2010 Photo Review

Snow Day

We are enjoying some snow today.

The puppies were not sure what to think of it at first. But, it did not take them long to enjoy a little play time in the snow.

The children think it is awesome that I let them throw snowballs at each other, especially considering how I don't permit them to throw their toys when they are mad, and hitting each other is not allowed either. Throwing snow is Ok? Bring it on!

The snow took down the dead tree in the backyard. It had been struck by lightning over the summer. The Referee assured me he would cut down the tree before winter. I feared it would fall on the neighbor's house. As with most projects this year, we are behind schedule. Winter came and the tree was still standing. Until this morning. Thankfully, the snow took it into our yard, and not through the fence or onto the neighbor's house.

While I was outside with the kids and the dogs today, I brainstormed some ideas for our yard. The gears are already turning in my head. We have made some improvements to the inside of our house recently. The plan is to start the outside improvements in the Spring, with the goal of a nice play area for the kids and dogs by summer.

When Puppies Fly

We attempted to close the puppies up in the bathroom when we went to Christmas Eve service last week. We came home to both puppies sleeping on the futon (their favorite napping spot). The pressure-mounted baby gate was no match for their strength.

Considering they are only 10 weeks old, yes I am a bit worried about this. The only child we have had who can unmount these gates, is Jersey #2. If the puppies have a will like hers, we are in deep trouble!

At first, we were letting the puppies sleep with us, in our beds, or with the kids when they had a slumber party in the living room. As soon as they started getting down off the beds/couch at night, we knew we needed to crate them. They are not yet fully potty trained.

Since we had not yet purchased a kennel crate for them, we thought we could get away with the baby gate method in the bathroom, for at least 1 night. I set up the bathroom with a big blanket for them to sleep, along with their food, water, and toys. We positioned the gate and admired our bathroom transformed into a puppy kennel.

The Referee went to gather the puppies and place them over the gate, into the bathroom. He attempted to place Tesla first. He set her over the gate, onto the floor. Then, he turned to get Kate. In a split second, he saw Tesla fly through the air, leaping over the baby gate in a single bound. Her paws did not even touch it. She can already jump that high!

Yes, my concern is growing. Are these guys super hero puppies or something?

Clearly, the baby gate is no match for them. We had to get a real dog crate instead.

The children think the "puppy house" is a lot of fun to play in too. They can't wait for me to let the puppies out in the morning, so they can go play in their house instead.

The puppies still prefer the futon.

I think we may have our species sleeping spots mixed up around here.

Sweet Slumber

I am very pleased with my practical Christmas gifts this year--new bedding.

We had switched the younger kids to twin beds this past summer. So, bedding for Christmas was in order.

The Veggie Tales folks must have known about my needs, because they introduced a Veggie Tales twin-sized bedding set to their online store this Fall. It was perfect for the younger 3 kids. We are big fans of Veggie Tales around here. I was even more impressed with this bedding set after we opened it up. The colors are so bright and vibrant.

Jersey #1 received horse-themed bedding. She is crazy about horses right now.

Jersey #2 shares a room with Jersey #4. Their bedding will clash right along with their personalities. The primary colors of Veggie Tales, along with the bright, bold colors of the "Rainbow Delight" bedding certainly wakes up their bedroom. Jersey #2 loves rainbows and bright colors. So, her bedding was sure to make us squint.

I am pleased to move to horses and rainbows, and away from the Disney characters that are so popular among young girls these days. At least with horses and rainbows I do not have to worry if they are modestly dressed, or speaking respectfully.

I haven't had any worries about the influence of the vegetables either.

The kids are certain that their slumber is so much better snuggled in their new bedding...

Gifts Galore

The children have been busy, enjoying all of their Christmas presents. They received so many nice gifts.

Jersey #1 and Jersey #2 received a half-size guitar. They are excited to begin lessons.

Jersey #1 and Jersey #2 received an American Girl doll from Granny & PawPaw...

Nana gave the older 3 kids a Nintendo DS, and the younger 2 Leapsters...

Jersey #5 opened his garage and cars first. He then wanted to play with them and did not want to open any other gifts. When we suggested he open another present, he said, "No thank you. I play cars."

Everyone knows that Jersey #4 loves baby dolls and accessories....

Jersey #3 wanted a Mario game for the Wii. He could barely function after that gift was unwrapped...

This year, the older 3 kids bought gifts at the AWANA store, with the shares they had earned by memorizing scripture and participating during club nights. I was so proud of them for thinking of others when they would normally be shopping for themselves. Jersey #1 gave her Daddy a stuffed Fozzy Bear. She knows how much he likes Muppets...

We thought the puppies needed a present under the tree too...

The Christmas Story

When I was a child, my family maintained a Christmas Eve tradition. We loaded up in the car and drove around looking at the lights decorating homes. When we returned home, my Dad read the Christmas story to us from the Bible. Then, we opened presents.

We continue the tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve. As we were straightening the house that morning, I started talking to the kids about the true meaning of Christmas. Curious to know what their response would be, I asked them if Christmas was all about getting presents?

Thankfully, they answered no!

But, then to our amazement, throughout our conversation, Jersey #1 and Jersey #2 proceeded to tell us the Christmas story, quoting verses out of the Bible from memory. Thank you AWANA for helping encourage our children to memorize scripture like that. The Referee and I were quite impressed.

It was eye-opening for us to realize how much the children are listening, memorizing, and understanding. They completely understand which traditions are secular (decorating Christmas trees), which are family traditions (opening gifts on Christmas Eve, instead of Christmas morning), that December 25th is an arbitrary date organized in history versus the actual date of Jesus' birth (believed to be in the Fall). They understand the real celebration...not just the birth of Jesus, but His victory over death. And, they are starting to apply those scripture versus to their understanding.

They can spot Luke 2:10-11 a mile away...in Christmas carols, in songs on the radio, in Pastor's sermons, in the scripture readings during the Christmas Eve service.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

As their mother, I am so blessed to get to see their understanding grow with them as they grow.

Wrapping Paper Flies...

Opening presents is so much fun, especially in a house full of young kids. Their excitement is contagious. They screech and squealed with such delight that I was certain their voices would be hoarse in the morning.

The joy of gifts seemed extra wonderful this year. Reflecting on it, I see three distinct areas where things worked so well to result in much spoiling.

1) The first was THE BUDGET: We stuck to a strict budget this year, and paid everything in full. No credit card debt at all. Due to the blessings of steady employment in time for Christmas we were able to increase our budget slightly to be able to get the older kids the more pricey item they desired, which was nice. We had first stuck to a budget last year, but finances were so tight that it still felt like a forced burden. This year, it was a choice. Being able to purchase presents, without the guilt of debt and buyer's remorse feels fabulous. Plus, with a little planning and organization, I shopped Black Friday deals and bought most items at a discount!

2) The second was COMMUNICATION: We have generous extended family in Granny, PawPaw, Nana, and my sisters. My extended family participates in a gift exchange, where each person buys a single gift and receives a single gift. This keeps costs down, but everyone still receives a nice gift from that side of the family. Granny & PawPaw buy a gift for each person. Nana buys a gift for each person. This year, Granny & Nana shared their gift purchases in advance, as we discussed the top items the kids were talking about. This level of communication provided the older kids with the big-ticket items they were desiring, but the purchases were spread out across 3 budgets. This also helped us supplement smaller gifts that would go with the bigger items. Our children were VERY spoiled this year, with VERY nice presents.

3) The third was TIMING: There were a few things in the works for our family, that would normally have happened at other times during the year....but happened to fall in place this month. Jersey #1 and Jersey #2 wanting to take guitar lessons has been in the works. As we waited for the budget to permit such an expense, the savings timed perfectly to get them guitars for Christmas, and start lessons afterward. The same with the puppies, who were originally planned for next Spring. The opportunity presented itself, and they came available Christmas week. The same with upgrading our cell phones. We have been discussing upgrading our phones to data phones for a few months now. We have been saving for the extra costs. The opportunity to order the phones arrived this week, and it worked out that they were delivered to us Christmas Eve. So, those three major budget items happened to time perfectly with Christmas, making it feel as though we are abundantly blessed...which we are. Merry Christmas!

As I was wrapping presents, it dawned on me that there were a lot of presents under our tree this year. A lot. Even giving the children a few presents each adds up when that amount is multiplied by 5. I organize our Christmas gift budget to spend equal amounts on the children, then I organize the purchased gifts into packages that provide equal numbers of presents. This gives us a nice, even system for gift opening.

This year, we spaced out the unwrapping fun a little, to help the kids keep from becoming worn out. The older kids would have been fine. The youngest two would have been exhausted had we waited until after church service that evening.

So, we unwrapped in shifts, with common-themed gifts.

Gifts from Daddy & Mommy...one gift each before lunch...

One little gift before leaving for church...

Gifts from Granny & PawPaw started out the evening...

Gifts from Nana...

BIG (expensive) gifts from Daddy & Mommy...

Exchange gifts from extended family...

Opening the gifts in shifts, based on common themes/givers really helped the kids to understand just how generous their grandparents really are. They know who gave them which gifts, and are able to thank them individually.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Christmas Eve evening, we went to church for a beautiful and fun candlelight service. It was a treat that so many friends and family joined us, especially those who do not normally attend this same church. The guest musicians played lovely instruments and sang beautiful songs.

The congregation joined in with various Christmas carols that took us through the entire Christmas story. Pastor brought a devotion, reminding us of how awesome it is that God was with us on Earth....and how much more awesome it is that He conquered death so that we may have everlasting life in heaven with Him.

The children were thrilled to get to hold a candle, with the sanctuary lights dimmed. I had to re-light Jersey #3's candle, as he could not resist the urge to blow it out. Jersey #2 distracted me from the point that the candles were first lit, as I had to teach him that fire is hot. He wanted to touch it. He insisted on learning the hard way. Yes, touching a flame is hot. Thankfully, he did not suffer any burns. He learned quickly.

Candy canes were passed out to the children after the service, and we enjoyed hugging everyone and wishing them a Merry Christmas. It was a wonderful service.

Since I had the whole family dress up fancy, I insisted we take a family photo after the service. This one could be on the front of a Christmas card. It turned out so nice. We clean up good!

Merry Christmas from the Home Team

Team Mascots

The Home Team adopted 2 mascots...

KATE

TESLA

These two precious pups are 9 weeks old. Their momma dog was found weak, starving, and stray on a ranch, and was brought to a vet to try to save her. It turns out she was pregnant with 10 pups. Due to the love and care of that vet, the Mom and all 10 pups survived. It appears that the 3 daddy dogs were traveling salesmen.

The momma dog is a Labrador retriever mix. She is a reddish brown color. I am pleased with that, because I have always wanted a Labrador. I was hoping to adopt one or two next Spring, at the Humane Society's adopt-a-thon. But, when a friend from our homeschool co-op sent out an email about these 10 pups needing family homes, I jumped at the chance to get a real Lab pup.

Kate appears to be a Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd mix.

Tesla appears to be a Labrador Retriever and Husky/Heeler mix.

The first thing The Referee said when he saw them was that they were big for puppies, and were surely going to be BIG dogs.

After watching how much Tesla ate today, I am thinking Jersey #1 might end up with a pony after all. That puppy can really pack in the food. I was stunned.

When we went to meet the pups, I specifically chose 2 that were mellow, and calm around all the kids together. Kate won my heart when she sat right at my feet, while I was surrounded by all 5 kids. She did not mind the noise or chaos. That is a dog after my own heart.

Tesla is sweet, and playful. She likes to lick Jersey #5's face. There is usually some food to lick off. She finds Jersey #4 to be fascinating. She likes to chase after Jersey #3 as he runs around the backyard. I have a feeling she is going to be a great kid dog.

I did not realize puppies sleep so much. I suppose they are like infants. Or, maybe we are just wearing them out with all of the attention. There is always someone around to hold them and pet them.

Kids and dogs--such a fun way to fill our home!

Status Change

I received a pleasant surprise at work.

Each employee had to meet with our supervisor to receive our new status sheets. The company has been busy conducting a market analysis of its various lab tech positions. The goal is to organize the positions to match others across the nation, and to make sure that the salaries are competitive. It has been predicted that medical laboratories will boom with business (samples to process because people will continue to be ill), but will have a deficit of trained laboratory workers, in the coming decade. In response to this concern, my employer is trying to stay in front of the tide, by organizing the lab worker job titles, and then encouraging the local universities to train accordingly, to meet the coming need.

Their goal seems wise. I am not yet clear if the current changes are accomplishing that goal. Change brings a great adjustment and resistance. It will be interesting to see how things looks when the dust settles.

Right now, the new job descriptions are still in draft mode. But, the new job titles have been released, and the new salary ranges have been released. That was the information we received on our status sheets.

I have a new job title and a new salary. The changes were good to me. It received a RAISE!

*Petri dish photo was borrowed from 123RF

Growing as a Team

Here is the starting line-up for the Home Team...

We had a little fun with uniforms and photos today. I wanted to organize my blog a little bit, and try to find some consistency for writing about the antics of my growing children. I decided to start with new photos. Next I need to organize my time to be able to blog more consistently.

Our children are growing up so fast. It seems that we are moving on to the next phase of parenting. There are no more infants in the house. Jersey #5 is potty training right now. Everyone sleeps through the night and wakes smoothly the next morning. (Actually, The Referee and I are finding we are oversleeping many mornings lately, because our child "alarm clocks" are no longer waking us up at night or in the early morning). Jersey #5 is the only child who still requires assistance to fasten his seatbelt in the van--and even with that he climbs into his own seat and tries to help fasten some of the harness straps.

The older kids are making their own friends and wanting to choose their own activities. The children have their own interests and sense of clothing style. It is quite an adjustment for me to not pick out everone's outfit before we go somewhere, or to plan play dates and activities for myself (or to wear the kids out). The older kids are even wanting to decide how to celebrate their upcoming birthdays. My days no longer revolved around nap time.

When I only had infants and toddlers, or infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, I had full control of how our days went. I set the schedule. I planned the meals and snacks. I determined the playdates and activities. Everything revolved around me. I had everything organized to my liking, and the kids followed my lead.

Suddenly, everything is different. It really isn't suddenly, but it sure feels more abrupt than I expected. Instead of being the team manager, I am really becoming more of a coach. I am encouraging the kids to make wise choices, and helping them see the cause of natural consequences to their actions.

For the most part, I think we are entering the easiest phase of parenting right now. The work of the early years is ending, but the worry of the adolescent years has not yet begun...

I am able to see some of the fruits of my efforts. The behavior of my children reflects the effort I put into those training years. Then again, their poor choices shine a spotlight on areas where I need to capture their hearts more. I am guessing this is more of a character building season.

The Home Team is in a re-building season. LOL! I just cracked myself up with that thought. This sports theme can be so much fun.

There is much truth there too. Our marriage is in a rebuilding season. Our family is in a rebuilding season. Our careers are in a re-building season. Our finances are in a re-building season. Our parenting is in a character-building season. It is interesting how it all ties together.

We are in the midst of the pre-season conditioning exercises.

I am looking forward to the new season. From where I stand right now, 2011 has so much potential...

Boys and Cars

Jersey #3 purchased this race car set at AWANA "store night."

As the kids participate in AWANA, they earn "shares" which are fake dollars. Periodically, they have store night, where they can spend their shares to purchase all kinds of trinkets and toys. It is a great incentive, and they have a blast.

Jersey #3 could not wait to get home and try out his new treasure.

I was a bit amused to discover that Daddy was enjoying trying it out too. It started as helping Jersey #3 put the racetrack set together. Before long, Daddy was racing the car and seeing how far it would go, while Jersey #3 negotiated for a turn too. Jersey #5 wanted in on the action, but was never fast enough to get a hold of that car.

It is funny how a grown man can re-live being a young boy, as soon as a race track appears on scene.

It was fun to see my boys playing cars together like that.