Mandy Mom

I updated my Shutterbuggin’ blog with photos from our beach vacation!  Head over there (see navigation, right, for link)!

The day did not start well.  I had managed to crawl out of bed and gather the baby from his crib before snuggling back under my sheets to nurse him and catch a little more shuteye when I heard a little voice whisper, “Mommy? Mommy? Mom.  I wet the bed.”

I groaned in my head.  Greaaaat.

I told her to change her clothes and lay on the couch until I finished feeding the wee one.  A couple minutes later, my middle child emerged from his room, insisting that he needed to poop.  What he failed to tell his dad was that he had already pooped in his pull-ups.  He proceded to coat the bathroom floor and toilet seat with a layer of feces (oh fun), before Brandon realized exactly what was going on.

Oh, and my husband had a fibromyalgia breakdown last night, so he wasn’t exactly of clear mind and body today, poor guy.

I laid the baby back in his crib, then pulled the sheets from my daughter’s bed.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a naked little boy streak across the hallway….. with toilet paper hanging from his booty.

I looked closer and saw poop was still smeared all over his rear end.  Again, I growned inwardly and whined, What a way to begin the day.  Thanks God.  Why me? Whyyyyyy?

My husband cleaned the bathroom while I cleaned the boy.  Then we ushered everyone back into their rooms (or couch) so I could get a little more sleep before facing the rest of the day.

In all this commotion, I forgot to let out the dog.

So, when I finally got up, I found her whining and wiggling.  She made a straight path to the front door, which I flung open just in time for her to scurry outside and do her business.  I waited around for her to do number two, which is a big ordeal because she has to find just the right spot… the perfect spot…. and I guess there are few perfect spots in our yard.

Finally, she crouched and I realized she was having a bit of trouble going.  Poor dog has the runs.  And it occurs to me that the kids had slipped her some table food the other day, which is probably the reason for soupy poopies.  Ew.

Once she completed her “duty” (doodie? hehe), we returned to the coolness of the house (man, it’s so hot and humid, even in the morning), where I reached into her kennel to pull out her bowls and find…….

Pee.

She began to bark at something she saw beyond the sliding glass door, so I slipped her leash on and sent her outside, closing the end of the leash (which is a retractable leash) on the inside of the door.  I took her kennel outside to spray it down, then came back to find the leash BROKEN.  Luckily, once she discovered her new-found freedom, she used it to come to the front door, where the kids let her back in.

Oy.

And, luckily (that’s two luckilies so far), I saved the receipt (only because I bought a collar at the same time, which doesn’t fit, so I have to take it back), so I think I’ll be able to at least replace the leash.

Obviously, this morning has been completely centered around bowel movements, which isn’t exactly the most appetizing topic in the world.  Ever notice that once you become a parent, you talk about bowel movements far more than you’d like, and it even becomes a source of excitement?

When my third child finally got all the “black tar” meconium poop out of his system, I excited ran into the guestroom to tell my mom, “He finally has those ‘breastmilk’ poops, Mom!”  Oddly enough, she was equally excited. 

When we were potty training our first child, every time she pooped or pottied on the toilet, we’d call someone (whomever was available, whether it be Daddy, Nana, or Poppa) to exclaim the good news, which was usually followed by high-pitched good jobs and “Way to go!”  We did that with our second too, but he didn’t seem to need the calls as motivation.  He has pretty much potty trained himself, which, whew, takes a load off of me!

Anyway, so my day started out rather cruddy, but still, in between the time I cleaned my middle child and let out the dog, I had time to pray and read in God’s Word, where I realized that some days will not start okay, but if I keep my calm and don’t allow those little things to ”rain on my parade”, God can still use the day to bless my socks off. (And you must admit, the morning’s antics did make for a great little laugh for anyone not writing this blog and named Mandy.) 

Must go.  I have another heiny to wipe.

PS- Lurkers….
I notice I have A LOT, and I do mean A LOT of lurkers.  Please, leave a comment!  Let me know a little about yourself! Don’t just read and run!

“Worship should be contagious,” he said before taking a big bite of casserole.
We were sitting around the dinner table discussing various methods of praise and worship, accounting for how we had experienced it ourselves, and where we felt we ourselves were lacking.

We’ve been to churches where people seemed to be in mourning instead of overwhelmed with excitement, joy, and praise for Christ’s death on the cross, a death that gave us life, sweet life.  We’ve also been to churches where the worship fills the room, hands are raised, tears are running down faces, and many knees are bowed before the Lord.  Voices are ringing out, no matter their tone, whether they’re on key or not, because the intention isn’t to “sound like perfection”, but rather to worship- to worship whole heartedly and without reserve.  It’s a worship you know hasn’t just begun that Sunday morning, but has been a continuation, a result, if you will, of a passionate daily praise and worship.

There are times when I have held back my praise and worship- pushing my voice down inside, keeping my hands in my pockets- because I was focused on those around me, but when I focus on the greatness of my God, when I breathe Him in, when I allow myself to be moved because I have opened my heart and soul to Him…..

Oh the joy that swells inside of me!

Most mornings, we turn on praise music.  I move about the house, preparing for the day, washing dishes, changing diapers, and praising the One who saves.  In my own home, in my own space, I don’t hold back.  Why do I hold back when I’m in church?  Why do I hold back when I’m surrounded by the church, those people I fellowship with?

John, his wife, and my husband and I sit on the front row. (Okay, the second row, because I like to hold on to the seats of the front row, and no one sits there anyway… mainly because it’s the “spitting row”.  You just might get wet if you sit there, this of which the pastor will admit!  When he get’s to rolling, he’s so passionate that he just can’t help what comes out of his mouth…. even his drops of spit.)  I love sitting here because I don’t see those behind me.  I just look at the walls, or the words on the songs, and sing sing sing.  And, when the pastor is preaching, I have a clear view of him.  I don’t have any distractions (and I’m easily distracted).  I love that I’m right next to my closest friends- people who praise and worship with fervor.  It is contagious!

“Side” note:
You know, in the beginning, and sometimes still, the reason I don’t really get into the worship, even when my heart is swelling with love and praise, is because I’m self-conscious.  And, sometimes, like one of my noters, I’m worried about making others uncomfortable, especially if they are new to the church.  It’s not that we shouldn’t want to make others comfortable, but we shouldn’t hold back our praise and worship- our expression of thankfulness and love- for our God just because we are afraid others might not be comfortable.

Easier said than done, I realize, even for myself, but then when you look at the world, you will realize that they are usually uncomfortable with ANYTHING Christ related.  We don’t want to offend others, but the gospel DOES offend because it convicts us of our sin and shows that we aren’t worthy, and, quite frankly, when someone tells you that you aren’t worthy…. you aren’t God…. you aren’t in control…. you could very well get offended.  When we live out our faith day to day, we will make people uneasy.  When we walk in the Holy Spirit, some people will be uncomfortable.  It’s not us that they are uncomfortable with, really. It’s Christ.

To broadcast television.  Today our cable company came out and disconnected.  Of course, I had to make sure they understood I still wanted internet (disconnecting that would have sent me into a panic), but was ready for cable TV to skit-skat.

We had been talking about discontinuing the service for quite a while, but, well, truth be told, I didn’t want to part with some of my favorite shows, even though those shows weren’t exactly godly or uplifting.  I called it procrastinating, but God called it disobedience.  Then he began to show me some of the things my kids were soaking up in seemly innocent shows, and we knew we needed to get rid of it.

We haven’t watched much television since we made that desicion, which is why it’s fairly easy to say good-bye to it now that it’s indefinitely disconnected.

As parents, we must control what we allow inside our home.  I was allowing the world to poison my family’s mind through the television!

I know, there are some really good, clean, educational shows, but mostly there’s a lot of shows that don’t go along with God’s principles.  The bad outweighs the good, which is why it needed to go.  If the kids want to watch something, we can rent movies or borrow them from the library- that way I can better control the content.

Little story here…
One day, I was taking a bath when the kids plopped down on the couch and flipped on the television.  They began punching numbers, and, unbeknownst to me, had settled on a fuzzy channel featuring a couple doing the “dirty”.  My brother, who was staying with us while he worked in a nearby town, came in to find them staring curiously at the TV.  They didn’t purposefully stop on this channel, they were trying to find the Disney Channel, but kept punching in the wrong number.  Still, when this is just a button away, I think it’s better we just leave it all behind.

(these aren’t in any specific order, btw.)

Five favorite foods
1. Tacos (especially my Granny’s fried tacos, a family tradition!)
2. Tamales
3. My dad’s biscuits and gravy
4. A big juicy bacon and avocado burger
5. Which reminds me…. mm, guacamole!
(I can’t believe I have to limit myself to 5 favorites! What about taquitos, fajitas, nachos, lasagna, and spring rolls?)

Five favorite desserts
1. Brownies
2. Yellow cake, chocolate icing.
3. Homemade carrot cake with cream cheese icing (*drool*)
4. My Granny’s chocolate chip cookies (*major drool*)
5. Cinnamon rolls, Cinnabon style.

Five favorite websites
1. http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/   When it comes to raising children, this woman has awesome, biblically-based advice.  She finally put it in print (I mean, book form), but the information is written out over her website if you can’t afford it.

2. www.mandymom.com  Oh, come on, you know I had to put that in there.  In all seriousness, I love having a place to share my thoughts, my studies, things God has revealed to me, and all the goofy, fun family stuff.

3. www.heartofthematteronline.com / http://heartofthemattermagazine.com  No, it’s not my favorite just because I write for it.  HOTM encourages me in Christ and in homeschooling my children.

4. Above Rubies (http://rubies.articledirectoree.com/) is a wonderful Christian website geared toward women. (Okay, is it “towards” or “toward”? I always struggle with that!)  When I have time to sit down, this is one of the websites I head for to read great articles and devotionals.

5. http://familymanweb.com/  This guy cracks me up.  Todd Wilson is the “family man”, and he’s created a Christian website for fathers to encourage them to be to be the best hubbies and dads they can be.  I may not be a man, but I really appreciate his posts. He’s hilarious!

Five favorite things about your spouse
1. I was watching my husband as he loaded up the vehicle this morning.  I looked at his calves poking out from his jean shorts and thought, “Man, those are sexy calves.”  Also, if we ever get to the point where there is no food, we can eat off those massive things for a week or two.  All muscle. No fat.  They get a good work out every day as he works to provide for our family!

2. I love that my husband desires God’s will for our family.  I am so thankful that his definition of being “a MAN” doesn’t involve grunting in my direction, cussing, flirting with or eyeballing women, and watching sport shows on the big screen.  His definition of being a man is leading us closer to God.  I am thankful that I have a husband who is sensitive to my needs and genuinely cares about how I feel.  I am grateful that he desires to understand me and tried to see things from my point of view.  I am so appreciative of the time he spends providing.  He works hard, despite the fact that he aches all day (because he has fibromyalgia).  He wants to live up to God’s definition of a man, not man’s definiton of being a “man”, and that’s my “favoritest” thing about him.

3. His DNA.  Seriously. We make cute kids. 

4. His bald noggin.  I just love it when it’s freshly shaved and kissably smooth.

5. I love that my husband isn’t this scrawny little twig.  I enjoy snuggling up to him.  He may give off this tough guy vibe, but when you know him, you realize he’s a loving person…. really, he’s a big ol’ teddy bear (but with muscle, not fluff, so he’s firmer… and not as hairy, of course).  He makes me feel safe, and, in the winter, he’s my heater.

Five Favorite Things About Yourself
1. Oy. Okay, well…. I love my eyes.  I get a lot of compliments on these baby blues, and I can only thank my parents for passing them onto me.  My dad has this glimmering, beautiful eyes, and I think I inherited them.

2. I like that I’m a positive person.  I’m a glass-half-full kind of gal most of the time.  Being positive, even in the face of negativity, is what has allowed me to accomplish a lot of things.  When I am negative about something, I usually fail at it.  When I’m positive about it (and when I place my trust in Christ), I usually succeed!  Besides, being positive builds other people up too, and being negative just makes you hard to be around.

3. I’ve been typing 89 words per minute (or more) since I was 10 years old.  I’m gooood. Typing is so much easier for me than writing (even though I love to write) because I can type almost as fast as I think so I don’t forget anything.

4. There are some things that aren’t exactly “my favorite” about myself, but I am thankful that God has shown me that I was individually created.  I wasn’t made to be exactly like everyone else.  We aren’t suppose to be clones of each other.  He has given me some amazing gifts/talents to bless others with, and he has pointed out that, those things I’m not so good at, it’s for a reason… and sometimes, that reason is so that others can be useful in blessing me.  God’s awesome like that.  So, this is where I say that I’m thankful that God created me as he did.

5. My creativity.  It’s abundant.

Five of your Favorite words or sayings.
(I don’t know if all of these are necessarily my favorite, but I say some of them a lot!)
1. “What’s snap-a-nin?” (What’s happenin’?)
2. I love you.
3. Yello’?  (as in Hello?)
4. Somebody call a WHAAAAmbulance!  (That just sounds hilarious.)
5. Dinner’s Ready (Wooo!)
 

About a year ago, I went into this crazy panic and bought several books on parenting. Pregnant with my third child, I felt I was seriously lacking. I mean, shouldn’t I have all the answers by now? Shouldn’t I have it all together? Shouldn’t my children be perfectly behaved before I bring any others into this creation. (I should add here that I was still trying to potty train a four-year-old, which definitely led me to question my abilities as a mother.)

The other day, as I was decluttering my book pile, I came across these books once again.

What am I going to do with these things? I pondered. I can’t pass them on to others.

You see, the advice in these books was good, at times, but it was missing an important ingredient. Even books that claimed to be biblically based lacked Truth. Many of them, most of them, told parents we don’t have any right over our children. And discipline? It’s a bad word. Punishment too. Shh, don’t say such a thing. Obviously, they failed to see where God corrected and punished his people. They failed to understand that God gave parents authority over their children and instructed us to raise them up in the Lord- to train them, to be “hands on”, to correct them, to discipline them, to shelter them, and, yes, at times, to punish them. Now, I understand God’s grace and mercy, but it doesn’t mean that we won’t face the consequences of many of our actions. (Thankfully, we don’t have to face the ultimate consequence of our sins: death/hell, but being Christian does not allow us to do whatever and get away with it!) I shudder to think I almost fell for this stuff. Okay, no almost about it. I tried it and saw that it only magnified my children’s selfishness and flesh. Then someone told me, “Hey, snap out of it. God has given you authority over your children. Parent isn’t just a noun, it’s a verb, and it requires action. Kids don’t know any better, and it is your job to protect your children from themselves! It’s your job to teach them right from wrong. It’s your job to teach them the Word and Truth!” Oh, and that someone? It was God.

I sighed. I guess no one will get any use out of these. Well, I can admit when I’m wrong. I just swatted a big fat fly with one of those books. Turns out it is useful for something! Maybe I can find a few other uses for them as well.

“Side” note: I just had the thought that parenting books now days are like Do-It-Yourself How-tos. I need to understand that parenting… it’s not a DIY thing. It’s a DIWG thing. [That’s Do-it-with-God, btw.] When I look back on my most frustrating times…. it’s those days when I tried to handle everything on my own, when I relied on my own will and wit, my own patience and understanding. God longs to help us out, lift us up, ease our burden. Many people don’t understand how God can do this. They don’t understand the rest and peace available through Christ. I suppose, the first time we experience it is when we are at the end of our rope and realize we cannot do this alone (whatever “this” may be… whether it be a relationship, a job, a personal struggle). However, once you’ve tasted of it, you realize how wonderful it is!

Oh.. there’s another fly…

I saw this quote on Mama Archer’s blog and had to post it here.

The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing; but in our culture, we apply for a curse and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture.  [Doug Phillips]

Now, listen to this (it will open your media player, so turn up your speakers):

We Hate Children

I was washing the dishes the other day when my three-year-old son approached me.
“Mom, I need to wash my hands.  They’re guilty.” 

This morning, as I was bathing, the same little munchkin shuffled into the bathroom and swished his hands in my bathwater.  “My hands are guilty.  I gots to wash them.”

Now, I know what he means to say is filthy, and it just comes out “guilty”, but, spiritually speaking, filth equals guilt.  Guilt equals sin, and, as sinners, we all could use is a good washing.

Just as we (hopefully) bathe regularly to keep our bodies clean and fresh, we should also cleanse ourselves spiritually through The Word so that our minds and hearts will be clean and fresh as well.

I feel that the more I drift away from reading The Word, the more likely I am to fall into temptation or lose sight of the ultimate goal, but when I read and pray often, when I listen to annointed preaching, and when I fellowship with those who are also passionate about the things of Christ, then I should be continually convicted and encouraged in Christ.

Sometimes, we are so filthy that we need a good scrubbing. I can tell you from experience, scrubbing your skin, naturally speaking, isn’t all that comfortable and relaxing, but afterwards, the clean feeling is worth it.  I can also tell you from experience, that spiritual scrubbing is painful and often humiliating, but… again, worth it.

Not to long ago, my dad had a cancer removed from his neck.  For years, this little spot on his neck was often irritated, but he tried to tend to it the best he could.  He put off going to the doctor until my mom pushed him.  Luckily, it was confined to this area and they were able to remove it.  Now there is a slightly pink scar where this quarter-sized spot use to be.

Much of the time, this is how I am.  There is something in my life that I keep trying to deal with on my own, but, when it comes right down to it, my efforts are useless.  The only person who can heal me is the Great Physician.  I need His guidance and help with my problems and issues.  I can look back in my life and see things that were cancerous, spiritually speaking.  In one experience, the “cancer” spread to so many areas of my life.. even “infecting” my children.  Why?  Because I was trying to deal with it myself, even though I knew it was beyond anything I could solve or cure on my own.

I am so thankful that God has shown me the “cancers” I need to remove from my life, and He promises to help and guide me in correcting my wrongs and realigning my steps……

For I am guilty, and I need to wash my hands.

So, I’m back from my beach vacation, and boy, did I have a blast.  No, I’m not crunchy tanned, but I did get a bit of a glow.  I use to be the type of gal (especially as kid) who soaked up the sun without thought, but now I worry that doing so will curse me with cancer, so I slather on the SPF and hope for the best.  Thirty years from now, when I’m in my 50’s and look like I’m 30-something (as my mom does), I’ll thank myself for preserving my skin by steering clear of harmful rays.  Can I get an amen in the house, er.. bloggesphere?

I just want to warn you all, I have loads of pictures.  In fact, when I uploaded the last few photos from my camera to my mom’s computer last night, I counted about 400 pictures, and well, that’s missing about 50 more that my friend Ashley took of our family. 

Don’t worry.  I’ll narrow it down to the best 100.

Some of these photos will be posted here, but for the most part, I’ll be flooding my Shutterbuggin blog (see navigation, right column) with the majority of our snapshots.

Ashley took some awesome photos of our family, and I can’t wait to have them printed.  I might just wallpaper my whole livingroom with them.  Here’s a little teaser, just one of many photos I have to share!

(With my parents, Charles & Cathy, and my brother Chip, far right)

Nolypie put on my glasses and said, “Look Mommy! I’m you!”

(Picture by Merbear)  He looks good with glasses!

She could be one beautiful geek.  Geeks rock.

And Keagie?  Well, don’t the glasses say it all?

I usually wear my contacts, but during allergy season, my glasses are my friend!

I see a big need in churches across the world today. There’s something lacking, something major, and it’s called TRUTH.  I see too many people depending on their own understanding of the bible, or even someone elses’s understanding, instead of digging into the bible and allowing God to reveal the Way.

Jesus answered, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  [John 14:6]

I was watching Joel Olsteen preach the other day (on television), and I was saddened that his message was not that of the Lord, but that of a “feel good God”.  He has twisted verses, left off tidbits, and basically, rearranged the bible to mean what he wants it to mean.  His message is that God wants us to be happy.  He wants us to be financially wealthy and to have everything our heart desires.

You know, if Jesus came to earth to make us happy, he failed miserably.  Look around.  I see few people who are truly happy, even those with riches and wealth.

The good news is, Jesus did come to give us temporary happiness and wealth.  He came to give us peace, joy, and everlasting life. 

I grew up reading the bible, but for years, I read it with a particular mindset.  At some point, I asked God to take away my preconceived notions and ideas about what the bible said and to reveal His Word (and meaning) to me with refreshing clarity as I read it.  I had read the bible many, many times, but I was amazed as I read it again, seeing and understanding things I had not seen and understood before.  My husband did this as well, and, each night, we’d excitedly tell each other about the revelations God had given us throughout the day.

God revealed that the only way to heaven is through His Son.  For years, we had tried to follow a set of rules, had tried to live up to a standard… and had felt like such failures.  He showed us that salvation is “of the Lord”.  Salvation doesn’t come from our works.  It doesn’t come from belonging to a certain group.  It’s not anything we have done.  Salvation is a gift from Christ, who died for our sins, who experienced hell while on the cross so that we would not have to.

What it comes down to is that salvation is a result of belonging to the Lord. 

The law, or the commandments, were to show us that we don’t measure up. The law was made to reveal us as sinners so that we would realize we are unworthy.  The bible says the wages (payment) for sin is death.  I am so thankful that Christ paid that in full.  What a shame it would be if I didn’t accept the payment!

The grace of God allows us through the gates of Heaven, not our works, but our works are definitely a result of our salvation.  When we love someone, we long to please them. If we have given our lives to the Lord, then we will allow Him to use our lives for the good of His kingdom.

For years, I strived to please God.  I ached inside, because I knew there was something missing. At some point, I gave up, because I felt I would never make it, would never get it, and was doomed for hell. While I am not proud of the events that ultimately led me to God’s feet, I am thankful that God used the experience to show me what a mess I was.  We need to realize that we are sinners.  No, we are not just “people who make mistakes”.  We are sinners.  Filthy rags.  Disgusting.  Repulsive.  When Jesus took on our sin while on the cross, Father God had to turn away because He cannot be in the presence of sin.  I am SO thankful that Jesus took on our sin.  While on the cross, he experienced separation from God, darkness, and thirst- which is what hell is described to be.  He experienced hell so I don’t have to.  He experienced separation from God so I don’t have to.  He experienced bondage so we could have FREEDOM.

I never understood freedom until I had freedom. Freedom from guilt.  Freedom from rules.  Freedom.  As Paul said in a letter to one of the churches (I think it was Paul), this freedom doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want and still go to heaven, but it is freedom from the bondage of religiosity.  Religion is mans way of reaching God.  It’s man’s creation.  Christianity is God’s way of reaching us.  It’s Jesus.

God doesn’t want us to be caught up in a bunch of rules and regulations.  He wants us to be caught up in Christ.  He wants us to be passionate about Jesus.

Every Sunday, Brother Jerry preaches a truly annointed sermon.  Every Sunday, I feel like God has really “smacked me around”.  I leave feeling convicted of my sin, but I also leave feeling extremely grateful that God has spoken to me.  I love that Jerry speaks directly from the bible.  He is able to take a few verses and pull so much wisdom from them (hours of it!). 

There are times I’ve sat in a fellowship meeting/church and heard things that do not match up with the bible, and my soul aches.  There are times I’ve met with ministers and preachers who have talked against the bible or twisted verses completely out of context.

This is why it is so important to read our bible and allow God to fill us with understanding.  Allow God’s Word to be our filter, not just against the world, but against religion.

As a parent, I have to be my children’s filter as well.  I long to strengthen them in the Lord.

Just posting a little sibling love…

My brother has been on my mind a lot lately.  You know, he and I have had many, um, tiffs, through the years, but ultimately, we make it through. 

As a kid, I was glad to have him go ahead of me because I was a ‘fraidy-cat.  I was glad to have someone experience school before I did.  When I was a freshman, he was a senior, and he was able to show me around the highschool.  We even went to college together.  It was less frightening that way.  Easier for me to ease into.

But then, I got married.  Then I had babies.  I was in uncharted waters.  My brother had yet to make those steps, and, here I was, having to make it up, on my own, as I went along.

I was definitely a tag-along sister, and sometimes, I miss those days.

Love ya’ bro!

Oy.  I feel like ubercrud.  I have a love/hate relationship with Spring.  I love the weather.  I love that the earth seems to come alive once again.  I hate that this causes my nose to run, my chest to seize, my eyes to itch and water, and my head to feel like it’s about to explode.  My cheeks hurt. 

I definitely have not stuck with the routine today.  First of all, I had to make a run to Target to pick up “woman stuff” because my body decided to surprise me this morning.  At least it didn’t surprise me on Thursday, the day we head out for our week-long beach vacation!

Speaking of, I am so excited that I’ve actually contemplated counting down the hours until we leave.  I’m sortofkindof packed (meaning I’ve tossed a few clothes in a suitcase which means I’ve done 10% of the work I need to do), but, well, as a true procrastinator, I’ll probably wait until Wednesday.  Why, don’t you know, it’s much more fun to scramble and panic at the very last minute, then pray that I have everything I need.

If we were really structured homeschoolers, the kind that sit down with real curriculum and lesson plans for several hours every day, today would be the beginning of summer vacation. But, we’re the unschooling type, so.. this is just another adventure!

Mom, Merikalyn (one a month or so old), and Me! (2003)

 
Chip, Granny, and Me (1999? 2000?)

Happy Mother’s Day!
 

by Mandy Mom
She seemed to have it down, perfect as can be.
And I suppose that I assumed it just came so easily.
Every day she tackled all her duties with great zeal
So I rarely stopped to ponder just how she might feel.

With the mind of a child, I said, “You don’t know what’s like,
I hate this place. I hate you, Mom. I even hate my life.”
I stormed from the room, and she heard the front door slam
as I yelled from beyond, “You don’t know who I am!”

She sighed,
Mothering’s not for sissies, this I know is true
Lord knows it’s not peaches, sugar, cream
But oh, yes, I know that it’s worth it all for you
And someday, you’ll understand what I mean.

Oh I became a mother, three children in tow
And I called her one day, how the tears they did flow.
I told her of my trouble, my soul it did ache.
I said, “I think the Lord is crazy, he gave me more than I could take.”

She laughed just a little and said, “I’ve been there before.
Yes, I know what it’s like when your heart is feeling sore.
You’re overwhelmed, and you wonder if you’re cut out for this
Well, you may not be, but, just remember, God is.”

Mothering’s not for sissies, this I know is true
Lord knows it’s not peaches, sugar, cream
But oh, yes, I know that it’s worth it all for you
And now, I know you get what I mean.

No, baby, Mothering’s not for sissies, this I know it true
Lord know it’s not peaches sugar cream
But oh, yes I know, that it’s worth it all for you
And someday you’ll understand what I mean.

As promised, here’s my daily routine!
8a-   Let the dog out and feed her.  Breakfast.  Family Devotional/Prayer
9a-   Get ready for the day (bathe, brush teeth, get dressed, etc).  Make beds.  Start a load of laundry.
10a- Bible study activities for kids (crafts/projects, songs, etc)
11a- Switch wash into the dryer. Prepare lunch.
12p- Tidy house.  Fold laundry and put away.
1p-   Reading time
2p-   Snacks. Outdoor time (if possible).  Errands, if needed.
3p-   Nap time for kids (and me, if needed!)  15-30 minutes spent on focused cleaning or decluttering.
4p-
5p-
6p-   Prepare supper.  Get meat out to thaw for tomorrows meal (if needed).
7p-   Tidy living spaces and bedrooms.
8p-   Kids get ready for and into bed.   Wash a load of diapers.
9p-   Switch diapers to the dryer.  Let the dog out.

I don’t have anything specific set for four or five , which allows me to move things around easily, especially if we have a fun outing or a play date.  Sometimes, I use that time to do extra cleaning or spend it writing emails and blogging.  Often, we head outdoors for a walk.  Often, the kids aren’t in bed until nine-thirty, but they’re usually ready for bed by eight-thirty.  It helps for us to be flexible, because the kids often want to do projects or learn something specific (right now, they are really interesting in learning ABC’s and handwriting).  I need to be able to stop what I’m doing and help them out.

I do expect them to help with tidying.  My daughter is an expert at folding clothes.  She folds her clothes and her brothers’ clothes, then helps me put them away.  They help each other make the bed and clean their rooms, which is helpful.

Later, I’ll post my day-by-day chores/routine. 

A couple people asked me if I had a specific routine or schedule that I stick to.  Honestly, our routine has been pretty loose lately, and I’ve been aching for more structure.  I am the type of person that needs to know what’s coming next, otherwise, I sit on the couch in pure overwhelming confusion.  It wasn’t always that way, but then I had children, and, well, ha… there you go.

So, I pulled out my home management binder (Flylady calls it a “control journal”), and began organizing it once more.  I suppose I was under the impression that, as “unschoolers”, schedules and routines are evil, evil things, but, truth be told, even those of us who don’t use structured curriculum or lesson plans still need a little daily planning.

Of course, my schedules are fairly flexible, as they should be. However, attempting to stick to it as best as we can helps all of us, especially the children, to know what’s coming next and what’s expected of the day.

I am not the type of person who strictly schedules in when to nurse the baby or take a potty break, but it’s nice to have reminders to take out the garbage (so we don’t miss the trash collectors) and set days to wash bed linens (so you aren’t sleeping in your sweat and dirt for a month).

I wish I could say I do well with home maintenance, but it doesn’t really occur to me to clean until it’s extremely obvious something needs cleaning.  I definitely wasn’t “born organized” like my mom, but that’s okay.  That’s why I write down routines. It helps me “keep it together” before it all falls apart!

What’s in my home management binder?
First of all, I have a calendar.  I write in birthdays, appointments, and special events along with reminders like, “Replace toothbrushes,” (which you should do every three months).  I also jot down growth information of my children.  It’s good to keep up with their weight and heights on a monthly basis, especially when it comes to the baby.  I note when I’ve tested a new food on the baby.  If he has a reaction a day or so later, it’s easier to pinpoint the allergy.

Along with my calendar, I have my routines written out.   Once the routine has really settled in, I’ll type it out, but it usually takes a few weeks to iron out the kinks.  I have my daily routine (things we do everyday) and my day-by-day routine (chores or errands that need to be done on a particular day).  I’ll post these at some point.  Remind me, okay?

I keep a list of important numbers in this binder.  I’ve written our personal phone numbers, emergency contacts, and numbers of immediate family (parents, brothers, and sisters).  I also have written our home address down.  This is great to have when someone is babysitting your children.  If something happens (God forbid), they need to tell emergency services where to come, and will need to contact someone if you cannot be reached.

In fact, you may want to make a specific print out for the babysitter which includes a list of allergies, the location of the first aid kit, and other information that your babysitter would need to know.

I have these little plastic sheets which hold baseball cards, wallet-sized photos, or business cards.  I use these as my “tip” sheets.  I tuck important tips into the pockets, like, “How to wash cloth diapers.”  If my husband, or someone else, should ever need to wash these special items, they’ll have simple directions available.  (This is very important when it comes to cloth diapers since they need to be handled with specific care.)  These pockets also hold recipes for cleaning solutions (using household stuff like vinegar and baking soda).

I’ve seen many a home management binder (or folder), and I can tell you… everyone has something different.  There are so many things you can include in yours.  It’s tempting to load it up all at once, but I suggest you build it slowly.

Some of my friends have a divider for their meal planners.  Usually, I use Menus4Moms’ (free) weekly newsletter (which provides recipes and a master grocery list), so I don’t have do this.  I did a while back (when I had just one child), but not anymore.  When I don’t really care for the meal plan from Menus4Moms, I do a “restaurant inspired” menu.  These week, our menu was inspired by Chili’s Bar & Grill.

My favorite section of my home management binder is where I keep articles and notes I’ve printed from some of my favorite blogs or copied out of books.  They give me direction, encouragement, and, sometimes, correction!

The weirdest thing in my binder? Hmm, that would probably be the section all about unassisted home birthing.  When we were preparing for the unassisted home birth of baby Keagan, I printed out loads of information and put it in the binder for my husband to read.  If you want to read about his birth, CLICK HERE.

Anyway, that’s about it.  I am sure, in a couple months, I’ll have added more to the mix, but for now, it’s pretty basic (with the exception of the birth research).  Maybe I’ll have pictures for you later!

Btw, if you haven’t stopped by Noggin News, my homeschooling blog, please do so!  It has been updated (including a portion of my newest HOTM homeschooling e-zine article!).

Sometimes it’s fun to sit down with the camera and take a few goofy shots! Enjoy!

This adorable cloth-diapered booty is brought to you by Christy, who is selling me her never-used stash for a super good price!

It’s the fifth day of the fifth month, which marks my daughter’s fifth year of life.

Baby girl, nearly 5 months old.

Three precious years!

Four fabulous years!

And here we are, five. FIVE!

She’s slimmed down so much, lost the baby chub.
I cannot believe I have a five year old!
(And hey, I don’t have a 1 year photo because I’m too lazy to scan it!)