Parenting Practices: Time

For much of my married life I have prided myself on being on time.  Then Noah was born and for some reason I lost the ability to be be on time.  It has nothing to do with Noah except that he has the straw that broke the camel's back so to speak.

 It has a little to do with my previous post in that I was seeing myself as a victim.  I work too hard, my brain can't handle four kids, my life is busy, stressful etc...  All those things may be true, but I was rewarding myself with down time.  Now I am not saying that we don't need downtime.  In fact I think it is essential.  But there comes a time where you have to put that away and do what needs to be done.

The other factor in my lateness is that for some time I have been a stay at home mom with few out of house engagements requiring me to be strictly "on time"  I could go grocery shopping whenever it was convenient and as long as I was home before 2:50 it was fine.  I have not worn a watch in about 12 years.  Last week I bought a watch and all of a sudden I am aware of the passing of time again.

What does this have to do with parenting practices?  For me personally being on time produces less stress in getting ready to leave.  Less stress means less barking at the kids to move along.  Being on time allows us to get settled in at church, appointments, stores...creating more peace and tranquility.  Basically being on time makes mom feel less frantic and remember, "when momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."

And on that note it is time to leave to bring my charge to summer camp!

All those photos were random, but I hate posting without a picture and to connect it all together, when I am on time I have time to stop and take pictures of the amazing state I live in and love dearly.

L.S.N.E.D.

Over the past several weeks since I began my class, I have fallen into a trap of treating myself like a victim.  "I have too much to do," "I can't do that because I am too busy," "That does not fall into the category of the most needful thing," "If I start that it will be too hard to finish," blah, blah, blah.... 

While some of these statements may be true, the fact that I was whiny and negative about them just dug the pit deeper.  So I slapped myself, told myself to buck up and get over myself, and went back to work.  I have learned that I have time to do anything I want to if I put my mind to it and focus.  So far I am finding great success in just having a positive attitude.  Don't expect me to post on here every day, don't expect to come to my house and find loaves of steaming hot bread lined up on my counter, but you can expect to come and see a relatively clean house, happy, clean engaged children (most of the time, I don't want to jinx myself) and mostly excellent grades in my classes.


Now for the true Learn Something New Every Day:

See these deep and core stabilizing muscles? 

And these muscles of the hip and thighs...

I have learned that they are a pain in the butt.  Literally.  I never realized how much I moved as a stay at home mom until I started this class.  I have to sit all the time.  I sit to study, I sit to drive to class, I sit in class and now I can't sit.  It hurts because my muscles and bones are not used to sitting.  If the muscles aren't happy the bones aren't happy and if the bones aren't happy the muscles aren't happy.  Why do these darn bodies have to be so interconnected!  I know what I have to do to fix it, but I have to get past the hurt to be able to do it.  Until then when you see me, I will most likely be on my feet!

Yesterday

Yesterday was a quiet day.  Actually no it wasn't.  There were six kids running around begging to go in the pool, or have a snack or play Legos, or do a baking project or.......Meanwhile Aaron spent almost all day in the blazing sun and humidity, working on the new addition.  I was inside cleaning, tending to aforementioned rugrats and making curtains for the downstairs bathroom.

What was quiet about yesterday was that it was our 11th anniversary.  I guess that is what 11th anniversaries are like.  Busy.  We are in the thick of the prime of our lives.  We are settled enough that we can be building an addition, but not so settled that we have loads of cash laying around for romantic getaways or jewelry or flowers or restaurants.


Instead at 10:00 when all of the kids were finally asleep (actually every single one of them were still awake) we went for a quick dip in the pool which was SO refreshing after a slimy hot day and then we watched Arrested Development on Netflix while we ate one of our favorite meals, chicken and broccoli aglio e olio.  Topped off with a bowl of ice cream and oreos.


So here's to a marriage where love remains even when things aren't luxurious or extravagant, where love thrives on the most basic of human needs, companionship.  To my one true love, Aaron

Pre- Marriage

July 6, 2001, the big day!

2001, very newly pregnant on a french class trip to Montreal.

2002 Sophie was a newborn I think.  See how young and innocent we still look?

I can't remember when in 2003.  I was newly pregnant with Ben I think.  We are on our way to church.

Halloween 2004

Aaron graduates from Johnson State College May 2005

Christmas 2006

2007 Family Portrait in the Apple Orchard

2008 I think this was the first time we had gone back to the Boston temple since we got married there.

July 2009 anniversary trip to Boston

July 18, 2010 The day we went home with all four of our children.  Honestly looking through my albums to find all these pictures,we have accomplished a great many things together.  College, home, vehicles, crafting etc... but the greatest accomplishment we have achieved together are these four gorgeous, fun, intelligent, sweet and all together amazing children God has given us.

July 2011 On our anniversary trip to Connecticut

June 10, 2012  Ben's Baptism

Part 2

Here is round 2 

Ben got a kite for his birthday and because I have had to let go of a lot of control issues in order to get school work done, he just went out in the neighbors yard and did it all by himself.

See how little he looks?

Here you can see a bit of the platform that will become the new addition.  This project has been a source of nearly endless fun for all the kids.

Remember when Sophie was little and she wrote her name with noodles?  I am not sure if I should be impressed that she was able to reproduce it so accurately, or if I should be worried that in the 6ish years since she first did it, there has been absolutely no improvement in her noodle writing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the original.

While this is not the best picture of Noah's recent interest in using the potty, it is evidence that he has figured out that if he says potty, I drop everything and take his diaper off.  I can't tell if he is doing it for the reaction or if he is really potty training, but so long as I eventually get out of having to change diapers  from this, I won't nit pick the details.

Catch Up and a Revision Part 1

I am going to do a photo dump and then this coming week I am going to have to revise my plan for my blog this summer.  There simply is not enough time to post frequently and themed while I am going to school, building an addition and caring for the house, the kids, the daycare, the garden, the dogs... I think you get the point. I don't know exactly what the plan will be but I'll be working on it.

I have been working on capturing this guy.  Unfortunately I always seem to start photographing at dusk so the lighting is difficult.

Just so you know I live in paradise.

June 10th Ben turned 8 and was baptized.

Ben wanted his presents so badly but I hadn't had time to wrap them in all the hub bub.  He had an idea that he could close his eyes and we could put the presents in his hands.

Sophie and Ben had a joint birthday party.  Ben had a water themed party and Sophie wanted to go on a hike.  This is the passel of girls inspecting the carnivorous plant on the hike.

I find it hard to believe that this beautiful thing is my daughter.  She is growing up so fast and so beautiful and so fun.

We set up the pool for the party.  When we started the day the pool was full of cold pristine water.  As you can tell the stress of 20ish kids was too much for it.

That is as far as I will go for tonight.  Hopefully more will be coming!