Shaved Eyebrows

I sent my two oldest kids to the shower. We were in a really big hurry so I told them to just hop in together and get out asap.  After they got out Darling came up to me me and said, "sorry mommy." I immediately started thinking of all the things she could have possible done and went with the one she is usually in trouble for. So I said, "did you tell me a lie?" to which she replied no. I asked, "well what in the world did you do?" Her response- "I shaved Tenderheart's eyebrows off"!!! I was in such a shock thinking why in the world would you ever even think of doing something like that. I called Tenderheart to the basement so I could assess the damage. Each of his eyebrows was half shaved off! Only the insides of each one was left! I asked him why would he ever let his sister shave his eyebrows off and he stated he tried to block her but she did it too fast which brought a picture to my mind of her welding the blade waving it around trying to get to his eyebrows and cutting his eye. I called her in to explain the dangers of playing with razors and asked her why she even wanted to shave his eyebrows off and she replied because she wanted him to look younger!! I attribute this to tv- how would a 10 and 8 year old start worrying about looking younger?! I just laughed and couldn't really punish appropriately so I told Tenderheart next time Darling has any ideas just say "NO!". Oh my, only my kids would think of doing such a crazy thing!!

Gifts from Above

     Work is going great. Glad for the job and I also have several sewing jobs to do and am picking up extra babysitting (not sure how much I want but we need the money). Lesson learned: Watch how much you pray for something!! I have more work than I could ever get done :)
     The twins didn't come today b/c the poor lil' boy broke his collar bone! Ouch! Apparently there is nothing you do for that but let it heal, so I probably will have him tomorrow and will be a nervous wreck that one of my "perfect" children will hurt him. So since I have the day off from official work I am working on my sewing projects while the kids run around.  I am making a sailboat pillowcase and a cute tie tee for a wedding of a lady's in France. I also have two other pillowcases for gifts I am working on that I have put off for far too long. One is going to be an animal scene with turtles and the other blues and greens ocean scene. I will hopefully have time to post some pics of them soon.
     We finally got our new 18' pool up and it has about 8 inches of water in it which the kids think is just wonderful! They played in it all morning lol. How nice they're going to think it is when we get it full lol. We are on well water so we can only put in a little a day or our well will run dry and we'll have to wait for it to refill, but it's free! My older sister gave us the pool because her kids are older and don't use it much anymore. I don't know what we would do without all the people in our lives who have given us stuff and helped babysit while I went to school or work. We are so very blessed to have a great, huge, Christian family to lean on!!

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:7-12

To Do List: Get Organized!

I decided with all that is going on I needed to become more organized with our homeschooling for this upcoming year. I sat down with Darling and Tenderheart and we picked days that we wanted off and then counted up how many to get to 170 days of schoolwork (that is the most lessons we do in any one book) and we should be able to finish all books in mid April. Of course there will be many things that come up and more times that we decide we need a break but that gives us a whole month or so to play with so surely we can get it all done early and enjoy a nice long summer break next year. I feel like a little stress has come off of me just having a plan. I am really a planning and list making type A personality. I really love having a place for everything and everything in its place although you would never know it by the way my house looks. I tend to either keep it perfectly or not at all. So as far as keeping all the toys and clothes put away - I could never get it done unless the kids moved out lol. 

I am also hoping to schedule chores and jobs for the kids to do on a weekly basis to help me out around the house more since I will be gone a lot more than they are used to. I have decided against allowance for these thinking that they need the intrinsic reward more than monetary gain for helping others. It is more of a I feed, clothe, and shelter you so you can help with the dishes and laundry kind of thing. Maybe I am too old fashioned in my belief that it builds character but I don't think so. More kids need to learn the value of hard work- I can't tell you how many places I have been where the employee acts like I am a pain because I force them to DO THEIR JOB to wait on me! This is something I never would have done to anyone and have always prided myself in being a hard worker no matter how menial my job because I was raised that if you don't work you don't eat. By the time I was sixteen I had a job and I paid for almost all of my own clothes and gas and ballgame money. Hopefully I am doing the right thing I really want them to be heavenly minded and to think of others before themselves.

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’  Acts 20:35 NIV

Sweet's Shots

My new job has really taken a toll not only am I working outside the home I now have paperwork to do while at home. I am trying to spend as much spare time with the kids and am quite unsure if this was the right thing to do. Once we start homeschooling again I don't think I will be able to do it all. The kids aren't getting all they need from us.

  I also had to take Sweet Cheeks for his 9 mos check-up and he got three shots (he is behind because of his surgery). He did really well and hardly even cried although his legs are still really sore. He did get batman bandages to make him feel better. He has been fussy for the last two days (and nights) now and has been running a fever. I feel sooo bad to leave him when he doesn't feel well. He really just wants to be held and cuddled with. He lays his little head on your shoulder and snuggles into your neck. He is even more cute when he is sick, poor lil man. 

I've got to get ready for work which now includes make-up and hair- I haven't had to do all that except on Sundays for a few years. It takes longer than I remember (may be due to the fact that I am older and have to do more to look good). Plus I need to work in a nursing session before I go. Wish me a good, fast day!

First Day on the Job

I started my new job today!  It wasn't the funnest (is this a word?) day but first days usually aren't. It was filled with paperwork and learning codes, regulations, and acronyms. Yep! you guessed it I am working for the state. I will be doing charts and filing to catch us up and then hopefully take on more responsibilities as I learn what in the world I am doing. I get really anxious when I have to learn new things and especially when they want me to know it yesterday. Also, I am still having major issues trying to get my time in (20 hours a week). We already have so much scheduled with games and practices and dr appts and swim lessons and sewing and babysitting and .... My life is going to be crazy for a while. Too bad I have to sleep or I could get it all done! I am thankful to have a job in these economic tough times where so many can't find one and am trying to remind myself it is a blessing and to work as if it were for the Lord.

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. —Colossians 3:23-24

Hired!!

Although I am not really sure I want another job I have one. This job kinda just fell in my lap and with today's economy I really can't turn it down even though I don't see how I am going to have time to do it. I got the job without an interview and without even turning in my application! They had me fill it in after they gave me the job! As of right now I babysit Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 8-5:30 and have ball practices, ballgames, and swim lessons almost every evening, and when we start homeschooling again that will take pretty much from 7-2 everyday, plus all the sewing I am having to do as of late (what a crummy time for my etsy store to take off). Well that leaves me with Saturdays which is fine and Tuesdays and Wednesdays which isn't what I want because I will have to find babysitters.  I was hoping to do all evenings so that Mr Railroad will be here and they will always have one of us with them. I am getting a little stressed out already and haven't even started yet!! I hope God knows what he is doing with this one because I sure don't! I will start next week so I pray I can keep my sanity and am not even going to leet myself think how I am going to keep house.

4 months Post-Op Craniosynostosis Update

Today was Sweet Cheeks' 4 month check-up at the children's hospital. It takes us about 2.5 hours to get there so we had to get up at 5 to have time to get ready and nurse him before we left. I was blessed enough to have an appointment the same day as my cousin's baby (he has gastrointestinal problems) thirty minutes apart so we could ride together. This really helps especially at today's gas prices!! The doctor was a little concerned with his protruding forehead still, but to me he looks wonderful and I am quite sure we will not opt for surgery unless it is a brain issue that could cause harm not just merely cosmetic. I am extremely happy to say that he is doing amazingly well and is progressing. He now has enough hair to cover up his scar so it isn't hardly noticeable, he is starting to army crawl, and is catching up with his peers. I believe the only reason he was a little lacking is because we held him so much afraid he may hurt his head (or his siblings hurt it for him). Now he is terrifically spoiled, never sleeps in his own bed, and wants to be held all the time! This is hard to do with four other kiddos biding for your attention, but we are working it out. I thank God we have a joyful, chubby, happy and healthy little man that we are sooo very privileged to get the opportunity to raise. What a awesome gift!

Here are some literal "Head Shots" lol:

top view of his still oval shape

just a cute smile :)

side view that shows forehead protrusion

another side view

"I'm spoiled and wanna be held" view

forehead protrusion

another cute smile!

front view- sides go out a lil at top

trying to get a top view lol

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.  Psalms 127:3-5

Goodbye Books, Hello Sunshine!

I am officially on my own today. Usually I have my parents in and out to help with the kids if I need them, but they had to go up north three hours to my sister's house to help her get her house ready to put on the market. I have all 5 of mine and the twins and it is 101 degrees outside so I can't take them out to get rid of energy today. So far we have done pretty good and it is nap time now so we will see if they go to sleep since they have been inside all day and aren't totally wore out.

Mr. Railroad just called and said he will be late so I have Wild Thing's ballgame and Darling's ball practice to get sorted out also. Just another typical day around here and I am thankful for it. I enjoy days at home with my family. Homeschooling will be done by Wednesday, so in two days we will be partying!! Hopefully we will get our pool put up by then and we can enjoy it.

I am still trying to decide how much of a break we will do. We typically have a short break and then continue on working through the summer and take more small breaks so the kids don't have to waste time in review work and we can take off anytime we are getting overwhelmed by it. I believe I am more ready for a break than they are! I put so much pressure on myself trying to do it all and make sure they are up to par and usually a little ahead. Everyone scrutinizes you when you are a homeschooler and it feels often times I am trying to prove we are doing well by keeping them ahead of their peers. Homeschooling is really stressful, but so worth the benefits of having a close knit, God fearing family and who cares more about your child than you, the parent.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6

Meeting the Amish

Wow have our prayers for the rain to end and summer to begin been answered!! It is in the nineties and I have been sweating my butt off! We went on a bus tour with my grandmother's company- Gray Tours- yesterday to the Amish lands in Indiana. Of course the air went out and we had to sweat it out for nearly three hours... that part was NOT fun, but we really enjoyed the rest of the trip. I took Darling, Tenderheart, and Wild Thing and left Sweet Cheeks and Hoss with Mr Railroad. He took them to visit his mother in the hospital (she has pneumonia and a bladder infection) and I believe they thoroughly wore him out! Wild Thing was busy as usual and made his way up and down the bus aisles many, many times. Darling and Tenderheart had a few friends on the bus so they played and read books and mostly stayed out of my hair so I could visit and tend to Wild Thing. We watched how they make a harnesses, saw many out in this heat farming, got to tour a house that they actually live in, and of course we made time to eat and shop. I bought some of their really yummy homemade bread and some apple butter to enjoy at home. Wild Thing fell in love with a homemade leather tool belt at the harness shop and so we bought it for him and he even wore it to church today with his Sunday clothes! A great trip with great people!

Darling and Tenderheart ready to go

Wild Thing with our cousin

the girls and their toys

Wild Thing's new toolbelt

My Gma talkin to everyone

Yummy Homecooked food

how a Wild Thing sleeps :)

Tenderheart's hat and an Amish doll

Wild Thing fell asleep FINALLY