I just got back from touring colleges with Afton. It was a four-day trip. I missed the kids while I was away, but I had such a good time with Afton. Just me and her. That doesn’t happen often, these one-on-one trips. So it was a special time for us. But being that I’m […]
it’s just a baby tooth!!
The other night my six year old complained that he couldn’t sleep because his tooth hurt. I asked him to point to where it hurt, and he pointed to his top left side, way in the back. And sure enough, I saw a tooth back there that had a dark spot in it. I thought […]
Mommy Valentine
Valentine’s Day. It’s a day for lovers. For husbands & wives. For boyfriends and girl friends… Says who??!! I spent my Valentine’s Day with little ones. And it made me happy. First it was with my little guy in his Kindergarten class. then off to a homeschool Valentine’s Day party And my preschooler’s class did […]
why I always look calm
Whenever I go to an adult gathering and I am introduced to someone new, I always get the same comment when they find out that I have nine children. It’s not like I wear a sign on my forehead that says MOM OF NINE but at one point or another someone will introduce me and at the […]
just being HOME doesn’t count
PresenceThis is my word for the new year.This is the word that I would like my 2013 year to be geared towards.Sure, I’m a stay-at-home mom. Home all the time with my kids.They can tug on my shirt all day long. I’m here.But am I always present?No.Sometimes (a lot of the time) I am on […]
preschool
The first day of preschool. I have done this eight times before. But of course this time, my ninth time taking one of my 4 year olds to a first day of preschool, had a special spot in my heart. She is the youngest. I doubt I’ll do this ever again. She could very well […]
reading woes
Aislynn, our #7, started the second grade this year. She is homeschooling just like she did last year. I enjoy teaching Aislynn because she is always eager to do her work and never complains. By the end of first grade, however, she wasn’t reading. She struggled with simple words like “cat” and “big” and “they” […]
while I was away….
While I was MIA from the blog world this summer….She turned four. She was so excited for her birthday to come. Her two friends Gigi and Evelyn were her party guests. In the past, her birthday party “guests” were her siblings, so to have her own friends there was a HUGE deal for her! We took […]
one year left
It’s been exactly one month to the day since I’ve posted last. That has got to be some kind of record for me!Why have I been away for so long? Well, to be truthful, I just haven’t been all that into blogging. I’ve been enjoying the summer and just did not want to take the […]
ages and stages
A few of my little ones, when asking to get together with a friend, call it a “playdate” —“Mommy…can I have a playdate with Gavin?” Then I have my preteens who no longer call getting together with a friend a “playdate” but rather just “hanging out.”“Mom, Chase called. Can we hang out?”Then I have the […]
yes days
Since school let out on June 21st, we have been to the beach 4 times and to the pool at least 6 times. And today I took the kids to the beach and the pool, because half of them wanted the beach and half of them wanted the pool, so I just did both because […]
don’t look now
Don’t look now but it looks like someone is almost too big to ride in the BABY SWING!! You know your child is too big for the baby swing when she can STAND UP while sitting IN the baby swing. Yep, I think little Aria’s baby swing’n days are almost over. She will be FOUR […]
The Ref
These past few weekends my 12 year old has been the referee for my 7 year old’s soccer games. A few months ago, he took a couple classes and passed a certification test — then the association gave him that uniform and a whistle and now call him a “Ref”. I’m still trying to get used […]
Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day 2012 Me with my mom and eight of my nine kids Mother’s Day is my favorite day of the year. I even like Mother’s Day more than my own birthday. All I did to earn my birthday was to be born, and hey, my mom did all the work to make that […]
randomness
Today I was showing my older daughter how to use Pinterest, and I pinned one of my own blog posts to demonstrate the pinning process. So now that will go out to all of my Pinterest followers and everyone will see that I pinned one of my own blog posts. Is that tacky? to pin […]
My Elf on the Shelf failure
I’m sure most of you know about the popular Elf on the Shelf by now. He comes with a book that you read to the children, and the story explains how Santa sends one of his elves to “spy” on them during the day, and then at night he flies back to the North Pole to […]
grocery store silliness
You know how sometimes you are in a major hurry and you are trying to get things done and you don’t notice some of the things going on around you because you are too focussed on the things you are trying to get done? Or does this only happen to me? Last night I […]
things I hear
Things I hear often around the house… It’s MY turn! Mom…where is my _______? Who ate the last _________? (when looking in the pantry or the refrigerator) No….not bedtime yet! (when told to get into bed) But I’m not tired! (when told to get into bed) I’m hungry! Where is the Wii […]
Not me! Monday
I did not turn around while at a stop light to snap this sweet photo of my Aria snoozing in her car seat, and then heard an angry honk! from the car behind me because the light had turned green and I wasn’t paying attention. No way, not me! While at our local mall, I […]
“Special Time”
If I had to pick the biggest challenge to having a large family, I would definitely say it’s finding individual time with each child. Did I give each child what they needed from me today? This is a big one for me. I never go to bed worrying if the house was clean enough, but […]