I HATE balloons!!!

Yea, I know this makes me weird, but I can't help it. I despise them.  They are evil in SO many ways in my opinion. They have been known to induce panic attacks with me. How, you ask? I'm a nut-job first of all.....and secondly, they make nerve-grinding noises. They make horrible sounds when rubbed together, and then when they pop, it severs any shred of sanity, I may have been blessed with at that moment. Told you, I'm a nut-job.
This isn't the ONLY reason I hate them. They have the power to turn children into complete psychopaths. Even if every child has their own, SOMEONE's will break. That will be the unhappiest(is that a word!?) child on the planet and somehow, they will learn all too quickly the fine art of scheming, lying and thievery to obtain one that isn't theirs. Without fail. These air-filled packages of evil turn our already crazy home into pure insanity by their mere existence.  Big and little kids alike will totally lose their minds when balloons are present. When they start popping them, I have to go outside, or I will end up twitching and rocking in a corner somewhere repeating "I will not die, I will not die".
SO, the moral of this story is do NOT bring balloons into my house or give them to my children!  They will be introduced to my "friends" Scissors and her partner Trashcan. It is the only way for me to function as a rational adult where balloons are concerns. Anyone who has seen me in a trapped car with balloons and children will understand what I mean by this.




That guy right there is just out of my reach and it's taunting me today. I dare you, you zebra-printed ball of pure evil. I'm watching you.  And I may be armed.......

Where did last week go!?

Ever have one of those weeks where you just couldn't stop for even a minute? Me too! Last week was one for sure. Between soccer practices for the two that play, Volleyball practices for the girl one, play rehearsals, fence-building, bible studies, art club, and on and on, I seemed to miss the entire week! That is the life of 5 kids, I suppose and I wouldn't trade it for anything. While some parents stress over their children learning to drive and gaining new and terrifying freedom, I am seriously looking forward to having a 3rd driver in this house to get himself and the others where they need to go! With the joy of having freedom for himself, he is gaining usefulness with us and will be hired as another chauffeur for the family! WooHoo!!

Thankfully THIS week has proven to be a little easier, however it is only Tuesday.....

All kidding aside, I am so thankful my children are busy. Not too busy to get schoolwork done most of the time(though there has been a learning curve for that), but busy enough to keep them out of trouble and keep boredom at bay. I love watching them do what they do best and hate when I have to choose one over the other when they overlap. There is a wide range as well. Between choir and band concerts, theatrical productions, soccer games, volleyball games, football game halftime shows, cross-country meets, I'd say we are pretty well rounded.

I know when all the activities cease over the summer and the kids are all home everyday, we'll find new things to keep ourselves just as busy........

miss me!?

I know, I know, a loaded question. That's alright, I can take it. I've got on my 'big girl' panties. I am learning as a mom to a teen and a couple of pre-teens that I need to keep them on as they will be needed almost daily! Middle school for the big guy is going better than I could have ever imagined. He is thriving and making new friends that just seem to be a great 'fit' for him. He has started to make some of his own money by baby-sitting which is great! Not too many 'guy' baby-sitters so that makes him quite unique and rather marketable. Who knew!?

The bigger trouble that this school year has brought is the mean and catty behavior going on in 'the girl's' 4th grade group! Why do girls have to be so mean to each other!? It starts so young! I was hoping it would hold off for a few more years, but they are becoming women already with their on-again-off-again friendships. I do hope it gets better over the next few years as they learn to handle their hormones a little more, but I fear that isn't going to be the case. Thankfully, we aren't getting hit with it TOO badly, but there have been some bad days already. I remember being a girl that age and know how rough it is. I just wish I remembered what it was my mother said to me that made me feel better and what things upset me more. I know she had to learn by trial as will I. I think I may need to get those panties in an every BIGGER size to handle THAT!

The short boy started off to preschool and has loved every day that he has gone. He is very proud of his new world and all the things he is learning. He is a very social little guy and is navigating through his world very well. He loves getting to play with his best bud across the street as well. His little sister misses him while he is gone, but has kept herself busy getting out of diapers. Yes! We are nearly done with them completely! She only wears them to sleep and even then she won't need them for long. Only every once in a while is it even soiled in the morning. WooHoo! So excited for her. I had plans to work on that this summer when she was two and a half, but she took the wheel on this one and started changing her own diapers. Uh....yeah.....that wasn't so good, so off to big girl panties for her, too(though in her case it is literal, not metaphoric!). She just has one more hurdle of baby-hood to jump and it will be the hardest challenge for her yet. The dreaded 'bee'! It will have to go on it's merry way soon enough, but it makes her so happy and she only gets it when she is going to sleep, so for now, I will embrace that and we'll deal with it another time. Maybe we'll go on vacation without it and she'll just have to deal?......uh...maybe not......

Yes, I am THAT mom!

you know the one....Her kids eat stuff off the floor, the house is always a state of disarray, the kids can't match their clothes if their life depended on it.....yup, that's me! I have even caught myself saying, "you finish those chips if you want to get a cookie after dinner!". Think about that one for a second....yeah, I'm loaded with great logic! There is a flip side to this, however. I may let me kids go to the grocery store in a Polo, soccer shorts and cowboy boots, but I am also the mother that loves shopping with her kids. The little ones LOVE to shop for groceries or whatever. The big ones...well, not so much...but the little ones are hot stuff for sure at the store. I have little people that are confident and are not afraid to experience life. Rarely will you see one of them attached to my leg in social situations. Unless of course nap time is looming and then all bets are off for anything! Now, I am not saying there is a connection between kids who eat off the floor and crazy little social people, but I am not saying there isn't. There may just be something to having a messy house(I gotta hope there is, anyway!) that makes them so darn funny and agreeable. My big people may not pick up their shoes or put their dirty clothes in the hamper....EVER, but they sure do adore their little sibs that think they hung the moon. I don't think I could trade that for the world.
So, next time you see that freakishly dressed kid in the grocery cart, he may just have a mom that appreciates his sense of style as opposed to just not caring enough to make sure he matches. Or the next time you see a pink-haired nine-year-old in a bright blue tu-tu, think, 'hey! she knows who she is and isn't afraid to show it,' instead of looking at her mom with total disgust for allowing such nonsense. They are only going to be young and free for a short time so if galoshes with swim trunks isn't your idea of style, well, you must not be 3!
We are all blessed to be different and unique. I choose to embrace it and encourage others to do the same! Peace out!

It is THAT time...

...when the kids are tired of each other and are struggling to find things to do. We've done the things we wanted to do this summer and they are ready to get back to routine. The girl won't admit it, but she is ready, too. The oldest is excited for Middle School to start. I remember Middle School.....I wish I could forget it! I do hope he fares better than I did. #2 is totally ready. Looking forward to finding out who his teacher is, but more than that, finding out who is IN his class this year! The girl will be ready once she sees the lists and knows who is in her class.
School supplies and shoes and clothes are ready to go so now we wait......
Come April, I am so ready for the school stuff to be over, just like the kids are, but now that it is almost here, we are ready for the routine to return and the new year to be underway. It always seems to fly by in a blink. I must admit, this summer break seemed very long to all of us. Not sure why, we had plenty to keep us busy, but it just crept on by.
Soccer has begun again as well. Two a week practices, plus 2-3 games on the weekends keep us busy as well, so let the fun begin!!

the wedding...

...was a huge success! My little fire starter didn't catch the place on fire as she lit the candles(like her mother nearly did at her age..), the guest book attendant did his job well and greeted everyone(big step for the kid who won't talk to strangers, normally), the ring bearer went down the aisle at his own pace(practically running) while the flower girl actually dropped the petals. She walked on her own accord, held her own basket(though not at first) and dropped petals right next to anyone who was looking at her and even handed a few out to outstretched hands. She didn't freak out or scream! Progress! She sat between daddy and nan snarfing on snacks nana had stowed in her purse during the service, though she wasn't exactly quiet. My song with my sis went off without a hitch and I think we still sound pretty good together. The bride was gorgeous and stunning and her new hubs was quite fetching, too, I must say!
The reception brought all shades of excitement, but when the band started to play, well, that was when the party REALLY began! There is something about a group of 12-year-olds rockin' out without fear and showing us all what they are made of. The got rave reviews for their first ever gig. They did 12 songs total, 6 were cover songs and the other 6 were originals they wrote themselves. They were every bit as good as the covers they did, I truly believe. I may be partial, but I overheard this from party-goers as well. The little people danced their funky little hearts out and the wee-est one finger painted herself in wedding cake frosting!
It was such a great time and the way a family can come together for such a celebration as a wedding is wonderful. Family is all we've got when it comes right down to it. I am so glad God has blessed me so incredibly with my family, both by blood and by heart.

Gearing up

for the wedding this weekend is going well, but frantic. Having 5 children all involved in different parts of the wedding as well as us grown people makes for a lot of preparations. Getting dresses made, clothes picked out, shoes found and purchased, hair bows made, hair styles decided on and on and on is a LOT of work, but so worth it. Family weddings don't come around every day. In this house alone, we have a flower girl, a ring bearer, a candle lighter(who is also the back-up and most likely needed flower girl), the guest book and gift table attendant, a wedding singer, a Mother-of-the-bride seater and reception entertainment. That is a LOT of purple shirts and dresses! We are all very excited to see out-of-town family and for the wedding festivities. There will be no rest for the weary until Sunday afternoon. I'll share pix and a run-down of the wedding then. I am sure there will be MUCH to share, so stay tuned.....