God's love for kids

I recently prayed that God would give me a love for kids that are not my own. I have always wanted our home to be the hang-out home, where kids could feel comfortable coming and going at any time. I've realized two things I need to change in order for this to happen:

1. Love the opportunity to have more kids in the home... meaning, don't get so aggravated with messes, strange questions repeated a billion times until you acknowledge it, requests for help times eight (or ten, as may be the case).

2. Keep snacks on hand. I much prefer healthy foods, but to be the hangout home, I might have to, um, buy chips (gasp) and cookies (run-away, run-away!) It's a sacrifice I might be willing to make. Too bad kids don't swarm for coffee. We'd have them all day, every day! One concession I won't make (I don't think), though, is soda. It has no redeeming characteristics. Sugar plus caffeine equals hyper kiddos and one angry momma. And that is the one thing that will kill the dream of the hangout home faster than anything else!

Yuck yuck kisses

David cracks me up. He's a handful sometimes, but he is quite a character! Yesterday, we had a friend over, a little girl who's almost 2. Her name is Melayna, and she's the cutest, most petite, quietest little thing I've ever seen. I was actually a bit concerned David might bowl her over like a bulldozer. But at one point, David mooed like a cow, to which Melayna responded with a moo of her own. While they both had their lips puckered, he leaned in and touched her lips. He kissed her! Then he made a sour face, wiped his lips with the back of his hand, and said, "Yuck! Yuck!" Melayna giggled and responded in kind. He's quite a clever boy, because Melayna made a game out of it, and David found himself kissing her over and over and over. I can't wait to see who else falls for it over the course of his lifetime. When he's older, still tricking girls into kissing him, I hope I'll still crack up.

8 kids under age 6--Happy Anniversary!

Chris and I have been married 7 years today, July 28. We're falling more and more in love everyday. He, of course, got scheduled to work today from 11a-11p, which in reality means 10:15am to midnight. My feelings aren't hurt. I've planned a very romantic (and very expensive) night out on our next free night. It doesn't matter to me that we celebrate on the day of the anniversary. I'm just glad to have one to celebrate.

I find it funny, though, that today is the day I volunteered to have a sleepover with three other friends. I've had them all day, and it hasn't been a bad day. I can't say we did anything productive, and I did have help for 3 hours, but not only did we survive--we thrived. I've had fun. I certainly haven't had time to mope about my husband being gone all day.

I love Guardian Angels

We have bunk cribs for the twins. It's a wonderful space-saver. It's smaller than a normal crib--I think they call it a mini-crib. The mattress is about the size of a playpen. The crib rails slide up and then over the top of the bed, so that when I'm getting a baby out or putting one in, there's no rail between me and the bed... which also means there is no rail between the bed and the open air!!

It concerned me at first because the older kids can open it, but we taught them not to touch the cribs. Well, today, I woke up to a shrill, sharp cry that could only be one of pain coming from the babies. I jumped out of bed anticipating the worst. (Actually, I was kind of in the morning blur I live in until I have coffee.) I must admit, in the morning, my brain doesn't process well, and while I might have felt that I rushed into their room, I probably really dragged into their room struggling to keep my eyes half open. Kora was carrying Tobias. This is a bad sign, since he's on the top bunk, sleeping about 4.5 feet off the ground. David climbed over the top (which is more than 6 feet tall!), at which time Saja suggested he get out. So he did, leaving the crib open.

He stopped crying almost as soon as I took him. I saw one tear on his eye. No injuries. Not a bloody nose, not a carpet burn, nothing.

The boy probably crawled face-first over the edge. I'm so glad I didn't see it, but I can only imagine how much worse it could have been.

I love Guardian Angels. I believe Tobias' protected him this morning. I hope God assigns us many Guardian Angels, because believe me, they'll be working overtime in our family. We manage to get hurt even in bed.

The Three Little Pigs, by Saja

Once upon a time, there were three little pigs, and they all built their houses out of brick, except the last little pig, who used straw AND brick. Then, the fat, fat, fat, superbig elephant came and said, "I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down!" But he couldn't, except for the last house, because they were brick. He just blew the straw off the last house. Then, the three little pigs chased the elephant and cut him in half into three pieces {we'll work on math}, and put him in a superbig oven, because he was so fat. His eyes weren't blinking, and they weren't closed, they were open. The three little pigs ate his eyes, and they LOVED it. The end.

Can't beat a good bedtime story... especially if it includes eating elephant eyeballs.

Shopping Fatigue

In January of this year, I tried to squeeze in a shopping trip before naptime, but Kora didn't quite make it. Good thing toilet paper was on the list!

What is a geoduck?

This is our trivia question of the day.
I asked Chris, "What is a geo-duck?" We didn't know, so we looked at the answer. It's a type of clam.
Saja said, "Ooh, a clam!"
I said, "You don't even know what a clam is!" She insisted she did.
I said, "No, you don't! Where does a clam live?"
She said, "In the water!" And then she burst into laughter when she saw my shocked face. I guess she learned that from Spongebob. She IS a sponge!
Fact is, it's called a {gooey-duck} and it has a neck that can stretch several feet (which looked pretty funny to Saja--feet coming out of its neck?!)
It's funny how kids think. It makes me smile. And I like to smile.

Reconciliation

I spent two hours today trying to make my children nap. They respond so much better to life when they are well-rested. They aren't yet old enough to understand that, though, so I fight with them to close their eyes and be still and quiet. I spanked Kora several times for disobeying the rules. She began to cry. I honestly thought the crying would wear her out, so I let her continue. And continue. And continue. I believe the child cried for an hour in the recliner. Every time she made a move, I eyed her from my post directly across from her with a look that said, "Don't even think about it." Oh, how she would wail. Finally, I let her slink off the recliner until she stood next to me. She looked up at me, stopped crying, and held up her arms. She only wanted to know I still loved her. I hugged her so tight that no one could snatch her away!

Aren't we the same with God?

God loves us. In fact, the Bible says, "God is love." Yet He is just. When we disobey, He lets us suffer for it, sometimes. How glad I am that God reaches down to me and scoops me up in His arms as the One who loves me when I turn to Him in repentance. He never stopped loving me. May I be quick to repent and end the estrangement from the One who loves me when I disobey. No one can snatch us away.

Naptime and valium

Why do we spend half of our lives fighting naptime and the other half fighting to GET a nap?

Why do my kids resist naptime like I'm asking them to eat puree of beet mixed with fish oil?

Why do I have to spank all of my children every minute until they peter out about 2 hours after naptime started?

Why can't I just have some valium???

Life lessons: the simile

Me: "A comparison between two things using the word 'like' or 'as' is a simile. Can you say, 'simile'?"

Saja and Kora: "Simile."

Me: "Very good. See this sentence: 'I am like the sun.' That's a simile. 'Saja is like a kitten.' That's a simile. 'Kora is like a puppy.' That's a simile. Do you want to try?

Kora: "No, Kora is like a bird."

Me: "Good job, Kora."

Saja: "Mommy is like, um, a cow."

Me: Big laugh.

Saja: "That was a simile, wasn't it?"

Sigh.

The last five years

Chris and I were married for about a year and a half when we decided to have children. We got pregnant before we even started "really" trying, and Saja was born six days late at a hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina with a midwife. I had stadol, but no epidural, and she was 8 lb., 8 oz. We decided to be surprised with Saja, but when she was born, all the midwife said was, "Here's your baby!" I still didn't know if she was a boy or a girl!

When she was three months old, we decided to have another child right away and had no trouble getting pregnant. Kora was born two weeks early in Memphis under the care of a doctor at Baptist Women's Hospital. She was 7 lb. 3 oz., and required an epidural for the last centimeter dilation because I was at 9 cm for at least an hour. (Yes, it hurt.) We had no ultrasound for Kora, either, but the announcement came joyously, "It's a girl!"

David was born 12 months and 3 weeks later. I'm not saying we didn't decide to have another baby that soon, but I'm not saying we did, either. He weighed in at a whopping 9lb. 1 oz. on his due date. I was thrilled on the day of our ultrasound with him to see what may or may not be an umbilical cord. Turns out, it wasn't.

Then, on Valentine's Day, when David was approaching his first birthday, Chris told me he'd like to have a brother for David before he was two. I, having just dropped fifteen pounds and 4 sizes, was certainly not eager to pull out the maternity clothes again, but I did tell him I'd pray about it. No sooner had the words entered my head in my prayer to God did I specifically sense Him telling me that it was time to throw away the birth control pills. Oh, how I longingly looked at the pill pack the next morning. I sighed, and threw it in the trash. I think I didn't even tell Chris for two weeks!

Sure enough, God blessed us with another quick conception (no painful waiting). I usually don't rush to the doctor, but I had a small complication that made me think I should check for an ectopic pregnancy. So, the doctor did an ultrasound to confirm that the egg was in the right spot. While Chris and I stared at the snowy picture on the screen, he pointed. "This," he said, "is your bladder. This is your baby." (Pause for us to coo.) "And this," he continued, "is your other baby." Haha, I said, knowing his propensity for joking and knowledge that my grandmother had twins. "It's true," he said. "And now, I'm just looking for another one." Oh my gosh, stop looking!

I think I walked around in shock for a week.

The pregnancy began taking its toll early. At 8 weeks, I was in maternity clothes, at 15 weeks, I had back pain, and at 28 weeks, I felt like I was full-term! God blessed us with a full-term (38 week) pregnancy, and Tobias was 6 lb. 11 oz., and Tyler was 6 lb. 2 oz. After the doctor broke my water and gave me an epidural, Tobias nearly slid out. =) Tyler was a different story. I had to force him into the birth canal, but they both stayed head-down (key for avoiding a c-section). Plus, I didn't burst my eyeballs like I did with Saja and David.

So, Tobias was born at 11:59 pm... which makes him a full day older than Tyler, and cost an additional $1500 for his extra day in the newborn nursery. It's true. Thank God for health insurance.

My recovery was almost instant. Now the twins are 8 months old, and my life is happy, most of the time. I've lost all the baby weight, and more importantly, I feel healthy and happy.

When I was a teenager, I never saw myself content as a stay-at-home mom. But now, if I miss a day with my family, I surely do miss them.

Throughout the Bible, the way God blesses women is fertility. We are and we feel BLESSED (and happy, too.)

I Pledge (and I Still Pledge) by Saja and Kora

We were told the girls' voices would sound different after their tonsillectomy, so we taped them saying the Pledge of Allegiance. The first thing Saja said in recovery (after, of course, "I WANT MY DADDY!!!" was "I sound different!") See if you can tell a difference.

Trouble trouble boil and bubble

Wow. I'm stepping into a whole new world--giving up my resistance to change and my aversion to new technology. I'm blogging.

I could get into trouble. Those of you who speak to me on a regular basis know my propensity to tell a little too much information. I wonder if that will transfer in writing. That's the beauty of the computer: you get to preview what you say before you press, "Publish." Ah, the modern marvel that is editing. I wish my mouth had a "Preview" button.

Why do I blog? So that when you call to chat with the woman who has five munchkins pulling at her skirt, she can simply say, "Read my blog." That's kind of rude and impersonal--I'm sorry. (See how editing works!) Seriously, though, I don't have the freedom to chat. Look away for even a second and you've got paint on the chairs, the doorways, the highchairs, and the babies' mouths. Yes, it happened today. And I was in the room, cleaning up the paint. Acrylic paint. Doesn't come clean too easily, if at all. Sigh. This is why Jesus said to sell all you have and give to the poor. If you don't have anything, you don't have to worry about messing it up. Sounds like a free life. Sign me up! (As long as I can keep my high chairs, exersaucers, cribs, bouncy seats, playpens, slings, backpacks, moby wraps, rattles, movies, bottles, disposable diapers, bed and pillows, cell phone, computer, digital camera, ice cream maker, and minivan with built-in carseats. I cannot sell my convenience.)

Well, my chosen anodyne for the month is my Mother's Day indulgence at Serenity Spa today. So I sign off and head out to a lovely hot stone massage and Le Grande Classique facial. (It's not as glamorous as it sounds--they'll be sticking very long, very thin needles into individual pores to "extract" the gunk.)