Sometimes yes...sometimes no!

This past week was a LONG week. We were sick yet again, and starting to get a little depressed from not being able to go anywhere or see anyone. The one day I started to feel better we woke up to the electricity being out, and with the electric being out at our house, there isn't any water. No water, means no shower. No shower means, going NOwhere. We tried to make the best of it. We baked biscuits on the wood burning stove and only caught 2 completely on fire ;-) made coffee and beans on it as well.

We played board games and just about the time I thought I might go completely mad, I decided we needed to take a hike. Literally. One child refused to go, but was forced anyway. It only took 20 long minutes to get everyone dressed with socks and all, and as soon as we stepped outside to go...the power came back on. Even though I act like I don't like modern technology, I realized that day how much I love it. I let those kids play as many video games that they wanted! It had been a rough day to say the least.

Sometimes as a mom I feel like all I say is NO. Sometimes I have very good reasons. Other times, I think I just say it out of habit. I started thinking about a few things that I had said No to, and couldn't remember why I said it. Sometimes I over think things.....I think. The girls could tell their was a change going on in mommy's brain, and took full advantage of it. :-) One child wanted to know if we could have doughnuts for breakfast..".umm...Yes," I said. I was hungry. One child wanted to know if we could decorate for Christmas a week early...."ummm. Yes", I said. I was bored. One child wanted to know if we could go to Beaches Resort (she saw a commercial)...umm..."that's my girl, aim high. Don't settle for the mediocre. Reach for the stars, but No."

Isn't this the nicest nativity scene? We got this at our church's yard sale this past summer, and this was the first time we had seen all of it. It was like Christmas taking each piece out of it's newspaper wrapping.

One of the things that I had said no to, was letting the girls get their ears pierced. I had wanted them to wait until they were ten, that way they would appreciate it, and be able to take care of it properly. Lately several of their friends have had their ears pierced, and I could see the longing in their eyes. I talked to sweet man about it, and we decided that it really wasn't a big deal or necessary for them to wait any longer. We had family night on Friday, and after the movie we surprised them by telling them the good news. It would be an early Christmas present.  They were ecstatic to say the least. We loaded them up bright and early Saturday, and headed out for breakfast and a day at the mall for the big event. It was a very nice day, and I remembered how special I felt as a little girl when I had mine done. I heard the girls giggling and talking in their room late last night, about how wonderful it was and they just couldn't believe it. I think we made the right decision.

Today we were well enough to go to church, and it was awesome! I had so missed our loving church family and the smiling faces that went with it. It is so easy to get in a funk when I don't have that reminder every Sunday, that God is wonderful and He is working all of life's details to better me as a person and mom.

A pictures worth a thousand words...

Today was a good ole fashioned rainy day.  I love a good rainy day. 

I love cuddling up under a blanket and reading a book. I love the fact that my girls do too!

Days like this are just meant for being creative. 

Sadie decided to show her love for two of her special friends 

by writing their name in clay. Does that count for spelling?

I was able to reclaim that section of my laundry room that used to house 26 lively baby chicks.

Hours were spent building barns for little ponies.

Last, but not least, I was able to be a little creative in the kitchen with our dinner menu. I don't believe in making "kid food". I don't know many children that would actually choose the healthy "adult food" over the processes-ed  calorie laden kid food, if they had the option. I don't think at 5, 7 or even 9 years old, they totally grasp that food is the fuel for our bodies, and that our bodies function better with better fuel. That's one of the reasons God gave them a mama!  With all that being said, it still lends to pretty comical dinnertimes around here. Tonight I made Vegetable Stroganoff with Indian flat bread and brown rice.

Sweet Man and I thought it was delicious. The girls...well, pictures say it best. (you need to click on this and blow it up to get the full effect)

I was laughing so hard watching them trying to stomach all this goodness, that I almost got choked. And you know one of those princesses was trying to figure out if her plate would fit behind that there coffee pot ;-) Knowing that I am a frugal mommy, and we try not to waste food, and we eat leftovers, Sadie begged me to not make her eat this again for lunch tomorrow...LOL They will thank me for this one day I'm sure...it just probably won't be tomorrow ;-)

Ode to the coffee pot

Awe, the coffee pot. Such a wonderful invention. Conversations seem so much better when shared over a hot cup of coffee. My trip to the grocery store last week was a great one for coffee. Aldi's had several new coffee flavors out. Hazelnut and Winter white chocolate chunk were two of the flavors I brought home. I also picked up several yummy creamer flavors. Having these wonderful coffee ingredients inspired me to clean out my cabinet, and dedicate one whole shelf to conversation worthy coffee.

Princess #3 must have been marveling at how great the coffee pot is as well...(her face is red from having a tooth pulled minutes earlier)

For she deemed it her new hiding place. For food that is. Food, that she "says" she finished or drank...when she indeed did not. This morning, it was her carrot juice. Yesterday, it was a bowl of yogurt with chunky fruit in it. She prefers plain. I also found a 2 day old brown, peeled banana back there too. Do you know that fruit flies magically appear when kids hide food? I told them it's "God makin sure you get caught". He doesn't want them to grow up to be deceitful you know.

On a school note...This morning my oldest princess told me she had a request for school. She would like to start having homework and a report card. I stare at her blankly, like she is from the moon or something. I mean, what kids asks for that??  I am thinking that I must have heard wrong, for these antibiotics make me feel loopy. I thought I should ask her if that is what she really said. It was. Oh dear, I think. I can barely get the normal stuff done, and now I have to assign homework and do a report card!!!!. Not wanting to stand in the way of this child's education, I get right on that...after I stare at the ceiling for a bit. Did I mention that this medicine makes me a little loopy? I found a bunch of odds and ends school books that we just haven't had the time to do.

I pulled a page out of each book and stapled them together. The oldest is thrilled that each day after school, she can just go and get one little packet out of the stack, and work on her own, in her bed. The middle child, thinks this is the worst idea ever.  I am thinking this will be so much easier if I am sick, like that ever happens,  or we have to go somewhere. They can just grab and go. 

Drive through schooling :-)

Thanks to my special Momma for bringing us dinner since I was feeling "under the weather". Guess there are some perks to admitting you're sick. ;-)

What it takes to get a date around here....

  After taking care if sick kiddos the past several weeks, I have been feeling run down. I don't like to admit that I am sick, for fear of looking weak or whinny. The natives take advantage of that you know ;-) Yesterday I stood at the bottom of my stairs, thinking it would be just as easy to climb Mt. Everest, and every time I coughed, I felt like I had been transformed into a fire breathing dragon. I had lost my voice, think sweet man was secretly happy, and knew it was time to give in, and go to the Dr. My Mom came to sit with the girls. Have I mentioned how wonderful my Mom is?

   Urgent Care is an interesting and gross place to be. Waiting room patients totally disregard the little signs that say "cough in your elbow". People are sneezing and wiping their hands everywhere. I kept picturing a scene from Myth Busters, that proved that germs spread 8 feet when someone sneezes...and I was only 2 feet away!!  The girl in front of me in line to sign in, was eating something that looked like food from a bag, and started to lick her fingers to clean them off, so she could hand me the pen!! That's when I REALLY started talking to the Lord! "Please Lord, don't let me contract some deadly disease here, you know I didn't have time to juice this morning".

  The Dr. was pleasant and cracked a few jokes with us...I think. He was talking so quietly and quickly, I really couldn't understand him. He gave me a prescription for a Z pack and some strong cough medicine, and said I was the proud owner of Bronchitis.

  We headed to the pharmacy to buy these wonder drugs that would transform me back into my normal self. We had a few minutes to wait, while they were being filled, and it looked like the perfect time to have a "date". Me, being all dressed up in my sweat pants and feeling rather poorly, I suggested the drive through. A baked potato and frosty were enjoyed, without having to share with any princesses'. Please don't be jealous, I know not everyone gets to have these romantic dates. :-)

Tis the Season...

 It's been five LONG weeks of some kind of illness here at our house. Five long weeks, of keeping buckets by the girls bed, just in case. Five long weeks, of thinking you are finally over some illness, only to get another one. Five long weeks of Urgent care and Pediatrician trips, to only hear, "it's a virus and needs to run it's course". I have been trying to stay positive and keep an upbeat attitude...but it's getting hard. It all started with a "mommy, I don't feel good", several weeks ago at one of our homeschool  co-op's. I get one kid healthy, only to have another "pick" up something else.  We have had everything from throw up, that "other" stuff, colds, fevers, runny noses and all around grouchies. We are juicing, drinking our carrot juice, eating our whole grain muffins, taking our vitamins, wiping down our grocery carts with not one, but FOUR Clorox wipes, and washing our hands. Yet, we still seem to be drawing germs to us like a magnet in a metal shop.

 Thinking that this Sunday might be different, I put on my positive attitude and prepared for church last night.  I loaded my girls up in the car, to go to my parents to take a shower, our well was dry.  I had the house all cleaned up, so I wouldn't have to worry about tripping over some mess in the morning, that would put me in a bad mood. I had the laundry washed and put away, dresses ironed, lunch planned, and shoes cleaned and ready to go.  As I was tucking them in last night, after our nightly story from "Doyle and Fossey", I noticed Hope was not looking so hot, or rather, she was looking VERY hot. She was running a fever AGAIN. "Lord, don't you want me to go to church", I ask???..

 Today I stayed home with Hope, while Mike took the other girls to church. Wondering if there is still life out there, at the end of this beautiful driveway....

  I helped get the other two dressed and then plopped down in my chair with my Bible. Realizing I was reading the words, just for the sake of reading them, I put my Bible away, and just chatted with God. Why is it that I find it so easy to strike up a conversation, with just about everyone, or everything else, but God. I chat with my chickens, my dogs, my cats, and friends and family. But the one who REALLY knows me, I struggle sharing my dreams and concerns. Guess maybe that is what He was trying to show me today...

 Hope woke up feeling fine. Thinking this might be the last of the "sickies" at our house...but we'll keep those buckets out, just in case ;-)

The time has come!!

Our baby chicks are growing up!! They are mostly feathered now and eating tons of food!

They have learned about sharing and taking turns at the watering hole.

They have learned how to create a pattern while roosting.

They have also learned that there is a whole big wide world out there...and they want to see it! They want to spread their wings and fly. They want to feast on natures bounty, and not worry about fitting into their feathers. They want to spend the whole day exploring new things with their friends and hopefully not get eaten by the resident farm dogs.

The other day while I was lazily sitting on that little stool you see there...I noticed that one of my sweet little hens was being pecked on. (out of boredom I suppose)  I don't take lightly to my children picking on each other...human kind or animal kind...and I realized that they aren't babies anymore. It was time to move on out of the laundry room. Sweet Man had been working on turning my goat house into the new and improved   chicken house. I love my old coop. Isn't it adorable? It's just not big enough for all 38 chickens. I still can't believe I have 38 CHICKENS!!! That is a lot....

But the new coop and old goat fenced area,will be just perfect for them to root around outside during the day, and come inside and roost in the evening. Oh yea....and lay their eggs too! Come February look me up if you need eggs, we will have PLENTY to sell! :-)

We moved the little chicks into the "big house" the other night. They were scared to death. As much as they wanted this new adventure, they were afraid they might not survive it. I figured they needed a motherly mentor, to show them the ropes of living in this big new world. Sweet Man and I visited the old coop, in the dark, not knowing exactly where Mr. Pecky the rooster was, to retrieve this sweet girl.

This sweet little white hen is my setting hen. She has hatched out several little chicks for me, and I figured she was just the one for this job. I am not sure if she feels honored to be in charge of 26 chirpy chicks, or punished in some way. Either way, she is doing a fine job. Her days have been busy showing them how this adult life plays out. They seem to be at ease just knowing she is watching out for them. Everyone needs a good Mama, who puts her wishes and dreams to the side some days, to make sure that her little ones turn out to be wonderful adults! I love my setting hen...and my own Mama!!

The Unsocialized Homeschooler...

The Kitchens a mess...

Danishes for breakfast???

Homemade cookies line the counter...

Oh Yeah!!! There's a party somewhere and we're GOING!!!

Last week our co-op had scheduled a field trip to Safety City. We had a great time, but the weather was not cooperating and the kids were not able to drive the cars. They rescheduled us to come back and drive the cars yesterday, which was an awesome day in so many ways, including the weather.

We learned about road safety....

We learned that you are NEVER too old to have fun...

But you might just be too heavy....(I knew I shouldn't have ate that raspberry pie in the bed last night)

We "hung" out with some friends at the park and enjoyed a picnic...

Then some of us went to the library and South Charleston mound, where we proceeded to show that snow is not necessary for sledding....

 You know that's going to leave a stain ;-)

Lesson for the day.....Life is much sweeter when shared with friends!

 When I get the question "don't you worry about socialization"...I just have to laugh. If the people that ask that question could spend a few days in our shoes, they would never ask that question again. :-)