Late Night Date

Each night I have a date. About 11 o’clock or so I go see my Katie Girl. My sole job is to get her to go to the bathroom and then tuck her back up in her warm covers. Sometimes she is awake and other times not so much. She has said a few funny things in her sleepy state that lead me to believe I had woken her from a dream. (The dreams tends to involve one of the older siblings whom she is either scolding or asking something. : ))

My Katie Girl is the first of our kids who has struggled to stay dry during the night. She had been wearing a pull-up to bed for more than a year after she was fully potty trained and I would like to say 5 out of the 7 mornings a week she would wake up wet. Then one day she wanted to go to bed in her underwear. Of course she would ask just when the washing machine broke and I had to tell her no with the promise that when the new washer arrived we’d give it a go.  It was a few weeks between when the washer broke and when the new one came but she hadn’t forgotten. That very night we started wearing underwear to bed and our nightly dates began.

I really want her to succeed at staying dry and a family member had mentioned this was what their family did for them when they struggled with staying dry during the night. So, each and every night I stay up and make sure she goes potty. We have had 2 accidents in the almost 3 months we’ve been “dating”. : ) Some day she’ll get up on her own and won’t need me anymore but until then I’ll enjoy my cute, quiet and cuddly date.

Poop-tastic

Oh, he’s cute alright. A little sweetie pie. That is until you get him into the tub. I’ve had bathtub poopers but this one is the champion. I can count on one hand, between both girls, the number of times they went in the bathtub. Isaiah, well he was a little more relaxed, shall we say, in his bathing habits. But Zeke? Lord, give me patience! I mean the kid doesn’t even need the water in the tub. The tub will have just been drained and he’ll squat and go.

Every one has their limits, right? A few weeks ago I had reached mine. I put him in the tub and within 5 minutes we’ve got company. I just wasn’t having any of it. Drained the tub, removed the offending party and promptly let Zeke know it was shower time. : ) Under the shower he goes and we are out of the bathroom with no further incidents.

Turns out I gave him a little bit of complex with that shower. The next time I mentioned bath my bath loving son cried. Oh dear, what have I done?

A little more time has passed and he is back to his bath loving self. I will say he hasn’t returned to his poop-tastic ways. Yet.

Her Royal Highness

I think I could keep most people entertained on what Katie alone says at home each day. All kids say some pretty clever, funny things but being as Katie most definitely talks the most in our house it stands to reason I have more stories to share about what she says.

The other day I was putting clean sheets on Kiersten’s bed using the step-ladder. The ladder is a must now because I simply cannot pull out Isaiah and Zeke’s beds to make the upper bunk. Those beds are far heavier than the girls’. All that aside, I am making the bed when Miss Katie comes up the stairs and parks herself on the top step of the ladder.

“Call me your Highness,” she says to me. (Thankfully I am on the phone to my mother so I have a witness that can testify to the fact that I DO NOT make these things up! : ))

“Call you my what?” I ask, because I am sure I did not hear her correctly. I did have my one and only good ear attached to the phone after all.

“Your Highness,” she replies. “I am the Queen.” (Well,well. I knew she thought so but to have her admit it out loud? Interesting.)

We chat just a little bit more and then Katie gets on the phone with Grandma who is already tickled about the way the conversation has been going.

As I am listening to Katie’s responses I can tell my mom is telling her she isn’t the queen but rather a princess. As much as Katie is in to princess’ she was having none of it. I am not sure what argument my mom was using but at one point Katie says to her with a hint of tease to her voice, “I don’t know…it sounds a little sketchy to me.” : )

Sweet Mother of Mystery that girl keeps my mind sharp. She isn’t physically exhausting…she is mentally exhausting!

Halloween First

The kiddos were all excited to head out this year. I will spare you the details for how many times a day and for how many days Katie asked me if it was Halloween. : )

These three hit the streets with their dad this year. I was a bit thankful because it was quite windy and I wanted to stay with my little man. No, Ezekiel didn’t don a costume this year. We had one for him but he isn’t the best of sports and we just thought it best to forego the whole torture- for his sake and ours.

Kiersten opted to be Jessie from Toy Story. I searched and searched for costumes but they just don’t exist in her size.  She belongs to that grey category- doesn’t fit in children’s and doesn’t fit in women’s. Because of this dilemma we had a family first: I made a costume! We bought her shirt at Goodwill and then I painted on the decorative design. {We had painted cuffs for her wrists but with the weather such as it was we knew no one would see them under her jacket.} Then I bought the cow print fabric from Hobby Lobby and made some ‘chaps’ for her. They had loops on the sides so she could thread them through her belt and not have them fall down on her constantly. The ‘chaps’ worked out surprisingly well and were comfortable to pull on over her jeans. We only had to buy the hat and then braid her naturally red hair and we were set. She was very happy with the result thankfully! {A dear neighbor exclaimed over her costume and made Kiersten’s night.}

Next up- Iron Man. I wasn’t sure how this would all shake out because of the face covering mask. Isaiah was sure he would like it. He was a bit bummed that this year no raved over his costume. {I don’t think it bothered him until that neighbor commented on Kiersten’s costume. Then he realized no one had said anything about his costume.}Last year when he was Luigi several people commented on his costume and not really so much on the girls’. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. : )

Last up- Violet Incredible. Katie was precious as Violet. She wore this costume as much as she could up until the actual holiday. I had fears of her ruining it but thankfully she did not. She had a felt mask that had a band to go around her head. She wasn’t super thrilled with that set-up so I promised to paint on her mask. The effect turned out really cute.

The night was short, they were only out about an hour, but they came home with full baskets. All in all the night and each costume was a success. We’ll have to see if future years means more ‘homemade’ costumes! : )

A Very Pleasant Surprise

It is a rare thing, sad to say, when customer service pleasantly surprises you. A week before I got a call from Columbia I was ready to be done with the company altogether. Last year I bought new winter coats in the spring, when they were on sale, knowing the older two would need bigger jackets come Winter. Coats came and were hung up waiting until they would be needed.

Fast forward 7 months and Isaiah goes to put on his jacket only to have the zipper bust. Long story hopefully shortened- this type of jacket is one of those that has a zip in fleece so a simple zipper repair isn’t an option. (Believe me I asked!) The only option is to get an entire new jacket. I called the warranty department and sent in the broken jacket along with a copy of my receipt. In November I sent the part that was broken…not the whole kit ‘n caboodle. I received a call once that package had been received that I needed to send the outer shell as well. (Please, don’t ask me what I was thinking when I only sent in part of the jacket and not the whole thing.) That was done very close to Christmas. Between vacation time for employees and the holiday orders things were delayed.

I called a few times to hear the two pieces of the jacket sent in hadn’t been matched up so they were waiting. Then Spring came and I put it out of my mind since we were not needing the coat. But just a few weeks ago it dawned on me that I never heard from them again and never received a replacement jacket. I was a little bit unhappy at this revelation.

Less than two weeks after this I got a call, out of the blue, from Columbia. They had been looking through their paperwork and realized they haven’t rectified my situation. (WHAT?!) The gentlemen I spoke with was wonderful. We talked colors and sizes and a new replacement jacket should be here this week.

I am so thankful that the Lord took care of this situation for me.

I also have to say I am beyond blessed to not have had to nag and convince Columbia to send me another coat. I don’t know about you but I find customer service calls to be a chore. Columbia Sportswear went up in my estimation of companies and I will most assuredly be buying from them again. In a sea of lemons (or sharks) this company stands out. Thanks so much Columbia!

Who Would Have Thought?

I would never have guessed one small chip would create such a big problem. Our glass pitcher we use for everyday juice bumped the bottom of the shelf above and the teeniest, tiniest chip you ever saw came off one of the lips. I threw the chip of glass away and rubbed my finger gently over the now broken area thinking it to be no big deal. We’ll finish the juice and I’ll let my Hubby know of the damage.
 

Well…wouldn’t you know my Beloved would go and discover that teeniest, tiniest chip all on his own? He decided to wash that pitcher that night unbeknownst to me (because the pitcher had sat on the counter for a fair amount of the day, he dumped it and set to getting it clean). Once he was finished washing he noticed the water was looking a funny color and thought perhaps the juice was the culprit. Not so. His newly sliced hand bleeding into the water was causing the color change. The funny part? Beloved never even felt his hand get cut. Even thought he didn’t feel it that pitcher did a humdinger of a job on his hand. He found me saying, “I think I have a problem.” That hand was sliced so cleanly and deeply you were peering down at white.
 

The troops were rounded up in their jammies and our local emergency room got a visit. Not only did he cut is hand deeply, he nicked the tendon over his right hand ring finger. Stitches lightly added came home on his hand as well as a Monday morning appointment to see a surgeon.
 

Now, I don’t know how much you know about tendons but they are a delicate thing, to be sure. The tendon is a bit like a rubber band. Once it is cut, if you continue to stretch it, similar to a rubber band, it will continue to tear until it rips completely apart. Once the tendon snaps it retracts towards the point of connection. Then the surgery becomes a much bigger deal than repairing a nick. They have to cut up the line of the tendon until they find it and reattach it to the other end. Thankfully, Beloved’s was a nick and not a complete tear.
 

Monday he saw the surgeon and by Wednesday he had outpatient surgery to repair the nick. (I say nick because that is the wording the hospital staff used. However once surgery was performed it became known the tendon was sliced 85% through. That wasn’t what I had in mind when I thought ‘nick’. : ) ) Because Beloved’s tendon wasn’t sliced through completely they only had to reopen the original cut and add some micro-sutures The hand is healing nicely so far.
 

 I call it his Frankenstein hand. : ) I’m loving and supportive like that. Seriously though, he is doing great and recovering wonderfully. Thankfully with his job such as it is this was a small bump in the road. We are several weeks out from the initial injury and while he is still undergoing P.T. all is healing nicely.

 

All this to say, if you ever chip a glass, no matter how big or small, it should go immediately into the recycle bin! If you could have seen the size of the chip it would be unbelievable the amount of damage that has come from it.

 

Oh, I am sure you will believe me when I tell you my husband’s conclusion after all this: dishes are really too dangerous for him to do anymore and so he should be done with that chore altogether. (Isn’t that just like a man? : ))

Wishing for Sweet Slumber

A few mornings ago I was in the kitchen cutting watermelon only to come out and find this exhausted little man curled up and fast asleep. He was smack dab in the middle of the others doing their thing and it hadn’t mattered. He was done for.

He had woken up quite early for him (5:30ish) and hadn’t slept super well the night before. I was going to wake him up after only an hour so that he would still take an afternoon nap, but when I went to do so he was sleeping so hard I left him be. Three hours later he roused himself. He has been battling a cold that just is hanging on tight and I know that all the rest he can get is precious and only aids in him getting better. (No, no afternoon nap was forthcoming after that marathon morning nap. : ))

I wish I could say it is only Zeke that has been depriving me of sleep in the middle of the night. He isn’t the main culprit. His next oldest sister, oh mercy, can she scream in the night. I can’t explain it but Katie has become terrorized by things in the last 6 months or so that didn’t bother her before. And as with most things involving small children there is no logic to her terrors, no trigger either, they have appeared almost out of nowhere.

The terror that is affecting sleep is her terror of The Train. We live a hop, skip and a jump from some railroad tracks. Have all her short life. Trains come through during the day and night. When the operator lays on that horn…that is it. She comes running for me. And in the night she comes screaming down the stairs. I wake hearing her and The Train simultaneously and leap from bed to meet her halfway. Thankfully all she needs for me is to hold her until The Train has completely passed by and we can no longer hear it.

It used to be that the operators working through the middle of the night would ding the bell more so than lay on the horn because, I don’t know, with the traffic lights programmed to shift to flashing reds and yellows at 11 p.m. it is safe to say not many people are out. It doesn’t seem to be a shared philosophy with the current operators. They lay on that horn something fierce.

I have tried to take away her nap (it has been coming, this just sped up the time table) in order to have her go to sleep more exhausted and hopefully less easily awakened. It works sometimes and others not so much. On particularly rough nights when she pleads with me to sleep with her, I do. I have a rough time of it and now I only give in if, after putting her back to bed after a Train episode, she returns because she can’t sleep.

Thankfully she cuddles into my back and doesn’t thrash around too much. And her bed is on the lower bunk. : )

Like all things…this too shall pass. Let’s make it soon, ok?

Would You Believe…

it is 11 years & 4 kids later and I am still the better looking one? : )

Happy 11th Anniversary, Beloved.

(This was taken just after the Nutcracker performance Kiersten was blessed to be a part of this year- thus all the make-up on her sweet face.)

(I couldn’t resist. Beloved and I have been joking about things this week and this is just goes right along with all that. Believe you me the man deserves every bit I dish out. I only give as good as I get! : ))

Thankful

I haven’t been faithful to keep counting the blessings day to day. Working on it. I have heard how counting your blessings and in general just being intentionally thankful can change the heart and mind…and believe you me I need the change. I think I have said this a time or two before- be patient with me. Here are a few things on my list:

- little dark curls that fly everywhere when she runs & that hide her face a little when she doesn’t

- feet that are still small enough I can kiss ‘em

- a husband who doesn’t mind snuggling and sharing his warmth each night

- colds that are slowly fading away

- pink eye that seemed to skip the youngest two & husband

- the living room all aglow from lights on the tree

- the joy the kids get from doing crafts to go along with advent devotional

- how cute said ornaments/crafts look on the tree

- bright sunny days

- a little one who dances to most any music with his happy feet

- a boy who isn’t too old to ‘wrestle’ with his stuffed Hobbes tiger

- how she gets ready for dance an hour early and soon thereafter puts her coat on to go because she thinks it will come faster, she loves it so

- for other homeschool moms who encourage me with their friendship

- a picture taken months ago of the oldest and I that I just received…very precious

- the tree my mom made for us that carries on a tradition I had growing up

- neighborhoods full of color from all the lights

- how he giggles when he looks at me through the magnifying glass when I change his diaper

- how he twirls his hair when it gets long enough

- how she loves the Nutcracker and gets to be in it this year

- how she sings (Christmas carols) in the shower so loud we hear can it downstairs

- how he giggles so when watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special (original one)

- how she always snuggles in close to her daddy when she sits near him on the couch

- that we have been praying more as a family

- that she wants to pray, even if it is the same one time and again

How to Make Sense of Something that Makes No Sense

It isn’t my way to write about things too close to home or too personal. Sure, I share about the family and the day to day goings on. Sometimes I am a bit dramatic or sarcastic depending but usually not overly serious.

It just isn’t to be today.

We, that is My Beloved I, have been struggling a bit. Some weeks ago a co-worker of Beloved’s took his own life. It is a bit of an understatement to say it came as a complete shock. So much so that one person even called the local Sheriff’s office to confirm – it was just that unbelievable.

I cannot say as I was intimately acquainted with this family. We’ve met over Christmas parties and zoo outings. Beloved spoke often to and knew this co-worker well. He’d been there before Beloved and they’ve always shared the same locker room and lunchroom. He was an excellent worker, in the words of my ‘Dree (short for Husbandree).

When I heard I instantly thought of who was left behind, his wife and their 4 children. All faces that came to mind right then and there. I saw them as if they were in my living room. My heart aches. I hurt and I cannot imagine and I struggle to make sense. I wonder what in the world? And how can we help? Can we reach out to this aching, devastated family and walk life with them? Can we love on them and let them be real?

So many emotions, thoughts and feelings. So many.

My Beloved will still say he cannot wrap his mind around what happened. It is one of those situations where you have to tell your mind and heart that short of heaven it will never make sense. You’ll never know and you’ll always wonder. There is no closure. It just hurts.

The Lord is using it to speak to each of us, to draw us closer to one another and to Him. He is using it to renew the way my mind thinks of life, the way I take for granted that I have many days on this earth. How I misuse and mistreat what time I have been given. How I am not purposeful and deliberate but careless.

It isn’t morbid thinking for I am not dwelling on thoughts of death but rather of life and living this one life well. Living full and loving much and not ending each day with so many regrets over words spoken harshly and rashly. Anger that overwhelmed what could have been done in love. The Lord has gotten my attention, opened my eyes and my heart and I am seeing my need and my weaknesses and areas that need cleaning up and handing over. I am thankful He never choses to leave us as we are but always, in love, is pushing us to wear the robe of righteousness, of Christ.

I wish it hadn’t taken this situation to knock me off my feet and really open my eyes.

Would you pray with me for this family? Would you lift them up? Would you also pray for real heart change for me too – that it wouldn’t just be words? So appreciated. Thank you.

Before and After

This little man has been needing a haircut for some time. I don’t think this pictures does any justice to just how shaggy and long his locks had truly gotten. I was thinking he didn’t look half bad when I saw this picture. I guess for us when your boy wakes up with some serious scary bed hair you have passed the point of needing a hair cut and it becomes a must.

I put it off and put it off because I cut it myself and frankly the last time was a bit exasperating and exhausting. Well, I belted him into his seat to watch a movie with the other kids and figured there was no better time so I went to it. He really did well as a result of the distraction. Now he looks like my littlest biggest man. Something about taking an inch or so off makes Zeke look older. Such a cutie pa-tooty.

Nothing New Under the Sun

Some things run like clock work around here. The development of an infant to a walker somewhere close to 2 weeks, give or take, of their first birthday. And then from a walker to a climber a few short months later. It just seems to be the natural progression of things around here.

I remember when Katie wrecked havoc on my days with her new found freedom. This season it is Zeke.

Like the others he is quick to get up on something. The table is his favorite haunt. He can pull himself up on the chair (not enough friction to stop his belly from sliding across the top of the chair as he pulls) and from there it is nothing to get to the table top. He sits up there like he is royalty.

I wish I could say this sitting on tables only occurred at home. He kept me on my toes at a recent visit to a friend’s house by climbing up and sitting on her table and then proceeding to throw crayons one by one! Oh dear.

It shouldn’t amaze me or catch me by surprise, how they have each gone through this stage, and yet it still does. Maybe it is a form of hope? A crazy denial of what is sure to come? A sanity saver so the child does indeed make it to and past this certain stage? I cannot safely say anything other than he is quick and I am slow. Oh, too slow Joe! (Let’s not keep track of the number of times he has successfully made it to the top of the table, okay?)

These Shoes

Oh they don’t look like much, these shoes. They have been walked in for many a mile, baby miles that is. I bought this pair of shoes for Kiersten when she was just a sprite. I had the intention when buying them that they could be worn by any future sibling. They have worked their way down from the first child to the second to the third and now they are worn by the littlest member of our family.

It took some convincing that he should try them on because he was used to those soft brown  shoes handed down from Isaiah. Those were so comfy and these are a bit more restrictive.

He did his little ‘German’ walk, as we call it, the first few times I put them on. One foot would go up and knee locked come back down. He would also bend down to touch those new-to-him shoes. He just didn’t seem sure about them. So funny to watch.

I find it is a bit harder these days to not be a little nostalgic about some of the small things. I’ll miss these sweet shoes and all things baby. It has been a blessing to have been able to use so many things four times. What a smile it brings to my face to remember that she used or wore that thing, then he did, then she did and lastly now he does.

Character

I find it interesting that when this is a theme I pick out to develop a little in my children it speaks most to me. We have been reading A Hive of Busy Bees by Effie Williams for several weeks (read online for free).

Each story is centered around a character trait. We recently read Bee Careful. It was about being careful with your words. This has been an area in which I greatly struggle. Sad as it is to say I struggle the most in my words towards the kids’.

In the story the father was trying to get his daughter to have a better feel for the impact of her words so she wouldn’t use them so carelessly. I tend to be a visual person so this example struck a cord with me. He had her pick up a white dandelion and blow as hard as she could. Then he told her he would wait patiently while she went forth and picked up each of the pieces of the dandelion that had blown away. The daughter thought for sure he was kidding for that was an impossible task. He then told her that is how she needs to think of the words that leave her mouth…they carry further then you mean them to and there is no getting them back. Indeed.

The other part of this story had to do with a knot that was put in a baby tree. Once the knot was discovered it was a year later and too late to undo it. The family then called it their learning tree because they were reminded by looking at it that once some things are done there is no undoing them. The impact of that action lasts, regardless of apologies made and forgiveness received.

I should have known better, because isn’t it always the way when you pick something out as a weakness in someone else the mirror comes out and low and behold the weakness is really yours?

(For whatever reason on the free online download versions there are some stories missing and Bee Careful is one of them. Another is Bee Accepted…all about the cross. I’ll write more about that another day because it is a beautiful story.)

A Note of Apology

It’s her birthday and I’m watching her start to write a letter just after breakfast.

“Who’s Christina?” I ask.

“Oh, she’s this girl in my VBS class.”

“Why are you apologizing to her?”

“Well…we were getting ready to play this game and she said, ‘I’m picking Tommy to be on my team because I don’t like you.’ “

“So why are you apologizing? Did you say something mean to her? Did you accidentally push her?”

All these questions and more I ask knowing what the answer will be.

“No,” she replies.

“What do you have to apologize for? I don’t understand.”

And yet I do and my heart hurts for her. My girlie is wanting to apologize because Christina doesn’t like her and she doesn’t know why. She figures it must be her fault.

How do I explain to one so young that kids’ can be mean? (Adults are no exception to this rule, but you know the saying.) How do I tell her that she probably did nothing really for this girl to decide to not like her since they had been together all of 6 hours over a span of two days and had never set eyes on one another before VBS began? How do you explain not everyone will like you no matter how nice you are to them?

But her feelings are hurt and she doesn’t understand what she did wrong. I understand (Seventh grade, need I say more?) and I feel for her, I just don’t know what to say.

I suppose I should have let her finish writing her note- but I don’t. My mama pride and a little bit of anger well up in me so I tell her, “I am not seeing anything you should apologize for so why don’t you just stop?” (When will I ever learn it isn’t about me?)

In truth it might have made her heart feel all the better if she had been able to write and deliver that note. Oh, she might have been rejected again by Christina but then again she might not have. All I know is she would not be left to wonder what she did because she would know that she did her best and tried to be a good friend.

I regret I didn’t let her finish and I am even sorrier she thinks there might be something wrong or unlovable about her that makes someone decide they don’t want to be her friend. But can I say there’s nothing wrong with you, it’s her? I can not. So I’m stuck.

She is a little late to this game, at age 9, since we homeschool. She would have been inducted long ago into this friendship game, if she attended school. She already would have known kids’ will be mean and people can choose to not like you just because. Just because.

Awk, now it’s me who is needing to apologize. Such a bud-in-ski I have been. I’ll be telling her how I love her and tossing in some truths about how much the Lord loves her. About how that love is never changing, always constant, always strong, never failing- the REAL truth about how she is loved and liked.

Summer Reading

I read the whole Mitford Series by Jan Karon. It is just a wonderful set of books about an older man of the cloth and his everyday life lived in small town America. Nothing flashy or highly romantic to speak of and it isn’t needed. You’ll know what I mean if you decide to pick up the  first novel. : )

The thing I most appreciated about the books was although these are a popular main stream series, having won New York Bestseller status, Ms. Karon clearly and deliberating talks of Jesus and a relationship with him. There are several scenes within the books where people pray to receive Christ into their hearts.

It is hard to encompass the whole 9 book series in a brief synopsis. I’ll just highlight three big quotes that really got me.

When talking with a person who attended a Christian church of a different denomination whom he had invited to his church the person replied, “I don’ know nothin’ about nothin’ but Baptists. I guess th’ rest is all pretty different.”

Here’s the part that got me, the reply of this man of the cloth.

 “The key is a relationship with Jesus Christ. If we get that right, the differences usually matter less than we like to think.”

Wow. Can I get an Amen?

Another phrase this man often said throughout the series-

“Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”

Lastly he would mention the ‘prayer that never fails’.

“Thy will be done.”

It is nice when a book preaches to you! I took some notes and the Lord spoke to me on a few of my own ‘issues’. I’ll not bore you with details. I’ll just suffice it to say this series is well worth the read if you have the time and you enjoy fiction.

(The first two quotes were taken from Light From Heaven, book 9. That last quote was spread throughout several of the books.)

I am currently reading Little Pilgrim’s Progress. I was reading it because someone recommended reading it to the kids’. (I like to read some books first before sharing with the kids. They haven’t heard any of it yet.) I don’t think it is so much for the kids’ as it is for me! Straight to the heart, I’ll say that much. More later.

Hope your summer included a few good reads. Any you want to mention?

Why Didn't They?

Honestly, I am wondering why in the world the lady at the front desk didn't. And then the lady and several gentlemen I saw when I was wondering Walmart at 5:15 a.m. didn't. I mean where is the decency in letting a person walk around looking like that?!

We have been out and about the country driving hither and yon to get to see some grandparents and other family members of mine. The first night in the hotel I put some toothpaste on my face, just a little dab mind you, to help with an area that was showing the makings of a zit. (I do this often since I don't use a mask or anything such thing.)

Anyhow, when Zeke woke up the next morning at the crack of 5 a.m. I scuttled us out the door quickly so as not to wake the other kids' in order to avoid us having a serious cry-fest on our hands later in the day. I had forgotten Kiersten's toothbrush, and while the hotel one was lovely, I needed to get one for her. So away we went to Walmart.

We walked out the lobby, chatting all the while with the lady behind the counter. Walked into Walmart saying 'hi' and 'good morning' to those we saw diligently stocking the shelves. We were still wandering the store when I reached up and touched my face only to make contact with the offending toothpaste spot!

How could all those nice people let me walk around like that and not say anything?!!! Sweet humility. I turned my own shade of scarlet in the aisle, rubbed off what was there and made a hasty retreat out of the store.

The saving grace? I wasn't home, I didn't see anyone I know and we aren't stopping there on our way home!

So it Seams

So it seems another year has been added to my age. So it seems my mom came out just for the occasion. (Thanks so much, Mom!) So it seems there has been many a sleep issue around the homestead these last 2 (now 3) months. So it seems that during a recent midnight escapade with Ezekiel the seams of my pajama pants gave way!



Oh dear. And they were a favorite pair of mine too!

Have you ever had that happen to you? Have you ever heard that retched sound of clothing ripping all because you bent your hind quarters?

Thankfully I had this happen in the confines on my own home with all members of the family sound asleep, save Zeke. Also thankfully, I know the rip/tear was a result of much wear over the years I owned them. (I have lost weight recently, not gained….so we’ll not travel down that road! : ))

Add insult to injury, the very next evening when I am again up in the wee hours of the morning with Ezekiel the small tear that was confined only to my hind quarters with a length of 3 inches or so grew to run down my mid-thigh! They are nothing more than garbage now- too much ventilation for my taste. : )

This all began on the anniversary of my birth. I was wondering if this was any symbol of what kind of year I have to look forward to! The wee hours of any night are not hours with which you want to know me. I am ugly in attitude and spirit if the sleep interruption is more than 5-10 minutes in duration or if the interruptions number on the upwards of 4 times or more. U.L.G.Y. (Thankfully Zeke’s lips are sealed (and the other 3 have no memory of that time)…the apologies he could tell you I have made the next morning!) Just giving you a basis for the frame of mind that would make me correlate pants ripping to how my whole 33rd year of life will go. (Drama abounds in those wee midnight hours.)

Well, sleep did return to me briefly and my birthday did carry on. There was monkey bread to enjoy, kids to watch swim, Mom & step-dad in town to visit, an ice cream cake to consume, beautiful spring promising flowers to enjoy, a card from my beloved starting with “To my wonderful, beautiful wife” (cannot go anywhere near wrong with a beginning like that!) and there was sunshine to brighten all else that needed a lift.

Blessings # 135-150

- Mom & Husband in town for birthday visit

- Mom looks good (stressed look is dying away and joy stealing its place)

- warm, just out of the oven monkey bread

- I own more than one pair of flannel jammie pants

- bright, beautiful, warm Springy flowers that make me smile when Winter gets long

- ice cream birthday cakes : )

- homemade cards

- jeans to wear that aren’t a part of any maternity collection

- Husband who tells daughter I am more beautiful than any bouquet of flowers to him

- Grandparents who are rough, tough and tumble with my children

- children who are quick to forgive

- Grandpa’s who, even though they have been asked a dozen times, still lift kids up high and make them giggle loud and long

- a little girl who makes frank statements, often times bold for one her size, followed by physical gestures to emphasize the point being made

- a Grandma who takes delight in all things sassy and sweet about her grandkids

- Grandpa taking Isaiah swimming as many times as he asks and for as long as he likes

- safe coming and going for Mom & Beloved

Thievery

I didn’t think that was what I was doing. It isn’t something I meant to do intentionally in my parenting, but apparently I am raising a pack of thieves. Alright, that is a slight exaggeration. Four is a pack. A steady group of two children, with an occasional third thrown in cannot really be classified as a pack.

What pray tell has been stolen? And who are the culprits?

My sleep, it is my sleep that has been stolen. It seems over the last month or so two children in particular are out to steal, kill and destroy any opportunity I might have for a full night’s uninterrupted sleep. It is uncanny I tell you. If I were the suspicious type I would swear there is some sort of conspiracy going on among the children. Perhaps even a coup (to overthrow this parenthood thing). The only problem is the two children mainly involved are the youngest and I am not sure how much communication can be going back and forth between them seeing as Zeke doesn’t speak!

All I can say is their master plan to break me down little by little is working.

Katie and Ezekiel are running me roughshod through the middle of most nights. The uncanny part I mentioned? They never do it on the same night. There is some understanding between them over whose turn it is and each has followed the rules. There is no sharing or too many sequential nights of the same offender. You know, so they’ll still reap the benefit of a full nights sleep themselves every now and again.

What is going on with them? I wish I knew so I could make it stop. Katie wakes up in the middle of the night and comes down to our bed. What wakes her up? No idea. Getting her back to sleep without some production and serious noise (from protesting) is almost an art form. It usually requires that I slip into her bed and remain there until she is asleep or until I hear some grumbling from Zeke. Can I just state for the record she is a fiddle faddler, a real squiggle worm? Some nights she has even lain awake playing, because why isn’t 3-4am a good time to play? And those nights? Oh, how I could cry, scream, have me a good ‘ol tantrum throwing session.

Zeke’s issue – gas pains? I can only fathom because it isn’t a hunger issue. I am not feeding him at any point in the night if he cries out. I am mainly there pounding on his little hinder (instead of rubbing his back) until he gets comfortable enough to fall asleep. Every now and again a little ‘stinky’ escapes and he relaxes. These little sessions can last a few moments to an hour or so and are frequent. It is rarely just one trip I make up those stairs, but rather one every hour or so.

I have to tell you my behavior mirrors theirs when they have little sleep. I am cranky, prone to fits and just down right disagreeable! Dear me, I know it will pass, I do. But knowing doesn’t make the walking it any easier or my disposition any more pleasant. I am working on it, definitely working on it.

Why is it the young run as fast as they can away from sleep and as you get older (or become a parent) you want to run towards it? Those little people don’t know how good they have it.

picture source

Debating

I have been debating and seriously considering alternate schooling options for our kids come Fall. I have been nervous about #4 coming and could I handle it all (still am). Will I do a good enough job? Will I still have my sanity at the end of the day? Will my kids’ have theirs? How will I be able to keep up with day to day things, school and a new baby? Just mountains of questions and insecurities about what I can or can't do.

So I did what any grown woman would do…I confessed to my husband. I made my fears known to him and asked him how he felt about tentatively enrolling the 2 oldest in the public school system next year. That conversation did not go at all how I had envisioned it going. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t what I thought I would hear in response. My Beloved was quite opposed to doing the public school thing.

After that conversation I had to think on the situation a bit more. Another Mom informed me our state offered ‘virtual’ schools. These types of schools allow your child to be registered as a public school student and yet still do school at home. They would receive a laptop, have an on-line teacher and all school materials would be sent to us at the state’s expense. It sounded like the next best thing- the in between of sending them to school and full time home schooling.

But the more I thought on it the more I realized this situation might be even more stressful than doing the home school program we do now. I mean, my kids aren’t big enough (at least the little guy isn’t) to do on-line courses without help. They would still need my physical help for quite a bit AND I would be at the mercy of someone else’s schedule. That pressure of marching to another person’s tune didn’t sit so well with me.

The other thing that made me seriously reconsider doing the virtual schooling option was checking out their curriculum. We predominantly use Sonlight and there are things here and there I don’t love. However, one of the things I do love is the reading material that they have selected, both for us to read together and for her to read on her own. The stories are wonderful. The virtual program didn’t really have a reading program and the math was a bit weak. It just was all around unimpressive. I don’t mean to sound snobby about it.

Then I looked at what we would be doing this year through Sonlight, Core 3 – Introduction to American History, and I got excited again. The Biggest Man has also been making his own strides with reading and we’ve started a different Bible program just this week to bring him into all this schooling business too. That has been neat to see him join the fold a bit and take an interest in learning.

I still have time to say I want to do the virtual school option…but I think I just might pass. After all, even if we can’t stay on schedule in the Fall we can always extend through the Summer and just try to enjoy doing the family thing together.