So much to say, so little webspace!

My heart has been pulled in about 48 different ways in the last few weeks...  Between sick kiddos, tax season, friends in the straights (and valleys and fires), my family's busy schedules, and well... just life...  I have had a hard time finding a balance for myself.  I have mostly been on the teetering side of unhealthy-out-of-whackness (yes, a word! LOL)!  Only now, just in time to start getting ready for a big family vacation (more to come on that one!), am I feeling a little more myself, walking a straighter line.

I am so blessed that I have a center.  A place to come back to, especially when life is chaotic!  God is my grounding wire!  I have a husband who is not afraid to tell me I have stretched myself too thin, or tied myself is crazy knots!  I have kids who aren't afraid to tell me when they have needs that need to be met!  **I have amazing boys by the way.  They communicate in amazing ways.  They express love like no other!  They love me in abundance and forgive me endlessly...  Talk about radiating God's love!...  I just had to share that sidenote!**  I try to keep myself sensitive to the Holy Spirit's nudgings, and have learned when I don't move, I usually get moved...  Sometimes brutally!  lol 

Something I have never taken seriously since I started on my walk and since I was given a 2nd shot at life, through Him, was the Sabbath.  In fact, I used to think it was such a foreign thought!  I mean, HELLO!!!!  I have things to do on the weekend!  I can't take a WHOLE DAY OFF!!!  I had heard of people doing it and I really didn't think much about it.  I have been on near total burnout for a while and low and behold, the whole Sabbath thing has been all over my world!  I finally gave in to this extremely foreign, difficult to apply and submit to, way of thinking!  I am on week 4 of honoring a day of rest every week.  Wouldn't you know it that the 1st weekend I submitted, and cleared our schedule, that was the night the kids got super sick and I was on my toes for 5 days straight!  I was so thankful God had me rest beforehand and I was prepared to take care of my children, and get this, I didn't even get sick myself!  Normally, I would've been so run down already that I would have nose dived, right behind my children and been sicker than any of them!

I have been taught how to apply healthy boundaries to almost all aspects of my life.. Some are harder to apply than others.  I have been able to untwist myself out of the ball that I got myself into.  I have gotten myself back to my priorities.  It's hard because, not only do I love God, love my husband, love my family and love my job, I just love people in general!  I love to be there for my friends, because they are my family too!  And because I have been blessed to acquire so many deep, real and fulfilling relationships, I want to make sure I invest in them and keep them growing!  Sometimes it is hard to figure it all out and make sure I am on target with were I should be and not just where I think I need to be.  I'm trying!  ;) 

When I am where I am supposed to be, the peace in my heart is unreal!  The peace in my home, is amazing!  Even in the trials and fire, when it is right, I'm alright....  Things aren't any easier than before, but I have had enough rest and enough time with my Daddy, to keep myself going and thankful for another chance every morning I wake up!  Life is good...  Maybe, dare I say, GREAT????  I think yes!

Balanced.. for now, until the next weight drops and I do this all over again... And inevitably fall off the shelf and give myself a new chip or ding...
K

Sick and cracked!

Well, aside from the honesty in that comment, lol, it basically defines the literal side of my home right now...  I have 2 sick OS (offspring), and am battling the bugs so hard, that my hands are totally cracking from the sterilizing and hand washing!  I have this thing about germy bugs.  I hate them!  Possibly more than the average momma!  Not in an OCD fashion, but I just loathe being sick, when my family is sick, or when any of my kiddos are sickly. 

Spending as much time together as we do, I try as hard as I can to keep the bugs to a minimum.  I teach the kids to wash their hands before they eat, after they eat, when they come home from school, you get the idea.  Even the babies can sing the ABC hand washing tune!  As much as I hate bleach and the toxicity of it, I give in when it comes to sick bugs!  My hands are hating it and are letting me know as much!!  But alas, there are obviously some bugs that I couldn't get my hands on...  Dumb BUGS!!!!

I have the boys (it went from 1-2 last night!  BOO!!) quarantined with strict STAY BACK orders!  I am hoping the victim list doesn't grow, but let's get real.  We have taught our boys to be kind and affectionate and above all, share with kind hearts.  They seem to perfect those skills when the bugs are lurking!  lol  Of course, right?  I had this awful realization after a long night with #1 (Where I got smacked in the face with the harsh past reality of that once sleep deprived mother of my newborns!  Up every hour not knowing how you are functioning, but yet, doing it.  lol Only now, the sweet OS was older and actually apologized the next day for keeping me up all night!  Sweet lil' man!) and remembered the day before, while walking home from our sweet day at the park, watching the 3 boys giggling, passing the gatorade back and forth...  SHARING IT!!!!  The mega symptoms started that evening at dinner...  YUP, the damage had already been done.  DOUBLE DRAT!!  GATORADE!!!  That's it, new rule!  No more sharing.. Well, for the week!  lol

I don't get too freaked out about the kids being together after they get sick.  My theory is, long before the 1st symptom, they have already shared those lil' sleep ruining, booger inducing, sad little sick face-making germs!  I try to keep them apart from each other when I know things are lurking or when I have reason to believe they are an attack waiting to happen.  Otherwise, not much you can do once they've all slobbered on the same gatorade bottle, or rattle, or sippy cup! 

So now I sit and wait for the next attack on the horizon.  I have a good army in waiting and am not afraid to engage them!  I aint afraid of no germs!  GERMBUSTERS!!!  :)

*** This was written on 2-22-11.. Not sure why I didn't post it..  It seems pretty complete now that I just read through it...  I'll chalk it up to lack of sleep and improperly functioning brain cells!  ;)***

Lovin' love!

Today (which is now yesterday) my heart has been flooded!  When I say flooded, I mean, the dam burst and you can hardly catch your breath, kind of flooded!  ;)  On so many levels I can't even begin to capture it and share it all!  We are all surrounded in a see of red and pink right now!  If I finish this before I fade out, because really I have no business sitting here doing this when I know I need to get up and make muffins for my birthday boy to take to school.. EEK!  But my brain is still racing and the messages going back and forth between it and my heart are just overwhelming me!  Ever have that?  If you are a woman, I'm going to guess yes, if you are a man, I'll leave the answering up to you!  lol
My weekend has been filled with many "I love you mommy's" and hugs and kisses from sweet OS #2 who turned 7 today!  His love languages are acts of service, words of affirmation and physical touch!  He was speaking loudly and letting us speak to him!  Was awesome!  I am smiling as I am sitting here (on my 2 feet strip on the left side of our king sized bed, that even when hubby is gone, I don't stray from, ever, I don't know why.. it's weird and even the boys make fun of me for it! lol) just thinking of him and his joy.  That boy, he knows what love is and how to show it!  NO DOUBT!  Without sounding a bit boastful, can I say that wherever his future wife is tonight, God is preparing her to be loved by one of the most affectionate man ever???!!!

Today, I have thought alot about what love is and what it isn't...  It isn't a feeling!  It IS an ACTION!  I can see all the love quotes that have been in my line of vision for the past week or so...  Love is patient, Love is kind, from 1 Corinthians 13:4.  Love is not affirmed by overpriced flowers and candy!  Love is not stressing out about a holiday that makes you feel like you have to do something, that you should be doing 365 days a yr!  Love is rubbing someone's back, big or small, while they throw up.  Love is the look you offer someone, with the smile that goes with it, to let them know you love them, and it will all be ok!  Love is what we are given with no strings attached from the most loving being of all time, God Himself!

Love is what I want spewing my entire being.  Even when the ugly parts seep out sometimes, I want to quickly catch that and repair any damage with love.  Love is not having to be acknowledged as being right, even when you are!  ;) (This could cover a multitude of my chinks!!! lol)  Love is ignoring flaws, even when they have the flashing light above them!  Love is that piece of me that feels absolutely accepted and wonderful just knowing I am loved by the King.  Knowing I can have every expectation in Him and never be disappointed with Him!  Love is accepting His love in return and sharing that with others!  ESPECIALLY those that live in my home, starting with STG, then all 3 OS, then everyone who comes in and out my door and in contact with me throughout my dailies!  Love is being kind when everything around screams something else!  Love is what I have with all of the men in my life, starting with God, then STG and then my OS, overwhelm me with and cause those leaky moments!!!  I am one blessed chick... and obviously, I am His favorite...  Just get used to it!  ;)  lol!!!

I don't need a holiday to remind me of all of the love in my life, but it sure does put everything into perspective.  It makes me stop and peek around the flowers, balloons (which after 11 years, STG finally believes me that there is no mixed message when I say I don't want those things on V-day or Mommy's Day, don't get me wrong, I love  me some flowers, I just much prefer a surprise!!!) and think about how blessed I have been to have all of the love I have in my life.  My relationships are rich and true and deep....  All 365 days of the year!!!  I just want to love the way He loves me and spread that out wherever He leads me!  My heart breaks for those who are hungering for love deep in their bones!  There is no greater feeling than being loved for just exactly who you are, and nothing more...  A quenching that can only be satisfied from the pure source Himself...

In love!!!!
K

Controversial Mommy...

I saw the most hysterical computer animated video the other day...  "Why I can't make mom friends.."  Funny to me in so many ways!  Seriously, out of all the mommas I know, I don't parent exactly like a single 1 of them.  I have much in common with many.  I have many differences with many more.  But, the only thing that matters to me, is that we are all doing what is best for our families.  Whatever that looks like!  PERIOD!  Short of abuse and neglect, it really isn't my place to tell anyone they are doing it wrong, based on my own theories, opinions and experiences.

In my line of work, it can be hard for me to find the balance of sharing ideas and theories of my own and full on forcing my ideas and theories.  Being a parent is the hardest thing I have ever done.  I frequently, with gusto, seek out wisdom from friends who I value their wisdom and skills!  Knowing that it is hard for me, I try my hardest to always remember that this is the hardest job for all I love too!  No matter where you are at in your parenting, it is tough!  ;)   I try to have respect for everyone, again, as long as they aren't abusing or neglecting their children.  Even in those situations, my heart has the ability to look deeper and wonder what the whole situation looks like.

My own parenting is not perfect and is always changing.  Sweet tall guy (STG from here on out, ;)  ) and I are always having to look at things and tweak our ideas.  For each sweet offspring (OS 1, 2 or 3 from here on out) ...  Since they are all different, we can't use cookie cutter parenting.  They all speak a different love language.  They all have their own personalities in which  they embrace each day differently.  I know that you all have kids that may have similarities to mine, but none just like our sweet OS...  For me to think our ways are the best for anyone us but us is just silly!  When we have conversations (myself and the proverbial any other parent! lol), I can only offer what has worked for me, what I have tried on my own kids and any of the other 100's I have worked with.  If you can use and tweak only one of my ideas wonderful!  If you don't find any worth in what I offer, fine.  Same goes for me.  When I seek advice (and even when I don't, but get it anyhow, lol) and I can use 1 lil tidbit or know it isn't for me, great!  It is important to respect each other as parents because we both have the same goal, to raise amazing adults!  Or ok, at least that's how I feel.. ;)  lol

I try not to get into debates about some of the things I deeply believe in, because I am not going to change my mind and the other person probably won't either.  I parent largely based on my childhood and things that I want my OS to have instilled and things I want to avoid...  I have gained most of my philosophies and practices since I became a parent.  (Don't you just love when someone who either doesn't have kids or one that you don't value their skills, offers their advice up??  Always a personal fave of mine! hehe)  STG and I are doing our best to keep our children out of adult therapy sessions, but we have a therapy fund started just in case!  ;)  LOL  (More wise advice from a dear friend, who happens to be an AWESOME MOTHER!!!) 

If you are doing your best, I don't care if you bottle feed your baby, never potty train them, sleep with them till they go to college, spank them, sit them in the corner, or hug and talk, do all of their chores for them, let them bring a paci and a blankey to kindergarten, whatever...  Unless of course, I am taking care of them, (which if they are doing a few of those, we probably wouldn't be a good fit for each other!  LOL! but I respect you nonetheless for keeping them alive!), the only thing that matters is that it works for you.  The ultimate goal is to get them from birth to out on their own and able to handle it along the way!  If you can smile and they smile back at you at the end of the day, I'd call whatever you are doing a success.  EVEN IF, we don't agree!  ;)

One of my jagged edges is really finding the balance of biting my tongue or sharing lil tidbits...  I also know, thanks to God alone, when the conversation must stop to avoid long-term damage to a relationship, which can happen so fast with 1 sentence spoken or typed...  Parenting issues is a constant classroom for those things.  I want to share with people, but I know I am not the be all, end all of the how to do it rights, mom.  I am passionate about children, especially my own, but I probably love your kid (or if I met them!) too!  I have good intentions.  I hope you know my heart when we talk about what to do the next time a situation arises...  ;)  Because if I know my kids.. a situation is right around the corner!  ;)

Broken, glued, and lovin' life!
K



Remember when Snow Days were fun??

***  Note to self...  Auto save on blogger is bunch of yahoo nonsense!  Before hitting send or any other button, COPY all work.  So far my most favorite blogs have been zapped.. If it happens again, will be in the "shopping for another blog mode!"   That being said.. attempt #2 at my snow day madness!  ;)

The above prayer, I'm sure, can be heard after we say our prayers together and I close their doors at night.  I remember those days.  I remember hoping and praying and asking my mom to call the school.  Okay, I remember begging her to call the school and see if we had school!  Snow days were awesome!  I remember...  I really do!  Then something changed....  I had kids...  I started a business with more kids, in our home.  Somewhere in the midst of those changes, snow days lost their appeal.  Well maybe not snow days exactly, but freezing cold days have DEFINITELY LOST THEIR APPEAL!  ;)  lol  The one good thing about rewriting this blog entry, is that today, the bigs were back at school and I have a whole new perspective on this topic!  lol

God must have thought my kids had done their fair share of praying and rewarded them with not 1 but 2 glorious days at home with the crew!  ;)  I think He went a lil' far by turning the heat off and not just down, but who am I to question Him?  lol  Ok, so I do that alot!  ;)  The thing about below 0, is that you can't go outside.  If an adult can't handle it, a kid has no business trying!  And well, the state licensing dept agrees...  Anything below 15 degrees, dig deep into the brain bank and hope you find your best energy burning ideas in there, because you "aren't allowed" to go outside!  I was digging alrighty, but the kids had dug into their own banks and had their own ideas.  There were points I felt more like the student than the teacher for the past few days!  lol  Never a dull moment...  Just 1 of many things to be thankful for!

We played games.  We cooked, baked and ate!  We danced.  We had stair races.  We froze bubbles outside (which last 4 almost 5 minutes!  LOL!).  We played the wii (If you would have told me 2 yrs ago we'd be playing video games on a snow freezing cold day (accuracy is everything!) I'd have laughed in your face!)...  We watched movies..  In fact we watched more tv and played more video games than we normally do in 3 or 4 months!  It was radonkalous!  By naptime, I was ready to pass out and they were still going strong!

Colorado kids need their outside time!  It's crucial to their development!  Ok, so that may be taking a little bit far, but really!  Our kids are used to getting outside!  The fresh air, and running around, it's what brings on the naps!!!  I live for naptime!  I know alot of people wonder how I get that many kids to sleep at the same time every day....  it's a fine art, I classify in my "survival method" handbook!  ;)  I need naptime as bad as they do.  They rest up for the remainder of the day, I get to catch up on mine.  Sometimes I clean or do laundry.  Occasionally I get to have a friend over for a late lunch and coffee.  On the RARE occasion I put my feet up and read, and sometimes I just turn everything but the lullabies and monitor off, and just defrag from our day.  It's a crazy thing.  But it;s imperative for a good day to be called good, to have a good naptime!  My own chitlins (word?  tonight it is!) know that messing with naptime is worse than getting in my purse!  I get a little hypervigilent about stomping on the living room floor (right above the mats), being loud and flushing the toilets!  Naptime hangs in the balance when the Bigs are home, and so do they!  ;)  Add to that the fact the bigs are trying to contain huge amounts of energy that they cannot seem to rid themselves of and you can see why naptime, when they are home makes me want to eat an entire bag of cadbury eggs!  ;)  lol

There is always some sweet sweet times during these impromptu snow days freezing days...  We laughed hard during Twister where the littles wanted to be like the bigs and when they couldn't, they'd just push the bigs over!  You see the littles love the bigs and they are thrilled when they are home with them all day.  It always impresses me how the bigs love and adore the littles and want to be with them too!  I love that we really are a big unusual family unit!  :)  The Bigs were super helpful and even offered for me to take a nap, "they'd watch things.." lol  I wish I could have taken them up on it!  Sleeping in until 7 didn't hurt my feelings...  Eating yummy treats and great food with my favorite people under 10 was fun and I have the extra 5 pounds to prove it!  I'm not the only one who gets the crazy baking and cooking bug when the temps drop, am I???  And I got killed a record # of times at Candy Land, which was really starting to get under my skin!  I wasn't even trying to let them win!  Man!  ;)

Yesterday morning as I was getting ready for the day I started boo hooing yet another frozen day...  And then God softened my heart to the mommies and daddies who had no where warm and safe to be with their babies.  They would be thrilled to have a warm place to let their kids mess it up, to be able to play with them and love on them and eat warm treats with them...  It hit me pretty hard...  I pulled my big girl pants up...  Went down the hall, turned the thermostat up, and thanked God for such a profound blessing...  And had a pretty funny and great day with all 8, yes 8, kids.   ;)

Last night, the kids waited and waited for the call to come in about another frozen day...  No such luck guys...  They begged me to check the district FB page (my how times change...  my mom had to call the school and wait for someone to answer, my kids asked for a FB update!  LOL!).  I happily tucked them into bed at 8:30 to ready them for school today!  I couldn't wait to get up today, pack our snack bag, go out and start the big red van and head over to open gym with the kiddos!  It was going to be great!  Cabin fever no more! 

Bigs off to school?  Check!  Snack bag packed?  Check!  Start the van?  YA BUDDY (Good girl Red!)!  Check!  Potty, shoes and coats?  Cheee...?  Where's my #3?  "Mommy, I don't feel so good...  BLECKKKKK *and other hurling noises*..."  Shoes off, turn Mr Marty on the tv.. clean up throw up...  Realize that all hopes and dreams of escaping the walls of this cabin have been dashed...  #3 and I both shed a few tears...  the borrowed kiddos were easily distracted with the long time favorite, playdough...  I even broke out the WHOLE box of accessories...  Which was awesome, because they played like sweet ladies for over 2 hours...  #3 is feeling much better, but I am overcome with cabin fever and it aint' pretty!  I learned something pretty sweet about #3 today.  He doesn't know how to live without his girls.  He missed them terribly for the hours he was quarantined and begged me with big tears after naptime, "since he didn't puke, if he could come out of his room.."  I let him.. What the heck...  He's been cooped up in the same air for 3 days already with them anyhow... 

Scrapbook lady who made this, were you spying on me or what?  That's me on the right, kids on the left...  Tomorrow is a new day...  One that promises above 0 temps once more...  I hope to make it out of the house with my kiddos, if only for an hour!  But 3 would be best! 
I'm sure I heard the boys pray again tonight for "another great snow day!"  I refrained from opening the door back up and interrupting any prayers they were saying...  It was hard, but the urge was soothed by a handful of cadbury eggs...  Immersed in hot chocolate...  ;0)  A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do! 

Hoping you are all sustaining your weather with a smile like no other!!!
Fried and frazzed!
K

Miracles are the light at the end of the tunnel...

I didn't come to know God because of any miracles.  In fact quite the opposite actually.  When I was on my knees that 1st time, I wasn't praising Him by far.  I was angry, hurt, and at my the bottom of my pit (possibly the ledge, because I still see where it could have gotten worse).  People kept saying to me what a Good God  He was and all I could see was a bunch of pain.  GOOD?  'If this is good, I'd hate to see bad,'  I thought to myself.  I stayed in that thinking rut for a little while longer. 

God was creeping in every nook and cranny He could find.. He's good like that!  ;)  He was shaking me up, and exposing me to myself.  I was alone.  I had tried filling this hole in my could that could only be filled by Him.  My God shaped hole did not accept anything in it's place and I finally figured that out.  ;)  I am so thankful for my past because I didn't have some miraculous thing happen that made me see Him, but rather a ship full of pain and emotional volcano that was demanding answers!  The first miracle I was ever able to proclaim after I was saved, was that I was standing there alive!  YAHOO AMEN!  ;)  May not seem like much but after my looking back I was able to see all the times where He sent people in to save me and keep me going.  I can't help but smile at all of the times since my earliest memories I can remember something happening, but not knowing who God was and so not being able early on to give Him the credit!  My life is the epitome of "if things were always good, I would have continued to pat myself on the back, but since things were going terribly wrong, I wanted to blame someone, and the blame was headed His way!"

It took me a while to see all of the miraculous things taking place around me..  I had to get rid of my "stinkin' thinkin" (Thanks Shad W, love that term!)!  I had to see the whole picture not just the room I was in.  Things weren't perfect overnight.  I don't live a fairytale life today either.  With my new (12 years) life in Him, I just get to see things a whole new way!  I am an eternal optimist now and am thankful for my outlook on life. 

He tells us we will encounter hardships and pain again, possibly again and again.  With every hardship and valley I have grown more and am closer to Him.  Pretty sure that is the design.  We are all handed different pages in this crazy life.  One person's perception of pain and suffering cannot be compared to another's.  One person's idea of a miraculous answer cannot be compared to another either.  It seems in every valley we are in there is always a miraculous outcome at the end.  People speak of waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel.. The feeling of "we can't be stuck in here forever, the end is in sight right?"  At the end of every troubling time, there is reward.  Maybe not right here right now, but at some point.  God will use it all for his good.  So cliche I know, but so intensely true for me! 

It's the little everyday miracles...  Taking a breath without thinking about it.  All of us waking up to get to experience another day together.  Being able to pay my bills.  The sun coming up each day.  Staying married for 10+ years..  Ok that falls under BIG MIRACLE.. ;)  Then you have the life changing miracles.  Growing a baby inside of you, or someone you love.  Staying married for 10+ years (when you almost divorced at 2 years, I say yes, MAJOR MIRACLE!!!).  Being able to forgive someone.  Being forgiven by someone.  Seeing someone "defy all the earthly odds" and watch God tell everyone "not yet, he's yours for a while (in His eyes, anywhere from another hour to 110 more years!) longer!  All that to say that when the answer is something else that His hand is still in it and then the miracle is of the grace He gives us to accept it and go on.  And for me, the full on miracle of the faith that I never knew I was capable of, to believe in said things and the possibilities of so many more. 

I got to see miracles because I knew God...  And still do...  I just wasn't able to see them before..  Everyday.  All around us.  Am so thankful that I get to witness these things and praise Him all of the time!

After learning that a sweet boy I have come to know and love, had been pronounced in remission yesterday, I could not help but stop in awe of God and take a little inventory or the miracles in my own life that I personally have witnessed!  You should know that 2 short months ago, "doom and gloom" rained out the mouths of the Dr's calling for hospice and end of life care for this lil guy.  Proof that you should never give up nor underestimate what God is capable of!  YOU DON'T KNOW!  :) 

Rejoicing today!
K

Video idea borrowed from another sweet blog.. One of my favorite songs and oh so fitting!  http://www.prayfornoah.com/ 

Omniscient Mother...

I want to possess this most AWESOME trait!  Ok, so maybe God knows that it would exhaust us by the end of the first hour and although He is 'probably correct' it doesn't stop me from wanting to attempt it.  I mean seriously, to be able to give your kids all the attention they need at every moment they need it?  YES, uh huh, AWESOME!!!  ;)  Of course, I need to have it my way and I don't want to be everywhere for everybody, but...  ;)

I remember the first time I felt this way.  I felt like I was doing a pretty decent job meeting #1's needs.  I was a decent mom with normal flaws.  My whole perception of that changed the morning we had #2.  I basically had a full on panic attack at 4am.  I snuck in and scooped up #1 (yes, at 4am) and rocked him and wept.  I promised him mommy would still love him the same and that I would do my best to still be a good mommy and make time for him.  I sobbed...  His lil' head was soaked with my tears, and he was mostly sleeping through mommy's lil' meltdown.  I sang "our lullaby" to him.. Even adjusted the verse about one kid, to 2 kids and cried even harder... (I was also terrified I might die, whole other story..lol)..  Cory was positive I had been abducted by the hormone aliens (for the 579th time!).  I tucked Wywy back into bed, and went to our room and hit my knees and sobbed some more.. I begged God to help me not blow it!  A few short hours later, as I was nursing #2, #1 came and laid in bed with us.  He rubbed my face and his baby brother's head and smiled...  I felt this peace come over me right before my heart almost exploded out of my chest, in a good way.. lol  I thanked God for His faithfulness and told Him I knew I was still gonna need help.. ;) 

I am blessed by amazing children who, honest to goodness, were never jealous of each other (Answer to prayer? I think so!).  Well, ok, lol, #1 was worried I might have had chocolate milk this time and could he please try it (the answer was no and no.. lol).  #2 asked if I had orange juice and could he taste it (the answer was no and no..lol)?  But they were always thrilled with the new addition and that made it easier on me and harder all at once.  Some very wise mommies told me how important one on one time was when we had #2.  Thank you God for them!  They were so right!  Since the boys have always loved each other so much and have not put up a fight about that, it was even more clear that I needed to set aside special alone time for each of them.  For both, mommy/son and daddy/son time. The boys love being together with each of us, but they radiate when they have us to themselves!  With 3, it is a huge priority of ours to get that special time with each of them and helps us to keep learning about each of their individual uniquenesses (a word?  YES IT IS!  lol)!

Today was "morning with mom" at #1's school.  I got up, did my hair, my makeup, put on a nice sweater and pretty necklace.  Wy was thrilled!  Wasn't even too bummed when I accidentally forgot to use the perfume he gave me.  Happy nonetheless!  Dropped his 2 littles off with one of my awesome families (Thanks Cary!) and off we went!  The thing about about that mornings with mom stuff.. A lot of chatty moms..  Wonderful chatty moms!  Wy had asked me to get him some juice.. You betchya buddy!  I got stopped by 3 wonderful mommas along the way...  I knew I crushed the morning when he walked passed me and got his own juice and went and sat back down by himself at a table full of girls (all his buddies had went outside and only the coodies remained... :(  ).  My heart sunk and I broke away immediately, but it was too late.  He put on his coat and thanked me for coming in, gave me a hug and went off to class.  I blew it ya'll!  BLEW IT!  I got distracted, and tainted the only date we had had in quite a while...  And he was sucking it up and on his way...

I am blessed by amazing friends, who are always a phone call away!  One of these special ladies said "yes and she was bringing dessert!" to my request of her coming to cover my kiddos while I snuck off to bring lunch lunch to #1.  They aren't just good, they are AWESOME!  ;)  I was off at a dead run!  I came flying into the school and caught him at the lunch cashier...  I was sucking wind with Chinese in hand...  his reply? "Mommy I'm sorry I got lunch, I didn't know you were coming!"  lol  Best $2 I ever threw in the trash! PS.. I forgot how gross school lunch could be...  We chatted, toasted our yummy food and cookies from Sharon...  And smiled lots!  He made my day!  Called awesome friend to check on kids to see if I had time to surprise #2 for a few minutes at his school "No problem, they are playing with their "farts" (homemade Gak)"..LOL!  SAWEET!  (#2 doesn't know it, but another sweet friend will be covering Monday so I can have lunch with his cute lil booty! :)  )  #2 was even in the hall when I came in.. HUGE grin met by even bigger hug!  Bliss for both of us!  His angel of a teacher (whom #1 had as well!) indulged our brief time and had him tell me about the special things from their day!  A sweet treat for both of us!  Ahhh.. all was well in my heart again...

So honored that God felt I deserved a mulligan today!  I learned a valuable lesson about mornings with  mom today (and after 5 yrs, you'd think this was a no brainer, but...lol.)...  Pick a seat on the floor, against the wall, in the back of the room!  Out of sight of any chatty distractions, where I can focus on my wonderful boys only!  I have learned this lesson in other areas as well.  I've even given the kids permission to call me out being on the computer outside of my designated times, that makes them feel like I am distracted.  I've gotten comfortable with letting the phone go to voicemail during storytimes, mealtimes or anytimes where we are all engaged...  I'm sure God will continue to show me where I need to work on things...

Tonight, I will tickle #3's face until he falls asleep, one of our most favorite Nathan Mommy things to do...  I will continue trying to balance things out since I can't be everywhere at once and meeting their every need is just a fleeting thought that I have accepted as unrealistic!  ;)  lol  Omniscience...  I'd still like some!  ;)  lol  I can still remember that terrifying feeling the morning #2 came into our lives, but am so glad we were designed to love all of our babies and that they can all be our favorites!  I was a little better when #3 came, and today I think I have a decent handle on it.

When Cory and I got married, his Grandma Moody gave me a huge hug and told me I was her new "favorite granddaughter-in-law named Kelly.  I had known Cory was her favorite grandson named Cory, as all of the kids were.. ;)  lol  I have carried that on with our boys and Wyatt is my favorite son named Wyatt,Cody is my favorite son named Cody and Nathan is my favorite son named Nathan...  If you haven't read this book to your kiddos, you need to.. I cried the 1st time, but now we laugh...  We also laugh when we get the crazy crusty look from strangers who hear me tell whichever kid I am talking to that they are my favorite.  Those 3 boys are all my favorites!  They are all so different and so unique and I'm blessed that God hand picked them for us!  :)

What is your favorite thing to do with your alone times with your kiddos?  I love new ideas....  ;)

PS...  This is my 2nd attempt at this...  My first blog today was one of my best yet and I couldn't wait to share.. I hope I remembered most of what was in the "1st draft"...  Another lesson learned...  "Auto save".. DO NOT RELY ON IT!  Blogging lesson by fire...  #1...  Sad one for me!!!  :(

Happy weekend all!