Darndest Things

Back Seat Driving

October 13, 2011

The other day I was driving my oldest two children home when they suggested I text their Nana to see if the younger two were asleep so we’d know if we needed to enter in the backdoor.

I told them I couldn’t text while driving, but maybe if I got a red light I could send her a quick txt. (I know, I know….)

Well the light was green and as we got rather close to our street my 5 yr old daughter says, “Mom, you gotta send the text!” “I can’t,” I replied, the light was green.

“Well Mom, I’ll watch the road for you and tell you if your going to hit something.”

“Thanks, but it doesn’t work like that, I need to be watching the road myself.”

“Why Mom? Don’t you know this road pretty well, you drive on it all the time?”

I then went on to tell her while I know the road, I don’t know what the other cars are going to do on the road. And even though she promised to keep an eye for me, I think it would be better for me to watch.

Can you just imagine? Well, officer, I know I wasn’t watching, but she was my lookout…yea… my 5 yr old in the back seat… she promised to keep an eye out for me….

{ 3 comments }

Life With 2

September 14, 2011

in Darndest Things,home school,homeschool,Keeping it Real,library,Motherhood

Now that my oldest 2 are at their tutorial two days a week, I find myself with just 2 children at home on those mornings. It is a truly odd feeling and a dynamic I am not yet used to. Though I am sure it is nothing compared to the strangeness I’ll feel next year when I am left with only my lil man two days a week.

I am hoping to use this time to

1. take care of errands

2. stay on top of housework/laundry

3. enjoy some quality time with my youngest two

I was thrilled when I learned our library will be hosting story time a few times a month on the same mornings as our tutorial. When I told my 4 yr old that we’d be going to story time this week she responded, “Story time, what’s story time?” meanwhile simultaneously, my oldest child said, “Awh, story time… I remember story time… I loved story time!”

And there ya have it folks…evidence that you truly don’t parent the same way each time around.

I remember with my oldest and even when his little sister came around, we went to story time… all the time… we were regulars…even hitting up more than one library. Then number 3 came along and we went for a bit.. as I sat nursing her in the back row, trying to keep my toddler sitting quiet and encouraging my 3 and 1/2 yr old to go ahead and sit up front without Mommy… you can easily see with that beautiful picture how story time slowly became a think of the past… that and the fact that for awhile I banished myself from the library as a way of keeping my overdue fines in check. Topped off with the fact that I couldn’t really go to story time on days we were schooling at home, b/c we had school work to do.. and then number 4 came along and he needed a nap in the morning, plus the girls played so nicely together when there brother was gone, why not take advantage of that time to catch up at home….yada, yada, yada… you end up with a 4 yr old who doesn’t even know what story time is.

I am happy to report that story time was a huge success this morning and we plan to return next month for more stories, songs, and crafts!

{ 5 comments }

Circus Family Sayings

August 18, 2011

in Darndest Things,Keeping it Real

Scott and I have a few sayings that we use often with the kids.

Life is not Fair

Life isn’t Always About You

You Can’t Cry to Get What You Want

and….

Never Trust a Bad Guy

1 -3 are pretty self explanatory… in a family of 6, you learn quickly that your not going to get what you want when you want it, you gotta wait, and that’s just the way it goes. I try hard to remember who had the blue plate yesterday and who got to use the dog towel last after the bath, but you know… I can’t always keep track of it. And while we do our best to keep things balanced, it’s just going to happen that someone is going to spend the night at a friends house and your not necessarily going to get to that same night. It’s a hard pill to swallow and it often stinks… but you know, it is life. And I’ll confess quite often, I need to remind myself of these same things… b/c sometimes I too want it to be all about me… sometimes I too get irritated when life doesn’t seem fair, and sometimes I too just want to sit and cry when things don’t go my way.

So, we find ourselves repeating these truths… often.

I had to laugh when the girls were watching a DVD one day on the portable DVD player… some sort of “discussion” was taking place over the fact that one of them was holding it and not the other… I listened in to see if I was going to need to step in soon…

“It’s not fair that you get to hold it and I don’t!” the younger complained…
“Well, remember, life’s not fair!” the older responded…

Yea… Mom had to step in and keep the peace during that little discussion…though I did inwardly chuckle and that application of a truth she’s obviously heard often…

A few weeks later the older 3 were arguing at the table and again one of them tried to pull the ol “life isn’t fair” card… this time the 5 yr old complained, “ I hate that they always say that to me… except for my sister she always says, “Remember what Dad always says, Never Trust a Bad Guy!”

This made me laugh out loud.

When watching movies Scott often points out how untrustworthy bad guys are… when one bad guy will trust another bad guy, he’ll always say, “Remember never trust a bad guy.” And inevitably later in that episode or movie that bad guy will have been double crossed and he’ll point out how it wasn’t a good idea to trust a bad guy.”

I just love that my 4 yr old goes around saying that completely out of context… totally made me laugh… picture it…

“That’s not fair, it’s my turn for that seat.”
“Well, remember what dad always says, never trust a bad guy!”

So, I guess you have it… our family sayings… I had to chuckle when thinking about those cute little personalized subway art signs with family sayings that you see all over the blogosphere these days… don’t think ours would make for a very cute DIY project. But, then again, I’m not that crafty anyways!

{ 3 comments }

Feeling Insignificant?

June 22, 2011

in Darndest Things,Keeping it Real,Motherhood

Last week after telling my kids the Bible story of baby Moses, I decided to offer a little application for them. I pointed out how neat it was that God took care of Moses as a baby by allowing the princess to find him. I even told how amazing it was that his own mother was allowed to take care of him before he went to live at the palace. After discussing how Moses grew up in the Egyptian palace, I pointed out how God used that later in his life when Moses led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. I was going on about how we don’t understand the plans God has for our lives, but he has special plans for each of our lives, and just like God had a plan for Moses, he has a plan for each of them.

Of course my son had to be argumentative (is 7 the new 13 or is this just at the circus?) and say he didn’t think there was anything special about his life. Which I then refuted, telling them that long before they were even in my belly, God had planned out their entire life and he did indeed have a special plan for each of them.

My son, then replies, “Well, what about you Mom? God didn’t do anything special with your life.”

Seriously folks, motherhood is not for the faint of heart… ya gotta be thick skinned to survive this stuff.

I refuted with the fact that I thought my life was pretty special… look I get to raise and take care of 4 special kids (sweet, loving kids who think the world of their mother… ahem) and FURTHERMORE… I pointed out… my life is not over… who knows what other things God has planned for me or through me… thankyouverymuch!

But, apparently, you gotta lead God’s people out of captivity and into the promised land in order to be considered special around here.

{ 7 comments }

Lost in Translation

June 20, 2011

in Darndest Things,Motherhood

There are a few words that my 3 yr old mispronounces on a consistent basis. I find her consistent mispronunciation so gosh darn cute, I can’t correct her. I loath the day her voice changes and she no longer sounds like a sing songy cartoon character and she learns the correct way to say night gown.

Until then, I am savoring her sweet voice and the way she says…

night gallon for night gown
pastor’s seat for passenger’s seat
uppertainment center for entertainment center

How about you? Any favorite mispronunciations at your house you’d like to share?

Visit Mary at TTT for more tiny talk!

{ 6 comments }

Self Sufficient…to a point…

June 19, 2011

in Darndest Things,Keeping it Real

One of the many reasons why life is easier this time around is that my older three kids are much more self sufficient.

When we need to head out the door, I can instruct the kids to get their shoes on, go to the van and buckle up. A few minutes later the baby and I arrive at the van. I buckle him in, do a quick seatbelt check on the big kids and we hit the road.

This works wonderfully…

except for when it doesn’t…

Like the time I pulled into the parking lot at church, open the side door and find my 5 yr old barefoot. When questioned about her missing shoes, she responded, “ I couldn’t find them!” As I sent her to SS barefoot her sweet teacher (and mother of 6) assured me it wasn’t the first time (which actually made me wonder, if she meant it wasn’t the first time someone came to SS with no shoes or if it wasn’t the first time MY DAUGHTER came to SS without shoes…I didn’t ask).

Then there’s my three year old, who when faced with a similar dilemma, went a different route.

And of course mom doesn’t realize she’s not wearing matching shoes until she gets out of the van at the grocery store.

(yes…her dress in on backwards…another by product of our self sufficiency)

Apparently, I have a few questions I need to add to my check list before backing out of the driveway. 1. Is everyone here? 2. Seatbelts buckled? 3. Shoes on? 4. Shoes match?

{ 5 comments }

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