Snotty noses, coughs, and fevers - Oh My!

Someone please tell me that winter is almost over. I used to love winter. Loved warm sweaters and layering pieces. Cuddling in front of the fire on cold nights. Brisk walks on sunshine filled days to warm up the soul. Snow ball fights with the hubby.

While I could {maybe} be convinced to enjoy that again some day, that day is Not Today.

Today, I took all three kiddos to the doctor. Mostly because Porter has been running a 101.7-8 fever for three days and has been miserable. I thought Landon had a sinus infection, and thought Ella Beth was coming down with one as well.

Surprise, surprise. All 3 have RSV. Seriously???

And there's no medicine 'cause it's a "virus."

Luckily (I guess?), RSV in kiddos Ella Beth and Landon's age typically mask as a severe cold. But for poor little Porter, he's got it rough. Breathing treatments, constant sucking out drainage, continued fevers.

And on top of it all, Porter has double ear infections. Poor little fella. :(

Motherhood is a battlefield in many different ways, but the winter/flu/sick season is one of the toughest.

I keep reminding myself that this too shall pass. I just pray that it passes quickly!

"all together"

Recently, a friend of mine told me that I was "one of those people who just comes across as having it 'all together.'" I honestly choked as I muttered out the word - WHAT???

She went on to tell me how and why I came across that way to her and to others, and I honestly had a hard time relating to much of what she said about me at all. I sure don't have it "all together" - and that's a promise. And in case I have given anyone else that misconception of me, let me disprove it for you.

*Today, I forgot to brush my teeth before leaving the house.

*Yesterday, I noticed around 11:20 am that my teeth felt "skuzzy"... and I remembered that I hadn't brushed my teeth yet. So, I waited until after I ate lunch and then brushed my teeth.

*I have worn my slippers out into public. More than once.

*I have to pray for patience and gentleness and self-control in dealing with my kids multiple times a day.

*There are days that I have to pray for God to allow me to Like my children.

*Some mornings I get up at 5:20 in order to "start my day off right" - but after a shower, getting ready, and a cup of coffee, I still haven't opened my Bible...and the kiddos are all waking up

*Some days I pretend that I'm using the bathroom longer than necessary just to have 3 minutes to myself

*Sometimes I will nurse Porter to sleep for his nap and continue to hold him after he's fallen asleep just to continue sitting

*I hide toys that get on my nerves

*I have gotten out of the shower without rinsing my hair

*I forget to lay out meat to thaw for supper, and at 4:45 pm I scramble to put a meal together

*I forget to get the wet clothes out of the washing machine and have to rewash loads of laundry

*My gas light always comes on before I notice that I need to get gas

*I forgot to send a lunch with Landon to preschool last week

*Landon rarely has clean socks

*I always forget to buy Landon socks when we're at the store

*Ella Beth reminds me every week to wash her clothes

*I will re-wear my nursing camis if I forget to wash my own clothes

*I forget to do my own laundry until I am down to my least favorite pair of underwear

*My desk in our well-organized school room is a disaster

Nope. I don't have it all together. Not even close!

Where's the Mama been?

When things are going well and life seems to hit a really easy stride, it's hard to remember how much work a baby can be. When the baby takes TWO 2.5 hour naps for three straight days, it's easy to think "normal" is easy. When the baby will let someone else keep him and will take a bottle while Ella Beth and I go to co-op, it's easy to take it easy.

But then something strange happens, and life ain't no longer easy.

As cute as he is, he has turned into the biggest stinker. If anyone tries to take him to his room for a nap, he starts screaming the second he crosses the doorway. Try to give him a bottle...of breast milk (aka: liquid gold)...and he refuses and spits out any milk that may dribble into his mouth. Set him up with his favorite toys and even think about stepping away? Oh, he's got your number.

Don't let this next one fool you. He's not about to laugh. Nope. He's about to wail. I was waiting to take a picture of his absolutely-adorable-scrunched-up-I'm-so-mad-I'm-pitiful-face...when his big sister came to his rescue and said, "Uh, Mommy. Why are you just letting Porter scream? You need to pick him up and love on him." Nothing like a six year old to keep you in line!

So, I have been on the floor playing. I've been pacing the floor with a baby who refuses to nap, but who also refuses to be put down because-he's-so-exhausted. I've been baking cookies with the big brother and big sister holding a baby on my hip. I've been vacuuming, wiping tushies, brushing my teeth, and teaching the older ones all while holding, cajoling, consoling, spoiling the baby.

At the end of the day, I'm exhausted. My arms ache, and I have this pinched nerve in my right shoulder that screams if I move just so. And I think to myself, "Tomorrow I will just let him cry. He will get over it." But then tomorrow comes, and I look at the two bigger kiddos who grew up before I realized how fast time really went by.

And I say to the baby, "Oh come here, you rotten little thing!"

When the baby's sick...

the Mama doesn't sleep.

After two nights of Porter being up at three different times and his fever going up to 101.3 yesterday, I took Porter to the doctor at 5:30 yesterday evening. He has an ear infection in his left ear, croup, and "probably has RSV" (though the doctor said there's no specific test to diagnosis it.) Thankfully, his blood oxygen level was stable so we didn't have to trek it down to Scottish Rite. Thankful.

We finally got out of the doctor's office close to 7 and then had to wait for the pharmacy to fill his prescriptions. It was almost 9 before we got home.

Porter nursed and went straight to sleep. And then the other two kiddos went down close to 10. It took them all of 28 seconds to fall asleep.

Scott and I went straight to sleep as well.

Until 11:39 when Porter woke up. I went ahead and nursed him again because he hasn't been eating well the last couple of days...and goodness knows he doesn't need to lose any weight! He nursed and fell asleep. Then I tried laying him down. OhMyWord. You would have thought I was putting him in an ice bath the way he screamed. So I picked him up, tried nursing him again but he wasn't interested. Nope, he was just wide awake.

Until 2:49.

That's three full hours of being up with the baby boy. I finally fought with him a little by patting his back and tucking a blanket around him so that he couldn't wiggle all over his crib.

He slept until 5:49. (He's nothing if not consistent with the "9s.") He nursed and went back down.

Until 7:59. Up for the day. Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, still has a fever, eyes are weak. I feel bad for him because this is first battle with being sick, but I am so exhausted.

Scott had my coffee ready and waiting for me this morning. Love him dearly.

My Favorite Mommy Song

Music speaks to me deeply. There are songs that grow my faith. Songs that bring back fun memories of being young. This song reminds me on those hard, exhausting days why being Mommy to my three littles is so sweet. I am crazy blessed and oh, so lucky.

Mama said there'd be days like this

Mama said there'd be days like this. There'd be days like this, my mama said. We are now going on day 19.

I guess the old saying is true: "When it rains, it pours." Well, it's been pouring sickness throughout our house, and it's been rough. The more people you have in your family, the longer it takes for sickness to pass through and leave. Thank goodness we aren't the Duggars.

It started with me - laryngitis, sneezing, itchy eyes, and a cough. I really thought I had crazy allergies. And life doesn't stop for a sick mama most of the time, so I kept trucking along. Apparently sharing my germs with those I love the most.

Because a week later, Ella Beth had all of my symptoms. I guess it wasn't allergies after all. But she bounced back quicker than I did, and has felt fine for the last week or so.

But of course, Porter wanted to join the party and has now been stuffy and running a low-grade fever all week.

And then at 2:30 this morning, Landon started throwing up and had a fever of 102. He never could keep any Tylenol or Ibuprofen down, so when we went to the doctor at 9:30 his fever was up to 103.1. :(

Poor Scott is living on edge...but he's hoping that this will do the trick:

Me? I'm hoping that everyone feels well very soon. And that I can get a good night's rest!

Castleberry babies

It seems that Porter decided to fit the mold of a Castleberry baby. Read: Not Easy.

Porter is the perfect mix of his big sister and big brother. The perfect mix of their "challenging" baby qualities.

Ella Beth had horrible, explosive GERD. Porter has horrible, explosive GERD. And unfortunately it's worse.

Ella Beth had colic for 13 weeks. I don't know if Porter has colic, but he cries a lot. It just started recently, so it's hard to know.

Landon had to be swaddled every time he went to sleep. Porter absolutely must be swaddled. His little arms just never quit moving unless they are pinned down to his sides. Thank goodness for the miracle blanket.

Ella Beth was never a self-entertaining baby. She always needed an audience. Porter will cry if he thinks anyone has walked away from him. He can even tell when my voice moves a farther distance across the room, and his screams give way.

Landon always wanted to be toted around. As soon as Porter is big enough, he will be riding around in the baby carrier. He hates to be put down, but I am so looking forward to having my hands free. (Especially now that Porter is on a heart monitor and I have to tote that thing around every where we go, too.)

Ella Beth had a hard time "lasting" between feedings. Porter is the same way. Unfortunately, it all stems from GERD because of the quantity that they spit up. The amount of milk that shoots out is staggering. However, it's hard to create any type of schedule. I can feed Porter at 7:30 a.m., but if he has a huge explosion he will be hungry just an hour later. Since this scenario happens multiple times a day, getting on a schedule is nearly impossible.

However, as difficult as many days seem to be lately, it's not all difficult.

There are smiles and coos.
Porter typically takes decent naps.
He is very adaptable to being out and about.
He will take a paci.
He loves his bath each night. (Yes, he gets a bath every night. I know it's not typical for little babies, but after his daily, multiple explosions the little fella stinks.)
He is super cute, and very sweet when he's not crying.
He has blue, blue eyes that are easy to get lost in.
And I know that he is a gift. Not a day goes by that I don't remember the pain it took to get him here.

A song comes to mind often these days. A very simple song of promise and hope.

He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got the little tiny baby in His hands.
He's got the little tiny baby in His hands.
He's got the little tiny baby in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

Though these times are tough, though I fail to give everyone the attention they want and need every time they want and need it, and though I think I may not make it through each day when I'm going through it - I am thankful. I truly am.

It is through my children that God has taught me the most about myself and His unconditional love. He brings forth my own weaknesses daily that I may further rely on Him for strength. He fills my heart until its seams almost burst with love for my children in order for me to understand how much He loves me. And I am so thankful that He's got the whole world in His hands.

Life in the trenches

I have often heard that being a mother to young children is like "being in the trenches." I totally get it. Man, some days are just hard.

Some days the once easy baby just starts crying and fussing and just. won't. stop. And I can't figure out why.

Some days the oldest is sassy and pushes my buttons just because she knows how.

Some days the middle is whiny and mumbles all throughout the day and I have no idea what he's saying.

Some days the hardwood floors have milk spots all over them from the reflux baby who shoots milk everywhere, and I just have to look at them over and over and over again while I'm pacing the floor over and over and over again.

Some days the oldest and the middle just want Mommy to play with them, but as soon as we get started the baby is fussing crying screaming. Again.

Some days I just want to exercise because it makes me feel better. But that is the last thing on my list of never-ending things. I could exercise at 5 a.m. if I was more dedicated, I suppose. However, after getting up at least twice a night for the last 9 straight weeks - I am not that dedicated.

Some days it's just so stinkin' hot that even going outside for some fresh air backfires.

Some days the baby just wants to nurse every two hours, and I just don't have it in me. Literally.

Some days I just want to lock myself in the bathroom and cry. Or just catch my breath. But, I know if I did that I'd see how dirty the floors are and I'd for sure lose it.


Some days I wonder what in the world He was thinking giving me three children, because some days are hard.

Those are some days.

But every day, every day I look at three precious little people that God has entrusted to me and I am thankful.

Round Three, part 4

Sometimes life is just plain hard. And there's no way around it.

Just 7 days after being discharged from my c-section, I am alone with two rambunctious kiddos. And everything that could go wrong, does.

Scott ran me to the hospital this morning so that I could drop off my milk for Porter. We came home and Scott had literally just walked out the door for work when I realized I didn't have any more storage bottles for my breast milk. The NICU is very strict about how breast milk is handled and they require moms to use fresh storage bottles each time we pump. We are not allowed to reuse them, so when I realized I didn't have any more there was only one thing to do. I had to drive myself to the hospital with the kiddos in tow. I'm not supposed to be driving. I called my neighbor, but her kiddos were napping. I called a couple of other friends who were either unavailable at the time or the call went to voice mail. I had less than two hours until my next pumping session, so driving was inevitable.

Both Ella Beth and Landon are completely on edge right now. Telling them to load back up into the car was like telling them they could never have dessert again. Not to mention the slightest correction from me and they are a mess of tears. I wish their little hearts could have been protected from so much during the last 12 weeks of this crazy year, but this is a fallen world and sometimes life is just plain hard. Even for our children. They have missed the normalcy of life; the ease of being 5 and 4. Homeschooling on a routine schedule, field trips every week or so, playing outside on beautiful days, having Mama home all of the time. But life hasn't been routine or normal here for quite some time. And they still haven't met their baby brother who they pray for every day. I know it's hard on them.

It's hard on me.

Every day for the last 10 days I have been without my youngest son. I didn't get to see him for more than 12 hours after he was born, and every day since I have had to leave the NICU without him. In my post-partum room I could hear other babies crying in their mothers' rooms, only to be picked up and comforted. Those mamas gave birth and got to be with their babies right away. It's unfair to be separated from my tiny baby that I just brought into this world. No matter how "prepared" I was for our NICU stay from over two months of preterm labor, it is almost unbearable. Sometimes I don't know where the strength comes from for me to stand up and keep going; nothing is easy emotionally or physically.

The pain of healing from a c-section is rough, but add on top of that going back and forth to the hospital on a daily basis, caring for two emotionally strung out kiddos, and pumping every 3 hours around the clock...and the pain just adds up. I know I should be doing less and resting more, I just don't know how to work either of those into my life right now. When I am home, I have two needy children who want to be by my side every single minute. They want to "help" with everything, they want me to play, get them food and drinks, go outside; they get sad when I can't do it all, and they don't understand why. Ella Beth often says, "I wish it was like before when your belly didn't hurt and you could play with me." :( When I am at the hospital, there is a tiny little fella who needs his Mama. Or is it his Mama that needs him? Alarms and monitors are always going off, sweet nurses are  coming in and out, I am pumping or nursing (or both) every 3 hours around the clock there, too. I don't know how to fit resting and healing into my days. And it hurts.

Tonight I had to give the kiddos a bath on my own. I got them in the tub with just the right amount of water and bubbles. It was time to pump, yet again, so I left them alone for all of 10 minutes. Now usually there will be a little water on the side of the tub from innocent playing, but not tonight. No, tonight there was a huge mess. Landon went to the potty before he got in the tub, but his little bladder decided he needed to go again. So he peed in a play cup. Instead of just leaving it until Mama came, he and Ella Beth decided to pour it into the potty. Well, they missed. I walked in to find a huge puddle of pee all over the floor next to and behind the toilet. Unfortunately for me, a puddle of pee is not something that can just sit until Daddy is home to clean it up. And letting the kiddos clean it up just wasn't an option. So here I am on all fours cleaning up pee all around the toilet. I am having to stretch and reach, and I can just feel my incision screaming at me. I am fighting off tears as much as possible because I have two overly sensitive kiddos watching my every move.

I want to scream at them for making me have to do this. I want to curl up into a ball and just cry over the pain and frustration that I feel. I want to shake my fists and just get mad.

But what's the point? Sometimes life is just plain hard.

And it is at times like these when I can do nothing more than cry out to God for mercy. To let Him know that I have reached my limit. At least for today. Tomorrow will bring its own set of trials, but I can't think of those tonight. Tonight, I just have to choose to believe that God is molding me with fire. Fire is hot, and it's unrelenting. But in the end it can produce great things, great outcomes. So I make up my mind over and over and over again to trust that God knows what He's doing.

"When you can't see God's hand, trust His heart."

Totally Random Randomness

We have lots going on around our small abode these days. And sometimes when lots is going on, this Type-A mama tends to feel a little overwhelmed and out of sorts.

But, today, instead of getting irritated I decided to document!

Scott is painting the house. The entire house. Oh My Word - what an ordeal this is going to be! Since Ella Beth, Landon, and I are here ALL of the time...having the house painted is a bit of a distraction. Especially when it's Daddy doing the work - because we all love Daddy around here. :) But, I am thankful that he is willing to do it, and I know it will look great when it is (finally) complete. Until then, there will be sanding dust and kitten prints from said dust all over the place. Furniture will be misplaced. Pictures will be un-hung. Walls will be bare. Things will just be different. But, I know it will look great when it is (finally) complete. I just keep reminding myself of that. ;)

Surprises do make a day brighter. Especially when things get over-whelming!

 

Of course, cookies make a day brighter, too! We made two dozen cookies earlier today. As in 24 cookies. You can do the math to see how many have been eaten. Mostly by someone pregnant in the house, but I'm not naming names.

Look what's on the menu for tonight. Not my favorite. By far. But, we are desperately trying to find a few more things that Landon will eat. Apparently we will try anything.

Ella Beth's room seems to be in constant transition these days. She has so many toys that she just can't part with. Man, oh man, do they take up space. The biggest of which is her doll house that has been moved back into her room since she has found new interest in it lately. She has more furniture than will actually fit in the doll house, and we have to find a place for all of that, too. When this picture was snapped, it was all in a basket in her closet. Now...it's scattered all over her floor because she is "redecorating."

When I was teaching, I loved decorating my classroom each year. In the Reading Corner, there were butterflies (made out of wire and white panty hose, and then colored with marker) hanging from the ceiling. I came across these a while back, and now they decorate Ella Beth's room.

The only thing Landon requested for Christmas was Legos. He got over 3000 Legos - yes, that's 3 zeros there. Three THOUSAND. He likes playing with them, but goes through phases. Here is a picture of some of our creations that have survived almost 4-year-old-boy destruction.

Landon has eczema on his cheeks - his upper cheeks. ;) Last year it was a constant battle keeping his cheeks from being bright red and irritated all of the time. But, this year, after again trying Aquaphor and Vaseline, I found Baby Bee from Burt's. We put it on right before bed time, and it has worked like a charm! Now, he really really dislikes having to put it on each night...but, he is usually a good sport. Especially when we remind him that we'll have to go to the doctor if he doesn't let us put it on. Sometimes things just require a little persuasion. :)

And, oh little Porter's wardrobe has started growing! I pulled out Landon's first Christmas and second Easter outfits (he was just a month old for his first Easter). I have also found some great things for next fall/winter on clearance. Just last week I got an outfit from Old Navy for $2.47. Gotta love that price!

Now how about a little inside into our craziness. We do not dry our clothes. Any of them. We hang everything to air dry and then "fluff" them to soften them up after they dry. Yes, it's a little extra work, but I promise that it's totally worth it! Our clothes don't fade, shrink, or get that really worn look. It has been a great payoff when we have sold the kiddos' clothes. Well, except that I really wish I could have all of Landon's clothes back now that baby boy is on his way!

Ella Beth got lots and lots of art supplies for Christmas. She brings her "art" where ever we are in the house. I would just l-o-v-e for it to stay in the school room at the big table where the mess creativity could be contained. But, alas, I am learning to let it go.

That's life around here these days. A little bit of crazy, but real and fun-filled. :)

When selfishness gets in my way

“[Motherhood as a mission field] is giving up yourself. Lay yourself down. Sacrifice yourself here, now. Cheerfully wipe the nose for the fiftieth time today. Make dinner again for the people who don’t like the green beans. Laugh when your plans are thwarted by a vomiting child. Lay yourself down for the people here with you, the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore. Rejoice in them. Sacrifice for them. Gain that which you cannot lose in them.“ Rachel Jankovic

--

Giving up yourself.

Lay yourself down.

Cheerfully.

Again.

Plans thwarted.

Sacrifice.

Are any of those easy for you, because none of those come naturally to me. If you had asked me before I became a mother if I was willing to sacrifice everything for my children, I would have said without a doubt or hesitation, "Yes!" 

And then I became a mother. 

And then I became a mother again. And now as I await sweet baby boy who will make me a mother yet again, that whole idea of sacrifice becomes harder.

When I just had Ella Beth I honestly didn't have to sacrifice all that much. If I wanted to do something for myself, I had her nap times to do it by golly! Then when Landon came along, if I wanted to do something for myself, I had their shared nap times to do it. That was until Ella Beth stopped napping. And then, Landon stopped napping. And now, when do I make time for myself? What about me? Me, me, me!

Oh, wow. I think I have become a more selfish person since having kids. How in the world did that happen? 

Yesterday, I was resting on my bed while the kiddos were watching 30 minutes of TV. As I "rested" I checked my email, checked FB, played Words With Friends. And, I asked myself (or quite possibly it was the Spirit asking), "What would you be doing if you didn't have that smart phone of yours?"

Ouch. 

It hurt because I knew the answer as soon as the question was asked. I would be doing something with my kiddos. Whether it be snuggling as we watched TV together, or playing a game, or baking together, or teaching them to fold/clean/etc.

It all comes back to giving myself up. Laying myself down. Sacrificing. And, we are called to do it cheerfully. Out of love. Because we love.

Why is it so hard? For me, I think it is because I tend to focus on the negatives - "the people who annoy you, the people who get in your way, the people who take up so much of your time that you can’t read anymore." Whew! Those descriptions made me laugh because I can so relate. However, I tend to forget that my children are not an inconvenience; they are the children that God has given unto my care, trusted me with, to raise and love. 

I don't want to be the mother who looks back 13 years from now when Ella Beth moves out and heads off to college and wishes that I had done things differently. No, I want to look back and see that I have done a great work. That I loved my children as much as I could; I spent as much time with them as possible; I enjoyed them to the fullest.

Will I take a break every now and then? Yes! In just 3 days I will be leaving for a mother's weekend retreat where I will be refreshed and strengthened. But, those breaks will be few and far between. I can not be a mother who feels entitled to "her space" and "her freedom" - because my children would be left without their mama (whether physically, mentally, or spiritually) way too often if I allowed myself to believe the lie that "Mama is entitled, so just leave me alone." Sure, I am 6 months pregnant and I am physically exhausted, but I can't waste the time that I have been given now. It is so hard on many days to make this choice. But I must.

"The days are long but the years are short." 

So I will give myself up.

I will lay myself down.

I will choose to sacrifice myself.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Cheerfully.

What I'll do differently the third time around

Oh my, how time flies by. Here I am 1/2 way through my pregnancy with Porter (Yay!), and I can still remember the smallest details from my pregnancy with Ella Beth over five years ago. When I look at Ella Beth at five years old and Landon about to turn four, I am reminded once again that time is fleeting. It's something that I can never get back. No matter how hard I may long to go back to times before both kiddos learned to say "no," back to times where everyone was on the same nap schedule (or even when just one child was still napping!) - nothing can be done to go back in time for do-overs or to simply sit and enjoy a specific time.

I will admit that when I first found I that I was pregnant, I really hoped for another little girl. Not because I love Ella Beth more than Landon, and certainly NOT because girls are easier (b/c they are not!). No, I really hoped for a little girl because I have so many beautiful and precious things that I never used. I have handmade blankets that were "too pretty to use." I have appliqued burp cloths that were "too fancy" to have Ella Beth spit up all over (hello, GERD). I have a few dresses that Ella Beth only wore once to the "most special of occasion" because they were too nice to "waste" on every day wear.

Silly, silly me. The most beautiful girly items are now boxed up, put up, and just waiting in hope that Ella Beth will be the mother of a little girl some day.

But, I will be doing things differently the third time around.

For Porter, I have already bought the most crisp, WHITE blanket. It is soft, it is cozy, and, did I mention, it is stark white. As in W-H-I-T-E. I will use it all of the time. I also have one of the softest hand-knitted blankets on the planet that was given to me after Landon was born. I never used it with Landon - it was just too beautiful. But, I will be using it with Porter.

I have realized that blankets and burp cloths and precious outfits - while they may be as beautiful and sweet as can be - they are just things. It's OK if they get dirty, stained, torn, or even, Gasp!, ruined. It's not the things themselves that are special, it's the memories made while using and enjoying them that will last.

Thankfully, I have gotten better over the last three and a half years since Landon has come along. I typically let both kiddos get at least three uses out of their best clothes. ;) Now, with Porter...he may just be seen in the same three outfits all of the time! But, in all seriousness, I do tend to do this differently. It's not the blankets or the outfits or the even the sweetest appliques that make the memories special. It's the baby, and the mommy, enjoying them.

Bearing Fruit

One thing I am trying to teach Ella Beth and Landon on a daily basis is that the Fruit we bear is the fruit that is in our hearts. We talk a lot about the Fruits of the Spirit, and I try to use the words from Galatians when at all possible. I have found in our family, that if I can show Ella Beth and Landon the exact words from the Bible, then they really know they are in there. :)

Two weeks ago, self-control was a big issue in our house. Ella Beth would get mad at Landon and she would yell at him or speak to him unkindly; Landon would get mad at Ella Beth and he would hit her or push her. I found myself over and over again saying, "You need to use your self-control and find a different way of dealing with _________." So, I finally got out my Bible and Ella Beth's children's Bible and we sat down and really discussed the Fruits of the Spirit - and what they looked like in action.

The kiddos are all about doing crafts, so we created our own little "vine" to display the Fruits in our school room. We now have two separate places where our Fruits are displayed in our home, and we are able to point to them and refer to them when needed. Some days, more than others. ;) This is a simple craft, so I thought I'd share!

The first thing I did was find a template of an apple outline. (I googled it, and there were many choices.) Then I cut them out - they don't have to be perfect!

While I was cutting all nine apples out, the kiddos got to do some prep work, too. They tore red construction paper into small pieces.

Then I laid out contact paper (sticky side up) and placed the apples face down.

Next, the kiddos got to cover their apples with the red construction pieces.

Now, if you have ever worked with contact paper, then you know how tricky the next step can be! You have to lay another sheet of contact paper (sticky side down) to seal the apples. It's tricky not to get bubbles between the sheets, but if you do, rubbing them with a credit card or your finger nails will usually get them out.

 Lucky for me, I was able to cut around my biggest imperfection. :)

So, I cut them out, and then wrote the Fruits of the Spirit on each apple: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

Then we strung them together on our vine (thin green ribbon), and hung them above the window in our school room. (Sorry the picture isn't great, but it's hard to take a good pic when the light is shining right into the camera!)

It's a great reference for all of us. Ella Beth, especially, is able to use words to describe her heart, and we are all able to call each other out (in love) when someone's fruit smells "rotten." That patience one? Yup, even Mama has been called out. ;) But, that's what I love about the Bible and about Christianity. It applies to all of us. And I truly believe that when our children see our Fruit, whether good or rotten, it applies a teachable moment. I am able to ask for forgiveness from Ella Beth and Landon if I have been impatient or used an unkind tone of voice, and I have modeled for them how to do that for others. There is nothing that melts my heart more than me hearing one of my kiddos ask for forgiveness from the other - on their own. Their hearts are being molded, and I love that.

Go Ahead...I dare you!

I found this AWESOME idea here.

==
As a full-time-stay-at-home-homeschooling-mama I have found that boredom is more often present than I anticipated. Especially on those out-of-the-blue-freezing-days, or raining days, or days when we just get a little tired of the same ol' thing. So I found this Boredom Jar, and I just had to share.

Grab any old jar - I, of course, chose a mason jar. I've said it before, we're a lil' bit country 'round these parts. ;) Cut out the "I'm Bored" label and fasten it to the jar with a hot glue gun. (I found after trial and error, that putting two large globs of glue on each end of the label and wrapping it around the jar worked best.)

Then, print out the "suggestions" on fun paper. Next, cut out all of the "suggestions." There are some truly GREAT ones!

 Nice!

Sigh. A grammatical error. So, I added the apostrophe. However...this was my FAVORITE boredom buster. I don't think you'd hear, "I'm bored," for a while after this one. :)

Another one of my favorite suggestions. Especially around this time of year!

Then, Ella Beth and I folded all of the strips and put them in our jar.

The finished project:

And, my favorite part - the lid. It's just daring you to say it.  

Go Ahead...I dare you to say "I'm bored!"

Put it in a safe place, and break it out any time it's needed. :)

Pregnancy So Far

Oh pregnancy. We don't get along so well, no matter how hard I try. And this go 'round has been tough. Besides the emotional havoc that rears its ugly head each day, I am also dealing with the worst All-Day-Sickness ever. Zofran is my friend, but it's not a life saver. It curbs the nausea and it keeps me from throwing up multiple times a day, but even with it I am still nauseous - it never actually goes away. Last night I was so sick I kept dreaming I was throwing up. Between actually running to the bathroom and dreaming that I was running to the bathroom, I woke up exhausted. But, that's supposed to be a good thing......right?!?


I'm 11 weeks pregnant.

Sick? Uh, I think I covered that. ;)

Maternity clothes? Not yet. But soon.

Showing? To myself and Ella Beth, definitely. Most other people who didn't know I was pregnant would just think I need to lay off the doughnuts. I'm certainly getting "thicker" in the middle.

And, speaking of doughnuts...Cravings? I am craving EVERYTHING that is unhealthy. Of course my stomach won't let me eat much, but I have been craving hamburgers like nobody's business. And chicken fingers, Taco Bell hot sauce (same craving with Ella Beth...weirdest craving ever???), french fries, doughnuts. I guess it's a good thing that I have been so sick; otherwise I would have gained a LOT of weight already.

So what do I eat? Lots of crackers. And whatever else I can when I get hungry but not sick. Which isn't often, so I'm not eating too much right now.

Tired? Umm, is that a rhetorical question? Oh yes.

Names picked out? Yes, but we're not telling yet.

Are we going to find out the gender? Most certainly! We are all planners in this family.

How are we going to tell the family the gender? We are going to have our next door neighbor, Leia with yumiyumcupcakes.com, make "gender reveal" cupcakes. We are going to keep the gender a secret until Thanksgiving and then let Ella Beth and Landon eat the first two cupcakes in front of the family to reveal the baby's gender. Can't wait for that moment!

Gender guess? I'm torn. This pregnancy is so much like my pregnancy with Ella Beth (I'm just much sicker), but the heartbeat was closer to Landon's - so I really don't know what my guess is.

Preference? No. Just a healthy baby. I can think of pros for a girl or a boy. Of course, Ella Beth wants a baby sister and Landon wants a baby brother. :)

Room situation? Two kiddos will have to share a room. We can't decide who it will be though. We may put the baby in with sister or brother, or we may let Ella Beth and Landon share a room for a couple of years and let the baby sleep alone. Can't decide - there are pros and cons to both!

Favorite pregnancy moment so far? I have two. 1) Hearing the kiddos tell everyone that "Mommy has a baby in her belly." Even strangers in the grocery line! 2) Ella Beth and Landon "popping" babies out of their bellies a few times a day. :)

So that's about it so far. Hoping to feel better soon, and I'm still battling anxiety with prayer. Things haven't changed on the hemorrhage front, but I'm choosing to trust that God's hand is on this sweet one growing within my womb. I am so thankful for the continued prayers of friends, family, and strangers. I have received cards in the mail from Sunday school classes of people I don't even know, and I am still just in awe of how we as Christians really do come to each other's aid and pray for one another. So thankful.

Kickin' Boo-tay in da Muthahood!

My friend, Andrea, posted this on her blog and it is just too fun not to share!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!