So, this is how we shovel snow in Pennsylvania.

Hmmm, ran off the sidewalk and got the Bobcat stuck?  It's taking 3 grown men to dig/ snowblow it out (it actually took 4, our other neighbor came over to help)?  Ok, so we live in southeast Pennsylvania.  We are not used to this much snow, all at once.  But, if you are going to have a winter...it's fun to have a WINTER.

Snow piles are fun.

However, spring is not that far away.

Gosh, has it been THAT long?

Life slips by at warp speed.  I've noticed that the older I get, the faster life speeds by.  I gave up on blogging.  It just took too much time away from my family, I need my beauty sleep, and nobody but my family reads it anyway.  But here I am 2 years later, adding to it. I like to add to it for my kids.  So they can read and remember.  Or maybe so I can read and remember.  Whatever.  Our kids are now 14,12,7,7,6, and 3.  Trouble#3 turned 6 yesterday.  His siblings surprised him by decorating the house while we were out at therapy and had a "surprise party", complete with jello, when we returned. (They are such awesome siblings!!) He is so loved.  He was so excited.  He walked around to each one, giving them a hug and saying thank-you.  Such sweetness I could get cavities.  Six years old.  He came home at 6 months. 12 pounds, not able to even hold his head up.  At this moment he is outside sledding.  Sledding in our newly fallen 12 inches of snow.  Plowing through a foot of snow like a champ.  Last night they were sock-speed skating around our kitchen for the gold.

The kid can light up a room with his smile.  Everyone loves his smile.  As everyone should.  He will always be my baby boy.  He is my "Jep".  (If you watch Duck Dynasty, his favorite show, you'll totally know what that means :) )  Mommy loves you my littlest boy.  You are such a total blessing to me.  My every-year-valentine.  oxoxoxoxox

You know it's a bad when...

You wake up sick.  And I mean SICK.  Fever, cough, runny nose, OD on Nyquil type sick.  I walk out of my bedroom and a certain 4 year old is lying on the floor outside my door.  He only ever does that when he's sick. "oh no, Trouble #3 is sick.", say I.  "Yeah.", states Trouble 1 and 2 sitting in the family room watching TV.  "He puked".  Puked?  Oh no, "where?" I yell.  In his bed.  Ok, containment, that's good.  I strip the sheets, start the laundry, cancel therapy, rearrange my day.  Now I have to go to the market now,as opposed to after therapy.  I tell the kids to get ready for co-op and I run to the store.  Ginger ale, rice, gatorade, chicken broth, salsa.  Stuff for sickness.  Come home kids help carry in bags.  Babe is running around outside with just a diaper.  Get her inside I think as I shoo with my foot holding all my bags.  I hear glass breakage behind me. "Oh oh" says sufer gal.  Deal with it after Babe is inside.  In the kitchen Trouble #2 is screaming, yes screaming, something about she needed help, it was too heavy, yada, yada.  I see the problem.  She carried in the apple cider I had just bought as a surprise.  The gallon of apple cider.  Apparently a gallon of liquid is too heavy for her to carry and she just dropped it.  On the floor.  Too which the cheap plastic split, spilling said apple cider all over kitchen floor.  Let's refresh...I'm sicker than sick, puke upstairs, salsa on driveway, apple cider in kitchen, baby in a diaper, running late for co-op.  Awesome.  Some days you just need a do over.   Then you have a hurricane 4 days later and lose electricity for 4 days.  Sometimes the whole week need to be a do over.


Just to clarify, the glass did get picked up, salsa washed off driveway, kitchen floor got scrubbed, diaper changed, kids got to co-op, I bought new apple cider and salsa, had chicken soup for dinner, and everybody got to bed early. It was a 24 hour puke virus that was contained to one kid.  I went to the Dr..  It was a learning experience...be grateful for the little things. :)

I am a very bad blogger.

There, I got that out of the way.

 

School's back in session.  I don't know why I always say, "life is so hectic right now."   I really think that this business is just our new normal...and I'm in denial.  Gone are the days of sleeping in, going out, watching TV shows at their regularly scheduled times (thankful for DVRs, I do have a few favorites).  And I'm OK with that, most of the time. 


School is busy.  Science fairs, drama plays, costumes, field trips, Mina projects, reading, reading, reading, notebooking, math pages, how to write your last name, reading.  Then there is laundry.  Oh, the laundry.  Sometimes I just need a break, a time to sit back and just be.  Just be quiet with Jesus.  I struggle with that.  I need to intentionally be with God in quiet, more often.  Life will still be warp speed, but God's speed is so much calmer than my speed.  No matter how fast it is.

Lazy days of summer?

Surfer dude surprised me one morning with these delectable niblits. Cherries dipped in CoolWhip and sprinkled with mini choco chips.  Mmmmmmmmm.  Isn't he the sweetest?!

One cute kid.  One proud papa scorekeeper.

This picture proves that one can still be incredibly cute even though we are very sick and have really bad hair

Whoever said lazy days of summer?  That person obviously did not have children.  Nothing is lazy about summer.  Except maybe my cooking.  I tend to cook a lot less, and when I do, it's a lot simpler.  We have been so busy with Surfer dude's travel baseball team.  Tournaments almost every weekend, practice every Tuesday, and a scrimmage, or two (or three) thrown in there when ever they could.  It's been fun watching him learn how to play better baseball.  Games can be INTENSE!  Too intense sometimes for this momma.  The kids on both teams play hard.  My little boy is growing up fast.  August he turns 13.  Teenager in the house!  Our  first.  Eeeek! Behavior wise I feel sometimes as if we are turning a corner.  Then again, sometimes I don't. Mornings are still tough, but I feel as if our battles are fewer, albeit they may be a bit stronger at times.  Him pulling away from mom.  Mom trying to hold on tight.  I've been learning to loosen up my grasp.  As hard as it may be.  I have 5 years to help guide his heart.  I remember someone at one point asking me why we home schooled, and what were we going to do about a prom.  Lord, help me.  We have also been struck with the pneumonia bug.  The babe had pneumonia and double ear infections and was down and out of commission for a few days.  Almost had a trip to ala hotel CHOP.  She is a strong chickie though and amazed everyone with her quick rebound.  She is now walking.  I mean she is a walker.  No more crawling, even on grass, stones, driveway....  You name it.  Man, girlfriend gets around.  I should be thin.  I have however tried to intentionally, through all this craziness, slow down and look at and enjoy more of my children.  Tousle their hair, kiss the tiny feet, and hug all of them.  Let them get dirty.  Enjoy water play, with them.  Tell them I love them.  Tell them Jesus loves them.  Go barefoot.  Paint tiny toenails.  Eat popsicles.  Summer is almost over.  It's been a good one. :)

What was once old, is now new again

Ok, I admit I watched Mr. Rogers every day growing up, and I loved him.  Surfer Dude watched him in his early years, before the show went off air.  We loved Mr. Rogers.  We miss Mr. Rogers.  They just don't have quality TV like this anymore.  This totally rocks!   I think Mr. Rogers would like it.  We need more Mr. Rogers, less SpongeBob.

heartache overwhelming

DOB: 2007

Diagnosis: irritated intestines, gastritis, epilepsy

Gemma was raised by her birth mother until she was 2 years old. At that time, she was placed in an orphanage where she received very little medical intervention or care for her development. She’s now almost 5 years old and weighs just 18 pounds. She is delayed in all aspects of her development and spends a majority of her time laying in a crib. Due to problems with her intestines, she often gets bloated after eating and possibly experiences reflux as well.

Reality sucks sometimes.  It is fact that this child was raised by her birth mother for 2 years before coming to the orphanage.  I don't know what that reality was like for her.  But, truth is, reality at the orphanage is that she is not, and never has, received the attention and medical intervention and just plain old every day care that she needs. 5 years old, 18 pounds.  Why is this ok?  When are we going to step up to the plate and say this is NOT okay?  When are we going to step out of our comfort zone and do something?  This child has 2 months for a family to step up.  Otherwise her file gets sent back, and she remains in a crib.  There are so many, just like her.  I am overwhelmed by the sheer greatness of heartache I have for these children.  www.reecesrainbow.org