Roman Noodles are Really Good for Something... Besides Eating

At my house Roman noodles are a staple! I keep trying to slowly eliminate them, and they keep coming back! My boys love them and if they weren't so high in salt and bad stuff I'd be all for keeping them around... forever! Especially since I have found such a good use for those boxes that they come in.

I am a thrifty Mamma, and have a hard time throwing away a box that could be used for another purpose. Have any of you done this... Or something like this... Or am I just a weird cookie!! LOL

Well for now the Roman noodles are staying so I will embrace the chance to use those boxes!

TTFN
April

That Feeling... When You are Completely Overwhelmed!

I have needed to get my nail polish out and take the chips of purple nail polish that are left on my fingers off for over a week.  Somehow every time I think of it (usually in the bathroom... yes I know that is weird... it's the only time I get away either alone or at least with only one kiddo) So... that is the time I notice those little things like I really need to clean that nail polish off.  ANNYWAY!  It never happens because I come out of the bathroom and notice something like that the laundry needs to be folded or, a little person needs me for something, or any number of the millions (no I am not joking) of things I do around here.

So, when I realized something this past week after a good long talk with God(...yes I talk to him, yes out loud, and you should too!  :-) ... ) that I need to be sharing my life.  Surly I am not the only person going through this craziness!  or maybe I am but, maybe sharing my craziness will make someone else's craziness seen not so bad!  LOL  I'm here for you ladies... really I am!

That is why I am sitting here typing away in the very brief moment while little miss is sleeping and the boys are playing quietly (haha ya right)  and yes... I still need to remove the purple chips of paint off of my nails.  Maybe I should go do that right now... 

Do any of you feel like the pile of stuff to get done just keeps getting bigger and you just keep falling farther behind.  You are not alone!  I was just thinking about this today.  Why do I feel so incredibly overwhelmed!  Yes, there is a lot going on right now.  School just started, life in general with all of it's craziness is overwhelming, but I usually am able to keep my head above water.  I really don't know why I am feeling this major overwhelmingness (sorry I know that is not a word... but if fits!)  So, here is my plan.  Give it to God.  
You may be asking how is that really going to help?  Well, it works out like this.  My day is God's day.  That is the way I see it.  I am right where he wants me to be so I should stop stressing because the laundry isn't done, the house is a mess, the kids just keep asking me question after question after question after question... Me stressing about it doesn't change anything except for how I feel about it.  So instead when I start to feel stressed or overwhelmed I am going to give it to God.  Ask for what ever I need to be able to deal with and be ok with everything going on in the place that I am at right now.  Not only that, but I am going to ask to enjoy it.  Remove myself completely from the stress and have fun... even enjoy the chaos!  Whoah did I just say enjoy the chaos!  LOL  

My kids won't always be little and all of the phases that we are going through right now will not last forever.  So I am going to enjoy it while I have them at this stage.  I know I will look back and I will miss when they were like this so instead of stressing I am going to enjoy it... all of it!

Have any of  you ever felt like the craziness of life was taking you over and that you were drowning?  How did you deal?

Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

TTFN!
April

Countdown... T-minus 3 Days Til School Starts!!!

It's that time again when the kids are dreading what is coming and the parents are anticipating!!!  

We start the week before trying to get back into our normal school time schedule.  My two youngest boys spent a lot of the summer at their Dad's house so I kinda gave them a few days to start to get used to being home before I started pushing the back into school schedule thing.  I feel like this is good for the kids so they are somewhat into the routine and it's not as hard once we HAVE to do it!  Plus, I need this week to get me back into the schedule.  No more sleeping in for Mom either!  

I also have my now 7 year old doing some school stuff each day to get back into it.  They forget some during the summer, and I really didn't have any control over what he did as far as reading and practicing during the summer so I wanted to make sure he started to get back into it before school started.  It should make it a little easier that first week if he remembers at least a little bit from where he left off.  

What do you do to prep your kids before school starts?  

It's already Tuesday

Today I realized it's Tuesday!!  The kids only have a few more day's of school.  They boys are going to their Dad's for 2 weeks this weekend.  Oh, my gosh it's already Tuesday!  I have so much to do!  I am sure I am not the only Momma that feels like that but sometimes it hits me and I really just feel like I've been pushed along in the week and didn't even notice the time going by. Course I've been busy so you know the saying... "Time flies when your having fun!"  or taking care of lots of people!  

Anyway!  I have realized that I am somewhat addicted to 19 kids and Counting.  I know kinda a weird show to be addicted to, but we have it on Netflix and I started watching it.  I guess it makes me feel like my life is not so crazy after all.  LOL  I also have gotten some really great ideas on organizing, and having the kids helping out at home.  I love that they are just regular people and that they stick by their beliefs and their convictions no matter what anyone thinks.  Children are a blessing from God no doubt about it!  

I am rereading the final book in one of my favorite series.  Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series is excellent.  I am reading An Echo in the Bone before the next book comes out so I remember all of what happened.  I picked up the book and actually kinda chuckled.  I don't remember this book being this big!  LOL  I love big books!  I have preordered the next book to go to my kindle so I it will be easier to keep with me than a great big book.  I think I will still miss having that big book sitting around.  I also think I will miss the look on people's faces when they say... are you reading that!  Wow that's huge!  

Today was a pretty good day... I love teething babies!  LOL oh was that facetious.  No they are sweet babies my head only hurt for a little while. :-)  It is always a joy to see them growing and learning.  Chaeli is a determined little lady.  She will be crawling in no time.  She gets up on her hands and knees and wiggles back and forth.  It's so cute!  Landree (who I babysit)  is getting good at the crawling thing and gets so excited when she gets going.  Mr. G was fun today too!  He is getting so big!  Sometimes I have to remind myself he is only 3!  All in all it's been a good day.

OK now I must go rest so I can do it all again tomorrow!  :-)

TTFN
April

Doing the Right thing is Also a Really Hard Thing

I am preparing myself for what I know is coming later this week.  I know it's coming because it happens every time I'm about to send my boys to their Dad's house.  It is a good thing for the boys to get to go to their Dad's. It is the right thing for them and for their Dad. I am so glad their Dad wants to be a part of their lives.  It is also one of the hardest things that I have to do.

  In the days leading up to them going I become a stress ball and end up being short tempered. When I really just want to love on them and let them know I will miss them, but I am really excited for them to get to go.  I guess the stress of knowing they will be gone plus trying to get them packed and ready on top of my daily already crazy life just... gets to me.  

So, I am preparing myself because I really don't want it to be like that.  I want it to be that I am excited for them.  I want to see the good in it all.  I will miss them yes, but I need a break sometimes and this is that opportunity.  It is good for them to have these experiences.  Even though I am not there to see them experience it.  

I think being mentally prepared, spiritually prepared, and physically prepared (get them packed early so it is not so stressful right before they go) will help.  This will never be an easy thing.  It will always pull at my heart that they will be gone.  I will always miss them.  I will always feel a little out of sorts when they are gone. That is the way it should be and that is ok.  I need to be strong because they need to go and have fun.  They need to go make memories with their Dad.  They don't need any of the baggage that comes with, "this is the way it is."  That will come in time.  I need to protect them from that for as long as I can.  

So I am doing the right thing for my boys.  It is a really hard thing.  I would do anything for them if I thought it was the right thing for them.  So, I can be strong for them I am their Mamma!

TTFN
April

Because You've Been There

Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I've been thinking about the best way to tell my Mom how much she means to me.  There are days when I really think back to my child hood and think my Mom was a Super Woman and shake my head wondering how she did it.  As I was thinking about this a little poem started to take shape so I decided this is my gift to you Mom on this Mother's Day!  

Because You've Been There

My days are full 
time is sparse
you've been there you know how that is

My house is not always clean
The laundry is in piles
that need to be put away
You've been there you know how that goes.  

I take care of babies all of the day
and all of the night
You've been there you know how that goes

My wardrobe needs replenished
My shoes last a long time
I don't buy for me
there are little ones to feed
You've been there you know how that goes

My heart is overflowing 
Hugs and kisses from my littles
Little voices calling my name
Sweet babies that just need my love
You've been there you know how that goes

It's bittersweet I see that they are growing
They won't always need boo boo kisses 
I tuck them in knowing they won't always need me like this
You've been there you know how that goes

Mamma you always said
when you have kids of your own 
You will understand 
You've been there you know how that goes

I have kids of my own now 
I do understand
I know what you gave for me 
I know how that goes.

I love you more for it
I Thank You today
For you showed me how all of that goes

Turning over a new leaf

Howdy!

So I titled this post "Turning Over a New Leaf" because that is what I am doing.  I've been restless, tired, confused, mad, frustrated, and scared a lot lately.  Yesterday was a really rough day for me.  I was extremely tired (The baby is teething and getting ready to grow so she had been up a lot at night)  So, on top of tired and grumpy I just had a rough day.  Not anyone's fault I could have handled the whole situation better if I would have just remembered one of my most important quotes... " Attitude is EVERYTHING"  

So, after dinner I excused myself to have a few minutes to myself because I was really still struggling.  I cried and then decided that I really needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and pray.  I had prayed throughout the day but my heart had not really been open to hear what God was trying to tell me.  God had put a scripture right in front of my face all day long and I didn't see it until the end of the day.  On my phone I have a daily scripture and it is on my home page.  So literally this was in front of my face all day long...

Romans 12:1-2 
https://bible.com//97/rom.12.1-2.msg

1-2So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.


Recently I've been struggling with feeling like I'm not able to get enough done... What I can get done I don't ever feel like I've done a good enough job or that it is ever complete.  I've also have been frustrated because I am one person taking care of a family of kids and a husband... I take care of the majority of the house stuff and I never feel like there is enough time to get everything done.  So... basically I was kinda having a pity party!  :-)

I am right where I am supposed to be
I need to stop being so hard on myself and others
I need to remember that loving others is my job (not keeping the house perfect)

I am turning over a new leaf that will include not being to hard on myself, doing the best that I can do do what God has asked me to do, and not to stress about the things that I can't control.

TTFN!

April