The Most Artistic Pumpkin

Will's preschool had a parade of pumpkins. Each kid was supposed to take a pumpkin that they decorated. Then all the parents would look at them displayed and ooh and aah. Will asked for several days to do his, but until we went to the pumpkin patch, we didn't have one to decorate. Then we went out of town last weekend and it kept getting put off. On Monday, we were all set to create, but Will was being especially uncooperative and rude that day, so he lost that privilege and didn't get to take his pumpkin on Tuesday like the other kids did. But on Wednesday while the babies napped, we got caught up. He decorated his, and I sat down and decorated another. It was great mama-son time and we really had fun together. Will is a very independent kiddo and insists on doing most things himself and I am okay with that. I set out the paints, brushes, foam stamps, and glitter and let him be creative. See his masterpiece!I really enjoyed watching him create. He was in his own world, and his pumkin was very colorful. We took the pumpkin in on Thursday and he was so proud to display it with the others. There were so many creative pumpkins, but of the thirty or so that were there, only a small handful looked like they were created by preschoolers. The rest were clearly done by the parents. I was a little nervous that he would be embarrassed that his wasn't as fancy as most of the others, but I was ready to deal with it. I am so proud of Will for doing his by himself. It was definitely MY favorite of the patch! At the end of the day when I picked him up, I was excited to show him his award: The Most Artistic Pumpkin! Way to go, Will!

Q: What is a ghost's favorite game?
A: Hide and shriek

Q: What do ghosts like to wear?
A: Boojeans

Q: Why didn't the skeleton dance a the party?
A: He had no body to dance with!

No excuses & Mama's scary "costume"

Here it is not quite 10:30 on a crisp (or cold) Tuesday morning and I have already accomplished something big -- I voted with three two-year olds at my feet! If I can do it with the triplets, I can't accept any excuses for NOT voting.

The day has already had a few happening that I'd like to forget, but several I wanted to remember. It started with cold -- I got as close to Allen as I could to get some of his heat, but then the alarm went off and he got up. It wasn't long until Will came shivering to me wearing his "Daddy pajamas" (aka: underpants). I gathered him close and tucked the covers around him and listened to him as he told me about his dreams. It was a warm-hearted feeling even though my toes were icy. It was wonderful to cuddle with my son. When I told him "I love you" he interrupted me to say, "I know, I know, I know. . . you always love me, you will forever, you don't have to tell me all the time." That comment with the 4-year-old's eye rolls brought on the tickles and giggles. By the time Allen left, I was still in bed, Will was still giggly, and we were running late for a school day.

I got Will dressed and set him up with a cartoon while I showered, dressed, combed my hair, and skipped the makeup since we were running behind. As soon as I walked into the living room, Will had a terrified look on his face and yelled at me: "NO!! You can't go anywhere like that!" I was thoroughly confused, and when I asked what he was talking about, he responded "You look ugly, Mama, I don't want my teachers thinking you are my Mama! Your face is wrong!" Was this the same Will that I cuddled and giggled with just a few minutes earlier? He still had a fearful look on his face as he ran across the room, grabbed my arm, and pulled me back to my bathroom. "Just look, Mama! Look at your face! Where is the rest of it? See how it is scary?" Well, I still didn't have time to put on makeup, but the entire incident was quite surprising to me -- I only wear makeup two or three days a week. I was baffled, but still didn't have time to "put my face on." Who needs a Halloween costume, when your face terrifies your own kid? Ouch.

At breakfast, we had an interesting conversation as Will tried convincing me to let him plant an M&M tree. Evidently, he's under the impression that if he plants one M, it will grow into a big tree that will give him all the M&M's he could ever want. After failing to convince him it was pretend, I told him he could plant one if he got M&M's for Halloween. Then he got mad, and said he would EAT his M&M's and we would have to plant MY candy.

I got the little kids up and diapers changed, but left them in their cozy pajamas. I fed all the kids, then pushed everyone out the door, still aiming to be close to on time getting Will to preschool. We made it in time, but I still haven't had my coffee, so that's next on my list. I decided yesterday not to go to Bible Study this morning because Maddie and Ben had slight fevers, and all three babies are very snotty. Since I didn't want them in the nursery, I'd have to miss my class, too. So we headed home, and on the way, I was looking for the church where we are supposed to be able to vote early. Luckily it was clearly marked. I grabbed the parking spot by the door and stepped inside to ask if I could vote there (I never got my registration card a year ago when we registered.) The lady said I'd need my ID, and I glanced around to get an idea of the set up. I put shoes on the kids and took them in with me.

When I arrived there was one other lady and a man voting or in line. I stood in line for a few minutes behind the lady so I could get my name checked against the master list. The kids all sat right at my feet -- Maddie insisted on sitting ON my feet. They smiled and said hi to the other people as they arrived, and by the time we were ready to move to line number two there were eight people ahead of us, all of whom had been smiling and trying to get the kids to talk. As we moved to the end of that line the first lady insisted we go ahead of her, and all the others enthusiastically agreed. I was humbled, yet again, and couldn't thank them enough. As it turned out, everything went more smoothly than I ever dreamed possible. The kids each sat in a chair where they could see me. I voted while they charmed everyone else.

Punkins to the Patch

Will's preschool class took a field trip today. He had asked me several times if I'd go and I stalled on the answer until his teacher had to know to plan for vehicles. I definitely wasn't ready to let a stranger drive my son somewhere, but I was pretty nervous about taking all the kiddos by myself, too. In the end, Will asked so nicely I couldn't say no, so this morning, I packed all five of us lunches and we did it. I used the wagon part of the time, but the little ones wanted to run and play, so I let them. I avoided the sand box at the playground as long as I could, but with thirty preschoolers running around, the sand was an easy way out. Once I let them go in, they didn't come out without a fight, but that was easier than chasing them around to keep them safe.* * I am a mom -- safe, by my definition, means "absolutely no way we would have to go to the ER or even get a bandaid." I know that is a silly expectation, but I haven't figured out in my head how I would juggle 4 kids at the hospital waiting for someone to arrive to help with the un-hurt kids. Yes, I'm over protective -- more so when I'm on my own with the kids, than when I have family with me.

I was a bit surprised that Will hung out with the babies and me as much as he did -- especially since he had so many friends around. On the hay ride, some of the other moms helped me hold the babies, and the people who owned the farm made sure I knew they were available if I needed another hand. I know the kids had a good time, but I was rather impressed that I did, too -- not just that I had fun, but it wasn't as stressful as I had expected.

Pumpkin Cake Recipe

I know, I know. When you see Cookie Monster, you probably don't think of pumpkins, but under all the black and blue icing was my latest experiment. I started with a cake mix and a recipe and made some alterations -- hoping it would all turn out okay. I don't know how everyone else felt about it, but I loved the flavors so much I've actually dreamed about it while I slept. I thought I'd better get it written up before I forgot what I did. . .

Pumpkin Cake

1 package (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix (no pudding)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (yes, I know cinnamon and nutmeg in it. . .)

1 1/4 cups chai tea*

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 eggs

3/4 cups canned pumpkin

* the recipe originally called for water, but I wanted more flavor. I heated 1 1/4 cups water and put a chai teabag in to steep until it was room temperature. Discard the teabag and use the tea instead of plain water. It adds lots of flavor!

Preheat oven to 350 F. In large bowl combine cake mix and spices. Add tea, oil and eggs; beat with mixer for 2 minutes. Add pumkin and mix until well blended. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For cupcakes, bake 25-30 minutes. This is delicious topped with cream cheese icing. Mmmmm. . . .yes, I would definitely like some more of that!

PS - the Cookie Monster cake started out as an Elmo cake pan.

The Three Are Two

It is so hard to believe that two years ago our family doubled. Time has flown -- what is the saying? "Long days, quick years." That is a great summary. On October 16th, 2006, I went to the hospital for a non-stress test knowing I wouldn't be home until after I delivered the triplets. Little did I know, though, that they would come so quickly. After spending about 30 hours trying to stop my labor, the doc decided to do the c-section. The babies were 29 weeks gestationally (full-term is 40 weeks), but we knew they'd be early. At 11:02 pm, Benjamin Clay entered our world weighing a whopping 3 pounds. At 11:03 pm, Madeline Alivia was born weighing 2 pounds, 15 ounces. A minute later, Jonathan Rand was born at 2 pounds, 11 ounces. They were three months early and very small, but otherwise they were healthy. In the delivery room were my doctor, anesthesiologist, and nurse, and a pediatric team of about three PER BABY. Allen was next to me, too, but I just remember seeing the blur of busy people as they took care of Ben, Maddie, Jon, and me. The nurses whisked them away quickly, but as they passed me, they showed me each of my children. The last one let me kiss the top of Jon's head before she left, but other than that one time, it was almost a month before any of them were kissed.

Wow -- it was two years ago? I stayed in the hospital a week, and leaving was the hardest and bravest thing I've done in my entire life. I had a two-year old at home 100 miles away who needed a mama, but I also had three preemies who were so fragile that it broke my heart to leave. I was a basket case, to say the least. I remember spending a day and a half crying except when I was asleep -- thankfully, my pain meds got me to sleep often. I took Will to the sitter those few days because he didn't understand why mama was so sad. I know part of it was the hormone roller coaster, but a lot of it was that I was the only one in the maternity ward going to the curb in a wheelchair without a baby. Not only that, but I hadn't even been able to hold them yet. They were about 3 weeks old before we were allowed to hold them; their skin was so delicate that Allen and I were only supposed to touch their heads or feet, but not caress them at all. That was so hard when all I wanted to do was cuddle my precious babies. Attachment didn't come as naturally as with Will. When we found out what a high-risk the pregnancy was, I didn't want to get too attached, just in case I lost any or all of them. When friends wanted to have a baby shower I was hesitant -- I didn't want to come home to three of everything if I couldn't come home with three babies. When they arrived, I was still afraid to fall in love, there were just too many things that could happen to break my heart. God knew what He was doing when he gave me these three, but I did often wonder what he was thinking. Although I distanced myself, it didn't take long to fall, head over heals, in love with Ben, Maddie, and Jon.

We were told not to expect to take them home before their due date, January 2nd, but Maddie came home on December 29th. Ben came home on January 8th, and Jon on January 18th, just after they were 3 months old. A lot of people said "at least they didn't come all at once," but I disagree. As hard as it would've been to adjust to life with three babies at home, what was harder was delivering milk (I pumped for 6 months) to a hospital 100 miles away while staying home with the other kids. Even harder was that we were hit by a lot of snow. After Maddie came home, we went to see the boys once, then returned to get Ben, then the car was buried in snow and the roads untravelable until I called the hospital to say, "We cleared the driveway, I'm coming to get Jon." It was a rough couple of months, and it is easier now in some ways, more difficult in others.

It was imperative that we fed them on a schedule just to get the weights caught up to where they should be, so we spent most of our time feeding them -- so it seemed. Here is how a day at home went when I was on my own:

00:00 - 00:30 - Change Ben, Feed Ben, Burp Ben

00:30 - 01:05 - Change Maddie, Feed Maddie, Burp Maddie

01:05 - 01:50 - Change Jon, Feed Jon, Burp Jon (he was the slow feeder)

01:50 - 02:00 - Clean bottles, use potty, get a glass of water

02:00 - 03:00 - go back to bed, skip pumping . . . too tired

03:00 - 05:00 - repeat above

05:00 - 06:00 - snooze for just a few minutes more

06:00 - 08:00 - repeat above

08:00 - 08:45 - get Will and me some breakfast, get Will dressed (Allen took him to the sitter, or a friend would come sit with the babies so I could take him. If a friend was here to help, the next feeding went faster since we could feed two at once.) Pump while I eat.

08:45 - 09:00 - take a shower if on schedule or finish pumping.

09:00 - 11:00 - feed and change

11:00 - 11:30 - pump and eat lunch

11:30 - 12:00 - nap if the babies are still sleeping

12:00 - 14:00 - feed and change

14:00 - 14:30 - pump

14:30 - 14:45 - put the laundry in the wash, start the dishwasher

15:00 . . . .here we go again

It was like that all day long -- the babies were on a very consistent and predictable three hour cycle. Each day, I had at least one load of just baby laundry -- lots of burp cloths. Once we all were home and found our routine, Allen would take one of the nighttime feedings so I could get a 4-hour nap. Sometimes, he would get up with me so I could pump while he fed the babies, or we would both feed them to get done a little sooner. I still don't know how he worked all day with so little sleep.

We've had our survival-mileposts. When we hit each one, things got a little easier: when we could feed two (then three) at the same time, when they slept for 8-hours at a time, when they could hold their own bottles, when they could sit up, when they crawled, when they climbed stairs, when they could walk, when they could come down the stairs, when they could feed themselves, when they were out of the carrier-carseats. A typical day now, at age two, is not nearly as consistent as when they first came home but is something like this:

07:30 wake up and chatter to each other

08:00 get out of bed, get dressed, eat breakfast

09:00 run errands and playtime

12:00 lunchtime

13:00 naptime

15:00 playtime and snack

18:00 dinner

19:00 bedtime

When we run errands, they each get their shoes and socks and sit on the steps to put them on or wait for me to do it. When they walk to the van, I put them in and they each climb in their own seat and try to buckle themselves in. It still takes awhile to get out of the driveway, but it is so much easier than it was. On the way to wherever we are going, Jon takes off his shoes and puts them on the other feet, Ben takes off his socks and wears them on his hands, and Maddie plays with the velcro, but usually keeps her shoes on. When we are out and about they mind and are [usually] well-behaved, staying near me or in the wagon and sitting down to wait for the others. At home they play well -- sometimes with each other or Will, sometimes by themselves. Life is do-able now that were aren't just in survival mode, and frankly, it is [usually] a lot of fun. Nothing beats having four kiddos giggling at the same time, or the love Allen and I are showered with when we get home and find all of them shouting our names and so happy to see us. I love the kisses and hugs, too. I remember worrying, when the triplets were in the hospital, if they would know I loved them since I couldn't even hold them, but I am past that now. I KNOW they know they are loved. We had a lot of prayers said for these three when I was pregnant with them, when they were first born, the three months in the hospital, and the prayers for our family to adjust when they came home. Thank you to all of our friends, family, and friends of family for all the prayers and help over the last two years. We are a very blessed family: for the health of our children, for all the love that was shared with us, and for all the love we have for each other. Yes, I know how lucky we are to have these three miracles in our lives and thier birthday is a great excuse to celebrate.

We are celebrating with a family party tomorrow -- the Cookie Monster cake is driving me crazy, but it sure does taste yummy (I had to sample it.) I managed to snap a few pictures of my two-year olds this morning, and I tried to get them to hold the baby doll that is the same size they were when they were born, but Jon was the only one willing to do that. Look how far they've come!

I've been tagged

Thanks, Aja . . .now I have to think of 7 things AND 7 people?? Oh, well, I'm game. Here are 7 random or weird facts about me.


1. I over-think and over-plan almost everything. I've had 2 days to think about what to post on this tag, and through my mind runs "What don't they know?" "No, that's too personal." "No, everyone already knows that." "That's how many now? Oh that's too similar to number 4." Really, it is quite ridiculous, but it is me. Allen said that is an insanity I should share.


2. I must have my personal space or I get anxious. No, not to the point I need to see a doc, but I can't stand being crowded. Last week at the MOPS conventions, I skipped lunch rather than be pushed and shoved with 5000 ladies who were boob-to-back -- no, thank you. I don't like lots of traffic when I drive, I hate driving with the concrete barrier right next to me, and I really don't like hugging people unless I know them very well.


3. I am often told things that later make me cry. I hate hearing people tell me "I am glad I'm not you." "Oh, my. That many babies must be hell." "Wow! You have three kids (when Will is standing right next to them and is ignored completely.)" "How did that happen?" "Were you on fertility treatments?" What bothers me most is that my kids are hearing these things, too. I love all my children and I have never regreted that they are mine, and I don't want them hearing these things and wondering about what these strangers mean by the ugly things they say. And why to people think it is their business to ask about our sex life? Really? My favorite answer I've only had the guts to say once when I was rather cranky about the personal questions: "How did we do it? We had sex three times one night." Yup, that was a fun answer. . . the lady blushed, frowned, turned and stormed off. She had it coming and I didn't even feel bad.


4. I like when people remind me how blessed I am. When I've had really rough mommy-days, I will often take the triplets to the mall so the senior citizens can remind me how lucky I am and how well-behaved they are. I suppose that's a bit self-centered, but I do have those days when I have to be reminded. . .


5. Reading is one of my passions. Ashamed to admit it, but somedays (not many, I promise) I have been so into a book that I let my kids watch too much TV just so I can finish it. I rarely go to bed without reading something, and I have a huge pile of books on my nightstand to prove it. I have lots of magazine subscriptions, but mostly I enjoy mystery and suspense novels. I also ready non-fictions, but not any one particular type. Sometimes I read memoirs, or biographies, or health-related books, or cookbooks, or whatever floats my boat at a particular time. I don't like reading mysteries a second time -- it's no fun when I already know how it ends.


6. I act cooler than I really am. Today at the mall, Ben was having a tantrum and pulling down hats and socks because he was mad. I calmly pulled the stroller out of the way so he couldn't reach and I picked up the things he threw on the floor. While I was paying for my items, he undid the seatbelt and climbed out of the wagon. I calmly picked him up and held him while I finished the transaction. Two ladies commented on how calmly I handled the situation. Inside, I was trembling in frustration, embarrasment, anger, all of the above. Friends and stangers often comment on how calm I always am, or how organized, or what an awesome mom I am. I like hearing those things, but inside I feel the opposite. I guess I am like a duck -- calmly floating through the water, but underneath the water's surface she is paddling like crazy. Sometimes, I feel like I am living a lie; it isn't the other people I am trying to fool, but myself. I guess I think if I can act like that in public I can act like that always, and eventually the pretend will turn into reality. Did I mention I over-think things? . . .and this is almost like number 4?


7. I am madly in love with my husband. I don't feel complete without him, and when he is gone something just feels "off" to me. I am his biggest fan and he makes me so proud to be his wife. He is an awesome dad, and he is my very best friend!


I am a party pooper. As stressful as it was for me to think of seven things about me, I don't know if I could do that to anyone that I don't know too well. I had a few I could have tagged, but not seven who weren't already tagged. I am starting a reverse tag? Tell me to tag you and I will.

1 . . .2 . . . 3. . . YOU'RE IT!

Dreams come true

Here's what we did on our vacation. Ben, Maddie, and Jon stayed with my parents. Will and I flew to meet Allen in Orlando then spent the rest of the week at Disney World.

Day 1 - I woke Will up at 3:45 am and said we were going on an adventure. "We can't go, Mama. It is still nighttime." "Why is the airport only open at night? Do you think we'll see any planes?" "Maybe I can get on an airplane." I didn't tell him where were going, but I did say we'd eat breakfast when we got to the next airport. On the tram in Dallas, some older ladies asked Will where he was going, and he was so excited to tell them, "We are going to McDonald's! and then to the inside playground!" When we landed in Orlando, Will leaned over to me and sternly said, "Mama. I don't like your adventure anymore. I want to go to Disneyland like the people behind us." I told him I would think about it, realizing at that point the people around us were sort of ruining the surprise. Will and I grabbed a bite to eat after we got off the plane and eventually he looked up at the man who was standing near us as we ate. He was definitely surprised to see Daddy there. As we all crossed the airport, Will noticed the Disney store and was thrilled to finally get to see Disneyland (thinking the store was actually the park.) We told him we'd go to the store before we flew home and he was happy with that answer. When we boarded the shuttle to Disney, Will still didn't know where were going (even if he did wonder). The "Welcome to Disney World!" movie on the bus wasn't even enough for him to understand. When Allen leaned over and asked if that's where Will wanted to go, Will said "Can we?" I told him we could if he promised to be happy about it. A while later, Will told Allen, "My brain is cracking! I just can't believe it!" When Allen told me that, my eyes started misting (of course. . .)

That afternoon we napped for awhile then went to Magic Kingdom. We walked right on to "It's a Small World" which was nice, except that the next two lines we were in frustrated Will since we didn't have to wait on the first one. We also rode Peter Pan and Dumbo then got soaked trying to make it to the entrance during the parade and rain storm. We went to Chef Mickey's for dinner and were there until it closed. I am glad Will got to see characters on the first day, but we were still at the restaurant at 10pm. Here is the interview with Will at the end of Day 1.

Day 2 was in Magic Kingdom again. We were there when the park opened at 8am since we had reservations to eat breakfast with Pooh and friends. (Note to self: next time make reservations for meals with ample time in between for sleeping.) We introduced Will to the world of roller coasters with a light version. As soon as we got off that one, he said he wanted to go on a bigger one, so we hit Big Thunder Mountain. He loved it! We stopped many times for photos, but also spent a lot of time in lines. We sat down for a break and watched Captain Jack Sparrow and another pirate teach us how to sword fight like a pirate. Will was one of the kids chosen to go up and be a deputized pirate and he was proud to get the certificate saying as much. Although Will got to meet a lot of characters today, I think his favorites were the princess because he was covered in kisses and had the lip prints on his cheeks to prove it. Many Disney commercials claim that it is the place "where all your dreams come true" (insert Pinocchio theme music here.) When Will and Allen got off the race-car ride, he told Allen, "All my dreams really did come true!" Here is the end-of-the-day interview.

Day 3 we spent at Epcot. We had lunch reservations at the Coral Reef which was gorgeous and calming (mostly). The restaurant wall is a huge aquarium and we watched the fish, sea turtles, sharks, and even a couple of divers swimming. Will was in his own fantasy land pretending that the conch-shaped light next to our table was a microphone. We hadn't planned on spending the whole day there, but between meals, the lines and fast passes, we were there all day just to get to ride the rides we wanted. My favorite was the Test Track, but we also enjoyed Soarin'. On the Viking ride, Will grabbed my hand and said "Mama, hold my hand tight. You seem to be very afraid, but it's okay, it's just pretend." We were fascinated by the children acrobats from China, and Will got to get his picture with Alice (from Wonderland) and Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Genie. Since we rarely have photos with all of us, we anxiously waited for the professional photographers to get us on film. One enthusiastic cast member took us on a tour of the Japan-area and had us pose for several shots. Later, when we were waiting in lines, Will would pose Allen and me so he could [pretend to] take our pictures. After giggling about his posing us, we handed over the camera and let him take some shots. I think the quote from that day was "Hey! I'm not done yet!" as Will yelled at the toilet that decided to flush a little early. Here is the video of Day 3.

By Day 4, we were all worn out. Seriously, how do people spend 10 days at these parks? We went to Disney's Hollywood Studios for the first part of the day, then took at ferry to Magic Kingdom for shopping, the parade, and fireworks. At Will's insistance, we rode the Tower of Terror. When he told me he wanted to ride it, I told him it was pretty scary. "Mama. Don't worry. It is all just pretend, and if I can be brave, so can you. You can hold my hand if you need to." By the end of that ride, I had marks on my hands where he had squeezed all the feeling from my fingers. He said it was fun, but he was certain he didn't want to do it again. We also happened to catch the Block part parade with the PIXAR characters. Will even got to dance on the street with Little Bo Peep from ToyStory. We rode more that day, but by then I was too tired to remember what we had done. We shopped for a few souviniers and Will designed his own Micky Ears. The parade at Magic Kingdom was beautiful and we ended our trip with the fireworks.

Day 5 was spent traveling home. We flew from Orlando to Dallas then to Waco to get the little ones. I was thrilled that my parents had brought them to greet us at the airport, and the babies were happy to see us, too. It was a joyful reunion with lots of hugs and smiles. Then we drove home.

Now it is the day after. I am still exhausted, but there is so much that needs to be done. I have no food in the fridge, but I don't want to take four kids to the grocery store. I have lots of laundry to do, but the soap is one of the things on my grocery list. The house needs to be tidied for the triplets party this weekend, but there is so much to do I don't know where to start. So, rather than start anything, I blog and the kids nap.

Before we left

Let's see how much of it I can still remember. . . . Monday, October 6th, about 10:00 pm
Allen was out of town (already in Orlando), Will was still awake (being afraid of fire), the triplets were sound asleep, I was watching TV and getting on to Will every five minutes to get back in bed. As I watched the last dance on Dancing With the Stars (the one I'd been waiting all evening to see) -- <BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!. . . BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! "We interupt the broadcast to bring you this important news. . .yada, yada, yada"> After I got over my frustration that I wouldn't get to watch the last dance, I actually listened to what they were saying. I groaned a bit as the weatherman warned that there were tornadoes nearby and heading for our town. Ug! As if I didn't already have enough Will-fears to deal with . . . so I let Will lay down on the floor of my room while I flipped the channels in the living room trying to get the scoop on the storms. (Why does this happen when I'm with the kids by myself?) Between weather reports, I took couch cushions to our powder room -- the only downstairs room that doesn't have an outside wall or cat litter in it. Unfortunately, while I was doing that, Will came out of my room and asked why I was moving the pillows to the bathroom. Since I didn't want to lie to him, I told him "I am doing this just in case the weather gets bad and we have to sleep in the bathroom. Now go back to bed." That worked a little bit. Then I heard more of the "Beep! Beep!" and heard enough that I went to get the babies. I laid the cushions on the floor and took Ben down first and told Will and Ben to lay down and rest. Then I went back for Maddie and Jon. I somehow fit all five of us on the floor of that room. The kids were all laying down and I had a little room to just sit. After all the commotion I realized we were squeezed in to fit on the 3-foot by 4-foot tiled floor -- no wonder we were crowded. It took a while for the kids to calm down -- the babies were crying, then wailing, because I woke them up. Will was wailing because they were. It was dark and I intended for everyone to sleep for a bit. As the house trembled from the storm, Maddie let out a little toot. All the boys giggled. Then each of them took turns trying to out-toot the others, despite my insistance that it was not an appropriate contest. The kids' panic quickly turned into belly laughs and lots of tooting -- again, not appropriate, especially considering the TINY and ENCLOSED space we were in. I just had to go see what the weather report was saying. The weather man told me to get back in the bathroom with the kids, so I squeezed my way back in. By then the kids were taking turns smacking each other, but no one knew who was smacking them or who they were smacking because the lights were still off. They laughed and laughed and laughed while I alternated deep breathing to stay calm and holding my breath to not smell the toots. In the end, we didn't get hit by a tornado. On one hand, I wished Allen had been there to help, on the other hand, I didn't figure he would have appreciated having to sit in the sink or on the pot just to fit in there with us. We survived, and the bathroom finally got aired out.

Adventures in Mothering (Convention Summary and today's adventure)

Yep, it's a long entry. . . but something for everyone!

This weekend I was at the National Mothers of Preschoolers Convention at the Gaylord Texan near Dallas. It was a wonderful opportunity, and I was so blessed to get to go. When we got our bags of books, papers, and ads from the registration table, we found a small black and white pin with the letters "SDWSC" on it. All weekend, ladies were trying to guess what it stood for, but most people wore them. Me, being me, didn't wear it since I didn't know what it meant, but I did wonder. We found out at the end what it stood for, and if I had gotten nothing else out of the conventions, I am glad I heard about those letters. Here is a quick synopsis of the speakers I heard. Some of them spoke to thousands of us, some of them were in smaller workshops and spoke to just a few (few as in 50.)

The first evening, the MOPS CEO talked about the theme of MOPS this Year: Adventures in Mothering. She talked for a long while about an analogy that God is like the safety bar on an amusement park ride. When we get on a roller coaster for the first time, the safety bar clicks over our laps and we hold it tightly. As we become moms, we not only grasp the bar, but we check to see that our husband, kids and friends are holding the bar tight, too, just as we tell them to hold tight to God. As we experience more and more roller coasters, we realize that we can eventually let go of the bar and it still holds us on the ride. Not that we should let go of God, but we can let go of our fears and God will keep us safe. That's the quick version of it. She talked about the analogy for about an hour, enough that I warned Allen to just give me a pat on the shoulder or a hug should I suddenly burst into tears on a Disney ride this week. It was an awesome seminar and I may have to get the transcript just to remember all the details.

On Friday, Patrick Lencioni, who wrote The 3 Big Questions for a Frantic Family, talked about how to bring leadership and organization to family life so home and family are not chaotic. Christian singers, Nic Gonzalez (of Salvadore) and his wife Jaci Velasquez filled the room with inspirational music, but spent the non-musical time bantering comically about life with a baby and how they fit their musical careers into family life. I attended a workshop by Debbie Alsdorf called Heartprints. She talked about how the little things we say and do, whether good or bad, in our daily routines leave marks on our children's hearts. This is a poem she read that summarized many of the points she made:

When you thought I wasn't looking (Author: Unknown)
When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you hang my first painting
on the refrigerator,
and I wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I
wasn't looking,
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I knew that
little things are special things.
When you thought I wasn't looking,
I heard you say a prayer,
and I believed that there was a God to talk to.
When you thought I wasn't looking,
I felt you kiss me goodnight,and I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt,
but it's alright to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw that you cared,
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking,
I looked....and I wanted to say thanks
for all the things I saw when you
thought I wasn't looking.

John and Danita Thomas, creaters of Kid Concoctions Company, shared many kid-friendly recipes for family projects. They told their story of faith while creating their company and inspired me to teach Bible stories, math, science, and other applications while "cooking" up new toys in the kitchen. Some of the projects they demonstrated were making gooey goo, stone clay, treasure rocks, sidewalk chalk, paint pens, ball blasters, and an ocean in a bottle. As we try out the recipes, I'll share our family's favorites.

I also attended a workshop that will help our MOPS group. It was about developing a prayer team for our organization. I can't say that it was what I expected or what I was hoping for, but I got a lot of useful ideas from it, and left with the emails of some ladies from other groups that I plan to keep in touch with.

The next day, we heard from another mom of preschoolers and musician, Plumb. I've never heard her music before, and it wasn't always a style I'd listen to, so I focused on the words. Wow -- what a writer! I was in tears before we had been in the first session even an hour. I tried finding the lyrics of the songs about mommy-hood that she sang, but so far I've not had luck in the department. I'll keep searching. Erwin Raphael McManus spoke about God giving us dreams and what we should do with them. The notes with "pay attention to this" doodles next to them said "put energy into making the world BETTER FOR OTHERS rather than MAKING IT SAFE FOR ME."

Another workshop I attended was called "Living Loud! Loving Life with Boys." It was given by Jean Blackmer, author of Boy-sterous Living! Celebrating Your Loud and Rowdy Life with Sons. She talked about the physical, mental, and emotional differences of boys compared to moms, but inspired us with ideas of how to enjoy the differences and survive our sons' boyhood sanely. When I was telling Will about it later, I shared her idea of eating chocolate-covered bugs, and he was excited to try that. Overall, her message was that boys are loud, and loud is not always bad. We need to take from boys the lessons to live life with passion, adventure, and endless energy.

From Thursday evening to Saturday afternoon, I was inspired to be a better mom, a better leader for other moms, a better wife, and a better ME. It was an emotionally charged weekend full of great ideas, but I was also overwhelmed by all the changes I should try to be making. The last speaker was Elisa Morgan who is the CEO of MOPS International. After all of that she shared the story from Mark:

1. Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2. "But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot." 3. While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an
alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4. Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, "Why this waste of perfume? 5. It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor." And they rebuked her harshly. 6. "Leave her alone," said Jesus. "Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. 9. I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." 10. Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The message to capture? Jesus was delighted in the actions of Mary of Bethany. She was delighted that "SDWSC!" or "She did what she could!" Nope, she didn't do ALL she could -- which is what I find myself aiming for at times, but she did what she could. That is all that is required of me, too.

As I wrapped up this long blog episode, Will came to the office to calmly explain that I had to get back to the kids. "Mama, there is a big mess waiting for you. . . Jon took Maddie's diaper off we need you now. Please don't be mad; Ben and I tried to clean it up."

Before I descended the stairs to cure my curiosity, I said a prayer: God, please let me survive this. I know it is bad just by the words Will used to coax me into the chaos, but please help me keep my cool and be patient and loving toward my children.
While I cleaned the mess, I said another: God, please help me get all of these piles picked up without puking. Please, God, let the smell leave the room and the stains come out of the carpet. I pray that you give me power to get all the brown out from under Ben's fingernails and between his fingers. Please give me the words to thank Will for trying to help, but the courage to pick up all the poopy kleenex scattered about the room.
After I got it all cleaned up, I prayed again: God, thank you for making sure Maddie peed on the tile. That was easy to clean up and I appreciate your help. Thank you for holding my tongue and giving me patience to clean the living room. Thank you for giving me the guts to not even feel sick while spraying carpet cleaner on four different stains. And most of all, thank you for the four amazing children you have blessed me with. May they be forever cute enough to easily control my temper.

Photo Challege: YELLOW

I am really enjoying Brenda's Photo Challenges. When the theme is announced, it is a mad race against time to find the photos that I want to use. I know we have about two weeks, but that isn't very long to go through years of photos and still keep up with the regular things I must get done around the house. This week, the theme is YELLOW!

I don't really have a favorite color, just several that I really like. Although you won't find me willingly wearing yellow, I love the way it makes me feel. It is such a happy color. Maybe it is just that as a kid every smiley face sticker was yellow, but maybe it's because it's the color of sunshine and daisies. Whatever the reason, it make me warm on the inside and smiley on the out. I couldn't narrow it down to just a few, so here are my yellows:

This may have been the first time Will ate a banana whole and in the peel. He is 18 months in this photo. For a long time he called his favorite fruit a "nana" then it was a "bamama" (pronounced like banana but with the Ms). This was pretty cute and I didn't think much of it; it was just how he said it every morning when I gave it to him for breakfast. One day, Allen gave him the banana and Will gleefully called it a "badada!" We realized he was calling it based on who gave it to him.

Almost exactly 3 years later, this is Will with his new haircut. Somehow this picture makes me happy. It was taken the day after I gave him his first buzz-cut, not under the best of circumstances. He had decided to try to cut his hair himself and I had to even it out. This was the best I could do, and it turned out okay. It makes me happy just because it is Will. He dressed himself the morning I took this, deciding that overalls were just fine without a shirt. The yellow sunshine is shining on my yellow-headed son. In the background is yellow -- I like it so much, we had our kitchen and living room painted yellow.

You may have seen these already. They are photos of Maddie (in orange) and Jon (in yellow) playing on a yellow ball at a sprinker park this summer. Such happy kiddos, with yellow, such a happy mama.

And finally, here is a picture of a beautiful yellow daisy. These are such happy-types of flowers! I caught this on the camera when we were in New England earlier this month. I am still learning how this camera works, but I was happy that I got a picture of a little yellow friend in the center of the flower. In the closer shot, you can even see his wings! . . . But, I must admit, I am happier when they are flying away from me.

Adventures from Yesterday

This is the way yesterday turned out . . .while I was blogging.

Jon, whose diaper has to now be taped on because he strips, got his diaper off. The tape sticks so well to iteself (rather than the diaper), that the tape stayed on as a belt when the diaper came off. I was very lucky that he only wanted to be naked; the sheets and blanket stayed dry. Any other ideas for how to keep my child clothed?
The grand finale was when Will started crying. I went to see what was wrong, and he had a ladybug purse over his head. If that wasn't enough fun in itself, it got better. The purse would not come off. I tried gently pulling on it, then we tried tugging it harder. When I lifted the purse, Will's whole body was lifted off the ground. At one time I asked him "Why?" and he said, "I just wanted a hat like a magician!"I know he was a little bit frightened that it may never come off, but I was more worried that I'd have to destroy the bag to remove it. After about an hour of struggling with it, I called Allen and asked for advice on what to do. He gave me a few suggestions and talked to Will on the phone to calm him down. I tried holding Will over the tub and filling the purse with warm water -- my goal was to stretch the canvas, while flattening Will's hair, but that didn't work either. After a while with no luck, I called Dad and asked if he had any ideas. Once he understood the situation, I had to listen to him laugh for a bit then he suggested soap. Allen got home and we tried the soap being careful not to get it in Will's eyes. Allen was finally able to get it off, Will was fine, but wound up. I know many of my readers are glad Will is okay but more concerned with how the purse fared in this fiasco; the good news is the purse survived without being cut, but it was quite soapy and wet. In my prayers last night I thanked God that there wasn't a red mark on his forehead from all the pulling. . . you see, today is school picture day, and usually picture days happen after these small disasters.



I am not taking any more questions along the lines of "Why do you want another vacation?"

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return. ~Mary Jean Iron

October already?

Who let this happen? It seems like yesterday the year was starting -- in fact, I still write the wrong year on things. How did it get to be October?

I was getting my daily info feed and realized it's been too long since I updated the blog, so I thought I should drop my line before either of our moms called in a panic. Yes, were are OKAY . . . just busy again.

Last Friday, Allen and the kids jumped in the van and headed for Allen's parents' home. I followed in the car. When we got there, my future sis-in-law got in the car and we drove on up to Kansas. After 7 1/2 hours on the road we stopped by Chasing Rainbows (at midnight) to say hi as the girls were closing up the shop for the night. The next morning we slept later than we meant to, but then spent the day playing at the scrapbook store. I got a little bit of scrapping done, but mostly I just had a blast visiting with everyone I've missed so much while the store had a big fundraising crop for ScrapPink, a nationwide crop to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. Maybe later this month I'll get all my pages journaled so I can post them -- maybe . . . (until then, all you get to see is a picture of my biz-partner, Jennie, and me at the shop -- even when we don't wear matching shirts, we don't clash.)Like the Kansas trip, this week has been a blur for me. Between Bible study and preschool, fixing dinner and doing laundry, I managed to get a craft prepared for our MOPS group to do this morning. We had nearly 50 moms assembling Advent kits for a service project and craft, but it went smoothly and now I'm glad that's checked off my to-do list. I've finished all the laundry . . . again (didn't I just do that??) and now I'm ready to start packing . . . again. I suppose I should think about dinner, too, . . . didn't we do that yesterday?

Tomorrow I am heading to Grapevine for a MOPS convention. Yes, I know I had a kid-free weekend last weekend, but I am still looking forward to the next few days. I am traveling with other ladies from our group and I think it will be fun to get to know each other this weekend. Is it only me who doesn't mind being thrown in a room with 3 other ladies I don't really know, one mirror, one sink, one shower. . . now it seems scary, but, nonetheless, I am looking forward to it. Before the convention is over, Allen will be flying out of Dallas for Orlando. I am so proud of him -- he was invited to be on a professional panel for the NPRA, National Petrochemical and Refiners Association. He is on the "Gasoline Processes Panel" and will be answering a few questions and giving "expert" opinions on refining questions to his peers. Way to go, Babe!!

After I get the kids and head back home with them, I'll have a day to pack again to head to my parents. The story will be that the kids and I are heading to my folks' while Allen is out of town (something we tend to do.) The next morning, I'll wake Will very early and get him dressed so he and I can get on the airplane and head for Orlando, too. Will doesn't know ANY of this except that we are going to Gramma & Granddad's. I am hoping he will be excited to get on an airplane. . . then be excited to see Daddy at the airport when we arrive. . . then be excited when we see Mickey Mouse at dinner that night.

So, I've been busy and it isn't slowing down anytime soon. If I get a chance, I'll blog after the MOPS convention, otherwise, I'll be excited to post Disney pictures in a week and a half. Check back this weekend for the Photo Challenge update. It was a fun one and I have it on autopost.