 'I get nothing done' I have to recenter myself. I'm raising <i>people</i>. And thats a lot. So, when I feel like I'm losing ground and I just have to realize it and think about it. When I go shopping I say a prayer of thanks that we
eat well. While driving the kids to gymnastics I think of
my husband at work and remember that this is one more reason why he works so hard for us. (He has said so too.) Every
time we get gas I appreciate we have cars. Every month, at least once or twice, I
thank my husband for taking care of us. My worries start to seem small when I
remember what real worries look like. </div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
<br class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
<b>How I Really Do It </b></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
I
get lots of people telling me they don't know how I do it. "It" meaning
how I handle all the kids, housework, insanity, long hours, the
screaming ( happy and sad kids scream!), the crying, the very little
'me' time, cooking, cleaning (oh dear God, cleaning is most of what I do!), and last but not least, the overall expense involved in raising a
gaggle of kids. </div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
</div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
I used to just chuckle it off and give a half hearted "Yeahhh, it's a real hoot!" Or, "They keep me very busy!" and move on. </div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
<br class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
It
got me thinking a while ago though, <b>how DO I do it?</b> Pretty much what keeps me going, besides the fact that I love my kids and want
them to have the best childhood possible, is that I have a really supportive husband. If I could stand there and explain this to every
person who asks me how I do it this is what I'd say: I'm not in this
alone. Ricky is fully present in our lives as a husband and father. He's
almost always present with us when he's home and if he's not home he's
always just a phone call away. We have a really close relationship, and
he's in nine kids just as deep as I am. </div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
<br class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
I
absolutely love being a mom and wife, but part of the reason I love it
so, so much is that I never feel alone or taken for granted. Ricky and I
don't have "who has it harder contests." We have both joy and sympathy
for each other on a daily basis. I'm so proud of him working hard and accomplishing what he does and I'm thankful he's a great dad and husband. I honor and cherish him
and he does and feels all the same ways for me. I
always get more than one kiss goodbye. He is optimistic. He's easy to
love. He's a good dad. He loves me at my best and my worst. He supports me. He respects me.
He's nice to me. He's funny. He laughs. <b>That's how I do it. .</b></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
<br class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
One
thing that helps me through tough days is that he's <i>always</i> there for
me. I can get a hold of him anytime when he's at work (unless he's in a
meeting of course). Anytime I want to tell him anything, if I just want
a sympathetic ear to quickly share my hardships with, he's there. If
I'm cranky and un-showered. If the kids are screaming and crying in the
background. If the baby just fell off of something. If I'm sick or tired.
If I just want to tell him that I wish I had another job for the day
where I didn't have people screaming, roughhousing, throwing food,
emptying toilet paper rolls, clogging the toilet, losing a toothbrush
down the drain, scattering potatoes all over the kitchen floor, coloring
on the wall, making "potions" with spices in the kitchen, unmaking
beds, playing with mud on the front porch, throwing a mud ball at side
of the house, all while the baby is latched on me like a sucker fish as
the kids fall off swings and get stuck in trees. I can tell him.
Sometimes I want to escape the people who eat 20 lbs of oranges, three
loaves of bread, and four dozen eggs in four days.... So I call him. He listens. He lends support. He agrees. He
asks me what he can do to help. He's my rock. That's how I
do it, and that's how I keep doing it. I'm allowed to have every emotion I have. And he listens. </div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
<br /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
Then
there's the times that he laughs at me as I rattle off hilarious or ornery things the kids are up to. There's also the times he tells me I'm
cute as I explain to him the quirky mishaps I have encountered
throughout the day. I love his strong supportive voice, his calm
demeanor, his attention to detail, his chuckling laugh - I know co
workers must hear him laughing sometimes. I adore that laugh so much. I
can feel the stress wash away from me and I start to smile because I
can hear his laughter and love for me shoot right through the phone line and into my
heart. This is how I do it. It's him. He doesn't just say he loves me,
he shows it in everything he does. I see it in his eyes. I hear it in
his voice. </div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
<br /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
He
calls me. Sometimes he will call me just to hear me ramble for a minute. I love that. So he'll call out of the blue sometimes and
I'll just talk... he also knows it's a way I get some adult interaction and I can share my joys or frustrations. </div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
<br class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
We
are a great team. Last weekend was full of so much crazy. We laughed it
off all day. Every whine, scream, wrestling match between the kids,
food on the floor, clingy baby, messes, poop, spilled drink, a certain
kid defying us, we rolled with it all weekend. We often look at each
other and wonder why we did this to ourselves. We often long for some
alone time. We get interrupted by kids frequently. It's hard. It's
realllly hard. But I'm not alone. But not only all that, we love kids. We love watching them,
nurturing them, laughing at their antics, we love providing a loving
home and building this legacy together. We love having a built in party
on birthdays and holidays. We love it. We love each other. It makes it
all so easy even when it's hard. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
If I could, I'd stand there and tell complete strangers<i> <b>all</b></i> of that
when they ask how I do it. Or, when some people give me dirty looks or make rude comments because
they think children are a burden and that one (or two) people could not possibly provide for or
enjoy that many children, I'd like to tell them how wrong they are. </div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
<br class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg" /></div>
<div class="m_-8545089019913412590gmail_msg">
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Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-17942477994760819592017-01-11T02:10:00.000-06:002017-01-17T02:16:01.668-06:00January at the Park<div class="m_-6536647294371852978gmail_msg">
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I
needed today. It was full of nature and children.<br />
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outdoors and free play. It was full of my favorite young people and it was a
much needed break from the indoors and my own brain. The sun cracked through the clouds
as we inched towards 70 degrees in January! The sky stayed blue for
several hours. Clouds rolled indecisively in and out. The sky, clouds,
and bare trees made a beautiful backdrop for photography. I love how in
the winter the tippy tops of the tree branches look like nothing more than little sticks
reaching far into the sky. The trees are so exposed.<br />
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I don't like a lot about winter. So it's a
big deal when I find something I do like. It's an exercise I need
to implement and embrace because I whine every single darn day about winter. Our
thoughts shape our moods and actions, so I know this incessant complaining is really bad. This winter is dreadfully dull and I feel
awfully uninspired. Today I took time to hear my little ones. I took a break from my complaining about winter and the chatter in my head (my to-do list) and I just let myself be myself with them. I rediscovered a lot.<br />
<br />
Madeline was darling as she explored and loved every minute of it. She's
been very needy (as I've written about in past posts) and I have
neglected to realize that she is probably going through similar outdoor
withdrawals just as I am. She spent all spring, summer, and fall
outdoors. She loved the outdoors and when the weather finally turned
cold she became whiny.<br />
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Sure, shes been teething. But seriously, I am
realizing she is literally climbing up the window because she wants to be
outside. She stares out the window and asks to go out all the time. How
confusing for her! I hate the cold so I don't take her out. The kids do a
little but not much. Realizing this will definitely help me help her. <br />
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Bea and I talked about seeds, trees and moss. She asked me about trails and the posted signs as we waked on trails at the park. I pushed Madeline in the stroller and we had a great time. I really loved just listening to Bea chatter on. We took some moss home and Bea made a moss garden. It's been forever since I just enjoyed them without being rushed or thinking about the house. I miss that.<br />
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At bedtime it was still 68 degrees. Bea and I went outside to tell the moon goodnight. She always calls the moon her moon. I told her she could touch the moon and I took a picture of her. She ran inside so excited to show everyone her picture. Her excitement was amazing. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm telling her, "Keep reaching! Keep reaching! Hold it! You are holding it right now!"</td></tr>
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Today at the park, Everett (6) tripped on some branches on the way to the
car, he exclaimed that he "found nature." It made me laugh as he came
up with a tiny acorn cap in his hand and a big smile on his face. He loved it, however, he ended up
losing it on the way to the car. He wailed over his loss. I walked him
over to a random tree and we gathered black walnut shells that looked like little
boats and the nut meat that resembles owl faces. This delighted him and
he no longer wanted an acorn hat. The ones I found to replace his were
too big anyway he said.<br />
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The kids swung on vines with their friends. It was just a fabulous day. I feel so inspired and refreshed. <br />
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<br />Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-57843223498928034112016-12-13T00:31:00.000-06:002016-12-13T01:12:42.047-06:00Christmas Gift Ideas for Big FamiliesA woman in a large family group that I follow asked for advice and support about announcing her seventh pregnancy. She said her mother complained about all their kids and how expensive buying gifts for all of them was becoming. Her mother didn't want her having any more children. She actually said gift-giving expense was one reason why.<br />
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People with large families have made a lifestyle choice. We have accepted loud cramped homes, hand-me-down clothes (with MASSIVE clothes storage organization by age group), shared bedrooms, and shared toys. We have shrinking kitchen tables, lines at our bathroom doors, and lots, and lots of laundry. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm pretty sure the majority of super-sized families don't expect extravagant, if any, gifts for their children.<br />
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When a family grows so large that gifts start to get uncomfortable for the gift-giver I feel very simply people need to either stop gifting or they need to get creative. Both of those are acceptable solutions to the gift giving dilemma. Gift giving should be meaningful and fun. It should be out of true desire to do something for somebody. It shouldn't be forced and it shouldn't be required. I decided to share some ideas on creative gift giving for big groups. This could be for any size family but I had large sized groups especially in mind. Younger kids can be hard to include in some of the outings. For babies or young children a small toy or other younger themed outing may be more appropriate. <br />
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<b>Time to get Creative!</b> </div>
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<b>Family Dining</b><br />
Large families tend to eat out less due to cost. Eating out is special! Taking a family out to eat is a fun idea and let's everyone spend some fun time together. Alternately, gift certificates can be given. <br />
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<b>Pizza (or Chinese take out) and a Movie at Home</b> <br />
Dinner and some popcorn make such fun movie night evenings! <br />
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<b>Movie Theater Outing or Gift Certificates</b><br />
It's expensive to go to the movies, but some theaters have early morning weekend movies at even deeper discounts than the matinees. Pair this morning outing with a box of donuts and some milk for lots more fun! There are also cheap movie houses that play last months titles for just a few bucks. If you are lucky enough to have an old theater in your area<b> </b>they may be playing old fashioned Christmas movies like It's a Wonderful Life.<b> </b>I saw even local big name theaters had a special showing of Home Alone this month. <b><br /></b><br />
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<b>Plays and other Shows </b><br />
Tickets to a play or other show is a very fun and memorable idea. Most areas offer low cost options to do this. Community plays are often lower in cost than bigger traveling shows. High school or college plays can be a great resource too. Taking advantage of matinee performances can be a big money saver. Around the holidays there is usually something for everyone if you just check your cities events. If needed, different aged kids could attend different shows. Magic shows, children's musicians, and other local talent could also be explored!<br />
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<b>A Christmas Pageant</b><br />
Know of an old fashioned Christmas Pageant being held? Or, what about a living nativity event with real animals? These yearly events are often held at churches and are usually free for the community. Take the special people in your life to an event like this and then top off the evening with a ice cream or some other special thing. I know one church that serves hamburgers, hot dogs, and hot cocoa for free at their living nativity! <b> </b><br />
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<b>Advent Calendar Tradition</b><br />
Every year my cousin Michelle
mails our kids advent calendars. Over the years we have had five,
six, seven... and now this year makes nine calendars mailed to us -one for
every child (and now an adult child, too). This is a very fun family
tradition and one that is very thoughtful. We open them all together at
6:30 pm each night. It's a huge, loved, sweet tradition and gift. Look at their faces! They will never forget this at Christmas time! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December 1, 2016 </td></tr>
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<b>Rec Center Passes or Membership</b><br />
Swimming passes for indoor winter-time sessions, or a family pool pass to use in the coming summer months are great gifts! My Grandma Smith sent the kids some Christmas money a few years ago and we all spent some of it to buy a six month family membership to the YMCA. <br />
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<b>Children's Museum or other Family Membership</b><br />
Memberships are often a great value for large families. It's often cheaper for us to just get a membership than to pay admission for 8-11 people. Our children's museum (where there is something for all ages) would cost
over $100 for us to get in one time, or we can get a yearly membership for
as low as $80 and use it all year long. <br />
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<b>Skating, Ice Skating, laser tag, indoor rock climbing, indoor trampoline park... or any other other indoor place </b><br />
These types of places are all great outings for a group. For the most they part can cover a wide age range. All of these places usually have gift certificates. Mini-golf and paint ball are largely outdoor activities, but they still make good gifts and can be used when the weather warms up!<b> </b><br />
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<b>Games</b><br />
We love family game gifts and have gotten many over the years! Most big families can be covered age-wise with just two various aged board games.<br />
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<b>Family Hobby Ideas or Seasonal Ideas</b><br />
A family that camps might enjoy some new gear or supplies like tents, lanterns, sleeping bags, and so on. A family that fishes might enjoy some new fishing supplies. Think of how the family enjoys<b> </b>their free time and consider gifts that may be useful and enjoyed by them together. Wintertime ideas might include sleds or other snow play items. A hammock , all ages tree swing, or moveable outdoor fire pit are fun ideas. We have <a href="http://www.hearthsong.com/deluxe-platform-swing.htm?aff=10051&gclid=Cj0KEQiAsrnCBRCTs7nqwrm6pcYBEiQAcQSznBNw6JtJMgTfb3a48tHzLvRBrk4M5-CSpY7IkCu_iP0aAguY8P8HAQ">this platform swing, </a>it's amazing and holds 250 lbs! <br />
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<b>Art Supplies</b><br />
A great group gift than can reach all ages. Ideas: crayons, markers, gel pens, paper, tracing paper, googly eyes, yarn, small canvas, paint, paint brushes, scissors, pencils, erasers, a pencil sharpener (we go through electric ones like crazy!!), pens, rulers, stencils, and drawing books. (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=draw+write+now&tag=geminimobiles-20&index=aps&hvadid=30592651914&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=e&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_71kdqnrq8v_e" target="_blank">Draw-Write-Now</a> are such cute, fun, and educational books.)<br />
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<b>Blankets</b><br />
I've had a few family members gift us blankets over the years. Some have been bought and some handmade. I have kept nearly every blanket ever given to us dating back YEARS ago. In fact, I got a unicorn blanket from one of my mom's sisters when I was eight years old and I still have it. Blankets are very personal, cozy, thoughtful gifts. My step-mom Kathie made us all Christmas gift blankets a few years ago (and hats and scarves another year!) and we all still use every single one. In fact, Everett's covered up with one such blanket right now. Over a decade ago Kathie gifted the kids fleece blankets and most of them are still around here. Blankets do not have to be specially made or expensive either. Walmart sells soft fleece blankets for $5.00 or less every year around Christmas time! This year they had huge ones too (adult size) for only $7 and they seemed really nice! Blankets are great gifts. (My mom made two baby blankets for Madeline, my friend Beth made a beautiful blanket for Everett when he was a baby. My cousin Michelle made us a tie blanket for Penelope, and my friend Karen made a tiny newborn blanket for Everett when I was pregnant with him. I have them all!) <br />
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<b>Pajamas for everyone </b><br />
PJ's, like blankets, are good gifts.<br />
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<b>A Box of Fun and Umbrellas Make a great Gift</b><br />
My sister, Christy, sent the kids a bunch of games to share along with sunglasses and umbrellas for the whole family! Umbrellas for everyone?! What a FUN gift!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December 2015</td></tr>
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<b>Throw a Gingerbread (Graham Cracker) House Decorating Party or a <a href="http://www.lovefromtheoven.com/setting-up-an-easy-hot-cocoa-bar/">Hot Cocoa Bar</a> party</b><br />
This is a fun way to spend time with loved ones, and a fairly cheap activity! Could turn into a fun tradition, too. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Paint Your Own Pottery</b><br />
At many paint your own pottery places you get free studio time if your group is a party of 10 or more people. You just buy your pottery pieces and the studio time/glaze is free. We did this one year with the kids. We brought food trays and drinks and had a ball in the private party room! Most pottery pieces start around $5.00 and go up from there. We actually used Christmas gift money from family to help fund our pottery party! I blogged about it over <a href="http://halfdozenkids.blogspot.com/2012/03/just-because-party.html" target="_blank">here.</a> <br />
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<b>Light Display Outing</b>.<br />
Almost every area has a drive through light display within driving distance. We have one that has great Groupon deals every year too. We take our whole family loaded in the passenger van and not only do we get admission to drive through, but we get a 8x10 printed picture taken with Santa too. All for under $20.00. (Price is normally just over $40.00, which isn't that bad either for a huge group outing.) Something similar would make a great festive gift! <br />
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<b>Gourmet Apples or Toffee (or other gift basket of goodies, Sherries Berries, fruit arrangement, Etc.)</b><br />
Ricky's parents have sent us many lovely baskets, popcorn, and fruit over the years and it is always the best time! It's such a great big family gift idea! We huddle around the kitchen savoring and enjoying<b>, </b>talking and having a ball together! Last year they sent us <a href="http://www.honesttogoodnesstoffee.com/" target="_blank">this Toffee</a>. They are not kidding when they say it's the best toffee on the planet. <i>You have NO IDEA. </i>We had the most fun devouring it! It's made by a small family-run business. Another best ever: Aunt Sharon sent us<b> </b><a href="http://www.mrsprindables.com/?AFF=5129&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=mrs+prindables+promo+code&utm_content=%21acq%21v2%2177515575315468-77515575689537-379898814&utm_campaign=Brand&atrkid=V1ADC3AA492F3-379898814-k-77515575315468-77515575689537-b" target="_blank">Mrs. Prindable's Apples </a>HOW can these apples be that delicious? They are so fantastic. These are all such fun group gifts to get! Not to mention perfect for people who really don't need more "stuff." <br />
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<b>Build A Bear</b><br />
Build A Bear is such a fun family gift idea. If necessary, this could also work for the young kids while the older ones do a different outing. Ricky's parents did this for the kids one year and it was SO much fun! <b></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Magazines</b><br />
Magazines are great gift. Ricky's Grandma, Meme Goode, gifted us with Country Magazine for years and we adored it. It was full of beautiful pictures and stories from long ago. We loved it. Grandma Smith has gifted our kids with years of Ranger Rick Magazines and we still have most of them. They now get National Geographic for kids from her. It's really a neat magazine that spans many ages! Here's a picture of Layla reading it to the kids at bedtime one night. <br />
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New Moon, American Girl, and anything from the <a href="http://shop.cricketmedia.com/" target="_blank">Cricket Publishing Company</a> are great magazines to check out as well. Cricket has magazines for <i>all </i>ages and are ad free. I can't even begin to tell you how great their publications are! <br />
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<b>Something to remember: Gifts Often Keep on Giving in Large Families</b><br />
When
gift giving to a large family most of the time one gift lasts for many,
many years, because it can be enjoyed by so many other children later.
Nobody knew that when Ricky's sister gifted this adorable coat from Baby
Gap to Layla that we'd be putting it on Madeline 11 years later! Now
that's a lasting gift! <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Remember it's not the gift, it's the love behind the gift!!! Gifts come in all shapes, sizes, and can just be in the form of time spent together! </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Merry Christmas!!!</b></div>
Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-11601034780629329102016-11-30T02:23:00.000-06:002017-01-12T02:39:42.287-06:00Thanksgiving 2016I stood sobbing over two bowls of marshmallow salad. It started with
just two tears streaming down my face but by the time I was folding
whipped topping into the fluffy marshmallows and fruit I was sobbing.
Making Thanksgiving dinner is a joy to me but the stress of October lingered and Thanksgiving was starting to feel
like another thing I had to do. I just wanted a shower. The kids had
been wild and restless for weeks. Madeline had also been a monkey for weeks.
She's so wild!<br />
Minutes before the tears fell I yelled at Ricky for basically nothing. He irritated me about something dumb and I got snappy. He told me he wasn't going to hang out in the kitchen with me if I was going to yell at him. So then I did yell at him,<b> </b>"I'm not yelling at you, THIS is yelling at you!" I was feeling tired (it was nearing midnight) and I was so grumpy. (Or at this point totally pissed off.) I continued on, "And don't be in the kitchen then! I don't care because <i>"everything's"</i> ruined now anyway."<br />
<br />
Sigh. Stress. Sad face.<br />
<br />
I had a hard week, and when I really think about it, this has also been a bit of a hard year for various reasons that I don't want to spell out. <br />
<br />
Madeline has been so demanding this week and really this month. She is into everything. All day long we chase her around. She also chases me around wanting to be held. She is very needy but so very sweet. She's not a hard baby in actuality, but she keeps us very busy. This week she's been pulling cans out of the cupboard. She's wrapped the vacuum cord around her neck. She also just wants to tear massive amounts of stuff up. She's constantly wiggling from her high chair and then standing up in her high chair. When you get her down she just climbs up the kitchen chairs and the kitchen table. She falls off the chairs regularly and yesterday she fell off the table. She basically landed head first on the wood floor. I was running over to her when it happened. In almost slow motion, before I could reach her, there she toppled feet over her head just as she peeked over the edge of the table in a squat. Insane child! Most people, the kind without nine kids, probably would have rushed their child to the hospital. After only a few minutes of crying and nursing and then a half hour of playing I gave mine a car ride to make her fall asleep.I have no idea why she STILL climbs up chairs. She falls of them frequently. Kids are amazing and resilient. The human species in general is too. Also, genetics. Ricky's head and his children's heads are like bricks! I've never seen anything like it. One time Beatrice fell out of the van while we were loading it up. She was around two and I was right next to her. She talked in full paragraphs very young and insisted I did NOT have to help her up! She toppled out on her head. She still has an actual dent on her head from it. That actually scared me very badly. The sound of head hitting black top is horrid. She was totally fine. Her head dented though! Their skulls are all part metal or brick, I'm sure of it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture from December 2016 (which hasn't even happened yet because this is a NOVEMBER 2016 post, remember. lol) See, told you. She's nuts. She tries to run down the slide.</td></tr>
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<br />
You know when someone's kid gets hurt or dies from drowning, or an equally horrible thing, and everyone lashes out at the parents and calls them the worst ever? The holier than thou parents (and grandparents) come out in hoards on online comment sections preaching about how they never take their eyes off their kids <i>ever</i>, and this would <i>never</i> happen to them. Yeah whatever. Parenting is hard and kids do stuff. Not only do accidents happen, but sometimes you have these really freaking crazy kids (like Everett the bull riding fire fighter and adventurous Madeline especially) and nearly every time you turn around they are being totally insane. <br />
<br />
<b>So, Thanksgiving...</b><br />
I sobbed while folding the marshmallows and fruit together. The small gluten free pizza I was baking for us as a late dinner was done. I cut it and solemnly brought Ricky half. He ate quietly in the dark bedroom while he finished watching TV. Afterwards he came in the kitchen and asked me if I wanted help. I had stopped crying but started again as I blurted out, "I'm so sorry I was mean to you." Tears. Lots of tears fell as big man arms wrapped all the way around my sobbing body. He's the best. This is marriage, the raw stuff. The I'd do anything for you no matter what stuff. The best stuff: like bringing your husband pizza because he needs to eat even if you are snappy and annoyed, or offering help and giving bear hugs to your wife even when she was being the mean one. No grudges or grievances to be had. <br />
<br />
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<b><i>"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish..."</i></b><br />
<br />
Does anyone really think about what "for worse" means? I didn't really. I always just assumed it meant during hard times or illness --pretty similar to the 'poorer' and 'in sickness' thing actually. Turns out it probably means more like when your partner is suddenly a grouchy jerk to you and you show them grace and humility. When we show our worst sides we need to still work towards loving and cherishing each other. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Note: This should not extend itself into abuse.)</span><br />
<br />
He forgave me. He apologized. (He didn't need to.) I cried. I felt better. Release. <br />
<br />
We finished making marshmallow salad, jello, stuffing, and pumpkin pie together until our eyes were drooping closed. We had a nice Thanksgiving. I'm always thankful for him and for who we are together. We truly bring out the best in each other. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 year ago~ Newborn Madeline</td></tr>
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I was pretty busy, but I finally got my shower at 2pm Thanksgiving day after everything was almost ready. I told my family that no one eats until I shower! Barely squeezed that in!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was very pleased with my braided pie crusts! I LOVE making homemade pie. </td></tr>
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We played Pie Face (kids loved it!) and ate and ate and ate. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all ate around the kitchen table. Big family life!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminds me of this gem of a movie, Cheaper By the Dozen</td></tr>
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And that's a wrap! My calendar is cleared. I am looking forward to hibernation time. Usually in the winter we stay in a lot. We hunker down like bears. So very thankful for that.<br />
<br />
<b>Kid Snippets: </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>November 10th</b><br />
Bea (3) was looking closely at the bushes and flowers outside the library....<br />
Bea:<i> "Mom are these flowers all out of bees?"</i><br />
Me:<i> That's so cute Bea. You know so much stuff, like how flowers are supposed to have bees on them.</i><br />
Bea: <i>Yeah cause I know everything! Just like I know about doggies in
the road and old leaves and bees in flowers! Cause I am sooo big and
sooo smart, too. </i><br />
</div>
<div>
And
so cute too! She is great. (I have no idea what doggies in the road
meant! I love it though!) Picture below is outside of the library next to the flowers. Bea decided to crawl through the bike racks, Penelope is
following. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always stop to smell the flowers...and crawl through make-shift
tunnels</td></tr>
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<b>November 7</b><br />
Bea (3) a few minutes ago at 4-freaking-am...<br />
Bea: <i>Mom, is it almost Christmas?</i><br />
Me: <i>No honey, not yet.</i><br />
Bea: <i>Mom is it almost Christmas? </i><br />
Me: <i>No, it's almost Thanksgiving. </i><br />
Bea: <i>Mom, is it almost Christmas? </i><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> Me: <i>No! </i><br /> Bea: <i>Mom, is it almost Christmas?</i><br /> Me: <i>Bea, NO! You've asked me four times!! Stop asking! </i><br /> Bea says nothing for 10 minutes, then she says,<i> "Mom, I talk a lot when I talk." </i></span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
<br />
(Oh goodness, I LOVE HER!) </div>
<br />
<b>November 3</b><br />
“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” –Plato <br />
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<b>November 28</b> </div>
<div>
Everett age (6) loves to try to cook things in front of the space heater in the kitchen. "I want perfect ham" he tells me quite seriously as he places lunch meat in front of the heater. It actually cooked to my surprise! He was thrilled. He's been obsessed with freezing things for years. It's actually comical. If he has two cookies he'll freeze one. He freezes milk and all kinds of things. It drives me crazy but it is also super adorable and interesting how much he loves freezing things. Now he has taken a fancy with the space heater. </div>
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Last summer he kept trying to freeze our blackberries from our bushes. We didn't have enough to freeze though! We wanted to eat them fresh. If I wanted frozen blackberries I would buy some from Costco. He would beat us to the bushes sometimes and we'd go crazy because he'd have the ripe ones frozen already without us knowing. It's pretty hilarious even though we were also not happy he was doing it. He LOVES freezing stuff to see how it changes.<br />
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Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-83027427022030446112016-10-31T03:10:00.000-05:002016-12-20T04:48:43.509-06:00October, the Good and the Bad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeline turned one on the 28th. </td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy Birthday Madeline</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every morning Madeline sits on my hip as I wash the stove. On this morning, I handed Layla (12) my camera and asked her to take a
picture of what I thought would happen. I handed Madeline the rag for the first time ever and just looked her. She blinked
twice, looked at the rag, and then went to work right away. I LOVE watching these
amazing moments of development!! And of course, she felt proud of herself! I figured she'd mimic what she saw me always doing.</td></tr>
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Madeline is such an interesting child with a cute personality. She is very watchful and determined. She loves to snuggle with everyone. She looks at us sometimes and just lets out a little laugh of delight for no apparent reason. (She's happy with her family I think!) She has made up her own language using the word mom. She says either "mom-mom!" or "maam" or "ma" depending on what she wants. "Mom-mom!" means get this for me. Sometimes she pats me while saying "mom-mom!" If she pats me on the chest repeatedly and urgently saying "mom-mom" it means she wants a drink of water. A drawn out and sharp "maam!" is an urgent call for help. A very simple "ma" is usually a more laid back casual call for me to look her way. It's also been her way of asking my permission. As I typed this she just did it! She just sweetly and curiously said, "Ma?" as she looked at my empty coffee cup next to the couch. She was very pleased that I handed it to her so she could see it. She recently went down the toddler size slide all by herself. She climbs everything. All of our chairs are outside on the porch because we gave up taking her off of them and the table. She's wild and sweet. We have no idea what life was like without her. If someone is crying she will go right to them and place her head on them and hug them. She has showed empathy well before a year old. A baby showing empathy at that young of an age is very powerful thing. Babies are so smart; this is especially true when they are nurtured and cared for. Deep neurological pathways are laid in the brain with more positive stimulation (less occurs with less stimulation) and they quickly become capable of amazing, amazing things. All babies are amazing and hold remarkable abilities. Nurture them, teach them, watch them! They are capable of so very much. The older kids marvel at the way she communicates with us. I tell them it's because we all show her love and constant attention. She knows we hear her!<br />
<br />
October's end wrapped up six kiddo birthdays in three months! Phew! Madeline and Penelope are our October babies. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope's 10!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New pioneer clothes</td></tr>
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<b> Penelope-</b><br />
Our Penelope turned 10. She loves the Little House series still and I'm so glad. She's so helpful and kind. She's happy to follow the rules and eager to please, funny that this makes her a very perfect fit in regards to what being a pioneer-child was most like! She makes parenting easy. She has a tender soul. She loves tomatoes and farm animals. She will sign up for any class, go to any event, and meet up with any friend. She is very social and happy. I love the way her eyes light up and her smile beams. She loves to bake. Family and fun is her life. She's a sweetheart in everything she does and is so much fun and also funny. I'm really proud to be her mom. I have so much fun with her. She has her father's outstanding memory, clever wit, and attention to detail and problem solving. She has her mother's silliness, restlessness, and love for baby and toddler care. A cute recent funny thing occurred at the grocery store. I asked her to grab two packages of ham. Aldi always has their ham shoved high and wildly stacked on the shelf. When she grabbed one package a bunch tumbled down. She caught most of them with two hands and without missing a beat hollered, "Ahhh help! Ham-alache!" I will always LOVE that! I was cracking up as we restocked the shelf. <br />
<br />
<b>Bea-</b><br />
Yesterday Beatrice asked us if we knew why she loved squirrels. She replied to us sweetly, "Because I am a fairy girl!" That child is SO full of sunshine. Recently she has really started talking about how she is a bee. She likes honey just like bees and she is a bee too. It's very cute. She recently made friends with the statues at the store. I told her it was time to go but she told me she was talking with her friends. Luckily daddy was at home with the kiddos so I let Bea have her
time. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Madeline got a broom and mop cleaning set for her birthday. She loves playing with my broom, which is obviously gigantic to her and not easy or very safe. We bought her the Melissa and Doug cleaning set that has a stand. It came with other supplies too (duster, mini broom, dust pan). It's super fabulous and great quality. Bea loves it too. I thought the stand wouldn't work out. I thought Madeline would knock it over or try to carry it around. She thankfully gets its purpose and leaves it alone. If she can't get her cleaning supplies off of it she hollers at me in the absolute cutest alarmist way, "Maam! Maam!" as she tugs at it and looks at me. It's SO cute! <br />
<br />
Bea (3) told me in delight that she was a real girl now because she can sweep the floor. (And she asked me, "Right, mom? I'm a real girl!" for extra conformation.) I told her she was a real girl and a very good sweeper-girl. Ricky and I were so amused and laughed at how cute it was. Children are so sweet. One of the things I love about children is how they hold so much innocence and inner happiness. I wrote in another post about when Madeline was really little and how she said to me, "Mommy, you are a really big girl nursing the baby and putting me on the potty."<br />
<br />
Children remind me to not take such little day to day things for granted. Sweeping is a chore (one we do in the kitchen 4x a day here because of all the kids and dogs) and fumbling with a small baby one-handed while lifting a two year old onto the potty is not glamorous or easy. Her view reminds me to be so grateful for the small things. <br />
<br />
<b>Weird & Wild October</b><br />
<div>
The only key to our van key got misplaced this month. It was so lost that I had to have a locksmith come to our house and make me a new one.<br />
<br />
September and October were months of so much running around: homeschool co op , Halloween parties, the zoo, homeschool homecoming dance, MANY other kid and teen events, giving Charlotte rides to college, gymnastics, lots of gorgeous weather and park days, lots of gas to get around, and tons of unexpected 'life happens' problems. All that running around is normal for some, but it's not my thing. I like being home more. Hauling so many kids around wears on me and the littlest kids who have frequent bathroom and food needs. It was wild! Also, doing the household chores is impossible if I'm not home to do them! <br />
<br />
In an attempt to cut back on our crazy life, we got rid of all of our chickens in September. They were not staying in their designated areas. We had too many inbred, too many old hens, too many super wild ones. They also wandered to the neighbors frequently because they put cat food out for their cats. It was a mess. We actually began hating our chickens. As many of you know, I love chickens! We never had problems until this past year and a half, so we need to start over with a clean slate. We can <i>easily</i> go through five dozen eggs a week, so we kinda have to have chickens!<br />
<br />
Our back fence for the goats needs repair. Ricky has been trying to work on it for weeks. Every weekend something else comes up. So the goats are in our yard eating everything. It's seriously crazy right now. <br />
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Goats and ducks and turkeys and dogs and cats everywhere. And they poop and eat and make noise making constant work to juggle along with the kids. (Whom also poop and eat and make noise. Ha!)<br />
I am trying not to say it, I'm trying not to think it, but the fact remains: We need more space. Well, and more time! Time would be <i>great.</i><br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Plumbing "Fun"</b><br />
We have been enduring a six week septic problem with the main line to our home's plumbing. We had two companies out and they didn't help much. We rented an electric snake machine from Home Depot three times and now we finally think we have it done. Every week we would get backed up again and every weekend our life was consumed with having to fix it. Twice we had 3-5 days where we siphoned water from the bathtub after bathing and did the same for the kitchen sink in order to do the dishes. Our anniversary was spent cleaning crap from the basement drain and snaking the line together. Better than being apart at least! <br />
<br />
During one particularly long week of broken-ness Ricky fixed me up a make-shift way to do laundry for the week. I kinda freak out if I can't do laundry. I hate getting behind on laundry. The three hardest things for many families, but especially big family life, is laundry, dishes, and feeding everyone. (The three runner up things I'd say are keeping bathrooms clean, driving everyone around to events/appointments, and the noise level inside.) <br />
<br />
If I can't do chores, like laundry, I start to whine about it. It just freaks me out to get behind. It's too hard to get caught up. Plus, we have a lot of wet laundry that simply cannot sit around: cloth diapers, bibs, dirty kid clothes (with food on them which can mold if sitting around!), dish towels, bath towels, rags.<br />
<br />
We've had three major power outages and a couple septic problems over the years. Ricky always finds creative ways to keep our household running. He's a modern pioneer. He grew up on a farm and farmers can do anything (he reminds me of this). So, he made a way for me to do laundry without resorting to a washboard, which he at first actually suggested. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing laundry without using the pipes via a submersible pump, garden hose drain, and a storage bin.</td></tr>
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We worked on our septic problem nearly every weekend <i>for six weeks</i>. It was on again off again. Improvement was made most weekends but by the time Thursday rolled around water started backing up into the basement drain again. It was finally suggested by our septic company that we camera the line. This was as we hit week four. It costs $299.00 just to look in there! On a gut decision we kept spending money on fixing it ourselves. We almost rented a plumbing camera ourselves but thankfully didn't end up needing to. In the end, we probably came out ahead money wise for all our efforts!<br />
<br />
We have a main line outdoor access point below our porch. It's an odd shaped half moon inlet. It's never had a good cover. A long time ago the make-shift existing cover that came with this old house actually went missing. Near this area we also had some concrete steps/walkway start to break apart. We put off fixing it for a realllly long time. Crazy thing is that Ricky finally bought the stuff to repair the concrete right before our clog. We discovered that for who knows for how long, little tiny bits of gritty concrete, dog hair, and other outdoor debris had been falling in our main line pipe from the outside access! Also, we have kids that do stuff too. For example, I actually dug this skeleton Halloween decoration out of the indoor (basement floor) access line.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found this week three of septic clog fiasco 2016. We're a little bit Brady Bunch and a little bit Adam's Family around here.</td></tr>
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The day our septic was finally (we think now for good) fixed our washing machine's timer broke. The washing machine we were using was given to us and intended to be a temporary solution to our old big front loader needing a complicated new pump. We never got around to ordering the parts to fix our front loader up, and a couple of procrastinating years later here we are. We browsed Home Depot not expecting to find anything when we saw a floor model top loader with the biggest basin I have ever seen. It's a washer that retails for $799 and it was on clearance for $500. I am now in love! I soon decided I didn't want to fix up our old washer after all. I just want to sell it or give it away. We bought the new washer but not the matching dryer because our big dryer still works (but has some issues). I used the new washer for a week and fell more in love with it! I loved it so much I wanted to go back and buy the matching dryer. Luckily they still had the matching dryer on clearance. My new machines make me very happy. There are chimes and songs and lights; it's a total magical overload of sounds and lights. I'm not big into electronic things but I'm telling you, this is the most sensory pleasing appliance I have ever had! (It plays a little cute chimey tune instead of having a buzzer when a load is done) Life is made so much better by the simplest joys. Like new washing machines that make life easier! <br />
<br />
So finally things seemed better. I have a key to my van. Septic is going well now. We didn't exactly want to buy a new washer and dryer right before the holidays, but such is life, and they are awesome at least. I'm a lucky lady! Not so crazy times anymore now for a while... Right? <br />
<br />
<b>Trader Joe's </b><br />
I went to Trader Joe's last week and after ringing up an entire cart full of groceries I realized I had no money or debit card on me. Bea and Everett came in the store with me wearing no shoes (somehow they were forgotten at home). We had just spent the afternoon at the rainy park. (Yep with no shoes on them, don't judge me.) So, I'm standing there with<b> no money</b> and homely, damp, shoe-less kids.<br />
<br />
I was tasked with prying confused and barefooted kids out of the store without their cookies just as they started to cry. Sage (teenager) who was waiting in the van offered me twenty dollars upon hearing their sorrowful cries for cookies. I didn't really want to go back in and buy cookies. I wanted to tell them to get a hold of themselves. I wanted to not care about cookies when I had a missing debit card out in the world somewhere. But I did care. (But also I mostly just wanted a quiet ride home. If they get cookies then I get peace! ) They love those cookies and we only go to Trader Joe's about three times a year. I went in and bought the cookies. <br />
<br />
Before pulling out of the parking lot I left a message for Ricky to ask him if he could pick up our abandoned groceries after work. Trader Joe's was holding them for me. Then I was almost run off the road during rush hour traffic. The lane was ending and traffic was at capacity. Soon my lane was totally gone and traffic to the left of me was at a stand still. I was driving along a narrowing shoulder and it was going to end. I sped up very quickly because I can do some serious Fast and Furious in that 15 passenger van of mine. I managed to get in front of a truck just as I was going to get wedged between traffic and a guardrail. I guess to him it looked like I gunned it in front of all the traffic purposely just to cut everyone and him off, but that's not my side of the story. Later down the road he showed me he is a big tough man as he gave me a huge one finger salute far extended into to the air as he exited the interstate. Really cool, dude. I hope you feel big and empowered flipping off a woman and a van full of kids. I told the kids if they ever do stuff like that they need anger management. And then that just left me with a 'what is wrong with people' feeling.<br />
<br />
Thirty seconds later my gas light came on. I had no money but I had the money Sage loaned me. I used the leftover change from buying the cookies to get gas. Inside the gas station I say, "Thirteen dollars on pump thirteen please." I'm a little superstitious, it's been a bad day, and this is beyond fitting. Plus it's October! <br />
<br />
Ricky thankfully picked up our abandoned groceries that evening. Trader Joe's had them in their cooler. So all-in-all I got my groceries! It feels like life has an extra slice of "humor" for me lately and I'm not really laughing.<br />
<br />
I sure wasn't laughing a few days later as I was dragging all the kids to the bank to report my debit card missing and to get a new one. I wasn't loving the complaining that ensued about the right flavor of bank sucker afterward.We were in the car and there was a shortage of reasonably good flavored choices at hand. I don't even care they complained though. <br />
<br />
Suckers are important. I remember this from childhood. (As are cookies too I suppose?)<br />
So instead of totally losing my mind I thought to myself: Let the kids have a little hissy over suckers and don't say a thing about it because one day all this similar SUCKY stuff will happen to them and they'll have to suck it up like I am right now. Right now they get to be self absorbed kids. Getting the unwanted flavor of sucker is just preparation for adult life anyway.<br />
<br />
<br />
Halloween is one of our favorite holidays second only to Christmas. It's a fun kick-off to the most magical time of year. Despite the craziness we had a beautiful month overall. This year we are having a warm and gorgeously long fall! I now am looking forward to hibernating for most of November and December! Time for some serious down time. It is hard balancing everything when we are so busy. I find it very hard to keep home cooked meals on the table. It's hard to get kids to eat veggies when I'm too busy balancing my budget and our social calendar to even make them. I want to bake again. I want us to do home based activities again. For a while I am ready for the kids to be bored and for me to have the house back in order. I'm ready to read to them more. I'm ready to do crafts again. My time is squeezed extra thin. I am so exhausted at the end of the day of running around that I fall asleep with the kids<b>.</b> I also want to appreciate and enjoy our new chickens!<br />
<br />
<b>Chickens </b><br />
Our chicken-less lifestyle didn't last very long at all. By the months end we bought fall chicks so they will lay this spring. It was Ricky who brought them home. We were trying to decide if we should get some to over-winter or not. We talked about it and both of us kept changing our minds. The huge advantage is that by the time spring is here they will be laying. By the time spring is here they will also be on free pasture. If we get feeding and raising out of the way in the winter we enjoy the biggest cost benefit of laying hens in the spring. If we were to instead get them in the spring they would eat starter feed all spring into summer and not the free pasture. The spring chicks won't lay until the fall. Once winter hits, if it is very cold, they lay less too. Winter can throw them into an early molt also, and if that happens they won't lay <i>anything</i> all winter long. As soon as the septic problem was fixed I suggested we get chicks again. Ricky hesitated and stated the obvious: it was a bad idea because we are so crazy as it is. Then I reminded him how I do better the busier I am and so maybe if things get too boring I'll not do as well. I was half joking. (But staying busy is better for me, that's true.) Well, two days later Ricky went to the feed store to get animal feed and he brought home surprise chicks. I was shocked! I did not see that coming! He called my bluff. I gulped a little. Aw, crap! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I have carved out some time for them. I used to spend more time to doing animal things with the kids. So Bea and I sit down together and visit with the chickens. We hold them and laugh at them nearly everyday. It's something that I realized I didn't do anymore... enjoying the little things is important. Instead of rushing to feed them and pushing them aside as another thing on my to-do list I promised myself that I would take the time with Bea raising them and socializing them. They both benefit from the one on one time! We are also firmly committed to keeping the chickens on pasture in chicken tractors instead of roaming. This will help if any decide to roam and teach the others bad habits as well as keep them on a mostly pasture diet. We never used to feed our chickens this much feed. It's gotten totally out of hand! When we lived on more land we hardly ever fed our chickens. I miss that! They are amazing foragers if you do not spoil them too much! <br />
<br />
<b>A few Halloween Pictures:</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SW3TYEb0QmQ/WEZQnYanPCI/AAAAAAAAFyk/wpQSlNUtXy85cgkYt_gGU1uOYDFpga4IgCLcB/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SW3TYEb0QmQ/WEZQnYanPCI/AAAAAAAAFyk/wpQSlNUtXy85cgkYt_gGU1uOYDFpga4IgCLcB/s200/2.JPG" width="163" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Bo Peep and sheep</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kLALjG05XQs/WEZQt8O_IiI/AAAAAAAAFyo/LLNPTc6OEEwjp9aXIYzFvl7mlDh9jyx_gCLcB/s1600/IMG_5216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kLALjG05XQs/WEZQt8O_IiI/AAAAAAAAFyo/LLNPTc6OEEwjp9aXIYzFvl7mlDh9jyx_gCLcB/s200/IMG_5216.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sheep! </td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OSEM8T9ZYYQ/WEZRjd1lOZI/AAAAAAAAFys/WXBl4uhewMMuWq_ZTETHAlhH_YtAVGpjgCLcB/s1600/IMG_5484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OSEM8T9ZYYQ/WEZRjd1lOZI/AAAAAAAAFys/WXBl4uhewMMuWq_ZTETHAlhH_YtAVGpjgCLcB/s200/IMG_5484.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfPUhfIDCko/WEZRnNY-JlI/AAAAAAAAFyw/pWISq3xNYdwO_K3JIT1BCqPkU9UbbGOQgCLcB/s1600/IMG_5488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfPUhfIDCko/WEZRnNY-JlI/AAAAAAAAFyw/pWISq3xNYdwO_K3JIT1BCqPkU9UbbGOQgCLcB/s200/IMG_5488.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Madeline LOVED Trick or Treating. Bea walked the WHOLE time and was serious about candy collecting.<br />
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That's October! For better or worse, and for Tricks and Treats!</div>
Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-79291156832447312332016-09-21T13:43:00.000-05:002016-10-21T00:17:33.122-05:00Helping People <span style="font-size: small;">At the pediatric dentist office today I noticed a woman looking at me.
She saw me bustling between my kids and their dental chairs. I'm used to
being stared at. With between 6 to 9 kids in tow at any given
time we get stared at just about everywhere we go. She was with her three year old
boy and I presumed the man with her was her husband. She looked like
life might be hard right now. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">As I was checking out
with one of the receptionists the woman and her husband were reviewing a
treatment plan near me. Apparently our dentist said he could do
their child's dental work right then. It appeared this was their first
time there. The front desk had printed up the paperwork for them and
went over fees. The man had zoned out. His wife yelled at him, "Are you
paying attention?! Are you listening? This is important!" It was me staring at them this time. I noticed he was totally not paying attention. He looked as if he was in a
trance. He said he was listening but that it didn't matter because they
couldn't afford it anyway. He curtly told the front desk they couldn't do it
and he told his wife they needed to leave. The mom desperately persisted, "The infection is almost to the tooth pulp!" He again insisted that
they didn't have the money. Then they began to argue. It got louder and
louder. They loudly discussed credit options but he quickly shut those
down for various reasons. Everything got awkward. The other receptionist who
was scheduling a handful of future appointments for me didn't
pause whatsoever. She talked loudly over them. I couldn't focus at all. I felt myself getting warm and flushed. My heart started to race. A voice
inside me told me to do something. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">Ricky had told me
to watch what I spent this month. We are so tight this month. We will be
pretty tight for the next few months. We replaced our central air and
heat this spring. Our passenger van needed a new transmission. Ricky
needed a new vehicle shortly thereafter. He bought a gem of a used 1995 truck
with hardly any miles on it. (We always buy used.) We have five kids enrolled in gymnastics (one is in
competitive gymnastics). I am having a little trouble putting gas in
my van this month because we are SO busy and my van is fairly expensive to
drive. We have six kid birthdays in three
months. Charlotte just started college. (Though she pays that, she still lives
at home and we help her with incidentals and medical/dental of course.) We have a clogged main line to our septic tank. (I
just discovered that this morning!!) I have no idea what it will cost or
what the real issue is. But one thing I do know: this month, next
month, and the month after, I know for pretty much certain that our kids
will all have fixed teeth and food on the table. They will probably
still go to gymnastics unless something really, really bad happens, and then toward the end of this year they will wake
up to presents under the Christmas tree. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>God, we are so blessed.</b> Seriously. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">"Do
something, it will be okay" is what I kept hearing in my head. I walked over to them and said I'd pay for
it. I had previously overheard it probably was around $200.00. I asked
the front desk how much it was total. The mom dropped her jaw and
quickly said, "Thank you!" She really sounded relieved. The dad was quiet for a moment and then said thank you while introducing himself to me. I suddenly felt like I was a
guardian angel. Like God spoke to me to help them. Something told me deep down everything would work out. The amount scared me a little, $230.00. I
said it was fine. I knew I'd figure something out. I knew Ricky would understand. The man then said he
could pay half of the cost and that was fair to me because he could pay that much. This
was an amazing gesture. He did the right thing to meet me halfway. I was
so relieved. Had it been seven months ago I would have insisted I just
help them with the full amount. Right now though we're a little tight, but certainly not 'we can't
fix our child's teeth' tight. </span></div>
<div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We split the bill.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">I
took my receipt and the family thanked me again as they then paid their portion.
I gathered up my crew of kids who had all been either watching me or ransacking the prize bins. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As
I was walking out the door the hygienist came out and said she needed to talk to me
for a second. Our dentist wanted to help
out. He heard what I had done and wanted us to be refunded. He would
instead cover the portion that I paid for them. I was given a new receipt that
said my bank account had now been refunded! <b>Wow. </b><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);"><span style="font-size: small;">I believe guardian angels can be beings on Earth. We all hold the power to watch over people, change lives, and bless people. </span></span></span></div>
Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-68296855493898370122016-06-27T09:43:00.000-05:002016-10-21T00:53:17.020-05:00Summer Romance in a 15 Passenger VanIt's been a long week. Bea is going though some tough times. Suddenly
she is clingy and whiny. I've had to switch gears on how patient I am
with her. I feel snappy and annoyed. She is not usually high needs. It's
hard when a child becomes difficult all of the sudden. It's like
everything stops to a screeching halt. It's been unexpected and so my
expectations for her have to catch up with reality. Madeline gets loads
of attention of course, and I think Bea needs some lifting up right now. She just
turned three, so her development and her way of understanding the world
around her is changing dramatically. It's extra hard because
Everett (5) has been in a super hard wild boy stage for what seems
like forever. He's difficult and wild. He hits. He climbs. He broke his
arm. He explores non stop. He screams in disappointment when he has to
get ready for bed. (He has always had a hard time with switching
gears.) Bea has picked up on some of Everett's five year old defiant
behavior. Double whammy! Having that sweet as pie baby girl scream
'no' to me is such a pain right now. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You know when your child
has a birthday and you wonder where the time went? With Everett each
birthday we feel like the year in between has lasted forever. That child
is high impact. He is very sweet and happy go lucky, but also very high
speed. It seems like he should be ten by now. The years crawl on very
slowly with him. They have since he was two. He's young at heart.
He's smart, and focused when he wants to be, but he's young and
impulsive. It's not terrible, it's kinda sweet, but it's freaking
exhausting. When he's upset he
has trouble with self regulation. He's the kid that loves everything though. He loves girls
and babies and guns and butterflies. He loves super heroes and
Lalaloopsys. He loves mud and art. He doesn't see pink and purple as too
girly. He's sensitive and tough. He's a great kid. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I called Ricky
on his way home Friday afternoon and told him I had to get out of the
house. He said we should meet up for dinner if I could escape. I loaded
up the baby and left everyone else at home with a movie and popcorn. We had an
impromptu sushi date night. I didn't feel like juggling
the baby between us during dinner though. Since she was asleep in her car seat
Ricky got our sushi to go. We drove our 15 passenger van over to Walmart just
to park and people watch while we ate. The sun was just going down over Kohl's. Talk about romantic!!! :) </div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Romance is what you make of it. When you
are with somebody you love it doesn't matter what you are doing!
Madeline slept the entire time so that was seriously lucky! It's hard to find the time when you have nine kids so you have to get creative and appreciate what you have. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-84647224119426655892016-05-18T13:09:00.000-05:002016-12-13T00:07:02.228-06:00Spring 2016<div>
This spring we got a new baby! This is Gunnar. <br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h51ucy95MMI/WE-M5GHNhVI/AAAAAAAAF2M/udIz3K_ftI8MMHv6y2LwQc0c8MqPVcoRgCLcB/s1600/gunnar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h51ucy95MMI/WE-M5GHNhVI/AAAAAAAAF2M/udIz3K_ftI8MMHv6y2LwQc0c8MqPVcoRgCLcB/s320/gunnar.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="spotlight" height="320" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13095873_10153990923581047_6680990050050006548_n.jpg?oh=4663488473b6d03494961736701e606c&oe=58590286" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumpster Rental for spring cleaning, downsizing, and garage cleaning most of all </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I
have learned over the years that there is usually a really difficult
time (even several) throughout the year. Usually it has to do with various age
transitions of kids. I used to get burnt out by it, but now I think I am so used
to it I just let it flow. I know better days will come. I fight it
less. It does not last forever. Raising kids is like climbing a
mountain. At first it's fun and you are all prepared and pumped, and then it
becomes rough. Stuff you aren't prepared for can overwhelm you; situations you didn't pack for. Sometimes you even feel lost or stranded. Eventually you get your second (and then third) wind, and you pick up some speed.
You eventually make it over. It just takes a bit more effort than those first
steps! I see the pattern now. Right now it is loud and Ricky and I have trouble just talking over the
noise! But it wont always be like this. It gets better. They get bigger.
Things smooth over. (And then it will get hard again. Life is like this!) Having Madeline join the gang is really fun. She is just plunked right in the middle of all the chaos and she loves it.<br />
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<img alt="" class="spotlight" height="217" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12920318_10153905327151047_5544761224527831974_n.jpg?oh=c0371af71b724cb1e3fe72cbd3fe2809&oe=58515822" width="320" /><br />
It's always like that I suppose. Each amazing one of them right in the middle of crazy-everything. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
Nine kids is hard...but is it really that different than six? (It's not, both are hard.) Really
though, I am scrambling at trying to find ways to cut back. We have way
too much going on! We butchered a bunch of turkeys and chickens to thin the population. I have spent hours and hours planting, training, staking, and admiring my tomato plants. I love working in
the garden. It makes me so happy. But every time I'm out there
working my house is being wrecked, someone is probably watching too much
tv, laundry is piling up, and the bathroom probably has an un-flushed
toilet (from Everett age 5 most usually lol). I ignore my family to garden, and it's a slice of heaven on
earth. My free time is a premium! And that's how I love to spend it.<br />
<br />
Spring has been filled with new critters. We are struggling to keep our one acre farm actually ON our one acre. It's not easy. Ricky got ducks! We have a lot going on! LOL. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CvegbjvDGjs/V_h5WoHxqzI/AAAAAAAAFuM/X5JVXo1EyFobxA_eqtKrzQwxstePkzziQCLcB/s1600/IMG_6035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CvegbjvDGjs/V_h5WoHxqzI/AAAAAAAAFuM/X5JVXo1EyFobxA_eqtKrzQwxstePkzziQCLcB/s320/IMG_6035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-07Dh9t4meS4/V_h4aYmt10I/AAAAAAAAFuE/HqAfnW1-xXscqGMTybgz8wypOOxpWbj9gCLcB/s1600/IMG_6048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-07Dh9t4meS4/V_h4aYmt10I/AAAAAAAAFuE/HqAfnW1-xXscqGMTybgz8wypOOxpWbj9gCLcB/s320/IMG_6048.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beatrice holds a new chick hatched by a friendly and patient barred rock mama hen </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Moving...</b></div>
<div>
We
like our home a lot and we have put a tremendous amount of hard
work into it (and continue to do so), but we have
been looking for a new place with more land to move to for a long time. We haven't found
anything perfect yet. (Oh, you can try telling me perfect doesn't exist. I
won't listen though.) We obsessively looked for the fourth year in a row
this winter and into the spring. It is now feeling ridiculous at this point. We have a nice
place to live now, which makes me feel so bad that I am often obsessed
with moving. We can't shake it though. We want more land for
a multitude of reasons. I have some boxes
packed already and we have even put offers on places but they didn't
work out. I am fighting staying here with my best possible efforts, yet
here we stay firmly planted. There is a reason. Part of
my lesson, I believe, is finding peace and contentment within. I am
trying to master that. The other related lesson is faith and patience. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Something
I learned recently was how much I was ruining my children by constantly talking
about what we were looking for and why we didn't like here.
They have no idea our property is less than ideal to us until we tell
them about it. This is the only home most of them know. This is their sacred childhoods.
It really helps to see things through a child's eyes. They see things differently, or perhaps not at all. For example: Kids don't see the jelly they smeared all over the side of the jar, nor
do they feel the peanut butter creeping up the knife handle making
them sticky. They are too focused on their sandwich. That's annoying to
grown ups but not to kids. Kids don't see things in the less than
perfect way adults do. They don't dwell as much as adults. Kids have fun
with what they do have. Kids are resourceful. Kids live in the moment.
Kids are awesome. I want to be more awesome. I
have been undoing the negative thoughts that I accidentally fed them
about moving. When I open my eyes I make sure I see blessings instead
of shortcomings. How spoiled and accustomed we
all become when we don't have to go without. Now I take a deep breath
and look around at what we have. I have talks with
myself. Human nature is to strive for more and better, it's part of
survival and self perseverance. That can clash hard when we mesh
that instinct with modern life. My mantra lately is 'be content.' I
also tell myself, 'Teach your children well. They will follow you into
to happiness or despair. <i>It's</i> <i>my choice.' </i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And
that's the kind of thoughts, mixed with some property hunting and soul
searching that I have been up too. I looked at my
garden the other day and asked myself what my 16 or 20 year old self would
have thought of this place. I grew up in the desert, and while I can
appreciate the desert as a nostalgic and unique habitat all on its
own, I always loved woods, rivers, trees, and fireflies growing up.
When I was visiting family or going camping, the smell of the farms and
forests was so fresh and full of life. I can't imagine being anywhere
else but the Midwest. I remember how much I just loved the Midwest the
times I visited it before I moved. As a
child I learned to swim and canoe in Missouri. As a young lady I played
in the corn fields of Iowa. In my 20's I took jaw-dropping photos of sunflower
fields in Kansas. The first time I drove through a small Midwest town my face was literally pressed to the car window. I recall thinking "This is
why it's called God's country." I really do remember the total awe. Driving through small towns I had no idea houses were really different than
the stucco ones I was used to. When
I was a kid I wanted a family and an old house with a basement. When I
was a teenager I adored sunflowers and couldn't get enough of them. Here I am in my thirties typing this in the 90 year old home Ricky and I bought together. The love of my life and blessed with all these children. Right outside my window are sunflowers. Twenty
minutes ago I went down to my cool basement to do laundry. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DUkkN8CQqOQ/V_h-9MopSsI/AAAAAAAAFuk/yxK0hIASr34l0bGPFiPinb1Lwvi61XegQCLcB/s1600/IMG_6472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DUkkN8CQqOQ/V_h-9MopSsI/AAAAAAAAFuk/yxK0hIASr34l0bGPFiPinb1Lwvi61XegQCLcB/s320/IMG_6472.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out my window June 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
How stupid it is that sometimes it becomes hard to
see what's right in front of us?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's why I am writing this. Writing
always provides clarity for me. Moving is just not what we are supposed to be doing right now. I would
venture to guess that living happily, teaching the kids, and enjoying our
life in little and big ways is what we are supposed to be doing right
now! It's not that we can't plan to move, but maybe I can just let it
unfold. Maybe it will take time. </div>
<div>
<b>The Farm</b></div>
<div>
Two
months ago we started visiting the farm more (Ricky's family farm). The drive is long with the kids and
it's hard packing up. Each trip exhausts us but it's worth it. The kids love it
so much, too. We want them to connect with the farm and our family there. We are
actively overcoming feeling that we are always too busy to go to the
farm. Ricky and I have lamented to each other about how we will always
be too tired, and too busy, and it will always be too far.
Always. Either we let that stop us or we don't. Are the rewards worth
it? If they are then we do it. Just power through and just do it. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
So we have! It is glorious. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
See how worth it it is:</div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B-UAacZfexk/V_iAlY3SYrI/AAAAAAAAFu8/Ei7dqpBiNi0xvQ8Mbrt1W3TzMbZyxcaNwCLcB/s1600/iphone%2BApril-Sept%2B2016%2B355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B-UAacZfexk/V_iAlY3SYrI/AAAAAAAAFu8/Ei7dqpBiNi0xvQ8Mbrt1W3TzMbZyxcaNwCLcB/s320/iphone%2BApril-Sept%2B2016%2B355.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Digging for worms with PawPaw</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-2Hsp_9h4g/V_iA9LmjiBI/AAAAAAAAFvA/QhHi53MrOQABHUman8xr-fMCGti8xhD8gCLcB/s1600/iphone%2BApril-Sept%2B2016%2B342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-2Hsp_9h4g/V_iA9LmjiBI/AAAAAAAAFvA/QhHi53MrOQABHUman8xr-fMCGti8xhD8gCLcB/s320/iphone%2BApril-Sept%2B2016%2B342.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madeline 6 months old </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After
we fulfill our promise to slowly spend more time at the farm we are going to fix up
the old farm house there so that we have a part time place! We are very
excited. So instead of focusing all our energy on moving right now we are trying
to redirect that desire into something special. And something with more family time!!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Little Kids</b><br />
I
was wondering last month how I can forget how hard having a two (almost three) year old
and an infant is?! And there lies the real dilemma: It is hard to get anything done with little kids! How do I forget this!? I never used to pay attention. Now I know why people stop having kids...it's hard! lol! <br />
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<b>Madeline</b></div>
<div>
She is sweet and amazing. Her intense eyes and watchful personality is starting to become more apparent. I see that I'm actually building a trust with her. She's not as free spirited and silly as the other girls. She observes differently than some of the other kids did. It's subtle, but I know it! I can tell. If you are not into astrology you won't understand, but I can tell I lighten her mood. I can tell I'm unfolding pages in her personality. I didn't know much about Scorpios, but occasionally I read about them since I had her... and so much I am experiencing with her is so true. Her happy and secure babyhood, because of gentle hands-on mothering and parenting, will help serve her for a lifetime. This of course is true with all babies and children. Perhaps though, the ones with the more difficult or secretive personalizes gain the most. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<b>Watchful Sisters </b></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When we get home from an outing Layla and/or Penelope stay with any little kids
if I leave the van unattended. I don't ask them to. They just always have. Day-to-day Penelope and Layla will also often ask where various little kids are
randomly. If it has been a while since they have seen a sibling they
will check and see if they are napping or outside. Especially they check
on under 5 year old aged kids. We have been home an hour and just now Penelope
stopped playing with playdoh and causally walked over to me in the
living room. She asked, "Did you get Madeline out of the car?" It's
quiet in the house and she knows it shouldn't be. I can't even explain how much I
appreciate and adore their watchful eyes. They have heard me say that
kids can die in cars. We do kid counts. Their awareness speaks volumes about what
good sisters they are. Something else I love is that they don't just
think about themselves. There is something bigger than just them. They
watch. They love. They take care of each other. </span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<b>The Kids: A Rundown</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uf8Ak9Zt8Ys/WE-P5BEE1qI/AAAAAAAAF2o/own9suCauFwp1YKvvovYwd2V7zwJtce9wCLcB/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uf8Ak9Zt8Ys/WE-P5BEE1qI/AAAAAAAAF2o/own9suCauFwp1YKvvovYwd2V7zwJtce9wCLcB/s320/IMG_0218.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Teens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b> Charlotte </b>(19) was decorating cakes for a local store and
got quite good. She's extremely artistic and found a way to use her creative side on cakes! Wither her positive work ethic she worked her way into an unofficial bakery management position at only 19 years old. She was in charge of managing the daily bakery operations, baking, decorating, ordering, inventory, Etc. She was the sole person in the bakery for quite a while, often working overtime while trying to complete highschool! She is now focusing on college courses. She may go
into business management with aspirations to manage a high end bakery. She is
not sure though. She likes decorating cakes so much so she is trying to
get more experience with wedding cakes.<br />
<br />
There are so, so many things that Charlotte does for us. Charlotte is so
amazing, and she is so fun to her siblings. She bought and filled mini
piñatas for each of them for Christmas, she bakes with Everett every
time I go some place he can't because of his broken arm, she watches the baby and Bea so I can garden, which is
serious therapy for my soul. She helps all the time around the house. She is a hard worker. And she's so cheerful!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Sage </b>(16) is a typical teenage boy that
keeps to himself and doesn't rock the boat he is sailing on. He is tall at a whopping 6'3. Poor kid hits his head on everything. He has
friends that are into some various card games and chess. He is teaching himself guitar. He likes to
work with his hands and is currently building a rabbit hutch for his
rabbit. His white rabbit is named Shakespeare. It is cute when Bea says
it. She says Shakes-beard. Sage is our super helpful outdoors farm kid and he helps
with the animals a lot and doesn't mind heavy lifting. He's good at catching our turkeys and chickens. Sage hates indoor
chores. All the kids are friends but he has a special bond with Bea. He loves weapons, fires, and self defense books. He knows a lot about history and conspiracy theories. He might already be a spy, but probably he just has lock picks, night vision goggles, and a mysterious personality all for the fun of it. He doesn't like making his bed. It's my mission in life to convince him that it's worth the effort.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Ethan</b> (16) is an extremely talented artist. It's not just a hobby to him. He draws for hours every day like it's air to
him. Ethan and Sage have the same friends. Ethan is a bit
less farm oriented than Sage, but he still loves animals and
eagerly helps out. He likes mammals over the birds. He hangs out with our
goats. He loves dogs most of all. Ethan nearly always picks indoor chores over outdoor. He can mow a yard fast and straight, which sounds silly to mention, but it is awesome! His handwriting is amazing! His room is almost always clean. He is so helpful around the house and never complains. He is super nice to
his little brothers who want to play constantly with him. He is calm with Everett (and all the younger kids) when they throw tantrums and I appreciate it so much. Ethan is composing music and singing a bit with the keyboard we got for Christmas! He's very talented! He is young at heart and still runs around and plays with the kids. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Layla
</b>(11) taught herself gymnastics over the past year by watching videos online. She's very talented.<br />
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<br />
<br />
Her dad bought her a gymnastics mat last summer because she was so
dedicated. There were many weeks that she practiced five hours a day
doing gymnastics, watching tutorials, and stretching. We were stunned. We finally enrolled her in a gymnastics program at an amazing place. They were
super impressed with her and moved her from beginner to advanced
intermediate after two classes. I loved every time I heard them mention how impressive it was she was self taught. She then tried
out for team and made it. She will be competing four times this
year locally. She is advanced in
floor work because that is all she had to train with at home. She is
now trying to get better at bar, beam, and vault. As you can figure,
gymnastics is her life right now. Layla is a very helpful and such is great
sister. She goes everywhere with me even when kids are allowed
to stay home. I often call her my personal assistant. She
is extremely organized. This child could dress herself at 18 months old so...<br />
Layla is always making up games for her siblings and is a natural with young kids. Ricky just laughs and laughs, like real laughter, to me in private because when she's being a stinker and moody to me he says she sounds just like me when I'm pissed off. He thinks it's hilarious. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Penelope</b> (9) loves
everything. She loves, art, cooking, farm animals, her siblings, games,
and the list goes on and on. She is always up for anything. She loves
the Little House books and dressing up like a prairie girl. I adore it and wished she'd never grow up! She's a natural at mothering and scoops up this baby in an instant. She is very smart and very advanced at child and baby care for her age.<br />
<img alt="" class="spotlight" height="200" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12523132_10153731004986047_473028370871082953_n.jpg?oh=aa8fd52e02f34291cd1baf4936b84d58&oe=5851A101" width="150" /> <img alt="" class="spotlight" height="159" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12321704_10153905328306047_5453961264100682060_n.jpg?oh=50a03896efb3e99e6fad1f5310d0dbcc&oe=58507F2C" width="200" /> <br />
She plays a lot
with Bea and Everett. She is interested in gymnastics and has followed
in Layla's footsteps a bit with that. She is gaining quickly in strength
and balance from her gymnastics classes. Her favorite food is tomatoes.
We just planted 40 plants. She has planted tomatoes with me every
spring for her whole entire life! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Sebastian</b>
(7) draws almost as much as Ethan.<br />
<img alt="" class="spotlight" height="150" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/942527_10153905329341047_8131857541257693496_n.jpg?oh=c318a7abe3a18dab8ccd3e1d72668fdf&oe=5885BD66" width="200" /> <br />
He is really quiet and thoughtful, but
also has a wild boy side that comes out especially when playing with
Everett. Sebastian is tough and strong. Sebastian has quite a temper. His feelings can also get hurt very
easily. He is a very tender soul with a very tough exterior. Sebastian loves
playing chess and Magic the Gathering. He collects wolves. If he was an animal he would
be a wolf. He's loyal, private, and fierce. If you upset him he doesn't forget. He enjoys running around and playing chase games. He loves babies. Bea and Madeline, with their giggles and fun, will often lighten his mood and crack his frown into a smile when times are emotionally tough for him. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Everett</b>
(5)<br />
<img alt="" class="spotlight" height="200" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/s960x960/12747261_10153806744621047_6664347090097309295_o.jpg" width="135" /> <img alt="" class="spotlight" height="150" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p206x206/12728847_10153790203126047_6729671496123258712_n.jpg?oh=7022df852d3861c120461979ec09764d&oe=5853BF6D" width="200" /><br />
This kid has the most free spirit we have ever known. He loves babies and says Madeline is is
favorite person. He loves to laugh and be
silly. He will wrestle, play-fight, and run around almost non stop with
anybody. He is very rough and he is sensory seeking. He seeks out textures, noise, and lots of stimulation. He has an above average pain tolerance. He is wild; Ricky and I always said that he was
going to be our first ER visit with a kid, and we were right! None
of the other kids ever have had an emergency room warranted injury. He
climbs trees, to the top of our van, the pillars on our porch, up the
walls, and a couple times he has stood still hiding in the frame of a window inside
the house. His new and tamer life is very hard on him due to the cast
but he is really happy and positive most days. It is hard for us to get
him to be careful with it! He smashes anything he can with the cast. </div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Bea </b>(2) is really sweet and cute. When showing me her pine cone she said, "This is my best pineapple!" with a lot of ADORABLE enthusiasm. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <layla bea="" font="" for="" gymnastics="" helping="" her="" passe="" with=""><br /></layla></span><br />
She is a dainty little girl, and all girl in every way. She is tough
and mighty, but mostly she is made of sugar and spice. She loves
talking and is very good with expressing herself. She tells us Madeline is the best present she ever got. We
never told her anything like that. She just came up with it. She says
cute stuff like that all the time. She goes to gymnastics too. The
teacher is amazing. There is a big foam pit the kids can jump in. They
have in-ground trampolines. They play color games, learn balance, use
beans and bars. It teaches a lot of great skills and they are so amazing
with kids. Bea loves playing with play food, baby dolls, and her
siblings. She also likes to call us Mother and Father. Cutest thing EVER? When she hugs us and says sweetly, "You are my mother." "You are my father." She closes her eyes and gives us big hugs when she says that. She's a doll. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Madeline </b>is six months old and
wobbly when sitting up.<br />
<img alt="" class="spotlight" height="200" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/s960x960/12888602_10153903562646047_3446759669790755364_o.jpg" width="185" /> <img alt="" class="spotlight" height="200" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13087456_10153975538681047_1707330252707811942_n.jpg?oh=cb9588e67774ab467cee73433a999a28&oe=585A349B" width="172" /><br />
Her real accomplishment is crawling. She can get
across the floor already! She loves her siblings and loves watching
them. When she watches them run around she will yell out baby talk and
flap her arms up and down in excitement towards them. She loves her
daddy and gives him the sweetest starry eyed smiles.<br />
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<br />
She is perfectly fun and
sweet like the rest. She is a good sleeper, but prefers to be home for
sleeping. She is a good car rider though which is a great thing for this busy
bunch! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="spotlight" height="240" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13716137_10154165925751047_298906467449375757_n.jpg?oh=ae616ad181be98fd61e42743c6822016&oe=585260E4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gymnastics is a huge part of our lives, this picture taken when Madeline is tiny bit older (7 months)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The kids had a fun spring with gymnastics classes, a project fair, and an art show. We do most things together and things that are nearly all ages together.<br />
<b><br />Everett Finally Broke Something</b><br />
We were gone all day running errands and got home for an afternoon
of beautiful weather, family time, and grilling. As soon as the car was
unloaded and Ricky got the coals on the grill hot for kabobs, Everett (5) fell
off the playground in the backyard. He was climbing up and down the
monkey bar ladder and he fell landing backwards hard on his left arm.
Sage (16) scooped him up and brought him to me. Sage calmly told me Everett
was hurt and that he broke his arm. I looked at his arm thinking
he was probably fine...a split second later I realized that my wishful
thinking was not going to get us out of this one. I have never seen a
broken arm before but everything about his arm looked very wrong and broken. It looked
like rubber, had very little tone, and his wrist bowed upward and bent
funny. His arm was deflated looking and it was floppy. He fell from about
three and a half feet, which is usually nothing for that rambunctious
tree climbing kid, but he fell backwards and tried to catch himself backwards. <br />
<br />
When Everett cries he is usually really hurt. He has
an amazing pain tolerance. I yelled out to my family random things,
"We are going to the hospital NOW! Keys? I need diapers. Where are my
shoes? Oh my God, where<i> are</i> the keys!?" Ricky asked me if he should stay
or go with me. I told him he's going for sure. A huge bonus of having
many older kids is that we actually had that option. The teens were at my
side asking what they could do and assuring me they had things at home
covered. We had just unloaded over $600 worth of bulk shopping from
Costco. Everything was a mess. Boxes everywhere. I had no idea where the
keys ended up. I deal well with stress unless one of the kids is
hurt. I almost can't see straight when there is a kid crisis. I was wandering around with Everett crying in my arms. He's five and so heavy. I was
trying to get him to take deep breaths and he tried. He wailed that he
didn't want to go to the hospital. He told me in all seriousness his arm wasn't broken and
he just needed to rest it a little while. That's right. My five year old
has an<i> </i><b>obvious</b> <b>broken arm </b>and he stopped crying long enough to say he
just needs to rest it. I told him there would be popsicles at the
hospital and he became more accepting of the hospital. I couldn't
cradle hold him anymore as it was getting me no closer to leaving. I was literally walking in circles around the house. I
laid him on the couch. I had no idea where Ricky had gone. I assumed he was
getting ready and dousing out the coals on the grill. Layla (11) was in the shower as all this was going on. She goes everywhere with me. She
got dressed in a flash. I was still frantically searching for keys and
telling the other kids to put away all the food. I was still
pacing frantically. I didn't know where to look for the keys and my
brain was in overload mode. I soon switched from yelling "where are the
keys?!" to yelling about not being able to find my phone. It was taking me too long to get my head together. I had to tell
myself to NOT call 911. I was wanting somebody else to take over. I felt
like I was in a dream where I was being chased but unable to move. Everett sat crying on the couch.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sage
(16) scooped up Everett from the couch and held him until Ricky got him. Layla
found
the keys (she finds everything) and I now somehow had my phone in my
hand. Love my kids! Layla toted little Madeline out to the car and put her in her car
seat. I have no normal 11 year old, I assure you. She's amazing. We
loaded up and left. Ricky rode with Everett in the backseat and
held his arm. On the way I called information to get the hospital's
number. I had the most insane experience with 411. I said the city and
state and then I said "Hospital" and it couldn't give me a listing. I said
the hospital name and it still said there was no listing. I said the
city and state and the word HOSPITAL loudly. It told me no listing. I asked for
an
operator and it said it was an automated service. I did this four
times. I was incredulous as my mouth dropped open. My attention turned
to Everett's cries. He cried out that his arm hurt and I was
close to crying. I held it together and found focus. I told Ricky to
start asking Everett what happened in hopes it would distract
him. Everett's crying slowed as he told us. Meanwhile, I decided I could be an
ambulance driver. I was now super focused, cool and collected. Since I had no siren I was speeding
only when 'safe' and changing lanes as I could without being jerk. I now had
way more focus than back at home. I'm still laughing that my thoughts as I sped to the hospital consisted of worry and that I could totally handle being an ambulance driver. Haha.</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
We ended up
being gone 10 hours after two different hospitals. It seemed an insane
amount of time for a broken arm. (You should see the bills. It's a long story and I'm stopping
there.) Overall we had amazing care. Everett is such a wild kid
that we knew his cast was going to be a huge problem for everyone:</div>
<div>
<img alt="" class="spotlight" height="200" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13118868_10153994147316047_4692676448679807714_n.jpg?oh=0bbf749ca17fb6186229f0bcf5ae19ea&oe=5857B7C9" width="200" /> <img alt="" class="spotlight" height="200" src="https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13124627_10154011209526047_7365380810685659285_n.jpg?oh=275324f89eaa6d02af38c2b3665e5a3a&oe=5857DD72" width="150" /> </div>
<div>
<b>First day at home birth a broken arm:</b></div>
<div>
He
was running outside and when I called him to stop he says, "I am not
Everett I am Johnny Mountain Climber. I fell down a 300ft mountain and
broke my arm." For an hour he wouldn't answer to his real name and only Johnny Mountain Climber.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
He tried to break open a rock with a screwdriver.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I had to get him off the swing outside. Twice.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the middle of the day Everett casually asked Layla if it is time for his next trampoline gymnastics lesson yet. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Day
two</b><br />
I looked to my left and he is sitting on top of our vintage living room
dresser eating a bowl of dry cereal. What in the world. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Everett, you are fantastic and free and brave. I hope you know your spirit is strong and your will is mighty. </div>
Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-83501382324802406972016-02-04T08:45:00.000-06:002016-05-09T19:06:41.220-05:00 Postpartum Depression, Thyroid Issues, and Gluten <div>
When Everett (5) was a baby it took me at least eight months to
feel back to normal. It was by far the most challenging postpartum and mothering time
of my life. I was eventually found to have hypothyroidism. At first I didn't realize that I was feeling depressed. Most
people don't understand that postpartum depression doesn't always
manifest itself in a few weeks or a month. It can happen suddenly or gradually after several months. The postpartum period actually lasts a year.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_thyroiditis">Postpartum thyroiditis</a> </b>is an often undetected thyroid problem that can develop in the first year
postpartum and may be responsible for a large number of women suffering from mild to severe postnatal depression.<b> </b>Sometimes it
resolves itself, but for others it can cause lifelong thyroid problems. I have reason to believe that I may have had hyperthyroidism (low thyroid hormone) before I had Everett and that it got worse thereafter. I'll never really know for sure. I mention postpartum hypothyroidism anyway because of its prevalence and the fact that it is not given the attention it deserves. <b> </b></div>
<div>
<br />
My problems after having Everett in 2011 crept over me slowly: I slept a ton, I felt ill, I quit caring about the house and
clutter build up. I noticed that the kids got on my nerves for no reason. My memory was super bad. I noted to myself that I just wasn't fun anymore. My hair fell out in handfuls. I was moody. I ignored
Ricky. He was busy at work, super busy, and says he didn't notice my problems that
much. He said he just thought I needed space. During that
difficult time I eventually started caring about the house again, except I became hyper obsessed with the house being clean. I
am generally strict about the housekeeping, but my depression manifested itself
into a serious obsession. I couldn't keep the house clean enough and I hollered at everyone about messes. I have learned through research that the rule of thumb for depression seems to be if you aren't doing "better" after two weeks of feeling bad then something is probably wrong.</div>
<div>
<br />
Grocery shopping was also too
overwhelming for me. I had an inability to cope with the task. For a while after Everett was born Ricky and I went grocery shopping together (or he went for
us). I
felt bad about it but I just couldn't cope with shopping alone. I dreaded it
in an extreme way. Every week I would tell myself I was going to get the shopping done so we could enjoy the weekend...and then everyday I made an excuse about why I couldn't run errands or shop. It was seriously weird. It was like I was paralyzed from going. I would overthink the whole thing and dread it. When I would plan to go I would watch the hours tick by at home until it was too late to go. Looking back I now see I had anxiety. There are many
layers of postpartum depression and it can cause various mood disorders. I think unless you
have gone through it or understand the elements behind them it is nearly
impossible to understand. This <a href="http://www.postpartumprogress.com/the-symptoms-of-postpartum-depression-anxiety-in-plain-mama-english">link</a> helps with explaining many symptoms in detail.</div>
<div>
<br />
Since I didn't write about it back then I only somewhat remember what it was like for me. I hope talking about it now might help others. I remember
telling Ricky I
was not doing okay. I remember telling him I could not cope (in a general day-to-day sense). I remember
telling him that I yelled at the kids and was being a bad mother because I felt burnt out. Like a lot of spouses he didn't know what to do about it.
He asked me what he
should do to help me and I really didn't know either. On the hardest days or weeks I remember telling myself that<i> I will and can</i> get by one day at a time. And if that was too much (and sometimes it totally was) then I would get by one hour at a time. Sometimes I actually had to get by one minute at a time. <br />
<br />
Why
didn't I ask for outside help when Everett was a small baby?<br />
The first reason, and most women can relate to this:<i> </i>I didn't want others to know I wasn't doing well. For a long time I honestly did not understand that it was even depression. I kept wondering if I was even really depressed. I was actually happy a lot of the time overall. I was super in love with my baby. I was happy and in love with being a wife and mom. My husband was good to me. So, it was hard for me to understand.<br />
The second reason:<i> </i>If I were to go to the doctor I was afraid I'd be prescribed antidepressants. That's the quick fix that so many people get. It can overlook and avoid the root problem that needs to be addressed. (This was before I found a caregiver I trust. I now have a doctor I could go to.)<br />
The third reason most other women with larger families can relate to: I
didn't want anyone to say or think that I had too many kids and that we
shouldn't have had them. My inability to cope at the time was not related to having too many children. Did it make things harder? Sure, of course it did. Having a lot of kids, or any kids for that matter, makes a lot of things harder! (duh) But it was not the reason. Large families tend to face scrutiny and I wanted none of it.</div>
<div>
<br />
I went untreated for months. It was also winter, dreary, and very cold. Finally
my hips and pelvis hurt so bad that I thought I had bone cancer (or something awful). It hurt to walk. I went to the doctor and they did vitamin D
and thyroid tests. Turns out I had a vitamin D deficiency and an under active
thyroid. Within mere days of vitamin D supplementation all my pain was going away.
I was right to think something was wrong with my bones. I had adult rickets, which is recoverable thank goodness. My thyroid
started getting regulated with medication (Armour natural thyroid) and that only took a couple of weeks. I was myself again! Every time I have a
baby I now do more to prepare to stay healthy.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Ways I Stay Healthy Postpartum </b></div>
<div>
<div>
-Remind
my family the physical and mental toll childbirth can take on a woman,
and give them ideas of how they can help me get off to a good start. A good start equals a healthy mom and baby!<br />
-Eat well, drink plenty of water </div>
<div>
-Take a whole food multi-vitamin, fish oil, calcium, + extra vit d and selenium for thyroid health</div>
<div>
-Take a shower<i> every single day</i>. Have some favorite pampering and self-care items on hand <a href="http://www.sheamoisture.com/">(Shea Moisture!) </a></div>
<div>
-Go easy on myself. Wear pajamas for six weeks if that makes me comfortable. (But I shower and wear light make-up/hair done lightly so I don't feel like a bed-head all day)</div>
<div>
-Keep
the laundry up. This comes easy for me because I like getting it done. I
feel accomplished. But even if I get in a slump, I make sure that I
have at least one load per day washed, folded, and put away. That<i> is</i> doable. <i>And asking for family help doing it is encouraged! </i></div>
<div>
-I
use disposable diapers and paper plates the first month or longer if I
need to. I'm a huge cloth diaper fan, but I make things easy on myself for a while.</div>
- Have my thyroid tested at some point and closely watch for symptoms of a out of whack thyroid. <br />
-Know
my triggers. What upsets my body and aggravates my body, what can I do about it, how can I
reduce stress, how much sleep do I need to aim for, what do I need to
eliminate from my diet, Etc. <br />
<br />
<b>The Thyroid</b><br />
There is evidence via blood testing that I am slowly
following a path towards a thyroid disease called Hashimoto's. It is an autoimmune disease where antibodies see my thyroid as bad and attack it, literally destroying it over time. It is widely believed that people with thyroid problems are up to 95% likley to develop Hashimoto's over time. Thyroid problems are serious and can get more serious. One more "fun" thing about the thyroid: You will probably develop develop one or more autoimmune disorders once you have a thyroid disease. <br />
<br />
<b>Gluten Connection</b><br />
There is strong evidence that gluten is a trigger for most people with thyroid issues. It is
highly recommended to eliminate gluten when you have an under active thyroid problem. Those whose thyroid medicines don't seem to be working still struggle with feeling normal, depression, fatigue, Etc.. People like this often notice profound results after eliminating gluten. If you want to try to
get off your medication, as I do, finding triggers that aggravate your thyroid's well being is very important. I take Armour thyroid which is a "natural" thyroid medicine
derived from pigs. With special attention it is possible for many people to stop thyroid damage through lifestyle change. There is not a shortage of information online about the thyroid-gluten connection. <br />
<br />
<i>"What explains the connection? It’s a case of mistaken identity. The
molecular structure of gliadin, the protein portion of gluten, closely
resembles that of the thyroid gland. When gliadin breaches the
protective barrier of the gut, and enters the bloodstream, the immune
system tags it for destruction. These antibodies to gliadin also cause
the body to attack thyroid tissue. This means if you have AITD and you
eat foods containing gluten, your immune system will attack your
thyroid."</i> Read more at <a href="http://chriskresser.com/the-gluten-thyroid-connection/">this link.</a><br />
<br />
My doctor recommended I cut gluten out of my diet to improve my thyroid health even before I started having antibodies that suggest I have early signs of Hashimoto's. I didn't listen at first. I
also have mild rosacea (red/pink dry patches on face). Rosacea is an
inflammatory autoimmune response on the face. Remember what I said
earlier? <b>You are more likley to develop other autoimmune disorders once you have a thyroid disease. </b><br />
<br />
But, cutting the gluten out is/was hard, stressful, and
depressing. <br />
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It's not just missing the gluten that is hard. The
time and energy it takes
to prepare special meals when I am already preparing meals for my very
large
family is very hard. <i></i><br />
<br />
Cheating on a gluten free diet isn't allowed. It is quite important to be 100% gluten free. That's what 'they' say anyway. For me personally, even my first wish-washy attempts at being gluten free garnered some promising results. I think my rosacea gets worse when I eat gluten. (It also gets worse if I put anything on my face that has
rubbing alcohol in it.) I noticed by toying with being gluten free that I feel better when off of gluten for at least two weeks. I found myself thinking that I might have more energy and more patience. I found myself thinking that I might feel better. But after a bit I still cheated and ate<a href="http://halfdozenkids.blogspot.com/2015/10/september-talk-like-priate-day-fun-fall.html" target="_blank"> these donuts.</a> It was hard.</div>
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<br />
<b>Alcohol</b> <b>~The hits kept on coming. </b><br />
First my gluten then my weekend cocktails?<br />
Drinking alcohol inhibits thyroid function and stresses the adrenals.<i> </i>I
noticed over a year ago I felt really bad after drinking just a little bit. It was especially prevalent if the alcohol had additives in it. (i.e.
Food coloring, flavoring, who knows what else.) I also got emotional after drinking (not normal for me). I started wondering if I had a sudden weird sensitivity. I soon became Pregnant with Madeline and stopped drinking altogether anyway. <br />
<i><br /></i>Fast forward 11 1/2 months later now that Madeline had been born: I had one and a half drinks and felt oddly hungover the next day. The following week I had one large margarita and it
made me feel <i>very </i>hungover and sick the next day. Even weirder, a day later I still felt weird
and foggy, and later in the day on edge. It was really a strong reaction. I
was also sensitive to noise. I was reacting poorly to normal
situations (irritable). When Ricky just simply looked at me I
flipped out. I don't remember what happened fully. Loud kid noise
triggered me and I blew up a little, ranting or something. I remember
saying I needed space. I sent the kids outside. All I wanted was to be left alone. I felt flushed and irritable. Ricky looked at me and then I literally yelled at
him, "Why are you looking at me!?!" I got up and pushed the vacuum down when it was in my way and I ran to the bedroom angry. (Look up thyroid rage, it's very real.)
The kids were not around, thank goodness. Ricky told me he felt bad for me and wanted
to help me and I just yelled that I wanted to be alone. That's not a
normal thing for me at all. I don't yell at him and I always want him to help me when something is wrong. My regulatory systems were whacked. I have been afraid to have a small drink ever since. I found other people online describing similar reactions. <br />
<br />
Since thyroid levels can
change frequently, especially after pregnancy, balancing the hormone in
your body and finding negative triggers can be very challenging. Sounds
to me like alcohol is a trigger for me. It didn't take me long to wonder
if the very rare but serious illness <a href="http://www.postpartum.net/learn-more/postpartum-psychosis/">postpartum psychosis</a> has been linked to thyroid problems.<i> It has</i>. It's easy for me to see why a malfunctioning thyroid can masquerade as a <a href="http://hypothyroidmom.com/when-thyroid-disease-masquerades-as-psychiatric-disorder/" target="_blank">mental health problem</a>.
I have read in many places that people can actually be medicated for
mental health problems, even as severe as schizophrenia, when they
really just have an undetected thyroid problem! To make matters worse, many doctors, even
specialists, only test TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). There are many more tests that help
determine total function/malfunction. Your TSH can be in the normal range while you still suffer from a thyroid problem. Let your head begin spinning by reading about <a href="http://thyroid.about.com/od/gettestedanddiagnosed/a/bloodtests.htm">ALL the tests here</a>. Most of which aren't used and should be. Here you can read further: <a href="http://thyroid.about.com/od/gettestedanddiagnosed/fl/The-Big-Lie-Your-Doctor-is-Telling-You-About-Thyroid-Treatment.htm">The Big Lie Your Doctor is Telling You About Thyroid Treatment</a>. <br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>Gluten Free ~ I actually did do it </b></div>
They say it takes around 21 days to create a new habit. For months I toyed with being gluten free and I slowly weaned, and weaned, and weaned off of it. Now I am off gluten... and my life sucks. Haha. No seriously, it's not that bad now. But it totally <b><i>was.</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>This is pretty much how it went down for months: </b><br />
I whined. I bitched. I complained. I was hungry. <i>So flipping HUNGRY. </i>Some of that hunger is withdrawal from sugar, because your body processes wheat as such. I cried. No really, I seriously cried real tears. It was mentally and physically exhausting trying to find things to eat. I cheated off and on like I had mentioned above. I had brief "I just don't care anymore" gluten eating binges. But even worse, I would be off gluten for a while and then totally forget and pop something into my mouth that I was not supposed to have!<i> </i>I accidentally ate gluten all of the time. The worst offense: one night after weeks of being gluten free I literally honked down three organic hog dogs at our back yard weenie roast <i>and ate the buns with them.</i> About four hours later it suddenly dawned on me that I ate wheat buns. I know that sounds amazingly ridiculous but also understand I was helping at least three kids roast marshmallows and hot dogs and I was nursing a newborn strapped to me in a wrap while bundled up in blankets in 40 degree weather. Madeline was just three weeks old! So I was extra distracted. But yeah, ridiculous.<br />
<br />
It is so hard to cook for your family when you can't have gluten. I can't taste noodles to see if they are done. I can't lick batter off of spoons. I can't have fun at birthday parties (cake!), I can't eat left over cereal from the kids. I used to get half my breakfast eating cold soggy cereal left from a kid. (I oddly like it.) Now it gets wasted. I am a huge lover of pies, donuts, and cinnamon rolls. I love pies and spent years learning how to make various pie dough. I won 1st place in a pie contest. Yes, I could learn how to make gluten free pie crust. It is just not the same at the moment though and I am horribly sad about pie. It took me a long time to learn all the various tricks of regular pie crust. I don't want to start over and learn again. Maybe someday I guess, but today is not that day and either is tomorrow. For some people it is pasta and pizza they miss...for me it is the pastries. Gluten free pizza is not bad but not the same. It helps that I load up on lots of toppings anyway. I don't like pasta so that one is easy at least. I tried lots of gluten free bread (Costco has the best deal on large size Udi's bread). I found a pancake mix I enjoy (Trader Joe's or Pamela's brand). I bought lots of Amy's organic frozen dinners for when I get in a jam (very decent food). When I buy the kids donuts I make them eat them ALL up so they won't be in the house. I found gluten free cake at a local store bakery! And it is great!<b> </b><br />
<br />
I don't think I have to be so strict that I need a separate toaster and
jar of peanut butter from the rest of the family. Thank goodness. If I
am pretty sure it is wheat free I eat it. Some people have to avoid ALL
wheat like the plague. If something says it was prepared on machines
that may also process wheat I still eat it.When we went for sushi I
forgot my wheat free soy sauce and I used theirs anyway. I don't want to
do that weekly, but occasionally so far I am. I do not partake in big
splurges though. I cannot have anything that is fully wheat (like
pastries).<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Silver Lining</b><br />
After I gained some momentum with the gluten free lifestyle I realized I can eat loads of my favorite foods that I never get to eat. Bring on the yummy Thai, Indian, and Ethiopian foods I love! I am already a huge Mexican food fan. I am focusing on other sweets I enjoy for now. I don't like pretzels and I rarely eat crackers so I luck out there. I made it past the hardest hump now; it has been more than 21 days and I made it long enough that I see real results. <br />
<br />
<b>Real Results </b><br />
My rosacea faded dramatically. Each week it faded more and now it is gone. I was amazed! I am not tired the next day when I stay up late. My medicine seems to work better. The goal here is to be able to wean off it completely though. I can also now have a couple of alcoholic drinks without feeling crazy or hungover. It hasn't been an issue. I rarely drink, but when I do I feel fine.<br />
Oh and my hair! How can I forget my hair!? I have battled with my hair falling out and horrible split ends for <i>years</i>. I started having drab, split, discolored, unhealthy hair. These are symptoms of a thyroid problem. I have been trying so hard to get my hair healthy again. I have been keeping it cut slightly above my shoulders for years because of its condition. Suddenly my hair has not looked this good in years. It doesn't look all split up and dull. It looks way more shiny and more colorful. It doesn't look like somebody has chewed up my ends. This makes me so happy. Any time I see a gluten treat that I want I tell Ricky, "I can have my face and hair better or I can have the treat...I pick beauty over wheat!" My hair is still shedding a lot and my medication dosage has not changed, but I sure seem a lot better.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>A list of unexpected Pros to being gluten free (besides the obvious thyroid health related ones I outlined above)</b><br />
-My kids can't steal my food! Well they can technically, but because it is special, limited, and more expensive it is just reserved for me. It's special and it is mine!<br />
-I get special things. I mean besides gluten free meals. I buy extra Naked Juice smoothies and berries just for me. I have my own cookies. I have more incentive to treat myself with fun, healthy, or treaty foods because all I get is specially bought stuff. <br />
-My kids see sacrifice and perseverance in action. <br />
-I am better off because wheat isn't great for you anyway. I eat more veggies, more fruits, more wholesome gluten free grains. I eat way more organic.<br />
-I decided I wanted to learn how to cook more ethnic! Who knows maybe I'll find a new niche.<br />
<br />
<b>The 9 steps it took me to be gluten free</b><br />
-Grouchiness... "This is bull-crap and I don't want to do it."<br />
-Denial... I had gluten sensitivity testing done and I came back not sensitive. My Dr. recommend gluten free anyway.<br />
-Trial.... Okay I'll try. <br />
-Anger... I hate this.<br />
-Failure... I cannot do it. It is impossible. I quit.<br />
-More anger... I hate this.<br />
-Trying again... Try harder this time, keep going. Even if you slip up try again right away.<br />
-Acceptance... Nothing worth doing is easy. I'm going shopping for food I can eat. I can do this.<br />
-Victory... This is working! I am taking care of myself in the best way possible. I now have a chance at not only saving my thyroid but also at getting off medication.<br />
<br />
<b>Resources:</b><br />
<b> If any of the above resonates with you then read everything you can from <a href="http://hypothyroidmom.com/" target="_blank">Hypothyroid Mom</a> and <a href="http://thyroid.about.com/" target="_blank">Mary Shoman</a>.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Hypothyroid Mom:</b><br />
<b><a href="http://hypothyroidmom.com/most-common-questions-and-myths-about-hypothyroidism-and-hashimotos/" target="_blank">Most Common Questions and Myths about Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s</a> </b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Mary's links that are particularly helpful:</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<a href="http://thyroid.about.com/od/gettestedanddiagnosed/a/selftesting.htm" target="_blank">Thyroid Self-Tests / Ordering Your Own Thyroid Tests</a><br />
<a href="http://thyroid.about.com/cs/basics_starthere/a/10signs.htm" target="_blank">Top Ten Signs That You May Have a Thyroid Problem</a><br />
<a href="http://thyroid.about.com/od/hypothyroidismhashimotos/a/tshnormal.htm" target="_blank">My TSH Test Results Are Normal, But I Still Have Symptoms</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-6179685840704804002016-01-02T00:26:00.000-06:002016-01-20T21:59:38.816-06:00Christmas Magic and Memories of 2015<div>
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My Grandma Smith had some elves when I was a
kid. I loved them. She also had the best old fashioned decorations and
putz houses. For
years I kept telling myself I would buy some <a href="http://usercontent1.hubimg.com/7745474_f520.jpg">vintage putz houses</a> (also called glitter houses) and some elves. I love old fashioned decorations. I also miss these <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=plastic+popcorn+christmas+decorations&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjV153W0PnJAhUGxGMKHVsgDLIQ_AUICCgC&biw=1304&bih=671#imgrc=_">'plastic-popcorn'</a> ones from childhood too.<br />
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Grandma Smith gave us our Elf on the Shelf
with the accompanying book nine years ago and we have loved him dearly ever since. The kids
named him Smith-wick. </div>
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The
elf thing is super special in our house. The kids tell Smith-wick what they
want for Christmas. Lately Everett threatens to touch him just to try and
get a reaction out of us. The touching the elf thing is<b><i> FOR REAL SERIOUS </i></b>in our house. Which is why I found this so funny:<br />
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You
don't touch the elf. We are aghast if we see a picture
online where someone is touching their elf, or if the elf is someplace
where he would <i>have</i> to be touched. So for example, if the elf was on the
sewing machine and you needed to use the sewing machine. Or in the
blender. Or on the toothbrushes. If he hung out on any of those places
we would NOT TOUCH HIM no matter what. </div>
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This year I decided to
finally buy a vintage elf. The prices on ebay were excellent. I
ended up with a winning bid on two elves. One elf I have tucked away for a rainy day. He's cute and nice and worn around the edges just a little bit. I have not named him yet. The other elf rides a white magical
reindeer. I felt this was the most perfect thing ever to add to our fun!
The deer and elf were in a vintage package and in mint condition. They needed to be introduced
properly, so I patiently waited for the perfect time.</div>
December 14th Morton the elf rode in on his reindeer, Fancy Lady. They are perfect and they brought a note and a treat. </div>
The note reads:</div>
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<b><i>Howdy Family,</i></b></div>
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<b><i>I
am a friend of Smith-wick. My name is Morton. My sidekick and pet here
is Fancy Lady. Fancy flies like the wind. She is a nice girl. You can
make paper carrots for her and at night Christmas Magic turns them real.
She eats them before flying me back to the North Pole. I was hoping I
could visit for a while. If you like me visiting just make Fancy a
carrot every night and I will come back. We bring holiday cheer, good
wishes, and good luck. You can pet Fancy, but please don't pick us
up.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It scares the livin' elf daylights out of us. We
brought you a treat from the North Pole...enjoy some Elf Cocoa! </i></b></div>
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Later in the day: Morton with Fancy Lady and all the darling handmade paper carrots scattered at their feet. </div>
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Morton
was a lovely and fun addition to our home. It's fun to see the kids
respect Morton and Fancy Lady's boundaries of being petted but not
picked up. Even Everett has joined in and follows the rules. Bea is just two and already knows the game. Every morning they delight in the fun.</div>
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An old post from 2011 about our elf and Christmas tradition <a href="http://halfdozenkids.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-fun-and-tradition.html" target="_blank">here </a> <br />
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<b>More Thoughts and Traditions of the Holiday Season</b><br />
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<b>Big Family Outings </b><br />
No surprise here, but some outings can be too expensive for big families. We have found several holiday traditions in our area that are affordable or free: Pay by the car holiday light displays, ice skating Groupons for half off ice skating, and library holiday crafts. We also have several chances to sit on Santa's lap for free at the feed store and library. (Bring your own camera.) In the city there are free horse carriage rides on certain days but we have never done them. Some churches also host living nativities with live animals, hot cocoa and plenty of community fun. There's lots to do!<br />
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<b>Books </b></div>
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We utilize the local library to check out Christmas story books and winter story books. Almost
every year I also read aloud our well loved and worn copy if The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, just like my mom read to me. We also read The Polar Express, just like my
mom read to me. Those books were my childhood favorites!<br />
<br />
Penelope (9) and Sebastian (7) listened to me read The Best Chrstmas Pageant Ever for the first
time this year. They enjoyed it a lot. There are seven chapters in the book and we read a chapter a night. When it was time to read the last chapter Penelope said she would rather wait because she didn't want the book to be over. It was adorable and we've all been there. It's hard when a good book ends. Such a sign she is growing up, savoring moments in time like that. On Christmas Eve I remembered that there was a
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icZwm6Aact8">made for TV movie</a> of it. I looked on YouTube and found it! So
fun! Penelope and Sebastian really enjoyed watching the book come alive. In many ways it's just not Christmas Until Gladys Herdmen yells,<i> "Hey! Unto you a child is born!" </i>I'm so glad I'll be reading it yearly to young children for many, many years to come. I hide that I tear up at the end. I'm just so happy I get to pass reading this great story on to my kids.<br />
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<b>Cookies </b><br />
Nearly every year we make <a href="http://photoappetite.com/2012/12/20/christmas-rosette-cookies/">rosette cookies</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo borrowed from link above</td></tr>
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They
are Scandinavian cookies made with a fancy looking hot cookie iron.
They are crisp, light and dusted with powder sugar. The sugar falls all
over you like snow as you bite into them. They are so much fun and still
seem so magical to me. They are very similar to funnel cakes, but
seriously taste so much better. My mom and grandma taught me how to make
them when I was little. We haven't had the time to make them this year yet but I have high hopes that we will soon. I rendered some pork lard right smack in the middle of busy Christmas week in hopes that we can find time to make them during Ricky's holiday break from work. (Maybe for New Year's Eve!) Nothing fries up crisp and beautiful as with real lard. I can't wait to try rosettes fried in real lard! Interested in lard? Read this: <a href="http://empoweredsustenance.com/lard-is-healthy/">10 Reasons to Bring Lard Back</a></div>
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We make graham cracker candy houses every year. This year we had a homeschool group decorating party at a friends house. It was a lot of fun and easy for me since I just had to bring some candy to share. I appreciated the ease of it this year! <br />
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<b>Decorations</b></div>
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I have a Santa
collection I started nine years ago. It began around the time my Aunt Sharon
bought me some Santa ornaments that were pirate themed. I cannot believe it has been nine years! My how my
collection has grown! As it grows I have noticed that I get more
excited every year to get my Santa collection out. It is such a neat
collection to have because it is only out for a month and then it is carefully
stored away until the next year. I noticed that it never needs dusting as it doesn't sit around long enough. It's also not out long enough for
me to lose interest or ignore it, and it only takes up space for a
little while. It is the perfect collection for me. (Putz houses collection here I come someday!)</div>
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<br />
This
year Aunt Sharon sent me a new and unique item for my collection:
a nesting doll Santa. It is so pretty and hand painted. Ricky bought me a
talking nutcracker Santa. Also Ricky got me a <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Feliz Navidad </span></span>Santa! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ld8c1nMV74/Vn4YrtEkDzI/AAAAAAAAFic/VTxi6US_RY4/s1600/morn12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7ld8c1nMV74/Vn4YrtEkDzI/AAAAAAAAFic/VTxi6US_RY4/s200/morn12.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">I love my new 'Feliz Navidad' Santa! He holds a reindeer pinata! Love him! He is so well made and pretty.</span></span></td></tr>
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I played with the talking nutcracker
Santa for hours, it's ridiculous how much I <strike>like</strike> love it.<br />
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He says:</div>
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<i>"There's lots of work to do before Christmas gets here, so let's get cracking!"</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"All this cracking is making me nuts!"</i></div>
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<i>"You open presents, I open nuts! We make a great team!"</i></div>
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<i>"He's going to find out whose nutty or nice!"</i></div>
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<i>"Santa put me on the Nutty list"</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<b>Winter Solstice</b><br />
We always watch <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YfpKSNzQ2g" target="_blank"> Little Bear Winter Solstice</a></b> and<b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE2ifkoC6hc" target="_blank"> Little Bear Gingerbread Cookies </a></b>.
We make bird feeders and hang treats for the snow angels. We bake cookies, especially we bake our well loved
gingerbread cookies! We actually bake those off and on year round. I have been using the same recipe for 17 years and the kids just love them.
Depending on what we have going on we do other crafts and games to fill the day too.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hollowed out oranges hung with wire, filled with peanut butter, flax, and cereal inside</td></tr>
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<b>Gingerbread Cookies Recipe (no refined sugar!)</b></div>
<div>
Cream together: 1 egg, 1 cup molasses, 1 cup maple syrup, 1 cup butter (I use melted)<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Tip: Lightly rub olive oil all over the inside of your measuring cup before you pour in the sticky syrups. They will slide right out.)</span> </div>
<div>
Mix
dry ingredients separately: 5 cups flour, 1.5 teaspoons baking soda,
cinnamon to taste (around 1-2 T is good, I just give the kids the shaker), ginger
to taste or 2-3 T<br />
Optional: We also add some fresh grated ginger
too. At least 1-2 T in addition to the powdered ginger. It's so good! <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Tip: keep some frozen ginger root in the freezer
and grate it as needed! It lasts near forever.)</span></div>
<div>
Mix dry into wet until well
combined, add a little extra flour if needed (it is usually needed). Chill dough for a little
bit. On floured surface take hunks and pat or roll out flat. Use cookie
cutters to make cookies. The thinner the more crisp, the thicker the
more fluffy/cake like. </div>
<div>
Bake on 350 until they are desired crispness or until golden brown. </div>
<div>
<br />
<b>Stockings</b></div>
Ricky
and I stayed up until 2am making creative additions for the stockings we
started two years ago. The stockings have something made by us out of craft felt to represent each child. We work hard on these and we have a lot of fun. We try to add a handmade felt picture of something meaningful or memorable about each child. Sage got a lock because he likes to figure out/pick locks. Penelope got a prairie girl because she loves Little House books and dressing up in her prairie clothes. Layla loves gymnastics and practices nearly all day long, so clearly a gymnast was in order for her. Ethan likes to draw and make comic books so he got a "POW!" Charlotte is a professional cake decorator and therefore got a cake. Madeline got a "M" for her first year. Beatrice got a bee hive to go with her bee from a previous year, but she also loves swings so I made a swing hanging from a tree. Sebastian loves nice sharpened pencils for drawing. He draws most of the time so he got a pencil. Last but not least, Everett got a Pea shooter and cone-head zombie from his favorite computer game Plants VS Zombies. Ricky and I did a cute job on them I think!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids had their gift exchange with each other on Christmas Eve morning. <span class="" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="">I
love how they really think of each other and take time thinking of what
to get! Everett was all smiles especially. Nice to see him be so into
giving.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span class="" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class=""><b>Christmas Eve</b></span></span></div>
<div>
Many years ago the kids wanted to shop for each other but of course taking them to get each other gifts would be insanely expensive. After a couple of years of them asking we realized that telling them they didn't <i>need</i> to get each other anything was only dismissing their desire to give to the people they love the most. Of course they didn't<i> need</i> to give presents<i>.</i>They want to, and they do it with such joy! Christmas is about giving.<br />
<br />
We started taking them to the dollar store a few years back to pick each others presents out. It has been a great and well anticipated addition to our holiday traditions. They now start asking when we will go shopping when November hits. The dollar store doesn't sound all that exciting but there is a lot to choose from. The dollar store has to sometimes make you super creative, especially if you are buying for older siblings. Sebastian (7) couldn't find a pocket knife for his brother Sage (16), so he used his creative brain and got him paperclips instead. Why paperclips? Because Sage likes to try and pick locks. What a smart thinking kid! Sage really appreciated the thoughtfulness and how cute that was. Penelope (9) got Charlotte a calendar. Charlotte was thrilled to get one, she hadn't gotten one for 2015 yet. Beatrice (2) got Sage (16) some silly string. It was a random gift she just picked up and told me it was for Sage. She didn't even know what it was. Sage later took her outside and sprayed it with her. They had a load of fun. It was so cute.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AR0Ci1HCc9o/VoDGmOZF3AI/AAAAAAAAFl0/foLb8tdIc4E/s1600/m3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AR0Ci1HCc9o/VoDGmOZF3AI/AAAAAAAAFl0/foLb8tdIc4E/s320/m3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Eve 8 weeks old</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ricky was home Christmas Eve and we had a lovely day of
family and fun, so much so that I didn't get much else done (or presents wrapped) all day. Aunt Christy (my sister) sent us a big package of
goodies. I never thought about it before, but a package of fun items to play with on Christmas Eve is such a good idea! We also especially loved our sunglasses and umbrellas Aunt Christy sent. </div>
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The beautiful assortment
of playful toys to share kept us busy for hours. We love group gifts and this had
an assortment of awesome fun! We did some spin art, snap circuits, made crazy straws and more!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqWO26lgmBM/Vn4hjizv-OI/AAAAAAAAFj8/AvrUwXngYpQ/s1600/um8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqWO26lgmBM/Vn4hjizv-OI/AAAAAAAAFj8/AvrUwXngYpQ/s320/um8.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
The kids went to bed pretty easily knowing the fastest way to get to Christmas morning is to just go to bed! So they had their last advent Chocolate, brushed teeth, and said goodbye to Fancy Lady, Morton, and Smith-wick until next year, then they went to bed.<br />
<br />
We were sad that elf season is now over. I asked Ricky why I feel like I'll miss the elves so much. The pressure is now off and I can stop waking up at 1am and thinking 'oh no I forgot, I have to move the elf!' (Three times I forgot and Layla (11) moved them for me!) He said it is because our kids love it so much. It's true. Which reminds me, things have been insane lately (mostly with Everett) and I don't know how we do it or sometimes how we'll keep doing it. I asked Ricky when life will quit being so crazy and he said, "Someday. But then we'll just miss this." I'm glad he knows that. <br />
<br />
So, on Christmas Eve everyone went to bed easily <b>except five year old Everett </b>and baby Madeline. Everett wanted to wait up for Santa. He was the most adamant kid we've ever had about it. Finally at 11pm he fell asleep. Very unlike him! While he is a busy, wild, hyper nut most of the day, he at least is usually a good sleeper. Madeline, who is in the middle of a 8 week growth spurt (which means extra nursing, extra awake time, and extra fussy at times) was up and down a lot but checked out around 11pm too. Thank goodness! We didn't get done with everything until 2:30am. Every year I am adamant about not having to wrap a million presents on Christmas Eve, but every year we have to anyway. I would love to have it done early one of these years! <br />
<br />
Speaking of Madeline:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w2DEnp9nw-Q/Vn4jbk66gHI/AAAAAAAAFkI/sAvO2Bfs5zQ/s1600/xmas4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w2DEnp9nw-Q/Vn4jbk66gHI/AAAAAAAAFkI/sAvO2Bfs5zQ/s320/xmas4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby's first Christmas 6 weeks old</td></tr>
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She is so precious and she is such a perfect addition to our home. I know, I know, I say that every time! But only because it is true every time! We love them so much. Thankfully I am getting enough sleep. She has been easy to care for and is so laid back. She is smiling and recognizing her family a little bit more each day. Everything is fine and some what the same except I have a baby in my hands and I have to juggle making meals around her sleeping schedule. We thought Bea was easy, but this peach is really easy. So far. They all get hard at some point! <br />
<br />
<b>Christmas Day </b><br />
Christmas morning Charlotte (19) kept most of the little kids quiet while we dozed off a little more. She is the best! Most of the kids stayed upstairs with Charlotte, peering down in excitement. If that's not one of the most exciting times of childhood I don't know what is. I was the oldest of five siblings. The waiting on the stairs together is firmly planted in my head as one of the childhood bests. Around 6:45am Everett woke up and there was no stopping him. We had a fun morning of presents and then a lazy, play-filled day. I needed a nap with the baby after presents and skipped breakfast. I was later awoken by my husband with breakfast in bed. He made me a delicious breakfast casserole. (He brought me breakfast in bed three days in a row actually! He is the best ever! One day he made me Eggs Benedict! I must have been really good this year!)<br />
<br />
I got five new vintage style dresses, new shoes, some snow gloves, and the cute Santa figures already mentioned above. I got Ricky some new beer brewing supplies, snow gloves, and a vintage dictionary that is <i>SO</i> cool. (He likes reading dictionaries.) He loved it a lot! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gYXaqVHtoyI/Vn_i_U0MktI/AAAAAAAAFk0/USXT9HxEjv8/s1600/book1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gYXaqVHtoyI/Vn_i_U0MktI/AAAAAAAAFk0/USXT9HxEjv8/s320/book1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge 1940's vintage dictionary filled with tons of cool stuff!<br />
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We got the teen boys (16) lovely Carhartt coats and some other goodies.<br />
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<br />
Charlotte (19) got a cell phone and some other goodies. (We use basic cell phones without a lot of frills. But it's still nice and it is her first phone!) Santa brought the family a keyboard and Layla has already learned how to play "America The Beautiful" on it! The kids have all really, really enjoyed it already! We also got a new castle for the kids. We have a huge assortment of Schleich and Papo castle toys, knights, mutant animals, mythical beasts, and fairies. We have been adding on to our collection for at least nine years. Our wooden castle finally broke a couple of years ago and the little boys have been asking for a new one. We bought them a Schleich castle this time and it is even better than the pictures show! We are very happy with it and so are they. Schleich doesn't make junk, and their toys are a softer plastic. The teens said they wish their castle growing up was as cool as this one. Sorry teens! :)<br />
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Beatrice got a new soft dolly we named Mary and it so so cute to hear her say, "Where's my Mary?" and "Oh there is my Mary." She even will say "Hi my Mary." I just love that she calls her 'my Mary.' She also got a new baby doll stroller. She loves them and played with her other one so much last year that it wore out.<br />
<br />
Penelope got some magnets she enjoys building with, a prairie doll outfit for her doll (it is SO cute!), a new bonnet, some Lego friends and some other goodies. Layla got gymnastics stuff galore...<br />
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<br />
cute shirts, a hair band, some gymnastic rings to hang off our playground, support gloves and a hand grip to strengthen her hands and wrists. She is entirely self taught in gymnastics and completely obsessed with it. It is not unusual for her to spend two hours watching instructional videos online and four hours a day practicing. She's passionate and it is amazing to watch. She has taught herself and trained herself to do: the splits, back flips. handsprings, back walkovers, some scorpion thing, and many other things with gymnastic sounding words thrown around in them that I can't remember. She uses hand weights daily. This kid is athletic! We are very impressed! She will be starting much anticipated classes at a gymnastics place in the next several weeks. (We wanted to wait until spring but we may get her in before then.) Sebastian's favorite thing he got is a magic set he loves and has been watching a DVD to learn the tricks. He is really taking to it! It's great to see him learn something new, follow the script they teach to be entertaining, and use multitasking to perform tricks! Really cool! This is very good for him. Everett got a some Legos, a fishing game, a magic hat to perform with his brother if he wants to, and some other goodies. He got a white knight and says it is his favorite toy. Everett also got a whole bag of Plants VS Zombies toys and Charlotte colored him a game board for him.<br />
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<br />
<b>Weird thoughts in the middle of the night</b><br />
There are really cute ideas online for making a crafty <b><a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=nativity&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwitxfy8n__JAhVU_WMKHcSSAg0Q_AUIBygB&biw=1304&bih=671#tbm=isch&q=edible+nativity"> edible Nativity. </a></b>I was thinking we should do something like that with the kids, but we were all done shopping and staying home through Christmas. No more store trips! Half asleep I was brainstorming in the middle of the night thinking and wondering what we could make one out of...and so the half-awake dream began. I have plenty of potatoes I thought to myself. We could use potatoes. Three wise men lined up as potatoes, a Joseph and Mary Potato... and a very small baby Jesus potato. In my sleep I thought this was the best idea. Then I wondered how we would get the potatoes to stand up right. I dozed off and came up with a piece of cardboard with nails or screws poked up through it. We could stick the potatoes down on them. I woke up the next morning laughing at myself. How do I come up with such things? The kids thought it was funny and weird when I told them. We didn't have time to make our potato nativity this year. But there's always next year...<br />
<br />
Since every idea has already been done by somebody my curious mind looked online. And sure enough... <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=potato+nativity&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib_eXUtf_JAhVL02MKHQwrAL8Q_AUICCgC&biw=1304&bih=671">well, see for yourself</a>.<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas! Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-22715496741871240022015-11-30T07:04:00.000-06:002016-01-10T07:05:25.190-06:00November 2015<div>
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<b>November </b><br />
Penelope
got a darling new prairie dress in November. I told my friend Molly
that I hope Penelope never outgrows her prairie stage. Molly told me she
only had one bonnet as a child but has three now. That made me smile.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HdSNCFiktRE/Vo2hfyM55GI/AAAAAAAAFnY/eDT4Sp4iZGs/s1600/thanks2%2B%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HdSNCFiktRE/Vo2hfyM55GI/AAAAAAAAFnY/eDT4Sp4iZGs/s320/thanks2%2B%25282%2529.JPG" width="207" /></a></div>
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Penelope
(9) is so amazing as a big sister. She wanted to learn to hold Madeline
alone, pick her up, change her diaper, and be able to walk around with
her (to rock her or bring her to me). I was a bit nervous at first but
the child is a natural mother. When Madeline wakes up from a nap I can
rarely make it to my bedroom before Penelope scoops her up. Not even a
poopy diaper scares Penelope off. She's so caring and loves to help out.
</div>
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Penelope and I were talking about how Beatrice loves to
sing and how sweet it is that she sings to Madeline. Bea heard this and
started singing Rock-a-bye baby to Madeline, but it went like this:
Rock-a-bye baby in the tree top when the wind blows the baby will...die. We looked at each other in horror and then
couldn't stop laughing. That so belongs on that online list of 'creepiest
things kids have said.' lol</div>
<br />
In the most super cute things
ever, Beatrice came up to Madeline today rubbed her head over and over
and in a high pitched sweet toddler baby-talking voice said, "You are,
aren't you? You are, aren't you?" without saying what she was first. So funny and cute. <br />
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Beatrice
says things to me that are very unusual and amazing. Beatrice is very
verbal (she has been talking well since at least 18 months old!) and she
is not just verbal, but very expressive and articulate as well. She
walked right up to me on at least a half a dozen different days, rubbed
her baby sisters head, then pressed her head to her baby sister's head
and closed her eyes, then she actually said to me, "Thank you for my
baby sister, Mom." I could die from the sweetness and cuteness! </div>
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Everett asked me to teach him how to sew... <br />
Everett (5 years old): Do you know why I want to learn to sew? So I can make a soft gun. </div>
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Penelope (9 years old): He means a stuffed gun, like a stuffed animal. </div>
Everett: Yeah! That's why I want to learn!</div>
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
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I wrote this for Madeline at one month:<br />
Gained 2 pounds, can turn head in my direction to look
for me, big, dark navy blue eyes, wakes every 3-4 hours like perfect
clockwork to nurse, loves to snuggle up, loves being swaddled, likes
baths. I am in awe. I
have been trying to pay extra attention to how she changes. From newborn
to infant it's stunning how fast it goes. <br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
I took the kids to our first homeschool meet up since Madeline was born.
It was really fun having my mom friends coo over my baby. A
circle of very motherful, sweet women gathered around me asking how I
am, how our family is, and marveling at the wonder of such newness. It
was sooooo sweet. Many echoed what Ricky and I keep saying each time...
"How can we forget how tiny they are?" and "Why doesn't the newborn
stage last longer." Oh newborn babies, what absolute love and hope you
bring to the world.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yrFPku5OnPs/Vo2huCFCm1I/AAAAAAAAFng/hKQDAGPlqIA/s1600/baby1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yrFPku5OnPs/Vo2huCFCm1I/AAAAAAAAFng/hKQDAGPlqIA/s320/baby1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Postpartum thoughts I wrote down in November:</b><br />
<br />
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<b>November 10, 2015</b></div>
Whether I like it or not I'm back in full swing mom mode.
The world keeps turning even when you'd rather it stop a while and let
you rejoice your new baby.
Ricky has the time off to take right now (paid), he just can't use
more days right now when he has so many responsibilities to tend to at work. He took off a week in September for our beach vacation and then a handful of postpartum days. I can't imagine the stress he has been under. I'm sure it has been hard juggling so much. He has done amazing and I'm so grateful. In life there is always sacrifice. You will swap having
family time for money or money for family time. It's the truth. The past two
weeks play out like a month -or more- in my head. I almost feel like
I've been walking around outside of my body, or in a long dream where
everything is muddled together. I don't say this as a bad thing per say,
it's just<i> weird. </i></div>
<div>
<br />
<b>November 19, 2015</b><br />
Ricky is so loving and kind and tries to help me so much. He offered to take the
day off tomorrow if it would help with the busy day I will have running
kids to two appointments. He is swamped at work...you know "real work"
the kind that pays bills. He doesn't think I have all the time in
the world because I stay home, and he doesn't tell me to get on with life as usual with a newborn. I am so glad he doesn't act like three
weeks postpartum should be long enough for me to buck up and get out of the house
regularly, even though most people probably do start to think that. I feel so fragile still.<br />
<br />
I
actually wanted him to help me tomorrow but I didn't want to ask...
and then he just offered. Now I'm feeling more capable and able.
Sometimes it is just enough for someone to offer, to sympathize,
to hear you, to see you and your challenges... and then like magic
things seem easier
because you feel so loved. (This reminded me of this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw" target="_blank">amazing cartoon video about empathy</a>) </div>
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^
After I wrote that Ricky was able to take that Friday off plus two more
in a row. He surprised me with two of them too! This leads me to the
obvious conclusion that four day work weeks rule, and they should be the
standard. Now that's not to say it came easy. He got home at 8pm some
nights in order to swing his responsibilities at work. I appreciated his
efforts to help me SO much. Sebastian has eye therapy appointments on
Fridays. It is a 45 minute drive one-way. Ricky taking him to those on
Fridays is a huge welcomed help.<br />
<br />
<b>Thanksgiving </b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GnGmdlUdv5M/Vo2iNaTgFII/AAAAAAAAFno/p1kOypTmGbM/s1600/t7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GnGmdlUdv5M/Vo2iNaTgFII/AAAAAAAAFno/p1kOypTmGbM/s320/t7.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butchering the Thanksgiving bird</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thanksgiving was quiet, peaceful, and easy going. I prepped almost everything in advance. I went easy on myself and only made pumpkin pies. The lemon meringue store-bought pie was hideously disappointing. I had to tell myself <i>I just had a baby</i> many times to keep myself stress free. <br />
<br />
It was hard because my extended family is far away now. It was our first Thanksgiving without Aunt Sharon being here. I was really sad in the morning, shed my tears, and moved on. By afternoon Charlotte was weepy. When she told me I was like, "Oh no, I was already there! Don't bring me your weepiness over to me. I'm over it!" (It was funny, but I didn't really listen to the awesome empathy movie link I shared above!)<br />
<br />
It was fun to have our fresh home grown Thanksgiving turkey. The kids helped prepare it. We butchered it a week before so the meat could rest. This makes it more tender. The kids all wanted to be involved and they were actually a ton of help. They all pitched in on feather plucking which can take quite a while. <br />
<b> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YKpbA1FH8Ec/VpJSoGIMzfI/AAAAAAAAFn8/Nw6ysrCXxaI/s1600/thanks3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YKpbA1FH8Ec/VpJSoGIMzfI/AAAAAAAAFn8/Nw6ysrCXxaI/s320/thanks3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>35 pounds of bird</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</b></div>
The weather in November was positively wonderful. We got lots of outside days. It really helped refresh me. I wasn't ready to plunge into the cold. (I never am!) I loved having Beatrice in June because the weather was so beautiful and the air so sweet. November being mild and sunny was a unexpected joy. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DltHk9rNgW8/VpJUSFJ-JmI/AAAAAAAAFoI/TNPbHCXea9c/s1600/s9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DltHk9rNgW8/VpJUSFJ-JmI/AAAAAAAAFoI/TNPbHCXea9c/s320/s9.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunny November morning nursing Madeline on the front porch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-80629585568765394642015-11-07T10:41:00.000-06:002015-11-07T10:41:01.167-06:00Her Name is Madeline <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3XvJ1VwevFk/VjrAh96iKLI/AAAAAAAAFeY/G2Qpe0nkHGg/s1600/madeline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3XvJ1VwevFk/VjrAh96iKLI/AAAAAAAAFeY/G2Qpe0nkHGg/s640/madeline.jpg" width="457" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Born at home October 28, 2015 at 11:31 pm 7 lbs 1 oz 18.5 inches long, Baby Madeline joined our family</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Charlotte (19) drew me the above picture and I absolutely LOVE it with all my heart. It's so SWEET! It's our family drawn in the style of this page in the 1939 original story of Madeline:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qq9qxX-JHJA/VjrBjJbeVRI/AAAAAAAAFeg/RTvKjbXuFm0/s1600/Madeline_HappyDinner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qq9qxX-JHJA/VjrBjJbeVRI/AAAAAAAAFeg/RTvKjbXuFm0/s320/Madeline_HappyDinner.png" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Page from Ludwig Bemelman's book Madeline </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uv4jTsIKsu8/Vjouu2EvVXI/AAAAAAAAFeI/2FeQVMOc-PA/s1600/madeline-cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uv4jTsIKsu8/Vjouu2EvVXI/AAAAAAAAFeI/2FeQVMOc-PA/s200/madeline-cover.jpg" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's<i><b> not</b></i> Madelyn, It's Madeline (Mad-ah-line). Like
the little girl in the books.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FUJ4q1pq6a4/Vj0ZW1lw-II/AAAAAAAAFe4/5XYFY2vttRE/s1600/rocking2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FUJ4q1pq6a4/Vj0ZW1lw-II/AAAAAAAAFe4/5XYFY2vttRE/s320/rocking2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Instantly I'm transformed into whoever I need to be for her. Late nights, early mornings, patting, rocking, swaying, humming, food on demand...a sore back. I'll do anything for her. Anything at all. <br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ricky
wanted the name Madeline at least three kids ago. I loved the name but
shied away from it repeatedly because of the spelling and pronunciation confusion
of Madelyn and Madeline. I never wanted to name a child something that would have to be corrected all of the time. <br />
<br />
When Beatrice was born the kids and I pushed
for the name Beatrice. We wanted our little "Baby Bee." It just fit her and the
sunny June week she was born. I always liked the name Joy, because my children bring me so much Joy, but Ricky doesn't like it. I loved the name Beatrice even more when I learned it meant <b>bringer of joy and many blessings</b>. That just fit so perfectly for how I feel about my children and motherhood. None of us can imagine her being anyone else. She is a vibrant free spirited,
talkative, happy, joyful baby and child...with a gaggle of sunny / bee themed nicknames too. Ricky of course also loves Beatrice's name, but I clearly remember and will never forget Ricky saying that we could name her Beatrice but the next baby <i>WILL BE</i> Madeline. I even remember where he was standing outside and how he said it. I <i>promised</i> him Madeline. I could tell he was slightly disappointed that the kids wouldn't give up on Beatrice. I finally caved but couldn't talk Penelope into changing Beatrice's name to Madeline. She would have sobbed. And I'm so glad we kept Bea! It all worked out for the better. Beatrice fits our little Bea so wonderfully and Madeline SO fits our new baby! I really love saying it and it came to us all really naturally to call her Madeline. We however do not have a middle name yet. We have ideas but we need to see what feels right, and if something else jumps out to us. Even though we named this baby girl Madeline years ago we still tried out the name for over a week before announcing it officially. Beatrice called her Madeline for the first time a couple days ago and it was so precious. The trial period is over: we adore our baby Madeline. <br />
<br />
Everett (5) is still devoted to the name Blueberry. I told him that is fine. I asked Ricky about naming her Madeline Blueberry. He said no. Penelope and Aunt Sharon love it though. :)<br />
Here's the funny conversation I had with Layla:<br />
Layla (11): You can't name her middle name BLUEBERRY!<br />
Me: Why not? Just imagine this sweet little girl with a basket in the woods or a meadow...she's picking wild flowers and her name is Madeline Blueberry...it's SO PRETTY.<br />
Layla: Eh, that's not real life Mom.<br />
<br />
Hahahaha <br />
<br />
And for the record: I see our very own Penelope Juliet happily frolicking and picking tomatoes, strawberries, flowers, and plantain all summer long in her prairie dress and bonnet and she is just darling. So there. Real life. :)<br />
<br />
<b>Nicknames </b><br />
Most of the time when we name our children something that's the name
we want to use exclusively. The exception is Bea. We knew we would call
her Bea<i> and</i> Beatrice. We were
asked about Penny as a nickname for Penelope. It never crossed our mind. We named her Penelope. Penelope is called Nellie within our family but
it's a casually used family nickname (given to her totally by Layla when
Layla was three because she couldn't say Penelope very well). Near 99% of the time we all call her Penelope. To our surprise we were
asked what Sebastian would go by when we named him. Well, he will go by Sebastian of course! The same happened with Charlotte. People asked if
she would go by Charlie or Lottie. Um no. Charlotte is her name! We spend way too much time
naming our babies to call them something other than what we actually
name them. So no nicknames for Madeline, please. <br />
<br />
We love her like this.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2wkGjXgbezs/Vj0a_rjDYhI/AAAAAAAAFfM/bJywKQPjF-k/s1600/nov5%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2wkGjXgbezs/Vj0a_rjDYhI/AAAAAAAAFfM/bJywKQPjF-k/s320/nov5%2B1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penelope (9) and Beatrice (2) with baby Madeline (7 days)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-53820707596987596482015-11-01T14:28:00.000-06:002015-11-06T14:31:30.360-06:00We decided to stay in for Halloween ...and I love my family so much.<div>
The
kids trick or treated twice before Halloween so we introduced
the idea of staying in on Halloween. It was drizzly out and we just had a
baby. We told them we could have fun with carving pumpkins, some games,
and a pizza/ice cream/movie party instead. Thankfully they were all fine with it.
Still, we know how much they love trick or treating (we do too!), and of course the candy
sorting and candy trading that goes with it. The kids have been trading and sorting their
candy all week long from other Halloween events and Trunk or Treat. It keeps them so busy! Even though they were fine
with staying in we still felt a little bummed about not actually taking them out. Ricky had a great idea though... he bought a bunch of
Halloween candy (like oh my goodness a ton of it) and he surprised
the kids with indoor trick or treating. We have a lot of family members around here
and he armed everyone age eleven and over with candy for their
bedroom or bathroom station. (Layla
wanted to help hand out candy.) <br />
<br />
The younger three kids got dressed up (Beatrice was asleep). When they knocked at the first "house" Ricky
opened the bathroom door and I about died laughing when I saw he had put on the kids' shark towel last
minute to be dressed up. Then he asked the kids questions like he didn't know them. I fell in love with
him all over again. I love that after a really crazy and busy three days of postpartum craziness he still made Halloween so uniquely special for all of us. </div>
<div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7LuIIziXw1U/VjXcr34qJNI/AAAAAAAAFcM/ib2eIDNTZnE/s1600/IMG_8187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7LuIIziXw1U/VjXcr34qJNI/AAAAAAAAFcM/ib2eIDNTZnE/s320/IMG_8187.JPG" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this man.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YgWzwuuMLPY/VjZLseg2nNI/AAAAAAAAFco/r-Mriy-zXuE/s1600/IMG_8192.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YgWzwuuMLPY/VjZLseg2nNI/AAAAAAAAFco/r-Mriy-zXuE/s320/IMG_8192.JPG" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then we went upstairs to trick or treat Layla's
bathroom door. We had all the lights off upstairs and the kids called
it Dark Street. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gz4FW9USYCA/VjbylQVCk6I/AAAAAAAAFdI/rWjB_rpYSPM/s1600/IMG_8205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gz4FW9USYCA/VjbylQVCk6I/AAAAAAAAFdI/rWjB_rpYSPM/s320/IMG_8205.JPG" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We started calling the various rooms neighbors. They all
got scared at Charlotte's room when she played some creepy Halloween
sound maker with the lights off. Sebastian (7) wasn't expecting the creepy noises and screamed and fell down flailing around like a
goofball. It was hilarious. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mtEyD2plpWY/VjZLfHtIpwI/AAAAAAAAFcg/94-3RU9COX0/s1600/IMG_8198.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mtEyD2plpWY/VjZLfHtIpwI/AAAAAAAAFcg/94-3RU9COX0/s320/IMG_8198.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then Sage's room, I mean house, was next. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sage opened the door and asked the kids to tell him their joke. We all
laughed so hard at this. (It is a St Louis tradition to ask kids to tell you a
joke when they Trick or Treat to your house. We are not from St Louis
and do not embrace this tradition at all. In fact we find it super
annoying and time consuming, though we participate grudgingly when we have to .)<br />
<br />
Then at Ethan's door he had sat out a
pumpkin on his "porch." Super clever and cute. Their older siblings are the best for trying to make it so fun and memorable for the kids!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kWDKfyUMg4g/VjZMB-Pu9gI/AAAAAAAAFcw/pMht8Ej2y3Y/s1600/IMG_8207.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kWDKfyUMg4g/VjZMB-Pu9gI/AAAAAAAAFcw/pMht8Ej2y3Y/s320/IMG_8207.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethan's room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The kids went around to the "houses" again and Ricky opens up this time like this:</div>
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I am seriously amused by all of this. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the candy trading and sorting fun begins...<br />
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<b>Updatey Stuff...</b></div>
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<b>Day 4 postpartum ~ Sunday Nov 1, 2015</b></div>
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The weather is beautiful and so good for the soul! I am so thankful it will be in the 70's this week. What a treat to have the kids be able to go out and for me to be able to get some fresh air. I cried three times since the baby was born and that's not like me. The house is a little loud (ya think?) and between our busy month, birthday parties, our anniversary, Ricky working 12-14 hour days, crazy amounts of errands/appointments, the holidays coming, and finally a new baby ... I have been zapped. I was able to take several naps the past few days and they have been super beneficial. Ricky has been busy and so great taking care of kids and me, grocery shopping, errand running, Etc. It's been a really hard time actually! We were not very ready for baby yet. We have all done great overall though. Beatrice is really settling in now and sleeping better. She doesn't mind me caring for her baby sister and she is fawning all over her. This is still such a new time! The broken up sleep the kids had the night of the birth really whacked things out around here.</div>
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<b>Day 5 </b><b><b>postpartum</b> ~ Monday Nov 2, 2015</b></div>
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Things are better and *almost* feeling normal
again. </div>
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Bea was having a hard time but is now doing amazing! She was just
sleep deprived and also missing my baby-belly which sh<span class="text_exposed_show">e
rubbed every night to fall asleep! I woke up to her this morning
cuddling with me and the baby. She stroked the baby's head for a half
hour. As I nursed the baby and fell in and out of sleep Bea jabbered on
and on to her baby sister in our dark bedroom.
It was very sweet! </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Everett is extra, extra spazy and wild and that is
the current challenge. Still so thankful for nice weather this week. Ricky has
been really busy taking care of everyone and helping his weepy wife. He has been a trooper and everything I
need. I love him SO much! I'm feel so much better now that I am caught up on sleep,
not sore, and Bea is doing better. I was so exhausted and emotional about her being
exhausted and emotional. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show">I am really looking forward to a nice November
and December where we slow down a bit and focus on family time and fun
school days! In hindsight I was way too busy in Sept. and Oct.! But at
least we enjoyed the fall! Ricky had to go into work today but I
am feeling brave and rested. I can't wait for him to take more days off though. Now I need to go write up a plan for the day and chore list. I have loads of help but I have to go assemble my troops.</span></div>
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Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-79432881596050053702015-10-31T13:51:00.001-05:002015-10-31T14:00:21.547-05:0040 weeks (actually 39) Happy Halloween!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last Saturday I was 39 weeks pregnant and I took these pictures just in case baby came before Oct 31, 2015. I had planned on taking them on Halloween but last weekend it was so pretty out and these vibrant orange trees were rocking fall colors near our house. That's why due dates are just guess dates, I could have actually been 40 weeks! :) EDD are not spot on, they are based on averages. Fortunately, I didn't wait to take these pictures until today as I had planned. (It's also cold and not sunny today.) Unfortunately though, we didn't do the belly cast on time. We were tempted when I was in labor, but seriously that won't work and would be impossibly uncomfortable. I am pretty bummed about it. This past two weeks that I thought about doing it I told myself that if it gets done it will get done, if not that's okay too... I was being greedy and waiting for a bigger belly cast by waiting! Haha!</div>
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Well it turns out I did care about not getting it done. Bummer! But, at least I have this self-done photo shoot! Fall is our favorite time of year! </div>
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I kinda can't believe I'm actually sitting here posting this with my little pumpkin on the outside now! I'm actually more blown away now, three days later, than the day she was born. How fun! </div>
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(But tiring given we are now carving pumpkins with the kids indoors and with a newborn!) </div>
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Thank goodness we went to a Trunk or Treat last week and a big homeschool Halloween party. The kids are actually fine with staying in tonight and having a family pizza and ice cream party with old monster movies and some festive last minute Halloween games! (Forecast calls for rain tonight too.)</div>
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Happy Halloween Everyone! </div>
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(We did group kid photos a day later so Ricky missed the family one above. We will try again with the new baby if we get a nice day and the leaves stay!)Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9025051323579333987.post-75271442384527953522015-10-30T19:58:00.001-05:002015-10-30T23:01:41.986-05:00New Baby Number Nine!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b> <span style="color: #741b47;">Our New Baby! </span></b></span></div>
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<b>October 28, 2015 11:21pm 7lbs 1oz</b></div>
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(Am I good at these gender prediction dreams or what!?)<span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<b>Day 1 October 29, 2015 </b><br />
We have a small cold
floating around the house (no fevers thank goodness). Ricky's every bit as exhausted as me but with
a sinus headache. The timing is not ideal, but we are all still in love and
enjoying her every moment. You never, ever get that first newborn day
back! Everyone age 11 and under woke up last night at some point and saw
the baby and couldn't get back to sleep. We were up and down <b><i>all
night</i></b> with various kids and a newborn. The various reactions of the kids were amazing and great. I will write about that with the birth story. The new baby fussed a lot last night and seemed uncomfortable her first eight hours. She nursed okay but got the real hang of it during the day. It's always a marvel that they know what to do, or at least what to try to do in order to latch on. She
loved being skin to skin with both mom and dad; she didn't really settle
down until we put her on our bare chests as we took turns with her. I
had her partly skin to skin, but once I took the blanket off her completely she was
much happier. After she was about eight hours old she was super cozy, happy, nursing and sleeping/
waking in perfect intervals, and calm. She likes to swaddle in a
loose wrap but gets too warm easily and wants her hands near her chin and face most of the time. I knew her hands were by her face in the womb. I could feel them constantly and I kept feeling that her head was probably not in an optimal position either. Her labor and birth proved I was right, it was okay but certainly not super optimal/easy. I
love learning about new babies! You know so much so quickly about them. Just a day old and I know so much about her preferences already. People are
such unique individuals, and babies are people too! <br />
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I had a good nap during the day today and I have been good about not being on my feet for more than
30 min at a time. I am trying a 2-3 hr break for every 30 min
that I get up and about. I have been sore, a bit more than usual, mostly in a crampy way. I have felt like a postpartum woman more this time around. All births and postpartum experiences are different! I feel a bit like a new mother this time. I find myself wondering how new moms do it. I have done this before, I know what to do, what is coming, what I can expect. So in those aspects it is easier. I am currently feeling aware and in awe at mothers in general... what we do and how we do it. Having a toddler and a newborn again is so life changing...but I've done it many, many times. I suddenly can't imagine being a new and less experienced mom and feeling this tired, this stretched to her limit, all while healing, and going through all the changes in general. So overlooked are the little things that can wear on you greatly: getting up
during the night, changing the newborn, using the bathroom/ changing
your pad, dealing with pain, cleaning up soiled blankets, sheets, pajamas, and all while juggling a waking toddler and nursing a newborn. It can be
so exhausting. (Even with the help from my supportive husband.) New moms are so amazing. Nursing can be hard, juggling toddlers and other kids can be hard, the lack of sleep can be hard, the healing can be hard (c section moms are heroes). I'm finding myself in awe at women who embark on this brave and selfless journey. How ever do we do it? We are so amazing!<br />
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After writing the above I saved the draft for later and opened up an enchanting book of poetry my friend wrote called <i>Earthprayer, Birthprayer, Lifeprayer, Womanprayer.</i> So fittingly this was the first poem I randomly opened to:<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Prayer for Mothers </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The world needs you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sing your strengths,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dance your passions,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">smile your successes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hug yourself with compassion</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">for your painful moments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Take a second to drink it up</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and to rest in powerful certainty</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that you are enough.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Breathe out,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">breathe in,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">soft shoulders,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">soft belly,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">strong legs,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">strong woman.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A mother who is seen,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">who is heard,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">who is appreciated,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">who is valued.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In and out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mama, you’re amazing</span></span></div>
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I gave my family my usual 'I just had a baby' postpartum talk last night. This is
where I explain just how important rest and help is for a new mom and
how it could make ALL the difference with healing and breastfeeding,
not to mention a happy and stable mother and baby unit. I also explained the placental site that is healing in my body and why rest and relaxation aids in healing and less blood loss. (At least the over six or seven year old crowd listens to me. Toddlers and preschoolers still act themselves lol.) Also, this is a good lesson in mothering biology!<br />
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I found myself
in frustration over Everett's wildness several times. (Newly 5 years old...he can be
intense, wild, not listen... you know, be a young kid.) After pleading with him to listen to me I finally told him that I had a baby
come out of my vagina so he <i><b>has</b></i> to be nice to me so I can heal. I should
really have a recording of the bizarre and hilarious things I tell my
children. People tell me my older kids are such nice kids/teens, but perhaps they
just know and fear that I'll say blunt stuff to them if they aren't good. Like, "Be nice to me, I just
had a baby come out of my vagina." Hahaha. It worked though. He asked me about the baby coming out and I talked to him about it. For a moment it did get his attention and work.<br />
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We
are recovering from a very, very busy fall season, a cold, and childbirth... I am focused on keeping our first
few days as calm as possible. Not easy to do right now. Later on in the evening Everett cried
and had a 30 min bedtime meltdown. He was over exhausted. This week is not how I imagined it at all! I am
reminded so well right now that life is what happens when you are busy
making plans! I was crazy busy and then <i>bam</i> baby came. I actually started to feel I wasn't going to
make it until 40 weeks on Tuesday. Then by Wednesday night I had Ricky
come home from work around 5:30 (instead of working late) because I felt
like I did when Bea was born in 30 minutes. (A heavy, low baby head and
super low, tight cervical contractions that felt super progressive.) We got
all the kids to bed by 7:30 and I held off active labor (I think by sheer
will power to get the kids ASLEEP lol) until around then. Things really
picked up once they were asleep and I had her at 11:21pm. I'll type up her whole official story soon.<br />
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We'll give out
more baby details soon in general. We like
to get to know our babies before we name them. I'm always afraid we
will change our minds and then have to tell everyone we changed it. We
don't file a birth certificate right away, so we have a looong while to decide.
The earliest we filed a birth certificate is two months and the latest
10 months. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First night with baby. He is actually falling asleep sitting up with the baby. We were so tired! Dads deserve credit and love too, care-giving for mom and kids is hard work too.</td></tr>
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<b><b>Day 2</b> Morning October 30th 2015 </b><br />
What a difference a day makes. Ricky is feeling better and I am too. I am getting around comfortably and despite another long night of newborn fussing and Bea going to bed too late I feel pretty good. I know I still need to take it easy, but it was nice to move around this morning without cramping or feeling so wrung out. Beatrice is having fun but she is adjusting too. She misses my round belly and even told me to get it back. I thought this was going to happen. When she is tired she wants her daddy to hold the baby and not me. And she wants me back with the baby belly she loved to snuggle against... it's an adjustment. She is enjoying the baby though and is super cute telling her that she loves her so much! We have never had a toddler miss me so much as I cared for such a new baby, and this is only day two! Beatrice is a very sweet girl with a larger than life personality and her and I are close. She also gets loads of attention and love from everyone in the house. I know we'll all get through this quickly. We must learn new routines and that's hard for every single one of us. The giant toddler morph has also occurred. Every day this past couple months Bea truly looked bigger and bigger to me, but it's nothing like when the newborn actually arrives! Giant Bea is here... she is just so heavy and big now. Since she is super articulate, bright, and verbal for her age it makes her seem all the older!<br />
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This little new baby has a mighty, mighty, wailing, screeching cry. Beatrice
never cried so this is different. We seriously never heard Bea cry
hardly ever at all! She would whimper and then get her needs met and she
never cried. This little one is a screamer if we are not careful! She
settles down fairly easily though. I am in awe at how loud this baby can get in no time at
all. This may make night time a real challenge to keep Beatrice asleep if her baby sissy is a screamer! Today we used a swaddle me blanket on the new baby and it really helped settle her after nothing else worked. Beatrice loved them when she was a baby. I really believe the first few days or weeks sets the tone for the baby, so Ricky and I are trying to keep all the calm in the house we can! One really, really hard thing is that the baby wants to be held up, not really laying down with me. So the whole 'rest with baby' thing is non existent. She doesn't want me resting with her. She wants me sitting upright or walking with her. Little stinker. I think once milk comes in fully she will relax a lot. I think that is what she is waiting for. She is nursing like a champ and for hours on each side at a time. I am staying hydrated and eating lots of good food. <br />
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Just now said in cute curious voice tones between the 5 and 2 year old as Beatrice is holding the baby:<br />
Everett: Is the baby two yet?<br />
Beatrice: Not yet!<br />
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Oh! And speaking of Everett, he does call the baby Blueberry. It is totally the name he chose and he continues to stick with! It's really cute. I was in bed with her when he tried to get into bed with us at 4am. When he saw I was holding a baby his tired eyes adjusted in the shadowy bedroom and I could see his bright blue eyes light up like stars. He smiled so huge and exclaimed in a quiet, surprised voice, "Blueberry is here!? Oh blueberry you came out!" I told him that she was a girl and he was really happy she was a girl.<br />
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So much love ...Mom of a bunch of great kids...http://www.blogger.com/profile/15733999427342792368noreply@blogger.com4