Mommy of Many®

A Butterfinger wrapper? Really?! Yep! Today’s little post is about the funniness of kiddos.

When I went up North for my grandmother’s funeral, Mariah and I each chose an item or two from Grandma’s belongings to bring home. I took home a blanket that has been with my grandma for as long as I can remember. Mariah found this lovely necklace-

She also found this little Butterfinger and thought it was funny to bring it home with her. Who knows how long it had been laying around in Grandma’s room? I had told her to throw it away, but she put it in her purse and brought it and the lovely necklace home.

Yesterday I came out of my room, as Luke-Xavier was shutting Mariah’s door. When he saw me he did a little, hoppy step and started running, which let me know he was doing something wrong. I called him to me and asked what he was doing. He said, “chocolate”. So, I called Mariah and told her that he must have been into her Easter candy and to go check. The funny part was that he didn’t have any chocolate on him (odd for a 2 year old that’s been into chocolate). As I came into the dining room and asked him to show Mariah where the chocolate was, he pointed at Tristan. Tristan was sitting at the table with the empty Butterfinger wrapper on the table. EWWWW! Mariah and I burst into giggles! We didn’t tell Tristan. I just hope he doesn’t get sick!
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AN UPDATE-

Well, a big thank you to everyone who said a little prayer about the Girl Scout Cookie “Dough”. It’s been found! Hooray! It was in the hall of my church. I must have forgotten to pick it up last week, in the flurry of events. Hooray! Hooray!

Have a great day~

There have been so many things on my mind these last weeks. I’m getting my kids ready to face their dad being gone for at least 7 months. I’ve been trying to make sure that Kateri and JJ can get where they need to be for Easter. I set up a party for Clay’s farewell. Luke-Xavier has had some dental issues. I’ve been stressed about taxes and paying off the rest of JJ’s tuition. Anyway just lots of stuff all at one time. But piece by piece it’s all coming together. I’m amazed at how everything will work it self out if you just step back, take a big breath, utter some prayers and let God take over. Some beautiful people have been put in the path of my family and when we all work together things get done.

Kateri has been lent a car by a wonderful family in Ohio, so that she and JJ can drive to VA for Easter to be with friends. She’ll be able to pick him up at the airport and then they can take a little road trip. ~Whew~ Big weight off of my shoulders! I was trying to get them on a train for the trip but it was a long trip that actually would have sent JJ hours back in the direction he had just flown from.

Luke-Xavier has some teeth that need to be worked on and when the kids are little the dentist likes to have them asleep for the procedure. The cost for the anesthesiologist is substantial. We’ve had to do this with Max and Gabi. These last 3 kids have really had a lot of dental issues. I need to find out if it’s our water or toothpaste or what because none of the older kids ever had issues. But, Luke-Xavier does and it became one more thing in a pile of expenses that I was finding hard to face. Yesterday he went in for a cleaning and he did so beautifully by cooperating with the hygienist that I asked if she would recommend to the Dr. that Luke-Xavier be worked on without the anesthesiologist. They tested his listening skills by doing x-rays. I was amazed at how well he followed their directions! So, long story short- he’s willing to try to work on 2 teeth without putting him to sleep. Let’s hope and pray it goes well!

One more check off the list is JJ’s tuition. Now, this story is going to sound funny, but it’s a good example of how there’s a reason for everything and how we are given exactly what we need, when we need it. Go ahead and think I’m crazy, but here’s the story; A little over a year ago, Clay was biking to work. He had started riding a few days a week and was really enjoying it. Well, one morning he left for work on his bike and about 15 minutes later my phone rang. There was a frantic woman on the other end and she said, “I’m at the rec center. I have your husband and I need help”. I immediately figured I was going to get down there and find a pile of mush. But I threw on my robe, jumped in the car and went. Now, the rec center is on the street in front of ours, so it’s a quick trip that you wouldn’t normally use a car for, but again, I was thinking I was going to the hospital (didn’t think of ambulances). When I got there, he was on the ground off to the side of the sidewalk and he was bloody, but I could see that he was talking and his head and face were not injured. I thought, “ok, I can do this”. He was telling people what he needed and who to call at work etc. The poor woman who hit him was more of a wreck than he was. He could see that she was going to hit him so he was at least able to prepare for it. She never saw him! Imagine her shock when her windshield was smashed and a body was flying over her car! Anyway, he went to the hospital by ambulance and spent some time getting glass out of his arm, but was back home hours later and back at work in 2 days. However, the settlement process has been long and drawn out. We were beginning to wonder if it would ever be done. Well, apparently there was a plan, bigger than us for all of this! Clay received his settlement this week and it’s just the amount we needed to finish paying for JJ’s schooling! So, even something as scary and stressful as an accident can have it’s purpose in the big picture! (still thinking I’m nuts? That’s ok! Thinking this way has gotten me through a lot of tough times).

Well, that’s my long-winded Thursday morning post. I just wanted to share that even when things are stressful and appear bleak (or even impossible), a force larger than us can work it out!

Have a great day~

Whew! Over the last week I’ve kept busy with several social functions involving different groups that I’m involved in. I try to stay connected in all areas of my life; Clay’s squadron, kids’ school, church, neighborhood, etc. I love to meet with everyone and keep current with each group. But I am wiped-out! Today I wished and wished that the alarm wouldn’t go off. Yeah, wishing doesn’t do much! So, off to the shower I ran!

One of the things that’s stood out for me over this week is that I’ve unconsciously surrounded myself with REALLY great and positive people. There were a couple of rough spots this week that made me stumble backward a little. But when I stepped back up and looked around to try to figure out the best way to move forward, the people around me were so positive and full of great ideas that I knew it was all going to work out. I am continually reminded, in life, that I am not meant to stand alone and try to figure things out by myself. That I am meant to rely on community and that the people within that community are there to remind me to look outside of myself and remember that God has put an amazing plan together for me so that I don’t ever have to despair. Thanks to everyone who gave me great ideas and positive words this week. It seems that it was a week heavy with issues, but one-by-one they’ve fallen into place.

Many thanks!

Good night~

For a few days now, I’ve been trying to make a solid decision on whether or not to have JJ come home for Easter. Here’s a list of what’s going through my head;

ON THE ONE SIDE:
Clay leaves for his deployment the day BEFORE JJ can come home. So they will miss each other.
It’s VERY pricey to get him here. Actually, the getting out here isn’t so bad. It’s the getting him back to school that’s the killer.
He will be home for the summer 2 months later.
He can stay with Kateri for Easter.
Kateri is staying at school for Easter.
He says it would be ok with him if he went to stay with Kateri.

ON THE FLIP SIDE:
He won’t be home again for 2 months.
It’s Easter! We should be together.
I miss him.
He’s my son. I should do whatever it takes to bring him home.
He says that his first choice would be to come home.

Clay and I still need to talk about it and I still need to search the internet (again and again) for a better ticket. My “Momminess” is having a tough time with this one. It’s hard to put one person in the family before everyone else. BUT we’re a family and families take sacrifice. But, on a logical level, the $ that it would take to get him out here could be put towards the different camps and trips we’d like to be able to give to all of the children during the summer, while Clay is gone. It’s just a BIG decision for me. Because he’s not yet college age, I feel a deeper draw to get him home EVERY time he’s off. However, he’s become very understanding and knows that we are all working hard to make the education that he’s getting, possible for him.

A few, well said, prayers might make the issue a little clearer.

What do you think?

Good night~

You have, most likely, read my blog from a few days ago, when I attended the funeral of the 3rd grader from my children’s school. But, because I received a great response to that post I felt compelled to TALK about what I thought about and how it all made me feel. So, this show is an extension of that post.

Thank you for listening and for visiting MommyofMany.com. I look forward to your comments and questions. You can email me at; Jen@MommyofMany.com.

Good night~

Yesterday I attended the funeral of a 3rd grader from my children’s school. It was a little boy who had previously been in class with Tristan. It was incredibly sad to see the family come in behind the little coffin. The kids go to a Catholic school and the funeral and Mass were held at the parish church affiliated with the school. Many of the students and teachers attended. As I sat there saddened by the loss of a little boy, my mind started to wander. I started to think about what, exactly, I was sad about.

I realized that the saddest part for me was knowing that if I were to lose one of my children, that I’d have missed out on enjoying some of the things that are often “annoying”. I’d miss the clean and folded clothes that have been stuffed into the laundry basket so that they didn’t have to be put away. I’d miss a little voice begging me to sit down and read a story, even though I’m trying to make dinner, fold clothes, wash dishes, write a blog post or take a shower. I’d miss “on-demand” nursing. I’d miss the warmth of a little body climbing into my bed and squishing in-between my husband and I. I’d miss special requests at dinner or snack time. I’d miss the long, drawn-out explanations of ideas from curious and growing little minds. I’d be heart-broken to realize that I hadn’t enjoyed being a mother and instead focused on the annoyances of doing this job 24/7 for years on end. And right there and then I made a decision to ENJOY my children. To love them for the time I have them, dirty hands, food on the floor, whining and all. I’m making a vow to love them the way I want to, despite people who think they should be more disciplined, quieter, cleaner. Despite people who think my family is too large or too poor. I’m just going to love them and enjoy them and hope that I get to keep them for a long, long time.

I learned a valuable lesson yesterday! I learned that I need to appreciate what’s been put before me.

So, now, instead of worrying about the paperwork that’s piling up or the laundry that’s never going to be done, anyway or the messy playroom, I’m going to pack up my 3 youngest kiddos and take a walk to the beach.

I hope you each find a way to appreciate your loved ones today and to vow to love them in your own way, without being hindered by other’s opinions.

Have a great day~

There are so many topics running through my head! Everything from being so grateful for wonderful people in our lives to wondering if my girls should attend a funeral at their school on Wednesday. I guess I’ll just jump in with both feet and see where I land.
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This weekend, we were fortunate enough to have 3 great guys come to the house to help Clay get some things in order before he deploys. Each of these people had to make a trip to get here. It wasn’t like they lived around the corner or work with Clay. It’s amazing to have people like that in your life! Thanks guys! I always hum the Johnny Appleseed song when I think of how lucky we’ve been with our circle of friends!
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When we got the mail today there was a new bill in it. When I opened it, it was for a credit card that I hadn’t heard of before. When I asked Clay about it, he said it was a card that he had applied for, but that when it came, we sent it through the shredder. It had over $100 in fees on it! He went to call to say that he never “activated” the card and to close the account. No live people to talk to! So, we Googled the card and came up with this! I’m writing about this, so that if any of you receive this offer that you can tear it up. I’m saying a prayer that it becomes an easy fix.
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It seems that as Clay’s deployment approaches, new projects keep being laid before us. We need to switch Dr.’s for the family because Luke-Xavier can’t be seen at the one we have been with for the last 10 years. Plus, we need to change the status for Kateri and JJ and try to find Dr.’s in their areas. The taxes have to be done (and we’re just NOT going to talk about THAT!). Oh! I’m just not even going to list any of the others, because they are just depressing!
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Last week, a little boy from the kids’ school passed away. It was unexpected and tragic! The funeral is on Wednesday and the girls want to go. I can’t attend because I would be bringing Gabi and Luke-Xavier with me and I just don’t feel like it’s the right place to bring little ones. So, another mom has offered to check the girls out so that they can go. But, then I wonder if they should go to something like that without me. What to do?!
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Well, this all seems a little dreary. Sorry! There will likely be a few more like this as the time for deployment and the crunch to get things done approaches. If you’ve never sent your spouse off to war, it’s probably a bit difficult to understand the vast array of emotions that go into it. If you HAVE been through this, then you are probably remembering specific crazinesses of when it was happening to you. Ugh! But, we make it through. One step at a time and it all gets done. Ultimately the kids get taken care of, the bills get paid, the needed items get purchased and off they go. Then the time during the deployment creeps along until it’s literally flying to the date for homecoming. Whew! One step at a time.

Good night~

10 years ago Clay and I had the awful experience of losing a baby to miscarriage. We had 5 healthy and beautiful children at the time which made the whole experience completely unexpected. The healing process was long and rocky. We learned a lot from that little baby that never spoke to us. I felt like the 10 year mark was a good time to share what we learned and some good resources for those that are looking for support. The 2 websites mentioned in the show today are;

Americanpregnancy.org
and
miscarriagesupport.org

Thank you for visiting MommyofMany.com. I look forward to your comments and questions.

You can always email me at Jen@MommyofMany.com

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~

First off, I want to say Congrats to Anna and Maddi and their volleyball team for taking home the championship today! Whoo Hoo! Awesome job girls!

I had a really great day! I got to have a very nice luncheon with some ladies from Clay’s last squadron. Unfortunately it was a farewell for one of the ladies and I will miss her, but it was so nice to get together and enjoy visiting.

Then I was able to get some work done, get the Costco shopping done and go to an evening Mass. Gabi caught whatever Maddi had, so she was sick this morning when everyone left for church, so I stayed behind to cuddle her and make sure that her germs didn’t spread to an entire congregation. BUT, when I was in Costco, I witnessed some really scary parenting practices. A family was shopping with their 4, young children and the dad kept saying things like, “shut-up” or “Boy, you better sit down or you’ll be sorry”. Granted, it doesn’t seem nearly as bad, typed out here, but the attitude behind it was a little bit shocking and the kids weren’t being mouthy or loud. I know that I’ve told my kids to sit down in the cart or said that they “better” do what they are told, but the body language just scared me. At one point he shoved his daughter down in to the cart. The mom was there, but just stood quietly by. I fought the urge to say something less than kind to the dad. Instead I took a deep breath, and I mean a REALLY deep breath and decided that my scolding would only make life worse for the family when they left the store. Undoubtedly he would have felt embarrassed and would have blamed the kids for being so bad that they drew attention to themselves etc. And, I didn’t have ANY kids with me, so I would have appeared to be one of those people that just didn’t understand how parenting 4 children needed to be done. Again with the big breath. Every so often, I am caught by surprise at what people find acceptable. So, I guess I’m asking if any of you would have said anything, or if you would have done what I did, which was follow at a safe distance and offer a few prayers for peace in their family. It was a reminder that we are responsible for our actions and that people are watching. Plus, it reminded me of the fragile nature of children. They test the limits, but we are called to KINDLY, yet FIRMLY guide them. Reminders are good!

Good night~