organized chaos

I think that pretty much sums up my life....organized chaos. Well maybe, except for the organized part. Anyone who knows me well knows I'm not particularly organized, and that I have swiss cheese for brains. So I guess that leave chaos. But chaos in a good way. :)

Despite all my chaos, I have actually managed to get a few projects done recently! I have been sewing and crocheting and I'm loving it! I will have pictures to share soon, but some of the stuff I've made are gifts and I don't want to ruin the surprise!! :) I also have several more projects already in the works. I LOVE my new sewing machine that Santa brought. :)

And as crazy as I thought life was already, it's about to get even more so. I registered the three oldest kids for soccer!! They are very excited. Lexi has played before, but Robby and Haley haven't. Robby played football last year and loved that also, but is excited to try something new. I have no idea yet if any of them will be on the same team (Haley and Robby are in the same age group so it might be possible) but we should find out soon. It might make things more hectic, but I honestly am so excited. Lexi LOVED playing and it's fun to see them doing things they love. I hope Haley and Robby love it just as much!
The crock pot is going to become my new best friend. Anyone have any good recipes they want to share!?

ch-ch-changes

It's funny how just when you're feeling comfortable, life throws you a curve ball. Change is always inevitable, yet often times I feel myself struggling to adapt to that change. Especially when it wasn't MY plan to change.

Yesterday, I had to be let go from my job. Nothing I did, but just with the economy being what it is, there wasn't enough business to keep my job. It was a big surprise to me, and I cried. (and I'm one of those hysterical can't-understand-what-you're-saying criers) I was just so sad. I loved my job and the people I worked with. It was a perfect job with flexibility so I could work around the kids and home. It was easy to go right to "POOR ME".

But after the initial shock wore off, and I could think beyond my own selfishness, I couldn't help but think about things from my boss's perspective. She had to tell two friends (we've all known each other online for years...even before she started the business) the bad news, knowing how sad we would be. And then she had to hear the disappointment and sadness as we ended our employment. That can't be easy in any setting, let alone with friends. I'm fairly certain it's not something she was happy to be doing. It also made me think about people who've also been laid off due to the economic struggles who were the sole breadwinners of the family. How thankful I am that Rob still has a job!! My income wasn't a necessity and we will still get along fine without it. But there are SO many people who don't have a job facing worse situations than mine. And suddenly my pity party seems oh so insignificant.

So instead of focusing on the would-be's or could-have's that came with my old job, I'm focusing on all that I do have. I have more blessings I can count. Even though it's an adjustment to now not be working again, I am thankful for the opportunity I had to work. It was nice while it lasted, and I have good friends because of it. And who really knows what the future will hold. I guess I needed another helping of humility with a side of gratitude. Funny what thinking can do...

The Mom

I couldn't NOT share this. :D

shoe shopping

I have a serious love for shoes. I love them. I would buy shoes all the time if I could. But today I realized that I don't love all shoe shopping....

This morning as the kids were getting ready for school, Robby's shoe broke. He had the no-tie elastic thingys type of shoe. (Do you know what I'm talking about?) So anyway he wore his bright orange crocs to school, but I had to find him some new sneakers this afternoon. So we went to the dreaded walmart. I don't particularly like walmart, but hey....5 kids, we're on a budget. So we went and there were hardly ANY shoes in his size. The few shoes that were his size, he hated. So I figured, no sweat we'll just run across the street to Payless. (Luckily it's right next to walmart). Oh did I mention I had all 5 kids with me on this little excursion? Yeh, that was fun. Except for the man who HAD to stop us and try to cheer up David--who was in the cart because he wouldn't listen and so was throwing a huge fit screaming and crying. Now I KNOW his intentions were good. But seriously...I don't like it. In fact I hate when people do this (and it happens more than you think..) I especially don't like it when they start saying "What's his name?....." so they can talk directly to him. Or when they start telling him that if he is good, I will buy him a treat. (Excuse me, what?) But that's a story for another day.

So we go over to Payless, which thankfully wasn't crowded, and I find the isle with his size shoes. There are 3 different sneakers. Three. So one is decent looking, and much to Robby's joy, even has annoying lights (which was ironic because I had just told him that they don't make light up shoes in his size at Walmart). The other two were awful looking shoes. And I hate to say that about any shoe, but they were bad. So I decided, I don't care, we'll get them. He loved them and that's what matters. I just don't understand why they had to be twice as expensive as any other sneaker at Walmart. Bt you know what, I didn't care. I could NOT stomach the thought of braving a different store, and so I bought them.

I had very similar trouble finding Lexi sneakers when school started. And I ended up at payless that trip too LOL. You'd think I would learn...

So while I LOVE shoe shopping for myself. I gotta say it's just not as much fun for the kids. Especially when they don't like the shoes I like for them. :D

David

I can hardly believe it's been 3 years since you were born.
You were like most of the rest of your siblings, stubborn and unwilling to come unaided! So on the morning of January 4th, we went to the hospital to be induced. It was a bit of a bumpy ride, as I had a reaction to some medication they gave me, and you kept having heart decelerations. But in the end, we both got through it and you were born at 2:36pm weighing 7lbs 15 oz and measuring 20 3/4 inches long!

I instantly fell in love with your fuzzy hair and your sweet expressions. Who wouldn't fall in love with a face like that!

I did also end up with a spinal headache and had to go back to the hospital for an epidural blood patch. But you were worth it.

You had elevated bilirubin levels and so we had to go back to the hospital to have your blood drawn. The waiting room was crowded with a lot of sick people and I blame this visit for you getting pneumonia. And so when you were about 2 weeks old, we were back at the hospital, this time for a few days.



Thankfully our stay wasn't long, and soon we were home again.And I could enjoy faces like these.

Can't you smell is baby breath? *sigh*







You really did have a lot of hair. The trouble was that it was all in front. We so affectionately called you "The David".



And before I knew it you were one.


And tho you were generally silly and happy, you still had a touch of seriousness.


Your smile has always made me melt.


Where did my baby boy go? And who was this little boy?








You have been my most challenging 2 year old. You were very strong willed and weren't afraid to voice your opinion!


And when we turned your whole world upside down and had your baby sister, you weren't jealous at all. You were smitten with her from the minute she came home and you still love to make her laugh. Watching you grow from my baby to a big brother has been priceless.

And now you're three. You love to sing me songs. You are still (thankfully) a momma's boy and often when you're having a tough moment, you just want to snuggle with me. We've conquered potty training! You are infatuated with soccer and can't wait until you're old enough to play on a team. (well a team besides your siblings).


It has gone so fast. Slow down, little man. You'll be grown before I know it.
Happy Birthday David! I love you so, so much.

Thank you Mary!!

According to dictionary.com (I know so suave), littler IS a word!! You made my day!!

Now I'm going to think of all things little(r). :)

Why in the world did I think it wasn't a word? Hmmm mommy brain? Yeh, let's go with that one. :)

A blog worth blogging about

I have a confession.....
I am obsessed with a blog:
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

I've spent hours reading through old posts. It his hi-larious. It secretly makes me want to be a wreckreporter.

Secretly, of course.

It's the little(r) things

I'm the kind of person who loves to make up words. I often use the endings "ness", "esque", "ly", "y" or "er" at my own discretion. It makes me happy. For example, I often tell my sister Lammy that I miss her very badly-ness. There's more emphasis then on just how bad I miss her. Badly just isn't enough. Catch my drift? Oddly enough, those close to me know exactly what I mean too. I know Lolly could probably think of several of my "words" too. :) That's just how I roll, yo....
Wait... am I even cool enough to say that?

There is one word, however that I think SHOULD be a word. That is "littler". You know like little and er...sort of like smaller... but cuter. I know it's not a word, and I often correct myself because I know it's not proper English (or American?). But I love it. I want it to be a word. So yes I'm sure I will use it here on this blog and you will all grow to love it as I do. (Yes, you will. No, really I'm serious.)

There are some words that I really try hard not to use. But living in the south, I admit that they do slip out from time to time. I really don't like "ain't" (hmm is that spelled right?) and "fixin". Like, "I'm fixin to run to the store". I don't really have any good examples of ain't, because I can't come up with any where it doesn't make you sound really dumb. "I ain't gonna do that", "I ain't got none?" See what I mean? *shudder*

You're really glad you read all this aren't you? Ain't you?
(sorry I couldn't help myself)

What is sadder still, is that ain't doesn't show up as a non-word. You know like when you spell something wrong, and the computer gives it a squiggly red line underneath it to prevent you from appearing to be spelling impaired? Yeh, not there with ain't.
Go figure, right? What's the world coming to? Geesh