Change of Plans

I like to plan things, and I wish I was in control. Being a planner can be a real asset to motherhood. But, it was the journey into motherhood that clearly showed me I was not in control! So, I am trying to use my planning and organizing strengths to my family's advantage...and at the same time, I am trying to learn to "roll with the punches."

I made plans for our family to go swimming after dinner this evening. With the 3 oldest children in swim lessons this month, I thought they would benefit from having more practice time, and time to show off their new skills. The younger 2 miss out on lessons right now, because I am not confident I can take them both into the parent/tot swim class safely. I also have to be on guard and ready to rescue Jersey #3 from his lesson, because he does not differentiate between being in swim lessons from being able to swim! My husband misses out on much of our summer fun, while he is at work, so I try to look for ways to include him and let him see what the kids are doing. I was at the top of my game today. I had chilli cooking in the crock pot all day. I was keeping up with the daily household chores. I did an extra loop around town in the car today, after running a few errands, to allow the youngest 3 to get in a good nap. I packed up the diaper bag in advance. I prepared a bottle and a sippy cup for travel. I even baked cookie bars for dessert. Our excited children waited anxiously for their Daddy to get home from work this evening, and immediately asked him if he was up for going to the pool tonight. He agreed and everyone rushed to the table for a quick bite before heading out. Dinner time is often on the crazy side with so many demands and needs at one centralized location. But, it was smooth sailing tonight. The older girls were eager to help set the table, the middle two were in their seats waiting to be served. My husband was feeding the baby in the high chair while I scooped out bowls of chilli. I carried the bowls to the table and started to set them before the children. And, in a split second, all of my best-laid plans fell apart---as soon as I set her bowl in front of her, Jersey #4 promptly vomited (I don't think it was the sight of my cooking, but I don't know for sure!) By the time I got around the table to her, she was vomitting for a second time, and simultaneously having a blow-out in her diaper. Poor girl. She was shocked that her body was reacting out of her control. I scooped her up and took her to the bathroom, catching sight of Jersey #1 stepping away from the table gagging and attempting to heave from the sight (I am guessing she is not going to pursue a career in nursing). Jersey #4 cried that her tummy hurt and her leg was messy! I distracted her with the suggestion that she could take a bath (something that she absolutely loves to do), ran some water, and got her soaking in the tub. I returned to the table to discover the surprise that my husband had already cleaned up the mess (Wow! That is huge for him....as he usually reacts like Jersey #1). We explained to the older children that there was no way we were going to be able to go to the pool tonight under such conditions, so we would pick a different family activity instead. We decided on a movie night at home, relaxing in the living room. The kids were disappointed but they handled the change quite well. I reminded them that these things happen sometimes. I think I was really reminding ME of that truth. Ah, motherhood....that time in my life when there are so many, many variables out of my control. Tonight, I was much calmer about the whole situation. In the past, I have had huge adrenaline rushes as I dealt with the circumstance and my own shock over having to divert course from my plans.

Tonight's experience came a close second to the similar experience I had 2 years ago. This was another day that I was at the top of my game (I am starting to see a trend....maybe this is a pride issue). My girls were taking a class at a local children's museum. I had taken the time to prepare a picnic lunch, and we had plans to stay at the museum after class, picnic at the playground there, and then spend some time browsing the exhibits. The older 3 children ran toward the playground equipment, while I strolled Jersey #4 over to a bench, sat down, and started pulling things out of the lunch pail to set up our picnic. I had just inserted the straw into the first juice box, when I heard Jersey #2 crying. This was very strange for her, as she was usually tough as nails. She was sitting on the ground at the base of the slide, crying in pain. She didn't even attempt to get up. That was my first clue that something was very wrong. I scooped her up and carried her over to the bench to assess the damage. She calmed down some, but just sat and cried. She wasn't hungry and she wasn't going to dare try to walk. She just cried. This was so out of character for her that I ended up re-packing the picnic lunch, and loaded everyone up to leave. I put Jersey #2 in the stroller and wheeled her out of the museum with one hand, while carrying baby Jersey #4 with the other arm. So much for my carefully planned outing at the museum. All of my plans were shot. Instead, we spent the afternoon visiting the doctor...and spent the next morning getting X-rays and a splint....followed by a cast a week later. It turns out that Jersey #2 had a spiral fracture on her left tibia (lower leg bone). She just landed wrong after coming down the slide.

It is amazing what can happen in a split second to change the course of the whole day!

Here is a cute picture of Jersey #4 when she is feeling healthy...

and a picture of Jersey #2, from two years ago, with her purple cast....

The Traveling Team

We took a big road trip this past week to visit family. Traveling with 5 young children can be quite an adventure in itself. The reactions from family and friends (who are also currently raising kids) were quite amusing. We were constantly asked if we had a DVD player in the van. We do not. I hear good things about them...and my children are certainly crazy about watching movies....but we have not made such an investment yet. Our cousins and their friends just could not understand how we traveled long distances with children, without a DVD player. They even offered to lend us theirs!

We have taken many, many trips with small children in tow. We have faced many challenges of travel, and have learned a lot along the way. Traveling to Europe with a 2-year old and a 9-month old, we learned that Europe is not very stroller friendly. That is especially true of Venice, Italy, with all those stairs over the waterways! As airport security has grown in restriction, each child is expected to walk through the metal detector on their own. We have had many strong-willed toddlers refuse to walk through! (The trick is for me to walk through first, call them and give them a chance, then reach down grab their hand and pull them through anyway!) Even going through security with an infant strapped into the Baby Bjorn carrier was challenging, because the guard asked me to "take off the baby"! (We gave that guard an adventure she was not expecting, because the infant was Jersey #2, and she set off the detector with the wires in her chest...this was our return home trip after her open-heart surgery).

This week's road trip was our best family travel yet. We have learned a lot from past experiences, so we did our best to control the situation to keep some level of stability and order. To keep costs and frequency of stops to a minimum, we packed a cooler full of water bottles and juice boxes, and a bag full of dry snacks & fruit. When we stopped at gas stations for potty breaks, we try to make a purchase to support their business, so we did that either buying gas, or buying a bag of ice for the cooler. For entertainment, each child had a backpack filled with small toys, books, pencils, & notepads. Rolling backpacks, with the handle extended fully, worked well for the younger kids because they could set the bag on the floor of the van, and reach it again via the handle to pull it up into their lap. We also packed a small pillow and plush baby blanket for each child, which encouraged napping while we drove....and provided some bedtime linens that brought an element of "home" to each new sleeping location. Kids are comforted by things that are familiar to them, and a favorite blanket is an easy comfort tool. Those same blankets work great on airplanes too.

We planned our trip to have the most travel time the very first day of travel, when our excitement would carry us further! We reduced the amount of travel time each day as the days went by and we great tired of being in the van. There was one day where we stopped at least 15 times more than planned, and allowed our son to "water the rocks" on the side of the road, because he needed to potty more often than rest stops or towns appeared! (After that, we made the rule that there would be no more Coke with lunch while we were on the road). We also planned for lunch breaks at restaurants, so we could all get out, wiggle around, look at each other while we chatted, and enjoy a meal in a new town. Those lunch breaks were a nice diversion and broke up the trip into manageable pieces.

Lessons of Motherhood

My Mom gave me the best encouragement as a mother, when she told me "God gave this child to YOU. He knows YOU are the best Mom for this child. No one will know YOUR child better than YOU. Don't worry about what anyone else says or thinks YOU should do while raising YOUR child. YOU already know how to take care of her. God gave YOU the answers in your heart. TRUST YOURSELF!" [emphasis mine]

My husband attempted to say the same thing when he told me, "We do what works for us." (He is a man of few words)

This advice was given to me at a time in my early motherhood when I was a basket case, trying to be the perfect Mom. I was reading parenting books, parenting websites, and paying attention to all the advice any parent was giving. My husband would come home from work, see the child care books on the table, and groan "Nooo, not again!" Parenting advice is everywhere, but hardly anyone is in agreement as to the "best" way to raise children. The so-called parenting "experts" provide theories of parenting that are polar opposite to each other. In addition, Moms feel the pressure and criticism everywhere we go. I've met Moms who did not like Mommy groups like MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) because they felt they were not measuring up to other Moms. My sisters and I joke that if you go to a park with other Moms, you eventually get into a conversation about the "stats" of your child, as if they were all professional baseball players....

What percentile is he on the growth chart? How long did you breastfeed her? Is she crawling yet? Will he eat vegetables? Is he potty trained? What age did your child learn their colors? Is your kindergartener reading yet? You mean your 2-year-old isn't already taking Calculus?

It isn't that Moms try to make each other feel bad, it is that they are looking for some assurance that they are doing well. There is no level of perfection that can be obtained. Parents are not perfect. Kids are not perfect. We come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, gifts, and abilities. Those growth charts are meant to help identify a trend of growth so that caregivers can be aware when there is a change in the trend that might warrant attention. (With Jersey #2, her doctors assured me they did not care what curve she was on, but they insisted she needed to pick a curve and stick to it or else they would be tempted to intervene). Developmental milestones come with a wide range of what's "normal," because they too are looking for the outliers. It is not a competition. But, we Moms tend to celebrate when our child is in the front of the trend, and worry when our child is toward the back of the trend. Pressure is added when one Mom is cheerfully sharing her child's advancement, when it is in the category that another Mom is already worrying about her child's slower progression. Add the "advice" we give about how we parented that child to that level, and in no time at all, insecurities are deepening all around us. It is hard to turn to other generations of mothers for support, because times were different, trends change, and we don't always remember things accurately. (We've been told that my husband was working 100 piece puzzles by himself at 18 months old.....but our children were only eating or throwing puzzle pieces at 18 months old!) Sometimes it is the grandmas who are adding the pressure....

Are you still giving the breast/bottle/pacifier? When I was raising kids, we weaned them at ___ age!

I knew a whole lot more about parenting before I had children. I've since had enough children to know that no one is an expert on children, because children are not all the same. With 5 children, I would need 5 different parenting expert books, because my children are THAT different from each other. I would have been fine if I had read one style of parenting book for Jersey #1 and a completely different style of parenting book for Jersey #2. They were so different and fit different textbooks. I will have to write my own book for Jersey #3, because I have not met another child like him. A friend suggested that Jersey #4 fit the description her Mom gave for her little sister....no one should come in contact with her unless they have already had at least 2 children! Jersey #5 is a dream so far, with his easy-going personality. If he were my first baby, I would have thought I was the perfect Mom. Ha! I know better than that now!

Thankfully, I now have the full knowledge and confidence from my own mother's advice. My Mom is the BEST Mom for me. I am the BEST Mom for MY kids. My sisters are the BEST Moms for my niece and nephews. My fellow Mommy friends are the BEST Moms for their own children. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Spacing Siblings

When we are out in public, we tend to draw attention first with the size of our family, and then with the close ages of the children. Some people like to try to guess the kids' ages. Some get that puzzled look where I know they are trying to calculate the age gap between the kids after I have rattled off their ages. There was one woman, shopping at Walmart, who approached me and asked me if I would please tell her the ages of my kids. She took great delight in the answer, and complimented the kids from head to toe. I am sure there was a story there, but she did not share it.

I still laugh at the way we achieved the spacing of our children. My husband and I sat down and had an "intellectual" discussion about the "best" spacing of children. We were college educated, so of course we assumed there was some proven ideal. We are scientists by nature, so of course we assumed we could collect all the data, and form a hypothesis on the ideal spacing! Ha! We talked about the pros and cons of our own sibling situations. We are each the oldest of 3 children. I am 4 years older than my next sister. I said 4 years was too far a gap, as we practically grew up independent of each other, went to different schools, and had different interests and friends. My sisters are only 19 months apart from each other. That was too close. They fought constantly while growing up. They were only 1 grade apart in school. They knew each others' friends, and did not share friends well. My husband is 3 years older than his brothers, who are twins to each other. Clearly we were not going to have a say about twins, so that was a non-issue. Many of our friends in high school had a younger sibling who was a freshman our senior year. Apparently 3 years apart was common, but it still seemed a little too far to me. We wanted our kids to have enough distance to be unique individuals, but a close enough age range to grow up as friends. We settled on 2.5 years apart as the "ideal" spacing of children. That was going to be our goal....

Ha! Too late! It turned out that I was already pregnant with Jersey #2, and just didn't realize it or expect it at the time. God had a completely different plan for the spacing of our children. 19 months apart. It turned out that I LOVED having the girls that close together. It was a great combination. And, it turned out that they have very unique personalities, and they are growing up as friends. Many people comment that it must be terrible to have 2 in diapers, but that part didn't bother me at all. I found it to be easier, as we were already into the diaper routine!

I liked that age range so much, that I aimed to have Jersey #3 arrive 20 months later. My only criteria at the time was a Spring delivery, as Jersey #2 was born in the heat of summer!

We conducted an experiment to see how far apart our children would space "naturally." So, following Jersey #4, we did nothing to plan or prevent another baby. [Breastfeeding certainly halted my cycles for a while, and coming down with Whooping Cough was its own form of abstinence birth control!] Our natural fertility turned out to be 18 months. So, it is a good thing I enjoyed that spacing!

It's All About the Outfit

I've mentioned before that for Jersey #1, it's all about the outfit. She takes great care to pick her shoes and clothes. She "dresses the part" for just about any activity. She doesn't just wear her uniforms for games and practices. She wears them when she is just going out back to practice on her own. If she changes her mind a few minutes later, she returns to her room to change into the next outfit that fits her next activity. We had to establish the rule with her that if her clothes were not on her body at least half of a day, or unless they had gotten dirty from a spill, they were not to go into the dirty clothes hamper. She changes clothes at least 10 times a day!

We've accepted this as part of her personality and self expression. She has been this way since she was a toddler. She learned to undress and dress herself early on, and became quite set on certain shoes and outfits. As a toddler, she often liked shoes with no outfit! As modesty kicked in, the outfits became more important. Unless it is a special occasion that warrants me choosing outfits, we've tended to let her choose her own style. We've walked through the grocery store with our ballerina, astronaut, or cowgirl in tow. We've arrived to church with a variety of Disney Princesses, depending on which one was her favorite that day. Some costumes were accessorized with crowns, wands, and princess shoes. She is certain to participate in every AWANA theme night. Sometimes we wonder if she plays sports just for the opportunity to receive a new uniform!

On Sunday, another child brought a tennis racket to church. Jersey #1 was admiring it and talking about how she would like to play tennis. Pastor suggested that he would be happy to play a game of tennis with her. Jersey #1 promptly agreed and added, "I could wear one of those white tennis skirts....."

The first game

The first practice and games of the summer softball season were this past Saturday. We woke up to great wind and chillier temperatures than desired, but that didn't slow us down much. We ran late to the ball fields, so The Referee took Jersey #2 to her practice while I found a place to park and unloaded our luggage. [We just don't travel light, especially with a baby and a toddler who require a diaper bag, but then there was also a cooler of snacks, and I volunteered to bring team snacks, plus the kids had various toys they wanted to bring for entertainment while we were in the bleachers. We had the stroller loaded down real good.] They arrive at the field and walk up to the coach. The Referee introduces them, and the coach says, "Hey, did you know that I've known your Dad since middle school?" Jersey #2 was not impressed. She just stared at her Dad and her coach, wondering what was the big deal. It takes a lot to impress her.

She was impressed that she was able to hit the ball at her turn at bat. She proudly talked about that moment for the rest of the day. It was a great hit. She dropped the bat and ran right to first base. She then ran back into the dug out and sat down on the bleacher. I went over to talk to her and asked why she came off the field. She informed me that she was done. She had hit the ball and she was done with her turn. So, I explained that she needed to stand on first base, until the next batter hits the ball, and then run to second base. I told her that with each batter she will make her way around the bases and return home to score a run. She answered, "No thanks. I don't want to run anymore. It is too cold to be out there. DID YOU SEE ME HIT THE BALL?!?!"

It is not easy to convince Jersey #2 to change her mind. So, she sat in the dugout and made new friends.

Spring Training

We are gearing up for city softball to begin. It is a great summer program that is fun for the whole family: coed teams, combined ages, non-competitive, affordable, one single park location for all of the games, laid-back....and best of all, we are not coaching! This program fits us well since my husband and I are not baseball players by nature. Jersey #1 played softball for the first time last summer and had a blast. Much to my dismay, she told us she liked softball better than soccer, because there was less running. We've since learned that her favorite sport is the one she is playing at the time. For Jersey #1, it is all about the outfit. She dresses in her baseball uniform to practice baseball, her basketball clothes to practice basketball, a ballet leotard to dance ballet, etc.....in a single day, she changes outfits as if she were a runway model!

Today is the day we get to pick up uniforms. Jersey #1 and Jersey#2 are both playing softball this year. They are on different teams. One of our high school friends is the coach of Jersey #2's team, which will be added fun for us. The girls were very excited to go get their new uniforms. They got themselves dressed....all dressed up in spring dresses. [Considering I was such a tomboy growing up, I am often caught off-guard by how "girly" my girls can really be, especially Jersey#1]. Here a picture right outside the sports office....
After picking up the jersey shirts and ballcaps, we made a quick run into Sam's Club. We always seem to need milk. And, I thought it would be a good opportunity to pick up the team treats we volunteered to bring to Saturday's game. The girls were so excited to wear their new uniforms that they asked to wear them into the store, over their dresses....

As soon as we returned home, they found the perfect pants/shorts to complete the ensemble and have been out in the yard practicing their skills....

Yes, that is a hot pink headband to match Jersey #2's hot pink pants. She likes to stand out. She has her own style. Apparently, the uniform colors were a little too drab this year!

Bedrooms

We are in the midst of re-arranging bedrooms again. This has been a regular adventure ever since we added children to our family. It seems like we've tried just about everything by now....co-sleeping, bassinet, crib attached to our bed, crib free-standing in our room, crib in the nursery, toddler beds, twin mattresses on the floor, twin mattresses on bed frames, and bunk beds (attached and unattached). We've tried children in their own rooms, and children sharing a room.

My favorite arrangement (until now) has been a "bed"room which holds only beds, books, & clothes [ie, quiet things to encourage sleeping], and a separate "play" room filled with all the toys. We've even taken this concept to an extreme last year when we set up 4 beds in the bedroom. Having the oldest 4 children sleep in the same bedroom proved to be a great benefit with the arrival of jersey #5. It really helped establish a bedtime routine, and got everyone sleeping in their own beds before we added a new baby to the mix. One of the greatest benefits of having siblings share a bedroom is it reduces the "I'm scared" bedtime stalling tactic. It is hard to claim to be scared of being all alone in your bedroom at night, when you are not actually alone!

I was expecting to switch the rooms into a bedroom for girls and a bedroom for boys once the baby was older. It turns out that our biggest challege right now is age, not gender! It didn't take me long to discover that it is not a good idea to continue combining all of the toys into one playroom. Our oldest two daughters have moved into Barbie-style princess dolls, complete with their line of shoes, crowns, and other choking hazards. Add that to the fact that they also use a lot of pencils, markers, and other not-safe-for-toddlers school supplies. They are also adding up a collection of trophies and keepsakes that need to be placed out of reach of little hands. Plus, I am actually considering letting Jersey #1 get her ears pierced this summer, which will bring more indigestible objects into play.

The new arrangement has the oldest 2 sharing a bedroom, the middle 2 sharing a bedroom, and the baby's crib still in our bedroom. In addition to their bunk beds, we added a little 4-drawer dresser for the oldest 2 in their room. The tops of the dressers give them somewhere to place keepsakes out of the reach of their younger siblings. We've added an element of responsibility too. The girls were given the freedom to arrange their clothes into their dresser drawers however they wanted....and they are expected to put away their own clothes as laundry loads are completed. So far, there is quite a bit of pride of ownership, so the girls are joyfully embracing the added responsibility.

The second bedroom contains toddler beds, train tables, and a toy kitchen. It really resembles our playroom back in the day when we only had toddlers and preschoolers, just with the addition of beds. Jersey #3 enjoys being able to play with his train sets alone and peacefully in his bedroom (he is rather introverted), so he approved of the new arrangement immediately. Jersey #4 proudly walks around the room and declares "MINE" as she points to each of her belongings. I am guessing she is enjoying getting to stake claim to more territory, now that she is sharing a room with only 1 sibling versus 3.

The infrastructure is in place in both bedrooms now. Bedtimes are running smoothly in spite of the change. All that is left is to sort through all the clutter from both rooms, that we just bagged up to deal with and purge later.....Ugh!

AWANA Sparks

The Sparks Club at AWANA is made up of children in kindergarten-2nd grade. Their theme song begins, "We are Sparks for Jesus....Sparks to Light the World!" Our oldest two daughters are currently in Sparks. Jersey #1 is in the Hiker group (2nd year Sparks). Jersey #2 is in the HangGlider group (1st year Sparks). AWANA just recently remodeled their Sparks program, so one daughter will continue through the old program and one daughter will begin through the new program. Due to the close proximity of their ages, this change has been a great blessing and has cut down on some of their mutual competition, as the new Hanglider program is different enough to keep things fresh for Jersey #2.

Tonight was the awards ceremony for AWANA, as the club year has come to close. Our whole family attended to clap and cheer for all of the accomplishments of this past year. I admit that I was very excited to see both of my daughters earn so many awards tonight. They have both worked really hard to memorize Bible verses, and complete activities in their workbooks. They each completed their books, the review, a workbook, and an extra credit book. They also had perfect attendance (because our family was not struck with the flu this year). They raced cars in the Grand Prix. They competed in the Sparks-A-Rama. They even helped out with the fruit basket fundraiser. It was a busy year! The icing on the cake was that each daughter received the "Clubber of the Year" award for their class. [Jersey #1 received Clubber of the Year last year also, so I was real surprised they awarded it to her again this year!] It was an incredible evening, filled with awards...and followed up with a dessert potluck!

HangGlider of the Year


Hiker of the Year

A Bowling Birthday

Jersey #3 wanted to go bowling for his birthday party this year. THAT was a FUN way to celebrate a 4-year-old's birthday. We had a blast. I was real impressed with the birthday party package offered at this nearby bowling alley. It was wonderful. I am certain we will party there again.

Bowling...complete with bowling shoes, bumpers, and a lightweight ball...


Pizza...


Balloon Hats...












Souvenir Bowling Pin (signed by all the guests)...


A behind-the-lanes tour...


We added presents and cake after bowling, and the bowling alley provided balloons and gift bags for the kids to take home. Fun Stuff!

God answers my petty prayers too!

Weeds have taken over our yard. We did not tackle them in time this year, so we lost the battle. The combination of crazy weather, my husband's business travel & 3-week long gout attack, and our overly busy schedule these past couple months, created quite a hurdle to yard work. It shows. So this past weekend we made a plan for how to tackle the weed challenge. The plan was to spend two evenings during the week and two days during the weekend, pulling all the weeds and getting the yard into shape. Yesterday was the first evening of this plan. I was dragging with no energy all day long, and really dreading yard work after dinner. (Who am I kidding, I only had half of dinner prepared to begin with, so I was really behind!) By the time my husband came home from work, I was ready to throw in the towel and admit defeat....before we even began. He suggested I run my errand alone, while he finished up dinner (he is so much better with fresh vegetables than I am anyway), and see if that didn't pep me up a bit. My errand was to run some leftovers from a church BBQ, to an elderly family at our church, so that kind of social interaction is always a boost! It worked. I had a better attitude by the drive home. Then, a big blessing walked my direction as I was getting out of the van....

A man called out to me from a distance, as he walked across my driveway. His first sentence grabbed my attention immediately, "Ma'm, I am a Christian." He had my undivided attention now. He went on to explain where he went to church and that he taught Sunday school, and that he was up against some tough times but he knew God was going to take care of him, and that He already had. This man was a walking testimony to ways that God supplies all our needs. He had lost his job, lost his home, and lost nearly everything he had. He had landscaping skills that he was falling back on, so he was going around offering to do any sort of yard work for any amount people were willing to pay him. His church was helping him out. Many of my neighbors were helping him out. He was determined to keep his family out of the homeless shelter. He was proud of himself that he did not resort to drugs or alcohol. Clearly, I met him on the upside of this challenge he was facing, because he mentioned how he has been able to keep his family fed (wife & 3 kids) even if they were only eating Ramen, that he was willing to work hard, that his wife tucked away a little out of each payment he received to the point that they just moved out of a hotel into an apartment 8 days ago. In addition to needing food, he was now trying to save for a car. I was impressed that his marriage continued to be strong in such adversity. I was impressed by the strength of his faith in God. I was impressed by the accuracy that he quoted the scripture that he lived by. I was almost laughing because of the JOY I felt on the inside that God had sent someone to pull my weeds!

I explained to the guy that we had plenty of weeds to pull, if he wanted the job. I went inside and told the story to my husband. His first response was, "So you were praying for someone to come pull the weeds?" I had to admit that even though I did not pray out loud for such a thing, it was the desire of my heart!

So many blessings occured in that one evening. Our front yard and driveway were cleared of weeds. We paid the guy for his work, and gave him a couple sacks of groceries to help feed his family, along with the invitation that he could return this weekend (after payday) and we would pay him to clear the side yard as well. Our children were shown that our family helps others in need. AND, I was reminded that God knows my heart, and he is willing to answer my petty prayers too!

End of soccer season parties

The soccer season is over. Whew! As Team Mom for both teams, I was responsible for the trophy order and for planning the end-of-season party. That was quite the challenge, due to having 2 soccer team parties and one birthday party for our own child all centered around the same weekend. Yikes. It was also quite challenging to get participation for the trophy order in a timely fashion. In an attempt to encourage me, my husband assured me that these things always work out. I reminded him that is people like me--who take care of all the details--who help these things to work out! In the end, he was correct that it all worked out. I eventually received all of the money for the trophy orders (even though I had to front the money for a few of them in order to get the order in on time). The trophies were ready in time for the parties (and I only had to alter my schedule a little bit to be available to pick them up when they were ready). The parties were planned over two weekends, so they did not collide with the birthday party. The weather even cooperated for the outdoor party at a park. Both end-of-season soccer parties were attended by ALL of the players on the team....and they were great fun! Jersey #2's team had a picnic at the park....she is the one getting attention burping after drinking rootbeer in the picture.


Jersey #1's team got to make their own pizzas at the pizza restaurant owned by the family of one of her teammates. The younger siblings received a chance to make their pizza too. They all claimed that the pizza tasted better since they got to make it themselves!

Soccer

I love to play soccer. I played when I was a kid, starting in 5th grade. I was able to petition and start up a girls' soccer team when I entered high school (because I was not permitted to play on the boys' team, since it was a contact sport). When we were engaged, I convinced my husband to join me on a co-ed adult soccer team. He had never played before. He was naturally athletic. I was still a klutz. He had an Ok time, but was not very impressed. I had a blast. I even sprained my ankle during a game, and still thought it was a blast.

When our Jersey #1 was in kindergarten, I volunteered to coach her first soccer team. My husband reluctantly became the team referee, because I had no luck getting the other parents to help out much. I had a blast coaching. My husband liked being the ref for his kid's game, but disliked that we were shouldering so much responsibility for the team. [He had a point: there were days when I was standing on the sidelines, coaching with Jersey #4 strapped to my chest in an infant carrier, and Jersey #2 & #3 playing at my feet, while my husband was on the field as referee....while a slew of parents and grandparents from our team sat on the sidelines to watch the game, but not volunteer for anything!] I was not able to coach this past soccer year, when we've had 2 soccer players, because Jersey #5 was due to be born during the Fall soccer season. Instead, I became Team Mom for both teams, and my husband became team referee for Jersey #2's team.

As much as I love soccer, I sure was happy to see this soccer season end yesterday. It turned out that with 2 daughters playing soccer on 2 different teams, at least half of their games overlapped or were scheduled at the same time. Instead of attending soccer games as a family and cheering on our girls, we were split up, going in two different directions. That was no fun. We rounded out the season with a finale reminiscent of that first soccer year....I was asked to coach for Jersey #2's team (because her coach was out of town that day), and my husband was the referee for that game! I will include a couple pictures. The really cool part was that Jersey #2 was thrilled to have her Mom coach her team...I had a blast coaching....and she scored her first goal that game!

AWANA

My kids participate in an AWANA Club: Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed. The name is taken from the Bible verse 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. AWANA is very similar to scouts, in that the kids wear a vest/uniform, and earn patches and pins for various accomplishments. During club night, there is also a game time and a snack time. The primary goal of AWANA is to teach children about Jesus, so that they will come to know & accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.....and then learn to serve Him.

I am so impressed with the AWANA program. My children have learned an incredible number of Bible verses. They've learned how to look verses up in the Bible. They've learned about missionaries. They've learned to pray. They are encouraged to invite their friends to check out the club. This was one reason we purchased a 12-passenger van. Some of their friends enjoyed AWANA so much that they wanted to join the club. I want to encourage this evangelism in my children, so I offer to chauffer everyone to club and home again.

My children began AWANA in the Cubbies program, which is for preschoolers. Cubbies runs for 2 years total, one year as a 3-year old and one year as a 4-year old. They wear a blue vest and earn patches while leanrning 1 new Bible verse per week, until they have filled the A and the C on their vest (one letter per year). The A stands for "All have sinned" (a shortened version of Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.) The C stands for "Christ died for us" (a shortened version of Romans 5:8 But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.) As the children progress through the AWANA program, they learn the full versions of the verses. Each club year builds upon the previous lessons.

Here is a picture of Jersey #3 in his Cubbies vest. This was taken on Awards night, this past week. He was running back to our table, after receiving his awards for completing the year. He completed his first Cubbies book, earning all of the patches to fill the A on his vest. He will return to Cubbies in the Fall for his second year, and work on patches for the C.

Too Busy

There is busy....and then there is Too Busy! We have been too busy for too long now. Having 2 school-aged children already, the extracurricular activity options are endless. In addition, since we homeschool in a homeschool-friendly city, there is also an endless supply of academic activities. I enjoy being active and busy. I enjoy being out and about. I wanted to expose the kids to a variety of activities to see what might peak their interest. Unfortunately, I went overboard. Then, I went in over my head.

In February, I finally realized and admitted that I was over involved in too many outside activities and needed to cut back. Ironically, this came about AFTER I cut back on some of my own personal activities to focus my time and attention on our family. It was a great that I finally realized my limits, but the timing was terrible. I was already committed to a ton of things for March & April. I decided to give it my all and honor my committments. It was insane. It is finally over. I survived.

I hope to have the energy to add a few posts and pictures of some of the things we've been up to. The activities themselves were good. The time, effort, and energy that they required in combination was too much. I hope to never make that mistake again. Live and Learn (I hope).

#3 Turns 4

Birthdays are such an exciting time at our house. It is a family tradition to make each birthday special. I love to celebrate the lives of my children. I celebrate that they are alive in the first place. Then I celebrate how much they have grown and developed with each birthday milestone. Life is good.....let's celebrate!

We have a 4-year old son today! I find myself surprisingly emotional with this birthday. This is the child who humbled me. His sisters were happy, friendly, independent, social babies. I could take them anywhere and have a blast. I thought I had it all together as a mother. Then, jersey #3 arrived. He was clingy. He was high maintenance (he wanted to nurse 24 hours a day and had no other method for soothing himself). He did not like strangers at all. He did not like new environments. Not to mention, he was a BOY! I immediately gained more respect for mothers who only had sons. There is an easier side to motherhood....daughters!

So much has changed in 4 years. He has grown so much. He is gaining independence by the day. He is talking about preschool, playing sports, and all the things he can do now that he is BIG. He is no longer clinging to my leg. He is no longer a Momma's Boy. His admiration for his Dad runs deep. He is his father's shadow now. This is good. This is how it should be. But, I still sit in amazement by how quickly they grow. My husband tells me not to worry....he says boys have a special place in their hearts for their Moms.

7 months old and 4 years old

A New Season

Here we go....My motherhood adventures have been, well, adventurous! Most would not believe me if I did not have documents and witnesses. I've been encouraged to write a book, start a blog, and to keep the emails coming. I love to email stories about, and share pictures of my children. I have not found the time or the confidence to write a book. I finally decided today that I would branch out into the blogging world. A new technology for me. A new way to share my joys of motherhood with others. Keeping with the fun sports team theme, I'd say today is the first day of a new season.