Something For Nothing?

Something for nothing?
   
    My 4 year old was saving the pennies he was finding around the house and was very excited because he thought he had enough to buy something from the ice-cream truck. When he showed me his stash I realized he only had 3 pennies. I said "I'm sorry that's not enough to buy anything". He looked so defeated and I reached out and gave him a hug and a kiss and said "but this hug is free" he smiled a big smile and ran out yelling to his brother "we can't get ice-cream but moms giving out free hugs!". Then his brother came and got a hug too! Ha ha! I later saw them together and they were counting something. I asked them what they were doing and they told me they were putting their money together to buy a popsicle to share. I said "do you have enough?" and the older one said "yeah I think so, but if not maybe we can offer the ice-cream man a hug!"

     I wonder when we stop thinking like a 4 and 6 year old and don't think of the value of a hug as being equal to money. It felt good to know that my kids understood the value of that connection, but it made me wonder if I forget it too easily at times. I know when birthdays or holidays come around we are always thinking of what we are getting or giving...what will be bought. There is nothing wrong with that, but are we teaching those around us that those things are more valuable than the things that don't have a price? What would excite us more...winning the lottery or sitting down for a meal with all your family around? If you were to ask someone who has lost a loved one or who is in the process of losing them, what would they choose? I have recently seen people around me who are dealing with this very issue and it has made me reflect on what I place the most value on in my own life. I can say that I place higher value on those non-monetary things in my life and in my heart I do, but like everyone it is easy to get caught up in our daily lives and routines and forget about their value or take it for granted.

     So, is it possible to get something for nothing? It is possible....It may mean looking away from that phone or ipad, turning the TV off or stepping outside of your norm, to spend time with someone else. This I know though....you will get something in return! Are you getting something for nothing? No, you have to invest of your time and energy to get this pay off, but I will say this I have found it to be quite the bargain, you will get so much more out of it than you can ever imagine.

Finding Strength!

FINDING STRENGTH

We recently spent a couple of days in the hospital with my  2 year old son Jasper. After 2 hours in the emergency room with him screaming and throwing himself around, I came to the realization that yes my toddler is stronger than me! Through x rays n blood tests and putting in an IV, I found myself with my daughter and neighbor just hoping my husband would show up and hold him.
What happened to my sweet little preemie who was 3lbs 4oz at birth? He has been replaced by a strong, never stopping fire ball of energy!
Finally Daddy arrives and silence and calm are restored....really?....why couldn't he do that for us?...ha ha A small part of me was hoping daddy would get a little of what we had just been through, but I was just glad to have a break. We found out he had pneumonia and his fever was not getting better(104.6)so they admit him and give iv antibiotics.
By day two he was trying to rip the iv out and was saying "no!" if anyone even opens his room door. When the nurses were not stopping what they are doing, he begins to beat them with his arm wrapped in gauze on a flat board to protect his iv. Then he was trying to shove them out of the room and turns and kicks them backwards....he was desperate to get his message across!
The funny thing is, after spending that time in the hospital, he seems to be a little calmer and communicating clearer than ever before. It has made me think of many times we go through some hard times and we are frustrated and complaining. After going through it we seem to be much calmer and better equipped to deal with and face the stresses around us. We are always learning and God is just looking for us to be open to those lessons we need to learn in order to weather the storms that may come.
Jasper is recovered, and better for it. I have realized I am not stronger than my toddler, but it's ok as long as dad comes to the rescue....just as God comes to our rescue!

On Patrol website article.

On Patrol website article.

Let's Get Physical!

      

LET'S GET PHYSICAL!

There I was sitting in the waiting area of the doctors office.....It was a strange feeling but for once I was at the doctors office and I wasn't pregnant! I had not been to the doctor for a physical without being pregnant in over 9 years! I know...shame on me, but in those 9 years I have had another 6 kids and well...life happened!
Back to the appointment...I was dreading the part when they would make me get on the monster of a machine that announces to the world how big your butt really is. They call me in and check my temperature and blood pressure and then she says "and how much do you weight?". Really is she really leaving it up to me? At this point I have 2 options.
Option 1: Tell them I am 120lbs and hope the older nurse with glasses can not see well and falls for it, of course there is the doctor...don't think he is going to believe that! After all he has my records and can see it says morbidly obese.....oh and he does have eyes!!! ha ha ha.
Option 2: Tell them the truth and hope the doctor says "they must have gotten this wrong, because there is no way you weight this much!". Ha ha..a girl can dream!...Here is a question?....Since when do they not weight you for a physical?
On with the physical...So I get in a room and am dreading having to wear one of those stupid paper gowns...which by the way are not made with fuller figure women in mind!...To my surprise the doctor comes in and sits down and asks how he can help me. I in my weird sense of sarcasm proceeded to list off multiple things from paying my bills to doing my laundry and say when can you have those things done! He kinda smiles but is not laughing and I say"oh you mean why did I come to the doctor?". Yeah, I really thought he would be laughing, but I went on to give him my list of almost 10 years worth of issues needing to be addressed. I don't think he could write fast enough!
He proceeds to put in consults for everything from sleep studies to the surgical clinic (to adjust a previous surgery) and a large amount of blood tests. He then says " so let me discuss with you your birth control options"...is he freaking serious...does he not remember me saying I have 12 kids? I just laughed and then he said "sorry it's habit...obviously you don't use birth control!" He then proceeds to tell me that if we plan on having any more children that from a medical stand point we should get on it! Wow! I have never had a doctor know I have 12 kids and then recommend I get on it, to make another one. I was cracking up....until he added "because at your advancing age, medically you are near the end of what we consider safer child bearing age"......At this point I was ready to look for the exit....he was pretty much telling me I was getting old, and I think I would rather be called fat than old!
As I was leaving, I was trying to put a positive spin on the whole event (as I usually do), so here it is.
I addressed issues that had been ignored for years.
I didn't have to actually get on a scale.
The best part of the appointment was.....I didn't have to put on one of those stupid little paper gowns!
(I do have to come back in 1-2 months for a FULL physical exam, but hey maybe that will give me time to drop a few more pounds!)

HOMESCHOOLING POTTY MOUTHS!

                                Homeschooling Potty Mouths!

Today I was going through my flash cards for Joel and Jayben's letters and sounds...As we got to the letter B, Joel says" B...buh like balls" he then stands up and proceeds to reach down and says "like I have Bally ballies" with his hand on his crotch area. Then Jayben gets up and repeats "Bally ballies, Bally ballies..."


Fast forward a few minutes and we get to the letter N....yup he is like "N..nnnn....like in nuts! My Bally ballies are also my nuts!" as Jayben repeats what he is saying! Then we get to K and I explain how I remember the K sound by thinking of the sound a nut cracker makes while squeezing my fist and making the K sound.....Joel gets a freaked out look on his face and says "your not cracking my nuts" as he once again grabs his crotch area! Oh good Lord!!


I realize at this point I can never send my children to public school anymore! They would not be able to have such potty mouths in school! Once again this is the effect my teenagers have had on them from spending too much time with them. It is also what happens when you have sooo many kids you start to realize your child saying Bally ballies is not the end of the world!

Are Our Kids Getting Smarter Than Us?

Are our kids getting smarter than us?

I was reading some of the stuff I had on my Facebook page from the last year. I ran across this entry and it made me laugh and think.


Joel(5yrs old): mom will u play a game with me?
me: sure!
Joel: want me to tell u how to play?
me: sure!
Joel: it's called go away! first you give me some of those(pointing to a box of candy) and then I go away!
me: Really???
Joel:(with a serious look on his face) yeah it's easy want me to show you how?


Ha ha, it made me think of the many times my kids have said things that seem too smart for their own good!
Since when can I not convince my 5 year old that I have eyes in the back of my head? I could do it 15 years ago when my oldest was 5! Now when I try to convince Joel he just says "mom I know your lying because God only puts eyes on the front of our head to see where we are going...If He put them on the back we would all walk around backwards more". lol

Of course I know this is due in part to the distance we have come with technology and TV in the last 15 years, but maybe it's also part of having a big family. I know I am always having to watch what my older kids say around the younger ones and 15 years ago there where no older ones around to corrupt my babies.....yeah, I think I have it all figured out! It's all my teenagers fault! See I have not lost my touch. I just have too many stinking teenagers in the house!


So, maybe my 5 year old is too smart for his own good, but hey in a few years he will be able to explain to me why the heck math at some point starts to use letters in place of numbers!!! Yeah...I will leave my math ineptness and struggles for a whole other day!
I love my kids though....smartas......umm I mean smart alecks and all! ha ha

Chocolate Warmer

Chocolate Warmer

So all I could focus on was that warm, dark liquid goodness! Yup that melted chocolate was calling my name. I couldn't wait to get one and my son decided to get me one for Christmas. I was so excited and couldn't wait to get to the store. They even charged $10 more than it was supposed to cost and I had them refund it back! So here I am 2 weeks later and it's still sitting on my couch in my room. You see I got it home and forgot the chocolate to put in it. I keep forgetting everytime I go to the store. Then this week I started to count my calories and can't fathom eating an entire bowl of melted chocolate.
What is the point of this story? When I didn't have something it was all I could think of. When I finally had it, I no longer had an insatiable desire for that warm chocolate goodness. How often in our lives do we long for and work so hard to attain things only to find it isn't always quite as satisfying as we hoped for. It doesn't mean we don't enjoy those things at all, but how many of us have closets or garages full of things we need to get rid of because of stuff we thought we needed but then let lay around collecting dust.
Is it time to start clearing the clutter and unnessary things out of your life? Do you need to focus on the basics around you? God, family, friends and letting go of that next "thing" on your list. I committ to giving something the next time I am tempted to buy! Ok, so maybe I will give and then buy it anyway, but hey baby steps right?
I know this post has not been a barrel of laughs, but I felt I needed to put it out there. You never know when it just might be what someone needed to hear, to make a change in their life!