January 31

The last day of January is coming to a close....where did the time go?  I am so completely exhausted.   I'm not even sure that the scope of my exhaustion can be put into words.  I took two more kids in my daycare this week.  I will have them once a week on Mondays.  It is a one year old little boy and a three year old little girl.  They are so sweet and precious and I adore them.  They had to come really early this morning because of some family circumstances-so they arrived at 6am.  Because I was afraid of oversleeping, I had been awake since about 4am.  I kept looking at the clock and thinking, "There is xx amount of time to sleep."  Only problem....I just dozed for about 5 minutes at a time off and on.  So-they get here at 6 and because my house is new to them and its big changes-they refuse to sleep.  Nobody will nap...and these are kids who usually nap between 3-5 hours a day.  Awesome.  I finally got them to sleep for an hour, but I feel awful for their poor parents.  I'm sure those kids are no picnic tonight!  But to the parents credit-even though the kids were extremely tired and completely overstimulated, they were terrific.  They were a bit crabby, but amazingly well behaved and wonderfully polite.  I'm really going to enjoy working with them.
Since there was a ton of commotion early, Hayden woke up about ten minutes before 6 as well.  And he didn't go back to sleep.  He actually did really well for being so exhausted.  I didn't really see signs of strain until this afternoon and this evening.  Cebelle woke up a little earlier than usual and was actually kind of jealous of the younger kids.  She was in a bit of a snit all day until I explained that the reason I keep kids is so that I can stay home with her and Hayden.  Then she was fine and not so much diva....
Needless to say, I was chasing little ones around the house and dealing with crying at naptime and I was thinking, "Why on earth would I ever think I wanted to do this again?!"  I found it hysterical that Jeff came home and basically said the same thing to me.  
So-I am really looking forward to bedtime tonight.  I am getting ready to put my kids down to bed and I will probably follow not too long after.  It has to be said, though, that I enjoyed every second of today.  Kids are a gift from God.  Mine, yours, all of them.....I love spending time with them.  They are very entertaining and insightful.  They don't hide their emotions and they are straightforward.  They give and receive love eagerly and freely.  I think that most adults could learn some lessons from kids.  I know that mine (biological and daycare) teach me something new everyday.  It's always an adventure!

Weekend!

I have had an awesome weekend!  Saturday was spent hanging out in our pajamas.  We read books and hung out together.  We did a little bit of cleaning, Angela and Shawn stopped by to show us their new car,  and after the kids were in bed Jeff and I watched the movie RED with mom and dad.  It was pretty good.  We got up and went to church this morning and the message was about Joseph who I have always found fascinating anyway.  He is one of my favorite characters in the Bible.  The kids love to play with all the other kids at our church when services are over and we have such a hard time getting them to leave!  I have to confess that Jeff and I spend lots of time standing around chatting too.  There are such terrific people in our church and we only see most of them once a week, so it's really nice to chat and catch up.
We came home from church this afternoon and moved our computer downstairs.  I have been wanting to use it in school more often than I do.  Its previous home was in the master bedroom which was nice because Jeff and I could watch Netflix on it.  But we decided that within the next couple of months we are going to purchase a new TV for our bedroom so the computer would be better off down here.  Hayden did his first research paper this weekend.  It was short and very to the point, but I'm very proud of him.  I mean, what other 8 year old do you know that's writing research papers?  He's pretty awesome.  The kids played outside a lot the past couple of days.  The temperatures finally warmed up so they were able to spend over an hour outside on Saturday and almost an hour today.  They built a snow tunnel and a slide.  Here are some pictures of them having an awesome time!

And that's pretty much how our weekend went!  Now Jeff and the kids are finishing up a game of Monopoly and I'm heading upstairs to wash my face and get their toothbrushes ready.  We have a busy week, so it was nice to have a calming, non-adventure filled weekend!  Have a great week!

January 28

Today's adventure was.....a trip to the dentist for the whole family!  Yay!  Actually, the dentist trip isn't as bad as it once used to be.  Cebelle used to be terrified of the dentist and would not even let him polish more than 2 of her teeth before having a complete panic attack and leaving.  Now she really enjoys going to get her teeth super shiny clean and a brand new toothbrush!  She also found out today that she has wiggly teeth, so she is over the moon.  The dentist said that she has four bottom teeth and two top ones that will are wiggly and will be working their way out sometime in the near future.  She has already figured out that there will be $6 from the tooth fairy in her nearby future.  To be honest, wiggly teeth are the one thing that completely and utterly gross me out.  I can stand any amount of any bodily fluids, disastrous situations, and pretty much anything that comes at me with a relative amount of calm.  Wiggly teeth turn me into a screaming, freaking out, cringing, nauseated mess.  I know, I know.  It makes no sense whatsoever.  I can't explain it.  I thought when it was my kids that I would be thrilled for them and think it was so awesome.  Nope.  I'm still reduced to tears at the thought.  I can barely even type about it without heaving.  So, Cebelle is thrilled.  I'm in a slightly panicked mode.
Hayden's teeth are doing well.  The dentist said that he needs to be a better brusher so we are working on it!  Jeff has perfect teeth, of course.  I have two cavities.  Again.  I used to have perfect teeth and no problems until my pregnancies and kids.  Now I have at least a cavity a year.  It's really annoying.  The dentist assures me that it happens to the majority of women, but I still find it really obnoxious.  I mean, who loves getting half of their face numbed once a year?
On the bright side, I'm also getting a couple more daycare kids.  A little girl who is three and her baby brother who just turned one.  I'm super excited about it.  It's only one day a week, but they are really terrific kids and I adore their parents.  So I'm really looking forward to it.
Now I have my pajamas on and Jeff is getting the kids ready for bed.  We are going to watch "The Other Guys" before we head to bed.  And then hopefully we will get to rest and sleep in a bit tomorrow....
I hope you all have a wonderful and adventurous weekend!

January 27

I slept in this morning.  Until almost 9.  Those of you that know me well are now completely shocked, I'm sure.  I normally rise before the sun just because there isn't enough day to get everything finished.  But thanks to the leftovers of yesterdays killer headache, I was completely wiped.  The amazing part is, my kids slept until 9 as well.  Those of you who know Hayden well have now passed out, I'm sure.  LOL!  He isn't one for sleeping much!  Thankfully, my pain was only a dull throb most of the day and I got some terrific snuggle time with my little monkeys first thing in the morning, so it was a good thing all around!
After we finished our school work, Ninny and Papa decided to take us to McDonald's for some lunch.  Hayden really needed a haircut so we had decided to do that today.  He has decided that he likes it long, and I don't mind.  He can wear it however he wants as far as I'm concerned.  It is his hair, after all!  I know some people have a problem with how I feel about that...and here's my view:
Just because kids/teenagers/adults choose to express themselves by crazy hairdos, bodily piercings, tattoos, weird clothes, crazy make-up, etc.  does NOT in any way make them bad people.  Certainly, some people who do those things make bad choices, but some people prefer to look at their body as a form of self expression.  If my kids want to have purple hair, multiple piercings, and tattoos...that is their body and their choice.  They are the ones who have to live with it.  As long as they are making good choices in their lives, I see no harm in it.  Not that I'm going to be signing waiver papers for tattoos or anything like that before they are eighteen....and not that I won't sit them down and talk to them about why they are choosing to do it (because everyone else is...not an acceptable motive), but I think if you raise your kids well and help them learn values then they will end up making the right choices in the end.  And if they don't.....well, that's how we all learn valuable lessons, right?
Okay..back on track.  Hayden wanted to keep his hair long, but he didn't like it touching his ears.  So we got it cut.  And while we were at the salon, Cebelle decided that she really wanted her hair cut short.  Since she won't ever brush it, I wasn't about to complain.  But she actually went through a magazine and picked out a super cute style.  I was very proud.  Here are their new, adorable haircuts:

Don't they look super cute?  I'm very proud of them.  I also love going places with them because they are super polite and kind and they always get compliments from everyone about how well behaved they are.  Now-behaving at home is a completely different story.....

I have to confess, I wasn't really in the mood to leave the house today.  I am a total homebody.  I would much rather be hanging out here than to go to all the time and trouble to go somewhere and do something.  I don't get out much and it is completely by choice.  But every once in a while, mom and dad will give me a shove, like today and convince me that I need to leave the house.  I'm grateful for them and their little shoves.  I know they are only trying to help.  And I did have a nice afternoon.  I probably would have curled up on the recliner and read a book for the rest of the day.  But I would have missed the beautiful snow covered mountains and the lovely bright sunshine and the fresh crisp air.  So I'm thankful that even though it wasn't my adventurous idea, that they brought me along for the ride.

January 26

This morning I woke up with a killer sinus headache.  Headaches really annoy me.  That got me thinking about other things that annoy me.....so that's what I'd like to get off my chest today.  Annoying things.  At the top of my list is stupid people.  I know that isn't very nice and I guess should explain.  Ignorance annoys me.  Unwillingness to learn in this day and age is ridiculous.  All the knowledge in the world is literally at our fingertips, and yet people will still forward emails that include lies, racist remarks, and general stupidity to everyone in their address book without checking to see if its even true.  I can tell you, 99% of the time it isn't.  There isn't an excuse for that crap when you can head to your favorite search engine, type in a few key words, and find out the truth.  

Another thing that really annoys me.....people who assume that I'm stupid because I'm a stay at home mom.   I would really appreciate the benefit of the doubt.  Not to say that I haven't done a few stupid things in my life.  I am many things.  And although I don't have a college degree as of yet, I am anything but uneducated.  I stayed home knowing what I was giving up.  And I don't care what anyone thinks about that.  But it annoys me when people treat me like I'm stupid because of that choice.  It just puts their own ignorance on display as far as I'm concerned.  

Here's another thing...people who have a problem with you.  But instead of telling you what that problem is, they make snide and snarky comments on social networking sites or behind your back.  They say things about you to other people to make themselves look better.  I would never stoop so low.  I  have always been a firm believer in treating people the way that I want to be treated.  I had some questionable years in high school, where hormones got the better of me and I said some things that I will always regret to people who meant the world to me.  But before, and certainly since, I NEVER say a word about someone that I wouldn't willingly repeat to their face.  And I don't sit around and gossip about people.  I have had it done to me more times than I can count.  And you know there's always someone ready to relay information back to the person who has been gossiped about.  It's hurtful and I would never willingly hurt someone like that. 

Its just another facet of lying, which I loathe.  

Disorder annoys me.  More than that-it kind of freaks me out.  In case you haven't guessed it by now-I have a pretty busy schedule.  If things in my house are out of order and I can't find something, it throws me off schedule.  And I really hate that.  I like everything in its place and orderly.  It sometimes borders on obsessive organization which is why Jeff refuses to let me buy a labeler...

Last but certainly not least, I am annoyed when I am ill.  When anyone else is ill, I will gladly care for them.  I will clean up after them, I will tend to their needs, and I will nurse them back to health.  When I am ill, I deny it completely.  I hate feeling weak.  I really hate having to lay down and not get anything done and I hate for anyone else (no matter how well intentioned) to have to take care of me.  I have no idea why.  Jeff thinks its funny, my mother finds it annoying.  I get that.  So I'm working on it.  

So there it is-the short list of things that I find obnoxious.  Trust me-I could go on for much longer.  But despite my headache, there is still dinner to fix and kids to shower and put to bed.   So-back to the adventure!

January 25

I really had an un-extraordinary day today.  Things were all pretty much normal.  We ate meals, we had school, the kids played nicely together.....all in all, pretty great.  Since my mind has been completely unoccupied by craziness today, I had a lot of extra time to ponder.  Now, I don't know where your minds wander when left to do so-but mine is all over the place.  I can be thinking about a delicious recipe one second and contemplating the probability that an asteroid will destroy us all in the next.  I also have semi-eiditic memory so I literally retain every bit of information I see, hear, or read.  Which in any given day gives me millions of things to mull over.  My recall is pretty good too-I can usually do it very quickly which is the reason that my family will not play trivia games with me.

Anyway-so my mind has wandered today.  Mainly on the subject of having more kids.  I had gestational diabetes while I was pregnant with Cebelle.  By the end I was giving myself 6 shots of insulin a day and testing my blood 5 times daily.  It was really rough.  Then after her, I experienced two miscarriages which were completely and totally heartbreaking for Jeff and I.  Even after experiencing all of that-I would love to have more kids.  There is nothing that I would love more!  We always wanted 4-6 kids.  I had hoped to lose a bunch of weight and be healthier (though the dr tells me that probably would have little impact on whether or not I would experience gestational diabetes again).  And as my friend Angela says, "Why would you want to do that?  You're just going to get fat again."  But I'm not getting any younger.   The thought of getting pregnant again literally makes me a completely nervous wreck.  And though I want another baby, I honestly don't know if I could cope with the stress.  So here I am, stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Is having another child worth risking the heartbreak, the hospital trips, the emotional stress.  Absolutely.  Unequivocally.  So I'm leaving it in God's hands.  If its meant to be, then it will happen.  And if it isn't, then I will spend the rest of my life unspeakably grateful for the two beautiful babies that I was blessed to carry and deliver.  They are turning out to be some pretty remarkable people.

Hayden asked me where you are before you go to your mommy's tummy to be born.  I didn't even have time to answer before he said, "Because I think you are with God.  Just waiting for the right mommy who will love you and carry you in her tummy and take care of you."  

We won't mention that sometime within the next five minutes I was shouting at him to quit running in the house for like the three thousandth time that day....*sigh*

But that's what its like being a mom for me.  Its moments of peace and love, crazy and loud, angry and stomping, hand on hips and sassing, hugging and crying, laughing, and joy.  It's memories that I cherish every second of.  Its always an adventure.......

January 24

Well, this Monday and I did not begin on the best of terms.  I woke up this morning to what I thought was my alarm clock.  I kept hitting the snooze before I sat up and realized that the clock wasn't even on.  Then I looked groggily around the room to realize that nothing was on.  Jeff went downstairs and got a cell phone and it was shortly before 5:30.  It was also 20 degrees below zero outside and from my best guess-our power had been off for about an hour.  And I still don't know what that stupid noise was....
So-no power means no heat and no water for us because we have a well.  If there isn't power-the pump doesn't work.  So I gathered the kids up and bundled them up because it was only about 50 degrees in our house at this point.  Our living room has a fireplace and a propane wall unit that doesn't require electricity.  So, thank God, we still had heat because the power company estimated that it would be between 9 and 10am before we got our power back.  I should preface the rest of the day by saying that my kids normally get up between 8:30 and 9:30....so getting up at 6am was not a terrific start to their day, either!
Thankfully, things weren't as bad as all that.  It got down to 48 degrees in the rest of our house before the power came back on at 7:40.  A huge thank you to the CVPS crews that were out working in this nasty cold so that my family and I could have our warm house back even sooner than projected!
So-our whole day was kind of rough, thanks to all the early rising.  Tolerance was low and tempers were short. School was rough and there wasn't a whole lot of learning that happened, but we got the important stuff in! I tried to talk everyone into a nap.  That didn't really pan out.  Overall, it wasn't a horrible day.  I spent the majority of my day thanking God that our power came back on quickly, that the pipes didn't freeze, that Jeff had a two hour delay for school, that we had a secondary heat source...and also praying for all those who weren't so blessed.
Now we are all relaxing in our warm home, snuggling and getting ready for bed.  I am hoping that tomorrow turns out to be a little less adventurous than today.....

Weekend!

So-my weekend didn't really go as planned.  However, it was still amazing!
Saturday turned out to be a day that the whole family (mom and dad, Jeff, the kids and I) made a Costco run!  We were running low on some stuff and mom had to go, so she and dad decided that we should come along.  We bought our staples, ate all the samples, and had a really good time together.  That's one of the things that I have always loved about my parents...they are really fun people!  We finished the evening off with dinner at McDonald's and watched The A-Team after we put the kids to bed.  I loved the series and I wasn't terribly excited about the movie...but I actually thought it was pretty good!  Or at least..not as bad as I was expecting!
We got up this morning and went to church.  The message today was about Jacob and how in the beginning of his life, he was a deceiver and took his brother's inheritance.  But then he gave his life to God and he ended up being the father of the sons who were the beginning of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Its an amazing thing to think about.  How God will accept us no matter who or what we are and then He will make us more.
After church we came home and had lunch and cleaned.  Then I worked on some jewelry.  This is the necklace that I completed:

Its made with crocheted flower elements, glass beads, pearls, gold plate disks, and chain.  I'm pretty happy with the way it came out.  I tried several different configurations and this one was closest to what I saw in my head when I thought this up!  I will probably sell it for $30.
We are celebrating this evening.  My parents' thirty-sixth anniversary is today!  I made some barbeque ribs, potato salad, and baked beans for dinner.  It's one of their favorite meals.  I hope they have many more happy years together.
I probably won't sleep well tonight.  I rarely do on Sundays.  I generally spend most of the night thinking about all the stuff I need to do this week and trying to figure out how I'm going to get all of it done!  You would think that since I always get all of it accomplished that I would stop the not sleeping....but I guess maybe it's habit by now!
Wishes to all of you for a wonderful nights sleep and a wonderfully adventuresome week!

January 21

Today was a really long day for me.  Daycare kid here at 6:30 am and until 5:30 pm.  I don't mind getting up early.  I really actually enjoy the quiet before everyone else is awake.  I also don't mind the long day.  I love the daycare kids and I get a huge kick out of them!

I am so glad that it is Friday because that means I will get to sleep in tomorrow snuggled up to my husband!  (meaning that we will sleep until 8...but hey, we will take what we can get!)  We will get to have some great family time which I always look forward to.  And I am hoping to get some crafting time in.  

I have been working today on a few ideas that I have for some jewelry designs.  Right now I'm in a process of trial and error trying to figure out how to get everything to work and look the way that I want it to.  As soon as I have that figured out, I will make a bunch of these designs to sell.  They are nature/vintage/punk rock inspired.  I know it sounds weird-but if it looks like I want it to I think it will be amazing!  And if it doesn't....it will never see the light of day!  

I'm also hoping to get some reading done.  My NOOKcolor has a Free Friday book every Friday and today's free download was Septimus Heap Book 1.  I have been wanting to read this book for a while, but our library never seems to have the first book in.  I have read the first couple of chapters and I think that I'm really going to love this series!  Since it's supposed to be really cold here tomorrow, I'm thinking that I will spend the day like this:

Clean the house

Throw some dinner in the crock pot

Shower and put on my fuzzy pants

Read, craft, and play games to my heart's content

I think it's a pretty good day as far as Saturdays go.  That's the plan anyway.  We shall see what adventures tomorrow brings!

January 20

So most of my adventures today were during our school time.  Let me start out by saying that I did not begin homeschooling thinking that it was going to be a walk in the park.  I was terrified.  Completely.  Of not doing a good enough job, of my kids not getting enough social time, of failing them as a parent because I was too wrapped up in being a teacher.  But we found our stride and we make it work.  Most of the time.
Then there are days like today.  Hayden is eight years old and he is doing the equivalent of a public school fifth grade curriculum.  And most days, he breezes right through.  No complaints or issues.  He does, after all, have a genius IQ.  And that isn't just parental bragging.  We had him tested.  We knew he was really special when he was speaking in four word sentences by the time he was nine months old.  And he has remained so.  But despite his IQ, Hayden is only 8.  Sometimes its really easy to forget that because he doesn't act like a typical 8 year old.  So when he has a day like today, where he is acting like an 8 year old, it's stressful for the both of us.  Normally, there is a lot of arguing and whining and begging involved.  And that's just from my side.
So now that we are finished and he is playing his video games, I am sitting here watching him and reminding myself how blessed I am to have him.  How special I must be because I was chosen to be his parent.  And that will carry me through.
Luckily, Cebelle did not have school issues today.  Her independence is asserting itself very forcibly lately.  She gets up and refuses to put on clothes.  Or brush her hair.  Or pretty much anything else that happened to be my idea.  I am trying to pick my battles with her because she extremely strong willed and has a pretty hot temper.  Honestly, sometimes I just have no idea what to even do with her.  But on the other side of that, she can also be the sweetest, empathetic, kindest, loving little girl in the world.  So I look at her and I remind myself that I am blessed to be the parent of a child who knows her own mind and is passionate about what she believes in.  And that will carry me through.
So now I am trying to decide what project I want to start next.  I have finished up knitting a couple of purses and I am working on a huge 12x16 cross-stitch.  I think I'm going to make a few pieces of jewelry tomorrow.  These is a necklace that I was commissioned for at Christmas:

I love the way it turned out!

I am thinking about making some similar pieces in different colors.  I'm trying to build up my store so that when I get my Etsy profile set up I have plenty to sell!  I figure if I'm going to do it, I need to have enough inventory to make it work! 

But that's an adventure for a different day!  

January 19

So what were my adventures today?  I don't even know where to begin!  Do you ever read the thing on Facebook that says, "what's on your mind?" and then feel completely overwhelmed?  I would say that normally happens to me at least 5 days a week!  Honestly, it's not that my life is insane or that I am so boring that I can't think of anything.  It's that so many thoughts occupy my mind on a daily basis that sometimes it's difficult to pick a single one of them out.  I am many things to many people everyday.  My parents live with us, so I am a daughter, a wife, a mother, a teacher, a daycare provider, a friend, a maid, an artist, and I could think of a thousand more.  But that's not unique to me!  I think that every mom out there faces those challenges.
But today-one of my dogs puked.  On the only carpeted floor in the house.  Twice.  He just has a little tummy upset-no worries....but I can tell you that there were major freakouts all around when he heaved.  I am not ashamed to say that I was among the first to freak out.  And then I wonder-with all the other rooms in the house-why did it have to be the carpeted one?  Because now-in addition to the normal cleaning that I do on the weekends, I have to shampoo the freaking carpet.  (And what I mean by that is my husband will shampoo the carpet because he loves to do that....but, still!)
And so much for my dieting.  Because we are going to Virginia Beach on vacation this summer, I wanted to lose weight so that I don't feel so gross in a swimsuit.  But thanks a lot to mother nature and her inopportune timing, I am now eating everything in the house that includes chocolate, salt, cheese, or potatoes in the ingredients list.  No control whatsoever.  Sheesh.
And yet-as I am getting ready to close this and tuck my kids in bed, none of it matters.  They will kiss me and hug me and if I'm lucky for the next couple of years they will still believe that I am the most beautiful, wonderful mother in the whole wide world.
Until they become pre-teens and hate me desperately just for existing.  But that's an adventure for another day.....

The Adventure Begins

So-I have been going back and forth about blogging.  Should I have a craft blog, a mommy blog, a weight loss blog, a homeschooling blog, a blog where I write about all the annoys me???  I couldn't decide...so I thought it was best that I didn't blog at all.  Then I thought, "Why not blog about all those things? Surely there are other moms like me who deal with all of those things everyday just like I do.  And maybe they would like to hear about MY everyday adventures and feel better about their own."  So.....a blog is born!  I don't promise to write about all those things everyday because quite honestly, I never know from day to day what the heck is going to go on around here!  
So thanks for joining me on my new adventure.  I hope to hear about yours soon!