summer treat

Do you have these?  I think you should.  It has been a great investment for this summer.  My boys love making and freezing their own popsicles.  It's been so fun to try all different kinds of juices too.  They dream up all kinds of ideas of flavors to try... still trying to figure out a way to make watermelon ones.  I want to try smoothie pops (with yogurt).  I hope you'll try!  Enjoy!

perfection

Can you think of anything better than an all-butter bakery croissant?  How about an all-butter bakery croissant deep fried and dipped in a sugar glaze?  Yeah, sounds about right to me.

the range of response

This morning was grocery shopping day.  Typically I do everything I can to avoid taking all 3 of my boys with me when I complete this weekly task, but there are some weeks where that just isn't an option.  My husband works a lot and needs rest and quite frankly I don't love giving up my weekend to do such a mundane activity or be away from my family on the only days we have all together. 

So, off the 4 of us went to Acme today.  Always when I have all 3 with me, I take the dreaded "car-cart."  Truly, it's pretty much like a small semi-truck, and I believe ought to require a special license (which I absolutely do not possess, running into displays and other carts on a regular basis).  The car-cart is the only thing that gets me by with the 2 older boys.  It gives them something to occupy all that energy.  Beeping the horns, "steering,"  acting as if they own the road (aka aisles) at the store.  So, on this day when I showed up at Acme... no car-carts.  None available.  Actually, if I had arrived 2 seconds earlier, we would have received the last one.  Sadly, as we approached the store we watched a mother with 2 children loading her kids into it.  I felt like screaming, "Wait!  I have 3!  My 3 trumps your 2!!  I'm the winner of the coveted car cart!!"  I restrained myself.  Next came the explanation to my boys about there not being one available.  Surprisingly today they took the news well.  Off to get a regular cart. 

So, I really wish I had taken a picture to share.  When I take a regular cart, please picture with me... baby in the baby seat.  One big boy hangs off one side of the cart, while the other balances the weight by hanging off the other side.  So we are like double the width that a grocery cart normally is, sometimes triple if the boys are leaning backwards banging into the aisle displays as they often do.  Also, no source of entertainment (no horns to beep, etc.)  In this void, as all you mothers out there can picture, the boys create something to entertain themselves.  Who can lean furthest back, who can yell the loudest, etc. etc.  Admittedly, we are a sight. 

Today happened to be a busy shopping day or at least busy shopping time, with lots of older folks stocking up for the week or month.  When out with my boys I receive a range of responses.  Many many smiles, nods of encouragement.  Some laughter and giggles.  This precious old couple was walking through the dairy aisle, him pushing the cart, her arm linked into his.  They approached me with big grins and she said, "Wow!  Three boys!  How did you get so lucky?!" without even a hint of sarcasm.  This made my day.  Truly.  That's about the most positive reaction I've received, ever.  Other responses today, "Oh dear.  School will be back in session soon."  I contained my desired response here and just said, "Yes, the house will be quieter then."  But by the time I got to the frozen section and a woman looked at me and shook her head and said, "Three boys.  I'm so sorry," full of disdain for my precious balls of energy, I could no longer be kind.  To her, I gave the needed response... a combo of "mind your own business" and "my children are blessings, not problems."

I choose to see my children as that precious older couple saw them... how in the world did I get so lucky to parent these three (soon 4) amazing blessings? 

current reading list

This summer has been full of reading for me.  Something I fully delight in and treasure.  These moments have to be stolen most of the time, and are few and far between.  But when I am really enjoying the book, I find myself carving out time to be alone, in the quiet with the chosen book open in my lap.  As I looked at this stack-- the stack of books I currently am rotating among, I realized that every one of them was recommended to me by someone I love, care for and respect.  Every one holds new ideas and challenges as well as pure enjoyment for me.  I thought I would pay it forward by sharing these ideas with the rest of you in case you're looking for something new to open and get lost in. 

A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle... recommended by Tricia Williford.  I am discovering the voice of L'Engle for the first time and am most looking forward to the moments I have with this book right now.

Rewriting Your Emotional Script by Becky Harling... recommended by two dear friends, this is the book I am studying for my bible study group I am a part of.  Together with a group of other women we are looking into what messages are written on who we are and how we may have been shaped or changed based on life experiences. 

Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic... recommended by Kim Mitchell.  This little book is a sweet escape when I have only a couple moments to spare.  It encourages and uplifts the value and importance of my current life stage, and helps me treasure the little lives I have been entrusted with. 

The Shack by Wm. Paul Young... recommended by my dad.  This book is challenging me in many ways.  Most of all it is making me think about God each moment of my day, and for that I am thankful.

Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month by Month... recommended by my OB/GYN.  And yes, that is a formal announcement that I am pregnant with our 4th child!  I mean, not a lot of new info on baby #4, but it's a good refresher course : )

Oh yeah, and by the way, if you gift a book to me and share kind words in a card, that is used throughout that book as my place keeper.  I love looking to those cards throughout my reading to be reminded of sweet friends. 

What are you reading?

how many nights?

How many nights before I can fall asleep without anxious memories of our experiences at the airport?  My heart rate speeds up and I start to sweat at the mere mention of the word "airplane."  Wow.  What a trip.  I can think of nothing in my 4.5 years of parenting that has been more stressful than what we went through twice in the past week or so.  My body is exhausted from the stress.  With each moment I am here in my home this week I am thankful to be home-- not traveling-- and specifically not trapped at an airport.  Vacations will surely come in the future, but I believe it will be many years before I feel confident entering an airport to board a plane.  Stories will follow as I process all we experienced.  Today, I am just thankful to be right where I am.

m.i.a.

Well, it has been brought to my attention that I have been MIA.  Literally, missing in action.  Missing because of the action around here might be a better description!  The never-ending, exhausting action!  I've checked in at just the right moment though.  We have plane tickets, leaving Sunday on a darn long plane ride to California.  Four tickets, 2 adults, 3 wild little boys.  I'm feeling outnumbered!  I feel like along with all the things I am bringing in hopes of entertaining my children, I also ought to bring goodie-bags for our fellow passengers who probably don't even like kids.  This trip promises to be full of stories to share.  And I'll do my best to record and report as many as I can.

Side note, today was Bennett's last day of his first year of preschool.  Wow.  That went fast.  What a wonderful year.  Honestly, making preschool a part of his life was one of the best parenting decisions we've made thus far.  What a year of growth and development.  Oh yeah, and he completed a project recently about his family on which he stated that both his mom and dad are 20 years old.  Nice.  I think I'll keep him. 

And before I sign off, while I look around my living room and catch sight of my 9 month old, the question I'm left with is... is chewing on blue chalk really going to hurt him?  Because he's so content right now. 

play

Today, I played with my kids.  I really played.  Laundry piled up.  The house was screaming to be cleaned . Groceries sat, waiting to be put away.  But we played.  I don't always do the best job at using every moment we have, but today I did.  We played, and I treasure every darn moment we had together. 

Hurston hanging out while the big boys play.

Painting lion figurines.

Clean-up in the tub.  First time all 3 boys were in together!

Bennett's new way of brushing his teeth.  Attach suction toothbrush to window... and brush.

Bedtime in their NEW bunk beds!!