Cuteness!

Look at muh babee!! Is she adorable or what? We went to see the eye doc Monday & to my surprise the Monkey needs reading glasses. I suppose I shouldn't be too shocked considering I came out the womb wearing spectacles!
Either way I was a little droopy when it was becoming apparent where her appointment was heading. As I heard her say this or that was blurry my heart sunk a little thinking she was gonna end up blind as a bat like her Mama.
Example....the first time Big Daddy took me to an eye appointment he saw just how bad my eyes are. For some reason before my check up I was to look down a long hallway & on the far wall was the letter chart. I was supposed to call out letters as I saw them, I explained I couldn't see well & wouldn't see much. I was told just start walking & when you can clearly make out the top letter let us know. I walked within one foot of the wall before I finally saw the ginourmous "E" in front of me.

Big Daddy still makes fun of me.

That being said I'm sure you can understand my apprehension for my children to have poor eyesight.
However, eye doc said Monkey is only to wear glasses during school time & nothing else. He prescription is pretty light & we could of left her with no glasses but that would of caused more problems. Her eyes are already compensating for the nearsidedness so it was very likely we woulda been toast if we waited.

And I mean come on, she's so stinkin cute with em!
She was trying on all sorts of glasses before her appointment & we both thought these purple ones were adorable on her. When we were told she needed glasses she tried on a few but ended up sticking with her first choice.

I really wish I coulda got a pic of her with her big cheesey smile because lets face it, this kid has got just about the best smile in the world. With the glasses I couldn't help but smooch her all over her face when she flashed those that fantastic grin at me.


The Blessed Supermom

UH-OH...

Well, I'm not real sure about this one....

I trimmed the Monkey's hair. Now I tried this once before with Bear but her hair is sooooo thick I was scared to ever do it again so I made Monkey the guinea pig.
Hey she's a Guinea Monkey or maybe a Monkey Pig =)
Anyway, it was only spose to be around an inch off & it's more like two. I kept fouling it up & had to trim shorter & shorter. It appears to be OK now & there are a few straggling strands however I'm too traumatized to go any further. I'm worried my poor baby will end up with a buzz cut before I'm through with her.

Truth is I feel terrible, I never wanted my baby's hair this short but she's tickled pink. She wants it shorter!! I asked Bear if she wanted to give it a go but she looked at me like I had a third eye growing outta my head. She does NOT want short hair. If I messed up hers she'd probably opt to wear a wig...

I plan to keep practicing & believe it'll get better & since she doesn't mind I think it'll be OK. Or Cow can play with her hair, she plans to do this sorta thing as a career so she can work on the Monkey Pig =)

The Blessed Supermom

Erg..

I'm not gonna make a ton of sense here, just gonna complain. A lot.
K??
Oh & my spelling may just look like a second grader, I don't care. I woke up this morning to a smiling happy baby, a rarity lately as her royal pigginess has evil wicked bones protruding through her tender gums.
Anyway, she woke up all happy & smiley & I thought YAY!! we're looking forward to a good day here. Then lo & behold I stood up, see I was sitting on the sofa. Apparently she can only be happy if I'm sitting or at least that's what it was this morning. This afternoon it could be to walk backwards on my hands wearing clown clothes singing Old Susanna.
Anyway, it's been rough since. I walked into the kitchen to find the Monkey standing on the counter. We don't call her Monkey "just cuz" Commence wicked Mommy stare down & talking through gritted teeth to the little girl with deer caught in the headlights look.
Then there was the incident with the Amish...
No, I didn't have a bunch of meek people yelling gently at me, it was the bread. Amish bread.
If you've ever made the 10 day yummy goodness you know it's really simple stuff. If not, it's really simple stuff OK?
Anyway, ya use starter, basically you have this bag of batter goo & it ferments for 10 days. Yes, it's safe & no it's not gross. So after the 10 days there's enough batter to bake 2 loaves of bread & give away 3 bags (cup each) of starter to friends.
OOOoorrrrrRRr...you give away 2 & keep one. That's what I do. But today, I dropped about a cup of MY starter.
Then we have the ants. Lots of vile little crawling things that are from the pits of hell & they want to destroy me & eat my soul.
OK, not so much but either way I don't like bugs in my home. Well, I had to get down & seriously scrub the floor because this Amish starter stuff is sticky. And ants like sticky.
Then the phone rings, important call, gotta take it...but what? What's that noise? Keys? Whaaa??? Why is the Hubby coming home now?
Lemme just answer the door for him "eh, excuse me important person but can you hold on for one moment?"
Trip over toys, move toys, open door, scream.
Not the hubby but the exterminator.
That was fun....
So now we have the important person on phone, gooey sugary starter spill, a strange man parading through my bedroom, ants running for cover, & screaming baby who now smells kinda funky.
I politely get off the phone, smile & make small talk with exterminator guy & the whole time I'm holding my ever so stinky baby on my hip. After things calm down a bit & piggy has a fresh bottom I get to baking the bread.
Yes, I washed my hands! Geesh..
Something seems off about the Amish batter though, it seems extra stinky. I mean this stuff usually has an odor but I keep getting a whiff of something extra special. And as I go about my day of interesting chaos, there's that wafting little something letting me know I've missed something. I check the trash, move stuff on the counter, look behind the fridge but I can't find anything.
However, it's almost like everywhere I go that smell just kinda pops up.
After several hours of this odd unanswerable question I find the culprit!
It's me!!
Looks like Piglet poop leaked on my shirt.
Nice.

The Blessed Supermom

School Is Back In Session

Hi!!
Long time no see...I mean type =D

Anyway, you would think over the summer months it would be easier for me to blog right?
WRONG!
Turns out the girlies want my attention & stuff like that. And ya know what? Three people shorter than me are actually quite organized. They did things like tag team all night waking me up then want pancakes in the morning followed by laughter & games! Seriously, that's a lot from one Mama..
Well, we had a really nice summer. We went swimmin by Grandma's a few times, had a great time at Six Flags, & had a ridiculously awesome time with our homeschool group on the 4th. Our summer was packed with all sorts of health issues too. My lil Bear had a lot of tummy troubles. I had to put her on a special diet, take her to multiple appointments, she had lots of needles stuck in her, & my baby was even sedated & had a scope stuck down her throat.
I was not a happy Mama during that last one, I never prayed so hard in a hospital hallway my whole life! Hopefully, I wont have to do that again for a very long time!! Like when I'm old, gray, & wrinkled & in some weird out of body experience where I'm praying for myself. Well, it's not like I want to be praying all hard for someone else I care about...but I'm rambling now.
As you can gather my summer was pretty full & blogging was way at the bottom of my list. But now that the girlies are sitting at the table I can type a bit.
Yay me!

Our first day is pretty laid back & the work load is light so as Bear would say things are "easy peasy" That is if it wasn't for The Homeschool Tyrant...

Yes, this is The Piggie Tyrant laughing at me...seriously, at me. See those two white boxes behind her? Under that is one of those plastic bins used for storage. Well, I use em' for school, notice how it's slightly open? Piggie thought it would be hysterical to tear into that bin & the boxes on top, then thought it was even funnier for Mama to crawl around on the floor trying to stop her. You know how this goes right? I snag something from her & put it back in the bin, she pulls out 4 more "toys" then she laughs at me.
Since I was already on the floor & apparently she was winning I figured I'd take a pic =)

My little Monkey girl was way more cooperative, excited actually. She kept telling me she didn't want her little bit of morning play time, she wanted to do school.

She even put on a dress! Now that may not seem like a big deal but for this girl to where a dress is like asking a dog to fall in love with a cat & have little mouse babies.
OK, maybe that was a little weird but you get the point right? The kid don't dress up but she did for school so this Mama is encouraged.

Then I have my oh so wonderful gentle flower, she makes me so happy.

She tries so hard & doesn't give up. Bear is downright brilliant when it comes to logic. Math, analytical thinking, deductive reasoning. Honestly, I'm not too quick in those areas but it's where she flourishes. She's my struggling reader but I know when it "clicks" she'll take off like wildfire. She dressed up too, when school began she was rockin the Little Red Riding Hood gear *happy mama smiles*

And so here we are, first day of school & the girlies are just about to wrap things up. We are start our study on the state of Alabama this afternoon & I can't wait til Thursday...we're making a pecan pie! The pecan is Alabama's official nut...hmmm...kinda like me!!

Oh & one last thing, I had to add a pic of the piggie not being so much of a tyrant...she's just too darn cute!

The Blessed Supermom

Scared

I tried to come up with some eye catching title right now, but I just don't care. The only words I can think of are scared, frightening, traumatic, terrifying, sick, crying, begging.
My sweet little girl took a flying leap off the bunk bed last night & landed on her head. We heard a loud thud & when we went in the room she was laying face down & not moving. When Hubby picked her up she was limp, she appeared unconscious to me but the Hubby says she wasn't. I went to call an ambulance but she began crying & Hubby said we would drive her to the ER. At this point we were all crying (except for the big tough guy of course) but My Bear was hysterical saying "it's all my fault" & no matter what I said she really believed that. My oldest initially froze, she was crying but not moving just staring & crying.
It was terrifying.
We raced to the ER trying to keep her awake, it was an hour past bedtime & she was naturally tired but we couldn't let her sleep. When we got there she was very upset & crying terribly saying she was scared. There was an ambulance with flashing lights & I think that's what put her over the top. We went straight into triage & after some questions it appeared the nurse who checked her out didn't see a major issue. Not that she was a bad nurse, I don't think that, but she was light about the situation & sent us to the waiting room.
That's when my daughter started vomiting, I harshly told Hubby to get a doctor & for her to be seen "RIGHT NOW"
Don't worry, I immediately apologized, but I knew vomiting could indicate one of several serious head injuries.
The nurse knew that as well & she was taken immediately for a cat scan. During the scan I was allowed to stay with her & prayed so she could here my voice. I kept repeating Psalm 121:1-4

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? ² My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth ³ He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; ⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

It was the only scripture I could remember at the moment. Then Hubby held her as I went to registration, since she wasn't with me I could cry, just a little ya know? I didn't want her to see me & be frightened by my actions. I couldn't help but show her some fear when we prayed in the waiting room tho. I laid my hand on her praying & started crying. When you come before His throne pleading for mercy it's not the time to hide your heart.

We were taken to a room where she was put on a heart monitor & that was scary, I had no idea why should we need that. Your mind races & tries to take off in all sorts of directions that aren't good. But thankfully her cat scan came back normal, & after hearing that & being told she could sleep, I fell apart. Honestly, it's hard to write this post because I still feel so shaken by the whole experience. I can't describe how it felt to see her lying there not moving. It's a picture I keep asking God to remove from my memory because it makes me sick to my stomach. I haven't really been able to eat because I've been so queasy all day.
Maybe I should take one of her anti-nausea pills -_-

I'm more than thankful for the outpouring of support we received from family & friends. A prayer request was posted on FB & a text was sent, I feel blessed knowing so many people were praying for her. I ask for your continued prayers, as I said this was somewhat traumatic & my other daughter is convinced she caused this. I'm also asking for prayer because my daughter, "The Monkey" doesn't have that name by chance. She is a beautiful amazing girl who happens to also be quite the tomboy who isn't so good at internal boundaries.
That's how all this happened, she was swinging back & forth on the top bunk (holding onto the railing) while alternating hands. From what I gather she went "spinning thru the air"
So you can see why I need prayer =/
So, I'm gonna end this with a few more words that come to mind...

thankful, humbled, praising, grace, mercy, love, kindness.

My help comes from the maker of heaven & earth & He is good ALL THE TIME.
Friends of mine, please don't ever forget that.

The Blessed Supermom

Painful Owies, A Lesson In Forgiveness, & A Serious Lack of Sleep

Picture this, you're peacefully driving along when your hubby calls you, gingerly you pick up the phone, "Hi baby! " Instantly it's apparent something is wrong, there's fear in his voice, hysterical screaming in the background & he's saying "you need to get home, you need to get home right now"

Well, this is how my evening began. The Hubby called me & he was obviously afraid, now let me just pause here & say I've learned to take my sweet hubby's reactions with a grain of salt at times. Not because his feelings don't matter but sometimes his reactions...hmmmm...shall we say can be a wee bit scary. For example a year ago I had a sudden seizure & The Hubby ran to me yelling "she smashed her face"
I didn't smash my face but that's what he thought so that's what he said & after many years with him I've gotten used to waiting the whopping one minute it takes for him to rethink his statement. But this time he wasn't wavering, he was scared & you could here it in his voice. He was also very calm which made me very nervous. He told me that my 4 year old pushed my 8 year old, I thought "OK, is it that bad? Did she break a bone" Turns out Monkey pushed her off the toilet that she was standing on right into the bathtub. My sweet Bear landed on her back banging her head as the shower curtain & rod fell atop her stomach.
I told him to get her ready & that I would take her to the ER, I just had altogether a bad feeling. Now, I'm not the Mama in the hospital every other week, I used to be but after all the flu's, twisted ankles, & mystery fevers 4 kids bring I tend more often than not to be Dr & Nurse.
However, with the fact that she was dizzy, nauseous, & "tired" this had head trauma written all over it.
Sooooo, I got home & brought my sweetness to the ER where they triage her quickly & the doc ordered a CT. After a short wait we met with doctor who checked her out both physically & neurologically, he said getting a CT wasn't the best option for my baby (radiation exposure) & that she had a concussion. What she needed was pain meds & plenty of rest.
I was glad Bear didn't need to go thru any tests & that we could go home.
Now, through all this mess...the fear, stress, & worry I was amazed at my daughters reaction to the ordeal.

She wasn't mad at her sister!! Ya know, the one who knocked her for a loop??!?!!??!!
Instead, she asked that we call her from the waiting room where she proceeded to tell her "I just wanna tell you I love you & I forgive you, even if you don't say you're sorry, I know you didn't mean to cause me all this trouble"
WOW! WEE!! WOW!! WOW!!!
I was floored!
How many times do I pout & hold a grudge against my husband just for lookin at me funny? Or worse yet how many times do I harbor resentment towards my children when they aren't behaving as they should??
My 8 year old taught me a huge lesson in forgiveness, she chose in her heart to forgive her sister & show her grace when she didn't deserve it, it amazes me because on the way to the ER she told me "Mommy, ya know that scripture you told us about yesterday? The one about God giving....ummmm, ummmm..oh yeah! Grace??I was just thinking about that"
She was referencing James 4:6 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
I feel privileged to watch God's grace through my beautiful & humble little girl.
I'm very proud of my sweet princess, she had a terrible experience & came out of it with a few bumps & bruises but her heart was unscathed.
This Mama has had a very long night & the bed is calling out to me, it's only a few hours til the Wee Munchkin makes her presence known, so I leave you with this...
Today, when someone cuts you off, when you get that snide remark from the check out girl, when that one family member continues to treat you unfairly...remember the reaction of a little girl who had every right to get angry. She had every "right" to give the cold shoulder & hold a grudge, but instead she chose to be a blessing, not a curse..instead she chose to "be Christ" to another.

The Blessed Supermom

Not Today

If you're looking for an encouraging word it's not coming from me, not today. I'm gonna whine, complain, & throw all sorts of fits. I have bad words stuck in my mind but don't worry, I won't let them come out.
See, I'm feeling very much trapped & down in the dumps lately. Oh! Whoops! I'm not spose to say that out loud am I??? I'm supposed to be all chipper & jolly here all the time right?? How else can I be a testimony to others if I come here & vent full steam??
Well, screw that...sorry if that was too close to bad words. Really not wanting to offend, but that is honestly how I feel. I'm really fried & on edge BIG TIME & need to let it out before I go nutty....again. See, I went waaaaayyyy off the deep end yesterday..screaming & literally stomping my feet.

WHY??

Well, I'm tired for one. The wee munchkin (piggie??) still isn't sleeping through the night. Truth is she most definitely should be & normally by this point all my kids are sleeping like sweet little angels for a good 8-10 hours...buuuuttttt not the munchkin. She wakes up every night once or twice & then is up by 5 AM. Normally, I'd let her "cry it out" I know, I know, I'm evil....whatever.
But, we live in an apartment building now & the neighbors shouldn't have to hear her crying nights on end.
So, no sleep...or at least very little sleep for 13 months straight...
I'm tired.
That alone is a lot of reason behind my perpetual crabbiness as of late but hey why don't we throw in the being locked up in my little grey apartment. Now, I know when I first moved in here I was all "woohoo!! I'm all happy & dancin' weeeeee!!!"
Now, I look more like a kid who's just been told they're candy is all gone & will never return.
Ya know the super droopy sad face look. Well, I know the weather is a HUGE factor & I can not wait for the first blooms to appear & the sun to come out of hiding. I'm in such anticipation of taking my babies & running in the grass, well...they'll run & I'll sit a lot & look at them. But hey!!! I'll be outside which is what I'm dying for. Before, when we rented the house getting out was a lot easier because we had a large backyard so the kids could run like lunatics for a half hour & give me some breathing space.
Now, they run like lunatics right over me!! I'm sure there's all sorts of "teachable moments" here & that I need to get things in order but right now I just don't care. The monkey is squealing & spinning in circles, the munchkin is under the table & yanked the basket of laundry with her...guess where all the clean clothes are now??? And my sweet Bear wants to know what's for dessert.....ugh...I dunno =(
So, thank you for letting me be "me" & purging my soul's grossness to you. I need to tell you my dear readers although I have not "met" all of you that I thank God for each & every one of you. You are all wonderful friends & it does encourage me to know that you have had days such as mine & that you keep pressing on towards the prize & I will as well.
And now this exhausted & spent Supermom must go...The Hubby is on his way home from work & I need to quickly pull myself together & throw on a smile for him.
I know he'll need it.

The Blessed Supermom

Homemade "Poptarts"

OK, I came across a recipe for "Homemade Healthy Poptarts" & mentioned how I'd like to give 'em a go. I looked over the recipe & it appeared simple enough, it only called for 5 ingredients so how could I mess this up right??

So we melted the 1 cup of butter & mixed it with
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup plain yogurt

The next step was to "knead the dough just a little bit to make it nice and workable"

So that's what we did, however the dough doesn't look like regular dough, at least not to me it did. Instead it's quite flaky & annoying. Far from workable, I really fought with this stuff....but we eventually got it rolled out on the table & covered with flour.

Then we took a pizza cutter & cut out pop tart sized "rectangles" mmmmm...right. They were shaped interestingly to say the least. Then we added about a 1/2 teaspoon of jelly on 1/2 of the dough rectangles, really...this is what the recipe calls for. 1/2 teaspoon, well, lemme just tell you that as a kid I liked the jelly gooing out the sides. With a 1/2 teaspoon there's no goo *sigh*
So, I would say bump it up a bit if you're like me & the jelly needs to jump up & say "hi!"
Oh, & make sure to spread the jelly around, leaving the edges free so it doesn't all out explode.

Match up the bad boys according to size & use a fork to pinch the edges shut. Then have your adorable kid put in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350° oven for about 25 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
See the munchkin peeking over there waiting for her snack =)

Then watch said kid thoroughly enjoy her pop tart creation!!

The Blessed Supermom

Butter, Syrup, Whipped Cream...OH MY!!

Whew! Me & the girlies have some seriously sore arms & huge muscles now. We made butter!!
OK, it wasn't all too hard, but a lil more work than I thought. Probably cuz we made a whole cup of butter & another cup of whipped cream.

Yes...oh so yummy!!

So here's how we did it....

We started off with a simple carton of heavy whipping cream, here are my wonderfully gorgeous models showing it off. Aren't they beautiful!!

Then the Bear started whipping. Honestly we whipped the daylights out of this cream & we were getting a whole lot of NOTHING...

Poor baby. However, she wasn't upset, in fact she was tickled at the idea of making this yummy topping. After a while of getting nowhere we couldn't figure out what was wrong so I called my SuperSister who suggested we use a chilled metal bowl.

The Monkey gave it a whirl & lo & behold...NOTHING!!
Ha! Just kidding, it just wasn't happening fast enough for my girlies so Mama had to take over. Once it started to thicken up they naturally became interested again & promptly took over =)
We added some vanilla & sugar & ran a few taste tests. It passed!!

Then came the butter. OK, maybe we shouldn't of tried to make as much as we did. We started off with 2 cups of heavy whipping cream in a jar then shook the daylights out of it.

Honestly, this part was hysterical! Watching the girls shakin & shakin! Well, you can imagine that it didn't take all too long before they decided that I should do it! Well, I didn't let em' get off that easy & we all took turns, however~my turns were two to three times longer than theirs. Finally, we started rolling it across the floor to one another & VOILA! BUTTER!!!
So we got all excited & tasted it, then decided it was gross & added a wee bit of salt...PERFECT!

I was able to explain to the girls how the forced air from the mixer whipped the cream into a fluffy consistency. However, when we didn't add air by keeping the cream in a jar the consistency of the cream was different. The fat particles in the cream began to "stick" together making butter =)

With all this homemade yummy goodness we decided to make waffles for dinner! The Hubby cooked up some bacon & Monkey even helped make some vanilla syrup. It was an awesome time with my sweet girls & we all enjoyed breakfast for dinner =)

The Blessed Supermom

Hotbox

I love my Monkey, she's my little stinker =)

She completely amazes me by the off the wall funny comments she says & silly faces she makes. She almost always has us doubled over in laughter. God has most definitely given her an "interesting" personality.
She's kinda tough too. I always call Bear my "gentle flower"
Now, she can be rough at times but over all she's more the tea & crumpets type girl.
Monkey on the other hand would take the crumpets & dip them (& her fingers) in ketchup while spilling the tea everywhere!!
But she can drop all that silliness & that big ole tough act & be my "hotbox"
See, before the Wee Munchkin was born, Monkey would climb into bed every afternoon with me & cuddle up. She was always so toasty warm & I would call her my hotbox.
I was so exhausted with the pregnancy & she liked taking her naps with me =)
But after the Munchkin came there wasn't a lot of time for that anymore *sigh*
But every now & then she comes up with a sweet little smile & says "I'm your hotbox"
Those words let me know she needs some cuddle time with Mommy, & I'm so happy to oblige.
We carve time out of the day to get under the blankets & cuddle, however we don't sleep anymore, last time we snuck OREO's in bed with us & enjoyed them oh so much!!
The Hubby wasn't all too happy about the crumbs tho, I'll hafta to a better job with the clean up next time =)

Waiting

OK, I know, really I do. I oughta be packing. Yea, we're moving, did I fail to mention that? Well, probably cuz I didn't know myself!
Se, here's the thing, The Hubby & I decided about a month ago we needed to move. The conditions in our home aren't all that good & the rent is waaay to high. So I had the garage sale & thought "cool, we're gonna move soon, huh...maybe spring?" I mean we're still recovering financially from The Hubby's bein out of work so logically, it would be a while right?? But the landlord decided he wanted us to sign another 12 month lease. That was just not possible. So The Hubby said "this is it Supermom, start packing"
I gotta tell ya I was & am a little more than freaked out, The Hubby says we need to go by the 1st of October, that is exactly 10 days from today.
Did you get that????
10 days!!!!
A family of six.....8 cabinets, 7 bins of toys, 6 sleeping bags, 5 sets of drawers, 4 bedrooms, 3 closets full, 2 slowcookers, 1 bookcase & a partridge in a pear tree!!!!
AHHHHH!!!!
Oh! And here's the kicker...we don't know where we're moving. Yep, you read that right...no clue. I know it sounds crazy & honestly I guess to some people it kinda is. But we really believe God doesn't want us living here anymore, in fact, I think God wanted us gone a while ago. We've experienced "The Plagues"
We've had carpenter ants, flies, slab ants, mold, water damage, plumbing problems, everything short of locusts. Well, it feels kinda like God was trying to get our attention & we were too busy with our lives, But now the Bear & Monkey are having respiratory problems & I can't help but think it has something to do with the mold. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put those two together.
We did get to look at an apartment yesterday & we're waiting for a phone call to let us know if we have it. So that's why I'm here typing instead of packing, because all the praying to just chill wasn't helping & finally I threw the bubble wrap down & said "I need to read my Bible"

God is so good, this is where I found His peace....

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in His word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

So right now The Hubby is Abraham & I'm Sarah & we're leaving cuz God said so...oh wait I can get technical if you want, he's Abram & I'm Sarai... =)

The Writings on the Carpet

Some time back, we had an "experience"
I was sitting on the sofa doing absolutely nothing cuz ya know that's what we SAHM's do...nothing. Oh wait, no scratch that...I was folding laundry when I heard an uproar in the nursery. The Hubby was howlin & The Monkey was scrambling out of the room. He was hot on her heels & all he said to me was "you" as he pointed to the nursery.
So, I nervously went in to find Monkey had "colored" a picture on the carpet with purple marker. Initially, I was nervous because we own a purple sharpie but then I realized that a Crayola Washable Marker was the culprit.

I couldn't help but smile as I looked at her artwork.

However, as adorable this little pic is I couldn't leave it there let alone allow her to think this was acceptable. So I grabbed some rubbing alcohol & towels and The Monkey & I went to work. As I was figuring exactly where to begin I once again asked God to please show me how to use this situation to penetrate Monkey's heart. I knew I could get upset with her & she'd more than likely not do it again but I really wanted to move her little spirit. After all that's what God does when I fall short & He's the best example of a parent you can get!
So, after praying, Monkey & I had a conversation as we cleaned. First I asked her to begin rubbing the carpet as hard as she could with the cloth. Of course, it wasn't coming off in the least & she was getting very frustrated. I told her the markings on the carpet are like sin on our hearts, we can't remove them on our own no matter how hard we try. Then I poured the alcohol on the marker & after letting it settle a few minutes, blotted it up with a towel. She was amazed! It just kinda disappeared! I told her the alcohol is like Jesus' blood, His blood covers our sins & washes them away.
She was really impressed & frankly...so was I. I just wanted to jump up & down, I mean here my 4 year old & I were having this amazing conversation & I felt like a really good Supermom. However, nothing with The Monkey is ever so simple. After a good two minutes, she was all frustrated again trying to clean the marker herself!!! I again explained the need for the alcohol & how it's impossible to do this alone.
*hint hint..nudge nudge*
Ya know little girl? Jesus? Blood? Sin???
Didn't we just do this????
Well, now she wasn't all that amazed, instead she was irritated & had an attitude of "just poor the stuff outta the bottle already so I can watch Elmo"
Oh well, I don't consider it a complete bust, we had a good talk, she apologized, & seeds were planted. I think her little brain could only contain so much.
But then ya know what happened right?

God does what He always does to me. He took me from teacher to student. I couldn't help feeling convicted. How many times do I "forget" the power of the precious blood shed for me & try to rub my stained heart clean on my own? How many times do I get distracted from what HE is trying to teach me only to run off & live life as I please?

He is the only one who can cleanse me, I know too often I fall into an attitude of self righteousness & pride & don't want Him to "see" my stains. But, I long to be an example for my daughters. I long to please God by allowing Him full access to my heart & all that it holds, including that which I'd rather not be seen.
So, what began as a teachable moment for my daughter became a learning lesson for me. I close with this scripture, I plan on living this. I hope you do too.


“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
Psalms 139:23-24

Burnt Chicken & a Pooped Mama

Wow.

I am one overdone Supermom. I am so pooped, frazzled...spent. The hubby went back to work a week ago (PRAISE THE LORD)

We are both happy for him to be back out there workin' & sweatin...gettin' all manly dirty & stuff ya know. Honestly, it really has been waaaaaay too long, almost 7 months!! I mean it's like ice cream, it's soooooo good but after a while your tummy is like "eh hello?? this is too much & I'm done, you're gonna be sick now"
That's kinda what it's like when your workin' man is laid off. At first it's all peaches & cream. I'd get up early & make him a nice breakfast, the girls are all squeals as Daddy becomes the "Tickle Monster"
He's all puffy eyed & cute =)

Well, the honeymoon is long since over & I've had my fill of "Ice Cream ala Hubbee"

So, one thing I need to be honest about is that in the 7 months he's been home I got ever so spoiled! I had him here all...the...time. I could pass off the wee-est munchkin while I got dinner ready. I could enlist his help in getting some laundry done. I could take a few minutes to hide from my animals while he kept the Zoo under control. But nnnnoooooooooowwwwwwwwwww...he's not home (insert pouty sad face here)
And yes, I know what you're thinking, I did complain it wasn't good for us to be in each others faces all day. And yes, I did pray God would give him work. And yes, the kids need Mama to be taking care of them & be consistent...

Hey! Come on...cut me some slack! Enough already!
Wow, you're tough.

Anyhoo, I hafta say, I'm exhausted. The Bear & The Monkey well, they're bein extra stinky, I suppose they need to adjust & they're keeping me on my toes. Today I was outside for not 10 minutes & when I walked in I found crayons all over the floor, the kitchen table was "colored" & Monkey was punchin Bear. As I write they should be "resting" however I can hear The Monkey barking.
Didn't know a monkey could bark did ya? How's that for a visual??
And my wee one has decided sleep is unnecessary & she would very much like it if no one else slept either. Oh! And did I mention it's 90 degrees today & my air isn't working, we have no cooking gas or hot water, & the flies are still invading.

Soooooo, I think I'm really entitled to bein way pooped. However, I found myself gettin pretty self righteous today & feeling entitled to a bad attitude too. Thankfully my Mama was willing to shed some light on my denseness (is that a word?)
Something she keeps remindin me of is the JOY of the LORD is my strength(Nehemiah 8:10). That I can't depend on circumstances to make me feel happy because in this fallen world, it'll just never happen. I need to continually remember that God stays the same & to be dependent on Him for my joy. This is a season of life & although it's a little difficult (I've been through worse) it is only a season & it'll pass.

My Cow, Bear, Monkey, & Munchkin' will get back into a routine & mellow out, the air conditioner will get fixed, the flies will go away, & so on. And as long as I keep my eyes on Him & find ways to thank Him for all that I'm learning through these circumstances..well, then I suppose it's all worth it. Don't ya think?
So, yes..I'm exhausted, & it's likely my munchkin won't sleep tonight & it's a strong possibility that at bedtime there will be "much wailing & nashing of teeth" & I definitely burnt the chicken =( Don't ask. However, I will find my rest in the everlasting God who does not grow weary. I will keep my eyes on Him who does not change. And I will be strong because His joy enables me.

The Blessed Zookeeper

Adventures in Potty Training

So, this adventure in the Zoo is actually over a year old but I came across it the other day & thought it was worth sharing. Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009 at 3:13pm

OK, so My Monkey is just too old to be runnin around in dipeys. She's about to turn 3 in 2 weeks & up until 2 days ago was refusing to use the potty. Now mind you I have attempted on several occasions to potty train my sweet & oh so innocent angel. However, The Monkey is afraid. Yep, that's right...terrified of poopin. Now, you gotta understand, she is a little, I mean tiny girl. She's a pixie. Unfortunately her # 2's are not!! She has a normal little 3 year olds appetite & can prove it in her diaper!! But enough bout that you get the picture, the point is, she's been really scared. We tried to potty train her a few weeks back. I talked it up somethin fierce with this little one, she was so excited to be a "Big Girl" Got all new drawers for her too!! Dora & Elmo were in high demand & Mommy swiftly ran to the store to pick them up. Don't forget the Disney Princess potty seat!! So, here we go, it's the day of reckoning & My Monkey Girl would sit on her little potty, ever so cute, "no pee-pee mommy" get up walk away...
then promptly go pee on MY bedroom floor!! Or better yet, there was the time I walked in, again...MY ROOM, to find a nice little pile of poop. We don't have a dog....
So, per my mama's advice we halted all training. Mainly so I wouldn't go completely bonkers.
So, in my potty hiatus I decided to do some research on potty training. With a skeptical eye I looked up everything I could on potty training, reading up on all the new fads. And lo & behold...I come across a book that claims, I repeat...CLAIMS, you can potty train your child in ONE DAY.
I checked it out from the local library & looked it over, the whole time thinkin "yeah, uh huh...right" It sounded too easy & impossible at the same time. I mean ONE DAY??? And of course, I have to buy stuff, not much, but none the less, a dolly that wets. So, OK, I'm thinkin, I have to at LEAST try. This kid can't be sportin a diaper much longer.
So here we are again, D-day. I shooed everyone out of the house so "Her Royal Monkiness" could have my undivided attention. And the sippy cup marathon commenced. As Monkey "trained" a dolly she was encouraged to drink...LOTS. The book also advised small candy rewards everytime she did somethin right, which was about every 2 seconds. So, here I am with an apron on chock full of jelly beans, & I'm poppin 'em in her mouth & jumpin up & down for just about anything. She caught on quick & was squealing & happy about her dolly bein dry. But, here's the catch, the whole time all this excitement is happenin, Monkey is steady "feeding" her baby. Member, this is a baby that wets, so it comes with a little bottle. So I get ready to pick up the baby & get all excited because "dollys dry" & guess what?? Dolly freakin leaked!! And I don't mean a little dribble, her little fake panties ballooned out from her plastic toosh!! So, I hafta figure out how to keep this from Mrs.Monkey, I pick up the plastic baby & wrap her in my apron. But wait a minute, my apron pockets are full of stupid jelly beans!! So now, I'm walkin around with a wet plastic baby & beans all over the floor & Monkey's screamin "yea!! Dolly's dry!!" Here I am desperately tryin to visualize a "happy place" as I paste on a grin...maybe I should just hold off. OK wait, I'm not givin up this early in the game. SO I try to keep Monkey excited about this potty training so I'm pumpin her full of candy & chocolate milk, & potato chips too, to keep her thirsty for more. Now in my zeal for diaper freedom, I didn't note the obvious, these snacks were an accident waitin to happen. I mean she NEVER eats like this. So I shouldn't of been surprised when she threw up all over me, but...I was. Go figure.
Apparently tho, this made her feel better & she WANTED to continue this potty escapade! She liked all the attention, so we continued & 5 hours later....SUCCESS!!
She is potty trained!!
Forget that it looks like a jelly bean war zone in my kitchen with chocolate milk explosions & the smell of vomit lingering in the air....she can pee in the potty. And I don't have to change anymore stinky diapers, she's no longer frightened of the end result from last nites mac n cheese.

In Him,
The Blessed Zookeeper