There is only One

who can heal all things...

Reality

is
all
of
a
sudden
feeling
all
too

R.E.A.L.

A letter to all of {YOU}...

Seriously...can I get 1 itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny, small,  

barely noticeable...

BREAK?

this was my day... 

I had a

dryer full of clothes tie dyed with a green AND orange crayon

a water line break before church...while we are all bathing...

& about 1/2 of the down stairs flooded with water...

our beagle was attacked by neighbors pit bull...

I was cleaning up water mess 

2 year old does what 2 year olds do...

& escapes outside {with a coat and shoes ON} for no more than  

2 minutes {Seriously 2 minutes - TOPS}

1 hour later a cop shows up...

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

I don't dare ask, {Why me?}

...but seriously, do I attract bad luck?

amidst all of the other chaos going on in my life right now,

I don't need this

don't {you people} see that?

I am not a bad mom

I am not a mis-fit parent

I do watch my children...very closely

my children do not have a free for all...

just because there are 7 does not mean that they are lacking in 

love, 

supervision, 

or 

privileges

yes there are some sacrifices that we all have to make,

but I think we are better people because of it...

what happened to the days of being a friendly neighbor and when you see a 2 year old outside you walk them back to the front door...am I from another planet...the last thing I would think to do is call the cops...unless I thought I saw a child in danger or an abusive situation...which was NOT the case here...

I want to scream out to all of the world...

JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!

{when I am truly in the wrong, call me on it, if not, mind your own business and butt OUT!}

Thank you,

signed {ME}

You have {A Minute to Win It}

when I was contemplating a {Minute to Win It} party

I was a little hesitant

I wasn't sure if I could pull it off

but even if the girls didn't have a blast...I know I did...

I went on the {Minute to Win It} website

it has all of the games listed used on the real show

I picked games that used items we had around the house 

so it was a rather inexpensive party

I chose games I thought were age appropriate

 I had to slightly modify a couple to

reduce the difficulty level

the girls got one hour to practice the games

then, the show was on

we didn't have teams, each girl was on their own

each challenge was worth a certain amount $

the challenges they passed they were payed for in paper money

then they got to buy prizes with their money

I included 3 extras that could be used once

{a RE-DO}

{add or subtract 10 sec to time}

{use a friend to help}

the girls had to draw out of a bucket for their challenge
they took turns cheering, congratulating, and laughing for over 4 hours

Baby Blockin'

Blueprint:  You have one minute to stack 5 wooden baby blocks on top of a paper plate placed on top of your head.

Baby Rattle

Blueprint:  You have one minute to shake all of the objects in one pop bottle into the other pop bottle connected together

Baby Blockin' Challenge PASSED

Breakfast Scramble

Blueprint:  You have one minute to assemble the front of a cereal box cut into 16 even pieces

...you have 10 seconds remaining

Defying Gravity

Blueprint:  You have to keep 3 balloons in the air for one minute

{this challenge was a great choice to use the "Friend Help" extra}

High Roller

Blueprint:  You have one minute to stack 3 dice on top of each other tipping them out of a plastic cup

before each challenge the girls would chant ...you have One Minute to Win it...Good Luck

Noodlin' Around

Blueprint:  You have one minute to use a spaghetti noodle in your mouth and pick up 6 penne noodles from the edge of the table using only your mouth

these challenges are definitely harder than they look

Puddle Jumpin'

Blueprint:  You have one minute to blow 3 ping balls from 3 cups full of water onto 3 cups full of water

Suck it Up

Blueprint:  You have one minute to move 20 choc candies from table into object using only a straw

Challenge PASSED

Blow Ball

Blueprint:  You have one minute to blow only the plain ping pong balls off the plate, leaving only the 3 specially marked ping pong balls

A Bit Dicey

Blueprint:  You have one minute to stack 6 dice on the end of a popsicle stick held in your mouth

Yank Me

Blueprint:  You have one minute to remove the 4 index cards leaving the 5 plastic cups stacked together

this is the only challenge that no one was able to complete

Ping Pong Ball Roll

Blueprint:  You have one minute to roll a ping pong ball into square by fanning it with a pizza box

this was a perfectly age appropriate 11 year old party

the girls all did awesome

I was very proud of them 

and did I mention...

it was a lot of fun

You never know when or where

you might find a rainbow...

I should be

finishing my 2nd trimester,
excited to enter my 3rd trimester,
feeling a baby kick,
having a nice round abdomen,
wondering if I am having a boy or girl,
getting the baby items set-up and ready,
smiling with a pregnancy glow,
looking forward to my due date just around the corner


I shouldn't be

feeling loss every time I hear a baby cry,
feeling a twinge of jealousy when I hear a newborn coo,
wishing I still were

familiar things

so comfortable

always convenient

hard to let go

tough to detach

easy to enable

It is so refreshing to know

that 

no 

matter

how long

I am 

away...

no

matter

what 

mood

I 

left

in...

I will

have a 

chorus greeting 

welcoming 

me 

home...

the littles are so happy to see me 

after I have been gone

whether it be 

2 seconds

2 minutes

2 hours

or 

2 days

little feet pattering toward the door

little voices chanting

{MOOOOOMmmmmmyyyyyyyy...

YYYRRRoooouuuuuurrrr HOME?!?}

as if they thought I was never coming back

always puts a smile

on my face

Pockets have so many uses...

some for 

carrying 

things 

of 

great importance...

like 

{cell phones}

{lip gloss}

{chapstick}

I guess 

the 

value of importance 

is up to the 

{pocket wearer}

In a swift moment

my hope was dashed
I had a feeling
I don't know why

my excitement, my joy, my pride
left me with that first gush...

I wanted to believe I might be wrong
but deep down I knew

disengage

my motto lately
has served me well
it is a very powerful weapon
allows for a pleasant detachment
dismisses confrontation
allows me to internalize
and focus a bit on me

Do I actually

believe myself?

others telling me what is
right
wrong
indifferent

I am working hard on believing in myself
so I can
actually believe myself!

I have only imagined what it could feel like

to
be 
apart

and to separate myself,

no
longer
a
part 

Happy Birthday!

Today our 2nd born,
2nd daughter celebrates her 11th birthday

she is a beautiful, talented, spunky young lady
she has a strong will and determination that will take her far in life

I am so blessed to be able to share this life with her
she has taught me many things as her mother

I enjoy watching her change and grow
she is a good friend and excellent helper

she loves to smile and make others smile
she is sensitive and kind

she is athletic and a quick learner
she works hard and is a bright person

Happy Birthday,
I love you,
and look forward to celebrating many more...

My heart and soul

are about to burst
they are holding onto memories never rehearsed

I want to deal with each of them accordingly
but my body will only release bits and pieces to me

I can only prepare myself for the moment in time
when my  body releases the answers to find

of the truths I consciously know nothing about
that manifest as pain and feelings I doubt

6 months ago today

i was excited, ecstatic, scared, surprised, in love, pregnant...

I am preparing myself

for spring sports

I am not a sports fanatic

my husband isn't either

but when my kids are playing on a team

it gives sports a whole new dimension

I really do enjoy watching my kids sporting events

2 are out for soccer

1 is playing flag football

1 participating in track

it is sometimes challenging to juggle all of the practices

and the overlapping events on the weekends

but I love it and I love even more

watching them use their gifts and talents

and enjoy themselves  

instead of

catching up on baby books...I am planning a birthday party

instead of
folding laundry...I am doing special things for the kids

instead of 
doing a spring cleaning...I am enjoying the fresh air outside

instead of 
cleaning out my van...I am headed to the park to play

instead of
washing windows...I am letting the kids have friends over

instead of
cleaning up the yard...I am supervising the kids outdoor play

instead of
waiting until everything is done...I am going to enjoy my children

Time change

I love spring 
it is my favorite time of year
everything is fresh and new
the world is alive

I do not like the time change
it always seems to mess my kids sleep schedules up
they don't want to go to bed
because they are not tired
but come morning 
they don't want to get up
because they are still tired

I got very little sleep last night
not to mention losing an hour
I was up with 5 sick kids...
if one wasn't awake, it was one of the others...

hoping it's not strep
stocking-up on chix soup, crackers and 7up

...welcome fresh spring air

this week

went to the doctor for a growth on chest
on rib cage
nothing right now
watch and monitor

painting girls nails
while an entire bottle of nail polish is dumped out
(on the floor)

two boys on the oven door
jumping
knock over a fry daddy of oil
on top of their heads and clothes
wash and rinse with Dawn
repeat about 8 times
thinking about cleaning up oil
covering 3/4 of the kitchen floor
check on boys who put an old french fry container in tub
plug up the drain
use floor dry to soak up the grease in kitchen
clean the floor
scrub out the oven
2 rolls of paper towels
self-clean setting on oven
fill entire house with smoke
oven starts on fire
everyone out of house
stay in motel
open windows over night
to bed by 11

school night

insurance
auditors
deductibles
landlords

plan a birthday party
get some spring cleaning done

spring break

life's test

are a measuring stick of how well we are living

Happy Birthday!

today I want to wish my nephew 

a HAPPY BIRTHDAY

he is an only child

his dad is my brother

today he is 10 years old

he is very mature for his age

and a hard worker

we always look forward to spending time with him

and wish we could be there to celebrate 

sending wishes of love and a very happy day!

small fire

kept contained
in the oven
lots of smoke
motel stay
oven "toast"
home owners insurance
$500 deductible
details of how
later

sickness and weakness

others selfish choices

innocence abused

attach to pain

take feelings

live for others

no more

a dull burning ache

eroding beneath my top layer of skin

is my body's way of saying

let healing evolve within

The pain my body manifests

is directly correlated to

the suffering

the emotions

the unforgiveness

the imperfections

I carry within

my body will

hold on to

it all

until

I let it go

If only I could

take away
their
pain 
and
suffering
I would
carry 
it all
for them
if
I could

Subtle reminders

strike out of nowhere
re-engaging the sting
of pain once placed upon "that shelf"

Brother-ly

 {LOVE}

One time I am not excited

about 

my

kids

{SHARING}

when they are sick!

They have all been sick, for about 3 weeks,

and were so considerate to 

SHARE with each other, again!

If the challenge I am facing...

doesn't 

place

a 

demand

on

my

faith,

it neither pleases God

nor involves Him.