I am sitting here at my computer trying to make my brain think of something profound that I can blog about. Nothing is happening. I am tired tonight and my mind is completely blank. I think the best cure for this condition is sunshine. That is what I desperately need. I am ready to pull out the summer clothes and the flip-flops but the sun is playing hide and seek.
Though I do appreciate any sunshine I can get at this point, I sometimes think it would almost be better if the sun just didn't shine at all. When I get a glimpse of the sun for a couple hours and then more rain, it is almost more dissapointing than if it had just been rain. Every time the sun teases me and peeks out from behind those clouds, my hopes rise and I think, "Finally, summer is here..." only to be let down a few hours later when the rain clouds again dominate the sky.
I know, I shouldn't complain, and really I don't think I am. I am just saying that I am ready for summer. Aren't you?
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
One Crazy Day
The following story contains a diaper and the stuff that happens in a diaper. If you have an aversion to poop and pee and things like that, please read no further. If you do continue; consider yourself warned.
For some reason, I decided yesterday that it was a good day to take all four kids shopping at Winco. Winco, for those of you who may not be familiar, is a large grocery store with cheaper prices--yay! The downside is that you bag your own groceries. (And trust me, when shopping with four kids, this is definitely a down side.) On our way we drove through the Starbucks drive through and I got my grande, extra hot, nonfat white chocolate mocha with no whip. The kids got ice waters. By the time we got to Winco, the ice waters were empty and the bladders were full so our first stop inside was, of course, the bathroom. Waiting outside the restrooms with Kyla, my 12 month old, in the cart, I realized that I should probably check her diaper too. She had a painful diaper rash so I was trying to keep her dry. The older three kids finished and then waited for Kyla and I right outside the bathroom with the cart. I went into the large stall that contained the changing table and proceeded to change Kyla's diaper. Okay, so this is my fourth baby, she's a year old--you would think this would be pretty uneventful...unfortunately, it was quite dramatic.
Kyla was upset the moment she saw the changing table. She despises having her diaper changed any time and the painful rash tripled the normal protest. I laid her down, talking to her gently, trying to calm her. When I opened the diaper, I saw that she was not just wet and it was not just normal poop--it was the kind that sticks in little tiny pieces to the bottom and does not want to wipe off.
As I was cleaning her as gently as possible, she was screaming in pain and literally writhing trying to stand up and get away. I finally got her cleaned up but by the time I was finished, she was standing on the changing table, leaning against me, still crying in pain and anger. When I laid her back down to put the clean diaper on her, I realized that the changing table was wet--she had peed while standing up. So I quickly picked her up so that I could dry the changing table. While I was doing that--she peed some more, this time on my leg. So I held her away from me and she peed more on the floor. Then I finally laid her back on the changing table and she peed more on the changing table. She just kept doing it in little squirts--screaming the whole time! By the time I was done, the changing table, her pants and shoes, the floor around the changing table, and my leg were all wet with pee. Somehow, I succeeded in getting a dry diaper on the baby, though I have no idea how I did it. Then, I grabbed an antibacterial wipe from the diaper bag and cleaned the changing table and the floor and got out of the bathroom as quickly as possible mumbling apologies to the mom who was waiting to use the changing table.
The rest of our shopping at Winco was quite dull compared to this beginning, so I'll spare you those details. We succeeded in filling the cart with canned goods, frozen food, and produce and then spent an eternity at the check stand while I bagged it all. We resorted to two carts to take out the groceries and filled the back of the Suburban. As we headed for home, we made two other stops for science fair project supplies. We are studying biology...but that's a story for next time.
For some reason, I decided yesterday that it was a good day to take all four kids shopping at Winco. Winco, for those of you who may not be familiar, is a large grocery store with cheaper prices--yay! The downside is that you bag your own groceries. (And trust me, when shopping with four kids, this is definitely a down side.) On our way we drove through the Starbucks drive through and I got my grande, extra hot, nonfat white chocolate mocha with no whip. The kids got ice waters. By the time we got to Winco, the ice waters were empty and the bladders were full so our first stop inside was, of course, the bathroom. Waiting outside the restrooms with Kyla, my 12 month old, in the cart, I realized that I should probably check her diaper too. She had a painful diaper rash so I was trying to keep her dry. The older three kids finished and then waited for Kyla and I right outside the bathroom with the cart. I went into the large stall that contained the changing table and proceeded to change Kyla's diaper. Okay, so this is my fourth baby, she's a year old--you would think this would be pretty uneventful...unfortunately, it was quite dramatic.
Kyla was upset the moment she saw the changing table. She despises having her diaper changed any time and the painful rash tripled the normal protest. I laid her down, talking to her gently, trying to calm her. When I opened the diaper, I saw that she was not just wet and it was not just normal poop--it was the kind that sticks in little tiny pieces to the bottom and does not want to wipe off.
As I was cleaning her as gently as possible, she was screaming in pain and literally writhing trying to stand up and get away. I finally got her cleaned up but by the time I was finished, she was standing on the changing table, leaning against me, still crying in pain and anger. When I laid her back down to put the clean diaper on her, I realized that the changing table was wet--she had peed while standing up. So I quickly picked her up so that I could dry the changing table. While I was doing that--she peed some more, this time on my leg. So I held her away from me and she peed more on the floor. Then I finally laid her back on the changing table and she peed more on the changing table. She just kept doing it in little squirts--screaming the whole time! By the time I was done, the changing table, her pants and shoes, the floor around the changing table, and my leg were all wet with pee. Somehow, I succeeded in getting a dry diaper on the baby, though I have no idea how I did it. Then, I grabbed an antibacterial wipe from the diaper bag and cleaned the changing table and the floor and got out of the bathroom as quickly as possible mumbling apologies to the mom who was waiting to use the changing table.
The rest of our shopping at Winco was quite dull compared to this beginning, so I'll spare you those details. We succeeded in filling the cart with canned goods, frozen food, and produce and then spent an eternity at the check stand while I bagged it all. We resorted to two carts to take out the groceries and filled the back of the Suburban. As we headed for home, we made two other stops for science fair project supplies. We are studying biology...but that's a story for next time.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Enjoy the Moments
Time seems to fly by so quickly. My newborn baby is now one year old. My oldest daughter is soon to be 9. Wow! When did this happen? I am so glad that I have taken time to enjoy the moments along the way instead of constantly looking forward to what is coming next. I will never be able to get these moments with my children back again. I know it sounds cliche but the reason we have cliches is because they are so true. In fact, here are some cliches that have proven true in my 9 years of parenthood.
Take time to smell the roses.
Don't cry over spilled milk.
All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of yesterday.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Every rose has a thorn.
The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.
Like father, like son.
For everything there is a season.
I hope you enjoy my cliche advice and take it to heart. Time flies when you're having fun--Enjoy each moment!
Take time to smell the roses.
Don't cry over spilled milk.
All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of yesterday.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Every rose has a thorn.
The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.
Like father, like son.
For everything there is a season.
I hope you enjoy my cliche advice and take it to heart. Time flies when you're having fun--Enjoy each moment!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Parenting
Right now, the most important thing I am doing is parenting--which includes constantly building a relationship with my husband and my children. Lately, I have been reminded often that my kids learn from everything I do. When I kiss my husband and tell him I love him--they are learning. When I clean up the kitchen and do the laundry without complaining and sighing--they are learning. When I lose my temper and yell at them for losing their shoes again--they are learning. When I apologize to them for my wrong behavior--they are learning. When I am frantically looking for my shoes (Ha Ha!) after yelling at them for losing theirs--they are learning. So, in the hustle and bustle of every day life, the VERY MOST important thing that I can do, is to stay close to Jesus so that in every situation, I can reflect Him to my children. Sometimes, I try to do things the very opposite of that and my relationship with the Lord gets put on the back burner because I am so busy with everything else. If I do that though--my kids are also learning that. What a responsibility parenting is!
Lord, thank you for my husband and my kids. Help my husband and I to stay close to each other despite the busyness of life. Help me to teach my kids to love you with their hearts, souls, and minds. And Lord, please protect my kids from my mistakes. :) Thank you for being my best friend and Savior.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Lord, thank you for my husband and my kids. Help my husband and I to stay close to each other despite the busyness of life. Help me to teach my kids to love you with their hearts, souls, and minds. And Lord, please protect my kids from my mistakes. :) Thank you for being my best friend and Savior.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Elohim
Our kids are memorizing a Bible sound off for school and we are studying Genesis right now. Here is the statement that they have memorized (even Meara my 4 year old). "God is Elohim, the mighty God, who created everything from nothing. When he speaks, things happen just as he says." Wow!
The creation story is one that many of us have heard and read for many years. We know that God created the world in 6 days and then rested on the 7th. It's so easy to read this story about God creating light and separating light from the darkness, then God creating land and sea, and so forth but have you really ever thought about all that God created in that one spoken word? Think about when we study chemistry and learn about all of the atoms that make up everything. Think about the molecules and how they are different in solid, liquid, and gas forms...It would take me a lifetime to try to understand it all and I still wouldn't get everything! Yet, God is so mighty, that in one spoken word he created everything from nothing. When He said, "Let there be light" God created white light which is made up of all the other colors of light. When He created the moon, sun, and stars--just think about what they actually are! All the details that make our world work the way it does, He created in just 6 days.
I can't begin to comprehend a God who can create so much perfect detail in one spoken word. I don't even know how to explain the wonder and awe that I feel at the overwhelming thought of it all. Yet, this mighty God, Elohim, who created the whole detailed world, created every detail of me. This mighty God, Elohim, loves me. This mighty God, Elohim, died for me. Wow!
The creation story is one that many of us have heard and read for many years. We know that God created the world in 6 days and then rested on the 7th. It's so easy to read this story about God creating light and separating light from the darkness, then God creating land and sea, and so forth but have you really ever thought about all that God created in that one spoken word? Think about when we study chemistry and learn about all of the atoms that make up everything. Think about the molecules and how they are different in solid, liquid, and gas forms...It would take me a lifetime to try to understand it all and I still wouldn't get everything! Yet, God is so mighty, that in one spoken word he created everything from nothing. When He said, "Let there be light" God created white light which is made up of all the other colors of light. When He created the moon, sun, and stars--just think about what they actually are! All the details that make our world work the way it does, He created in just 6 days.
I can't begin to comprehend a God who can create so much perfect detail in one spoken word. I don't even know how to explain the wonder and awe that I feel at the overwhelming thought of it all. Yet, this mighty God, Elohim, who created the whole detailed world, created every detail of me. This mighty God, Elohim, loves me. This mighty God, Elohim, died for me. Wow!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday Tip--Legos
Wow! It has been too long since I have blogged. Life has been just a little crazy around here. Well it's Tuesday so I thought I would blog about another little tip.
This one's about Legos. My son has quite a collection of Legos started but all of the direction booklets and magazines were spread throughout his bedroom and the rest of the house getting ripped and lost. To remedy this, I found an old three-ring binder and filled it with pocket sheet protectors. Then in each one, I slipped a direction booklet or magazine. Now, my son can flip through his binder to find what he wants and I am not finding Lego booklets and magazines all over the house. It worked great and actually made him pay a little more attention to them now that they are organized. However, we have discovered that holding the notebook upside down does create a small disaster...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tiffany's Tuesday Tip
We have a squeaky bedroom door, a new baby sleeping in our bedroom, three other children, and two cats. Add those four together and...well, it's not a pretty picture.
When one of our kids has gotten out of bed in the middle of the night, I know it because our door squeaks as they try to quietly sneak into our room. (When it's not one of the cats going in or out.) Yes, it's nice to know a kid is coming in ahead of time instead of waking up to that staring face and wondering how long they've been watching you sleep but I am definitely tired of the squeak! I will gladly put up with being tapped on, whispered to, jiggled about, or just climbed onto while sleeping just to be rid of the squeaky door.
In the past I used WD-40 on it and it stunk up the house and stopped squeaking for awhile but the squeak has returned. So the other day I remembered a Hallmark movie that I had watched--yes, you heard me right--a Hallmark movie. In it, the main character was a woman who hosted a TV show sort of like a Martha Stuart thing in which she gives her viewers tips on how to do different household projects and all that kind of stuff. She also solved mysteries on the side which is what the movie was really about. Anyway, she was in the airport and a luggage cart had a squeaky wheel. She pulled out a small spray bottle out of her purse and said it was olive oil and sprayed it on the wheels. The squeaking, of course, immediately stopped. It's a movie, right? Of course it worked!
Well, I was desparate for a solution and couldn't find my WD-40 so I tried it. I put some olive oil on a cotton pad and rubbed it on the hinges of my door and it worked! Plus, it didn't stink up my house with an awful smell. So, if you have a squeaky door or wheel try some olive oil rather than running to Walmart to get that stinky stuff. Thank you, Hallmark!
When one of our kids has gotten out of bed in the middle of the night, I know it because our door squeaks as they try to quietly sneak into our room. (When it's not one of the cats going in or out.) Yes, it's nice to know a kid is coming in ahead of time instead of waking up to that staring face and wondering how long they've been watching you sleep but I am definitely tired of the squeak! I will gladly put up with being tapped on, whispered to, jiggled about, or just climbed onto while sleeping just to be rid of the squeaky door.
In the past I used WD-40 on it and it stunk up the house and stopped squeaking for awhile but the squeak has returned. So the other day I remembered a Hallmark movie that I had watched--yes, you heard me right--a Hallmark movie. In it, the main character was a woman who hosted a TV show sort of like a Martha Stuart thing in which she gives her viewers tips on how to do different household projects and all that kind of stuff. She also solved mysteries on the side which is what the movie was really about. Anyway, she was in the airport and a luggage cart had a squeaky wheel. She pulled out a small spray bottle out of her purse and said it was olive oil and sprayed it on the wheels. The squeaking, of course, immediately stopped. It's a movie, right? Of course it worked!
Well, I was desparate for a solution and couldn't find my WD-40 so I tried it. I put some olive oil on a cotton pad and rubbed it on the hinges of my door and it worked! Plus, it didn't stink up my house with an awful smell. So, if you have a squeaky door or wheel try some olive oil rather than running to Walmart to get that stinky stuff. Thank you, Hallmark!
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