more of the same

The cold weather has come...finally!  Matt and I are putting off firing up the heater until November 1st!  That is if I can stand it.  Today I did not want to get out of the shower because it is so cold in our house.   I am sure the amount we spend on the water bill this month is more than we would have spent on heat.
I layered the kids beds with their down comforters and have officially traded summer clothes for winter clothes.  Of course, since we live in the south, I keep a few summer clothes out for those warm days that will surely come.
This past week was packed full of the usual chaos that each week brings.  October has been a tough month for me, as Matt has traveled over half of the month.  I am not a fan of being a single mom, but I know that is part of his job and am thankful he has one.
This week I got to dress up and read to the kids' classes.  I didn't tell the kids I was coming and I dressed up as a "good" witch and surprised them as a mystery reader.   It was pretty funny because Wills knew right away that it was me, it took Owen a little longer and Kate never figured it out until I finally told her! 

On Friday we traveled to Atlanta for my race and to see the cousins.  It has been since Labor Day that we have seen them so they were so excited to get to play.  They LOVE their cousins so much.  I wish we got to see them more. It is the ONLY thing that I don't like about living in Birmingham. 
We packed up and headed out Friday after school.  Matt wasn't flying in until late Friday night, so we went on without him.  I asked the kids if they wanted to take our dog, Harper, and they were like, "Of Course", so we packed her up too!  Although the trip is always long and tiring, we have mastered the art of  limited stops.   The key is dvd's , limited or no drink and stopping half way to fill up on gas, get a  small treat and use the restroom even if you don't have to!   We can leave Harper in the car now that it is not so hot.  In the Summer, it gets a little trickier, as someone has to stay out with the dog.

On Friday night we went to my niece's 5th birthday party.  It was a family party, because when you have 14 cousins in all, you have a huge party without inviting friends.
I ran my race Saturday morning, which was a beautiful but slow run.  I trained at a slow pace for this race and finished fairly easily, although I have an injury that kicks in at mile 10.
It felt good to have another half under my belt.  It is not necessarily my favorite race, but I like to have goals and something to train for.

We headed home Sunday morning because we had ball games that afternoon.  Home Sweet Home!
On the horizon, we have Disney World coming up in 10 days.  I cannot believe it is finally here .  I planned this trip in August.  I have been saving about 80% of my paycheck each month and I was able to pay for this trip with cash!  I got a great deal on airfare and the park package!  My kids have never flown!  This will be a fun first for them.
More on Disney to come as I attempt the mad rush and craziness of getting everything together for it.

A day of YES!~

I have said this before and maybe some of you moms can relate...my days seem to drag on so slow (unless, of course, I have alone time) but my weeks are flying by!  Can it really be almost November?  Although we are running around in shorts, t-shirts and flip flops, fall is in the air!  I am enjoying the beautiful color change in the leaves, the festivals, mums and pumpkins everywhere.

We ventured out to pick out our Halloween costumes a few weeks back!  I am a fan of getting them early and letting my kids wear them as much as they want prior to Halloween to ensure I get my $25 worth in each costume!  Normally I steer my boys clear of the gory and really, actually disturbing costumes they display in these gruesome stores.  It gets harder and harder each year though.  We have done the Ninjas and the Star Wars numerous times.  I have been manipulating enough to convince the boys to NOT be a zombie or an evil monster or any of those type costumes.  But they are now 8 and 9 and to be quite honest....I am just tired.  I kinda have the belief that the more I don't make a big deal about something...the less of a big deal it will really be.  For example, when I was little, my parents would no let me watch the show "Bewitched".  It is kind of funny really, because they weren't really all that strict, but for some reason that show was off limits.  Well guess what I reeeaaallly wanted to watch more than anything else?  Yep, Bewitched.  And if you know that show, it is so lame, but I wanted to watch it because I wasn't allowed to. 
So, what is my point?  I was tired of convincing them to be something "not scary" and tired from having 5 kids out in public in general, that I just said "yes".  So it became a day of yes's!

"Mom, can I have this costume with blood all over the hockey mask that says bloody killer on the shirt?" 
YES!
"Mom, can I be this nasty skeleton costume with a really scary mask?"
YES!
"Mom, can I be Batman for the 3rd year in a row, even though I have the other 3 batman costumes already at home?"
YES!
"Mom, can I be Bat girl?"  (even though I wish she would be a princess or something  girly)
YES!
We made it out of that store in record time!

I am not an advocate for letting your kids get everything they want and not setting limits, but I do feel that sometimes I am not a very fun mom!  Can it be because from 3:00-6:00 I am a taxi driver? Or that when I finish cleaning after breakfast , it is almost time to start lunch?  Or maybe because I am a full time wrestling and boxing referee?  Or because I am the keeper of endless time outs and fits?  Maybe it is because OJ gets spilled on the floor at least 2 times a day, or when I walk across the kitchen, there are enough crumbs to feed at least 4 more kids!? 
I do feel like I say No a lot more than I say yes.  So, it was fun to just surprise the kids a be a mom who says Yes to something when they thought I would say No.
I must admit that it was the most pleasant Halloween shopping experience I have ever had!

So, here are my 5 little monsters!!!

Our daughter (who happens to be from China)

We have had our Avery home for over a year now. I look back at this time last year and am amazed at how far she has come in the last year.  Not just growth on the physical side (yes, she now runs!) but growth in her maturity and trusting others.  It is so evident that the presence of love,  family and consistency can bring a child out of the depths of isolation, weariness, and distrust of people.
When Avery was placed in my arms, she screamed and cried.  She kicked and wanted me to give her back.  It was so hard, but I knew we had the best of intentions in mind.  We knew God gave her to us.  She only knew what she had experienced and it wasn't the love of a mother and father.  She didn't know what a family would bring.  The only reason she calmed down that day was she finally fell asleep on me (because I wouldn't put her down), but if you know Avery, she didn't like me that day and she let me know it!

 Back to present day, Avery is energetic, loving, spunky, and is trusting!  I am mama and she is mine--has always been!
This brings me to my point!  Matt and I were having this discussion the other day and we both felt exactly the same way.  I told Matt that when I look at  Avery I do not see a Chinese girl anymore!  I just see my daughter.  When we first adopted her, the fact that she was Chinese did not matter, but we noticed daily.
Matt said he has forgotten she is even Chinese!
I think it is so cool how God gives you His eyes when it comes to your children, and I think he is really at work in an adoptive family!  He sees no color.  He sees a child of God!

Most outings as a family, bring many stares!  Sure, it is probably from the 5 children we are surrounded by. But even when I am out with only 2 or 3 (and Avery is with me) we get stares and sweet looks from others.
It is the same thing I do to families that I happen upon who have also adopted.  I am drawn to them.  I notice their adopted child, because I love the act of adoption!
I am sure these families are just like us.  They do not see a child that looks different.  They see a child that fits in perfectly.  A little girl who is spunky like her brother, sweet and loving like her sister, stubborn like her mama and smart like her Dad.   We see a child that God cared so much for and He knew we needed her as much as she needed us.

So, that day that we were matched with Avery and saw her for the first time  in March of 2011--when Matt so famously said, "I can't believe we have another daughter--and she is Chinese" has become.
Thank you Lord for Avery, we are blessed!

Thick Skin

Most of my boot camp clients have a love/hate relationship with me!  They love me because I push them and challenge them to do things they didn't know they could do and the hate me because I push them and challenge them to do things they don't want to do!
Often times, during class I have heard, "I hate you right now" or maybe the  day after a tough workout, I will get an email that says, " I think of how much I despise you with every step I take".
It is usually all in good fun, and it is actually pretty funny because I think we can all agree, that when you have kids your skin gets thicker!  Sticks and Stones, right?

Here are a few sweet, uplifting words my kids have spoken to me!  Enjoy!

"Mommy, if we buy the new Madagascar 3 dvd, we get a free afro .....it kind of looks like your hair, Mommy.  Except yours is not colorful!"

"Mom, why do always have real dark skin under your eyes?"

One day, While walking in a very crowded store, my son smells a foul odor and says (in a way too loud voice)  "Mom, gross...Did you Fart?    (btw--no I didn't)

"Mom, your bottom is the biggest in our family!"

While kissing one of my kids good night, they sweetly tell me," ewwww...you smell really stinky".  (probably because I taught a class and haven't showered yet!)

"You should shave your face like Daddy does!"

2 things (and a gift!)

Today I spent most of this rainy Monday at  home washing and folding load after load of laundry.  In fact, my washing machine has been on it's last days over the past year.  I knew any day now it would quit on me and today was the day it decided it has had enough of our insane amount of clothes that need washing each week.  I was hoping it would give me another year.  It feels like we have had a lot of unanticipated events happen, each one costing more money than we would like to spend.  Because a mom of 5 cannot NOT have a washing machine, I will be heading to buy a new one tomorrow!
I have tried to use at least one day of the week that the kids are at school and spend it mostly at home, not rushing around town.  It gives me a chance to catch up on some housework.  I try not to schedule anything on Mondays.  I do usually have to go to the grocery store, but sans kids is a bonus and I will grab me a coffee a take it pretty slow.
Today as I worked at home I caught a few glimpses of 2 things I really loathe to do!  I don't know why I dread these particular chores, but I really really do.  I mean give me a vacuum and I could do it all day, but these 2 things ....well, blah!

The first would be the folded clothes lining the stairs. Notice that I do not spend a lot of time in my folding and this is because once the clothes are placed neatly in the drawers, they will never be folded again until they reach me once more hot out of the dryer.  Now, I put the kids clothes in their drawers for them.  I realize this is something they can totally do on their own, but I get a tad satisfaction when I neatly place them in the drawer on top of clothes that have more wrinkles than a dryer (not an iron) could ever get out.  Maybe its the obsessive part of me that wants to know that they were at least laid in the drawer neatly at one point in time!

 

This is another chore I cannot stand!  I usually can pass this one onto the kids, but today was a day to catch up so I succumbed to it.  I will add that I left them there for a few hours before I finally mustered up the "just do it" attitude.

 

And I must end on something that I love to find.  Here, lying by my bedside, a sweet present given to me by my 4 year old.  Yes, it is wrapped in a black trash bag. And he informed me that he put a surprise by my bed but it was "NOT a ball!"  If I didn't know any better, I would probably assume it was a bag of trash (or laundry) but I cannot wait to rip it open tonight and find the beach ball present that Gray has so thoughtfully given to me.  The present just for me that I bought with my money.

Living the Dream

Wow!  I have been out of touch with the blogger world for awhile now.  So much has happened and I can't bore you with all the details of the last 5 months, so I will sum it up that life has been moving at lightning speed and is as crazy and fun as usual.  Tonight as I packed 5 lunches (right after cleaning the kitchen from tonight's dinner), I laughed as I told Matt that I was "living the dream!"
In all seriousness, I  feel like am.  Sometimes "the dream" feels a little repetitive.  Sometimes "the dream" feels unappreciated.  Sometimes "the dream" feels exhausted and worn out.  But, what a gift from God that I have a wonderful loving husband and 5 healthy children that we love so much.

People always, and I mean ALWAYS, ask how do you do it all?  And I laugh because I don't do it all! 
I have learned to say "No, I can't volunteer to be room mom" or "No, I can't meet for dinner tonight" or "No, I can't bake 100 cookies for your bake sale".  We eat cereal for dinner!  We order pizza!  We don't take baths every night!  We watch T.V.   I send my kids to public school on a bus!
You know what I like to call it.?...survival!
Most nights, by 9:00, I am crashing! I try to read that book on my bedside table, but I fall asleep after 2 pages!  After the end of the day rush of homework, sports, baths, dinner, cleaning, packing lunches, and bedtime routines that run too long....I long to just sit and breathe.  Well, this usually means I sit and fall asleep within a few minutes.
So, life with 5 is just the same as life with 1 or 2 or 3 or more.  Busy.
But, I wouldn't change a thing at the end of the day! 

So for an update: Wills is in 3rd grade this year.  Owen is in Second.  Kate is in First.  Gray is in 4 yr old preschool.  And Avery is 2!
I am still a stay at home mom with a part time job of a trainer, Spin instructor and group ex instructor.  I love both my jobs!
So, here I am to try once more to keep up with this blog that I truly love so much!  I love what it will hold for my kids down the road.  A glimpse into our life and what is was.  Since I can barely remember yesterday, I figure I need to journal it because I for sure won't remember all those special memories years from now!

 first day of preschool

first day of MDO...not liking the pics

 First day of school 

 (from left to right)  Owen, Wills, our neighbor, and Kate

Firsts

We took Avery to my parents lake house for the first time over Memorial Day weekend.  The drive up to Hiawasee Georgia is always a long one, but so worth it once we are there.  It truly feels like a "get away".  We spend most of the days on the water.  taking out the boat, riding jet skis and swimming.  3 of my sisters were there with their kiddos, so we were a packed house and it was a blast.  My kids love being with their cousins more than anything.  I am so thankful for this.  Because we are in Birmingham, it is extra special when they get to be with their cousins. 
Avery really enjoyed it too!  She got lots of attention and had lots of fun on the boat and the jet ski.  I couldn't help but think that less than a year ago, she was in China and had no idea that in 9 months she would be riding a tube behind a boat in the mountains of North Georgia!  Isn't God amazing and faithful?
We laugh because Avery's personality would be great for an only child family....she demands attention!
I love that God has a sense of humor too!  He chose us to be her parents and for her to be the youngest of FIVE!

No More Teachers, No more Books!

Schools out for Summer!  I have mixed feelings on not having any alone time, but we have so many fun things planned for this Summer that I kinda feel like a big kid myself.  I met the kids at the school bus with Popsicles...a special end of the year treat!  Good bye to kindergarten, First, and Second Grade!

Field of Dreams

Wills team got to be part of a very special game during the SEC tournament here in Birmingham.  They were asked to go out on the field with the players at the beginning of the game.  It was so cool for a team of boys, who love baseball, to get the chance to experience their very own "Field of Dreams".
The game was Auburn vs Florida.  The boys got to be out on the field with the Florida players.  We were pulling for Auburn of course!
Here are some pictures from a very cool event that I am positive Wills will never forget.

Gray wrapped up 3 year old preschool!  They had a precious program in front of the school and parents.

Please take notice that I forgot about the program and let Gray wear his batman t-shirt!

Gotta love that!  Everyone in their Sunday best and Gray as Batman!

Baseball has come to a close, but not without us winning the the 8 yr old championship game!
What a season and what a team to be on!  Cardinal nation.  I never thought I would be much of a baseball mom, but it is hard to not get into the game when your team is really good.  Some of the boys out there looked like major leaguers.  I swear they were playing ball in the womb....it is crazy.
Wills had a good season.  We were hopeful for him to just have success and have fun and he did both!
Here in Alabama, you just don't miss a season of baseball!  you pay for it if you do.  He chose to play Soccer last year and because of that really was behind in the game.  BUT, we had a great coach and he got better and that was fun to see.
I am naturally a pretty competitive person!  Wills is not so much.  We need to find a balance...He needs some of my competitive drive and I need some of his relaxed personality.  After all, we are talking about 8 year old baseball, right?

 In full gear to watch his brother play!