Takes the Cake

Ok, so this morning we had a story that by far takes the cake in the Freyre house! I was in D.J.'s room making up with him after disciplining him, and within a few minutes Kyleigh, Jonas and Landon were all in there with us. I'm cuddling with D.J. when all of a sudden i hear the door shut and Kyleigh says with a big grin on her face, "I locked us in!" I look at her thinking she must be joking, and say "no you didnt....did you?" kyleigh: "yes I did, see!" as she tries to open the door. Sure enough it was locked ( if you havent figured it out yet, the door locks from the outside, why they did it that way, I dont know, but after this you better believe it will be fixed!) So  i sit, and digest the fact that I am locked in a room full of only toys, with four kids, my infant is alone in my room, and there  is a pizza cooking in the oven... every window in the house is locked and all the main doors are locked as well... this is what we call, "screwed!" So im not gonna lie, i was a little freaked out, because when you dont have the money to fix a door if you bust it down, its not the best solution! But i had very little time to think of something and absolutely nothing but plastic toys to use to try and get us out. So, i decide to climb out of the window and try to use a neighbors phone... not sure what good that will do because of course today is the day that my husband is at Virginia tech for the day, with our only spare house key... My neighbors across the street are out, and so i venture on over to Faye, my elderly next door neighbor. I use her phone, but no one could help... she calls another neighbor, Jimmy, who is also elderly, to come and try and help us. Mind you, i havent officially met either of these neighbors yet, so im feeling pretty bad that the first time i meet them is under these circumstances! :P he comes over, and the poor man climbs through my son's window. At this point, Jonas is hysterical, Hayden is screaming in the other room and the timer on my oven is going off...and has been for quite a while now. In the end, he is able to get the hinges off the door and let us into our home, PRAISE THE LORD. However, im ruined for the day because now my stomach is in knots, our pizza was burnt and the kids are extra wild as a result. Oh Lord... thank you for good neighbors, and thank you for nap time, im counting down the minutes because im going to need that time to recoup!!

Christmas

As I'm sitting here feeding my plump little girl, with her rolls and double chin, watching her chow down on her rice cereal, the thought crossed my mind that there are millions of parents around the world that, rather than stare at a healthy fat baby, they are staring in desperation at their starving, sickly thin babies. At that moment, the line, "as we dream, by the fire" sounds from the radio, and my mind wanders to the cold reality that we are so blessed in this country while millions are suffering. We have songs that sing about our warm cozy sweet memories by the fire at Christmas time, as we watch the snow outside, free to enjoy it because of our well heated homes. Millions around the world are starving, freezing and begging for even a bite of food or temporary relief from their unbearable situations. And we are preparing for a holiday that has turned into nothing more than a time to put ourselves in more debt, accumulate more unnecessary items, and suffer more unneeded stress. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE spoiling those I love like anyone else, nothing is sweeter than watching my babies' faces light up on Christmas morning at the sight of the mountain of gifts under the tree. However, the more I grow spiritually, and the more i become aware of the grave situation around the world, I can't help but feel overwhelmingly guilty. The point of this "holiday" is the birth of our Savior. The greatest gift of all. Christ was born so He could give up His life to provide us with eternal hope, joy and peace. To pave the way, the only way, to be with our Father. And His one command before he left was, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20 Here we are, enjoying not only the temporary pleasures in this life, but knowing that the eternal treasures are awaiting us. He also told us to love, to care for the broken and lost. THAT is the meaning behind Christmas, not the presents, the music, the traditions, but to share Christ's love and reach a dying world. We may not be able to help the situation many are in in this life, but we can be God's vessels to help them find peace in the life that really matters.  It was heavy on my heart this morning and I thought I'd share! I pray we can keep this perspective, though contrary to popular belief, Christmas is about CHRIST, and about sharing His precious gift! 

Never Leave Home

As a stay at home mom, I really struggle with cabin fever sometimes. Its a lose/lose with four little ones, because staying cooped up at home with them all week makes you crazy, but trying to take them all anywhere might send you to the nut house. So I generally try and only go out alone with them maybe once or twice a week. However, lately I'm beginning to wonder if we should EVER leave the house. The past few times I've taken them to kids cove have been horrible... they have been whiney, grouchy, and super clingy. they literally sit there and hang on my legs pretty much the entire time. I have no idea what that's all about, but the worst is when I attempt to take them to the grocery store, and today was no exception. I had the whole morning planned out. I had fed them their snacks, they were in great moods, and I was so sure it would be a decent trip out. We had 4 stores to go to if it worked out, but we only made it to one...Walmart. I pulled into the parking lot and had our usual pep-talk. "Stay  by the cart, don't touch anything unless I tell you to, and LISTEN. If not, you WILL be getting spanked." This was of course followed by, "OK MOMMY!!!" So off we go into the store, and for the first 5 minutes, they did everything I told them to, even had their hands on the cart. I thought, "yay! this is going to be ok!" Then all of a sudden, Kyleigh was complaining about her shoe... and while im looking at something, she decides to take it off in the middle of the aisle...then yells that she cant get it back on. I sigh, put her shoe on and tie it, meanwhile D.J. is pulling the cart with Landon and Hayden away from me. I get up and go retrieve the cart ( with a screaming and highly annoyed Landon) walk 4 steps only to hear, "MOMMY!!! I really need to go to the bathroom, my tummy hurts! I've gotta poop!" Mind you, we were just at her Daddy's office for like 30 minutes, but no, she waits until I am alone at the grocery store with four kids. So we rush to the bathroom, and D.J. says he needs to go too. I stand outside the door with the babies while they go potty...tick tock tick tock... I hear about 6 flushes, then the hand dryer keeps turning on and off, on and off, on and off... so I open the door and D.J is standing there with his pants half way down his legs and says, "I need to wash my hands!" So i button his pants and let him wash... more time goes by...and after waiting about 15 minutes Kyleigh finally emerges and takes another 7 minutes to wash her hands and come out. Ok, so we are about 40 minutes into the shopping trip so far and I have a bottle of lysol in my cart... not doing so great. We are SLOWLY making our way down to the grocery part of the store and my kids are hanging on both sides of the cart, which is good in the sense they are staying with me, but bad because every person we encounter is ticked off that we are blocking the whole aisle. So I try to have them walk on the same side, which creates a huge argument over who gets to walk in front. we finally make it to the groceries and my kids are running around me in circles "play fighting", with lots of kicking, punching, giggling, and "hi-ya-ing". I keep telling them to calm down, but I'm speaking to deaf ears. Then its" mom can i have this?" "I want this" "Can we get candy" "Can i get a car?" And Landon leans back and decides to put his fingers in his sleeping sisters mouth, thus waking her up. Then I can't find the coffee Dave wanted so I make a call to him, During which i turn around to find Kyleigh pulling the shopping cart down the middle of the aisle, running into everyone along the way, and Landon is throwing things on the ground, both from my purse and the cart.  Rather than continue in extensive detail, the next 20 minutes consisted of lots of running down the aisles, screaming, kicking, laughing, knocking things over, taking things off the shelves, ripping bananas off their bundles, dipping their hands in the huge boxes of nuts and tossing them in the air like confetti, attempting to climb into the egg area ( i caught him just as his one leg was in there), laying and crawling along the floor, jumping off of benches, and climbing onto a worker's stool. As we are checking out, and I had finally had enough ( especially with the fierce "you are a sorry excuse for a mother" look in the cashier's eyes), I then quietly informed them both they were getting spanked when we got home. So what happens? The chaos turns to crying...no better yet, WAILING. The two big kids start wailing, Hayden was already crying, and just as the bag of lollipops gets put in the bag, Landon starts screaming. yep, I stood there, in front of a very busy Walmart with four embarrassingly loud crying children, my face was burning with humiliation, the people behind me were laughing and staring in awe, and the cashier couldn't even look at me when she handed me the receipt. I push my sobbing crew all the way out to the parking lot, (discovering along the way that at some point Hayden lost a sock), loaded them up, and counted the seconds until we were home. I may never leave my house alone again with my kids... That or I'm packing Ritalin.

The Satisfaction of Productivity

I am definitely a mother because i felt the need to blog about the crazy productive afternoon I had...why? Because it is UNHEARD OF. lol we had a very rough morning, with some sleepy,whiney, clingy kids, so i was sure today would end as sour as yesterday did, but as soon as those little heads hit their pillows for naps, I got to work and haven't stopped since! The list of accomplishments:

1. All but one load of laundry is done and put away
2. Floors mopped
3. Dog's room cleaned ( and can I get an EEEEW for that one :P)
4. sheets changed in every room ( obviously that was after naps )
5. all rooms picked up/cleaned
6. Dishes done
7. Bathroom cleaned, along with a total soak and scrub down of the tub with some oxy clean
8. Oven was sprayed and thoroughly cleaned...and the next one will be in another year LOL
9.Kids bathed
10. Dinner is cooked, served, and Mama is THRILLED!

Thank you LORD for days like today where i feel like i actually accomplished something! Thank you for letting the kids sleep, for providing me with energy, and for ample time to get it all done in! I know it will all be destroyed by 10 AM tomorrow, but i'm savoring every minute of it now!! Now i can go one night without stressing about the 50 million things i need to do, and enjoy hanging out with my wonderful family...(and only worry about the 25 million things i need to do tomorrow. :) ) Ahhh... goooood feeling....must enjoy it while it lasts... lol hope you all had a wonderful day!!

Just Another Manic Monday.

HELLO MONDAY!! you have yet to fail at being the worst day of the week! :P We did have a nice break, but come Saturday Kyleigh came down with a bug, Landon has been OVERLY cranky and moody, and Hayden has upped her eating schedule to ever 2 1/2 hours for the past two weeks so i started of my week a little irritable. But i did try and get up this morning at 5:40 to do my devotions, the only way i keep my sanity during the week, and of course my boys also decided it was time to get up,and the dogs had once again peed in the house. Cici also decided she was going to give me attitude today and refuse to go outside. That all should have been a sign for the day! today wasnt even a matter of the moods, well, despite Landon's. It was just non-stop.
          I made an appointment this morning to take Landon in to check out an infection on his foot, and once i got home from that it was all down hill. Landon came in screaming from outside, but being Landon, he cries hysterically if his cup falls, so i never really think anything of it. I picked him up and sat him in his highchair for lunch. 5 minutes later, i realize his eye is swollen and there is a nice cut above his eyelid...talk about feeling guilty :P this is why kids shouldnt "cry wolf", then mommy never knows when its legit! Then I went to put all the kids to bed, and hear a bang in one of the rooms, followed by a screaming Hayden...yep, my daughter decided to roll for the first time today, and it was off of my bed. Before you judge, i have had four kids, i KNOW this happens even if they arent rolling, so i did plan ahead and put her closer to the middle of the bed, i still have no idea how she managed to roll all the way off, but regardless, the guilt is still there! she now has a nice bruise on her forehead and i feel like i should win the worst mother award for the day! im also scared to go out into public with them because at the moment it looks like i beat my children. :P Since then, ive had a bottle of seasoned salt spill all over the counter, my lysol bottle lid was unscrewed ( one guess on who did that) so when i went to pick it up it spilled all over the floor, and Landon ripped three of the leaves on our "Thanksgiving tree" ( where everyone wrote what they were thankful for) completely to shreds. while cleaning up the lysol i started laughing, and Kyleigh asked "Mommy, why are you laughing?" I said "So i dont cry!" lol Oh Lord, only You know why we have days like this...if its to test our patience, please help me pass the test soon so i can avoid these days! If its something else, please give me money to load up on Starbucks!! :D sigh, tomorrow is another day... On the upside, i have 4 healthy babies with LOTS of energy that never leave me bored or without excitement in my day! :) Hope everyone has a wonderful night!

You're not Alone

Ever wonder if its just your kids that are nuts? Or why no one else seems to be dealing with the same craziness as you throughout the day?? I felt this way for a long time...I would write my posts on facebook, but never really saw anyone else share the same ventures. Or when I'm out, and other mothers appear offended by my children, or in a store and my kids are the ones crying and running down the aisles..."Am i really the only one that deals with this?? is there something wrong with me??" But after a while I soon discovered ( through observation) that no, I am most certainly not alone, but for some reason no one ever feels they can share their experiences with the world. If you know me well enough, you know I'm an open book. I really don't feel there is a whole lot that needs to be kept hidden. Life's too short, and people want honesty and raw reality. So what you see is what you get. I post my things on facebook as a means of venting ( so i dont explode (or cry), and to provide entertainment of course, but also just to show others that hey, you are not alone, my kids  are off the wall too...and this is with me TRYING.  Women act like the church does most of the time, where we are all too scared to be honest about how we are feeling, or whats going on in our lives because we don't want anyone to make judgments about us. But I have a secret for you....NO ONE is perfect, we all make mistakes, we all have problems, we all struggle to work through this or that, ITS NORMAL. Actually....there's this great guy named Jesus Christ who died for that very reason! amazing isnt it?? :) I hear so many of my friends apologize for sharing their feelings, or as they put it "complaining", every time they express their struggles, or when they are having a bad day. If you can't feel comfortable enough to do that with your friends, who can you do it with?? Who cares what people think! quite honestly, most people will love the fact that you are real, who knows whose heart you are touching by just letting them know you have problems too... that we dont have it all together after all! What a relief to know we can just be ourselves... tired, frustrated and in need of some serious support when it comes to being a wife and mother, and juggling the many many roles we have. Its hard work, and that's ok! Yes, my kids drive me absolutely CRAZY most days, and many times i genuinely just don't like them very much, but they are the joy of my heart and i would be lost without them. I think most mothers feel this way, but cant bring themselves to say it out loud. Well, for those of you that do hesitate, im letting you know, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! :) God is faithful and He will get us all through it, we just need to continue seeking His will, strength, and wisdom and we will be just fine. My heart and prayers go out to all you wonderful ladies, know that I sympathize! :)

Advice

I'm not a big advocate for offering up advice for parenting unless first asked because its super annoying, however I'm going to make an exception today. my best advice for new mothers is this: "IGNORE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SAYS, INCLUDING YOUR DOCTOR!" Obviously this doesnt apply in EVERY case, but over-all, I stand by it. I'm no pro by any means, i vouge for that... but i have had four babies, and i can say with complete assurance that all kids are DIFFERENT. No one knows their child better than the mother.

You think its necessary to have them sleep on their backs?? the risks are there no matter how you put them to sleep, just monitor them. once my kids could sleep on their tummies, they slept through the night... so this time around i did it right off the bat, and guess what, Hayden sleeps through the night. most adults like to sleep on their bellies, so why wouldnt a baby?? now, there are exceptions, some babies prefer their backs, or their sides.... let your baby choose!

Pacifiers: one of mine hated them, two loved the big fat straight ones, and Hayden loves nuks... again all kids are different.

Swings ( and the like): I stressed and stressed about getting a swing this time around because it was a life saver for my first three...guess what, i now have a swing sitting in my living room that is only used when landon tries to get in it. Hayden hates it!

swaddling:  none of mine liked it! they always fussed until they were free, but some babies do...again, let them "tell" you.

Diapers.... cloth or disposable: personally, im all for convenience, but everyone is different... do what works best for you. The whole saving money thing, im still not so sure i agree... i spend about $410 a YEAR for two kids, it would have cost me about $900 to buy USED cloth diapers to last until potty training...2 years, so in this particular case, i'm spending less for disposable. its all about what YOU want and what works best for you and your baby.

Caffeine: its perfectly FINE.  i drank it a few times a day with all my kids... so much for low birth weight since mine were all over 8lbs.

and most importantly, If your baby is acting like something is wrong, and you feel that they need to be seen, odds are, they do. Im pretty anal about not going to the doc unless absolutely necessary, especially for rashes and stuff because so many things can cause them. But landon had one a few months back that i knew was more than just a typical rash, so i took him in. Before even saying hello, the doctor walks in and says " We dont know what causes them, its hard to tell, theres nothing we can do." I was pretty annoyed, so i lifted up his shirt and said, "well can you tell me what THIS is?" and she immediately shuts her mouth, looks it over, and says, " oh... wow, well that would be a skin infection." I rest my case... I've had this happen on a few different occasions, so go with YOUR gut, not anyone else's.

A few of my friends have asked me for advice on things, and i always tell them what worked for mine, but end it with, " every kid is different, you just have to see what works for yours." seriously, stop stressing, your baby will let you know what he/she wants and how they want it. All you need to do is ignore everyone else, stay in tune with your kiddo, and you'll be just fine! :)

Advice

I'm not a big advocate for offering up advice for parenting unless first asked because its super annoying, however I'm going to make an exception today. my best advice for new mothers is this: "IGNORE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SAYS, INCLUDING YOUR DOCTOR!" Obviously this doesnt apply in EVERY case, but over-all, I stand by it. I'm no pro by any means, i vouge for that... but i have had four babies, and i can say with complete assurance that all kids are DIFFERENT. Know one knows their child better than the mother. You think its necessary to have them sleep on their backs?? the risks are there no matter how you put them to sleep, just monitor them. once my kids could sleep on their tummies, they slept through the night... so this time around i did it right off the bat, and guess what, Hayden sleeps through the night. most adults like to sleep on their backs, so why wouldnt a baby?? now, there are exceptions, some babies prefer their backs, or their sides.... let your baby choose! same with pacifiers, one of mine hated them, two loved the big fat straight ones, and Hayden loves nuks... again all kids are different. swings?? I stressed and stressed about getting a swing this time around because it was a life saver for my first three...guess what, i now have a swing sitting in my living room that is only used when landon tries to get in it. Hayden hates it! swaddling... none of mine liked it! they always fussed until they were free, but some babies do...again, let them "tell" you. diapers.... cloth or disposable: personally, im all for convenience, but everyone is different... do what works best for you. The whole saving money thing, im still not so sure i agree... i spend about $410 a YEAR for two kids, it would have cost me about $900 to buy USED cloth diapers to last until potty training...2 years, so in this particular case, i'm spending less for disposable. its all about what YOU want and what works best for you and your baby.  No caffeine?? i drank it a few times a day with all my kids... so much for low birth weight since mine were all over 8lbs. If your baby is acting like something is wrong, and you feel that they need to be seen, odds are, they do. Im pretty anal about not going to the doc unless absoltely necessary, especially for rashes and stuff because so many things can cause them. But landon had one a few months back that i knew was more than just a typical rash,

Repetitiveness

Something we aren't properly prepared to endure during parenthood is the EXCESSIVE repetitiveness that occurs on a day to day basis. Kid's are very routine and also have one track minds. If they make a request, and you don't immediately answer it, it will be asked over and over and over and over until its met. "Mom, can i have a snack?" "I'll let you know when its time." 2 minutes later "Mom, can I have a snack?" or "Mom, can I play with the puppies?" "when they are done eating, honey." 2 minutes later "Mom, can I play with the puppies?" You get my drift? That would drive anyone up the wall, but imagine having 3 of them doing it to you...all...day...long. As I am writing this, D.J. just came in the room and asks for me to get his cars from the living room...my getting up out of my chair and walking to the living room wasn't enough to show i was getting them apparently, so he managed to repeat the question another 6 times before i said "I AM!" The repetitiveness is not just centered on questions, but also in the things they do throughout the day. I can guarantee my kids will wake up every morning with Kyleigh wanting a movie on, D.J. immediately asking for breakfast, and Landon screaming his head off. when breakfast is over, a snack will immediately be asked for, of which i will say for the millionth time, "its not snack time yet." I will hear that question another 5 times before it really is snack time. Then snack time will come, and Kyleigh will ask for her usual cucumbers and ranch, D.J. for his pudding, and Landon will stand at the gate, attempting to shake it down, and walk into the kitchen, pointing and whining towards the cabinet with the lollipops.  I could go on and on, but i promise you, it is the same routine every day.  This honestly would be an amazing thing, if they would just repeat the good things! Lol If i didn't have to repeat the same "no" answers, which they already know, but hey... i suppose any routine is better than nothing. I just find it fascinating. even at a young age, heck, as young as Hayden, they develop a consistent routine automatically, and its almost impossible to break, at least not without it being a huge ordeal. I definitely wasn't expecting that when I became a parent, and being the youngest of four siblings, I'm not used to the annoyances of little people all day long, I guess this is my payback for my brothers and sister? :) ahhhh kids... the most annoying yet lovable creatures in God's creation lol

Its one of those weeks

Ok, so its Wednesday hump day, and thank goodness! This week started off rough and hasn't seemed to ease up yet! Today is no exception...My hubby accidently turned the alarm off so we woke up about 20 minutes before he had to leave. I went to shut Kyleigh's door and she woke up and came right out. She literally followed me wherever i went...kind of annoying at 6:30 in the morning without any coffee in your system. :P then she argued with me about putting Dave's food in his lunch box because SHE wanted to do it. once we got Dave off, D.J. woke up... I attempted to sit down and do my devotions despite the two of them being up. They both saw me sit down to read and immediately went to grab their books and markers to color with me. Cute, right? that's what I thought too, but as soon as their little butts hit the bench they were fighting...loudly. Then Kyleigh started singing...loudly...in an attempt to drown out her brother who was making annoying sounds.....loudly. After my calmly asking them to be quiet about 7 times, i sent them out of the kitchen so i could finish, considering i had read the same line about 20 times at this point. Then D.J. demands, "MOM! I WANT MY BREAKFAST!" Did that just make you wince? yeah, not ok in my book either! I said, " Buddy, you need to ask me nicely, and i will get it for you in 5 minutes." What does he do? starts throwing a fit by grunting, then gets louder and throws an all out fit on the ground because I'm not responding. I continue to ignore him, and he  just keeps at it for another 5 minutes. all of a sudden, he stops and sits down in front of me quietly...ahhh, love when that works. ;) Then they start fighting again, and Hayden wakes up to eat. Ok, so much for devotions this morning! Randomly, Kyleigh says, "Mommy, I'm going to do something nice for you." Really?? My kids must be bi-polar lol So she goes and grabs the step ladder and begins emptying the dishwasher... love it :) But of course, the peace lasts for about 5 minutes, then they are fighting again, and Kyleigh hits D.J. with the towel, and lo and behold you would have thought she just drove a knife through him! That was it, they were separated and told to stay away from each other until I gave the go-ahead. So here i am, writing my morning events, and its only 8:00... Jonas just arrived and the kids are all three downstairs playing, nicely for the time being. I am going to attempt to clean up the kitchen, make breakfast, and head off to fix my orange hair... ( yes, this week has been rough as I said ;) ) Quick prayer for patience and endurance, and I'm off! have a wonderful day everyone, and be sure to use birth control!

Overwhelmed yet blessed

Oh the things I go through on daily basis... I think God designed my life and those in it to provide comic relief. On Wednesday, I was giving the kiddos a bath and I walked away for a minute to get something, and came back to the floor and walls covered in water because my two big kids had decided to throw around a sopping wet sponge. Then, I was leaning over the tub to wash my boys, and Kyleigh decides to turn on the shower...causing the boys to both jump out of the water and leaving me soaked. Landon also managed to get ahold of my laundry detergent and poured half a bottle all over the floor. That was a fun clean up, its still slick there. the upside was I got to watch his feet scrammble as he tried to stand up, and fall on his butt about six times before i finally got him out. Yes, i took pleasure in it...wouldnt you? LOL Yesterday consisted of me getting kicked in the head and slapped in the face by DJ., as well as my finger being shut in the door by Landon. (He also ripped a page in his Daddy's Bible). The best moment this week though was after D.J. hit Kyleigh in the face so hard that she was bleeding from her nose and mouth, so I told him he would be getting a spanking when we got home. I get the kids unloaded and in the house and find that Kyleigh had laid the paddle on his bed for me. LOL She was pretty upset! This is just a brief overview of some of the endeavors we have experienced this week... which brings me to my point, I feel overwhelmed!! I finally watched a couple episodes of the Dugger family, and between that and my Created to Be His Help Meet book I feel like the goal of control and order is impossible! How on earth does Michelle Dugger stay so calm?? I have 4 kids and my nerves are in a permanent state of being SHOT! She is always so reserved and pleasant, and I know i must look like a woman on the verge of a mental breakdown lol ANd then my book does nothing but emphasize how my home should be running, how my kids should be behaving, what they should be learning, and overall...how im FAILING! My kids are by far NOT the worst kids out there, they arent even necessarily bad, they are just BUSY. The things they do are spurned from some beautiful personality and character traits that just need some molding. My thing is, how on earth do I mold them! I work with one, and the others are wreaking havoc, I work with all three and I will end up in a padded room. Then my house.... ive managed to create a fairly good rhythm down to where its at least clean on the surface for when my hubby comes home, and i manage to get dinner ready every day, though not always when I'd like to!  But the rest of it, I mean the author of my book says we need to be learning out to fix things around the house, and be organized, and plan ahead, etc etc etc. I think she must be on drugs to believe its all possible. LOL Sigh... I say this all with a smile on my face, because though it is very overwhelming and i generally feel like i've only successfully reached a quarter of the goal each day, I am so incredibly blessed because I at least have four beautiful happy (crazy) kids, and an amazingly hard working, smart, and loving husband. so though i may not fit the "perfect" description of a true help meet, I have no problem continuing the attempt to perfect my role and I love serving my family. :) With that said, it is now 7:30 and I my day is beginning....stay tuned for the chaotic details of my Friday this afternoon! haha Have a wonderful day all!

The Daily Chaos

So I've found myself asking God the same question a lot lately, and that is "Why did You choose crying to be the source of communication from babies??" Have you ever wondered that? was it too part of the curse of Eve?? It has to be...because it can be described as nothing less than a curse. lol it has to be the most exhausting, nerve rattling sound out there...at least after hearing it for hours, days, and years on end. And with "stair step" kiddos and babysitting, its become my theme song. Seriously... someone is crying no matter what I am doing these days...cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, putting on shoes, giving someone a bath, unloading groceries, etc. etc... I should start runnng around with a cape from now on everytime someone starts to scream LOL. After all this time I've been able to tune it out, to the point of frustration for my kids :)But this past weekend, i dont know what it is, but the crying has pushed me to my breaking limit! I think i severely need my gym time... OH how i cant WAIT to get back in the gym.., just 3 more weeks then i get that amazing hour and half of peace, all to myself! yay! Yay for me, and yay for my poor kids!!! LOL

An update on Looney Landon... Landon has discovered he can remove his diaper... far before I would even consider potty training him. I know its do-able, but doing it at 2 1/2 is hard enough, so 19 months is a sure NO GO in my book lol But the little booger took it off all day yesterday, ran around the yard with his bare butt all afternoon, but managed to come inside and pee right by my fridge, then head back outside. ( hes so considerate ;) ). he also is climbing out of the tub everytime i give him a bath now. and yesterday, he go out, peed on the bath mat, then got back in. ( hes like a dog...marking his territory) He is also climbing out of his crib, yet another thing im not ready to move him on to...a toddler bed with that boy would be a disaster, so its a matter of rearranging his room, whenever i get a free minute! He climbs out of the bed, onto the dresser, and dumps all the diapers out of the basket and throws all the stuffed animals on the floor... pretty much every day.. i really should get cracking on fixing that problem, eh? :P he also knows ho to get out of his seatbelt in a shopping cart...so restraining him from standing up when at the store...not possible. Makes for a very FUN shopping trip, that I can assure you! Anways, onto the rest of the clan...

Today's chaos was the norm... We managed to do our pre-school, but not without Landon's usualy dumping and eating of the crayons and markers, stealing the big kid's books and papers, standing on the table, screaming at me to take something, crying over something not going his way, etc...etc... its a blast trying to do pre-school with 3 kids and a monster toddler lol The big kids are "exhausted" after one assigment lol well, the boys are, Kyleigh would do school work all day, thats just her personality :) The boys scribble a line and say, " can we take a break?" LOL a break?? from...coloring? why yes, i agree, it is quite strenuous using those chubby little hands for anyhting other then racing cars and beating each other up, what on earth was I thinking! :) Anyways... the after pre-school drama was a little more chaotic... I told the kids to play while i nursed Hayden first... but then, Zoey wakes up and is crying ( she was poopy, of course!). Then the Kyleigh and D.J. are fighting over toys in the hall way ( screaming and yelling like they were plotting each others death). And Landon is ripping the gate down from the wall ( and was succesful). So, i finish up with Hayden, lay her down on the couch and go to put the shoes on the kiddos and change Zoey... Hayden starts screaming, im getting asked a million questions, Jonas has to pee, and Zoey is also wailing in the background. "ok... breathe", are the words i often find myself saying over and over throughout the day. So i take jonas to the bathroom, get all their shoes on...change Zoeys diaper, grab Hayden and put her in the moby wrap, and out the door we go... ( such an ordeal to go into the backyard, isnt it?) :) We have successful playing for a while, then its time for some lunch! I let them play in the yard while i make lunch, (watching them from the window jsut for the record lol). It all "looks" peaceful... Kyleigh comes in and I let her make the mac n cheese... she loves to be the little Mama :) then D.J. comes in crying...with a nice big WET stain down his pants, saying "I pooped myself!" Here we go again! not sure whats going on with this, my perfectly potty trained 3 year old has gotten lazy these past few weeks and doesnt want to take time out to go to the bathroom... sure enough he had peed and pooped himself, woo hoo! yay me! lol So i clean him up, call in the troops and feed them some lunch. Then we head back outside for some "car racing" down the hill before naptime. everyone went down fairly smoothly, praise the Lord! now here i sit, planning where to start in this house before they all wake up and we start all over again :) Maybe some time in the Word first would be great, huh? get myself refreshed!lol Oh I know one day I will look back and miss all of this, its hard to see it now, but Im trying to savor the fact that they all want Mommy right now because one day, they wont...at least for a little while :P So with that said, im gonna get to work so i can enjoy some play time with my babies before study tonight! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! :)

The rants of a defeated Mother

You ever have one of those days where you feel utterly and completely defeated? Staring the mounds of laundry needing to be folded, piles of dishes to be washed, dirty floors needing to be mopped, toys everywhere, kids screaming, fighting, and crying in every room…the word “Overwhelmed” just doesn’t quite grasp the sick feeling in the pit of your stomach as you survey the scenes around you. Yep, that was me yesterday. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t feel overwhelmed, but yesterday I felt like my ability to “conquer the world” had floated off right along with my sanity. I still firmly believe we deserve our own reality show, heck, I think Landon deserves one just for himself! He’s a one man circus and has the ability to bring any grown man or woman to tears in matter of 30 minutes. I love him, he is the sweetest little boy and so loving, but despite the overflow of wet kisses and those cute chubby cheeks, he is, in a word, a handful to put it gently. How on earth I ended up with two overly strong-willed kids is beyond me. God is teaching me something, and for sure patience is part of that something!

This is the way my day panned out yesterday… We only had one extra daycare kiddo so I decided I would take the kids out, get the McDonalds and head to Kidscove, should be a smooth day right? NOT. Despite the fact that my daycare kiddo spent most of the morning screaming bloody murder whenever her feet touched the ground, I couldn’t find my keys ANYWHERE, searched the house high and low and I still have no clue where they are. So my sweet husband drives home for his lunch break and brings me his keys. However, the entire time I’m looking for the keys, I have two screaming babies, two big kids repeatedly asking me “can we go now?!” and a terror of a toddler who has managed to knock down the baby gate, remove the lid of a sippy cup and pour it all over my hallway floor, grab a spoon from the dish on the stove that is full of spaghetti sauce ( which in turn ended up all over his WHITE shirt, hands, the floor, and several other places), pulled the step ladder over to the sink ( he knows how to open it and set it up, yes he’s smart one!) and grab a knife out of the sink…this is the scene I walk in on…of which I quickly surveyed the rest of the damage.  Awesome… So I clean up the messes, change his shirt and load the kids up in the car. After picking up McDonalds ( and you better believe a Starbucks), we head off to Kidscove. Liberty has changed their parking, so where am I forced to park? Out in tim-buck-too with 5 kids, two of which cannot walk. So here I am, slapping Hayden into my moby wrap ( when she decides to wake up screaming because lo and behold, her impeccable timing to be hungry lol) Put Zoey in the stroller, slide on Landons shoes, put Kyleigh in charge of pushing Zoey, grab Landons hand and off we go across the parking lot. This was the easy part of the day believe it or not. We make it in there, I feed Hayden, and all is well for the 45 minutes we are in KidsCove. I even met a new friend, woo hoo! ;) However, come time to load everyone up and head out, Kyleigh decides to run out the door ahead of me. We all soon follow only to discover, Kyleigh is no where to be seen. I ask D.J. where she went, he says “I don’t know?” Frantically I ask several more times until he points his finger towards the entrance and says she went “that way”…of which a Funeral was letting out right where his little finger was pointing. Swarm of people, 4 kids under 3, and not enough hands. Landon, refusing to walk without my hand, lays down on the ground SCREAMING bloody murder because he isn’t getting his way ( yeah, he’s a peach ;) ). So I stand there, like a deer in headlights, trying to figure out how the heck I’m going to hold his hand, push a stroller, and find my kid. My level of anxiety is quickly escalating as time goes by and I still haven’t seen my daughter. As I finally put DJ in charge of the stroller ( its like watching a 5 year old drive a car, not the best person for the job but you do what you have to do LOL), grab landons hand and move towards the entrance, I see Kyleigh coming out of the bathroom…which was RIGHT by KidsCove… I look at my son with a look of “are you kidding me?” Shes in tears, I lay into her for leaving without telling me where she was going, and we soon calm down and head to Daddy’s office to say goodbye…which ended up being a whole mess of its own, but he was able to help me get the kids to the car, so that was a blessing! Anyways, we make it home and I experience the safety and freedom of naptime, oh thank you Lord for naptime! I couldn’t even tell you what I did during that two hours, I think I stared blankly at the computer screen… too tired to move, or maybe too afraid…lol 4:00 rolls around, Zoey gets picked up, and we are down to my four monkeys…who are still sleeping. So I decide to get down in the basement and do my Jillian workout, perfect solution to stress! 10 minutes into it, Hayden starts screaming…awesome. I finished my workout and went on to feed my chunker of a baby. J By 5:00 all the kids were up… and we had a nice smooth hour and a half. I cooked the food on the grill, the kids played in the yard, Hayden slept…heavenly. Then the boys, being boys, decide to play in a large area of DIRT…all dirt…and they are covered head to toe just as I finished cooking dinner. Gotta love it ;) I wipe them down and set them all up at the table, of which Daddy has arrived, yay! We all finish, except D.J. ( this is the norm). Dave goes down to the basement to work out, and I once again answer the hunger cry of my daughter. While im feeding Hayden and sitting at the computer, the kids are hoarsing around at the table and have moved Landons highchair right by the counter…didn’t think anything of it until I walk in and see he is eating something. His food had been gone so im trying to figure out what he has, and I look over and he had taken a huge piece of chicken from the food I had cooked for daves lunches and was chowing down on it. Initially irritated, I couldn’t help but laugh. So I take him out of his highchair and throw him in the tub (not literally, though I thought about it lol). Landons in the tub, D.J’s eating ( or staring at his plate) and the girls are in the living room. In the matter of 25 minutes, D.J. spilled a cup of juice all over the table, floor and chair…Landon has gotten out of the tub at least 5 times of which I had to chase him down the hall each time, I walk in the final time to find he had taken the bottles of shampoo that I had REMOVED from the tub because of him, and poured every ounce of them into the bathwater….(im sure he was loving the bubbles he created).  Hayden will not settle, she is screaming the entire time all of this is going on…Kyleigh is nagging me for about a hundred things, “can we do preschool? Will you do puzzles with me? Can you go outside and push me on the swing? Can I hold baby Hayden?” etc. etc. etc….  Meanwhile, I walk into the kitchen and D.J. is standing over the table with half his arm in a cup of juice…his plate still not touched. I start to tear up at this point, and the feeling of defeat and exhaustion have set it. Dave come up from the basement, I stare at him, tear streaked and he, being the amazing hubby that he is, takes over. Finishes their baths and  gets them dressed for me. I finally get the kitchen cleaned up, calm down and go to tuck all the monsters in bed. God, being wonderfully merciful, lets that part of the day go smoothly (1 Corinthinas 10:13, We will not be tempted beyond what we can bear! thank you, thank you Lord LOL) while tucking D.J. in bed, he starts to tell me that I need to go get the paddle because Jason ( his imaginary friend) has hit everyone in the house LOL I sit and watch as my adorable little boy tells me a lengthy description of how Jason needs a spanking, but I should actually use my hand because the paddle and belt would hurt him, but I need to spank him now because he even hit baby Hayden ( I love this kids imagination J ). Meanwhile Landon is bouncing around in his crib while we talk, and we are soon joined by Kyleigh. Prayers are set, kisses and hugs are exchanged, and the lights go out. Dave and I fall into bed, absolutely exhausted, watch an episode of “Pawn Stars” and immediately fall asleep. Needless to say, I woke up this morning craving my coffee more than normal, an stuck my nose right into my Bible…because today I have 3 extra kiddos. I will be caring for 7 kids under the age of four, nursing a baby, and teaching pre-school. If I felt overwhelmed yesterday, today is going to be AWESOME. LOL But I was reminded this morning not only that God will not give us more than we can bear, but that we are to do everything for the Glory of God ( 1 Corinthians 10:31). And with that in my mind, and a very thankful heart for the incredible life God has blessed me with ( even with all of its craziness and stress), I start the day off ready to be completely “defeated” yet again…  Have a blessed day everyone, God is good and has an AMAZING sense of humor!!! J

I choose

This was the first page of my new devotional book, and it is something I plan to read every day from here on out for sure, it is an amazing outlook, and exactl how we should be living each day! I wanted to share :)

I CHOOSE LOVE...

No occassion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything lesss than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE...

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If i clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...

I am a spiritual being...After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influences only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.