Just sittin' here

It's a sunny Sunday afternoon. I am eating a tomato sandwich. Well, make that two tomato sandwiches.

Life is good.

Insides of cupboards done

Since the kitchen renovation I never really organized the cupboards. I did that this morning. I am definitely going to make my 10 bag quota to Purple Heart on Wednesday.

Note to mommies who have little boys who one day you will want to do kitchen work: they open cupboards and close cupboards fast and think things are put away. They will not look for an open anything if they can go to the pantry and open a new one (I found 8, yes, 8 open bags of tortilla chips.) Silverware will be put away even if there are food chunks on them. (Mom! it came out of the DW! from #4)

This kitchen is now covered in post-it notes showing them where things go. The cupboards have been simplified to the point of bareness. But there is no longer an excuse for putting away things improperly (except laziness). There are labels on the shelves inside the cupboards and drawers.

Tomorrow to wash down the outside of the cupboards and walls. Or maybe the garage?

#6 Funny

I have been having this conversation with ladies at church. The topic is how to keep the kids butt in the pew for an hour. One of our tools is a picture book published by our church. For sacrament we pull that puppy out with #6 on our laps and whisper about the pictures. I know, not exactly silent but way better than the alternative.

Yesterday, we pulled out the book. She was already on my lap. I showed her this picture. Clearly David and Goliath.

Her response: No mom. Dat is Wawweee. (Larry the Cucumber-Veggie Tales)

Mom stifles her giggles.

Then I show her this picture. Clearly Jesus as a boy learning from Joseph in carpentry skills.

Her response: Dat Isaac.

I stifle my giggle again.

Then this picture. This is a picture from the Book of Mormon. It is a prophet named Abinadi before the evil King Noah. This is Abinadi telling Noah how rotten he is and right before King Noah sends him to be burned to death.

Her response? MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Yelled as loud as she could.

Mom laughed out loud.

I think she was more reverent than me. smile

#4 is showing me the love

#4 is laying on the couch and out of blue he asks, "Mom? You wanna see my stash of guns?"

I knew exactly what he was saying in Boy Language. It was, "Mom. You are cool. I can trust you to see my guns. And I love you and want to share my most precious things with you." He scurried upstairs to get his stash and bring it down to show me. He showed me his Precious-es. (how do you pluralize Precious?)

As I write, he is sitting on top of his metal suitcase hiding his guns from his sister. "No! only boys can see! This is a one player game!" (the guns are made out of duplos)

He turned his case so #5 cannot see the stash and he is shooting her.


See? I am special.

September 14

That is the six week date from DH's shoulder surgery.

On September 14 I won't be the sole driver for this family. WooHoo! There are just some days I don't want to go anywhere. And for some reason these teenagers want to go somewhere all the time.

Roughly 2 weeks before school starts

Here that means it is decluttering season. I have already schedule Purple Heart to come pick up whatever I deem clutter. So, the bags have been rolling down the stairs and started filling up the front porch.

I hope to finish the upstairs today. That means the laundry monster must be tackled and the boys room. I have already done #4's desk area and I just sent him up to push everything out from underneath his bed. #1,2,and 3 are working on their desks because they know I am ruthless (#4 didn't see the entire garbage bag of stuff I took out of his area). Daddy set the standard today nothing but 5 things out on the top of their desk or dresser. Everything else must be in a drawer, box, or put away. I had to leave their room because the dust was so thick my head was pounding (gotta love a dust allergy). So, I will eat lunch, take an exedrin and head back to the battle.

Already done: linen cupboard, kids bathroom, laundry area, girls room, office (but not the closet)

Left for today: boys room and my room cause all the laundry is piled in there

Off to fill the crockpot for dinner. It is going to be a long day.

MOMMM!

Phineas does not hab a penis. He is a giwa. His name is not Phineas any wonga. His name is Jessica.

Jess

III

CA!


That news flash brought to you from #5.



Phineas is the kitten, remember?

We Jammed Yesterday

Peach Jam

This past spring I bought a flat of pectin at Save-a-Lot. So, far this is hands down, the best pectin I have used. You can double the batches and you don't end up with syrup.

We did 2 1/2 bushels of peaches into jam. 32 pints, 41 quarts. It was one of those nutso days that was really fun. The moms got a bunch of work done, the kids played and ate sloppy joes (I filled the crockpot before anyone arrived). The trampoline, pool, and all areas of the house were played, screamed and laughed in yesterday.

On a technical note, this kitchen rocks for canning!!! The moms were at one end of the kitchen, the food was at another, we had water, stove and the dishwasher close to us and the island slid to where we needed it to make sure we didn't spill any hot pots. We had enough room for all of us to work and we only had to rub butts every now and then. We worked 3 pots of jam at a time. We started making the jam at 5:30 and were done with jam by 9:15. We did all the prep work ahead of time. It was great!!

Today we are recovering and cleaning up from the wonderful craziness.

Thank You Friends

Thanks for your comments on my big ol whiny post of Saturday.

I know that our challenges will change as the children age. Thank you for the perspective Marie, Dawn and Cindy.

The one thing I know is this....I love these children. And there is absolutely nothing that prepares you for the work and fatigue of having a large family.

Every now and then I sit and wonder. I wonder what it would have been like to have been a small family. I wouldn't need 2 sets of washers and dryers or 2 dishwashers or have to cook 4 pounds of pinto beans at a time or make 60 pancakes at a time. I would have been sleeping for the last 8 years!

But then I realize we would have missed out on the wonderful personalities of my younger 4 children. Who would want to have missed out on them??! My older 2 guys are serious and the younger 4 have brought lots joy and laughter into our lives.

I try to keep it in perspective. I try. I try. I try.


Honestly, it has just been a humdinger of a year. With all the stuff relating to #5 being molested, #1's fall out with that and then DH falling down the stairs. I just need to take better care of myself to keep my equilbrium.

I am learning.

Thank you my friends.

I miss you guys.

Oh, you need to enjoy these days

I think I have heard that comment one too many times. About how the days with all these kids will just fly by and you will wish that you had "these" days back. Anybody else heard that?

Other older moms get to say that because they have had a decent nights rest and gotten oh, more than 2 hours of solid rest in a night.

They forgot that didn't they?

Older moms have also forgotten what it is like to be walking around your house at 3:38 p.m. and realize, "Oh. I haven't had a chance to brush my teeth today."

They have forgotten what it is like to have a coherent conversation about legos and bionicles. Or Hello, Kitty. In voices that are 4 octaves above the range your headache can stand (because of that wonderful, night's sleep you got for the whole week).

Please, please, can we just be real? Yes, my littles are growing up. Do I miss that babies? Yes! and NO. I love the fuzzy head. I love the fact you can put them down and they stay there. I love, love the little "O" faces and the yawns that come from the bottom of their toes. I love the 5 year old innocence and funnies.

But you know what?

I love that my older guys can make a meal and serve it. I love that I can tell my older guys to work it out and no one is screaming at each other. I love that they can get themselves dressed and all the clothes are facing forward and right side out. I am going to love the days when I don't have a diaper to change anymore.

and

I am going to love having a decent night's rest so I don't have to summon the patience of Job to get through a day.





oh, while I am writing this I have kicked everyone (except the snoring DH) out of the house. If they came in they were given the option of stay outside and play or come inside and clean.


I might have a couple more hours of quiet.

The Joys

My dear husband is experiencing the joy of nausea and churning tummy. He had his shoulder surgery yesterday. The anasthesia doesn't agree with him. I am doting on him and helping him but also pointing out that I went through his same symptoms for about, oh, 20+12+26+6+17+16+16 WEEKS.

791 days roughly.

His appreciation level has jumped by leaps and bounds.