One of the greatest highlights in the life of a Cub Scout is the Pinewood Derby. Once a year boys and dads put their heads together to craft the sleekest, fastest, best looking block of wood on wheels.

Ha, Ha. Neither of those statements are true, but it sounds good. It's my new favorite saying.


Following a long tradition of woman sweating over a hot iron, tonight I must tackle my ironing pile, smoothing out the wrinkles in the clothes my husband works in to support our family, and smoothing out some wrinkles in my mind. I do not have an affinity for ironing. It is usually last on my list of chores (too often I find my husband has had to quickly iron a shirt before heading off to work). As a child my mother paid me something like 5 cents a shirt to iron my father's collared shirts. Even then I would cheat by tucking one shirt inside of another and doing two at a time.

But I have found if I can iron when the kids are busy playing and I have few interruptions, it is a great thinking chore. Meaning it doesn't take a lot of brain power to iron so my mind is free to work over a problem or plan dinner or just daydream. In fact, I find a lot of chores are like that: folding laundry, mopping, gardening, as long as I are not pressed (no pun intended) for time or have a ton of interruptions. I guess you can stop and smell the roses even when you're hard at work.

So here is my job for the evening. It looked like a lot more when it was all bunched up in my laundry room (I know, bunched up is not very conducive to quick ironing). The kids will be in bed soon and I will tackle this pile with zeal, while planning in my head the sewing project I get to do when I am finished :).

Tim just came in asking for help with his dress. Yes, I just said dress. When the girls get out the princess dress ups Tim likes to join in the fun. He is very selective, however, and will only don the yellow "Belle" dress.

Okay, I'm feeling a little guilty for blowing off steam a little earlier, so I thought I'd add something on a more positive note: Look what we grew! My husband has been carefully cultivating our grapevines for three years now. The grapes are fairly small, not like the ones you get at the grocery store, but they have so much more flavor. It's almost like eating candy. A treat my husband likes it to take some fresh off the vine, stick them in the freezer for about fifteen minutes, and have a fresh, cool snack.The kids are really enjoying them too, and it is so fun for them to see how grapes are grown. It's also fun to be able to share our harvest with friends and family, as our vines are producing plenty - even for a family of eight!

Perhaps it is just getting toward the end of summer. The hot weather that keeps us all indoors, the fact that my last kid did get sick and seems to be draining every last bit of my compassion from my soul. Maybe I am just tired. Maybe the kids are tired of listening to me and I am tired of listening to them.

Sometimes kids have bad days, and moms deal with it as best they can, trying to help them through a rough time. But sometimes moms have bad days, and few and far between are the pats on the back and reassuring words from their offspring.

Sometimes, even though I would literally give my life for my children, I feel like screaming, "GET YOUR OWN CUP OF MILK!" "NO, I DON'T WANT TO READ THAT BOOK TO YOU FOR THE FIFTH TIME!" "I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT POKEMON TODAY!"

Some days I would like there to be a rule in my house that no sentence that starts with, "Mom, you need to . . ." "Mom, when are you going to . . ." or "Mom, get me . . ." is allowed.

Some days I wish that all the work I have put into trying to teach my children life skills, independent thinking and problem solving would come to full fruition just for a day or even and afternoon. Even the little ones can do so much for themselves if they will get over the fact that it might take a little effort and just do it!

Some days I wish my kids would think before they ask something from me, and notice things like: "Oh, mom is in the laundry room folding laundry and I am sitting here in the kitchen three feet from the fridge, maybe I should get the milk out for myself instead of asking her to stop what she is doing, walk all the way to the kitchen, get my milk, and a cup while she is at it and pour me a drink while I sit here like a bump on a log."

It's not that I don't want to or won't help my kids with things they need, but geeze!!!! All their demands really add up. It's hard to pick and choose what I am going to help them with and what I am going to insist they do on their own. And I wonder how I can teach them to serve and help each other when so often I am telling them "I think you can handle that one yourself," and denying them of my help. I cringe when the kids are eating breakfast and someone asks for the milk or cereal and another kid says, "Get it yourself." Ugh.

My best approach so far is to point out what is going on around them so they can see that it would be easier and quicker for all of them if they just took care of the "problem" themselves by saying things like, "Sure, I'll come do that for you if you will take over washing the dishes for me." I still feel like a mean mom when I say things like that, but they cannot spend their lives relying on others to do simple tasks that they can do themselves. And it wears their mom out. I would much rather save my energy to help them with a big art project or play a game or do something fun with them.

Big sigh. My kids are not bad kids. It's not like they never do anything kind for me. They are often even very sensitive and compassionate to each other. So I guess it is just dog days of summer getting to us. We are all moving slower and feeling lazier, demanding more of each other and wishing there was less demanded of each of us. Perhaps what we need is a day off from our days off so we can appreciate them again.

Because it is so HOT and ice cream sounds so good right now I decided to "flash back" to my husband's teenage years when he worked at Baskin and Robbins ice cream shop. Just looking at the picture, imagining the super cold air conditioning and a giant scoop of raspberry sherbet (my all time favorite), makes me feel cooler! He still scoops the ice cream at our house!

Yesterday, as I was leaving for the store:

Me: By kids, see ya in a little bit.

Charity: By Mom (hugs me) I love you SOOOOO much!

Me: I love you too.

Charity: Do you know why I always tell you I love you before you leave?

Me: Why?

Charity: Just in case you get in an accident and die you'll at least know I love you.

The kids are feeling better and we got out to the park and the pool today. Ahhh. That's better. Thanks for all the comments of well wishing!

Okay time to unveil the blog award - TA DA! Aint it pretty? Thank you Jeanette, I love your blog too. :) Now I get to share this treat with some of my favorite bloggers! Check these ladies out:





Okay ladies, if you would like to share the love and pass the Brillante Award on to your favorite bloggers, here are the rules.

If there is one thing we are good at sharing in our home, it is germs. I have had sick children for over a week now. The virus we have seems to last two to three days, but as they are passing it around one or two at a time, it is lingering in our house long past it's time. We are sick of being sick, and we are sick of being STUCK AT HOME. No public pools, parks, movie theaters, libraries, etc. Even when they all seem to be feeling well enough to go out, if they've had a fever in the last eight hours I don't feel comfortable taking them out and risk sharing the joy of summer illnesses with another family.

So we are basically self quarantined. Ever heard of cabin fever? Late summer boredom? The two of them combined? That's what my life is looking like right now. Five of the six kids have been sick and I'm crossing my fingers the last one won't get it and we can get out of here and do something fun.

Sigh. Thanks for letting me whine.

The good news is Jeanette from Strong and Immovable has given me a blog award! Hooray! Thanks for brightening my day Jeanette, I love your blog too. :). Tomorrow I'll reveal the sparkling thing and pass it on to some of my favorite bloggers as well!

I have always felt that little kids need to be able to make choices. It is important for them to gain confidence in their ability to pick one thing over another and have the results be positive. Sometimes the choices have to be narrowed down for them, like "Do you want peanut butter or grilled cheese sandwich for lunch today?" or "Do you want to play with your dolls or your tea set?" or "Do you want to play nicely with your brother or do you want to play alone?"

Tim has never been a little "Linus," dragging his blanket everywhere with him. He isn't one of those kids who can't get to sleep with out his blanket or who sits sadly by the washer when the beloved item has become too dirty to be considered sanitary. But after we left his "bwanket" behind at a hotel earlier this summer, he began to miss it.

Have you noticed that the back to school sales are starting, the store shelves are crowded with binders, notebooks and backpacks? Have you noticed that Halloween items are sneaking into the craft and decor stores and Christmas fabrics are popping up in more abundance?

For crying out loud, it's JULY. You know what all this means, don't you? It means it is time to start Christmas shopping!!!!

Seriously, although Christmas is a beautiful season and I love all that it represents and all the little miracles and acts of love and family togetherness it brings, it is THE most stressful time of the year for me.

My cue to get started on material aspects of Christmas is when I see the back to school stuff on sale. If I don't have at least some stocking stuffers by the end of August I feel like I am behind already. If I am planing on making anything, I'd better get it in the works soon.

I made my first purchase three days ago and pulled out my Holiday Binder to start keeping track of what I have already bought, what I need to buy, etc. I think I also I need to put in a key to where I hide everything. It would be such a disaster if the kids ever got a hold of this book!

I use a few pages from the Fly Lady's Holiday Control Journal. I have found that I don't use the whole thing but I have found a few pages indispensable:

-Dates to put on your calendar (shipping deadlines!!!)
-Holiday gift list: a list of who you need to buy for and what, with places to check if it has been bought wrapped, shipped,etc.
-Holiday gift list of things to make: pretty much same as other list, both have places to write down how much you spend so you don't "accidentally" go over budget.
-Catalog orders checklist: keep track of all those online purchases and check off when they arrive!
-A page in the back of the binder where I tape envelopes to keep receipts in.

Things few things I added:

-A list of people to send Christmas cards to (that I pretty much never get to)
-Holiday crafts ideas an recipes I come across over the holidays and might
want to use for the next year.
-And most importantly: Our Christmas Budget Outline where I have determined how much we can spend on different items: tree, decor, presents for the kids, extended family gifts, office gifts, etc.

I have used this strategy for several years and it helps me stay organised and mostly sane until January.

In July and August I start thinking about stocking stuffers (I always grab a bunch of the school supplies while they're cheap: crayons, colored pencils, etc.) and small gifts to stock up on, like teacher gifts, stuff for the kids to exchange at school etc. I don't usually buy my kids the larger gifts until November at the earliest because their tastes and interests change quickly.

If I could get something together for my husband's coworkers before the end of September I would be in heaven! I hate trying to come up with something cute and affordable to give out that expresses our appreciation for them. If anyone has any ideas I would be grateful!!! Last year we gave out clear glass ornaments (the kind you get at craft stores) with sand and seashells in the bottom and a tag that said, "When you see this ornament on the tree, remember the man who walked in Galilee". I had that one planned a year ahead. This year, nothin'.

It is a little overwhelming to me just thinking about everything that goes into Christmas. But, if I can get all the shopping done in a calm, organized, timely manner, I will be able to enjoy the season with my family. Seriously, though, who Else's birthday deserves so much planning? :)

I have enjoyed seven years of looking at this sweet face. Seven years of watching this little baby grow into this darling little girl. She is fourth in our family of six children, second daughter, and resident spitfire. As an infant we could never keep her swaddled. Unless she was asleep, her bassinet was always wiggling. Her little fists and feet would poke up over the rim as she tested out her new body.

There is something unconquerable about her. Things roll easily off her back. Almost too easily sometimes, like doing the thing she just got in trouble for ten minutes ago, or (a little confession here), when I apologized for loosing my temper, telling me she doesn't mind if I yell at her.
She gets sad, but can't keep a smile from creeping back onto her lips. She gets frustrated, but hardly ever mopes. Pout for a minute maybe, but not mope.

She gets mad and then, well, she gets in trouble, if you know what I mean. She doesn't have a problem telling us how she feels or what she wants. She has her own ideas and pretty much does her own thing. A typical example from when she was about 18 months. Gracie decides when bathtime is over. It wasn't over.

She is silly, and smart, and has a great sense of humor. She loves to tease. If you happen to be standing by a pool fully clothed, she will be the first one to get out and give you a big wet hug. Someday she will be big enough to push us in.

She's one of those kids who goes all day long and then hits the bed hard at night. At least she doesn't fall asleep in her food anymore.

She is very social and loves to be with friends. She can be very sweet and tender with her siblings, helping to cheer them up when they are sad or sick. Just today Tim was running a fever and she tenderly mopped his forehead with a cool rag.I could go on and on about this energetic, silly, sweet, headstrong child!But this short post will have to suffice. Happy Birthday Gracie. You are so loved!

A little conversation with four year old Tabitha, it went something like this:

Tab: Mom when you was a little girl, I was your age.
Me: You mean when I was a little girl, I was your age.
Tab: Yeah, when I was a little girl, I was your age.

Other tidbits from Tab:

I was in your tummy, then in the hospital I climbed out of your mouth.

When I am a mommy I will have the same name as you.

When I'm a grown up I will be the mommy and Tim will be the daddy, (um, no)

When Mommy and Daddy got married Mommy kissed Daddy and his face got red.

Gracie has been growing her hair out in hopes of helping out another child by donating it to Locks of Love, an organization that accepts donated hair to be made into wigs for child cancer patients.

Gracie's hair was finally long enough and we gave it a whack this week. I cut off about eleven inches of hair (the minimum needed was ten) and then took her into the salon to get it styled. Gracie seemed to enjoy the experience (I usually just give the girls trims at home) and came out looking just a cute as ever!

Tabitha was asking for short hair too, in fact she was insisting on it. Thinking how much easier it would be to brush, but still with much trepidation, I cut about eight inches off. Her new do is just above her shoulders and she really likes it. Whew! Her hair wasn't long enough to donate so I put it in a ponytail and I'll just save it for her so she can see how light it was when she was little when she gets older. The back already looks a lot darker with the bottom cut off!

Last night was my yearly scrapbooking getaway with friends. We go out to dinner and then head up to a cabin about forty minutes from my home to scrapbook until our vision blurs. Then we hit the hay and get up in the morning and scrap until after lunch.

This year we deviated from our normal plan. One of our friends had to cancel out on us, so we decided we'd take up our 8/9 year old daughters, since we each have one and they are always begging to go up.

I think Charity enjoyed her time there. I didn't get as much scrapbooking done as I would have had we barred the children from joining us again, but it was nice to have her there and see how much fun she was having at the cabin. She did one scrapbook page and lots of art work using my pens, paper, and extra stickers, as well as playing with the other girls and watching movies. We went to bed at about 1:30am, early for us on a scrapbooking retreat, but very late for the girls.

Still I was able to get caught up on five of my kids scrapbooks and have about three pages to do in the last one, not including the pictures I didn't print out because I wanted to do them digitally (my newest hobby).

Both moms and girls had a great time and are totally exhausted today!!! Thank goodness our husbands put up with our shenanigans!

A picture of "the coach" I took using my dad's fish-eye lens.

Contraptions to tinker with.

Gracie launching golf balls with the tribuchet Grandpa built.

More wildlife to visit.

Tabitha and my brother, after she climbed all over him.

A birthday and baptism to be celebrated.

The kids with their cousins after my nephew's baptism.

New family members to be met.

Tabitha warmed up to my father-in-law's new wife's youngest son quickly, much to his dismay.

And of course there was time for movies, swimming, shopping, golfing, and lots of monkeying around.

Are you seeing double? Jeremy was monkeying around with the photo op, and I did a little monkeying around with photoshop.

But, alas, all good things must come to an end. The family had to load up their big white coach and return to the land of blistering heat. They had a wonderful time with family and friends, and although it was truly time to take their missed brothers and go, not everyone was happy about it.

Charity on the last day of our visit.

Thank you to everyone who fed, sheltered, entertained, and yes, even clothed some of us. We had a wonderful time and can't wait to do it all again next year!

I am back from my wonderful vacation! As you can tell I have been fooling around with my template a bit (instead of posting). It is still a work in progress. Right now I am thinking there is a little too much blue. Anyway, I promise a real post about my trip soon, right now I need to unglue myself from the keyboard and take the kids swimming. Be back soon!

Tabitha loved her Cheetos during a picnic.

One thing I love about being here, besides being with family I don't see often, is that my parents are always doing things that remind me how much I love learning and creating. My father is an amazing woodworker/wood turner and is always winning awards and contests with his pieces. He is also taking photography classes at the local junior collage. My mom is a high school French teacher who loves her job and continues to improve her abilities to teach and her knowledge of the language.

I grew up in an environment when one or the other of my parents was always working on some project and encouraging me with mine. My mom seemed to me to be the Jane of all Crafts. Mostly she did sewing and needle crafts with an occasional dabble in tole painting or ceramics. My Dad had an MGA (a car) that he restored as well as doing woodworking, and even making stained glass lamps for our home at one point. I have fond memories of sitting out in the garage watching him do various activities: working on the car, building something, even refilling shotgun (? I think that's what they were) shells. He always had time to explain to a little girl what he was up to. I also have fond memories sitting in the sewing room while my mom sewed and stitching on my little Hollie Hobbie sewing machine.

Gracie with one of the many things my dad has made, a miniature tribuchet (sp? it is pronounced trib-you-shey but the kids call it a tribucket. I would have called it a catapult) that launches golf balls.

I guess what I am trying to say is that when I am in my parents home I not only feel loved, but also a little smarter. Thinking about all the things I did growing up and learned while under this roof with their encouragement reminds me how much I love to learn and how I've let that get away from me a little bit as a busy adult. It also renews in me my desire to help my own children learn more about what they are interested in and develop their talents.