Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

• Last week I did NOT find a bottle of salad dressing (blue cheese, if you must know) that expired over two years ago. Nope! Not Me!



• My husband is NOT obsessed with changing every stinkin' light bulb in our house (whether it needs it or not) to high efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs that supposedly will last for 7 years.



• I did NOT allow my overly energetic 2 year old to ride in the trailer of Grandpa's tractor without following closely behind to make sure she would stay put! My 4 year old most certainly was NOT doing the driving and my 8 year old was definitely NOT the one that got hurt during the excursion!
  

The Pommel Horse

A few years back I remember hearing a comedian talk about being able to afford to go on vacation now that his kids were out of diapers. I can relate.

Emily is our earliest, not to mention last, potty trainer and I am quite excited and very thankful. I just wish I would have had this, oh say, about 10 years ago. That's some good information.

We have one of those handy dandy seats that fits directly on the toilet seat. I thought it was a mah-velous find; much better than the traditional potty chair that you have to empty and clean each time they go. It worked great for Benjamin, Rachel and Sarah, but then of course you eventually have to wean them from it. However, weaning Emily won't be a problem because she doesn't want anything to do with it. She doesn’t like it because then she can’t do her acrobatic maneuvers to peer into the bowl to admire her accomplishments. I've never seen such potty gymnastics. This picture reminds me of Emily on the potty.
That girl! I have quite a long list of things that only Emily ever thought to do (in our family, anyways). No doubt about it... She's one-of-a-kind!

A Mermaid's Tale

Rachel's fourth Ballet Recital was last weekend. She did a fantastic job and we were very proud of her! She loves dancing and does well so that makes it worth all of the time, taxi rides and $$$. I don't know if dancing is something she will pursue as a career, but for now it keeps her happy, healthy, in shape and focused.

This is my beautiful little Rainbow Fish!

All of the girls danced beautifully. It is so fun to watch them grow and progress. They have become quite the little ballerinas!

The Best Bun Ever! (after 4 years of practice!)
This was the costume for Rachel's Modern Class. They were a School of Fish.

And last but not least, Performing Company. Their number was called Under the Sea.

A little birdie told me that next year might be Tinkerbell and Pixie Hollow!

Come sail away

Last Sunday, Rachel and I went on a Nautica Queen cruise with Ariel and other friends from the Cleveland Ballet Conservatory. It was a beautiful, sunny day although it was a wee bit chilly. After the crazy week we had with all the sickies in our house, it was WONDERFUL to take a break from it all and just get away sail away with my princess. As we sat down at our cozy table for two she breathed a big sigh of relief and said, "Whew! We finally get to enjoy a quiet, peaceful meal... just the two of us!" With a cute little giggle she added, "I'm on vacation!"
She hit that nail on the head! Yes it did feel like we were on a much-too-short vacation! After lunch, Rachel and her friends hit the dance floor with Ariel. I knew Ariel was a good swimmer, but who knew she could dance? The mermaid's got some moves, let me tell ya!

Since we were cruising on Lake Erie the DJ gave us a few nuggets of info concerning the Great Lakes. We learned how to remember the names of the five great lakes.... HOMES - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. We also learned that Lake Erie contains only 2% of the total water in the Great Lakes. Also, the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame was designed to look like a record player from the top (as in, if you're flying over the top in an airplane).

Then back to reality. This week has been full of rehearsals for Rachel's upcoming performance of The Little Mermaid. Stay tuned for pictures!

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

• I did NOT spend many hours this past week cleaning up you-know-what and you-know-what from my sick kids. My carpet will NEVER be the same!
• I did NOT giggle to myself as my son (who has a very weak stomach) with hands held over his ears, ran from room to room, while one sister was *in* the downstairs bathroom and another sister was *in* the upstairs bathroom, looking for a quiet spot, while yelling, "Now, the cat's PUKING too!!!!" Sometimes I must laugh to keep from crying.
• I most certainly did NOT ignore my older 3 kids pleas and cries of hunger as they begged for breakfast between the hours of 9am and noon last Tuesday since my 2 year old and I had NOT been up all night and we had NOT just fallen asleep on the bathroom floor.
• I did NOT breathe a HUGE sigh of relief as my 2 year old had just slid off my lap moments before her... how shall I say it... pull up exploded?! I, then, did NOT furiously scramble for carpet cleaner, paper towels, plastic bags, etc.
• I did NOT refuse to sleep in the same bed as my very sick husband. And besides that, the clean-waiting-to-be-folded laundry was NOT piled high, the entire length of my side of the bed.
• xxx days later, the laundry is still NOT piled high, the entire length of my side of the bed.

So, there you have it. There was NO shortage on sickness in our house this week. I feel the need to open all the windows (except it's very chilly) and scrub this house from top to bottom with large amounts of bleach.

I need some Scotch

My four year old is a tapir.

No.... not that kind of tapir.

She's a taper, meaning she LOVES to tape. She consistently finds and uses LARGE amounts of tape for just about anything. I know all kids are fascinated with tape, but she is especially fond of the enticing adhesive. So I have tried to brainwash convince her that Mommy is the taper in this family. She is not a taper! Maybe if tape (or money for that matter) grew on trees I could let her indulge on a regular basis. But I mean seriously. She can go through a whole roll of tape in a matter of minutes!

While driving home from preschool the other day I was admiring her latest art projects (while stopped at red lights, of course) and I reminded her that she's NOT a taper! Mommy's the taper in this family. She looked at me with this clever little smile and said, "I'm a glue-stick-girl!"

Crack.me.up.

Wordless Wednesday

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.



After asking Steve to watch the kids so that I could take a much-needed shower in peace, I did NOT proceed to brush my two cats instead. When he saw enough fur in the waste can to be another cat the evidence he was NOT amused. Nope! Not me!

Upon hearing frightful screams coming from the bathroom (where my husband and 2 year old were located) I did NOT enter to find stinky brown stuff a mess all over the toilet seat, the wall and my 2 year old's legs, feet and clothes. We did NOT head straight to the tub. Nope! Not at all!

I did NOT dump the large tub of toys on the family room floor because I was so frustrated by what a HUGE MESS our house is in. I know, it doesn't make sense, but this is MY therapy session, so let's just keep moving along here.

I did NOT and do NOT continue to make my children listen to Michael W. Smith's new cd, A New Hallelujah, so many times every day that they have all the songs memorized, including the miscellaneous screams from the random people in the audience. Nope! Not me!

I do NOT thoroughly enjoy and look forward to Not Me! Monday! Nope! Not Me! Notachance!

Memorable Mother's Day Math in May

Since July of 1998 I have been

pregnant for 47 months

nursing for 46 months

pregnant and nursing simultaneously for 7 months

I was pregnant and or nursing for 85 out of 112 months.

I changed diapers for 103 months. I changed diapers for 2 babies simultaneously for 53 of those months.

What has this produced?

• 10 year old boy
• 8 year old girl
• 4 year old girl
• 2 year old girl
• 2 angels in heaven

What does this mean?

• I loved being pregnant.
• I loved having babies.
• I loved nursing them.

And now

• I love staying at home with my children.
• I love homeschooling my children.
• I love watching them grow and learn new things.
• I love to hear them laugh and sing and play.
• I miss my babies that are in heaven and my heart aches for them still. But I know they are safe in Jesus' arms and I WILL hold them again.

I guess I just LOVE my kids and LOVE being a MOM!

God has blessed us immensely.

Deep In Love With You

I heard this song by Michael W. Smith a little over a month ago when Steve and I went to see the United Tour. It has quickly become one of my favorites and I listen to it many times each day. That is, when I have possession of the CD. I love the music, but more importantly, the words touch me every time I hear them. When I listened to MWS sing this at the Allen Theater on April 1st it was powerful. I don't think Michael even knew we were there; he sang his heart out to his Abba Father. I could feel the amazing love he has for his Heavenly Father and I wanted that too. I wanted to be Deep In Love with Jesus. I wanted to have that "deep desire burning like a fire to know him as my closest friend."

That's what Jesus wants too... for us to be Deep In Love with him, to be our closest friend, to never have to search again. He will be our Everything, if only we'll seek Him. He wants to have a relationship with us. It doesn't matter if we've been attending church regularly wearing our Sunday best, taking Communion, singing the hymns and reciting the prayers. Not that there is anything wrong with those things. They are all good and pleasing to God. But I think what He also and more importantly wants is to be in a personal relationship with us - for us to talk with him and read his word in the Bible. He wants us to be still before Him so that he can fill us with his Holy Spirit and speak to us. He wants us to spend time with him and to feel like "we're at home" when we are with Him.


Sitting at Your feet is where I want to be
I'm home when I am here with You
Ruined by Your grace, enamored by Your gaze
I can't resist the tenderness of You

I'm deep in love with You, Abba Father
I'm deep in love with You, Lord
My heart, it beats for You, precious Jesus
I'm deep in love with You, Lord

Humbled and amazed that You would call my name
I never have to search again
There's a deep desire that's burning like a fire
To know You as my closest friend

Lord, my Redeemer, Your blood runs through my veins
My love for You is deeper than it was yesterday
I enter through the curtain, parted by Your grace
Oh, you're the lover of my soul

Click here to listen and watch MWS in action. I just love, LOVE, LOVE this song.

"Not me! Monday"

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Here's to my first "Not me! Monday"...

• As I was sitting here pondering what I could possibly write I was NOT eating a bowl of ice cream after sending my kids to their rooms to play. Not me! No way!

• I did NOT stay up too late last night trying to beat my friend's scores on Word Twist. Not me! Nope!

• I did NOT let the dishes pile high while catching up on my blog reading today. Not me! Never!

• I did NOT tell my 2 year old to just pee in her pull-up because I didn't want to take her in the digustingly, filthy, repulsive, gross, smelly public bathroom at the rec center. And besides that I would have had to pause my sewing of Adventure Guide patches and I was really NOT on a roll. NOPE! Not me!

• I did NOT hear the timer on the stove. And supper was NOT a little burnt well-done because I was trying to finish up my post.