I don't know what to name this post...Fall is coming! Hold On To Your Shorts!

I hate that it's been so long since my last post. I get it in my head that I want to do this often, like weekly or even more often than that..I even have a list on my phone of ideas for blogpost..."note to self...write about____" those usually come to me in the middle of the grocery store or after buckling in a sticky kid in the car...(never while I'm driving...ha).

But alas, it still happens. Life happens and I forget to put those thoughts down.

This is what's been happening though, in the last month or so. I figure now is as good a time as any to jot it down so I can at least say that I did it. written documentation!!

With fall approaching, I sense my calendar is beginning to stretch in anticipation of filling up. So I make some serious decisions.
1) I will get up early, have my time with God and that half hour (minimum) to wake up and accept the new day before my three little darlings come down the stairs ready to roll with their breakfast requests and cartoons. It's amazing what that time in the morning does for me.

2) I will (despite my inner objections) home school for preschool. there are a lot of reasons I don't really want to do it, but the non stop asking from my 4 year old of when school starts and "do I get to ride the school bus this year????" trumps my "I don't have the self motivation/time/discipline to do this" argh...so with a little bit of an eyeroll, I am caving and doing it. Thank goodness next year she starts Kindergarten! then all her little school bus riding, backpack toting, dreams come true! My goal is having this homeschooling schedule will help us NOT over-commit (like we did last year). that is my HOPE anyway. It will also add a little bit of structure to our home-time so they are not in front of the TV (and I am not in front of the computer) for hours. Yes that happens. I don't like it. So I'm changing it.

Our first day of "school" was yesterday. I thought it fitting to start when the rest of the county starts and we'll probably follow somewhat of the same schedule..when the schools are closed for fall, winter and spring breaks, we'll take ours too.  Our official days are Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 9:30-12.

So far so good, but lets see if Mommy can be disciplined enough to keep it going this year. It's been one whole day after all :)

3) I will take photography more seriously. I love taking pictures (ironically enough, I don't have an image to go with this post...) and I am involved in Help-Portrait this year, and am making it a personal goal to be ready for my own station this year. I want to be able to set up the equipment and be comfortable and confident enough to take some awesome pictures. My plan is to be as involved as I can with photo-learning opportunities. This is where having friends in the business is so amazing. I get to jump in and learn. I had a great opportunity to do that at Kliiq this weekend and was so in my element! I didn't want to leave! for being a long day, it went by so fast! 

That's about it for now. I am hoping to get some blogging in among all of this "organized chaos" but who knows. Life may just happen again, and I might be busy enjoying it and forget to write it down! I hope not.

"A Loud and cheerful greeting early in the morning will be taken as a curse!"

So getting up early has been great! Now that I'm adjusted and found my wake up time...I am doing well. I get up at 6:30, shuffle to the kitchen, throw on the coffee and sit with my bible and devotional book. I don't move until little feet pitter patter down the stairs asking for "shlokit milk" or "butter bread". I also taught them to read a clock...or the first number anyway. They can come down when that first number is a seven...or an eight.
 






I won't lie, the first few weeks of that were terrible. I slithered down the stairs, hair a mess, grouchy as all get out. I didn't speak on word to Adam just kind of grunted and glared. After about a week of that, he started getting ready in the basement and taking breakfast with him to work...I think I scared him off.







 





I have gotten nicer though. We actually say "Good Morning" and even throw a smooch in there as we get ready for our day. He's also eating at home again. I think the morning monster isn't so scary after all... she's adjusted, making her a little friendlier.









 
 As for bible studies..I started with reading everything I could get my hands on. I get a daily devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries (highly recommend), had a devotional book I borrowed from a friend, a new one I bought at a conference and the good ole B-I-B-L-E. I was set! (and clearly spiritually hungry). Now that I'm settled into this new routine, I've dialed back a little bit and am reading through Proverbs this month. A chapter a day. It's been pretty good! I am also reading through 1st and 2nd Samuel (Story of David) which has been reading like a really good book. I totally get sucked in!
I'm looking forward to Connections starting so that I can use this time for this years study! NO EXCUSES NOW! I have made time for the study and I'm going to really get into it this year! (I don't even know what it's about yet!)

The title of this post, by the way is Proverbs 27:14.  See? See? Mornings! yuck!

I also find verses 15 and 16 quite funny, but you'll have to seek those out yourself :)

Good Morning!!

Growing Up Too Fast!

Today was Titus' 1st birthday. It's hard to believe that a year ago I was a post panicked mess laying on the living room floor, surrounded by 6 (very enthusiastic) EMTs/Firefighters. I was overwhelmed with emotions and  holding my new baby boy in my arms.
And then I blinked.
He's ONE! Trying to walk, talk and do his own thing like this big sister and brother. He has the funniest personality and is the toughest little guy I know!
 What happened? Oh right, I blinked.

Speaking of older siblings and independence, Abby is also getting into her own little independent grove. This last week she insisted on taking a shower, ALONE. The only time I was beckoned was for help with the shampoo. After I got it good and scrubbed into her scalp I got the "Okay, Mom., I just need some alone time" What?
She's also taking the initiative to do things on her own...little things, like making her bed, helping with laundry, cooking. She even steps in and helps with the boys. Way more than I have ever seen any 4 year old do! She really has a servants heart.

At least Max still needs me. Unless he's putting on the latest super hero costume and doing an evening patrol of the house, ridding us of all the 'bad guys' so we can sleep safely. I must stand clear and let him work. Don't let that big protective side of him fool you, he has a very tender heart and is by far the best snuggler ever.

 It is so neat to have them close enough in age to play together (and fight together). Yet they are far enough in age that they have clear needs and different amounts of independence. I'm not needed, but still needed. And blessed beyond words. 

Calling Upon The Lord

"I will call upon the Lord. Who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies, I will call upon the Lord"
This song is stuck in my head today. I can't help but think about a recent display of faith and prayer by Abby once again. I have been learning a lot from her lately!
We were having a rough day behaviorally, and Abby had been sent to the corner for a time out. It was the first time I sent her to put her nose in the corner for a time out. Usually she sits at the bottom of the steps, but she began making faces and back talking while sitting there, so I went to the next "best" thing. She did NOT respond well to that at all. I think there is a level of humiliation in sticking your nose in a corner for all to see when you've misbehaved and she was experiencing that for the first time.
Our rule is that the timer doesn't start until you are quiet in your time out. After about five minutes of protest, screaming and carrying on, I finally took her to her room.
I know this doesn't sound like a very encouraging story yet, but bear with me....
She was nearly done with the tantrum when she finally sobbed at me "I just want you to hold me so we can pray!"
That statement kind of surprised me. I said "okay" and she climbed in my lap and started pouring her heart out to God.
"Lord, Thank you for today. Thank you for Mommy. I am sorry I have a bad attitude. Please help me not have it anymore. Help me to be a good girl for Mommy and please don't change her mind about the new rules of timeout. In Jesus' name, Amen...say amen mom"
"AMEN"

I think that last part was meant to be that I would change my mind, but you get the gist. I was totally tearfully proud of my little girl for running to the Lord in her time of distress and in the midst of such a tantrum.
Abby is one of those people that once they are in full swing of a "freak out" you have to snap them out of it. I often think of that scene from Moons Struck when Cher slaps Nicholas Cage and simply says "Snap out of it!" We don't slap her in the face, but a swat on the hiney usually works. Just enough to get her attention so she stops freaking out and regains control of herself. I have also learned the signs of a total tantrum on the rise and have learned to stop it before it starts, so the swats have become less and less...so that's good, but sometimes when I miss that opportunity to stop it before it starts, it's good to see her regain control on her own and ask God for that help. I have a feeling swats are no longer a necessary course of action.  Which is good be cause I hated doing that.

Another example is when she is sick, she calls upon the Lord. Her most recent was last night. She'd had a fever all day and it still hadn't even acted like coming down. We gave her some medicine which she was finally able to keep down, and as we put her to bed, we prayed God would "lay His healing hands on her" so she would feel better and get relief from being so icky. A few minutes later, Adam said goodnight and "feel better" to which Abby replied, "I will. If God forgets to lay his healing hands on me I'll still be Sick in the Morning". She sounded a little defeated with that statement.  Is it any surprise though that while her fever was there all night and into this morning, at about 10am, when she was really starting to wake up for the day, and be more aware of my taking her temperature, that it was gone? She smiled big and had this "I knew He wouldn't forget me" look on her face. A sense of satisfaction in her Lord.

Anyway, the point of these stories is to call upon the Lord! even in the midst of our own "freak outs" and "tantrums" and when we've hit "rock bottom" (in her case, getting sick)


I think my new found love of parenting is seeing them grow in their faith. Her faith is enormous! I could not be more proud of her and the young faithful lady she is budding to be.

Faith Through Fire, Even When It's Not Ours

Last week a fire broke out in Colorado Springs. It is actually still going, but before the firemen had it under control, it exploded and tripled in size within a 24 hour period. As of yesterday morning, the fire was 25% contained with over 17,000 acres burned. They, at one point, had to evacuate 30,000 people and have reported 2 deaths.
Now that you have kind of the back ground I can tell you what happened on our end of things. Seeing the town I was born in and raised for the first 10 years of my life being destroyed, and knowing I have a lot of family in that area, you can imagine the heartbreak as well as concern for the well being of those in that area.
Grammy, Aunts, Uncles and cousins in the midst of it all. It just broke my heart. (thankfully none of them lost their homes or were evacuated).
It was Abby's faith in God that really shined through in this situation. I showed her pictures on the computer and explained to her what was going on. I asked her if she would pray with me and without hesitation she bowed her head, closed her eyes and prayed earnestly for rain to come put out the fire.
It was very moving for me. She really cared (even if it was only for a minute) and after I had my turn to pray, she hugged me and went on playing. Shortly after this I called my Grammy to check on her, see how close to the fire she is and to make sure she is safe...I shared with her that Abby prayed for rain. Gram was touched and said she'd keep us updated. That afternoon I get a call "Let Abby know it's raining! God answered her prayers!"
When I shared the update with Abby, she lit up and had this "I knew He'd help!" look on her sweet little face.
She continued to pray that evening at bedtime. She thanked God for the rain and asked for more and to keep everyone safe.
A couple of days later, Gram called me again in tears. "I want you to know that a friend of mine was evacuated and when they were allowed to go back to check on their house again the fire burnt up their back yard all the way up to the deck, and then just stopped! Their house is safe!" She went on to talk about how glad she was that we prayed and that sharing with her friends that her great grand baby was praying really gave people hope. I of course passed on the message to Abby who again, lit up and was so joyful that God saved the houses and never doubted that God would help these people.
It's faith like that that we are supposed to have. What a blessing to have it clearly modeled in my home every day. She knows God is there and can help and will help. No doubts, no questions, she just knows. I love it. I love her. I love God for giving me her.

A Little Goes A Long Way

In the last few months, Max has really come out of his shell. His sense of exploration and all out mischief has taken over the timid, overly cautious boy I knew just a year ago. He was never the one (as a baby) to worry if it got quiet because that is just how he was. If it was quiet, I didn't go running looking for him because he was always content to play on his own and stay out of trouble.
I don't know if it is that he has gotten a little older and "wiser" or maybe the mischief has just caught up with my little cautious one, but wow! when he does it, he does it all the way. He is smart about it too! He waits for the times when I expect it to be quiet. Nap time.
The first act of nap time mischief was when he quietly found himself in the hallway getting into a box of "things to be put away" and found some anti-itch cream, egg dying kit, and cotton balls. Thankfully he didn't do anything with the dye, but the stickers were fun and the cream felt nice on his cheeks, and what would it be without a pretty cloud of fluffy white while exploring this box?
The second act, again at nap time, was when he came down stairs with lotion all over his body. He was very smooth and soft that day. This is when he discovered he could climb on top of his trash can and access the treasures on top of the changing table.
Then there was the time he came down powdery white from the baby powder. This was the day he started goin all in with his messes. If we're gonna dump the powder...it's going to be ALL of the powder!! His room was a beautiful winter wonderland! and smelled like a fresh baby's toosh for about a week! This is also when Titus started getting involved in the shenanigans.
 The latest and greatest and the tip of the iceberg for finally deciding to take all of these items OUT of his room, was just yesterday. I was having a bit  of a battle with the kids anyway in cleaning. I would clean a spot, turn around and something else would be dumped out. I'd get them all settled with their lunch, turn to grab mine off the counter and find mac n cheese thrown on the floor (Titus). I'd had about enough, and was all to grateful for that nap time break where I could finally get some work done uninterrupted and without three little tornadoes following me and immediately undoing what I've just done. The only problem was that  they were not sleeping up there. there was crying, playing,  stalling, and about the time they quieted down I sighed relief thinking "finally they gave up"
If only.
About an hour after the quiet happened, Max graces us with his presence and was unusually shiny, and smelling faintly of lavender. Upon further investigation he had gotten into a 13oz container of Vaseline. I open his bedroom door and see the greasy head of his accomplice pop over the rail of his crib. It was like discovering a murder scene with the smeared hand prints on the walls, sheets, windows and finally the fine thick gooey smudge on he floor.
This product of shenanigan-ism took me an hour to clean up. The more I looked, the more I found. As for the boys, I'm sure they are plotting their next act.  

(sorry for the poor pic quality and the foot)

Just Another Day Getting to Know More Emergency Medical People

I knew from the day Titus entered this world, that we were going to have some fun and get to know the local Fire Department and ER staff very well. Call it a gut feeling. After all, the first person he HAD to meet was a Fire Fighter.

What I didn't expect was for the fun to start so early. I mean come on we're not even a year old yet!

We spent the day at the hospital yesterday because Mr. Daredevil decided to launch himself into a back flip 3 feet off  the ground (from our bed) and into a perfect face plant the floor. Is this the first fall? Ha! NOT A CHANCE! But it is the first time we've lost consciousness. He cried immediately but as a delayed reaction, passed out. At first I was like, oh he must have been pretty tired...because he kind of snuggled into it. But after he was out for a few seconds I thought..."hold the phone! He did just do a face plant off the bed"  (insert serious concern here, and the big "duh").

I really struggle with "when to call 9-1-1". I feel like those calls are reserved for fires, shootings, car accidents, having babies unexpectedly at home...:) but really, my kid falling off the bed??? What would I do with the other two kids? I'd have to go to the hospital with Ti, and I don't think there's room for everyone in the ambulance, and really, is it that bad???

So I call Adam.

"So, Ti fell off the bed and now he's asleep on our bed..." (good lord writing that makes me realize how idiotic I must have sounded..."Yes, moron! wake him up!")

Adam very seriously says "Wake him up" (I know, you can say it..."Dur, Bec")

I sit him up...no response. I lay him down and poke him, open his eyes and shine a flashlight (he responded with that but not until after a few times of doing it, but wouldn't fully wake up) then I drive my knuckle into his chest...to which he finally gets the wiggles and starts giggling...I guess it tickled more than it hurt..either way the boy was responding and that's what I needed. By now, I have Max "helping" me by shining the flashlight in everyone's face and trying to wrestle Ti. Of course Ti rolls over and starts wrestling back and we're alert, happy, giggling,yelling, and just as rambunctious as ever...as if being in and out of consciousness (for almost 5 minutes) never happened.

I decide to call the doctor to see if there's anything I need to do. At this point he's totally acting normal again. I was put on hold a LOT by the nurses...they'd get some details, put on hold to discuss with the other nurse, more details, more on hold. Finally she comes back on after the third of fourth time of being on hold and says that she also discussed this with our doctor and we need to head to the ER right away.

I call Adam back and he decides to meet me there.

Three hours, a CT and physical exam later, we were in the clear to go home. He suffered a minor concussion, but the CT came back all clear. He is totally fine. PRAISE GOD!

I do fear that this is just the start of many many many trips to the ER. He just doesn't slow down, and heads straight for the most dangerous stuff! I feel like, with Ti being number 3 and all, that I should have a better handle on this. especially since he's not the first boy either. Nope. Max is totally different and my heart goes out to the Moms of several rambunctious, fearless boys. Hats off to you! Can I join your club!? I have a feeling I could learn a few things.