For you moms (or anyone else who has been under considerable stress or lacked a LOT of sleep...I feel for you night-shift people)...have you ever experienced the annoying, but yet always comical aspect of Mommy Brain that causes you to be unable to pronounce words correctly? Or worse yet, switch the first letters of words in a sentence?
For example, the other day my sister and I were talking about a housing development and I meant to say the "twins and towns" (meaning the twinhomes and townhomes) but it came out as, "tins and twowns."
This particular facet of Mommy Brain frequently strikes while she and I are talking together. Apparently, a grouping of Mommies makes Mommy Brain worse.
And lately (ever since the beginning of school, to be exact) this "letter switching" phenomenon has been occuring RATHER frequently. The last straw of Mommy Brain is developing an eye twitch. Which I had for several months after Gracie was born. The eye twitch has thankfully vanished (for the most part) but the speech impediment lingereth.
So tonight, during Bible Time, one of our children was being particularly pouty and fussy. So Scott reprimanded the child, and said,
{drumroll please}
"Stop being so fouty and pussy!"
fouty and pussy?!!
Go ahead. Say it out loud. You'll laugh out loud, too! I couldn't keep a straight face for the rest of Bible Time. I was so bad!
Finally, Scott is experiencing what I have come to accept as normal, these last seven years...
Daddy Brain!
("fouty and pussy"...I'm still cracking up...)
I'm sitting at the science center while Lily and my niece are upstairs in a science class. Prior to the class, the weatherman from our local station taught a special weather program to the homeschool kids! His presentation was awesome! Even I learned a few things that I had forgotten. :)
Anyhow, he brought along a cameraman who took a little video at the beginning of the presentation and he said that it is going to air sometime during the 5:00pm and 10:00pm newscasts. So if you are local and watching the news tonight...look for Lily and Sophie!
Invite your baby to share tea with you. Contemplate inviting your brother too.
Finally, enjoy your tea most enthusiastically! 
Gracie had a great time on her birthday last Friday! And really, what's not to love from the three-year old perspective?
A lot of family celebrating "your day"...a little horsie just your size...
...a baby doll cake...
"The King's Daughter" is an article that I write for our church's ladies' publication. These letters are written to "little" ladies.
This morning, Scott found Joey awake bright and early and working with his Legos (typical-Joey) in his room. He asked him what he was doing, and Joey replied matter-of-factly, "I'm putting together the apartment building. Mommy thinks I need to be a bigger boy to do it by myself. But I'll show her."
Well then.
(Does this look like the face of a Little Man who wants to "show" his Mommy??)
The party was a smash! We all had a blast. Now that everyone is gone and my floors are clean (that's my secret...I never do floors before company comes...I wait until afterwards. No one notices, and then I don't sweat the invariable crumbs. Plus tonight I had red food coloring to scrub out of the carpet. It would have been silly to do them twice)...where was I? Oh yes... I am sitting down to scroll through the photos from today, and this one of Gracie cracked me up as soon as I saw it!
It's so her. Silly, goofy, fake-smiling-to-keep-her-Mommy-happy Gracie!
I'll post more pictures tomorrow, but I am still giggling about this one, so I thought I would sneak it on here tonight!
Have a great Saturday!
"Hurry up, and take the picture, Mommy!"
"I'm free-eeee!"
(Almost...)
My Man is awesome! And he so kindly (and wisely) installed the garage door opener for my minivan first. Isn't he a dear?! And there isn't even any snow in the forecast...that was our goal...to begin parking in the garage before the snow flies.
Anyhow, just thought I would share my joy. Now I'm off to finish icing a cake, do a little vacuuming and homeschooling, as well as gift-wrapping and balloon-filling for a certain little three-year old that I know!
Ta-ta!
Today we took off on another Autumn Adventure! This time to the Daniel Boone Homestead.
(Joey is "in costume" in his buckskin outfit)
Scott's dad (aka Granddaddy) landed in Pennsylvania last Friday and we have been enjoying him staying at our new house for the first time! Plus, the weather has been great, and that has made his visit extra-fun!
Today we decided to visit Crystal Cave. Both Granddaddy and I have been there before, but our kids haven't, so we made a jaunt out there.
But first we had to stop at Dunkin Donuts where I was personally introduced to The Cappuccino Blast for the first time. And what an introduction it was. :) The Blast has left a lasting impression on me. That is, until I came home and googled the "nutritional" (haha!) information of The Blast and wanted to immediately hop on the treadmill for a few miles. :)
The DD stop may or may not have included a pink frosted donut or two.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous today! The drive, alone, was breathtaking!
We had some time to kill before our own private tour (the place was practically empty after a few school trips left), so we messed around in the souvenir shop. Here is my little spelunker...
In true goofy-Gracie-fashion, she fell in love with this crazy pizza hat. She kept trying to wear it around the store. I took a silly picture of her, and then promptly put the thing back on the hat rack. That was the end of that, or so I thought.
Motherhood. The very name is lovely and dreamy, isn't it? It's what I have wanted to be, ever since I was a little girl playing with my baby dolls. And now that I find myself in that role, I am overwhelmed by how motherhood is practically defined in modern America.
To most, motherhood is fulfilling the role of superwoman: being the perfect wife, maintaining an immaculate house, cooking organic and nutritious meals, chauffeuring children to sports practice, and spending oodles of quality time with your well-behaved children every day. Add to that the activities (wildly-popular among homeschooling mothers) of music lessons, foreign language classes, art camps, co-ops, and the result is a tantalizing web...luring mothers into it's sticky grip, convincing them that the only way to be the "best mom" is to take part in all of these activities.
But have you noticed how little our children (the precious beings that make us mothers!) care about such activities? Oh sure, they might enjoy one or two of them, because there is a sport or activity that every child wants to participate in. And most children like being around other kids their age. But really...have you noticed that children don't view us as "better mothers" by those same "superwoman" American standards?
Children want a mom who is there. Period. They don't care about what activities we drag them to (really), they don't compare us to other moms and rate us based on our motherly performance, and believe it or not, they normally don't even care what kind of a housekeeper we are. (Although my 2-year old told me last week that I made a "big, huge mess" in her room! But she also told me that I have a "big, fat belly." So I generally disregard her opionion.)
Seriously, when was the last time one of your kids commented on the dust building up on the bookshelf? Or the ring in the toilet? Or the splatters on the bathroom mirror?
From birth, children want their mommy to be near. Even as they gain the independence of crawling and walking, they don't like straying far from mama. We furnish them with toys and a nice cozy place to play by themselves, and still we trip over them as they sit in the kitchen, at mommy's feet playing with a plastic lid and wooden spoon. Why? Because they want to be near their mother.
Recently, I came across an article about motherhood written by a pastor and he made the comment that his best memories of his mother were when he came home from school, she was always there...often elbow-deep in flour, and waiting to give him a hug! I related so well to his sentiments because those are my favorite memories of my mom! She was there when we got home from school. She was there when we woke up in the morning. And she was there to tuck us into bed at night. The extra-curriculars that women use to compare themselves to other moms, especially in the homeschooling arena, are a moot point from a child's persepective.
Last Saturday, my husband and I were working together in the garage. He was installing peg board, and I was cleaning and organizing. And in between those tasks, I was in and out of the house, preparing lunch, starting the dishwasher, folding laundry, getting ready for Sunday, and there was a mental list a mile long of more things I could be doing. Meanwhile, the children played around us outside all day as we worked.
My two big kids are enjoying their new-found two-wheeled freedom, and are so proud that we allow them, on occasion, to go around the block all by themselves. So on that particular warm, fall Saturday, they asked if they could ride their bikes around the block. As I answered with my standard "Yes, but look for cars, stop at the stop signs, and stay away from the dumpsters!" response, they were off. But they implored, "Mommy, come WATCH us while we ride around!!"
Now, I had already walked around the block several times with them that day, I had stood and watched them ride back and forth on our street, and generally, we were within speaking distance all day long. But still. They begged me to watch them.
So as they pedalled off, I strode to the backyard, and stood there, waiting for them to appear in between the houses, and wave at me. My mind was racing with a million things that I could be accomplishing at that moment, things that NEEDED to be done! Tasks that would benefit them, and Scott, and our household. And I had chalked up quite a few points for myself already in the Mothering Department, since I had already spent so much time with them that day.
But still, I found myself standing in the dry backyard, with the warm October sun beating down, and listening to the still, quiet voice of the Lord reminding me that THIS is what children need. They need a mother who is there for them. The things on my to-do list are unimportant to my kids and the grand scheme of life. And if I accomplish any of them, makes no difference to them. But if I am waiting to see their beaming faces appear and disappear in between houses. If I am watching and returning their eager waves as they call out, "Hi Mommeeeee! Look at me!" That is what matters to my dear ones! And that is what makes a real mother. One who is willing to lay down her plans and ideals about motherhood and just be there for her child. A mother who cares more about what is best for her child, rather than what others will think makes her the best mother.
As they came around the last corner of our block, I called out to them, "Go around again! You both are doing a great job...Mommy is watching!"
And I decided to just be there.
This was the fourth year that we ventured to the pumpkin patch with our friends and every year it seems that we have more fun than the last! And more people, too! We set a record this year with 65 people, young and old, in attendance! A lot of our friends brought guests and the weather was gorgeous, too!
The hayride was great, playing in the barn was a blast, and the food and fun at the park was wonderful again!
Kids. They like to play with our shoes, right? My Gracie especially likes my shoes. A lot, as noted before. I don't mind her playing with my shoes, per se. I just like to be able to find the shoes (both of them) when needed, and I prefer them to not be scraped or scuffed up from two, tiny feet clump, clumping them through the house.
Enter the "decoy pumps." They have high heels (her fave) and have a shiny toe (my little Fancy Nancy loves anything sparkly) and I can't wear the things anymore because after three babies, my bunions can't handle their narrow width.
I don't dare toss them in the Good-will box, because then she would clump around and scuff up the shoes that I wear and love. Neither do I give them to her as dress-up shoes. Or she wouldn't enjoy them as much (and would still go for my other shoes). So whenever I find these pumps laying around the house (because despite what some of you think...I do have a messy house...look! a bib in the family room! *gasp!* and an empty guitar bag! and library books! and legos!)...I just dutifully put them back into my closet. Even though my feet aren't squeezing back into them ever again, I know some tiny piggies that are itching to get into them!
Once Lily learned, Joey wasn't far behind. Although the bike he got for his birthday was a tad too tall for him to learn balance on, so he is featured here on the smaller Strawberry Shortcake bike, now that Lily has moved onto a bigger bike. Soon, he will be confident to move back to his slightly-larger boy bike. But for now...he rides...and rides...and rides...and doesn't want to stop!
The deal with this tag is that you have to post photos of the following 10 "real life" things...no primping, prepping, or picking up. Here goes...
1. my fridge - nothing too unusual here. Unless you consider fresh watermelon in October, unusual. The previously frozen and mysterious meat chunk which you see pictured to the right on the second shelf has been identified...and is currently in my oven. :)
2. a closet - our walk-in closet is pictured. And it is still vying for "favorite spot in the house." As I said before, closet space was at a premium in our old house...in fact all of the closet space in that house combined would have almost fit on just one side of this closet. I still am getting used to the luxury of so much storage, here.
3. my kitchen sink - watermelon rinds still lingering. Not too bad, otherwise.
My due date was November 1st, but my spunky girl decided to be eight days early!
1 year ago
I was homeschooling for the second year. Lily was in first grade, we started using a boxed, classroom curriculum, as recommended for newbie homeschoolers, as I still was (and am) my second year. (We ditched this curriculum 2/3rds of the way through the year.) Gracie was potty-training, and Joey was busy building with blocks and playing with animals. We were living in our first house, driving a mini-van...all of the typical stuff.
Yesterday
I homeschooled, made multiple phonecalls (my nemesis), watered the lawn, planned the weekly menu, prepared three meals, cleaned up after three meals (well, Scott helped with the third!), did 5 loads of laundry, ironed, paid some bills and did other general bookkeeping, clipped coupons, planned a shopping excursion, executed the shopping excursion, was banished from Walmart on the first try because their fire alarms were going off, purchased new towels for our kids' bathroom (a highlight!), bought some groceries, forgot to get 2 things, of course, came home put the groceries away, talked with my hubby and went to bed.
Today
We went to Storytime at the library and came home with a big bag full of books! The kids and I made a dent in their pile of books, and now I am going to go up and hopefully get into one of mine. After I fold some laundry, of course.
The future
Hopefully, over the next year, we will have a beautiful lawn! I look forward to seeing a little bit of paint on these walls, and maybe more pictures, too. I'm excited about what this year of homeschool holds...things are looking better than ever in that department, thanks to answered prayer, more informed choices, and more space. I will be happy to have the presidential election behind us, and the holidays are looming large...looking forward to spending our "firsts" in our new house! Hopefully the "settling" process will smooth out over the next year. God has been so very good to us, and I look forward to whatever He has planned for the coming year!
Feel free to consider yourself tagged. You know who you are. :) I'm just too lazy at the moment, to tag anyone directly.
My poor, pathetic blog has been neglected as of late. I guess it has been awhile since I last blogged. Here is a short run-down of what I have been up to, in the meantime.
In the last week, I(we) have...
-assembled and filled a shed
-made progress on the garage organization...hopefully this weekend will bring much more progress
-done a LOT of shopping as frugally as possible. It never ends.
-attended a week of revival services. They were awesome!
-homeschooled every day (but the weekends, of course. We're not THAT determined homeschoolers!)
-prepared and served 3 meals a day. Every day.
-watered the lawn. One or fourteen times. :)
-finished memorizing another chapter of Scripture with the children
-assembled our latest lego creator set. These things are soo cool! And we even wasted some time watching youtube lego clips (who knew they existed?!) For what it's worth...here is the one we assembled. We still have 2 more variations to try out.
-planned a pumpkin patch group activity
-went back to Storytime at the library for the first time since our move.
-drove past our old house for the first time since it hasn't been "ours"
-laundry, laundry, laundry
-cleaning, cleaning, cleaning
-cleaned out the freezer and decided to defrost and identify a frosty hunk of meat...and then cook it, appropriately :)
-beheld a woman shopping in Kohl's with her tiny, pet dog strapped to the front of her, while she shopped, in a "pet carrier" similar to a baby front carrier. It was hilarious!
I'm sure I missed a thing or two in my list. :) But you get the picture. Life has been BUSY since school started. I love homeschooling, but make no mistake about it, it requires a L.O.T. of work and personal sacrifice. That being said, I still wouldn't trade places with anyone. Even though the rest of life seems so chaotic since we started school, school itself is going very well, for which I am SO thankful!
My boy, oh I could gush about my boy. He LOVES school. And he is learning so well...I'm so happy! He loves reading and tries to read everything which is sweet and funny, too!
Lily is also doing well, and staying motivated, which is a good thing for her. She seems to like her schoolwork, and is zipping along in it. I can't believe that we already have a whole month under our belt.
My Gracie-girl is staying out of trouble...for the most part. :) She has had her moments, but is learning to play independent from her siblings.
I would like to get back onto the blogging bandwagon. Maybe some "tagged" posts will help revive my poor blog. :)
Hope everyone is having a great week!
