May 22nd Weirdness

May 22nd has been a weird day for me, for a long time.

Normally....especially in Minnesota.....the end of May is a joyous time because spring has finally sprung and things are warming up and all of that jazz.  May weather is very different here in Georgia...all that spring has sprung stuff starts back in February.

But, May 22nd is still a weird day for me, because.....this was my son.

I have moved on from the mind numbing grief.  I truly have joy filled days in my life.

But, every May 22nd, I can't help but wonder what our lives would have been like if Stevie had lived. He would have been 16 this year and driving.  It is when I start thinking about stuff like that that it gets weird.... and, yes, sad.

The kids all know about their brother and we talk about him and the other brothers and sisters that they have lost.  We visit his grave when we go up to Minnesota for visits.  The kids  talk about how cool it would be to have 10 kids in our family instead of 6, if I hadn't had the other miscarriages with Peanut Baby and the twins, in addition to Stevie.  In their minds, that would basically mean we would have our own reality t.v. show though!  

I don't have anything profound to end this post with either.  Other than the fact that Stevie is the reason that I was okay going on and having 6 kids, and I would have more.  Because Stevie showed me that life  is a miracle and yes..... a gift.... that should be freely accepted and enjoyed as long as you can.  I never wanted to say no to that gift. So, I didn't.  I won't.

I hesitated to even post this.  Too personal.  Too hard to fit into a neat little box of types of posts. But I am working on an article about the unrealistic/unattainable ideas we are sending out into the world with our "everything is perfect and wonderful in my life" posts.  So, I am trying to be transparent and not just show the good side of everything.  My life has been wonderful, but moments have certainly not been perfect.

So, here is my moment of transparency for the day.   I am a little sad today.

My Girls

My girls are growing up.  Yes....too fast.

I have decided that it doesn't help my littles to keep their "little girl" when there are teenagers around.

They see the things their big sisters are doing and wearing and want to be like them.

I get it.

I used to do the same to Karen when we were growing up.  Drove her crazy!

I am not sure if Kandi felt the same way about me, since there were almost 12 years between us.  I was probably basically a nerdy grown whose fashion choices were to be avoided at all costs!

They play dress up and put together outfits for each other.  I love that idea, in theory.

But, then my 5 year old walks out of her room, puts her hand on her hip and asked for her picture to be taken.

Yikes!  Where is my baby?????

Or, they surprise me by straightening S-girls beautiful wavy hair....

Then, I find that L-girl is taking duck faced selfies on my camera - since none of us have smart phones that can do it!

And then....A-girl.  A-girl went from this......

To this.....

It looks really pretty, but it seems like such a grown up thing to do.  Her coloring definitely supports being a red head (I have 2 red headed siblings, a few red headed neices and nephews....and according to the anesthesiologist at my C-section with S-girl, I AM also a red head!)

My babies!  Where have my babies gone????

Preschoolers and Peace - Review

I got a chance to read a great e-book from Kendra Fletcher at Preschoolers and Peace called Preschoolers and Peace: Homeschooling older kids with success with little ones at your feet. 



This is a book that was just for me. 

Now, I can almost hear some of you out there saying to yourselves: 

Why does she need this book? 

She doesn't even have "little ones" anymore.

I will admit that while it is technically true that I don't officially have little people running around here all day,  I am still open to having little ones underfoot.  With this e-book, I figured I would brush up on some helpful things....just in case.

Besides, Kendra Fletchers Circle Time e-book has been one of my favorites, and we still have Circle Time at our house.

This book is full of practical ideas for keeping your little ones busy while you go about the management of your house, AND homeschooling your older kids.

Practical, yet creative ideas.

You will not just be killing time either.

I completely agree with Ms. Fletcher that homeschooling with little ones around is 100% doable.  Your day may look a little different.  Your older ones may do school like this sometimes...



...or this......




Or, like this....


(This was music class!)

But, it can be a total success.

Ms. Fletcher shares in this book how this has looked in her household.  Things she has tried. Things that have worked really well. 

I will share a few of her ideas.  Ms. Fletcher shares the importance of preparation.  Yes, the general ideas of being organized and having all the stuff you need for school, scheduling, lists,  but also personal, prayerful preparation.

When you have little ones around, you need to think through your day. When is naptime?  When will they need to eat?  Can we do this part of school with them or not?

I have found that you can actually get a lot more schooling done than you think with little people in the room.  (You will also be surprised at how much they soak up and learn just by being nearby!)

Once you have thought through what you need to get done and what that will mean for the littler ones in your household, you can make your plan.  As homeschoolers, we always have a plan, but, I  have learned (and Ms. Fletcher agrees) over the years that we need to be flexible and not rigid when it comes to that plan.

She gives you a huge list of suggested activities and things for your little ones to do.  The ideas range from room time/crib time to creating certain days for your big toys.  The room time/crib time is just what is sounds like....learning to spend time in their room or bed....quietly entertaining themselves.  Creating certain days for big toys is just keeping them stored away out of reach and then, for example, on Monday they get a certain thing, like, Lincoln Logs, Tuesday, they get the farm set, Wednesday, they get the trains, etc. 

A lot of her ideas just simply made me look around my house and think differently about what I have laying around that could be utilized in this way. 

I really liked her chapter on how not to just kill time.  In it, she is honest and admitted that looking back, she saw a hundred things that she wished that she would have done when she just had little people running around her house.  Things that I can totally relate to.  Things for herself as well as for her kids.  Things like keep up to date on photos and files of those photos (for me, I can say that I wish I would have kept up on scrapbooking....all those cute little things they said and did....I have probably forgotten, because I didn't write them down)

Happily, she didn't just depress me in this chapter about how many things I messed up by not doing, she is also encouraging  and gives ideas of how you can do some of these things....even with little ones.

I mean, let's face it, your life can't just stop if you have little ones.  You still need to do things.  You still need to have fun.  You still need to go to the store.  You still need to get school in.  You still need to fix things around the house.

Ms. Fletcher, with all of her ideas, and what has worked for her,  just makes all of those things much more doable.  I like her approach for including the littles as much as possible in most things going on around your house and life.  Yes, I like it because that is what our approach has been.


(V-girl handing tools to our friend, Ronnie, when he was working at our house, during school.)

We keep the kids involved in the mess of our lives.  To me, it is one of the coolest parts of homeschooling.  If we go to the store, I don't get a sitter or even an older sibling to keep the littes at home.  We all went.  There are a plethora of things that are good about this.  Too many to name here.  The positives of this way outweigh the negatives of the trip taking a bit longer. 

I think it is sort of funny that she has a chapter in her book dedicated to....boys....preschool boys, to be specific.  Anyone that has a son knows why they need their own chapter!    She gives real life examples of why preschool boys need their own chapter and stresses the importance of having enough activities planned to fill their time....or face the consequences....which usually involves lots of clean up....from their curiosity!

She even has a chapter for you moms that only have preschoolers right now.  She gives advice on how to keep your sanity and come out the other side with joy.

One more things from the book that I loved before wrapping things up. 

I love that she talks about chores.  Yes, chores for your little ones.  I am not sure if I had chores when I was really little, but my kids do.  I think it is important, and I think kids are capable of doing a lot more than people usually give them credit for.  To help get your thought process rolling about possible chores around your house, she lists chores that her own kids have done at various ages. 

2 year olds:  Clear plate and cup, fold pjs in half and put away, put clothes in the dirty hamper
3 year olds:  Set the table, empty dryer, clean out lint trap

You get the idea.  All things that they can do.  Yes, initially it does create more work for you, but in the long run, it is great training for more advance chores and bigger help around the house.



The bottom line is that I really loved this book, and Ms. Fletcher's approach to life, with children.  No, I don't have any littles around right now.  But, I will once again be refreshed and ready for any little ones that God may bless us with, because of the great ideas in this book.  Remember, we still use Ms. Fletcher's Circle Time at our house.

Here are the titles of her chapters just to give you a little more insight into what this book contains.

What a Homeschooling Mom Needs
Preparing Yourself to Homeschool Older Kids With Little Ones Underfoot
Planning Around Preschoolers
How Do I Keep Them Busy?
What Does a 2-Year-Old's Day Look Like?
How Do I Get Any Preschooling Done?
How Not to Just Kill Time
Circle Time: Or How We Pull the Little Ones In
Preschool Boys
When All of Your Kiddos Are Preschoolers
Preschool Chores
Planning for Preschool
When Mama is Worn Out (or Pregnant)
Meal Planning 101

What a Homeschooling Mom Needs

Preparing Yourself to Homeschool Older Kids With Little Ones Underfoot

Planning Around Preschoolers

How Do I Keep Them Busy?

What Does a 2-Year-Old’s Day Look Like?

How Do I Get Any Preschooling Done?

How Not to Just Kill Time

Circle Time: Or How We Pull the Little Ones In

Preschool Boys

When All of Your Kiddos Are Preschoolers

Preschool Chores

Planning for Preschool

When Mama is Worn Out (or Pregnant)

Meal Planning 101

- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/preschoolers-and-peace-review/#sthash.r07CoDWL.dpuf

What a Homeschooling Mom Needs

Preparing Yourself to Homeschool Older Kids With Little Ones Underfoot

Planning Around Preschoolers

How Do I Keep Them Busy?

What Does a 2-Year-Old’s Day Look Like?

How Do I Get Any Preschooling Done?

How Not to Just Kill Time

Circle Time: Or How We Pull the Little Ones In

Preschool Boys

When All of Your Kiddos Are Preschoolers

Preschool Chores

Planning for Preschool

When Mama is Worn Out (or Pregnant)

Meal Planning 101

- See more at: http://schoolhousereviewcrew.com/preschoolers-and-peace-review/#sthash.r07CoDWL.dpuf

You can get a copy of this e-book for $2.99.  If you have littles, I almost want to say that this book is a "must buy"......but I am afraid that I would sound too much like a commercial.  But, it is a really, really good book, with lots and lots of great ideas for helping you through the baby and preschool years.

See what other TOS Reviewers thought of Preschoolers and Peace.

The Whole Spaghetti and Waffle Thing

Have any of you read the book, Men are Life Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti?

I haven't read it, but I have a few friends who have and they have explained it to me......(I'm not a doctor, but I play one on T.V.  )

In case you have never heard of it and have no idea what I am talking about, here is a video clip that explains the concept by the authors, Bill and Pam Farrel.

It is true.

Rainman and I are so different.

We have trouble talking to each other....without one of us getting frustrated, or, let's be honest here....angry.

Rainman thinks of one thing at a time.  He does one thing at a time.  One little waffle square at a time.  You know?

I don't do that.

I can't do that.

I have got noodles all over the place.  (Sometimes literally with the little people I live with! )

I usually do a pretty good job multi-tasking and keeping track of all of my noodles.

Lately though, I have been longing to be a waffle....even if it is only for a little while.

My problem is that I have so many things(noodles) to think about and try to accomplish that I am not getting any of them done.

Right now, I am trying to:

• Plan for school (starting next Monday) 
• Find all the books/supplies needed for next Monday (I know they are here somewhere....)
• Support A-girl (she started a more traditional school this week with D-man)
• Get my bookkeeping work done for the company I work for
• Type up the invoice for D-man's lawn mowing business (I know....he should do it himself, huh?)
• Try to come up with a MicroBusiness or two for myself 
• Decide whether or not having a renter in our basement apartment will be a good thing or a bad thing (Anyone know of a nice little old lady looking for a new home?  Does she like kids?)
• Try to pick and settle on a paint color for my kitchen cabinets....island....various furniture pieces
• Try to commit and actually hammer a nail into the wall and hang stuff up around here
• Organize my living room in a way that doesn't have it overflowing with furniture and bookshelves, but has the things I need nearby
• Figure out how to give my bedroom a makeover without spending a ton of money.  Romantic or cute? 
• Keep things clean
• Restart past chore systems, so I am not the only one keeping things clean
• Remember to mop the bathroom floor
• Eat my new way, which has been great - but requires lots of planning and thinking ahead (Trim Healthy Mama)
• Read  Insurgent  and Fault in our Stars.....plus many, many other Non-fiction selections that are waiting for me
• Remember to pull weeds and trim bushes (or assign that to someone)
• Learn new songs for praise team
• Use products and remember to take notes for writing reviews on them
• Keep track of my review deadlines
• Wonder if my friend, Sherri, is having a great trip to see her family
• Be Samson, and get started writing a book (which I think will just be a compilation of things I have learned in life.....mistakes I have made.....stuff that works for our family.....funny stories from my blog)
• Decide if the above book makes sense and if anyone would actually read it (should I care?)
• Figure out how to update the cover picture on my blog
• Try to remember to get my kids to pose in front of our fridge at the new house
• Organize our craft/sewing room so it makes sense and we can easily find/see all our fabrics and yarn
• Remember to do laundry (before I walk into my bedroom at night and see the pile that I have meant to wash for the last 2 days)
• Not to get too tied up in my lists and my computer that I forget to just love on my kids and play a round of Old Maid when they ask me to
• Not miss my family too much(visits are bittersweet and I just got back from seeing them all)
• Tell the lady from A Love Beyond Borders that we just can't afford to adopt those 3 sweet little girls....
• To figure out a way for us to adopt those 3 sweet little girls
• Research whether A-girl's fruit sensitivity is actual an fructose allergy
• Decide whether to intervene in the current sibling fight I hear in the basement
• Try to work on all the things the financial planner told us to work on, so Rainman can actually retire someday
• Schedule eye appointments for Rainman, D-man, and A-man (who has been getting headaches)
• Get physicals for Rainman and I scheduled so we can get our reward from our HSA account....I think I have until September 1st....oh, that is almost here, isn't it?
• Figure out a way for my waffle hubby to understand me better....and vice versa.....

So, you get it now, right?

I just want to go paint my kitchen cupboards.....without thinking about the 50 other things touching my noodle.

Then.....when that is 100% completed, I want to read a book.

Then.....when that is 100% completed, I want to teach my kids.

Then.....when that is 100% completed, I want to write a book.

Who am I kidding?

That would drive me crazy.  I actually can't even imagine living like that.

It is just frustrating right now because I feel like I am thinking about so many things and trying to make decisions about so many things....that I am actually accomplishing.....nothing.

I just need to use one of these little noodle portion thingies.....

(I will take the little man sized portion, please)  Image courtesy of Reykjavik Cornerstore

.....and just try to handle those noodles on my plate before going back for seconds...or I turn into this....

V-Girl Gets Gum!

In our house, the rule is you cannot chew gum until you are 4.

Do I have cheaters amongst my tribe?  Yes.

But, the hard and fast rule is that turning 4 is a big deal because they get to chew gum (officially and not just the stolen goods that they take into someone's closet!)

V-girl turned 4 in August....which means, since she was 2 weeks old when we moved, I have been a Georgia girl for 4 years now!  That is just crazy!!!

Anyway, she had a stellar day.

She (with a little prompting from her mother who still had to finish decorating her cake) picked her Daddy to go out to lunch with.  She came down all ready for her birthday date.

Hair all fixed....and pearls....the pearls are killing me....

Daddy had apparently also promised her he would take her to the driving range for her birthday, so after lunch they did that....which allowed me to get her cake done.

Not my neatest work, but I a was particularly proud of my Starburst rosettes on the skirt!

Remind me to tell you about this fabulous pan that I used for the bottom layer...

my neice, Becky, wants me to sell this stuff (and I am not a salesperson....but I love this pan!)

We moved onto candle blowing (which of course my camera didn't capture)

See?  The tell-tale smoke.

She is holding her gift from D-man, that she picked out herself at Goodwill.

A-man gave her his old Spiderman suit that doesn't fit him anymore.

L-girl made her a purse and gave her some gum.

(Isn't L-girl adorable in braids???)

Rainman and I gave her a set of golf clubs....

A-girl and S-girl gave her some miscellaneous things...lip gloss, Twizzlers, etc.

I can't believe my youngest child is 4.  That has never happened.  I have always had another baby.  I still want another baby and since spending time at our family reunion this summer with 2 new babies.....the kids, especially V-girl is on Team Baby now too! 

We will see what God has in store for us.  I am in my mid-40's, so the chances that I "have" another baby are slim...but, both Rainman and I are open to the idea of adopting from a teen mom or something.  We will see.  I am rambling now, I know....I just really can't believe that V-girl is already 4!  Happy Birthday, sweetheart!

It's Brag Day!!!

Okay, my sister, Kandiland, is doing a Linky....gotta tell ya, I am not at all sure what it is - but I am trying it anyway!

I am going to move from youngest to oldest - since the oldest usually gets to go first.

She is 19 months old and just a chucklehead.  I mean that literally - she will just look at you, smile and then just start with this cute little chuckle.  It usually means that she is up to no good or has some plan that she wants you to let her get away with - but you can't help but laugh along with her!!!  She is afraid of going over speed bumps in her stroller - but she will climb almost anything and fling herself from piece of furniture to piece of furniture without so much as a whimper!

Then there is this one...

She is almost 4.  She is a sweetheart, who tries to act like a princess.  Actually she and I had a famous (in our family) argument when she was about 2 years old about this very issue - it went something like this:

Me:  "You are not a princess!"
Her:  "I am too a pwincess!"
Me:  "You are not a princess!  I am not raising any of my girls to be princesses!"
Her:  "I am TOO a pwincess!"
Me:  "We aren't going to argue about this....but you are NOT a princess!"
Her:  "I am a pwincess!  I am."

Pause to let a little time pass...

Her:  "I am too a pwincess!"

That argument aside, she doesn't like to get in trouble and, other than the above argument, if you raise your voice to her (and I mean, not even a real yell - just a stern tone) - her eyes get all big and blinkie, and, if she can, she will go hide.  She absolutely hates it if she hurts someone or makes them cry.

Then we have this little man:

He is 6.  Actually this picture kind of sums him up.  His mouth is always open - and, by the way, isn't it a huge mouth?!?  He is really, really funny.  He tries really, really dangerous things.  He is really, really curious.  He is a really, really big sweetheart.  He loves to snuggle with me and is very good about keeping tabs on just whose turn it is to be with me on the couch.  He likes fairness.  He loves babies.  He makes me laugh on a daily basis.

Moving along...

This little sweetheart is almost 9.  I picked this picture for a reason.  She is very pretty and very photogenic....but every now and then - she gets a little wild...and by wild, I mean, crazy and she just tears around the house being goofy and crazy and usually can't control her hysterical giggling.  This picture, to me, looks like she is getting ready for one of those kinds of moments!  She has a contagious laugh.  We call her our little kitty because she likes to snuggle so much.  This is the one the little man above has to keep an eye on when he is trying to make sure mom doles out fair snuggle time on the couch - she will sneak in if there is ever a moment and just roll herself up into a little ball and let out a little purr....okay, she doesn't really purr - but it is close!  She is always planning.....something.  She is a really fast runner and is one of those people who can just survey a situation in a room quickly and accurately....and use it to her advantage.  This seems like a really good skill to have as an adult.  We will see if I am right.

My oldest daughter...

She is almost 11.  She is very creative and crafty, like my mom.  She is always thinking of new projects to start....sometimes (okay, many times) before she has finished the last one.  She is a little mother-hen to my kids and any kids that cross her path.  She is quietly funny....if that makes sense....she doesn't make all the jokes that some of the other kids do, but when she does, she makes sure they are funny!  She likes to be good at things and (like me), doesn't really want to try things she may not be really good at!  She likes to spend time with me....I am hoping this phase lasts for a while.  She is able to just sit quietly with me, whether it be reading, crocheting, or other busy hand work...she will just "be" with me.  She rubs my head when I have a headache....I guess she is a mother-hen to me too!

My oldest....

He just turned 13.  He is turning into a man in front of my eyes.  It is scary.  Although every now and then, he plops down on the couch next to me to snuggle and doesn't have an ulterior motive.  Really!!!  He is really funny.  He uses his humor to get out of trouble sometimes....I hope this ends up being a good quality in his life.  He loves babies and just told me he is ready for us to have another teeny, tiny, baby in the house again. (You and me both, brother!) Rainman calls him my shadow, because when he has things to tell me, he will just follow me around the house from task to task and talk my ear off.  I don't complain because I am afraid one of these days, he will decide he doesn't really want me to know so much.  He is very smart...like his daddy.  He seems to be sensitive to the needs of the underdogs in society...I hope this quality sticks with him. 

Okay, that is it.  My kids in a nutshell.  Being a mother of six...I had to look over this post a few times to make sure I doled out the love and bragging equally before I posted it....hope I did okay!

I just noticed that I sit on the couch a lot and we move babies!!!