how it goes sometimes...

This morning I woke up with a headache

I just didn't feel like doing much of anything



But my terrible twosome were up and ready for trouble

After an hour of entertaining them with the life sucker (the TV)



I decided I needed to get moving

I had planned on making some homemade playdoh




It was really the last thing I felt like doing

We had all of the ingredients and I thought the kids would enjoy it



Counts as some homeschool science and math so with coffee in one hand, camera in the other we got to work

Some days even with the best of intentions and preparation chaos erupts



The kids were bickering

No one wanted to sit still and listen while I talked about two 1/2s making a whole or how to get 2tsps you need to scoop the 1tsp measuring spoon 2 times...



I wasn't being fair to let Troy pour the water

and Sophia got more time stirring the pot on the stove than Troy did



Did I mention the blue food coloring was teal and not blue...

Yea, sometimes it doesn't go how we want it too...



We melted a plastic spider on the stove top...

Did I mention I still have headache?

On positive note:
The playdoh turned out great so here is the recipe we used...

Homemade Playdoh

1 Cup Water
1 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup Salt
2tsp Cream of Tarter
Food Coloring

Mix ingredients in a pot, stir over medium heat until ball forms and pulls away from the sides.

Enjoy!

One on One

Yesterday my man was home...

lots needed to be done

and lots got accomplished.

There was plenty of running around on this day

Chores to be done, rooms to be cleaned out, plenty more to do...

Yet special time was spent with each parent and each child



Sophia got to run errands with Momma and then go to church and have dinner with Daddy

Troy got to work with Daddy and then spend an evening with Momma



We spend many days together but not much time is spent with one child at a time

Yesterday was special time...

Not a special activity but just special time...

time spent enjoying the kids one on one

Sophia is growing up so quickly she loved walking with Momma in the stores



I bought her a soda, she didn't say anything but I could tell it made her feel grown up...

it was nice to enjoy the simple moments like drinking a soda with her.

Troy is such a sweet guy, he keeps reminding me, "I'm four now"



He wants to be big "like Sissy" We made pizza, snuggled and read books and watched Power Rangers, I think he enjoyed the freedom of this one on one time.

Today, Daddy is back to work

First thing this morning Troy wanted Sophia to watch the Power Ranger movie he watched last night.. he doesn't want her to miss out.

She really wasn't interested but seeing his excitement- they are on the couch together watching the episode.

I hear them making plans about what they are going to do today, play dogs, jump on the trampoline, play in the playroom...

I'm glad they like being together

not typical

A group of mothers scrambled to get lunches packed, children fed, dressed and in the car...

They made preparations to take their children out...

a field trip, to a farm...

Blue shirts scattered the lawn of the farm...

Parents wrangled children and followed instruction...



The farmer was able to share with the children things that most children don't get to experience...

He said it was because they followed instruction so well...



The mothers looked at one another and rolled their eyes...

At lunch he complimented their healthy meals...

The mothers looked around and giggled at the meals that most of them frantically tossed into the cooler, with love, while kid wrangling and running out the door...

When the tour of the farm was over the children ran full speed ahead to the giant sand hill...



The mothers followed behind carrying bags packed with cups and snacks and extra clothes...

They sighed and smiled at a successful field trip and a day well done...

The farmer complimented the children again, he said "they were so well behaved, not typical behavior"

He called us a great mommy group...

How proud was I to say, "we aren't a mommy group, we are home-schoolers"

Not typical...

I don't want to be typical...

despite their differences, the common thread between these moms...

we do not want our children to be typical...

The reason we do what we do...

Why we sacrifice...

Because we don't want our children to be typical...

Extraordinary... Representing our God... Respectful... Kind... and atypical..

that's what I want for my kids.



So proud of Potter's Clay Co-op Today! You kids are amazing!

I hope you parents realize what a wonderful compliment our children's behavior was to us- to our parenting today...



Next time you have a 'pull your hair out- send the kids to school- kind of day'... remember this day and know you are doing a great job!!

learning together...

I love homeschooling my children...

I think it is important to provide them with a solid foundation...

equip them to do great things...

it just feels right, like this is how it is meant to be.

Ask me 7 years ago if I thought I would be a homeschooling parent and I would have said no way!

7 years ago I was going to school to be a teacher, little did I know I would be teaching my own...

We learn together...

We learn about the Earth, the power of sunlight, mammals, carnivores, herbivores...

We read... We count... We explore... but even more than that we learn how to be together...

Today was unexpected. Today was a day unlike most, we got up, had no plans, no school work on the schedule...

We went to drop something off to a friend and realized Troy had left his sneakers at Mimi's farm...

We drove over to the farm to get his shoes

As always on the farm if you look around there is work to be done...

so we did some...

We worked for a bit... we played a bit little longer...

Troy rode in the Jeep with GrandDaddy... he ate a cucumber that GrandDaddy cut with his pocket knife...

Sophia found an apple and shared it with a horse...

We went to visit the Great Grandparents...

Troy stole some candy from GiGi

We counted hay bails and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

We came home and made chili for tonight's supper.

We went to the playground and found a beetle,



They ran around,

I pushed them on the swings,

We sang songs and talked about Jesus...

We investigated the beetle again before going home Troy tried to bring it back to life, it didn't work...




We found out our friends are sick, we made them cookies which we will drop off in a few hours...

Today is a day that there were no lessons planned but we are learning together about life, taking care of one another, helping each other, praising God in everything we do... and what lesson we could learn in a book is greater than that?

My two are snuggled together on the couch enjoying an afternoon movie...

And I think... this is how it is supposed to be...

They are mine, they won't be mine forever, but while they are I will treasure the moments... teach them, love them, learn them... and we will do this together... because that is how our family is supposed to be.

men of courage

Tony and I went and saw the movie Courageous tonight.

I so recommend it... I felt such pride sitting next to my man, who is a man of courage, who is a leader to his wife, his children.



as I watched I was reminded of just what an important job my man has...

He was called by God to be the protector, caretaker, provider and spiritual leader for our family.

My man works hard to take care of the ones he loves.

He takes pride in his role as my man and their Daddy.



His children adore him, they hate it when he leaves for work but love it when he comes home in the evenings.

He was off today and I watched him play with his boy, snuggle with his girl and cater to his wife...

When I watched the movie and was reminded of this job that fathers have... the job so many fathers fail to do... I praised God for the man He put in my life, the father of my children, the courageous leader of our home.

Pray for your man tonight, they are called to do a big job, encourage them, lift them up...



I'm off to love on my courageous man :)

Good Night Y'all.

what's important to me

We have needed time for us lately.

The hustle of the holidays is quickly approaching...

I've postponed playdates, ignored my calendar and dismissed the everyday stuff.

A laundry pile covers my dining room table.

Dishes are always in my sink.

Dirty towels on the bathroom floor.

Family and friends fill my cluttered home with love and laughter.

My neighbors bring their children, my grandparents stop in, my friends come for a cup of coffee, time spent together, enjoying one another, living this life together...

Yes, I agree that a clean home clears the mind but a clean home takes time and my heart finds greater benefit in...

jumping on the trampoline with my monsters,

dancing in the kitchen with my daughter,

racing cars across the living room floor with my boy,

Falling into my bed with my man.

Yes, it is those things that fill my heart and make me complete.

The laundry will wait, the dishes will still be there tomorrow...

I want to invest my time in my family.

A clean house... maybe tomorrow...

talking to God

Sophia got into some trouble this afternoon...

Her troubles usually land her in a quiet place where she can sit to think about what she did, why she did it and what she could do next time.

As she sat there she began to talk...

She was talking to God...



As she began to pray, she knew I was listening...

God my mommy is so mean...

She doesn't treat me nice...

I'm so mad...

Then she stopped...

I know God...

She isn't mean...

She does treat me nice...

I know, she makes me mac n cheese, she helps me wash my hair, she makes sure I have clean sheets on my bed...

She is a good mommy...

I know...

I know...

I know...

Amen.

She began to cry as she looked up at me.

I smiled and told her I love her and that I think she is a really great daughter.

She cried and told me that she knew I was a good momma...

She told me she talked to God because she was mad, but God talked to her,

Actually it was Abuelita, God let her tell me how good of a momma you are to me...

She told me she likes it when God lets Abuelita talk to her and she wished she could talk to her more...

I told her I was glad she got to talk to Abuelita too.

Troy's Muddy 4th Birthday Bash

My baby is four...

Four years ago I had a husband and toddler with the stomach flu. My mom had just flown to Minnesota. The most terribly timing... but my boy decided he wasn't going to wait any longer. Four weeks early he was ready to make his grand appearance into this world.

I'll never forget jumping in the shower to shave my legs (very important when you are going to have a baby)I was yelling for Tony... he wobbled into the bathroom having been up all night throwing up. I told him, "I'm going to have the baby, get the bag and call your mom to keep Sophia."

He looked at me, he was white as a sheet (from throwing up not from shock that we were having a baby) and he said, "Are you serious right now?"

Sophia was 2 weeks late and I ended up being induced so we really thought at 36 weeks that there was no reason to get excited about this boy coming early... we were wrong...

I got to the hospital... unlike his sister's birth, labor was easy and a few short hours later my little boy was born.

And now, he is a curly headed wild man...

Happy Birthday Wild Boy!

Here are some pictures from Troy's 'Muddy' 4th Birthday Bash!

All of the kids on the sand hill...



Awesome Mud Cake from my friend Jenn Crawford... how talented is she?



Me and My Sister...



My little birthday man, getting some 'Monster Juice'



Some of the boys in the mud...







Tony haulin' kids on the Rhino...



Happy Birthday Wild Man







We love you sooo much!

outward expression of an inward emotion

I read a book a while ago...

there was a brief section in this book that talked about sharing joy with your children. It said something about letting your children know you are thankful to be in their presence, sharing with them your joy, through your smile and other outward expressions...

I think it's so true that children need to know joy...

it got me thinking about how children, specifically young children learn about emotion.

Remember those charts with the smiley faces,
you look at the faces that show the emotion...

I have thought a lot lately about sharing emotion with my children- children understand outward expressions of inward emotions...

Last night I was trying to get the kids to bed,
It always seems like the last few moments during the evening are the most stressful ones.

I know I'm so close to getting them in bed,
I want to collapse onto the couch,
I'm exhausted.
There are about 100 things left to do,
I'm giving hugs and kisses,
someone asks for a sippy cup,
then another needs to go potty,
then a lost blankie needs recovered,
just as everyone is settled...
the dog leaves a 'gift' on the floor...
I look up and give out this distressing 'UGH!!!!'

Sophia pops up, "don't be mad at bedtime"
I wasn't upset with them, I was just tired, upset at the situation.

This isn't a blog about how I was wrong to be upset, I think that it is good for kids to understand emotion, for them to know that their parents have emotions too.

I explain to her that I'm just tired, that mommies have big jobs and just because she and her brother and tucked in to go to sleep doesn't mean that mommy gets to rest just yet...

I tell her I love her and I'm not mad at her...

I believe it is good for them to see a variety of emotions in their parents, not all frustration and not all joy, they need to understand that there are many emotions and many reasons for those emotions, instead of feeling ashamed that my daughter caught this not so proud moment when I huffed and puffed about cleaning up dog pee...

I decided to embrace it, I was annoyed, I was tired and this was an opportunity to explain that.

As their Momma I want them to know I love them, I want to show love, I hold them, I tell them I love them, I share with them the outward expression of an inward emotion...
To share joy, I let them see me smile, I dance around with them, I play...
To share peace, I sit quietly and rub their backs or snuggle them on the couch.

It's important that we know ways to share these inward emotions in ways they can understand...

Yet, frustration, sadness and disappointment are expressions I notice many mommas (including myself) trying to hide from our children, we don't want them to know we are tired... frustrated... sad.. or disappointed.. but why?

this is a very real part of life...

Some days aren't so joyful... some days aren't so peaceful...
Some days are stressful... some things make me angry... and when those days end I always feel guilty, like I shouldn't have let them know I wasn't happy...

You know what?

My kids have been witness to great joy, they know disappointment, they have experienced great love, they understand frustration and they know peace... and I'm glad for that.

I refuse to feel shamed for being real...

So instead of denying an outward expression of an inward emotion I will let them see me cry when something makes me sad, I'll let them hear me "ugh" over dog pee on the floor, I'll let them see my clean it up, and I'll let them see my smile when I kiss them goodnight and yes I'll even let them see me give that stinkin' dog a belly rub...

rain

Rain, soul cleansing rain...
Yesterday the kids ran around the farm with their Mimi and GrandDaddy.
They made scarecrows...
They splashed in the puddles...

They let the rain fall on their sweet faces.
I love the rain...
it makes me feel alive.
To feel the rain drops on my skin...
It awakens my soul...
reminds me that there is so much more to this life.

And in this drenching rain
God reminds me to treasure those He gave me.
Hold tight to their little hands,
jump with them in the puddles...
and praise Him in this storm.

Girls Night Out

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness, Sophia and I took off and got pink hair extensions...


She loved it, felt very grown up... and it was a great opportunity to explain to her why she sees people wearing pink ribbons and pink decor around town. It was nice to enjoy her company...


Then my girl friends and I went out to Japanese Steak House for dinner and then shopping at the craft shop...


I got stuff for Sophia's Halloween costume, she wants to be a vampire... she she's going to be a princess vampire :)

working on the farm

Today started off as a relaxing day at home (except for the palmetto bug)...
ended up being a busy day working on the farm.

The kids love being at the farm...
my little free birds.
One of the horses left for training in Texas.
Sophia's sweet nature- she cried when he loaded up,

he'll be back in 6 weeks.
Troy was most concerned if 'Stormy' was riding in a Peterbilt or a Mack, turns out it's a Volvo, he wasn't impressed.

And dinner in the back of Poppa's truck...

And anywhere there is food on the farm, you'll find Poppa, who wanted a picture with Troy, too bad Troy was making a 'goofy face'...

It was a long day on the farm but any day spent surrounded by God's creation is a rewarding well spent day.

we do not like bugs

We do not like bugs...
No lizards, no frogs, no spiders, nada...
nothing that crawls, creeps and wiggles needs to be in this house...
except the children of course.
It was a nice morning at home...
no where to go...
a little bit of school work to be done by the monsters...
but other than that, nothing to do except a heaping pile of laundry...
and the monsters were playing nicely building gardens in the living room...
when the dog brings me a gift...
she runs in merrily and drops a palmetto bug by my foot...
had it not startled me I may not have screamed...
but I did.
The kids came running in...
Troy suggested I get a gun...
Sophia suggested calling Daddy so he could get his gun...
but I thought I would just use tissue and toss it in the toilet...
as I bent down to pick it up...
little eyes admiring my bravery...
the bug sprung to life and popped up like a corn kernel on a hot skillet...
AHHHH! We all went running...
I peaked by in the room...
there it lay lifeless...
I thought for a moment we all imagined it...
I mean, clearly it was dead...
I decided it may be better to not get so close...
Troy brought me his plastic garden shovel...
perfect, it's about 3 foot long so I wouldn't have to get close to the creature who very well might be playing possum
I took a deep breath,
Sophia said "be brave mommy, we are right here"...
as she hid behind a towel I had folded on the table...
Troy said, "you can do it mommy, you so strong"
"Of course I am, just stay close" I'm always more confident, or rather I can fake it better if I know they are watching me...
I scoop the bug onto the end of the shovel...
It begins to wiggle...
I was totally prepared to toss the shovel and the bug back into the room and slam the door and wait until Tony got home to deal with the creature...
I make it to the bathroom and drop it into the potty...
Troy and Sophia cheer!
Yah! Mommy!!
Troy pats me on the back and says, "you can do all things with God you makes you strong mommy"
Thank you Troy! :)
Troy proudly flushed the bug and we all went back to our morning...
did I mention that we don't like bugs?

confession time...

Yep, it's that time again...
This morning began like a whirlwind... we all have mornings like that.
I have learned since having children, when a mother says, "It's been a crazy morning"... it's really been nuts.
On Tuesdays we have homeschool co-op, I try to get up about 7am, get myself dressed, coffee, lunches packed, then get the kids up. I try to leave the house about 9am so we can stop by Office Max to make copies of history worksheets for the elementary students.
This morning, I woke up at 8:10... not on time.
Troy and Sophia dragged in, not in good moods, apparently I was "moving too fast" for them. I plopped them in from of the life-sucker (television) so I could get ready.
I gave them frozen waffles and got them dressed.
I had planned to make an important phone call before they woke up and that was not working out this morning. This was one of those must dos... and it was turning into a cannot do...
I needed a quiet place to make this phone call and it was not working out...
So where does a mom go when she needs peace and quiet?
I'd say the bathroom, but no, they follow me in there...
I hid...
hid in the kid's closet...
as I stood there among the clothes, hoping they wouldn't find me, I prayed,
"God please let this day get better, let me make it through this day, Amen"
I get off the phone and go to find the kids,
shoes,
lunches
and out the door...
Where was Sophia!? In the playroom closet...
doing what?
praying....
"God please help us have a good day"
I scoop her up, assure her this is going to be a good day and sometimes things don't happen like we plan them but it's no biggie.
She rushes off to get her shoes... never having been so helpful.
Where was Troy?
in the backyard, on the trampoline... soaking wet from the sprinklers that had drenched the trampoline.
Really God!?
I drag him in, fussing at him to go take off those wet clothes.
I go get him dry clothes, dress him again....
I forgot about the dog.
I get the dog, take her to potty, feed her...
Now, get the kids, shoes, lunches and out the door (let's try this again)
Did I mention it was 9:08...
Troy Anthony... just guess, he was...
on the trampoline...
again...
I yell out the door, "you better get in here and pray your clothes aren't wet!"
I feel my heart in my ears...
TROY ANTHONY!! Soaked again and now I'm late.. or going to be...
I find him new clothes and warn him if he goes outside and gets his clothes wet one more time we will stay home and he won't jump on the trampoline for a week... I may have threatened to send him to live with his Great Grandma too... but either way... I was serious.
So, we get to Office Max... guess what... the copier is down...
and do you think anyone is there to help me?
Nope, all the employees were outside on their smoke break... really standing around outside smoking...
so it was me, Sophia and Troy vs. the copy machine.
We got out of there at 9:36... not making good time... did I mention I hate being late.
We got there just in time.
The chaos from the morning was fading and we were right where we needed to be.
Sophia was sitting with her friends, showing off her new red purse that her "Aunt Nonnie" (Tony's mom) gave her.
Troy sat on my lap.
The director asked if anyone had a prayer request?
Troy raised his hand... "pray for my mommmy, that her won't be angry with me"
My heart melted, I sank in my seat, kissed my boy his curly head...
momma isn't mad at you baby
How can you be mad at that?
Did I want to get out the door on time?
Did I want him to listen?
Did I wish I had woke up earlier?
Yes, but did any of that really matter?
Nope... not one bit.
We were together, fed, clean, happy, healthy and sitting in our church getting ready to fellowship with some great families...
So, no, that morning all of the madness really didn't matter one bit.
I didn't need to pray that God would help us have a good day...
I needed to pray that God would help me see the good in this day and recognize that everyday is a gift.
So- I did just that...
and you know what, it really was a great day.
Did I mention today is my daddy's birthday :) Tomorrow I'm taking him out to lunch to celebrate.