Year's End

It's the end of the school year. It's been full of field trips, and loads of extra fun things.

Field trip to release salmon fry. 

This is good because the end of the school can be hard to get through. I'm tired and have lost my sparkly enthusiasm of the beginning of the year.

Lunches at the end of the year become a stale boring chore. I adore my BIL and his childhood story of his dad packing a can of tuna and a can opener in his school lunch. I know I'm suppose to side with the BIL and feel outrage but really I relate to the dad....it must have been the end of the school year.

This year I bought some fun treats (junk food) to spruce up lunches and make lunch making more fun for the last few weeks. Nothing motivates my kids like a mini bag of Cheetos in their lunch box!

As for homework. Oh! It's so hard to muster up the energy for end of the year homework. I have slacked off on some of it, but make myself feel better by maintaining nightly reading time. It's all I've got.

I'm looking forward to lots of unscheduled hanging out time...beach days...and loads of snuggling.

Art Docent Moon Scene

Moon Scene:

The next lesson I did was a moon scene and tree. We learned about color value. We used tempura paint on black construction paper. The lesson begins with a white moon and then by adding small amount of blue the rings around the moon become darker. Next, purple is created by adding some red. Finally black is added and then just black is used out to the edge of the page. The tree is a bare winter tree and is painted on with the same black paint and a smaller brush.

They turned out beautiful!!

It was a fun...and messy project. Next time I'll have the kids cover their desks with newspaper first. But...then I would have missed the craziest cleanup...and a lot of fun.

The kids used shaving cream to clean the paint off the desks. Who knew?! It worked really well...and then they had a ball "shaving". What a fun group of kids!

Little Toes

I love this picture of Sis's toes. It took this pic last summer and I think of it often. It's so precious to me. It makes me think of her soft little baby feet and how she loved to jump on my lap. She sleeps in a crazy bunched up position...something different every night. I never know what I'll find when I go check on her before I go to sleep. Right now she likes to sleep with her head and the foot of the bed. She likes one blanket under her and one on top of her. She will have various dolls and/or toys in bed with her too. Last week I came in and found the entire Barbie Camper on her bed. She is growing so fast....it's bittersweet. I miss the little baby that was so round and soft and snuggly. I love my tall thin busy girl just the same. She is changing so fast but she will always be my baby girl. 

Works For Me

I will be regularly sharing something that Works For Me. I love to organize and I thought I'd share with all of you ways that I keep our lives/house/car/schedules/accessories/junk in order...or at least try to.

When school started back up I began using this little white board to detail the afternoon. It really helps me have things ready when the boys get off the bus. They come home hungry (are kids ever not hungry?) and need a snack while doing homework. And...It helps me to have a dinner plan. Ever have one of those nights when it's time to eat and everything is still frozen. Uh-huh.

It is great for the kids too. Mr.P and Busy Guy come in and look at the board. I change it up a bit each day....different colors, new greetings, I might tell them to hug a sibling instead or do both. It has really eliminated everyone wanting a different snack. I rarely have to use my stand-by phrase of, "I'm not wearing a name tag that says Flo and this is NOT a restaurant!". :)

Also, the standard, "what's for dinner" question is already answered. Now when they ask I just point to the board.

Works for me!

What tips do you have for keeping the after school time organized?

 

 

 

Other sources

In addition to books there are other sources where I look for parenting tips. For starters I use my faith, my church, and the Bible to guide me. Christ is wonderful example of how I should parent. Although He was not a parent His actions and words are wonderful examples and tools for me to use with my children.

I also observe other parents with their children. Over the years when I meet children that are happy and well behaved I take note to observe how their parents interact with them. I have picked up many ideas from watching and listening....and even asking questions from other parents I admire. Our childrens' Godmother Helen has raised four girls. When Tuba was little I used to watch Helen parenting her kids in church. I loved it when one of her kids would act up and she would have to take them out of church. She would leave with a smile on her face and a calm demeanor. It was especially entertaining when the child in trouble would have the biggest frown. Ha! I also observed how she would bend over and whisper in her child's ear to correct behavior. It always worked and was a quiet and calm and private way to deal with a mis-behavior. She also gave me some great advice once. She told me that sometimes when her toddlers would mis-behave (for attention) she would close her eyes. I started doing this when Tuba was little and it worked so well. Oh, nobody is watching me be naughty so I guess I'll stop!

Another good friend of mine, Joy, who has three girls and one boy is a wonderful source of parenting tips. She has been writing articles for our parish newsletter. I really loved this one. It made me think about what Cam and I could do differently at home. We are the examples for our children.

A few years ago the drama department at Stanwood High School produced “Godspell.” You may not be a fan of that musical, but I love it and try to see it whenever I can. “Godspell” loosely portrays the Gospel of St. Matthew…it’s from the ‘70’s, so use your imagination! J I love the musical because it shows so clearly how the words and actions of our Lord turned the world upside down. There was a new way of living and acting in this world, and the standards were different no matter who you were dealing with…family, enemies, friends, slaves, etc. Jesus talked about it all. It makes me think about how we, as Christians, parent.

Back to my message from last month, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” You can teach this to your children, and their neighbor should start with their Mom and Dad and with their siblings. If children are not showing love, kindness, respect at home, they are not being Christians…Christ-followers. Share with them opportunities to be helpful and kind. Teach them to SHOW their love! “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

Young children are “Me” centered. This is natural. But, they can be taught to be “Other” oriented. When Dad or Mom greet each other at the end of the day, when they come together after being apart all day long, they can take a minute to touch base with each other. The children can be taught that this is “Mom and Dad’s time,” and that they shouldn’t interrupt. They can be close by, and even part of the exchange, but the focus is on the Mom and Dad and their relationship. This can be just a few quick minutes, but it is a positive time that is not centered on the kids and helps the children begin to see that the world does not revolve around him/her. It is a start. (This quick “touch base” time can be a life-saver for a marriage too. Especially a marriage that involves young children! This exchange should be positive and up-lifting. What a great way to start an evening together! )

Another way children can be taught to SHOW their love is that siblings can be taught to look out for each other. If the kids are outside playing and someone gets hurt, the brothers and sisters should stop and make sure that child is okay, OR run and get Mom or Dad if needed. This is not natural for young children. The parent can teach them that those siblings are the most important people in their lives.

Speaking kindly and with respect is another way to SHOW our love toward each other within a family unit. If a family speaks kindly at home, it will be easier for them to do so outside of home. Everyone, within a family unit, should be speaking kindly and respectfully at home. Children, especially, can be taught to reply to a sibling in a respectful tone of voice and this is more easily done if Mom and Dad are speaking with respect toward each other.

This is how Jesus Christ wants us to live--in harmony and love. The words and actions of our Lord were outrageous for the people hearing them. Our lives should be outrageous, too. We should be living lives that are so different from the world that those around us…our neighbors…know we are Christ-followers. We can demonstrate that others are to be cherished and supported. Please take time this Advent Season to show your spouse, children, and neighbors the love of Christ.

Travel Tips and Tribulations

So what's left? How do we manage in an airport, on a plane, or in a restaurant.

1. Airport - I pack way ahead. I pack each child a backpack with snacks (and I put some special snacks in my bag for emergency fussiness. It's amazing what a fruit snack can do!), toys, books. Each person has a coat, backpack and suitcase to be in charge of. Well, the wee ones don't have a suitcase to roll because they are strapped into a stroller....sometimes not so happily. When we get to the airport we count suitcases, count backpacks, count kids. Once out of the car and into the airport we go in a line straight to get our bags checked. The last trip we checked two bags (it's too expensive now or I'd check it all). Then we re-group and head for security. Cam and I literally have a pow-wow. We look at each other, say out loud, "this is going to be crazy but we have plenty of time, don't panic, don't rush, and remind the security people that Tuba has special needs". We smile and are very friendly to everyone. It helps! One of us goes in the front and one goes in the back. Each of the big boys rolls a suitcase (even when they don't want to...and especially when they lay down on the airport floor and have a fit about rolling the suitcase....Busy Guy!!). To go through security you have to take off shoes, coats, backpacks, etc. We warn the kids ahead of time. When it's time I hand them a bin and they start putting the things in the bins. I place the bins on conveyor. Once they are ready Cam folds up the stroller (it has to go on the scanner belt too) and then he goes through the metal detector. Then each kid goes through. I go last and then we re-assemble everyone and move on in our formation. One parent leads followed by kids and then one parent in the rear. At the gate we sit and get situated. Then we eat, get drinks, go potty and hang out. Once the plane announces that we can board we pick up, put on coats, backpacks, get assigned bags to each person, get into formation, count things and get on.

Here's an old one from our trip to Disney in 2007. My how they've grown!

2. Plane - We've been on a plane once with just Tuba, once with each baby coming home from Ethiopia, once with three kids when we went to Disney in 2007, and twice now with the whole brood. I can say it's much easier with one. ;)

On the plane we do divide and conquer. It's our special term. :) We decide who sits closest to each parent and who we are in charge of. Usually Cam takes Baby George and the middle boys. Well, the middle boys are the best! NO trouble on the plane. They watch a movie, eat snacks and never utter a word except, "can we have pop?". I take Sis and Tuba. In case of an emergency I always tell a flight attendant that Tuba has special needs and that we have 5 kids who will need help getting off the plane. The plane ride went really well on our last trip. Think short flight. Also, the flight going is always better than the return...more on that at the end. When we land and it's time to get off we wait until everyone else is off the plane and we get off last. We get on coats, backpacks, get out suitcases, count and then file out. We usually get a dirty look from the cleaning crew standing there waiting to get on and clean. Note: in case you always thought that a plane is cleaned really well between trip....ummm, NO. It's a 10 min. quick job to clear the garbage and straighten up. If you want it clean you better come with disinfectant wipes and get cleaning.

Speaking of dirty looks. I'd love to video tape people's reaction when we get onto a plane or come in a restaurant. It's hilarious. I can see people using their praying powers to ensure we do not sit by them....heads shaking, brows sweating, eyes looking up to heaven. The sigh of relief when we pass them by. HA! But, we have had so many people come up and tell us how great our kids are. Sometimes these people admit they were surprised by how good and quiet they were. Thank you to those people!

3. Restaurant - This is a hard one. We love to eat out. We love good food. It's hard to find a place to go to with good food that is fairly quick and where the kids can be quiet enough but still have fun. We have made some very bad mistakes....ie: getting dressed up and going out for expensive dinner to celebrate. It's not fun to shush kids constantly when you are supposed to be having fun. Plus, I don't like to spend a ton of money and have the dinner last about 20 minutes. That's about how long it takes kids to eat and play quietly and then be DONE. So, we try to make smarter choices when going out. Pizza and family friendly (loud) are both good choices. We have lots of great places to choose from in our area. We especially like Spiros Pizza in Mukilteo...great food and free blowpops for dessert. We do have rules for eating out. Everyone stays in their seat. I can't stand it when kids run around a restaurant!! We usually color for entertainment and Cam can spin a mean knife (butter) or wedding ring. :)

One thing Cam and I use that helps us keep track of everyone is called, "eyes on". When we are all together and one of us adults is going to walk away with or without one of the kids we say to the other adult, "I'm going "blank" and you have eyes on "fill in number of kids". So at the pool when I would take Sis potty I'd say to Cam, "I'm going to the bathroom and you have eyes on 4". It keeps us on the same page and keeps the kids safe.

***Disclaimer: The going trip is always much better, nicer, calmer and easier than the return trip. I don't quite know why? Perhaps it's because we are tired from vacation? I can tell you that the return trip from Hawaii was SO bad that we vowed to never fly with our kids again....EVER! First off the TSA agent at the airport was a crazy nut job! Will I be banned from flying for saying that??? While going through the metal detector Tuba kept reaching his hand up and touching the side of the door. This caused it to beep. Tuba was sent back and had to try again, and again, and again. Tuba started to melt down, cry, hit himself, hit me. I was getting flustered as Cam had already gone through with all the kids and I could not see him. The TSA guy was not interested in the fact that Tuba has special needs nor the fact that he couldn't help touching the side. Our giant MAW buttons weren't helping either. I asked if they could push him through in a wheelchair, I asked if I could walk through with him, both were a big NO. So as I was being bit and spit on by Tuba I was getting flustered at the guy. Then the TSA guy tells me, "Lady, if I'm gonna have a problem with you then I'll have to take you the back room". Seriously!! My next thought was that I was going to be strip searched by this TSA nut job. YIKES! I lost my composure and bellowed loudly for cam, "CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM". Suddenly Cam appeared where I could see him so I then yelled that I couldn't get Tuba to walk through. We tried once more and Tuba did it. Thank the Lord because I can tell you that I would have been arrested before I went into a back room with that guy. Cam once told me (another story for later), "Becky, you act like a big giant person but you're actually pretty tiny". Believe me I'm a BIG person when I need to be!

So after that ordeal we had a couple of hours to burn before getting on the plane. The kids were wild and loud and awful. I was crabby and tired and awful. Tuba was terrible. While boarding the plane he refused to move down the aisle. While trying to get him moving he bit my hand and then spit in my face. It was so humiliating. I started to tear up. A kind woman sitting near me reached up and rubbed my arm. The flight was worse...2 hours of horrendous turbulence (the worst the flight crew had ever experienced), flight crew buckled so no drinks, no snacks. Sis and Baby George were hungry, tired and crabby. They had to be buckled due to the turbulence and they did NOT like it. They both screamed for 2 hours straight. Sis pinched me until my arm was black and blue. She wanted her seat belt off and I had to hold the clamp closed. She screamed and bucked and kicked the seat in front of her...for two hours...until she then threw up on me.
The turbulence was bad, scary bad. I was scared with all the bumbs and jumps. All of this made the flight even worse. At one point I thought to myself, "the plane is going to crash into the ocean and I'm glad. It will all be over with". I'm sure if the other people on the plane could have gotten away with it they would have thrown us out the air lock!

I do believe that these photos showcase exactly why we had trouble in the AZ airport. I blame Cam. ;)

You may wonder why we would ever do it again...I can tell you Cam is with you! But the flight to and from our last trip was way shorter and much better. The worst of the return trip form AZ was at the airport waiting to board. The kids were wild and tired and wild. They had had too much junk food on vacation for sure. They were sharing a pop after having pizza. The last pop was being passed around and my sweet lovely wee ones were shouting top volume, "IIIIIII WAAAANT POPPPPPPPPPPP!". So embarassing!! I never let the kids have pop except on vacation and the occasional dinner out. Soon the pop was in a tug of war and it got spilled on the carpet. Next thing I know Sis and Baby George were down on the floor licking the carpet....Ewwwww! My eye was in full twitching mode. Next Sis was licking the glass back and forth...slobber oozing down the glass. Mr. P and Busy Guy were fighting over a coloring book and soon it was in shreds...along with my nerves. Getting gathered and in line was awful but once on the plane it went really well. Thank goodness or I'd never get Cam to fly with the kids again...ever.

So, in my very long winded fashion that's how we manage the tribe on trips out. Sometimes we do it well and sometimes....we have lots of room for improvement.

The Car

First let me say that a picture does NOT say a thousand words! The photo of my babes sitting on the wall is oh so deceptive. They look calm and kind and nice...but, they were wiggly. Sis kept getting down and I'd put her back up. Tuba kept putting his hand in his sibling's faces because it bugs them....and gets them to scream. Lovely.

Now, on to The Car. Let the doom music begin. If there is one area I wish I could make vast improvements on it would be riding in the car. Ugh! The madness begins even before we are in the car. First everyone needs to be ready to go. You know...dressed, shoes on, coats on, back-packs ready, things remembered and finally buckled. It makes me shudder just to think about it. I can tell you my worst parenting moments occur during this time of day. Not pretty!

I try to organize it so getting in the car goes smoothly. But, usually it's chaos...that thing I want to avoid. The good thing is we have an attached garage. This has been a life saver. About 15 minutes before we have to leave I begin sending the kids to get shoes on, coat on and get in car. I join them and help where I'm needed and oversee. Each kid has an assigned place in the car. Middle row is Busy Guy and one of the wee ones (they take turns), back row is Mr. P, the other wee one and Tuba (unless Cam isn't with us then Tuba is in the front seat with me). The wee ones used to ride next to each other but...NO MORE! They are brutal to each other in the car. Hitting, kicking, biting, teasing, repeat! To the big boys' defense. They are usually very good in the car. Most of the problems are caused by little ones instigating...and occasionally Tuba bugging.

Mr. P and Busy Guy can (which doesn't mean will) do their shoes, coat and buckle. Sis can do it all but usually refuses a coat (I do her coat and threaten to put a pin in the top if she takes it off). Baby George can get in and wait. So I usually put his shoes and coat on in the car. Then begins the battle over buckling. Both toddlers want to "me do it" but can't buckle the whole thing themselves. AND, often they pull a power struggle by saying, "me do it" and then refusing to do it. I calmly (with my eye twitching) tell them the choice is they buckle right now or I will do it. Half the time one of them will refuse and so I will buckle it. Then we get to endure 15 minutes of blood curdling screaming, "I DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IT!!!!". Tuba needs me to do his shoes and coat but he will get in and wait to be buckled. Occasionally Mr. P and Busy Guy get really helpful and put on Tuba's shoes or buckle one of the wee ones. :) :) :)

I can not think let alone drive when there is too much noise in the car. So, when it gets out of control I about short circuit. In the last two years our van has become very full and very loud. In the last two years I have pulled the van over and given kids time outs on the sidewalk (many times), I have pulled the van over and moved children (many times)...including the car seats, and twice I have had to exit the freeway....in the same day. Ummmhmmmm. On the days and times when it goes smoothly I make a HUGE deal out of it. I give tons of praise and high fives all around. I also use the teacher trick, "oh, everyone look how well (insert name) got into the car today. Yeah for them!!". At one point I also used a little index card for each child and would give a sticker for getting in all ready. Stickers added up to extra TV or game time.

On the bad days after getting everyone in and starting off for school I feel bad about all the yelling and chaos. I will tell the kids "let's have a start over". We all admit to our bad behavior and move forward, vowing to do better the next day. Another nice thing we do in the car is say the Lord's Prayer together. Especially on those hard days it turns things around. We look for things in nature that we appreciate and thank God for them too. Sometimes I offer a piece of gum or a cracker (total bribe) to those who get in ready to go with no problems. Don't forget on school days we do this in and out of the car thing many times (leave home, drop of Busy Guy out and back in, drop of Mr. P out and in, go to gym out and in, pick-up Busy Guy out and home, then later in and pick up Mr. P, out and in, home). Thank goodness Tuba rides the bus to school. :)

That is a lot of parking lots. The bad news is that the wee ones will NOT ride in the nanny (stroller) any more. Boo-hoo. I've tried and it's harder to bend them into the seat and buckle them than it is to just let them walk. I force them to hold my hand. Baby George does not want to and he yells and fights it. But, I make him. It's the rule. :) Sometimes this makes him so mad that getting back into the car is a real problem. {Sigh} I try to think this phase will be short lived and I will just have to endure it. Just nod along and tell me I'm right. Okay. They do love their new independence and are walking on the sidewalk nicely and love running through all the new puddles this fall.

That's the every day car thing. Long car trip can be just as bad except only longer. Bahahahaha. Actually, most of the long trips are with Cam and that helps. There is of course the portable DVD player and lots of snacks and stops too.

Now, here's how today went. When I called for eveyone to go do shoes, coats and car Mr. P claims he didn't hear me and I found him playing bowling. Hmmmmm.

Sis did the whole thing herself even the buckle. Yeah Sis!! Got to love an independent kid!!
Busy Guy was buckled but had no coat on (this is a daily battle with him). And, he didn't have his backpack or his costume for show and tell. He had to get out and start again...which made us a bit late. He was mad about the coat wearing thing and wouldn't look at the camera. ;)

I did Baby George's coat and he got in and waited for me to bring his shoes. The flashlight...something he found on his way to the van. I buckled the bottom and he did the top. Good day.

Now, the day is only part way over but so far not too bad. Say some prayers that the rest of the day in the car goes just as well.

***Disclaimer: I do a lot of driving and in and out of the car by my own choice. I don't want Mr. P to ride the bus and Busy Guy goes to pre-school. I actually enjoy the driving thing. I get out of the house and talk to teachers and other parents. If I didn't drive kids to school I may very well never get dressed or leave the house...and that would NOT be good for me. Picture a slobby depressed wreck in pj's and slippers with a messy ponytail and melted chocolate on her face. I need to get out every day, get fresh air and talk to big people. Even with all the chaos of getting in and out of the car I know it will be short lived and will improve over time. Some day I will just say the word and I will have 5 big kids who jump up, get ready and get in the car. :) Don't laugh...I can believe it to be true. :) The other good part of the car is I do get to talk to the kids (when it's not too loud). I have a captive audience and have had many good conversations while driving. The kids tell me about their day before we get home.

The Manager

Okay, so I really didn't know what to write about. I think I have 4 readers who are left reading my blog...and I'm related to 3 of them. :o I do appreciate the suggestions!! I will catch up on what each of us is up to...per Cinn and Grandma Sue's request. But, first I'll write about what Erika suggested. Here's what she left in the comments.

I would like to read about how you manage the everyday things with 5 kids. Like just going to the store or even driving. I am in complete awe, as I can barely manage the 2 that I have. How did you do it in the airport? On the plane? In a restaurant?

Here is one example of managing with the kids. Cam was doing his triathlon and I had the kids in downtown Portland. The street was busy with bikes flying down the road. I had my "nanny"...the double stroller (life saver) but the kids were yelling (screaming and crying) and wanted out. I found a ledge seat for them to sit and watch. I told them they could be in the stroller or on the ledge. It worked for a bit and then when they got down I buckled them back in the stroller.

I hear this comment a lot, "Wow, I don't know how you do it". I think it's usually meant as a compliment. It's rare that families have so many kids these days. We are considered a big family. Check out some of the blogs on my sidebar list to really see what a big family is. The moms of these truly big families can read along here and just chuckle. ;) Not only do we have a somewhat big family but our kids are REALLY close in age. Well, the last 3 are close in age. We added 3 kids in two years. Baby George and Sis are 6 mos. apart and Busy Guy is 21 mos. older than Sis. Sometimes after I hear "I don't know how you do it", I see a bewildered look in the person's eye. I sense they are thinking something more like, "I'm glad it's not me"....or "You are nuts lady". Ha!

Often what I'm thinking as a reply is "I do it well some days and not so well other days!". That's the truth. Yes, we chose this big close in age family but some days are hard and some days I don't do it so well. But, I do love it and I do work to make it fun and manageable.

Okay, here goes...

How do I manage with 5 kids? Well, I just covered some of that. It's busy and it's stressful and mostly it's loud and chaotic....and fun too. I don't really like chaos. Actually I had a therapist (yes, I've been to therapy and highly recommend it) tell me that I don't really hate chaos or I never would have become a teacher or a mother to 5 children. ;) So, I guess I don't hate chaos but I definitely function better in an orderly environment. I make order of the chaos well. I'm super structured. I don't like change and especially don't like anyone messing with my calendar. Seriously! Don't change anything that I will have to re-do on my calendar....And DO NOT write on my calendar!! I know, not very flexible. Well, I'm working on it...go with the flow...bend like grass in the wind.

Speaking of calendar. That is one way I keep organized. I have this fabulous calendar. I have cork board on both sides so I can pin up other things having to do with our schedule. Each month I put up the new calendar. I have red marks where Cam is working. The kids love this.....they can look and see when he will be gone. I put in all the school things, soccer games, doctor visits, b-days, anything and everything. It's my life line. It hangs in my kitchen and I spend much of the day glancing at it. I think after 16 years Cam finally knows to check the calendar before committing to something...I think.

I spend a lot of time planning the upcoming schedule. I spend the year thinking and planning so the following school year will work. From school schedules (pre-school/grade school/high school) to sports/activities I have to make sure it all flows. I spend a lot of time driving my kids to school and picking up and it has to work for me...so I plan it out. I like to know on a regular basis what hours or times I'm available for appointments. This year is going great and I've already starting thinking what next year will look like....morning or afternoon pre-school for the wee ones?...morning or afternoon K for Busy Guy?...in combination with the other two boys school schedules and the gym, errands, appointments and Cam's schedule too.

One of the things that has changed the most since adding our last two kids is doing things spur of the moment. I used to run to the store on a whim to make some dinner that I was craving. Not any more. Now, I do my shopping online at Safeway.com. Life saver!!!! There is NO WAY I can take the tribe to the store. Not fun!! I do shop also at Costco but I try to go when Cam is home or when I have just a couple kids with me. I go in with my list, kids buckled in the seats and/walking along side me, and I get in and get out quick....with a few snack samples to keep everyone happy. :) If it's not in the house it's not for dinner. I try to take meat out to defrost early in the day...or the day before. But, sometimes my dinner planning runs late and I have to go with what I've got. Same goes for shopping for other things. I plan WAY ahead, shop online or go out when Cam is home. I do occasionally take all the kids shopping. I can handle Target. I get one of those huge carts, buckle two into the seats facing the cart and one into the cart seat. The other two have to walk alongside the cart. I buy popcorn and a lemonade as incentive to be good. This has back fired on me a few times....spilled food, hitting/crying kids (crying mom), and a regretful drive home. Sometimes it goes well....but I don't do it often.

I love any place with a drive-thru! Cam thinks they are so wasteful (gas and laziness) but he's not the one with all the kids all day. I say God Bless Walgreen's drive-thru, Starbucks drive-thru, and PLEASE could the post office get one too!! Actually, I weigh my packages at home, pay the postage online and have the mailman pick them up for me. God Bless the Internet!!

Well, aren't I long winded?! I'll do more later....I have lots to say about the car. Oooooh!

Boys and Girls

It's so much fun to have boys AND a girl. I had only sisters and although I did have boy cousins I don't remember playing any "boy" type games. I loved girly things...dolls, dress-up, and even my pretend world was girly...playing school (you know I was the teacher) and playing house...oh, yes I was the Mom. :)
It's been neat to see what games and toys each of my children enjoy. I love how Sis has been influenced by her brothers. She is often wielding a light saber while wearing high heels and a crown. A real step up from Princess Leia. The boys too have been influenced by the girl stuff in the house. They all fight over the baby stroller...although I think it's cause it has wheels and they like to rip around the house as fast as possible with it.
On this warm sunny day the boys wanted to try out their new squirt guns. They decided that they should take off their shirts. Of course Sis wanted hers off too. She cried hysterical until I took it off of her. Usually she has no problem getting her clothes on or off but the shirt was stuck. At first I didn't want her to take it off...but seriously, she's two. So off it went. They had a great time shooting their guns. Oh, guns...hmmmm...that's another whole story. Although I did grow up playing Charlies Angels.

Get Away

Cam and I had our over night get-away. A much needed, much deserved, much overdue over night away. I gave Cam this trip for Valentine's Day. I thought the day would never get here. Yeah it finally did. And now boo-hoo it is gone. Well, we have the memories to keep us happy until the next time we can get away. This was only the second time since having children that we went away over night...alone!

We went to a fabulous Inn and Spa. Beautiful and peaceful. We left home at 3:00. My awesome MIL came to spend the night with the kids. I made dinner, laid out clothes and meds, wrote instructions and got everything ready for her. I know how much work 5 small kids are and I want her to do this again:) We checked in to a gorgeous room...King size bed covered in down comforter, bed cover and pillows....wood burning fireplace...soaking tub for two...and a view of the river. Nice!

We planned our itinerary carefully. We stayed at this same place 3 years ago. We made the mistake of having our massage first thing and then we were too tired to leave our room for dinner. So this time we had dinner first. We ate over looking the falls. Beautiful view. We were there on a weeknight and the place was empty. We had a yummy dinner and shared a bottle of delicious wine. Then we went back to our room and changed into our robes (provided by the hotel) and headed to the spa. Oh, yah, we did have our swim suits on under our robes. When we checked in the gal at the desk made sure to tell us that suits were required at the spa. After giving her a funny look she said that the hotel gets lots of European guests. Hmmmm...I bet she knows a few funny stories!

The spa is a Japanese style spa. We soaked in the hot mineral pool for about 30 minutes before our massages. Heavenly. The spa has a no talking policy so it is very quiet and peaceful. We both had great massages. Very relaxing. They do this wonderful thing putting steaming hot wash cloths on each area after it has been massaged. Oh, I loved it....especially on my face. After the massage I wished they would wheel me back to my room and dump me into my bed. We could barely walk we were so relaxed and tired. I begged Cam to build a fire. He did and we enjoyed it for about 10 minutes before we were asleep.

I of course woke up a million times...okay about 3 times...thinking of the kids and worrying if they were sleeping good for Grandma. Sis did her usual wake up and holler...3 times a night and wake up her brother in the process. Poor Grandma. The funniest thing is when they got up at 5:00 they laid in bed with her saying, "MY Grandma, NO! MY Grandma!". Too funny...sounds so familiar.

It was so nice to soak in the tub, and then get ready without any little people. I love my little people but they sure do interrupt my get ready time. Part of our package included a four course breakfast. This lodge is famous for their breakfast. We sat looking out the window at the falls with the beautiful sunshine lighting up the trees. We had a lovely leisurely time eating. The breakfast started with coffee. Yes! Served on a beautiful tray with dishes filled with shaved dark and white chocolate, vanilla whipped cream, sugar and a pitcher of half and half. How fun is that? I took full advantage of it. The first course was a basket of scones, muffins with butter and jam. Yum! I had already decided to pace myself and eat only a small bit of each course. The next course was pancakes with devonshire cream and fruit and yogurt on the side. Yum! Next course, oatmeal with butter and brown sugar. Yum! The final course was eggs, bacon, sausage and a wee bit of ham...oh, and potatoes. YUMMMMMMY. Needless to say we were very full. The best part was we had boxes and boxes of food to take home. The kids were thrilled. They mowed through it like locusts;)


After breakfast we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and the beautiful scenery and hiked down to the river. It was a 1/2 mile each direction....straight down and STRAIGHT up. The views were lovely...at least until I was sweating so hard and gasping for breathe that I couldn't see straight. Cam...aka Mr. ADHD who is in super duper good shape was like a billy goat going up the mountain. Annoying! He would run up ahead of me and then come back and then run up again. Sheeesh.

We were home by 1:00...so just short of 24 hours gone. It went by so quickly. I missed the kids and was excited to see them. We hired our dear Meg to sit the kids for the morning. She switched off with Grandma.

It was lovely and I can't wait to do it again. Love my hubby so much and it was so nice to share some quiet time with just him.

Wheedle

For Christmas Sis was given this book and a stuffed Wheedle by our kids' Godparents Rick and Helen. She LOVED it! Of course Baby George LOVED it too and soon they were chasing each other around yelling, "MY Wheedle!!!". Being the fabulous Godmother that Helen is she quickly went out and bought a second Wheedle! Well, the kids carry their Wheedles all around, sing songs to them and sleep with them every night. So sweet.

Binky

The only one of my kids to take a binky was Tuba. He loved it! I always swore I'd never let my baby have a pacifier. You know one of those statements you make about raising kids...before you have any kids. Well, Tuba was about 6 weeks old and I was severely sleep deprived. He wanted to nurse every hour...or really just wanted to nurse 24 hours a day. I couldn't take it anymore and at 3:00 am I was digging around trying to find a package of binkies that I'd been given at Tuba's baby shower (I don't remember who it was but thank you to the smart woman who gave them to me). Anyway, I ripped open the package...scrubbed the thing with soap and hot water...because this was my first baby and back then I still sterilized everything....and popped it into his mouth. Ahhhhh....heaven. My poor tired self...and boobies could have a rest. From that moment on he was hooked. We called it "best friend binky". He liked it best in his mouth upside down. We would switch it around and he would change it back. We had hundreds...okay, dozens of binkies. At night I'd put 4 of them in his crib so he could always find one. Even though we had so many it seemed we were always looking for one. You know the kind of frantic search you do on your hands and knees...under the couch, in the cushions, in the car, under the car seats, etc. It was the perfect thing to soothe Tuba and keep him quiet. He loved it until he was 4 and then gave it up over night...all on his own.

So of course when baby number two came along I had plenty of binkies to use. Hmmmm....But, this nice baby wouldn't have anything to do with one. And then came baby number three...didn't want the binky...baby four and five...same thing! No more binky lovers! Shoot!

We of course have lots of binkies around the house. Lots of different kinds, shapes and sizes. They are all just toys to these kids. The Toddlers...no longer can I call them The Babies...now like to suck on one for fun. They play with them in the bathtub and laugh as they steal each other's binky and plop it into their own mouth. The other day they were running around the house sucking on them. Pretty soon the big brothers got in on the action too and I had 4 kids sucking binkies...everyone except Tuba.

Mommy's Girl

Well, the title is Mommy's Girl...but here is Sis and Cam sleeping all snuggled up together. They did wake up as soon as I took the picture...ooops.

This post is for Cam. Yes, Sis loves her Mama. Yes, Sis always wants me. But, here she is all curled up with you. Since you were asleep I thought I'd record this moment for you. Isn't it sweet? And...PS...if you take any photos of me sleeping and post them on the Internet...I'll have to sign-off on the photo first;)

Love you and that sweet Sissy Girl...who LOVES her Mama!

Cookin'

Isn't this how all moms cook dinner? I've always got someone on the hip, someone on the leg and someone...or two running through. Cam laughs and tells me I'll be sad some day when they all go away to college! I just give him the squinty eye....cause I know he's right:)

Partners in Crime

These two have become fast friends. They run around together mostly getting along. Baby George hangs onto his big Sister's sleeve as she runs through the house. They giggle and giggle together. About a billion times an hour they have gotten into something forbidden...unlocked child proof locks, pulled food out, emptied the toothbrush bin, emptied dresser drawers, the list goes on and on. While I'm scolding them...sternly...they look at each other and one of them will say, "More???" and they will start laughing. OH! Sometimes it makes me laugh too...sometimes NOT!
They have both been carrying around Beanie Baby Bears. Baby George calls them his "baby" and Sis calls them "bear". They insisted on having them at breakfast the other morning. They had yogurt and held their bears. Sis kept kissing her bear on the head. Good thing those beanie bears can go in the washer!
Now, I'm off to duct tape a few things closed. The child proof locks I have are NOT working for these kids. Duct tape at least slows them down...for now;)

Brotherly Love

The thing that stresses Cam and I out more than anything in life is thinking about what will happen to Tuba when we are gone. It's so painful and scary to think about that usually we cannot discuss it for long. We do have a plan though. We hope and pray that Tuba's brothers and sister will take care of him. We know that this starts with how they treat him and each other here in our home. I was so touched the other day by something my boys said. I know for all the worrying Cam and I do it isn't necessary.

I was talking with Mr. P and Busy Guy about when they grow up and go to college. I was teasing them and telling them that I would miss them so much and I would come visit them and ask them things like, "are you taking enough baths, eating veggies, doing your homework, going to bed on time, dating nice girls, etc." They were giggling and reassuring me. I suddenly had the thought that Tuba will be here at home with Cam and I. I told the boys that Tuba will miss them so much while they are gone to college and when they move out. Mr. P got a very serious face and announced that when he comes home on break he will take Tuba to the beach. Oh! My heart just filled with joy. Busy Guy chimed in with an offer to take Tuba to the toy store:) So precious these boys. They know what Tuba loves. They will of course take care of their brother. I am so blessed. Thank you God for these beautiful children and their love for each other.

Is it time???

How and when a mother decides to wean her baby from nursing varies greatly.

With Mr. P I weaned him...cut him off at 19 mos. He was waking once a night and I'd bring him into my bed to nurse him. The final straw for me was when he let go of the booby, said "I shirsty (thirsty)", and proceeded to take a big gulp from his water cup that he brought with him. After his big gulp he went right back to nursing...burrrr!

Today I think I had the same sign from Baby George. He was nursing and let go to quickly pop a piece of bread into his mouth...a piece of bread he had locked up and hidden in his little fist. Then after chewing for about a nano second he went right back to nursing:) Sheesh!

ABC's of it..

I love these photos. Mr. P was holding Baby George on the scenic train ride at the OR coast. I keep revisiting these summer beach photos...if you know where we live...rain/dark/cold...you can see why!

Baby George has some new words this week. He added baby...he says it while he holds a teddy bear, milk, Sis, and Busy Guy's name.

And...the big news is that Mr. P is reading!!!! Whooohooooo! It's so much fun to see it click in his head. He is doing so well sounding out the letter and words. He is eager to learn more and Busy Guy is eager for him too...so that big brother can read him some books:)

A few more things I'm thankful for today:

Sunday paper

My MIL's friends...great group of gals!

Kids singing

Boots

Pantry of food

Naming the Child

I have been wanting to write this post for a few weeks now. Finally, I have time to sit down and write it. Some may wonder why I share such a personal story from my life. I share it because I hope it gives comfort to someone. I think if we share our sorrows it helps each other.

A dear friend of mine just suffered the loss of her unborn baby at 19 weeks gestation. Everything was seemingly fine until a routine ultrasound discovered that the bay had died. This precious baby was a boy and his parents named him Aidan Job.

I had a miscarriage about 4 and half years ago. It was terrible. I was 9 weeks along and on vacation when I started to bleed. We went to the emergency room after phoning my doctor. The doctor treating me at the hospital was awful and insensitive. He told me that it wasn't a baby I had inside of me. I was floored. At first I thought he meant that I hadn't been pregnant. Then I realized what he meant. He didn't consider my 9 week old fetus a baby....just some tissue and cells. After he left the room the nurse profusely apologized to me...telling me that yes I was pregnant and this was traumatic and awful. I did have a baby inside of me. The medical community has all kinds of terms for each stage of growth...the embryo, the fetus...etc. But, I wasn't pregnant with a goldfish or a kitten...no, it was a baby. I was in the exam room alone because Cam had the other kids out in the waiting room. It was scary and lonely. The doctor sent me home and told me there was nothing he could do for me....only time would tell if I'd miscarry. We phoned our doctor and decided to stay at the hotel on vacation. I laid around, took it easy, prayed and waited. After two more days of spotting I woke up soaked in blood. When I went to the bathroom everything came out of me. I took my baby and wrapped it in tissue. I couldn't flush it down the toilet. I took it home with me to bury.

I buried our baby under my rose bush in our backyard. I can stand at my kitchen sink and look out at this rose bush. It was a terribly sad time and Cam and I both mourned the loss. All the plans we had made and all the love we already felt for our baby. At times I felt so much sadness that I felt like I was going a little crazy. After 6 weeks of bleeding I had to go in and have a D&C. Just before the surgery my doctor told me that know matter how much time goes by every woman who has had a miscarriage can tell you exactly how old her child would be. I was so moved by this. It's so true.

After that surgery I slowly crept out of my depression. Of course I had and still do have moments of sadness over our loss. I wonder what our child would be like now.

A few months ago I heard about a book called Naming the Child. When my friends' baby died I quickly ordered this book for them and one for myself. The book is amazing. I recommend it for anyone who has experienced a miscarriage/stillborn/infant death. It was very healing to read...even after all this time. It is also a great resource for husbands, clergy, family and friends. In the book the author talks about naming your child even if you do not know the sex of the child. I have decided to name our baby Gabriel. I think God spoke this name to me. I can feel it in my heart and know it is the right name regardless of the sex of the baby.

This story is not complete without telling you about my rose bush. I was given a rose bush as a gift after I gave birth to Mr. P. He was a summer baby and I never got around to planting the bush until the next summer. It had no leaves and I'm no gardener but I put it in the earth and watered it. It did get a few leaves and then when fall came it went dormant. The next summer in July is when I buried our baby under this rose bush. About a week after the burial the bush began to bud. It bloomed the most beautifully huge rose. It gave me such peace and comfort. I took pictures of this first bloom. The next time the bush bloomed was the following year. It bloomed the day we got Busy Guy's referral from our adoption agency. Once again I felt such happiness and peace. Many times a day I look out my window and gaze at my rose bush. The rose bush is very special to me and I'll be digging it up and taking it with me when we move.

I Spoke Too Soon

A mere few hours after writing that last post I was down and out with this most horrible stomach flu. I have never in my life felt so bad and threw up so much. Pretty picture...I know:) I locked myself in my room which has a half bath. After about 2 hours I was writhing on my bed after going back and forth to the...well you know...when I heard Cam in the kitchen. Yes, it had begun for him too. Great! Two parents both sick at the same time. My poor hubby was getting sick in the kitchen while trying to feed our tribe dinner. I was too sick to even get up and help him. We had the same idea...just get these babies in bed! He got pj's on the babies while dodging the restroom...or bucket in hand and put them to bed. It was at least an hour before their already early bedtime of 7:00. Oh well, what else could we do? I passed into sleep and woke at 8:00. I found Cam lying in the hallway outside the bathroom. The boys had put a blanket on him and brought him a pillow. The boys were watching a movie. I called for them to come to bed, stood in their room while they got in bed and then stumbled back to my room.

It was a horrible night's sleep but at least the vomiting had stopped. We awoke to a house of hungry kids. I thought I was feeling better until I stood up....whoosh...dizzy with a bad headache!!! I started toaster waffles for the kids and quickly had to pull out a chair to sit on. With my head laid on the counter I buttered waffles and threw them out like Frisbees. The kids started to complain about them not being cut up...I gave them a death glare and that was the end of it.

Basically we spent the day taking turns attending to the kids. There was no school due to Veteran's Day so we had a houseful. Cam put in a call to his mom early in the day. She made a drive-by and drop (aka...run for your health) of pizza, Gatorade, and Popsicles. At least the kids wouldn't starve. They enjoyed pizza for lunch AND dinner. During nap time Cam and I crawled under the covers and slept. I think it was the longest day of my life...surely one of the longest and sickest....blech! We made it until 6:30 and when we couldn't take any more we put the kids to bed. We laid on our bed together and ate Popsicles. After sleeping all night we are better today. Able to care for our brood. Still dizzy and shaky but moving, dressed, and showered:)

The most amazing thing...dare I type this...is that the only one (in case you weren't counting) that hasn't fallen ill...is our pint sized dynamite....Sis! I'd like to know her secret???

A few things I'm thankful for today: (I almost forgot to do this...I wonder why?)

Getting better

Not having chronic illness

Freezer waffles

Pepto-bismal

Cam