Ordinary Days

Yay for YummyHealth!

2013-06-17T12:02:00.001-04:00

Right now, my kids are playing in the back yard. I put a jug of my famous watermelon water (water with a bunch of frozen watermelon chunks floating in it to keep it cool and tasty) and a handful of mugs on the deck. They love the stuff.

And I love that they love the stuff.

You see, we try our darnedest to be extremely careful with what goes into their little, and not-so-little (the almost 10-year-old is getting huge!) bodies.

Our garden, planted in organic mushroom compost, is coming along great and will soon be supplying us with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, onions and beans that will be about as fresh and clean as you can get. It takes time and effort and money to plant and care for a garden like that. But it's important for our health and our health is important to us.

We sacrifice to be able to shop at a more expensive grocery store where we load up on organic fruits and veggies, grass-fed beef, and things without the hormones and corn syrup and insane amounts of non-food items on their ingredient lists that you'd typically find at other grocery stores. Yes, I cringe a little when the cashier announces our grand total. Yes, I remember the good old days when our bill was half that at our old grocery store. But, I'm also happy knowing that we're trying our best to do what we can to get our kids off on the right (healthy) foot in life.

So when the people at YummyHealth contacted me to see if my family would like to give their Yummy Snack Chips and Yummy Snack Bars a try, I was so excited! From what I quickly read on their website, I saw that all of their products were right up our alley:

...you won't find gluten, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial flavors or preservatives in any of our YummySwap products.

Yippee! We try our best to steer clear of processed food, but sometimes having a bag of chips or a candy bar is really handy and a nice treat for the kiddos, too. Still, I was a tiny bit apprehensive. Would my kids actually like the taste?

I decided to test them out at a weekly outdoor concert we go to during the summer where we listen to music, kick around a soccer ball and, when the kids get worn out, enjoy some snacks on a blanket in the grass.

Well? Did they like them? No. They LOVED them! Each bag of Yummy Snack Chips (we had one each of nacho, cheese, and pizza flavors) were devoured in nano-seconds. We concluded that the nacho flavor was our family favorite. And the chocolate blast snack bar? I saved that one for myself. So! Good! Dark chocolate filled with yummy coconut bits, all gooey and delicious and wonderful... it was a tiny mom-dream come true in a yellow wrapper.

Be sure to check out their website, and see for yourself why these snacks make better options than conventional chips and candy bars.

************************
Yep, they sent me the stuff. Nope, I wasn't paid. Yep, the opinions are all mine. Nope, I don't like pina coladas or getting caught in the rain.

Homeschool Mom Confession

2013-05-29T09:33:00.001-04:00

It's coming. Summer break. My kids are ready for it. My oldest, the awesome fourth grader, is the only one with a little bit of 'school' left to do.

Visions of days spent romping in the yard, hiking on trails, bicycling to papaw's and sprawling on blankets at our town's outdoor concerts and movies are flashing in front of our eyes. We can't wait to have even less on our normally itty-bitty to-do lists than usual.

But there's one catch.

The local schools have two more days. Two more days until all those wonderful kids run screaming from the school bus one last time, ready to soak in the sweetness of summer freedom for a few months. Ready to rollerblade to the park, go fishing in the neighborhood ponds, throw towels over their shoulders and head to the pool.

Ready to... (Oh, do I dare say it? Here goes....)

Ready to pop our magical, wonderful, majestic homeschool bubble.

Don't get me wrong. I love the all the traditionally-schooled little sweethearts. I really do! We have some of the most wonderful little neighbor-kids you could ask for. The share toys with my kids, play basketball with them, come lend a helping hand when we try to completely cover our driveway with sidewalk chalk.

It's just that, well, all of our places are suddenly overrun with all these newly-released tiny people.

Our once quiet weekday library where my boys and a couple of homeschooling friends spend hours in the military section, drooling over tanks and rocket launchers, will now be filled to the brim with eager summer reading program members.

Our quiet park picnics where I can chat with a fellow homeschool mom without fear of losing track of a child because, well, no one else is at the park at all will become frenzied outings consisting of me counting five little heads over and over and over and every few minutes muttering to myself, "Where's Sunshine? I can't see her in this sea of children. I think she was wearing a blue dress. Or was it a yellow shirt with purple shorts? How in the world do 18 kids fit on the monkey bars at once?"

A rainy weekday lunch at Chik-Fil-A won't offer my kids a playground to themselves while Mama sips on lemonade after walking from the car right up to the counter. Instead, we'll be fiftieth in line, there will be no empty tables, I'll lose a child in the playplace, someone will have to pee and the bathroom line will be so insanely long that we'll risk an accident on the way home instead of waiting and everyone will cry because "We only got to play for 4 minutes and I want my brother back!" and I'll scream "Well, your sister has to pee and only losing one out of five ain't too shabby! Your little brother will find his way home someday!"

My kids? They love the extra play buddies all over the place during the summer months.

Me? I don't do crowds. They kind of make me hyperventilate.

Happy summer break, to you. I'll be hiding in the basement until September.

Sun-kissed Cheeks and Sweaty Hair

2013-04-30T17:36:00.001-04:00

Today was good. The past couple of days, too, as a matter of fact.

It could have something to do with the fact that we can enjoy our dinners outside in the shade of a blooming tree again. Or that the swings on our swingset haven't stopped swinging accompanied by an oscillating flow of laughter. Or that I've decided that at this moment in my life, my house just won't be clean all that often. It just won't.

Today the boys took library books about ninjas, black holes, and a haunted house out to their clubhouse while Sunshine and Little Mister kept those swings going. I sprawled myself in the sun on the deck, a pillow behind my head and a book in my hands. (This book, if you're interested.) Little Mister eventually got brave enough to try the slide and Sunshine ventured off to fill a jar with dandelions.

Everyone came in with sun-kissed cheeks and sweaty hair.

I can't guarantee that the library books will make it back into the library basket, mainly because I haven't seen it in weeks. And I'm not making any promises that those sweaty heads will get any where near shampoo tonight.

But we do have steaks ready to go on the grill and a few more hours of daylight.

And all of that sounds fine to me.

I Need A Cabin

2013-04-12T10:29:00.001-04:00

Ahhhhh.......

I miss this space.

Inhale.....

Hello, readers.

Exhale....

I keep feeling like I have nothing to write, but I'm going to do what all the wise Bloggy Swamis say to do. I'm just going to start typing and see what spills out.

So, here's the thing. Skinny jeans. I'm the last human on the planet to jump on the bandwagon. And I haven't even jumped yet. I mean, I feel kind of like jumping. But then all I can think about is Holy moley, those things look like sweat machines! I mean I think I can pull them off because I'm pretty darn happy with my weight and thigh circumference. But I just think I'd actually die if I wore them on a hot day.

I think I'll just pick up a few maxi skirts instead.

Anyway...

I spent last weekend with the girls of my family in a cabin in the woods. And it was glorious! There were lots of fun beverages, a hot tub and a fire in a fire pit that I spent hours upon hours just poking with a stick. Poke, poke, poke.

I did miss my babies and Mr. Ordinary.

And my b00bs missed Little Mister. He's 16 months and still nurses like crazy. I'm OK with this. Someday, even though it really feels like never, but someday he will stop.

Anyway, back to the cabin. There was a little bit of hiking, some board games, ghost stories and then some more poking the fire with a stick. Blissful, I tell ya. Completely and utterly blissful.

Ugh. I need a cabin. Don't think for a second that I didn't check the real estate listings as soon as I got home.

Now I just need to win the lottery.

Mary Met Me in the Bathroom

2013-03-26T22:39:00.001-04:00

I was getting the baby out of (yes, out of) the dishwasher while on my way to fill the six-year-old's cup of water during my fifteenth attempt to do the dishes.

The eight-year-old was still working on the same worksheet he had been staring at for three hours. Three. Hours.

The nine-year-old was called away from reading a book in his cozy spot on the couch to help wrangle the baby so I could finally fill the dishwasher with actual dishes instead of, you know, children.

The three-year-old suddenly had to go potty, even though I had just taken her, like, a billion times in the past hour.

I gave up on the dishes and took my little lady to the potty. After she was done, I scooted her out the door, shut it with myself still inside, turned off the light and sat down on the floor. And prayed.

Hail Mary...

I need my Mommy!

Full of grace...

I'm so glad you are full of grace because right now I need a ton.

the Lord is with thee...

You're in such good company.

Blessed are you among women...

You're my mentor!

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus...

from one (horribly imperfect) mom to (a completely perfect) another

Holy Mary, Mother of God...

It's me, Ordinary (not-so-holy) Sarah, mother of those five banshees in the next room.

Pray for us sinners now...

Right-this-very-second-now-'cause-I-feel-like-I'm-gonna-lose-it, if you don't mind.

And at the hour of death.

Ah, the constant reminder of what this all really about. You're right, this moment isn't that huge of a deal. Thank you.

Amen.

I gotta go. I'm pretty sure someone is bleeding out there.

Ash Wednesday and Lent

2013-02-13T10:24:00.002-05:00

It's Ash Wednesday! Woo hoo! Technically, you shouldn't be celebrating today. After all, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, a season of quiet penitence.

But me? Well, I get excited. It's the beginning of a challenge, a time to stretch ourselves in order to grow closer to God, a time of increased prayer and focus on attaining life beyond this world.

It's a time set aside to call attention to doing better.

Call me crazy, but I think of the season of lent as a great gift and I'm ripping off the wrapping paper like a little kid at a birthday party, excited to see what's inside.

What's inside for me this year? Here's what I've come up with to grow closer to God this Lenten season:

I'm going to bed earlier. I've become quite a night owl lately. Hitting the hay before midnight has become a rarity for me. And it's not like I'm up late doing dishes or folding laundry. I'm watching movies or reading blogs or fiddling around on facebook. This, as can be expected, doesn't make for the prettiest of mornings.

I'm getting up earlier. The ability to sleep in is one of the perks of homeschooling. But not having to get up at 6am doesn't mean waking up at 8, or occasionally 9, makes a whole lot of sense. For the next forty days I'll be climbing out from under the covers while the kids are still snuggled in their beds, quietly sneaking downstairs and starting my day off with a real purpose.

I'm going to read the daily Mass readings. During those quiet moments by myself each morning, I'll head over to www.EWTN.com, click on Today's Mass and spend some time reading that day's readings, psalms and Gospel. {A Catholic reading the Bible! But they don't do that! (/sarcasm/) }

I'm going to fast. Not every day, but today (Ash Wednesday) and on Fridays. Technically, I don't have to because I'm still nursing. But the nursing right now is more of a comfort than a sustenance thing so I'm choosing to fast this year. I'll be following the "one main meal and two smaller meals that, when combined, do not equal more than the one main meal." Here is what I'll be eating today:

Breakfast: 1 cup of coffee, one plain pancake
Lunch (main meal): salad, garlic bread, pear, milk
Dinner: one bean burrito (no toppings), water

I've got loftier goals. Goals, though, that will have to wait for a different season of my life. When the kids are older, I'd love to have a Lenten season filled with forty Masses. And when they've left the nest, I foresee a Lent with forty days of praying outside of an abortion mill. And when Mr Ordinary is retired, I picture a Lenten pilgrimage to The Vatican.

But for now, these are my plans. This is what I can do. And I'm excited to begin my Lenten journey.

It's All Making Sense Now

2013-02-06T07:39:00.002-05:00

Friday: Cried after watching Meet Joe Black because, "Why do people have to diiiiieeeee?????"

Saturday: Completely lost my patience because Mr. Ordinary took too long to talk with someone.

Sunday: EAT! ALL! THE! FOOD!

Monday: After two years of being M. I. A., Happy Fun Girly Time returns. Suddenly everything makes sense.

The Parent Meeting

2013-01-31T15:39:00.000-05:00

Each afternoon, when Mr. Ordinary walks through the door he greets each of the kids with hugs and some "How was your day?" and "Oh, I missed you!" and "How'd school go?"

After that, it's time for The Parent Meeting.

What's this, you ask. Well, let me explain.

We all need moments of pause in our days. And for Mr. O and I, this is ours.

The two of us retreat to our bedroom, shut the door, and begin our daily meeting. I usually flop down on the bed while Mr. O changes from work clothes to dog-walking clothes before joining me. Sometimes we discuss the evenings plans, like who is taking whom to what kind of practice or what I've got in mind for dinner. More often than not I get to hear about the funny people at my husband's office and what kind of shenanigans they got in to that day. And Mr. O gets to hear about how high the baby climbed on the pantry shelves before I noticed or how many amazing knock-knock jokes I had the pleasure of listening to that day.

And sometimes we just lay down and take a quick snooze.

The kids know better than to interrupt Parent Meeting. They've been instructed that this is time for them to have a Kid Meeting downstairs. I'm not positive about what they do. I think sometimes they watch a movie or play their favorite self-invented game, Lost In The Woods, in the playroom. The 9-year-old is in charge and no one has set fire to anything just yet, so that's all that matters.

Parent Meeting usually last about a half an hour. Afterward Mr. Ordinary is off to walk his dog, usually accompanied by a kid or three, and I clock back in to my mom job, changing a diaper or getting dinner started or something along those lines.

It's our version of daily R&R. And it is oh so needed and cherished.

Do you schedule downtime in your day? What do you do for a quick break?

Why I Write

2013-01-30T11:06:00.003-05:00

This little blog of mine, right here, has been around for six and half years. I know! I can't believe that either. Anyway, I struggle because sometimes I share things that work for me but then the next day I want to whine/vent/share about how nothing is working for me. And I worry that maybe the contradiction cancels me out in some way.

Does that make sense?

Anyway, I started my blog because I got encouragement from other blogs. Before discovering the good old blogosphere, I wondered how all these moms were walking around knowing everything when I just wanted to run out in the middle of a busy street and scream, "I have no clue what to do!"

But then I stumbled upon Moosh in Indy and Diaper Diaries and Adventures in Babywearing and I Should Be Folding Laundry so many more of my favorite girls that have been around since way back when. And I learned soemthing very important:

No one knows what they're doing!

Everyone is figuring things out as they go. And those two things that I write about, the sharing what I do know and the venting about when I can't figure something out? Those are just being honest.

So I'll go on writing. And I hope, maybe, you'll keep on reading?

Old-Fashioned Bloggy Fun

2013-01-22T21:20:00.000-05:00

I'm stealing a bit of old-fashioned bloggy fun from one of my very first bloggy friends, Emily. Taking it back to that vintage 2009 vibe, for all you little whippersnappers! Feel free to do the same.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Not my first name, but my middle name is my mom's name. And my confirmation name is Felicity after her, and because it means happiness.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Umm, geez, no clue on this one. Sorry.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I have two types of handwriting; the honest kind and the kind I use when I want my writing to look pretty. Both completely different. You do that too, right?

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
I don't do lunch meat. Does thinly-sliced smoked salmon count?

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Five. And no, I never call them the right name.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I think so, but I'd have to keep some kind of a time-spent-together limit. I can be exhausting, I think.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Sometimes, but I think I'm more likely to just make blatant one-liner jokes about things.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Indeed. But one is freakishly larger than the other and, according to multiple doctors, there is no reason or concern about it.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
You've got to be kidding. I'm not a thrill seeker. Just not the thing for me.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
There's some stuff called "Flax Plus" that comes in a bag with a green label. The yum factor is really cranked up when they throw in pumpkin seeds.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Most of my shoes don't have laces, but I don't untie them even when they do. I almost always have a child/bag of a child's stuff in my hands anyway. Untying shoes is for lazy people! (See #7)

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Yes! This is where I flex my floppy little arm and tell you about giving birth naturally 5 times.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Starbucks Java Chip. Dude. Duuuuuuuude. It's good stuff.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their attitude. No joke. I notice if you're smiling before I see what shirt you have on, or if your nose is stuck up in the air before I take a glance at your hair.

15. RED OR PINK?
Red. Bold. I like it.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My complete and utter lack of patience.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Hmm, this is tough. I'm pretty happy in this arena. I mean, I'd love for my kids to be able to hang out with my Grandmas, but I am also blissfully happy knowing that they're in Heaven.

18. WHAT IS THE TECHNIQUE THAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE MOST?
Patience. And time management. And crocheting.

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
I've got on gray socks at the moment. No shoes in the house, you know.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Pizza! It was a busy but fun day and not having to worry about making dinner was the icing on the cake.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
I'm listening to the sound of a fire crackling right next to me. It's insanely cold outside and if it wouldn't hurt so dang bad, I'd crawl right into the fireplace and cuddle up with the flaming logs.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
I think it's called Marigold. It's the yellow that's not neon bright, but more golden-ish.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Anything lemon-y.

24. HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOUR POLITICAL VIEWS TO YOU?
Very. Very, very, very.

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?
Either or! But if I had to choose? I'd go with the mountain hideaway because there'd be less drunk people in bikinis singing Jimmy Buffet songs walking by my windows.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
My boys wrestle and, so far, aren't big enough to make watching it completely terrifying.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Very dark brown.

28. EYE COLOR?
Green.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope. I wear glasses. And if I ever see you across a parking lot or an aisle or two away in Target and don't say hello? Don't be offended. I'm just blind and forgot my glasses that day.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
So many things. But my wonderful husband has definitely turned me on the bliss that is Mediterranean food. Throw some olives, peppers, feta cheese and homemade bread at me and I'm a happy girl.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
This isn’t even up for debate one single bit. I don’t come near anything unhappy. (Completely stealing Emily's answer on this one. Verbatim.)

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
The Forgiveness of Blood (It's an Albanian movie that played at Sundance. It's on Netflix right now and I highly recommend it.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
It's a stripey sweater from that $20 table of sweaters in the Target Juniors department. You know what I'm talking about.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Both.

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Tiramisu. Or a gooey brownie. Or some cheesecake. Or pumpkin pie. So, pretty much anything.

36. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?
Nothing formal for me, thanks. I'd prefer a hike around a lake. I guess that's cardio.

37. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?
Computer.

38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
The Year of Living Dangerously by Quinn Cummings

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Don't have one.

40. FAVORITE SOUND?
The ocean.

41. FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC?
Here comes the big cop-out: A little of everything!

42. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
I went on a week-long tour of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein when I was 15.

43. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
No. Well, I do know a few words in Albanian and I can clear a jammed M-16. That's cool right?

44. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Indianapolis, Indiana

45. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
Very close to #44.

46. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?
In your dreams, stalkers! ;) It's beige-ish.

47. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
White.

48. DO YOU LIKE ANSWERING 48 QUESTIONS?
Yeah! It was fun.

Now it's your turn. Don't forget to let me know if you do!

The Bird's Nest

2013-01-12T09:50:00.001-05:00

We're very lucky. Our kids don't get sick very often. But when they do, we begin Operation Bird's Nest.

Our master bath has a garden tub. (Don't go thinking we're all fancy-like. Our dining room has no table, we lived here for a year before we got a refrigerator for the kitchen and after living in this house for two solid years we've still only painted one room.)

At the first sign of illness that tub, which usually serves as bubble central for the three and one-year-old's baths, is transformed. We throw in a cushy comforter, a pillow or two and a couple of soft blankets. A white bucket reserved for just such occasions is placed on the surrounding ledge and the laptop is positioned on the counter top nearby.

And presto! Our tub has become the Bird's Nest!

The child snuggles in and begins to enjoy (as much as a poor sicky-poo can) some extra special attention from Mom and Dad.

As head nurse at The Ordinary Infirmary, I take temperatures, dispense medication, keep the Gatorade cup filled and keep the funny videos and movies rolling on the laptop.

Chief of Medicine, Dr. Mr. Ordinary is a firm believer in literary therapy and spends multiple chunks of the day sitting on the bathmat next to the tub reading books to the patient. He's also the head hair holder and encourager when and if actual puking takes place.

When the sick child is all better, they shower and put on fresh clothes before leaving the bathroom to rejoin the rest of the world. Their clothes and all of the blankets and pillows from the Bird's Nest go straight into the wash and the entire bathroom gets a good wipe down with bleach wipes.

No matter how careful we are, these types of sicknesses usually pass through the whole house (just like some kind of tummy bug/fever/headache-y type thing did this past week). But this at least helps keep it to one kid at a time. Much easier to handle that way, if you ask me.

Resolution-ish

2013-01-07T00:14:00.002-05:00

Last year I oh so very quietly only to myself made the resolution to try to keep up better with my kitchen.

I shared that secret with Mr. Ordinary a few weeks ago and we both had a good laugh. And then I was all, "Hey! Why are you laughing??"

And then I just laughed some more.

I'm not an amazing housekeeper. I mean we're not close to Hoarders territory, but let's just say completely clean counters pretty much mean someone is coming over to visit.

And, you, right there? If you've seen my counters covered in dirty dishes and old mail and an overflowing box of Legos? That means we've reached a very special place in our relationship. Consider yourself incredibly loved and lucky. Nothing says "You're special to me" like dirty counter tops, am I right?

No resolutions this year. I mean I've got some ideas on things I'd like to work on, but I also know I'm just non-committal (read: lazy) enough to not give them the title of "resolutions."

I want to get to Mass more. We've gotten really good at going every Sunday even when it's hard to get out the door, I'm pretty sure I hit the majority of Holy Days last year and I even went once on a Monday morning just because and it was wonderful.

And a big one is I'm just going to go ahead and chill the frick out already. I've been stressing and (gasp!!!!) yelling way too much and that's just no fun. So, yeah. let's just go ahead and throw that right on out of the window, shall we?

And back to the kitchen while we're at it. Because I'm a glutton for punishment and, perhaps, because I spent a good chunk of the afternoon cleaning it and it's sparkly and pretty and smells nice, yep I'm going to give my old resolution another shot. Why not, right? If I fail, at least I'll have something to laugh about!

Merry and Bright

2012-12-21T13:41:00.004-05:00

My four oldest are wrapped up almost to the point of immobility and are wobbling around the snow covered yard like happy little penguins. The 5 year old just pulled a classic "I fell in the snow and can't get up because I'm so bundled up" move. And I got it on video! Awesome.

The baby is napping, all snugly warm upstairs. He's a sweetie. "Tiny" says the doctor. But sweet says I!

The house is only a tiny disaster and I do have quite a few things on my to-do list, most importantly making Joseph and shepherd costumes for the Christmas Eve Children's Mass. How I plan on whipping those up with some old sheets and an out of order sewing machine? Who knows. Let's just hope for a Christmas miracle on that one.

There are scones to be baked, presents to be wrapped and last minute shopping to be done.

The radio is on the Christmas station. Oh, those silly Chipmunks.

It's all so merry and bright.

Happy Christmas to you and yours from me and mine!

Grabbing Grace

2012-12-12T20:41:00.003-05:00

I've been so impatient lately. So, so, so, very impatient.

And I've been allowing myself to use it as an excuse.

"I can't take that on. I don't have the patience for that."

"I can't get be more strict with our routine. It'll be a difficult change for the kids and I don't have the patience to deal with the attitudes it will create."

"I can't (enter any old task of mothering in this little space) right now, my patience is completely gone."

But I've come to realize something. I don't have a finite amount of patience that has been used up. And letting myself think that is true is just plain laziness.

I'm just... I'm just making excuses. And that doesn't work.

It doesn't work for me as a wife, as a mom, as a human. And it's most definitely not fair to the other sides of each of those relationships. They deserve so much more.

A choice can be made to be patient. Grace is right there in front of me. I just have to make the first move and reach right on out there and grab it.

It's hard! I'd rather just go on pretending that the world owes me something and that I have some kind of a right to be grumpy and stingy and tired.

But it doesn't and I really don't.

My life is beautiful and I need to reflect that.

This Is Why You Didn't Have A First Birthday Party

2012-12-04T15:13:00.002-05:00

I know when you grow up and go hunting for pictures of your first birthday party and don't find them you'll think it's because you were the fifth child and we didn't love you as much as the older kids or you'll think we were in over our heads with five kids 9 and under or you'll think we were just tired or something.

None of those are true.

The real reason is because when I thought of how I'd like to celebrate the first anniversary of your birth visions of snuggling in bed with you popped into my head. Our little (big) family going to lunch together followed by tickling you on the family room floor seem fitting. And of course, making you a cake to smoosh all over your squishy cheeks and into your floppy, curly hair just seems to make sense.

Who needs all those paper plates and veggie trays and stamps for invitations? Not us.

I do think I'll pick up a few balloons for you after you wake up from your nap. Birthdays need balloons, I think.

Don't you, for even one second, think you're loved less or celebrated less or enjoyed even the slightest bit less than your older siblings. You are an amazingly special gift that I absolutely adore. A gift I want to squeeze and kiss on and gaze at all day long!

Happy birthday my little tornado-boy. I love you.

Passing It On

2012-10-04T10:57:00.002-04:00

"Mama, do you know where I got most of my knowledge? I got it from you! And now I'm passing it on by sharing it with Sunshine."

Watching Somersaults

2012-10-03T10:36:00.001-04:00

For me, going from two kids to three was tough.

And today? Today my transition from four to five is feeling a little rough.

I know. I know. He's almost 10 months old. But for some reason, I feel like I have lost my groove and no matter how many piles of library books, dirty dishes and dog hair I look under I just can't find it.

Maybe it's that we're really diving in to school work this year and my fourth and second graders are quite the pokey little puppies. My day is consumed with, "Focus!" and "Please just finish that paper you've been working on for the past three hours!" and "There is no way it has taken you 30 minutes to find a pencil. I know all the tricks, kid. Don't even try!"

So, yeah. My house is a disaster. My kids and their constant, one-right-after-the-other "Look at this!" and "No, you have to keep looking!" Well, it's grating on my nerves just the tiniest, itty-bitty bit.

I love them. They are so smart. Their genuine kindness and compassion knock me off my feet. I am constantly surprised by their imaginations and dream of who they will become and what they will do.

But today? Today they need their bottoms wiped, snacks made, pencils sharpened, stories heard, and somersaults watched.

I can do this.

So You're Thinking About Joining Classical Conversations...

2012-08-15T12:12:00.000-04:00

Do it!!!!!

Oh. Sorry about that. I'm just a little excited to possibly have you on our team. (Classical Conversations is a nationwide homeschooling community with groups all over the place. The groups meet once a week to go over a shared curriculum, eat lunch together and let the kids play and have a good time. It's wonderful.)

I've had a lot of people asking me about CC lately. So I thought I'd share some of their questions and my answers here. Sounds fun, right? OK, let's get started:

What is an average day of CC like?

The kids are split into classes by age and ability where tutors (a paid parent from the group) go over that week's memory work in history, science, English, Latin, math, and geography in fun ways like songs, rhymes and with motions.

For instance, if you ask my boys to tell you about Columbus, they'll sing, "In 1492, Columbus made the first of four trips to the Caribbean on three Spanish ships named the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria!" Or if you ask them what bones make up the axial skeleton, they'll tell you "cranium, vertebrae, ribs and sternum" while doing certain hand motions that help them to remember.

They also do an art lesson complete with making their own piece of art and a science lesson complete with a hands on experiment.

Moms sit in the back of the room, help when needed (passing out snack, cleaning up after art, etc.) and pick up ideas from the tutors about how to teach what is covered in class at home.

After all of that, we have lunch together, the kids play and the moms chat.

Latin??? AHHHHH!!!!!

Each week, your kids may memorize some basic vocabulary or learn a little bit of conjugation.
My tip: Don't worry about the Latin. Exposure is the main idea.

But I hear the kids have to make a presentation each week. That sounds tough!

a poster from my then-6-year-old's presentation

I'm not sure how other groups handle this, but ours give a list of questions/suggested topics to choose from each week to give some inspiration. And then the kids take the topic and run with it for a quick 2 minute presentation for their classmates and tutor. My youngest was 4 when he started CC and his presentations went a lot like this:

My favorite animal is a shark. Sharks have a lot of teeth and like to eat seals. Some types of sharks are hammerhead and the great white shark. Sharks breath with gills and some shark mommys eat their babies. This is the end of my presentation. Does anyone have any questions?

And my older boys did some fun things for their presentations like teaching their classmates how to fold a paper airplane, talking about their wrestling team, and explaining their family tree.
My tip: Let the kids pick their own topics. It's easier for them to present on something they are excited about.

Sounds like a lot of work. Is it?

If it was, I wouldn't do it. I'm too lazy.

You can go either way with it. You can take the information from CC and go nuts with crafts and lesson plans and field trips and lap books and charts that all correlate with it.

Or, you can be like me, and review your memory work for about a half hour each morning and get a few related books from the library.

You can work on presentations a little each day, polishing them up as the week goes along (that's what we do) or you can help your kids plan it on the car ride over to CC that morning. Whatever works for you.

The great thing about CC is that there is no homework, no mandatory testing, no punishment for having an off-week where you didn't review a single thing. It's totally up to you!
My tip: Start small and build as you go. Is the CC memory work enough for you? Good. No? Add a few other activities one at a time until things feel right.

I can't end this without mentioning my absolute favorite part of CC: the community! I love the moms (and dads!) and my kids have made some really wonderful friends.

I hope this helps anyone curious about Classical Conversations. And if you have any questions, I'd love to answer them for you!

You May Not Like This, And That's OK

2012-07-26T13:51:00.003-04:00

I haven't watched the news for a long time. Why? Because it makes me upset. I try to steer clear of most headlines on the old interwebs, too, unless it involves a puppy or baby turtles or Saved By The Bell. Those things make me smile.

But there have been some things that are so all over the place and in your face lately that they just couldn't be avoided. And I feel the need to share my point of view on them. See, right there? Where I said "my point of view"? That's because what I am going to share is my opinion. It might be different from yours. But that's the beauty of it all. We can all think what we want and no one should be forced to agree with anything that they don't.

Let's start with gay marriage, shall we. I'm Catholic. My faith, my Church, the basis for who I am says this is wrong. And I'm 100% on board with that. Do I hate anyone for being attracted to someone of their same gender? Of course not! My job, also according to my faith, is to love everyone.This applies to those who share my opinion as well as those who do not.

Now, let's move on to the call for stricter gun laws or, in some cases, complete gun ban outside of military and police that has gained steam since the recent Colorado mass-shooting. It really is simple. Guns are just things, the same as a knife or machete or crossbow. Yes, it is intensely infuriating when someone uses a gun to take innocent lives. But it also intensely satisfying when someone uses a gun to save innocent lives. And the fact is police do save lives with guns. But so do ordinary citizens. And police are often at least a few minutes away, and bad guys don't wait for a fair fight. I have been relieved on many occasions to not have to wait on help to arrive.

And now the final topic of the day, contraception and abortion. Let's swing on back to the Catholic Church, shall we? My Church, my faith, tell me that both are wrong. You see, life begins when the sperm enters the egg. Then that tiny life nestles itself into the uterine wall lining. Hormonal contraception (the pill, IUDs, etc.) prevent the uterus from making that lining for the fertilized egg (itty-bitty-tiny-baby) to tuck itself into. Thus, it it simply passed from the body in which it was intended to grow. This is why contraceptives in this form are called abortifacients.

And you can probably figure out from the previous paragraph why I think abortion is wrong, as well.

I know, I know. Your body, your choice. It's just that since I think of that little fetus as a defenseless baby, I worry about it from the very beginning. Just think of how upset and willing to act people become when they see an infant left in a hot car. I get that same feeling when I think of babies in peril from abortion.

Now I am not perfect. I am so far from it. So, so far. I'm judgmental, impatient, lazy, wasteful and so many other no-no's. But I am trying to do what I think God wants me to do, to be who He wants me to be and to share His commands even when I may not be well received.

I guess what I am trying to say overall is that we are allowed to have differing opinions. And we should be able to share them, hold them dear and teach them to our children without fear. So support what you will, just don't be evil to those who have a differing view. Don't expect everyone to believe the same things you do just because you see them as right.

Live and let live. And, above all else, love.

*Comments will be closely moderated on this post. Be nice, no matter what side of the fence you are on, or your comment will be deleted.

Before They Fade

2012-07-19T11:47:00.001-04:00

Oh, hello there.

I was nursing my fat little ball of 7 month old baby last night and thinking about how much I adore him. And I want him to know that. So I'm writing it down here.

Do you hear me, 5th child? I love you so much. I love the tiny cleft in your chin and the extra fat roll that it rests on, I love your tiny toes that look like little peach colored peas lined up at the end of your foot, I love your crazy hair that looks like you stuck your finger in an electrical socket. Every last thing about you, each tiny detail, I adore them all. Every last one.

How in the world this baby teetering on the line exactly between seven and eight months old truly baffles me. It's such a cliche, but time really does fly.

I remember when Sunshine was about the same age and making sure I wrote things down because I just knew she'd off and grow up on me. Oh, and has she! Her sweet baby curls now swish across the middle of her back, and much further when they're being washed. She doesn't like having her hair washed in the least. I'm waiting on the day neighbors call the authorities and insist she be removed from our home because surely she is being tortured, what with all the screaming and crying they hear at least 3 times a week.

A few more things I need to write somewhere because I'm scared they'll find some way to slip out of my mind over time:

Sunshine wants "booeys" so she can feed her babies.
She wears her blue dress with the ruffles across the chest because it has "booeys".
She does her make-up when I do mine. Her "make-up" is an empty compact and a brush. She keeps them in my make-up drawer.
She calls her baby brother "my son" and says she wants to put him in her belly.

And that baby brother? He so loves his big brothers and sister that he is officially cruising along anything he can get a hold of in an effort to run around with them.

I got a bee in my bonnet a few weeks ago about just wanting to go to a movie with Mr. Ordinary. He didn't think the baby was quite up to being left for that long just yet. And he was right. But wah, wah, wah, blah, blah, blah....

I keep telling myself that they'll all be grown and off doing amazing things before I know it.

I dread that day and dream of it all at the same time.

May Your Garlic Be Pungent

2012-06-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, Mr. Ordinary is from Albania.

And as you may or may not know, we love to laugh together. And the fact that he's from Albania is totally fair game around here.

Some people make it easy. They ask him questions like, "Have you heard of Taco Bell?" He got this one after having already lived in the States for a few years.

When we were but a wee tiny dating couple all those years ago, he bought, spit-shined and shipped me a pair of jump boots. I was headed to my "two weeks a summer" part of being a Reservist and couldn't find any jump boots to buy. You see, jump boots are cute. There are only so many ways a lady-soldier can cute up herself while in uniform.

Hmm, should I do a bun with my hair straight back or with a little side-part? and Do I go for the government issued green socks or government issued black socks today? Not much wiggle room, you see.

Anyway, so he sent me the shiny boots that he had easy access to, being at an Airborne heavy base where they actually jump out of planes in their jump boots and don't just wear them for looks like silly 18-year-old Reserve girls in Indiana.

All this to say my dad asked me, "So, in Albania, does sending someone a pair of boots mean you're married now?" My dad's so silly. I get a lot of it from him.

So Mr. Ordinary and I were talking the other night and I was asking him what some phrases I hear him say a lot mean in English. One was an untranslatable way to say something along the lines of "Enjoy that new thing you have!"

This gave me an idea. I told him we could take advantage of other people's ignorance and tell them it means something like, May your sheep be fluffy! or May your eggplant be firm! or (my personal favorite) May your garlic be pungent!

You know you'd believe me.

My Even Weirder Neighbors

2012-06-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

So I told you about my conspiracy-theory, staring-in-the-dark, dressed in black neighbors at our old house.

After finally moving, we hit the jackpot with our current neighbors. We've got sweet little girls who love to babysit, older boys to play basketball and ride bikes with our little guys, sweet adults to chat with and borrow the occasional tool from. And who wouldn't want to live by this great family?

But there is one house that is just doing their darnedest to fulfill the neighborhood quota of crazy for all of us.

I'm thinking there must be some kind of contest going on that only they know about. And apparently that contest is "How Much Crap Can You Squeeze Into Your Yard?" Lord knows they've already won the "Turn Your Garage Into a VIP Strip Club Room!" competition, what with the red painted walls, red leather couches, glass & brass shelving, 5 foot mermaid statue, and circa-1990 big screen TV. This, of course, leaves no room in their 3-car garage for any of their 4 cars. So they get tetris-y and somehow squeeze them into their tiny driveway instead.

It's awesome.

But back to the How Much Crap Can You Squeeze Into Your Yard competition...

Their skill in this area is nothing short of amazing because their front yard is only about 15 feet deep from the sidewalk to the front door. Yet they have managed to squeeze so much classiness in that tiny space!

They've got the six foot black, three layer fountain smack dab in the middle, two sets of stick-in-the-ground solar lights lining the sidewalk and their tiny driveway, a plethora of garden statues all over the gash dang place, one of them there fancy gazing balls and a few decorative garden flags hanging from their microscopic porch. It's just so... charming.

Let's move along to the backyard, shall we? They've got wicker chairs, a chimnia, an infinite number of stepping stones and two tables with a combined seating capacity of 10!

But wouldn't you know it, that wasn't enough. This weekend they added 3 cement tables with connected benches. Seating capacity now 22. Nothing screams classy like turning your backyard into a public park picnic area!

The backyards on our block are a tiny bit prominent because they back up to our neighborhood pond and are all visible from a major road. It's so nice of these great neighbors to share this stunning view with everyone who passes by.

Awesome.

Pineapple Tidbits*

2012-06-22T14:51:00.001-04:00

Mr. Ordinary and I just had our 10th wedding anniversary a little while back. Yay us!
My oldest just turned 9! I know! How can that be possible when I was only 20 when he was born? Oh, because I'm 29, you say? Hmm, makes sense I guess.
Threw the kids out on the deck with some bubbles and stick-n-yarn bow and arrows this morning. Crossed my fingers that they'd play and not beg to come inside for at least an hour. It worked!
My baby is getting teeth and sitting up. I'm pretty sure I'm OK with this.
Sunshine is doing her business in the proper place. I am definitely sure that I am 100% A-OK with this.
I ate a clove of raw garlic with my lunch. My breath is insane right now, but it was mighty tasty.
I've lost 18 pounds since the beginning of the year. Feel pretty good about that.
I figured out why the pond by my house kind of, sort of smells like the ocean. Nope, it wasn't in my head. It was a huge fish some cat or other creature has dragged up by our deck and dined on. Mr. Ordinary will be taking care of that when he gets home.
Shhhhhhhh! means absolutely nothing to my children, no matter how much saliva I manage to enthusiastically spray across the room. However, Do you need a nap? strikes a cord every time.

*The lunch menu at my grade school always called them pineapple tidbits. Not chunks or pieces or cubes or bites. Tidbits. Not sure why that's burned into my memory, but it is.

Today is Me

2012-06-14T11:54:00.002-04:00

I'm wearing my favorite skirt today. It's pink and flowy and makes my make-up-less face and messy hair knot seem like they're that way on purpose.

I sat on a blanket in the yard with my jiggly baby boy for a good hour this morning. We were both fascinated with the leafy branches blowing in the breeze.

The big kids rode bikes and played basketball and made birds nests out of piles of twigs and leaves. And ended up covered in dirt.

When I'm an old lady, achy and stiff with age, I want to remember days like this. I want my kids to read this at my funeral and picture today when they close their eyes and think of me.

Full

2012-06-11T10:03:00.000-04:00

Oh, you guys! I feel good. I feel so goooood! Vacation'll do that to you.

I can always tell it's almost time for vacation because little old me runs out of gas. I get cranky and grumpy and whiny and frustrated. Apparently my full tank keeps me going for about 50-51 weeks.

I just got a fill-up.

We spent last week in Panama City Beach getting sand between our toes and behind our ears and in our hair. We built sand castles and jumped in crazy-huge waves and sat under a purple and yellow and blue and green umbrella and breathed in the salty air. The length of the pool was conquered with a first swim, the palette of a two year old was expanded with a new found love of scallops, and the seed of stardom was planted when a certain seven year old was invited onstage during a magic show.

I brought home the paper plates and cups because not doing dishes for a few more days stretches vacation a little longer. Heck, I brought home the hotel room water cups, coffee cups, coffee, and tea, too. The impulse buy beach chairs and umbrellas are making themselves at home on our deck. And if I sit in them and close my eyes, our retention pond fountain sounds just like the ocean. Well, pretty close anyway.

So what was it like vacationing with five little kids? Well, Sunshine did just kinda walk right into the deep end of the pool on our first day. I was far enough away that Mr. O, who was holding the baby at the time, had to quickly lay our 6 month old down on the stone pool deck so he could jump in and get her. And our crazy 5 year old was always forgetting who he was supposed to go with when I went one way with some kids and Mr. O went the other way with the rest. Good news is we always found him and somehow or another, he actually made it home with us.

One week wasn't enough. It never is. I really wish we were still there right now. And we always talk about how we need to go more than once a year, that Mr. Ordinary and I should slip away some weekend in the fall for a quick trip there alone. It hasn't happened yet. But who knows, this might be the year.

I sure hope it is.