Monday, May 31, 2010

My basket of house keeping keys is empty

  If you've been to my house, you'll know that I'm not a very picky house keeper.  You'll really know if you've come unannounced! 
  The truth is I have no clue how to keep a house.  Oh I try, we do dishes daily, we sweep, we pick things up here and there.  Once a week (sometimes longer) we vacuum, clean bathrooms(especially if people are coming over) and mop.  Laundry is sporadic, usually done when someone announces they have no clean underwear.  It's really sad actually, my basket of house keeping keys is empty, all but a small mail key may reside there. 
  I have tried to follow Flylady.net and she is great, and worked well for me until I got bored.  Yes, another bad habit of mine is I get bored easy and distracted even more so.  Hmmm, reminds me of a certain 13yr old I know;)
  But glorious hope has arrived.  The clouds have parted and the angels are singing Hallelujah (or is that just Josh).  God is really good and gives you what you need when you are ready for it.  Not before, or to late, right in time.  Why I was not ready before I don't really know.  Perhaps I would not have received it, thinking I was fine and didn't need it.  Maybe we have to see our need and really feel it before it can be filled.  Things to ponder for sure, but here's what's happening to me (well a part anyway more to share later). 
   I won a book on a blog called "Home Comforts, The Art and Science of House Keeping".  My first reaction was "Yay I won something!". Then upon seeing what it was, "Oh...boring".  Hahaha.  But it was free so I sent in my address to receive my prize.  I was shocked when it arrived.  It is a huge book, like I said in a previous post, it's as big as my bible.  Well actually it's bigger!  
  My thoughts, "This is not going to be fun."  But something in me knew that it was from God.  That this was some part of my training and teaching.  So I began to read it and to my delight it's anything but boring!  Cheryl Mendelson writes in such a great way, like you're sitting having coffee with her at her kitchen table.  Her passion for keeping a house is contagious.   She's not so much about the fancy decor or furniture, but the actual functioning of a home.  Of which I discovered, I am completely clueless.  This book is so good for me, and has come at a great time.
   I will tell you more as a go along. I am only starting Chapter 2 Easing into a Routine.
  Happy house keeping:)

Friday, May 28, 2010

Just do it....Yourself!

    I am amazed at how much the boys have improved on their instruments.  Bevan's drum teacher is very happy with him.  They have even order a child sized drum for him so that he can march in the band with them.  They had him march with them for the Relay for Life, but without the drum, it's really heavy.  It'll be much easier for him when the smaller one arrives. 
   Bradon's pipes teacher is equally enthusiastic when she tells me about the songs he's been working on.  They are impatiently waiting for a chanter piece that's been order for the bagpipes that he will be playing. 
   All this Scottish influence has gotten me thinking that the Highland dance looks pretty fun.  I was looking for someone to teach the girls.  Surprisingly though we don't have a group here in Terrace.  But you know me, I don't give up that easily, so I'll just learn it myself and teach it too them!
   Yep, that's what I've been doing this week, learning the Highland dance steps so I can eventually teach the girls.  I've been watching youtube videos like this one


It's way harder then it looks!  I have lost a lot of spring in my legs, sheesh I thought I could jump better then this!
   I have really enjoyed it though, and it's so much more fun then my treadmill!  This is the best workout I've ever had, because it's so fun.  My muscles hurt, even the ones in my feet!
   It's hard, but I think I'll get better.  I have yet to get my arms coordinated with my feet. 
  Madalyn thinks it's funny and at first she copied me, now she wants to sit under my feet.  Silly baby!
 
  

Thursday, May 27, 2010

What have you been reading?

    I love books!  I'm a book hog, even if I don't think we'll read the book anytime soon I want it on my shelf. 
     Josh is in the process of building me a library because I have collected enough books to fill a room.  I haven't actually had much time for reading though.  Most days I'm lucky if a squeeze in a few bible verses. 
      I have been using a plan lately of 15min of reading my bible in the morning and 15min at night.  This gives me a full half-hour of bible reading a day.  It has been such a blessing to have that much daily bread.  I know that some of you may think it would be better to have the 30mins all at once, but the reality is that just doesn't happen for me.  With all the interruptions of children and a day that begins before my feet hit the floor. 
   Recently I was given a book called "A More Excellent Way".  It's a really good book.  I learned a lot from it.  And I have a story that I'll share with you one day that resulted from the new information I gained.  With anything you read you must pray and ask the Lord to give you only what He wants for you in that.  It was nice to have so many bible verses to pray through.   Anyway I shirked most of my house work to read it, because I just couldn't put it down. 
   Josh and I are reading together "Sheet Music".  It's a good book for married couples.  I laughed a lot, Kevin Leman has a good sense of humor, and some of the things he says made me blush.  And it's just me and Josh in the room!! hahaha
     I also read his book "Have a new kid by Friday".  I did get some useful hints out of there too.
   I won a book on a blog called "Home Comforts, the art and science of keeping house".  It sounds really boring and is about as thick as my bible!  I've only read the first little bit, but I think this will be a very useful book.  Especially considering my house keeping skills are nil!
   My very favorite moments with books are when a new box arrives full of new books I've ordered.  I have perma-grin long after they have been neatly put in there place on the shelf.
    Oh and my absolute favorite time was last month when my Mom took me and my children into her classroom, with reusable grocery bags and said "Fill up your bags with books!"  Yay!!   I think we came home with over 200 books!
  
   Really and truly my all time favorite book is my Bible.  I don't mind my NIV, I enjoy my Amplified, the Message is interesting, and King James is like Shakespeare (I like Shakespeare).  But my favorite, the one I always go to New King James.  My Bible, no matter which one, fills me up with good wholesome spirit nourishing food.  Nothing settles the mind, brings peace to my soul, or guides me with wisdom quite like the Word of God.  

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Every now and then I have to stop and check my brain.

   I know it's been awhile since my last post.  I've been busy, chickens, wedding cakes and some more that I'll have to explain one day.

    First of all we did get our chickens.  They were such cute little fuzzy things.

       We have 7 Bantam chicks.  2 White Silkies. 3 Black Cochins. 1 Golden Sebright and 1 Silver Duckwing Old English.
     They peep and peck and scratch.  They are pretty cute.  Every now and then I have to stop and check my brain because I think I must be crazy.  What am I doing with chickens!
      Today they are 3 weeks old.  They have really changed, they're bigger and noisier.  They've outgrown their little brooder and Josh had to custom make one from old tire rim boxes. 


     I think they will be very pretty when they are done this awkward looking stage.  I just noticed that the word "awkward" is just that!
       I'm afraid though that we might have 3 roosters.  There are 3 very aggressive little birds in there.  Possibly 4!  Which leaves me with just 3 or 4 hens.  I might have to order some more. 
       I just found out that my neighbors are getting a horse.  Which actually according to bylaws they aren't allowed to have unless they have 2 acres on this street. 
       Maybe I'll barter with them, I won't complain about their horse if they don't complain about my roosters.
       What am I going to do with more then one rooster?  Isn't that a recipe for disaster?
      I was thinking that if I had a Silkie rooster and a Cochin rooster I could raise babies. 
      I love the colours of my Golden Sebright, she/he is going to be beautiful.  I'm pretty sure it's a rooster, he charges my finger and tries to bite.   I'm certain that the Silver Duckwing is a hen, she's so sweet and gentle.  
     Josh has a plan for a coop, but we haven't started building yet.  Next set he's home, next Tuesday, we're starting.  I've heard three different plans, so I'm not sure what it's going to be.  Oh, well. 
   Oh yes and the wonderful wedding of Silas and Samantha.  They had a beautiful wedding, and here's their cake, that Heidi and I baked and decorated.


Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Watch Out!! Freak Mom may appear without WARNING!

   Yikes!  Here she comes again! You know that woman you pretend isn't apart of you.  Well at least I do.  Know mostly she is the yeller, the panic maniac, the worrier. 
   Last night she appeared, out of the blue.  Madalyn's fever was 102, which is a little high for just teething.  She was tired and didn't want to eat her supper, just her bottle.  Nothing to get really excited about.  So what do I do?  Well "I" listen to her heart.  Yes I know she is no longer at risk for SVT.  Yes I know that she has only even been in SVT once after her birth, and that was when she WAS at risk.  And yes I know that she had the green light almost a year ago.  For some reason that does not stop me from periodically putting my ear to her little chest and listening for the little "thump, thump."  
    Well it just so happens that a fever can raise your heart rate (duh).  That thought sort of went through my mind as I clocked her heart at 188bpm.  This seemed way to fast to me and I phoned the nurse, who of course didn't have a clue what the normal heart rate for a child with fever could be.  She told me to take her in immediately.  AAAAH!  Not what "Freak Mom" needs to hear!
    Poor Madalyn was whisked away by the freakish woman to the ER.  Where the nice patient nurses took her heart rate, attached her to machines and we proceeded to wait 30mins for the Dr. 
   Madalyn entertained all the ER with her own rendition of "Ei, I, Ei, I, OOO"  (That's Old MacDonald had a farm if you're wondering). 
   The nice Dr. finally came over.  He was less concerned with her heart rate and more concerned with the fever.  I was just the opposite.  He checked her all over and could not find any source for the fever.  He then wanted to run blood tests and do a chest ex-ray!  AAAHH! "Freak MOM what have you done!!??"  
   I explained to the nice DR. that the fever was from teething.  He proceeded to tell be babies don't get fevers from teething.  I let him know they do, or well at least ALL FIVE of mine did/do!  (don't worry I was nice)
   I told the nice Doctor that we would not be doing any blood tests or ex-rays, but I would be sure to take her to our family Doc if the fever persisted.  (See Non-Freak Mom does appear)
   In all of this "Freak Mom" did not realize that she was actually speaking TO our Family Doctor.  I was terribly embarrassed when he explained that he was said Doc.  OOPS!   Today though I am no longer embarrassed but have consoled myself with thoughts that not recognizing your own Doctor is in fact a good thing.  This means we don't see him very often!
   In conclusion Madalyn was not in SVT, she is perfectly fine, besides teething.
   I have since put "Freak Mom" back in her box!!