The Invisible Mom

I often take it for granted that I have the privilege to be a stay at home mom full time to my children. There are those crazy, hectic mornings that I say good bye to Matt and part of me wishes I could walk out the door and go to work too. This longing usually doesn't last very long, because before I can further think about it, I have 4 precious children who all need me at the same time. I received an email recently about the invisible mom and it really touched me. There was so much truth to the poem. I wonder if anyone realizes how the laundry magically gets done, the dishes put away, the meals cooked, the house cleaned....I could go on, but you get the picture! The other day before church, I was upstairs picking up some toys and getting things together before I needed to go get dressed myself and Wills, my oldest said, "Mommy will you come play with me?" Before I blurted out "No, I was too busy", I thought my child WANTS to play with me. He longs to spend time with me. How much longer will I get this chance? Well, I sat down and played with him for only 20 minutes, but you should have seen how happy he was to be playing with ME! I must admit, I can play some pirates, bad guys, knights, etc...I actually have quite the imagination when it comes to this stuff and they love it. Soon to join in was Owen and Kate and we had a blast. I didn't get a shower before church. I didn't have time to put on make up much less do anything with my hair, but I don't think my kids will remember that. What I know they will remember is....Mommy played with us. She spent time with us. I may not get to do it as often as they would like--because that would be all day, but I can make more of an effort to sit down on a daily basis and be a kid too!

And the child grew and became strong in spirit. Luke 1:80

Link to The Invisible Mom http://strollerstrides.com/blog/?p=444

Funalicious!

Yesterday I was at the bookstore and I saw it....The newest book by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann.....

Goldilicious

I am a sucker when it comes to Children's books. I just can't resist. It stems back to my days as a first grade teacher, I guess. We frequent the library weekly, but some books I just have to own. All the books in this series are books I just have to have. I surprised Kate with our newest book this morning and it is just as cute, if not cuter than the others. If you are looking for an adorable book for your little girl, check these out. They are worth it.

p.s. my boys won't admit it, but they like them too!

Rounding out May

my red rockers. Now we have more seating for the kids on the porch

Air Hockey Table ($20) I have lost to both Owen and Wills, but will continue to faithfully work on my air hockey skills now that we own a table that resides in our basement.

goofing off at home this weekend. We are soaking wet, in our clothes, and yes, that is a sand and water table!

This weekend was so nice and relaxing and a fun time spending together as a family. The last weekend of May...wow is time flying by or what?!

On Friday night we meet some great friends and their 3 kids at a restaurant called Pablos at Lee Branch. If you ever are in need of a kid friendly place to go...go here! We sat outside under the biggest Oak tree I have ever seen (really) and the kids spent the majority of the time dancing to the music played by a Neil Diamond impersonator (ha) and running around on the adjacent EMPTY patio lot, conveniently enclosed and just close enough to keep one eye on them. It was a fun night catching up with close friends.

On Saturday, I went for my Saturday morning run while Matt mowed the grass and I happened upon a garage sale along my running route. Of course, I cannot pass up a sale, so I let my heart rate take a rest and went to take a peak at some "merchandise". Well, I am thankful I took that break because I found lots of "treasures" at this sale. I put a few things on hold (lol) and headed home to get the car and my cash. Above are a few items I found. I also picked up an Imaginex castle and pirate ship, complete with knights and pirates ($5), a wicker toy chest ($5) that I am painting black and putting in the playroom, a bike for Wills ($3) , 2 cute antique red rocking chairs ($8 for both), a outdoor wicker chair with cushion ($5) and my favorite....an air hockey table for $20!

Later that day, we went to the pool for the first time as a family and had a blast. This is our first year to go to this neighborhood pool and the kids are warming up to it. Owen jumped off the diving board for the first time on Saturday. That child just hopped up there, walked to the end and jumped on in, not one bit of hesitation. G loves the water and is determined to crawl to the deep-end side of the pool. Not sure what is up with that?! Kate is scared to death of the water, but I was able to get her in with me while I held her. Her legs and arms were wrapped so tightly around my waist and neck that I could barely breathe. Wills is Wills--cautious as ever and making new friends each time we go. The best part about the pool is the Snack Bar. We have been to the pool 4 times this year and have bought a ring pop each time. It works out in my favor though, because it takes them about 20 minutes to finish it.

On Saturday night Matt and I went out on a date while his parents watched the kids. We enjoyed a nice long dinner, actually tasted our food, drove around a little, went up to the Summit and got caught up with everything going on with each other. It was a much needed night out and I am so thankful for Matt's parents who will watch all four kids. Sunday morning we headed to church for an amazing service and some awesome praise and worship time, which I so needed. Matt took the boys to Lake Gunnarsville to ride the boat this afternoon and I am left home with 2 babies asleep and a quiet house all to myself.....

yes, life is good!!

***The above entry omitted all accounts of fighting, hitting, teasing, numerous tantrums, scratching, crying etc... on purpose! Do not be deceived. The above actions did occur, various times throughout the week-end*****)

Surviving Summer

i just had to include G--even though he sleeps during craft time!

Owen's masterpiece

I have put a lot of thought into how I will survive this summer, having 4 kids 5 and under at home with me will surely try my patience! I decided to make a summer schedule of fun which includes at least one outing, usually to the pool, park, zoo, mcwane center, etc...!
I also decided that, since my kids love arts and crafts, I would put together an ART BOX for the summer!
I went to Micheals and Wal-mart (which actually has a decent craft department) and filled a big plastic tub with random arts supplies. Here is a list of some items I threw in the bag.
Helpful Hint #1 Go to the store without your kids.


String/rope for bracelets
beads
feathers
glue
stapler
construction paper
finger paint
google eyes
craft sticks
foam stickers (they now have peel off tape on the back--these were a big hit)
stencils
NEW markers and crayons
confetti (large)
pipe cleaners
washable finger paint


This is a short list. If it was cheap, I bought it. I spent about $40 on craft supplies, but it has already been worth it. The kids spent an hour quietly making masterpieces from all the "stuff"
I bought. I found some extra beach pails and separated items in each and let them at it. Warning: It is messy, but this was an HOUR of working quietly people!!! No fighting, teasing, wrestling....you get the picture!
Today, we sat out in the front yard and made necklaces and bracelets. It was so cute to see them work so hard stringing beads and then proudly wearing their necklaces. We even made G one, although I think that is a choking hazard!
Wills woke up this morning and said "Mommy can we do crafts today?" Forget the pool my friends, we will be busy crafting all day! Ha!

Hiking the Appalachian.....with Kids!

While at the Lake this past weekend, Matt and I drove with the kids to hike a part of the Appalachian trail. We loaded up the kids, made sure their crocs were on real snug and headed out for at least 40 minutes of trail trekking! G enjoyed his backpack ride and the kids loved exploring the trail looking for anything that moved. It was difficult to really let them explore off the trail because it was lined with all sorts of ivy, mostly poison ivy!! We did find millipedes, a grub, a very small grasshopper (who was sadly put out of his misery by 5 year old hands) and a really cool red salamander that hiked the entire time in the hands of O.

As we made our way back down the trail, we had to break the news that Mr. Newt would have to stay in his natural habitat! I suggested we find pet rocks instead and to my surprise, this worked. We all left the Appalachian with fond memories of Mr. Newt and precious stones in our pockets.

Fun in the Sun (and the Rain)

This past weekend was Memorial Day and I headed up on Thursday to my parent's lake house in Hiawasee, Georgia with the kids. My parent's recently renovated the house and it looks amazing. It was so fun to see how different it looked and to get to spend a few days with my sister and all my nieces and nephews. All the cousins were there....12 of them! Grant, Tanner, Hannah, Hudson, Wills, Caroline, Brody, Owen, Kate, Elliot, Emerson, and Gray! They had a blast. Lots of fishing, riding the jet skis, riding the boat, tubing (in the freezing water) and just being silly and having fun.

Wills is my child who wears his emotions all over his body. He literally cannot control how excited he is! He has done this since he was a baby and it is so sweet. He loved being around his older cousins. He kept saying how much fun he was having and you could tell he was in heaven!

We are looking forward to spending some time with all the cousins again in July~

Note to Self...

Here is a tip for any of you out there who frequent the Zoo a good bit as our family does.

Bring a kids camera for your kids to take pictures.

We went to the Zoo today, all of us, plus a friend, and each child took their own camera. All 3 have fisher price digital cameras. The picture quality is pretty poor, but the clicking is lots of fun. It was the best zoo experience I have had yet and we have been a lot. It REALLY helped out O, who tends to be the most challenging of my children. It gave him something to do with his hands and he was on a mission to snap pictures of everything. He even took pictures of the zoo signs. I cannot believe I had never thought to do this before, but note to self.....pack the cameras when going to the zoo!

happy Birthday KK

This weekend was very busy. We had two preschool graduations and luncheons and on Saturday KK turned 3~ It was a great weekend with lots of family in town and lots of chaos.

We celebrated K's birthday with a party at the park on Saturday morning. We ended the party a little early because the thunder and lightning got pretty bad. K had a blast. She received so much girlie girl pink "stuff" to add to her collection! Her favorite are all the many accessories (bracelets, necklaces, rings, purses, sunglasses) lip sticks and gloss and body glitter (yes...body glitter) she got. This girl is accessorized! It is hard to believe my baby girl is 3.

Good Night

G was not too happy when I put him in the cold pool today, but he did slowly warm up to it.

K, O, and G decided they would all play in the very small plastic pool, even though I just spent hours blowing up the huge inflatable pool.

W had a blast! Between his bff next door and a friend over from school, they played their little hearts out.

Mommy is beyond exhausted after today...gym this a.m., made cupcakes for K's school, running errands with K and G, shortened naps due to the power going out, a few tantrums, some fighting, playing outside for hours, pizza for dinner, baths because they were filthy, books, kisses, prayers, bed! The day is over and I must say, so am I.

blowing bubbles

We sat outside late afternoon and blew bubbles, used sidewalk chalk, filled up the blow up pool and put it in the front yard and just played and swam and played some more. I love this time of year. The days are longer, the mosquitos are NOT out yet, it is not too hot, ice-pops are in stock, and th e kids are outside more! What a great day!

Haircut Day

I took all four kids to great clips to get haircuts...G just needed his hair cut from growing over his ears, so I did that at home, but the other 3 needed "summer cuts". They were SO excited to go because they knew a lollipop awaited them after it was over. This is so funny to me because they get lollipops all the time, so it isn't this new treat. They must have a special extra yummy place they order their lollipops from. Come to think of it, the bank must shop there too!

The boys got their curls cut and some bulk (okay, a lot of bulk) taken off. We just all have big hair!!! I have decided to try to grow K's bangs out, so I wanted a cut to her shoulders. I told the girl many many times, that I still had to be able to do pig-tails! Well, K's hair is short and her pig-tails will be even shorter, but I love it. She looks so cute and I might add that it is fun to be able to do whatever I want to do with her hair because I know this will be short lived.

Sweet baby G

Yesterday, Mother's Day, I drove to see my sweet mom and pick up my babies. I had not seen them in a week. We took the boys on a wonderful vacation and left the younger 2 with Meme and Pop. I missed them so much. It felt so good to get them back and after hearing that G didn't do very great, I was ready to hold him and love on him. He didn't take a bottle the entire time I was gone and was a little confused as to where his mommy had gone. My mom is a trooper. I guess not much fazes you once you have raised 5 kids! She is amazing! I totally would have called me home early. One of my sisters said that he got better as the week went on because he figured, "well, I guess this is my new mommy and family." How sad! I felt pretty guilty about leaving him after I heard that, but it made it all the better when I got to snuggle with him, feed him and rock him last night.

He is glad to be home and I am glad to have everyone back together again.

Big Boy Trip

We are at the beach and having a great time! In the past, Matt and I have taken a trip every May to Destin all by ourselves. It is always a much needed break from the kids and time for matt and I to hang out. Usually I am pregnant each trip, but happy to say...not this year!
We decided to take the big boys. Big meaning 4 and 5. Big meaning, they go potty on their own, dress themselves, brush their own teeth, and can feed themselves!
My mom (who is a saint) is keeping the younger 2.
We are having a blast. We told the boys that mommy and daddy like to sleep past 6 on vacation, so do not wake us up and it actually has worked. They woke up this morning, turned on some PBS, ate some breakfast and played with the new prize I left out on the kitchen table (pirate figures). I rolled out of bed around 8:30!!!! So nice.
We spent the day on the beach reading, resting, swimming, looking for shells. We all slept this afternoon. W slept for 3 HOURS. O, not so much, but that is O for ya! My energizer bunny!
We ate out, drove race cars, spent 2 hours at Wal-mart buying fishing poles for tomorrow. Got the boys to bed around 9:30 and now enjoying the quiet. I am loving spending time with just the boys. Having 4 kids so close means that my mind is usually pre-occupied, trying to meet everyone's needs. It has been so fun to really focus on the boys and play with them without them having to share mom and dad with the little ones.

$$$$$$$

why does everything happen at once? My computer is shot, Matt's computer's screen is broken, our washing machine is on it's last leg, it is time to re-join (and pay) the gym membership, and neighborhood pool dues are due. So.....I will not be back on my computer until I can purchase a new one. I am having a garage sale this Saturday and I will be taking the money straight to Best Buy to see what kind of laptop I can get. Wish me luck.

Too Fast

Today, as I nursed G before putting him down for a nap, I became all to aware that my precious little baby boy is 9 months old and growing so fast. My baby! I wish I could just stop time right now. Each of my kids is at such a wonderful age and I don't want it to change. I have never been a big fan of change and the fact that my little girl is about to turn 3, my oldest will be off to Kindergarten in the Fall, with his brother right behind him the following year, and now my baby is pulling up and cruising around the house, not only makes me sad, but also anxious. Each day my children become a little more independent and I have to let go a little every day. I so want to protect them forever from this world. I can feel Satan attacking me in this area daily. I feel fear rising as I think about how much hurt my kids will go through during their lifetime and I wish that I could shield them from it. I am reading books on how to raise sons, how to raise a daughter, how to discipline, how to shepherd, and so on. Is any of this going to help them not experience things on their own? I am learning that as a mother, as a parent, I don't have to release my children to the world. I can trust God, who knit each child in the womb and gave me the privilege to be their mother, to guide and protect them, to love in a way that even I cannot.
What I can do is pray for my kids daily, hourly, continuously! I can believe God that He is their provider, their strength, their shield, their protector, their hope. I want to become a prayer warrior for my kids because I believe with all my heart that the generations to come will face things more difficult than the generations before. Hear my cry O Lord, a cry for this generation. A plea for protection on my children, a love for you and a heart to serve you at an early age. Continue to work in me as I set the example of putting you first in every area of my life. I do not have to fear change. I can cast my cares and anxieties on you Lord, for your love endures FOREVER!

Chicken Cheeks

Kate and her matching baby doll outfit!

Last Friday, Kate and I visited our local library to check out a few books (19 actually!). I found the absolute perfect book for my boys. It is called Chicken Cheeks and it is a story about animal's rear ends. I knew when I picked it up that this would go over great because my 4 and 5 year old are all about bathroom humor, so I thought....why not! I know my mom would say that they come by that honest. Well was I ever right!!! My kids think this book is hilarious and I must admit, it is pretty darn cute and clever. If you are looking for a funny children's book that will surely have your boys, and even your little girl laughing, check this one out at your library. I have read it to my kids about 20 times and they laugh each time as if it is the first.

Check out the video of the story--this is about the 10th time they had heard it.

Above is a picture of Kate in an outfit that I found at T.J. Maxx, that came with a matching baby doll dress. I am going back to buy more this week because they are so cute and only $16! I am not a big T.J. Maxx shopper because I feel like it is hit or miss and I usually seem to miss, but this time I found a great dress for a great deal. It even came with a puffy slip that made the dress "puff out". So cute. Go get one!

Jump Zone

Today I went to the back porch to "supervise" my children on our new trampoline and this is a picture of what I saw! 7, yes 7, boys jumping all at the same time. The oldest boy jumping was 10 and the youngest 4.

When we were putting it together, one of the rules stated on the warning sheet was "jump one at a time". I did not want to make a trip to the emergency room, so I made a quick rule that there are only 3 allowed on the trampoline at the same time---jumping one at a time is really not very fun! Needless to say, the fun ended pretty quickly, but I am happy to report that no Dr. visit was made.

Free the Butterflies

On Saturday we finally set our butterflies free! This was such a fun activity for the family. We got our caterpillars in the mail about 3 weeks ago and watched as they went from caterpillar to chrysalis, to butterfly. I am still amazed that we were able to keep them all alive. W even took his to school for show and tell on Friday. The kids set them free and played with them outside for at least an hour. We are going to do this every year! I think I might have enjoyed it more than the kids. I was a little obsessed with checking on them about 50 times a day...it is the mother in me, I guess!

Easter at Meme and Pops

Easter morning

We had a wonderful Easter weekend! On Saturday morning we set up our new trampoline for the kids. We have been wanting to get one since we moved into our new house, but have not got around to it until now. It is great and I know the kids are going to love it because they jump oour neighbors every day! Now we have our own.

We drove to Atlanta Saturday afternoon and got to spend Easter with my family. The kids had so much fun with all their cousins. We went to Cedarcrest church and heard a great Easter message and then had brunch with Mike, Mckenzie, and Elliot. All of the cousins came to Meme and Pops and we did an egg hunt. The kids had a blast. It is so fun for us to get to spend time with all the cousins. I wish we got to see them more.

The Fruit!

As you can see, this cost me nothing to make. I used what I had around the house. You can buy eggs at the Christian book store, but it was actually kinda fun to put together!

Last night, after dinner, I got out the Resurrection eggs that I made (see a few posts ago) and spent time with the family sharing about the Crucifixion of Jesus. It turned out great. All my kids were very interested and engaged. It was amazing. I could really feel the Holy Spirit working in our children! They were understanding that Jesus died on the cross for us! It was a really neat way to share the story and they loved opening up each egg and looking at the item inside that represented an important part in the story of Jesus' life leading up to his death.

I am continuously amazed at how awesome child-like faith really is. How I pray, I too, could have faith like a child--where the world has yet to get in the way!

This morning I asked O what happened today a very long time ago. What was so special about today and he said "Jesus died on the cross". I said "Yes, that was a very long long time ago" and he responded very matter of fact that "Jesus died on the cross when we were living in our old house, right?"

I love to hear my children ask questions like this! This very morning on the way to school, we said our prayer and then W asks "Mom, is God bigger than the World?"

Today is a good day. The Lord has blessed me with 4 amazing kids. He has given me the privilege to be their mommy. When I see fruit such as this from my children, I can honestly say that every whine, fit, scream, disobedient act, etc... is worth the joy in knowing that, my children, are understanding the Lord more every day and falling more in love with him and what He has done for us.

Here is a Story you can share with your kids. All you need is a bag of jelly beans!

Black is for the evil planned that night.

Yellow is for God's Son Who is the light.

Red is for the precious blood that Jesus gave.

Green is for the grass that grew beside the grave.

Orange is for the setting sun as soldiers slept.

Pink is for the rising sun as Mary wept.

Purple is for the rulers who could not win.

White is for the cloth He left within.

Blue is for the water in the sea.

On the shore, The risen Lord, Oh could it be?

Many people witnessed this great event

Disciples watched as heavenward He went.

The angel said HE would return

Exactly when we do not learn.

A bag of jelly beans helps us to tell

A story of love, we know so well.

Share the candy share the joy

JESUS died for girls and boys.