The Planet Pink

There's A Party In My Tummy! So Yummy!

2012-02-12T18:04:00.000-06:00

This is the first real party I've thrown since discovering Pinterest.

Will any party truly ever be the same after discovering Pinterest?

I'm guessing no.

I had scads of ideas. Check out my Mama Shall Have Parties board. SCADS I tell you.

Paper chain decorations? Yep.

Rainbow fruit? Yep.

Crepe paper backdrops? You betcha.

The list goes on.

And don't even get me started on this brilliance:

The gumball border was my brainchild. Sprinkle covered top courtesy of hubs.

I'd say my first post-Pinterest party was a success.

The birthday girl seemed to think so.

There's a party in my tummy! So yummy! So yummy!

Mama Got Schooled

2012-02-08T08:59:00.000-06:00

It occurs to me that I might be enjoying my newfound freedom that comes with having older children who are able to get up and fend for themselves for awhile before feeling the need to wake me a *little* too much:

When after I've hastened my oldest out the door, chiding her to not be late to school and she looks at me with a mix of chagrin and 9 year old honesty and says, "well, why don't you get up sooner so you can help us get ready on time?"

Um.

Either I've just been called on the carpet or someone's getting too big for their own britches. Or maybe both...

How Do You Know When It's Time?

2012-02-07T09:14:00.002-06:00

Today my oldest, along with the entire 3rd, 4th and 5th grade from her school, are going to the high school performing arts center to participate in an assembly called Rachel's Challenge. It is a presentation put on by the high school students, honoring Rachel Scott, the 17 year old girl who was killed by fellow students at Columbine High school nearly 13 years ago.

My understanding is the entire program is based on this quote, found in Rachel's journal after her death:

"I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same."

As a parent, my heart wrenches with the memory of that day. I remember it with perfect clarity. I was only 3 years out of high school myself and I watched the horror unfold in complete shock. I think it's a wonderful thing that's being done in Rachel's honor. High school students are trained, and then have the opportunity to spread the message of kindness and gentleness to younger students. I believe that's a good thing.

So here's my dilemma. I realized as I was sending Princess #1 off to school, that we have not talked at all about what happened on that fateful day in Colorado. She has no idea not only that such a nightmare took place, but that it's possible for a nightmare like that to even come true. I do not know how much background will be given to the students today, but I expect that the basic story will be shared.

Like any parent, I want to protect my children from the not so nice parts of this world. I want them to live in blissful naivety for awhile. Because I know once it's gone, it's gone for good.

But how do you know when it's time?

Princess #1 and sweet friends on her birthday

How do you know when it's time to trust them with more? To burden them with more reality? To open up their safe havens just a little bit to the reality that's outside?

I feel a bit foolish because for Princess #1 and today, it's too late. Rather than preparing her, my only option now is to wait and see what she learns and then talk about it later. But that's not really how I want to approach things in the future.

So how do you know? I do not want her to live in fear. But I also do not want her to be unprepared.

My friends, these are such big decisions parents have to make. We unfortunately live in a world with great heartache. Do you have experience with guiding your children through these waters? Or were your parents particularly good with guiding you? I would love advice!

Snowmageddan or Tornadoes? You Pick.

2012-02-03T20:50:00.000-06:00

Exactly one year ago, I was writing about Snowmageddan 2011 with drifts as high as my roof line.

There was NO MILK. We take Snowmageddan seriously around here.

This year?

Yep. I'm cruising around with the windows down and scheduling installation for my tornado shelter.

We like weather extremes around here.

Every Child Deserves Celebration, Not Just The First

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-06:00

We've all heard the "rule". You're not supposed to have a baby shower for any baby other than your first. It's considered rude, or tacky, or something like that.

I've never really understood this rule because it assumes two things:

A) People don't want to give you a gift for your new baby if you've already had one.
and
B) It's impossible for people to celebrate the birth of your new child without giving gifts.

The problem I have with this that I personally cannot resist giving gifts to my friends when they have new babies, whether that baby is their first, sixth or twentieth. I mean, who among you can walk by the infant clothing section in any store and not stop and look for just a second. It's miniature clothing people! Furthermore, to bring a child into the world is an incomparable honor, and to have the opportunity (gift or no gift) to share in that joy with the ones I love is a thrill.

But the biggest problem I have with the rule is that when spoken in casual conversation without clarifying or putting into context, it flippantly makes the insinuation that the child-to-be is somehow not worth celebrating, because they're "just another one".

You can imagine that as mama to four girls, I ran into this quite a bit. I suppose people are relaxing somewhat, much to Little Miss Etiquette's chagrin, because I did have showers for each of my girls. But still, especially by my fourth I had a very hard time shaking the fear that people somehow felt that my Princess #4 deserved less of a celebration.

Pregnant mamas are already on an emotional roller coaster. Not only is their body not their own, they are tired, bloated and constantly hungry. They worry over things beyond their control, both concrete and abstract. The health of the baby, the pain of delivery, how their first born will handle a new baby, how they will handle a new baby. Will there be enough love to go around?

Ladies, if you have a friend who is pregnant with her second, sixth or twentieth baby, PLEASE do not add to her fears and let her wonder whether or not you feel her soon to be child is worth celebrating.

This is not necessarily a call to throw a full blown baby shower. Celebrations do not have to be over the top. Keep it simple, intimate and meaningful. Here are a few ways that you can show love to your friends expecting another baby:

Host a Sip 'n See after the baby is born.
Unlike the traditional shower that is held before the baby arrives, a Sip 'n See is perfect for the second baby because it is not held until the babe is in arms. The main purpose is for friends and family to come and literally see the baby for the first time. A coming out party if you will. The host can serve beverages and light appetizers or finger foods, and no gifts are required. It's just a chance for a community of friends to shower love on the newest member.

Collect donations for a money tree.
Many times, when a family expands from 3 to 4 (or more), although many of the basics are already covered, there are some things they may find they need that they didn't when they only had one: like a double stroller for example. Gear like that can be pricey, and sometimes rather than giving a 2nd time mom more onesies and blankets, a large cash sum or gift card might be more appreciated, so it can go towards what is really needed. Taking donations from your circle of friends can be an easy way to show support, without having to go to the effort of organizing a big event.

Throw a diaper shower.
This is always an appreciated favorite among moms. With my first, I think I would have been a *teeny* bit disappointed if I only got diapers at my shower (yes, I know that's bratty. haha), but when I had my third and my office surprised me with a diaper shower, I was overjoyed. We didn't have to buy diapers for six months! That's HUGE people! A diaper shower can be a fun way to celebrate the birth of the baby, satisfy people's desire to bring a gift and yet still be practical and useful. Just make sure you know whether or not mom is cloth diapering, so you can specify which sort of diaper to bring.

Organize meals.
By the time my fourth was born, this was my most appreciated gift. Having hot, fresh meals provided to us for two weeks following her birth was a God send, especially since I was recovering from a difficult delivery. Like the money tree, going this route does not require a big event, but does take some organization. Luckily, there are websites to help with that. CaringMeals.com allows you to coordinate and execute the delivery of meals to a postpartum family.

Most of us (especially mothers), I think, naturally believe that every child is worth celebrating. But after the first, with busy lives of our own, I think it's sometimes easy to fall into the trap of taking another pregnancy in stride. It's easy to fail to act. We may have good intentions, but before you know it the baby is here and life goes on. Be the friend that insists on showing it. Take some initiative and shower love on babe and mama-to-be. It will be much appreciated, I promise.

My dear friends, did you have anyone who took the time to shower love on your second, third, etc. baby? What experiences have you had with baby showers? Any other ideas for celebrating a birth?

What Would You Do?

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

At 8:45 pm on a Saturday evening, while putting away laundry, you hear some scuffling and voices outside. You peek out your bedroom window (because hubs is working and you are a chicken) and you see 3 boys around the age of 10 dragging a huge box that probably was once home to a washing machine down the street.

15 minutes later, now 9:00 pm, you are just settling down on the couch to watch a little mindless TV when you hear some movement and whispers outside your front door.

Suddenly your doorbell rings. Your dog starts freaking out. You want to start freaking out. You're a half scared, half pissed off because your kids have been asleep for an hour and now your dog won't shut up and some idiot has rung your doorbell at 9pm.

You look out the peep hole and what should you see but a huge box that probably was once home to a washing machine sitting on your front porch and it is suspiciously wiggly.

Do you:

A) Open the door as Cool Mom, knowing it's just 10 year old boys playing a prank.

B) Open the door as Mama Bear, knowing it's 9pm and 10 year old boys are playing a prank.

C) Ignore the box and go back to watching mindless TV, knowing it's 10 year old boys playing a prank.

I may or may not have gone for option B. Ahem.

My dear friends, I've been feeling guilty all weekend for not being the "Cool Mom", but seriously? 9pm? Not cool. Anyway, would you do me a huge favor while you're here? If you wouldn't mind popping over to Facebook by using that cute little Facebook button on the sidebar and "liking" my page, I would love ya to pieces. If you're not aware, Google Friend Connect is disappearing for anyone not on Blogger very soon. I use Blogger, but if you don't I'd hate to lose you!! Facebook and Subscribing are great ways to not lose touch! Thanks much! Smooches!

When God Speaks, Listen

2012-01-28T17:20:00.000-06:00

I wrote my last blog post about the 5 words that changed my life, and I didn't realize it at the time, but while I was typing what was on my heart, God was also preparing me to hear another word from Him. Or rather, remind me.

Yesterday afternoon I was feeling a bit restless. I had plenty of laundry to fold (thank you lice) and dishes to take care of, etc. But I just didn't feel like doing any of it. And as is the benefit of being your own boss, I decided to not do it. I started to feel led to pick up my Bible and devotional book, My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I'm embarrassed to say the last time I had bothered to open it.

A comment left on my last post led me to Matthew 6:33. It's a familiar verse:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

That's really what my last post was about, about seeking God, above anything else, even his will.

So I spent some time meditating on that scripture and the passages before it. The famous "Do Not Worry" passages beginning in Matthew 6:25:

"That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don't worry about these things, saying 'what will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."

After some time in thought and prayer I turned to My Utmost, wondering what thoughts Mr. Chambers had for me that day.

It should come as no shock that the scripture that Chambers wrote about for January 27th was Matthew 6:25. Further, the day before he wrote on Matthew 6:30.

God is so good and knows exactly what we need to hear when we need to hear it.

I've been through this book many many times, and in one of my passes through I underlined certain passages that stuck out to me. This one particular paragraph, underlined years ago when I was just a college student, jumped off the page at me like live wire:

"Consider the lilies of the field..." (6:28). They grow where they are planted. Many of us refuse to grow where God plants us. Therefore, we don't take root anywhere. Jesus said if we would obey the life of God within us, He would look after all other things. Did Jesus Christ lie to us? Are we experiencing the "much more" He promised? If we are not, it is because we are not obeying the life God has given us and have cluttered our minds with confusing thoughts and worries. How much time have we wasted asking God senseless questions while we should be absolutely free to concentrate on our service to Him?"

Ouch.

Senseless questions? Uh yeah. That would be me. Right over here.

I believe that God is reminding me, sometimes daily, sometimes obviously, to grow where I am planted. Not where I think I should be planted. Not where I want to be planted.

Feeling the presence of Christ so near in that moment, I flipped through my journal, to the last thing I had written. Another quote from Chambers, this time from August 10:

"God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, 'God intends me to be here because I am so useful to Him.' Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be."

Ok God. I'm listening.

What If This Is It?

2012-01-26T15:31:00.000-06:00

Way back, when hubs and I first got married (way, WAY back), we had really big plans. What new couple doesn't, right? We knew exactly where we were headed in the future, we felt God's calling on us and we were headed down that path, full steam ahead. Confident in God's will and our willing hearts.

We knew God had called us to be missionaries, and we knew He was going to use us in a big way.

We did everything right: schooling, experience, training. All of it. We had confirmation after confirmation of God's will in our lives. We dotted all the i's and crossed every t. It was only a matter of time.

And yet we found ourselves, 12 years later, a stay at home mom to four little girls and a retail manager.

Huh?

What happened? Where did we go wrong? Did we misunderstand God's will?

This was the question I asked over and over and over again for years. As each door slammed in our faces and we slipped further still from our supposed "calling". I harbored bitterness and anger. Jealous of ones who fulfilled their dreams in front of our eyes, while we toiled away, in the in between time. I felt abandoned, forgotten by God. I struggled with the day to day reality of our life - each inconvenience created by hubs' decidedly secular job deepened the chasm that was growing between us. I was being selfish, but I didn't see it that way. I wanted what I wanted for our lives. What I thought God wanted.

I was headed down a path of distrust and despair...

Until the day we received the biggest blow to our remaining thread of hope. I love how God works that way. Waiting until there is no hope, so that He can be our only hope. Looking back on this moment, I know that if it had occurred at any other time, it would have been too easy to point to other things as the reason for my breakthrough. My logic, or hubs' determination, or our sheer will to survive. Anything could have claimed that glory. But God waited to move until we had nothing left. Because when there is no hope and yet you still have peace that passes understanding, you know where that came from.

It was that day, with wounds still fresh and stinging that God spoke to me clearly.

"What if this is it?"

What God?

"What if this is what I have planned for you?"

You mean this life? The one we're currently slaves to?

"Yes. What if this is it? Could you be content in that? In ME?"

But what about our calling? We were so sure...

"Can you be content?"

But what about hubs? He's worked so hard, poured years of his life into this calling...

"Will you be content?"

Will I be content?

Anyone CAN be content. That's an ability each and every person on this earth possesses. But, the choice, the WILL to be content, that's a different story.

I realized in that blinding moment that I was missing out on God's greatest gift in my life: my life.

I had been so busy, certain of our path and frustrated at the detours, that I failed to see God's hand in the twisting road. I was missing opportunities to fulfill God's calling in our life that very day, so determined to fit God into the little box I had created for our lives. I was creating a pseudo-contentment in my life (and failing miserably), rather than turning to the One who could bring true, fulfilled contentment.

My life was changed in that instant.

When I was growing up, seeking God's will for your life was a hot topic. Especially in college, when many life-altering decisions are made. Should I date this guy? Is it God's will? Should I go on this mission trip? Is it God's will? Should I change my major? Is it God's will?

On the whole, I don't think it's a bad question to ask. However, without realizing it, I allowed that question to be the Main Thing. Searching for God's elusive will in my life. And when hubs and I
"found it", because I had searched for it in that way, like it was a thing to be obtained, I mentally left very little wiggle room for God to do His work.

I had unknowingly reduced God to the size of what my mind could imagine.

In that moment when God broke through my smallness and showed me his immeasurable greatness, I realized that it's not really about seeking God's will for my life. My life is about seeking God. Because when I step outside of my little box, and allow his fullness to infiltrate every part of my being; when I draw close to him out of love and devotion and awe rather than what He's going to do for me; when I seek Him and leave the rest; that's where true contentment lies. That's where I find the fulfillment of His will in my life. That's when I become fully useable by Him.

I am still a stay at home mom to four little girls. Hubs is still a retail manager. And we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that we are right where we need to be. Because we are seeking Him, not "the call" we once felt was so important. The rest will fall into place. Maybe the way we once imagined. But most likely not, because God has big plans.

What if this is it?

Bring it on.

Oh How Pinteresting!

2012-01-25T12:17:00.000-06:00

We all know about my obsession with Pinterest.

So let's get down to business, shall we?

Here are some of the latests things I've pinned on my boards. You can click the Pinterest banner to the right to see all the other goodies I've found. I love followers and I love to follow back! The more you're connected, the more deliciousness you will discover!

Mama Shall Have a Retreat

Everyone who loves builder grade mirrors, raise their hands! Yeah... I thought so. What a brilliant fix, right? I LOVE the shelving in the middle. And the moulding at the top is such a nice touch.

From hometalk.com

Mama Shall Have Style

I am forever on the search for great mother's jewelry. I'm not a huge necklace person, I tend to gravitate towards bracelets instead, but this caught my eye. I really like the inscribed message and the setting of the stones.

From etsy.com

Mama Shall Have Babies... Lots of Babies

I am loving these upcycled dressers! I'm really regretting getting rid of our old one now. What a perfect idea for hanging dress up clothes or doll clothes. So easy too, even a non DIYer like myself could pull this off. I like the IKEA mirror on the side too.

From 4.bp.blogspot.com

Mama Shall Have Parties

With four girls, we have serious birthday planning to do through out the year. I love how simple this decoration is. And CHEAP! Dollar store hula hoop and crepe paper and you're set! This may or may not be making an appearance at shindig for a certain soon to be 3 year old very soon!

From housingaforest.com

Mama Shall Have Organization

Sigh. Organization is a unicorn for me I think. BUT, if it were to exist, it probably would in this form. I love how uniform and simple these canisters are. MUCH better than my current system of clothes pinning shut the brown sugar bag and stuffing it between the peanut butter and a bag of rice.

From justpleasedaspunch.blogspot.com

Mama Shall Eat Well

For an avocado lover, these look divine. Avocado and cream cheese wrapped in a puff pastry and baked? Come to mama.

From loveveggiesandyoga.com

Mama Shall Celebrate

I'm loving all the inspiration (ha!) that Pinterest is providing for holidays. How adorable are these little Valentine's? I've already got the idea and supplies for our Valentine's this year (thank you Pinterest), but I'm definitely keeping these in mind for the future!

From thirtyhandmadedays.com

I'm linking up today with the Vintage Apple. Come join in the fun! Grab a button and link up!

Happy Pinteresting!!

IKEA Spice Racks As Bookshelves - Things I Learned

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

As you saw in the pics of my girls' redecorated room last week, we put Pinterest to good use by taking someone's brilliant idea of using IKEA spice racks as bookshelves.

I had been wanting a wall shelf of some sort for the girls' books, because up until this point we have used a standard bookshelf and the books always looked like this:

Ok wait. Actually they never looked like that. Clearly I cleaned before taking this picture.

ANYWAY. Bottom line, I was sick and tired of books being haphazardly thrown every which way in that bookshelf and longed for the on the wall version like they sell at Pottery Barn Kids and Land of Nod.

But who has $400 for a bookshelf right?

Enter the brilliance of Pinterest and IKEA. I had found my answer.

So. Now what? Well, it was a labor of love getting those little spice racks from this:

to this:

Here are a few tips and ideas I picked up along the way.

1. Each spice rack requires assembly with little to no instruction, which I understand is the norm for IKEA. Fortunately, these were pretty much a no brainer, even for a non DIYer like myself. Mobilize your troops and get to work. Most of it is pretty simple, even for the littlest of fingers.

2. Proper DIYers would probably have painted every part first, before assembly. I was too impatient and I'm happy to report you cannot tell that these were painted after the fact at all. I also did not bother putting any sort of lacquer or poly on these, nor did I sand them. So far the paint has held up well to the wear and tear. If you want a more polished finish you might add this step, but I didn't find it necessary. I just slapped regular old room paint (the same paint we used on the furniture) on the racks with those cheapy foam craft brushes you can get at Hobby Lobby. It took 2-3 coats. 2 for the shelves, 1 for my fingers.

3. If you notice in that picture with Princess #4 putting in the shims, the racks come with standard wall hanging pieces already attached. Hubs and I knew that books would be heavier than spices (obviously) so we knew regular old nails wouldn't work. We bought drywall anchors like the ones below. Now here's the big tip: THESE DO NOT WORK. After 4 racks fell under the weight of the books, stripping the hole in the wall in the process, we trekked back to Home Depot and picked up the hardcore metal butterfly anchors. I didn't get a pic of them, unfortunately, but you will need them. Especially if you're going to be housing heavy board books.

4. Make sure you do your measurements and mark exactly where you want your racks to hang - ALL of them, before drilling your first hole. This was difficult for us since we were hanging so many and trying to keep them centered and evenly spaced. One thing we didn't consider too carefully was how high we were going. My little princesses can't reach the top books without a step stool, which I would have rather prevented had I paid better attention.

Overall I'm really pleased with how this project turned out. Like I mentioned before, the paint has held up well, as have the racks themselves. Since using the metal butterfly anchors we haven't had any fall off the wall. They don't hold quite as many books as I was thinking they would and I would actually like to add a few more to an adjacent wall, should I ever work up the energy to take this on again. In all we used 13 racks. We hung 9 on the main "book wall".

Then we also put two on the wall by Princess #1 and Princess #2's beds, just so they'd have some space that's reserved just for their own books.

Hopefully, if you're considering trying this anytime soon, these lessons I learned will help you out some. I'd love to see pics of your completed project, so when you're done be sure to let me know!

Leave It To Hubs

2012-01-21T21:44:00.002-06:00

Today so did not go the way I had planned. I'll spare you the sordid details and instead just say one word:

Lice.

Uh huh.

*sob* *sob* *sob*

But before I was so RUDELY interrupted from my mindless Saturday morning perusing of Pinterest, I actually got a little crafty.

I'm sure if you have one eye and spend any time on the internet, you've noticed that subway art is all the rage these days. I love it when I stumble upon freebies given away by some blogger with a golden heart. It makes my life so much easier.

But sometimes I can't find what I'm looking for downloadable for free. And it's cool that people want to make money. But I'm cheap. So I decided to try my hand at making one myself.

My very favorite quote is by Victor Hugo, of the Les Miserables fame. I have yet to see any subway art made using that particular quote. AND, I have a blank space on my bathroom wall right above my toilet. So in my mind, I was going to make my own subway art, frame it and voila - free wall decoration.

OK, so are you ready to see it?

Ok. Not as great as some of the ones I've seen on Pinterest, but not bad either right? I was pretty darn pleased with myself.

So tonight, after dealing with the aforementioned ~~hell on earth~~ lice, I eagerly showed hubs my creation.

He read it through silently, while I described where I intended to hang it on the wall. Then he repeated outloud:

"'Laboriously accomplished your daily task....' you're putting this above the toilet? The TOILET?"

BOYS. *shaking head*

My dear friends, I do hope that you A) never ever have to deal with lice and B) have a boy in your house to keep things lively. And keep you from placing quotes above the toilet that might be construed inappropriately.

PS. In the dawn of fresh light I feel compelled to add that this whole blog post was possible last night because hubs demanded I sit at the computer and play around while he vacuumed all the carpets and furniture for me. He's really a gem, that one.

Comparisons: Four, Five, Six Months

2012-01-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I pulled out my sister comparison collages, so I thought I'd share a few more, just for fun.

I think it's funnier to compare my hairstyles here. These pictures were taken at each of the girls' dedication services. 3 states, 4 cities, 4 churches, 4 pastors. We've been blessed with such wonderful church families, and I'm grateful that we had the opportunity to dedicate each daughter to the Lord.

4 months old - in the neglect-a-saucer. Loved that thing. So much we had to replace it by the time #3 came around.

5 months - ah the age of drool, and spit bubbles.

6 months - aaaaaand... we're sitting up! I love this tripod baby stage. And what's with all the serious looks? Must be tough work.

I compared newborn photos up through 3 months of age earlier this past year, if you want to check those out. And as always, if you do a comparison post, I'd love to see! Link back to this post and let me know!

Maybe She's Born With It

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-06:00

Does Sephora sell Fotoshop by Adobé?? I have a gift card...

Your Patience Has Paid Off

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

If you're new to following The Planet Pink, then you are lucky. Because the poor souls that have been reading my blog for awhile have been kept waiting 7 long months for this day. Now I'm not so bold as to think it's been on their minds every day for the last 7 months, but then again I am pretty awesome, so what do I know?

OK, so without further ado, here are the much anticipated AFTER pictures of our Great Room Switch 2011. We decided to switch rooms with our princesses, and here is the result (bear with me, there are scads of photos):

(oh. And also. I am not a photographer. So if the pics are over exposed, blurry, blinding, or any other sort of wrong, you have my apologies. One of these days I should learn how to use my camera. But it seems like that's what everyone's doing. I want to be different. So bad pics it is. Haha.)

I love this quote and it seemed so appropriate for a "book wall". The decal was purchased from Amazon.com and was super easy to apply.

If there ever was a question of whether or not Pinterest is worth the time, this wall should put that doubt to rest. This wall makes me want to cry every time I walk by I love it so much. Seriously. Is that weird? These are the famed IKEA spice racks. $3.99 each. We bought and painted 13. The nine you see here and 4 that we have on the wall by the girls' bunk beds.

*swoon*

Where the sleeping happens. Or the giggling. I use that term sleeping loosely. If you remember the before pictures, these bunk beds were white. I knew I wanted them to be a fun color, but wow was painting them a pain! I never want to paint furniture again. Princess #3 and Princess #4 sleep on those mattresses under the bunk. We just pull them out at night. It's not a long term solution, but at least for the short term everyone has a place to sleep and we didn't have to spend any money, since we already had the bunks and the mattresses.

The lone bare wall. What to do? What to do?

Just had to look at the book wall again. Hobby Lobby was my go to place for finding decorations on the cheap. I love that they run 50% off sales constantly.

This dresser is so yummy in this color and I adore the lanterns - again, Hobby Lobby 50% off.

I'm telling you, I love it.

Don't ask how long it took for us to hang these suckers.

Another Pinterest win: the built-ins with the color. I should just say, this room brought to you by Pinterest.

So there you have it. In the end I am super pleased. I have not yet regretted moving into the smaller bedroom so that our girls can have room to play. And surprisingly, having all 4 in one room hasn't been a nightmare (yet). I know that we won't be able to have the girls in one room forever, but for right now it works.

I'm happy that instead of being dissatisfied with the size of our house and foolishly rushing out to buy a bigger one, we're being good stewards and maximizing the space we do have. In doing this switch we essentially added an extra room, which now has become our office. We were able to do the switch on the cheap, and have come out ahead in space. I'd say that's a win!

Say Cheese!

2012-01-16T20:24:00.000-06:00

So. When your two year old knows how to unlock your phone, go to the camera app, flip it around so that the lens is facing her and take pictures... is that a bad thing? Does this mean the years of the pucker lips/duckface self portraits are not far behind??

Lord help us.

Fun Or Excellence: Walking The Tightrope Of Kids Activities

2012-01-14T15:25:00.000-06:00

Way back, when princess #1 was only 3 years old, we did what every family in America with a little girl does: enroll her in ballet.

Who can resist teeny tiny ballet slippers and tutu's and dreams of toe shoes and applause?

Princess #1, age 3 in her first ballet class

I sure can't.

I always, always wanted to take ballet as a child. I was never able to, so for me it was a no-brainer which activity to begin with my oldest.

Fortunately for us, almost 7 years later, she's quite good at it.

I'm finding we're coming up to a cross roads, however, and it's giving me much to think about. I would love some feedback on my dilemma:

When first choosing a dance school, our main priority for our 3 year old was that it be fun, age appropriate and not at all hardcore. We certainly weren't looking for a stony faced Madame who beat the harlequin dance floor with a staff in time to the music while barking out "Plié! Relevé! Rond de jambe!" to a group of cowering, pink cheeked 3 year olds.

That expectation of "fun" has served us well the last few years. Princess #1 has come to love ballet, and enjoys expressing herself through dance. There comes a point though, where "fun" just doesn't cut it anymore. I mean, I suppose if you want to continue to pour money into an activity without any expectation of progress or perfection, then that's one thing. But we don't have the money to do that. In other words, I want something to show for it. Does that make sense?

I am NOT a pushy stage mom, and I actually have no dreams of stardom or Hollywood when I think about my princesses. In fact, I don't want fame for them at all. But I do want progress. I do hope that the time and dedication put into this opens doors in the future. I do desire for my girls to learn what hard work, discipline and devotion to an activity means, and how that can influence their approach to life in general.

Princess #2, age 3 in her first ballet class

Because of those things, I find myself wondering at what point do you stop looking for an activity to be fun, and start looking for it to push a little harder, demand a little more effort and require a little more dedication? At what age are those things appropriate?

I think these questions apply to more than just dance, but any activity that a child/family chooses to pursue. And I think that every family at some point has to ask themselves, "What are we wanting out of this? Where do we want this to go?" The dilemma, for myself anyway, I think lies in deciding when these questions become important. We live in an era where child prodigies are created and groomed from an early age. Where fame, a la Dance Moms, is easily within the grasp of anyone who is willing to pay the price. I wonder, is there room for those of us who perhaps do not desire that sort of life, and yet still wish to pursue excellence with our children?

I feel like I'm all over the place with this, and I have more questions to ask about families who choose to pursue that excellence, but I'll save that for another post at another time.

My friends, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Walking the activities tightrope with your children can be a tricky journey.

PS. just as I hit publish on this post, I received an incredibly well thought out note on this very subject from a friend who is a collegiate theater teacher, who knows a thing or two about demanding excellence and at what point should that begin. I hope to share her thoughts about this with you soon!

On Things Which Make Me Smile (Or Give Me A Panic Attack)

2012-01-12T14:18:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry I've been so hit and miss lately.

The weather around here has been ridiculous. Like, as in this leap year we just leapt straight from December to April. It's been GORGEOUS. Freaking gorgeous.

So it's been impossible to hole up in the house with the sun shining in through the open windows. We've been out bike riding, playing at the park, etc.

In JANUARY.

I still can't get over it.

Old man winter tried to pull a fast one on us last night, but the measly dusting was no match for our 70 degree warmed earth. Snow just the way I like it. Melted.

ANYWAY.

So this little gal right here, she's going to be three in a month. Three!

Where the heck did the time go? You know that saying, "the years are short but the days are long"? Oh yeah, that's been us the last 3 years. She is something else, my baby. I'm happy to say that although she's a handful, I've gotten a pretty good grasp on how to deal with her. At least for now. Until she changes the rules. Again.

With all the gorgeous weather and a birthday coming fast upon us, I'm in super organization/clean up mode. I want to just throw everything out and start over. That's my idea of organization. Unfortunately, hubs might not appreciate me tossing out perfectly good apparel and/or books he's had since college, so I've got to find a way to reign it all in. I can't even go to organization blogs because the perfectness of them gives me a panic attack. It doesn't seem right to have to go out and BUY stuff to put my already-taking-up-too-much-room STUFF in. I look at the photos of neatly organized pantries with their whole, organic grains and snacks in gleaming matching containers color coded with adorable homemade tags. Hyperventilation city. Right now I'm just happy I can close the door.

Pinterest has ruined me on ever thinking I might have obtained perfection in ANY area of my life.

Sigh.

I do, however, have one particular room that I am pretty darn proud of. It's been a work in progress for about 6 months and I finally, FINALLY got pictures of it. That's right - if you'll remember - The Great Room Switch, aka The Week That Might Have Killed Me (Or At Least Made Me Never Want To See A Paintbrush Again).

Last June, hubs took a week off work and we worked our rear ends off painting, rearranging, painting, organizing and painting some more in order to move all 4 princesses into the master bedroom. It was a labor of love to be sure. But I am so pleased with the results. I don't know if it's Pinterest worthy, but for the amount of time, money and patience we had, it's definitely brag worthy. I'd show ya the pics now, but um, I want you to come back. So I'm shamelessly holding on to them for another day.

So mean, right?

Ok. I'm off. I've got exactly 45 minutes before ~~all hell breaks loose~~ the 4pm - 8pm madness ensues. Just enough time to fold some clothes and empty the dishwasher. Or catch up on one episode of Gossip Girl. Your choice.

Talk soon my friends!

Abiding Mom for 2012

2012-01-01T12:09:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!

I hope this finds you and yours happy, healthy and full of hope for the new year.

As is custom with the turn of the calendar page, I've been reflecting on the past year and looking to the future, considering what I hope it brings. I'm not a huge resolution maker, because I always fail. But I ran across this beautiful printable on Pinterest a few weeks ago, and I knew that I had found what I want for 2012:

To be an Abiding Mom.

Special thanks to Erica at Confessions of a Homeschooler and Renee at Abiding Mom for putting into words and art what my heart needed to hear for this coming year.

My friends, I hope you rang the new year in with the ones you love, and are looking with sweet anticipation towards what 2012 holds for you. No matter what you aspire to accomplish, achieve or be this year, I pray you find yourself fulfilled, loved and whole.

Just In Case You Were Considering It

2011-12-10T16:06:00.000-06:00

If you ever find yourself tempted to buy a box of 142 small pieces of shaped foam,

don't.

It may seem like a good idea at the time.

but do not be fooled by it's cuteness,

it's attention to detail,

it's penguins.

There WILL be hell to pay.

6 + my you-know-what.

It's Midnight...

2011-12-10T00:12:00.000-06:00

I apologize for the lack of posts.

I'm going through a phase where one of two (or several) things is happening:

A) I sit down to post and then remember I left my coffee in the microwave and en route to the kitchen I get commandeered by a bossy two year old who demands that I hold her while she watches Yo Gabba Gabba Family for the 10th time that day.

B) I sit down to post and any inspiration I had flies out of my head because a bossy two year old is dancing around my chair chanting "Hold you! Hold you! HOLD YOU!!!!!!!" and I just can't put two words together when I'm being yelled at.

C) I sit down to post and... I got nothin.

To say this is a trying season in my life is really selling it short. And I'm not under any illusion that I've got it worse than the next guy (or mom). I know I'm blessed. Happy, healthy, etc. etc.

But is it ok to still feel overwhelmed?

Because I do.

I suppose the whole Christmas season wouldn't be complete without at least one mini meltdown. Which is sad, considering I'm pretty certain that Mary had things a whole heck of a lot worse (hello, unmarried, pregnant teen). My drama is so minimal. And yet, it feels so great sometimes.

So I'm going to just throw myself one teeny weeny little pity party, and then I'm going to move on. Ok?

OK.

I do love these girls. I want to do right by them so badly my heart hurts sometimes.

Parenting Peril #1

2011-11-19T12:18:00.000-06:00

That moment when you discover a long lost sippy cup and realize that what is inside might have once been something similar to orange juice, but you can't tell for sure because the odor emanating from the greenish sludge has you dropping it in the nearest trash can and running outdoors for fresh air, lest you see your breakfast again.

Sometimes The Heart Hurts

2011-10-14T21:37:00.000-05:00

That's the tricky thing about hearts. We could just lock them up, never to break, never to shatter, never to mourn. But then we would never feel, never love, never live.

It's a dilemma. A great risk we take every single day.

Sometimes, many times, it pays off.

But sometimes, the heart must endure the most unfathomable of pain, as a result of it's love.

This gorgeous, beautiful family is walking that road of sorrow this very day. Today, they will say goodbye to their sweet 3 year old Marley, taken too soon by every parents' nightmare, brain cancer. After a brave battle that began before she blew out two candles on her cake, Marley met Jesus on Tuesday.

As I write these words my stomach constricts and tears well up in my eyes. For a mother, any mother, the pain is so palatable. It does not matter if you've known them your whole life or only just looked upon Marley's face for the first time. We all know what a risk it is to love. We all know what is at stake. As the quote says:

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body." ~Elizabeth Stone

And yet, even in the face of such great risks, the reality that your heart may actually shatter into a million pieces, we still persist in love. Because we know that locking the heart away, safe from pain, is not really living. The beauty in loving is doing so in spite of the sorrow that may wait around the corner.

I know Nikki and Brent never dreamed that they would bury their child at the age of 3. Please lift them up in your thoughts and prayers today.

Conversation Over Dinner

2011-10-13T09:21:00.000-05:00

So last night the whole family trekked out to Schlotzsky's for dinner, and while on the way, Princess #2 got my attention:

Princess #2: Mommy, today a girl in my class said that the Devil is God's son.

Uhhhh.....

Me: That's a good conversation to bring up with your daddy.

(Way to pass the buck. Good save mom)

Fastforward to our meal, after Hubs successfully navigated the whole devil/God's son issue (is he, isn't he? Does anyone really know? Does it really matter?), and I sighed in relief at not having to answer that questions myself, we naturally launched into a very nice spiritual conversation with our girls, asking them questions about what they learn in children's church, what's the big deal about Jesus and God, etc.

***just a side note, I make fun of myself for shying away from answering hard questions, but I truly believe it is essential for parents to seize those natural opportunities to discuss this sort of thing with your kids. Hopefully it occurs easily (like in our situation, with a honest question) and doesn't feel forced. But please, don't leave these conversations for someone else. Because your kids will have them (regardless of your spiritual stance) with someone. It should be with you, their parents. Ok, that's all. Side note over.***

So the real high moment of our conversation was when Hubs was in the middle of an illustration trying to describe the massive sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. He used an example that went something like this:

Hubs (to Princess #2): So, suppose that you broke a lamp. And we told you that you had to get a spanking as your punishment. But before we could spank you, Princess #3 stepped in and said, "No, don't spank her. I'll take her spanking in her place."

I was all caught up in what I thought was a very applicable illustration, when Princess #1 broke through my reverie with a very dry, sarcastic "Yeah, like that will ever happen."

Ah. Sometimes timing is just everything.

My friends, I love moments with my family where I learn that not only are my kids listening and learning, but also that they are stinkin' funny. Embrace those teaching moments, and don't forget to laugh and have fun.

***Completely unrelated, if you have kids, run yourself over to your nearest Starbucks and grab their free download card of the week. It is for an interactive iBook version of The Monster At The End Of This Book. One of my childhood favorites. You don't want to miss it!

That Makes Me Crazy

2011-09-24T11:47:00.000-05:00

This past week has been crazy.

CRA-ZY.

And it's not over yet.

I like to think I can handle a little craziness.

But let's face it. I'm not 20 anymore. Crazy sort of makes me crazy these days.

Which isn't pretty. Trust me.

My class begins on Monday.

MONDAY people. AHHHHHHH!!!!

I have been feverishly researching, outlining, previewing videos, marketing.... oh, and being a mom. Of course.

Don't let the cuteness fool you. This may or may not be contributing to my crazy.

My brain hurts. Literally. I've had a headache the last two days. And now my voice is threatening to go on strike. Awesome.

I've been so busy with craziness that I haven't really been able to stop and appreciate the realization of a dream for me. I hope at some point I'll be able to stop and really marvel at all I've accomplished. Right now I'm just tunnel visioned on getting stuff done.

I'd appreciate your thoughts. Right now I'm keeping anxiety over teaching at bay, mostly because I've got so much to do to get ready. But in just a few short hours it will be just me, my students and my advisor - GAME ON. I'm praying my passion comes through and I'm able to communicate and educate and most importantly, empower these women who cross my path in the next few weeks.

If you don't hear from my, my projector broke, my jokes fell flat, my students stared at me with blank faces and I'm hiding under a rock.

Until then, happy weekend!

They Say It's Your Birthday

2011-09-15T14:15:00.000-05:00

My birthday, actually.

Well, technically yesterday. But I'm of the belief that birthdays should be celebrated for as long as possible. Since yesterday was my actual birthday and hubs and I are going out on my birthday date tomorrow evening, I consider today a celebratory day by default.

The older you get, the harder it is to celebrate birthdays I think. Not because I don't want to get older (it's debatable), but more just because there's life to do. It doesn't stop for birthdays. I've still got kids to cart to school, homework papers to check, lessons to get to, bills to pay, etc. etc. So it's really meaningful to me with hubs and the kids go out of their way to make my day special, despite all the life we have to do.

So while hubs worked yesterday, I treated myself and the two younger princesses to lunch at Panera Bread. It was nice to just hang with my babies and eat my fave broccoli cheddar soup on the first real coolish day of the season.

Then following school and piano lessons, I came home to dinner waiting, gorgeous flowers on the table and presents wrapped.

There was also this ridiculously amazing (AH - MAZING) chocolate mousse cake from Whole Foods. Which sadly, I realize I did not get a picture of. You're going to have to just trust me. It was good.

The evening ended with a light knock at the door. Once I had hubs answer it (it WAS after 9. I'm a bit of a chicken), we discovered that someone (or someones) thought it would be fun to fork our yard. I'm pretty sure I haven't had this happen since I was in highschool. The glow sticks were a nice touch. The girls thought it was the best birthday present EVER.

I don't think it was half bad either.

I think 34's going to be a pretty good year.

Two and a Half

2011-09-13T21:19:00.000-05:00

Hold her a little longer

Rock her a little more

Tell her another story

(you've only told her four)

Let her sleep on your shoulder

Rejoice in her happy smile

She is only two and a half

for such a little while!

-Author Unknown

(adapted for my girl)

Not My Words, But So My Heart

2011-09-09T09:50:00.002-05:00

Very, very rarely, I stumble across a blog post that is So Good I want to cry.

The link below will take you to such a post.

It is very long, but the last two paragraphs are worth the whole read.

It made me want to stand up and yell, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

And I'm not even considering adoption.

But I'm a child of God, and I live in this community of Life that He created, perfectly. And the call to be in community with one another is so strong in me, after reading this post I can't help but feel moved to action.

So go read this post, then come back and tell me what you think. I can't wait to hear!

Jen Hatmaker: After The Airport

The author, Jen, with her husband and daughter Remy, coming down the airport escalator after picking Remy up from Ethiopia

So Long Crib

2011-09-06T23:18:00.000-05:00

Do you know what this is a picture of?

This, my friends, this mess of hair and pillow pet, is a picture of my baby (my baby!), sleeping in her Big Girl Bed (aka, mattress on the floor in big sisters' room).

I almost woke her up with the dumb flash while trying to get this picture.

That's how dedicated I am to documenting my life for you people.

I almost don't dare to tell you how easy this transition has been.

{Easy}

Granted, it's only night 2. And last night she willingly fell asleep after falling victim to a fever virus that's going through our house.

But still.

Tonight, she laid down without a complaint, right next to Princess #3 (who still crawls in bed with me in the middle of the night, ahem). No wiggling. No fussing. No getting out of bed to play with rogue toys that weren't put away.

Is it possible that we might actually have a child that enjoys staying in bed?

Dare I hope?

Check back with me in a few nights and I'll let you know.

My friends, I feel like in some ways I should be a bit more nostalgic about this momentous occasion. After NINE years, our crib will no longer be in use. That's pretty amazing. Just another reminder that my childbearing days are over. No longer in the season have HAVING babies, I'm in the season of GROWING UP babies. But that's another post for another time. Until then, enjoy this little video I shot of Princess #4 on her last night in the crib.

So Long Crib from planet pink on Vimeo.

Your First

2011-08-31T22:19:00.000-05:00

It's moments etched in my mind.

Your first cry.

Your first step.

Your first night in a big girl bed.

Your first bike ride.

Your first ballet class.

Your first day at school.

Your first lost tooth.

Your first sleepover.

Your first piano recital.

Your glimpse of the world through nine year old eyes.

Happy Birthday my love.

Um...

2011-08-30T22:08:00.000-05:00

So tonight I was perusing Facebook harmlessly (I know, NOT Pinterest! Aren't you shocked?), just minding my own business, when I ran across a post from a college friend of mine that stopped me in my tracks.

Did you know it's been 15 years since I first set foot on my college campus as a Freshman, ready to take on the world?

(No, of course you didn't. The point is, I didn't either)

FIFTEEN YEARS.

Gulp.

That makes me, like, old.

So, uh, when did this happen exactly? And furthermore, are the next 15 years going to go by as quickly?

Because in another 15 years I will have an almost TWENTY-FOUR year old (omg!), a 21 year old, a 19 year old and probably only my baby at home with me, a mere 17 years old (sniff).

I seriously need to stop time.

Like, for reals.

(I keep thinking that if I talk like I did when I was in high school, then maybe somehow how I'm not as old. Is it working?)

Friends, anyone been slapped in the face with reality lately? I'm realizing my days of needing wrinkle cream are not that far off. Maybe they've even already arrived and I'm late to the party. Yikes! By the way, I totally wanted to find a picture of myself in college, but they're all up in the attic (this was pre digital people. Yes, I know. That old.), and it's like, a thousand degrees up there. Plus we don't have a scanner. So there ya go.

OH! I did just get a cute new haircut (chopped off TEN inches!!) and color.

Maybe saying "like" all the time won't sound completely ridiculous now? I'm bringing it back people!

(wow, this was (like) the longest PS/footnote thingy EVER)

Can I Get A Woot Woot!?

2011-08-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

What's this I see?

Backpacks? New clothes? Freshly sharpened pencils?

Ah yes. You know this song.

Sing it with me now:

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Because We Don't Have Enough Girls

2011-08-16T15:14:00.000-05:00

Meet Molly.

yes, we just might be crazy.

The House Thermostat

2011-08-15T14:22:00.001-05:00

Several years ago, we were having a particularly difficult time with Princess #1's behavior. I don't remember the details at all (proof that this too shall pass!), but I do know that it was occurring right around the time Princess #2 joined us, so she would have been around the age of 2.

Desperate for sound advice, I took myself to the place I knew I would get some answers, the internet. Thank God for mommy message boards right? I don't know how June Cleaver survived without them.

Anyway, I found myself on a message board full of caring, devoted, and attached mommies who were passionate about intentional parenting. For me, being the newbie, I had no idea there were so many parenting philosophies or that I even had one (I later learned my own default parenting philosophy was a combination of my experiences in being parented, and my expectations about parenthood. But that's another post for another time).

I poured out my heart in a post about Princess #1, describing her behavior and my desires to change it. I probably referred at one point to how she seemed to turn into this monster of a child I did not know. It was true. I was praying that someone would read my post, relate to it in their own lives and tell me what to do to fix it.

So you can imagine my shock when I anxiously checked back for a response and found not sympathy and empathetic responses but rather chastisement about my attitude towards Princess #1. Suggestions that I stop seeing her as a "monster" but rather a small human who was incapable of controlling her emotions and reactions stopped me in my tracks. That wasn't what I meant at all! I was totally being misread!

Or was I?

I remember leaving the computer in a huff, feeling let down. I do not remember how we addressed Princess #1's behavior at that time. Clearly we got through it and I moved on. But I never forgot the sting I felt at the words of the women on that message board. Women who did not know me, did not know my intentions, or my heart. I felt unjustly judged.

Now several years down the road into parenthood, I'm able to assess the words of those women with a little more perspective and clarity. While I immediately took offense to the suggestion that perhaps the problem lie more with my reaction to the behavior than the behavior itself, I now can accept the wisdom in that idea.

I can see it now, most clearly demonstrated in Princess #1 as she nears the age of 9. If I expect her to behave badly, she does. If I perceive her to be a difficult child or in a difficult phase, she is. As much as I hate to admit it and tire of the responsibility, I control the climate in our home. And that includes the behavior of my children.

That's not to say that it is peaceful all the time or that my children never throw fits. Believe me, they do. But as I've matured as a parent I've discovered that the key to diffusing tantrums and changing behaviors lies in my attitude toward my child and my reactions to that behavior.

Because the harsh reality is that I can't control my children and what they do. Try as I might, guide as I may, they are their own people and they will make their own choices. Even at the young age of 2 when I cried out in frustration at Princess #1's behavior. While I was seeking ways to control her, the wise women of that message board were gently (or maybe not so much) trying to show me that all I could control was myself.

It's still a work in progress. I'm still a work in progress. There are many days I respond in frustration or irritation and I watch as it ripples down through the girls. A blunt reminder that I need to take my job as house thermostat seriously. We will have phases, some that are pleasant, some we wish to forget. With four girls the drama level is guaranteed to be high. But all the more reason for me to be on my game. There is a saying that hubs has at his work: Assume Positive Intent (and I know that my friend Jess is going to bust out laughing at this reference). I try to keep this thought in the back of my head as I confront a new behavior or issue. My children only know how to be children. My attitude towards them and this behavior is going to set the tone for how we deal and manage the situation. I need to intentionally choose to approach them with love and understanding and at times firm guidance and discipline. I am the adult, I have more control over my reactions and emotions and therefore it is up to me to provide a safe place for my children to explore their own feelings and to learn how to take charge of their own reactions.

My friends, how well do you do at being your house thermostat? What is the climate like in your home?Have you run across a situation where you know your attitude towards your child could have been better? Or do you do a good job at this? What sort of suggestions do you have for mama's who want to improve?

Ugh, I Know

2011-08-13T00:42:00.000-05:00

Here I am, not posting all summer long.

Then I come on with all these promises of goodness and cleverness and, um, frequency.

I pitch the awesome Inspired Reality idea (have you read about it yet? No? Go ahead, click the link, read all about it. Then go to Pinterest and decide what you're going to try to turn into reality and blog about it. But finish reading this post first, because once you go to Pinterest you'll forget to come back.).

And then I disappear again.

Life sure isn't convenient for a blogger (gosh darn those kids wanting to be fed and all).

So here I am, carving out a bit of time. I do want you to note the time I found to carve is of the late night variety. See, I'm making an effort. I should be in bed.

But I'm not in bed yet, mainly, because I want to tell you that my awesome friend Jess is featuring me today on her uber cool blog Peanut and Pistachio in a post about stay at home mommies.

She asked me all sorts of serious questions and I had to give her these wise answers. I know, you can laugh now.

ANYWAY, you should go check it out because this is about as close to famous as I'll get. And you'll also get to learn some cool facts about me. Like... what do I always keep in my freezer?

You know you want to find out.

PS. I was totally going to post a pic of Jess and me, but the only one I had was a very unflattering one of us on a hot and sweaty July 4th. I need to do better about getting pics of me and my friends! Anyway, you're off the hook this time Jess!

Are You Inspired?

2011-08-08T10:02:00.000-05:00

I've written before about my love for Pinterest. I'm telling you, it is without a doubt the best time suck evah. Thanks to the inspiration from others, I've become a decorating guru, I have all sorts of parenting tactics to try and I've made at least 3 meals that hubs has requested to be in permanent rotation. I have become a master at knocking off good ideas.

So, if there's anything I love more than being inspired myself, it's seeing others inspired as well. My awesome friend Jess and I came up with a fun little idea. She explains it all in detail on her blog but basically, we want to see what inspires you and how you've recreated it!

(of course, this is all just a ploy to see more creative ideas so I can knock those off too. *wink*)

It's alot more fun if lots of people participate, so jump in! Grab the button below to put in your post and get ready to be inspired!

PS. We're debating adding a Mr. Linky so everyone can easily find inspired posts from others. Good idea? Let us know!

Good Stuff Ahead

2011-08-02T15:16:00.000-05:00

I am super excited for two reasons:

1. I feel my blogging mojo coming back. I KNOW this has you doing the happy dance. Right? I've got all sorts of goodness floating around in my head. It's about to make it's way to paper and onto your computer screen soon. I know, it's almost more than you can stand. You may need to sit down to recover. It's OK. No one's looking.

2. Along the lines of #1, my gal pal Jess over at Peanut and Pistachio (if you aren't reading her blog, you should. Go do it. Now.) are cooking up something fun. It's going to involve you, Pinterest and mad creativity. So get ready to flex your crafty muscles! It's all coming soon. Very very soon!

So that's all. I'm going back to trying to not melt. Did you know it's like a bazillion degrees outside? I think I may love my air conditioner right now. It better stay on my good side.

So until next time, stay cool!

My New Baby

2011-07-29T16:49:00.000-05:00

Isn't she pretty?

And shiny?

And clean?

She is a bit loud...

but she was also cheap.

I'll take what I can get.

She's saving me from this:

7 months of handwashing will make one a little crazy.

We don't need any help in that department.

So our new baby is a welcome addition.

We're looking forward to many long years together.

Many long *clean* years.

Sigh.

Mama's happy.

That's Classy

2011-07-28T13:47:00.000-05:00

Hubby speaks in movie quotes. This is something that is constantly the source of many an eye roll from him as I stare blankly at him and respond with a "huh?". I'm sorry, I just don't set to memory entire scripts from movies to relay at a later date and appropriate time.

However, there are a couple movies that are just meant to be quoted. One of our favorites is Notting Hill. Not sure why exactly, but hubs and I have been known to bust out the "chicks dig gray" line more than a few times. And who really can resist a scummy Irish dude anyway? "

Another highly quotable movie in our book is My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I won't bore you with regurgitating all the good ones as they're totally a "had to be there" sort of situation. Just go watch the movie again. You know you want to anyway. However, there is one quote in particular that hubs and I refer to almost on a daily basis that I felt was worth sharing.

It's in the scene where the lead character's (Toula) cousin is unveiling the god-awful bridesmaids dresses she had made. While Toula the bride is horrified, you can hear the oohing and ahhing of the other relatives as they admire the dress. In the background Toula's sister exclaims, "That's CLAssy!" in a thick, whiny, Chicago accent.

Please don't ask me why this is hilarious. It just is. And SO fitting in nearly every situation in real life.

For example:

1. Men spitting their, um, spit out the driver's window while waiting at a red light. What is the deal? Does the male species inexplicably create more saliva than the fairer sex? Why is this considered an acceptable thing to do? I do not care to see how far you can make your spit fly. It's not impressive.

That's CLAssy!

2. Faux balls hanging from the bumper on a pickup truck. 'Nuff said.

That's CLAssy!

3. Women sporting tube tops with bras, the NON-strapless kind. I don't care if the bra straps match the color of your top. It is not a good look. On anyone. Ever.

That's CLAssy!

4. Women walking around a store clearly wearing a bikini and a scanty coverup. I know it's hot outside. Seriously. I'm melting too. But I still managed to go out in public wearing a reasonable amount of clothing in non see-through material. If you want to wear your bikini, move to the beach.

That's CLAssy!

5. Daycare center named Kadazzle! (really?) across the street from the strip club. OK, so maybe the strippers have kids. I get it. But still...

That's CLAssy!

Now that I've given you several examples of how to apply this quote in real life, you have a homework assignment. Comment on this post with your own in real life application. I'm anxious to see if you find it as highly fitting as hubs and I do!

Long Trip Tips Part 2

2011-07-02T13:55:00.000-05:00

ON THE ROAD:

1. Make sure your DVD player works before embarking on a 2 day, 20 hour drive with 4 small children.

That's all I got.

Sigh.

Birth High

2011-06-28T19:03:00.001-05:00

Totally got to watch a baby enter the world today. Fresh life, there is just nothing better.

I've kinda lost my mojo with my certification process, but being there firsthand (I was holding a leg people!) really lights a fire under me again.

Mama rocked it. Seriously. She went to the hospital at 4cm, broke her water, got pit to augment and still she held on and delivered that baby with no drugs. We had to talk her down off the ledge a couple times, but the first words out of her mouth after she was holding that sweet babe was, "I can't believe I did this! Thank you so much for not letting me give up!".

That's why I love this job.

Situation of Epic Proportions

2011-06-25T17:48:00.000-05:00

You might need to sit down.

I know the photo above is shocking.

I believe this may be the first time ever that this has happened in our home.

I had to take a picture.

It lasts longer that way.

Long Trip Tricks and Other Ways To Keep From Going Crazy

2011-06-24T19:03:00.004-05:00

*The Great Room Switch is for the most part complete. All the big work is done and now it's just the mundane moving junk from one closet to the next and the fun decorating and accessorizing. Because I'm a bit of a control freak and want things to be *just so*, I'm withholding any "after" pics until we are TOTALLY done. Sorry. You're just going to have to be ok with that. :-)

*********

Now, on to the post at hand!

We are about to embark on our annual trek to visit the inlaws. From where we are, it's a good 20-21 hour drive. Thanks to TSA pat-down craziness, insane airline fees and the general loose cannon that my 2 year old can be when cooped up in a small space for a extended period of time, we choose to endure this 20-21 hours on the highway, rather than fly the friendly skies. Trust me, with us on board it ain't gonna be friendly for too long. At least in the mini-van we can contain the crazy within our four walls.

So we've been making this drive a long time. At first it was just hubs and I. Easy peasy. A few gas station stops for drinks and Peachies (the ultimate roadtrip candy) and we could drive all night. But now obviously, it's not so simple. Along the way we've picked up on a few tricks that make the drive go a little more smoothly (and quickly!) so I thought I'd share them with you. Please note that the following are things we've found work well when we do them. You'd think I'd learn my lesson and stick with what works, but I'm kinda scattered and often forget from year to year. So this list is as much for me as it is for you!

Part ONE: BEFORE YOU LEAVE:

1. Do your laundry and start packing the week before.

You do not want to have to dig through this the night before you leave. Trust me.

I have a really bad habit about waiting to pack until the last minute. This is ok if it's just me going on a little weekend getaway (wait, has that ever happened??), but when it's 6 of us leaving for nearly 2 weeks, there's just not enough hours in that last day to get it all done. Since I'm obviously doing laundry all.the.time. I've found it's helpful beginning about a week before to pull out the clothes I know I want to take with us as I come across them in the laundry basket waiting to be folded. This way we don't wear them again and then have to run a rush load of last minute laundry at midnight the night before we leave.

2. Pack the kids' clothing in large ziploc baggies a la the Duggar's.

Baggies of clothes keep the chaos under control and keep hubs from staring at the suitcase in a stupor when you ask him to get the kids dressed.

Did anyone catch the episode where the Duggar's went to NYC, the whole lot of them? There was a clip of the older girls packing the suitcases and they were talking about how they organize all the kids' clothing according to outfit and then pack them in baggies. When I saw this a lightbulb went off in my head. Brilliant! So now, as I'm pulling clothes out of the clean laundry that I know we want to take, I put them in 2.5 gallon ziplocs and write the name of the owner on the front in sharpie marker. Later, when we're on our trip, when I tell the older girls to go get dressed, they can go find a baggie with their name on it and help themselves. I also make sure to put underwear and any hair accessories and socks in each baggie so it's all in one place and easy to match up.

3. Clean your house before you leave.

No one wants this waiting for them while they're soaking up the sun.

I know, I know. Like you have time for that right? I'll admit I don't always do this. But trust me, you will thank yourself later. There is nothing, nothing like coming home after a looooong trip to a clean house. Plus it will make it much easier to relax on the beach knowing there's not 12 loads of laundry and a sink full of dishes waiting for you when you get home.

4. Pack snacks and meals.

OK, so this is NOT our stash of food for our trip... but it's the only pic of food I had. You get the idea. We don't usually take toilet paper with us... although it's not a bad idea now that I think of it...

Growing up I wasn't really allowed to get snacks from gas stations. It wasn't so much the fact that it's all junk (although it is) as it was just too expensive to buy something every time we stopped. I got used to my mom loading up the big ice chest and sharing my backseat space with it. Once I got married, I discovered that I married a guy who was used to living high on the hog when it came to trips. Which really just meant that we bought drinks and candy when we stopped for gas and never used an ice chest. And I loved it. But we discovered quickly that with 6 kids, we're back in the reality of it just not being a wise financial move. We have fairly routine snack times when we're at home anyway, so when we're on a trip we try to maintain that consistency. So beforehand I try to pack enough snacks to cover those times plus extra that I allow the girls to manage on their own. No trip is complete without a few fun treats like Nerds or Gobstoppers.

5. Put together goodie bags.

***I searched in vain and could not find any good pic depicting this. Use your imagination, OK?***

The dreaded "are we there yet?" must be most abhorred question in the English language. At least by parents who are trapped in a small vehicle with 4 small children and no end of highway in sight. To fend off the "ennuis" I try to put together little bags of fun stuff I've gathered from the dollar store or the Dollar Spot at Target. Usually coloring pads, fresh boxes of crayons, small magnadoodles or etch-a-sketches (can you believe they still make these?!), maybe a small doll, silly putty, etc. We also have small handheld fans for each of the girls so they can have some climate control and we don't have to listen to the incessant whining about being too hot or cold. In addition to those small things we also usually bring along a new CD of kids' music and a new movie to watch en route. Which brings me to...

Part TWO: ON THE ROAD! Check back soon for tips on saving your sanity while driving!

My friends, in this season of roadtrips and vacations, have you collected any good tips or tricks for travelling with kids? I'd love to hear them!

ETA: As it was lovingly (right M?) pointed out to me in the comments, I clearly have already gone crazy as I stated above that I have 6 kids. I'm not editing it because I think this slip is HILARIOUS. It's already been a long summer folks and we're not half done yet.

The Great Room Switch Day 2 and 3 Recap

2011-06-16T14:47:00.000-05:00

I am still alive. Barely. My poor body is not used to such hard manual labor. Sniff. We are slowly making progress. The problem is that you have to make a mess before you can make it nice. Right now I feel like I'm living in an episode of Hoarder's.

Painting was very time consuming. 3 rooms + 3 ceilings. For the record, I was not as opinionated about the ceilings being painted as hubs was. That was all him. It looks good though. I'm glad we did it. Bonus points for hubs caring.

We had to move the furniture all around to get all the walls. The Princesses thought this was great fun and I spent most of the second day telling Princess #2 that it was NOT OK to climb up on the top bunk from the back side. Sigh. I was really hoping we could unbunk the beds in their new room because I loathe bunkbeds with every fiber of my being. But alas, I think we have not choice but to keep them bunked.

You can see we ran into issues concerning where to put all of the ~~crap~~ toys that the princesses have. The closet worked fine for a bit. I was half tempted to just shut the door and run far away when I saw it.

The living room, although not being painted or changed, became a very stressful place to be. I'm telling you, I kept waiting for the Hoarder's people to come banging on my door. Why do we have so much junk?

See what I mean? This is what happens when home improvement takes over: things fall apart. Dishes are unwashed, clothes are dirty, children are ignored.

By day 3 we had removed the Princesses' beds entirely. And we emptied out the closet. Unfortunately, most of the ~~crap~~ toys just ended up in the room.

But the closet is cleared. I'll still have clothes shuffling and toy rearranging to do later, but I'm not planning on doing that right now. I've got much bigger fish to fry right now.

So, that's it. Just like the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race. And lots and lots of patience. Which has come in handy a few times. I may or may not have broken a leg off the dresser in Princess #4's room. I told hubs patience is a virtue. And I smiled sweetly while he may or may not have thought a few mean thoughts about me as he nailed the leg back on.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? Oh and happy birthday hubs!

The Great Room Switch 2011

2011-06-13T17:55:00.000-05:00

I can't remember if I've mentioned it before, but we live in a relatively small house. Small for a family of 6 plus one lazy pug. At the time we purchased the house, we were a new family of 5. It was by most standards probably too small for us already, but as it was our first foray into home ownership, we took what we could get. What that really meant was knowing that we are not the "fixer upper" type, we needed a new(ish) house that was move in ready. And since our budget was small, our house was small too.

But it is our first home, and there's always a bit of sentimentality attached to that, regardless of all the things you grow to hate or wish you could change.

Of course, 2 short years into our journey as homeowners, we were joined by our surprise Princess #4, and suddenly what was too small became downright claustrophobic. It became a juggling act, to decide where to put things. And people.

For the past 2 years, the three older Princesses have shared one room, while Princess #4 maintained sole occupancy of the nursery. It's worked alright, but as toys multiply in the night it was becoming increasingly clear that we needed to find an alternative. Moving not being an option, nor adding on, we needed to somehow create another room where there was none.

And thus, The Great Room Switch of 2011 was born.

This week, walls will be painted, furniture will be moved and sleeping arrangements will be changed. And hopefully by the end of 5 very long days, the four Princesses will go to sleep in their "new" bedroom, our former master bedroom. Our hope is that by moving all four girls into the big room, and us taking one of the smaller rooms, it will free up the third bedroom allowing us to use it as a dedicated office and spare room.

Yes, it is a bit of a sacrifice. I have my big garden tub and walk-in closet in the master bath. Not to mention the double sinks. I'm not looking forward to fighting with hubs over the sink to spit while brushing my teeth. But it needs to be done. Besides, it's giving me a good excuse to redecorate my room. Can't complain about that!

So, for those who might be curious, a few before pics. Sorry, there's lots. I plan to document the process and of course take after pics as well.

The Big Princesses' room. This pic is looking in from the door. Sorry about the darkness, I am not a photographer!

A look at Princess #3's bed. When we move the kids out of the crib, we always transition to a mattress on the floor. Since things have been tight room-wise for awhile, Princess #3 has just always slept on the floor. She doesn't seem to mind and we don't have to worry about her falling out of bed!

And the girls' closet. I think this will be my closet when all things are said and done. We're still deciding where to put that dresser. The girls really need it for clothes storage, but there's not room in the master closets.

Up next is the nursery. This is going to become our office/spare room. I'm kinda sad to paint over that stripe. I did that all by myself and I was pretty darn proud of it!

Nursery from another angle. That dresser was hub's grandmothers and I love it. I totally want to paint it a cool color and put it in my room.

Princess #4 by her closet. I think hubs will take over this one. (He doesn't need as much space as me. haha)

And finally our room, which will become home to all 4 girls soon. No comments from the peanut gallery about the mess. I didn't even pick up for the pictures. Clothes drying in the corner, laundry waiting to be folded, the computer desk trashed... this is real life folks!

These built in bookshelves are of note. We're painting all 3 rooms the same gray color. We wanted a neutral color that wouldn't require repainting if/when we decide to try to sell our house. So the girls' room will be accented with bright colors. We're planning to paint the back of each shelf a different color. I hope it turns out as cute in real life as it does in my head!

And the last wall. Most of these decorations and such will end up in the office/spare room along with the computer armoire. We're redoing the color scheme in our bedroom (yellow/gray/aqua - LOVE!) so the red touches won't work anymore.

So that's it! Unfortunately, taking the before pics is the easy part. I've got paint under my fingernails, in my hair and between my toes. We've got about 3 good hours left of painting before we call it a night. Back to the trenches my friends! Check back later for progress reports!

The One In Which I Set Fire To The Oven

2011-06-10T19:10:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: this is NOT my oven. My fire was not nearly so dramatic. It makes my story seem more exciting though, doesn't it?

I am really good at holding track records.

Not actual track records, as in, you know, running. Ha.

But I am quite good at upholding good records.

For example, as a kid, I never got sent to the principal's office. Perfect student record, check.

As a teen, I never had a cavity. Perfect dental hygiene record, check.

As an adult, I never have gotten a speeding ticket. Perfect driving record, check.

And until today, I never set fire to my kitchen.

I guess at least one perfect record had to come to an end.

So, for future reference, if you're broiling fish in a foil covered pan for your family and then later need to broil another filet for your hubs who came home late from work, do NOT use the same foil covered pan you used for the first batch of fish.

The lovely parmesan cheese topping that covered the first batch of fish and melted onto the foil will run a great risk of igniting into flame upon a second trip into the oven.

I'm just sayin. You know, in case you want to keep your perfect kitchen record in tact.

And if you accidentally find yourself with flames ablaze in your oven, I hope you have a hubs nearby who by some randomness knows to grab the container of salt to douse the flames. How did he know to do that? I must have missed that episode of The Cosby Show or something.

Trying New Things

2011-06-07T22:28:00.000-05:00

It's 10pm and I've decided to try some new things. Yes I should be in bed. Unfortunately my body hasn't figured out that going to bed earlier would make it easier to deal with my early bird in the morning. Now that it's summer my kiddos are staying up later which mean that "me" time gets pushed later too.

Anywho, back to the new things.

So. I've been struggling with my hair for awhile. You might remember when I tried out the awesome updo by the lovely Jhen at From Here To Eternity. It didn't go over so well with my peanut gallery. I still do it some, but am always worried that I'm somehow crossing over that line the dangles between "messy chic" and "hot mess".

I'm kind of in love with the long waves that Taylor Swift made so popular. Yes, I know. She's half my age. Still. Me likey. But I have no clue how to get my mane to look like that.

Until.

AHHHHHHH! (Insert Hallelujah Chorus here)

Ah Pinterest. How I love thee.

I immersed myself deeply in hair tutorials and stumbled upon this brilliance:

OK seriously? How cute is this girl? I was so not this cute when I was in highschool.

ANYWAY. So, I'm trying this. I'm taking hair advice from a girl closer in age to Princess #1 than to me. I'm ok with that. I'm armed with my bendy curler thingys (that's the official term) and my slightly damp hair. I shall let you know how things go in the morning. I'm not promising pictures.

Meanwhile, I'm also stuffing my face with this tonight:

Oh yes. You know you want some. This is more Pinterest brilliance. You can find the original recipe here.

Now go and try something new. And tell me about it!

I'm A Cheating Fool

2011-06-06T22:11:00.001-05:00

I'm sorry dear bloggy friends. I've been cheating on you. Yes, you didn't think it was possible did you? You could totally break out into Shania Twain right now because I deserve it.

But I'm not the least bit sorry.

You see, I've found a new love. And you know what it's like with new loves. They consume you. They're all you think about. You just can't get enough. Day, night, it doesn't matter.

And so, it's not you. It's me. I'm in the throes of infatuation and it's taking me away from my blogging duties. Maybe it's not right, but I can't help it.

You'd understand, if you also had recently just discovered the coolest website on the planet. One that lets you organize all your scattered thoughts and ideas in one place. One that lets you mooch brilliance off of perfect strangers out there in the interwebs. One that allows you to redecorate your entire house, redo your entire wardrobe, cook better than Paula Deen and throw parties that would put Martha Stewart to shame - all without spending a dime. Oh yes my friends, that is the awesomeness that is Pinterest.com

My bedroom is beautiful:

My wardrobe rocks:

My tummy is happy:

There is more, but I'll spare you lest you think I live in total virtual lala land now. I do actually still do laundry and dishes and all that mundane stuff. But it's alot more fun when I am thinking about my inspiration boards. And it's also alot more fun with friends. Are you on Pinterest? If you are, tell me where to find you! If you aren't, you know you want to be, so let me know and I'll shoot ya an invite. But don't go hogging all the bandwidth ok? Way too many "server is busy" messages today!

See, now don't you forgive me for cheating?

PS. Oh look, you can follow me on Pinterest by clicking here! Easy peasy!

It's SUMMER!!!!!

2011-05-28T16:46:00.000-05:00

My title belies the sheer horror I feel.

Summer.

24 hours a day.

7 days a week.

for 13 looooooooooong weeks.

I need HELP!

All you super mamas out there help a girl out ok? I need ideas! Cheap ideas. Things to keep the kiddos busy. I've got the standard wading pool in the backyard. Of course there's always a movie or two. But what else? I need a plan, a specific day by day lay out of what we're going to do.

Or mama's gonna go CRAZY.

Anyone run across some great blogs about this? I seriously need it all spelled out for me. Craft projects, reading projects, outdoor projects.

Anything to keep me from hearing, "I'm boooooooored" for the thousandth time.

Please, please, please, please!

Please!

And Update and How You Can Help

2011-05-27T14:47:00.001-05:00

With this horrific spring releasing Mother Nature's almighty fury on thousands of people, the needs are understandably great. I don't know about you, but every time news of more tragedy reaches me, the pull and ache to just do something increases exponentially.

I wanted to let you know about one such opportunity that is near and dear to my heart. I posted a few days ago about the tragic story of the Hamil family, who lost their 15 month old son Cole in the monster tornado that tore through Piedmont, OK on Tuesday evening. At the time, their 5 year old daughter Kathleen and pregnant mother Catherine were hospitalized with serious injuries and their 3 year old son Ryan was missing.

On Thursday morning, Ryan's body was discovered in the lake that bordered the remains of the family's home.

I cannot even put into words how I feel. Though I bear no connection to this family, my heart aches in a way only a mother's could I think. Their loss is great.

I am not alone in those feelings. And someone is doing something about it.

Catherine Hamil is due with her baby, a girl, in October. Of course the family has lost everything and will be needing tremendous amount of time to just grieve the losses of their sons, let alone begin to think about rebuilding and preparing for a new child.

In an effort to ease the burden, a woman by the name of Toni Keltner has begun organizing a donation for the Hamil family called Shower of Hope - Oklahoma. For the next 3-4 weeks, Shower of Hope - Oklahoma will be collecting baby items as well as items for the 5 year old Kathleen. Already many well known companies have offered donations - Stokke, Baby Legs, Bobby, The First Years, and Born Free, just to name a few, as well as private donations.

If you would like to participate in this shower, please send your donations to the following address:

ERA John Hausam Realtors
c/o BJ - Shower Of Hope Oklahoma
2625 S. Elm Place
Broken Arrow, OK 74012

You can find out more specific information by going to Shower of Hope Oklahoma Facebook.

God Have Mercy

2011-05-25T21:47:00.002-05:00

In a small bedroom community of Oklahoma City, a family is living out my worst nightmare.

On Tuesday evening, just 10 miles northwest of my parent's home, 3 small children were ripped from their mother's arms as she tried to shield them from the nearly mile wide wedge tornado that was plowing through their beautiful home.

The mother Catherine, pregnant with her 4th child, 5 year old daughter Kathleen and 15 month old son Cole were rescued and rushed to the hospital, critically injured. In unspeakable tragedy, Cole later passed away from his injuries.

What is left of the Hamil home (Photo credit)

But if that devastation weren't enough, another son, 3 year old Ryan, was no where to be found.

He is still missing, over 24 hours later.

The father, Hank, who was out of town at the time the tornado hit, is joined by family, community and search and rescue teams, desperately seeking for the little boy.

Please pray. Pray for a miracle beyond human comprehension for this sweet little boy. Pray for peace as this family copes with grief beyond my imagination. Pray for strength and encouragement for the rescue workers who are out there searching right now. Pray for God to have mercy on this situation and reunite this family soon.

You can get more up to date information on the search efforts and offer your prayers on Facebook at Prayers for the Hamil Family - Find Ryan.

and hug your little ones a little tighter tonight.

The Ruby Anniversary

2011-05-21T22:36:00.001-05:00

Today (well, today for 2 more hours... it's been a busy day!) my parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

Two things come to mind when I think about this:

The first is, geez. I'm old. I remember their 25th anniversary like it was yesterday. It was the day of my highschool graduation. Sigh.

The second thought is, as AMAZING as 40 years of marriage is, I wonder if we consider it more amazing now than we did when, say, my grandparents celebrated their 40th. With the divorce rate in our country skyrocketing, it makes sense that we've lowered the bar on what's considered an accomplishment in terms of years of marriage.

Don't get me wrong, 40 years is phenomenal. But sadly I almost fear that couples who can say they're celebrating their 40th are becoming an anomaly. And I wish that weren't true. I'd almost rather it not be considered a great feat of... whatever (patience, endurance, will power, sheer dumb luck) to make it to 40 years of marriage. Instead I'd rather our society saw that as, well, a no brainer. Because you know, most couples do say until death do us part, at least at some point. So shouldn't it be common to see couples celebrating 40, 50, 60 years of marriage?

Please know there is no judgment in my words. Just sadness that the state of marriage in our country is not as stated above. Because I do think it could be. As happy as I know my parents are to be celebrating their big milestone anniversary today, I think if you were to ask them they would also acknowledge that there was no doubt this day would come, and it's just another day in the journey they've chosen to walk together.

My friends, I know this post is idealistic and probably a bit naive, but that's ok. I grew up watching what a strong, healthy marriage is supposed to look like, so perhaps those ideals have rubbed off on me. I'm so grateful they have. Happy Anniversary mom and dad.

PS. My mom is going to totally kill me for posting this pic, but how cute is she in her wedding dress?! 40 years later it still fits!

As The Blog Turns...

2011-05-19T11:03:00.000-05:00

Obviously, I've been in a blogging drought of sorts. Mostly self-imposed I think. And if you look back at my archives you'll see that I tend to do that this time of year.

Lots of factors go into it I think.

One: It's the end of the school year and to say things are CA-RAZY would be an understatement. We've got recitals and contests and parties and a thousand papers to sign and checks to write and plans to make for the summer. It's exhausting just writing about it, let alone actually doing it. Just a side note, I never, ever anticipated how overwhelming this time of year can be when you have multiple kids. It's one thing to get one child to the right place at the right time. Multiply that by four and you've got mama rocking in a corner desperately trying to find her happy place!

Two: I've mentioned before how I hate this time of year, in regards to the weather. And it actually effects (affects? Urg. My AP English teacher should be cringing right now) me emotionally and physically at times. Not good, I know, but I AM getting better. In the meantime I often tend to get a bit paralyzed in terms of my day to day and sometimes it's all I can do to just get through the day. Again, I'm getting better. But things like my little blog get pushed to the side when I'm dealing with my demons.

Three: I go through phases where I feel quite inadequate as a blogger, or like I'm not really sure what my purpose is. No, this is not a pity party nor a plea for compliments. It's just reality. Sometimes I just don't feel like there's any point to exposing my every thought in the written word for the whole world to see. I'm not always sure I know what I want to accomplish. I have no desire to be seen as a role model or to be a popular blogger. I have no desire to have people flock to me to hear my "how to's" or advice on raising kids. I have no desire to make it seem as though I've got it all figured out, or even to always allow people to join me on my personal journey's. But sometimes I wonder if I'm not wanting any of those things above, if there's a place for me in the blogging world. And I think that's my dilemma as of late. I enjoy writing, but I don't always feel as though I have anything to share, or anything I want to share. I've been pressuring myself to keep up with the blogging rat race, and quite frankly, it's not fun when you're writing for anyone other than yourself. Is this a blogger's identity crisis? Maybe so. So I've backed off a bit. Writing only when I feel like it and not guilt tripping myself if I let a whole week go by without a post.

So there you have it. I feel like a write a post like this about once every 6 months or so. The pressure is high in my little world right now. Not in a bad way necessarily, but in a way that requires me to spend more time with my family and less time with my computer. I'm still around, and I still love to hear from the community of bloggers I've come to know and appreciate.

Livin' On A Prayer and Other Fun Stuff

2011-05-18T08:25:00.000-05:00

Hello friends. I know, I know. I've been slacking. I could bore you with excuses about it being the end of the school year, piano contests, dance recitals, yada yada, yada. But you don't really care right? So I'll spare ya. ;-)

I'm just stopping by real quick to say I haven't forgotten about my little old blog, and I'll be back again soon. Once the crazy dies down. Until then, here are a couple fun videos for your Wednesday. The first you may have seen as it's blowing up all over my Facebook feed this morning. What a sweet way to propose! Love it! (especially the popcorn bit. I'm also loving the guy in the red shirt in the background who's just thinking, "dang, I went to the wrong theater tonight!" LOL)

The second video is made by a guy I worked with. He's ridiculously talented in all things graphic and media, and he and his wife are also infinitely creative. So it makes sense that they'd announce their big news this way. All I'm saying now is, they've set the bar REALLY high. We all know what happens to baby books for kids #2, #3 and so on...

Enjoy! Happy Wednesday!

Before I Was A Mom

2011-05-09T09:16:00.001-05:00

Before I was a mom,

I never appreciated the luxury of sleeping in.

Before I was a mom,

I never thought about where the food in the fridge came from.

Before I was a mom,

I never understood the appeal of 'Kids Eat Free'.

Before I was a mom,

I never noticed how quickly I could get out of the house.

Before I was a mom,

I never grasped the beauty of silence.

But before I was a mom,

I never saw the joy in a child's laugh.

Before I was a mom,

I never stopped to marvel at the wonder of a sleeping child in my arms.

Before I was a mom,

I never believed in love at first sight.

Before I was a mom,

I never knew my own strength.

Before I was a mom,

I never loved so deeply, so fiercely.

Before I was a mom,

I never realized what a blessing being a mommy is.

(I also never knew how hard it would be to get a decent picture of all 5 of us, but that's a whole 'nother post.)

My friends, Happy (belated) Mother's Day! I hope your day was filled with all the blessings and joy that motherhood brings. I also hope you didn't lift a finger all day!

My Tiara Is Polished

2011-04-28T23:38:00.000-05:00

I'm ready.

Are you?

Break out the tea cups ladies.

Tomorrow (today?) is the stuff little princess dreams are made of.

The Little Engine That Could Never Had Kids

2011-04-28T09:00:00.001-05:00

So, hubs was gone the last 4 days for a business trip.

Thank God that doesn't happen often.

If there's anything that's going to cause me to curl into a ball in the corner and start rocking, it's the thought of going it alone.

I may talk a big talk here (do I?), but parenting 4 kids is HARD. Honestly at times it's "Oh dear God what did we do?" hard. And that's with TWO fully competent, capable parents under the roof.

You take one of those parents out of the equation and it's full on freak out mode.

The thought of getting up, feeding the kids, dressing the kids, getting the kids out the door to school, doing laundry, planning dinner, picking up the kids, feeding the kids, getting the kids to do homework, getting the kids to practice, driving the kids to lessons, feeding the kids, bathing the kids, getting the kids to bed, getting the kids water, getting the kids BACK to bed... Oy vey.

So while on the outside I put on my best "I think I can, I think I can" attitude, inside I was running around screaming like a chicken with it's head cut off.

Let me tell you, I was not meant to do this alone.

Thank goodness God seems to know that. I cannot explain exactly how I managed, but I'm pretty darn sure I was the recipient of some extra doses of grace this week. And patience. And sanity.

There may or may not have been a lot of bribes in the form of left over Easter candy thrown into the mix as well.

I'm just sayin.

Dreams of Grandeur

2011-04-26T19:36:00.000-05:00

Princess #2: (twirling around the room) Mommy, guess what I want to be when I grow up!

Me: Um, a ballerina?

Princess #2: Yep!

Princess #3: (jumping up and down) Mommy, guess what I want to be when I grow up!

Me: Hmm.... a gymnast?

Princess #3: Nope!

Me: Well, what do you want to be?

Princess #3: A MOMMY!

Me: Aw, well that's a nice thing to want to be. Why do you want to be a mommy?

Princess #3: Because I wanna do what I wanna do!

Ah well, a girl can dream.

His Grace Is Enough

2011-04-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

How many times have you tried and failed?

How many times have you looked in the mirror and not liked what you see?

How often do you wish you could rewind and redo?

How often do you find yourself needing to apologize?

We are messed up, imperfect, lost people.

We try and fail.

And try and fail.

Any person in their right mind would give up.

And give up on me.

Thank goodness God doesn't evaluate me with a right mind.

He loves me with a perfect mind.

And He extends to me (and you!) an indescribable gift:

Grace I don't deserve.

Grace I don't understand.

Grace that covers it all.

An act of sacrifice,

A miracle beyond reason,

the promise of a glorious, everlasting life.

Christ the Lord is risen today!

Embrace the gift.

Freely offered to you.

Know that His grace is enough.

We Hit 200 Kids!

2011-04-22T15:33:00.000-05:00

Whoo hoo!

I've been blogging for 3 years now, and I finally hit 200 followers today!

Yippee!

I know, I know, the numbers don't really mean anything.

Except, when you're putting yourself out there, they sorta mean everything.

It's validation that I'm not completely crazy.

So thanks for following!

Just for fun, and to show my appreciation, I thought I'd highlight the last few bloggers to follow me. These are gals that have their blogs linked to their profiles, for easy finding (side note, please do this! I like to know where you blog!)

So without further adieu....

Erica at Our Life Unrehearsed

Mrs. Donovan at Mysteries of a Modern Housewife

Alejandra at The Luaces Lifestyle

Zhanna at Diary of a Mama Drama

Olga at Our Extraordinary Life

Thanks ladies for the love! I can't wait to get to "know" you more!

Flashback Friday: Robert Burns Has It Right

2011-04-22T07:30:00.000-05:00

I wrote this post almost a year ago and as I was going back and looking through my archives, I found myself needing to be reminded of my words. So here it is again, for my new readers or old ones who missed it the first time. Enjoy and embrace your imperfectness!

It's so easy to be the perfect parent before you are one. C'mon, admit it. You know you had those thoughts. I sure did. The "my child will NEVER act like that in public!" scorn shot through exchanged glances across the supermarket aisles. The proud declarations to your friends as you gathered around small tables at Starbucks at 7pm, sipping your lattes, patting each other on the back for how well behaved your children will be someday, and how NOT like that little rugrat running around Starbucks they'll be. Or even the thoughts that were kept to yourself, or perhaps only shared with your spouse or significant other. The ones about how you'll birth with no drugs, nurse until your child is 12 months exactly, give them only organic baby food hand processed by you, train them to sleep through the night at 6 weeks old, never let them cry it out, never ever spank, speak only calmly to them, diffuse temper tantrums with redirection... I could go on and on. And that's only covering the first year of parenthood.

And it really never ends does it? The perfect parent can continue on their parade right through their child's infancy and early childhood. I will freely admit there were plenty of times I strolled through the mall with my complacent, quiet, dozing baby in a stroller, pausing to casually check out things in Gymboree, while inwardly rolling my eyes and cursing the moms who let their toddlers run amuck in and out of the rounders. Or as I hovered in the kiddie play area, protecting my precious toddler from the kids that are clearly too big to be allowed to play and really too old to care.

I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but at some point I slowly started to peel away at the layers of my "perfect parenting". Maybe it was when Princess #2 was born and she cried and cried for no reason whatsoever. Maybe it was when Princess #1 became a young child and started questioning everything - not out of defiance, but because she was trying to figure out her world. Maybe it was when I found myself the mother of 4 children and it became physically impossible to keep all 4 children in check at all times.

Maybe it was when I realized that my children are not little robots to be programmed, but actual humans with needs, desires, feelings. Often selfish in nature, yes. But honest and innocent nonetheless.

You know that poem by Robert Burns? The one that goes "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Yeah, that. Life happens. To all who have yet to embark on the journey of parenthood, or who have only just begun, do yourself and favor and start cutting yourself slack now. You are NOT the perfect parent. Your kids are going to screw up. They are going to embarrass you. There are going to be moments where you wish you could dig a hole right there in the middle of Target and hide in it.

I say, embrace that. I think there may be no greater gift than to teach your children that you are fallible and they are too. Yes, we set boundaries, we have rules, we teach patience and tolerance. But we also know that humans make mistakes. And the important thing is that we learn and grow from them. Projecting yourself as the perfect parent is setting yourself up for parental failure and setting your child up for the belief that they can never measure up.

I know we all have ideals. Ideals are what we have until reality bears down upon us. And they occur in every area of life, not just in parenting. But I think parenting is where we are the hardest on each other. Mamas, in particular, can be just so downright judgmental. And it needs to stop. Truly. We can just as easily dole out the grace as we can the judgment. We have no idea what is going on inside a family when we see a public temper tantrum. Maybe the child is physically and emotionally incapable of acting any other way. Maybe the mama had no choice but to run to the grocery store during nap time that day, dragging her tired children with her because the fridge is empty and bellies are hungry. Maybe, just maybe some inexplicable and unforeseen thing set their child off and they are as clueless as you are as to why. Instead of thinking in your head how YOU would NEVER allow YOUR child to act that way (which, by the way, shows on your face whether you want it to or not), maybe just offer a small reassuring smile across the aisle and mentally note that if you haven't been there yet, someday you will. I speak this to myself, because I know that my default response is to be smug.

We mamas are all on the same journey. Most of us want our children to grow into kind, gracious and contributing members of society. We may make different choices in our journey to get them there, but the goal is the same. It's time to put the perfect parent to rest and embrace Robert Burns' wisdom. It's not the plan that's important, but what you do with it when it inevitably fails.

Dear Buff College Dude:

2011-04-19T14:25:00.000-05:00

Yes, I noticed your physical prowess.

(I'm not blind)

But that was unfortunately overshadowed by your clear obliviousness to your surroundings.

I'm not sure how you missed that I had a full shopping cart.

Afterall, you stood right behind it in line.

I would expect any normal person to notice that my cart was extremely full (bonus points if they notice all the good healthy produce and natural, organic food choices - I like to think that's impressive, throw me a bone, ok?).

And like most people with full shopping carts, it does take a bit of time to unload said cart.

Judging from your casual demeanor and intent on flirting with the girl in line behind you, I'm assuming you had no where pressing to be.

So I have to say I was a bit startled when you plopped the conveyor belt divider thingy (what's the official term?) on the belt and started loading up your stuff - even though I wasn't half through emptying my own cart onto the belt.

Do you know how those grocery store conveyor belts work? They move forward. As they move forward you get less space up front, and more space in the back.

So while you had plenty of space to put your stuff, I was quickly running out of room.

Did you even notice that I had to start just handing my food directly to the cashier, bypassing the conveyor altogether, thanks to YOUR food taking up the whole belt?

No, probably not. The girl behind you was cute.

So here's the thing: If you paid half as much attention to what's going on around you as you do your biceps, the tired, weary, put-grocery-shopping-off-until-the-kids-are-in-bed mamas of the world would thank you.

And just be glad I wasn't in the mood for confrontation.

How Do You Handle Fear?

2011-04-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

View of the storm barreling towards my city on Thursday night (photo credit). Thankfully, despite the impressive appearance, no tornado was spawned from this storm.

The photo above personifies fear for me.

I grew up in tornado alley. I should be one of those that runs outside and looks up as soon as the storm sirens start wailing. And on clear weather days, I sorta am. Storms fascinate me. Unless I'm in the middle of one.

I remember with crystal clear clarity two specific storms. The first one I experienced as a child, about the age of Princess #1. That was when I first realized that thunderstorms were more than just loud. That they could be devastating. I remember huddling in our hallway covered in blankets, and later escaping out to my dad's place of work (which had a basement) as storm after storm barreled toward us that night. I never looked at clouds in the sky the same after that night.

The second storm imprinted in my mind occurred much later, when I was in college. An EF-5 storm (the strongest tornado possible) flattened the southern part of our city. I will never, ever forget seeing my beloved meteorologist on our TV saying "you're going to need to be underground for this one". It still sends chills down my spine.

And yet, I never really knew what fear was and how it can grip you and hold you captive until I had children. Suddenly, this Southern Plains gal finds herself in the middle of storms, the same ones of her childhood, except this time with 4 little ones to protect.

The lack of control I feel in those moments often spirals to extreme anxiety. I feel sick, I feel paralyzed. I begin envisioning trying to hold on to my babies with a storm angrily swirling about us, tearing our home apart. My mind can become a terrifying place.

I'm trying to gain control over that. I can't control the weather. I can't redirect it's path. But I can control how I respond to it. I stay informed about the weather during storm season. Hubs has hinted that I'm probably a teeny bit obsessive about it (ok, alot obsessive), but for me KNOWING what is happening gives me a tiny bit of the illusion of control. Then I feel like I know how to prepare. Our home (as most around here) does not have a basement, and building a storm shelter is financially an impossibility right now (believe me, I've researched!). So we've sought out other safe places to be. We of course have an interior closet to hide in, but if given the opportunity we seek out a more sturdy place. Hubs does this for me, I know, because it's a major inconvenience and kind of a pain in the rear. But he loves me, and knows I feel better when I feel like we are safe.

In addition to knowledge, and preparation, I also spend alot of time praying. On stormy days a prayer is always on my mind. I pray for safety, for peace and mostly for protection of my mind. Much of my anxiety stems from anticipation and fear of what will never be. So I pray that I may focus not on the fear and I work to take control over those poisonous thoughts.

A healthy respect for Mother Nature is not a bad thing I think. I may get teased for not running out to my front porch or flat out ignoring the sirens and warnings altogether. But I know what I need to do for myself and for my family to keep the fear from running my life. And for that I don't apologize. I may be a chicken, but I'm proud of it!

My friends, maybe you don't fear storms, but we all have something in our life that invokes those feelings of anxiety, anticipation and complete lack of control. How do you deal with your fear? Is it something you have to face on a regular basis?

The Difference Between Girls and Boys

2011-04-14T10:44:00.001-05:00

Kindergarten farm scenes at the district art show:

Girls: High probability of rainbows and sunshine.

Boys: Extreme risk of alien abduction.

Oh The Drama

2011-04-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

Princess #3 BEFORE: covered in pizza (thanks to dinner) and dirt (thanks to the wind), posing with plastic knives (??? I honestly have no idea).

Princess #3 AFTER (literally 5 seconds later): still covered in pizza and dirt, but now also a teensy bit wet thanks to Daddy and the water hose. Mean old Daddy.

See that dimple? I die. Too bad it only comes out during high drama.

Excessive Giving

2011-04-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

"Why not begin operating under the idea that God has given us excess, not so we could have more, but so we could give more?" ~ David Platt, Radical.

This is what I've been mulling over lately.

It's so easy to look to our neighbors and see what we don't have. Each of us could probably make a list several pages long of all the things we'd love to own, if only we had the money to buy them.

And yet, let's be honest, even in our humblest of living, we're blessed beyond words.

So why do we always want more? What is it we're looking for? Why is it so easy to live, surrounded by what would be considered luxury to most of the world, and yet still be so unsatisfied?

I can't sit here and honestly say I'd just give it all away. I can wander through Target for hours on end for a reason, people. We all have our weaknesses.

But I do like what David Platt is saying, because it causes me to stop and reassess: if we were to get a bonus on the next paycheck, or if we were presented with an opportunity to earn more money, where would it go, and why? Is there ever a point we could reach where we'd say we have enough, anything above and beyond this we're going to give away?

Just something to think about.

Things I'm Noticing

2011-04-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

I only change a diaper about 3 times a day.

Bibs are used as dish rags.

Naps are getting shorter.

The stroller is collecting dust in the garage.

"I do it" and "No help me" are frequently heard.

The bin of baby toys in the attic is beginning to overflow.

Kisses are hit and run.

Baby blankets are used as super hero capes.

The diaper bag sits untouched.

You know what this means....

We've passed the point of no return.

Hey, I Can Write Songs Too

2011-03-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Poop in the tub,

Lookin' like a fool sittin' in poop in the tub...

Sigh. You don't even want to know. Let's just say my evening last night didn't go so well. And while I really wish I could laugh at it, I'm not there yet. If it involved, say, a 2 year old who still wore diapers on a daily basis with the exception of bathtime, I might be able to muster up a giggle. But since the poop incident involved a non-diaper wearer who swore they didn't need to go before getting in the tub... well... let's just say I'm missing where it's funny.

One day I'll look back on this and laugh right? Right?

And So She Grows

2011-03-24T06:00:00.004-05:00

Truly, isn't there some way to stop time? Or slow it just a bit?

Happy birthday baby. 4 looks good on you.

Dear Old Man Winter

2011-03-22T14:19:00.000-05:00

Thank you for staying far, far away from the first day of Spring.

And for not doing this again:

First day of Spring, 2010

My friends, has Spring sprung for you yet? I truly hope so!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2011-03-21T13:19:00.000-05:00

It started with a simple movement, almost subconscious. Just a little hop, then a skip. Across the living room floor. No reason behind it, no motivation. Just a way to get from point A to point B. My inward child let out a sigh of exhilaration.

In that skip across the room, I had a realization. I need more fun in my life. I need to BE more fun in my life.

So today my friends, I'm off having fun. No significant change in my routine, no meticulous plan. I still have laundry to fold and dishes to wash. I still have 3 year old pee pee panties to change and a 2 year old to coax down for a nap. But I also have the recognition that I can have fun living life or not. It's up to me. So I'm choosing fun.

Are you?

Today I Held Fresh Life

2011-03-15T20:35:00.000-05:00

What a privilege it is to be in the presence of a miracle.

Congratulations Jess and Dave, she is truly a gift from God.

Restoration

2011-03-14T18:59:00.000-05:00

Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble.

Then your light will shine out from the darkness,

and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.

The Lord will guide you continually,

giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like an ever-flowing spring.

Isaiah 58: 10-11

I desperately needed to hear this this week. And I wonder if anyone else does too? I fear I too often focus on how dry I'm feeling, wallowing in a sea of melancholy and self-pity, wishing and praying for the Lord to come and restore me and quench my thirst. And in the process of my inward focus, I miss the opportunities God has placed in front of me to fulfill his commands. It's not just a nice thing to do, feeding the hungry. It's not just a social issue, to help those in trouble. It is the very word of God. It's not about programs or organizations. It's just simple. See the need and fill it. And in doing so experience restoration and joy beyond your wildest imagination.

Cheese And Whine

2011-03-14T09:50:00.002-05:00

Did you know that every child is born with the innate ability to tune their voices to *just* the right timbre and frequency to drive their individual parents absolutely mad?

And further, not only are children able to do this with surprising accuracy and brutal consistency from a very young age, but they are also completely immune to the effect it has on their parents. In fact, any recognition of said effect is entirely ignored, in the pursuit of their own interests.

It takes a very mature, seasoned and patient parent to not only receive the verbal lashing and respond appropriately, but also to not give into the temptation to tune their own voice to same timbre and mimic the madness that is streaming from the child's lips.

Today, my friends, that parent is not me.

PS. This post was actually written on Saturday, when I was indeed in the midst of whine hell. Today is much, much improved. :-)

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge: Peace

2011-03-13T11:00:00.005-05:00

I don't normally participate in photo challenges because, as you all are probably painfully aware, I am NOT a photographer. But when I saw this challenge hosted by Chelsey at The Paper Mama, I instantly knew which picture I wanted to enter. So, today I'm making an exception. Besides, hubs took this picture anyway.

Following a tumultuous, frightening and exhausting birth, a newborn Princess #4 and I settled into bed for a long peaceful sleep, for in the end, all was well. To this day this picture represents to me peace in it's purest form.

I'm The King Queen Of The World

2011-03-12T07:30:00.001-06:00

We've been getting some Radio Flyer action the last couple of days.

Totally loving this weather. Check out how blue the sky is. Zero editing here folks. I don't even pretend to know what to do in photoshop.

So this gift was obviously a home run and I highly highly recommend it for your two year olds (and for yourself, since you'll be the one pushing it. You want the steering push bar. Trust me).

And definitely get the Kettler seatbelt and drill yourself some holes in the seat to attach it. Princess #4 has apparently watched Titantic too many times.

(ah, there it is. I know you were wondering where I got this post title from)

In other news, I attempted yet again to pass Princess #1's approval test with a new hairstyle, inspired by the lovely Chelsey at The Paper Mama. This time I got two thumbs up. Go figure. I had to modify Chelsey's instructions a bit as my hair is SO long and thick my bobby pins were running in terror.

So you all can rest easy now that you know I'm no longer embarrassing my 8 year old.
For now.

We're going to be doing lots of tricycling and looking cool this weekend.
(well, Princess #4 will look cool.)

Whatever you do, I hope you have a fabulous weekend too!

Comparisons: One, Two, Three Months

2011-03-11T10:30:00.002-06:00

I'm amazed at how, without even trying, I managed to get pictures of each girl in just about the same position at the same age. I guess there's only so much you can do with a newborn! Haha.

One month old. We loved our bouncy seat! I think every girl ended up sleeping the majority of their early days in that thing. Princess #3 actually slept every night in it for the first 4 months of her life!

Two months old. Ah, the fleeting first smiles. I remember how awesome it was when each girl finally figured out how to smile and how stoked I was when I figured out it wasn't gas! And doesn't Princess #4 look SO much like Princess #2 here? Crazy.

Three months old. You can start to see Princess #3's Yoda ears. Oh how I loved those! These were all taken at slightly different angles so it's harder to see the resemblance.

Click here to see how the princesses compared at birth! And watch for more comparison posts to come soon! Have your own comparison pictures to share? I'd love to see! Be sure to link back and let me know!

The Up-Don't

2011-03-10T11:30:00.000-06:00

So, my hair has gotten really long lately. Like, really long. I wasn't intending to channel Rapunzel or anything but the old budget hasn't had room for a visit to the salon in awhile, so short of grabbing the scissors and doing it myself, I've just let it grow.

I know I could probably easily get myself over to Super Cuts and just have'em wack it, I mean how hard would it be to cut it straight across, right? But I love my stylist (which as I type that has me cracking up because it sounds like we're tight when really I haven't seen her in 9 months. She'd probably be all, who are you? if we passed on the street. LOL), and the thought of handing my tresses over to Super Cuts has me skeered, so instead I've given in to the poorly reasoned logic that it's better to let my hair grow into an unkempt mane than to pay 10 bucks and have a little faith.

See? Makes perfect sense.

So now on most days I'm sporting the ever stylish ponytail. You know, nothing says I'm a mom and totally over it like a ponytail. Sigh. I still haven't figured out how people like Angelina Jolie can make ponytails look so sexy. Mine just say "yes, I've given up".

A couple months ago, Jhen at From Here To Eternity did a post on her totally adorable, slightly messy, trying but not trying up-do and I thought, here it is! The answer to my ponytail misery! I can now step out in public without having to put forth too much effort and yet still look together and cool. Thanks to her handy dandy tutorial I was out and about sporting my own adorable, slightly messy, trying but not trying up-do and feeling smug about no longer looking like had given up.

Until I picked up the princesses from school.

Princess #1 jumps in the van, wrinkles her nose and asks in a slightly judgmental tone: Why are you wearing your hair like that?

What? Are up-do's not cool in second grade?

My friends, doncha just love how kids know exactly how to humble you? I may not be rocking the up-do today, but I'm not wearing a ponytail either! Baby steps, right? How have you tried to break away from the "yes I've given up" trap?

At Least My Bed Is Made - A Vlog

2011-03-09T07:58:00.000-06:00

Hey guys. I cannot believe I totally caved into peer pressure. All the cool kids are doing vlogs so I had to do one too. Sigh. I can't believe I'm about to show you my bedroom. How embarrassing.

Vloggin' Vednesday from planet pink on Vimeo.

I'm linking up with all the cool kids at Vloggin' Vednesday!

'Til There Was You

2011-03-08T21:02:00.004-06:00

I never drank coffee in the morning,

I never quoted movies,

I never cleaned my ears after a shower,

I never liked guacamole,

I never listened to Sting,

I never flew overseas,

I never watched Star Wars,

I never liked to have my hair played with,

I never took goofy self portraits,

I never ate sushi,

I never danced in the living room,

I never worked out,
(wait, I still don't do that)

I never knew half of me,

'til there was you.

Both Sides Of The Fence

2011-03-07T09:00:00.003-06:00

I am a self-proclaimed natural childbirth enthusiast and probably more accurately, advocate. With 3 natural childbirths under my belt, I am the go-to person for advice, suggestions and encouragement among my pregnant friends. I am halfway through the certification process as a childbirth educator and look forward to the day that I begin to teach classes full of women about the process of birth and the miraculous way the body is created to sustain and birth a child.

I absolutely believe that all women are capable of delivering a baby without drugs.

I also know that not all women want that.

I won't pretend by saying I understand. But that's ok, because it's not my body, not my experience.

Do I think I can be a well-rounded, natural childbirth advocate and educator and yet be OK with women choosing to use drugs and interventions in labor? I hope so. That is my goal.

Because the bottom line is, regardless of the choices you make in the management of your labor, every woman deserves to be educated so you make those choices based on knowledge, not on second-hand information, ancedotal stories and blind faith in those in charge of your care.

I'm not gonna lie, any time I have the opportunity to help a woman see that she is able to do labor on her own, I feel a little thrill. Only because I know what she is about to experience and the view from the post-NCB mountaintop is indescribable. But the thrill I get when a woman logically weighs the risks and benefits of an intervention and makes an educated decision to proceed based on her assessment of those risks/benefits and her own desires for her child's birth is equally important (wow, sorry that was a loooong sentence!). Because even though that woman may not choose to birth the way I did, she educated herself and made decisions to help her reach her desired outcome. And that means I've done my job well.

Honestly, it's hard to be on both sides of the fence, both professionally and personally. Childbirth is one of those hot topics that really pushes buttons and gets people fired up. There is a lot of evidence on both (all? Because of course there's more than just two ways to birth) sides and everyone comes to the table with their own biases, experiences, prejudices and dreams. I'm not sure anyone can be completely non-partial when it comes to birth, especially women who have experienced it.

My hope is to not perpetuate the argument but rather halt it with education. Because once a person is educated, there's really no room for argument on whether or not they made the best choice.

So, if you were to walk into one of my childbirth classes what would you learn? You would learn first and fore-mostly about the physiology of birth, and about the beautifully intricate way your body is created to support labor. Because the class is geared towards natural birth, you would learn about the mental game that goes along with the management of labor and techniques to use to help you cope. You would learn about all interventions that might be offered to you at some point, and the risks and benefits that go along with each one. But hopefully in addition to all of this, you would learn that you are an amazingly, powerful, inspired human being who was created to sustain life and birth it. All the tools are there. You just need to know how to use them.

My friends, tell me about your experience with childbirth education. Was it well rounded? One sided? Did you walk away feeling confident or more nervous than ever? In retrospect, is there any one thing you wish the class would have covered?

Do You Have To Be So 2?

2011-03-05T17:36:00.000-06:00

Dear Princess #4,

I know this 2 thing is sort of new to you.

I have to say though, that you can't entirely play innocent.

I mean, you've got 3 older sisters who have been more than happy to show you how to act.

Maybe that's part of the problem.

You see, the constant screaming when you don't get your way isn't working for me.

The outright defiant refusal to come to me when I need to change your diaper is annoying.

(not to mention stinky)

The insistence that I let you do EVERYTHING is getting old.

You don't let me cuddle you anymore when I rock you to sleep.

You prefer to sit next to me in the chair, your little legs barely long enough to stick out over the edge.

You fight with me for control of the toothbrush,

(a fight you will not win by the way - mommy is not paying for fillings for baby teeth!)

You incessantly demand, "Mommy, 'mere!" (Mommy, come here!) and "Ho-dew!" (Hold you!)

and you usually do not care if I'm in the middle of something (ahem).

All I have to say is,

it's a good thing you're cute.

ABC's and Itsy Bitsy from planet pink on Vimeo.

My friends, do you have a 2 year old who is oh so very 2? What is the best and worst of being 2?

Things That Make My Heart Go Pitter-Pat

2011-03-04T14:26:00.000-06:00

It's Friday and that means, well, not too much to me since the Hubs doesn't get weekends like most people do. But nonetheless, Friday is the precursor to Saturday, which ALWAYS means lazing around in pj's watching cartoons and doing generally nothing. So, yay for the day before Saturday!

I'm feeling kinda lazy myself and trying to come up with interesting things to blog about. But nothing comes to mind. I wish I was like this super organized blogger who had a whole calendar of topics filled out, but I pretty much fly by the seat of my pants. Which means that sometimes I bore myself (at this point you're probably nodding your head and saying to yourself, "so THAT explains it!").

So today, I feel like sharing just a couple things that I'm loving lately. And without further adieu...

Seriously? WHERE have I been all my life? I just started watching Season 1 and O.M.G! It's like, deliciously catty and marvelously satisfying. Marc and Amanda are easily in my top TV duos. Love them. Love this show. I may or may not be watching at least 2-3 episodes a night...

which brings me to...

God bless you the creators of Netflix, for giving a sadly behind the times mama a chance to catch up on pop culture hits. Who watches stuff prime time these days anyway? Now if only they would pick up American Idol...

Now I've already established that I'm obsessive about coffee. I'm *almost* that obsessive about creamer too. This little baby above, one of my faves. I get all giddy when Starbuck's breaks out the red holiday cups because I know that means that Peppermint Mocha's are back in season! So of course it's equally depressing when the dead of January hits and the jolly red cups are no more. The same is true for the Coffee-mate verison. In December I stocked up on this creamer, so I'd have plenty to get me through the cold winter months when it was absent from the store shelves. I got about 6 in my fridge before I noticed the new addition to the label: NEW Now Enjoy It All Year!

Oops.

Alot of the bloggers I frequent are starting to do vlogs here and there, which I find SO fun. I'm loving getting to see more personality from my favorite bloggers. I'm still a little wigged out about doing one myself but maybe... someday...

OK, that's it. I could probably think of more, but I'm boring myself. Ha.

This Sucks

2011-03-03T10:56:00.001-06:00

Ask me how much gas you can get for $20 these days...

About 6.25 gallons.

And in a mini van, how full does that get the tank?

About a quarter.

And how long does a quarter tank of gas last us?

About 2-3 days.

Pretty sure my gas budget doesn't cover this.

UPDATE: In the 3 hours since I first took that picture, the price at the same gas station jumped 6 cents. Sigh.

My friends, I know we're on the low end here, how high has your gas gone? Anyone else wishing they lived near a subway system right about now?

Breakthroughs

2011-03-01T20:51:00.000-06:00

I've been on quite a little journey with God recently. I suppose that if you're a follower of Christ, you could say your whole life is a journey with God, but if we're really honest, aren't there specific moments for everyone where you feel like God is definitely trying to teach you something, or speak to you?

That's where I'm at.

I've always been in a relationship with Christ, He's been a constant in my life since a young age. But there have definitely been times when that relationship has grown stagnant and stale. Like any relationship, you get out of it what you put in to some extent, and I'm not always great at putting in. I'd say I was at a real high point when I was in college. I was focused on my future, and constantly seeking God's will for my life and desiring to walk with Him. Of course, at that point in my life the most pressing issue on my plate was writing papers and finals.

Life gets a little more complicated than that, doesn't it?

And it's funny how the more complicated it gets, and easily the more I need Him, the less I seem to be able to find time to seek Him.

The first part of this year I knew something needed to change. I felt lost, like I was spinning my wheels. Directionless. I knew God, but I felt like He was more of a distant relative or an acquaintance, someone I knew once. The kind of people you have on your Facebook friend list, but never speak to or reach out to. And likewise they never speak to you.

Ouch.

It's kind of shocking when you realize it's been awhile since you've heard God speak to you.

I had a list of excuses a mile long. Reasons why I wasn't hearing from Him, reasons why I just didn't have the time to seek Him. It was just a bunch of bull. Just some lame excuses from someone who was too busy trying to do life on her own (unsuccessfully I might add).

I decided it was time to drop the act. I was at a cross roads. Either get real and get serious or give it up. Because the thing is, I know God is calling me to more than just a mediocre life of following Him. He gave his Son. He sacrificed Everything... just so I could have a mediocre life? I think not. Just so I could mindlessly go through the motions? No way.

We are all called to a much higher purpose, and I for one am tired of settling for less.

It hasn't been all sunshine and butterflies. In fact, I'd say that present circumstances have actually gotten more difficult as I've strived to reclaim my relationship with Christ. But isn't that exactly when God's glory shines brighter? When I am at my end, then it's no longer me and my own strength but the Holy Spirit living and breathing through me. And there is hope in that. And peace. And joy. I'm no longer spinning my wheels. My direction is Him. And that, in my opinion, is a much better place to be.

My friends, I know this post is not the norm on my blog. I've always been hesitant to share too much of my heart for Christ, for fear of losing readers who do not share the same love, because I value everyone who spends some of their precious time in my little corner of the world. But I would be doing myself a disservice if I did not at times share where I'm at spiritually, because it is the core of who I am. And as this post demonstrates, it is becoming even moreso. This blog will remain a place where I can express all facets of myself as a mother to 4 princesses. So that means posts on potty training failures, preteen anxieties, small parenting victories and yes, spiritual breakthroughs. Because it's all a part of me. I appreciate your company on this journey called life. :-)

All Caught Up

2011-02-26T10:36:00.000-06:00

It's catch up day over here at Planet Pink. Which means while I catch up on laundry and dishes (oh who am I kidding? I NEVER catch up!), you get to catch up on what's been going on with us lately. Yay! Aren't you excited?

Princess #3's excited face ~ circa 2009

We had our little birthday shindig for Princess #4 a couple weekends ago. I do believe Minnie Mouse would be pleased.

We tried to get a pic of all four princesses together and well, we might as well try to herd cats.

We did manage to get a halfway decent shot of all 6 of us, only because hubs and I were holding the rowdy ones down.

Sheesh, do I look tired or what? Must work on my "I'm wide awake and happy about it!" look for pictures...

Then last weekend we set out for a little R&R. A little weekend trip away. We ~~dumped~~ lovingly left the kids in the care of my aunt and grandma and hubs and I had some uninterrupted down time.

... which of course included coffee.

And now I'm back at home, surrounded by the aforementioned mountains of laundry and dishes (did I mention our dishwasher decided to crap out on us? Ask me how fun it is to wash dishes for a family of 6 by hand). How is it that these things multiply when you're not even home?

So there you are, all caught up. And I'm still not. Sigh. If you don't hear from me for another week, you know what I'm doing...

Ciao!

Flashback Friday: Baby Crack

2011-02-18T11:59:00.000-06:00

Originally posted October 22, 2009

I ran across an interesting bit of news today that I thought was worth sharing because, well, I think it's hilarious. Apparently, Disney is offering refunds to parents who are dissatisfied and thus willing to return their purchased Baby Einstein videos. Dissatisfied how, you ask? Shockingly, Disney has admitted that having your baby watch these videos will not make them smarter. You can read information about it here and here.

Or you can just stay here and read my take.

OK, seriously? Allow me to let you in on a little secret: putting your baby in front of a TV will NEVER make them smart! It's comical to me to think that there are parents out there who not only purchased these DVD's under the impression that they were raising little Einsteins themselves, but also ones who are irritated enough because little Tommy can't spell his name by 9 months or isn't recognizing Van Gogh or Beethoven by a year old that they are actually willing to return the DVD's. It's a tragic, misguided error!

Parents of babies and young ones: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT return these movies! These movies ARE magic. But not in the sense that Disney intended. I like to refer to them as "Baby Crack". It may just be a screen shot of a black sheet with a plastic toy sitting on it, or some cheap little hand puppet, but as God is my witness - these movies are the only reason I've been able to get a shower in the last 7 years. I don't know what it is about these things, but I can plant a baby in a bouncy seat in front of a TV with Baby Einstein playing and I know I've got a golden 15-20 minutes to shower before boredom sets in. Is it the mesmerizing music? The contrasting colors? Shoot, for all I know they've got some hypnosis voodoo going on. Whatever it is, I don't really care.

I know, I know, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO screen time for children under the age of two. So tell me, is the AAP going to come sit at my house everyday so I can shower? I think not. There will always be some parent that proudly claims their child has never watched TV or they've never used a video to get something done around the house. And I'll say now - they are LYING. Let's just cut through that crap right now. We mommy's are hard enough on ourselves as it is without the added pressure of feeling like we're some sort of failure because we need a cheap video to occupy our kids so we don't stink.

So, maybe Baby Einstein isn't going to make your kid an Einstein. That's OK. Get over it. You shouldn't be relying on TV to make your kid smart anyway. BUT, do think twice before sending your DVD's back to Disney in a huff. You may need to get your shower in tomorrow.

You Know What Comes Before The Fall

2011-02-17T11:10:00.000-06:00

I was so proud of myself. With the snow keeping us out of school for the last two weeks, the princesses' Valentine's parties were rescheduled to this week. I hit Target on the 13th, and managed to remember to pick up Valentine's for their classmates, knowing that once the 14th came, those Valentine's would be long replaced by 4 leaf clovers and Easter eggs.

Last night after a full day of child wrangling, dish washing and clothes folding, I drug my tired body off to bed just after midnight. Only to drag my tired body back out of bed 30 minutes later when I realized that Princess #3 was to have her party today. And I hadn't even opened the boxes of Valentine's yet.

30 minutes later (now 1am) I taped the last heart shaped lollipop to the paper card and crawled back into bed for a few precious hours of sleep.

Princess #3 was thrilled this morning at the pile of lollipop adorned cards. She proudly carried the bag out to our van as we loaded up for school.

And on the way I was feeling pretty smug. I sometimes feel quite inferior to the Super Moms who go above and beyond with their homemade cards and confections and given my track record, I was just happy that I remembered and got Princess #3 all set up for her party.

....Until I pulled up to the school. As the cars in front of us unloaded, I saw a child after child wearing what suspiciously looked like pajamas.

I glanced over at my 3 year old, decked out in her heart adorned tshirt, jean skirt and pink bow in her hair, carefully chosen in honor of the Valentine's Day party. She looked at me with wide eyes and my heart sank. Apparently I missed the memo.

I hate when I do that.

Comparisons: Just Born

2011-02-16T11:30:00.001-06:00

One of the most fascinating past times of people I know is to try to figure out who my kids look like. Hubs? Me? Each other? A few months ago I got this idea to do a comparisons album where I could place side by side the pictures of each of my princesses at the same age. I've collected 2 years of photos now and it's so interesting to see the transformations of each girl in the same stage. Obviously I have too many to share at once, but periodically I'll be sharing my little photo collages. Here are the first couple:

Meeting Mommy

Going home

A New Kind Of 2

2011-02-15T17:05:00.000-06:00

Today you turn 2.

And today holds new meaning for me.

I've celebrated many second birthdays.

I've seen many babies morph into toddlers with the arrival of 2.

But this time is different.

This time is the last.

Never again will a number 2 grace the top of a cake.

For the first time ever there is not another bun in the oven, waiting to follow in footsteps.

It's an odd feeling, to be experiencing this rite of passage.

As you grow into a toddler, I too, am growing as a mother.

No longer in the phase of having babies,

I am now entering the phase of growing up babies.

Despite the pang of wistfulness I feel at knowing there will not be one to follow you,

it's a good place to be.

You are my forever baby.

The one we did not plan with our heads, but the one who found our hearts.

You are the best of us, the culmination of our family.

You complete us.

Happy birthday my baby.