where my kids at?

my friend nickey sent this link to me today and i almost peed my pants.

i'm suddenly rethinking this whole car thing- i mean, maybe i should get a minivan, especially if i can call it a "swagger wagon" :) what's sexier than swagger?!




(no, seriously, hunny, where are the kids?)

straight up

let's be frank: i think i might need one of these

today: was 95 degrees and humid
and: i am almost 6 months pregnant
with: poison ivy on my arm...and hand...and face (spreading, in the heat, as it does)
and? i decided to have a yard sale today.

which was a great success, thanks to our friends cody and nickey.
who are awesome, and occupied our children allllll day.

and i don't always recognize that i overexert or overextend, but yesterday setting up (with the help of nickey, thank goodness) and today being out for 8 hours, setting up, pricing, peddling wares, cleaning up, and re-orging the garage...i actually realized that i AM in fact, a little crazy.

it's good that at least i know i have a problem...right?

workation

yeah.

this is the kind of day i had yesterday. not pretty.
ugh. is it just me, or do kids like to misbehave more when you're really having a productive day? i feel like they sense that you're on a roll, getting a lot done, and they like to sabotage it. no?

i spent the entire (literally. entire.) day monday lying on the couch watching the food network feeling like death. (thank you baby 3. don't think i won't remember this time.) is it just me or is the food network addicting? even for a girl like me who wanted to barf all day because every smell was obnoxiously nauseating, the food network was still an okay choice for television. not a lot of logic there. but it's true.

i was up early at 7 with piper, and i went full blast all day. 6 loads of laundry (note: save electricity: hang them on the line. great idea. until you bring the clothes inside and theres about a bazillion inchworms all over the place. g-ross). dinner prep. emails. lots of cleaning. birthday party planning. oh, and packing our life up real quick. dave and i are taking a sort of vacation...to work? hmmm. well, we're watching my bosses kids while they're away for 4 days sowe're moving in to their beautiful home to take on 2 more kids. (this is going to make or break dave's idea that 4 is a good idea. we'll see what he think after having an 8, 7, 4, and 1.5 year old for 4 days. lol.)

after a day of being ignored, followed by a day like today, i think e & p are ready for a little mom and dad saturation. some focused playtime and attention. i think i'm ready, too. i've got another new book (yay!), a clean-ish home, bathed children, and a sorta packed up life.

i say bring it on! i'm ready for a workation!

the short list

well, a baby name blog has been requested by a couple of you over the past weeks, and let's be honest: i like to give the people what they want :) and WHO doesn't like to talk about baby names?! (answer: no one)

this go 'round, baby naming is much harder. i guess because our first name picks, elias and piper, were such clear cut front runners. we had both their names picked out before i even knew i was having a boy. truth is, we didn't have many favorites to begin with, so we're now left with a much shorter list. and we've not added many names to it since we made it 5 years ago (yes. i'm picky. i'm opinionated. what of it?)

after two kids, finding another name that fits the group is kind of tricky. i feel like eli and piper's names are both a little unique and somehow similar in feel, so i'm not about to name baby 3 something that doesn't, well, fit. so that's one more thing to complicate what is becoming one very tough job. who ever though finding a name could prove so difficult?

i like sharing baby names. some people keep it a secret, which i think is cool (but i never could), and some people don't like sharing because they don't like people's reactions. but me? i don't give a hoot what someone else thinks. it's my kid, and i can name it whatever the heck i want. so i really don't care if everyone (or anyone) likes it. you should have heard my dad react to the name piper. maybe that's why he still calls her penelope (hilarious, and yet unfortunate, because i like the name penelope, too. and i love the nickname penny...)

i'm very particular about names, and i have way too many parameters. here's where i get a little crazy. are you worried? or curious?

1) the name we choose most likely cannot end in "-on", "-en", "-in" or "-an" because none of those sound very good with stratton. there may be exceptions to this rule. maybe.

2) nicknames are important. if there is no nickname, it's probably not going to work.

3) i'd prefer that it not end in "-as" or "-er" (like elias and piper). i'd like them to all sound different.

4) i don't like names that i hear all the time, but i don't do wacky, invented, or bizarre names. like "faranfalli" or "wardionne". (c'mon, are they for REAL?!)

5) middle names are just as important as first names. i already have a unisex middle name with great significance, but i cannot divulge just yet. you'll have to wait for it. dave and i agree that one of the names ought to have some significance or meaning, eg, no naming my kids after soap opera stars or anything ;)

that said, i'll share some of our short list. ready?!

GIRLS

elouise- and i'd call her "lou". LOVE.

lula- not sure if i love it, but it would be cute with a middle name like "jane" or something.

ophelia- elya suggested this one (in jest, i think), but i love "opie". it's on the list.

BOYS

malcolm or maxwell- we love "max", but what do you call malcolm for short?!

hatcher or thatcher- "thatch" and "hatch". like.

atticus- dave and i always loved this one. but "atti" sounds too similar to "madey" and "matty". not so much...

jude or judah- still like these ones. and jude i like even without a nickname (gasp).

asher- but can you call him "ash"? is it too feminine? undecided on this one. plus it's an "-er", so...

truth is, i adore elouise, but i do no yet adore any boy names. here's where you come in. i need name help, BIG TIME. i want them all and i want you to keep your ear to the ground between now and november for anything that i can use.

the fate of my third child...rests on you.

(no pressure)

when the writing on the floor is in brown crayon

i was sitting here at my desk this morning thinking, "hmm. i really don't have any good ideas for a blog today." this happens a lot, despite what you may think. i thought for a moment whilst sipping my tea (yes, whilst) and started working on a blog about the kids rooms and what i'm thinking for the future.

and while i sat here, looking for some good ideas, googling crib sets, guess, just guess, what piper was doing.

here. take a look :)

(yeah, really wishing i had painted my toenails now that i've featured them so prominently in this video)

some of you have asked me questions in the past like "michelle- how do you do it all?!" and "how do you find the time to write?!" (by the way, these kinds of statements do make me laugh. because i KNOW what i do all day. and realize i ought to divulge more of my realities to you if you actually think these things...)

you see folks, there's a very simple answer to these questions: i ignore my children.

i don't have superhuman powers.

and i don't always write when my children sleep (although i do admittedly try to write when piper naps, and as you saw, for good reason).

i write when i feel like it, sometimes even at the expense of my children (gasp).

i don't occupy my children all day, and i sure do get mad at them when they're not playing nicely while mommy's trying to write.

i even yell at them.

(i will tell you that yelling does make me hate myself when my beautiful children simply want my attention. do they have to literally climb on me, though? and cry and wipe their snot on my lap while i type?? apparently...yes.)

so this is a little gift from me to you. it's hard for every mom to find the time to do...well, anything.

and it's even harder not to laugh when the marker on the floor is in brown crayon :)

methods to our madness

as elias has gotten older, and in turn, more mature (as well as at times, rather difficult), i've been scouting out a good way to help him understand his responsibilities and the rules of our house. a few months ago, i realized i expected him to know the rules of the house without ever actually sitting down and explaining them to him (uh, dur?) as well as the reasons why we should share, and speak respectfully, etc.

after seeing what some of my friends are doing, doing some reading, and perhaps an occasional tivo fast forward through supernanny, i created a reward chart and some house rules so elias could have something concrete and tangible rather than "because i say so." i hate "because i say so." it's so lame to not know why we say the things we say.

i have to tell you, i've been more than pleased with the results so far. he now understands much more fully that he is expected to participate in making our home run, as well as expected to behave (and not behave) in certain ways. in turn, i get to teach him a little more about how Jesus was ("no, elias, Jesus didn't punch bad guys. he loved them even though they were bad.") and how i expect he (and piper) to be. his rewards are things he would get anyway: a movie, a treat, a trip to the playground; but knowing that they are a direct result of positive behavior and good choices, he feels really proud of himself. and he is one eager kid to help because that behavior has been met with such positive praise. it kills me! he helps unload the dishwasher, just because; he cleans his toy room without being asked; he clears everyones plates off the table after dinner instead of just his own. AND he doesn't ask for a sticker every time. he's just learning about participating.

below are the stratton house rules that are on our fridge for elias to see and learn from. and his reward chart is there for him to add stickers to and get excited about (orrrr throw a fit when he's not close enough to a reward yet. lol. a work in progress, people).

i want to know: what methods do you use? or what methods did your parents use? i know there are methods to our madness as parents, and i'm always curious to cultivate/refine/develop/improve mine.

so come on, whatchu got??

bag lady

at the end of may, the 4.2 of us will be traveling to florida to celebrate dave's grandma's 90th birthday. SO exciting. we've decided to make a vacation out of it because frankly, well already be there, in sunny florida, which is no small feat. so it makes a LOT of sense. AND as part of the celebration, grandma is putting her whole family up at the safety harbor resort & spa, which is beautiful, so what better place to stay?!

the last time i flew, i was 4 months pregnant with piper, and elias was a lap child. the way there? easy. the plane was almost empty, and he watched curious george on our portable dvd player and read books (annnd was spoken to by the flight attendants frequently for being a rollicking, exuberant almost 2 year old). the way back, however? nightmarish. picture elias on my pregnant lap for over two hours, and the gentleman sitting next to me being 6'3" and 250, easily. and i was alone, because dave had driven a car back. this time around, being pregnant again, and having piper to contend with? not gonna lie- i'm a little scared. but i have dave, and elias is always such a good boy. i also tried to book direct flights that worked with their schedules, which will be SUCH a big help.

the ONLY thing right now that i have to figure out, is how to account for car seats. dave's grandma is renting a van or suv for the family while everyone's down for the weekend, so i'll need to have car seats for the kids to sit in while we're carting them to and fro in florida...but that means i'll somehow have to bring them/check them/carry them/have them. this is tricky, but this is not the first time someone has traveled with small children. and i know there must be at least a few of you out there who have done this.

i need to know: are there special car seats that are small or that fold up that are also legal for driving? because i don't know if we can carry all our luggage, a stroller, a pak-n-play, carry-ons, juice cups, blankies, 2.2 children, AND 2 car seats...

SO. i need some options, ideas, and advice. because although something like this guy below looks good, it's not exactly freeing up any hands, and it's not exactly something i want to invest in. i need inexpensive options that can help me avoid being a crazy bag lady and pack light...i think. or something?

anyone??

that's cool...right?

so maybe i did sleep longer than piper this afternoon.

while elias read a book about sports champions and changed his outfit 5 times.

and maybe even after piper had woken up, i fell asleep again.

for an hour.

while elias honed his babysitting skills. (he's about old enough...right?)

and watched, i don't know, hannah montana or something on the disney channel that was totally not age-appropriate. (i'll have to talk to him about making better choices for the kids he's watching...geez.)

and maybe all i want to eat is bacon cheeseburgers every day.

and french fries.

or mozzarella sticks.

oh yeah- and donuts.

i mean, i don't eat them every day.

but i would. and i want to.

that's cool...uhh, right?

i feel like pregnancy is this force to be reckoned with. and it makes you okay with things like ignoring your children so you can sleep in the middle of the day. or eating things that clog your arteries and worse.
and this force...is almost unstoppable.

anyone?!
what have you seen, heard, or experienced with "the force"?
c'mon, share. it will make me feel better :)

preschool?!

preschool.

whoa.

i have to say that i'm really not quite ready to let my little guy grow up. i'm sort of avoiding preschool, actually. if i sign him up, then he has to go, and...get...well, BIG.

i digress.

so i'm looking into preschools in the area that are first and foremost:

a) convenient.

b) affordable.

c) and, of course, they need to teach, and well.

southeastern regional high school has a program that has come highly recommended to me from a few different people, and since it's practically across the street from the church, ie, only 6 miles from us, so it's one of the front runners.

let's talk about this, though, moms. did any of you realize how EXPENSIVE preschool is?!

holy moly!

here is a breakdown of southeastern's center for early learners:

full day program:

tuesday and thursday, 7:15am-4:15pm: $60/wk

monday/wed/friday, 7:15am-4:15pm: $90/wk

i think we're doing a full day program because i'm not about to get us all out of the house every single day. nooo thanks. i'll have to do that every year from now until he's 18, so i'm cool with not making that kind of daily commitment right now (if your curious what the pricing is for a half day- full week, it's mon-fri, 7:15-11:45, $75/wk).

but have you done the math on it?!
$60/wk for 16 weeks = $960

20 weeks = $1200

24 weeks = $1440

(etc.)

!!! whoa, baby. i don't actually know how many weeks this particular program is, though i do know it starts 9/8/10, but regardless, it's hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars. worth it, sure, but surprising for me, to say the least.

so i want to hear back from you!

do you think the cost of preschool is exorbitant? or would you pay anything to get them out of the house, ahem, i mean, educated? (kidding, kidding)

do you see pro's and con's for half days versus full days?

local readers- do you have suggestions of other great programs? what is their pricing like? for how many days and what times??

i'm one for making educated decisions (excuse the pun), so let's talk some preschool, mamas!

grease monkey

this story is a perfect example of why mothers don't have extra time. bear with me...

after our play date with lee, cadie, and jax this morning, i dropped by my mum and dads. he had back surgery yesterday to fix a herniated disc (one of like, five), and decided he wanted to come home...today. typical. but elias and piper do a good job cheering him up, mainly because they are slightly obsessed with him, elias especially, so we stop in to say hi real quick and get home in time for naps.

after we get home and i have the kids in bed, i hear some banging and crashing in piper's monitor, which is a clear indicator that elias is doing some rearranging in his room next door, ie, not napping. so i head upstairs to investigate. when i open his door, i see every (every.) toy in his toy box emptied onto the floor (in their place? a pillow and a blanket. he likes to sleep in there...), i see piles of books in his bed, but i don't see elias.

hmm.

i see that my door is closed, so i walk into my bedroom to find him pretending to be asleep in my bed. always a goof. i ask him if he wants to take a nap in my room, which is a rarity that evokes much excitement, so i proceed to tuck him in. i head back downstairs and remember that i'm cooking italian sausage for dinner. right. probably want to pay attention to your dinner, michelle. i give the sausages a turn, throw in some laundry, and head upstairs to make sure elias is quiet. i hear him talking to himself so i open the door to find him sitting on the floor next to the bed

covered.

in.

aquaphor.

and when i say covered, i mean covered. ev-er-y-where. slathered. his legs, his arms, every part of his body not covered by clothes is coated with a nice thick greasy layer of aquaphor.

i look at him with my "if looks could kill/choke/throttle/etc." stare, and he doesn't even flinch. or skip a beat. he just looks at me matter-of-factly and says "mom- i JUST had surgery."

oh, my fault! i didn't realize that people are typically coated with a thick layer of grease after "surgery". but thanks, elias, for the enlightenment.

sigh. kids...
and THAT is just ONE example of why moms are busy and exhausted. because of grease monkeys.

(note: soap alone is not an adequate adversary for aquaphor. next time maybe i'll try gasoline...)

tea time...or pee time?

so i'm cleaning the toy room the other night and i'm looking for these magnets that go to something i wanted to hang in the kids toy room for their artwork. i had let elias play with them (my first mistake) and can't find them anywhere. i'm thinking "did he eat them?...did piper?...are they stuck to something random somewhere?..."

can't find them. but i open one of the cabinets in eli's little kitchen, and i see a tea cup. grandma nancy gave piper THE cutest tea set made out of tin for her birthday, and there, sitting on the shelf inside the little cabinet is one of these little tea cups.

full of pee.

yes- you read that right. pee.

now my first thought is "how in the WORLD did he ever pee into this tiny tea cup with out making a mess?! and without me KNOWING?!" there was no pee to be seen anywhere around this tea cup. not so much as a ring underneath it when i picked it up. (gross.) and this pee had been in there for a day or two (trust me, it just was). so i was never privy to nor invited to this pee party, which is uncharacteristic, because elias is the kid who's like "guess what i did mom!" or "yes, i hit piper"...secrets and lying are just not his forte.

so i'm puzzled by this pee/tea cup, and i'm also kind of impressed. not that i should be, i should be mad or something, but i was. i was just impressed. and a little mad at the peeing in places other than the toilet. we've been peeing in the toilet for a long time now, so i wasn't sure what to make of the peeing in random things. the thought of it started to make me a lit-tle nervous...

a couple of days go by. still no magnets, which is killing me because i can't stand it when i can't find something. i'll look all day and in every spare moment to find it. but no luck on the magnets yet. so i'm cleaning up again one night, and i pick up the tea kettle and i hear something clanging around inside. i look inside and there i find the three missing magnets...

and some more pee.

awesome. i guess when your mom says "no more water" in the tea set (since it was rusting), you have to find other ways to make believe. and, of course, now i know how he had such amazing accuracy- his pouring skills are fantastic.

anyone for pee time, i mean, tea time?!

"talk about it, mom!"

elias says this phrase all the time that kills me: he's always saying "talk about it..."

he uses it a couple different ways: either "talk about it, mom!" which is in an aggravated tone, and he means it more like"don't talk about it, mom" for when he's getting into trouble, or i'm explaining why he can't do something. and he also says "talk about _______!" and it can be anything from a movie he's been watching, or a book he likes, to something that happened that he enjoys recounting.

as a tribute to my young clone, let's "talk about it": here is a brief (wait-am i ever brief?) overview of the many blog topics up and coming and in my brain of late. if you want, feel free to tell me what you'd like to hear about first.

this is what i want to talk about soon:
- i haven't done a yard/projects update in a while. i guess because the rock wall is at a stand still and the back yard, though flat now, is about as easy to walk on as, ohhh, the moon's surface, and we can't quite afford to buy the top soil we'd need for 3/4 of an acre. because it's about a bazillion dollars. i also need to update on the garden, and discuss how i have poison ivy. again. and i HATE it.
- i want to blog about my husbands sermon series on "the Way" because it's AMAZING. one of my favorite series yet. you can listen online and download the sermon notes if you're interested. my girl leelee told me this morning she's using them as a little bible study for herself. i love her. i want to blog about her, too.
- an eli/pippa update. elias is killing me as usual with his word choices and phrasing (for example, his usage of the word "responsibilities" [which sounds more like "ponsabilities"] which are not to be confused with superhero "abilities", which are also a hot topic. priceless.). and piper...is nuts, and she's getting SO big (and i mean, off the charts literally kind-of-big). so i'd like to do a little update on those rascally rabbits and all their cuteness.
- some pictures from the john legend concert, which was a-mazing. and how much i love him. and how this concert made me realize i need to be around black people way more. dead serious. enough with you white people. kristen thinks i can blog about this without sounding weird or ignorant. but even writing it sounds weird and ignorant. ahh well, what can i say? just trying to keep it real. i am just sort of obsessed with culture outside my familiar. (and i want to adopt some babies who look more like my kids baby dolls than my kids). and that's for real.
- picture post on the NY part of our vacation. there are some cute ones, i'm just a bit overwhelmed by the amount of pictures i have. again, i'm my own worst enemy.
- and i wanted to tell you what my husband got me for my birthday without straight bragging about him. although i may just have to flat out brag. but i had a great birthday, and never really got around to sharing. silly me.

this is what i will talk about now:
- poison ivy + insane heat + naughty 3 year olds = me wanting to hurt myself or whoever is closest to me. i've been praying about that lately, again, for patience. i think God is working on me, and giving me lots opportunities for growth. if only there weren't so many. ;)
- work is going great and i love it. and i adoreeeee getting out of the house by myself for a day. it's just so necessary. and bringing home a little of my own bacon sure can't hurt.
- the poisonwood bible and unchristian are still treating me well. loving a little reading time when i can squeeze it in.
- i've spent every minute possible floating in my parents pool. let's face it- 93 degrees plus humidity is just plain oppressive. i'm trying to survive this obnoxious heat wave by immersing myself in any water i can find- water fountain, muddy puddle, kiddie pool. i don't discriminate-it's too stinking hot!
- and i wanted to know- have any of you seen any good movies lately? i've seen a bunch of movies, which i may blog about as well, but they were mostly just so-so. i need a good blow-em-up, shoot-em-up action flick, or maybe something with some romance and a good story line and script. anyone??

this is what i don't want to talk about:
- how annoying it is to have a 3 year old on miralax. because he poops in volumes you could not imagine. and instead of napping, he does a lot of pooping. and changing his own diaper without me hearing him. let's not talk about how today he used an ENTIRE container of wipes to clean himself up after changing his own diaper. granted, he did a good job, but an ENTIRE container?! and of course, he's only THREE, so there's poop on the floor after he "changes himself" because this is not ordinary kid poop. it's soft ,mushy, MESSY poop.

see, i had always locked elias in his room (for his safety and my peace of mind) but since he's been potty training, i've left it open. of course he's not used to being able to get out. so he'll just pee on the carpet since his diaper full of poop is on the floor under a heap of dirty wipes! and then he'll remember, and he'll do the rest of his poop and pee on the toilet. which is great. but a liiiiittle late.

i'm just EXASPERATED with the pooping problems, with poop on my floor, with the large volumes of poop, and with my poor boy going 7 days without pooping. i just can't take ANY MORE poop! it's been over a year! so just pray for my boy and his gastro-intestinal organs, that they might function normally, and that he might not have to be on a stool softener, and that i won't have to ever EVER (not) write about poop again.

and there you have it. that's what i want to talk about and don't want to talk about. what do ya think?

updates, edition 3: our vacation

dave and i differ on this point, actually, but i don't believe that you can "vacation" with children. if you're somewhere with kids, i think the correct terminology is a "trip" or an "adventure"...but not a vacation. vacations are relaxing, responsibility-free time where you don't have to pack your entire life up just to go and try to live it more inconveniently some place else.

don't mistake my realism for dread, however. it's a lot of work to go on vacation, don't get me wrong, but i LIVE for time alone with my little family, and getting away from the hum-drum every day. and one of my resolutions was to be more adventurous, no? :) so although it can seem overwhelming to me at points when i think of the amount of packing and logistics to consider, i truly am excited to get away with my love and loves.

whether you have a family or not, i'm sure you're quite aware that vacations are expensive. understatement of the century, right. especially when you're taking two kids and need that much more space to vacation in. it's not exactly in the budget to rent a house somewhere for most people. but this year, we are blessed to be vacationing in nantucket. for those of you who know anything about nantucket, this island is not a place i ever thought i'd be able to take my family on vacation (it's kind of "posh" or something). a day trip, maybe, but for a week? yeah right. but through another local pastor, we were introduced to the ozias', who let pastors and their families come and stay with them on the island for free.

man, some people really have big hearts, huh?

it's really an amazing blessing to not have to pay to lodge for a week (who says lodge?), never mind that we are lodging on the adorably quaint and insanely beautiful island of nantucket. blessed.

so we'll be on the island for a week, back home for a few days, then off to lake taghkanic in new york with dave's folks to spend a week in a cabin for some more rustic living. the kids are going to have a blast! and i'm really excited that dave's family, who are out in indiana and chicago, will have a chance for some stratton kid saturation. a little piper and elias can go a long way :)

and now it's crunch time. i won't bore you with my extensive list of things i need to find/buy/finish/locate/pack/organize before we can go. but i will tell you i'm going to miss writing to you while i'm gone. i'm not sure i'm going to be able to be away and not write for that long! i may have a couple blogs to fire as i'm away, one for piper's one year birthday, and a couple videos (if i can ever get them to upload, what the heck!), but i'll be on the beach or in the woods for a good while. i'm looking forward to it. it has the potential to be a lot of fun. we'll just have to see. don't worry- you'll be the first to know ;)

still/busy?

today i realized, not for the first time, however, that i am habitually and characteristically overzealous about "do-ing" and "working." i am literally on the verge of incapable of just sitting still. people always remark at how thin i am (which begs the question 'why are people so obsessed with weight?' but whatever, that's a blog for another day), and although i have my father to thank for a very fast metabolism, the real reason he and i (and many others i'm sure)are so thin is because we have a problem. and the problem is that we insist on always go-go-going and have a really hard time sit-sit-sitting.

in our couples group, we are going through "breaking free" by beth moore. she talks about the "captivity of activity" in the context of oppression and things we hide behind as Christians. and although i never intentionally hide in activity, i still feel like i am much more comfortable with projects and things to do. let's face it, as a mom, there's literally ALWAYS an overwhelming amount of things TO do, aren't there? and if we're being really honest, don't we kind of like being able to hide behind our kids schedules or their needs?

the thing is, being busy is a choice.

my husband reminds me of this frequently. he'll whisk me away from whatever i'm doing just to sit. and it almost takes someone physically removing me from what i'm doing. whether it's washing the floor on my hands and knees at 10:00pm or raking up zillions of rocks, sometimes you just need to take a minute and be still. nothing is going anywhere. trust me, that food on the floor under the highchair? it's gonna be riiighhttt there waiting for you. and those dishes and that laundry and those errands and that email and that phone call? they'll be waiting too.

i think i struggle with knowing that there is much value in stillness, and putting that knowledge into practice. knowing what i know and doing what i know is sometime where i get tripped up. it's hard for me to be still. i have a lot of energy and i thrive of "getting things done" but those are called excuses. the more i live, the more i realize that certain things can wait, and certain things have weight. it's really a question of what's important.

dave always says that you can see what things you value by seeing where you spend the most time. i spend a great deal of time with my children and my husband...but how much time do i spend with Jesus? how much time do i spend in stillness? how much value do i place on knowing what God wants for me? how much time am i actually LISTENING instead of TALKING? these are the questions that matter most.

so instead of raking up the zillions of rocks this morning (zillions is not an overstatement, by the way) i decided to clean out the kids pool (okay, sort of still a task, but it was full of sand) and let them splash for a bit. and then i made lunch and we all ate on the porch together. and i'll tell you this much- that was FAR more satisfying than raking rocks. because you all know that while you try to do and do, your kids make it impossible because of their needs/wants/demands, and if you're anything like me, you get really aggravated and frustrated at them, and then NO ONE is happy. especially YOU.

so i'm working on my expectations still, being a go-go-go type of mom, and working on how to be genuinely satisfied with accomplishing absolutely nothing. because with Christ, that is very possible. God does not value what we value, and although there are many things in our lives that have to get done, we can do those things with love and purpose, as if we're doing them for Jesus himself, OR we can just do-do-do it all by ourselves, and quickly notice that our efforts go unnoticed, unblessed, and are mostly stressed. no rhyming intended.

there will always be things to do, but there won't always be people to do it for. and there is much more value in stillness than in busyness, isn't there?

so...still busy?

"gotcha last"

so this morning, as i made my tea and waited for the clothes in the dryer to fluff, elias wanted to play chase. so we run around for a clip, but he had a fair amount of unwritten rules (such as "don't actually ever get me") and was whining when i would break them (i'm working on my mind reading skills), so i decided to teach him a new game.

when i was younger, my mom would play "gotcha last" with me, my brother, and my sister. the basic premise is tag, but in one room, and more along the lines of artful dodging, because you have only a small space.

so i introduce "gotcha last" to elias and he's cracking up as he dips and dodges, smacking me and giggling. and in true eli form, what does he do?

he opens the kitchen drawer and pulls out a knife.

talk about upping the ante, huh? albeit a plastic kids knife (yes, from ikea), i was fascinated by my child's response to grab a knife. to elias, knives are "swords" and he thinks that in all scenarios, swords are the answer (maybe it's time to lay off the prince philip?).

soo typical that my e-man would get a little west side story with my innocent game of gotcha last. no big surprise there.

i just adore boys. their logic never ceases to amaze and enthrall me.
but i think me and e probably need to have a little chat about the 'knives are the answer' thing...

:)

my preliminary findings

i don't know what it is with me today. i'm all hyper, and giddy, and chipper, and productive, and patient, and positive, and...hmm- myself.

weird.

i keep trying to figure out if someone slipped me a mickey, or what it is that has gotten me all high on life. there's a few possibilities. these are my preliminary findings:

a. getting some sleep.
last night piper only woke up once, because she was freezing her little biscuits off, and went right back to sleep, and slept until 7:30 this morning. i had forgotten what it was like to have her sleep. it's a distant memory now. because honestly, the night before, she woke up at 12am and i could not get her back to sleep until 2:40am, and i almost hurt her. but for the grace of God, truly. she screamed and screamed and fussed and kept opening my bathrobe up like it was doors to the refrigerator. sorry, no late night snacks, kiddo. haven't done feedings like that for over 6 months. she was adamant about being awake, crying, and trying to eat. and ask me- did feeding her make her simmer down?? ohhhh no. it was bad. luckily, today is a new day. yesterday, i could not muster up the ability to blog anything free of profanity or rude, ungodly thoughts. i'm glad i waited. too many of my relatives read this blog ;)

b. shopping at target.
i managed to find all the things i needed today without having to be one of "those moms" in the store screaming empty threats at my 3 year old. even though elias concluded wearing a diego backpack means it's yours, and proceeded to throw himself on the floor over a diego slip-n-slide, i managed to stay very calm and firm. as if my son needs anything that will make him go any faster or be any more dangerous. he though it was a pool, anyway. "it IS a pool, mum! me bring dis hommmeeee!" there's no talking sense to toddlers, is there? no, you're right elias, i can't read, it must be a pool. my mistake...(eye roll).
so as shallow and terrible as it may be, shopping, even with two small children, brings me great pleasure. i can't explain it. mostly for clothes, especially for elias and piper. even with the tears and the drama, today, i found some of the MOST adorable things for my cutey beauty. just look at how adorable these are! and oh, so affordable!

c. getting my hair cut. YAY! what's better than friends, starbucks, and getting your hair "did"? amber's bringing baby yuuukas (lucas), as elias would say, so i get to chop this hair, and squeeze a bitty baby, and chat without interruption. i love my husband, who makes all these things possible, and gladly. seriously. i am married to THE most amazing man in the world.

so tomorrow- 12:30, new hair, new me! going bold- going short!

SO nervous.

picture post: march

eli's whipped cream mustache

miss piper, smiley girl

playing paino, just like dada

with her my little pony

hanging on the bed with mama

investigating

elias the "firefighter"

haha, in my rainboots and vest

how soon we forget...

i think, after about 5 days, that i am finally climbing out of the dark hole called sickness, with elias and piper not too far behind. dave, with the power of orange juice, vitamins, and will power, has somehow avoided the train wreck. sunday he wasn't feeling well, but he told me he was going to kick this sickness in the...

miss piper sleeping through the night the past couple nights has been a huge help. when i say huge, i mean tremendous. GIGANTIC.

and a jagged edge of her first little tooth has finally emerged. her bottom left.

(angels singing)

this is only the beginning, but i'm ready for all the madness tooth cutting brings.

ha ha ha, not really.

truth is, i have no recollection of tooth cutting, or whether elias was rotten when he got teeth, or what is was like in that period of time. he's like the golden boy who did no wrong because we simply can't remember. dave and i are always trying to recall things from when elias was piper's age, and we rarely can.

regardless of our failed memories, poor piper takes the cake for being a pain in the neck overall anyway. she's a sassy little thing, with her furrowed brow, her angry little fits of rage, and her adorable, beautiful, shrieking, smiling, face.

it's sort of like she's my first child. all the things i thought i learned, or would remember "for next time"? yeah, couldn't tell you one of them.

the other night i recalled (i already had forgotten?!) how she used to make me wrestle her to breastfeed. every time. relentlessly. and now, we don't wrestle anymore (proof that God really does love me!). man, i like her a whole lot more! yet another example of the short term memory loss associated with our kids.

i tend to think it's part of God's divine plan that women especially would forget all of the reasons why we would never want to be pregnant, giving birth, breastfeeding, raising little tiny people, etc. etc. etc. there are about 53972350823 trillion reasons why logic would tell us 'this is not a good idea.' and if this part of our brains functioned properly, would we really ever jump excitedly at the chance to do it again?! if we really remembered??


no. the answer is no.

us women, we just love it all. we can't help it.


the good.
the bad.
the ugly.
ALL of it.

which is why despite some sleepless nights, drippy, boogery noses, coughing, whining, and all the other fun things sickness brings along with it, i still love my life. and i love my children.

and i wouldn't even trade it.


see?! WHAT is wrong with us!?!?

thought for the day

today i just feel really really blessed to have happy, healthy children. i just can't even for one moment take it for granted that they have cheerful dispositions and well-functioning little tiny bodies.

that's all.

that and i stinking love them to bits and bits.

or as elias would say "love you moon and back, round the world, to bottom deep blue sea, 'nother gaxy (galaxy), a most!"

well said, my little man.

boogers, earwax, and eyelashes

the thing i love about children is they are in so many ways mirrors of their parents. our speech, our bad habits, our unkind behavior, our idiosyncrasies totally rub off on them.

which brings me to boogers, earwax, and eyelashes.

i have a lot of quirks (gross understatement). everyone does, i suppose. but i have a thing for cleanliness. from personal hygiene-type cleanliness to cleaning my microwave and trash can-type cleanliness. and this trait can be evidenced clearly in my son who can vacuum a floor very efficiently, gladly wipes up messes he makes, and loves brushing his teeth and washing his hands.

in terms of hygiene, i always want my kids fingernails clipped, their noses clean, ears free of earwax, and eyeballs not crusty. it's just how it has to be for me. i can't deal with dirt under fingernails or boogery noses. it makes me anxious or something.

so the other morning, as dave an i lay sleepily in bed, young elias jumps all over the place, playing, snuggling, telling us to get "our dress on," (ie, get dressed). piper wakes up (geez, i wonder why) and elias bolts to hop into her crib with her, as always. we stay in bed, listening to the two of them in the monitor, hoping for just five more minutes. two, even.

but in abut one minute, piper is crying.

this is not uncommon. elias is often a bit rowdy.

i call to him and ask why piper is crying, and elias yells back "i'm pickin she's buuuuggers mum!"

my son is picking the boogers out of his little sister's nose.

hahahahahaha.

and how do i tell him not to do that when i do it to the two of them all the time?! eek!

as his mother, i guess i should have seen the signs that his cleanliness obsession would escalate when he was "geddin eyelash out piper's eyeeee" the other day or when he goes digging around in his ears for earwax.

realization:

my son...

is me. in so many scary scary ways.

...it's nice to have a partner to fight hygiene crime, though.

i think we'll make a good booger-picking team.