Stop.Start.Stop.Start.Stop.Start.

That is life feels like lately.

Stop. 3 of 6 children are sick.
Start. Run to another city and pick up the new cabinets for the kitchen. See Grammie and Poppy.

Stop. Birthday Breakfast. Make eggs benedict. Listen to children moan in delight.
Start. A bazillion errands, all an hour away, get my hair cut, Giglio's, Salvaggio's, Randazzo's, Margo's, and lots of other o's.

Stop. Traffic.
Start. Get home, hug children, unload van, make dinner, eat, sing happy birthday, eat pie.

Stop. Figure out how to get everyone to their activities while DH's work is imploding and figure out how to support him
Start. I am taking everyone to their activities. Woohooo!

you guys get the idea.

It just seems that some days are really boring and nothing is going on. Then, BAM! everything is happening and I am a wild woman.

New Sewing Project

#3 has requested a hammock. Off to find a pattern....

Time for hair cuts

Know what these are?

DAND-O-DILLS!

My girls have been picking them by the bunch for me.

a reminder to those in zone 5

Start your broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage seeds indoors.

You can also start your lettuce, head and leaf, green onions, bulb onions, peas and spinach.

This is if you have an average last frost date of May 6.

Titus Women

When I first read Titus 2:3-5 I knew I had to be that kind of woman. I just knew it-deep down in my heart. I have known for many years that I would probably not return to the work of earning a paycheck. I have a family to raise. I have the next generation to raise.

I am not sure what I can do to help others with this challenge-making a home. I am not sure I do that great of a job of it. But I can tell you that when I make a good meal I have teenagers that linger and talk. I have kids that want to have other people over-a lot. My husband has regularly told me that I am a huge part of building our life because of the cooking that I do. We have friends and a full life because we share our table with others.


Let's fess up.


We have to cook at least once a day.


It is not always fun.



Admit it!


Whining, complaining, dishes, shopping, picking a meal day after day, year after year, the grocery budget, appliances and equipment that aren't adequate, rising grocery costs, using our pantry food, health concerns, all make this a doozy of a topic. And each of us is individual in what we need to do for our family.

It can take a long learning curve to be able to feed all the mouths that call us mother/mama/madre/mommie/mom/beloved beautiful mother. At my house that last one usually comes after banana cream pie.

I was talking with Kathleen and I told her about this great tip I learned that was saving my breakfast Bee-hind. (It is boiling up 10 pounds of potatoes at a time, cooling them down and storing them in your crisper drawer in your frig. In the morning you grate and you have hashbrowns, you chop and you have home fries. They keep for two weeks.) She smiled at me, her eyes were twinkling and said, "Oh, that. We have been doing that for years" as she waved her hand at me. You know the "oh that" wave? I responded by exclaiming, "Why didn't you tell me?" Honestly, after the 3rd kid there should be a manual on how to feed a small army- with an appendix on how to do it on the cheap!


So what can we do for the younger women?

I want to hear from you!!! Leave a comment!!

It's TWO WEEKS before my birthday!

"I can talk about it now!"

#3 knows that St. Patrick's Day is 2 weeks before his birthday. It is 12:13 p.m. and I have already been informed of the DS games he wants, the legos he wants, the other things including dinner choice and dessert choice.

#3 just came into the dining room with paper and pencil. He said, "I am going to write all the things down I want for my birthday so you don't have to memorize it."

Let's just hope it isn't a repeat.

He will always have to live with his performance of Boring Reading Gift.

The note says:

I want one
Pokemon Heart gold andor A Lego set.

Diner (dinner) Homemade mac And Cheese
desert (dessert) Bamana creme Pie

Anyone else have a door slammer?

#3 has decided to start showing his anger at situations by slamming doors. Today, as the temperature is approaching 70 degrees (in March!), he was booted out of the house to play, use his bow and arrow, dig, find worms, gather eggs and anything else his little heart desired. (Peace and quiet was required by mother-5 hours of sleep is just not enough.)

"Mom? Can't I stay inside until Charles comes home?"
"No. Please go outside."
argument back and forth about the decree for him to go outside

"#3! OUT!"
Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. SLAM!

#6 was asleep. I can hear her now. grrrr I don't know about other mamas but I need some quiet time during the day and his actions just ended my quiet time. I got a whole 7 minutes today.

I follow him out to the mudroom, grab an ear and bring him back to the door. He had to practice closing it correctly 50 times.

He was still booted out of the house but he knows how to close the door correctly now. And he is in charge of his baby sister until quiet time is over.

Let the quiet time begin....

#5 at 5

Dancing at Jenny's wedding reception.






Learning Webkinz.com.
Turning 5!
and just being herself.


My friend Shannon says #5 is like me. Stubborn and smart. I can attest to the stubborn.

She sure does keep things jumping around here. The boys are learning to have to deal with an irrational girl (again, you can thank me future daughters-in-law). She loves to dance and read and paint and color and play babydolls and hug her little sister.

And we are glad she finally got some hair. Isn't she just cute? Friday she asked to see pictures of herself without hair. I was merciful and didn't take her to last fall. I showed her pictures with that baby fuzz hair and she just oooo-ed and awww-ed at herself. She isn't a baby anymore.

Why buy toys?

When you have foam plates and rubber bands?

the man took me away from it all

He whisked me away for 2 nights and 2 days. We ate hot meals. We finished a complete conversation-to the end (do you know how remarkable this is?). We slept.

Back to real life....

Dear Aunt Esther,

Thank you.

Thank you.


Thank you for your outrage.


Thank you for being completely on our side.


We love you.


And if you come visit let me know your preference, metal or wood.

You wike it?

Yes! I wiked it! The new Star Trek movie. I know some family members have problems with the whole new story line but I liked it. If they can make it without sex then hopefully I can let my boys watch it.

I found myself laughing at the young actors imitating the old original actors. It just made me laugh and laugh--especially Bones. And it made me remember sitting and watching Star Trek with my dad and family growing up.

Can you hear it?

It is quiet.


I am going to go watch a movie-Star Trek anyone?

The Biggest Tease

As I sit here I hear birds singing, the windows are open and a breeze is blowing through the house. The grass is still brown and the snow is melting. Mud has taken over the mudroom. People are emerging and saying, "Spring is in the air! Oh! spring is here." I sound like a Scrooge when I reply, "Ah, but we always have snow in April."

It is just a tease people.

A big.huge.fat.tease.




But I am enjoying it all the same.

Off the check the raspberry canes....

Favorite Sandwiches

#5 has taken to making sandwiches. She will make a stack of them for the whole family. I took a little survey of their favorite sandwiches.

#3: monte cristo
#4: pulled pork
#2: Grammie and Poppy cheeseburgers ("I fink dey are bedda than McDonalds!")
#1: monte cristo
#5: ketchup, cheese, mayonnaise on white bread
#6: jewwy budda (on wheat)
DH: peanut butter banana
Moi: Michigan Sandwich but during tomato season nothing beats a toasted whole wheat with mayonnaise, avocado and fresh, warm tomato slices, salted

Just when you think you want to decapitate the kid

he goes and does something totally sweet.

#4's BrickMaster package arrived yesterday. He had to empty the dishwasher and do a page of math to open it. #1 just came in with #4 and said, "Mom? Can I be #4's teacher? You are busy and he would like to finish his math." Then he sat down on the couch and gave him a math lesson. He corrected his backwards numbers and everything.


sigh

I love that kid.

820 pages

and no ending. NO ENDING.

The latest Diana Gabaldon book "Echo in the Bone"

grrrrr.


hmpf



back to non-fiction.

Spontaneous Singing

I have a couple of boys who keep breaking into spontaneous song.

It is purely to annoy their older brothers. I totally know this.

But I am not complaining because they know all the continents, oceans and countries of the Middle East.

Thank you Geography Songs!

Got mine from Sonlight.

I have a 2 year old singing the continent song.

"Norf Amica, Souf Amica, Rop (Europe), Sia (Asia) Strawia (Australia), Affa (Africa), Tarktika (Antarctica) deese contnents."