Online fun is about to begin!

Happy first of November to you! I can't believe another month has come and gone! I do love the fresh start of a new month though, and today is even more exciting if you are into crafting and scrapping as much as I am. Over at Cocoa Daisy we are having a weekend online crop. What does that mean anyway? Well, it means that there is a full schedule of classes, games, challenges, guest chats, giveaways and more! It means when you click over there you will be inspired, learn new things, meet new people and just have an all-around good time!
I am teaching my first class over there this evening at 9pm eastern time. I have had so much fun putting my project together and have enjoyed making a beautiful mess with the November Stargazing kit! It is available now and I think the combination of colors and patterns on the papers are my favorite ever, so you will definitely want to get your own set! To do that, you can click here...the Daisy Boutique is always open.
I hope that you will find many things to be grateful for this month and into the next one too. The holiday season always has so much to offer and this year I want to be as intentional as ever in making the most of it all.
I can't wait to get my first "red cup" of the season either. Oh yes, Happy November indeed!

With or without.

It is the start of yet another year. How 365 days seem to speed up and turn into a new year faster than the year before is the biggest surprise to me right now. I wonder if that keeps happening year after year, or if at some point it goes back to feeling a little slower-paced. Time will tell, I suppose.
So here we are- in 2012 and all it's freshness and possibility. Yes, I am in a new place back in my "home" state and feeling as though there are almost too many things starting over for me and my family all at once. From new schools, to trying to learn our way around a new grocery store, to setting up rooms and looking forward to meeting and making new friends. It's so much at once. If you know me in person you know I don't like change all that much. Sure, I love when Starbuck's offers a few new flavors on their latte menu. I like it when I get new shoes and they fit just right. I like watching my kids learn new things and try new foods. But beyond some of those things, I like things predictable and comfortable. Tried and true. I like knowing what to expect and when to expect it. I'm not nearly as adventurous as I look. =)
Right now, when I open the door to our garage, all I see is boxes and stuff stacked on top of more stuff. So much stuff that I feel practically overwhelmed with the task of finding things I still need and would like to use {or wear} right now. It's not for lack of space that our stuff is still piled high at this point. But more because, well one reason is that 6 out of 8 of us ended up with the flu bug the past few days. That did little to help the cause of getting us more settled in this place. It did give our washer and dryer a major workout. But I could have done without that right now. =)
It's more about me realizing in a big, big way that, while I knew we had too much "stuff", it was easy to just live without that knowledge and just let the closets get more and more filled at our last place. {Which, we are hoping will land some buyers as soon as possible. If you know anyone who wants a great family home near Muskegon, MI, send them this link. I'll send you some cupcakes as a return favor!}
So, as I was typing, in our last home I knew we had more than we needed. I had wanted to clean and have garage sales and donate nice things and give stuff away more times than I did. I knew the closets and shelves were filling up with all sorts of things. What I didn't realize is how much effort it takes to go through all of that stuff and sort it to try to decide what we need, what we want, what will be worth holding onto, and what we should simply let go of and be better off in so doing.
It's a big job to have a garage filled to the brim and have to determine what stays and what goes. Losing Teagan has made me hold onto things I might otherwise never have wanted to keep. Haveing kids from 16 months to almost 13 years old also makes for having a lot of stuff. There are games and toys and bikes and beds spanning all those years. That's a lot of gear to have to store and yet we use most of it too.
So as this year kicks off I am finding that I need to keep it as simple as I can. I am working on sorting through boxes of stuff and asking simply of each thing, "Can we do without this? Or do we need this?" I hope that I can actually make a dent in at least one small corner by the end of this week. Big jobs need to be scaled down, so I am hoping to not lose heart and just take it one box at a time.
I hope that come next year I will have learned that a life lived simply and with a whole lot less stuff can be just as satisfying and even more rewarding and fulfilling as the life where I filled up all the spaces I could. Wish me luck and I am crossing my fingers that we can stay healthy for awhile too. The flu bug is one thing I have determined I could definitely live without!
Happy New Year to everyone of you who reads and prays and laughs at us and with us each step of the way that I share here with you. I hope you have a year of learning, growing, whittling down and living more intentionally. May each of us become better in at least one small way!

Straight out of a book.

Sometimes its like life comes straight out of a book at my house. Yesterday it looked like this- the Oh, David! baby board book. We keep child-proof latches on our cupboards because of the age and stage Teague is at in life. The stage where everything in life is pretty much a science experiment and nothing has yet been discovered. His curious nature and lack of fear make for one busy little guy with a whole big world and endless opportunities to learn how things work. He is at the stage where everyday he wants a little bit more independence and feels fully capable of doing things all on his own. Even if they are out of reach, out of the question, or out of line. He doesn't care. If he can find a way, he is happy to do so.
So after he had already eaten breakfast, he was happy playing and discovering things in the living room. I was around the corner straightening my bedroom. The three older kids were all home from school due to parent-teacher conferences. It seemed as though the morning was off to a nice, leaisure start.
And then I heard a crinkle and a crumple and the sound of little bitty pieces on the wood floor. I took a few steps out into the kitchen and found Teague holding the Yogurt Cheerios with a twinkle in his eye at the same time. He seemed rather proud that he had discovered the latch undone on the cupboard that is 99% of the time latched shut. It was like hitting the toddler lottery. A couple of the kids came running to see what the noise had been...and they stopped dead in their tacks. Then they looked from him to me. I proceeded to say, "Uh-oh, Teague." Then I went and got my phone and snapped a few photos of the mess. By that time Teague was already squatting down and in true kid-fashion, he was picking out the pink yogurt-covered ones and eating them as though this is how we always eat our Cheerios. Off of the floor.
Crew came over and joined the fun and Ava helped me sweep and clean up. Brock wanted to know how it was that I was "staying so cool about it".
I told him that sometimes moms are better about being moms than other times. Teague had dumped out the cereal on a good day. =) But truthfully, I said, there was a time in my life when Daddy and me had sat in a house that had just a couple of weeks earlier been noisy, chaotic, a little bit stressful and had Cheerios and toys all over the floor that felt like a never-ending task of cleaning. But suddenly we were sitting there looking at each other hearing nothing but my quiet sobs and wishing upon every wish of our hearts that someone would come bounding into the room making too much noise and spilling Cheerios on the floor.
Here I was. More than 10 years after having such a wish on my heart and it was happening exactly the way I remember wishing it would. Only instead of Teagan, Brock or Wyndham spilling the cereal, it was my little Teague. My healthy, thriving, trouble-making, mess-making, lovable Teague.
I absolutely mess up more times than I can count as a mom. Every single day. But I also know that I absolutely appreciate the messes that do happen and the memories they trigger and the reminders that come to surface in the midst of the mess. They are moments to recognize that messes can be cleaned up, kids are learning and in the end, Cheerios on the floor are still a part of my life. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
Even when they are scattered all over the floor.
Sometimes my life looks like it could be straight out of a book. It doesn't look much like a fairytale, but the storyline and characters fill my heart. They keep my hands busy too. I feel blessed that sometimes I do keep my cool and just take in the moment. I will wish this one back someday too. Teague went on to re-enact a few other pages out of this board book later on in our day. I just kept my cool. It was a good book day all-around. =)

Don't let this picture fool you...

This is Teague helping me sweep the floor. The fact is he's the one that makes most of the mess around here these days! I can hardly keep up with the Cheerios, dried peas and carrots and other food and toys he leaves behind throughout the day. Yesterday it was the toilet paper streaming across the hallway, living room and entry way as though we had some mini party going on and needed streamers for the occasion. Sometimes it feels like fun for me. Other times I feel like I am fighting a losing battle trying to keep up.
In the end, I pause ad breathe and take it in. Because I have learned life's lesson that this season of his life and mine will be a distant memory before long. So I snap a few pictures and try to take it in. And remind myself that a clean house isn't what I really want in life. I want happy, well-rounded kids that know there's no place like home!

What my "castle" looks like these days...

I don't know how the weeks fly by in between blog posts here, because in behind the scenes in our real life sometimes the days and nights seem endless at times! Since Easter Sunday much has happened in the world and in our home too.

It was a very big deal for Prince William and Kate Middleton to marry this weekend- even though we're not British, royalty or in the same time zone. =) I happened to be awake at 4 am when the tv coverage started because Teague was up at that time crying and fussing with a mild fever from his two first teeth coming in. Once I started watching I was hooked and ended up posting a running commentary to my Facebook status updates throughout the whole day. It was actually amusing for me and since Teague wanted to be held most the day, I just used one hand to type and just had fun watching the wedding unfold. I woke Ava, Bella and Brock up just as the couple were about to head out of the church as husband and wife. The girls jumped out of bed and ran as fast as they could to see the new princess; they were so excited! Brock on the other hand didn't move a muscle- until I told him the coffee had just finished brewing and he could grab a cup whenever he was ready. I thought their reactions were spot on- girls love a good fairytale and boys love food! =)

Anyway, I have a lot I could say about the royal wedding and just maybe I'll get around to revisiting those thoughts here in the next few days. I do love weddings and I love tradition and precision at times. So for me it was nice to look on and watch it all happen and I enjoyed seeing and hearing about all the amazing and sometimes even, outrageous details.

Onto the next event, Wyndham got sick toward the end of last week and is still sick today. Last night she ended up in the ER due to dehydration and just being unable to keep anything down. This is nothing new to her or us, so unfortunately we sort of knew what to expect after 4+ days of this illness dragging on. I have to admit I feel like the worst mother at times like this because there just isn't enough "me" to go around and I end up worn very thin and feel more than frazzled. Thankfully I am not up for any mother of the year awards, so it's okay that my house turns into a disaster from Playdough and paints and couch cushion forts and anything else that gets dragged out or in. It's far cry from Buckingham Palace around here, but I'm trying to convince myself that being "normal" is sometimes better than being royal anyway. I snapped some pictures of Teague and Crew just a little bit ago because the more cushions they pulled off the couch and the 'higher' they climbed onto pillows, the happier they seemed to be. It made me pause and realize that what I see as a "mess", they interpret as pure joy! The same thing seems to happen with playdough and paints too. I hope that my kids will grow up thanking me for allowing them to be creative and to explore things rather than remembering that all I did was yell at them to clean up.

It's hard to strike a balance- especially with such a big, diverse group of people in one home. The house is not often that clean and tidy and typically someone needs a nap or a snack or their bed linens washed and dried, or even just a snuggle to make them feel better. I'm no superhero and simply do my best to stay "caught up" as best as possible. Seeing past the chaos to the fun on their faces and the fact that their only kids once is what I'm trying my best to do right now. I figure if I actually pull that off, well then maybe our life will feel like the fairytale most people dare dream it to be.

Another busy week!

I didn't realize I missed blogging all week long. I'm sure most of you are just as busy as I am so you probably didn't notice either!

Brock, Bell and Ava had day camp at our local YMCA Monday through Friday. They loved it and were worn out when they got home every day. I was worn out from packing 15 lunches by Friday and keeping up with washing and drying their swimsuits and towels in time for the next morning. Ava neglected to tell me that she got bubblegum in her hair one day and so the next morning when I went to braid her hair I got quite a surprise. I will say that I was fully expecting her to have to get a major haircut. However, the canola oil in my baking cupboard along with a large dose of shampoo, conditioner and patience was almost enough to get it all out. I think she learned a very important life lesson. And I am hoping we never have to repeat it around here! =)

We also did a bit of re-arranging of beds and now have Bella and Ava sharing a room in order to make way for baby #7. SO far all the kids have had their own space and it's worked out well. But they seem to be adjusting to it and even liking it a lot at certain times. Like from 8 til 10 pm at night! I have high hopes that by the time we welcome this next addition everyone will be very comfortable in their new spots and I will be the only one having a hard time getting enough sleep. But I won't stop and think about that too long... or it will wear me out and we still have some more busy weeks of summer ahead of us to enjoy. I hope you do too!!

Why I love to bake...

My kids love to help out in the kitchen- especially when it comes to baking. Crew was totally into the banana bread we made yesterday. I modified a recipe from Williams-Sonoma Kids Baking and it was a big hit. Not just with Crew, but with everyone in the family.

Here's the recipe {with modifications}; I hope you enjoy it too!

easy! Banana Bread

{Makes 1 loaf, but I double the recipe and make 1 large loaf, 2 mini loaves and a dozen mini muffins too- perfect for small hands!}

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda
3 very ripe mashed bananas

2/3 cup sugar (I used just under 1/2 cup of sugar)

1/3 cup oil (I pour half the measuring cup with unsweetened applesauce and then top it off with canola oil)

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (I used a splash more)

(I also added 1/4 tsp. fresh-grated nutmeg)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan (I love "Pam spray for Baking"...the bread comes out so easily every time!). In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt and soda. In a large mixing bowl, smash the bananas with a fork. Next add the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla (and nutmeg too if you're adding that in) and beat until well blended. Add the flour mixture to banana mixture and stir until just blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in oven for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool on rack for about 15 minutes and then remove from pan.

My favorite part of baking bread with Crew was listening to him say "num, num, num" every time we added an ingredient to the bowl and then watching him get sticky from licking the spatual. I gave him a quick bath while the muffins were baking and when he was dried off, clean and cozy, the muffins were done and ready to eat. The timing was perfect. He couldn't even wait for me to get his buttered and put on a plate. He just helped himself. There's something very special about baking with kids. I highly recommend the experience. It's a simple joy.

More cards and crafts...

I was able to make some more cards over the weekend and that makes me happy. The more cards I can make, the more I can put in the mail! I was flattered and humbled that the designer of the paper line I've been using actually called me and posted pictures of my cards on her blog. Thank you, Brenda Walton~ it's been a pleasure to use your designs!

I took a little break from cards and tried my hand at pom-pom flowers. I got the idea from this tutorial/blogpost. Aren't they simply adorable? They remind me of little puffs of snow. I think I may have to host another giveaway and send one or two of you reading this a card and flower too. You know. Just because I need to add things to my Christmas list right now! Wait. On second thought, I think a random giveaway sounds like a nice thing to host in the New Year. I do have thoughts in my head for a blogpost about the holidays not being so merry. Hopefully I'll get those thoughts down here before the end of the week. Then my kiddos are on Christmas break and I doubt I'll get much thinking done then!

P.S. Do you have a favorite cookie recipe? I'm making some for a class party. I just haven't decided what kind yet.

This post brought to you by the letter "p"...

With the exception of Brock and Crew in the pile of leaves, the photos here represent some of what is going on around our house today. Puzzles and painting and playing with pots and pans. Basic kid stuff that involves making a mess, being creative, using hands and minds and all the various activities keep kids busy for at least a little while. Just long enough for me to finish cleaning the previous mess and then I turn around and start cleaning up the next.

We are all officially on Thanksgiving break. But I am starting to wonder why they call it a break. Besides taking a hot shower this morning and now sneaking in a few minutes to update my blog, I've yet to have a break from anything or anyone around here! =)

Chip was gone to Tulsa, Oklahoma last Friday through Sunday and then with the short school week this week I feel like I'm working overtime. That's the major reason I've been absent around here. I feel like there should be at least 3 more of me just so one of me can catch up on sleep, one to stay on top of cleaning and homekeeping, and then one to try to have fun and be more creative- something I haven't found myself doing at all lately. I miss being the one to make the mess. =)

However, there is something very satisfying about seeing the smiles on everyone else's faces around here. So I'm sitting tight and hanging around and trying to find to keep the peace around here. Not an easy task all the time, but a privilege when I stop to think about it nonetheless!

More randomness.

I like it when you buy food and it actually looks like the picture on the package when you get it out of the box. =) These mixed veggies are what Crew and I ate for lunch and for 99 cents they were colorful, tasty and looked like their picture! We had some whole wheat toast with deli ham and provolone too. In case you wondered what he is eating right now. All finger food.

The other half of my dining room table was, and still is, covered with cardstock, fabric and leaves. I've been trying to play around and cutting out leaves and sewing them onto cards seemed like a good idea to me. Now, if I could manage to get them in the mail and delivered to friends, I'll really feel like I've accomplished something!

The self portraits were snapped an hour ago. I colored my hair twice in 2 days {again!} and am happy to say that I got it to a shade I can live with for the next month or so. =) Or maybe I should say I got the gray/purple/blue streaks out and now I actually have to come up with a costume if I plan on dressing up for Halloween this weekend. My hair was so obviously gray/purple that when Sarah Jessica Parker for Garnier Nutrisse came on tv yesterday afternoon, Bella looked at me during the ad and said, "That's what you need, Mom!". I think I need a little more than a hair color fix to turn into her, but I did swipe on some new red lipstick today. I bought it last week on a buy 1, get 1 free deal at the grocery store. Now that I stop and think about buying boxed haircolor and lipstick at Meijer, I shouldn't be surprised that I don't look like a movie star. The good news is that I'm not trying to be one. =)

My theory is that if you look better, you'll feel better. With 2 kids not feeling so hot here at our house (Wyndham and Ava) I am trying to avoid getting sick. I know my theory doesn't hold much water, but there's no harm in trying. I'm sure if I end up staying healthy it has more to do with colored veggies than it does about lipstick and hair color.

I also think I need to consider taking a nice long blog break. Because this randomness is making me look crazier than I am. At least my hair is the right color though! Important stuff. Really.

Nearing 1000.

I actually made something crafty today. And played around with a new banner to wish you all a Happy Autumn. The sun is out and it's {finally!} the kind of fall day I really like- crisp and relaxing.

Are you ready for some fun around here this week? This is post #997, so I was thinking that since it's so close to 1000, I should have a little giveaway. Just leave your name and either how you know me or where you live (city/state or town/country). I'll get some goodies together and then have a drawing. I might even pick 2 winners. Who knows. =)

But I promise it will be fun. And for those of you who like Starbuck's I have a hunch there may be a giftcard involved. So say hello here and cross your fingers that your number will be picked in the next few days!

Exciting stuff. =)

This is the sort of stuff going on in our lives and home right now. Ava learned how to make her own toast. Crew wishes he could. =) He took the top tray off his booster seat and put it on his head the other day. He had no clue there were noodles on his head. He just sat there smiling and making faces at us as we laughed and called him silly names like "Mr. Macaroni" and "Cheesehead". He walked about 4 or 5 steps from chair to couch this morning. It's exciting around here, I tell ya! Even if it does involve falling down or making a mess in the process. It's all part of an exciting life!

Polling the audience.

I don't know what to tell you about my sparse posting here on my blog except that Crew never stops finding new things to dump out, tear apart, climb up onto, open up, toss down the stairs, chew on, unroll, unwrap, bang together, and more. He's a whirlwind from morning til night.

So that's my excuse for not blogging. I don't blame you for not reading. =)

Today I'm asking your opinion, if you're so inclined to leave a comment. It's an easy multiple choice answer. I colored my hair (twice) and cut it myself yesterday. Yes. I have issues. The question I pose to you is this-

Does that make me:

a) desperate

b) cheap

c) crazy

or

d) all of the above.

I'll still like you no matter how you answer the question. I also might just blog a couple of more times before this week is over too. If Crew allows it, that is.

A major milestone...

Crew's first Ritz cracker. 5'09
It appears that necessary fine motor skills and pincher grasp will be mastered before his two bottom teeth break through his gums. Photos taken of this milestone...35. Moments like this are not to be missed. I did that with Teagan, Brock, Wyndham, Bella and Ava. I'm so happy that I've finally learned my lesson. Even if it's taken 6 kids. {click photo series to enlarge}

Big projects.

We took on some big projects the past few days. Today we give a special shout out to all our friends and family in Minnesota...hey! Brock has a oral presentation to give on the great state of Minnesota to all the fourth graders in his class at school. He worked really hard on both a written report and putting a presentation board together. Even though Chip and I were born and raised in Minnesota, Brock felt he wanted to learn more about the state himself. One of his favorite surprises was to learn about the world's largest ball of twine which resides in Darwin, MN. He also was happy to bring the state beverage- milk- and state muffin- blueberry- to pass out to all his friends too. So, hello to all of you reading from Minnesota right now. We miss a lot of you!

While Brock and I worked on the finishing touches of his board, Chip was busy cleaning out our flower bed right outside our front step. Crew absolutely LOVES it outside as the weather warms up. He was all smiles as he watched Chip (and Wyndham) "play" in the dirt. I think Crew has a future in agriculture. Which means he has a good chance of moving back to Minnesota someday. =)

I just want to give you all a few more details as to my previous post and our new concerns for Wyndham. First of all, thank you for so many prayers and support for our family. We will most certainly need them over the coming months. We learned on Monday, that Wyndham will be having double foot/ankle surgery- most likley in early fall. This is something we have felt she wouldn't need, but as the x-rays and orthopedic surgeon confirm, sadly it will need to be done and it will be a challenge too. Not just the surgery, but also the recovery. She will be immobile/wheelchair bound for at least 3 months.

This sudden news really hit us hard. Wyndham has been doing so well in all areas of development. She is a very active and happy 8 year old. It is hard to imagine all the implications that this surgery will present. My heart hurts for the pain and suffering she will have to go through too. They say it's quite painful- we're hoping she has the lesser complicated one too- hoping to avoid the one where she would have bones fused, but that will be determined as she has more procedures done in the coming months. So please feel free to pray for her team of doctors and the wisdom they need to make the best decisions for her care. Also, pray for Chip and me as we have to help make decisions too and be Wyndham's advocate. Pray for us to have peace and be unified when it comes to the things that need to be done. This type of stuff has strained our marriage before- hopefully it will bring us together and force us to grow in new and better ways. Most importantly, pray for Wyndham and all she will endure. She has proved herself strong time and time again, but still, it won't be fun and it certainly won't make sense to her as to why she is healthy and happy and yet still has to put her life on hold and go through this traumatic experience. I am praying that God will just give her everything she needs to be calm, comforted and somehow He will bring helpers into our lives that will ease the burdens of having her confined for so long.

That's sort of the big picture in one paragraph, but hopefully it is enough details to help you both understand why our hearts were so heavy the other day, and also gives you insight as to how to support us- your prayers and thoughts means so much to us! A situation like this is hard to swallow. It is another reminder of how one person's acts have drastically changed/affected our lives forever. It is another chance for us to choose to forgive and let go. But I am first to admit...it's still hard.

You know I will keep bringing updates and details as this surgery gets closer. We are very grateful though, to think that we have a whole summer to "be normal" and have fun. Let's hope it's Wyndham's best summer yet!

Making stuff.

Have you ever made cake box cookies? I'm telling you, they are easy and tasty. I whipped up a batch of chocolate chocolate chunk ones today, along with Ava's help and thought I'd share the recipe link with you here. Easy and good...did I say that already? My tip is to underbake them by a minute or two. They are thin and chewy that way- just the way we like them!

The kids have been painting for the past four or five days on our dining table. The pages and books are drying and I'm swamped with clutter on my counters and buffet table. But for some reason, I have no motivation to clean any of it up. I think I secretly like piles, clutter and chaos. I think I've slowly given in to the reality that I am outnumbered and therefore I am going to have piles and stuff around as long as there are kids around.

Unless a team appears at my front door from one of those TLC clean house shows, I think I'm destined to just get used to the idea of living with stuff. As long as we can still eat our meals at the table, I think it's all okay in the end. I took the day off of doing laundry today and so far nobody has died as a result. So maybe letting stuff pile up once in awhile is not such a big deal afterall. Half the fun of messes is making them, isn't it?!