Would you go?

I watched the Sound of Music this last weekend and it made me think of some things I had never actually thought much about before.

They (the VonTrapps) had a very comfortable lifestyle.

They were quite well to do. When we seeing people fleeing a country, it is often the poor. The homeless, the destitute. Not in this case. They were a very wealthy, very comfortable family. They lived on a lake. In a mansion. He had a great job.

They loved their country. (Austria)

They left everything behind to leave.

This last week our pastor talked about being a 'go' person for the Lord. Would you go wherever the Lord told you? Whether it be across the street to help a neighbor, or moving your family across the world - would you??

I think sometimes (most of the time) we say - but I have it so good. (We do you know...) I am heading up the ladder at work. I have a good job. I actually have a job - what would I do if we moved??? I like our house. It has a yard and a garage, I don't want to move to an apartment with all these kids... All my family live here. All my friends are here. I don't know anyone in ...(fill in blank).

The VonTrapps left so that they wouldn't have to compromise. No compromise.

Are you compromising? Am I? How far would we have to be pushed before we decided to take our family out of the country we love?? Where do we draw the line? What would it take before we say no more; I'm leaving to preserve what I can.

Now, I'm not saying I want to move out of the USA. I'm just saying these are thoughts that came to me after watching the film. I never really considered it with such realistic seriousness before. But, maybe we all should. Maybe we should all know exactly how far something needs to go before we either give in and compromise our health, or beliefs, or values or safety. We should probably know, so that when, or if, that line is crossed - we can take our family out. It could be a school. A workplace. A city. A country, or even a lifestyle.

The question is: would you, or could you go if you had to? Are you a 'go' person?

too organized

I am an organized person. I like things tidy - a place for everything.

Although.... you wouldn't necessarily know that walking into my house. Why? Because my house is messy most of the time. (ugh) I hate that. I'm not proud of that. It's embarrassing.
(one clutter free victory - and a shot of the 'new' basement!)


But I'm not a 'clean' person. I'm an organized person and there IS a difference. Clean people, some anyway, have perfectly clean homes, but their closets and drawers are a disaster.

My closets, drawers, pantry... are all pretty amazing. I rotate the kids clothes as I put away laundry each week so all the clothes are worn on rotation. (I'm a little sick, I know) I have my closet organized by event, then inside that, by color.

However, there is a point to going too far. (You may think I already have, but I promise you the general messiness of my house counteracts my weird organization. And truth be told, even my organization is falling WAY behind.)
I was reading this magazine recently, and in it was an article for eliminating clutter (help I always need), and organizing said clutter.

This one lady featured had a spotless house (course I would too if a magazine was coming to photograph my house) and inside her kitchen cabinets everything was in labeled jars. EVERYTHING - Cheerios, oats, pasta, rice, beans, cinnamon - all in perfectly matching jars with white lids.

I honestly don't think I have the energy for that. I'm lucky to get the cereal home from the store, out of the minivan, and into the cabinet itself. I don't think I could take EVERYTHING out of it's wrapper and put it into a jar. What if you have something new one week??? Does she have extra clean jars with white tops standing by at the ready???

I don't even own a label maker. And if I did, it would probably be completely out of label tape. The kicker of the article for me was the end. The lady gave a final tip on making labels, and of course, said to make sure you put one on the label maker! If you actually are so neurotic as to label your own label maker - with special font and all - you really might need to look into getting some help. Or a hobby. I'm just saying. She is now right up there with the people I know who iron sheets and underwear.

To all you 'clean' people - I wish I could do what you do!
And to all the fellow organizers who do so in closed cabinets and drawers - here's to hoping our clutter in the main living areas grows smaller everyday!
Cheers!

ramblings of a pooped momma

It was a snow day today - in late April. wow.

I guess it is just getting me prepared for summer vacation - but without the ability to send the kids out to play. ;) Here's a summary of my life today:

My son (home from school) was supposed to clean his room. Instead, it is junkier than it was this morning. Go figure...shocking right?

My three year old announced that she used to be a little girl - and she remembers what it is like to be a baby, but that she is "all growed up now". Interesting... :)

My four year old threw a tantrum when we made good on our promise that the three year old could spend the night in the 4 yr old's bedroom. Apparently, they are connected at the hip all day long - but the 4 year old needs 'her space' at night....

The baby was great. Except for the explosive poopy diaper I PUT MY HAND RIGHT INTO earlier today. Needless to say, she had a bath and smells baby delicious now!! Mmmm! Love that (good) baby smell!! (oh - and I scrubbed my hand like no body's business! ha!)

Me?? I'm about to get a back rub from hubby, watch a movie and eat chocolate. Why? Because somebody has to be 'livin the life' ladies.... somebody has to.... :)

Have a great weekend y'all!!

I love...

the QVC.

We recently have decided to pay for television. Whoa! I never thought I'd be doing that, but those digital conversion boxes ....suck.

So we bought basic cable. ie: the four major broadcasts and PBS. A few bonus channels showed up though. One of which is the QVC - or for you non-cable people, the home shopping network.

Now, I love it for the exact opposite reason that you might expect.

I haven't ordered a single thing from them.

But, when flipping stations, they are pretty amusing. I have never seen such hideous (perhaps some would say ugly...or tacky) clothes sold with such pain-staking detail.

"And then you see this horribly atrocious blouse has a collar and four purple buttons dyed to match." Thanks for stating the obvious Marie....

"You can wear this awful thing to the store...to the bank...to the park...to a restaurant..." thanks Linda...yes, you can wear that anywhere you don't want to go naked. But then again - why would you go out into public wearing that??

"This sweater is so multi-functional. You can wear it alone. Or with pants. Or a necklace." (laughter) "Yes, yes, I wore it the other day and my blind neighbor told me how beautiful I was looking!" "Well! If that isn't proof right there ladies!! Wear this and you'll be stopping traffic!"

You may be stopping traffic - but hopefully it won't be because they run into you blinded by that 1980's florescent lime green knitted disaster you are donning.

So, all that to say, if you are folding laundry, or trying to zone out after a long day - turn to the QVC. I promise you are in for a good show. If you don't get that station, as I haven't for years, come to my house. I'll make popcorn and we'll yak it up together!

I know why nothing ever gets done!!!

Are you allowed to post a forwarded email on your blog??? Are there rules against that??? I hope not, because that is what I'm doing. I doing it because this is something I wish I would have written myself. I'm doing it, because I finally have something written down to describe what happens to me all day. Just imagine 3/4 of these scenarios have to do with attending to children. Then you'll understand my day, and what I get done. Now I just need to have my husband read this!!!

I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table,
put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,
and notice that the can is full.

So I decide to put the bills back on the table & take out the garbage first..
But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox
when I take out the garbage anyway,
I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my check book off the table,
and see that there is only one check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study,
so I go inside the house to my desk where
I find the can of Pepsi I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks,
but first I need to push the Pepsi aside
so that I don't accidentally knock it over.
The Pepsi is getting warm .


I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold..
As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi,
a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye ..
They need water.
I put the Pepsi on the counter and
discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk,
but first I'm going to water the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the counter,
fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote
someone had left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV,
I'll be looking for the remote,
but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table,
so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs .
But first I'll water the flowers.
I pour some water in the flowers .
Quite a bit of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back on the table,
get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:
the car isn't washed
the bills aren't paid
there is a warm can of
Pepsi sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water,
there is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done,
I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day,
and I'm really tired.

Got milk??

Here's the short of it:

My son has a few severe food allergies. Unfortunately they are super common foods - like milk. That means no butter, yogurt, cheese..... and you get the beginning of the picture. That's just the one food. There are a couple more.

Two of my friends are starting to eliminate gluten (a tough thing to eliminate it appears) from their family's diet.

Another friend shared today that their child is allergic to about a dozen super common foods.

The last friend mentioned in her email that her kid shouldn't feel too different (from the other kids) since food allergies are so common these days.

I don't know about you, but that is wrong! Yes, I'm in a 'peeved off' mode here people. I want to save the world - or change the world. But, unfortunately eradicating food allergies is out of my jurisdiction today. But I'm still mad!!

Why are our kids 'sick'??? What about this world we live in today is making all our kids sick to things they shouldn't be?? When will we be able to live in a less toxic world?? (I'm convinced the toxicity is what is doing this to the kids)

(Told you I was ranting and raving today...like my soap box???)

On one hand, some of these food limitations make us choose healthier food for our families overall. That is a good change. I know our family (in general) eats better than if we had never had a child with dietary limitations. But I still wish we didn't have to learn the healthy eating habit this way.

Okay - I can't solve anything here. And I'm sure you need more things to stress about - so I'll end the post here....and put up something a little more cheery soon. But for now I'm thinking about posting a new bumper sticker on my car (minivan). Instead of something like:

MADD (mothers against drunk driving) I'm thinking about:

FUWATSTEFAJTOKDW (fed up with all this stupid toxic, environmental, food allergy junk that our kids deal with)

The End

The last first

I have four kids. We have been through three 'first birthday' parties. The last one is coming soon. Too soon.

We are about to host ....The Last First Birthday Party!!!

Don't cry, don't cry.... here's a tissue. I see you sentimental types tearing up. What? It's just me??


I am not ready to say goodbye to baby-dom. But, frankly - neither is my 11.5 month old!

She still perfectly fits her 3-6 month old clothes. Including sleepers. When she is wearing one (instead of 'older' baby looking clothes) she totally freaks strangers out when they learn she is almost a year! :)

She doesn't even have a tooth. Well.... this is almost not true anymore. She is cutting her first tooth. It is on TOP. Isn't that weird? Between you and me. Isn't the first two teeth supposed to be the bottom two??

She eats baby food - but will honestly dry heave and gag on any actual solids other than graham crackers. She thinks you're out of your mind if you try to give her a Cheerio. She will munch on your shoelace - but a Cheerio is out of the question. She won't eat those baby fruit puffs either. Or soft fruit.

But fruit is another story. She barely eats it. But if you open a jar of mashed green beans, peas, corn or yams - she literally starts to shake with delight. And now... she claps. The girl adores veggies. I can't complain. Just never seen anything like this in my life!

She is the only baby we have had that still fits in her infant car seat at this age.

She doesn't stand up. So....obviously she isn't walking.

She doesn't pull up - we didn't have to lower her crib from the high newborn setting until she was 10.5 months! (She didn't learn to sit by herself until then.)

And for any of you 'child specialists' out there - there is nothing wrong with her. She is my gift from God. If I had a last baby who didn't truly savor the baby experience, I would be sad. If I had a baby who was standing at 7 months and walking at 10 the phase would be over too soon for me.

I am 100% convinced we are purely dealing with birth order here. Being the 4th in 5.5 years leaves little time for working on motor skills. But she'll get it. And all too soon too.

They all grow up too soon! So here's to you baby Talia! I love you so much! I love your cuddles and your sweet baby hair. Your smell, and your little petite fingers!

My kids will always be my babies - but for now, one of them is turning 1, just a little too soon!

(Okay, I'm bummed. I don't know what the problem is, but I can't upload any pics on blogger since yesterday. Have you had this happen? What is the prob? They say they are uploading, and then when it looks like it is finished, it just freezes.)

Gone so long!

Uh, wow. I can't believe I haven't written in so long!! Almost a month! Good golly.

Do you know dear invisible, I'm not even sure if you're even still there, reader - that I have thought about you everyday? It is true, I have. And I have even written many a blog post in my head... they just never made it on here. So I guess I have lots to catch you up on! I thought life would slow down when we got back from vaca. (Which I haven't even finished telling you about!) But, alas, it has not slowed down at all. Until tomorrow. I think it will slow down tomorrow! ;)

When we got back home we started unpacking our house into our newly finished (carpeted) basement. Yes, yes, which I have yet to show you THAT in pictures too... Anyway, we were unpacking and then BAM! Just like that we thought we were going to list our house (for sale!!!) and move!

Suffice to say, we aren't. And I'm glad. For now.

So that is a short summary of where I've been. Nothing super exciting. I didn't fall off the edge of the earth. I realize of course, I've probably lost any and all readership - but if you are out there still, somewhere in cyberspace, I'm back! I'm glad! See you again soon! For now I have a wee one to diaper and a larger wee one to drive to school. (Two middle wee ones will just be along for the ride! How many kids do I have again???? haha)