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"....