Not so scary

There I was putting my makeup on infront of the bathroom mirror. It was concealer for those dark undereye circles - to be more specific.

My two year old girl looked up and asked what I was doing. I told her mommy was putting on makeup so that I won't look so scary when we go to the store.

Sometimes you just forget how much little ears hear.

Next thing I know she is tugging on my pants asking for lipstick. 'Why?' I ask.

"So I won't be so scary" she answered! Ha!

So, I'm not wanting to teach my girls that makeup is necessary, or needed to not scare people, but on the otherhand, this is one of those funny 'repeats' you get from toddlers.

Camping with the fam

I did it! I survived. I more than survived. I thrived.

I have to admit. I was a little nervous about going camping - in a tent - for two nights - in the 'woods' - with a 5 year old, 4 year old, 2 year old (who is potty training) and a 2 month old baby.
That's right - four kids 5 and under in a tent for two days. And the forecast called for rain.

But the trip was sooo nice and actually quite pleasant other than the rain washing out our dinner and campfire the second night.

And the baby?? She slept 10 (TEN!!) hours each night! She doesn't even do that at home! I was spoiled! We've been home a week and she hasn't kept that schedule up at all!

The kids were good. It was our 2 yr old's first time in a sleeping bag, they all loved being on that big matress, and playing with flashlights and glow sticks at night. There were hikes with dad, walks with mom and dad into the national forest, trips to the playground, and mini golf and a kiddy train in town. Even the drive there and back was nice! All I kept saying to P about the trip was that God gave us so much favor!

The only thing I wish I personally could've done is gone into town and shopped! But maybe next year. I'd love to go with P and do 'grown-up' stuff. Camp. Starbucks. Hikes without kids. Hmm... sounds fun.

But as far as this year goes, with all the kids as young as they are. The trip couldn't have been better! What a great memory! Every year from here on out can only be easier, right?? So, yea! Bring on the family camping trips!

PS: that's the short of it, may tell more detail later, maybe, maybe not, but I have a little kid who keeps begging me for food, so this is all I can report right now. Apparently, someone in my house is starving to death.

My favorite place

I have a favorite place right now.

We all have favorite places in different times in our lives.
Throughout childhood I can remember different favorite places: playing Barbies in the basement next to my sister, Tickles (a Chucky Cheese meets Mr. Biggs kinds of place), digging in the sandbox all the way to China....etc.....

Right now, my favorite place of all is standing in our bedroom in front of our big round vanity mirror.
Not admiring myself, I might add..... but standing there with my two month old baby girl on my chest - looking at her. Trying so hard to burn that image of her little body into my memory's hard drive. Not ever wanting to forget her smell, her size, her snuggle, the way her arm is starting to cling to mine, or how her tiny fingers rest on my chest or grab onto my shirt. Photos are good, but a living memory is better.

Moms try hard to remember everything from those precious baby days, but when it is your last baby, and every day is the last day EVER you will EVER have such a small, sweet, precious life in your arms, all your own..... you try harder than before to never forget.

I will never again have a little baby of my own. I will never again have a limp little tiny scrunched up newborn. I will never again have a little one month old starting to hold their head up. I will never again.......

And this is why standing in front of the large vanity mirror with my baby girl on my chest is my favorite place to be. Our house is a disaster. Our room is a mess. The laundry is piled high. The dishes are dirty. But it all can wait - I'm staring at the beauty of this baby on my chest.

Ode to Breastfeeding

When you are pregnant, perhaps then more than ever you think about this. Will you or won't you? If so, will it hurt? You watch others. Seems simple enough. Ahh... the joys of nursing. Wait a minute, what???

• Have you ever had a baby crying so fiercely that even when you "shove" your nipple in their mouth they don't even notice it and cry fiercely right into your boob?

• Have you ever pumped milk and looked in the bottle only to discover the milk is now a pinkish tint thanks to the fact your nipple is bloody from the over use - of never being squeezed like this before???

• Speaking of being squeezed, has nursing a baby ever felt like a rabid squirrel is chewing your spine out through your boob??

• What about sneezing? My baby pulls off of me to sneeze on my nipple then latches back on to finish her meal.

• Throw up is a FUN one. I have been thrown up on countless times nursing my four babies. My personal favorite is when there is a pool of it in your bra. Sometimes there is more spit up than you knew in there and you accidentally reclip your bra.....ewww.

• Poop. It is weird to have a baby actively nursing from you and pooping their loose, loose mustard poop into the diaper resting on your leg/arm. I guess it is true that what goes in, must come out, but seriously, at the same time??

• My baby girl just stopped nursing the other day to literally lift her upper leg and let a 'big one' rip - and then peacefully went back to her meal.

• What about the struggles of waking the hard-sleeping newborn? Ice on the back, thumping their little feet?

• Have you ever been woken by piercing cries at 2:30 am, only to latch them on after a 40 minute newborn struggle, and they fall asleep? So then you spend another hour trying to get them to nurse and finally they do, then you all go to sleep, only to have the baby cry and start the process over in just a little over an hour later????

• I do like it when they 'talk' and coo to you while nursing. Melts your heart. Like they are saying "thank you mommy. This milk is warm and yummy! I like the taste of the chocolate cake you had last night."

• Or, simply when they look at you - their precious little face staring into yours. A precious moment, a special bonding time.

• Has your baby ever smiled at you - and thus losing their latch? Funny.

• The baby falls asleep nursing. At 3am, or 3pm. Either way, it is so beautiful. And fulfilling. Can you even bear to take them off and set them down? Infancy passes too quickly.

For all you women out there who no longer have a nursing baby, perhaps this has jogged some great memories. Mommy amnesia happens all too quickly. You forget the little details. For those of you who bottle fed by choice or not, perhaps you can still relate, or are glad you missed some of this..... And for the ladies out there that are not yet at this point, happy decision making! But, don't let a little throw up in the bra keep you from an amazing gift!

Something I learned today

A few weeks ago our church had Compassion Sunday. A day that Compassion International uses to spread the word of their child sponsorship program to churches across America in hopes you will begin sponsorship of a needy third-world child.

We decided to sponsor two children. One boy and one girl. We ended up with them both being as old as my oldest (our boy). Leonardo and Natalia. We brought home the information packets and hung the photos of them on the fridge. My hubby told our kiddos to say a prayer for Leonardo and Natalia each night.

Now, skip to last night. My son has pink eye. His eye hurts, is red and irritated, kinda puffy. We took him to the Dr., wrestled 2 eye drops into him and put him to bed. We said goodnight and started to leave our son's room.

"Wait" our son called out, "can we pray?" Of course we said yes. I knew he wanted us to pray for his hurting eye. And I was ready... but not ready to hear, "We have to pray for Leonardo and Natalia." He then began to pray for them, and their needs, and that they would not get a pink hurting eye like him.

Not once did my son ask for God to ease his own discomfort, or take his infection away. Just completely, innocently prayed for the needs of others. Whoa. Back the cart up. Do I do that? Do I, can I, just pray for the needs of others when I myself and hurting, whiny, and uncomfortable? No. I don't. I usually whine to God about how I need his help or I will die. (I used to think some of the Bible was dramatic, but I should listen to my own outcries sometimes!!) I know myself though. I rarely, if ever completely concentrate my prayers on others when I am hurting - physically or emotionally. I can definitely honestly pray for you when I'm doing okay, but when I am hurting I am "me" centered. Ouch.

Taught a major lesson by my five year old. Hope I learned something that will stick with me through the course of time. I'd be better off if it did!

Lucky penny

So, I'm talking to my friend on the phone and she just told me that her five year old son found a $20 bill. (Yes, I'm talking and blogging at the same time.)

Why does that kind of luck happen to kids? Why is it that you don't hear of grown-ups finding that kind of cash on the ground??

You could argue that it is because kids are already usually looking down at the ground anyway, while us grown-ups are paying attention to where we are going. However, with my kids in tow, I do look down alot and am always pointing out the gum/puddle/goo on the ground to avoid. "Please don't step in the goose poop, honey."

When I DO find money on the ground.... it is usually a penny. But, at least my kids feel rich when they find a penny! Ahhh.... to be a kid again.

A new era of me

Hello self! Welcome to the 21st century! I have a blog!



I love writing, and I love capturing tidbits of my life on paper to remember, so this seemed like the next logical step. I hardly ever write anymore, but I'm always near a computer, so I'll record my life's happenings here. Only now, I have a potential public audience.
I realize anyone can, technically, see this blog, but somewhere deep inside I honestly believe it will be pretty quiet. Perhaps my sister or mom might check it once in awhile.... I don't know. I'm really out of touch. I know what a blog is, but really, who sits around reading strangers blogs? How do they 'find' them? I hear of celebrities having blogs and I think, really? Their business out there for anyone to read? How do you find their blog? Do you literally Google "Brad Pitt's blog"??



I'm in my very early 30's. Just last year, 2008, I learned how to write and send a text message. A task I'm thinking my five year old could do. I don't have cable, and so, I don't even know how to work my friends TV's that do have it, let alone managing a dvr device. Most washing machines are beyond my technology know-how. My sister-in-law got a new washing machine a few years ago that had all these combinations for what level of dirty clothes you were washing and buttons to select what kind of stains you were working with. ie: jelly, grass, etc.


I just don't have that kind of time. Dirty clothes. Just swish them in soap and water and hope for the best!



So here I am on the internet rambling about things that, frankly, I don't think anyone will really care about. But really, who has a blog with really 'need-to-know' info?? This is just a really great way to capture the craziness and blissfulness of life. Not to mention a place to rant if I feel like it! So... mom and sis, and potentially the other one reader, :) enjoy the randomness to come. It's like the Seinfeld blog. That was a show about nothing. This will probably be a blog about nothing. Yet, Seinfeld was a huge success, so you just never know.......