Graduating May Kill You

Miss J ~

Today: "I can't wait till the last day of school when I get to graduate from first grade. Do you think it's going to be like last year when I had my kindergarten funeral and I got a certificate and walked to the front of the stage?"

Yesterday: "Will we ever have a cat or dog... I know, we have to wait until we don't live here and have our own house. And we can't buy a house until Daddy graduates. But what if I'm dead by then?"

***On a side note, Miss J was wearing this dress on Sunday when all the primary children went up to the front to sing a song for Mother's Day. After church we were praising our children for their singing and asking how they felt when they were up there. Nervous, of course. But Miss J answered, "I was so embarrassed. I couldn't believe I was up there in front of everyone wearing polka-dots!" How horrific! I think she looks absolutely adorable.

PREGNANCY SHRINKS YOUR BRAIN!

I will never forget the first time I was confronted with this shocking truth. I was an English major doing my undergrad at BYU-Hawaii. A friend, who was in most of my classes, brought me an article stating the fact that pregnant women lose brain cells. I forget the exact percentage of loss that the article boasted of proving, but I remember my response. First of all, how dare this male confront me with such a misogynistic and radical suggestion, secondly I refused to believe such a bluff, and finally I became completely dedicated to keeping all of my brain cells in tact and getting a 4.0 that “pregnant” semester just to show up my counterpart who insisted I would no longer be capable of such brain power (or so I suspected).

I don’t quite recall when my view changed (part of the shrinking or disappearing brain cells I am sure), but it has. I am in complete accord with any scientist who suggests the disgraceful absent-mindedness and pregnancy link. Mostly because I have no other explanation for myself. I had the wonderful opportunity to know a most outstanding woman when we were doing our masters, she was the mother of twelve and truly an inspiration to me. I remember her saying one time that it was true about the brain cells, and that she used to be a genius!

I have also read articles that retort that the six month period after pregnancy (or birth) studies have shown that a healthy woman’s brain grows larger and returns to a normal non-pregnant size. This I disagree with. Surely the lack of sleep that seems to last years, not just months after birth, affects my brain’s growth and development. Putting together 24 piece puzzles can do nothing for my cells’ growth, nor can my diet of go-gurts and raisins. I am certain my brain stands no chance of ever being what it used to be, and while I have moments of forgetfulness, and at times mourning for the deep thought that somehow escaped whilst changing a diaper, I am okay with losing my marbles. For you see, while my brain has shrunk, my heart has definitely grown… somehow even with the lack of sleep.

Happy Mothers Day

My daughter planned a little "event" yesterday for her siblings and neighbors. All of her own accord, and including tickets, sign-up sheets, refreshments and games. When it was all over and I made her clean everything up (mean Mom that I am) she got all pouty. I explained my reasons for forcing her to clean up what she had taken out and she responded, "It's not that, it's just that I did all of this and nobody even said thank you!" It was at the end of a "single-parenting" era for me as I awaited Mr. Man's return late last night, and so I embraced her and said, "Welcome to motherhood!" It was ironic then, that as I went through my un-opened emails last night (I tend to leave forwards unopened) I noticed this sweet story sent by a dear friend. It has great potential to make you cry. Happy Mothers Day to all of you invisible people out there!

I am invisible.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going ... she's going ....she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean.. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
* No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
* These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never seefinished.
* They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
* The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the in side of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're going to love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot see if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Author unknown

Birthday Jedi Master

The day before the surgery we celebrated Little E's birthday with a super fun outdoor Star Wars party! I don't think the boy could have asked for anything more. He overheard friends at the party saying, "this is the best birthday party ever" and at least for my Little E (who by the way has consented to still being little) it was. His invitations were rolled up to look like lightsabers, and that was just the beginning. His party consisted of a Jedi training course on how to use your lightsaber, a friendly game of Darth Vader tag, "What time is it Luke Skywalker?" and the parachute was used to try to destroy the death star. Fun times. We invited way too many children, but thankfully the weather co-operated and the great outdoor prooved to be the best place for them to play and party.

Holding his lighsaber invitation!

Little E takes forever to blow out his candles, and it is always seems that as he does so a moment in time passes as I watch my little boy growing up and turning yet another year older.

His true birthday was a day spent between spoling a birthday boy and his cast-laden brother and it was a bit of hard day... so I'm glad he had his super fun party.

Four things I love about Little E:

*He has the quickest wit and such a strong grasp of language to be able to make jokes and capture moments with wit and wisdom. And he always speaks his mind. Mr. Man calls him his "talk-a-lot toy". Recently after a fun date together where we ended up at his favourite little spot to eat, I mentioned how much I love going on dates with him. His quick reply, "Well, I love going on dates with Daddy." What could I say except, "I like going on dates with Daddy too." Oh, Little E!

*Little E is a homebody. While this drives me crazy at times, I love how much he enjoys being home and how much he truly loves his family - which he reminds us of constantly, saying, "I love EVERY person in my family. I love my WHOLE family."

*Little E is sweet and sensitive. He hates to share, but will do it gladly if he knows it will make another person happier. He truly cares for others and is aware that others have feelings too. His feelings are worn on his face for all to see, and at times you have to tiptoe around them as he is, VERY SENSITIVE!

*Little E is the fastest, cutest most co-ordinated little runner. Just seeing him run makes Mr. Man and I smile. Thinking about him run makes my heart fill with love for him. The unfortunate thing is that he is often running away from us!

We love you Little E!

Home

Yes, we are home and Mr. T is doing wonderfully. Our first night home was a rough one, but last night he slept in his own bed, and slept all night too. He seems to have a fear of falling asleep alone now and I'm curious if this stems from the surgery "sleep." It is frustrating for him to understand why a few days ago he had now pain, and now after a surgery that was meant to make things better, he has pain. However, he is healing quickly and we are slowly giving him less and less pain medication and he is also getting around more and more. He has his walker (which Baby brother also enjoys) and his knees are looking a little worn from crawling around. Mr. T and the baby both scooch across the floor on their bottoms, and it is kind of amusing to watch them both! Mr. T is feeling the love as so many friends and family have sent well-wishes and brought care packages for him to enjoy as he lives life a bit more stable. I feel confident that his recovery will be a smooth one.

The boy, however, cannot stop talking. I think because he has no mobility, his mouth has to do all the running for him. It's pretty insane. He is so sweet, though, and is the perfect person and personality to have to have limited motion. He is content to sit in a stroller watching his brother running around - cheering him on and blowing bubbles. I'm grateful it isn't another one of my children, not mentioning any names whatsoever, who is struck stuck and would inevitably be throwing a multitude of temper tantrums with a heavy cast.

We were sad to see Grandma and Uncle leave today. They were a huge help, even though Uncle introduced Mr. T to the joys of computer games... hmmmmm... you will be missed!

Amazing

Today has been the longest day. I have so much empathy for those who spend days, weeks, months and longer in hospitals with their children. There are children where we were who actually attend school in the hospital because they can never leave. Cancer patients, who should be energetic toddlers, flood the hallways and McDonalds… they are amazing, as are their parents. After just one day, I am exhausted. It is so emotionally draining.

Thanks to many prayers, Mr. T stayed healthy and we arrived early this morning for his surgery. There was no wait and we were pushed along so quickly that the surgery began earlier than expected. We were told 3-4 hours, and right before we hit the 2 hour mark, our surgeon was before us delivering amazing news. Not only had the surgery gone well, they were able to do more than ever expected. For those of you who don’t know, Mr. T has Trevor’s disease and this surgery was to remove a large “extra” bone in his right ankle area. Because it is so close to the growth plate, the plan was to simply shave it down as much as possible on both ends, and most likely we would be in there several times in his childhood to continue to do so. Our surgeon was amazed to announce that he was able to basically remove the whole bone – admitting that it may grow back, but still, we were not expecting this and it is truly amazing.

Soon we were admitted to the recovery room to see our sweet little boy. I’m a proud pessimist and from experience after his first surgery when he was two, I expected the worst and was pleasantly surprised. He was dead to the world and snoring when we first entered, but soon after awaking was droggily thrilled to open a present and his first words were, “I want some clothes on and I don’t want to be here anymore!” Who does?!

The first six hours were wonderful. He had no pain except for a sore throat and was joking around and really being himself. We quite enjoyed him, and even his doctor expressed amazement at his recovery. Then his “epidural” (coddle they called it, but not sure how to spell it) wore off and he had a pretty rough afternoon. He is anxious to return home and we are hoping that tomorrow will be our last day at the hospital.

Mr. Man is having a sleepover with him tonight, and I returned home because only one parent and no nursing babies are allowed. Baby J did wonderfully all day, especially thanks to a doting grandma who came to spend the day at the hospital with us.

We cannot thank all of you enough for thinking of and praying for our family. We can truly feel of your care and concern and feel very much strengthened and upheld by the Lord. When I stop to think about our day, tears come and emotions flood my chest, but overall I feel such calm and peace and gratitude for how amazing this day has been.

Before the surgery, in his fancy hospital pjs and holding his bear... though I think Daddy is his true comfort object... too bad they wouldn't let him take him into surgery.

Waiting...

In recovery...
Happy with his "present", and still drowsy. When we told him they got the whole bone out and he wouldn't need his brace anymore, his eyes got real big and he said, "Does that mean I can wear velcro shoes too?" Yes. And sandals, and crocs...!
Playing with the buttons on the coolest bed ever.
He has to keep his leg up on a pillow, and while still giddy on painkillers, he demonstrated that the pillow wasn't needed and Mr. Tough Guy was strong enough to lift the heavy cast up!
Enjoying a first meal and stealing Daddy's drink! (He told me after this picture, "I wasn't really drinking Mommy, I was just pretending so you could get a good picture." - my poor kids!)
Struggling a bit, and Grandma trying to help him forget the pain.

Prayers

Mr. T goes in for surgery on Tuesday, May 6th. Please keep him in your prayers and as you fast and worship this Sabbath day. God bless.

Rich Reading

You may have tangible wealth untold:
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be –
I had a mother who read to me.
-Strickland Gillilan

I’m making my kids memorize this right now. I figure if my friend can have her boys wear a shirt that says THIS… a little poem can’t hurt!

I read for hours everyday; from board books, to scriptures, to easy readers and chapter books. And I always have a few of my own scattered around the house to read bits and pieces whenever I can. We have books in every room of our house (yes, even the bathroom). Way too many books. And then we go to the library to get yet more books. Usually we are back to get new ones before we’ve even returned the first batch, and so goes the cycle of library fines and our obsession with books.

Right now we are all loving the Magic Tree House series, and I’m also surprised how many of the boys’ picks lately have been the old loved board books that they used to ask for time after time day after day. Miss J and I always have a book going together too that we read after the boys are asleep. We recently finished Ella Enchanted and boy was that a fun read! We were almost done one night when I had to leave for a meeting with just two chapters remaining. The next day I had to confess that at midnight I was annoying my husband sitting in the hallway with the bright hall light on so I could finish the book and actually fall asleep. I had read it as a youth when it was first published, and maybe even since then… but oh how delicious it was to crave and give into the craving to read and complete a real page turner. I was ready for Miss J to chasten me, but instead she was excited to see my excitement.

A friend recently introduced me to a new blog full of fabulous tips and ideas of things to do with kids. Hop on over to see her list of good books to read to your kids.

Here are some of the books (the ones I can remember) that I have read to mine:

Charlotte’s Web
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Pollyana
The Story of Hellen Keller
Anne of Green Gables
Half Magic
Little House on the Prairie
Ramona the Pest, Ramona and Beezus – and a couple of other Ramona books

My big tip for starting to read longer chapter books, is to do it regularly. Same time, everyday. They look forward to it, and it doesn’t give them too big of gaps between chapters so they can keep up with what is happening. I used to always read during lunch time. Their mouths are busy, hands entertained and they are seated and good listeners. Now I have them trained, and often they are begging for “just one more chapter.” I also agree with Marie at Make and Takes... the more fun activities you can do that correlate with your book the better. We were obsessed with spiders during the Charlotte's Web phase, and pretended to be blind and learn to sign letters with Hellen Keller... we even checked out some braille books at the library! There are a million things you can do to make the stories come alive. Unfortunately, there are often movies that are based on the book. I NEVER let my kids watch them until after we have read the book, and then sometimes they don't even care. Mostly though, they've discovered that wonderful secret where the book is always better than the movie!

With the summer on its way we are making our list of chapter books to read together on those long lazy summer days. What's on your list?

Breakthrough

I had a moment today where I had one of those great Mom breakthroughs... at least it was a breakthrough for me! I was making lunch for my boys and a couple of their friends they had over. A few extra lunches is never a big deal, and I always try to do a good job of hitting all of the food groups at lunch time, so I usually have "it all" out anyways. That's when it hit me. I should just make an extra lunch everyday and pack it up for Miss J to take to school the next day! No more early morning struggles or late night attempts at inventiveness... this is the solution. Too bad it hit when school is just a few weeks away from ending, but at least I figured it out when my oldest is in first grade. I suppose I'll have to figure something else out when I no longer have any left at home to feed lunch to... sad day.

The Best Things in Life Are Not Things

May is a hard time for me. Every year it comes and goes and I always seem to lose at least one good friend in the process. May mean graduation, and slowly, everyone else is while we stay strong and carry on. This year it seems to have hit hard, and I find myself feeling a bit low thinking about my life without certain someones in it. Someones who have made such an impact in my life. It is hard to say goodbye.

We took a walk today around our neighborhood and I couldn’t help but pointing out to my kids all the homes where our old (graduated) friends used to live. The memories and stories flooded back and my kids were excited as we talked of them. And I realized that while they were gone, they still lived on. I know it sounds morbid, but really I’ve learned a lot about friendships over the years as we’ve moved so much, and have taken a part of each close friend with me. It may be a recipe, a healthier habit, a decorating tip, a parenting technique or even a shared inside joke, but mostly it is that bond that keeps a friendship strong that I remember and hold onto. Those gifts are worth so much to me, and while I may forget your birthday and be horrible at keeping in touch, know that you are thought of often and some of my children’s favourite stories involve some of my long-lost friends of lives past.

And so, as I come to terms with the impending graduation that will take several of you away from me, know that I’m happy for you and forever grateful to have had you in my life and will forever hold a piece of you in my heart.

Mayday!

Blessed

I had a special moment today playing with my baby. One of those moments when you feel so much love, feel so incredibly blessed to be a mother that you actually have tears come to your eyes. I cherish those moments.

My three year old asked me this morning if love ends. And we had a good talk about different kinds of love but how a mother's love for her child never ever ends. I am so grateful to be a mother and experience that love.

My baby is growing up, and he is such a cheerful busybody! I adore his smile and am loving that when he wakes up now he no longer cries but plays and babbles until I approach and am greeted with his beautfiul two-toothed grin! I love his little feet and how he always crosses them while sitting. He is eating everything and hates to wear bibs... so we're into the messy stage too! He started clapping a while ago, and now whenever I say "good boy" he will clap for himself! Little E mentioned the other day how "obedient" Baby J is... when I say "open your mouth" while feeding him, he does... when I say "turn the page" while reading books, he does. This was fascinating to Little E, who then explained to Baby J how proud Jesus was of him for being obedient and what a good example he is.

Oh the moments. For some reason I have such an easier time putting words to my frustrations and complaints, and not so much to my joys and blessings. But I am sure that all of you Moms know that feeling, and know the joys too.

Imagine

I get to teach Joy School this week and our unit is one of the best yet: Imagination and Creativity. I was supposed to dress up in a simple costume when the children arrived and then be sure to state that I was just "pretending"... that I'm really just their teacher, but that I'm pretending to be someone else, and pretending is fun. So I answer the door dressed as Little Red Riding Hood with my cape and hood and basket full of fruit. I got a "look" and comment from one of the Mom's, but to my dismay the boys didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. Even when I told them who I was and that I was dressed up and pretending to be her, they just nodded like, "okay, of course, that's right." I wonder what they think I look like normally!

We did some fun games, going to the moon and finding different spots to land that were slippery, hot, full of holes... fun times! Our tummies and snack talked to us, and our hands begged to be washed before we could eat. We took turns making up stories and sharing what we could imagine, and I told a few fairy tales as well. Then we read a few renditions of The Three Little Bears after which we took turns being different characters and acting it out. These boys were so into it and we really had a wonderful time!

Five little boys for free play time. I had out blocks, dinosaurs, pirates and boats. What did they choose to play with? The kitchen. They spent the whole half hour cooking and concocting. The baby and I were served more food than I'd like to admit to eating, and they even had fun cleaning the kitchen at the end of their play. Lets just say that this unit may be a bit of a "teaching" waste. They certainly have no trouble with imagination and creativity, but we will definitely be having fun together!

Zits!

I am so sick of having zits. It has been over a decade now and I’ve decided I’m just done with them. We have a long horrible history together and now as I approach the closing years of my twenties, I would really like to abolish their existence once and for all. This weekend was full of big events and changes that required much of my time and attention, and ultimately stress which inevitably led to zits. One in particular decided it wanted a lot of attention. The size is unnatural, the throbbing leads me to believe that it has its own circulatory system, and I imagine its own solar system as well. While I no longer act like the teenager I once was, refusing to go out when it got too bad to face myself in the mirror, trying every “cure” and cream imaginable, I admit that sometimes what’s showing on the outside still hurts me a bit inside too.

My daughter is obsessed with checking her face every day to make sure she doesn’t have any “pimples” as she politely calls them. When I’m dressed and ready for the day, perhaps even having done my hair and make-up, I can always count on her to tell me how pretty I look, “even though you have pimples Mommy, you still look pretty. I can hardly see them.” Right.

The summer is usually my friend. Even though I’ll be sweating more, the sun seems to scare the zits away for the time being. Siblings of mine have had to use the hard-core drug Accutane to rid themselves permanently of zits, and since I’ve been pregnant and breast-feeding for what feels like half my life, I haven’t even given the harshness of the drug and the reality of finality much thought. But when you have grown a second brain on your chin, thinking is unavoidable. Ughhhhh!

Compulsive Liar

I may have mentioned this before, but my husband has a problem. When he is sleeping he is a compulsive liar. He will say absolutely anything to try to get out of doing whatever it may be that would force him to awaken completely. His mother has absolute horror stories about early morning seminary, but I’ve compiled quite a few of my own since being married to him. The baby’s diaper is always already changed, the puke-covered sheets, yeah, he did that too without moving a muscle. The kids have learned to ask him questions while he is sleeping, “yes, you can watch Star Wars, sure take my credit card…” It’s quite a dangerous foible if you ask me. When there have been tornado sirens, I will get the kids downstairs while he lies through his sleep that “those aren’t sirens, it’s just the train.” Last night was even worse. I awoke to the house shaking and shook him awake too. “What is that?” I practically yelled. “Shhhh, be quiet, it’s just the rain, go back to sleep.” I told him it was lasting too long and I was getting worried, maybe we should check the news or go downstairs and look outside. His response, “Rain takes a while. Go back to sleep.” Exhausted, I obeyed. Apparently it is catching. Our daughter then entered our room scared that there was an earthquake. I gave her a hug, told her “I thought so too, but Daddy says it’s just the rain, so go back to sleep.” We awoke this morning only to find out there was indeed an earthquake. I think my husband may need therapy for this.

Blogging Safety Tips

I’ve had a lot of thoughts lately about blogging and have decided to compile them and provide a bit of a safety tip list that I wanted to share with you. Unfortunately a lot of you are breaking some of these tips, and haphazardly putting yourselves and your family at potential risk. I am not pointing any fingers here, I utterly enjoy reading all of your blogs, however I just want you to all be safe. Granted I know that if someone is serious about stalking you they have a million ways at their fingertips to do so, but let’s not give them another one.

A friend of mine recently had some issues with certain pictures of her daughters being repeatedly viewed by numerous strangers. I followed her suggestion to use a different tracker (the annoying one some of you complained about) for about a week to see exactly who was viewing what. I was surprised and disgusted that two of my posts in particular were being viewed quite often and the link was from a sex site that I would need a password to access. I quickly deleted the posts and watched as my traffic thankfully decreased. So it was with these thoughts and this experience that I post my personal list of blogging safety tips. Note that I would love you to add to these, as this list is by no means comprehensive.

*Keep your calendar at home. Don’t announce to the internet netherworld that you hit the gym every day at 6am, take your kids to the nearby park every day at 2pm, or that you will be leaving town and going on vacation to Disney on April 21st to the 28th. (I’m not by the way, but I sort of wish I were!) Not only will somebody who is not your friend know where you are, but they will know where you aren’t… that your home is empty.

*Personal information is personal. At your discretion, don’t post personal information. Names (especially last names), addresses, phone numbers, school’s names, employment information, last names of friends or relatives (in your posts or links), ages are iffy, and birthdates are a must not. (I know, I’ve broken a lot of these “tips” too!)

*Watch your pictures. Never post provocative pictures. Remember that what is cute, adorable or funny to you may be provocative for a pedophile. It only takes one of them to view it and then pass it on to others. Naked baby photos, bath time fun photos, even children in dress-up costumes…if you have pictures like this that you want to share with friends and family, you may have to go back to the old fashioned email or snail mail, or start a private family blog… online is permanent and anyone on the internet can save a picture or post to their computer or even print it out. Look over your pictures before you post them to make sure that none of the personal information you are making sure not to write is in the background or foreground of your pictures. Those first day of school pictures in front of the school give a lot of information you may not want passed out to anyone. This past winter my two eldest went around and shoveled the walks of everyone on our cul-de-sac of their very own accord. I was thrilled and as a proud mama took lots of pics to post for you… but then I realized that you would easily see where I live, that the numbers on the houses were easy to read and well, those of you who I want to know where I live do or can, but those I don’t, won’t. One of the pictures that was being accessed and viewed by a sex site was of my three year old son wearing a leotard and being a little ballerina. So sad, but it is up to us to use more discretion than necessary if we want to keep our blogs public.

*Be nice and only mostly honest. Most of you are, but do remember that while you do have freedom of speech, some people are crazy and may take offence and then get defensive and then you may have a whole other problem on your hands. Read this to get what I’m talking about. You don’t want to be slandering your mother-in-law online… because, really, what do you ever have to complain about :) I also worry about employers, or potential employers. Mr. Man mentioned that several employers are going on facebook and all those other modern online conveniences and reading everything a potential employee has ever written. So be careful. Writing that you called in sick to work to spend a day having fun may not be the best thing for your future employer to read. This one is a tricky one and I don’t have much to say on it, but I think it’s important to consider the person you are portraying and not just what you are putting out there, but whom. Also, something I've learned is to be careful what your titles are... those are what people will search to. I'm not too worried about those coming who googled, "chore charts", but I am wary of the "skinny dipping" ones!

Here’s another link to some helpful tips.

I went over some of these tips with a friend of mine this morning and then went on to tell her everything I thought she should take off her blog in order to be safe. I didn’t want to offend, but in the end she was more than grateful and almost barged into my house to do it immediately! She suggested we set up a sort of watchdog system… as friends we should help each other out and let each other know when we think they’ve violated the safety tips or just given too much information. I would definitely appreciate such comments. The safety kid in me notices these things so easily now. I’m not trying to scare you, just alert you and remind you. Happy, safe blogging!

Inevitable

I woke up this morning with the gut feeling that we would be going to the ER today.

I have two extra kids under my wing today while our good friends are house hunting in another state. I question my motive in helping them move away from us, but still, we have our “cousins” with us for now! With that gut wrenching feeling, I was a little more mother-hennish than usual. The typical running and chasing around the circular area was forbidden, the bikes were out of commission for the walk to school, and overall I was being severely extra cautious. Since I had that ER trip in the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but realize I couldn’t even fit all 6 kids and cars eats in my van if I needed to. So it was with a bit of trepidation that we made the trek to school. We were quite the circus act, I with the front carrier holding the baby, and pulling a wagon with two little boys, another one at my feet constantly getting in the wagon’s way and two little girls with their hair done the same skipping away in front. I called them back and begged them to neither run, skip nor jump. “Why?” they wanted to know. I replied that I didn’t want to go to the hospital today, and if we all just walk nobody would get hurt. It was only moments later that Miss Lydia WALKED right into the gate. It was inevitable.

With an onslaught of cars dropping off their kids for school as an audience, I used the famous burp rag to hold on her head and attempt to stop the bleeding. Then I gathered, pleaded and prodded the five kids I had left home so that we could figure out how to go get stitches.
From experience I full well know that the less people you bring for what may turn into a small surgical procedure the better. So I left two boys, instead of one, at my friend’s for Joy School, and another boy with the other Joy School mom. Thank goodness for great friends who are willing to bend their day to whatever circumstance may ensue. Then I met the speech therapist who had just shown up at our home and begged her forgiveness as I grabbed a diaper bag and got the baby and the victim into the van.

With no insurance cards, I stopped off at my pediatricians and demanded to be treated. They were wonderful, and thankfully, though they admitted it was quite large, they were able to glue Miss Lydia’s head back together again – no stitches needed. The irony of it, is that she had a similar procedure take place (on her head) when she was on her way to my house months ago. So apparently I’m bad luck! With a stop at McDonalds for some fruit parfaits on the way home and picking up all the other kids, we are home for the day and that feeling of dread is gone from my gut. The inevitable is done. Though I suppose there’s still school pickup!


"The Trooper" - For Mom & Dad:

Award-Winning Day

It’s been a good day. Spring has finally decided to come and I’ve packed away the winter gear for a second time so it best decide to stay. On such spring days with the windows open, it would seem ideal to have a sweet smelling perfectly clean home. But no, instead we’ve spent most of the day out of doors, only coming in long enough to drag the mud in with us and let the baby take a nap.

Of course there is always the car-pooling. Some days more than others; and today no more than usual. But still, the mindless driving. I had a quiet crew today and had a few moments to observe and reflect on the drivers around me. I know, it’s a horrible habit, but I can’t help myself. I started to wonder how these people manage to drive and arrive, well, alive. After all, here they are drinking their coffee, lighting and smoking their cigarettes, talking on their cell phones and still managing to steer. It’s quite amusing really. And a bit scary. I remember as a young girl driving with my Uncle while he shaved. I was in awe and quite impressed with this. While I was thinking this I suddenly remembered that I would be attending a skirt-wearing, leg-baring award ceremony for Mr. Man this evening and that my legs were in dire need of shaving. I quickly evaluated the day and decided there would be no time for said shaving, unless….......At the next stoplight I dug through the diaper bag and found some lotion, rubbed it on my legs, squirted my water bottle down them and then retrieved the razor from the glove compartment. Shaving deserves a book in itself, but I’ll keep it brief and just say that Mr. Man suggested that I keep a razor in the car since that always seems to be when the sun is shining and in such light I see the hairs (usually on my knees) that always seem to get missed in the dull shower light. Tired of my cursing, he proposed the solution. Today I was elated to have a razor so handy. And, while those around me multi-tasked, so did I. I have a bit of razor burn sure, but my legs are shaven and, if I must say so myself, award-winning!

So we pinched and primed the children and got them all dressed up for the ceremony. It was long and they were good. Little E was devastated that we were in a hotel and not going swimming, but other than a few inevitable mishaps that are sure to happen when you take four children to an event that even the undergrads are snoring through and ditching out early from, it was a very positive experience. We are so proud of our Daddy. Not only was he awarded one award, but two! I’m sure they took one look at our crew and decided they better double his dessert! He is so hard-working and so absolutely brilliant at what he does, and those awards have definitely been earned. While I hummed and hawed about getting a sitter to make the event a bit more tolerable, it was very special for the kids to see him being recognized and applauded. We received plentiful comments on the children’s behavior, and so all in all it has been an award-winning day. I’m exhausted!

Young Talent

The boy is obsessed. He used to sit on my lap while I played... but now he stares and reaches for the piano screaming until someone will let him sit on their lap and play. And no, don't even think about trying to play yourself... it's just for him. I've figured out a solution that pleases everyone... the booster seat. Buckled in, my budding pianist can spend however long he wants playing his music. He's even playing two hands together now!

Five

For some reason it’s been an emotional day for me. It is Mr. T’s fifth birthday. FIVE! It’s one of those milestone birthdays; where you feel old, and your child feels much too young to be celebrating that day.

And yet it feels like he has been a part of my life forever.

Mr. T changed my outlook on motherhood. Just weeks before I became pregnant with Mr. T I was relieved of my severe postpartum depression, which I had suffered for 18 months following Miss J’s birth. His pregnancy was a difficult one as I have alluded to earlier. At the very end I was on bed rest and then I gave birth (without a c-section this time) to a sweet, calm baby. He nursed well, he cried little and I bonded immediately. It was such a validation to be able to enjoy being a new mother. I was exhausted, yes, but I could do it. Once I could do it, I dared to do it well.

Mr. T has not had an easy childhood. He has been sick way too much, and it’s only fitting that he was up most of last night with a high fever and under the weather and blowing snot rockets again today. He’s undergone occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy. Today, however, he is therapy free. He is such a happy child and I am so glad to have him as my son.

Five things I love about Mr. T:
*He has the greatest imagination and is a fabulous storyteller
*He is an early-riser and always so excited for a new day to begin. (Remember, he supposedly never sleeps!)
*He is sincere. He means what he says and he says what he means.
*He has a lot of love for others. He also loves God very much and is close to Him. I have had many spiritual experiences through being Mr. T’s mother.
*He loves to use his hands. Mr. T loves to sew and craft like not other Mr. I know. He also loves to build and fix things just like his Daddy. Those little fingers are always busy, and I love them when they hold my face and let me kiss his forehead at bedtime every night.

The "big" gift - a "REAL" tool bench!

(Wearing brothers PJs so that his "tatoo" on his leg will show!)
Star Wars, of course!
A fun day with brother.
(Though it would be easier if Little E shared the same birthday... oh the tears!)
For one short month, these two will sport a two year age gap!
Loving his tools.
Pizza and pirates... what else does a five year old boy need?
Oh yeah, mud pie as per request. With worms and burried treasure!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mr. T!

For the record, looking back at his baby book, birth story and such… I was most surprised to see that five years ago, a gallon of gasoline was $1.47.

For My Speech Therapist's Amusement...

Little E: Gee, Mom, these Doritos sure are dood.
Me: Dood? Or good?
Little E: G-g-g-good. I like eating them. They’re dood.
Me: Did you say dood or good?
Little E: I’m not telling.
Mr. T: Just say, “they’re yummy”.
Little E: They are yummy. But they’re also dood.
Me: GOOD!
Little E: Do you know what dood means, Mommy?
Me: What?
Little E: Dood means it’s NOT good. These are not good for your body. They are dood.
Me: Oh for heaven’s sake.