HODGE-PODGE LODGE

Into the Fiery Furnace (Attack of the Stink Bugs, Part II)

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:01:00 +0000

I didn't really think that I was one to have a vengeful nature. Honestly, I really try to get along with people. I guess the key word there was "people". Bugs are another thing. They are not people. And I think I may have some revenge issues with the bugs going on here.

This post could also be called the "Battle of the Bugs". You see, since Friday, we have had a 20 degree drop in temperatures outside. This past week we had temperatures in the high 80's several days. Then Saturday was quite a bit chillier, more like typical fall around here.

Today we got up for church and it was pretty chilly in the house. We try not to turn the furnace on this early in the season, so we generally deal by putting a sweater on or building a fire in the fireplace to take the chill off.

When Carl saw me with my sweater on after church, he declared me "bundled up" and said,"Why don't you build a fire?"

"Why don't you build a fire?". I mean, him being the pyromaniac and all.

So he built a nice toasty little fire, and heated the house up beyond toasty. Now we were sweating. Meanwhile, here come the stinky little critters again, the stink bugs. Not one or two. They just kept coming. And coming.

Carl left to take Brianna to orchestra. He came back for a few minutes. Then he left again. Hmm. Nice time for me to settle down and do some reading and maybe some blogging.

No sooner do I sit down than I see two stink bugs. Now I am bothered, but not too much. Not in the mood for messing around, I get a napkin, squish the bug, and throw it in the fireplace. No sooner do I sit down again, than here come 3 more. Sheesh. Five. That's a lot.

Okay, get another napkin. Squish bugs. Throw in fireplace. Done.

Sit down again.

So I don't bore you (more than you already might be), just repeat this sequence...say about 20 times. I am not.kidding.you.

Now I'm getting "orked", as Carl likes to say. As I put them in the fireplace, I think I'm so clever, sending them off to "bug hell"!

But they apparently thought it was the fiery furnace, and Jesus must've been in there with them. Because for every one I put in the furnace, 3 or 4 came out of the fireplace.

By now, at least half an hour had gone by, and my anticipated peaceful afternoon had been shot to you-know-where (excuse me while I go kill a bug). Anyways, as I was saying, how can one get any creative juices flowing while these stinky bugs buzz around and crawl above my head?

Oh, by the way, the other day when the house was entirely quiet and I sat down to do my bills at the kitchen table, I heard a rustling sound coming from the fireplace. I thought there was a bird stuck in there, or maybe a mouse or a chipmunk had gotten in there. I don't like to ask for trouble, so I took the if I ignore it, it will go away approach. I have this funny feeling it was not any of those, but rather our friendly stink bugs dropping in for a visit.

I think we're in an all out war now. I killed 2 while writing that last sentence. Am I being punished in some weird way for sending these bugs to their doom? What would you do? Do you have this problem too? Maybe I'll go visit Arizona until the weather gets cold. I hear they don't have any bug problems there!

*Note: I think I have killed at least 50 bugs while writing this post, no lie! And I'm looking at 3 more while I sit here. Gotta run!

Fall into Reading 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:32:00 +0000

My children inform me that today is the official first day of autumn, and I have been looking forward to fall for more reasons than one. One big reason is that I have been wanting to participate in Katrina's Fall Into Reading Challenge. This is my first time to join in and I am really excited.

I've made my list "doable" for me, ie, small. Only 8 books. If I get through these books, then I plan to come back and add more to my list. But this will be good for starters.

So here's the list:

Fiction

Even Now - by Karen Kingsbury I'm a big fan of Karen's books. And I've just discovered a whole shelf of them at our church library. Yeah! This one was just chosen at random.

Return to Me - by Robin Lee Hatcher Borrowed from my sis, who is also joining in the reading challenge.

The Call of the Wild - by Jack London I have to be honest, I don't remember ever having read this book. I guess it never really "jumped out" at me. But since my 8th grade daughter will be reading it for school, I am going to read it, too.

Handle with Care - by Jodi Picoult I started this on vacation, but never got a chance to finish it. When I read her books, I can't put them down. I may have a few late nights with this one!

Non-Fiction

Girl's Passage - Father's Duty - by Brian and Kathleen Molitor Carl won this at a Father/Daughter dance when he took Brianna a few years ago. It's been sitting on the shelf ever since. It looks good. So I know I'm not a father, but maybe I can still learn a few things.

Writing Personal Essays: How to Shape Your Life Experiences for the Page - by Sheila Bender Another one from off the bookshelf. A little motivation for my creative side.

An Army of One - by Zev Chafets A biography about Rush Limbaugh, but also an insight into the conservative movement. Very intriguing book that I started this summer, but never finished.

Don't Waste Your Life - by John Piper Given to me. John Piper is deep, but has some tremendous thoughts to share in this book.

Okay, that's my list for now. I'm so excited to be a part of this reading community. I have already checked out a few of the links to other's reading lists. This is going to be fun.

Now to go figure out the "Mr. Linky" thing. Wish me luck!

The Attack of the Stink Bugs!

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 19:07:00 +0000

It seems like every few years we have a plague of sorts of one bug or another. I remember the 17-year locusts, or cicadas, which supposedly come in hordes every 17 years. They bore holes in the tree branches to lay their eggs, causing many trees to die. People were scraping them from trees and burning them, there were so many of them. You couldn't walk outside without them jumping up in your face or your hair. I felt like Laura and Mary Ingalls with the grasshoppers that descended on the midwest and ate all of their crops. After awhile they couldn't even go to school. Who wanted to walk to school with "crunch, crunch" under their bare feet?

One year we had bees that built a nest up in the attic. They eventually chewed their way through the drywall and came down into our laundryroom and into the kitchen. After being out one night, we came home to a houseful of bees, everywhere! Scary.

A couple of times we had the ladybugs everywhere. Usually I think ladybugs are kinda cool. But hundreds of them? Coming in at every little crack or crevice of my house. After awhile all I could say was "ick"..."be gone". I didn't like ladybugs much after that. They had ceased to be cute when I found them all over the windows, the floors, up underneath the curtains in every bedroom, inside and outside the screens. You get the picture.

Now we have the attack of the stinkbugs. I was going to attempt to take a picture of them, but at this point I am still a little too grossed out to take a picture. It's bad enough that every morning they are showing up at my front door...inside the house. It's bad enough that I'm killing a few in my kitchen each day. In the afternoon when I go to lay Kaylee down for her nap, there have been one or two in the bedroom or the kids bathroom.

Today, seven in the kid's bathroom. Five in the master bath. Three in the kitchen area. And many more outside on the screens. It would be a great day for opening the windows and letting the breeze blow through the house. But no, not today.

Not until we are done with the attack of the stink bugs. I am not usually one to gross out over bugs. A bug is little, ie, smaller than me, so I should by all rights be able to kill it and move on with life. But I have spent the whole afternoon trying to swat these little critters and dispose of them. Sorry, but I don't want to go to bed tonight with thought of them crawling around in my room somewhere.

If there was an Alfred Hitchcock movie called "The Bugs", these things would be the stars. They buzz like a wasp, they are definitely ugly, and they don't die very easily. Each one takes at least 3 swats with a fly-swatter before they give up the ghost. Then I flush them just for good measure.

Is anyone else experiencing the plague of the stink bugs? I hope it's over soon.

Pausing to Remember

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:07:00 +0000

Saturday was a busy day for me. A little girl we know was having her 3rd birthday party. Also a good reason to gather the family for a last picnic before the weather turns too cool. So the day was spent running around doing last minute errands, doing some more cleaning (of cobwebs that tend to accumulate over the summer), folding another pile of laundry, wrapping some gifts and cooking food.

Kaylee was overjoyed that all her "fwiends" were coming over (grandparents, aunts & uncle, and a neighbor). She was a delight to watch as she once again charmed us all with her sweetness. How precious the memories of how God sent her to our family. She is a special girl and much loved. We thank the Lord for her. So aptly named....Kaylee "Joy"!

In the busyness of the day, I had no time to revisit the events of 9/11 in my mind. No time to pause and remember where I was on that day, or how I felt as I watched those events at the WTC, the Pentagon and Shanksville, PA unfold. So today, I took some time to replay those events in my mind. I remember holding my babies close and crying out for God to be merciful to our nation.

In the nine years since the attacks, I think I have once again grown complacent. Sure, I'm busy like everyone else. And of course, I always wonder "what exactly can I do?" The answer always comes back to me loud and clear, "pray". II Chronicles 7:14 "If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." May God have His way in the hearts of men and may He be eternally glorified.

Today is also a day to remember my dear uncle Tom. Today would've been his 68th birthday. But on June 13th he passed away. It is difficult to grasp the fact that he is gone. He lived a full life as a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend to many, a Benedictine monk, and a nurse. He was probably the biggest influence on me when it came to the intrigue and adventure that learning could be. He was always giving my sister and I interesting books , CD's, and mind bending puzzles. He loved to travel and be free to be his own person. I loved that about him. He also was a very deep and disciplined person as well. I still am struggling with the pain of regret in not visiting with him more often in recent years, and especially not going to see him in the last weeks before he passed away. I had no idea he was near the end. I miss him terribly, but rejoice that God gave me such a person in my life to encourage my love of all things silly, love of learning, and also encourage me in understanding and parenting my children. I will cherish the memories. Uncle Tom, you are in my heart forever.

Today is also my father-in-law's birthday. His is an undisclosed age, but he has amazing amounts of energy for his age. He is a devoted father and grandfather, and well-versed in many subjects, making him a very interesting person to converse with. Thank you, Dad, for all you do for our family, and for loving on our kids so much. You are special to us all. Happy birthday!

Thanks for obliging me as I take the time to remember some special people in my life, both past and present.
*Note: Written on Monday, September 13.

Summer Summary - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 22:23:00 +0000

Around here the end of August usually finishes off with some drastic changes in the weather. Although we have had that, just as quickly it has gone back to being hot again, followed by some milder temps, but still summer-like. This is not a meteorologist report, just to let you know that it has been an unusual, but good transition away from summer vacation and into school. And yet it doesn't feel like summer vacation should be over at all.
I miss them already, but I do look forward to this "fall" season. It is fun to do some more looking back over the summer. We made some good memories. We had lots of late nights, tons of swimming (even though we battled the algae bug for a month!), time with friends and family, a vacation, summer camp for the first time, trips to the library, and best of all, time to play, be carefree, and enjoy being with one another. I will once again let the pictures tell the story.

Chilling out with my honeys.

Had a blast at Di & Mike's!

What a "great" Aunt we have. We are so blessed!

The birthday girl! Mom, you are so beautiful, inside and out!

The boys went to Bible camp for the first time ever. They're already begging to go again next year.

It was a hot, humid week. But a week of sun, swimming, fun, friends and God's blessings.

The first day of vacation I managed to back into a tree. (There were plenty of them.) The rest of the week Kaylee reminded me "don't hit a tree Mommy"!

Nevertheless, we still had an awesome time of hiking, relaxing, enjoying God's creation and each other.

Aunt Di and munchkins at the cabin.

What would summer be without a car show? Jeremy took a hundred pictures,

ate his heart out at all the hot rods,

and drooled over all the Mustangs.

To my sister: I am thankful to you for being so involved in the lives of my kids and going along with us on vacation and some other outings. You are the best encourager, friend and sister a girl could ever have.

To my kids: I enjoyed my summer immensely with you. Daddy and I are so thankful for you and the joy you bring to our lives. Despite the fact that Daddy was very busy this summer, he encouraged and allowed us to do many things. For a person who craves routine, summer is usually a great challenge for me. I am thankful that the Lord gave me ideas and the resources to carry them out. I have enjoyed watching you grow and mature this summer. You are the best kids a Mom could have.

Summer Summary - Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:25:00 +0000

As summer winds down, I thought I would get back on the blog-wagon with a snapshot of our summer - in pictures. Saves me from having to think too much, except that I have to remember how to upload the pictures!

I am not always johnny-on-the-spot with the camera, so this only consists of activities for which I remembered to grab the camera. Actually, with all that goes on, sometimes I just would prefer to be "in the moment" instead of running for the camera.

We started off the summer with a birthday. Travis turned 9!

My little tradition - to take a group photo on birthdays. It's fun comparing from year to year!

Little pals chilling out during monsoon season in early June!

Brianna & Jeremy picked fresh strawberries for me at one of the local farms.! (Eating while picking was fun, too! Oops!)

Turning strawberries into jam late at night with my neighbor and friend!

The kids posted their own lists of rules. I think they stuck to them pretty well.

We asked the Lord to help us be more intentional about this.

Swimming with Dad....tons of fun!

Dressed up and ready to go to church on the 4th of July. (They LIKE matching! I don't make them do this.)

We enjoyed a pleasant 4th with my parents....

...and Carl's parents.

The closing program for our church camp, "Summer Surge". I love seeing their enthusiasm for the Lord.

I promised my big kids that I would take them to a major league baseball game. We were lucky to get some tickets given to us. Great seats, too!

I pulled Travis down the steps in a hurry to get his picture taken when I saw the Pirate parrot coming towards us.

Well, I've realized that this is turning into a very long post. And since I'm having issues aligning my text, for now I'm going to sign off, til I get the rest of my pictures uploaded. Stay tuned for Part II.

Sentimental Journey

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Fri, 28 May 2010 22:02:00 +0000

I am by nature a sentimental person, but two times of year I get more teary and sentimental than usual. The beginning of a new school year, and the end of the school year. They are mile markers in my children's lives, marking out how much they've grown and changed.

The little kindergartener who started out this year so anxious to read is now an emerging reader who also likes to write quite a bit as well. It has been such a joyous journey to watch his teacher (a first year teacher) work with him on both academic and social issues. She has brought out the best in him, challenged him, and nurtured his growth in so many areas. Corey told me that June 9th would definitely be his "worst day ever" because he is going to be done with kindergarten and he will miss Miss Smith. (I think he has a little crush!) I will miss her, too. She has been a great influence on my little son.

My second grader is going to be turning 9 in just a few days. He started out the year being homeschooled, but around December we decided it was in his best interest to have him return to public school. God blessed him with a very kind experienced teacher who was just perfect for Travis. It has been a challenging year for Travis in some ways, but when I see the growth and the maturity, I know it has been worth it to go through the tough times.

My only school kid to stay homeschooled this year was Jeremy, age 11. I know that homeschool was nothing fancy this year. But we are mighty happy with ourselves for finishing up a whole year here at home. He will be going to middle school next year, and I will really miss him. I know that God is going ahead of him to prepare the way. When you put your child in God's hands, you can be assured that he is in the best possible place. Jeremy was (and still is) such a blessing to me this year in so many ways, always willing to help with whatever I asked him to do. He did his assignments without complaint and he did them well. I have enjoyed this year with him.

My big girl, Brianna, also started out this school year at home. At about the midway point, she went back to public school also. Not that we really meant to do this in the middle of the year. But this is the way that things worked out. I can look back with regrets, or I can look back and be thankful for all that we learned. I choose to be thankful. Brianna made the transition back to middle school without any difficulties whatsoever. I give her so much credit for all the hard work she puts in. She is a high achiever. God made her this way. She strives for straight A's and always tries to do her best. I have really come to admire and appreciate her drive!

Then there is our little Kaylee. It is hard to believe that she started out this (school) year as a just turned 2 year old! Looking back at pictures, she seems so small. She is talking so much more now, nearly potty trained, and her mantra is "I do it myself!" The kids say she goes to "baby" school. I guess she really does. She has learned to sing the ABC song, has memorized books to "read" to us, helps us tell time (it's perpetually 8:40 to her), and makes us laugh at her funny antics. What a joy she is to our family.

Today as I watched the 2 younger boys at their school's Memorial Day program, I couldn't help but tear up. They are growing up so nicely, making their mama so proud. Life just keeps rolling along. I try not to think too hard about the fact that it is all going so fast. Only 7 more days until school is out for the summer. I look forward to spending more time with these awesome kids!

Routines

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:59:00 +0000

It’s pouring down rain this morning. Got the 2 little boys off to school in a timely manner without too much chaos. I had a late night, hence a late start this morning. I’m working on doing better on that end. But the days are just long sometimes, I can’t change that.

I am trying to make the morning routine better for all of us. Checklists work, for awhile. But then everyone becomes bored of them. I guess I have to try to change up the routine once in awhile. It takes so long to get them into a routine, I hate to lose that.

It takes me so long to get into a routine. There’s this whole process I have to go through, it seems.
1. First I have to realize that there’s a problem caused by a lack of structure or routine. That could take me anywhere from days to weeks to months. Hopefully only days or weeks.
2. Then I have to “chill”. You know, just decompress a bit, shake off the old routine, or shake myself out of the no routine, as it were!
3. Then I have to go through a stage of doing nothing to the point where it aggravates me that I am doing nothing about the lack of structure.
4. After that I spend a period of time analyzing the situation and the basic rhythms that I see.
5. Then of course, I make a list or a chart of some sort. This could take days as I play around with perfecting the chart on the computer.
6. Implement the routine and any incentives.
7. Perfect the routine until all is peaceful and Momma is happy again. For awhile. Until those involved become bored, or the school year ends, or the summer ends, or the kids grow up, or whatever.

Then get into bad routine again, which is no routine. Become aggravated again. Repeat process when necessary. See I have a routine for getting into a routine. Now isn’t that clever?

True Love

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 02:37:00 +0000

"Mama, I love you."
"I love you, too Corey."
"And there’s never going to be a time in which I never love you."
Hmmm. Can I take that to the bank?

The Biggest Loser

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

I have a friend in bloggy world whose blog is titled similarly to mine “The Hodge Podge Lodge”. Beth is a great writer and a great mom…..of 8 kiddos. I was reading there that she worked out to drop 15 pounds after the birth of baby #8.

Well, I was inspired by reading that. Now I want to be the Biggest Loser. I hate to admit this, but maybe making it public will inspire some accountability in me. I have 15 pounds to lose also. Fortunately for me, I lost the baby weight after baby #5 in much the same fashion as I usually do, most of it within 8-12 weeks after having the baby.

Unfortunately however, after losing the baby weight, I started a slow, gradual increase of weight again. So slight it wasn’t noticeable at first. At first I chalked it up to breastfeeding. Okay, I’m nursing the baby, so I need to eat more. Okay, I’m retaining a little extra “fat” so my body can produce milk for the baby. Ha! I know all the reasons, excuses, facts, you name it.

Now almost a year after I stopped breastfeeding, I am pushing a 15 pound weight gain.

So now you know my story. And ugh! I feel….uh, not myself. So if any of you out there in bloggy world want to hold me accountable, or better yet, take the challenge to lose a few pounds with me, I would love to hear how you’re doing it. I am open to reading any and all suggestions.

Thus far I have walked 3 days in a row. I have tried to drink more water. And I need to watch my calorie intake. I’m not a big “diet” person. I think a few tweaks to my eating habits will be the best thing for me. Lifestyle changes.

I’ll be honest: I have a sweet tooth. So that is my weakness. Easter takes its toll on me, what with the jelly beans and all. But I’ll get through it. Right now my biggest goal is to walk everyday. Okay, I know I might have to miss a day here and there, but since it is easy to find excuses not to exercise, I’m not wanting to let myself off the hook that easily.

Any words of encouragement? Any ideas? Anyone interested in joining me?

Productive Weekend, Lazy Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:28:00 +0000

After being outside a bit on Saturday and Sunday, I began to sneeze ferociously yesterday. My family knows, look out, Mom’s going to sneeze. Not just one sneeze, but a series of loud sneezes, usually in three’s or four’s. My nose is itchy, my eyes are watery, I sniff constantly, and I am on the verge of sneezing at any moment. I am not allergic to spring. I think I’m allergic to the molds. I’ve never taken the time to find out. Well, today after feeling groggy and stuffed up, I decided to take some Claritin. Kid’s Claritin….it’s fruit flavored. Jeremy(11) informs me that it will take awhile to kick in. Rats, I was wishing for instant relief!

Meanwhile, I set Jeremy (and Kaylee(2)…yikes!) to painting. It’s nice to see what creations a kid can come up with when given plenty of time to experiment. Jeremy is quite a free-spirited artist.

This weekend felt productive. Notice, I am not saying it was. Just that it felt like it. Maybe I’m learning not to have such big expectations for the weekends. It’s only taken me 12 years to learn this.

Saturday consisted of me gathering laundry, taking Brianna(12) to dance, take Carl’s truck to Sears to get worked on, back home to direct traffic while the kids and I did some chores, back to pick up Brianna, take the boys to get haircuts, help Carl with the pool cover that fell in over the winter (ho hum!), then take a walk with Brianna to the track (whoa..I’m outta shape!), back home to change out of sweaty shirt, go to grocery store, come home and make birthday dinner, while starting the kids on Saturday night showers. Bake and frost promised homemade chocolate cake for hubby’s birthday. Then at last to sit down and enjoy the dinner, which was devoured in 1/8 the time it took to make it.

That was supposed to be my last sweet, but I blew it last night by having another piece of cake. It was too good. Carl said it was the best cake he ever had. Wow.

Anyways, you can see that my Saturday wasn’t all that productive for me. But we got some chores done so that the house looks respectable. I got to take a walk. I got mostly caught up on the laundry. Even to the extent of putting it away. I was able to bless my hubby with his birthday dinner. My kids went to bed happy and clean. And my kitchen was clean when I went to bed. Ahh. I feel peaceful.

It doesn’t take much to make me happy.

Bo the White House Dog.....and Humans

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:33:00 +0000

I saw somewhere a link to a cute little blog written by "Bo, the White House dog". So I checked it out. http://www.goodboybo.com/2010/03/little-golden-human-statues.html.

I think the Obama's dog is really a cutie as far as dogs go. This particular blogsite also had rotating pictures of the Obama family, their girls, and President Obama with the dog. As I sat there and looked at the pictures, it made me think how although I do not agree with everything he has done as President, Barack Obama is a just a man. He's a guy with a very classy lady for a wife and 2 beautiful daughters: a loving family.

The pictures were actually very touching to me. To see them interacting with each other and the dog in these photos just reminded me that he's human, too. A person who loves his family, a doting dad who kisses his girls goodbye everyday to go to meetings and travel around our country and many foreign countries.

His ideas and my ideas may be worlds apart. His values and my values may differ. His beliefs and my beliefs may not coincide. It seems easy to find points of disagreement and so forget that he may be just like me in more ways than one.

Perhaps I should pray for him more and criticize a little less. He is after all....human.

A Recipe for a Cold Winter Day

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:24:00 +0000

(originally written on 2/11/10)
With all the cold and the snow, we've had plenty of time to cook (and eat) lots of yummy comfort foods. We've had beef vegetable barley soup, homemade bread, chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, and chicken stew. Not just any chicken stew. I've been on a quest for sometime trying to replicate the recipe that my Gram always made for us. This is one of my very favorite meals that she made. I remember her saying that making it was an all-day affair. Well, I don't make anything that takes all day. I have been dubbed "the Queen of Quick" in the kitchen. So here goes, my easy version of the secret family recipe.

Chicken Stew with Austrian Dumplings

chicken parts (I use thighs) - about 10-12                carrots
1 - 26 oz. can cream of chicken soup                     celery
chicken broth from cooking the chicken                   onion
flour                                                                      potatoes
salt
pepper

Boil chicken parts in water until chicken is well cooked. Set aside chicken to cool. Save broth. In another large pot, mix can of cream of chicken soup with approx 3 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add in chopped celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer until tender.

Pull cooled chicken off the bone, cut into small pieces. Set aside.

Add approx 1/4 cup flour to about 1 cup of chicken broth. Mix well. Add to stew mixture, bring to boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Fold in chicken and dumplings.

Austrian Dumplings

1/2 c Butter
1 Egg; separated
1 Egg yolk
3/4 c Flour
1/4 ts Salt
1 ds Pepper
1 ds Nutmeg

Cream butter until soft and beat in egg yolks; gradually stir in flour, seasoning and stiffly beaten egg whites. Shape in small balls 1 inch in diameter, drop into boiling salted water and simmer, covered, about 5 minutes; do not let dumplings boil. Gently scoop out of water w/ slotted spoon. Makes 1 1/2 doz.

Enjoy! This recipe will feed our family of 7 with very little in the way of leftovers!

The Feel of Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:15:00 +0000

(originally written on 10/30/09)
Fall has a special feel all its own. A special smell, a special taste, a special emotion. Fall is a time of new beginnings. When I was a kid, fall meant a new school year, new clothes to go to school in, probably a new lunch box, new teacher, and maybe even new friends. Always the nostalgic one, for me summer's end always brought a tinge of sadness with it. As I listened to the droning of the locusts, it felt like such a sad song. A time to put away what was a whole year of being a certain person, now moving on with new expectations. Moving ahead meant change, which I often resisted like the plague.

Fall has the smell of leaves. The fallen, dry, colorful antithesis to the full-of-life greens we see in the summer. Leaves to rake, jump in, roll in, and throw around. Carl rakes them onto a tarp, ties it to the tractor, then pulls the kids around the yard in the pile of leaves, laughing like crazy as they try to stand and fall into the pile while the tractor is moving. I have resigned myself to watching this every fall as I chew my fingernails hoping no one gets hurt. It wouldn't be the same with green leaves. Somehow fall is the perfect time for this.

A chill forms in the air that is hard to shake, so out comes the sweatshirts and flannels that we packed away last spring. I must admit that putting them on gives a warm cozy feeling that's hard to resist! We throw a few logs in our woodburning stove and breathe deeply that wonderful woodburning smell. The kids always say, "It smells like camping." Ummm! Add that to the list of cozy feelings and good smells. My boys come in the house smelling like the wild wind and the outdoors. "You smell like a boy," I always say.

Now that we're cold, and noses are dripping, we have to get warm, of course. So out comes the hot chocolate with marshmallows, and perhaps we'll have chili for dinner tonight. Ahh, the comfort of food in a warm house with people we love. It's not all Norman Rockwell, sometimes it's downright messy. But we have begun the fall rituals together. We prepare for colder weather and being in the house more together. Little by little we work out our relationships as fall forces us to rub shoulders a little closer.

Halloween is a very looked-forward-to event in our family. Our little neighborhood of approximately 25 families comes together one last time to traipse around with our little munchkins whooping it up with their costumes and candy before cold weather sets in . It is a temporary farewell of sorts. And a celebration of another year in the journey of parenting together. In a world of garage door communities, our cul-de-sac is refreshingly there for one another in a way reminiscient of childhood days.

Then there's Thanksgiving, days off school, Christmas shopping, baking cookies, scheduled activities too numerous to mention like dance class, music lessons, and church activities. The benefits of which are sometimes lost in the mad dash to get from here to there and back again without losing my religion or getting a speeding ticket. And yet the structured madness is probably what keeps me sane!

The seasons roll on, the kids grow, we establish traditions without even realizing it. Will I ever cherish the season I'm in, or will I always long for the one past? For now, for yet one more day, I try to hold on to the feel of fall. I know this season will come again, but when it does, my family will be a different family, and I will be a different person.

Losing Weight

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:17:00 +0000

Wow, it's been quite awhile since I've posted anything. And not because there's nothing going on. More like everything is going on right now. Having all the kids home for the summer is a blessing, but it is also keeping me hopping!

All that to say that I need to shed a little weight. Lay some things aside for awhile, at least until fall.

I keep thinking about the verse Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight...." I have my 5 little witnesses by my side this summer. They require my time, my energy, my life feeding into theirs. I know that I need to lay aside some weight right now, and blogging is one thing that needs to go, for now.

Think I'll go throw the Frisbee with my kids, pop popcorn and play some Monopoly, watch my 10 year old try to walk on stilts, help the boys build a "house" in the backyard, go to the park and have a picnic, read a funny book before bed. They're growing up so fast. Be back in the fall hopefully. I needed to lose some weight anyways!

What We've Been Up To

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Tue, 27 May 2008 01:43:00 +0000

The last week or so has gone by quickly and I am reminded that there are only nine.more.days until the kids are out of school. I look forward to the break from the routine and to having some special time with them. So much to do, so little time.

Meanwhile, we have still been throwing around the idea of putting an addition on our house. A big undertaking because Carl will design it and be the general contractor, subbing out parts of the work such as backhoe service, block laying, electrical, etc. He could do the whole thing himself if there were 48 hours in his day.

I saw an ad in the Pennysaver last week that our old house is for sale. The ad said, "Open House" Sunday. "Our house is for sale! Can we go see it?" That would be me shrieking with excitement!

How do you take 10 people - my mom and some friends were with us - and go incognito to an Open House? How do you act nonchalant when your kids are saying (loudly), "Ooh, this used to be my room" or "Was this our old house"? What had seemed like a fun trip down memory lane became one of life's most embarrassing moments as Brianna(10) and Jeremy(9) ran around snapping pictures of each room with their digital cameras. I tried to shush the blabber-mouths, Travis(6) and Corey(4), and keep the photographers shooting in a less conspicuous area. Carl of course had to check out the mechanics, especially the plumbing and let me know that everything was just the same. The realtor was the buyers' agent when we sold the house 4 years ago. I wondered if she remembered us? We probably had her head spinning. I don't know why we do these things. Nuts,I guess.

Friday morning the kids had a Memorial Day program at school, one of the highlights of the end of the year. This was the school's 22nd such program. Carl came with us, and we enjoyed the cool, but sunny morning while we listened to patriotic speeches by some of our local politicians and musical numbers presented by each grade.

Yesterday was the first picnic of the summer season. We all congregated at my sister's house for a cookout in their awesome backyard. So nice and peaceful. Except for Kaylee(8mo) crying much of the time. And the Corey(4) climbing the tree in the neighbor's yard. And Carl trying to kill bees the whole time we were eating. And my pyromaniac sons roasting hot dogs over the fire on plastic forks. Other than that, "a great time was had by all"! Di & Mike always have great food and hospitality. The day was topped off by getting to see fireworks on the way home.

That's what we've been up to. Just in case you were wondering. Hope your weekend was great, too!

Things That Make Me Go "Eeew"!

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:29:00 +0000

This is my very first meme. I found it over at Katrina's blog, Callapidder Days. I could think of quite a few, and the list seems to grow as I get older. Go figure. Anyways, here are 5.

Things that creep me out:

1. Thousand-leggers. This is definitely #1 on my list. Anywhere. But especially in my house. Luckily Corey(4) is our resident bug-killer. He is my hero. Because the only thing that creeps me out more than thousand-leggers is having to kill one.

2. Throw up. In the forefront of my mind today because Corey decided to throw up around 5:30 this morning. Lucky for me, Carl got up and dealt with it. I pretended to sleep. I am not good with puke. But I did learn on CSI Las Vegas that smiling represses the gag reflex. I'm still working on that one.

3. Being home late at night without Carl. He had to go out on an emergency plumbing call around 10:30 last night. Rats. When he is gone I am aware of many strange noises I never noticed before.

4. Heights. This isn't exactly gross, but the way it makes me feel is gross. I never was good at this. And I'm still not. The whole amusement park thing is just not all that amusing anymore.

5. Feet. Just other adult feet. Yuck. Usually crusty and hard. Been in work boots all day. However, I do have a fetish for my kids' feet. Even stinky ones. Even ones with little sock-fuzzies in between the toes. So cute I have been known to kiss them. Especially the baby's.

Okay, that's my creeper list. Hopefully it's not too whiny! Most of the time I just try to be a big girl and deal with the creepy things life sends my way.

What gives you the heebie-jeebies? Let me know if you post a list.

Little Things (and Little People)

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:57:00 +0000

This morning when I came down to breakfast, the kids rewarded me with a chorus of "Happy Mother's Day". How nice to be remembered. As soon as I sat down, Jeremy(9) ran to get his gifts out of his backpack for me. Thanks to his teacher, he was encouraged to write some nice thoughts about me that really touched my heart.

Mom - Debbie
Pretty, spontaneous, organized, and lenient
She is the mother of Brianna, Travis, Corey, Kaylee, Jeremy.
She cares when things don't turn out right.
She smiles when I'm nice to my brothers.
She worried when my Pap Pap had to go to the hospital.
She laughs when I don't want to go out to eat with my pj's on.
She cried when she knew she would have Kaylee.
She pretends when she says we are having "schmooga booga dooga" for dinner.
She surprises me when she says, "Let's go to the zoo."
She hugs me when I come home from school.
She is proud of me when I get good reports.
She understands me when I'm sad.
She loves me all the time.
Happy Mother's Day!

Jeremy also pulled a nice little pot out of his backpack, wrapped up in a sandwich baggie: a pansy, a bit limp from sitting in his backpack all weekend. But with a bit of water, it has now revived. I look forward to planting it in my flower bed soon.

With the help of his teacher, Travis(6) also wrote down some thoughts for Mother's Day.
My mom can do many things! I think she's best at "cocing" (cooking), "she can do many uthr thigs" (other things).
My mom is smart! She even knows "how to red a book" (read).
Enhanced with some nice drawings of me!

Corey(4) decorated a t-shirt at preschool with his handprints, making flowers on the front. He also painted a pot and planted some seeds in Sunday School.

Brianna(10) swept and mopped my floor today for me. She also cleaned my bathroom sinks and toilet with such a sweet spirit. She did a fantastic job. She is becoming quite the little homemaker.

Kaylee(8 mo) was just her adorable little self. None of us could imagine our home being without her. She brings such joy to us all.

Carl bought me a new broom and dustpan and a gift card to Borders, with the promise of watching the kids so I can spend a couple of hours there. Carl insisted on taking us out to dinner tonight where we met his mom and dad. It's always a treat when I get a break from cooking.

I cannot say enough how blessed I feel to have 5 sweet, loving children who are growing up so nicely, and a wonderful husband with whom I get to share all these blessings. Thank you all for making my day so special. It is nice to be remembered and appreciated. Thank you, Lord! I am counting my blessings today.

The Saga of my Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:43:00 +0000

Did I ever tell you the tale of my hair? My fine, limp, do-nothing hair? Most of my life my hairstyle has been what my mother would call "that natural windblown look". Thanks Mom for trying to put a positive spin on this. But seriously. I can spend $25 to get my haircut and walk out of the salon looking like nothing was ever done. I can buy "product" out the wazoo and it only looks good if I were to reside in a bubble. Please kids, don't touch my hair. I just fixed it. Honey, I appreciate the hug, but you just smushed my bangs. And speaking of bangs. Aren't they from the 80's? Or was it the 90's? Whatever. My hair is crying for some style. But it just doesn't know how to stay styled.

This became especially apparent when I attended college. College was near Chicago which is a very bad place for people with hair insecurities. What the wind didn't ruin, the humidity would take care of. My theme song became,"Why Worry When you can Spray?".

When my sister and I taught school and shared an apartment, together we had enough in hair care products to start our own store. We used to tease each other about the "13 Step Hair Care Process" we had to go through each morning. Pick a little, spray a little, pick a little, spray a little, pick, pick, pick, pick a lot, spray a little more.

Well anyways, when I went to Target this morning, I invested yet another $30 in "product" guaranteed to give my hair volume and weightless style! Woo-wee. Surely that is worth 30 bucks, right. After all, to ~~mis~~quote the six-fingered man in the movie The Princess Bride, "if you haven't got healthy hair, you haven't got anything." Yeah, yeah. I know.

While putting my "product" away, the reality of my obsession with perfect hair came clear to me. I found no less than 6 bottles of Pantene volumizing hair spray - maximum hold, of course, under the sink. Some empty, some with only a little in it, some sorta full. I also found a mostly empty bottle of finishing spritz, a very empty bottle of gel, and an empty jar of Avon face cream. Empty promises, all.

Maybe I'm just obsessed with trying to preserve my youthfulness. Or maybe I'm vain. Or maybe a terrible clutter-bug. Maybe I need to go to counseling. Maybe all of the above. Anyways, next time you see me, maybe I'll be sporting a wig of some sort. Sorta works better with these mild spring zephyrs that tend to ruffle my hair. Just thought you'd want to know.

Thoughts from a 4 Year Old

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:18:00 +0000

Just a quick funny before I hit the hay. I was at the grocery store until 10:30pm, and certain grocery stores who shall remain nameless tend to put me in a bad mood. But this is one of those things I have to write down for posterity sake. It was too cute.

Corey(4) has developed quite a vocabulary. Must come from having 3 older siblings. However, his vocabulary surpasses his comprehension. He is by no means in command of the English language yet.

First thing this morning he came loping into my bathroom while I was fixing my hair and announced that he wasn't feeling well. When I asked him what the problem was he answered, "I feel like a banshee (he has no idea)."

Trying not to smile, I probed further and asked him why. "Well, I don't like my bed anymore. I want to sleep in the bunk bed with Travis(6)."

What great insight. That explains everything.

Thanking God for family and friends

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:48:00 +0000

I'll take any time I can get with my family. I live a fat hour from my parents (about 45 miles) and about 45 minutes from my sister (about 30 miles), but I never feel like I see them enough. How much is enough? I don't know. So this past week I had fun planning with my sister to get together at my parents' house.

Saturday was my Dad's birthday, and after his having bypass surgery just one month ago, I realize even more now how much I love him and as we say around here, "I just don't know what I'd do without you." I am so thankful that I didn't have to find that out. I am glad he got things checked out instead of waiting when he was experiencing chest pains . He is recovering well, and is looking very healthy and getting more strength everyday.

The kids had a fun time at Grandma and Pap Pap's house running up the hill into the field. They own 6.7 country acres. Even a walk halfway up the hill makes you feel like you're on top of the world. It is so beautiful there. The kids love to go up to their "secret hideout" as they call it. A clump of trees that stands alone halfway up the hill. There's groundhog holes up there, trees to climb, probably some "poisy wivy" (as Corey(4) used to say), maybe even a dead groundhog on occasion. We have found a stinky carcass or two. (Not sure if Travis(6) was telling me a whopper when he announced that he found one up there!)

With the threat of rain and lightening, they all ran back down and came in the house. But as soon as the sun came out again, back up the hill they ran. This was my thinking place when I was a kid. I even remember situating myself in a tree to do my homework. What peace and beauty. I'm glad my kids get to enjoy it now.

Today the weather was different altogether. Rainy and chilly. My Mom brought our long-time family friend, Beth to my house to visit...well, and of course, to see the baby! It was a very refreshing visit. So fun to catch up on all that is going on with her grown up kids (they have 8), who were some of my best childhood friends. I think their family had a great influence on me as to wanting a large family. Beth is still a great Mom to her kids, and you can see that little ones still bring her lots of joy.

I was able to pull lunch together without any last minute trips to the grocery store (yea!) and without getting stressed out. I only experienced a moment of panic when I was trying to think "what do I have?". But I kept my head and remembered that people aren't coming to check out what kind of housekeeper I am or how great a cook I am. I also remembered how many times Beth opened her home to us, most of the time on short or no notice. She never seemed stressed about it. She was always happy to see us, and happy to offer whatever she had.

Travis(6), Corey(4), Kaylee(7mo) and I all enjoyed the wonderful visit. I wish I had pictures to post, but neither camera is presently working. Sniff. You can check out my sister's blog to see a cute picture of Kaylee and my sister.

Letting kids be kids and Squash Fries

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:26:00 +0000

This past Saturday night our family had an enjoyable time going to my friend Amy's house for dinner. Amy and Brian are our friends from church, and we both homeschooled. She still does. They have 3 adorable children and you would think that with all we have in common, we would've gotten our families together a long time ago.

Dinner was wonderful. I can't remember what the chicken was called, but it had spinach in it. Yum! But then there was the squash fries. Double yum! More on that later.

After dinner we played a fun game with the kids: Apples to Apples. Their 3 children were playing the game, our 2 oldest were playing, and baby Kaylee stood on my lap flapping her arms for the duration. In my high strung parenting, I sometimes have this notion that my kids are going to be quiet, for some reason, when we play a game. Okay, so I've put in a long day, can you just play without so much screaming? Nope! It was actually a ton of fun to see these 5 kids laughing so loudly and yelling at the top of their vocal range. Even Kaylee (7mo) got into the act by being screamy with the rest of the kids!

Then Jeremy (9) and his friend Evan showed off (loudly) on the piano for one another. It was fun to see their different approaches to the instrument.

With so many kids in the house, the noise level was at a high decibel level quite frequently throughout the evening. Perhaps that was because everyone was having a fun time. Except for when Corey(4) for some unknown reason decided to bop Hannah on the head with the princess wand. (Later on while putting him to bed, he confessed that he felt very sorry for hurting Hannah.)

It was honestly very enjoyable for me to see my kids having so much fun. Why do I try to take away their fun sometimes when we are doing "the family thing" by hushing them up? This evening Carl said, "Well, you know, we worship our quiet around here." Hmmm. He's right. Made me think that peace at any cost is not an effective parenting strategy. Let them be kids. I don't for one minute advocate permissive parenting. Maybe now that I've reached 40 (yikes!) it takes a little more doing to remember what it was like to be a kid, but I need to let my kids enjoy the adventure.

Oh yeah, I didn't forget about the "Squash Fries". Butternut Squash cut into french fry-type slices. Mix with olive oil and salt. Broil in oven until tender. Yum! What a wonderful side dish. So of course I had to buy one. At the grocery store Travis(6) asked me to weigh it. I didn't pick a small one. 5-1/4 pounds. After all 4 kids can put quite a dent in anything I put on the table. (Yes, my kids actually like veggies most of the time.) I had a dickens of a time peeling the thing. And I really hope they like this because a 5-1/4 pound squash may feed us for 3 nights. But it's done and waiting in the fridge for me to cook tomorrow evening. I'll let you know how it turns out! In the meantime, I'm on the lookout for good veggie recipes.

Easter is still Easter!

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:47:00 +0000

I was thinking about starting a label for "sickness" since it seems like we've had plenty of it around here. This time it was me that got sick. Now I know pride is bad, but I must say I usually pride myself in not getting sick. So I guess that's what I get. Sick, that is.

Last Thursday evening right before I left the house with Carl and the kids to go see my dad at the hospital, I talked to my mom on the phone. My dad had just had 4 bypass surgery, and the last thing my mom said to me on the phone was "Don't come if you're sick." "Don't worry Mom, I feel fine. You know me, I'm never sick."

Well, "ha"! Friday morning I woke up thinking that I felt like I had gotten run over by a Mac truck. I was achy from my head to the tips of my toes, no lie. By the time Carl got home from work on Good Friday, I was on the couch under a blanket, where I camped out for the next 4 or 5 days alternating between there and my bed.

I thought that I would try to hide from my Mom the fact that I was sick, because I didn't want her to worry about my dad getting sick, on top of everything else she had to be concerned about. But after awhile, it was just no use trying to hide it. The fact was that I was sick. Sicker than I have been in a long, long while.

By Easter Sunday, the baby was also pretty sick, and although my husband really wanted to go to his aunt's house for some homemade spaghetti and meatballs (and to see the fam, of course!), I convinced him that I was too sick to even deal with holding a crying baby while he fared sumptuously for a few hours. In reality, I was too sick to deal. Kaylee(6mo) cried 23 out of 24 hours on Easter. And I dozed and hacked and used up an entire box of tissues.

To say it was not the happiest Easter for our family is putting it mildly. The kids were all disappointed that they didn't go anywhere, not even church. Even our Easter eggs didn't get dyed until Sunday afternoon. Brianna (10) felt bad for me because I tried so hard to find the kids something to wear for Easter, then they didn't even get to wear it. When kids at school asked her what she got for Easter, she didn't have much to brag about. But she knows the true meaning of Easter, and we rejoiced together that Easter is still Easter, even when we are not able to participate too much. Jesus participated for us. He is alive, and He gives us cause to celebrate that fact everyday!

The weekend and some ponderings

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:29:00 +0000

It was an interesting and a good weekend. I got to spend some time with my sis Friday night. Hard to believe we only live 30 miles away from each other. It was fun just going out to Borders and chit-chatting about books and writing and life in general. She is such an encouragement and an inspiration to me.

Saturday night Jeremy (9) had to go to the emergency room because his croup made his throat close up. Taking him outside and trying steam treatments in the bathroom a few times wasn't doing the trick. So at about 4:30 Sunday morning, Carl took him over to the ER. After that I guess he felt better because Carl said they considered going out to breakfast, but Jeremy opted not to go because he was in his PJ's. I think the PJ's look like sweats, but hey, if I was 9 would I want to be out in public in my jammies? Oh well, he passed on a pancake breakfast w/ dad this time. Brianna was also recovering from croup, although hers was not as bad. She had a fever and lost her voice.

After next to no sleep Saturday night, we opted to (try to) sleep in Sunday morning. But that is a real trick with a 4 year old in the house. Corey decided to get up and play with his Lightning McQueen car and Bob the Builder phone in his room. Hmmm. Noisy toys. So much for sleeping in.

Well, it was time for the baby to be moved out of our master bedroom. She is officially 6 months old. She'll be sitting up in the bassinet if we don't get her into a crib sometime soon.

This means it was also time for Corey (4) to be moved into the boys' room. Corey was so excited and rambunctious all day Sunday. We moved his toddler bed into Jeremy (9) and Travis'(6) room. Jeremy bawled. Travis bossed. Corey bounced. I tried as best I could to organize their things and make it look presentable, even though it's like 12 pounds of junk in a 5 pound sack.

Corey is so cute, and trying to be so good. He hugs his big brothers and tries to convince them that he is a big guy now. He still has to learn not to turn on the light in the morning and jibber-jabber so loudly.

After taking Brianna to violin tonight, I ran home, fed my family, nursed the baby, then ran back to get Brianna. When I got back, Travis was attempting to play wiffle ball by himself in the front yard. Remembering my attempts at playing wiffle ball by myself when I was little, I went and pitched the ball to him. He is a star in his own mind. It was fun. After about 1/2 hour, my hands were freezing so we went inside.

Clothes to organize. Lunches to pack. Laundry to fold. Teething babies to hold. Doctors appointments. Dentist appointments. Parent-teacher conferences. Baths. Homework help. Husband's 40th birthday!

Where does books to read come in? Time to blog. Hmmm. I'm struggling to ~~get some sleep~~ keep some balance in my life right now. I want to blog, but I don't want to squander precious time either. I'm hoping that by blogging I will find some community with other Christian women that I desperately still desire. But most importantly, I want to have time with God, my husband, my kids. They are and will be the most important part of my life.

Just some things that have been going on and some things I have been pondering lately.

The Littlest Cutie of the Hodge-Podge Household (Part 6)

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:11:00 +0000

It's been a busy month, and it only promises to continue this way for the next few ~~weeks~~ years. When will the baby be in kindergarten? Oh yeah, it will be awhile. Sometimes in my tiredness, I feel like hurrying this whole process of seeing my kids get to an age where they are a little more self-sufficient. But then in my tiredness and in my hurry I would unfortunately gloss over those special moments of their babyhood and toddlerhood.

Our littlest member of the Hodge-Podge household is now almost 6 months old. You saw that right! I can't believe this child has been with us for 1/2 of a year. Time really does fly. Our little Kaylee Joy is simply a real treasure. She is very pleasant and sweet. She has just charmed everyone in the family, especially her Pap-Pap John.

It was not a fun pregnancy. I was ~~big~~ huge, at least I felt huge. Made even worse by donning a maternity bathing suit throughout the summer to take the kids to the pool. The only way to hide myself was to park myself in the water down at the 3 foot end and stand there so only the top part of me showed. The tough part was getting back out of the pool. Heave-ho! (It didn't help always seeing someone I knew everytime we went.)

Not about to choose getting cut again, I opted to have a VBAC, and we are so thankful that everything went as planned. I could actually say that most of my labor with Kaylee I had fun. I mean after all, my mom was watching the kids, and I got to spend some time with Carl. Yes, my wonderful, hard-working husband actually did take the day off. I packed him a big lunch before we left for the hospital. Good thing. I snuck bites of his lunch ~~everytime the nurse left the room~~ on and off throughout my labor. Why starve a laboring woman? So I paced and munched while finishing a Karen Kingsbury novel. Just what I needed to keep me occupied.

I was good to go until the doc broke my water. Good thing I had already finished my book. Time to get serious with huffing and puffing and all that! Just about the time I decided I couldn't take it anymore, I whispered to Carl to ask about that epidural. Too late, it was already time to push. Just let me tell you that I didn't appreciate the cheering section as I was pushing. Something in me, I don't know where it came from, yelled "no" for the entire pushing stage. Afterwards for some strange reason I felt compelled to confess to the doctor my sin of sneaking food. He's probably hoping she's my last baby. I swear they were going to put a sign on the door "Fussy Patient".

Every bit of that enduring pregnancy was worth it. Kaylee Joy is such a joy, and so loved upon. She receives about one hundred kisses each day from her siblings. They are just crazy about her. The first place the kids go in the morning is straight to my room to peek into her bassinet to say "good morning" to her. They all use this funny little high-pitched voice to speak to her, which just cracks me up! They rush in the door after school and line up to take turns holding her. She is so patient with it all, letting them hold her, smiling for each one in turn. Just the other day she rolled over. We all cheered for her accomplishment!

I think I'm the luckiest Mom alive to have 5 wonderful, beautiful, healthy children. They are the delight of my life. I love watching them love on the baby. Watching Brianna (10), my big girl, "mother" her baby sister. Watching Jeremy (9) try to tape a crooked diaper on her all on his own "cause she was crying, Mom". Listening to Travis (6) dance in front of her and say "boo" 20 times in a row because he gets KK to laugh everytime. Being patient when Corey (4) wants to put jelly kisses on her head while I nurse her. She usually leans back and looks up at him with this "what are you doing to me now?" expression. He has taken to calling her "Kake" lately!

These are the sweet moments to tuck away in my heart and hold onto forever. It's so true, they don't stay small forever. Life is flying by, and I don't want to spend it all blogging. But I hope to do better in March than I did in February.

P.S. Since this was posted, I noticed that Kaylee popped her first tooth on Saturday morning. The milestones keep flying by!