Mommyhood by the Handful

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-10-14T09:24:00.002-04:00

Thank You, dear God, for Friday and the coming Weekend!

My boys have been home more than at school this week, which could have been fun if they were in good moods.But with the flu winding down and ear infections in full swing, nobody in this house has been very much fun to be around. Thankfully, we all got scripts for antibiotics yesterday evening, so we should be really, truly better soon. Yay!

: To join the fun, click to visit The Little Things We Do. Then comment and let me know you did.

1. The most selfless thing I've ever done was give away my Bible. I met a woman who had just become a Christian and wanted to join the church's evangelism team. She had memorized some scriptures but couldn't afford to buy a Bible, so I gave her the one my parents had given me for 6th grade graduation. I had another one, but it was full of highlighting and markings that I'd made while studying. While it felt good to be able to help the woman, it was hard to give up something with so much sentimental value.

2. When it comes to working out I have no real routine. I used to exercise for about 4 hours a day, but since kids I'm lucky to get 4 minutes. Every once-in-a while, I do a full set of strength training with my son's dumbbells or some yoga, but most days I just get in a few crunches and do squats and cardio as I'm playing with the kids.

3. A woman should always be comfortable in her own skin.

4. I wish I could drive and then I'd be able to go to the boys' heritage party at school today. =(

5. A best friend is someone who listens to you whine without getting annoyed and then tells you the truth, even when it hurts.

6. I can't get enough of water. I am perpetually thirsty. Actually, I'm on my 3rd 16oz glass today, and I still feel parched. It's crazy!

7. This weekend I am hoping to rearrange the livingroom a little, organize all our craft supplies, and deep-clean as much of the house as possible. Gotta kill those germs! I also need to write two essays for my current classes and start reading for the new class that starts on Monday. Realistically, though, we'll be lucky to get through the weekend without the kids killing each other.

What you're missing

2011-10-02T22:26:00.001-04:00

Gabriel's 6 Month Birthday

So please hop on over to my wordpress page.

Go on, now, git!

Wordless Wednesday: Back to School

2011-09-14T09:30:00.002-04:00

Where were YOU on Nine Eleven?

2011-09-11T09:14:00.003-04:00

I was in my bedroom getting dressed for work when the DJ on my favorite radio station cut into the music for a special announcement. A plane had been seen flying close to one of the buildings in the World Trade Center, and there was.some sort of explosion. I was annoyed that they had cut into a song I liked and changed the station. When the new station was talking about the same plane having crashed, I turned off the radio. I may have been slightly self-absorbed at 18. But I blame my mother: she always used to tell me how pretty I was.

Anyway, I had to be at work soon, so I finished getting ready and went downstairs. "Mom, you might wanna turn on the news. There's some kind of plane crash or something in New York City." And then I went to Jane's Market.

People were acting really weird there. Some were frantic. Others were crying. And the manager had the radio tuned to news of what was going on. After a couple hours, no one had come into the store, so they locked up and sent us home. I was annoyed; it meant I would get several hours less pay for the week. (My mom also used to congratulate me for doing a "good job" fairly often.)

Looking back, I am slightly ashamed for my nonchalance about the whole thing. I feel for those who lost their loved ones - I really do. And I realize now what a huge effect the catastrophe had on so many people.

But part if me still wants to yell at everyone:

Similarly tragic things happen all the time around the world. Men, women and children dying for the sake of another person's beliefs.

"But it's not supposed to happen in America."

Why the heck not? Are we really so naive as to think we're immune to attack? Sure, America may have been founded by moralistic men, and we may be accepting and tolerant and willing to compromise on behalf of anothers' beliefs. But that doesn't mean those we accept and tolerate have to like us. It is, in fact, precisely because of our religious heritage that the attack on September 11 happened. And I sincerely doubt that the agnostic culture we've been developing will in any way affect the view other nations have of us.

Americans have in many ways become more community-focused since that day. It seems that being made aware of our vulnerability made us a little less self-absorbed on the whole. That's great! We need to also allow this event to open our eyes to the devastation that continues around us.

In Sudan, around 2.5 million innocents have been slaughtered in the name of religion or racial purity, in my lifetime alone.

Every year in America, two percent of women between the ages of 15 and 44 choose to terminate a pregnancy, while thousands of childless couples would do just about anything to be parents.

It is estimated that between one and two million CHILDREN will be sold into slavery in the next 12 months. Most of them will be used for sexual purposes. Some of this will happen in our own beloved country.

People all over the world are dying for lack of clean water or food, even though the monthly cost of saving them is less than most couples spend on one dinner or a movie.

As tragic as 9-11 was, there is nothing we can do to change what has already happened.

So what can we do?

What we can do is work towards changing the future.

We can stand up for the rights of those whose rights are being denied.

We can seek out those who need help, both in our own communities and around the world.

We can speak out to raise awareness of the suffering and hardships that our fellowmen (and women) are subject to every day.

Perhaps the real question shouldn't be where we were when our world got turned upside down, but rather,

"What are we gonna do about it?"

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-09-02T08:12:00.000-04:00


click to read this week's blanks

Loving a Child Conceived in Rape

2011-07-27T02:57:00.000-04:00

If you've ever pondered abortions related to rape, read this post.

Read my blog

2011-07-25T15:22:00.000-04:00

I have a very random post over at my new WordPress page. Come on over!

My Big Move

2011-07-15T20:58:00.000-04:00

As you probably know, blogger has been having functionality issues, so I'm off to WordPress.

My new link is right here. I haven't gotten it totally tweaked, and I'm not entirely sure how to move all you wonderful stalkers over just yet, but I'm working on it.

You can also read some of my other work at HubPages here.

Don't you forget about me...

My son gave me a hickey.

2011-07-13T09:42:00.000-04:00

Gabriel was super fussy yesterday. He wasn't hungry, had a dry diaper, and wouldn't sleep. so I put him up on my shoulder and got on with the day.

Fast-forward to 8pm. The hot Peruvian came over to where I was sitting (at my desk, of course) and said, "What's that?!"

Apparently all the toothless gnawing of my beloved 3 moth old left a mark.

In hind sight, I probably should have gotten on my man for not being the one to give me the hickey. Or played like I was "innocent and clueless" to see if he'd get jealous. [But he wouldn't, cos he knows there's no one out there better for me than him.] Oh well, maybe next time...

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-07-08T12:57:00.000-04:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, Then comment and let me know you did.

1. My plans this summer include surviving the next 53 days with the help of water balloons. Anything beyond that is a miracle!

2. The best summer I ever had was 2001. I went to Creation East and Purple Door (both are Christian music festivals, but the Door is more of a hard-rock and less churchy) for FREE as a volunteer. I got to set up stages and merch tents, do mosh pit security, and attend as many concerts and sessions as I wanted. It was a blast!

3. Summer is not nearly as much fun as when I was a kid, nor as fun as it will be when mine are older. Summer right now is just hot and chaotic, kind of like a lesser degree of Hell.

4. My favorite summer food is anything that doesn't require hours in a hot kitchen.

5. The best way to quench a summer thirst is with water with LOTS of ice.

6. My summer uniform consists of dresses and flip flops, as usual.

7. The best thing about summer is not having to bulk up the kids in layers and coats. Oh, and water balloons are fun, too.

Dead Computers SUCK!

2011-07-07T22:45:00.000-04:00

My laptop died again. I can use the hot Peruvian's PC from time to time, but it's a monstrosity and resides in our bedroom, so it's not gonna be a frequent thing. Hopefully, I'll at least get to do the Friday blanks.

Also, I'm switching to WordPress, so please go over there and follow me again. I'd do it or you, but I don't know how. Any and all tips are welcome and appreciated!

Until next time, my bloggy friends...

My family uses foodstamps...

2011-07-06T23:21:00.004-04:00

...and we have Medicaid, too!

Cue the abhorrent gasping.

But... Don't you have a bunch of kids?

Yes. Six, to be exact. They say things are cheaper by the half-dozen.

What? It's by the DOZEN?

Honey, come into the bedroom. It's time to get to work on the next baby!

Did you have them on purpose?

Yes, we "chose" not to abort our children.

Didn't you know how much it would cost to raise them?

Yes, we know having kids is expensive, and I'm sure that's exactly what YOU think about between the sheets, too.

Then why did you have so many?

Because the five forms of birth control I've used don't seem to work for me. Apparently, I'm in that .01% or more that's always excluded from the effectiveness guarantee. Also: condoms sometimes break, rapists can produce offspring, and I don't believe in abortion. (There have been a couple pregnancies that would have been easy to excuse away, but I'd still be guilt-ridden for all eternity if I had chosen to kill my babies.)

And now that they're all here, I just can't decide which one to get rid of!

To anyone who has had an abortion: I sympathize with you, I understand your choice, and I do not look down on you for it. But allow me to disagree with your decision.

Well do you at least both work to support your mistakes?

First of all, not one of my children is a mistake. Surprises yes; mistakes, no. To answer the intended question: the hot Peruvian does work a salaried job to support our family the best he can. When he can't be physically at work (if he's sick or the building is closed for a day) he works from home. I do not work outside the home.

Don't you feel like pond scum for sitting around all day while responsible, upstanding citizens pay your bills?

No, I do not feel guilty about staying home to raise my beautiful children. Our "bills" are paid by my husband's income, which is also dipped into to cover the nation's welfare recipients. The government helps us buy groceries (we spend only $450 per month, which is less than most 4-person families) and covers the kids' and my checkups, mental health appointments, and some prescriptions. Alex has his own insurance through work.

And, seriously? Don't ever accuse any mom of "sitting around all day." Especially if she's got 5 kids with special needs, multiple chronic illnesses, and an infant. Not a smart move.

Why don't you get a real job?

1. I want my kids to be raised by their mother, not some daycare employee. Plus, I enjoy their company (most of the time) and don't want to miss out on seeing them reach any of the vital milestones of the pre-school years.

2. It would cost more to put my kids in the cheapest daycare for one summer ($6,600) than my credentials would allow me to earn ($3,190 before taxes). Of course, I could always let the government pay for the childcare, but wouldn't that sort of defeat the purpose? (I did the math for you: it would be the equivalent of getting $2400 a month in foodstamps, instead of only $450. Still want me to get a job?)

You wouldn’t be poor if you had gone to college.

That is partially true. Alex did go to college. He finished early and was making $30K right after graduation: good money for a bachelor. But when he joined our family, he left that job in Philadelphia and – despite his many efforts at finding work locally – was unemployed for 7 months. After a stint as a mattress salesman, he’s back to working as a systems analyst at a relatively large nation-wide company. Unfortunately, the economy doesn’t allow them to pay as much as the job is worth for now, and a singles man’s salary doesn’t pay for a family man’s life.

I, on the other hand, am not a college graduate. I had plenty of scholarship offers, free-rides, letters saying “We’ll even pay for your books and food.” But, due to a major filing booboo on the part of the school of my choice, I was unable to begin at the planned time. It was during that break between high school and orientation that I met my first husband, who would later prevent me from doing anything that might enable me to escape from his control. I have acquired a few credits since then, but have not yet earned a degree.

I bet you buy beer and cigarettes with your EBT card.

No, I use my crack-whoring money for that, dipwad!

It is impossible to buy non-food items with foodstamps. (Even cash assistance has limits to what you can buy though I don't know first-hand exactly what they are). Most of the time we use them to buy terribly frivolous things like produce, rice, chicken and tomato sauce. Occasionally - meaning when there's a super sale and I have a coupon - we'll buy soda or hot pockets, or a cake mix for someone's birthday. Since most of our meals and snacks are made from scratch, though, our grocery budget typically goes to ingredients, not quick fixes.

You should cancel your cable and cell phones and go off welfare.

We don't have cable. And our cell phone plan has a large cancellation fee. We do plan to downgrade once the 18 months is up, but the hot Peruvian's long commute is much safer with a phone. Having it also enables him to do the shopping without me, which saves mega bucks on gas.

Our tax dollars shouldn't go to help the parasites on welfare. They don't WANT to be helped; they're just looking for a handout.

I don't think our tax dollars should help parasites, either. Isn't that what the Master Cleanse is for?

It bothers me each time I go through the grocery check-out that we can't afford to buy our own food. I would much rather be self-sufficient...and able to do the fun things that middle-class Americans take for granted (Vacation, anyone?). But that's not an option for us at the moment.

When I was a single parent trying to raise 2 kids with no child support, I would have done just about anything to convince my case worker to help me get on my feet. I begged him to find a way to help me get transportation and babysitting so that I could find a job. When he didn't, I enlisted the help of a dozen or so already-overwhelmed family members and friends. I searched the system and called all the way to state head trying to find a training program that would teach me a skill worth more than minimum wage. I sat on waiting lists and found odds-and-ends work. I jumped through all the hoops to no avail. The money I did earn had to be mailed to the county assistance office or they would discontinue our benefits, so there was no way to save up or leave the program without allowing my children to starve - literally.I eventually let my abusive husband come back, because it was obvious there was no way for me to get on my feet alone, and I was tired of the humiliation of welfare appointments and the dirty looks from complete strangers.

Sure, there are some recipients who abuse the system. I've known several. But that doesn't mean that we are all "looking for a handout." Our government just hasn't quite figured out how to really help those of us who would rather get through the hard times than wallow in them.

This post was inspired by the comments on an article I recently read, and random comments I've heard when using my EBT card. What are your thoughts on providing low-income families with grocery money?

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-07-01T12:52:00.002-04:00

My computer crashed last Friday. It was tragic! I thought I had lost all of Gabe's baby pictures, everything I've written that's not yet published, all my recipe files and homemade templates...everything.

I cried. I moped. I called my mommy and said, "I need you to pray."

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"My computer is dead."

Understanding her only daughter's lack of any semblance of a real life, Mom replied sympathetically: "Oh no! Your whole life is on that computer!"

"I know! Everything I love that's not a person is on there. It's worse than the house burning down!"

A few days later, my hot Peruvian lover, who just so happens to be a systems analyst (read: computer geek) remembered that the external hard drive I bought him last month is interchangeable with laptop hard drives. He was able to salvage all my important files, eliminate the 11 viruses that somehow got through Norton, and reset my drive so that the laptop is ~~boring and uncustomized~~ as good as new.

HOORAY!!!

So now I get to do my beloved meme...

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, and don't forget to congratulate Lauren on her new pregnancy! Then comment and let me know you did.

1. The best news I ever received was that Sam, who I had been told was in the process of miscarriage, was still alive and well.

2. Something I'm looking forward to is Eli starting kindergarten and the other two going back to school in the fall. I love my boys, but they don't do well without the structure of school.

3. Something I would never do is have an abortion. (Sorry, folks, this answer was inspired by a recent convo, and I couldn't think of anything else.)

4. If I could choose someone to be my life coach (famous or not, living or dead), I'd choose ...? I have no idea. The idea of a "life coach" is completely foreign to me.

5. If I had to put a label on my style it would be nonexistent. I wear whatever fits - which, thanks to my lymphedema, isn't much. If I could wear what I want though, my wardrobe would consist mostly of gothic and hippie shtuffs, so... bohemian?

6. One should always live according to love.

7. I want to have fun with the kids this summer. Hopefully they'll quit it with the fighting and tantrum-throwing long enough for us to do something!

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-06-24T07:25:00.001-04:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. The last thing I ate was a handful of raw oatmeal at 4:30 this morning.

2. The next thing I'd like to eat is the bowl of Oatmeal Squares cereal that's in my hand right now.

3. The best things are often overlooked.

4. Something that makes me supremely and utterly happy is walking into my kids' room to find them taking turns nicely while reading the Bible together!

5. Sports are boring.

6. I miss sleep. Specifically, I miss Gabriel sleeping from 9 or 10 until 5 or 6. This going to bed after 11 and getting up at 4 thing is getting old.

7. Right now I am desperately needing coffee. Think I'll go make some.

26 Things that Come with Having Kids: Y

2011-06-20T12:05:00.001-04:00

We talked about how much I love the zoo. Now onto the next lovely topic (and you thought I'd never get around to it!)...

Yelling. It's inevitable when there are kids in the house. Whether it's them, your spouse or you, someone is going to yell. Sometimes repeatedly.

Oh, sure, I've heard the rumors that the Duggar mom never raises her voice. I don't believe it. Because even if you don't get angry - in a house as crowded as theirs must be - there are bound to be times when anyone who wants to be heard simply must raise his or her voice.

Not that my house ever gets that noisy!

Okay, so it does. Daily, in fact. And it's guaranteed that on any given day there will be at least one or ~~a dozen~~ two instances of yelling in this place. It may fighting siblings, a disgruntled chore-doer, a dad who's had-it-up-to-here! or a certain adult female who might possibly lose her temper from time to time in the form of a very loud rant (hmm... who could that be?). Sometimes it's just a matter of getting the 2 year old's attention long enough to put down a nursing baby before said toddler eats an entire can of Nesquick off the kitchen floor.

Not all yelling is cause for alarm, either. Sometimes it is required to create the authenticity in an all-family game of "National Guard," in which each member has a super power and must work to fight the bad guys. Some high-pitched yelling (a.k.a. screaming) may be the result of an ice cube down the back, a water balloon fight, or a good old-fashioned tickle party.

Regardless of the reasons or the responsible party, every parent or parent-to-be must be aware of and prepared for the high decibel levels that come along with raising one or more children.

I recommend taking stock in ear plugs.

(Next in the series: Xenophthalmia. Don't know what that is? Guess you'll have to read it and find out!)

LOVE my Sleepy Wrap!!!

2011-06-18T09:57:00.002-04:00

When my oldest was a baby, someone gave us a walmart-grade infant carrier. It was dark blue, had straps and buckles and a very uncomfortable adjuster ring thingy on the back that like to dig in between my shoulder blades any time I walked or sneezed or breathed too deeply. Zeke would not be put down 90% of the time, even when sleeping. ~~I may have spoiled him just a little.~~ So, regardless of all its faults, the carrier was a life-saver.

I used the same carrier a few times with my second, but after gaining a bunch of baby weight, it was hard to get the thing on. (Apparently, only tall, skinny girls are supposed to have babies.) And when it was on, it was too uncomfortable to be worth the effort. Somewhere along the line, I gave it away and never thought about it again until recently.

The newest addition to our family is a little - okay, very - spoiled, too. And since I want so very badly to breastfeed him full-term, and since I have a supply issue and MUST feed on demand every time he's hungry, and since we have 5 other crazy kids running around this place with no concern for where they step or whom they bump into... I have been desperately wanting a carrier for Gabe.

I was given a ring sling by a lactation consultant at the WIC office, which was a pleasant surprise at the time. But after many attempts at positioning my little guy in the thing, I've given up. It's not very comfortable for me, since all the weight sits on one shoulder. And he absolutely hates the position and the "swaddling" feel on his legs. So I've been searching the interwebs for over a month to find the perfect thing.

I've seen a lot about the Moby Wrap. It seemed perfect until I looked at the price. Even on sale at a store where I get a discount, the thing costs upwards of $45! (Of course, as I'm searching for pictures for this post, I see that it's been reduced.) And since the only pictures I could find of it in action had skinny models and babies in the "newborn hold," I wasn't sure it would work for me. No way was I gonna shell out all those clams for something I wasn't sure about. So I kept looking.

When I logged on to diapers.com to order our cloth diapers the other day, I half-heartedly looked through the carrier section of their clearance. And there I found my new best friend, the Sleepy Wrap:

Please ignore the dirty mirror.

It's plenty long, so it fits around my 40 inch belly just fine, with room to spare. And since it's 100% adjustable, it doesn't dig in on my fattier or shorter parts like the one with buckles did. Plus it distributes the weight evenly across my entire torso, so there's no shoulder pain like with the sling.

The first time I tried it on, I put my two year old in and spun him around in circles hands-free. He was ecstatic, and when I put the wrap away, he begged me to put it back on. The next morning, I was able to clean the living room with the baby happily perched and both my arms free to pick up random junk and push the vacuum! I've since worn Gabe in the wrap while fixing meals, doing laundry, and just walking around the house to get him to sleep. I was even able to put him in a nursing hold while serving lunch to the other kids - and he didn't feel constricted, since the Sleepy Wrap supports him in the same way my arms normally would.

To say the least, this carrier is an excellent find for anyone who wishes they had an extra arm or two! (And, no, I'm not getting paid to tell you so.)

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-06-17T10:28:00.000-04:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. The last movie I saw was White Lion. But I'm going to see Super 8 with my hot Peruvian tonight.

2. I want to dye my hair red. I'll post pictures later.

3. Surprises are finicky. Good surprises are usually fun - unless they're ill-timed. Bad surprises (which come all too frequently in the form of stinky messes in the carpet of my potty-training son's room) are not fun.

4. The best accessory is a positive attitude.

5. My favorite warm drink is coffee. Especially with a decent amount of cream and no sugar.

6. My favorite cold drink is water. I'm boring, I know.

7. Currently loving our recent transition to cloth diapers and wipes. And my supercool SleepyWrap!

Is Sitting Killing You?

2011-06-11T17:45:00.004-04:00

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for an important update:

Via: Medical Billing and Coding

Kinda scary, huh?

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-06-10T09:13:00.001-04:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. This weekend I'm going grocery shopping, on Saturday, to church on Sunday... the usual.

2. My last vacation was in the summer of 2009 we went to the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, OH. It has an indoor water park and a mini safari. Very fun for the kids!

3. My next vacation will be a long way off. Alex used all of his vacation time when the baby was born, and having six kids means we're perpetually broke.

4. My favorite way to relax is with a good book, loud music and fresh coffee.

5. When vacationing one should always focus on fun and take lots of pictures!

6. When vacationing one should never stress out about anything. I say this for my own sake, since it's in my nature to worry about everything to the point of missing out on what fun there is to be had.

7. The best part about a vacation is making memories.

SITS31DBBB - Day 7

2011-06-09T15:08:00.002-04:00

So not feeling the whole "housewife" thing today.

Thursdays are not fun. Thursdays are like my Monday. It's absolutely, hands-down, bar-none the WORST day of the week. I've got more to do than any other day, most of which either cannot be or hasn't been done ahead of time, and the least time to do it - we've all got to be ready to go by 3pm. This Thursday, in particular, is an extra-crazy-impossible day.

As usual, I need to fix a take-along supper, dress 5 children, feed them lunch, nurse the baby a half dozen times, pack the diaper bag, break up several fights and do a load or two of laundry. But this week I also have to pack an extra diaper bag, bathe the baby (it's been several days. ew.) and get together all the stuff we'll need to stay occupied at the doctor's office while Alex and 4 of the kids are at the play therapist's place. And I still haven't had a shower. Arg.

I must say, though, that Gabe has slept through the night twice now, so I'm not quite as exhausted as usual. And I've got this blog challenge to give me a little space in the day for me. Plus, today's assignment gives me an excuse to surf the web a little longer than usual, looking for worthy links.

Day 7 : Linkety Link Links

Today we're supposed to write a post full of links. Links that will keep our readers interested in what we have to say. Links that will make the linkee want to check us out. Links that build community and readership and all that happy shtuff.

Thursday is a good day for that. Because Thursday is when the 4 Moms share tips on "How Moms of Many Manage."

Here are some more of the ones I've been frequenting lately (in no particular order):

Life As Mom - another awesome mom of many
Just West of Crunchy - this is written by a couple who strive to live naturally without being so organic that I run away screaming.
Mama Natural - a place for all things organic and mommyish
Guggie Daily - Guggie blogs about parenting, lactivism, intactivism and birth stories
Peaceful Parenting - Dr. Momma is FULL of information on just about everything you need to know about infant and child medicine, peaceful parenting, and various channels of activism
The Feminist Breeder - the kind of feminist that makes me wonder if I am a feminist, after all. Not like the stereotype I've always known
babble - a series of blogs "for a new generation of parents"
My Home Truths - this mom has 3 kids, one with special needs
Called to Peru - a missionary couple's journey

There are many more that I could share with you, but I need to put a loaf of bread in the oven, so that's where I'll stop.

Happy Linking!

********************************************************************************

Ooh! I just got some convenient news... The kids' play therapist is sick, so she's cancelled for today.

I'm sorry you don't feel well, Miss Shelly!

And kids, I know it sucks that you have to wait to have your sessions.

But, boy am I glad to have an extra hour to get ready for the baby's checkup. And to make up for the disappointment, how about we go to Story Time at the library tonight?

********************************************************************************

SITS31DBBB - Days 3-6

2011-06-08T10:12:00.004-04:00

Less than a week into this thing, and already I'm behind. But not for lack of interest or dedication. It's just that my 2 month old has decided to grow like a rumor weed!

He's been cluster feeding like crazy (we're talking 3-4 hour feeding sessions) and then crying and flailing and squirming when I go dry. Until I give him a bottle. Then he sleeps for, oh, say 20 minutes, before starting it all over again. I. Am. Pooped!

So when Gabe hasn't been pigging out on your favorite Dairy Queen, she's been busy cooking for, feeding, changing, bathing, and picking up after the other 5 little piggies in the house. Why am I speaking in the third person? And when did my family become a pack of farm animals?

Anywho, I have been doing at least bits and pieces of the assignments, but I haven't put them up here since day 2. Oops. So here ya go:

Day 3: Promote a Post

Everyone knows that, if you want people to see something, you've got to get it out there. "Promote" is just a more PC word

for "advertize." There are many many ways to go about doing so. I have always posted links to my blog on my personal facebook page. But on day 3, I decided to set up a facebook page just for the blog. I'm also going to try to start tweeting my posts.

If you know of any other free ways to promote, feel free to share!

Day 4: Analyze a Blog in Your Niche

I didn't do this. I don't really feel like I have a niche. But there are a few blogs - that - I - read - regularly (Those are 5 different links to great blogs, people!), and I often find myself taking mental notes of what makes them so awesome and how I might be able to emulate some of that awesomeness somewhere down the line.

Apparently, there is a list of questions we're supposed to ask ourselves when doing the analysis, but since I don't have the book, I don't get to see the full list. Waaah! One of my group mates did remind me about this helpful link, though, so I suppose there's no excuse for me not to get around to this assignment at some point. Bummer.

Day 5: Email a Reader

I haven't done this yet either. I really really want to send a proper email - like with capital letters and punctuation and a complete lack of nonsense words - so I've been waiting for the baby to sleep. He is right now (obviously) but I'm doing this instead. The email will happen. I'm giving myself a deadline of midnight tomorrow.

Day 6: Read an Insane Amount of Shtuff

Properly completing his assignment also requires the book, but host Shelley did offer an alternative: reading shtuff written by the authors of the 27 articles that we were supposed to read. Here's their info:

Seth Godin: SethGodin Twitter: @thisissethsblog
Rand Fishkin: SEOMoz Twitter: @seomoz
Skellie: Skelliewag Twitter: @skellie
Chris Garrett: ChrisG Twitter: @chrisgarrett
Yaro Starak: Entrepreneurs Journey Twitter: @yarostarak
Jeremy Schoemaker: ShoeMoney Twitter: @shoemoney
Maki: DoshDosh Twitter ID: @doshdosh
Liz Strauss: SuccessfulBlog Twitter ID: @lizstrauss
Daniel Scocco: DailyBlogTips Twitter ID: @danielscocco
Chris Brogan: ChrisBrogan Twitter ID: @chrisbrogan

I haven't looked at any of them yet, but it should be pretty easy to do one-handed throughout the day.

All in all, I think it's going well. I may not be doing all the assignments correctly, but I am blogging more than ever before. And I've made some great connections with fellow bloggers I probably would never have come across were it not for the 31DBBB.

Are you doing the challenge? If not, join us!

Upper Adams School District Fails Us Again (and Why Vida Charter School Is Awesome)

2011-06-06T12:33:00.005-04:00

My oldest son does not attend our local school district. He goes to a public charter school in the neighboring district.

Why? Because in 1st grade and the beginning of 2nd, Upper Adams School District failed him miserably. He was being bullied, but the bullies didn't get in trouble. The victim did.

Sure, Zeke is different. He's smarter than average, more caring than normal, and he's a domestic violence survivor with PTSD. He went through a phase where he got back at the bullies by stealing things from their desks, which we dealt with harshly. But he's NOT a bad kid. The principal at Biglerville Elementary disagrees.

Zeke once got three days of recess detention for messing with a bird's nest on the playground. (That's nine recesses in the library with the principal. In first grade.) But the boys who pushed him down regularly and the girl who called him names? Not even a reprimand.

So after struggling to get the school to address the issues properly, I pulled him out. We tried a cyber school - too much work for both of us. We tried home schooling - nothing's learned when the child refuses to listen to his mother. And then we found Vida Charter School.

Vida means "life" in Spanish, and that's exactly what the school has brought us. Zeke is doing great there! He struggles, acts out more than he did at his old school, but they CARE about him. They help him. He does not get bullied, and every issue that arises (usually his refusal to do course work) is dealt with in a reasonable manner. At Biglerville, he was in a special reading class because ha was performing under par. At Vida, he's reading well beyond his grade level.

In order for Zeke to get to his school, he's been getting on the local high schoolers' bus, then switching to a different bus at the high school for the 20 minute ride to Vida. At the end of each day, he was being dropped at the elementary school, where he and his little brother would board a local bus and ride the rest of the way home together. It was hectic at first but was working just fine until today.

This morning Zeke left for the bus at his usual time. Forty minutes later he came home, scared to death that he was going to be in trouble for missing the bus.

Now, the bus has always been scheduled to arrive at 7:20, but it rarely came before 7:27, so Zeke's usual time for heading out the door was 7:21. We thought maybe it just came on time today. But when I called the school to let them know he had missed the bus and would not be in, I found out he's not the only one.

The local district had their last day of classes on Friday, June 3. Vida's school year ends on June 10. UASD decided fulfilling their obligation to get transfer students to school was not worth sending a driver to each bus stop, since their own students no longer needed the ride.

Apparently, UASD thinks that transfer kids should have to find a way to Biglerville High School before getting a ride to school. For Zeke, that would mean walking 3.7 miles. According to Google Maps, it would take the average pedestrian 1 hour 13 minutes.

Oh, and there's a warning that says, "Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths." It's right, only the first and last blocks of the trip have any sidewalk at all, as the only "walkable" path is along a major state road.

They claim to have notified us, but the postcard I received simply stated that we should expect our child to arrive home a little later than usual for the next week, since one bus would be taking students home in the most convenient order, rather than following the usual routine.

So to reiterate... this morning my eight year old stood alone at the bus stop for FORTY MINUTES, while I thought he was on his way to school, growing more worried by the minute, because the district transportation department didn't think he was WORTH SENDING A BUS for.

* * *

I received a phone call while writing this, saying that our principal has worked it out. She reminded the UASD transportation department head about the district's legal obligation to provide transportation for all students to the schools of their choice. Zeke will be able to attend the last week of school via his usual bus stop location and time.

Miss April: THANK YOU!

Upper Adams School District: You've succeeded in upholding your usual low standard. Kudos on that.

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-06-03T10:15:00.002-04:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. I love books because they're my friends. Sounds super cheesy, i know, but I've always felt most comforted when surrounded by books. There's just something about the written word that speaks to my soul. I love paper and ink, and books are full of them! Also, its nice to escape to another world, like a mini-vacation, any time I want, just by opening a book.

2. A time that mama knew best was when she told me I shouldn't say that I would "never" have kids. I always despised small children, and now look at me!

3. My first kiss went a little like this: I was waiting in line to go on the slide at preschool (I was 3), when Todd (he was 5!) grabbed me and pulled me under the slide. He gave me a quick peck on the lips, smiled, and ran away.

4. My celebrity crush is hmmm... I really don't know. Alex and I joke about who the one person with whom we'd be aloud to cheat on each other might be. I forget who he picked, but I remember saying Omar Epps; and then I looked at the guy's eyes. Creepy. So I'll have to find someone new.

5. My splurge of choice is gifts for the kids. I'm not usually a big spender on unnecessary things. But when it comes Christmas shopping time, I stretch the budget WAY beyond its limits.

6. My biggest accomplishment is ...my first thought is "my children," which seems like a good answer. But it's not quite true. My biggest accomplishment thus far has been keeping my faith in God, even when it seemed like there was no one out there looking after me. Now, don't get me wrong - I yelled at Him plenty. I felt hopeless at times, when it got really bad. But I always believed He would work things out somehow. And He has never let me down.

7. My dance jam of choice is ...I don't dance. But I am a sucker for "Monster Mash" and will sing along loudly each time it comes on.

Now it's your turn!

26 Things that Come with Having Kids: Z

2011-06-02T21:44:00.005-04:00

This came to me as an alphabetical list, but A-Z is boring. So we'll do it in reverse, in however many installments it takes to get through all 26 letters. Here goes...

Zoos. I have never been an animal person. Sure, I had a thing for cheetahs after watching that movie. And I collected teddy bears for a few years as a child. And, yes, I adored the cocker spaniel I got for my seventh birthday. But overall, animals have always just been “eh” to me.

Cute kitty pic?

Eh.

A herd of deer beside the road?

Eh.

Milo and Otis?

Oh, please don’t make me watch that crap again!

And then along came the little ones:

Toddler: “Mommy, yook! Dair’s a buwd ober dair!”

Me (feigning enthusiasm): “Wow! I think that’s a robin, sweety. See the red belly?”

Toddler: “Bunny! Bunny! Mommy, I saw a wabbit!”

Me (rolling eyes): “Awesome! You know, your uncle Billy used to like rabbits, too.”

You get the idea.

To kids, though, animals are amazing. A tiger on TV is the coolest thing ever, and seeing a cricket in the back yard is like winning the lottery! So it stands to reason that I should succumb to the “joy” of a trip or two (or a dozen) to the zoo. Right?

We went once when the boys were 4, 2 and 1, and Vicki was just a few weeks old. Mamas, hear me: Never go to the Washington, DC Zoo less than 2 months after having a c-section. NEVER! There a hills and more hills, and no wheels to be had! Not a good time for me, but the boys loved it.

A few years later, I accompanied a first grade field trip to the same zoo. Again with the hills and the walking, but it was nice. For my son, whom I love tremendously (obviously).

Really, I doubt there are many parents out there as indifferent to animals as I've always been, so for most of you the zoo might actually be fun. Maybe there are even some of you crazy enough to be gad for the excuse to go. Or maybe you're like me and would rather have ants crawl on your face. Either way, your child(ren) will love the outing, and you simply can't let them get through an entire childhood without seeing a monkey in person at least once!

Okay, okay. I'll admit it. This one's cute.

So there you have it: Trips to the zoo come with the territory in parenting. I hope you enjoy the animals more than I do!

(Next in the series: Yelling. Not that there's ever any of that in my house!)

SITS31DBBB - Day 2

2011-06-02T20:45:00.000-04:00

Assignment #2: Write a List Post

Today we're supposed to make a list and check it twice. They recommend that it be between 5 and 15 items and numbered reasonably. (Nobody likes an unreasonable blogger.)

We also started on some group work, which really just means that we've said "hi" and are starting to look at each other's blogs. Fun shtuff!

I came up with my list idea almost as soon as I read the assignment. But, since four of the kids and I have an annoying tummy virus, progress has been slow. It'll get posted eventually.

In the meantime, I invite you to read some of my older posts here, here and here. Have a happy day!

SITS31DBBB - Day 1

2011-06-01T15:56:00.001-04:00

Today is day one of the SITS Girls 31 Day Better Blog Challenge, and I'm going to try to stick it out for the whole month. Wish me luck!

Assignment #1: Write an Elevator Speech

We were allotted 140 characters and asked to post a comment here, trying to convince other bloggers to read our blogs. Mine was easy, since it's already pretty much right up there ↑ as part of my welcome:

"Living for each day (as a domestic violence survivor) with 6 kids, 2 pets, a hot Peruvian and more than our share of disabilities… "

Feel free to join the fun on education channel of the SITS website!

Monday Mayhem

2011-06-01T11:17:00.009-04:00

(Okay, yes, I realize it's Wedsday, but this post is about Monday. Not confusing at all.)

The other night, two of my children decided to run away. And we let them.

Left arrow: Eli, 5. Right arrow: Isaiah, 6.

Now, don't freak out, they're home. We didn't leave them unattended, either, though they didn't know that.

I honestly have no idea what triggered their decision, as the day had been filled with arguments and fights, and by 7pm I was no longer paying any attention to the whiny voices bombarding my ears.

One minute we were telling everyone to get ready for bed, and the next minute my six year old was running through the yard toward Main Street. In his underwear. I turned around, laughing, to tell his dad what was happening, and out goes the 5 year old as well. Luckily, he had on some clothes. We watched them through the windows for a while, but when they were out of sight, Alex got in the car to find them.

Now, the town we live in is all of a block and a half long and about 2 blocks wide. There are no major roadways, and everyone's got kids, so people know to drive pretty slowly. So normally it wouldn't be a big deal for a kid who's old enough to cross the street. But we do have a few registered sex offenders living in our tiny piece of the world, and my son was in his underwear! (I wish I had had the presence of mind to snap a picture - it was hilarious!)

Alex found the boys, followed just under their radar for a few minutes, then drove home when it looked like they were on their way inside.

Our "low profile" covert operations vehicle.

But they weren't.

They had come back to the yard just to get a bike and a scooter. I guess walking barefoot down the sidewalk in 92 degree weather just wasn't working as well as they'd hoped.

We watched covertly some more. But when they went to a neighbor's house to play, we thought Isaiah's tighty-whities might not be appreciated by the 8 year old girl's parents. So Alex went over and explained to the boys the difference between running away and visiting friends without permission. They left her yard, stood under a stop sign that joins two lanes (that are really more like alleys) and tried to hash out a plan as Alex walked home carrying their bike and scooter.

By this time, I was getting annoyed. It was way past bedtime on a school night, I was still cluster-feeding the baby (as I do every night between dinner an 9-11pm ), and I wanted to go to bed knowing that everyone was safe. I was ~~maybe~~ ~~probably~~ definitely a little harder on Alex than I should have been when I asked him, "Why did you come home alone?" He took the hint.

He sneaked up on the boys, grabbed Eli, and ran home. Well, he tried to run, but Eli's a big boy, and he was flailing wildly, so it was really more of a hobble. Isaiah followed closely behind.

We discussed how easily Eli had been "kidnapped" and how little Isaiah had done to try and stop it from happening. We talked about how much easier it would have been for someone with a car to take them both wherever he wanted. We told the boys about the bad guys who live in town and are known for hurting children. Isaiah said that if Eli had been taken by a bad guy, he would have called the police. We asked him, "Let's say Dad had the car when he got Eli. If the police asked you what the car looked like, what would you tell them?" Then we explained that calling our car "oval" and "kind of brownish" wouldn't help the police very much. We tried to convince them that the only safe place for a little boy to be is at home with the people who love him.

Isaiah seemed to understand. Eli cried and accused Alex of choking him. (Don't worry, we were trained on how to hold/restrain a tantruming mental patient when or oldest was in the hospital last year; Alex did just fine.) And then we all went to bed.

What would you do if your kindergarten-age child/children ran away?

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-05-27T08:46:00.000-04:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. If I could get away somewhere for the weekend I would go to a quiet hotel room with free WiFi and I would bring my Bible, my journals, my computer, a few pens, and a book.

2. Something I often rant about is how I have to do "everything" myself (even though Alex does more than his fair share) and never get to do what I want/need to do for me. It's not entirely accurate, and I really should stop.

3. One item I need to have in my fridge at all times is Coffee-Mate Original Non-dairy Creamer.

4. My "life-saving" product is white vinegar. I use it for everything: cleaning, cooking, laundry, treating bladder infections...

5. A friend is someone who loves you no mater how much you screw up and isn't afraid to tell it like it is.

6. If I could write my own blank it would be non-existent. If I were sny god at coming up with my own prompts, I wouldn't need yours, Lauren!

7. My favorite kind of art is the written word. Next would be music (especially drums and bass guitar). As for visual arts... I dunno, maybe architecture or fashion.

Now it's your turn!

Simple Pleasures

2011-05-26T09:53:00.000-04:00

My shtuff came in the mail yesterday =D

I really am like a kid on Christmas when orders come in. Even when it's diapers or some other daily-routine-type thing. Only this time it was mostly fun shtuff!


A 19 ounce ceramic mug with a lid. To replace my FAVORITE coffee cup that got BROKEN while ALEX was doing dishes a couple weeks ago! (But I'm not bitter.) This one's not a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law, but it's big and it's perty, so it'll do.


A coupon organizer. Because taking a lidless small toy bin full of homemade cardstock labels and tiny pieces of clipped paper through Walmart doesn't mesh well with two carts full of small children and a large cup of easily (and frequently) spilled coffee. Not sure this one's big enough, but I've gotten a little lazy with the couponing as of late, anyway. Blame it on the baby.

10 BPA-free cups for the kids. I cannot tell you how pleased I was to throw away the old ones, which were not BPA-free, had several chocolate milk stains on their insides that simply would not come out and multiple scribbled-out names on their outsides that also would not come off. (We write the kids' names on their cups to prevent fights. Sometimes it works.)

Bottles with peristaltic nipples. To mimic my boobies and prevent colic. These actually came last Thursday, but I hadn't mentioned it yet, so here they are. Gabe seems to like them very well. My only complaint is that the venting system requires you to hold the bottle a certain way, which is fine most of the time but hard to do in the dark. Luckily, I usually have enough milk to breastfeed throughout the night.

An external hard drive for Alex. It was supposed to be his birthday present, but I didn't get to order it until after, so now it's a Fathers' Day gift. This thing's got 80 gigs, a 16 MB cache, 7200RPM, connects via USB, and it cost me less than $24. A lean, green, Wii-hacking machine! (I want one too, for my massive stash of pictures.)

Have a happy Thursday!

Baby Feeding Dilemma!

2011-05-25T10:24:00.000-04:00

My body doesn't like to make milk. It begrudgingly complies to my son's demands sometimes, but we've been supplementing with formula since he was a couple weeks old. I know, I know, "supplementing decreases supply" and all that. But with several chronic illnesses and a good chunk of milk factory missing from the left breast (not to mention the stress of raising special needs kids), my supply wasn't great to start with. Seriously, I was excited to actually get engorged for the first time ever this year - even if it only happened on one side!

So here's the problem: my local WIC office won't give me formula until the end of July, because I committed to breastfeeding as long as possible. We've been using leftovers from the last baby (who's now two), and they've been working quite well. Until I looked at the bottom of a can today and found that it expired in April. I called the GoodStart hotline to ask if it mattered. You know, canned goods never go bad, so maybe I'd get lucky... Well, they "don't advise using it beyond that date" but are not permitted (or educated) to explain the risks involved. And we're broke.

Aack! What am I gonna do?! I have - somewhere, perhaps in the bottom of the trash can - a few coupons for Enfamil, and there's a sample-size can of Similac that came in the mail. Should I switch brands until I can get help with GoodStart again? Should I raid local food banks? Should we forgo a few meals a week for a while so the baby can eat? Or should I follow the lactation consultant's advice and feed him the little bit my body makes and just pray he doesn't stop thriving?

All advice is extremely appreciated... here, here, or here. Thanks!

'nuff said.

2011-05-23T08:15:00.000-04:00

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-05-13T20:12:00.000-04:00

Blogger's mishaps kept this week's blanks from being published. Bad news for most of us blank-lovers. Good new for me. Since I never got around to filling them in last week, I get to do it now. Yay for successful procrastination!

1. What I love most about my home is the windows. Every room in the house gets plenty of natural sunlight, which I love.

2. I'm excited because I actually managed to wear a pair of jeans yesterday that fit me two babies ago! Ooh! And, a few minutes after I wrote the jeans thing, my new dresses came. I'll post pics later.

3. My preferred method for blowing off steam when I'm frustrated is listening to some "Jesus music" very, VERY loudly, while belting out the tunes.

4. Currently I am craving time to myself. It's been a while.

5. The thing I love most about my mom is her unconditional love. Sure, all moms are supposed to love unconditionally, but mine really does. And it even extends to our spouses/significant others, in a totally un-fabricated way.

6. If I was going to write a book about my life, the title would be "Mommyhood by the Handful" if it were about my adult life, "Life as a Victim" if it were about the years of abuse I endured, and "Missionary Kid" or something similar if it were about my childhood.

7. If I were to eat one thing for the rest of eternity it would be rice. With cheese. And maybe some broccoli mixed in. Oh, and of course it would have to be seasoned with lotsa garlic.

Fill In the Blank...Sunday?

2011-04-30T23:03:00.003-04:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

Friday was super busy! First I had to feed all the non-babies and get the two oldest kids off to school. Then I had to pick out clothes for the other 4 and pack two diaper bags (one for the kids going with Daddy, and one for the baby and me). All of this had to be done while Gabe was in the middle of a FOUR HOUR cluster feed! When he finally fell asleep - ~~I may have cheated a little and given him an ounce of formula~~ - I had to shower and dress myself, grab everyone a snack, feed the dog, close all the bedroom doors (the cat likes to mark beds) and rush out the door for my physical rehab appointment.

After making it there only a few minutes late, I fed my little piggy for another hour while a great OT massaged some pesky lymph out of my legs and wrapped 'em up tight. We grabbed a quick lunch after getting stuck in downtown construction traffic and made it to our WIC appointment just a few minutes early. It went well. Kids are growing as usual. The baby's gone from 6lbs 12oz to 8lb 3oz in less than three weeks (which is impressive, considering that my milk supply has been dwindling for about a week and a half). And the wonderful ladies at the office gave me a Medela pump, a hand-made sling, and 2 packs of diapers. Yay for free stuff!

We stopped to get some milk and bread on the way home and got to the bus stop at exactly the same time as kid #2's bus. So we raced him home... don't worry - we took the alley a few houses down from where the kids walk and drove about 10 mph... and he won. A few minutes later it was time for the man to go pick up kid #1 from his therapist, while I scrounged up an embarrassing supper of raw veggies and ritz pizzas.

When they finally got home an hour later, we took our loaded paper plates to the living room and watched MacGyver and a very cheesy but kinda cute movie called the Golden Blaze. By the time they were over, it was my bed time, and I still had a very hungry little man to take care of.

So there's my excuse for doing Friday's post on Sunday, and here's the fun stuff:

Wait! Not that. This:

1. I am looking forward to my two new dresses coming in the mail in a week or so.

2. Something kind of embarassing that I still love anyway is nothing. The only things that really embarrass me anymore relate to my inadequate parenting skills (like ritz pizzas for supper) or my children behaving badly in public. But those things are rare and not loveable. Whatever I do love is just part of me, so why would I let it embarrass me?

3. My favorite car is a baby blue '64 Cadillac convertible.

4. If I could pick one type of weather to live with for the rest of my life it would be mid 70s, sunny with a few fluffy white clouds, and dry.

5. My favorite thing to do after a bad/stressful day is listen to music loudly enough to not hear my own voice belting out.

6. This weekend is flying by!

7. If I were a color, I'd be greenish-orangish-purple because I tend to color outside the lines a bit.

Super Savings Saturday

2011-04-30T21:25:00.001-04:00

This past week has been hectic, to say the least. So I must admit I haven't exactly been scouring the interwebs for great deals. BUT I did happen across an online store called Holy Clothing that sells beautiful renaissance/hippie/gothic style clothes. They carry sizes Small (2-4) up through 7X (38-40) and at reasonable prices, even!

Here's one of the dresses I ordered today:

Order before 11:59 EST on May 1st (yes, that's tomorrow) and you can get 10% off with coupon code 744. If you miss that deadline, "like" their facebook page for a pleasant surprise. Happy shopping!

Happy Resurrection Day!

2011-04-24T00:17:00.000-04:00

This year we're simplifying our Easter celebration. In 2010, we gave the kids big baskets overflowing with goodies, and they were mostly dissatisfied:

See?

So this year, we're giving them less. Sound a little harsh? Maybe. But I guarantee they won't find as many things to complain about.

Here's what they're getting:

Each bucket contains a chocolate bunny (of course!), a small basket that came with a stuffed animal and a plastic egg full of jelly beans (it was more cost effective than buying just the plush), and a froggy bath toy. Well, all except Gabe's, which just has a stuffed bunny and a frog. Plus, the buckets are super cute AND reusable!

Since Mommy just had a baby three weeks ago, there won't be a fancy dinner. But we will have some special treats, like dark chocolate graham bunnies and strawberries, and corn on the cob (if last week's purchase hasn't gone bad already), and -if I'm up to it- tilapia fixed according to a Puerto Rican friend's recipe. Mmmmmmmm!

All this stuff sounds nice, but what I'm most looking forward to are church - singing the old songs (our church usually sticks to contemporary worship) and watching the kids gather eggs - and relaxing at home with my awesome family as we reflect on the most wonderful gift that has ever been given: the bloodied cross and empty tomb that changed humanity forever.

Super Savings Saturday

2011-04-23T10:04:00.001-04:00

I recently came across a website called Mamapedia. (Thanks, Guggie!) In addition to the standard parenting content, they offer "Sweet Deals," which can save you 50% on all sorts of online shopping items. And who doesn't love to save money? As an added bonus, they donate 5% of your purchase price to a local school of your choice.

What's more, new customers get $2 off with the code MOMS2. And if you order by Sunday, April 24, 2011, you can get an extra 10% off by entering the code EASTER10 at checkout!

$15 for $30 of Anything at CafePress.com


Expires August 31, 2011

$10 for $20 Worth of Kid-Tested Travel Toys from TravelKiddy.com

Expires August 31,2011

$20 for $40 Worth of Personalized Accents & Accessories from In This Very Room

Expires July 31, 2011

$10 for $20 of Award-Winning Music and Videos from Kidsongs.com

Expires July 31, 2011

$12 for $25 Worth of Personalized Labels & Murals from KiDECALS

Expires October 21, 2011.

$12 for $24 Worth of Eco-Friendly Reusable Bags from Re-Pac Bags

Expires October 25, 2011.

I took advantage of this week's CafePress deal and got five bumper stickers: three pre-made and three custom (meaning I got to design them with the website's super-easy software). The subtotal was a little over $28, but after applying my Sweet Deal code, I ended up spending only $13. Including shipping. Could have been less, if only someone had bothered to tell me about the Easter sale :-/

Note: I am not being reimbursed for this post in any way. However, if you sign up using one of my links, I will get a $10 credit at Sweet Deals.

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-04-22T10:11:00.003-04:00

It's been a while, but I'm baaaaaack in the saddle again!

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. Fridays are pretty much the same as any day, except that we all stay up late watching movies and playing games.

2. Books make me terribly happy (and so does my awesome family, of course).

3. Something that inspires me is seeing a smile on one of my children's faces, or watching two of them hug/play nicely - it makes everything I do as a mom totally worthwhile.

4. If I had the day off today I would engage in a wonderful mix of sleeping and reading.

5. If I had to put a label on my home decor style, I would say my style is Style? What style? My boys destroy a new-to-us used couch at least once a year. The walls shake when doors are slammed, so nothing stays up there that can't be hung with sticky tack (think preschooler art). The only "pretty" things in the house are the cherry entertainment center (the top of which is perpetually used as a catch-all) and my books (which are in a constant state of disarray and would be considered clutter by many, but I love 'em). So I suppose my house's style is Trailer Trash Laundry Room Librarian Chic with a touch of Daycare thrown in.

6. Concerning politics I would say I'm disgusted with the whole system.

7. I'd like to go to a hotel with a very comfy bed and sound-proof walls so I could SLEEP! (Hey, I just had my 6th baby three weeks ago. What'd you expect?)

Quiet.

2011-04-21T18:29:00.003-04:00

It's Thursday afternoon, which means three of my kids are with their Daddy at a play therapy appointment. And since the oldest is on a school field trip, I'm at home with only these two:

It's so quiet!

When everyone first left, the baby was sleeping. I wanted to take advantage of the chance to spend time alone with Sam, so I put Gabe in his crib and sat down to read Pokémon (blech) and Curious George. Sam got tired of me pretty quickly and asked to watch TV. By then the baby was awake anyway, so I said yes to Ponyo.

Now I'm sitting here, nursing, thinking about heating up a couple hot pockets for supper, and wondering what I'm gonna do for the next 90 minutes of peace. I think I'll make brownies...

Free Breastfeeding eBook!

2011-04-11T09:37:00.000-04:00

I found out about this from Woman Uncensored this morning and thought I'd share it with all of you:

Since I am hoping to nurse my new baby long-term but don't know a lot about keeping my milk supply at its best, I have a feeling this book will prove very useful to me. Perhaps some of you can take advantage of it, too!

Full Hands & a Fuller Heart

2011-04-07T20:14:00.001-04:00

I took this picture on Monday after watching my wonderful man fly the kite with each of the kids.


Samuel (2) - Isaiah (6) - Ezekiel (8) holding Gabriel (3 days) - Elijah (5) - Victoria (4)

My heart is so full of love! Fuller than I ever thought possible. So full I think it could burst. And I am in awe at the gift of love which my God has bestowed upon me!

Do you ever feel this way when watching your children interact with each other and/or their daddy?

My Peruvian Baby

2011-04-05T16:56:00.000-04:00

Meet Gabriel! (posting from a phone)

2011-04-02T10:41:00.000-04:00

He's here =D

The little stinker decided to play an April Fool's joke on daddy and me - by being born on his due date!

More to come (and pictures) when I have access to a computer w/ internet.
~kp~

Why do they grow up so fast?!

2011-03-30T20:17:00.000-04:00

Today my little girl turned four.

Sitting on her daddy's lap to open her present this morning, she looked so little and cute.

But then I blinked...

and there's this big kid looking through the lense at me. It was literally just a few hours - between breakfast and bed time. How did she do it?

And how can I make it slow down?

39 weeks 4 days

2011-03-28T20:38:00.000-04:00

It's no wonder I'm such a grump lately...

With an official due date of this Friday, April 1, I hope to post some much cuter pics soon. Until then, pray for my poor, defenseless family!

Thanks =)

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-03-25T14:29:00.002-04:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. My most prized possession is my computer. I really don't think I could last a week without it.

2. If I could be one age for the rest of my life, I would want to be mid-forties, I think. By then the kids will be grown, and I'll most likely be a grandma. Though 18 was nice, too.

3. The best way to spend a weekend is having fun with my family.

4. My outlook on life is realistic. Life is hard, but it could always be worse, and it can always get better.

5. If you want to annoy me, just repeat yourself, or a sound, or play a repetitive song, or talk incessantly in a monotonous voice. Repetition is my arch enemy.

6. I am completely defenseless when it comes to becoming overly-absorbed in an emotionally-driven discussion or story, especially when children or Christianity are involved.

7. When dressing for the day one should start with undergarments, if necessary.

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-03-18T10:06:00.002-04:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. The best deal I've ever gotten is ...I honestly don't know. Last week I bought over $150 worth of groceries for $99, but there has to have been a deal better than that at some point! Wait. Duh. It was when I received forgiveness and a promise of eternity in paradise for the simple, low price of submitting to God's love. Talk about a great deal!

2. If I were hosting a dinner party and could invite people from my fantasy guest list it would include no one. I don't like dinner parties.

3. Something that inspires me is my kids. They amaze me daily (well, not ALL of them EVERY day, but you know, most of the time).

4. If I could only choose to eat one flavor of food for the rest of eternity (sweet, salty, spicy, bitter....) I would have to go with oh geez, I dunno. Couldn't I choose death instead?

5. I dream about memories, mostly, though I have had a few pregnancy-induced nightmares of outlandish proportions.

6. My weekend will be spent having a baby, if I'm lucky! If not, I'll be cleaning and cooking and spending time with the kiddos.

7. If I could only watch one movie or TV show for the rest of my life, it would be incredibly boring and enough to drive me mad after a few episodes. Oh, you wanted a title? Something long and musical, like West Side Story or Annie (the 1982 version) or the Sound of Music. Or maybe Star Wars IV.

Happy St. Patty's!

2011-03-17T20:41:00.002-04:00

This was the extent of my celebration today.

Normally, I jump on the excuse to make corned beef and cabbage. It's one of my favorite meals, but Alex doesn't like it, so it tends to be made only once a year in our house.

However, last night, my MIL called to say that she would be bringing dinner today. And, being enormously pregnant, grumpy and tired, I jumped on the chance not to have to cook for a day! Then I realized I had to do something special, hence the Irish-flag-colored angelfood cake.

It really wasn't much more complicated than your usual cake mix endeavor. I just took these...

Separated the batter into three bowls...

Layered them in the pan...

Then I baked it at 325° for about 45 minutes, and out came a slightly brown cake.

So I topped it with some green frosting and cut it up for the kiddos.

Yummy =)

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-02-25T20:48:00.005-05:00

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1.   I am currently obsessed with cleaning. Yes, I'm nesting like crazy.

2. Today I am looking forward to the arrival of my new washer and dryer next Thursday.

3. The age I am is 27 and the age I feel is about 80.

4.  My favorite place is anywhere, as long as I have my nose in a good book.

5. Something I have been procrastinating on is packing my bag for the hospital.

6.  The last thing I purchased was a new washer and dryer.

7.  The thing I love most about my home is that my family is in it with me =)

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-02-18T08:45:00.002-05:00

I realize I’ve missed the last couple of weeks, but this is my 3^rd installment of:

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. I am me, like it or not. I show my true self to everyone, and I expect everyone to show their true selves to me. I just don’t do fake.

2. The bravest thing I've ever done was tell my ex-husband, “No child-molester is going to take my kids.” Sure, I suffered physically for a little while after, but it was enough to FINALLY get him arrested.

3. I feel prettiest when Alex looks at me with so much love in his eyes, even though it’s 5:30am and I haven’t yet washes yesterday’s spit-up out of my hair. (Okay, so the spit-up part hasn’t happened for a couple years, but it will again soon.)

4. Something that keeps me awake at night is a five-pound baby boy dancing inside me.

5. My favorite meal in the entire world is this tilapia dish I make with way too much butter, lime and latino spices, served with rice and cheese-covered spinach. Mmmmmmm!

6. The way to my heart is making my kids smile.

7. I would like to buy a house with a fenced-in yard and at least 5 bedrooms. It’ll happen someday.

31 Weeks 5 Days

2011-02-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

That's my excuse.

For this:

Chocolate pudding, corn chips and cranberry juice.

So what if I just ate a pudding cup for dessert 2 hours ago? Who cares if the sugar-free-ness of the pudding is undone by the high sugar content of the juice? I'm pregnant, trying to gain at least 9 more pounds before I deliver, and Gabriel told me he wanted it. How? By kicking my pancreas repeatedly until I gave in and started eating it.

[And yes, that is a baby spoon sticking out of the bowl there. Because a smaller spoon makes the yummy stuff last longer, that's why.]

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-01-28T21:20:00.020-05:00

Somehow, my silly computer decided the similar titles of this post and the Feb 18 post meant that it should post to here, instead of a new one. So whatever clever thing i DID have written here as an intro has been lost forever. BUT I did manage to salvage the main text, at least. My 2nd week of:

To join the fun, visit The Little Things We Do, then comment and let me know you did!

1. If my house was on fire and I could only grab 3 things, I would grab the diaper bag, my laptop (with its cord attached), and the camera.

2. A smell I really like is apples & cinnamon.

3. Something you might not know about me is I am enamored with stationary (you know, notebooks, pens, etc).

4.  Some of my favorite websites to putter about on are
facebook, Life As Mom, Smockity Frocks, Life in a Shoe, Christian Book Distributers, c28, and Oriental Trading.

5. This weekend I will
try not to feel useless while making everyone else do the cleaning and finish tweaking my household management notebook.

6.  Nothing makes me happier than
watching my kids smile and play together. or hearing them laugh.

7.  A bad habit I have is
cracking my ankles/wrists/toes/neck in public. Sorry.

My Afternoon in the Hospital

2011-01-20T21:58:00.001-05:00

At least they didn't call it a "false labor." I hate that term.

The fact is, I am in labor, sort of. My uterus is contracting regularly. The baby's heart rate is reacting accordingly. I did have some sort of clear liquid leave my vagina in a big gush. And I am experiencing lower back pain and pelvic pressure.

BUT, the pH level (2 hours later) is too low to have been amniotic fluid. My cervix is still thick, closed and shows no sign of changing any time soon. And the fetal fibronectin test says that there's a 99% chance I won't go into "real" labor for at least another 2 weeks.

Which is good, considering that I'm only at 30 weeks today, and the house is nowhere near ready for a newborn yet.

The hardest part (besides looking like a complete dummy) is that they told me to "take it easy." Right! With 5 kids, 2 of whom have psychiatric illnesses and 1 of whom is a very active 2 year old? They said I shouldn't lift things - like, you know, my toddlers or a full laundry basket. I guess that means I shouldn't move the 1950s steel desk from the boys' room to the kitchen like I had planned, either, or move the couch to vacuum under it as I normally do at least weekly.

Still, it's not official bed rest yet. And my little guy probably isn't going to be born during the extra-dangerous seventh month. So I should be happy.

I am happy. Every couple of minutes, between these dreadful minute-long contractions that have been coming every 3 to 5 minutes for what seems like an eternity. Just forgive me if outward expressions don't reflect that happiness perfectly for the next few weeks, as the discomfort has a way of changing my tone a bit.

Cleaning Day

2011-01-15T11:01:00.004-05:00

I have become that mother. You know, the one who uses video games to raise her children.

Every Saturday is cleaning day in our house. Usually it takes ALL DAY to get the kids to clean their rooms and pick up the dirty laundry, toys and books that they drop randomly around the house throughout the week.

This morning, just like every other Saturday morning, Alex and I said, "Cleaning time!" To which the kids replied with their usual groans and moans and "I don't wahnnas."

So I got creative. I jotted down a list of all the things they needed to pick up and put away…

…and told them that when their list was done, they could play the Wii.
And guess what. The big boys were all finished in under an hour! Miraculous, right?

Of course, I did most of the picking up in Sam's room cos, well, 2 yr olds just don't clean well. And, of course, Vicki is still being the little princess in her room, refusing to even move her coat and boots from the floor to her closet. But hey, the big boys are done! Yay!

Video games are my new favorite parenting tool =D

Fill In the Blank Friday

2011-01-14T21:18:00.004-05:00

This is a meme I discovered today through Jamee at A New Kind of Normal, who found it at The Little Things We Do. Perhaps it will give me an excuse to post at least once a week?

1. I feel happy when I catch my kids laughing together.

2. I get silly when it's late at night and I've had too much coffee to go to sleep, or when I'm just super-excited about something.

3. Something that makes me sad is wondering if my boys' mental health will ever be in the "normal" range.

4.  Something that makes me annoyed is interruptions! Of any kind, at any time. I can multitask with the best of them, but only if you let me focus on the 50 bajillion tasks at hand. If I'm doing something, PLEASE Leave. Me. Alone. Thank you =D

5. A time that I've been truly surprised was when my wonderful Alex offered to be the daddy my kids needed, right when we needed him most. Seriously, what bachelor would give up a care-free life to move across state and take on 5 kids for someone that had only rejected him multiple times?

6.  I am so thankful for grace and new beginnings.

7.  I feel loved when someone randomly offers to do something that I should do, just so I won't have to.

I really do WANT to blog...

2010-10-08T09:04:00.000-04:00

I SO want to write. It is my passion and has been since I was just 5 years old. But there's this life thing that just keeps getting in the way.

So often I see a new blog challenge or have a good day and think, "I'm gonna get back to blogging every day!"

And then life happens. (that should be my new header)

This week, I've got sick kids, a dad in the hospital, more appointments than I care to count, I spent a day watching my 10 and 11 year-old brothers (one of whom is autistic and does not get along well with two of my kids), and we have yet to go shopping for diapers and something - anything - other than meatless macaroni to eat for a meal or two.

I'm not complaining. In fact, I've noticed over the last few weeks that my outlook on life and my sense of joy have increased greatly. Life is tough, but God is good.

I am in a place I never wanted to be, never though I could get close to. But it is exactly where I belong. While I thought I wanted to be an old maid, living alone for life, God knew I needed to be a young mother, overwhelmed and over-blessed with a houseful of chillins to love. I never thought I would allow myself to be abused, never thought I could care for children with special needs, never knew I could fall in love with my best friend. But here I am: I've been through the fire, gotten burned, and come out alive. I've learned to cherish the difficult moments with my children, as we learn together how to cope. And that best friend I spoke of has become the love of my life, my knight in shining armor, without whom my world would crumble.

It's amazing! Life gave me lemons, and I wallowed in grief over them. But the marvelous Prince of Peace squeezed those lemons for me, added just the right amount of sweetness to make the most perfect lemonade anyone can imagine, and then taught me to love the stuff, to thrive on its sustenance.

Wow. That went way off from where I started. Cool beans!

Back 2 Blogging Day 3: The ULL Revolution

2010-09-14T22:17:00.004-04:00

A post I am particularly proud of is my essay on why we should all do away with "LOL" and replace it with "ULL." It's one of my favorites because, well, it was fun to write. And I have actually gotten a few friends to start using my wonderful new acronym, which serves as a nice pat on the back every time I hear it, too. It did not, however contain any pictures, so I'll put one in before we get started on our little journey. A picture of my eldest after a marker gave him a terrible disease. Definitely worthy of "uh little laugh."

The ULL Revolution

I am a lover of words. Especially strange, rarely-used words. In sixth grade, when we were allowed to pick a new word to put on our spelling test one week, I chose antidisestablishmentarianism. (Even the blogger spell check doesn't recognize this word, but it's in Webster's, I promise!)

I am also a hater of normalcy. This got me into a lot of social trouble early on, and is only now ironing out into almost-acceptance in most areas of my life. When everyone else was embracing the late-nineties styles, I was ridiculed for dressing like a hippie. When peasant dresses and flowery shirts came back in style, I started in on my goth/punk phase. When that came back, I embraced the preppy styles that had been popular while I was a hippie. (I must admit, however, that that was mainly because it's all Walmart sells in plus sizes.)

Because of my love for words and my hatred of the norm, I decided back in high school to revive and reinvent a few phrases. Instead of "cool" I said "spiffy." Instead of "bag" or "purse," I said "sack." When others said "that rules," I said "that reigns!" As a young adult, I have also gotten some people around me started on saying "cool beans."

Why? I don't know. Because I can.

So today I invite you to embark on a new venture with me!

Ya know how we all write "lol" any time we see something even remotely funny online? If you're like me, you even think it in real-life conversation, then get embarrassed when you almost let it slip. Well I want to change that.

I mean, let's be honest here. How often do we actually "laugh out loud" or experience "lots of laughs" at a mildly funny facebook status message? I know that I, personally, don't laugh much at all. Perhaps I should. (In fact, maybe I should make it a goal to laugh more.) But it takes something really funny to get me to LOL. And a joke's gotta be absolutely high-larious to get a ROFL or a LMBO [my cleaned-up version of LMAO] out of me. And yet I type those things with an alarming frequency. For example:

What in the world does this even mean?! What could I have possibly found to "laugh out loud" about here?

I'll tell you what: n-o-t-h-i-n-g.

lol has become a generic term used in place of "I'm not really sure what to say here, but I feel like commenting, so I'll say 'lol' and hope nobody pays attention to how stupid it sounds."

Does this make me a liar?

YES NO

(circle one, lol)

So anywho, in an attempt to limit my unintentional lying and to see if my personality is bold enough to stretch across the interwebs universe, I propose that we begin a revolution!

For all those IMs, statuses, emails, posts, and comments that prompt us to let out a little chuckle or a small giggle, I'd like to suggest that we create a new acronym: ULL, or ull, which stands for uh little laugh. Why the "uh" instead of "a," you ask? Simple. Because "a-l-l" spells all, and that would be just a little confusing. Plus, it gets me singing that All laundry detergent jingle from the late 80s/early 90s: ♫Stain lifter, that's All♫ And that makes me feel really, really old.

Here is my call to action. And if you've read this far, you might just be a crazy as I am. You've read it and now's your chance to shine.

Who's with me?