• Fresh organic produce
• Backyard convenience
• Learning about plant growth from seed to harvest
• The accomplishment of growing your own food
• Family involvement/excitement

So far our peas are looking great and we’ve also added lettuce starters.  Since this picture the green beans are popping up nicely, along with sunflowers, and the cucumbers just started peeking through the ground.  A red, yellow, and jalapeño pepper plant were added to three of the squares.  I’ve also added a couple of pots of fresh herbs – lavender,  lemon thyme, rosemary, and orange mint.  {Need to add some basil.}

The most popular item in our garden however, is the strawberry plants! Our garden has expanded to add an 8×8 raised bed of these beauties this year:

We’d hoped to fill the 8×8 with about 40 plants, but after seeing the $3 per plant price tag, we settled for just 10 for this year. Hopefully, they will spread and we’ll have a more abundant harvest in the years to come, since strawberries come back each year. 

For now we’re fighting over each one of these juicy sweet prizes.  =)

How about YOU are you gardening this year?  What’s in growing in your garden?

Here are a few more gardening posts that you might want to check out:

• Square Foot Gardening – Planting Seeds Video Tutorial
• Square Foot Gardening Layout Example
• Planning Produce for a Square Foot Garden

We discovered that part of the 500 Festival in Indianapolis during the month of May includes a non-competitive Rookie Run for kids ages 3-12. It took no convincing to sign these band of brothers up for their first race!

Of course, their superhero capes gave them an unfair advantage in speed and strength. {It’s all superhero all the time at our house!}

Carbin’ Up before the race…

We had time after picking up our registration packets to enjoy the Kid’s Festival and check out lots of the activities and displays. We also had the privilege of running into former congressman Mike Pence, who is running for governor of our state.  {He asked us for a picture to post on his Facebook page. }

At 1:40 the 5 year olds race began, thankfully our boys were in the second heat, because they were ready to run!

On your marks… Get set…..

RUNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!

What a great way to spend Mother’s Day weekend  with my boys.  At one point after the race, I looked at Brad and said, “Brad, we have quadruplets, and they all are able to run in a race!” {It’s nothing short of miraculous.}

They’ve accomplished so much in their 5 years of life, and I’m so thankful to be their Mama.

And the race continues…

Our journey to motherhood was a bumpy one, and my heart aches for those who would rather hide under the covers than face another year without a baby to hold in your arms. Others of you are without your mother on this holiday, and I cannot imagine how hard that must be to muster your way through such grief.  Some of you have experienced the loss of a child. You are not forgotten – and my prayers and many others are with all of you today.

Here are a few of my favorite reads on Motherhood…

• I Don’t Do It All {The Tiny Twig}
• What Every Mother Has to Know {A Holy Experience}
• How to Miss a Childhood {Hands Free Mama}
• Anger and Patience: Cultivating a Heart for Motherhood {Grace Full Mama}
• What Moms Want {The Gypsy Mama}

Here are a few of my favorite writes on Motherhood…

• On Being Brave and Having Superpowers
• This Motherhood Gig
• Fighting the Mom-Guilt Battle
• 5 Things I’ve Learned as a Boy Mom

What’s the BEST thing you’ve read on Motherhood lately?

I asked for you to share your favorite read aloud books for boys and you delivered!  Do you know how excited I am to dig into these pages with my four little dudes? I knew I asked the right source!  Thank you, Friends!  I decided to compile a list with all 65 of our favorites!

1. Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

2. The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major

3. The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

4. Encyclopedia Brown Series by Donald J. Sobol

5. Sugar Creek Gang Series by Paul Hutchens

6. Jigsaw Jones Mystery Series by James Preller

7. Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson

8. Nate the Greatby Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

9. A to Z Mysteries Series by Ron Roy

10. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

11. Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary

12. Magic Tree House Series by Mary Pope Osborne

13. Stuart Little by E. B. White

14. Mr. Putter & Tabby Series by  Cynthia Rylant

15. The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

16. The Chronicles of Narnia Series by C. S. Lewis

17. The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White

18. The Adventures of Tintin by Alexander Irvine

19. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

20. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

21. Little Menby Louisa May Alcott

22. The Hardy Boys Series by Franklin W. Dixon

23. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

24. Charlotte’s Web  by E. B. White

25. The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop

26. Mercy Watson Series by Kate DiCamillo

27. The Underland Chronicles Series by Suzanne Collins

28. The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

29. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

30. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

31. The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

32. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

33. Ribsy by Beverly Clearly

34. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

35. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

36. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

37. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

38. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

39. Holes by Louis Sachar

40. King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone

41. Emils Pranks Emil Lonnebergaby Astrid Lindgren (recommended from Sweden)

42. The Bunnicula Series by Deborah Howe

43. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

44. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

45. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien

46. The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

47. A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

48. Superfudge by Judy Blume

49. Tumtum & Nutmeg: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall by Emily Bearn

50. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

51. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

52. The Swiss Family Robinson (Classic Starts Series) Johann David Wyss

53. Frindle by Andrew Clements

54. A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L’Engle

55. The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame

56. Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater

57. Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

58. Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

59. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner

60. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

61. The Prince’s Poison Cup by R.C. Sproll

62. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

63. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

64. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery

65. The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale

Did I miss any of YOUR favorite boy books?  Let’s keep the list growing!!!!

{Links to Amazon Affiliates used in this post. }

It was such a sweet moment finding him among the thousands of runners and seeing the boys faces and his face light up.  It was a great emotional and mental encouragement to him at the 6 mile mark.

We’re so proud of you, Babes. Running for two hours is no small feat. This is only one of many things that you continue to push through and accomplish.

We continue to root you on in all you do!

LOVE Your Five Biggest Fans

 

There’s not much in this world that melts my heart more than my kids singing their hearts out in worship. Oh how I hope the words on their lips becomes the desire of their hearts!

I was introduced to Yancy and Friends through my dear friend Amanda – who looks like her so much it’s almost scary. (She blogs at Impress Your Kids and pretty much blows me away with her passion and creativity.)  Anywho, she put together this tour of Yancy’s new album Little Praise Party: Happy Everyday, so that you could hear her heart behind the music and preview the album.  How fun is that? 

Here’s Yancy personalized performance of “I Like to Jump” just for our boys and YOU!  {Enjoy your very own private concert! I’m sure your kids will love it too!} 

There are 12 fun filled days of the Yancy Blog Tour, so you can check out every song on the album.

• Monday April 30 Impress Your Kids
• Tuesday May 1 Mama Hall
• Wednesday May 2 God Centered Mom
• Thursday May 3 Homeschool Creations
• Friday May 4 ModSquad
• Saturday May 5 When You Rise
• Sunday May 6 4tunate
• Monday May 7 Inspired To Action
• Tuesday May 8 Home With the Boys
• Wednesday May 9 1+1+1=1
• Thursday May 10 Muthering Heights
• Friday May 11 MOB Society
• Saturday May 12 I Can Teach My Child

***Yancy is also generously giving one of our readers a CD and DVD – so just leave a comment on this post about which song on the Yancy Blog Tour is your personal favorite. Hurry! I’ll be picking a winner Monday night, so you have 24 hours to enter!!!!***

I love when a throw together meal turns into a “keeper”.  And there’s something about rotini pasta that makes it more kid-friendly! Here’s the conversation that happened after this meal was devoured: 

Brad: You should totally make this meal again.

Me: Really? It’s a keeper?

Brad: Yes. Write it on your meal plan for next week.

Me: I didn’t even write the recipe down.

Brad: Write it down. Go! Now! Blog it.

And so here we are…

I usually buy frozen wild Alaska salmon by the bag. Combine it with some pasta and several ingredients you may already have on hand, and you have a meal in under 30 minutes!

What’s your favorite way to eat salmon?

I’ll never forget laying on the examining table as an ultrasound revealed that I was carrying four BOYS.  It seemed foreign, surreal, and overwhelming to process. I never imagined what a houseful of boys looked like. Hadn’t the rarity and shock of being pregnant with four at the same time been enough to wrap my head around?

Fast forward five years, as cliché and cheesy as it may sound, I wouldn’t have it any other way. These boys are living a life of brotherhood that makes grown men envious. They wake up to a day of uncharted adventures and go to sleep surrounded with their best buddies. I’m blessed everyday to be surrounded by their giggles, scheming, imaginations, and the unique ways they love me in return.

It may not always be pretty or clean or calm or what I expected, but it’s a life full of beauty. Everyday, I’m learning more about how they are wired, how they learn, and hopefully how they can thrive best.

Here are a few things being a boy mom has taught me thus far:

1. Boys need adventure. They need to be able to act out rescue missions, explore nature’s playground, get grass stained knees, and take some {supervised} risks. They learn so much through experience rather than just instruction.

2. Boys ruin stuff. Most of the time it’s completely unintentional.  They aren’t doing it to be destructive and unappreciative.  They are just the innately rougher gender. Although I want them to understand that things have value, I want them to grasp that their hearts are more important than just “stuff”.  Their attitudes and character should demand more of my attention than an unintentional spill on the the carpet or crayon on the wall.

3. Boys eat up your encouragement as much as the food in your pantry. There’s not much that lights them up more than a verbal assurance that they are brave, smart, handsome, kind, or responsible.

4. Boys’ fun is loud. This wasn’t an easy adjustment for me. I grew up with a 9 year gap between myself and my closest in age brother.  Therefore, a lot of my childhood functioned almost like an only child. I was accustomed to parents who didn’t raise their voice and I played contently in quiet.  Sometimes I have to take breaks from the constant rumble, but there’s beauty in the noise if you listen.

5. Boys need boundaries. Their hearts need instruction, direction, and an understanding of what is expected. Our house could be pure chaos and disorder if we allowed them to rule the roost.  And while that may sound “easier” or more fun, it’s not where they thrive best. Boundaries as stale as it sounds,  give way to less stress, less disappointment, and  less commotion. Things go so much smoother when we communicate what our boys should anticipate, and what we expect from them in certain situations. It also gives them freedom to be wild and rowdy when appropriate. It simplifies things – and that’s where we flourish.

How about YOU – what has parenting boys/girls taught you?

No she’s not ours. Although the boys would LOVE her to be…

We are just borrowing her from a week.  You might call it “dog sitting” , but there’s been less “sitting” and more ball throwing, chasing, walking, petting, tug of warring and dressing up that I’m sure Macy is accustomed to.

She’s taken it all in stride.  Labradoodles are incredible with kids, and she’s no exception. 

Today her owners (Brad’s sister and bro-in-law) return from paradise, and I’m afraid of how much they are going to miss having a pet in the house.

But for now I think “unsitting” is the way to go!

How about YOU – Do you have a family pet? How does it work for YOUR family?

I firmly believe that our children are better at hearing our hearts in our words than we are. They pick up on even the slightest negative tone in my voice; they hear every word I say under my breath.  They notice when I am annoyed at them, no matter how much I try to hide it.  I believe they also know when I am disciplining them because I am mad at them instead of correcting them because I love them and desperately want to mold them into the man God wants them to be.  GUILTY…

{Read more of Brad’s post over at Motherhood Your Way…}