So... I'm selfish

I will admit it.

I'm selfish.

See, I admitted it.

Last night someone gave me the rest of a bag of M&M's. I don't buy stuff like this and I thought it would be a great treat. So after the kids went to bed I pulled out the bag, ate a couple, put the twisty tie back on it and threw it in the highest food cupboard, way in the back. I couldn't even see it. I figured it would be out of sight, out of mind, and safe from little raiding vikings I have living in this house. Who would look there anyway? It's not like we make sweet bread very often, and that's what is stored up there.

Yeah, that was the plan.

Today, of all days, Rara decides to dig in the cupboards looking for things to make. Like jello, pudding, and...

"hey mom! Look what I found!"

Awww! Didn't even last 24 hours before they found them.

So much for a selfish heart. I should have known better.

Summer Fun Photo Contest

5 Min for Mom is having a photo contest. I took this photo on our camping trip and I just love it!

Another Update

So you know my commitment about blogging more, therefore keeping my mother from wondering if we are alive or dead? Oh, you can't tell I've made that commitment? Maybe that's because I am horrible at following through when the weather outside is anything but frightful. (and for those wondering... Yes, my mother keeps up with my life here rather than the phone. Why? Because neither one of us are horribly great at calling anyone, let alone each other!)

Ok, update time...

Strawberry season was late this year. We were able to head out to pick 4 times throughout the season and have lots of strawberries and strawberry jam in our freezer. Expensive, but I'm hoping that it will last until next summer. The kids were excited the first time we went out but quickly remembered that it isn't as fun as they think. We only do a basket a person each time we go so it is not so long picking and I have time to get them in the freezer.

We also had a family reunion of sorts. Knights side all got together at the farm and spent the day enjoying each others company. The family doesn't get together much as a group anymore and it was nice to see everyone. The kids were able to go on a hay ride. J-Bird loves playing with all the boys in the family. Most of them are around his age so he is in heaven not having to hang out with girls. J-Bell and Desti also have girls there own age so they were off exploring the farm on their own.

We also took the kids camping for the first time. We cheated slightly and borrowed my moms "cabin" (a camper set up at a resort). The kids wanted to tent it, so we brought the tent and let them sleep there, while we had the bed. They had a good time and they loved taking the kayaks out to the middle of the lake and jumping off. That was the plan to avoid the leeches (it worked).

I am aiming to start school in a couple weeks so then I will be back on schedule and hopefully blogging more regularly. Between times of cleaning, going to the pool, and kayaking I have been preparing for that.

Lessons from a 9 year old

Knight took Rara to work the other day. She doesn't have much exposure on the route yet, but J-Bell was gone and Desti was sick. That only leaves 3 choices: go alone, take Rara, or take J-Bird. J-Bird has long since proven that he is too young yet. Plus Rara loves to go.

So Knight is supposedly having a bad day, except it is really hard to have a bad day when you are with someone so happy and full of life. He shared some of what he learned having her around:

• It is nearly impossible to walk from the truck to an account. It is much preferred to hop, skip, run, or use another mode other than walking
• There is a difference between skipping and Wizard of Oz skipping. Wizard of Oz skipping is where you go twice on one foot, then twice on the other. Rara was more than happy to share this information with workers and managers alike.
• When someone compliments you on your beautiful hair, it is cuter and funnier to tilt your head and repeatedly bat your eyes at them instead of saying "thank you"

We always say that with Rara the glass isn't half full, it's overflowing.

Update

I know I need to get more committed about posting. Not because I have so many interested readers who are waiting for some witty comment out of my mouth. Those people who came for that gave up a LONG time ago. I just have this need for a creative outlet, and since most of mine are geared for the 9 long winter months we have up in these here parts, I haven't had any outlet for my creative genius (ok, not so genius, but, whatever!)

So here's the update of our lives...

My two youngest were baptized on the 6th. Pastor was suddenly nervous about baptizing J-Bird when, while they were in the changing room before going to the baptistry he asked Pastor if he could do a cannonball into it. Rara went first and when J-Bird came out he had a strict warning that no cannonballs were needed. Picky picky!

We had some blue jay parents ready to be empty nesters and kicked those babies out or the nest. We had what I think was two different babies land at different times on our slip n slide and sit there for a long time, one for most of the day. We went to bed and it was still there. We are hoping that it flew away instead of becoming lunch for a neighborhood cat. I wouldn't let the kids touch it, but they enjoyed being as close as they could to it.

Other than that, if you are looking for us, you can find us at the pool, or on the river kayaking. Speaking of which, I need to get ready. We are heading out again today, this time a new river. Hopefully I'll be able to get some great pictures to share. Anyone up to going out with me???

Photo Hunt #2--Bright

To veiw more PhotoHunt go here.

They're Gone!!!

The girls are at camp for the week. All settled in, their beds made, and thrilled I was leaving the last time I saw them (well... the backs of their heads anyway! lol) We only have the boy. He loves being an only child once in a while.

Sew..Sew...Sew...

I just finished this years swim suits. Camp is next week so I was on a time crunch. I'm done sewing for now. Woo Hoo!!!

Who's stuff did you loose????

Last night we were one of the last families to leave the church. Knight was talking, kids were playing, I was talking to different people while trying to keep an eye on the kids. A typical Wednesday night.

Knight and I got into the car and drove over to the playground to pick up the kids. They started piling in and Rara was still walking across the grass carrying 2 of her babies. No big deal. They Desti asks, "Where are your shoes?"

That becomes the question of the night.

A couple of my kids volunteer to help her look. Then I make the rest of them look. They recruit their friends to help them. Still nothing.

How do you loose a pair of shoes you were wearing?

So I get out to look. And I ask which pair she wore to church.

The answer is "Your sandals."

What?!? You lost MY shoes??

In true mommy fashion I ended up finding them. Only took 10 people searching for 30 minutes.

Can't you see my Supermom cape through my robe?

Knghts first post

Today was a huge blessing, I had j-bell with me on the route and we almost sold double what our goal is. She is starting to surprise me because she works so hard. We worked a twelve hour day. We have had to tighten our belts a little because of some set backs. But god is providing. These days I have been thankful just to have a job the way the economy is going. Also when I got home we played a board game and rara was so funny, we just sat and cheered after each move. I hope she gets into comedy some day. Sometimes it seems like the less we have the more fun we have.
Good night all
Knight

Princess Rara

Knight took Rara merchandising this morning. They had gotten done with the Little Debbies and were working on Tombstone pizza's. Knight left Rara to go get another load (kids are not allowed in the back room). While Knight was in the back Rara decided to make herself a throne out of the empty pizza boxes.

So this is what royalty looks like at work (thank goodness for camera phones!)

My Little Entrepreneur

I came downstairs to find that Rara had opened a pet shop in our living room. The cages were filled, the animals restless. And good news! If you buy one, you get to keep it for a whole 6 hours.

I love watching my kids play.

Sing me a joke

Sometimes my kids crack me up. I especially like it when they don't miss a beat in their jokes.

The other day Rara was singing. She is always singing. I love the fact that she spends the majority of her life in song. She will sing as she is doing math "la la...five times zeeero is zeeEEeero" You get the picture.

So as she is singing along I just called out "sing if you're a dork."

Without pausing in her song she starts singing..."My mom's a dork because she sings all the time..."

What a kid

Nearly Wordless Wednesday--Great Deals

When you are 9 and 10, and the liquidator is going out of business in your town so everything is 60% off of the usual price for the dollar store type junk items it is impossible to resist buying.

And so my kids have been spending their hard earned money and have purchased lots of things they don't need. Shower caps being one of them.

**Sorry for the quality of the picture. The lighting was wrong but I wanted to capture the moment anyway.**

Wisdom and humor of a 9 year old

My baby girl turned 9 yesterday. Yes, I still have my boy who's younger, but Rara is my baby girl. She is the same height, weighs less, but now has such a big number attached to her. I'm amazed that she can be that old.

The thing with Rara is that she is so funny. All my kids are funny and sarcastic. I think it has something to do with their dad since I am NEVER sarcastic...or something like that.

Today Rara wanted to spend her birthday money. She knew what she wanted and since she saw both of my parents last night, she had birthday money burning a hole in her pocket. She wanted new animals from the build-a-bear type thing in our town.

I had to drop something off at the accountant, so she rode with me and then we headed up to get her new friends. We sang with the radio, picked out the names she wanted, and then she talked, and sang, and made noises, and kept her mouth going...and going...and going.

It never stopped.

So I asked her if she knew who she was reminding me of. Then I let her know that my family always said that I never stopped talking, and singing, and making noise. (I am now understanding what my family was talking about)

So she came back with...

"Did you cry yourself to sleep everynight and then snored? That's the only way you can always make noise"

Yeah, she's definately a product of me. Poor thing.

Wordless Wednesday

When you are 8 years old, sick, and you have puppies, this is how you want to nap.

I have spoken before about my kids love for commercials. Sometimes I think maybe that was just a small phase in their lives. And then there are other times...



The other morning Rara woke up before any of the other kids. When she came down stairs she was quiet and just listened as Knight and I finished up our bible study we have started doing together. Then she sat and listened to us talking.



For some reason both of us had itchy eyes that morning. For the first time that morning Rara decides to add to the conversation.



R-Why don't you try Lanacane?

Us-What?!?!

R-You know. Lanacane.

Us-Lanacane?

R-It stops itching on contact. It kills germs too.

Knight-Yeah, and it will kill your eyes too.


Those who make their living coming up with advertising sure know what they are doing.

We're home! As both of us were discouraged last night, Rara was even more so this morning. They woke her up to draw blood. During that she was just getting to the end of her tolerance and was crying very easy. She was very quiet, tears filling her eyes all morning

Until the surgeon came in and said she could go home. While the surgeon was in the room she was still ignoring everyone but me. Ask her a question and you know that you are not in the same room with her. When she realized that she could go home she totally changed. That great personality came back. She was joking, laughing, making faces.

She's home and doing great. Moving a tad slow, but has already tested out the new sidewalk chalk, played, and has walked up and down the stairs on her own a couple times.

Can you hear her sigh of relief?

We have had visitors. Rara now has new crayons, books, dolls, chalk, bears, night lights, and color books. She has had her hair done, toes painted and has been waited on hand and foot.

Medically things are going well. She has been up and walking, all of the "systems" are back working and therefore she is back on solid food. She was able to order her wish list of foods, mac and cheese, applesauce, and strawberry milkshake. She ate what she could although it wasn't much.

Tonight I finally saw my sign that she's starting to feel fine. Hannah Montana was starting on Disney channel and she sang along with the start of the show. For her not to have any music for a couple days, you know she was feeling poor.

Now she's getting a song back into her heart. It feels good to have her coming back.

Paradise. How quickly that can shatter and you find yourself fighting the tears, trying to look like you are SURE everything is going to be ok, sitting and praying like you have never prayed before. And I thought today would be normal.

Rara wasn't feeling real hot last night. We had company and she went and laid down on the couch. She slept on the floor in the living room while we slept on the couch. I was just praying, "Lord, help her not be sick on Monday so she can go to camp, and don't have the other girls get sick either."

I woke up at 7 to her throwing up. Bummer. I hope this doesn't spread. She goes back to sleep, I have my devotions, spend some time with the Lord, and then check out the blogs. Desti gets up. Her thumb is hurting yet. Well, they said if it didn't start getting better in a couple days I need to bring her back in. It's only been 36 hours but it is Friday. Camp is on Monday. There is a birthday party for my niece tomorrow. I don't really have the time to wait too much longer to find out if it's going to get better on it's own, or if it's really broke. So I bring her into the clinic.

They look at me like I'm nuts for bringing her back in. I try to explain that I just want to make sure she is ok before I am dealing with ER again. We are out of the clinic and on with our day in no time.

A quick stop for a gift for the birthday party, meet Knight for breakfast and I'm back home. Today I am going to hit the laundry hard. We have been gone all week and the house is looking pretty rough. Rara's stomach is still bothering her but we are getting the house looking decent again. I head out to put more clothes on the line, clean up the yard a bit and go back inside. I am met with "Rara wants you"

She is crying. Her belly hurts. This is my child that doesn't complain. And she is screaming. She can't quite figure out how to let me know how bad it hurts so she tries to describe it. "It feels like I'm having a baby! OWWWWW!"

The call to urgent care is met by "We can fit you in at 2:20. Ummm, waiting 1.5 hours. Yeah, no thanks. This feels more serious than that. ER here we come.

They admit us and we wait. And wait. And wait. Tick...tick...TICK! People, don't you know that this is my CHILD. She is not acting right. Stop being so nonchalant and get urgent! NOW! We got the ER a little after 1. At 4:30 they have finally decided that it IS appendicitis and they are going to do surgery. Surgery will be in an hour, home tomorrow. No big deal.

Yeah. Tell that to someone else. This is MY CHILD! Fix her but I still don't trust you. I am reminding myself all of her protection comes from the Lord anyway. Nobody can fix her or harm her without the Lord.

"Yes, Lord. Truly, I do trust YOU with her life. But I am not ready to say goodbye. Lord, I have a peace that you are with her, but I don't have a peace that I will be with her here on earth again. Lord, you know my will, but please help me line up my will with yours. I am CHOOSING to trust you."

At 6:15 she goes into surgery. A LONG 45 minutes later the surgeon comes in. She made it out of surgery. The appendix did rupture. There is a possibility of more complications. If everything goes ok we will come home on Monday. She is feeling ok. We have gotten her up walking already. She is getting her fill of Disney channel.

It will again be paradise but this time I know how easily it could all fade.