Happy Easter!

Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!

Look at those four lovely children who only required an insane amount of bribery to sit still! And while I agree the fireplace is lovely, I cannot take credit for it; we took the picture at my in-laws house.

Easter was a bit different this year. Last year, we learned our lesson and held the Easter baskets back until after Mass. Yeah, it only took ten Easters to figure out that children do NOT like to be dragged away from their goodies to get ready for church and kids + candy + no proper breakfast does not equal good Mass behavior.

So! Last year I took Easter pictures after Mass while Adam set out the baskets. This year, I packed up the baskets and gave them to my mother-in-law so we could do baskets at her house! Joseph had to serve at early Mass and I knew that giving them presents and candy, dragging them off to 7:30 Mass and then dragging them away from the toys AGAIN for brunch.... ugh.

We put the kids to bed early Saturday night and woke up at six am Sunday morning. I was smart enough to prep the coffee the night before and got a few sips and a granola bar in before we had to leave. All the kids had a granola bar (or, in Cole's case, frozen corn- weirdo) for breakfast. Super early Mass was nice because it was crowded for 7:30 but no more crowded than our normal 9 am Mass. Getting out was hairy, as the nine am crowd was coming in and Cole decided that he wanted donuts and was going to lay prostrate on the floor and cry until he got one. Unfortunately for him,we don't have donut Sunday on Easter and I had to basically drag him out of the church crying. (A couple people asked if it was post-candy meltdown but he hadn't had any!) We did end up getting donuts because it is Easter and we suck as parents.

Brunch was at my in-laws and, again, it was more relaxed than in years before. I brought a birthday cake to celebrate Cole's fifth birthday on Tuesday and a huge fruit salad. With bagels, eggs and ham, I am now in a post- brunch coma.

Of course, Easter baskets:

I got organized and didn't over buy this year! Since I am never without a child during the day, it is super hard to go from store to store. I just ordered everything from Amazon. They received a toy (in Joe's case, a movie), book, Nerf darts, some Minecraft figures Joe found at a consignment store (six figures for 7 dollars- nice work kid!) and a chocolate bunny. In case anyone is looking for ideas:

almost 11 year old boy- The Giver movie and the second book in the Maze Runner
9 year old girl- hideaway pet bunny and Dog Diaries book
6 year old boy- stuffed Creeper and 2 Pet the Cat books
almost 5 year old- stuffed cardinal that makes REAL bird noises and a bird book

Cole's cake is proof my younger siblings "stole" all the art genes. I make great tasting cakes. I can do chocolate frosting. But the look? My father-in-law said it looked like someone took a bite from the side and it did! When Cole, George and I tried to put the frosting on it, it kept crumbling. In hindsight, my friends and sister said it was probably too warm, as I had taken it out of the fridge earlier in the day. The candies on it are those malt ball eggs. I was going to make a nest on top but... no. Hey, it tasted great!

My parents got him a hummingbird feeder, more bird food and a book about birds. My little bird boy!

In all, it was probably the best Easter we've had. Nice and relaxed with the right amount of candy and leftover. The house in a normal state of disarray and I didn't have to spend all day cooking AND cleaning. Couldn't ask for a better Easter miracle.

Whirlwind trip

About three weeks ago, I had arranged to visit my parents for a few days before Christmas. The thought was that the kids and I would drive down after Joe's cello recital, have "Christmas" early and then drive back after only 2-3 days. Just as I was talking to a friend about this, my brother sent a text that he was coming to visit!

We hadn't seen each other in 18 months, so I was STOKED. I changed my plans with my parents and the kids and I drove down on the 31st. We had a huge dinner with my parents, sister and her family. George had his first sleepover ever with his cousins and did great! In fact, he spent two nights with them! He's been asking for a sleepover for ages and this was a great way to test the waters, so to speak.

The next day, Joe went to hang out with friends and my sister and I hit the mall. We went to All the Stores!!! that you can't take kids into. Our brother arrived that night, just in time for another HUGE dinner. All our kids were so excited.

Unfortunately, that night Joe got sick. He spent most of the night throwing up and he slept the entire next day. Literally. He dragged himself to the recliner in the living room, slept, woke up to take a bath, and went back to the chair. He didn't even have the energy to drag a shirt over his head. My mom roused him enough to take him to bed and he slept all night. He woke up Saturday his usual, snarky self.

And really, really, really unfortunately, a bug seems to be going around. Camille threw up once, as did Cole. George has been hit the worst. The poor boy rarely gets sick but when he does, he makes it worth it. He was complaining of his stomach hurting Saturday morning and then threw up riiiight in the middle of family pictures.

Oh, yes. You see, my sister and I went "Everyone will be together! Let's do pictures!" She got the photographer, we picked a color scheme and everyone looked lovely and charming. We got a group shot of our parents and the grandkids and then kicked the kids out to do group up photos. Five minutes later, Joe ran in to tell up George had puked. Poor boy. And poor my extended family, who will now get the stomach flu.

But! Happier note! The pictures are going to be awesome! I'm so happy we have them! The visit itself was perfect, seven insane kids and one demented cat and all! Just a word to the wise: if you want to do family pictures, do them at the beginning of the trip, before your parents have stuffed you full of turkey, ham, bread, cheese, pasta and lots of wine. Otherwise, your pants might not fit. I have no idea how I know this...

Christmas Re-Cap

Wow, where to start. We've had a little more than two weeks as a family and reality will hit Monday morning. I do not want reality to hit and am firmly in denial that I will have to drag my butt out of bed at six in the morning. Nope. Nope. Annnnnnd nope!

We  began the season with presents at my in-laws. They helped us by a new TV so their gifts to us were light, which was perfect. They got the kids one outfit, books and ornaments. Cole also got a game. I received a pretty, new infinity scarf that I just love. I wear alot of solid colors (in short, I have the wardrobe of a goth business professional) so I love scarves to brighten things up!

Christmas was awesome. I had a touch of insomnia and was awake beginning at 3:30. It was actually very peaceful to sit cuddled in the recliner, typing, with the Christmas lights and presents around me. Camille and George woke at six but played in her room for 45 minutes until everyone got up. Santa brought baseball cards and chocolate in their stockings which kept them occupied until the coffee brewed. Once we were all fully awake, they tore into their presents: a Sonic Screwdriver, Chicken AT-AT walker... thing ("MOM! IT IS NOT A THING!"),  a sewing kit so someone leaves my sewing stuff alone, lots of Star Wars and Percy Jackson.... and science kits. Oh, and LEGO. For a solid week the kids have played nicely with each other. There has been some Star Wars/LEGO mash up going on in the dining room and a Nerf war daily. Happy kids, happy parents.

The day after Christmas our music teacher, and friend, took the little boys to see Big Hero 6 while we took the older kids to see A Christmas Carol at the KC Rep! I won tickets through a website and the show was awesome! It had some cool special effects and just the right amount of audience interaction. Joe was "meh" about the whole thing but Camille really liked it!

I've been so spoiled. Adam and I have taken turns sleeping in and the kids are old enough to get their own breakfast, so we can sleep past seven. Everyone has been helping with the cleaning. It's so nice to see my husband for more than just and hour in the evening. We've been watching lots of Doctor Who together and drinking pots of tea. He's even watched a couple episodes of "Outlander" with me. He doesn't care much for the show but he doesn't hate it, so there's that. (Kinda like me and "Top Gear." It's okay but I'm not in love with it.) I've had help with the speech therapy runs and TKD. I'm not ready to go back to school and work! Bah!

Justin and the Herd Review Movies and Act Adorable

My brother-in-law, Justin, has a YouTube Channel where he and his friend Vash "review" movies. I say "Review" because they mostly fight about the movie. (Spoilers: Justin likes them, Vash sleeps through them.) Most of their reviews are family friendly, if you want to follow them on YouTube.

Justin came home for a wedding (and Thanksgiving but, you know, mostly the wedding) and took the Herd to see Penguins of Madagascar. While I thought he should have taken them alone so Adam and I could get ready for Thanksgiving (yeah, that's what we're calling it now), he was too terrified to take four children to the movies alone. Whimp. Thankfully, Adam wanted to see the movie so he went to help out. I stayed home, made cinnamon rolls and enjoyed the sounds of peace and quiet. It was quite worth it because, well, watch the adorableness!






For those of you who follow this blog for information about CAS and speech therapy, the six year old is the one who has been in speech since he was 22 months old and was once non-verbal. I never, ever thought he would be able to do something like this! People, this is the result of hard, hard work and years of therapy and listen to how good he sounds!

Update on us all

Wow. Long time, no blog. I knew it had been awhile but I didn't realize how long. I kept thinking of things to blog about but never got around to it. My days have been super busy and now I am gone two+ nights a week.

Let's see: ME! I'm coaching a pre-competitive program now. I wasn't sure I wanted to take this position as I wanted to COACH and be on deck and this sounded more like swimming lessons. It isn't; it's more of a hands on swim team. We're halfway through the season and I hope my contract is renewed for after the holidays. I'm learning alot from the head coach and I really enjoy the swimmers.

Adam is lukewarm on me working at night, especially since there are weeks where I am gone every night. He basically told me that interferes with his time to do stuff, to which I said, "tough cookies." I wasn't as nice as that, though. With the Royals in the World Series (yaaaay), it means he can't come home, walk the dog, and watch baseball. He has to help with homework and do stuff around the house. HOWEVER, I am much, much happier coaching. I really enjoy getting out without the kids and doing something for me. Plus, it bring in money and I've lost a little weight. I think my days are typically more organized because I know I can't put off XYZ until the next day or night. I need to get the kids started on homework, have a snack and dinner ready to go if I want to come home to a decent house and happy family.

My book is... coming along. No bites from agents yet and I'm currently on hold with queries while I work on some scenes. I'm still ahead of my goal to really be seeking representation by the new year. However, I am so brain dead by the evening that many times, I don't have the energy to write anything.

Joe: Oh, this child. This child. I went to schools on military bases or ones with a high military-kid population. I had a mouth and a temper. And I never, ever got into the trouble this child is getting into. I'm not sure if the school is unreasonably strict, the policies are not developmentally appropriate  or there's other stuff going on. I suspect the answer is "yes." We have a meeting about all this during conferences. He's being an archer for Halloween and his costume came out FABULOUS!

The Princess: She's in a holding pattern and doing well. I'm still looking for books to motivate her to read but I haven't found That Book yet. For Joe, it was Percy Jackson. For me, I think it was The Baby-Sitter's Club. We'll find it; just need to keep looking. She's going as Princess Leia... when she gives medals to Luke and Hans. Way to make it easy on me, kid. ;P

George: IEP meeting coming up. He is doing SO WELL in kindy and has friends. I have a few points I want to make at the  meeting, like how we should ask George to point to letters instead of saying the name. F and X sound exactly alike when he says them, so there's no way to tell if he knows which letter is which! He's a blue Power Ranger and his costume is DONE.

Cole: Speaking of this kid... he's scared of Halloween decor. That means any plans to get him OUT of our bed at night have been halted. He also lives off sugar and dairy. He did NOT find it amusing when I went back to work but is adjusting to me being gone. I mean, he's with Daddy so it's not like he's with a sitter 24/7. He's going as the most adorable Captain Rex ever!

In spite of these complaints, everything is going okay around here.  I know coaching two nights a week has been good for me. I'm hopeful things will get straightened out with school soon. And maybe I can get Halloween costumes will get done....

Snap, crackle, pop!

The kids, Adam and I spent the Fourth at my parents' house, attending my sister's baby shower, smell the new baby, playing with the nephews and stuffing ourselves with ribs. I held the new baby, read tons of books to two year old Moose, entertained him with crazy cats videos (look for the Pallas cat video- hours of entertainment in a 47 second clip!), smelled the baby, hung out with Zee, smelled the baby and did I mention there was a baby to smell?

My newest nephew loves me. He proved this when he pooped all over me. When I changed him and borrowed a shirt from my mom, he promptly puked on it. Thanks, Rainbow.

The baby shower went great. We held it at a frozen yogurt shop and the owners were super nice. They only charged us for the yogurt and not the room. It was quiet and we got to chat as much as we wanted. And smell the baby, of course!

Because we are proud Americans, we blew stuff up! My brother in law set of sparklers and stuff in the driveway, including chicken who, according to Joe, pooped atomic eggs.

Joe went with friends to their land to set off rockets and hike. He was gone all afternoon and got home at ten at night. We shoved him in the shower before feeding him a huge bowl of pasta with Nono's meat sauce. He was exhausted and happy!

Now we are home and everyone is tired, crabby, full of sugar and exhausted. I'm planning on laying low this week before all sorts of fun begins in WI!

No longer a "baby family"

This weekend Adam and the kids took me out to dinner. Although I thought about going someplace different, I picked The Cheesecake Factory because I knew we would all enjoy the food and, hello, cheesecake!

While we had dinner, it dawned on me that we can do this now- we can take the kids out to dinner and expect AND GET decent behavior out of them. Sure, there was some shoving and some rude burping (ugh! tween boys!) and some of this:

but everyone sat, ate and had a good time. There were bathroom runs, but no diaper changes. There was no baby food, no nursing, no dropped food. I got to eat my meal while it was cold (a salad) and shared my cheesecake with a very awed and very serious four year old.

Cole: Mommy, we eat dat? Mommy, we share dat?
Me: Yes, Bear, we'll share that!

I failed to convince Adam to drop me at the bookstore while he took the kids grocery shopping but we still had a pleasant time. Cole unleashed his Light Saber in Trader Joe's, which lead to me taking it until we got to the car. (Even Jedi Knights answer to their moms.) When we got home, I bathed the kids while Adam cleaned up the kitchen and put away groceries.

This is first summer in fully "big kid" mode. No one naps on a regular basis. The last of the cloth diapers went to a co-worker of Adam's. I'm sorting through baby toys and 3t clothes for a garage sale. The little slide, tunnel and sand box are going to a teacher friend for  her grandkids. We have one stroller for long trips and even the cheap umbrella strollers are gone. When I took Cole into the cry room during Mass, I realized we don't belong in there. Everyone else had bottles, binkies and diapers. We no longer need any of those.

I know I should moan that I miss it- and I do, to a degree. But I am also excited about this phase of life.

Joseph and Camille took part in their first tournament this weekend and did very well. I can see Camille wishing to join the "forms" team some day. I got to take George and Cole to baseball practice and was so impressed to see them paying attention, listening to instructions and trying so hard. For two boys with plenty of challenges, they blended right into the team and loved it. I'm looking forward to their adorable games this summer!

I know if we were blessed with another baby, I would love an embrace that child. I am confident in my baby-caring skills and would whip out the cloth diapers, nursing bras and swaddling blankets with no second thoughts. But this phase- the phase where we read Percy Jackson together, talk about serious things, have friends over for sleep overs and where Mommy can sleep in a touch, knowing they can get their own cereal- is pretty wonderful and amazing too.

This Mother's Day, I have the gift of knowing we are entering the next phase in parenting, the big kid phase. It's pretty cool.

He has risen!

Our own version of an Easter Miracle- all four kids and the dog looking nice for the camera and not poking each other!

April 20th also marks our 12th anniversary. This year, Adam got new shelves for the garage and fixed the fence. Yup, newlyweds, it won't always be roses and wine but hey, the outside of the house looks good!

Have a "hoppy" day!

School

I began this post two days ago. Shows how much time I have to sit alone and type!

Stuff's been happening but there's really nothing to write about. It warmed up to 30 degrees today and I felt awesome walking around without a coat, tramping through the snow in my boots. (Although the coat thing isn't new. I don't like wearing one.)

Wednesday I was Selfish Mommy and went to the gym. A friend and I swap baby sitting and Wends are her day to take George. I missed Cole's Valentine's Day party. I normally go up and take George. I suppose I could have worked out at home, and then gone to his party alone. But I didn't. I went to the gym and took a shower after. I patted myself on the back for taking care of ME, something I hardly ever do.

Then when I picked up Cole, I saw I was the only mother who didn't come up. No, really. The only other mothers who were not there were the ones who worked. Sigh.Talk about guilt!

I paid for Selfish Mommy too. The house was a disaster and Cole was flying high from the sugar. He also hasn't been sleeping and was super whiney. He was laying his head down and crying. I couldn't put him down for a nap, though, since Joe had an appointment. Cole fell asleep on the way to school and until we reached the doctor's. Of course he wanted to be carried and I had to lug him up a flight of stairs, questioning why I bothered to go to the gym!

Part of our problem today was that Cole was asking for something and I had no idea what it was! At our conference today, the SLP said kids with Apraxia often loose intelligibility as they gain speech.He is certainly doing that. Since he might not qualify for speech this summer, I will need to get him into private speech. Sigh.

Anyway, back to school. Cole whined "me go home" the entire hour and 15 minutes we were up there! Considering the whine-fest began at one, the whole "me go home" whine lasted for two frikkin hours. I mean, really? Sigh.

On Thursday I was supposed to go up to school for a kindergarten parent meeting. It was at nine am on a day off from school. What are we supposed to do with our kids? And Cole had a nasty cough, so I didn't want to bring him up anyway. It was frustrating but, thankfully, the staff knows me and I just went up, handed in my paperwork and picked up what I needed. The good news is that since he attends this school for preschool, most of his paperwork is already on file! I need to update any vaccinations he has received but, other than that, I think he's good to go!

We have the option for full or half day in the district. However, our state does not pay for full day and thus the parents must make up the difference at $15/day. For people that need day care (SCHOOL IS NOT DAY CARE) this is a bargain. For those of us who pay out the nose for therapies every week, this is an added expense we can not have. George will be going to half day and I am okay with this, since I know and like the half day teacher. I actually know and like the full day teacher too and she was excited, asking me if George will be in her class. That made my heart melt. I'm so, so pleased with the teachers at our school. They really do an awesome job with all my kids.

(I suspect they want George in their classes because they have not seen the super anal worried side of me that comes with George. He's leaving the nice secure special education classroom and going in with the wolves, who may or may not understand him.I have a few more months to prep the half day teacher. Heh. I did tell the principal that if this teacher is not teaching kindy next year, I will cry big ugly tears, have a fit and picket the school. The principal laughed, like I was kidding.)

Camille's teacher had nothing but glowing things to report. She's getting A's in math and her concentration has greatly improved! I think she's gaining a little weight back too, which is nice. The best part is that she is learning skills that are carrying over to when she is NOT on medication. That's great!

Joe had five people at his conference and we joked he was quite the popular young man, to have all those lovely women talking about him. He blushed! He has several student teachers, which is why so many people were there. He too is doing well and is undergoing testing for the gifted program. I'm twitching at the thought of all four kids on IEPs. I didn't want my children to have special needs, gifted or otherwise. I wanted boring, normal children who when you walk into conferences, the teacher says, "Your child is a delight to have in the classroom! Their grades are great, they are polite, well mannered and have friends. Send me 20 more like them!" I'm not looking to raise a genius child or four (trust me, no. It's a whole 'nuther post). I just want neuro typical!

But what are ya going to do aside from advocate for them, help them figure out the world and feed 'em fish oil to promote brain development?

Okay, complaining aside, the tone of the conferences was positive overall and we are all moving in the right direction for the kids. I am thankful every day we landed in this neighborhood with this school that is fully equipped to meet the needs of my kids and is devoted to doing so. When I read stories about other districts, even ones close to our home, where the teachers do no follow IEPs, do not use best practices, aren't flexible and so on, I am so glad we have this school. Even with all the worrying I do about the children and their future, I can happily send them off to school each day knowing they are well cared for and loved.

Recipe: Dairy Free Hot Chocolate/Chocolate Milk Mix

Like most kids, my Herd loves hot chocolate. With George's new food allergies, though, that's one thing I've had to shelve because all of them contain milk. We were pretty bummed and I didn't have time to make my normal chocolate syrup for milks.

With teacher gifts coming up AND the desire for hot coco, I began searching Pinterest for hot chocolate mixes. However, again, many of them have (ready for this?) non-dairy creamer or dry milk in them! I mean, really? Non-dairy creamer is a complete lie; it has dairy products in it. Plus, I never buy that or dry milk so I didn't have any leftover in the house. And, again, DAIRY IS A NO-NO NOW. So frustrating.

But I found that the recipes had some similar ingredients in common. Joe and I got out my super awesome food processor and came up with this recipe.

In the bowl of a food processor, place:

2 cups white sugar
1 cup powdered sugar

About 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup coco powder

Slap on the lid and blitz until well blended. I find that this grinds the sugar up well and makes it more likely to dissolve.

After a few minutes, turn off and store in an airtight container. When you're ready to use it, add a few spoonfuls (about 1-2 tablespoons) to 8 ounces of hot liquid and stir well. Really, adding the powder to the liquid is a "to taste" thing.

This is excellent with these corn-free marshmallows!

For teacher gifts, I got small containers at the Dollar Store and filled them with the mix. In others, I put the homemade marshmallows. The teachers really loved them, especially when I told them the mix is excellent in coffee!

I have no idea how to do one of them fancy-smanchy files where you click on print and it open in a new window to print just the recipe. Here it is, without the pictures. Please feel free to print this recipe, Pin to Pinterest and so on, but if you put it on your blog, link back to me! Thank you!

Dairy Free Hot Chocolate Mix by WaldenMommy: Life Behind the Red Front Door

2 cups white sugar

1 cup powered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup powered coco

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until well blended. Store in an air-tight container.

To use, add 1-2 tablespoons (or to taste) of the mix to 8 ounces of hot liquid and stir well. Works well in coffee too!

Different this year

We put the Christmas decorations up this past weekend. It's become a tradition to do them on the 29th, the day George came home from the NICU. We don't really have any tradition surrounding our decorations, aside from arguing over where the tree goes and Adam trying to corral the ever-expanding Nativity set(s). (I have multiple and one that grows. My parents got me the wine vineyard this year- score!)

Because I love Christmas, I have lots of little things all over the house. But this year, I scaled back. The Jesse tree is packed away. I can't handle policing one more thing with the insane three year old who spent all Thanksgiving weekend jumping onto or off the couch. I didn't have the energy to put away our daily kitchen items to bring out the special napkins or towels. I left part of our snow scene packed away. Adam never puts out outside lights so that didn't matter... although I am on the hunt for wreaths to hang from the windows.

It's different but still festive. I enjoyed unpacking my nativities and hanging up the wire card-tree that I bought the year George was born. (A Christmas present to myself, as I love Christmas cards!) The wreath I made last year is up. I've mailed the first batch of cards and I find myself looking forward to making homemade marshmellows as gifts for the teachers.

Christmas is different this year... and that is really okay. It's still good.

The Holidays will be Different this Year...

And that is okay.

It's hard to pin point just what will be different. I'm still busting out the Christmas music and have since before Halloween. (No judging. Remember that friend, C, I met in Denver? I would go over to their house in July and they would have the music going. They were a bad, bad holiday influence!) I've been making ornaments for family and friends. I've had both gingerbread and pumpkin spice lattes. The kids have seen Santa, thanks to my parents, and begun talking about what they would like for Christmas.

Yet... it's different.

I'm not anticipating Thanksgiving and Christmas with the wild abandon that I normally do. I'm making some gifts for the kids but not my normal "MAKE ALL THE GIFTS!" that I normally do. I usually am on the ball, making sure that the kids have an ornament, pjs and cinnamon rolls for St. Nicholas Day. This year... meh. The PJ will be there (already ordered and arrived) and I think I will have their ornaments finished. The cinnamon rolls might come from a can. And I just can't . . .  meh.

Everything is meh.

I've asked the kids what their favorite part of the holidays is, and of course their answer is "EVERYTHING!" When Joseph was little, I cut out all the things I didn't LOVE about December and did only what we really like. There's nothing I don't care for to cut out. They love the tree. They look forward to the lights on the mantel. The lights set to music... the lights on the Plaza... snowmen donuts and more lights.

And I love shopping, Christmas carols, finding the perfect gift, making the perfect gift, homemade cookies... and none of this stresses me out. I adore it.

This year... meh.

Gifts are my love language and normally I can think of several things I want or need. This year... meh. I asked for a longer chain for a necklace and getting my favorite earrings fixed so I can wear them again. Books, always books. But... meh.

If the kids were older, I think I would insist on spending Christmas in some picturesque snow covered cabin in the woods. Since they are little, I have the job of balancing their needs and desires against my need for things to be different this year. I can't pull the rug out from under them just because I am "meh."

So, what are we going to do? Like everything else, play it by ear. Do what we love and guiltlessly say no to what we can't emotionally handle. Focus more on enjoying each other and doing things together, rather than stuff. Allow ourselves to be sad and happy at the same time. Remember and honor and celebrate, all at once.

I think if I tried to say, "EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST THE SAME!" it would be worse. It would be lying to ourselves because nothing is the same. It's not how anyone wanted the holidays to be but its how the holidays will be. This time of year is emotionally draining for me and I anticipate that it will be moreso this year. I am prepped and ready for it.

Still... meh.

But, it's okay to be meh. It's okay for things to be different. It will be Advent and Thanksgiving and Christmas no matter how I feel and I can wallow or I can just do what I can. I chose to do what I can, even if I am meh.

Remember, remember

Thanks for always having our backs, Sheep Dogs.

Second Annual Natural Parents Network Gift Guide and Giveaway (YumEarth Organics (ARV: $15)) (12/6, 26 winners, Us only, ARV: $2587.26)

***
My husband walked in the door, rattling a small box. “What this?” he asked. “YumEarth Organics?”

“Oh, good,” I said, looking up from my computer. “The candy for the product review came. I need you and the kids to taste test it with me.”

“Candy!” shrieked the kids, running into the kitchen.

THE COMPANY

YumEarth is an organic candy company, born out of the creators desire to “feed our families a diet rich in delicious healthful foods free of high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes. YumEarth tastes better because we choose real fruit extracts and planet friendly ingredients grown on sustainable family farms to sweeten our lives and yours.”

YumEarth offers a variety of lollipops, sour beans (jelly beans), gummies, fruit snacks and drops. All their products are gluten, peanut and tree nut, and soy free; the lollipops and drops are kosher parvae. The lollipops are also diary, casein and wheat free. The lollipops, gummy bears and gummy worms are organic while the sour beans are all-natural. All of their candies are made with real fruit or vegetable extracts.

THE REVIEW

For this review, we received 2 packages of sour gummy worms (4 ounces each), sour beans, gummy bears (4 ounces each) and one package of lollipops (15 lollipops in the package). My husband, myself and our four children (including one with taste and texture issues) eagerly gathered around the table to test the candy. My husband was in charge of doling out the goodies.

First up were the sour gummy worms. They came in four flavors:     pomegranate pucker, sour apple tart, mango tango and perfectly peach.  We found that one bag was heavy in the pomegranate flavor. The flavors were clear and unadulterated by HFCS. They had just the right amount of sweetness and not terribly sour. The worms were nice and chewy. The kids found they could stretch the worms pretty far before they snapped in half!

Joe, age 9: These are awesome!

Camiile, age 7: They’re pretty good.

George, age 4.5: I like!!

 Me, to Cole, age 3: Do you like them? Cole: Yes! Me lollipop?

strrrrreetttch!

We tested the sour beans next. My husband thought they stuck together more than “regular” jelly beans. And they are super sour! I popped two in my mouth at once and everyone laughed at the really pucker-y face I made. Camille (7 years) tried one, bravely chewing it before she spit it out. My husband loved them and ate them by the handful. I think I know what I am putting in his stocking.

Joe: I’m not touching them!

Cami: They are SUPER SOUR!

George: Mommy, you okay? (In response to my pucker-face.)

Cole: Me lollipop?

The gummy bears were chewy, just like the worms. However, they were coated in a white dust to make sure they didn’t stick together. The kids didn’t like the white dust on their hands but that really didn’t stop them from eating the bears. You also cannot taste it. (Judging by the back of the package, we think the white dust is organic carnauba wax.) The flavors are the same as the gummy worms and are just as strong as in the worms. They are thicker and chewier than conventional gummies, which we liked.

Joe: I want more!

Camille: Me too!

George: MORE!

Cole: ME MORE!

Our final product was the lollipops: mango tango, pomegranate pucker, tooberry blueberry and wet-face watermelon. My three year old loved the lollipops. All the kids ate them but he ate four before we could stop him! I really like the wild watermelon flavor; it tasted exactly like a Jolly Rancher but I knew it didn’t have any of the artificial colors and flavorings a Jolly Rancher has. At the time of the review, Halloween was right around the corner and these would be perfect to hand out to trick or treaters. However, the stick might pose a choking hazard for younger children.

Cole: Me more lollipop?

Joseph declared that the worms were his favorite. Camille loved everything except the sour beans. George wanted more worms and bears. Cole was too busy eating his fourth lollipop to answer. My husband hid the remaining sour beans for himself and I loved both the gummy bears and the lollipops.

As a mother, I like that you can find these products on-line and at major chain stores, like Wal-greens and Target. It’s nice to be able to easily find tasty and affordable candy without artificial junk in them! I would defiantly buy the lollipops to hand out at class parties (mainly because they are so allergy friendly).

Our only complaint is that they don’t have a huge variety of flavors. Joseph suggested adding cherry and grape to the gummy flavors they offer.

BUY IT!

Want to buy YumEarth Candy to give your loved ones a sweet treat? You can purchase the sour beans, sour worms, gummy bears and lollipops (and a few other items!) from their website, Amazon, Drugstore.com, and a variety of brick and mortar stores such as Wal-greens and Target.

WIN IT!

For your own chance to win an variety package of YumEarth candies from YumEarth or one of the 26 huge prize packages we're giving away, come back to this post onNovember 6th when our Rafflecopter widgets will go live for your chance to enter! Or you can visit Natural Parents Network on November 6th to see and enter to win all of our fantastic prize packages at once!

  Disclosure: Our reviewer received a sample product for review purposes. 
Amazon links are affiliate links.
 We try to seek out only products we think you would find relevant and useful to your life as a natural parent. 
If we don’t like a product, we won’t be recommending it to you.
 See our full disclosure policy here.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Second Annual Natural Parents Network Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway (Chevron Infinity Scarf from Paisley Place Stitching (ARV: $20)) (12/6, 26 winners, US only, ARV: $2587. 26)

This is a joint review and giveaway of the chevron infinity scarf from Paisley Place Stitching between the Natural Parents Network and WaldenMommy:Life Behind the Red Front Door. 

 ABOUT

Paisley Place Stitching and is owned and operated by Lisa, a mom based in the US. She offers adorable custom clothing options for children with a variety of special occasion and seasonal stitching on them. She has makes accessories for mom, including bags and totes, all available to be personalized. While she does order the bags and some clothing items pre-made, she does all the custom embroidery herself. You can also contact Lisa for custom quilting, such as t-shirt or memory quilts. The quilts, from cutting up the fabric, to sewing it together to the final details, are all done by Lisa! Her business is small but growing!

REVIEW

For this review, I received an infinity chevron scarf in orange with my initials on it in navy (ARV $20). The

front of the monogram

fabric is a jersey knit and it is double sided. There is no “wrong” side of the fabric showing as the scarf was sewn into a tube and then the ends slip- stitched together. The stitching was very well hidden and I had a hard time finding the seam.

The monogram was perfect. Lisa asked was initials I wanted, so I used cLk (lastnameFIRSTmiddle). You

back of the monogram

 can pick the style of monogram you want from the picture in her Facebook album “Personalized Bags, Bags, and moreBags!” My font is “master circle” although any of the fonts would be cute on this scarf. I think just the first initial would be cute for a tween!

Because the scarf is double sided it is toasty warm. I wore it for outside on a family picture day and to a pumpkin patch with my sons’ preschool class. Both times I was dressed otherwise lightly (jeans, layered shirts) but was still warm. On both occasions, I got lots of complements on my scarf and people wanted to know where I bought it!

A rare photo of me, taken by Camille

As a mom, the chevron infinity scarf is an easy was to dress up any outfit. I wear a lot of jeans and plain shirts, and this would add a punch of color to my most boring mom uniform. While I mostly wore the scarf in a double loop, Pinterest has a variety of easy styles for the scarf. Also, I am pretty short (5 foot two) so I was worried that a scarf with the name “infinity” would be too long for me. I was wrong, as the scarf, draped around my neck and completely unwrapped, barely hits my knees. Since you can style the scarf anyway you like, it is perfect for a variety of heights and body types.

Overall, my only problems with the product is that with all the cute colors and affordable price, I might be purchasing many, many more of these!

BUY IT!

If you wish to buy a chevron infinity scarf, or any of Lisa’s other adorable products, please check out Paisley Place Stitching on Facebook. Browse Lisa’s albums and her wall photos for ideas and pricing and then send her a message. The scarf is $16.95 without monogram; the monogram is another $5.

WIN IT!

For your own chance to win an Chevron Scarf from Paisley Place Stitching, or one of the 26 huge prize packages we're giving away, come back to this post on November 6th when our Rafflecopter widgets will go live for your chance to enter! Or you can visit Natural Parents Network on November 6th to see and enter to win all of our fantastic prize packages at once!

  Disclosure: Our reviewer received a sample product for review purposes. 
Amazon links are affiliate links.
 We try to seek out only products we think you would find relevant and useful to your life as a natural parent. 
If we don’t like a product, we won’t be recommending it to you.
 See our full disclosure policy here.


  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quick Takes Friday: Happy 4th of July!

1.

Sigh. You know you have a nine year old boy when this is the best picture you have of him:

 

I can tell that getting good pictures for this year's Christmas card is going to be SO EASY. NOT.

 

2.

 

Okay, that's not entirely fair. Nine has its perks. Yesterday he asked to make pancakes and made the whole thing from start to finish. He got out the griddle, make the mix and cleaned up a bit. When I go to the store, I can tell him what to get and he finds it. I don't have to worry about him wandering off. Plus, he's got a wicked good sense of humor and is always finding fun jokes and trivia for us!

 

3.

 

On Wednesday, I took the kids to a local splash pad. Cole figured out how to paddle around with his life jacket on! It was so cute but a little independence with this kid could be a dangerous, dangerous thing. He's already learned how to hold my hands and jump off the side. I've been using this to encourage speech, "One, two, three- say, JUMP!" Instead of saying, "jump!" he would say "POOL!" or "eight! two! nine!" Silly guy!

4.
Cole and his bathing suits are BFFs. I used to think it was silly to have more than one bathing suit per kid. But Cole changes suits more than most little girls change princess costumes. (Yes, friends, that is a stereotype.) He frequently runs up to me naked and hands me a different bathing suit than the one he had on. When I find the other suit, nothing is wrong with it. He hasn't peed in it. He just wants  a new suit!
You probably read between the line right there. Yes, all he wears are his swim suits. I remember Camille did the same thing in 2008. That's how she potty-trained too; the suits are easy on, easy off and if she wet, she would know. No problem. But when I say this is ALL he wears, I mean it. I have to hog wrestle him into a t-shirt for summer school and his poor para. Apparently they have one-on-one paras at school and if the kiddo you are in charge of needs a diaper change, you deal with it. Cole has been dry after school for a good two weeks now but refuses to use the potty at school OR wear a diaper. This makes her nervous!
Okay, so not only do I send my kid to SCHOOL in a bathing suit and diaper less (no, he won't wear underwear either) he carries an extra with him! When I say he's BFFs with his suits, I'm not kidding. We can normally find him hugging an extra one and wanting it to go to school in his backpack. It's hilarious!

5.
I think by putting this on-line, I will have scarred him for life. But, future Cole, preschoolers do wonderfully funny things and you are a wonderfully funny preschooler!

6.
Last night we went to see fireworks. We were pretty far away so the noise didn't bother George too much. However, they started at 9:30 and my kids are normally in bed by 8. They were squabbling and fighting over the iPad. We met old friend of Adam's and Joe greeted them by saying, "I hate fireworks." Thank you, child.
The fireworks were awesome (heart shaped!) but afterwards we got in the car and Cami announced she lost her glasses. She says they fell off her face in the car. But if they fell off IN THE CAR why aren't they still IN THE CAR? Questions, questions.

7.

Breaking news- Pope John Paul II is now SAINT JP2!

You know the drill- go over to Jen's and read more!

 



Thank you, Sheepdogs.

For America's Memorial Day, it's time for a flashback of a flashback- the sheepdog essay I posted last year.

Thanks for always getting our back, guys.

(Please note that I did not write this essay. The author's credit is on the orginal post.)

Summer Bucket List

Woohoo! In a few weeks, the kids will all be out of school and within two days, I will be exhausted and wondering when school will begin again! Ha, not really. I like having them under foot. Anyway, to avoid a repeat of last summer when the kids didn't do anything because we were traveling so much, I've signed them up for a few activities and planned for several more trips to keep them occupied. Here's our Summer 2013 Bucket List:

 

 

• Potty train Cole
• Get the Herd on a daily chore routine. This mean you will be working, kiddos!
• Swim lessons for the big kids and, as an added bonus, the little dudes too! (right now, only the big ones are signed up. We'll see how the little ones do at the pool before I throw them to the WSIs.)
• Read the book Food Chaining and work on George's eating enough to keep him out of feeding therapy. (BTW, that's an affliate link, yo.)
• Go swimming- alot!
• Find a new TV show to be addicted to now that Call the Midwife is ending for the season!
• Take the kids to the aquariam or LegoLand. Bonus: Convince Adam to trvael to Omaha for their zoo/aquariam.
• Not cry buckets and buckets when my niece comes home from the NICU. Note: I will fail at this.
• Let the kids each have a special night at Camp Grandma and Grandpa.
• Clean out the closets and organize the masterbedroom and little boys room.
• Hang the gallery wall
• Keep running! We routinely get 100+ degree days in the summer so this will be pretty hard as I do not like heat or sweating. Bah!
• Work on building up the 31 business.
• Have us all eat more fruits and veggies.
• Vacation Bible School
• try alot of the summer pins, messy crafts and sewing ideas I have on Pinterest.
• Work on reading with Camille, speech and fine motor skills with the boys and keep Joseph up to speed.
• visit some of the awesome history musems we have in the area.
•  

The days can be so long with four kids under the roof all summer long. Plus, they eat me out of house and home, so I need to keep them busy! I think I need more ideas; hit me with your best ones!

What ideas do you have on your bucket list?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

My little boys and I started an accidental tradition of sharing a Panera lunch. I order the "Pick Two" with chicken noodle soup and a veggie sandwich. George uses the whole grain roll to dip into the soup and eat it. Cole eats my veggie sandwich, onion included! Of course, there are cookies involved!

 

I'm going to miss lunches with my boys during Lent and when Cole starts school.

25 Activities Families Can Do Together During Lent

I know we're not the only family who struggles to find something to do during Lent. With two adults and four children, it's rare there's something we can all give up or add in that will enrich our spiritual lives. The little ones don't really understand what is going on or why they can't have a certain treat (and are not obligated to sacrifice during Lent) and the older two are just now at the age where they can "offer up" a suffering.

My husband and I put our heads together and came up with a list of 25 things families can do during Lent, from the adults down to the Little's. This list isn't meant to be exhaustive; please feel free to add your own in the combox! If you like, pick what works for you and leave the rest but, no matter what, spend the six weeks of Lent growing closer to Christ and closer as a family!

1.       Cut back or reduce screen time. Maybe set a limit for each family member or agree that screens are only for the weekends (or special occasions, such as family movie night or when someone is ill). Discuss how you can monitor yourself and each other in a positive manner and brainstorm a list of things to do when the urge to mindlessly flip on the TV strikes!

2.       Take a class, either as a family or with just one or two of your children. Six weeks is long enough to really get a good feel for an activity and see if it is the one you want to keep doing.

3.       Commit to taking a walk together every evening. If the weather is poor, exercise at home!

4.       Does your family have a special treat that you just love? Give it up together! My kids and I are love Sonic Happy Hour. We go about once a week. This would be something great to give up together and donate the money you would have spent to your favorite charity.

5.       Pray together. Have you been wanting to start a family Rosary or get back in the habit of bedtime prayers? Start back up!

6.       Commit to going to bed at a reasonable time every night. This goes for parents too!

7.       Cut back or eliminate unnecessary spending. Kids can help remind adults that they don’t need that impulse soda or the latest book on Amazon.

8.       Reduce the amount of meat you eat.

9.       Give up between meal snacking or after dinner snacks. Offer up your hunger for people who don’t have enough food to eat. (Note: This would be only for healthy adults and older teens who aren’t growing. Healthy snacks are an important part of a child’s dietary needs.)

10.   Have all snacks be healthy and in moderation. No more bags of chips, organic or otherwise! Chose healthy whole foods.

11.   Try a healthy eating plan, like 100 Days of Real Food.

12.   Work on reducing negative behaviors, like yelling. It’s so easy to get in the habit of yelling or snapping at each other. This Lent, work to speak to each other in loving, caring tones. And when you can’t say anything nice… don’t say anything at all.

13.   Practice random acts of kindness, to each other or strangers. Challenge your family to think of ways they can brighten someone’s day, either through a kind word or action. Children of all ages might enjoy creating small bags of treats or non-food goodies to hand out to strangers.

14.   Volunteer together!

15.   If your kids are too young to physically volunteer take them shopping for goods for a relief agency. Have a list of needed items handy so you know what to pick out and help guide your children in their selections. (Ie, the food pantry probably doesn’t need a new LEGO set!)

16.   Give up your pillow for a certain amount of time. Many people in this world do not have the luxury of a warm bed and pillow. Give up your pillow in solidarity with them!

17.   If you find money, “give it to God.” Loose change from between the couch cushions and on the sidewalk can really add up!  Put it in a special place and at the end of Lent, count to see how much you have. You’ll be surprised at how it adds up!

18.   Go to Adoration together . . . and alone.

19.   Read the Bible, about the Saints or another book that will help you grow spiritually. Alternatively, find a book that the whole family can benefit from and spend time each day reading from it.

20.   Learn new prayers.

21.   Have at least one meal together every day or a certain number of meals together each week. Hint: It doesn’t have to be dinner!

22.   Give up complaining. It’s harder than it sounds!

23.   Stick to a cleaning routine.

24.   Declutter! Some of my friends do “40 Bags in 40 Days” or “6 Bags in 6 Weeks.” The whole family works together to declutter what they don’t need and donates the items to charity.

25. Reconnect with someone. Was there a teacher in your life who was special to you or a friend who went above and beyond the call of duty? Write them a note to thank them for their kindess and influence in your life. Encourage your children to write to someone special in their life, thanking them for all they have done.

 

What are we doing this year? I am committing to going to Stations as much as possible and not snacking after dinner. I also want to take the older children to Holy Thursday and Good Friday Masses. As a family, we are giving up Sonic Happy Hour!

What are YOU doing for Lent?