Where Are You Christmas?

When I was little, I absolutely loved Christmas. I loved all of the lights, the presents topped with bows, indulging my sweet tooth with cookies and candy. I would spend weeks writing my Christmas list. Making sure I didn't forget a dress or a doll I desperately needed. Christmas Eve was my favorite. My brother, Paul, and I would stay up as late as we could and talk about what we thought (or knew sometimes) we were getting. Bright and early we would rise and race downstairs to a pile of presents.

But one year, everything changed. I was 16 and my family and I had enjoyed a great Christmas together. The next day, I went to the mall with my best friend. The common theme of conversation amongst all of our friends was, "what did you get for Christmas?" I realized that I really didn't know how to answer that question. Sure, I could just say I got the clothes and boots I had wanted, but it felt weird talking about what I got. It didn't feel right. It felt icky. And that same icky feeling followed me through every other Christmas. Suddenly it felt strange making a Christmas list. I felt awkward getting what I wanted. And I continued to dread that question- "what did you get for Christmas?" I wanted to go back to the lights and bows and candy canes.

I got my love for Christmas back after I had kids. It seemed like the more kids I had, the more I loved Christmas. Because I got to see the joy that I had lost through the eyes of my children. Lights seemed brighter, cookies tasted sweeter, and the thrill of seeing them open a new doll or legos on Christmas morning was a welcome friend.

I've been playing Christmas music for the past 2 months. Our Christmas tree is up, presents are wrapped and under the tree. But that icky feeling is creeping in. I've been feeling this pressure to get my kids an enormous amount of presents. Whatever they want, I want to give it to them. We're no different than most people these days, and money is tight. Realistically, I can only get them one special present a piece (along with the things they always get like books and new shoes.) So I started to think about what my favorite present was when I was their age. And it hit me- the expensive doll I just had to have has long since been donated to good will. The clothes, the shoes have been sold at garage sales years ago. It really didn't matter what I got for Christmas. The joy I found in Christmas, the sheer bliss of lights and snow and hot chocolate, was all wrapped up in the memories. I can't remember what my Christmas presents were every year, but what I do remember is sitting on the living room floor with my mom singing Christmas carols. I remember decorating gingerbread houses and acting out the story of baby Jesus with our friends, the Morgans. That's why I loved Christmas. I've underestimated the simplicity of Christmas and replaced it with the ickiness of presents and things. So this Christmas I'm focusing on the things that don't get thrown away or lost or donated. I'm focusing on the birth of Christ, making gingerbread houses with my kids, warming my toes by a crackling fire. Those precious memories are something no amount of money can buy. And that's when Christmas comes and shines bright- replacing the wants and needs with Joy.

Pumpkin Party

The Pumpkin Party was actually the start of our traditional parties. I remember after I had Zeke (five years ago!), I got really domestic. I guess having four kids made my homemaker skills kick into gear. My ability to cook finally coincided with my love to cook. I found out that It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown was going to be on tv, so I decided to have a little pumpkin party for the kids before we watched it.

That first year, I made lobster chowder and pumpkin cookies. I got tiny, little pumpkins and the three older kids colored them with markers and glued an enormous amount of googly eyes on them. Nate made homemade popcorn and I laid a sheet on our hardwood floor. We all snuggled together and ate popcorn and watched our very first pumpkin party Charlie Brown show.

It's funny how when you start a tradition, if you stop and think about it, the details of the very first time are strikingly vivid. My young family, creating memories on a crisp Autumn day in our little house in Ohio. I'm sure some Pumpkin Parties will be more memorable than others, but each one has always been so much fun. This is one tradition I hope passes down in the Watson family.

Even Daddy painted a pumpkin!

Gabs and Ivan Thomas.

Of course the wild Z man took his shirt off!

Concentrating...

Gabs making her pumpkin "FiFi".

Who knew painting pumpkins could be so funny?! (:

They indulged me by taking this picture. I was channeling my inner Linda Morgan!!!

This has to be one of my favorite pictures ever. Look at Aylah's face!!!

This is the best beef stew ever. Let me know if you want the recipe. It will seriously change your life!

Finally time for Charlie Brown. It's so weird to see five kids sitting there, when our first Pumpkin Party was only four little babies.

Traditions

 It's always interesting to me when a new tradition is created. I'm a big fan of traditions. I love telling the kids, "in a few weeks we'll be doing this tradition." They get so excited, and of course, memories are made every time.

Last year I started a new tradition- our Halloween Party. I'm actually not a huge fan of Halloween. I know, crazy, right? But it kind of stresses me out having the kids walk around in the street in the dark (we don't have sidewalks) and then the candy aftermath- yeah, the candy alone makes me not like Halloween. But last year I decided to make some spooky food to eat before trick or treating. And thus the Halloween Party tradition began.

This year was especially fun because I was able to find all kinds of fun ideas on Pinterest and I've gotten pretty good at time management. I did wait until the day of Halloween to make my menu and go shopping (procrastination dies hard), but I was able to get everything completely and totally done in time for everyone to enjoy themselves and have time to get their costumes on.

Usually we have a traditional Pumpkin Party before the Halloween Party, but since It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown came on tv the night of Halloween, we'll be doing the Pumpkin Party tonight. I always feel like those parties are the kick off to the fun traditions we have this busy time of year! (:

I love, love, love cooking food for parties. An afternoon in the kitchen is my idea of a good time.

Gabs isn't so sure about the "gholuish punch."

Mummy pizza.

Mummy cookie pops. These were a huge hit and so easy to make!

Gabs looking at the yummy veggies!

They decided to call the punch "monster blood" instead.

Z man!

Goofy Malachi.

Tasty!

All fueled up and ready to trick or treat!

Even Micah likes the Mummy Pizza!!!

Do You Remember When You Were 17?

A few weeks ago, my dad stopped by to give me an old newspaper that featured me and my best friend, Devyn, on the cover. One of the perks of coming from a family of pack rats is that wonderfully embarrassing things from my past always have a way of resurfacing. As my dad handed me that crumpled, faded paper, I started to laugh. I remember how cool I thought it was to be in our local paper. My brother's band, Empire, was playing at a coffee house and Devyn and I always made sure to be in the front row of all their shows. But had that really been 14 years ago? The image I was looking at was of two obnoxious silly teenage girls dancing at a coffee house (I swear I wasn't doing the chicken dance (: ). But it kind of felt like it was just yesterday. Time has a funny way of allowing life to slip right past you.

It got me thinking about how strange it is that in 3 years I will have a teenager. How quickly the past few years have gone by. In a flash, I have gone from a 17 year old girl to a 31 year old woman. Every day occurrences go by and I forget. I forget how good it feels to dance to music, or to breathe in the sweet scent of my children after they've taken a bath, or how much fun it is to feel leaves crunching under my feet. This weekend I made a conscious effort to mark everything that happened in my mind. We enjoyed my most favorite kind of weekend- the kind where we stay home and do things around the house. On Sunday, we took the kids to the lake and we had a picnic and they played at the park. On the drive home, we went up and down the wondrous hills we have here in Missouri. I sat and listened to five kids laughing and squealing as their daddy zipped up and down the hills. And I thought, this is my memory. When I am old and gray and my children have grown, I will look back on this simple moment and smile. I won't always have a newspaper clipping to remind me to remember the simple things in life. But I'll remember. Oh, how I will remember.

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." -Robert Brault 

I love Fall. I love when the weather gets cooler and the trees start changing colors. I love getting back into the school time routine and all of the fun activities that happen around this time of year. But I get kind of weird when it's Fall. I start preparing for Winter. I'm like an animal working diligently to store up for the cold days that are quickly approaching. Except I'm not gathering acorns. I'm cleaning out the garage so we can fit at least one vehicle in there. I'm packing up shorts and t-shirts and replacing them with jeans and sweaters.

My latest preparation for Winter was making an office in our bedroom. Last year for Father's Day, I made a little office for Nate in the laundry room. It was a fabulous idea and it looked great, but it just wasn't practical. In the Summer, it was too hot and in the Winter, it was too cold. So he couldn't use his nice little office. A few weeks ago, we moved the older kids down to our finished basement. And Ivan got their old room. There was a space in our room where his crib used to be that was just perfect for Nate's desk. So the unpractical laundry room office became a cozy bedroom office.

This space is perfect for Malachi to do his homework. I've been struggling with trying to find a way to get Malachi to be motivated to do his homework without me telling him every day to get his work done. I'm actually going to incorporate the dry erase board we used over the Summer to schedule in homework for the kids. For someone who is as unorganized as I am, it's critical for me to schedule things and have it visual so the kids and I both know what to expect for the day.

 This space is also great for Nate to work on brewery stuff. I love how cozy this little desk is in our room. I have lots of other things to do to get ready for the cold weather, but I couldn't be happier with the way the bedroom office turned out. When you have 7 people in a 2 bedroom house, it's always a huge success when you can find a way to utilize space in a cute, functional way! (:

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Mommy Stripes

As a mom, there are certain moments when I feel like I really earn my "mommy stripes". This past week was pretty hard for the Watson family. I got sick over a week ago. I can honestly say that I haven't been that ill for years and years. I was deliriously sick. My throat was on fire and my glands were so swollen I could hardly swallow. Thankfully I got sick on a Saturday, so Nate was home to take care of the kids. But by Monday (which was ironically a day off school for the kids), I still felt awful. I called my mom and took the kids over to her house. Even as an adult, I still need my mom when I'm sick (:  I hate going to the doctor and I was hopeful that I would get better on my own, but my mom made me go to the doctor. And it turned out, I had a double ear infection and strep throat. I think I've had the ear infections for a while, because after a week of antibiotics, I feel better than I have in weeks.

It's little surprise that the day after I found out I had strep throat, Aylah came home from school complaining of her throat hurting. So the next day I took her to the doctor. Sure enough, she had strep too. Two days later, I took Ivan to the doctor and he had strep too. While I was there, I had the doctor look at Aylah's neck. The right side of her neck was insanely swollen. The doctor examined her and said she was concerned that she had an abscess. Now, what the doctor probably said was that I should take her to the hospital to get it looked at. But, in my frantic mommy state, what I heard was that my child was critically ill and had to go to the hospital immediately. So I hurried home to give Ivan his first dose of medicine. Aylah had fallen asleep in the car and I rushed Ivan inside. Before I could give him the medicine, he said, "Mommy, I have to go pee." When a two year old says that, you know there's no waiting. I quickly took him to the bathroom and after he was done, he got that look in his eyes. I'm sure every parent knows that look. The "I'm going to puke and there's no time to get me to the toilet" look. And he puked everywhere. In that moment, I knew I would be earning some serious mommy stripes that day.

After I had cleaned him up, changed his clothes and given him his medicine, I got him back in the van and headed to the hospital. It's about 25 minutes from our house, but I have serious anxiety about driving on the highway. I've never been a fan of driving, but the older I get, the more I freak out about it. The whole time I was praying, "Please let Aylah be ok, please keep me calm, please help our van not to breakdown." And thank you, Jesus, we made it. But I was so frazzled that I went into the first hospital parking garage I saw. Which was on the opposite end of the ER. Two sick kids, one mommy and an enormous distance to where we were supposed to be. I put Ivan in the stroller, but poor Aylah was in so much pain she could barely walk. She ended up getting a ride in a wheelchair and we made it to the ER. After several hours of being there, the doctors told me that she had a severe case of strep throat which was causing her glands to swell so much. And it also made her have a muscle spasm, so she couldn't move her neck.

It took almost a week of being on the antibiotic for Aylah to really feel better, but she's better now. I realized how lucky I am that my kids have never really been sick before. Good health is something that I often take for granted, but there is no better gift than having healthy children. I thank God every day that I have five healthy kids.

I earned some mommy stripes this past week for sure. They've caused me to worry, experience anxiety and exhaustion. But most importantly, they've allowed me to understand how scary it is to have a sick child, and how precious it is knowing your child is ok. I will wear these Mommy stripes with pride.

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

When I was a Junior in high school, I was part of a drama team for Kansas City Youth for Christ. It was a pretty big deal, or so I thought. I loved getting on stage and performing in front of hundreds of my peers. But about half way through the year, I had an epiphany. And I just couldn't bring myself to go to drama team practice. So when the director called me and asked what was going on, my teenage self launched into how I just wasn't feeling it. I thought for sure that was a reasonable explanation for not coming to practice. But it wasn't. And I will never forget what the director told me. She said sometimes in life, we have to do things whether we feel like doing it or not. My dad is a pastor, and she gave the analogy that sometimes my dad probably doesn't feel like getting up and preaching every week, but he still does it. Whether he feels like it or not. Did I get that little nugget of wisdom? Nope. I was too blinded by the injustice. But her words stuck with me.

The past couple of months I've felt "blah":. There's really no other way of describing it. I just don't feel like doing anything. I still take care of the kids, clean the house, cook dinner and go to the gym- all of the stay at home mom duties, but beyond that, I really don't do much. I have a closet full of cute clothes that a few months ago didn't fit me. I've worked hard to get back in shape, but I still feel like wearing work out clothes and doing nothing to my hair and, of course, wearing no make up. I kind of just sunk into a hole where I just wasn't feeling it. But the more days that went by of me being "blah" the more I felt blah and even depressed. That little nugget of wisdom 17 year old Sandra didn't get crept back in. I started to think that maybe just because I didn't feel like fixing my hair and putting on makeup and actually wearing some of the cute clothes that fit me wasn't a good reason not to. Maybe what I had to do was move past whatever epiphany or feeling I have and really live life.

So this weekend I did that. I busted out one of my cute outfits and put on makeup. My sweet friend Jan curled my super long hair for me. I really think she should go into business doing hair (: Friday night I met up with my best friend, Devyn, for dinner. I rarely go to "the city", so it was lots of fun.

Boombah and Shakah

Saturday we went to the Fall Fun Fest in Blue Springs. I grew up going to this, so it was fun to go there as a family.

Doesn't Zeke looked thrilled to be there? (:

Sunday we went to church and Malachi went to a birthday party. I actually curled my hair and put on a dress (: And we went shopping while Malachi was at the party, so I got a couple of new things. Shopping for clothes is something that I rarely do, so it was a fun treat!

This weekend was a nice wake up call for me. I don't always feel like fixing myself up, actually I pretty much never feel like it. But sometimes, I suppose doing something you don't feel like doing is good. I'm worn out from a weekend of actually being presentable, but I have to admit, I feel like me again. I fully intend on wearing yoga pants and no makeup tomorrow. But I'm going to make an effort to invest in myself more often.  Whether I "feel" like it or not, I'm going to get out of my "blah" state of mind and live my life to the fullest.

The Problem With Poop

I can remember when I was pregnant with Malachi and I found out I was having a boy. I was so scared. A girl would have been easy. I was good at being girly. But a boy? All I could think of was that my little boy would never be dirty or stinky or ridiculously silly. And then he was born and I fell in love. I was in love with a dirty, stinky little boy. But I still wanted him to be proper, I suppose? I've always taught Malachi and my other kids not to say words like "stupid" or "shut up". I've scrubbed grimy hands and I've made sure they know how important the words "please" and "thank you" are.

I've gotten so used to saying, "we don't say that word." But tonight, when Malachi was quietly doing his homework, he came into the kitchen where I was cleaning up after dinner. He told me he finished his homework and walked towards the laundry room to put it in his backpack. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something written on both of his feet. "Wait, Malachi," I said. And when I saw what was written, 16 year old Sandra came into my mind. He had written "Poop" on the tops of both of his feet. Normally I would tell the kids not to say that, but I was struck that my stinky little boy is now a stinky *almost* preteen. And I remembered a time when writing "poop" on things was not just funny, but insanely hilarious. A time when my parents would ask me a question and the only answer that seemed fitting was a drawn out, "POOOOOOOOP". How could I tell my son not to write the word "poop" on himself when I once thought that was the pinnacle of all things clever and hilarious?

So I let it slide. I couldn't help but crack a smile when I saw what he had done to his stinky feet. And in that moment, we shared a weird bond. I'm still going to teach my kids to choose words that are positive. But "poop" is evidently one word that will always be funny. And what would the world be without a little poop?

Being Healthy is Hard

I always seem to go on health food kicks and then slip back into our old routine. There's so much information out there these days on what is and isn't healthy. No carbs, no sugar, no grain, raw, organic. I always pick something and jump in with both feet.

I've been on a mission to correct my health problems since I was a teenager. I've always been sickly. As a child, I was in and out of the hospital with pneumonia. I always had bronchitis or strep throat. At an early age I was diagnosed with asthma (and of course allergies because they seem to go hand in hand). By the age of 10, I was so sick and a mass in my chest was discovered. Fearing that I had cancer, the doctors removed part of my thymus only to have it biopsied and find out that it was benign. After that, my thymus shrunk, but I still had health problems. At the age of 12, I was diagnosed with Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. My list of daily medication increased and I started going to physical therapy three times a week. But I didn't really feel better. A year after that diagnosis, the doctors realized they were wrong and I didn't have JRA. So they gave me a new diagnosis- fibromyalgia. Even at a young age, I knew that fibromyalgia was thought of as a joke. A box you're placed in if there's no other explanation for being in pain. A box that is often labeled with "it's all in your head." After a couple of years of being on medication for asthma, allergies and fibromyalgia, I decided I had enough. I was sick of taking medicine and being bloated and pale and still not feeling well. I started to exercise daily and I change my diet. I began to feel better, but then I found out I have a multinodular goiter. And along with it I have hypothyrodism. I don't like to talk about my health issues, because I don't like to think of myself as not being well. I still have a hard time saying I have fibromyalgia because it's still such an unknown condition. But that doesn't change the fact that I have flare ups sometimes. In the past month or so, I just haven't felt well. My asthma is so bad, I have to use my rescue inhaler several times a day. I've been breaking out in hives. My hips and lower back hurt so bad, it's hard to even walk sometimes. And my lovely goiter has swollen to the point where sometimes I feel like I'm being choked.

So back to all of the health information out there. I've done a lot of research and I'm sure that I would benefit from a gluten free, sugar free diet. I've read how gluten is linked to so many diseases, especially thyroid problems. I've actually tried going gluten free a few times, but without knowing for sure that it would help me, it's difficult to make a life change like that.

Instead of jumping in with both feet, I've decided to start with a few things to improve my health-

1) Apple cider vinegar. Whenever I skip on the ACV, I can really tell a difference. I'll admit, I haven't been taking it as often as I should, so I'm going to start taking two tablespoons in hot water twice a day. I've always had good results from ACV.

2) Chicken stock. I'm reading so many health benefits from stock. It's so cheap to get an organic, free range chicken, roast it and have dinner for the family one night and stock by the next day. It's quick and easy and my whole family can enjoy the nourishment.

3) Oregano oil.  A friend of mine told me that oregano oil is great for sore throats. I looked it up and was surprised to see that it also treats asthma. I'm willing to try anything to get my asthma under control. Inhalers are expensive and I  hate having to use it so much.

4) Raw milk. Another thing my friend said was great for your health. She actually brought some over and it was delicious. It takes a little planning to make sure you're purchasing it every week, but I really believe that the health benefits will be worth it.

I would love to hear if anyone has any suggestions on naturally improving health conditions!

Beautiful

It's been exactly two weeks since the older kids have gone back to school. I've been thinking about the day I would only have one child at home for a long time. I've enjoyed the chaos of five little ones being with my every day, but I've also looked forward to a slower pace of life having only one child at home offers.

I knew I would spend the first few days being deliciously lazy. I did and it felt wonderful. Playing outside, taking walks, cleaning my house and having it actually stay clean for more than two minutes (: It's been really fun. But I thought for sure by now I would be waking up in the morning and fixing my hair and putting on makeup. I hardly ever wear makeup and my hair stays in a perpetual state of dishevelment. We went out with some friends a couple of weeks ago, so I had an excuse to make myself nice and pretty. I curled my hair and wore a cute outfit. And it felt fabulous. But it also took me an hour and a half to get ready, and quite frankly, I can think of a lot of other things I would rather be doing in an hour and a half. Like read books with Ivan or try out a new recipe or look at Pinterest for fun ideas (:

Still being in "mom to a bunch of kids mode" has kind of gotten me down lately. I wonder if I should put forth an effort to look pretty every day. I see other moms who always look so put together and it made me feel a little jealous of the lifestyle some people get to live. I hate being envious of other people. It's such a stupid thing to want what someone else has (or what I *think* they have). It left me feeling bummed and like I wasn't good enough because I live in yoga pants.

So I took Ivan outside and we played in the leaves and he got just as dirty as a little boy should get. I grabbed a rake and he grabbed a broom and I started raking the leaves in the front yard. After about 30 minutes of raking, my neighbor pulled her car up to the curb and said, "You're a vision of beauty!" Huh? How could I, covered in sweat and leaves and dirt, be beautiful? But then she said, "I love watching you keep up with your little one."  And it struck me, a mom just living life with her family really is beautiful. I got so consumed with thinking everyone else was having so much more fun than me, but I let that control the happiness I have all around me. I love how a change in perspective can alter your view on life. I got to see how my neighbor sees me. I spent the day feeling down on myself. But that change in perspective made me realize that my life is just as fun as anyone else. In fact, it's pretty much perfect.

No makeup, covered in sweat and dirt- but today I feel beautiful.

Friend Wanted

9 year old Sandra. I was a tomboy in a dress.

Growing up, my older brother, Paul, and  I were best friends. We were inseparable. Every day after we had finished our school work, we would either play outside, or build a blanket fort in the basement, or build furniture for the "little people" we were convinced lived in our walls and only came out at night. No matter what we were doing, our imagination was used in full force and it was always fun.

But that all changed the summer when I was nine years old. Paul met some friends who went to our church and also lived in our neighborhood. I desperately wanted to hang out with them. I considered myself to be just as rough and tumble as any boy and I could keep up with the best of them. But after a few failed attempts at tagging along, I realized that the epic adventures they went on, did not leave room for a little sister.

So I tried to have fun without Paul. I made plates and bowls out of mud, but it just wasn't the same. I tried to draw some pictures, but my lack in artistic ability left me drawing stick figures without my brother's imagination. I read book after book, but I got bored of reading. So what was the logical thing for an odd little girl who lost her best friend to do? I busted out some construction paper and crafted together a beautiful "Friend Wanted" sign. I was just certain that if I put the sign in the front yard, someone would walk by and see it and want to be my friend. So my mom helped me get a stick and tape the sign to it. It sat cheerfully in the front yard for over a week. And no one inquired about being my friend. So I took the sign down and decided to take matters into my own hands. I hopped on my bike and rode around the two blocks I was allowed to be without my parents. I scoped out every house and every yard to see if a kid lived there. Finally, I did find a friend. A girl named Christan who lived a street over from me. We would ride bikes and go to the park and use our imagination to no end.

Ever since then, I think I've had this "best friend complex". Something happened when I turned 30. I gained the ability to acknowledge aspects of my personality- and instead of being ashamed or embarrassed, I can somehow accept it and try to figure out a way to overcome it. I've always needed a best friend. Someone who I can call every day and plan things with. When I moved away from Kansas City, I was sad to leave my friends. Because starting over and making new friends is hard. But I did it. In the seven years I was away from KC, I developed friendships and had fun. But in the back of my mind, I kept thinking how much more fun I would be having if I could just be back home. And we moved back. But the ideas I had in my head of what my life would be like if I just had my old friends back, didn't happen. Whether it's a matter of distance, or different schedules, or the chaos of life, I don't have the relationship with my best friends that I wanted. Not just wanted, but needed. It occurred to me that I feel this need to have a best friend because I'm freaking insecure. I've felt like putting a "Friend Wanted" sign in the front yard. Or pinning a, "Hi, My Name is Sandra, Will You be My Friend?" tag on my shirt when I go to the grocery store. It's soo much easier to have a best friend who you know will be there. But I realized that my own insecurities have kept me from developing friendships all around me. Maybe I don't have to have a one best friend. But I'm going to try to stop obsessing over having a friend as my security, and start living my life with the friends I have. I'm throwing out the "Friend Wanted" sign and taking on the mindset that life is meant for living. And I will enjoy my life and the people in it. Even if that means I have to step out of my comfort zone.

Our Adventure

One of our favorite family activities is to take a hike in the woods. This summer has been way too hot to hike, but today was a beautiful "preview of fall" kind of day.

I love the smell of the woods in the fall. The sweet, earthy scent that overwhelms you. Warm sun shining down on you and crunchy leaves that are just waiting to be stepped on. We got lucky today and saw a deer, a couple of cool dead catfish and a funny shrimp thing. But I think the most fun was when we found a corner of the lake that was almost void of water. There was thick mud and we all threw rocks into it. Something about hearing the squish of the mud was soo much fun!

I'm glad that as parents, Nate and I are able to pass down our love of nature to our kids. Every time we head out into the woods, it's an adventure!!!

Eating some lunch before we go on a hike.

My big boy!

Gabs and our deer friend.

Throwing rocks in the mud!!!

I told Gabs to make a "serious face". I love it!!!!!

My little sunshine boy.

Dub Dub and Daddy.

He likes to be carried on our hikes.

Cool!

Exploring.

So many things to discover.

One Little Boy

Yesterday as I was leaving the school after taking traditional pictures of all the kids in their classrooms, a chubby little hand reached up and grasped tightly in mine. "You just have one little boy," Ivan said in his matter of fact two year old voice. "I sure do," I said. I wanted to cry. Just the thought of leaving four of my kids with someone else for such a long time during the day chokes me up. But it's also a very exciting start to a new time in our families lives.

Ivan and I spent yesterday having a "lazy day". We went for a walk, read books, did his favorite puzzle about twenty times. I baked muffins and blueberry banana bread and I wasn't interrupted even one time. This summer was lots of fun, but it was also very difficult. The kids are all far apart enough in age to want to do different activities, but close enough in age to do themselves some serious fighting. By the end of their summer vacation, I seriously considered recording myself saying, "stop fighting," and just have it on auto play.

I've spent the past 10 years in full on mommy mode. My life has been spent living in sweats with frazzled hair and no makeup. And you know what? I've enjoyed every second of it. I know that the chaotic balancing act of taking constant care of five kids is a season in my life. A season that at times has felt like an eternity, but as I left that school with only one little boy, I realized that this season has gone by in the blink of an eye.

Our family picture after Ivan Thomas was born. If there's one thing I've learned as a mom, it's to enjoy every second of the time spent with your kids.

Why homeschooling isn't for us...right now.

Quite often when people find out I have five kids, they say this, "Wow, you have FIVE kids? Do you homeschool?" Our kids have always gone to public school, but homeschooling is something that I've constantly gone back and forth on. I was homeschooled for almost my entire K-12 life. So I know first hand the pros and cons when it comes to homeschooling. After a lot of prayer (and a test run on homeschooling this summer), Nate and I made the decision to send the kids back to public school this year.

I've spoken with a lot of moms who are in the same place as I am- trying to figure out if homeschooling is best for your kid. And then after you make a decision, having the question of whether or not you made the right choice. Here's a couple of reasons why we made the decision to keep the our children in public school:
First, they go to an amazing school. The principal is awesome, and that makes a huge difference in how a school is run. The faculty and staff are great and they all have good friends that they enjoy seeing. I can think of different reasons why they all benefit from being in school. The structure is good for them in different ways. One good thing about being homeschooled is that you have the ability to finish your work and then do whatever you want. My brother and I would get our work done by lunchtime, and the rest of the day we would spend outside playing, building forts, riding our bikes, reading, drawing. But I've found that when it's only two kids, playtime usually goes smoothly. But when it's five kids, it's a whole different story. A negative thing that comes with having so much free time after your work is done, is that study skills usually aren't formed. I'm speaking from experience. Every family who homeschools is different, just like every kid is different. But I didn't form any structured study skills when I was homeschooled and I struggled with that in college. I can see the same personality in some of my kids. A little structure is a good thing (:

The kids and I have had lots of fun this summer. I've planned activities, crafts, outings pretty much every day. They've been fabulous. But as the summer winds down, my sweet kiddos have gone from being helpful and kind to each other to picking at each other and fighting. They benefit from being in school, but honestly, so do I. I'm looking forward to spending time with just Ivan. My mommy guilt hits in when I think about the fact that hearing the term "back to school" literally makes me want to jump for joy! But we've had a fun summer. I gave homeschooling a shot, and even though it isn't right for us this year, I definitely see it happening in the future.

But for now, I'm totally looking forward to next week when school resumes and I regain a functioning brain!

Craft time.

They take "summer school" time seriously- for a little while anyway (:

Apple Cider Vinegar- or as the Cool Kids say, "ACV"

Three years ago, when I was pregnant with Ivan, I got the worst sinus infection I've ever had. Sinus infections were nothing new to me, but this one was a beast. The kind where your head is throbbing, you can't breathe through your nose, even though you're trying every few seconds in vain. I refuse to take any medication when I'm pregnant unless it's absolutely necessary. So I waited it out. After my sweet boy was born and I wasn't breast feeding anymore, I went to the doctor in hopes that he had a magic pill that could cure me. I wasn't very hopeful, because I've been a sickling my whole life. Ever since I was a little baby, I've been sick. I started taking antibiotics at an early age, so I guess my body got immune to them. My doctor put me on a modest round of amoxicillin. I wasn't expecting any relief, and sure enough, by the time I was shaking out my last pill, my sinus infection raged on. So he put me on a stronger prescription- nothing. Frustrated, I called his office and explained that I've been on antibiotics for so much of my life that they just don't work for me. So he called me in a prescription for something I can't even remember the name of. But it was horrible. It made me experience some crazy side effects and it did nothing to ease my sinus infection.
Desperate to find relief, I went to earthclinic.com and looked up natural remedies for sinus infections. I was surprised to see that apple cider vinegar was prominently the suggested cure for sinus problems. I decided that it was worth a try. So I went to my local health food store and picked up some ACV. To get the health benefits, you have to use ACV that has "The Mother". "The Mother" is the funky stuff floating in unpasteurized apple cider vinegar. It looks gross, but it contains some pretty amazing enzymes. After drinking ACV for a few days, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my sinus pressure was actually subsiding. After a week, I could actually breathe through my nose again. Something that I hadn't been able to do in, no exaggeration, two years. After a couple of weeks or drinking the vinegar 2-3 times every day, my sinus infection was gone! And I haven't stopped drinking it since. My favorite way to drink ACV is about 2 table spoons in warm water with a little local honey. I got Bragg's ACV when I first started drinking it, and that's all that I use now. I'm sure other brands are fine, I just love Bragg's.
I drink ACV every  morning. Sometimes if my allergies are really bad or if I feel a sinus infection creeping up on me, I'll drink it a few times throughout the day. But I haven't had a sinus infection since I started drinking ACV.                                                                                                                                                          I really think that ACV is the best medicine!!!

Don't they look so happy together? (:

Another trip to the lake without kids? What??!!?

This weekend Nate and I had an impromptu opportunity to go back to Lake of the Ozarks. We found out Friday afternoon that we were going early Saturday morning. Our sweet friends, Mike and Andrea, were more than willing to stay with the kids over the weekend.

We went to Tan-Tar-A for kind of a work thing, but mostly fun. I think I might have gone there when I was younger. My parents were spur of the moment vacationers. In fact, my mom came up with a name for the last minute mini vacations we would take- "Doo-dahs". It sound silly, but as soon as my older brother, Paul, and I heard her singing, "I know something you don't know, Doo-dah, doo-dah," we knew we were in for some serious fun. I'll certainly write a blog post about "Doo-dahs" in the future! (:

My favorite thing about Tan-Tar-A is the history behind it. It was built in 1960 and it's somehow managed to keep the charm and character of that time period. For most of the day on Saturday, we lounged in both of the pools there. It was fun to be without the kids, but there were so many families there, it was hard not to think about how much fun the kids would have there too. It's definitely a place we want to take the kids in the near future!

On the drive home, we stopped to take some artsy fartsy pictures. I've gotta hand it to my husband of almost nine years- he let me listen to Jimmy Eat World on the way home and he sporadically pulled over in a farmer's field to take some pictures. Be still my heart!!!

Tan-Tar-A

The amazing pool and view of the lake.

Me and Nate <3

My favorite artsy fartsy shot.

I love this picture! He indulged me by letting me take his picture, even though the farmer was driving by and waving at us from his tractor! (:

All in all, it was a very fun, relaxing weekend. We even got home in time today to swim in the pool in our backyard and work on a 1000 piece puzzle. Oh yeah, and go grocery shopping with only two kiddos. Talk about a great weekend!!!