Pacing myself

As of late, our home is the kind of place where you have to keep your toast in your hand or someone else will eat it. I can't believe how fast-paced having four kids makes your life. I am constantly saying where did the morning/afternoon go?

Getting the big kids up for school is a challenge. They are still pretty sleepy from their summer hiatus. Gavin asks me everyday, "Do I have school today, too?" He isn't complaining, I think he is just trying to wrap his brain around the all or none of kindergarten.

This morning I closed my eyes a bit and didn't even leave my bed until 7:15 so I was a few minutes behind in getting them up. It's days like this that I am thankful for the chaos of everyday life, because to them it was just another morning as I fed them breakfast and did Maleah's hair at the same time. I changed dirty diapers and filled cups and tied shoes and shoved them out the door almost simultaneously.
We always stand the the picture window and wave to them and today I noticed the big kids arguing a bit over whether Gavin could ride his bike. I saw Maleah wrinkle her nose and point to the seat which was damp with overnight dew. Gavin shrugged his shoulders, threw off his jacket and wiped the seat clean with one huge swipe. He flipped his jacket back on and alley-ooped onto the bike. Maleah rolled her eyes and reluctantly walked behind him on the side walk. Moments later I thought to myself, a year ago I would have waddled out there and gotten in the middle of them, fussing and shushing and nagging them to get a towel from the house to wipe the seat down. It is sort of a revelation that they can handle it themselves and that the whole incident went even more smoothly without my presence.

It happens so fast, this growing up thing. I can't grasp it. I may need some sort of therapy. I guess that's what this blog is for. Still, my throat tightens and my eyes well up when I think about baby Nora walking and Addison talking and the big kids figuring things out all on their lonesome. *sigh*

Prayer requests today for my cousin Danielle's husband, James, who is undergoing an embolization on an aneurysm in his brain this morning...and for facebook, for without that marvelous invention I would not have known about James or his condition. Thank you Lord for giving us the knowledge to create many different forms of communication to share your Word and give each other the reminder of Your mercy. One of the prayers the family has had in the past day or so was that there would be a Christian in the OR with James and this morning,just before surgery, an old family friend and lover of the Lord was assigned to surgery for reasons that were unknown to her. We know this was God's answer to prayers. He is so GOOD!

First steps

Dad tried for an hour last night to document Nora's first steps, of course she wasn't cooperating then today I shot this video sideways, of course :(, not too shabby for a 10 month old

and this is Gavin a half an hour after school the first day...please note the fetal position.

First day of school...

Two down, two to go. All morning Addison followed the big kids around with her little bag. She even walked to school with them. The morning went pretty smoothly nonetheless. The only time I almost lost it was when I woke Gavin up and my voice cracked when I said, "It's your first day of school!". He rolled over and said, "Stop your crying, will ya?"

3rd Annual SpudFest

SpudFest 2009

Reynolds Raap Reunion August 23, 2009

From Reynolds Raap Reunion

7 going on... and on

So the topic at supper tonight went something like this...

Maleah: "Mom, when do I get big?"

Mom: "Well, you grow slowly, a couple inches over several months so you won't reach your actual height until you are in high school."

Maleah: "I mean BIG!" (her hands make curves across her chest)

Mom: chokes on zucchini, "oh, I don't know, junior high I guess"

Maleah: "What are they for anyway?"

Mom: red in face "um, feeding babies, hon"

Maleah: "oh yeah" "some guys have those,too, they just can't feed babies with them, huh?"

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I have been getting lots of free 4x6's for my Christmas cards.

G-rated

The title is a good segue from yesterdays post, don't you think? But the real reason I wanted to talk about ratings has to do with Pastor's sermon on Sunday.

It is Wednesday and I am still thinking about the sermon. You know it had to be good to last that long.

He began by defining the rating system for movies, G, PG, PG-13 and R. As he finished up discussing what constitutes an R rating - he paused and reflected a bit. Then he suggested that an R rating sort of 'sums' up the world we live in, currently. Violence, nudity, strong language, and strong sexual content is everywhere we look.

He suggested that we live a G-rated life. GOD-rated. Live by the book. Follow the guidelines that were set for all men through the Word, God-breathed to the co-authors of the Bible. It was riveting, even as I held a baby and shushed the older kids. I felt compelled to listen. The words hit me and made me think hard about the environment in my own home and what rating the Lord God would slap upon my life.

It's not an easy thing to do, keeping God first in our lives. It takes constant attention and discipline and obedience, kind of like what we ask of our children. I am going to encourage my family to lead a G-rated life. Everything we do each and every moment of every day should be measured up to what the Lord asks of us.

I had a great conversation with a friend's husband yesterday. Totally and completely unexpected but really amazing and wonderful. I have no doubt the Lord was reminding me to keep it rated G.

In my prayers this week;

my friend Karen and her father as they mourn (and celebrate) her grandfather's welcome party into heaven,

my friend Denise who begins her battle with the bully with her first chemotherapy treatment today,

my friend Jen who has a baby that needs some tender loving care,

my friends Carey and Sarah who are both moving and will need huge amounts of patience and understanding throughout,

my mother in law, Judy, and her family as they prepare for a family reunion,

my childhood neighbor and second mother, Joan, who is hosting a fun get together this weekend,

my little village which will be celebrating this Saturday and raising money for people who really need it

my friend Kenny who is battling the bully,

a community member Mary who is battling the bully,

a church family member, Jon, who is getting married,

my local school and all the teachers and kids who start on Monday,

Lord, be with those who especially need You this week and keep everyone safe in Your arms. Thank you for all the blessings You have bestowed upon us, even those we do not realize just yet.

Amen.

Bare Naked Babies

Saucy...

Sassy...

Saucy...

Sassy...

Sassy...

Spices...what's in YOUR cabinet?

It's project season here and the man is really working. Last week he made me new shelves in my spice cabinet and a storage space for my canned goods, he made a bench for my mom out of freecycle decking, he helped me with the corn and the pickles and the spaghetti sauce and he cleaned the garage. Then he messed it all up again.

We also had the end of the season baseball party with a retirement and good bye to Mr. J boy and his family. It was a nice time. My kids got a little sassy near the end and I had to cut the pomegranate daiquiri time a little too short but I know there will be more good times with my friends even though home base will be in a new spot for them.

This weekend is the SpudFest, (that's one word with a capital letter in the middle - spellcheck hates it). It will be busy with activities and we have reunions scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. So I will be cooking, for those potluck dinners as well. Then school starts on Monday when we are good and tired from a jam packed summer.

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This is a good one for, say, if you wanted to make a good friend who is moving a memory photo book... and make her cry :( I wouldn't know anything about that, though...

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This is a super deal for someone who, say, has 4 kids and 3 of them have photos on the wall but the 4th frame is empty...just in case that is your situation. Not that any reasonable mother would do that...

stockin' up

The lack of posts should be evidence enough but we have been super busy here at the homefront. I have to clean out a closet today to make room for all my canned goods, it will be a tummy filled winter this year.

My awesome neighbors got in on the fun with corn yesterday. We shucked near 200 ears and put up 40+quart bags of the yummy sweet corn for later.

The community garden will have LOTS of yummies to share this year so get uptown on Saturday mornings early to get the good stuff!

The pickles are almost done for today and I got squash to freeze yet...have a great weekend!

I see you, Nora Lou

Peter Rabbit, eat your heart out.

We put up 18 quarts and 6 pints of community garden carrots. I had to borrow not one but two pressure cookers from my neighbor. It takes a village to put up carrots.

More happy customers

Spontaneous camping, aka the end of baseball season

Lewis and Clark campground was beautiful this weekend. We squeezed into a spot with Ryan's sister and enjoyed a weekend full of swimming, tubing, sand and sun. The food was a plenty, the sleep was a few. Gavin had a couple of bike incidents that left him with plenty of scrapes and a fat "Bubba" lip. No ER visits, though, knock on wood:) It's August and everyone is talking back to school. Except me, I am trying to get the parade all organized for the SpudFest this year. School will be here in no time.