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Category Archives: motherhood

School Post Prep

I purchased a laminator for schooling. It's so fun. I want to laminate everything :-)I hope to have a post up this week – letting you all know what we plan to use for our next school year. I hope to start it 1st of July… HOPE is the keyword btw ;-) – I got to get things organized and ordered 1st.

I was going to put the post up tonight but im just to tired.

1st day home without my usual Travis help ;-) – posed to be more exhausting than I had remembered. Not so much BAD, just something I have not been use to in some time. I mean even before moving here, Travis’ schedule was so incredibly flexible… he worked in our backyard at the church, I mean really – I was spoiled :) – he was always there if I needed him.

The day went well, minus Owen not napping.
I got a lot done as far as house work goes and school work… but you can forget working on blog post – or any other “me” stuff. I managed to read a portion of my marriage book we are working through… but thats about it.

I got my shower at 8:15pm tonight…

I feel better :) – but not energized enough to write out a long home school post.

Its off to dry my hair then kick back and relax before I zonk out for the night.

Tomorrow is a busy day with COR group at 9:30am – cool thing about COR group – they provide the child care – and the workers will even do school with your older kids, as long as you pack it and leave instructions. Caleb’s bags are already packed ;-) – Taites, not so much. I think he will have the day off tomorrow.

So heres, to hopefully a smooth day tomorrow – WITH a nap from Owen ;-)

Loose, Mother, 1st Day

This weekend was an interesting one. Although, it felt longer than normal. Maybe because we had anticipation going into it, of what was about to start.

Between all that though, we had a good weekend.

The sickness has seemed to leave our home, finally. This is the 1st time in weeks Owen doesnt seem to have green gunk coming out of his nose, and his diaper issues are clearing up. Yea…. didn’t blog about those, but really, there’s no need :) – most moms know how that goes. – Diapers btw come June I hope to rid our house of! until Oct of course ;-)

Taite at dinner on friday night bit into a piece of chicken (I think?) – and began to cry as if someone kicked him in the face. He told us something was jabbing him in the tooth. Travis looked, I looked, we couldn’t see anything… until we realized there was a hint of blood around the back rim of his front bottom tooth. We then gave it a wiggle. Sure enough, it was loose. Taite must have bit down on something hard, and the tooth was loose, so when he bit, it just really hurt. He literally cried for 10 minutes over this tooth. He’d stop, then would start back up. We’d ask “what is wrong?” – he would say “I just keep thinking about it and it makes me cry!” – there really was not much to do, except change the subject and hope he moved on quickly.

Since that friday, we’ve had to cut his food up, so he doesn’t “hurt himself” :) – But since that friday, the tears have stopped and now he just goes around showing everyone his loose tooth. Literally, up close and personally. Our poor neighbors son Noah has gotten a mouth full of Taite over the past 48 hours.

IMG_2194Sunday was very wet and rainy… but we managed making it to church :) – enjoying a great sermon, sitting with some old friends from my home church back in NC (I hadn’t seen them since Caleb was 2!) – They knew me though pre-kids, pre-marriage, pre-salvation even! I went to youth group with their son.

After church, we enjoyed a quick left over lunch ;-) – and then naps. Must admit, sunday naps are a tradition in our home and with rainy weather, it makes those times even more restful.

Travis cooked us dinner.

Marinated Chicken Kabobs w/ Zucchini and Onion. It was great!

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Despite the rain, we let the kids play outside – and over all the day felt very calm.

It was nothing fancy… but there really is no need for much more.

This morning marks the 1st day of a very new and different life for us. Travis starts his training for his new job… He is excited – and nervous :) – Because he is in the training process, his days will be shorter right now. He will work from like 8am-3pm until July – to me its as if God knew I needed “time” to adjust to being a SAHM again of 3 busy little boys ;-) – and having to get use to not having a husband around 24-7 again. Travis getting home around 3:30 or 4, will be a lot easier to adjust to, than 5:30 or 6.

Come July he will begin working 8-5 – until he finishes his training – which will take until Christmas or so.

The morning has gone well today.

Although I hate getting up before 7 :)

6:30am I heard the boys get up… I specifically told them to stay in bed until 7… they were only allowed up to go pee.

But lights were to remain off. My boys btw, will sometimes get up as early as 6am – even if they go to bed at 10! It does not matter what time they make it to bed, they are up early.

IMG_2909I can tell it is going to take some retraining in this area. With Travis being home, we got out of that routine – and our boys had a lot more freedom to just go downstairs, cut PBS on and fix themselves their own breakfast. It was “easy” for us – and since we had “all day” together – it didn’t seem like a real high priority to keep them to much of a routine.

With Travis gone now, that is going to change.

I joked with the kids “Mama’s Back” :)

I woke up feeling rested regardless of the 6:30am wake up call… went downstairs and fixed myself a half a blue berry bagel – enjoyed it alone on the sofa, as I read some scripture and just prayed the day would go as smooth as possible.

I really just desire to be calm in my spirit when the day gets hard.

At 7am – once the older two came down.

I fixed them some whole grain pancakes – milk and OJ… then after 15 min. of peaceful talking :) – I discover Taite wet his bed (after I just made it the night before) – and that the dish washer had yet to be started from yesterday.

So before even 7:30am – I have a full load of laundry to wash, dry and put away… as well as a full load of dishes to get washed and put away as well.

It wasn’t exactly the routine I was hoping for this morning. I am thankful I remained peaceful throughout the discoveries… and we finished up breakfast happily.

I was able to finish cleaning the kitchen, starting the wash and even got the boys school totally prepped… all the while Owen still slept, which is a huge blessing! and now im playing catch up on blog work, while the boys play a game on the ipad. Id rather them sit quietly downstairs – than to come up stairs doing chores before school and risking Owen waking :) – hopefully by 9am though we can start school.

So here is to a different start to our lives :)

An exciting, scary, yet one we know is good start.

To a week filled with obligations that I will now fill on my own again… without a lending hand from a husband.

Here is to happy hearts and a soft answer when the times aren’t so peaceful.

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I’m so far from the perfect mom… but I really desire to try hard to be the best I can for my children. Like our Associate Pastor spoke on yesterday… I really hope when I am old and gone, my children can speak words of praise like he did yesterday morning about his mother.


“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

Proverbs 31:30

Taking time to Train

The other day I was at my friend’s house… and saw her 7 year old little girl sweeping the kitchen floor. She was doing a great job too! Even got the corners :) It reminded me how slack I had been on enforcing more chores with our boys… Ever since the move really. I guess maybe because I wanted it done a certain way & since this is such a nice home and not ours forever… I want it kept up really well. So I’ve been doing the brunt of the work as far as house hold chores go.

Obviously my boys are still young… they are however smart… and totally capable to do certain task. My expecting perfection is doing no one any good…

IMG_1503A few new chores I’ve recently added are.

Sweeping

Emptying the Dish Washer

(The boys IMO do not wash well enough with their hands :-\ – and since I cook most of our meals, I do rely on a dish washer right now… its an amazing blessing – since I am the sole washer otherwise. They can however EMPTY a dishwasher full of clean dishes.)

Add this to our normal few & I think we’re doing pretty good!

Clearing off the Table

Emptying the trash cans in all 3 bathrooms.

Taking recyclables out

Daily pick up of toys/clothes.

They put away their own laundry (I fold it as of now – placing it into baskets for each of them)

Making Beds

Now all this being said. Taite needs help sometimes with certain task. He did just turn 5. For him making a bed is really hard some times, esp. if he sleeps wildly :) – during those times I encourage Caleb to help.

Also Taite I do not trust with putting away glass cups or bowls. So we leave that to Caleb.

Sweeping also is really hard for Taite. I think its a height thing ;-) – he needs a shorter broom hah…

So Caleb as of now really does get more of the chores… but Taites catching up… and it really is all about training… something we have to put time into.

The other day Travis told me “you should teach Caleb to do that” – referring to something I was dreading… and I told him “It seems like such effort teach him some times… Id almost rather just do it.” He then said “Thats why its called training” :)

Its work.

But worth doing.

… and really is a good teaching tool.

Our boys as of now do not get rewarded for doing chores. One day we may pay allowance. For now, fresh baked cookies and breads from me is reward enough ;-) – at least I think so, HEHE. Not to mention TV privileges and ipad time. :-D

Flunky Cook

IMG_0353Last week I cooked up this recipe.

It is off the Crock Pot Girls website and was a top choice of readers apparently. So I figured it be a winner in our house.

Sadly, it wasn’t.

While it wasn’t BAD… our kids wouldn’t touch it sadly :( – not even Owen.

I didn’t mind it, but the chunks of pine apple cooked in a slow cooker just had a strange texture IMO, and the red onion, which are typically a fav. of mine (esp in salad!), were just not appealing in this recipe. The carrots came out to sweet too. So yea, besides the great tasting chicken, rice and teriyaki sauce, I wont be cooking this again.

Sooooo, this is just to let those out there, who may be ladies who fail at a recipe, know they are not alone :)
In fact my neighbor (I’m hoping sure she doesn’t mind my revealing this) messed up a recipe this week too. And if I am super honest, I would confess that I messed up 2 3 this week. This one was HORRIDand these :( – failllll

It may of been something I did :)
Or it may be the recipe was just being a dud.
Possibly my own tastebuds? although on these it was more than just my picky pallet that turned these away.

I am at this point however that I wish I could find like 5 more great meal ideas to feed my family. I have some recipes we love… and my kids eat well, but it gets boring eating the same thing over and over… and like I told Travis the other day “Why bother…” – when he askd me “whats for dinner” – and I just sigh and say “pancakes?”, because if theres one thing my kids love to eat, its pancakes! :) Im sure I am not alone in this battle. We do encourage our kids to try the foods, and we are pretty strict at it… but it is just very unenjoyable for me to have the battle… night… after night… esp. on those nights I try and try.

So when I laid down in bed for a great sunday afternoon nap with Taite… I was watching QVC, something I NEVER DO – and saw a Cook’s Essentials 4 QT Pressure Cooker advertised… and boy did they do their job well. I wanted to order it in like 5 minutes :) – but refrained. I’m curious…

Do any of you ever use a pressure cooker like it?

How do you like it?

It looked amazing!!

This btw isnt a complaining post :) – Im just being honest with a struggle Ive had lately. Not a HUGE struggle. This isnt consuming me :) – but I think its something many moms deal with. So why not talk about it? :)

All boys?

If only I had a dollar for each time a person asked “All boys?” after seeing me out with our 3. I must say I would have a hefty savings built. I will admit when I was pregnant with Owen I secretly wanted a girl… but from the moment I found out he wasn’t, I could not of been happier.

A friend of mine passed this moms blog onto me yesterday – and I just loved the video she had up…

IMG_8997copyIf you counted all those boys up, there were 7 – :) which means this mom is now pregnant with an 8th! The part I liked best was to see the excitement the other children showed. I think its even funnier how the one boy spoke up before anything was even said, guessing what the news was :)

Large families are a lot of work… and there is no doubt that I wish I had more free time to myself… but you can’t look at that video and not see the blessings this woman has in having 7 boys. It kind of gave me shivers and excitement about our future. Not that I think we will have 8 :) – but just the thought of having a large family and being a testimony and witness to those around us. Children should never be a burden… or a chore. Although there will be moments (been there). It takes sacrifice and lots of prayer… but I would not trade being the mother of 3 boys for any amount of free time or luxury around.

“Sons are a heritage from the Lord,

children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

are sons born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man

whose quiver is full of them.”

- Psalm 127-3-5

& no… this isn’t an announcement that we are pregnant :) – we aren’t. Right now isn’t the most ideal time for us to get pregnant… we got a lot of personal things going on, but we are hopeful for more in the future – boy or girl.