Very Insightful

On our way to church we often find ourselves discussing how some people do not go to church - some not to our church and some not at all. It always involves helping the children understand that every person has their own choices to make. Some decide not to go to church at all because they choose not to believe. Others have not had the chance yet to learn about the gospel and therefore do not choose to because they do not know. Others choose to attend a different church. Those kinds of things.

So today we're heading to church when our 4 year old promptly notes the path of an on coming car going the opposite way and thereby not going to church. At this point I prepare myself to start in with the choices response again when he expertly claims:

"I know why some people don't go to church. It's so the missionaries will have people to teach when they're on earth."

Very insightful.

Perfect Recipe For Disaster

1 antique yellow electric stove top (between 1970-1980)
1 set power controls on left hand front side
1 used, empty pie plate, glass
1 button happy toddler
1 dining room chair
1 helpful child

Step # 1: Make sure stove top is properly installed and power controls correctly connect current to appropriate burners.

Step #2: Place pie plate on small burner closest to power controls to cool and await washing over night.

Step #3: Allow helpful child to place dining room chair near power controls to retrieve the morning breakfast cereal. Do not remind said child to return chair to its proper location - thereby leaving it in perfect order for step number four.

Step#4: Add button happy toddler. He will inevitably press the correct button.

Step #5: Wait in separate room, oblivious to the fact that steps 3 and 4 have now been completed.

You will know things are done when you hear a loud explosive crash, followed by the sound of raining glass. It will be much the like the sound of a crystal chandelier falling to a marble floor. Check to be sure - you should see smoke wafting through your kitchen and dining room, a bright red burner, and chunks of hot and somewhat sticky glass thrown everywhere within an eight foot radius.

If you are lucky, there will have been no one in the eight foot radius at the time of explosion, thereby giving the best artistic display without being tainted by oozing and wailing - the boys missed it by a foot.

I'm Afloat

Apparently I'm afloat.... I've successfully washed the majority of dishes, cleared two surfaces, gone through half the paperwork, and FOUND the mysterious netflix movie AND my camera cord.... pictures and stories to come soon... off to attack some more surfaces and maybe the floors.... or maybe I'll dive into apples! =)

I May Be In Over My Head

Lately I've been thinking I'm seriously in over my head - after all, soccer recently started (two teams... I'll hate to see what three does to us next year), quickly followed by a new little one joining us most weeks up to three days a week (and she's so much fun), and then the beginning of school, and dance and violin. That's busy. Yes, our fall is very busy and shifting gears to jump back into schedules is never a smooth ride around here, although we always get through it and usually with many laughs and smiles and certainly with lots of fun and pictures!

But add to that apples and well.....

I now have successfully lost a netflix movie, I honestly have no time (or is it energy) to get the niddy-griddies around the house done as I'm generally barely keeping afloat on the dishes and laundry, I have lost my camera cord and have given up hope on attacking my bedroom until further notice... and my writing, I pulled up one story twice this week to immediately close it out without even reading any of it... now is just not the time!

And then....

Jacob decided now was the perfect time to get up on everything... the table wasn't a big deal because we have carpet (the one and only good thing about carpet in the dining room) so we just keep the chairs pushed in.... most of the time. But his excitement has shifted to the living room, specifically my computer... okay any computer... and the TV and DVD players. In other words, he's supposed to be on 24/7 watch again.

The good news...

We're still having fun, we're supporting the family at all the games (which means fresh autumn air) (though I cut out early last night because Jacob just wasn't handling it.. or I wasn't handling him all over the place). Half of my tree of apples are put up and the other half were picked today (okay, all the ones I thought were big enough to bother with) so I'll finish those up this week. I have a batch of beets to put up, and other wise I have no more "absolutes" that must get done immediately - which means, come next week I can just focus on routine again and by October I think we'll be settled in. By November soccer is done and we'll have one day a week full of crazy! That I can handle.

I may be in over my head at the moment, but someone recently told me that I was just being a good mom. I try to let that sink in - that being a good mom means putting them first and sometimes that means that things back up.... and though I may feel like I'm in over my head, I'll gladly take this swim every year, knowing that what matters most is what is being focused on!

Nursing, Books, and Toothpaste

When I nurse the baby, I often read a book or a magazine or something. It helps pass the time, or I get antzy. It's also been a great way for me to TRY to keep up with Gabi - I like to know what it is she's actually reading.

Last night, while nursing the baby before he went to bed, I instructed the kids that they needed to get ready for bed - especially that they needed to brush their teeth. We have a few who don't like to take the time, or don't like the toothpaste flavor or whatever. One who likes to tell us he did brush when he didn't just because he doesn't want to "waste the time".

Bob was "listening" to the stories of the tooth brushes for the boys - checking to see if they actually did what they were supposed to do - and had passed those brushes on to me. We were also having a conversation with Peter (our 4 year old) about the importance of using toothpaste, even though he hates it. (We've never found one he likes) I told him he needed to either brush his teeth with toothpaste himself or he could have help. He starts off across the room with his toothbrush telling us that "mom can help him". I tell him that I can't right now, that he'll need to wait for me or ask Dad for help (after all, I was nursing the baby).

His reply: "No. You can just put the book down!"