Well, here it's been a week and I haven't even had time to sit down and do much on the computer, not to mention attempting to try and write on here. Although I did manage to get 37 maternity patterns off of Ebay for only 1.49.
So anyway, in my days of absence on here I've been freaking a little lately. Not sure why. Kind of like a PMS week with no reason to be PMS'ing, I suppose. I've worked so hard to provide some consistency to our days and really stay on track. In my continuing efforts I rose yet again today at 7 with my day strictly laid out and every plan to adhere to it. To say I was setting myself up for failure is just putting it mildly. Goals are good........but not when they become gods. And I tend to quickly let a schedule become a god....and then I just get all out of sorts and ruin the entire day for everybody, even myself. I see so much in my children that I want to give them. One of the real problems with homeschooling is the vast, dizzying array of trails you could venture down or interest one can pursue. And I always feel this pressure to cram it all in since, afterall, one's brain is only pliable and flexible from the age of 2-10 yrs or some crap like that. TLC even confirmed that last night only proving to irk me more today. We have the basics of Bible, handwriting, spelling, reading and math that I consider mandatory and then we have 10 million different ways to experience science and then there's the typing program and Spanish program that Grayson has 1 more month to accomplish before his brain freezes up and goes into cement mode....according to brainologist....and on to history and the million different ways to teach it, especially when it comes to holidays such as Thanksgiving. Then, of course, there's sewing for me, the freakin treadmill that I definitely need to pay more than one or two visits to, cooking, and then the notorious creative art things I could do with them. And on a side note here...stringing popcorn is NOT the thing to hang on a poor tortured tree. The process itself is horridly messy and then there's the issue of many children eating it off the string. I thought about just lighting into them for it but I have learned to pick my battles and that to me seemed a little like taking a kid in a candy store and then asking them what they want just to turn around and walk out telling them you don't have any money or some cruel crap like that. So, the popcorn was quick to go...or rather, quick to be eaten.
Loving the backpack....as all of his siblings that have gone before him in it
Anyway, here I am once again trying to cram it all in and only succeeding in making everyone of us miserable. Not to mention the whole little house issue I have going on. I might as well be pregnant right with how anal I've become about the house again. It might make me feel better if I was since at least then I'd have a legitimate excuse to be blaming this crap on.
In the midst of my whole house obsession I've become deeply convicted about a simplistic and minimal lifestyle. Sometimes I think the children have so many things surrounding them that it's like they just can't focus on any one thing. Sort of like putting too many toys in front of an infant...they go into sensory overload and shut down or just cry, whereas one toy will not only attract their focus but become greatly tantalizing to them. So, I have begun to clean out even more than I had. Looking around seeing so much excess is causing me to go crazy and also think about the mindset of Americans and what it has transitioned to. As we read through the American history biographies I see what people sacrificed and lived on and I see what we now hoard and have become accustomed to as part of living in modern society. People now are overweight with cluttered houses and sheer excess in every way. I want to pare it all down in order to focus on what really matters in life.....and teach the children those things. I want them to grow up valuing each other and not the material possessions they can possess, or be so overwrought with excess around them that they find they lose focus because of the many directions they could go. I want them to pull everything out of life without being surrounded by mounds of crap that hold us down and burden us with a weightiness in life that the Lord never intended us to have. Something that we have totally brought upon ourselves out of ignorance and being considered acceptable....that has now even become expected as part of living the "American dream".....that, in the end, is not the dream at all.
Finally taking a turn on the engine
On that note, yesterday we took our family Christmas outing. Like every set of good parents should do we have never even taken the children to see Santa Claus. Grayson and Evye went when they were around 3 and 18 months but, other than that, none of the others have even come anywhere near a jolly fat guy in a red suit. With the dept hosting all fire families for a free afternoon with Santa Claus and all of the pictures one could take we decided it'd be a fun outing and something for the little ones to experience for the 1st time. In my ingenuity I thought it'd be fun to do that from 2-4, then go for pizza, run to Wal Mart and spend some time before it got dark and then do the river of lights with Brad with us. This would have been a 96 for Brad but he was called in for OT both Fri night and Sat. We'd finally succeeded in managing to call a babysitter so we had a date night on Fri, thus resulting in him turning Fri's OT down. But when it rolled back around Sat morning he took it. Needless to say, the whole little heading back into town on Sunday wasn't as thrilling for him as it was for the rest of us since he had just returned from there and was having to return on Monday for his normal shift. But with the children absolutely ecstatic about it I was in high spirits and not about to let it deter me from the grandness of the day with the entire family together.
Pretty sisters ready for a day on the town
The station was fun. We arrived with the only other large family on the dept, who we know well, so it looked quite funny as their 8 and our 7 bombarded the place...though they were minus their 2 older ones. Our 2 crews made it seem as though a flock of vultures had descended upon the cookies that remained. Grant, surprisingly, took up with Santa in every way. He clambered up in his lap and sat contentedly, talking his ear off. Not really specifically about anything he desired but just about his little life and what all he found amusing out in the bay. The basketball goal became a hot topic that rolled around more than once and then they graduated on to talk of the engine, medics, cookies, the fire decorations that dangled on the tree and so on. Gavin had been perched happily beside Grant in ole Santa's lap and he smiled non stop. His many admirers that stood cooing and drooling over him only served to prompt more wide gummy smiles and cooing..which then sent his flirtatious onlookers into fits of dying to hold him. So, as the others took turns he was passed from person to person, loving it all. Of course, Garrison decided he did not like Santa at all and then Aubrey was forever Aubrey and obstinately refused to look any male in the eye. She did manage to smile for the picture though...which Garrison never found it within himself to do. But I figured given the sheer number of people we have to get into a picture we're doing really good if we've succeeded in getting half with pleasant looks on their faces. So, that was quite the funny challenge that was somewhat easily conquered. After much visiting with all of the guys and a few other fire families that had showed up later in the day as we had....we somehow managed to miss the bulk of the crowd that had shown up earlier.....we were off for pizza. We made a Sam's run and took time to play on the toys and leisurely make our way through. But by this time Brad's internal body clock had begun to tick and was saying he desperately wanted to go home before having to return for his normal shift in only 13 or so hours. I still was quite determined to make the most of our family Christmas outing so we forged onward to Wal Mart. By the end of Wal Mart Brad was really cranky and the children were wearing a little thin having had no naps at all. Ummmm........an irritable, tired Brad and cranky tired children don't bode well together. But my anal retentiveness in sticking to a plan shone brightly as we pushed forward to the lights. I envisioned the children squealing with delight now that Brad was enjoying them with us. But, alas, it turned into quite the excursion once we arrived. Rows of brake lights faced us as we neared the line to get into the park. Of course Brad resorted to cussing them out. Once in we were behind a slow moving limo...which was, afterall, more than fine with me since we were there to soak this moment in time in and savor the season. We crept along a few blocks discussing each new display as suddenly Brad grew tired of the limo's snailish like speed. Managing to get us up to no less than 80 we flew by it on the undecorated side of the road. A bit shocked, I hadn't had much time to recoup as we then pulled back into the line to see the next display and continued on at about 30 mph, racing through the remaining lights. I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen the river lights at 30 mph before last night. I suppose a colorful blur of twinkling lights has some sort of allure to it that the normal, dull, traditional lights do not hold. Instead of the glorious cheering I had expected the children were tired and merely conversational about what they saw. Even Garrison and Grant had to be prompted to discuss what they were supposed to be overjoyed about. I found our light expedition fairly humorous so in good spirits we set off to make the trip home. The last 20 or so miles were spent quietly talking without the roar of chaos in the backseats and by the time we reached home all 7 children were sleeping soundly in the back of the Suburban.
My sweet view while cooking dinner
So anyway, in my days of absence on here I've been freaking a little lately. Not sure why. Kind of like a PMS week with no reason to be PMS'ing, I suppose. I've worked so hard to provide some consistency to our days and really stay on track. In my continuing efforts I rose yet again today at 7 with my day strictly laid out and every plan to adhere to it. To say I was setting myself up for failure is just putting it mildly. Goals are good........but not when they become gods. And I tend to quickly let a schedule become a god....and then I just get all out of sorts and ruin the entire day for everybody, even myself. I see so much in my children that I want to give them. One of the real problems with homeschooling is the vast, dizzying array of trails you could venture down or interest one can pursue. And I always feel this pressure to cram it all in since, afterall, one's brain is only pliable and flexible from the age of 2-10 yrs or some crap like that. TLC even confirmed that last night only proving to irk me more today. We have the basics of Bible, handwriting, spelling, reading and math that I consider mandatory and then we have 10 million different ways to experience science and then there's the typing program and Spanish program that Grayson has 1 more month to accomplish before his brain freezes up and goes into cement mode....according to brainologist....and on to history and the million different ways to teach it, especially when it comes to holidays such as Thanksgiving. Then, of course, there's sewing for me, the freakin treadmill that I definitely need to pay more than one or two visits to, cooking, and then the notorious creative art things I could do with them. And on a side note here...stringing popcorn is NOT the thing to hang on a poor tortured tree. The process itself is horridly messy and then there's the issue of many children eating it off the string. I thought about just lighting into them for it but I have learned to pick my battles and that to me seemed a little like taking a kid in a candy store and then asking them what they want just to turn around and walk out telling them you don't have any money or some cruel crap like that. So, the popcorn was quick to go...or rather, quick to be eaten.
Loving the backpack....as all of his siblings that have gone before him in it
Anyway, here I am once again trying to cram it all in and only succeeding in making everyone of us miserable. Not to mention the whole little house issue I have going on. I might as well be pregnant right with how anal I've become about the house again. It might make me feel better if I was since at least then I'd have a legitimate excuse to be blaming this crap on.
In the midst of my whole house obsession I've become deeply convicted about a simplistic and minimal lifestyle. Sometimes I think the children have so many things surrounding them that it's like they just can't focus on any one thing. Sort of like putting too many toys in front of an infant...they go into sensory overload and shut down or just cry, whereas one toy will not only attract their focus but become greatly tantalizing to them. So, I have begun to clean out even more than I had. Looking around seeing so much excess is causing me to go crazy and also think about the mindset of Americans and what it has transitioned to. As we read through the American history biographies I see what people sacrificed and lived on and I see what we now hoard and have become accustomed to as part of living in modern society. People now are overweight with cluttered houses and sheer excess in every way. I want to pare it all down in order to focus on what really matters in life.....and teach the children those things. I want them to grow up valuing each other and not the material possessions they can possess, or be so overwrought with excess around them that they find they lose focus because of the many directions they could go. I want them to pull everything out of life without being surrounded by mounds of crap that hold us down and burden us with a weightiness in life that the Lord never intended us to have. Something that we have totally brought upon ourselves out of ignorance and being considered acceptable....that has now even become expected as part of living the "American dream".....that, in the end, is not the dream at all.
Finally taking a turn on the engine
On that note, yesterday we took our family Christmas outing. Like every set of good parents should do we have never even taken the children to see Santa Claus. Grayson and Evye went when they were around 3 and 18 months but, other than that, none of the others have even come anywhere near a jolly fat guy in a red suit. With the dept hosting all fire families for a free afternoon with Santa Claus and all of the pictures one could take we decided it'd be a fun outing and something for the little ones to experience for the 1st time. In my ingenuity I thought it'd be fun to do that from 2-4, then go for pizza, run to Wal Mart and spend some time before it got dark and then do the river of lights with Brad with us. This would have been a 96 for Brad but he was called in for OT both Fri night and Sat. We'd finally succeeded in managing to call a babysitter so we had a date night on Fri, thus resulting in him turning Fri's OT down. But when it rolled back around Sat morning he took it. Needless to say, the whole little heading back into town on Sunday wasn't as thrilling for him as it was for the rest of us since he had just returned from there and was having to return on Monday for his normal shift. But with the children absolutely ecstatic about it I was in high spirits and not about to let it deter me from the grandness of the day with the entire family together.
Pretty sisters ready for a day on the town
The station was fun. We arrived with the only other large family on the dept, who we know well, so it looked quite funny as their 8 and our 7 bombarded the place...though they were minus their 2 older ones. Our 2 crews made it seem as though a flock of vultures had descended upon the cookies that remained. Grant, surprisingly, took up with Santa in every way. He clambered up in his lap and sat contentedly, talking his ear off. Not really specifically about anything he desired but just about his little life and what all he found amusing out in the bay. The basketball goal became a hot topic that rolled around more than once and then they graduated on to talk of the engine, medics, cookies, the fire decorations that dangled on the tree and so on. Gavin had been perched happily beside Grant in ole Santa's lap and he smiled non stop. His many admirers that stood cooing and drooling over him only served to prompt more wide gummy smiles and cooing..which then sent his flirtatious onlookers into fits of dying to hold him. So, as the others took turns he was passed from person to person, loving it all. Of course, Garrison decided he did not like Santa at all and then Aubrey was forever Aubrey and obstinately refused to look any male in the eye. She did manage to smile for the picture though...which Garrison never found it within himself to do. But I figured given the sheer number of people we have to get into a picture we're doing really good if we've succeeded in getting half with pleasant looks on their faces. So, that was quite the funny challenge that was somewhat easily conquered. After much visiting with all of the guys and a few other fire families that had showed up later in the day as we had....we somehow managed to miss the bulk of the crowd that had shown up earlier.....we were off for pizza. We made a Sam's run and took time to play on the toys and leisurely make our way through. But by this time Brad's internal body clock had begun to tick and was saying he desperately wanted to go home before having to return for his normal shift in only 13 or so hours. I still was quite determined to make the most of our family Christmas outing so we forged onward to Wal Mart. By the end of Wal Mart Brad was really cranky and the children were wearing a little thin having had no naps at all. Ummmm........an irritable, tired Brad and cranky tired children don't bode well together. But my anal retentiveness in sticking to a plan shone brightly as we pushed forward to the lights. I envisioned the children squealing with delight now that Brad was enjoying them with us. But, alas, it turned into quite the excursion once we arrived. Rows of brake lights faced us as we neared the line to get into the park. Of course Brad resorted to cussing them out. Once in we were behind a slow moving limo...which was, afterall, more than fine with me since we were there to soak this moment in time in and savor the season. We crept along a few blocks discussing each new display as suddenly Brad grew tired of the limo's snailish like speed. Managing to get us up to no less than 80 we flew by it on the undecorated side of the road. A bit shocked, I hadn't had much time to recoup as we then pulled back into the line to see the next display and continued on at about 30 mph, racing through the remaining lights. I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen the river lights at 30 mph before last night. I suppose a colorful blur of twinkling lights has some sort of allure to it that the normal, dull, traditional lights do not hold. Instead of the glorious cheering I had expected the children were tired and merely conversational about what they saw. Even Garrison and Grant had to be prompted to discuss what they were supposed to be overjoyed about. I found our light expedition fairly humorous so in good spirits we set off to make the trip home. The last 20 or so miles were spent quietly talking without the roar of chaos in the backseats and by the time we reached home all 7 children were sleeping soundly in the back of the Suburban.
My sweet view while cooking dinner
Now here we are and ready to take on the preparations for the coming holiday. The rest of the week should be interesting.
The best of friends...Garrison says he wants to marry Aubrey
Bed Buddies
It's just so hard to believe they're all this big
This is the same group of 5 nearly 3 yrs ago
Rowdy Boys!
Smiles from both
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