More on measurements

Rosie is clearly struggling with her sense of measurements.  A few posts back I recorded her asking how much she "cost" as she stepped onto the scale.

Over Easter she was telling her dad and Uncle Mike about a dead frog that we passed on the road. (It was right on the path and we actually walked right over it.)  Uncle Mike asked her how far away it was from her.  Rosie answered in silence, because Rosie is shy and answers no one outside of our family.  So, her father followed up on the question:

Dad: "Yes Rosie, how far was the dead frog from you?"

Rosie: "I don't know"

Dad: "Was it close or far?"

Rosie: "I don't know, like, how many miles??

…

The next day we were getting gas and my husband got into the car.  Rosie asked: "How many inches did you get?"  I sat in the front seat completely confused by her question.  My husband replied "I got 20 gallons".

Three year olds!

Spring vacation (in retrospect)

I love Lent.  I absolutely love a chance to start over.  I love to weed out, reorganize, and clean.  I love apologies and forgiveness and new beginnings.  Lent is sort of my New Year's.  But this year, my Lent is a little less about Spring Cleaning and the 40 bags in 40 days challenge (which, again, I love). This year my husband said it was time for him to visit his parents.  My in-laws live in the southwest and we are blessed to be able to visit them frequently and for extended amounts of time.  It is a blessing that sometimes I'm not grateful for.  I am a homebody with a huge operation to run: 8 kids, homeschooling, ...do I have to add to that list??  In a family of ten, you don't just "pop down" to the opposite end of the country for a month lightly.  But I sort of do.
I pack clothes. I pack basic school books. I shut my home down (I posted my list on that). And we go.

I leave my world, my (extended) family, my friends, my sense of order, my routine, my privacy, my sense of control.  I abandon my life into the hands of God as I climb onto a plane that I am afraid will be my death.  This Lent, I was called to give up "my world"…the one that Simon Tugwell speaks of, that imaginary universe of which we are the false god wielding our false sense of omnipotence.  I'm definitely tempted by that false sense of control (and frustrated to no end at that).

It is hard to give up. I like control. I like my own home. I like running my family in my own way and feeding it the food I want to feed it with.  I have to let that go.  I let it go for the sake of my husband, yes, so that he can get his sunshine and golf…but I do it for something more, too. I do it for family.

My children have a relationship with their family on the other side of this country that I never had with my extended family.  They have an aunt and uncle who are much more fun than their own parents, if only because they own a pool with a slide and a tennis court, and cousins who dazzle even my own athletic children with their physical skills.  They have a grandmother who happens to breed thoroughbreds as a hobby on a gorgeous piece of land that has a river running through it and bluffs overlooking it.  They read to this dear woman each and every time they climbed into her car to drive anywhere (home from a restaurant, the grocery store,…) and they got through the entire Hobbit last summer and at least one book into the Lord of the Rings this visit.  They long to share their loves with her, and she tries mightily to reciprocate enthusiasm, bless her.   They get to eat all of the ice cream their Papa can buy…whether or not their mother noticed that dinner was a bite of mac n' cheese and a few fries--with a Sprite. <sigh>

My in-laws are not young, but my children have made memories and built a relationship which I pray may last for many more years.  I believe that my children are actually friends with their grandparents.  And that is very much worth it.  I shouldn't be surprised that my own relationship with my in-laws is strengthened as well, sharing their life for weeks at a time. But this time I was, happily, surprised to discover just how much fun we could have together, if only I'd let go of my desire to be in control of my own world…it was worth it.  Even if we do have to return to our world and our home (sweet home!!), it is all worth giving up my world and trying to die to myself.  Besides, I get to eat awesome Mexican for a month, so, a little perk;).

So, I Spring clean now.

Thank you

Auntie Leila, again:

http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2014/04/the-third-secret-to-destruction-proofing-your-family/

Why can't I write like her?!

You know you have a pre-teen when

I've been laughing with Arwen this year.  We joke around about her being a "pre-teen".  She puts on this really funny act where she pretends to be the stereotype of a "cool" teenager.  She tells me I'm "so yesterday", says she'll "upload her playlist" or send me a new "app" for my iPhone, all with a great deal of "attitude" and probably holding her hand up in a peace sign. You get the idea.  It's funny.

Today I asked her to change a lightbulb.  I guess I've never asked before. She responded with an "what? I don't even know how to!"  My husband overheard and said "do it" (not unkindly).  She said she didn't even know how to get it out.  He said to turn it to the left.

After a struggle to find the correct bulb with the correct wattage, Arwen stomped back towards the lamp to screw in the new bulb ("to the right")…and then, I heard it. It was classic. With all of that awesome pre-teen frustrated attitude (except this time she wasn't acting), Arwen made one of her best pre-teen debuts. She said to her dad:

"What do you think I am, an engineer or something?!!"

I burst out laughing.  We regaled Arwen about being a pre-teen, and she couldn't help but smile at herself as she said something about me being so weird.  I told my husband that I'm kind of loving this middle-aged parenting thing.  It's really fun!

I hate to justify...

…my dirty house, but this gives me a little bit of an excuse to ignore the mess, at least for a little while…don't you agree?:)


When I hear the confession of a young married man or woman, and they refer to their son or daughter, I ask, ‘How many children do you have?’ and they tell me. Maybe they’re expecting another question after that, but I always ask “And tell me, do you play with your children? Do you waste time with your children? The free gift of a parent’s time is so important.”
-Pope Francis. 

Funny, Overheard

Rosie (three years old) stepped onto the bathroom scale:


Rosie: "Daddy, how much do I cost?"

Father: "You weigh 40 pounds"

Rosie: "How much does "Legolas" cost?"

This has to happen

I have to post. I'm actually going around the house composing a post in my brain and it's making me nuts! It's a writer's thing.
So, I know I promised all sorts of things, like the birth story of my eighth beautiful three month old daughter. Well, let's see: she came, she is perfect, I'm alive. I think that's it in a nutshell.

Now, I have got to get this out of me: it's the HOW TO PLAN TO TRAVEL WITH A 10 PERSON FAMILY--FOR 3 WEEKS (or however long, but long).
I have to write this because my sister loves lists. I think it makes list people have a sense of control over any given situation. I like lists a little. But I'm not a list person. Anyway, I looked up FlyLady's list for packing before vacation. I'd link you, but I have no time (hence no posts), google Fly Lady.
Her list lost me when she said: first, your house must be left sparkling. Then she listed things like socks and toothbrushes. Ok, I don't need a list for that. I'm not going to forget my undies. And breezing past "leave your house sparkling" makes a gal like me (with 8 kids and a newborn) really annoyed. Because that little breezy remark, my friends, is the hinge upon which the whole possibility of vacationing rests.

Ok, so in the two free minutes I have left…here's my list:

You are leaving in 1 week (minimum give yourself 3 days; 2 and it's going to be ugly.)
Start shutting things down now.
1) cancel all activities but the most essential appointments. We are keeping piano lessons this week (to reduce the number we miss, and because it will keep the kids occupied while I work), but nothing else. Friends and family will stay away and keep any phone calls short. Unless they're dropping off a coffee. That's ok.

2) go postal on LAUNDRY. Do all laundry and you can pack (in fact, feel free to pack as you fold…I have no problem leaving half-packed suitcases in my living room for the days before travel. No one is visiting anyway, remember?) Otherwise put it in away so you can lay everything out and decide what to take later. But you can't pack if it isn't clean. Dirty laundry left in the chute or hamper for extended vacations? Ew. Not an option. If you're a big family, you have a lot of laundry--so attack. Full-on laundry mode until it's all done. Part B of this step is to tell your kids to wear the same clothes for a week. I'm exaggerating, but only a little. Make as little new laundry as possible, and keep up on it.

3)Kitchen. Do all dishes. Start simplifying meals, eat everything in your fridge before you go. As you get close, only buy things you can eat in the number of days you have left. By the day or two before you leave, you should be down to bare bones and take-out dinners. The day before you leave, clean out the fridge and wipe it down (if you have the ambition). Eating out the night before travel is a very good idea.

4)Bathrooms. Trash out. Bleach/scour.  Must be left pretty near pristine.  Do this at the beginning of the week, try to keep up daily blitzes and then give it a good going over the day before you leave. Don't leave 3 ½ baths to be scoured the day before you leave. Too many last-minute details creep up on you, and stress can shut you down as you get close to the end.

5) all of that trash now in the outdoor/garage trash cans? Make sure someone can get it out for the trash pick-up on the day it comes…otherwise you've got food rotting in your garbage cans for an extended period of time. It has bad repercussions. I'm just saying.

6) go ahead and take care of forwarding or holding mail, shutting down hot water/heat/air conditioning…my husband is great about the practical details, so I won't elaborate here.

7) Pack. Think through carefully and make sure it's all there. Lay stuff out that you don't want to forget to take. Start putting stuff on the kitchen table or counter so you can't forget it. Write things down as they come to you so you don't forget…we're getting very close to the end now.

8)make a fun trip to Target or the Grocery store for travel snacks, coloring pads, or whatever is going to  give the kids a little lift as you get through the grueling travel. (Books on tape, DVDs too, whatever).

9)I always leave this last, but it should probably be done first: stock that diaper bag! Extra outfits!!

10) if you are still holding up and not in fetal position on the couch as you imagine scenes at the airport check-in…go ahead and vacuum the house, all floors.

Shall we recap? Do nothing but laundry, kitchen, bathrooms, trash, pack (attn.: fun extras and diaper bag..ok, purse too) and vacuum.

 You're good to go!
Now, if you want that list of what to pack, go print it off at FlyLady. But you're going to have to do that laundry first.;)

Bon Voyage!