A Day of "Get To"

I'm not going to lie, today I woke up not excited about the day's agenda.  Make 3 lunches, Get 3 kids off to elementary school (at 2 different times due to 10 year old's safety patrol duty), change sheets, start wash, exercise, take the car for an oil change/entertain Little Girl in the waiting area, grocery shop with Little Girl, unload/put away groceries, feed her lunch, pick up the 7 year old early at school and take her for an allergy shot (again with Little Girl in tow), then pick up the boys at school and quick feed everyone a snack before swim team practice for the oldest 3, getting home just in time to fix dinner during time kids are typically whinest and most demanding.

It wasn't hugely busier than a typical day but I think it was just one too many not so fun activities crammed in for my taste, and I'm still adjusting to having Little Girl with me all day every day as this is her first week without her 2 mornings per week preschool.  I love her spunk and energy but it can be exhausting to parent and those 6 hours each week sure were nice to get things done without all the drama that comes with Little Girl!

But, even if I knew where it was coming from, I quickly got annoyed with my own bad attitude and prayed for God to help me feel more positive about the day.  Then I decided to take a bit of my own medicine, when the kids complain, "Why do I HAVE to . . ."  I always reply like this, "Oh Sweetie, it's not HAVE to, it's GET to!  You GET to take a bath!  Think how good you'll feel when you're all clean!" or "You GET to take a nap.  I wish I could take a nap!"

It worked!  I DID feel more positive about the day.

I GOT to take these 3 grocery shopping with me - Little Girl with Pinky and Beary (feel free to admire her CREATIVE names for her pink dog and stuffed bear)

Just think how many women in the world don't even have enough food to feed their children and I have an entire grocery store's worth of selection!

We picked up big sister early at school to head to the allergist complete with a visit to the treasure chest and left with extra large green glasses!

Every day is better with extra large green glasses and little girls giggling and asking over and over "Why is your hair green?  Why is my hand green?  Etc.  Etc." 

It IS a privilege to have special girl time with my 2 favorite girls!  We even managed to make it out of the allergist with time to stop by Sonic for chocolate shakes for the girls and a Coke Zero for me (I know I gave it up, but this was a special occasion!)

The girls had fun spinning in their matching dresses that I scored for cheap at Costco a couple months ago:

And after swim team practice (hence the 10 year old's sporting of a swim suit with his polo shirt),  I was making dinner and looked out the window to the cutest basketball game going on between my 4 year old daughter and 10 year old son.  They played for a long time, were BOTH having fun and I'm betting if Little Girl ever gets on a team with girls her own age she'll dominate after all the practice with her biggest brother!

It turned out to be a fine day.  I got a lot done, enjoyed my people along the way, and am so thankful I GET to live this life!

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Legos, Legos Everywhere!

Last weekend we went to a Lego Kids' Fest.  I've never seen so many legos before in my life!  I didn't intentionally steal a lego, but when I got home, there was a stray yellow lego that managed to find it's way into my purse!

Lightning McQueen made entirely of lego:

Little Girl buried in lego:

 The Monochromatic build area was my favorite.  Maybe because it appealed to my inner organizer?  A never ending supply of lego pieces, all the same color and size -- free to build whatever your imagination dreams up!

I just love that big ole' tub of legos!

Things other people built:

Reading books about legos:

There was tons more to do, I just didn't get pictures of all of it.  I was too busy counting my children!  It was pretty crowded!  BUT, I have to say having the boys dressed alike and the girls dressed alike and not just a solid color, but a bold stripe, really helped me keep track of my kids in the crowd -- I could always spot them!

There is Still No 5 Year Plan!

Our hearts go out to those affected by the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.  Our family is praying for you.  May God's comfort be felt in tremendous ways for you today and in the coming weeks and months.

The following post was originally published in October 2010, but it is still true today (except now we've been married nearly 14 years!).  We still do not have a 5 year plan, and in fact have found that life is better without one.  Just desperately seeking God's plans!


Some time very early in our marriage (or perhaps even before we got married, I can't remember now, it's been over 11 years) we had a long-term plan.

Very long-term, stretching a good part of 25 years or so.

It was detailed, too, with things like exactly when we'd buy our first house, have our first child, have our second child. . .

There was no third child in that plan!

And certainly no fourth child!

There was probably a trip to Paris and Hawaii in there, but definitely not to Ethiopia.

And adopting a child from Ethiopia? Would have been unfathomable to us eleven years ago!

My husband had in the plan one of the two of our hypothetical children getting a full scholarship to college (wishful thinking!), which helped the finances look a little prettier.

Then as life happened, which it always does, I think the plan evolved into more of a 5 year plan.

And as we more and more let go of our plans and began to earnestly seek God's plans for our lives, even the 5 year plan melted away!

And now?

I don't think there is even a 1 year plan!

We pretty much have no idea!

When we went to get our travel shots a few weeks ago the doctor talked about a certain vaccine we wouldn't need just for the 2 one week long trips that were on the agenda, but we'd need if we planned to spend any large amounts of time in Ethiopia in the next 10 years. I looked to my husband questioningly and he nodded that absolutely we should get the extra shot, so that when it's time for us to go be missionaries in Africa we'll be all ready to go!

So now instead of intricately planning our our lives, we are praying to "live a life worthy of the calling we have received." Eph. 4:1

But, the amazing thing to me is that as God has changed our plans, He also changed our desires. Things we wanted for our life eleven years ago not only don't matter anymore, but are actually things we don't want now!

God changes hearts and replaces earthly desires with heavenly ones. That helps to explain lines like this one from the Steve Camp song, "Run to the Battle": "Some people want to live within the sounds of chapel bells, but I want to run a mission a yard from the gates of Hell."


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Surviving My Kids' School Projects

I don't enjoy school projects.  Thankfully our elementary is not as heavy on them as some that my friends' kids attend, but still, there are some.  And there have been times I've started to hyperventilate a bit as I wonder just how I'll survive the projects times 4 kids! 

When my oldest was in 2nd grade I made the decision that I was not going to do school projects for my kids, even if other parents did and even if it meant my kid would have the ugliest poster/science fair presentation/cereal box/etc. in his grade.  But, still, even just assisting in school projects (that should be "child-led" as the teacher instructions often say) is time-consuming and can be frustrating when your child has an idea in his or her mind of what the project should look like but neither of you can figure out how to actually create it!

Was I doomed into spending my Saturday and Sunday afternoons buried in a pile of craft supplies along with a frustrated elementary-aged child?

This weekend as my kindergartener worked on his project to create a shoebox diorama from his assigned book - Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel - I figured out the answer to how I'd survive mothering through school projects for 4 kids.

My 2nd grade daughter came over to the table where I was helping my kindergartener and she started helping because she wanted to.  It wasn't long before I was able to mosey over into the nearby kitchen and start working on dinner while my 2nd grader helped my kindergartener with his project!

There it is folks.  Tangible proof that having 4 kids is not always exponentially harder than having 1 or 2 kids!


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R.I.P. Sally the Ladybug

Today my 7 year old daughter asked me if I wanted to come to the funeral for Sally the Ladybug.  I agreed to come after I finished helping the 6 year old with his homework.  But as I walked into the backyard my head was full of questions, "Did we have a ladybug named Sally?"  "Did she die?"  "Did you bury her?"

And the answer was "yes" to all those questions.  Apparently I'd lost track of the bug pets my kids have been keeping and rotating in and out of our outside bug habitat and we did lose a ladybug.

I've never been to a ladybug funeral before so I have nothing to compare it to, but I have to say, the best part was when my 7 year old said we needed to "have a moment of silence while you think about Sally the ladybug."

Excuse the blurry picture, but the circle of brown leaves below shows the burial site:

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I chaperoned a field trip for second graders today all day and my brain is mush, right now I actually don't even remember the rest of our week, it's a blur.

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One thing I know, it would be all kinds of awesome to have this playhouse/slide in your backyard!

Source: theinspiredroom.net via It on Pinterest

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And this:

Source: thepinjunkie.com via It on Pinterest

I used to think my kids were the only ones who called hand sanitizer "hanitizer", but no, my 6 year old's entire kindergarten class calls it that!

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I'm going to bed!  Happy Friday!

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15 More Days Left of School!

There are 15 more school days left until summer break, but who's counting?

Me!  That's who!

Each year I really don't know who is more excited about summer getting here, me or the kids!  They really like school but for me the effort to maintain the logistics of it all can be pretty crazy.

I'm craving a freer schedule, time to just hang out with my kids, time to play, some lazy days, no lunches to pack, no school projects to stress about, no agendas to sign or feel guilty about forgetting to sign, no school drop-offs/school pick-ups, and wash that consists mostly of swimsuits and pajamas!

We are in the home stretch!  Summer will be here soon!  Only 45 more lunches to pack . . .

Green Smoothies My Kids Love!

My kids are pretty good eaters, but I'm still always looking for ways to get extra veggies in them.  Several months ago I figured out a green smoothie recipe that my kids love and have made them several times each week since!  I even figured out a way to pack the smoothies in their lunchboxes using these little plastic BPA free bottles from The Container Store.  They work great and are freezer and dishwasher safe!

My smoothie recipe is totally made up and the amounts of ingredients are pretty imprecise.  My apologies, but play around varying amounts until you get the taste you prefer.  Here is the rough recipe I use:

Chocolate Green Smoothies

24 oz. Vanilla Yogurt (I use soy vanilla yogurt)
2 or 3 large handfuls of raw, leafy spinach (washed first)
2 or 3 frozen bananas 
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
2/3 cup milk (I use almond milk)

Combine all ingredients in the blender (I do not have a fancy, super expensive blender, you do not need one for this smoothie) and blend/puree/liquefy (whatever it is your blender does, I just hit the highest setting for 30 seconds or so).  You can add more milk if you want it a thinner consistency or add more frozen bananas for a more ice cream shake type of texture.  Add more honey or bananas if it is not sweet enough for you. 

That's it!  Pour into cups (or bottles for packing later) and enjoy! 

Makes about 6 servings.


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