Mommy of Many®

I can hardly believe that 2007 is coming to an end! It’s all gone so quickly! In this week’s show, I take a look at all that 2007 has brought and a quick look ahead to 2008. There’s been a lot of change in the Lang household over this last year. I can’t wait to see the changes that will occur in the New Year. We are facing a deployment, early in 2008. It’s certainly not our first, but will be a different experience for many reasons. I will spend 2008 trying to keep the kiddos happy and to stay organized, while being on my own for 7 months. Whew! Wish me luck! A little luck and a lot of prayer should see me through. Happy New Year to each of you! You can always email me at Jen@MommyofMany.com or leave a comment, here on the site. I love to hear from you! Thanks to each of you for helping make MommyofMany.com so much fun! Here’s to “Doing the Dance of the Children” into a New Year!

I haven’t been posting many pictures because I haven’t figured out the best quality/size since installing a new operating system. BUT……today, I think I’ve got it! So, we’ll see.

We had a nice day today. Arianna slept the day away after getting home from a couple of days away at Disney Land. Maddi got to go to Sea World with friends who are visiting from out of town. Max went to a movie with a friend. All of us went to a Holiday Open House at a good friend’s house and had a great time visiting. But, some of the day’s other events were captured (I was just going to write ,”on film” and then realized that we no longer use film and it’s all digital) by the camera.

Luke-Xavier decided that yogurt should not only be served as a breakfast food, but also as a facial-mask

Max got to have a ride in Mommy’s new bike trailer

Then he got to enjoy hot chocolate and walking on the edge of the planter

After a long evening out, watching a movie (and falling asleep toward the end) he decided he was full of energy and wanted to color

But when I said that it was time for bed, he looked at me and said, “how can you say no to a face like this”;

Or this;

Although they were both REALLY cute faces, he still had to go to bed (MEAN Mommy!)

Then Mariah ended the evening by scooping up the crayons and coming up with a new hairstyle

I hope you all enjoy your weekend. We are looking forward to another week off of school!

Good night~

As you can see JJ’s arm did get cast. This is an update from an earlier post. Luckily he will be able to be seen and get the cast off before he goes back to school. We are learning a lot about having kids who live away from home and the details of things, like Dr. visits. We have to change both Kateri and JJ’s status so that they can easily see a Dr. where they are at school and then change it back again for each summer. Now, that’s all fine and easy sounding, but I am up to my eye-balls in paper work. I’ve even been asked the question, “what do you do”? meaning what line of work am I in that I have so much paper work to do all the time. Nope, no work, just mothering 9 kids and filling out endless papers in quadruplet. It never stops! But here’s a good example of how far behind I can get or how things get put on the back burner;

Luke-Xavier is 20m. old. We found out a while ago that he needed some paper work done to be able to continue seeing the Dr. Well, in order to do the paper work, they needed his birth certificate. I finally went and got it yesterday. It took all of 5 minutes and required no identification (which made me leery!), but it was the fact of taking the drive to the office that had made me keep putting it off. Crazy! Well, now we have the birth certificate and can make the appointment to do the OTHER paper work so that Luke-Xavier can finally go to a Dr. if needed (he has not been sick or this would have probably been done earlier).

I just keep doing things on an “as needed” basis, because the projects and paperwork are endless. If you have been expecting papers from me and they haven’t shown up, now you know why~

Have a great day~

Good Morning! I hope that each of you had a wonderful Christmas. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, I hope that the Spirit of the Season touched you.

We had a very nice Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve, the kids all went out with Clay while I helped Santa get everything arranged in the house and the stockings. He nibbled on the cookies that were left and drank the coffee that Maddi felt he should have instead of milk. We thought ahead this year and put the video camera on the tripod and had it all ready for filming the kids opening the presents. Everyone had a nice time opening gifts and giving out anything they had bought for family members. Christmas Day we got dressed and left for Church. I made sure that we took pictures because I knew that the moment we got home everyone would undress and go play. We spent a good portion of the day at a friends’ house and the kids played and visited. It was a rare, relaxing day! Then I cooked dinner for our family. Clay and I slipped away for a movie in the evening. We went to see Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet St.. Well, I love Johnny Depp movies and he does a fair job of singing in this one. But the blood was a bit over-the-top. Clay said it was the last movie I get to pick.

It was a really great couple of days!Today it’s back to the daily grind. One of my sisters and my niece are coming to visit and Clay is taking some of the kids to spend gift cards at the sales. Brave man!

Have a great day~

Yesterday was a very nice day. Some wonderful people thought of our family and a “Secret Santa” showed up at our door with some gift cards to help with all that comes with Christmas. I was dumbfounded! We always manage, but there are certainly times when we wonder HOW we’ll manage. I was just trying to think of a creative and tasty chicken breast recipe that would seem festive, because I had forgotten to buy a turkey when I did the grocery shopping and I couldn’t go get one, because the food budget was gone, when this Christmas Angel shows up at the door. See what I mean? We would have had a perfectly good Christmas dinner, it just wouldn’t have been turkey. But now…….turkey! So, I want to say that I am very thankful to whomever thought of us and to everyone else, I want to say, Merry Christmas! The Spirit is alive and well!

Here’s a little story that Clay thinks I should share; A few days ago, his squadron had a Hail and Farewell that was a tailgate party before a football game. He invited JJ and some friends to go along. After the game, he called me to say that JJ was on his way home with our neighbor, who had gone, but that he was staying behind because there was a full keg and some BBQ left. Well, I went high and to the right! He had been gone for several hours, enjoyed the tailgater and the game. Why in the world did he need to stay behind to drink himself silly?! I let him know that the doors would be locked if he showed up drunk…..blah, blah, blah and a little yadda, yadda, yadda thrown in for good measure. JJ showed up about 1/2 an hour later and said he’d had a good time. Well, Clay came through the door about 1/2 hour after JJ and started to ask why I was so upset. I yelled that I couldn’t understand why he couldn’t have just come home with JJ and why he had to stay behind just because there was a full keg?!!!!! Well, he REALLY made me angry then, because he started laughing. Yes, laughing! Then he says, “keg?! I said that they had a full cake!”

So, my New Year’s resolution?……………working on my listening skills.

Good night~

Merry Christmas to everyone! Around here the excitement is building and the kiddos are getting antsy. One or two are wondering if they’re getting coal. This year, we’re doing a few things differently, like getting our tree for Christmas Eve and doing the Christmas letter digitally. In this show, I remember a very military Christmas, way back in 1995.

Thanks for visiting MommyofMany.com and for listening. You can subscribe to the show by clicking the button on the left of the page. You can always email me at Jen@MommyofMany.com, or share your Christmas memories, right here, on the site. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! Enjoy!

It’s the last day of school before the Christmas break. That has meant a busy couple of days. We had school programs yesterday and then the assembling of the gifts and cards for teachers and friends. It’s also meant finishing my Christmas letter and getting the rest of the cards in the mail. Now, it’s on to the job of wrapping and tagging everything that’s in a huge mound, covered by blankets in my bedroom. I’ve never done that before. I usually shuttle gifts to “the North Pole” as I buy them and then spend a few evening at “the North Pole” wrapping and enjoying some wine. This year I’ll be locking the bedroom door for the weekend, turning on some Christmas music or putting in a movie and tackling the job. Whew! All the work pays off when the kiddos come through the door on Christmas Eve and see that Santa has been there.

Alright, off to start the day. I still have to clean up all the craft stuff that the kids used to put together their friends and teachers gifts.

 Have a great day~

What a day! It started with phone calls around 7 am from room moms to let us know that school was canceled due to a sinkhole in front of the school. The kids had mixed reactions because the girls were supposed to have their Christmas performance yesterday. They’d been working with friends on their dances for weeks. Tristan was happy to not have to go. I was happy not to have to pack lunches!

Later in the day, a friend of mine dropped by with a Christmas gift. Clay and I are still laughing! She gave us this, very pretty, cross that can be hung on the wall with the phrase, “with God, all things are possible”. However, the bag not only held the cross, there was a very nice bottle of wine inside. She let us know that if the phrase on the cross didn’t work that we were to drink the wine. LOL! I’ve got great friends!

We ended the day with roving carolers. Over the years of being in this neighborhood, I’ve seen groups of neighbors do this, but last night it looked like a group of college kids. They had a van following, so I’m pretty sure they weren’t from here. I sent Gabi out with a plate of cookies. She was greeted warmly. I took pictures, but they didn’t turn out well enough to make an appearance at the top of this post. Dang it!

So all-in-all it was a good day. Today the kids are heading back to school and they’ve rescheduled the girls’ performance for today just before Tristan’s performance. Yikes! I’m going to be at the school all day!

Wish me luck~

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine shared with me that she made MommyofMany.com her home page. I hadn’t even thought of that! So now every time she sits down at the computer she gets the latest blog or show without having to think about it. I thought I’d share the idea. We’ve also made it SUPER easy for you to subscribe to the show in iTunes. Simply click the button at the top, left of the site and voila……everytime a new show is posted you’ll already have it! You can now go to iTunes and find the show and leave a review. I would greatly appreciate it if you were able to take a minute and leave a review there.

Thanks to all of you for visiting and listening! All of your comments and emails are making this a fun and exciting project!

Have a great day~

This morning’s question is “why”. As I try to start the day, I look around and that’s the only thing I can say without pulling my hair out and running away.

Why: Do eggs HAVE to be smashed in a baby’s/toddler’s hair?

Why: Does the dog think she has child status and insist on being at my feet at all times?

Why: Does the house stink?

Why: Doesn’t the laundry EVER look like it’s getting done?

Why: Do the kids tear the house apart, room-by-room before leaving for school?

Why: Do I have 14 (literally) projects to get completed before tomorrow?

Why: Can’t Luke-Xavier sit in his highchair peacefully instead of acting like a caged and crazed animal?

Why: Does Gabi think that everything in the house belongs to her?

Why: Didn’t the dishes get washed last night?

Why: Do I have a million/zillion socks spread across my living room without mates?

Why: Didn’t the kids take ALL the trash down to the road for the “Sanitary Disposal Specialist” to pick up?

Why: Do my older kids, who are home for Christmas break, think they are guests and don’t have to pitch in?

Why: Do the little ones screech like children left alone in the wild, when I sit down at the computer?

Why: Is it so hard to get through to the Dr.?

Why: Can’t I have a day with 150 hours in it?

Have a good day~

 The Morning Memo is a tool I’ve used for the last few years to help keep my family organized. It lets everyone know what to expect from the day. It’s been very successful!

Here’s a picture of Lady Kluck and Maid Marian, in case you didn’t get a mental visual of Max’s words.  

  I know it’s been quiet over here for a few days. Sorry! Much has been happening. Thursday Kateri made it home for the Christmas break. She hit the ground running and hasn’t had a chance to catch her breath. She got in from the airport and was shuttled off to the high school to help Mariah with an audition for the Spring Musical. Friday she babysat for me for several hours. I forgot how spoiled I was when she was living at home. She does such a great job of jumping in and helping out! She took the kids to the park and library while she was babysitting. It was a nice treat for them. It will be good to have her home for the break!Friday Clay left for a weekend flight to N. Cal. He has been able to visit family and friends and still get some work done.On Friday I went to a Change of Command for Clay’s last squadron. What a great ceremony! There’s nothing like a Naval event to dredge up feelings of pride!JJ got in EARLY this morning (just after 1 am). His flight went well and he’s just now, feeling tired. He brought a promotional video with him, that some of the alumni from his school have put together and has been excited about the prospect of showing it to people. It’s so nice to see him feeling so proud of his school and to be excited about all it has to offer. He’s REALLY doing well there.Today I spent 3 hours in the Apple store! I had a 9 am appointment to fix, what I thought was, a little problem. 3 hours later, it seems I still have some troubles. The original problem seems to be fixed, but now I can’t upload my next show!!!!!!! I’m sure it will be fixed soon, but that’s why you’re getting blog instead of the next Mommy of Many show. Be patient, I’m sure it will be here soon. Geesh, computers can be tricky! However, the guys at the Apple Store were awesome, as always! Thanks guys!    After getting home I loaded the kiddos up and we went to our friend, Maria’s, house to make gingerbread houses. The kids had a great time. They got a little sugared up, but came up with some great designs. Max added artillery to his, because some marshmallow, snowmen, were trying to sneak in. Gotta love that kid!    Then it was a quick stop at Target for some essentials and then on to a Christmas party held at our local VFW for military families. What great gifts they gave!!!!! They really do a good job!After that event, we went to friends’ house for another event. Whew! I’m exhausted and so are the little kids. The bigger kids seem determined to stay up forever.Well, it’s been a very full few days. Clay will return tomorrow evening and it will be time to begin a new week.Thanks for checking the site. I hope the next show is up for you in the next day.Good night~

I loaded up the kiddos and headed to North Island for a predeployment meeting, this evening. They played (not so quietly) with the toys we had packed, while I tried to listen to the various speakers that were giving presentations. Most of the info that was presented was stuff I’d seen or heard in the past but a refresher in what resources are available to us, as dependents, is always good. But there was one piece of info that REALLY stuck out for me. The website militaryonesource.com sounds like the ultimate “one stop” for all things military and dependent related. They have LIVE people available 24/7 to answer the phones and answer questions on all topics needed. The presenter said that they have people available to answer questions and hand out resources in “140″ languages!!!!!! I quoted the number because I don’t want to be wrong and I was floored when she said that number. So, there you have it……a valuable tool for anyone who is in the military or a dependent OR if you are the parent of a soldier or sailor.

Good night~

Tonight I feel like there are only snippets in my head. Many little pieces of tons of stories and experiences are floating around, but I just can’t focus on any one topic. Geesh! I suppose it could be that I’ve been able to be home a great deal in the last few days. Maybe I’ve stopped having to think on the spot. I don’t know! But, I will admit, it’s been nice to be home and clean and organize and feel like I really live in this house. There are times when the kids have back-to-back activities that I’m only home for mere minutes before running out to the next event. Actually, I left the house 5 times today and that STILL seems like I had a day “at home”. I guess it’s all about the amount of time in the house in between having to leave.
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Gabi the barber!

A few days ago I came into the kitchen and noticed hair on the floor. It wasn’t a lot, but looked like Gabi had pulled hair from out of a clip. Then I noticed more a little farther away. Oh wait! And there was more. I soon realized I was following a trail of curls to the garbage can in the laundry room. Let’s just say that we’re very lucky that Gabi has curly hair! She grabbed bits of hair from the top of her head and simply cut. She is now sporting a curly version of a bad mullet. I can’t really, even, pull her hair into a ponytail without the front coming out. I have to get the front/top wet and slick it back to make the ponytail and then hairspray it in place. We can leave it down and just clip the top back and it’s less noticeable. She will be growing this cut out for a LONG time. Thanks goodness we had pictures done BEFORE the cut! Whoever coined the phrase, “Terrible Twos” had obviously not yet experienced the “Threatening Threes”.

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On the way home from Mariah’s JRP (John Robert Powers) class tonight, we saw a personalized license plate that said, Don loves (heart symbol) Frn. This started a debate on whether Don loves Fran or Fern. Hmmmmmmm…………what do you think?

Good night~

This week I share the kids’ idea of how I should be cleaning the house. I decided to let them guide me instead of fighting against them to do things my way. It all went pretty well.Thank you for visiting the site and for sharing you comments and stories. Remember to check back for daily blog and every Sunday I release a new show. You can always reach me with questions or comments at; Jen@MommyofMany.com.