Choking Hazard

So, my beautiful Gabriella is growing up way faster than expected, of course. She is army crawling and working her way to full crawling, so she ends up spending a fair amount of time on the floor. Now, Gideon never was an "eater of stuff" like some babies/kids are, so I hoped I had sidestepped that hazard. I, unfortunately, was very wrong. I believe my daughter's ambition is to become an industrial strength vacuum cleaner. SHE. EATS. EVERYTHING.

Case in point... while I was making dinner I left her on the floor to play while her wonderful daddy supervised her antics. All was well until I heard from the living room

"MELISSA COME HERE!!! GABBI IS CHOKING ON A PENNY!!!" ... needless to say I bolted to the living room to find my husband holding my daugher at a downward angle patting firm on her back... my heart STOPPED.

Fortunately, while she did swallow a penny, she didn't enhale a penny. So, she was breathing.

...sigh...

...relief...

Now, the remaining problem was that she was screaming bloody murder and if you know my daughter, you know that it takes quite a bit for her to do that. So, I called the hospital who told me to call my pediatrician, which I did. Then I was put on hold...

...and I waited..

...and waited...

all this time my daugher was screaming.

So I, under family advisement, headed for the emergency room with Gabriella and my husband.

The pediatrician called me back just before we got addmitted and gave me this advice that I will share with you, just in case my child isn't the only one to swallow something entirely inedible.

First thing to do (if they're breathing, of course) is to give them something to drink (in my case, nurse her) and...

If your child is

1. breathing (she was)

2.~*~Swallowing~*~ (nursing proved she was)

3. Pooping (to be sure there is no bowel obstruction)

Then your child is fine and you will find the missing object hangin' out in their diaper/toilet in a couple days.

Moral of the story... I might as well use my mild panic to illuminate mom's to avoid unnecessary E.R. trips and to be aware of when it is something to be concerned with.

I don't reccomend this method for saving money. ;)

Superheros and Supervillians

The world is a dark and scary place to raise kids with a few black and white truths and a lot of gray fuzzy lines. This inevitibly leads to many mommy vs. daddy debates on a plethera of little issues. Ones of these issues, in our house, is what we watch.

We don't have TV, but we do have netflix. When Gideon watches something on it, I usually choose something like "Super Why", "Veggie Tales", or "Thomas the Train", with the occasional movie. John likes to watch superhero cartoons with him and the latest obsession is "Ironman". Now, at first, I just embraced how adorable it was to see them snuggled up on the couch entralled in the latest episode, but threw on the brakes when I heard him talk about killing things.

It started with a simple statement of killing his sister because she had his car! :-0

...What?!.... I mean... What?!.... Did he really just say that!?!?!?!

Answer: Yes, yes he did.

I simply said

"Killing is bad! Don't say that!"

He looked at me, puzzled and said

"But.... Ironman kills bad guys..."

URRRRCH! Brakes time!

"No, Gideon. No killing!"

I then proceeded to call His father, trying my best not to overreact.

He picked up the phone

"Yes, Honey?"

"Hi. No more violent shows!! I just heard my baby boy talk about killing!" (I failed at not overreacting, as you can tell)

"What? What are you talking about?"

This is where I proceeded to tell him the story after calmly listening to my histeria, he responded as the Mr. Cool guy he is.

"Hmm. Well I, clearly, need to have a talk with him, but Melissa... he doesn't even know what 'killing' means. It's a word one of his friends taught him and all he knows is that it refers to 'getting the bad guy'".

I listened, knowing he was right, but still feeling emotional and protective.

"...but... I don't want him to be violent, or think violence is OK."

"Well, it's part of being a boy, but I will talk to him before watching it with him again."

So let's take a minute and fast forward to later that evening...

John came home and was rough housing with Gideon. Then Gideon said something about killing the bad guys, and John calmly looked at Gideon and said

"Good guys don't kill. They beat the bad guys and then take them to jail."

Gideon thougth about this and said,

"What about me? I wanna kill bad guys!" Then, John, desperately trying to break through, said,

"No, we beat them up, but we don't kill. Killing is bad." So, Gideon said,

"But I don't like bad guys!" Sighing, John retorted with

" That's why we take them to jail, Gideon."

This time there was a long sad pause in which he hugged his daddy close looked up at him earnestly and said,

"...Wanna kill wif me?..."

At this point, we both laughed, because of how pitiful he sounded. He was just so confused. It will just require coninuued explanation as he gets older and understands what it means to die which is vastly beyond his understanding, at this point (well, beyond squishing the occasional bug).

It's so hard to figure out where the line is drawn between "typical boy play" (i.e. cowboys and indians, cops and robbers, etc) and the seeds of violent thoughts and behaviors. I guess that's where the vast amounts of explanation comes in.... maybe I'll take him to the police station and introduce him to some "everyday superheros"

Don't eat yellow snow!

So here are some fun little tips (not the $ kind, but the "don't eat yellow snow" kind) that I have picked up from reading, conversing, and livin'

1) OK... so I totally drop the ball... I don't cloth diaper my kids, get over it! ;) I also have a nifty little diaper genie. Now this amazing little thing keeps my house from stinking when I can bother to afford bags for it. So, I, to save money, and save myself from a odoriferous house, put regular garbage bags in it, and it works great.

2) Use good ol' fashioned vinegar any time you need to freshen, deodorize, de-germ, de-gunk,and/or de-stain anything. It will even remove old paint from paint brushes if you boil them in it for an hour.

3) Use your hubby's cheap-o (non gel) shaving cream to clean the mirror. AND your mirror will stay fog free-ish for awhile after you do it.

4) Use wd-40 to clean stainless steel, instead of that expensive stainless steel cleaner.

5) After cleaning your stove, wax it with car wax and it will clean off easier next time.

6) 1/2 cup lemon juice instead of bleach!!!

7) and basically everything you can do with vinegar, you can do with baking soda.

8) if you have citrus peels, you can run them down your garbage displosal and it will freshen it.

9) lemon juice and baking soda for tooth whitener

10) Add lemon juice to your dishwasher detergent or your dish water for cleaner dishes.

(don't worry, this isn't really my sink.... this time) ;)

Out of the mouth of babes

Why is it that the breakfast table inspires the most outragious and hilarious conversations? This in itself is a powerful motivation for eating around a table.

Well our hilarious and yet oh so wrong converation around the table this morning was prompted by my sis in law holding her 10 month old son (tristan) and wrestling to keep his hands out of stuff. When she voiced her frustration her 4 year old son (roman) said matter of factly

"Pinch him." Melissa sternly replied

"I don't pinch babies!"

Then Roman, without hesitation said,

"I'll do it!"

Of course this was followed by a

"No you won't!"

but Melissa and I couldn't help but snicker at the over-enthusiasm of Roman to punish his baby brother.

Magical Sunshine and other circus fun

I am quite moved and amazed at the power a little sun can give. This is probably partly due to the fact it makes an appearance once every 10 years or so.

Even in nice weather, some moms keep perfectly clean, dry children, but I am of the strong opinion that this is highly overrated.

Look how happy they all are!!! I was pretty happy, myself, bathing in the sunshine.

Living with all these kiddos is fun and crazy. I love hearing hysterical giggles coming from various rooms in the house. It's like an instant dose of happiness to my soul... although it does encourage me to make sure there isn't something all over the floor, walls, or ceiling (amoung other things).

There are those moments where all these beautiful children start into an off key choir of complaints, hollers, and general loudness... in such moments I dream of a "mommy sensory deprevation champer"... oh wait... that's a bubble bath!!!

Thank God for temwork!

If you don't have something nice to say....

We live in such a negative society.We are taught to seek, find, and embrace the flaws and general baseness of this world; particularly within one another.

Proverbs 16:24 says "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."

I want to base my life on that simple proverb. I have decided that in the process of doing a "personal makeover" I endeavor to not hold back compliments.

Why do we do that?!?!?!

This thought process started when I walked past someone in the grocery store and heard them whisper to their friend "Her baby is sooo cute!" about my precious Gabriella.

What? Why whisper this??? Do you think you will upset/offend me by telling me I have an adorable child? You never know... maybe I needed to hear something nice that day??

I hereby pray for blessing on my tongue, that I never hold back pleasent thoughts and maybe... just maybe... the "good stuff" will wash away the "dirt".

Stories from "the circus"

So, as previous blogs have indicated we have 5 children under 5 living in our 1200 sq ft house. Some days are awesome, coloring and playing cars together. Some days not so awesome, pushing, yelling and toy warfare, but overall our little kiddo circus is a blast.

Over breakfast this morning my son (Gideon, 3) was making obnoxious shrieking noises at the breakfast table. When I shushed him he told me in a whiny pathetic voice that he was making animal noises. I, exasperated, asked him what animal he was supposed to be, then Jasmine (my niece, 3) in her, matter of fact, chatty cathy sort of way said

"He's a cow!" I then asked her, quite confused, "How many cows do you know that sound like THAT?!" Then Roman (nephew, 4) chimed in happily "5!"

What a great and silly way to start the day! I love these kids!

Anti-Blog, Blog

Is it just me, or are blogs ridiculous?

That's right, I said it. In my hyporicital judement of myself and every other mom who doesn't have the time to call all her friends to share her latest story, relevation, epiphany, or random boredom.

We post our blogs to feel like we're communicating with the rest of the world, and tell ourselves that people are actually reading them ;). When in reality it's likely to get skimmed over by probably one of the few people you DO actually talk to on a daily basis, but at least in this moment, I feel listened to, even if it's just by the dead space of the vast and cluttered internet space.

So, I will continue to have adult conversations with myself.

Chaotic Masterpiece

So, my life has just taken up a big change. What used to be a relatively calm household (relatively)... is now the world's cutest (and coolest) circus. There are 5 kids...

(These are 3 of them)

Count 'em...

1) Gabriella (almost 6 months)

2) Tristan (10 months)

3) Jasmine (almost 3)

4) Gideon (almost 3)

5) Roman (4)

and my totally awesome sis in law, Melissa (yes we have the same name and birthday). All in a 1200 sq ft. house.

So, we have already had all out kid on kid brawls, ruined bed times, toy mine fields, runny noses, and fits of vomiting... and yet... it works. :)

Life is good... and I'm lovin' it.

So here's me, soakin' up the chaos from my chaotic masterpiece and totally loving every minute of it.

.... even if Gideon is going to have to go through "sharing boot camp"....

What Parenting has Taught Me

1. Everything is contagious!

2. If you feel you are not getting the aknowledment you need, Demand it!

3. Love always forgives.

4. Love/Care is more affective than bandaids.

5.... but bandaids fix most things, including bruises. ;)

6. Everything tastes better in your favorite color.

7. Singing should always be done as loudly as possible.

8... If you don't know the words, make up your own.

9. Everything in life is by the inch, not by the mile.

10. Words are the strongest thing we possess

11. Smiling begots smiling

12. Laughter begots laughter (even if you don't know the joke)

13. Life is better in groups

14. Compliments are magical

15. Sunshine is medicine

16. Be loud

17. Cleanliness cannot be next to godliness, because my children are not from hell ;)

18. My scars (stretchmarks) will last me for the rest of my life, but the legacy of my parenthood will last for generations to come.

19. You can be a superhero and a villian in the same breath

20. Nothing is wasted

21. Love overpowers the worst possible odors

22. Mirrors tell terrible stories

23. There is always a way to get the stain out... except when there's not

24. "Helping" isn't always helpful.

25. Imaginary food always tastes better.

26. Being quiet is hard.

27. When it rains, put on a coat, and jump in the puddles.

28. If you can't have what you want... improvise.

29. It sucks when people don't understand you.

30. Frustration is necessary for progress.

31. Everything worth doing, isn't easy.

32. Some days both sides of the bed are the "wrong side of the bed"

33. Cookies help

34. Whining is annoying

35. You are always missing something important while you sleep

36. Sometimes it's neccessary to yell at inanimate objects.

37. Everything poops

38. Dissapproval sometimes is the consequence.

39. Family is essential.

40. You can feel lonely wihtout every having a moment alone.

41. Messy=Living

42. Nothing is predictible

43. You don't have to understand to have an opinion.

44. It's OK to be laughed at, as long as people are laughing.

45. Work is only "work" when you stop making it fun.

46. Toys are everything that you are allowed to play with.

47. Always stand your ground.

48. Always say "sorry" with hugs

49. Houses are prisons on beautiful days

50. Poop is exciting

51. Silence is therapy

52. Food always tastes better off of someone else's plate

53.The bigger the bow, the better

54. You can do virtually anything one-handed. (even blog)

55. Life is better silly

56. Always ask nicely

57. Everything should be done with enthusiasm

58. Naps are wonderful

59. Anticipation mskes life fun

60. There can be ordwe in chaos

Best of Both Worlds

I am not a huge supporter (for my fam) of exclusive co-sleeping. This is mostly because it tends to develop bad sleeping habits in the little ones and make imtamacy difficult to manage.

I HOWEVER looove to snuggle my babes.

My favorite pass time is family naps, seriously!

I have discovered the best of both worlds... seriously!!! We wrap up our precious Gabriella and put her in a bassinet next our bed at 7:30. She typically wakes up around 4ish (give or take) to eat and at this point I grab her and let her sleep/nurse in our bed until we get up. It is quite wonderful. I get the benefits of co-sleeping without the disadvantages.

She is able to get to sleep on her own, and sleep in her own bed without complaint, but I get all the emotional, physical, and psychological benefits of having her in our bed because of the "transfer" in the weee ours of the morning. :)

Life is good!!

Shameless

So, I may be old and "out of touch" with modern fashion and society. I don't shop at designer stores because I don't see the point in paying ridiculous amounts of money for pieces of fabric and I don't read "fashion" magazines because I think of them as shallow.

This being said, I got a free magazine (which will remain nameless) in the mail the other day and on a whim decided to explore its pages.

I have one word for you.... EW! (not the most articulate, but it sums it up)

This picture was taken directly from one of their pages!! How frightening is that?! Is that what we're supposed to aspire to? Starvation and Emaciation?! Not OK!

I also made a list of everything advertised (a lot) and here's what I came up with

False Eyelashes

Sunglasses

Shoes

Purses

Swimsuits

Bracelets

Cars

Skin Cream

Diamonds

Makeup

Skin Bronzer

Perfume

Alcohol

Hair Care

SOda

Razors

Hair Dye

Latisse (eye lash thickener stuff)

There was ONE article in this nearly phonebook sized catalog and a whole "chapter" on just modern fashion, ASIDE from the ads.

All these ads are designed to make you feel crappy about yourself! No wonder the modern's self image is in the toilet and we're picking eachother apart like angry vultures. I am not saying that this is the ONLY thing that's making us feel bad about ourselves, but it is definitely contributing to our TWISTED self image.

If you want an image to "aspire" to... pick something like this...

This is more like what God a healthy woman to look like. NOT a long haired skeleton, but a soft, beautiful delicate creature designed to please her husband and bear healthy children.

No that doesn't mean "barefoot and pregnant". It means a work of art, love, grace, and nurturing. We have gifts of nurturing that our counterparts (men) don't naturally possess... we should gladly embrace that! :) (men have gifts that we don't)

Remember... be beautiful like YOU... not "her" (whoever she is).

In Love!!

I am madly, insanely, head over heals in love with Lifesource. For those who might not know, they are a health food/organic grocery store. Or as John calls them a "hippie store". ;)

I have always loved their grocery items, because they have a wide variety of organic foods, CHIA seeds, natural cleaning products, vitamins, etc... but NOW they have officially won my heart with an amazing new (to me) feature.... KID'S GROCERY CARTS.

Gideon was marching around the store with his little cart, standing up a little straighter, walking a little more confident, feeling ON TOP of the world. He was such a little gentlemen walking around saying "excuse me" to the other hippie store patrons as he walked by, occassionally stopping, looking intently at the shelves, and picking out various treats (some of which I let him keep, and some I didn't) and placing them neatly in his cart.

When we were done, he get in line and with grace and maturity, placed each of his items on the counter, one by one. Then he wheeled his cart to the end of the counter, took "his bag" and set it in the cart, ready to push it out to the van. The whole time, behaving just like a little gentlemen. I was so proud, beaming, with a mommy ear to ear grin!

I regrettably didn't have a device for which to take pictures of this amazing little event, but next time I hit up lifesource for healthy snacks and chia seeds I will definitely take pictures of my little man.

Take your kids to Lifesource!!! :)

Confession

There are moments of shame in mommyhood. It's inevitable that in this 24/7, all consuming job, you will have moments of regret. I am going to embrace transparancy and share one of mine with you.

This morning, Gideon burst out of bed at o-dark-30 and I had a freshly poured cup of coffee sitting on the floor next to my seat.

He grumped over to me and threw himself onto the couch, almost dumping over said cup of coffee. So I sternly warned him.

"Gideon watch out"

and before I got a chance to move it he, in a fuss, about not wanting to eat breakfast, knocked it over.

This is where I forsook patience and proper judgment and LOST IT. Screeching

"GIDEON?! LOOK WHAT YOU DID!"

Now... those of you who do not know my son, he does NOT handle yelling well. He would rather be spanked than yelled at. SO, his little eyes welled up with tears as he said

"Mommy I'm sorry!!!!!" and ran to his daddy for comfort.

I took a deep breath and when I went to hug him he said

"mommy I'm sorry, PLEASE don't yell at me anymore... please"

UGH!!! How does your heart take that?! I, trying not to fall apart looked him the eye and said

"I only yell when you choose not to listen to mommy. If you don't want mommy to yell, anymore, just make sure you listen." but inside I felt like a SCUM BAG.

Words are EVERYTHING to a little one.

Crazy Revelation...

You know women are insane?! All of us... bonkers!

I have been working hard to loose weight... obsessively. Exercise, dieting... the whole she-bang. That being said

I was walking with a close friend of mine the other day and going on about what I WANT my body to look like.

Something like this:

... on and on... whine complain... (despite constant compliments, reassurement, and contradictions from my adoring husband)

Then my friend turned to me and said

"I just want to look like you."

and I realized how ungrateful and skewed my perception is. The friend in question is b-e-autiful and has no reason to try to look like me... and I have no reason to try to look like this model.

I may not be perfect. I may have a stretchmark covered, stretched out belly... but I am beautiful.... Just ask those that love me! :)

Besides, I earned every stretch mark. EVERY SINGLE ONE. They are proof of the greatest thing I've ever done!

Neccesities

I think it is remarkable what we think we need for babies. Can you imagine a world in which it cost you no extra money to have a baby?

Back "in the day" you would have your baby at home (no hospital bills)

The baby would sleep in your bed or in a basket. So, no play pens, bassinets, cribs, etc.

(not my baby, but cute picture)

NO CLOTHES... Now admitidly... I love all those really cute tiny baby clothes. I have way more little dresses than one baby needs. ;) BUT back in the day (like biblical times) they would just swaddle the baby and leave it naked... which leads me to my next one.

No diapers... That's right. Naked little baby bottoms!

(this one IS mine)

No Carseats... because well... no cars

No strollers, because you would just strap the baby to your back.

No bottles or formula... it was nursing or nothing. (still this way in my house)

Can you imagine??? With the 1000s of dollars in stuff they say you need these days to have a tot! I think we get carried away...

Although here is my hypocrit mom where I share my favorite unnecessary baby stuff!!