Happy 5th Birthday, Thomas!

I'm a bit late in posting this...only two weeks or so...

It did happen. The day finally got here. His birthday. The child was absolutely beside himself. Never had there ever been a better day for a party, either. From the organizing stand point, things went super smooth. From the kids stand point....


Well, there were a lot of kids in and out and around this house. A pack of 15-some odd kids swarmed about. The adults kind of stationed ourselves around in different areas of the house and out of doors so that there were eyes all over. It was amazingly wonderful, with no incidents.

Except for a few black tongues.


Thomas had been talking about his dump truck/construction party for nearly a year. Two weeks before the party, he ousted the dump truck idea in favor of a soccer bash. After the handful of baking failures I had experienced, I opted to simply ice cupcakes in black and white and arrange them to look like a soccer ball. It worked very nicely. And they were quite tasty!

Joshua manned the grill with my Dad and a couple of other guys. The three or four babies all cheerfully played in the living room, gnawing on toys and each other. Everywhere I went, there were people visiting and enjoying themselves.

Finally, Thomas declared that he would like to open the pile of gifts. The kids converged on the brightly wrapped boxes and the parents all stood back to watch the carnage. We laughed as every child got excited about each new gift.

It was a great time and we were so thankful for the friends and family that made it to celebrate Thomas with us.

The Daily To Do List

1. Get up. Out of the bed. Get dressed and pretend to be awake.
2. Get Munchkin Brigade up.
3. Feed them.
4. Dress them.
5. Remind them of daily chores.
6. Try to do some of my daily chores.
7. Phonics & Reading - Thomas
8. Math - Thomas
9. Try to do more of those daily chores.
10. Put the baby down for a nap.
11. Sit the older three in front of the television for Word World.
12. Breath.
13. Laundry.
14. Phonics - Sarah Grace
15. Letters & Numbers - Elizabeth
16. Trip over something. (or the day is not complete)
17. Get the baby up from nap. (even if she just went to sleep)
18. COMPUTER TIME! For me, not them. They have to go outside.
19. Feed the baby lunch.
20. Make lunch for the older kids.
21. Remind them to wash their hands. A collective reminder followed up by individual reminders.
22. Repeat step 21.
23. Eat lunch.
24. Help everyone clear the table.
25. Send them back outside.
26. Pick up all the toys the baby threw overboard and put them back on her high chair tray.
27. Clean up from lunch.
28. Get baby out of high chair and place her on the floor to play.
29. Breath.
30. See who is screaming bloody murder.
31. Kiss boo-boos.
32. Deny the plaintive begging for candy.
33. Read books.
34. Toss the girls in bed.
35. Laundry
36. Review something related to school with Thomas.
37. Put him in a small confined space with several books.
38. Remind him twice to stay put.
39. Or else.
40. Breath.
41. Computer time. Again. Because I am addicted. It's a communication tool, people.
42. Eat the candy I denied the children.
43. Putz around for an hour or so demanding nothing but quiet and peace from even the house flys. The ones that came in while somebody stood with the door wide open as I kissed boo-boos.
44. Set snack out on the table.
45. Allow Thomas to come out of solitary confinement.
46. Play with Thomas for a bit.
47. Allow the rest of the group up.
48. Eat snack.
49. Clean up from snack.
50. Start fielding the 9264 requests for permission to do various activities ranging from reading and Play-Doh to finding a roller coaster to ride on.
51. Have the first thought as to what might be for dinner.
52. Pretend I am Scarlett O'Hara and decide to think about dinner later.
53. Think about all the things I didn't manage to get done today.
54. Laundry.
55. Start snacking on things that aren't healthy for me.
56. Decide that I had better think something serious about dinner.
57. Check on kids to be sure that their little minds and hands are busy with profitable things.
58. Scrape something together for dinner.
59. Feed the baby (I got her up somewhere around #49)
60. Start running the kids out kids out of the kitchen as they beg for food.
61. Set the table.
62. Call husband to see what his ETA is.
63. Go into blind frenzy to get everything done for dinner.
64. Call the kids in.
65. Remind them to wash their hands. A collective reminder followed up by individual reminders.
66. Repeat step 65.
67. Loose my cool.
68. Hear the door open and thank the Lord that husband is home.
69. Ruin some part of dinner (or again, the day isn't complete)
70. Get everyone to the table for dinner.
71. Work in conjunction with husband to remind the children that they ARE IN FACT kids, not animals visiting a dinner table.
72. Grit my teeth and get through dinner.
73. Excuse the Munchkin Brigade from the table.
74. Remind them to wash their hands so that they don't get grimy stuff on everything they touch. A collective reminder followed up by individual reminders.
75. Repeat step 74.
76. Start clearing the table.
77. Get totally sidetracked.
78. Help get the kids all pajammied.
79. Tuck in children and do story time with them.
80. Nurse the baby.
81. Listen as husband reminds children to be quiet and stay in their beds.
82. Change the baby.
83. Love the baby.
84. Listen as husband goes in to 'remind' the kids to go to sleep.
85. Put the baby to bed.
86. Kiss four little faces good night.
87. Close the door to their room.
88. Be thankful for the roomful of children who all call me Mommy.
89. Be thankful that the roomful of children who all call me Mommy are tucked in for the night.
90. Start up the steps.
91. Hear one of the children come out of their room to go potty.
92. Stand still to make sure said child does their business and washes their hands.
93. Remind child to wash their hands.
94. Wait until child goes back to bed.
95. Wonder why it never matters that they go potty just before bed, somebody always has a bladder that has been refilled just after lights out.
96. Start up the steps. Again.
97. Help husband finish up the kitchen.
98. Laundry.
99. Make sure somebody fed the cat.
100. Get a snack.
101. Head downstairs.
102. Pick up book or remote control, or maybe both.
103. Think about blogging.
104. Remember that my laptop is still out of commission.
105. Decide it is late, I am tired, and I don't want to go upstairs to the desktop computer.
106. Realize it's been a week since my last post.
107. Decide to prep for tomorrow's school work over going back up the steps to blog.
108. Turn on television.
109. Prep for tomorrow's school work.
110. Watch television.
111. Eat my snack.
112. Pour a bath.
113. Soak in hot water while I read my book.
114. Crawl into bed, hoping that the baby doesn't wake up for at least seven solid hours.
115. Wonder why I didn't go to bed earlier.
116. Toss and turn a little bit.
117. Start reviewing the day in my head.
118. Start plotting out tomorrow in my head.
119. Pray. Pray. Pray.
120. Drift off to sleep.
121. Wake up to small person wandering into the bathroom.
122. Listen to be sure small person does their business and washes their hands.
123. Remind small person to wash their hands.
124. Look at clock.
125. I had only been asleep for 20 minutes.
126. Pass back out.
127. Sleep.

Never mind the two hundred things that didn't make this list because I am entirely too tired to think about them! Diapers, break up the fights, paint little toe nails, you name it...it's probably done somewhere in a day.

Free To Be Me

We had a huge bash for Thomas' 5th birthday a few weeks ago. I think the final count came up to around 40 people, give or take a munchkin or two. I went into this wild cleaning spree in the days that lead up to the party, not wanting people to see the common messes of our home.

Why? I have no idea. It's just part of the genetic make-up of being a woman, I think.

Once people started arriving, the kids took off tearing around in a pack and the parents sorted themselves into comfortable groups in different places. At one point, Joshua and I both managed to wander downstairs together for a few moments to visit with a group of folks. I forget the exact conversation that brought about the following phrase from my beloved husband's mouth.

'It usually doesn't look like this down here. The ladies spent the last two days working down here.'

Every woman on the planet (or at least the ones who read this blog) just gasped and thought some nasty thought about my husband.

Stop thinking bad things about him. He didn't say it to be mean. There was no censure in his voice. He was just simply stating a fact. I'll admit, my first thought was betrayal, but it was quickly replaced by thoughts of agreement.

'Yeah, the toys usually live all over the floor, but today they are visiting the toy box.' As soon as I said that one little sentence, every mother in the room relaxed.

I am beginning to see it more and more, this facet of motherhood. This constant comparison. She has a bigger house. Her husband has a more prestigious job. Her kids keep their clothes cleaner. Her car is nicer. She is a whiz in the kitchen. Look how nicely her house is decorated. Her children never misbehave. She always looks fresh and happy, never dowdy or tired.

And the list goes on. And on. And on...

But I have yet to meet a lady that really has it as together as she appears to on the surface. We each have our struggles, our frustrations, our triumphs, and our agonies.

Besides, if you look closely, I bet there are stale french fries under all of our car seats!

Just a few minutes of insight into a person can give you a whole new perspective. Example: I sat in the midst of folks I have known for years just this past Sunday when a gentleman, who had been listening to a group of us ladies chatter about the ins and outs of life, made the comment that I was nothing like he's always thought I was.

We tend to walk around in public with our game face and mask the little idiosyncrasies that make up who we are. It is all too easy to look at others and see nothing but the good and wonderful things in their life. That's when that nasty little voice of discontentment makes it's first whisper in our ear and we start the comparison game. It eats and eats and eats at the heart until soon, we can find nothing in our lives to be joyful about. Nothing to be thankful for.

If we will just focus on the blessings that the Lord has sent to us each, take the time to be truly thankful for the very life we have in Him, praising Him even through our trials, we will be freer to live this life as abundantly as He intended. We will see more clearly the opportunities that present themselves in His perfect timing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I approach my 31st birthday, these are the things that I find myself reflecting on. It has been a particularly hard lesson for me to learn. And I haven't arrived, but I am thankful for the growing and shaping that has been so obviously taking place in my heart and my head.

For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a future and a hope. When you call upon me, when you come to me and pray to me, when you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. -Jer. 21:11 (roughly)

Flippin' Out

Or at least flips could possibly enter the equation one day. Sarah Grace has been on the brink of flying away with all the excitement that has kept her aflutter concerning 'ginastiks' starting today. She has inquired as to how many days, hours, or even minutes 'until I get to go to ginastiks are dare?' as least eighty four times. She considered her options concerning her outfit (which one of her two should she wear first), her shoes (to wear or not to wear), her hair (how many piggies should she have), and did she need a bag to change clothes after it was all over.

The moment arrived to make final decisions, and she chose the suit that fits better, no shoes, and allowed me to do something special with her hair. In fact, she asked me to take a picture so she could look at it 'all the way to my ginastiks.'

Mercy, what am I going to do with such a girly-girl?

I was sure to have the camera with me, hoping to catch some of the antics of her on film my memory card. Alas, they took her across the mats and into a brightly painted room where parents could only watch from afar. Through a door that was propped open.

Barely propped open.

After a few minutes, I gave up and ran a couple of small errands. From my vantage point, I could only see the second grade class, which was interesting and all, but not my kid. And if you know me, you know my attention wanes easily.

When I arrived back to the gymnastics center, Sarah Grace flew at me, laughing and squealing about how much fun it was and how she couldn't wait to come back again!

She chirped all the way home about all the fun things she had learned and then as soon as we got out of the car, insisted on showing me her tricks.
I was highly impressed with her donkey kick. And she took great pleasure in showing me over and over how to do it.

In fact, she was just so dang cute that I kept snapping pictures.

I think she enjoyed it, ya'll.

Changing of Seasons

The neighborhood is quieter these days. No daredevil boys doing Evil Knievel tricks on the steep hill beside our house. No shouting and romping around of packs of boys. (There aren't any girls under 15 in the neighborhood) The dogs even seem quieter.

School started this week. We started sometime in July, so the kids are a bit confused. Add to that fact that we are homeschooling, and the confusion doubles.

It has been a bit hard for the kids to explain to their peers that their Mommy is their teacher and that they stay home for their school work. They are worldly-wise enough to understand that they don't get to go to the mysterious building and see all the kids who disappear inside it for hours at a time. They know that they are missing out on some serious playground time. They don't get to ride the school bus (remember when you thought that was cool?). They don't get to eat lunch in a cafeteria. How they know all of this stuff, I totally have no idea. But they do, and Thomas knows he is 'missing' it.

On the other hand, I went to the first meeting for the group of families that we will be interacting with as our 'school friends' this past Saturday. I came home and filled the kids heads with talk of play dates, field trips, book reports, and music class. I then reminded Thomas of his soccer commitment and Sarah Grace that she would be enrolling in gymnastics.

Then today, while other kids were in school, we went swimming. Yes, we did our school, but we also cooled off in the pool for about an hour. It occurred to Thomas that kids normally didn't get to swim while they were at school. Suddenly, everything about homeschooling was alright with him.

I suspect it will be bit of a struggle for a while. Within the group of people he regularly gets to see, the vast majority of those children started Kindergarten at *real* schools this week. Thomas has some anxieties wrapped up in homeschooling. (Frankly, so do I!) Overall, though, I think he will do great.

And Sarah Grace? She knows full well that the only way she gets to do Kindergarten this year is because we are homeschooling. In fact, she was pouting on the couch this morning because she couldn't read a book by herself yet. Something tells me she will be keeping me on my toes...

Happy 4th Birthday, Sarah Grace!!!

This...

wasn't really all that long ago. Has it really been four years?

Happy Birthday, my sweet Sarah Grace!!

Anna Joy - Eight Months

Catching Anna antics on film is tricky, at best. She loves the camera and whenever she sees it, she will stop what she is doing and come over for closer inspection. In the following video, she had been playing with the springy door stop for nearly five full minutes, laughing and giggling with her brother. As soon as the camera came out, though, she lost all interest.

Camera Shy Anna from Aubrey Freeman on Vimeo.

I am eight months old and...

...I am mobile! I can go on my own and am loving every second of it.
...I still don't have a tooth in my head.
...I still wake up every single morning at 5-ish to nurse for my first breakfast.
...I am beginning to eat chunkier food, not fully pureed. Despite my lack of teeth.
...I make a lot of noise on car rides. Happy noise, like I am talking to the other kids.
...I still LOVE the bathtub. It's an echo chamber!
...I am spoiled. I love to ride around in people's arms so I can be in on whatever action is going on.
...I have already started trying to pull up on things. A favorite is the bottom step.
...I adore my brother. In fact, I am starting a fan club...wanna join?
...my Mommy and Daddy adore me!

And That Was When The Record Scratched.

We were sitting at the table, enjoying the high life of steak, baked potatoes, and fresh green beans. Dinner was a tad later than is the norm, and the children had been swarming about hunting for dropped bits on the floor. In fact, Elizabeth, who had not eaten her lunch, had managed to inhale her baked potato in the minute and a half between when I sat her up to the table and when I sat down next to her.

Now, people, eatin' time in our home brings out the beasts in our offspring. Sweet children with manners suddenly turn into carnivores with demands. 'I want', 'give me', 'I need', 'where is my' are the phrases that erupt from their mouths even before the echos of our collective 'Amen' reaches the ceiling. (Good thing God's quick, or He might altogether miss our agreeing) We scream loudly over the din for them to all 'SHUSH!' gently remind them to speak one at a time and use their manners, then proceed to remind them that there are seven people at the table with needs and that we are doing the best we can to accommodate everyone.

Elizabeth was eating her food nearly as fast as I could get it on her plate. At some point, she sweetly demanded more meat. That is to say, her attitude and her voice reflected respect and sweetness, but her words were entirely lacking in manners. Joshua asked her to please try again, to which she put in a mannerly request for more steak.

After I had deposited the meat onto her plate, Joshua attempted to remind her to again use her manners.

'Elizabeth, what should you say to Mommy now? She gave you some meat.'

Elizabeth looked up serenely and, clearly as a bell, replied, 'Cut it.'