Oh Baby, It's Busy!

J.D. earned his woodbadge beads!!!  Yea!  He asked if I was excited that he was done, my reply 'I'm just glad you don't have to do it again!'.   (note Miss Lilly in a Peter Pan costume ... she is always in costume these days!)

 Went to a Christmas program for the 2nd graders - my lovely Miss Lily is in the second row up, third from the left.

 Made 11 gingerbread houses for a Christmas Eve party!

 Helped Miss Lilly make lots of candy cane reindeer for her classmates.

 Attended a 1st time Christmas program for Big D.

 Preschoolers are so adorable!

 Helped Big D learn how to ride a bike without training wheels - not a planned thing, just a spontaneous 'let's try it' one afternoon and he did it!  Amazing!

Made 30 of these ... for my darling nursery kids at church.  More details to follow.  They turned out so much better than I had in my head.  Love it when that happens!

 Watched Master S sit on Santa's lap for the Christmas party :) He may be a 'big 10 year old' but he still loves to be a kid!

Counting down the days with homemade advent calendars --- Halloween candy never looked better!  We've done this for a few years - collected 25 of their 'favorite' pieces after Halloween, wrapped them with a long piece of Christmas paper and a twist tie in between each one ... viola!  free advents and less sugar coma at Halloween.

Also, not pictured, LOTS of basketball practice and games for Master S, a cookie exchange, a very large Santa project that will get pictures later, so excited!  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Parade

We marked 4 years in Indiana last week. Has it really been that long? I was watching a family that recently moved here at church a few weeks ago, thinking about what a cute young family they were and realized that their kids are the ages our kids were 4 years ago --- and my kids seem so much older than theirs (notice I wrote my kids, not 'we' or 'me' - I don't feel any older than I did when I had Master S, 10 years ago). 

After 4 years, we finally went to the town Christmas parade this year.  I'd heard it was great fun, but between snow, ice and sub-zero temps over the years, we haven't ever been.  This year it was 60 degrees during the day and we decided we needed to make it our year to go - and oh! we've been missing a great treat!  Things like this make me so grateful to live in a 'smaller' town in the Midwest.  A church down from our 'spot' was handing out free hot chocolate, YUM!  There were so many churches with floats in the parade - one even had a live nativity - all promoting and proclaiming the reason for the season, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  What an encouraging, uplifting experience to feel the community support and embrace the true meaning of Christmas.  That, in combination with the patriotic presentation of the flag and our armed forces, tractors and cars decked out in lights, as well as the sense of community created with people gathering in 'downtown' Brownsburg just made me realize what a blessing it is to live here.

There was a tree lighting of the tree in front of town hall following, during which Miss Lilly just happened to lose another tooth - crazy girl!  She has earned the nickname 'toothless' around here, with that dimpled grin showing off lots of empty spaces and awkward 'grown up teeth' trying to fit in ... I should have started a fund for her orthodontic work when she was born!

 

Breathing

Master S and I have this ongoing discussion ... about staying focused and on task.  It is a daily, hourly, sometimes by the minute discussion.  He gets distracted so easily and from what I understand about 10 year old boys, I'm not worried about it, but I do want him to be aware of the expectations of school, parents, coaches, employers ... when it comes to paying attention and getting the job done.  It is a normal night at our house when you hear me remind him (and Miss Lilly) several times within an hour to 're-focus!, what are you supposed to be doing?, return to the table, have you finished?  what do you still need to do?'

As I was helping everyone to bed tonight, his bedroom is usually the last stop and we were discussing brushing teeth ... another area of constant reminders and re-focusing ... he turned to me and said, "Mom, it's a good thing I don't have to remember to breathe!"

Ha!  It is a good thing - especially because I won't pretend that this distraction is a trait my children inherited entirely from J.D. (although I think he contributed a bit too!).  How many times a week do I burn the bread I'm toasting in the oven for dinner because I forget it, or leave the laundry in the washer for a few days because I forgot I started it, or forget where I put my keys, shoes, glasses - not that there isn't a designated spot for them, or start to answer an email only to remember days later that I never actually sent it.  It is a good thing that I don't have to remember to breathe!

CTR

 There is a bit of growing going on around here ... Big D is fitting into some suits a friend gave us.  When I first got them I thought, 'He is never going to be tall enough for these!'  Guess what?  He is.

 Miss Lilly is always keeping us on our toes - never a dull moment around here. Who knew 7 could be so, um, entertaining?!

And Master S is so busy discovering everything!  He knows something about everything J.D. and I are talking about these days ... from the election, to the science behind household happenings, to geography and history, he always has a piece of information to add.  Love having kids old enough to have meaningful conversation with.  He certainly keeps my brain thinking. 

Despite the ups and downs of the world around us, life keeps ticking away and my children keep growing.  It reminds me to be present, to be in the moment, to be grateful for the gospel, for Jesus Christ, for the blessings we have right now, to be available to help others, my children and neighbors and to make a difference right here, right now, in my own little sphere of life.  Regardless of the decisions and actions of others in much more powerful and influential positions than I, I can be a faithful, strong, courageous, driven by the truth woman, mother, wife, friend, nurse and neighbor.  I can choose the right!

Halloween

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Spiderman 'With Muscles', and Mad Scientist

 Aren't they great?!

 Miss Lilly called herself a pioneer and 'Laura;, and someone asked if she was Holly Hobby - that had her a little confused.  I loved Holly Hobby as a kid!

 Big D has been in this costume for three days!  He loves it - and prefers the mask on, but I just had to get a pic with it off - just too handsome to keep it on :)

 We filled Master S' pockets with science stuff - ivory soap in the microwave in the salad shaker turned 'beaker', candy sprinkle test tubes filled with colored water mixtures with oil, corn syrup etc, and one of J.D.'s old white shirts turned lab coat worked great. 

Florida 2012

Florida in October is pretty close to heaven.  It was beautiful!

 We lucked out with the Sandy Storm, as it was on the Atlantic side of Florida, which made for a good breeze, great waves and lots of sunshine in the St. Petersburg area.  We spent time at Fort De Soto,

 found a great new place to visit called Heritage Village and Gardens - a collection of old homes from the Pinellas County area - totally free, with lots of hands on discovery and tours through them.  It's a great place to go if you are ever in the area.  We got to see banana trees too. 

Miss Lilly got a boogie board, which she loved, thanks to Grandpa and Grandma Flora.  Master S, a skim board - although it will take lots more practice to get that one down.  He got up on his knees a few times on the boogie board though ... so fun to watch him in the waves.  Big D even braved the water more this year.  We also made it to MOSI, the science and industry museum, but left pictures on Grandma's camera in Florida.  Maybe I'll post some later.  It was a fabulous trip!

Fall 2012

Fall Break - it's here!  The school district changed to a 'balanced' calendar this year, which means we have 2 weeks off for Fall Break, two weeks at Christmas and two weeks for Spring Break.  Yea!  So, far I'm loving the time to enjoy the season without school to worry about.  We found a pumpkin patch at a farm just about 5 minutes north of us this year.  Nothing fancy - just a field with a variety of pumpkins, gourds and squash.  It is a 'u-pick' patch with a table in front of the farm house with a bucket that states, 'pay what you think your pumpkins are worth' - totally cool!  The kids got some huge pumpkins and I got some gourds for some fall decorating ...

 

 This is Miss Lilly, or should I say, 'Miss Creative' - they found boxes all on their own and decided to make their own cars.  It took the better part of the morning ... she found construction paper, glitter foamies, markers, ribbon for straps ... and she recruited Big D, and 'taught' him every step of the way.  She amazes me sometimes!

 And the end result was fabulous - Master S was even wishing tonight that he has made one instead of play Nintendo most of the day ...

 Master S is in the 5th grade - which means that he got to participate in the 'fall' musical this year. 

 It also means that he had another year to earn the 'Eagle Pride' status, where teachers choose 2 students from each of their classes, that show extra respect, care and responsibility, to be recognized and receive an award each quarter.  He was chosen as a 'new' first grader when we first moved in and made it kind of a goal to get it every year --

 Pretty excited that he has reached that goal - 5 years, and 5 Eagle Pride pins.  Way to go Master S for being such a great all around kid! 

 Big D got to go on his first field trip with preschool - and I had the opportunity to go with him.  We had so much fun!  Hay ride, tractors, straw bale maze, cookies and yummy apple cider.  So fun to be with a bunch of 4 year old kids that are so excited about everything.  My favorite part was when we were on the hay ride, one of the boys looked at his teacher and said, 'I love you Mrs. Mischler'! 

Merry Christmas! (oh, wait a minute ...)

Merry Christmas?!  Yeah - this is what is looked like at our house a few weeks ago - end of September and a crazy storm blows through with hail the size of golf balls.  We could see the clouds building all afternoon and it hit right as J.D. walked in from work (thank heavens he wasn't still driving) and as the lasagna was coming out of the oven, so when we heard the storm sirens go off we just headed downstairs with dinner and ate it on the basement floor.  Supposedly there was 80 mile an hour straight line winds and obviously hail - but not like any hail storm I've ever been in!  It really sounded like a train was headed through our house - and at one point I looked at J.D. and mouthed the word tornado.  It was so loud.  Amazing how much damage hail can do.  My garden looked like someone had taken a weed whacker to it and most of my flowers were shredded.  And really, maybe I should be wishing J.D. and myself a Merry Christmas, because it looks like according to the insurance people that we need  new roof too!  Yeah - just what I wanted for Christmas this year!

Parenting

It's overwhelming - parenting.
Both J.D. and I think sometimes that we must have been delusional when we thought raising children would be fun, or maybe just plain ignorant, because most days we just look at each other, raise our eyebrows and say any ideas?!

Recently I've struggled a little bit with feeling happy as a mom.  I don't think I'm depressed - because I can be really, incredibly happy ... when all my kids are at school and the house is clean and quiet there is definitely joy in my life!  But, I have a hard time being happy with the chaos, amidst the whining, screaming and fighting that regularly occurs within as well as outside my home ...  yes, I'm sure my neighbors are well aware of my failings as a parent.  But, maybe I shouldn't look at it that way, maybe I should look at it as a willingness to be free with our true nature - that is my children's true nature.  Seriously, if I have learned anything from my children, we have nothing to hide over here and even if we did, there is no way I could keep it under wraps and still let my children lead normal lives and see the sunshine!  I sometimes feel like all I say is no, no, no and no,  stop it, shhhh, did you hear me?, what did I ask you to do?, do you want to sit in time out? really?! are you really hitting your sister? is that appropriate? what did you say!?! can you please stop yelling!, do you want to lose (fill in privilege)?, we don't (hit, scream, jump on furniture, etc.)  Sounds like a lot of fun at my house, huh!?

Speaking of fun and getting back to that happiness thing, I had a moment of realization tonight that might help me figure this out, or maybe not, I have yet to determine whether it will, but it was a light bulb moment for me and I thought I'd write it down.  As we were having family night (every Monday we attempt to have a sometimes spiritual, usually value/moral themed lesson from the scriptures, or church leaders and learn together as a family) and my children were behaving as usual, one in particular bouncing off the walls, literally, even with repeated attempts to calm, re-direct and reprimands to help her pay attention, and show respect and listen - her ADD tendencies were in full force.  All efforts were not working and I thought, 'I am not happy because I'm trying so hard to get her to listen through discipline that I can't break any of the rules, ever. I can't have 'fun' because I'm afraid to justify a behavior that I'll have to correct later.  She is so smart when it comes to her parents and discipline that if I give an inch anywhere, at anytime, she'll take the whole next 10 miles and then some.'  I've got to let that go.  I've got to enjoy and be happy despite my desire for her to be obedient.  Otherwise I will be the mean old momma that never smiled with my kids.  Discipline, although I'm a true believer and practicing parent in that aspect of parenting, isn't always the answer.  It may be a tool, but it isn't the tool box and I need to pull out some more tools.

What are those tools?  Really, I'm not sure.  I keep having these glimpses or experiences of 'love', total, unselfish, unconditional love that I think is probably the answer, but it is hard for me to grasp it and hold onto it long enough to really make a difference with it as a parent.  There are definitely moments of it with my children, probably more with them than in any other relationship I've ever had, but it still is hard for me to be consumed by that when I'm 'parenting' or 'disciplining' - especially in the heat of the 'I can't believe you just did that, moment'.  There is such a drive for control in parenting, but sometimes I wonder if the secret lies not in control, but it letting go of the control and just loving, and relying on something much more powerful than my own selfish desire for control.

Ok, there are some deep thoughts.  Not sure I'll ever really figure out this parenting thing, but I do know that my life is full of joy because of my children.  Even if I don't feel it until they are gone at school some days, the reason I feel it is because of them.  They may make me crazy, but they also give me meaning, purpose and direction, a reason to work hard, sacrifice and become who they need their mom to be. I had no idea how much growing occurred in motherhood - hopefully in the process of my growing, my children will grow and become who they need to be too.

Big D's Can Do Attitude

 Big D can do soccer ... His dad has been giving him tips, like kicking the ball far, running hard and saying 'soccer in your face' when trying to take it from the other team ... it makes me laugh when he says it - don't worry, he's too shy to say it during a game, he really loves playing.

 Big D can do pre-school too!  He loves it - and is learning to write his name.

 He can write it everywhere!  Including his bedroom door!  I came out of the bathroom to him writing this the other morning, on both sides of the door.  He was so excited to show me, he said, "now everyone will know that this is MY room!"  I was so proud of myself - I didn't get mad, I even took a picture and and told him what a good job he did on his letters, and them reminded him calmly that we don't write on the walls or doors ... and his face just crumpled and he started to cry.  I felt so bad - so after he helped me clean it off, we got some paper and wrote it again, to put on BOTH sides of the door.

He can also make mountains ... marshmallow mountains!  It was the week to learn about 'white' and the letter 'M', so it was the perfect activity.  He wanted to take it everywhere we went today to show everybody his mountain.

He can also do puzzles - he is amazing at puzzles.  Even the neighbor has noticed his ability.  Maybe we'll have to get a few more ... 

 

Turkey Run

 It was a goal of mine to get at least one campout in this summer. I figured with J.D. a scoutmaster we ought to be able to go camping at least once this summer as a family! 

So, despite having a week before and a Friday FULL of work and several other important tasks ... haircut, grocery shopping, preschool running ... we were determined to get out the door and go.  Not really my style, as I like to plan, but we literally threw everything in the car and just left for Turkey Run (State Park about an hour west of us).  Every time we try to plan to camp it rains, is 100+ degrees, or somebody gets sick!  Amazingly we had what we needed, the food was even yummy and it was much needed time, although not very long (just under 24 hours), away from the rat race of home.

 The kids had a blast.  Smores, hot dogs, star gazing, head lamp hunting, sword fighting in the firelight, tin foil dinner, tent sleeping, noisy campground, staying up until midnight, getting up at the crack of dawn ...

 It was fabulous!  The next morning we went to Turkey Run State Park and did some hiking ... awesome is all I have to say about that place.  Ok, well also, amazing!

 The kids.

Me and J.D. 


100% family, 100% fun, we really need to do this again.

Home Alone!

Today is a milestone. Big D is at preschool and I'm not at work!  Yea!!!  It's just me.  I miss him -  he loves to have lunch with me, to run errands (most of the time - as long as it doesn't involve clothes) and take cat naps in the afternoon, or that is, quietly watch Blue's Clues while I take a cat nap.  Is he really that old?  Has time really passed by that quickly?  But, he is in LOVE with preschool, and it was long overdue.  He is so proud to be old enough to have a backpack and go to a school that we drive past.  Every time we go past he says with a very confident smile, and a raise of the eyebrows, 'That's my school!'. 

So, I'm home alone. Amazing! I keep finding myself looking over my shoulder, or pausing and trying to remember where Big D went ... and then it hits me, he's at preschool! I miss him, but I'm enjoying time to just BE. Just be me - finishing up a project, or starting several, cleaning the house, weeding the yard, thinking about dinner, shopping at the store, sitting on the couch doing absolutely nothing, just me without responsibility for a few hours - no work, no kids, no husband. It's a good thing.

Our neighbors are moving ... only a couple more weeks.  I am going to miss them, and so are my children!  Miss Lilly got a new bedroom set from them.  She is loving it.   She has a nicer bedroom than I do ...

And, did you know that JCPenny is giving kids free haircuts during the month of August?!  All you have to do it make an appointment!
Well, we went yesterday ... they all needed them badly!

And now they all look so grown up to me!  I kept looking at Master S - they cut his hair kinda like the boys have it cut in 'Leave it to Beaver'.  Anyone remember that show?  Anyway, it looks good on him, just throws me.  And Miss Lilly cut off inches!  AHHH!  It does look super cute though!

1st Day of School!

 If Master S looks a little tired ... he is!  After a whole day at Holiday World with some good friends on Tuesday, we was invited to another smaller waterpark in Carmel with them on Wednesday.  After meet and greet with the teachers last night at school it was bright and early today when he had to get out of bed.  Nothing like leaving summer break with a bang!

 Big D, Miss Lilly and I went to see a free showing of "The Lorax" for our last day of summer.  Cute movie at a great little theater in Danville (The Royal).

 Can't believe how big they seemed this morning.  This is Master S' last year before Middle School!  AHHHH!  And Big D starts preschool in a few weeks.  'Enjoy the moment' is my mantra right now.  On my calendar for the month there is this quote ... "It is only possible to live happily ever after on a daily basis."  Which speaks to me of the need to focus on the things you can do now and the joy you can feel now ... not when you get paid more, or live in a bigger house or the kids are finally getting up on their own or making their own lunches.  Easy to say - so hard to do!