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.....

It's CRAZY hot....

...here and there seems to be no end in sight! No one wants to go outside or do anything as it just zaps us all of our energy, BUT, we MUST go on! There was Band camp for the biggest one two weeks ago, Girl Scout camp for the girl and VBS for the rest of us last week and a birthday party over the weekend. Then soccer camp this week for Soccer Dude, so we press on. Add to that a family wedding over the weekend, that involves us all(including the drummer as his band is playing their first gig) and there is simply no rest for the weary. Isn't that what summer vacation is for!? Next week we plan to do some big things, too in addition to a birthday, and then we are down to two weeks before school starts. How did that happen!? Where did it go? I know they will be ready for it all to start, but am I? Not sure.

While part of me knows they are thirsting for the routine that the school year brings and the daily interaction with friends they don't get to see over the summer, I know they would love to continue sleeping in and hanging out. I know #1 is stoked to be starting Middle School this year and that has this momma a big ball of nerves, mostly, due to the fact that I HATED Jr High! The WORST two years of my life, hands down! I do so hope that his experience will be much better than my own. Only time will tell.

My two little ones aren't going to know what to do with themselves once the big kids head back to school. The little Princess will be looking all over for them and her buddy will be missing them something awful! I look forward to the excitement bursting out of him when he hears the bus pull up in front and the big people return. That makes my heart leap! He loves them so!

I am off to bed in hopes that I get rested enough to drag myself out of bed tomorrow with less struggle than I did this am. I am NOT a morning person. Anyone who really KNOWS me knows this, but I gotta do what I gotta do, so good night all and wish me luck.....

Summer is in full force...

...around here. There are rare moments where every one that lives here IS here and no one else is. Between cousins coming to play, neighbor kids either crashing here, or stealing away one of the kids that live here, it is hard to take inventory! I was looking all over for a kid yesterday that wasn't even here. And I KNEW that, too, I just forgot he had left! Too much coming and going for me to keep track of. I wouldn't have it any other way, though. I love it and the chaos that goes with it! The kids don't have to go all over the country and visit all sorts of places to enjoy their summer vacations. We do go here and there sometimes, but I think they just enjoy hanging out at the pool and with their friends. It is nice that the oldest two can come and go from the pool on their own now and exercise that freedom often, sometimes going more than once in a day. The younger ones are loving having the big people home to entertain them during the day. It took a week or two for them to adjust to sharing me with them, but it will a harder adjustment for them when school starts in the fall and their big people go away all day. I know shorty struggles with that and think that Little Miss Priss will too.


As for right now, we are enjoying every minute of our summer vacation and finding things to amuse us when the weather is less than desirable. The big kids are getting along for the most part and the littles are growing like weeds and learning to keep up!

Looking ahead, we have band camp, soccer try-outs, girl scout camp, a family wedding, possibly a road trip and a family day at the local amusement park. We also have Soccer Bug's 11 birthday to plan and prepare for. It seems like we've just started our summer vacation, but I know it will go by in a blink! The big one is off to Jr High in the fall and it couldn't come soon enough for him. The others aren't ready to get back to it just yet, but I know before long, they will be. Time just needs to slow down a smidge.....

First Day of Summer Vacation....

...and so far, so good. No fighting, arguing or the dreaded "I'm bored". We got the house looking pretty good over the weekend so we didn't really have chores facing us other than beds, laundry and dishes that are on-going. The biggest one has already practiced his drums, and is reading(I know, right?), The soccer boy is out doing that right now in the yard with his buddy(yes an extra already!), The Girl is entertaining Shorty and that just leaves me with the Wee one to amuse and entertain. She is sort of doing her own thing right now, too, so wow! I know this state of being will be short-lived, but I'll soak it up while I can. I give it no more than two hours before I'll be hearing, "can I have a friend over?" or "can we go _____?" or even "Can I play Wii?".

Hmm....should I be concerned that my one charge is playing with dice?

I hear the laundry calling me......

Mud and Puddles....

...and frequently BOTH! What is it about little boys and puddles? I mean, they just can't help themselves! Thankfully I am not one to normally mind a puddle jump when it calls my son's name, but EVERY single one? EVERY where we go? I swear, I need to keep spare shoes and socks in the van just because of this! That is just the water. We haven't even gotten started with the mud yet.
Mud seems to have a draw for little boys that the rest of the world just doesn't hear. You tell them "do NOT get in the mud" and if you don't repeat that mantra, say, every 12 seconds, you will have a muddy little boy. It is what it is, they truly cannot help it, I believe. You can give them a sandbox and that will appease them for awhile, BUT they hear the call of the mud and off they go. Picture this, two screeching naked little boys streaking around the backyard. That, my friends is the aftermath of two little boys having a grand time! Yes, the mud was in the hair, on the face, armpits, fingers, toes, ears and a few unmentionable places. The ONLY way to deal with that is a total strip down and a garden hose. The real kick in the pants? Guess what you just did in the attempts to clean up the muddy little people.........? Yes, you created MORE mud!! AACK!

Well, it's been a LONG time...

...but life happens! This was a long brutal winter and we all got really stir-crazy, so we are looking forward to the weather changes. It is wonderful to be able to send the crazies OUTside to get some fresh air and to get away from each other! They love each other and have a good time together but there is such a thing as TOO much togetherness! Dismal dreary skies make peaple testy, as we all know, but preschoolers and toddlers NEED to get out and be free and being pent up inside really wore them down, so that no McD's Play Place, or baby gym was going to get the job done. What they needed was honest and true FRESH AIR!! I must say that a little of that went a LONG way for us all! We needed it like we need water.
Now, the shortest of the bunch learned to walk during the snow and much, so she was accustomed to the flat ground where her only navigational challenges were thresholds between carpet and wood. Walking around outside was a whole new experience! Grass, bumps, hills, divets, obstacles of every shape and kind became a source of insecurity for her with something she had mastered so well. It took a little coaxing and encouragement, and she was up and running once again. Her favorite place to be in outside in her swing and roaming the yard. So much so that we had to instal a latch for the sliding door up high so she couldn't just let herself out to roam unattended. She was NOT pleased with that addition, I must say.
Our schedules have become crazy once again with the return of outdoor soccer which added two practices a week to our calendar as well as two games on Sundays. Our drummer boy is now in a band that has a practice schedule and they are looking forward to getting some 'gigs' this summer. The girl will be taking a break from the gymnastics over the summer since she likes to have her time to do whatever and she can tumble all she wants outside to keep her skills up. The short people don't have quite the social calendar as of yet, but they are busy enough on their own that they don't NEED a social life!
We are all looking forward to wrapping up this school year and getting a little break from it all with a fun summer vacation. The oldest one will be finishing up his elementary school days over the next few weeks and will be heading off to Middle School in August(how did THAT happen!?). He could not be more excited about that and I know he will thrive academically and hopefully socially as well. The soccer star has a few tournaments coming up and is really doing well on his team. He loves playing his left wing position, but is being trained to play other positions as well. He isn't as excited about that, but he will see how important it is to be versatile when he gets better at it and sees that he can used in different ways. The girl is navigating her world in ways I am jealous of. She is bold and strong, yet sensitive enough to have empathy for others. She can hold her own against a bully and protects those who aren't as bold as she. I know she will do great things someday.
So, as I sit here thinking of anything else to write about, I hear the sounds of laughter and joy coming from upstairs where the short ones are playing, so I simply MUST go see what all the fun is about and join in. I'd sure hate to miss it!
See Ya!

What a crazy winter!!!

I haven't been here to update since it has been absolutely crazy here! There has been a 'snow'mageddon here that is still lingering nearly three week later! Something about having more days OUT of school than in that causes children to act like crazy people! We have not a had a full five day week since before Christmas! Between Christmas vacation, snowdays, random days off for staff enrichment, and the occasional Monday holiday, we haven't gone more than three days in a row since mid December! I have enjoyed getting the extra time with them, but there are a FEW problems. One, they are completely without routine which makes them(an ME) testy. Two, they can't get into a learning groove when they go for a day, off for two, on for one, then off for three....Three, we are stuck in this house! It was so cold some days they didn't even want to go out and play in it! Cabin fever is a nasty thing with 5 children trapped in one house with each other!
It would seem we are going to FINALLY have a full week of school as we are looking at temps in the 40s, 50s and MAYBE if we are lucky, 60s this coming week. I am SOOO ready for that! Coats and carseats are not the best of friends! It will be nice to get out of this house and get some fresh air. I will be kicking these kids out of this house for awhile to run about. They can use those bikes, roller blades, scooters soccer ball all that stuff once again. I think they have a nice layer of frozen dust on them from this harsh winter.
I am looking forward to a trip out of the house today withOUT coats! I may not even wear a jacket! Heck, I may even pull out the shorts! (okay, that might be a bit much!) All the same, I am going to get out of my winter funk this weekend if it kills me!