OOOOoooooLa La !

Big~O~Daddy~O took Fun Mom shopping for my anniversary gift.
I don't know who likes it more.
Fun Mom just can't contain her excitement and if she could
she would probably pull me around by the chain to show everyone.

There was no big flourish of presentation by my dear hubby.
Fun Mom just started asking, "Can I get it? Can I get it?"

She just couldn't wait.
She has been hiding the box for almost 2 weeks.
She begged to give it to me sooner.
I couldn't resist torturing here and saying I would wait till my anniversary.
I think it was worth the wait.

15 Years and counting....

I never imagined myself getting married. I never imagined where I would be in 15 years. I always found it hard to imagine and fathom the future. 15 year laters, a few more wrinkles, a few gray hairs (not me of course) and 5 children later I often find myself speechless. The journey the Lord has taken me on has been far beyond anything I could imagine. I am ever so grateful for a loving God who knows the plans He has for me. Ever so grateful for the man he set apart and chose for me. I was challenged once to make a list of what I would want in a husband.

It was a short list. 3 items. I definitely lacked in imagination, dreaming and looking ahead.

1. A man who was good at Math ( I struggled with geometry and calculus. I knew I would like to homeschool and would need some help there.) 2. A man who could cook. 3. A man who would not try to fix or put pressure on me about my broken family and past.

I could add now, a man who loved me with all his heart. Who didn't quit. Who would be his children's champion. A man who would sit and share God's Word with the littlest, the oldest and all in between of his children. A man who would be my opposite and compliment. I the same for him, so we could balance one another. But for what I couldn't imagine and fathom, God knew and He brought us together.

Since this week has been one filled with numbers, here's a few more:

15 years of marriage

14 ~ the day we were married

one 13 year old

12 months of laughter every year

11 bazillion times a day I am grateful my beloved wants me to be able to stay home

one 10 year old

9 hours a day we are apart

one 8 year old

7 days a week I am grateful for my husband

one almost 6 year old

5 amazing children

one 4 year old

3 ~ the number our marriage stands on

2 ~ I DO's

1 Family

Striker the Python Saves Mouse World

One of my favorite parts of homeschooling is experiencing my kids' creativity.

This week in English Hockey Player is learning about Tall Tales.

This is his tall tale:

Striker the Python Saves Mouse World
By
Hockey Player

Striker the Python is on his midnight hunt for rats. The two mile long python eats 10 million rats a night and is feeling just a little bit hungry tonight. When he happens to taste the air and smells mutant rats.
Striker says, “Mmmm, Mutant Rats, yummy.”
Striker is drawn to the mutant rats because they are bigger and more satisfying.
He follows the scent to mouse world where he discovers the mutant rats are torturing mice. The mutant rats are hanging some of the mice by their tails and plucking their whiskers off. Meanwhile, other mice are being used as balls in games of keep away.
Remembering the mice saved him from poachers, Striker begins to slowly coil himself around the campsite. With one quick squeeze he captures the campsite. He carefully refrains from eating the mice and he begins to attack and eat the mutant rats.
The mice tell Striker the Python, “Thank you for saving Mouse World.”
Striker says, “You’re welcome.”
Mouse World is safe.

Almost half way!

There are some things I just have to drive myself nuts over. I sit down and calculate them out. Like milestone birthdays, who will be what age in what year when so and so is this age. Crazy.

This time around it is the Awana Grand Prix that is coming up in 2 weeks. My kids love the Awana Grand Prix. It is fun, but after my first year I was done and looked at my husband and informed him, "Next year, you are doing the Grand Prix."

This is our sixth year with the Awana Grand Prix. You have to be in TNT to participate. Which means this event is only for 3rd to 6th graders. Fun Mom, had her time in the limelight. The first 4 years it was all about her and her car!

Last year Hockey Player raced solo.

This year it is Hockey Player and Little Princess.

So I sat down and figured out how many years we will have the privelege to participate in the Grand Prix.

14

Yep, 14 years. This is year 6.
Dad gets to make 17 cars between now and when Flutter Nutter makes his final lap on the Grand Prix race track.

This, of course, is assuming nothing changes in our participation with Awana and the opportunity to have a Grand Prix. Isn't Big-O-Daddy-O the luckiest dad ever? 17 more race cars in 9 Grand Prix races. (Still gotta include this one, it isn't over yet.

But back to the first 4 years when it was all about Fun Mom and giving her the opportunity to do something fun. Since this is our 6th race, it is easy to do the math and realize, not all my crew were here on this earth at that time. Six years ago I had a 1 yr. old, a 3 yr. old, and a 5 yr. old + my racer. I remember calling my brother in law to come watch a couple of kiddos cause there was a diaper blow out beyond belief and I didn't have enough of everything to survive. Not to mention, I didn't know anyone very well, I packed up the 2 littlest and went home for supplies.

The next year, a newborn, 2, 4, and 6 year old were in tow. But I couldn't disappoint Fun Mom could I?

The 3rd year, a 1, 3, 5, and 7 year old in tow. I lost my sanity. The kids were excited. How could I not be?

The 4th year, a 2, 4, 6, and 8 year old. The excitement could not be contained. Hockey Player was picturing himself the next year. Flutter Nutter pictured himself demolishing the track and playing cars. I pictured myself in a straight jacket.

Last year wasn't too bad. A 3, 5, 7, 9 and 13 yr. old. Since, Fun Mom was not racing, she was unanimously chosen by the Mom to help distract and contain kiddos. I finally got to watch a few exciting key races instead of spending those few seconds in the bathroom with an insistent child who could not wait.

For whatever the reason, Big-O-Daddy-O has never been available for Grand Prix night. I have restrained children in strollers and slings. I have walked halls with the tots. Tried to convince little ones they don't need to go potty just as sissy's car is getting ready to race! Fallen into bed exhausted knowing Fun Mom had a wonderful time and the others enjoyed themselves at their mother's expense. Every year, I look at the Big-O-Daddy-O and tell him, "You are going next year." This year, I will have a 4, almost 6, 8, 10 and 14 year old. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. This year Flutter Nutter and Daddy's Buddy will have a choice. They can go and hang out at the races or stay home with Fun Mom! Fair trade, I think. After all the corraling and hair pulling, so Fun Mom could have the fun that makes her the Fun Mom, I might actually get to be one of those moms who sit, hang out and just relax and enjoy the fun of the night. I might even get a few minutes of adult conversation with another parent.

9 More races to go. They will end all to fast.
And it was kind of cool reflecting back on the last 6 years.
Honestly, the time has gone very quickly.
An encouragement to you moms still in the trenches with wee ones.
It doesn't last. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Have a sense of humor and try to focus on something wonderful and precious in the midst of the chaos.

It is not so bad...

When you are the mom and sick. You climb into bed with "Max and Ruby" on TV.
Then Flutter Nutter climbs into bed to snuggle with you.
Get a little bit of work done on the computer.
Answer a few school questions.
Get lots of sweet snuggles.
Ahhh, maybe I should milk this for the whole 10 days I am on antibiotics. LOL!

He missed me!

So last night Hockey Player came up to me before going to bed.
Told me, "You can cheer at my games."
Mom: "Oh, I can, thanks."
Mom: "What changed?"
HP: "Dad told me to tell you, that you could cheer."
Ahhhh,
Mom: "Did you miss hearing me cheer?"
HP: "Yeah."
My heart soared. I don't know how much of him missing me is because Dad has been coaching him on how to be "nice" to the women in his life... (ex.saying, "I miss you" even when he is too busy to actually miss me.) But I will take it and be happy. I got a hug out of the deal.
I really wantd to respect his wishes and let him grow up, but it sure is hard sometimes. I am just glad he came to his senses. LOL !

Sinus Infections....

are really annoying.
I have another one. Will have to call the doc tomorrow.
But for now, I feel cruddy and am truly annoyed.
I take my allergy medicine.
I do nasal washes.
I drink elderberry juice.
I got what I thought was a minor cold. 24 hours later I have a full blown sinus infection. What I don't understand is how it is possible to breathe through one's nose and not be able to do a sinus rinse because the swelling is so bad? When I am finally able to reduce the swelling, why is it nothing comes out? The pressure is there, cause all I want to do is bore a hole into my cheek to relieve the pressure. For now, I am giving comic relief to my family. The jokes about my snoring and how hard I am sleeping. The crazy dreams I am having...cruises in the Mediterranean as comic strip characters?!? LOL

Mum's the word for this Mom!

I thought yesterday was a tug on my heart strings.
Early this morning (as in 8 AM) we were at the ice rink to "cheer" on the hockey team. Since I was pretty vocal yesterday, other parents were joking with me about coming out of my shell and getting involved in the game. Mike had already told a few I had been asked to not yell/cheer anymore by Hockey Player. But I had to give the news to a few others. I was encouraged to make signs and beat on the glass to get his attention so he could read them. LOL
Then there was a few offers to shout, "Hockey Player, your mom says...."
I did great, I only slipped once and I don't think he heard. I did have a hard time following the game because I had to focus on keeping my lips zipped. Big O Daddy O was in the clock/score keeping box so it was a quiet game. My hope is he would realize how quiet it was and be bummed enough by it to tell me I could cheer.
Hasn't happened so far. Pretty hard morning. I won't tell him or make him feel bad, but it was a hard morning. Just glad he doesn't get online to check out my blog.