Life Is Beautiful

Going over a creek east of Lincoln on my mountain bike. I don't even know where to begin with this fabulous weekend!  I love taking pictures with my phone, so I don't forget anything.  Of course only the good, weird or otherwise pleasant things get a photo op. :) I didn't take a picture of the vomit fountain I experienced in my hands on Friday night.  Turns out my 6-year-old flew under the radar and had sugary cereal for dinner, then had a small blizzard from Dairy Queen and, well, that's a lot of sugar.  Erp. Saturday morning I went out for my long run about 6:30.  I looked at the radar and we were in for some rain in the next thirty minutes or so, but I didn't want to wait so I went out anyway.  Sure enough, about 20 minutes later it started to sprinkle.  It wasn't bad, and even the full on rain was warm and there was no wind.  My shoes didn't even get that wet. Camelbak + headphones It was amazingly NOT HUMID AS HADES and I felt...

I haven't written a thing since summer. I've been going through a "thing" that I haven't been quite willing to share.  I'm getting there. Oh, wait...more writing after I brush a little girls hair. No wonder I never write anymore...

What a great week! On Monday, we went to spend some birthday money. Cameron and Susan's birthdays are only six weeks apart, so they both had cash burning a hole in their pockets!  We went to Shopko and spent about an hour looking and looking at clothes, toys and accessories.  Cameron wound up with a game and Susan opted for a PlayDough set that makes ice cream cones!  Neither one spent their whole $15, so we decided to save some for later. I spent a lot of time training with my kids this past week.  On Wednesday, Alahnnah and I went for a bike ride -- we were shooting for five miles, but she got very hot and light headed so we turned back and got about four miles in.  It was about 90 degrees and terribly windy.  Poor kid.  I dropped her at home to cool off and headed out for an hour on my own. On Thursday, I did Liam's run workout with him.  He warms up for about 5 minutes and runs sprints back and forth through the park -- sprint one way an...

You know your going to be "busy" with four children.  A logical mind understands the financial and time commitment of having a large family.  But I am finding out that: I didn't know squat. I think the most surprising thing to me is the constant existence of Survival Mode.  Anyone who's had a new baby understands what I'm talking about.  That sleep deprived, can't get much more tired than I am right now, oh lookey yes I can, gee that's new, sort of mode.  Where the things still need to be done and the house cleaned and shopping done and you're just a shell of a human zombie walking around Doing it anyway. I don't mean to seem so dark here, of course I "consider it all joy."  But really, I had no idea how insanely busy we would be.  With kids in drama, band, chorus, football, church activities and more, we run every night of the week.  And not just the actual doing of the stuff but keeping track of books and uniforms musical in...

The longer that I am a Mother, the more I realize that I don't know anything. My skin gets a little tougher and I'm not as easily rattled, but I am no closer to knowing how to figure out my kids. One thing I do know, is that they need even more attention as they grow older.  You would think that a two-year-old is at the pinnacle of need.  They need to be diapered, dressed, bathed and fed all by your hands.  They no longer sleep 20 hours per day and that afternoon nap is all you get for a break.  Food must be cut in to appropriate sized pieces, gates must be secured, doors latched and bodies of water observed with hawk-like attentiveness. I always felt like things would get easier when the kids got older.  Don't get me wrong, it's really nice to have all four of them able to feed, dress, wash and toilet independently.  What I'm finding is that parenting is way more than my physical time investment.  Even after the day is done, as they get older, I...

Susan participated in her very first race today! The Lincoln Mile is a timed, one mile race through Campus in downtown Lincoln.  David ran with Susan and they had a blast! Susan and Mom before the race. Fun with the parking meter. Time to RUN! My little buddy waited patiently for sis. A great race and a strong finish! She races for cookies. :)  Smart kid!  I was so incredibly proud of her! I almost cried when they came in to finish and the announcer read her name over the speaker.  Silly, right?  Well, she's my baby girlie and I can be silly if I wanna. The race was super well organized, as always, and the Lincoln Track Club did a stupendous job of honoring every runner of every age and ability.  This was another run in the Kids Grand Prix.  As an additional event with the adult runs, they organize a kids fun run on about 7 events through the season.  The kids even get a prize at the end.  Yay! As for my ...

I decided, at the last minute, to sign up for the 36th Annual Buffalo Run.  It's a 5 mile run through the beautiful and hilly Pioneer Park here in Lincoln.  Entry was only $15 and came with a really nice pair of running shorts!  I figured, even if I couldn't run it for some reason, that was a very cheap pair of shorts! Suh-weet shorts for the Buffalo Run! I've been sick with a cold for a couple of days, so I just decided to have a nice training run.  My long runs have been 8-10 miles for 3 weeks and then 5 on week number four to give my legs a break.  This fit in perfectly.  I had heard that it was a hilly course, but with my regular slaying of the Beast of North 27th Overpass, I felt prepared. I arrived early, as suggested in the pre-race email...but showed up at 7:15 for an 8:00am race.  Too early?  Not for this!  There were 300 people there already.  My mantra of "arrive early and get in line for the porta potties" prov...

I nearly can't deal with this picture: This is our oldest son, Liam.  Well, and me, of course.  We had a wonderful visit from Uncle Jack and Aunt Pam from Indiana, who brought the beloved Uncle Deryle and Aunt Nadine.  Liam happened to be at football practice, so Aunt Pam requested a photo with the boy and how much he's grown.   Here it is. I just can't express how amazing it is to know that I held him in my two hands, once.  How I watched him learn to walk, helped him put together words, then phrases, then arguments to my own assertions.  Oh, I look around me and I see that years have passed - but it seems like just a blink.  No matter how hard it is to foster, feed and fraternize with these - it is a great and mighty reward, for sure.

I remember when I started blogging in 2007 - I was pregnant with our 3rd child and was eager to find some sort of group that I could fit in to.  Back then, I was working outside the home in the office of a construction company - an 8-5 M-F type of thing.  I was struggling to define myself so that I could find others with the same label and fit in. Mother of Kids in School Pregnant Employed Outside the Home Christ Follower Runner I wanted a group of women that would fit all of these criteria that I could talk to.  Relate to.  Most of the friends and family I had at that time wore this label: Stay at Home Mom So I wrestled big-time when our daughter was born and I had to go back to work.  I was mad at God and felt like he was robbing  me of a chance to fit in.  I didn't know anyone else my age with a new baby and 2 older kids that worked a full time job.  I spent the next year or so trying desperately to label myself.  I got righ...

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 Hard to do. I like to be in control. Well, until something goes wrong - THEN - I would like it very much if someone would take over. Things don't seem to work very well when I handle them that way. I'm pretty much a screw up, and left to my own devices, can make a big mess. I had my tooth socket freed today. Got sent home with some gel to squirt in there when it hurts. I'm just a little concerned about the implant process...and about having the second one pulled. Okay, not concerned, worried. It's not that I don't trust God. I know that he wants what is best for me. But how close will that "best" come to killing me while it refines me? Yes, yes, I know that I will be stronger and shiner when He's done, but sometimes I wonder if I will still all be here. I came very, very close to losing my mind around a year ago. Our youngest son has not been a very good sleeper. At all. ...

What do you think of when you look at this picture? Admittedly, I think "MESS!" Sometimes it's hard to get out things like finger paints or a whole bin of blocks because I'm just not in to the big clean up! I don't really know that much about anything. With children, I just try to do the right thing and hope for the best. I'm a big kid at heart, so having 4 children and a few daycare kids is fun first. My kids range in age from 12 to 18 months, so it's hard to plan universally appealing activities. Most of our day is spent in what may be categorized as "Free Play" or "Provider Directed Learning." I see a big push for keeping children busy. Most children are enrolled in pre-school at age 3, Mom's that are home with kids are busy hauling them from the park to the zoo to the playground. At home there is a feeling of guilt on the part of the parent if every moment is not spent reading to, or playing with the child. Trust me, I ...

I received a package today from Amazon.com. Wow - what a wonderful country we live in! Me, a home schooling, babysitting, mother of 4 can shop and have the things I need delivered to my door. I can even get it at a bargain basement price! My ball glove came, hooray! Our 12yo son is playing his first year of little league and I've been trying to play catch with him to help his ball handling skills. We only had one glove, so I ordered one that has some pink laces in it. He, he... I'm not real swift at it, but I'm sure I'll get better! Hanging out at the ball field sure has a way of making you love this country. Just having the freedom to sit out in the open air and relax for a couple of hours in the evening is a blessing! Seeing the Mommas and the Daddies clapping for sons in matching pants and shirts, listening closely to Coach, hustling for the ball and sometimes hitting a double - WOW! As I looked around the ball park, it really struck me how fortunate we are....

Aw...my poor little stubborn baby. He has NEVER slept well - and now that he's newly turned two - I'm happy to say that we can now reason with him and thanks to a good routine, this doesn't happen very often. We have a new ritual that is much much better than the classic "scream yourself to sleep" routine. I sing a couple of songs, turn on the Night Night Puppy, use the flashlight to charge the stars on the ceiling, and then hugs and kisses! I take my glasses off and press my face between the crib bars for a sweet little kiss. Then he moves to the next open space and says "And another one!" we move all the way down the line and back again, little smooches and giggles all the way. No matter what happened that day - this little ritual puts me right. I know that it's largely a stall tactic for the boy, but it sure is a heart soother for the Momma. Thank you, Lord, for that boy and just one more bedtime kiss!

Happy Mother's Day to all of my compatriots. We had a wonderfully busy day and now I am waiting for my wonderful husband to bring home Mongolian Beef from the little Chinese restaurant up the street. I started the day with a dose of Insanity . Today was Day 1 of this extreme home fitness program. You can read about it if you want in my other blog - Mortonpixie and Insanity . Our church service was absolutely wonderful this morning. Our pastor taught on The Model Mother out of Proverbs 31. I guess I always sort of know that I'm important and hold our family together - but Pastor Aaron really put it in a way I could understand it. I felt so uplifted and encouraged! And on to the reason for the day. As our 12yo son pointed out, if it wasn't for him - I wouldn't be a Mother. Kids... This is Susan (age 3), Alahnnah (age 9), Cameron (age 2), and Liam (age 12). We were at Dairy Queen last night when I snapped this picture. These four "Angels" are the mos...

He was making this "embarrassed" face for us while we sang. So cute. Bye-bye to having any babies in the house. Next thing you know - potty training - then college. *sniff*

I ran eleven miles today. It took over 2 hours - but I did it. I can't tell you that I loved it - maybe at mile 7 or 8 I would have - but it's done. My knees are a mess, the muscles, ligaments and connective tissue are sore, swollen, and tired. My back is a bit sore as well - but all in all - nothing a little Ibuprofen and a good nights sleep won't help. I'm officially ready for the Half Marathon on May 1st. I am done with my training and can now enjoy what is referred to as a "taper" until then. Since I missed 3 weeks out of the 12 weeks of training, my taper is a little short. Not perfect, but I will run, nonetheless. Yay! To bad we didn't get that solid night's sleep we were hoping for last night. I'm not sure what was up with our 23mo old, but once he's awake and screaming - it's on. He cried, almost solid, from 1:30am to 3am. David and I both made a few trips to give a drink/cover up/give kissandhug/check diaper and then jus...

My daughter, Alahnnah , just about couldn't handle today being April Fool's Day. If ever there was a holiday for that girl - this is it! My requirement is that the pranks have to be "nice", not include food- esque items passed off for food, and they can't lie. She had a fun day. I think she may have even had her Daddy fooled that she found a "real" mouse in the flour! Great day today. Had a moment that made me grin... Right after lunch, I always change diapers and help kiddos use the potty. You win some and you loose some. Today, I lost. Stinky messes all around. After I cleaned and napped them all, I went downstairs to retrieve the couch cover that was drying and passed my son's room. He needed his guitar tuned - the fancy electronic tuner wasn't working right with the laundry going nearby. That done, I went upstairs and helped Alahnnah with her math. That variety of multi-tasking really made me laugh. Tonight was our 9yo daughter...

It's 8pm and I'm ready to pack it in for the day! Today was one of the more exhausting and aggravating Mondays in a while. Thankfully, as I was heaving the 3rd load of laundry up the steps, I was reminded that at least my back didn't hurt really bad today! Silver lining and all. I had dreaded this day. While finishing up lesson plans last night, I could see the handwriting on the wall. Alahnnah hasn't had a full day of school in almost 2 weeks - it was going to be hard to keep her on task. I picked the wrong kid! Liam was the one that was the issue. He couldn't stay on task, kept bugging his sister, getting out of his seat and talking back to me. He didn't show his work in Math and tried to get away with incomplete sentences in English. At 2pm he put an whole frozen banana in my blender and I snapped. He ended up finishing his work in his room. I haven't graded his Math OR English yet. *fume* On the upside, I did get most of my Monday work done....

I believe that blur that just went by was the last 2 weeks of my life! My sister had surgery the 14 th and I was blessed to be able to be there with her. My husband stayed home with our 4 children and our "5 th child" - my little daycare sweetie. I was able to go early and stay late and be there for her. She did fantastic and is now on her way to a beautiful recovery. Christmas was wonderful - all except for my being violently ill. I went to bed Christmas eve feeling a little queasy, but Lasagna and French Silk pie is pretty rich... You guessed it, I was up twice in the night getting sick and was so ill Christmas Day that my family went to the celebration without me. :( My Mommy called me in the afternoon so everyone could wish me a Merry Christmas. I was so sick, I slept ALL day that day. Ate a half a banana a couple of time so I could take some Tylenol, but that was it. By Sunday I was up and around, but not eating. I made supper but couldn't eat it. Monday ...

I had a cookie this evening at the mall. After a school day like this, I wanted to run, screaming from the house. So about 6:30, after supper, while I was fighting with my 12yo ds about doing the dishes (for the 42 nd time), I did. Well, I ran. No screaming this time. I went to the mall and proceeded directly to Bath and BodyWorks where I know everything is a perfect fit. I sprayed, I sniffed, I checked the specials. After quick deliberations, I came out with 3 of the travel sized bottles of body spray in some lovely new scents. Happiness costs around $10, by the way. Feeling a little better, I walked down the mall. I hadn't been to the old Westfield Shoppingtown in a while. It appears that they have totally automated their "Concierge Service." You want directions, look at a map. Need a stroller? Stick in your debit card or a fiver and the machine unlocks one for ya. No need to pay a person to sit there and do Customer Service. Nope, no need for that. I...