We're off to see the...

DENTIST, the wonderful, wonderful dentist of Columbus. LOL. Brandy gets phase 2 of her braces today. She is SO not looking forward to them. And brilliant mommy scheduled the appt. at 9am during Christmas break. ~It must be hard to have me as a mom.

Jessi loved her RC Barbie car from us (read: me! I thought up the gift, hunted for it, purchased it, wrapped it, etc.) and the mp3 player, she was a little less sure about the chair from me but I think she will appreciate it in time. It is for her desk and has a storage box in it to keep her "special things." Keeping one's stuff from all other one's seem to be a high priority here. Bekki also moved into Jessi's room during break so the need to keep thing organized there has increased. I do have to laugh, the two little ones have the biggest room in the house. But all the older girls want the "pink room."

I'm off to make sure 6 GIRLS get started on breakfast before taking Brandy to her appt. Yes, I said girls. Sarina (niece) spent the night and as Josh groaned that there would be EVEN MORE girls around Will invited him to spend the night there. Funny how much quieter it is with A) a different child around to play with and B) no boys around (they really are just more enthusiastic with pretty much everything they do!)

The decorations are down and today

we celebrate the 7th birthday of my third child! Since her birthday falls so close to Christmas, I try really hard to make sure the decorations are down before her bday. But today, here, I thought I would tell you a little bit about her introduction into this crazy world of ours.

I took the tree down on the 26th that year. My due date was the 28th and I wanted to make sure the tree was down before I went to the hospital because I knew no one would do it while I was gone. During those days Steve's brother Ken was living with us. He had just gotten a job and was getting on his feet. Joan had just delivered the twins on Dec. 23rd. So I had asked my sister to come stay with us during her college break to watch the kids while I was in the hospital. Yes, it was a crowded 3 bedroom trailer! 4 adults, 2 kids and a babe on the way!

It was looking like my baby girl would not be born in 2002. My body just does not like to be timely. Left to it's own resources, it will be a week or more late. I was huge, uncomfortable and a little bit disappointed that Joan had her babies (that were due a week after Jes) and I was still waddling around with no signs. Call it hormones. LOL.

On the 30th I had a regular checkup. I am sure I looked miserable, but I bet what my doc really had in mind was making sure she didn't get called in on New Years. She asked if I wanted to be induced. OH YEAH! We went home, got the bag and told my sister. We went to the hospital. I was hooked up to pitocin and we got started. Jes's heartrate kept dropping during contractions, but it would rebound as soon as the contraction was over. Steve was staring at the darn machines with a very worried look on his face. I told him that was less than helpful, but still he persisted. Finally I realized I had forgotten the cameras. I told him to go get the cameras. He accused me of wanting him to stop staring at the monitors - well yeah, but I did forget the cameras.

Not 10 minutes later I was complete. I told the doctor I wanted to wait for Steve. Called him and told him to get on over. Jes's heartbeat quit rebounding and my doctor said we had to deliver NOW. Steve walked in just as Jes was being born. A lovely site I am sure since a white plunger needed to be used to get my baby out quickly enough. The only delivery of 6 that he saw from the foot end. LOL.

He had brought Brandy and Josh with him and they were in the waiting room. He went to get them while Jes was cleaned up and weighed. She had just been set into my arms when the other kids came in. Josh's first words were "Where's the other one?" (remember Aunt Joan had 2 babies just a week earlier) and Brandy climbed up into my lap, leaned over and kissed her forehead. Brandy was the first person to kiss Jes. <3

Through all of the pregnancy with Jessica I swore up and down, sideways and backwards that three was it. As I stared down into her beautiful little face with a mass of dark hair and brown eyes, yes she was BORN with brown eyes, I said "I could do this again."

Happy Birthday JessiCA! I love you!!!

cloth virtues

Anyone who knows me, knows this post has been coming - the tree hugger post. (I'm sure there will be more.)

As I stared at the large pile of washcloths near my laundry chute yesterday - (the three youngest children took the initiative and cleaned up a breakfast mess, yeah!) - I couldn't help but be thankful that we don't use paper towels much. In fact I haven't bought a roll of paper towels in over two years. The kids had obviously used way more cloths than the mess had warranted, but who cares. It isn't costing me money to replace, it isn't cutting down trees (along with the fuel used to transport the lumber, run the machines that process the wood into paper products and ship to my local store - you get the picture - I'm a bit of an environmental freak), and they cleaned up the mess without coming to get me. So all is good.

Not only have I not bought paper towels in over two years, I am using some of the same napkins I started with -- in the spring of 2003. Yes, you read that right, 2003. Six years for some of my napkins! I did recently have to repair a handful of napkins - they were starting to fray around the edges. A couple seconds with my serger and they are good as new. Actually better than new because they are broke in and soft - though a little smaller after the meeting with Sergie.

I wonder if the people I have given napkins to are still using theirs, or if they ever really did. I would love to think that I am helping Mother Earth, even just a little bit, by encouraging others to reuse rather than buying and tossing paper. Now I know what I am giving a friend with a birthday coming up. ;-)

A Merry Christmas was had by all

We spent the Eve with my husband's brother and his family. A very nice enjoyable evening! Their new house is nice and big. It really helped muffle the sounds of children - which is great as there are 10 right now. :)

Christmas morning my kids broke their Dec. 25th ritual and woke me up sometime before 6:15am! I grumbled something about it not even being 7 and went back to bed. LOL. Santa was up late stuffing stockings and such. Daddy and I came out around 7:15, we read the Christmas story as told in Matthew. And allowed chaos to ensue. It seems all the kids really liked their gifts. The biggest hit was Rita's trampoline which is rated to 80 lbs so all the kids can jump on it. Steve has suggested we purchase more. And he wants one too.

Mommy loves the presents that come home from school! All the ornaments personally made by our own family members! Though, we may need a second tree in a year or two. LOL. (this was the tree in 2008 - thee is even more there now.)

Well, I am off to help a 5 yr old paint a mermaid trinket box. :)

Ever get weird feelings?

You know, like flashes of the future? Like in Mad Money. When Katie Holms character says she "had a bad feeling." A feeling, a flash of the future, undefined except by very vague notions.

I get 'em. Always have. A lot of people don't really believe in that sort of thing. I myself am a skeptic when others talk about being able to see the future or other similiar "fortunes."

I got one tonight, a feeling that is. It really rocked me. I was prepping things for tomorrow morning - Christmas you know! :) And I was thinking how I really hope the kids enjoy what I got them - and what Santa got them. And a little voice in my head said "make it great, it'll be your last." Rather hoping I am wrong on this one.

It is weird. I haven't ever really given much thought as to whether the kids will enjoy their presents (I mean after initally purchasing them). And then there are the goodies. We don't do goodies - I bake a batch of sugar cookies and the kids frost them. That is all we do. This year we also made some Brazilian treat that Brandy wanted to try, chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate covered cherries. I also purchased white almond bark and oreos - we just ran out of time. And the stockings... I normally only get them one stuffer each and a "candy cane" filled with m&ms. This year, they have 3-4 stuffers, the chocolate oranges things, the canes they normally get, a Chocolate Santa and a regular candy cane. I made up a stocking for Steve - something I have NEVER done. Just weird - especially for a Grinch like me.

I must be over-tired and over-thinking.

Moms' are funny -

And by that, I mean me. :-P Around 6 o'clock last night I realized that I had walked around all day with one leg of my jeans rolled up and the other not. The funny thing is, I just shook my head and giggled. I even went to the chiropractor like that. Now I know why he stared at my shoes when I climbed on the table. LOL. Hopefully he got his giggles for the day. This is something new. I have done the shopping trip with a burp towel on my shoulder - even when I left the baby with daddy. Hehehe. I counted that as sleep deprivation combined with that being a standard part of my clothing at the time - I would have felt naked without it. But this... I don't have an excuse for this.

Then, my big excitement for the night? I figured out how to take the top rack out of my dishwasher!!! We are giving Rita's old booster seat away to a family expecting a baby. I wanted to get that seat clean for them. Apparently not everyone thinks items should be cleaned before giving them away. You should see the spider egg sacks that are on some bookcases that came by this week. But, I digress. I wanted the seat clean before giving it away. Wiping it down with a cloth got the seat itself clean, but the straps were - well, YUCK! Since it is hard plastic it can't really go in the washing machine... the d/w! I tried all kinds of angles to attempt to get it to fit. Then I thought, the d/w at the other house has a top rack that comes out. Maybe this one does too. YIPEE! It does. :)

It's the little things that make me leap for joy and excitement. LOL. Now... if only my kids could get along... really, right now it is just one youngster who is not dealing well with siblings winning a video game. Hehe. I think he gets his wonderful gaming spirit from his Grandma Barb - not a fan of playing with her. If she is losing she will whine and moan the whole game, if she is winning she will sit there and cackle and tease about the other person losing. Yep, lots of fun to play with. ;-)

I'm off to shower, hit Walmart for the last minute candies for the stocking and maybe ingredients for some tasty treats. Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Two Thirds visit Santa

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For the first time in at least three years I took kids to see Santa. I dread and drag my feet on this every year. The lines are long, I can't just snap a picture on my camera like my parents could years ago, the Santa usually looks so fake that three year olds notice... Just not psyched for that kind of thing. This year I told the kids I would take them.

Here we are, the Sunday before Christmas. If I'm going to follow through on my promise, I better get a move on! My hubby is helping his brother move today, so it is probably a pretty good day to take the kids. The older two decide that they would rather help Will move than see Santa. Ok. Steve takes them and I take the other 4. I look up times Santa is at the mall. Decide to try to hit him early. We load up in the Honda (yes, we have a Honda now!) and head to the mall. There is a very short line, like 3 families in front of us. Woot! Santa looks pretty good this year, the beard and girth are au natural. Another Woot! $15 for one 4x6 picture - no woot. But, they have a website and let me share the image on facebook and blogger, so er, um, ok. LOL.

The kids asked for things I had never heard them even remotely interested in until today (except Merce: she wants a skateboard... she's 3). Rita was a little unsure about Santa. As you can see, there are no tears, this is better that her mommy did 35+ years ago, and Grandma has pictures to prove it. LOL. All in all a good trip to see Santa. Who knows maybe we will do it again next year... and maybe a little earlier in the season so Santa has time to get the items asked for... (note to self)

While in line we chatted with the mom and daughter behind us. She was commenting on our large, well-behaved family. I smiled and told her the other third were with daddy. :) So, we got to talking about families. Her daughter is an only child and wants siblings, my oldest has days when she would love to be the only. LOL. Anyway, God blessed us by bumping into her, and may he richly bestow many, many blessings on her and her family!

Merry Christmas the Wills way!

Say it loud. Say it proud. I may be biased, but this is an AWESOME picture! Look how each child is showing a little bit of themselves! What better way to capture a moment in time?

Looking at this year's picture I couldn't help but look back on previous Christmas pictures. There is this great shot from 2007. It was the wallpaper on my laptop until 2009 was taken. I admit, I used to do the "perfect family" pictures. Every year, until 2005. We didn't have the time or money for professional pictures. So I lined the kids up in front of our tree. And commenced to taking pictures. Going of course, for the perfect Christmas card picture. About ten minutes into the picture taking my kids did this. We did end up with a shot that was your stereo-typical card picture. But I couldn't bring myself to print that one. I had to go with the shot that had so much personality! And it has been our way ever since. :)

Now this does have it's down falls. Not everyone appreciates my kids being such free spirits. Take my family for instance. In the summer of 2009, the kids and I traveled to Iowa for my parents 40th Anniversary. Professional pictures were taken. A few weeks before, my dad was expressing concern over how the pictures would go. I explained that we just needed to relax our expectations and it would be fine. "Everybody looking and hopefully no one crying." Dad says "and everyone smiling." I replied that "Smiling is not requisite (part of our problem may have been my use of big words). Just looking in the direction of the camera." I should have remembered to point out that my kids tend to be quite vibrant in their expressions of personality.

We had a wonderful photographer. (If you are in need of a photographer in/near Lake View, Iowa, look up Jen Wolleson!) But let's face it, getting 9 people over 18 - it would be a stretch to call all of us adults - and 9 kids aged 10 and under (including two 5yr olds and three 3yr olds) even just looking at the same time is a feat! She did manage to get the desired by grandma shot. But my favorite... Brandy is in a "ta-da" pose, there are bunny ears popping up, grins are pulled wide with fingers. And the cherry on top? My nephew, pulling his ears wide to make fun of his uncle, my brother - who can't stiffle a snicker. THAT is the one that I had enlarged, framed and put on my wall! I may very well be the only one who ordered that picture. But it is the only one that belonged on my wall. ;-)

Merce-tales, Merce-tales, now it's time for Merce-tales

A while back, I mentioned that our van was starting to give up the ghost. Steve asked his brother, a new Mazda car salesman to start paying attention to the used cars that came onto his lot. I sent Ken my list of hoped for items on my future van. Some were deal breakers, others were just hoped for items.

Ken called and told us about an '08 Odyssey on their lot. After some talking, number crunching, etc. We decided to go ahead and get this van. It is real sweet.

Daddy went to take care of the purchase on Saturday. He took four of the hooligans with him. One of them was our dear Merce. Know where this is going? Yep, it's a Merce-tale.

They walk into the dealership and there is a red Mazda convertible in the middle of the show room. Merce walks up to it excited and entranced. She says "Daddy this car is a w e s o m e! At first she had her hands in front of her a mere inches from the car, like she was afraid to touch such a beautiful creature. (Much like her mommy has been from time to time around classic 'stangs.) Then she starts rubbing her tummy and her back on the car and saying things like "I really like this car, daddy!" LOL. I guess all the sales people, other customers and my family were laughing. Her uncle says it is quite possible they put the security video on you-tube. (this is not the uncle that works there.) Ah, I would have loved to have seen that! :)

Instead, I had opted to stay home. I had the "bookends." It was a very nice enjoyable day and I got a good bit of bonding time with my oldest daughter. :)

How many times is too many?

I frequently grapple with this question. I "expect" my kids to respond the first time a request is made by my husband or myself. However, I do realize that is a highly ambitious expectation. In general I find that I will ask nicely the first time, repeat the request and the third time, I start raising the volume. Baseball and California have three strikes and you're out rules, right? And, for the benefit of my mother-in-law, three is a Biblical number. Tonight I found myself telling my darling Bekki "get in bed" five times... all nicely I might add. So, time six I not only raised my voice, I actually yelled. Yes, I did. She immediately went to tears.

While I feel bad that I can make my daughter cry by just yelling at her - I wonder why she doesn't yet realize that if she doesn't respond to nicely phrased requests that I will escalate into a not nice command.

Merce'll set you straight

On nicer days I walk over to the preschool to pick up Merce. This was the case a few weeks ago. On days I walk, I tend to wait until all the cars clear out before heading home with the double stoller. As we wait, it is not uncommon to talk with one or both of Merce's preschool teachers. So there we were, talking like that, when who should come up? The tall man! Yep! Merce, seemingly out of no where, says "If you put this finger up alone, it means f*&# you." Um, whoa. You just said that to your preschool teacher, in front of your mom. Mom probably should respond... "um, boy the things they learn from older siblings." Merce continues talking about the middle finger, and how f*&# you, is a bad word. The teacher explains how they have been singing the song "Thumbkin" with all the fingers and the middle one happens to be "tall man." Ok. I now know why it came up between my kids. I attempt to tell Merce that putting only the middle finger up means "f*&# you" only if that what you want it to mean.

It didn't stick. A few weeks later she very happily told the three year old son of some good friends the same thing. :-O

Any guesses as to whether I am up for trouble or not? LOL.

In other news, there is a open house at our old place on Sunday. Prayers/good thoughts GREATLY appreaciated!

Sometimes I think I might be too hard on my kids...

Monday afternoon Josh left his lunch bag on the bus. I asked him this afternoon if he asked his driver if a lunch bag was found. He hadn't asked. I told him to ask tomorrow. He starts crying and telling me that he doesn't want to, he is shy. Ok. I understand being shy. "If you aren't willing to ask the driver, then I need you to pay the replacement cost of the bag and the two sandwich boxes that were in there. That will be about $10." He tells me he doesn't want to pay for the bag and boxes. Ok, ask your driver. He doesn't want to do that either. The way he was crying you would think I was really ripping him a new one. NOT the case. I am not upset, no raised voices, no threats. I know things get left behind on occasion. I just want him to take responsibility and attempt to locate his bag, or replace it.

I drop it and send him off to bed. I ask Steve if I am being too hard on Josh. Is it asking too much to have him pay replacement cost if he won't ask his driver about it? Steve gets Josh up and starts talking to him about the family he saw huddled in blankets in downtown Indy the other day and how they have REAL problems. How Josh's big problem is whether to ask the driver about his bag or pay for it. "Yeah, real tough life."

Well, I might be too hard on my kids, but apparently my hubby and I are on the same page anyway. ;-P Besides, if you set high expectations, kids will strive to live up to them.

Update: I saw Josh pause and talk to the driver as he got on the bus this morning. The driver appeared to reach down and hand something to Josh. I suspect he has his bag back. All that drama for less than 30 seconds of talking to the driver. LOL.

Woot! I did it!

I kept my big ole trap shut! Ya'all might remember a little post awhile back.

I was directly asked "How do you get that?" (referring to well behaved children who actually do as they are told.) And I stayed quiet. Didn't think it was possible did you? Me either. LOL. But as I have tried to answer what we have done - successfully, I might add - before and was brushed off. I literally bit my tongue and hoped she said something so that I wouldn't have to answer the question she thought she was asking rhetorically.

This week I have also de-cluttered (for now) the office and my kitchen counter, ordered photo calendars for the grandparents, ordered Christmas cards, and printed labels for said cards. Now I just need to write the letters... though, I might not. And now you know where I have been all week. ;-)

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family. I hope you did also! We were invited to spend the day with Steve's brother's sister-in-law. Confused? LOL. It probably isn't "normal" but our family does spend a good bit of time with my sister-in-law's family. They are a wonderful group of people. Good food, good conversation, just plain good. :)

So, I have been pretty quiet lately. I have been almost entirely consumed with finding a different vehicle for myself. We have known for a couple months that my Grand Caravan was going to need replaced in the next year or so. We were continuing to hope that we could hold off until our "old" house sold. When it started looking like we might have to replace the van before selling the house we started thinking interim vehicle. You know, something to get me by until we could buy what I want. We were hoping to find something in the 5-7 thousand dollar range. Um, that would be TOTALLY doable if I only needed a 4 or 5 passenger vehicle. But, I need an 8 passenger, or at the very least a 7 passenger -- leaving us to drive separate cars everywhere, not the most desirable.

When we started looking we quickly realized that a vehicle big enough for us is not available in the 5-7k range. The few that we did find had more miles and were older than my current van. A little less than a desirable idea.

Ok, new plan. Bump hoped for price range and get an used vehicle that we plan to keep "forever" (you know, until it dies, like we have this caravan). I quickly realized that there are only two true options if I don't want to go to a hongo van - which I don't. The Toyota Sienna and the Honda Oddessy. Yes, there are a handful of SUVs on the market that seat 8, but they are lower gas mileage and higher initial cost. Since I don't need the features of an SUV, not to mention that getting kids into the 3rd seat requires some doing in an SUV we decided not to look seriously in that direction. I really like both vans, but like the Sienna a bit better. The main pros: they sell for a couple thousand less and Steve drives a Prius. What this means is that our controls would be basically the same. So, after driving his car, I wouldn't get into my van and turn on the windshield wipers instead of the lights.

I have spend HOURS, literally, online looking for vans that would fit our needs. But I was still conflicted. I mean to get a Sienna we are basically doubling our hoped for expenditure for a different vehicle. So, maybe I should get another old Caravan and pop my bench in for the captains. I can get a decent used Caravan for 10ish. Steve isn't a big fan of the idea - a little to redneck, even for him. LOL. But, I realize there is a flaw in my idea. Dodge started using "stow and go" seats in 2005. That means I have to look at an '04 or older. Hmm, looking less desirable again.

So, now the hunt is on for the "right" Sienna for the Crew.

Shoe review - part 1

I admit it - I have been intrigued for a couple of months on the claim of Sketchers new line, the Shape-Ups. My walking shoes were in need of retiring so I was going to immediately go get the Shape-ups, until I realized the MSRP was $110! Oh. After thinking about it for over two months, finding them at the outlet store for $99.99 and having a $10 coupon for that store. I finally went ahead and bought myself a pair. I rationalized spending nearly $100 on myself until the cows came home. But, the fact of the matter is: I actually do feel the difference in my thighs already. I bought them less than a week ago. And since some weeks I do extra walking upwards of 10 miles, good walking shoes are probably in my best interests.

I was dubious, but hopeful. They do take some getting used to as they are shaped on the bottom differently than normal shoes. I find that I can only wear them about 4-6 hours before I need to take them off for a bit. But, yes, definately my legs are feeling a bit more toned, and I haven't done any extra walking in these babies yet. :) I'm looking forward to my first 3.5 miles this weekend sometime.

I'm feeling so good I might actually try to hit a black friday sale in a couple days. LOL. For those who don't know me, I hate, hate, hate shopping. And the more crowded the store, the more I hate shopping. It might come from working at Kmart for 4-5 years. Holidays are HECK if you work retail. People are rude, grabby and totally not understanding that the 18yr old working the electronics department REALLY had no control over how many of those $5 keyboards we got in. But I digress. I am feeling great. And maybe, just maybe this improved feeling/mood might help those extra pounds I have been carrying around since my baby was born, might start to come off. Let's be honest here, I don't mean I have been carrying aruond extra weight since my 2 yr old was born. I mean since my almost 7 yr old was born. Now you are wondering, doesn't she have a 10yr old? Yes, I do, and a 9 yr old too. But, betweeen my 9yr old and my almost 7 yr old, I actually got to 5 under my pre-first pregnancy weight. :-) So, I probably can do it again. LOL.

Off too the chiropractor and well-child visit for my youngest. Happy Thanksgiving all!

The little known mommy secret -

I admit it. It is true. I am a better mommy when I get some time off here and there. I come back refreshed and excited to read Go Dog. Go! for the thousandth time. I want to know what they did while I was gone. And I don't feel like if someone touches me again I'm going to bite their head off. Yep. Even a simple hug can send me into touch overload after too much time being hung on and clung from. My poor hubby. He gets the left overs at the end of the day, when I am way touched out.

It occurred to me that maybe we seasoned moms' haven't shared this tidbit with our new mommy friends. It seems like a simple concept. I mean we all know that we need to leave work at work, at least sometimes. That we simply can't be on-call for work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. We take vacations, we work more or less set hours. When we work more than usual we are compensated for our overtime. And yet, when it comes to taking time away from the family it is all too easy to set your own needs aside and focus on what the family needs/wants. Putting the children's needs first IS part of being mom, but there is a time when what is best for the family, is mom taking a little time to herself.

As mommy, you are on call all the time. If a child develops a fever at 3am, mom gets woke up, not dad. The children don't come into the room saying "Dad, I don't feel well." It's "M-O-H-M-!" Quite honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. I like that they want to come to me - but sometimes I need to get away. I need someone else to handle customer service for awhile. And I see that need in other moms too.

Car time and technology

I am going to take my sister's recent blog post and add my own comments. :)

As my sister mentioned, conversations in the car can be a beautiful, beautiful thing! My children have talked to me about things that I know they would never ask me in settings other than in the car. The car allows a bit of "space" and "anonymity." I can't look directly at them while I am driving. Perhaps there is a feeling of less judgement. I don't really know the cause, but I do see the blessing. Some of my most treasured time with my children, especially my older children, is time we are able to talk freely, one-on-one. It is like God is giving me an opportunity to stay close with my children through these pre-teen (and beyond?) years. I would be a fool to not grab that chance!

It saddens me to see dvd players going in cars so much of the time. I understand the potential value for long trips. (I say potential value, because we did a 700+ mile trip, just 6 kids and me with no dvd this summer, it was fine.) But it seems that many parents are allowing the dvd player to play anytime the kids are in the car. Even when they run through the drive thru for dinner. Not only is there a lost opportunity now - the kids are staring at a tv and not talking to their parents, but kids are learning that parents would rather keep them quiet and glued to a tv then to talk to them (kids). When the big things come up, are the kids going to feel that they can come to their parents? Relationships take years of building. Don't waste the chances God puts in front of you!

Love the skin your in!

As you may know, recently pictures of Sammy Sosa have plastered the web. It seems that he uses some cream to soften his face which also has lightened his skin.

Whether the lightening of his skin was intentional or not, it has sparked quite a bit of internet buzz.

Recently my almost two year old has taken a liking to running around the house shirtless singing "I naked, I naked!" She has no care in the world, she is enjoying the feeling of freedom from shirts. While some may find this a little disconcerting I realized the beauty of the situation. God was reminding me to love ourselves as we are. As a two year old she sees nothing wrong with running around without a shirt. She isn't wondering if she looks too fat or if her skin is too light/too dark, if she has a big bug bite on her shoulder or if there is some "too large" mole on her back. She simply doesn't care. I was hoping to add a video here for all of you to enjoy, unfortunately, my camera is not playing nicely with either of my computers. Go figure.

Ah, the lessons I can learn from her! Like Adam and Eve after eating from the forbidden tree, I can not bring myself to be unclothed for much more than the shower every morning. To run around like her, I would be worrying about all that fat around my gut and low hanging boobs, even if I was 100% alone.

The doctor hesitation?

Perhaps it is my fear that I will be viewed as a hypochondriac, or that I am making something of nothing, or that it really is something... I don't know why, but getting me to do anything at the doctor other than a standard annual exam, well, it just doesn't happen. Note, that I do not have this issue with taking my kids in, just me. I adore my doctor, she delivered 4 of our children.

I have a doctor appointment today, standard annual of course. I scheduled it knowing that I would never schedule an appointment about the shoulder that hurts nearly constantly for 4+ months, or the the hair loss I have been experiencing or that I can't seem to lose weight no matter my food intake and exercise level, or my mood swings/depression. Or any of the new things that are going on, pains here and there, etc. I keep thinking I am getting older and there are just aches and pains with getting older. If a friend told me about constant shoulder pain I would tell her to get to the doctor. If a friend told me that suddenly instead of being 28 day cycles she has moved to 21 day or less cycles, I would tell her to check it out. If she told me about cramping and pain not associated with cycles or anything else she could define, I would tell her to go to the doctor. So why can't I take my own advice?

I scheduled myself an annual exam with the hopes that I might actually talk to my doctor about some of these things. Honestly, I still don't know if I really will. When the doctor asks me how I am feeling I will probably tell her "good." My husband has the opposite problem, when work asks if he has any questions for them, they are expecting "nope." Mentally, they are already onto their next item for the day, they don't expect a "actually, yes." But my hubby fought every natural instinct the other day at his review and said "nope." If he can say nope, then maybe, just maybe I can actually tell my doctor about some of the things going on with me.

"We shall see, we shall see..."

The Merce

My Mercedes is one funny gal and smart! She is always saying and doing stuff that just cracks a person up! Like chasing the chipmunk through the house with a toy gun. And no, she didn't let the critter in for the photo op. Welcome to an old house in the country. LOL.

The other night our family was coming home from spending the night with my brother-in-laws family. A couple blocks from home Merce says "You know how to spell bear? B- E- A- R." Wow! Not bad for three. "I can spell duck too. D-U-C-K." Ok, I get it, you are spelling Word World friend names. Ok. Cool! "Can you spell Dog, Merce?" "D-O-G" Great! In the interst of full disclosure, she could not spell pig, sheep or ant. But Kudos to Word World for getting her this far, this young!

Her newest Merce-ism our beloved 3yr old was sitting on daddy's lap and looking intently at him. Finally she says, "Daddy, some of your teeth are trying to get out." LOL.

I have the world's best friend!

I have had the same best friend for over twenty years! Yes, over 20 YEARS. She is awesome!

We of course have had our rough spots over the years. We have both been a little flaky in places. But considering that our friendship started in high school, that really is to be expected. There were times were one or both of us chose the guy we wanted in the moment over each other. I still kick myself for not being there for her when both her brother and her first real love, were fighting for the United States in Desert Storm. You know, the first Gulf War, the one we are having a second go at finishing now. Through all our rough spots, we have always found our way back to each other. I Y "Betty"! She gets me like no one else does, it is like we are two halves of the same person sometimes. I only hope I have been as good a friend to her as she has to me!

Betty and I live in different states. We are not able to see each other all that often. Even our phone conversations are somewhat sporadic. We both have children, spouses, and the activities that come with both. She also has a full time job. All of this means that we don't talk often but when we get a chance to catch up we might be on the phone for an hour or more. Anyone who knows me, and knows that I HATE, HATE, HATE phones - so a phone conversation over 5 minutes is huge for me. LOL.

This weekend Betty and I were able to talk for a bit. You may have noticed a passing comment here or there about my husband's long work hours. It is not all choice on his part to work such crazy hours. There are work politics no matter where you work. He sometimes shares some of his frustrations with me. Usually, work frustrations are just that, but the love of my life discovered some questionable things some of his superiors have been doing to him. My husband is probably THE most ethical man on this planet - seriously (but don't mistake ethical for religious!). The things he discovered directly impact me and our kids; they cause my husband to work under false restrictions, which leads to more time away from the kids and I. As I was outlining the basic happenings to Betty, she says "Then of course you don't want to tell him about the things at home and add to his stress." BINGO! Yes, absolutely! She so gets me!

This is just my public thanking of God for putting Betty in my life! Y

It took me how long to think of this?

My husband works in intellectual property. He once told me that patentable inventions need to fit a need and when they are first discovered many times there is a "duh moment." You know, when everyone knows that THIS is what solves the problem and everyone wonders why no one thought of it earlier. I have had a handful of these myself and thought I would share some of them with you.

It only took SIX kids to figure out that if I put an old towel between the booster seat and my chair, the chair does not get so nasty and the towel is easily washed. It also protects the chairs from getting scuffed up from the booster seat. This had to be my first shared item as it took me six kids to figure this out and many people don't have six kids anymore. I want you to benefit from my er, um, wisdom. :D

The long handled spoons designed for stirring tea, are ideal for making PB&J sandwiches! I HATE getting jelly all over my hands. After the jar hits 1/2 full I can't get a regular spoon in and out of the jar without getting jelly on my hands - UNTIL I made this little discovery.

Finishing the jar of PB with a rubber scraper - duh. Gets so much more than a simple knife can.

I'm sure there are many more that I am just not thinking of right now - and they will show up in later posts. :-D

Miss Domestic hits Columbus, and bounces off

I decided that since we GREW pumpkins this year I should bake said pumpkins and make pumpkin puree. After much research online I decided on a course of action. Cut pumpkin in half (easier said that done - those things do NOT like my kitchen knives), scrape out seeds and stringy stuff, place pumpkin in baking dish upside down, cover in aluminum foil, bake at 350 until soft to the fork prod. Lesson #1: A duh moment here - don't cut the pumpkin with a kitchen knife. You know those little carving tools you get at Halloween - there is a reason they sell them, they work MUCH better than regular knives. Lesson #2: grapefruit or citrus spoons are the way to go with cleaning out the guts!

After the pumpkin is baked, remove flesh from skin. Place vegetable (or is it a fruit?) in blender to make puree. Lesson #3: blenders really aren't up to the task, you really should borrow a food processor. But I got it to work, and even made Pumpkin Muffins with the puree. They were GOOD (note the key word: were).

The muffins in fact were so good I baked another pumpkin a couple days later. Then I roasted the seeds after baking the pumpkin. There is very little that you can't eat from a pumpkin and they are so easy to grow too. I left 2 kickers (uncut pumpkins that will be kicked off the porch to rot) to start next year's "patch."

I just love cooking with food from our garden! Now if only that domestic goddess would decide she wanted to clean or cook dinner.

Ever wonder what it would be like...

If toy and game manufacturers actually had real parents and their kids test their products? Not just for 15minutes but sent the toys home with the families to test for a couple weeks. Imagine the possibilities!

Merce had a Fall Party at school today. Among the games the preschoolers played was one called Lucky Ducks. The kids loved the game, me not so much. The game in itself was enjoyable, but the whole time the game is running the ducks are quacking - LOUDLY! Imagine, volume control, or less frequent quacking; maybe only quacking when you put back a duck that doesn't match your card, or get this, the option to turn OFF the quacking while still allowing the game to run. Wouldn't that be grand?!?

Oh the things I would love to see: a return to more imagination toys with fewer batteries. Take the Fisher Price Little People line of toys. I had a schoolhouse growing up. I loved the thing, played with it all the time. No batteries, but there was a bell that rang. My kids have quite a few Little People (known as "dudes" around here) toys. We have a house, a garage, an airplane, bus... on and on. ALL of these use batteries. Yes, the house you can hear the toilet flush, the baby cry, the popcorn in the microwave, the washing machine, etc. Is this needed for fun, really? My kids lug the Dudes themselves everywhere. They don't play with the house or garage that often. When they do, they have more fun with the house and garage when it is turned off and not making noise than when it is - and mommy enjoys it more too. ;-)

And how about those Barbie houses? If I had a kitchen proportionally the same as Barbie's kitchen, It would be a 6ft ceiling, and would be about 3.5ft wide by 5.5ft long. Seriously. Her bed barely fits in the bedroom one way. And those cupboards, what do they fit, like 2 plates? Seriously disproportionate. Of course this is nothing new to Barbie. If I had her proportions, I would be a PERKY 40DD with a 30inch waist, and legs! Of course that couldn't happen, gravity plays in there, 40DDs would start to sag toward the knees without a titanium support system and if by chance you did manage to keep those gals alert, your back wouldn't be able to take the strain and you would walk like the Hunchback of Notredame.

Some toys have made huge improvements since "my day." Especially in educational areas. Leapfrog, for one, has some great learning toys - that are also fun. But in general it seems that toys are more cheaply made, break easier, require batteries and are LOUDER.

Still so much to learn

I've said before, I am an awesome mom. It's true. But, there is still much room for improvement too. Yesterday I was graciously given a learning moment.

I was at Merce's preschool early due to show-and-tell day. Instead of leaving and coming back 30 minutes later, Rita and I stayed with the class. We sat in on the story time. I was looking forward to hearing Miss Melinda read. She has mentioned before that she loves reading aloud to kids. Her storytelling was enjoyable, but what was remarkable was her word usage.

One of the youngsters was having trouble sitting still. He ended up stepping on the hand of another student. She yelled "OW!" He shushed her. Miss Melinda calmly explains that "Your boots stepped on her hand, she said 'ow' because it hurt." How awesome is that?!? I might have said "You stepped on her hand." Which would, of course lead to "No, I didn't!" Removing the person from act by saying "shoes" instead of "you" addressed the problem without bringing out the immediate defensive responses.

Little lessons taught. :) I am looking forward to seeing this work in my own household!

Just a giant toy box - apparently

Have you ever noticed the crazy variety of items that can be found in a car? Single people, you are not excused from this, I have seen your car. It has been a while, but I have in fact been a single person, with a dizzying collection of items in my car. Some were intentional; keys in the glove box and glass soda bottles in the hatch so I never had to wonder about "that sound." Some just happened, stray directions, the hair clippy I took out on the way home from work, etc.

But now I have entered a whole new dimension! I have 6 kids and 1 husband. Yes, the mass can get to some gargantuan proportions. Since we returned from a cross-country drive this summer I have tried to strongly encourage my crew to bring their items out of the car with them. I have been marginally successful. :)

This morning however, I realized that my van does not simply house the eclectic array of items left behind by myself and my family. It is indeed simply a giant toy box.

Yesterday my son played basketball outside. When he came in I asked if he put the ball away. He said that he did. When I looked out by the slab, I did not see a ball and believed that he had indeed put the ball back in the shed. This morning I loaded the two youngest in the car to take Merci to preschool. What do I find on the passenger side floorboard? You guessed it. The basketball. My dear, beloved son brought the ball from the slab and shed up to the house and put it in my van. Not sure why. As I have discovered this tidbit after my children left for school I can not inquire as to the thought processes, but apparently my van is a toy box and therefore a perfectly acceptable and even preferred place to put the ball.

When to shut up

I admit it, I am an AWESOME MOM! Not just an awesome mom, but a FREAKING AWESOME MOM. No, really I am. Of course, it isn't hard to be head and shoulders over some of the "competition." Many people have told me I should write a book on how to parent. These comments come from all walks of life, elderly people, fellow parents, teens, adults who hate children, adults who love children and hope to have them someday. I used to think that what I could say would barely fill a pamphlet, let alone a book. I mean it is all [my advice] pretty straight forward. Then as I look closer I realize that a book from me would not be well received. Most people simply are not REALLY willing to parent their children. They want to be friends with their children.

I have a friend with a child the same age as my youngest. She is creating a monster, quite honestly. She isn't getting enough sleep because she gets up with the child multiple times a night. She isn't willing to let her husband get the child or to let the child self-soothe back to sleep. She can't stand to see or hear her child cry. She is teaching her child that by crying anything that is desired will be given. She asks me "What can I do?" I begin to tell her exactly what I would do. And have done. I am an awesome mom because I have made mistakes, continue to make mistakes, but strive to learn from them and get better all the time. Before getting more than a sentence out of my mouth she is telling me that it won't work. Um, you haven't heard my advice in even a reduced form. I realize that she doesn't really want to know how to fix it, she wants me to pat her shoulder and tell her that everybody goes through this and it gets better. Blah, blah, blah. Ok, so smile and nod, how's that working out for you dear? On the verge of tears all the time because you are completely overexhausted and haven't had a moment without your child with you in nearly two years? Oh, yeah. It's working well. I'll shut up then.

I love this friend very much and wanted to help her. The only way I know to truly help her is to offer advice on what has worked for me. I have a pretty good track record remember? 6 kids, very well behaved (and that is not simply a biased mommy talking). I spent a day nearly sick to my stomach trying to figure out how to "help" her. Then I asked myself "What would my husband's advice on this issue be?"

His advice would be, tell her once (check) then ever after when she brought up these issues tell her that we had talked about it and I had nothing further to add and there was no need to talk about it again and to move on to other topics. It sounds harsh but oh it is so freeing! I have taken this advice when it comes to my father. He used to complain to me during every phone call or visit how much trouble it was causing to have my adult brother living in their home. I told him to kick my brother out and change the locks. Jerry told me that he couldn't change the locks because two of my sisters regularly come by when they are out of town to check on the cats. Ok. Give the girls the new keys but not my brother. My advice. Period. They can't make my brother pay rent, help with the household maintence or chores, so if it is that problematic, kick him out. Period. Two weeks later my father called. He started to complain about my brother. I asked, "Did you change the locks?" No. Ok. No new information, no need to talk about it further. A bit over two years later, my brother still lives there, but I haven't heard anything about it from my father since. A beautiful thing, beautiful! (Understand that I love my brother alot, but being firm is the thing that shows the most love.)

So, yep, when it comes to this friend, it is time to shut up.

Was it in one of the two designated spots?

This is a question that both my hubby and I frequently ask our children when they can't find something. Most everything has two accepted places to be, coats on the hook by the door or on the hook in your room. Shoes in your shoe bin (momma put together an awesome shoe bin with color coded drawers for everyone!) or under your bed. Glasses on your head or the table in your room.

Tonight my hubby has (present tense) a migraine. He had been laying on the couch and took his glasses off. He laid them on the floor by the couch. He later moved himself to bed - the glasses stayed behind.

At bedtime I asked for some assistance. My 23 month old was on the potty (yes, that is a shameless brag) and I had two showers to help with yet. He got up to re-dress the tot. He went for his glasses first. He found them in two different spots. That's right folks. The glasses were broke.

It was all I could do to not burst out laughing. The very first thing that ran through my mind: "Was it in one of the two designated spots?" Um, I think not.

After getting all the kids into bed I mentioned how humorous I found the glasses bit. He told me now they could be in BOTH spots at once. "They really won't stay on your face anymore." I am glad he finds it at least a little amusing because I find it quite funny. :-D

"Careful Josh, there's syrup on this one."

Says Brandy as she hands Josh a plate to put in the dishwasher. Sounds nice, sounds considerate, right? Until you see that she is holding the plate VERTICAL! Yes, vertical, as in up and down, as in gravity and syrup are working together to get to the floor, and in a hurry! 9.81 meters per second per second... are you sure that is all it is doing? Seems faster to me. Josh takes the plate from her and continues to hold the plate vertical. All the while I'm hollering "Put that plate level! Level the plate! LEVEL!" Too late, there goes the icky, sticky syrup to the floor. "Guys, what were you thinking? You knew there was syrup on the plate, you said it." Josh's quick as lightning response "Brandy handed it to me that way." Yes, yes she did. But see, two wrongs really do not make a right. And you have a brain and can think for yourself. Not just can, but should really. I mean are you going to let the plane you are co-piloting go down just because it was in a dive when the pilot handed you the controls or are you going to pull the nose up? Throw the rock Mitch! (If you haven't seen this clip, it is really funny!)

Book smarts they have, I guess we need to work on UNcommon sense more than I realized. They can start with the natural consequence of cleaning the icky, sticky floor.

The plane analogy came from my dear hubby - gotta give credit where credit is due. :) While we are at it, incase the link isn't clear, the Mitch skit was an SNL skit.

Yeah and not so much so

Yeah: "I" have done it! With a lot of help from a friend of a friend. I can now be online on Facebook without fear of "the wrong people" seeing I am on and trying to chat. While still showing face for those I don't mind chatting with.

My 5 yr old is READING, not just reciting but READING Green Eggs and Ham by herself! I now have her doing other books as well. Some of them are actually easier, Hop on Pop, Go Dogs Go, but who can argue with the 5 yr old taking initiative and reading Green Eggs and Ham? Go, Bekki, Go!

Not so much: My lovely oldest daughter added regular dish soap to the dishwasher detergent in the latest load of dishes. Oy Vey! Bubbles galore and I will need to run the rinse cycle at least 3x to get rid of all those bubbles! She may have to start washing dishes by hand on her days from here on out. Can't let a mistake like that take the chore away - maybe just make it more difficult. ;-)

It is getting chilly outside! I had to pull out the long sleeved tshirts. Pout. On the good side, Chili for dinner, yum! I make a mean Chili if I say so myself. :)

"I get the big finger."

Last night, I did NOT have to fly solo! And a good thing too. Jes reverted to her goopy, whiny antics. While Daddy was helping her, she was playing with a pointer, which has hand on the end. And the hand is, wait for it, pointing. Daddy took the pointer and said "I get the big finger." Which sent Mommy into a fit of giggles. Because the pointer wasn't what came to mind when he said that. Just 15 minutes prior he told me about various things he discovered "wrong" at the other house that will need fixed. I was thinking we indeed did get the big finger, again. At least there is some humor to see us through.

This morning comes and I see that our, er, um, illustrious leader, Obama, has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Really? For what you ask - I did too - for... nope, I was right, he hasn't done anything yet. It was "...a stunning decision designed to encourage his initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism." So, yes, the big finger came out again, there are people who HAVE (as in past tense, already done) made strides toward peace.

Yep, you read that right, designed to encourage. I'm all for encouraging desired behavior, reinforcing the positive. Give the man a sticker, he has desires to do wonderful things. He wants to reduce nuclear arms and ease tensions with the Muslim world. Now, I'm not saying that these are bad goals, just that he hasn't done anything to attain said goals. Yes, his behavior chart can get a sticker, but I don't think he is ready for the Nobel Peace Prize just yet.

Speed Life

I have been having problems "fitting it all in" lately. Just the after school stuff really. From when the four older kids get off the bus at 3:30 until bedtime (I shoot for 8) everything is nonstop. Snacks, homework, dinner, cleanup, baths, toothbrushing, stories, bed. I rarely actually make 8. But the later I get them in bed the worse the next morning is. Cleanup almost always happens after bed, and more often than I care to admit to, the bedtime stories don't happen.

All these responsibilities are even heavier when my Jes decides that she is going to act like a whiny, goopy, incapable youngster. She is very smart and capable, but she will close her mind and cry, and whine and goop - from every facial orifice, all the while telling me it is too hard. I was talking to my best friend the other night and she suggested that Jes is trying to get one-on-one attention. And while it ends up being negative, it is indeed one-on-one. This had occurred to me but I didn't know how to go about fixing it. Bex offered me a terrific suggestion, set a timer for a reasonable amount of time for her homework. If she finishes in that amount of time, we play a game, one-on-one. This of course has it's own challenges, how does a mom of 6 a. find the time for a game b. keep it with just Jes and c. not end up starting this with all the other kiddos.

But, we are trying it out. So far, the homework is going much better! The first night Jes wanted to play the game of Life. That is NOT a quick game. I was working solo, as is often the case. So, I am trying to fit in the game and get kids to bed on time. We made some alterations in the game to speed it along. We don't stop, we just throw the spouse in the car at the end of the turn, or buy the house at the end of the turn, etc. With "Speed Life" we can do a game in about 20 minutes. Tonight Jes chose Go Fish. Much better choice! But... (you knew there would be a but!) the other kids are figuring out that she has been playing games with mom and want in on the action. Brandy and Josh asked to play Life. Turns into a four person game, even with "Speed Life" with four people it take close to 40 minutes. I got them in bed more than 30 minutes late.

About half way through the game Brandy says "I like real Life better than Speed Life." Me too baby, me too!

I still need to find a way to fit everything in those few brief hours, but now I realize that I need to slow down too. One doesn't see the goose on the roof if you don't take time to look around.

Letterman = Idiot

When it came out that David Letterman had affairs and was being blackmailed. I thought, good for you, standing up for yourself. I mean, instead of letting the blackmailers lord it over his head he just stood up and admitted having affairs.

Now, it says something that I wasn't at all surprised. It seems that is what public figures do. They have a well known face, and it doesn't have to be a good looking one, and they have extracurricular bedding. Apparently it takes an unattainable amount of willpower to turn down these extra offers (and to not present the offers themselves). Yes, I have accepted that married public figures, men in particular, have affairs. It is the norm, not the exception.

Since it is the norm, I silently applauded Letterman for standing up and saying he had affairs. Why allow yourself to be blackmailed when "everybody" does it?

Now I read he apologized on his show to his wife saying "She has been horribly hurt." Really, Ya think?!? IDIOT. Talk about understatements. Public spouses don't just get cheated on and have to deal with the consequences, they have to deal with it publicly.

"I Helping!"

My little almost two year old likes to help with everything. This of course means that things often take longer than without her "help." Since my goal is for my children to eventually be able to take care of themselves, I take this hit, willingly most times. One of the ways I have her help is to put the nipple on her bottle. She can hold the nipple while I fill the bottle with water and formula. Today I had to get her bottle from the dishwasher and assemble it. So I handed her the collar and the nipple and asked her to put them together as I assembled the rest of the bottle and added water. She told me "not working." I look, she has the nipple in the collar backwards. I told her to "turn this part around" while pointing to the nipple. She twists it in the current position while turning herself around in a complete circle. "not working, mommy." LOL! How can you not love the antics of a tot?!?

My grade as mom - I'm Passing!

Actually when you consider that my grade was given by my own 10yr old daughter, I'm gettin' an A!

Last night I had to take all 6 to my son's soccer practice. Luckily there is a playground nearby. The 5 girls and I headed to the playground during practice. I ran into a friend there. She has four children and until our oldest started preschool we had a weekly playgroup with a handful of other local women. Cindy always looks great! Put together, no chocolaty finger prints on her clothes, hair not only brushed but styled. She wears clothes that she didn't buy while grocery shopping at Walmart, you know clothes from actual clothing stores! She somehow seems to find time to shop! My oldest was impressed.

I know from talking with Cindy on other occasions that she feels I have it together pretty well. She has a couple of times told me "When things are hard, I think about you. You do such a great job and you have two more than me! I don't know how you do it." This tells me that both Cindy and I put on a great public face.

Anyway, as I mentioned my daughter was impressed. On the way home she was talking about how she wanted to be a "super mom" when she grows up. Ok. Um, what do you think a super mom is? "A mom that is never late, never forgets anything the kids have going on, cooks dinners, keeps the house clean, always happy..." Realizing that all of that is impossible I interrupt. "Um, sweetie, no one can do all of that, all the time." She tells me she knows. I ask her if she thinks I am a supermom. Without hesitation she tells me "Some of the time."

I swell and explode with pride and love.

No conferences, really!

I admit, I found it odd when we received the school calendar, there were no 1/2 days listed as conferences. I thought perhaps they didn't know the days when they had the cute little magnets made.

Here we are at the end of September and I am waiting for those little conferences slips to start coming home. I talk with a friend who has a child in the same district but a different school. She has her conference schedule - for an evening. Ok, the school district must have decided to use evenings instead of 1/2 days. That makes sense, keep the instruction time for instruction.

I asked my oldest if her teacher had mentioned conferences. Nope. I email her teacher and inquire. I received a prompt and pleasant response that the "state School Superintendent opted to remove the funding for these days and require us to be in school." The school my children attend, four of them, has decided to not have conferences. If a child is struggling they will set one up. If the parent requests they will set one up, but for the majority of students there will be no conferences. Said teacher did tell me my child was doing well, that she would set up a conference if I desired but that she didn't see a particular need.

ARGH! I do know that my children are not struggling. I am thankful for that. But, I have one who is in kindergarten. I would like to hear how she is adjusting, perhaps be given some suggestions for helping her be at her best daily. And let's face it, this daughter of mine is NOT being challenged. I was hoping to address this at conferences. I was going to casually mention that she is bored by her homework. She started the school year so excited and with SO much enthusiasm. She couldn't wait to get into her homework. Now she wants nothing to do with it because all she is bringing home is penmanship practice papers. I'll be honest here, it is hard to get too riled up about her throwing a few decent looking letters on the paper and claiming completion. I have been offering workbooks at home and she loves these. Cruises through the workbooks. But it doesn't mean the same thing to get a star or a sticker from mom as it does to get one from her teacher.

Then there is my son. He also, is not being challenged. His first few weeks of spelling in third grade, his first grade sister's words were more difficult. Ok, there comes a point when there isn't much to challenge a child with spelling-wise and let's face it, I believe my son is there. So, start challenging him with vocabulary. Have him learning the what part of speech his words are, what words mean, test him on more than just the spelling!

In all honesty, I do believe my other children, at this school are challenged sufficiently.

But, come on! What parent doesn't like to ego boost of hearing "Your child is doing very well!", "She is a joy to have in class!", "I can always count on your daughter to be doing what is expected of her." Yes, I like my ego stroked. Tell me I am doing a good job with my kids. I know it, I just like reassurances now and again.

Welcome

The main purpose of this blog is to write down the things that happen living with our six children. There is a lot of humor, usually AFTER the fact and a lot of learning.

As stated above, I have six children. They range in age from 2yrs to 10yrs. Five are girls and one boy. That's a lot of estrogen up and coming.

Anyone who tells you that boys and girls act differently only because of socialization - isn't a parent. When you look closely, it becomes obvious that most parenting advice doesn't come from parents. As my best friend once stated "I was an awesome parent before I became a mom." I am a mom now, so you will see I am flawed, my children are flawed and well, let's face it our world is flawed.