Baseball Season Ends

We hauled the entire family out to the baseball fields early this morning.

It was the final games of the season. The games actually occurred simultaneously on two separate fields. The Referee and I took turns watching an inning at each field.

Jersey #5 thought the games were captivating. I am sure he is calculating how long until he can put on a uniform and go out and play in the dirt like that too...

Each of our players were thrilled to be able to hit off the coach's pitch, and not need the tee. All three were able to score runs during their games too. It was good game day, for all.

There was a BBQ after the games. It was standard baseball food: hotdogs, chips, and soda. The only strange part is that we were eating such foods at 10 am! Did I mention the game were early Saturday morning? So, a BBQ afterward had to be early too.

Each coach gathered their team and called the players forward to receive a medal. The kids were mighty proud of their awards...

Overall, it was a good baseball season. Jersey #2 and Jersey #3 really enjoyed being on the same team. Jersey #1 had a fantastic coach...who also happens to be a friend of ours from high school/college. He helped bring out the fun of the sport for her. I was disappointed in the coach for Jersey #2/#3's team, but when he abandoned the team mid-season the parent who stepped up to fill the void was fantastic. I took down his name to request as the coach for next year (assuming he volunteers to coach).

The season finished well. The kids had fun. They made new friends. They were part of a team. Plus, they learned how to play baseball.

Wrapping Up Summer

We wrapped up this last week of summer vacation with a whirlwind of activities.

Picnic lunches and playing at the park....






Swim Lessons...



Visiting friends at their house....

Visiting friends at our house.

Visiting friends in their swimming pool.

And visiting friends at the aquarium...



We covered a lot of ground this week. We connected with many friends. We dropped into bed at night....

I think the kids should be ready to start school next week, just to get a break...

Which Way Do I Go?

I need direction.

I do not know which way I am suppose to go in many areas of my life right now.

And, I am no good at waiting on God's timing.

Instead, I am impulsive.

And undisciplined.

Some people are thinkers. Some people are feelers. I am a do-er. I want to DO something about it. Immediately.

I want to take action. I do not want to wait.

Yet, in all the areas that I am currently struggling, one thing is crystal clear: I am still waiting. Waiting for direction.

At first, I thought this was really nice, because I am not living in crisis mode anymore. All of those big challenges (like my 6-year old having open-heart surgery) are resolved. Life is good. I can stop and breathe. I can rest.

Well, I breathed and I rested and I re-organized the kids' bedrooms and painted the kitchen, and I completed those tasks I wanted to complete this summer. And then I started wondering where I should focus now? What path do I take?

Since the answers were not coming to me very quickly, I decided to take a step. It seemed like a big one. But, that road has not led anywhere yet. It hasn't exactly closed either. It froze.

So, I started considering another area of interest. I was met with an instantaneous closed door.

And, then, little nuisances started to pop up. I've been handling them one at a time, but my attitude has been bad. I don't want to deal with them. I want them to go away so that I can focus on something BIG!

I continue to ponder and pray.

Tonight, I broke out my Experiencing God, workbook from that Bible study our church did last Fall. It really opened my eyes to understanding direction from God, when we did the study, so I was hoping my notes might open my eyes tonight.

Well, sure enough, my book fell open to the pages where I had gone hog-wild with the highlighter and wrote a bunch of notes in the margins. The biggest note: "Wait for a direction from God."

The study goes on to explain that it is difficult for Christians to wait on the Lord. But, if we start doing before we have clear direction from God, then we are usually wrong. (Yep, that sounds like me. Wrong.)

And then my notes go on to explain that one of the reasons God has us wait, is to develop our character and our relationship with Him, in order to prepare us for our next assignment. (Yes, I am feeling quite embarrassed at my immaturity, now).

God will tell me what I need to know to make the necessary adjustments to take that first step of obedience.

And, the answer is: DISCIPLINE!

Ugh. I am not a very disciplined person. I fall behind in my studies. I don't eat, sleep, or exercise regularly. I haven't yet acquired that routine of completely washing 1 load of laundry per day, or washing up the dishes every night. I am often late....for just about everything.

I know we have to remain disciplined in our financial matters in order to eliminate debt, and fund our future goals. I know I need to be disciplined in household chores in order to manage my home and train my children. I know I need to go to bed on time, wake up on time, eat regular meals, exercise regularly, just to maintain health and fitness....and be able to arrive to appointments on time. I know I need to be in prayer and Bible study daily. I know that most of the clutter in my life is self-imposed by lack of discipline.

So, here I thought my problem was that I was stuck in the "hurry up and WAIT" mode.

Instead, I see that I am in the "Keep Moving Forward" mode. Day by day. One foot in front of the other. One step at a time. It is a slower pace than the chaos we have been living, in the recent past. It is more methodical. It is more like the tortoise, and less like the hare.

Well, that is not very exciting.

But, it works. I know this. All of the things that are on my heart that I just know I am suppose to accomplish with my life, can be achieved if I will learn discipline.

Of course, I would much rather just have everything fixed instantly with a strike of lightening.

It appears that my character is in need of some development. Financial freedom can be achieved through discipline. Fitness can be achieved through discipline. A clean house can be achieved through discipline. Spiritual growth improves with discipline. Holding my tongue can be achieved through discipline. Patience can be achieved through discipline.

It is time to set up some disciplined boundaries in my life and keep moving forward...

Week with Granny & PawPaw

Jersey #3 had a blast during his week at Granny & PawPaw's house. After raising daughters, it is quite different to have a boy around, but they really seem to enjoy it.

PawPaw set up a big train track, so Jersey #3 could play with the trains he brought...

New clothes and new toys accompany the visit. This time PawPaw got to teach Jersey #3 how to put together a Lego set....

A home-made tent...

Baking a cake with Granny...

Unlimited rides on the ride-on toys, when there were no siblings around to have to share...

Snacks galore...

Nana took him out for an evening....to dinner, and to buy a new game for the Wii. Jersey #3 is SO excited about his new Wii game. He is Wii obsessed...

Jersey #3 had the privelage of getting to ride home in PawPaw's truck. PawPaw can turn off the airbags on the passenger side, so that the grandbabies can ride "up front." Our children are convinced that PawPaw's truck is the coolest vehicle on the planet...

He had a blast with his grandparents. It is such a neat summer experience. But, I am happy to have him back home again.

Cousins

My sister and I have boys the same age. I think it is so cute that Jersey #3 has a friend who is also his cousin. Born the same year, just 3 months apart, these two were Granny & PawPaw's very first grandsons...

This summer, they over-lapped each of their week's with Granny & PawPaw, so that they could spend some of that time together. They had blast. It worked out so well, that Granny thinks the two of them should visit the same week next summer.

5-year old boys are a lot of work, so it was nice that they played well together and entertained each other to give Granny brief breaks between feeding them every 2 hours...

They like to dress alike. When they would go on outings dressed alike, Granny was often asked if they were twins...

Cousins and friends. I love it.

Netflix

We signed up for Netflix this summer. My sisters, many friends, and even some of The Referee's coworkers have mentioned it for a while now. We've been slow to jump on board. This summer seemed like a good opportunity to check it out, since Jersey #2 needed to rest and recover from surgery. We signed up for the basic package, 1 DVD at a time, for just under $10. We had a promotional code to try the first month for free.

We have already gotten our money's worth for at least the next 3 years. It turns out that in addition to that 1 DVD that we can check out at a time, we can also streamline movies and shows instantly on our laptop. The night I first signed us up for Netflix, The Referee was so excited about all the shows he could watch on his computer, that he stayed up watching movies all night long. Then, we received the disk that utilizes our Wii to streamline movies instantly to our television. Oh my! Cartoons, movies, and TV shows galore!

Needless to say, the entire family has spent WAY too much time watching movies this summer.

The Referee and I have been able to catch up on all the movies we've missed since becoming parents. We used to go out to the movie theater a lot when we were dating and first married. That ended after a couple kids arrived. I think we practically watched a movie a night during the month of June.

Since we do not have cable television, and our converter box broke, the kids have not had much access to any cartoons or TV shows. They went hog-wild checking out shows in the "kids and family" category.

The Referee was shocked to come home and find the kids watching Barney. He thought that purple dinosaur was a thing of the past. Unfortunately, he still lives in the Netflix world.

It didn't take me long to start complaining about all of the teen dramas that seem to draw 8-year old girls. I am not a fan of the style of dress, the attitudes, the lack of parental supervision, or the obsession with boyfriends/girlfriends that appears to be the focus of those shows. I had to limit Jersey #1's viewing of such programs, as I noticed her attitude start to decline.

Now, we are working on reigning ourselves in a bit more. I filled the instant queue with educational shows for the kids, Veggie Tales, and a few preschool-level cartoons. We decided to start limiting more of what they are viewing. (It appears it was a blessing to not have access to TV programs before). We are making family movie night a big event (with popcorn), and not an every night occurrance. Now that we are gearing up for school to begin soon, it is time to get back to the routine of reading books before bed.

I think Netflix will continue to be fun entertainment for our family.....hopefully in moderation

Running: Week 1

I am still running!

Yes, I am actually surprised at myself.

I am surprised because I am getting better. I am surprised because I actually like it. Who knew that could happen?

I am learning to run by following the Couch to 5K training program. The Referee and I actually started it last week. I re-started it this week, after making a few changes. Last week was very random with the way I was timing the intervals and picking which days of the week to run. I needed a more controlled schedule.

It turns out that there are folks who have organized music to match the intervals on the training schedule, onto podcasts. It also turns out that The Referee had an Ipod Shuffle to lend me. I emailed him the link to the specific music I wanted (the Christian music podcasts), and he loaded it all up on the Ipod for me, and taught me how to use it. With the podcasts, there is a guy (whose voice sounds a little bit like Mr. Rogers) who will cue me when to run and when to walk. He also announces the songs he selected. Music is a great motivator for me. Plus, having someone cue me to walk and jog is like having a personal coach. I don't have to try to watch the clock or count steps or anything like that. With music playing in my ears, I am not driving myself crazy listening to my feet hit the pavement or listening to myself breathe. Instead, I can focus on the music, and learning to run.

I also caught a glimpse of how running outdoors, while listening to Christian music can be a bit of a time of worship as well. When I wasn't caught up in my own awkwardness, I was actually getting caught up in the words of the song, or thinking about some of the recent prayer requests at church. I took the opportunity to pray for a few elderly folks who are battling health issues right now. I will also admit that I threw in a few selfish prayers there too...

Um, God, if I am trying to run to get healthier, and I am listening to praise music and focusing on your many blessings while I do it, you wouldn't let lightning strike me down right here, right? I know that thunderstorm is getting awfully close, but I only have two more intervals...can my efforts overcome my stupidity?? Please...

(Ok, well it is no surprise that my selfish nature gets in the way of my worship. I'm a work in progress, and I've got a lot of learning to do.)

Back to the running program....I decided to just pick 3 days to run, instead of running at random, based on our mood or schedule. Just knowing which days I was running and which days I was not, put me at ease. I like order and control.

Armed with the music and the schedule, I decided to start again at the beginning. I will just consider last week a practice week. I see now that I did not complete the actual workout last week, and let's face it, I was a clod!

Week 1 consists of 5 minutes of a warm-up walk, followed by 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking, for 20 minutes (8 intervals). I also added a 5 minute cool down walk, and a leg stretch at the end. This same routine is repeated all 3 workout days of the week. I actually noticed myself improve each time, which was inspiring.

Day 1: I am not even sure that I could qualify my movements as "jogging." I sure got my arms a swinging to try to heave myself off the ground, but my feet were practically shuffling instead of jogging. By the end of that workout, my lower shins were extremely tight, and my right knee was really sore. (My first thought was, "Oh no! Fat people often have trouble with their knees and ankles....I better get into better shape quick before I injure something that inhibits running"). I was very sore for the next 2 days.

Day 2: My knee was still sore, but I was ready to workout again. I did much better with the workout this day. It helps that I was not racing a thunderstorm this time. I decided that I feel like a "real" runner with my headphones in my ears, and my music/coach telling me what to do next. I also like the place where I run. There are a lot of people out and about. People of all ages and fitness levels, walking, jogging, running, and today there were a couple soccer games going on in the field that the track goes around. I smile at the kids and the dogs as I pass them by. Yep, I am a social creature, and I like to be around people....even when I am barely running, and everyone is a stranger. It works for me. I stretched better after my workout, and I took a shower when I got home. I was actually less sore this time. My knee is healing.

Day 3: I am not even sure I know how to run. I always ran funny as a kid. I used to throw one leg out further than the other. Technically, I am only jogging.....well, I am shuffling...right now anyway. But, I am sure there is a technique I am missing. So, I started to watch the feet of folks jogging/running past me. They seem to be lighter on their feet. I started trying to run more on the balls of my feet. I was surprised to learn that I was gaining the strength to lift up my feet more. Still awkward, but the strength is gaining. I like that. I am so proud of myself for completing all 3 workout days this week! The jogging part did get easier each day.

The biggest inspiration has been the way my clothes fit. I always knew that running was a good way to exercise, but I really had no idea just how good it really was. It turns out that running forces the body core to really tighten up. Fast. Well, my body core, specifically my abdomen has been very mistreated by 7 pregnancies in the past 10 years, so any level of tightening is a big improvement. And that is just what I have noticed: a big improvement. I am amazed. All of my clothes fit me better already. Incredible.

To add to the joy, the scale is also showing improvement. I lost 2 pounds last week, and 2 pounds this week! 4 pounds lost since July 10th...wahoo!

Here's hoping that things continue to improve next week...

10 weeks post-surgery

It has been 10 weeks since Jersey #2 survived open-heart surgery (although this picture was taken at the 9-week point).

She is doing so well. Her incision is healing nicely. She has no pain. Her energy level increases by the day....and is already a million times better than the entire year before surgery.

I am most happy to report right now that she has gained just over 3 pounds since her surgery. She looks good. It is so nice to see her muscles develop a little meat over her bones. Her skin color is good too, no longer pale. She has grown into the next clothing size. It is such a relief to see her doing so well.

We are moving on to the big hurdle of raising a child with medical issues--attitude! To be honest, it is really, really easy to turn a medically fragile child into a spoiled brat. We feel so badly for their unfair suffering. We cater more. We indulge. I personally think there is a time and a place for that. All of the gifts, praise, and attention served to encourage Jersey #2 in the challenge she had to face. Grumpiness was permitted more, because she had to endure pain. We parented with much more grace, encouragement, and sympathy, because that is what the circumstance required.

But, in reality, too much indulgence yields a negative outcome. Permissive parenting brings forth selfishness and disrespect.

So now that her scabs are healed and her pain is gone, we start the journey of reminding Jersey #2 that the world really does not revolve around her, even though that is what the last year certainly felt like.

It is an adjustment to get back to "normal."

Rest

A couple days ago, I noticed that my body feels incredibly well rested. I have not felt this good in years. At first, I wondered if it was the running. Exercise is suppose to help you sleep better, right? Well, since I am still hobbling around with sore muscles, I didn't think I was truly feeling the sleep benefits of running, yet.

Yesterday, I did not get out of bed until 9am! I am not sure the last time I slept that late. How did I sleep so long? I felt so good. I felt so rested. Wow.

How come no one woke me up? When I went out to the living room, I found the kids were all watching cartoons. They had already eaten breakfast. The older girls were dressed. I stared at them in amazement.

Then, it dawned on me...

I am so well rested because my early bird, high-maintenance son is spending the week with Granny & PawPaw.

He is the reason I do not have to set an alarm clock. He enters my room and asks me for something by 6am every single morning. He likes to be the first person awake, and then he likes to wake me up to tell me that he is the first one awake! It does not matter what time I go to bed, my morning wake up call always arrives on time. Even if The Referee gets up with the kids to let me sleep, Jersey #3 will seek me out when he needs assistance. He has even been known to wake me up just to tell me that he is playing quietly so that he doesn't wake me up! I have grown so accustomed to this way of life, that I have completely forgotten what it feels like to be well rested, and to have uninterrupted sleep.

I feel like a whole new person.

A few days ago, Granny mentioned that Jersey #3 woke up with her at 3:30 AM! She is going to need a lot of rest to recover from his visit.

I am well rested and ready for his return home. As much as I enjoy sleep, I sure do miss his interruptions.

Goodbye Toddler Dormitory

We have had to say good-bye to the Toddler Dormitory that seemed so cool last Fall...

It turns out that those toddler beds did not last near as long as I expected. There should be a warning label on them or something....

Warning! This bed will not last long if your children are really tall.

Or better yet...

Warning! This bed is not intended for extremely active sleepers: If your children sleep with as much activity as if they are participating in gymnastics class, buy a bigger bed so that they have room to roam.

So, we bought bigger beds this summer. Jersey #3 was pushing the limits of the length of the toddler bed anyway. Jersey #4 was so active in her sleep that she was falling out of bed almost every night.

Then, Jersey #1 asked if she could have her own room.

So, I thought about the situation and decided we would swap rooms and let Jersey #1 have her own room, the smallest bedroom in the house. Then, we would put the younger girls in the bunk beds in one room. Then, we would buy a new set of bunk beds for the boys, and they would share the other bedroom. It was a great plan....

...until Jersey #5 decided to challenge gravity...

He is a climber. He has great physical strength. But, he still has toddler coordination, so he prone to falls. He has no respect for gravity. He thought it was fun to climb to the top bunk of his sister's bed and then JUMP on the bed! (Thankfully, he did not jump off, or fall off).

My heart nearly jumped out of my body. So, I declared that there would be no more bunk beds in our house right now.

That leaves us with a lot less space to work with, because placing 2 twin beds in the bedrooms does not leave much room for toys. Giving Jersey #1 the small bedroom takes away the play room too. I'm still working out those details.

I was happy to find a very inexpensive bunk bed set at Walmart.com. They were running free delivery to our house for the bunk beds and the cheap mattresses I ordered. Since we don't plan to bunk the beds, I was essentially just looking for inexpensive bed frames. It turns out the beds are a much nicer quality than I ever expected from that store. I think they would actually make sturdy bunk beds too.....but I am not testing that theory right now. The new beds are a bit smaller than our current bunk beds, which is a feature I like. Although our current bunk beds are sturdy and well made, they are longer than the average twin mattress, which takes up space....but is probably a feature I am sure to love as the kids continue to grow in height.

Right now, every child has their own twin bed. They are thrilled....

Jersey #1 also has her own room. She is using the bedroom set from my childhood. It was a gift for my 10th birthday. I am amazed it has held up this long. The bed was once a canopy bed, but has become a 4 post bed (with 2 smaller posts) due to wear and tear through the years. There is a matching dresser with a hutch too, and a matching desk.

So far, the twin beds are working MUCH better than the toddler beds. The kids have room to wiggle and grow. We still managed to find Jersey #4 under her bed one night. Apparently she had fallen out of bed in her sleep, and somehow rolled under it. When I went to check on the kids before going to bed, I had trouble finding her. That was quite a scare! Thankfully, that was only one such experience. I really don't see a lot of options for dealing with her level of sleep activity at this time, but at least now she has more room to move.