Laundry...

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Yesterday morning I lost it.  It was probably one of those accumulation of stress things but yesterday as my 8 year old son with tears in his eyes because he couldn't find clean pants...well it was the last straw.  I love to do laundry, really I do.  What I hate is the overwhelming amount I have to do, combined with the fact that even in our small house I still have to hunt down the dirty clothes.  Or that it isn't until they're out of clothes, and we have to leave in 10 minutes that they inform me that they have no clean clothes.

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As for the tearful child above...do not feel sorry for him.  Why?  Because he did have clean pants, he just didn't want to wear them.  Because he knew when he pulled out the last pair of pants that he has to tell me.  Though mostly, because he hardly ever puts his pants away where they should go.

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So I made a decision.  I'm not doing their laundry anymore.  I'm cutting my laundry down to 4 people and household.  Mine, Husband's, Elsa and Thaddeus, but only until the kids turn 5.  Then I'm cutting them loose too!  From here on out Lincoln, Samuel and Vinny will wash their own clothes, fold them and put them away.  If they don't have clean clothes.  Not my fault.  For those who live by us, you are forewarned about boys in dirty clothes, running naked or in just their underoos :)

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I am a woman with a plan just the same.  This weekend I'll be pouring through my fabric stash and making up some laundry bags for them each to keep their clothes separate.  I'm planning on using the pattern from Rae found in 101 One-Yard Wonders.  Then I'm going to give each of the kids a day of the week to wash their laundry...I'll keep you all posted on the progress.  Which to be honest right now isn't going so well.  Lincoln has been folding for almost an hour and isn't even half way done...aiyaya!  Still I'm determined!

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I hope you all have a great weekend and that you too can come to a resolution of the dreaded Mt. Washmore as my friend Shannon calls it.  Has anyone else ever tried this?  Please share your successes or failures with me so we can all learn together.

Random Friday

1.  Today is Friday.  I'd say that it is one of my busier days of the week but really every day is busy with 5 kids.

2.  Yesterday was Thursday.  I know, I'm sure I've shocked you for certain with that little tidbit of information but alas it is true.  Thursday used to be my busy day but yesterday was much more relaxed than it has been in months...I loved it.

3.  I sewed last night.  This is a good thing for me and as long as the camera, internet and all other techie related stuff play nicely I should have pictures soon.

4.  I really, really, really, really....really, really want to knit myself a fingering weight cardigan sweater.

5.  I'm really, really, really, really...really, really nervous to knit myself a fingering weight cardigan sweater.

6.  I'm at war within myself.

7.  I think I'll just knit hats and mitts for myself...maybe I'll sew myself a lightweight cardigan.

8,  I'm buying myself hair dye today...not sure what color yet though I'm leaning towards dark cherry red.

9.  I'll post pictures when I'm done so long as the techie stuff from #3 applies.

10.  Random isn't just random with me...it's quirky!

What can I say I'm a bit random today?  Better go double check my to do lists and shopping lists as well.  Oh and for the record I randomly placed pics of my kids in throughout the post but I'm not sure it looks all that random...what are your thoughts?  Here's to a randomly perfect and hilarious day!

Sunday Naps are the Best...

Sunday Naptime

It is a rare moment in our household for two kids to nap at the same time, but that is just what happened this past Sunday.  Football was on the television and these two tired hooligans cuddled up next to Daddy on the couch and soon were fast asleep.  Of course I had to snap a picture and post it for you all!

{{hugs}}

Buffy

Kid's Clothes Week Challenge

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Yes I am insane.  I am joining in on the fun over at elsie marley to makes some clothes up for the kids.  The basic idea of the challenge is to spend 1 hour everyday for 7 days sewing/knitting/crocheting clothes for kids.  The goal is to get your lazy tush off the couch and actually make something, to get out of the rut of craft window shopping and start finishing.

I really need this push, because I've got some Christmas sewing that has to be done and won't unless I've got people rooting me on.  Now I won't promise to blog about everything I make, but I will try to show off a few of the things I make.

My goal today is to make The Princess her Christmas pajamas.  I have them all cut out, I just need to sew them up.  It shouldn't take more than an hour, but then I'm always saying that.  Honestly I'd be thrilled if I could get all the Christmas Jammies made up this week, but with only Elsa's cut out and my odd phobia of cutting out fabric from my stash...I'm not sure.  Just in case I have some leggings cut out for the girlie...so I won't be without a project.

{{hugs}}

Buffy

Is there something you need to get done too?  Are you in need of a challenge to push yourself to stop the laziness and procrastination and get it done?  Even if you're not into making clothes for kids you can use this as an opportunity to get moving!  So let's forget about the sleep, put the coffee on and get 'er done! 

Vinny Turned FIVE!!!!!

Yesterday was Vincent's birthday.  I can hardly believe that my baby is five!  Seriously where did the time go?  Vinny is my middle baby and  a miracle child too.  You see when he was 2 weeks old (exactly) he was admitted to the hospital with a high fever almost 104 degrees Fahrenheit and after a urine test, blood draw and spinal tap we learned he had septis or as the nice dr's explained to me he had become sick on his own waste.  By the time we got to the hospital the infection had spread to his blood and we spent the next four days in peds getting IV antibiotics that had to be given every 8 hours...precisely...over an entire hour.

They discharged us with a pic line that went from his ankle to his heart and Husband and I had to administer IV antibiotics for him for 14 days.  The poor thing was so sick, his immune system compromised that he developed thrush, a series of ear infections and then at 6 weeks he scared us again with a high fever and back to the ER we went.  Fortunately he had only developed an viral upper respiratory infection so no more drugs that time, but they watched him for a day and sent us home.

I wish I could say that this was the worst part but it was only the beginning.  My 8 pound 12 ounce boy wasn't even 9.5 pounds at 2 months.  Soon it became obvious that something was wrong.  By four months of age we were going into the dr's office for weight checks every week.  We were feeding him 40+ ounce of formula a day and no. weight. gain.  It was horrible.

He was constantly sick.  Totally lethargic sleeping 14-18 hours a day.  Diarrhea in every. single. diaper.  People accused us of starving him.  People were afraid that we were making him sick.  I was watching my baby slowly slip lower and lower on the growth chart.  If he got a cold in the morning I could see he lost weight by lunchtime.  He had no fat, no reserves and was one sick baby.  A sick baby that only I, Husband and the Doctor knew about.

Up until Vincent was born I always wondered what I would do if my child got sick and it seemed like nothing was working.  Would I just stand by and let the medical doctors do their practice thing or would I fight?  Would I try anything?  What would my child's illness stir within me?  I knew in my heart of heart's despite crippling blows to my ego as a 'good' mother that I was a WONDERFUL momma and the momma God designed for Vincent.  I knew he was sick, Husband knew he was sick, the Dr knew something was wrong.  So we fought.

At six months I went into one of our weight check appointments and just told the Dr it was time for reinforcements.  We needed specialists.  I left with two referrals one to the cardiologist and one to the Feeding and Growth Clinic.  The first appointment was with the cardiologist which was total bust, well not completely we were able to rule out heart problems so that was good.  So onto the Feeding and Growth clinic.

I went into the appointment uncertain.  I had heard both good and bad reviews from people, but they were my last hope.  I saw a speech therapist and then a dietitian and after explaining Vinny's  medical history...lack of growth, continual illness and my unwavering conviction that something was wrong with my son the dietitian whom I swear was an angel looked right at me and said "We want to admit him to the hospital."  I'm not a crying person so I didn't burst into tears but I wanted to hug her.

The dietitian went on to explain that he wasn't at death's door but that they were admitting him as a Failure to Thrive patient.  She kindly explained that this was in no way a reflection on me as a parent because I was being a great mom by seeking help for my child, for fighting for him.  They had lots of tests they needed to run and while I could do it outpatient it would take months to get everything coordinated.

We spent a week in the hospital.  We saw every specialist you could think of and therapists too.  He was poked, prodded and scanned.  The hardest test by far was the one for Cystic Fibrosis...not because it was a difficult test but because I knew what the prognosis was...incurable.  We finally left with the diagnosis of Mild Malabsorption and he was put on a new formula that was 'partially digested' really it means that they had separated the proteins and enzymes and whatnot so that it was absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach and not just the small & large intestine.  He gained weight and we left cautiously optimistic.

We had a decent summer.  He was growing s-l-o-w-l-y.  Then just before September we hit a bump...Vinny lost weight.  The dr called Vinny's Gastrointerologist aka gut doctor.  We saw our doc Friday morning and I got a call from the gut doctor's office that afternoon for an appointment on Monday!  That is crazy fast scheduling, not sure what our doc said, not sure I want to know, but I'm so glad he did.

We had a short consult, scheduled an Upper GI biopsy to check for Celiac Disease.  The doctor wasn't super encouraging but at least he was willing to do more tests.

Just before his first birthday I went into to find out the results of the biopsy and Praise the Lord he had Celiac!  Now it might sound cruel to be thankful your child has a disease but when you're fearful of cancer, Crohn's or other incurable illness.  Celiac isn't curable now but it is managed by a gluten free diet...a diet change that saves your life is better than cancer and infinitely better than not knowing.  Honestly, if the doctor said nothing was wrong I wasn't sure how I was going to continue to go grocery shopping.  Sooner or later somebody was going to call CPS on us.  An answer is what we needed.

Life is infinitely better with this crazy boy, and if it's okay to admit it I think 5 is the best age for boys.  They're still young enough to think you'r the best but big enough to take care of basic needs.  I can't imagine my life without him and I'm so fortunate to live in an age where a  Momma can fight for her baby's health and find out the problem.

So happy birthday my little man with a big heart!  Momma loves you with all of hers!

{{hugs}}
Buffy

The Princess Turns 3!

I can hardly believe that my baby girl is 3 today!  Oh those years have just flown by.  She can be a handful at times...really, she tries me in ways the boys could only dream about but still I love her so much.

As I was thinking about her birthday I realized that I started blogging after she was born so I figured it was time for another birth story.  I love me a good birth story (well even a bad one can be theraputic too).

So let's rewind the clocks about 4 years, before I was even expecting her.  I had just spent the better part of a year working while Husband stayed home as Mr. Mom (he did a great job too, though he never assumes I let the kids get into trouble anymore).  Yet I really didn't enjoy the company I worked for and honestly I missed my babies.  So Husband and I decided that I should and could go back to school, I quit my job, Husband found one and I went to school, starting in the winter quarter.

The plan then was to get a degree in English with an emphasis in education so I could become an English Teacher...but plans change.  Like finding out you're pregnant just after starting school!  That was certainly a shock.  We knew we wanted more kids...our 3 boys were precious but really I was hoping to have a girl and we always knew we wanted a large family.  So we had decided to take a baby break and hopefully get pregnant again AFTER I was done with school...God had other plans.

After the shock wore off, we started telling people and let's just say the news wasn't as 'joyfully' received as we had hoped.  It was very much a disappointment to me.  I would go through the stores shopping with my boys and hear women loudly whispering things like 'doesn't she know how that happens' or 'not another one.'  There were people who were happy, but I distinctly remember that it wasn't as happy a pregnancy as my others amongst my friends.

One thing else you need to know is that we didn't find out what we were having.  The one and only time I peeked, they were wrong, Husband wouldn't let me plan for that gender (which was a good thing) and overall I hated knowing...really took the surprise out of it for me (well, we did get surprised anyway).  So never again will I ever find out what gender my baby will be and after I finish this story you might feel the same way too.

So the week I was due came and went with no baby...not a surprise as at that time always overdue.  The in-laws went out of town for the weekend and to be honest I was sick and tired of being pregnant and had been trying all the remedies to encourage it along aside from castor oil...but I was desperate enough to try it again...sure enough the party got started, though it was a slow party.  My labors have been all over the map...long early labors to quick and dirty this one was a little middle of the road...not as long as Samuel's (18 hours) not as fast as Vincent's (less that 6 hours).  Eleven hours after my first contraction I saw HER.

I have delievered all my babies at home, and aside from Thaddeus, they have all been born in our bed.  I tell you without lie or doubt that there is absolutely nothing better in this world after giving birth than to be tucked into YOUR OWN BED with your baby.  To snuggle down with your husband and child to the quiet sounds you always drift off too instead of hospital lights and beeping sounds...that is sheer and perfect bliss.  I know not everyone can have a baby at home but me I can and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Since I was at home and because of the position I delivered in I was the very first person to see her, a truly magical momma moment.  I distictly remember looking down on my baby and checking under the umbilical cord and I knew that what I saw was not boy parts.  Yet as my midwife asked what we had, boy or girl I was rendered speechless...not out of joy, but fear that if I said I had a girl she'd look and say the pain got to me and I was wrong...I had to have a second opinion that I had a girl...A SECOND PAIR of eyes to confirm what I was seeing...so shocked was I to be a momma to a girl.

It has been my joy and privilege to be her momma and I love every minute of it (minus the screaming tantrums) and our life is so full and blessed because she is in it.  When I was expecting Thaddeus I was hoping for another girl because then I'd have a Full House--three of a kind and a pair, but I now realize that Four of a Kind with an Ace is just what our family needs.

{{hugs}}

Buffy

School!

It happened yesterday!  I woke up early and got started with the day, I cleaned up in the kitchen and I made Samuel a shirt...yes made, start to finish, for his first day and he refused to wear it.  I knew this day would come, that he would prefer other clothes to what I make him but I wasn't prepared for it yesterday...no it was a tradition, or least I thought it was, for me to quickly whip up a top for his first day of school.  I did it last year but apparently he already had his outfit picked out and I just couldn't change his mind.

Still he was the cutest 1st grader at his school and was a total ham whilst I photographed him too!

His avoidance of wearing Momma made clothes only lasted the one day and today he wore his new top.  Perhaps in the future I'll have to let him know that I'm making something for him so he's prepared.  Now that school has started, the calendar reads September and the weather is cooling off it is time to really focus on other things like Christmas pressies!

{{hugs}}
Buffy

Well I know it has been a couple days but you'll forgive me right?  Are you making anything?  Preparing for Christmas yet?  Waiting on pins and needles for the pumpkin spice lattes to return to Starbucks?  I'm just cleaning this afternoon and I'd love a break to chat!

Sock-full of Colors

The stomach flu hit our house and hit it hard.  Monday little dude aka Thaddeus got it and it got messy...we actually went into the Drs as I was concerned and after a brief visit and a Rx for anti-nausea/vomiting meds we were on our way.  He still isn't himself and I'm beginning to get concerned that it might be more than the flu.  However, he was a very good child and shared with the family.  Elsa was sick Tues, Lincoln & I got it Wednesday and Vinny and Husband had it yesterday... so far Samuel is the only one who hasn't but I'm confident that he'll get it Sunday morning since we have church and I'm playing the piano and kids love to get sick when we have plans.

So there is the very valid reason why I missed yesterday and Wednesday for posting and I'll be honest in telling you that it'll probably be a while before I'm completely back in the game with the posting but then again I kind of like being somewhat sporadic in posting...you just never know when I'll be here so you've got to keep checking right?

So now onto socks!  Yes, socks.  See I have five kids and every year they need new socks the problem is this year Lincoln's feet are WAY bigger than Samuel & Vinny's and to make matters worse Samuel & Vinny's feet are the SAME size.  In addition to both these facts the kids have decided that they do not want to share socks with each other.

So what was I to do?  At first I thought I could just buy different styles of socks for each child...but Mum bought the boys socks and they were all the same style, plus it is expensive to buy different styles as they aren't all the same prices.  This left me in a bind so I racked my creative brain for a viable option and landed on one the size of my sink...DYE!  Yup I decided to dye the socks different colors.  I let each boy pick out what color they wanted and then set to work dyeing them.

Lincoln, the boy after my color heart chose Tangerine Orange...

Samuel, my ever fashion conscious boy chose Black so his socks would alway match...

however the dye didn't take as well as I would have liked and turned purple...no fuss I'll just get a different brand of dye and try again...

Vinny shocked me, I thought for sure he'd pick Sunburst Yellow or Lemon Yellow (he tends to go with yellow) but instead he picked Scarlet Red...

I like the socks and in fact I used the dye bath for another project for me which I'm hoping to show off next week.

All in all I loved the idea, loved how it turned out and will from hence forth be dyeing my kiddos socks until they tell me to stop.  In fact I love dyeing fabrics and clothes so much I will probably start on the hunt for the very best dye and let you see my testing and results :)

Happy Weekend!
{{hugs}}
Buffy

So tell me have you every dyed fabric?  Are you daring in color choices or do you stick to conventional colors?  If you could dye one thing in your wardrobe that the color isn't perfect to turn it into something you loved what color would you chose?

A Quick Showcase of FOs

Today I am entirely unmotivated...which is bad since I only have today and tomorrow to get the laundry caught up and a bunch of sewing to do since I leave on Friday for the weekend.

Still while things have been quiet on the blog as far as finished items I have been working hard behind the scenes.  Because I know that you all love me and come here for my wit, wisdom and humor and not my photography* I'll post unedited cell phone pics.

First, Lincoln's new shorts...

They were supposed to be for his birthday but sadly I just didn't make it in time :(  Not to worry I found him a cool new swim suit and rash guard to open on the big day!

Front

Bac

The pattern is Burda Kids 9526 and while for this pair I did the faux fly shield I won't in the future...it doesn't save time or in my mind make them look any cuter,wait now that he's 8 should I say manlier?  Also, the waist band was thicker than my elastic so I did two rows instead of one...I'll probably tweak the pattern a bit more in the future but it was an easy sew, the most time consuming part being prepping the pockets.

Next up is a sweet little baby sweater...

While I'm visiting my family this weekend my cousin has so thoughtfully planned her baby shower around my schedule (this is a false and gross misrepresentation written solely to make me look important instead of just plain lucky)...so I whipped up a sweater super quick.  I still have to put on the ribbon ties put on it for it to truly be finished.

Pattern is from the Sirdar book Little Sweet Peas design H with short sleeves.  I had to modify it for the yarn I chose and I think from now on I will only knit top down sweaters for babies 6 months and under...not because I hate seaming but because it adds so much bulk around the sleeve and I imagine it might become quite bothersome to some babies.  The only modification I truly made was the edging as I didn't knit it but did a simple single crochet edge, mostly for time reasons and simplicity.

Well there you have it...Finished Objects (FOs) if only to prove that I actually do accomplish some things during the day.  However, I can't seem to get the cyberspace of URLs to give me links to the patterns I've mentioned...my apologies will try later when I have more time.

{{hugs}}
Buffy

So have you finished anything lately?  I'd love to see what you've made or are working on!  Have a happy Wednesday!

*This comment is for entertainment purposes only, though I suspect that it might be true since more people are following since I started posting less than ideal quality cell phone pics than when I had a good camera...though this might change in the near future.

My-Oh-My the Boy is 8!

I can't believe it, okay so I really can, but still my baby is 8 today!

More than that I seems so surreal that I have been a momma now for eight years and with a 16 month old still I now know that I will spend more of my life as a parent than the 21 years I was childless.  It is really crazy to think of it like that but so true.

Lincoln has taught me so much not just as a mother but as a woman.  I've learned what true and honest sacrificial love is.  I've discovered the joy of being the center of complete and utter adoration.  I have learned that it is always far better to stay up that extra 5 minutes for a hug and glass of water than to begrudge the little time I'll have with my kids when they still think I'm the center of their universe.

As each year passes I have to give up more and more of my care for him to let Lincoln find his wings of independence.  It is in these moments that I am thankful that we are given babies to start with and not teenagers, for it would hurt all that much more if the minute you recieved them you had to give them back to the world to make their own way.

We've got about 10 more years to teach him all he's gonna need to know to make in this world on his own.  To be completely honest that just doesn't seem like enough time.  I'd really like to rewind the tape and start again, review some lessons, do things differently.  Perhaps that is why firstborn children are called the Grand Experiment.  I know that all we do is experiment with how we teach, reward and discipline.

Still, Motherhood is a calling and most definitely a blessing.  To all those longing for a baby, I can't imagine the pain it must cause you but know this My God is able to do mighty things and that in HIS perfect timing a baby will come.  To all those wondering why you had children to begin with know this: the sands of the hour glass fall all too quickly when you look back at the past so make sure you remember to spend more time telling you're little ones you love them than you do scolding them.

Happy Birthday My Son, I am so very proud to be your mother.  Thank you Lord, for the blessing and trials of Motherhood!

{{hugs}}
Buffy

Breakfast Mayhem - More Messiness!

Let me just say that when you decide to let your kids get messy one week they certainly don't let you down.  Yesterday morning Elsa pulled off a fantastically 2-year-old stunt of independence.  She poured the milk for her cereal herself!  I can hear your gasp now.  Yet I didn't get upset I simply grabbed my phone and started snapping a few pictures...

 

 

 

Do you see the large puddles of milk?

Well Thaddeus, still in his high chair couldn't let his sister out do him in the messiness department and wiped off all of his cereal onto the floor...

Really I think he was hoping that with the milk on the floor if he added the cereal I'd let him down so he could eat off of the floor...he is smart/sneaky like that.  I did get him down but only so he could clean up...yes I had my 15 month old baby cleaning up after himself...and he loved it!

Elsa ran and grabbed a towel and started cleaning up the floor first...

Then the milk on the table started to drip onto the floor so I redirected her cleaning efforts while Vinny started sweeping. 

I don't have a picture of Thaddeus picking up the apricots he threw on the floor since I had to help boost his morale into doing the work (read in clapping and loud words of praise for each apricot slice put into the garbage). 

Once the floor was swept and the table cleaned of milk.  I put a little soap on a wet washcloth for the table and got the mop out for Thaddeus.

Soon this is what the table and floor looked like...

Honestly I don't think it took any longer for the kids to clean up the mess then it would have if I did it all myself.  The reason I say this is if I had done the whole clean up I would have had to battle the kids getting in the way which makes more work.  So teaching them to clean really doesn't take much more of my time, if any, and the kids walk away with a life long skill more valuable than if I had done the work myself.

While I did help with SOME of the cleaning, the majority of it was done by the kids.  Vinny is 4, Elsa 2 and Thaddeus 15 months each with varying degrees of ability.  Thaddeus was more than capable of picking up apricot slices and placing them in a grocery bag and pushing around a mop with a little assistance.  Elsa easily cleaned up all of the milk from the floor and table and Vinny did the sweeping.  All I had to do was give guidance, supply soapy washcloths, and sweep the pile into the dustpan that Vinny held.  Not bad if you ask me.

I hope you're finding my X-Large pictures of real life to be inspiring, honest and encouraging.  All too often we fall prey to the lie that teaching our kids to clean takes longer than it does to clean it ourselves, but the truth is all that is needed is to lower our expectations a bit and go with the flow.  Children love to help out so use that to your advantage!

{{hugs}}
Buffy

Well I was brave and showed you the honest pictures of my kitchen after breakfast, now is your turn to be honest and share with me.  Tell me what you need to overcome to be able to let your children learn how to care for the house?  Is there a topic on cleaning you'd like to discuss?  Or maybe you'd like more hints on teaching life skills to your kids?  Just leave a Friendly Thought and share in what we know and what we'd like to know more of.

I Had an Epiphany!

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So yesterday morning Lincoln spilled coffee all over the kitchen counter.  It was a complete accident and in retrospect no big deal.  However, I got more than a little frustrated with him because he just stood there doing nothing to clean it up, well actually he didn't even notice the mess at first.

As I was helping him to clean it up I had to stop myself from saying "you know how to do this" because I realized he didn't.  Not that we haven't taught him how to clean, it's just that so often when liquids get spilled I tend to *freak* out a little (okay, maybe a lot) and it is way faster for me to clean it up then to wait for the kids to do it.

However, Thursday I didn't feel like cleaning up Lincoln's mess.  So after I calmed down a bit (more like, realized Lincoln didn't know what he was doing and that he needed to be taught) I talked him through cleaning it up.  As I verbalized each of the steps to clean up the mess I realized how complex the proposition is.  I mean it's easy once you've learned it, but in the learning it is hard.  Let's break it down a little:

*You have to see the spill
*Then you have to get a towel to clean it up
*The towel has to be unfolded if using cloth, or torn off of the roll if using paper
*If the the spill is on the counter or other high surface you have to stop it from dripping on the floor first
*Then you have to clean up the floor so you don't slip while cleaning or track more of mess throughout the house
*Finally you get to cleaning up the bulk of the mess, but have to pay attention to how wet your towel is, do you need another towel

I could go on further, like moving objects on the counter to get all of the spill, cleaning off the bottoms of items realizing if the spilled substance is likely to leave a sticky residue and if you need to get soap to clean up too.  I don't know about you but my head is reeling just in thinking of all those steps...add in the fact that your 4, 6, or 7 and that is just a lot of work!

However, I am a good Momma.  I don't want to clean up after my kids forever, I want them to learn how to do it themselves.  So this week I am going to take a mini-break from my chaotic style of posting to do a week long mini-series which will be affectionately called The Week Of Messiness!  Oh yeah, I'm nuts :)

No, not really.  What I'm going to be doing is planning very messy activities with my kids...this is the part where you read in cooking, painting...heck I might even get out the glitter.  Really, anything that is messy and fun we're gonna try it.  However, I will not be cleaning up after them!  Nope, not one fleck of glitter, not one ounce of shaving cream (okay, I might help a little).  The kids will cleaning up the crafty mess that they make not just because it is the right thing to do, but because I want them to be prepared for the next 'accidental' spill and know what to do.

So neat freaks I dare you to join along.  Messy Momma's now's the time to teach your littles.  And remember the only rules are Be Messy and Make the Kid's clean up!

{{hugs}}
Buffy

Tell me what is the messiest craft you can think of?  When was the last time you got dirt under your nails?  Can cleaning really be fun?  Let's chat!

Life Is Never Boring

Hello all!  We all had a great weekend.  I got some sewing, knitting and even some writing done this weekend.  While my wish list was bigger than my time I'm not bemoaning anything.  I had a fun just hanging out with my kids and not worrying about what got done or what didn't.

I have several finished projects that I want to show you all but I think I'll work to get them up tomorrow. Today I thought it would be best just to give you a little glimpse into my life with all the kids.  These are just a few pics I've taken over the last month or so with my cell phone and they're unedited and full of chaotic glory.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Vinny is such a character and while I know we shouldn't play favorites with our kids I think I love his smile best of all.  You can't see from this picture but he has a wonderful heart shaped face and dimples that brings out the point in his chin adorably so when he grins and I just melt each time I see it.

These pictures were taken on the way back up to our house from the bus.  Samuel had decided this day he wanted to walk backwards the whole way up.  That boy is so silly :)

Thaddeus is such an investigator.  He is always opening up cupboard doors, pulling everything out of the drawers and then sitting down to play simply by trying to figure out how everything works.  He's a thinker that's for sure.

Of course he is the youngest and is often subjected to the playful tortures of his older siblings.  As you can see he is completely used to them stuffing things into his shirt and simply just sits and waits until someone removes the offending object or it falls out.  In this case it is a stuffed monkey.  Oh the woes of being the baby.

The weather has finally warmed up enough to be outside more and while I'd rather send them out and stay inside to sew but they really do prefer it if I come along with them.  And while it means less sewing time for me, I usually bring my knitting or a notebook and get something made all the while snapping cute pics of them playing together :)

Lincoln has become a die hard baseball fan and is currently trying to push convince his favorites on Thaddeus.  Perhaps the two of them will be playing catch next summer :)

What mother doesn't hope that her children will get along?  Well, I'm very lucky in that Lincoln adores his younger brothers and sister and willingly shares a spot to read to them or just point out pictures in a book.  Just looking at this pic makes my heart sigh...I can only imagine how I'll feel in another ten years.

Life with five kids isn't for everyone and it certainly isn't easy, but one thing is for sure Life is NEVER boring!

{{hugs}}

Buffy

I hope you had a great weekend!  Getting back into the swing of things is always hard after a long weekend but the work is worth the break.  In what ways is your life full of joy and excitement?  Have you been abandoning the to-do list in favor of time spent outside with the kids like me?  Leave me a note and lets chat!