The Joys of Christmas

1. One of the greatest things about my family getting together is that their Uncle Matthew gets to irritate them. Usually to the point that they cry and ask if we can go home. One day I'm sure they'll look back and laugh and say he's their favorite uncle. Or not.

2. With Steve's family it's just a barrel of laughs. And screams, hair pulling, fights over who gets the pink pony with butterflies on its butt, and whether or not they're going to watch Barbie's Christmas Carol or Barbie's Nutcracker. After we had Sara my sister-in-law refuses to have any more children. I can't imagine why.

3. I finally got our Christmas card picture. If you're wondering where yours is it's still at Wal-Mart waiting for me to pick it up and mail it. Hey, at least it's a picture card. When you do finally get yours you can always just lop off the Merry Christmas part and put it in a frame. I figure with the red outfits I'm good as long as I mail it before Valentines Day. What you don't see in this picture is the fact that it took about ten tries to get it. Sara was fascinated with Madison's bow and kept trying to grab it. I'm just glad they're all smiling. About 2 minutes after I took this they decided they had enough and rebelled. No. You will not be seeing those pictures due to their graphic nature. Well, Merry Christmas! I hope next year is way better than this one was!

Our Tree

Okay. So I really wanted to post a picture of a perfectly decorated tree that would make evryone oooh and aaah. This is what you get instead. A lopsided tree with most of the decorations clumped together in one spot. The reason for this, as you might have already guessed is..........Madison. My three year old daughter that I think may have inherited some sort of mutated monkey gene. The tree started off so well. I just didn't manage to get a picture of it that way. Within twenty-four hours of getting the tree just like I wanted it Madison had already climbed it and removed several of our favorite ornaments. So far the casualties have been limited, but still heartbreaking. Our beloved purple pixy ornament has lost her legs, Santa lost a leg off of his chair and his golf cart was dismantled, and one of the angels lost a wing. Needless to say this only proves my point when I explain to people why there are no wrapped presents under our tree until after the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve. I just keep telling myself she can't be three forever. (Can she?)

Santa, We Need To Talk

So, all of you that know me know that I do not do pets. The girls would give their right arm for one. Dog, cat, bird, fish, sea monkey, they're not picky. I guess I must have been deprived of the "love pets" gene. Don't blame me I got it from my mom. I don't even like fish. (I know, you're in shock. Everyone likes fish.) I mean don't get me wrong, I like all animals, as long as they're in the wild or belong to someone else. But, somehow,we now have a cat. It showed up on our doorstep the other night and just won't leave. After the millionth pitiful meow I finally gave in. I bought it a cute kitty bowl and some cheap cat food and made Lauren the caretaker. They have unanimously named it Chocolate Chip. So for all of you that don't believe that there's a Santa, all I have to say is,"My kids got a cat for Christmas. So there." And, by the way, that jolly old fat man I are gonna have a long talk about what he can bring me next year to make up for this.

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The girls in their first music video!

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Anatomy of a Christmas Tree

Julia, Emma, Lauren, Zane, and Madison holding the tree
measuring stick.

Steve ready to find the perfect tree.

The Holy Grail has been found!

My manly husband has conquered the perfect tree and is ready to go home.


Perfectly decorated tree to follow in next blog.

(I know you're on the edge of your seat.:))

True Story

A testament to the fact that children really can fall asleep anywhere and in any position. Yes. She really is sound asleep.

Flying Ponies

Pure Genius!

My daughter, Lauren, is amazing. Sara was inconsolable at times today (she's cutting teeth) and so Lauren made it her mission to make her smile. So she somehow discovered that there is a magnet in one of the paws of their My Little Ponies. So she hung six of them on the arm of her swing. Sara was mesmerized. I told my husband this story and showed him the picture when he got home today and his only comment was, "Just wait until they realize they'll stick on the refrigerator." Now won't that be a sight. My Little Ponies wandering about my refrigerator door.

Oops! and "Sorry"

This is my daughter Julia. I get this look a lot. When she "accidentally" leaves the refrigerator door open. When she spills her milk at the dinner table because she's goofing around with her sisters. When she streaks naked in front of company because she "forgot" to lay out her clothes and get a towel before she got in the shower. Or the time, when she was 3 , that she decided it would be a great idea to "paint" a picture on my bedroom wall with bright red fingernail polish. Every time I get this look though I just can't seem to stay mad at her. I guess because this look reminds me how wonderful it is to be a child. Where all mistakes can be fixed with just an, "Oops" and a "Sorry." I know she'll learn soon enough in life that some mistakes just can't be fixed. My job, for now, is to teach her how to deal with mistakes once they're made. For now, I'll just cherish those two little words that make everything better. I'll give her a kiss, show her how to fix it, and remind her to be more careful next time. Because one day this adorable little girl will be all grown up and this look will be gone forever.
So for all of you moms, when your little one does something that makes you wish you could wiggle your nose and be somewhere else, just take a deep breath and remember that not long from now you'll wish you could see this look just one more time.

Are you Serious?!

I'm a SAHM. All the working mothers I know ask me how I do it. How do I get everyone where they need to be, cook dinner, bake cupcakes for their class on their birthday, plan and excute class parties, coach cheerleading, and the laundry list of other things I'm supposed to do. They think I'm Supermom. The truth is I'm not. My husband often comes home to a slightly (sometimes disasterously) messy house, dinner not even yet thought of, and me still in my pajamas. He then dares to ask the question, "What is it you do all day long?" Most of the time I can't even remember. I know I've done a lot, but I just can't quite recall all the messy details. Take today for example. I woke up exhausted, the car wouldn't start (which I figured out was just a loose battery cable, kudos to me), and I barely got the kids to school on time. When I got home I thought I would now have the chance to relax a moment while Madison watched a movie and Sara took her morning nap. Then it happens. I'm pouring myself a glass of chocolate milk and I notice on the refigerator the note I posted two weeks ago that I have a meeting at the school with Julia's speech therapist. It's at 9:10. It is now 8:30. I am still in my pajamas. So I gulp down my milk, throw on some clothes and brush my teeth. I then put on some perfume in the hopes that they won't notice that I haven't yet had a shower. I change Sara's diaper and clothes, grab Madison, and race out the door. We get there at 9:13. The meeting only lasts 10 min. Julia "graduates" from speech therapy. She's cured. Now that I'm dressed I figure I might as well run to Wal-Mart (the SAHM mecca) to get the salt and sugar we need. (We need these things because Madison made the excutive decision we did not and dumped both said things on the floor.) So we get our salt and sugar (and several other things we probably didn't need, but hey it's Wally World) and then go back home and unload. Then I decide we should go eat lunch with Lauren and Julia at school. So we do. Afterwards, we come back home and I try to clean up some while Madison plays and Sara naps. Then it's 3pm. Time to get the girls from school. At this point my day is, for all intents and purposes, over. Now it is time for snack, homework, baths, and bed. (My kids go to bed at 7:30. I know I'm an evil mother.) My husband will be home soon, take a look around and ask "The Question." One day I think I'll make him stay home alone with them all day. Then again, we both know he wouldn't survive. I think the next time he asks this question I will simply tell him, "I solved world peace.," and leave it at that.
To all of you SAHM's who survive on little sleep and do all the thigns necessary to keep your family on track I salute you. Now go take a Unisom, go to sleep, and pray everything is still okay when you wake up.

Cleaning House

Why does the housework never seem to end? With six people in the same house our laundry pile could pass for the Tower of Babel sometimes. The bathrooms can get dirty in less than thirty seconds. The walls get wiped down and 30 seconds later a child has written on them. Again. We have plenty of shoes, we just can't ever find the mate when we need it. The same goes for our socks. So for the sake of my sanity we are starting the FlyLady's 15 minute rule. The idea is that you pick one room and work on it for 15 min. Then you pick another room and work on it for 15 min. and so on and so forth until the entire house is clean. I can handle 15 min. and for people who tend to be nit picky and go insane when they start thinking about every little thing that needs to be done, switching rooms isn't a bad idea either. So I'm going to begin my 15 min. I'll let you know how it goes. Who knows, the next time I post my house might actually be clean. Now that's something to get excited about. :) Here's to all of you who are in my shoes. Have a great day and just take it 15 min. at a time.

Life With A Precocious 3 Year Old

KIDS: "Madison got a haircut!"
ME: WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

KIDS: "Madison, don't tell Mama. You'll get in trouble."
ME: I wonder what she's done now.

KIDS: "Madison's got the markers!"
ME: By now I'm sure there's another VanGogh on my living room wall. Thank God for washable paint.

KIDS: "Madison's on top of the refrigerator! Again!"
ME: Did I give birth to a daughter or a monkey? I thought only boys did this.

and what you REALLY don't want to hear:

KIDS: "MAMA! Madison's got Sara!"
ME: It's a wonder she's made it this far. Why did I have four children again?

Thanksgiving Meal

So I usually cook a huge feast from scratch every year. We're talking cooking cornbread from scratch to make the cornbread dressing, chopping vegetables, baking cakes and pies, homemade mac n cheese, the works. This year though I decided to cheat. I came to this conclusion because this year it was just Steve, the girls, and I and I was exhausted. So I got mashed potatoes from a bag, cornbread dressing, mac n cheese, calico beans, and apple crumb pie from a box, and cranberry dressing from a can. I even cooked our turkey in our crockpot so that if I forgot about it at least it wouldn't burn. I have to admit it was the easiest Thanksgiving yet. And to top it off it was actually really good. Not quite as good as when I make it all myself but it was still pretty tasty. So kudos to me! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. To all of you crazy enough to have shopped the day after kudos to you. I did it one year and hope I never have to be involved in that insanity again. Now begins the race to Christmas. (And by the way, if you decorated your house for Christmas before Thanksgiving shame on you! That's cheating! ) Good luck to all on your holiday shopping!

All Star Cheerleading

These are my adorably energetic All Stars. Ebonie, Jalis, Jennifer, Eden, Lauren, and Haley. They had such a blast even though it was freezing and began to rain at the end. I am so proud of the hard work they put in. Way to go girls!

Cycling Mania

Well, I worked out again yesterday. I took the cycling class. Let me just say OMG!!!!!!!! My "betweeny", as my girls call it, still hurts! The gel pad they gave me for my seat did not even begin to help. Did you know that when on the bike you only feel out of breath and your legs only hurt while "climbing a hill", but as soon as you extract yourself from the machine your legs feel like jelly? I was sure I would never walk again. I was supposed to go to the kickboxing class today, but Madison is sick so I am going to stay home and just do my elliptical today. Wish me luck tomorrow. It's that cardio class again. Jessica Alba here I come!

Girl's Night Out

Friday night four of my closest friends came over for a Girl's Night Out. No kids allowed! It was the best time I have had in a looooong time. Lauren spent the night with a friend and Steve took Julia, Madison, and Sara to Tennessee with him to see his parents. We ate, talked, and laughed until 2am. We covered every taboo topic possible. Religion, politics, husbands, you name it we talked about it. I am truly blessed to have the friends God has blessed me with. These are amazing, strong, independent, loyal friends. Not just the ones you can talk bout your kids with or ask to help you with the class party. I mean the call in the middle of the night with a crisis come and bail you out of jail friends. This weekend reminded me just how lucky I am. It reminded me I am special and loved. I soooooooo needed this.
I also worked out again on Saturday and walked for 45 min. today. My goal is to look as much like Jessica Alba as possible by May. That's six months people. So keep those encouraging lies coming. Tomorrow I'm going to a cycling class so wish me luck. To all my wonderful friends I wish you a fabulous week! Thanks for everything!

Belly Laugh

So, after having four children my body looks like war zone. I'm not kidding! There are now mounds of "debri" (aka blubber) where there used to be flat sandy plains (aka my stomach). There are mine fields (aka stretch marks) where there used to be perfect skin. And countries (aka my boobs) have moved to lower regions (this means they sag). I still think I'm gorgeous, but that's only because I avoid all mirrors. I finally came to the conclusion last week that since I am officially done have children I am ready to get myself back. Every mother I know comes to this point eventually. The point where you realize if you give anymore of yourself away you won't know who you are anymore. You already don't recognize the person that stares back at you from that wretched thing they call a mirror. So, I decided to stop avoiding the mirrors and become the person I used to know. My first step was to join a gym. I know, I know. At this point you're thinking "It'll never last." That's where you're wrong. I finally got up the courage to go to the gym and actually work out and I loved it. All of the women there were encouraging and supportive. I did 20 minutes on the elliptical, 20 minutes of ab work and a 1 hour cardio class. Yes, I made it through the entire class. I couldn't believe it either. I felt so good afterwards that I am going back tomorrow for the kickboxing class. My muscles are protesting profusely and my mind keeps asking me why I would want to torture myself like this. All I can say is that I'm starting to like the person I see in the mirror again.

Sainthood

I've decided I should be nominated for sainthood. I believe the qualifications are that you must perform three miracles. Well, that's easy.

Miracle #1- All of my children are still alive. Even after coloring on my walls with Sharpies and fingernail polish, stuffing Q-tips and bar soap down the toilet, and spreading poop on everything (walls, door handles, shoes, etc) during the potty training phase.

Miracle #2- My husband is still alive. Even after declaring that giving our children a bath and helping with the dishes after a meal "isn't his job." (See. I'm a saint.)

Miracle #3- I still nominated a certain cheerleader for All Stars (she deserved it) even though I got an "a**-chewing" (as her mom likes to call it) in front of the entire squad because she has a permanent case of PMS. Oh, and I didn't kill her either. (Even though I did hear Mrs. Hannigan's screams of "Kill! Kill! Kill!" in my head)

Saint Kimberly- The patron saint of mothers with restraint
Has a nice ring don't you think?

My first blog

Well, I have decided to join the technological age and start my own Blog. As I write this, the thought goes through my head that with 4 children there are plenty of other things I should be doing right now. Not least of which is cleaning my house. But I decided to start this to save my sanity and give me a place to share all of my joys, frustrations, sorrows, and whimsical musings with whoever might find them interesting, helpful, or just downright entertaining.
I have four beautiful daughters. Lauren is 8. She is intelligent, sweet spirited, helpful, and has just enough fire in her to make her a pain in my butt sometimes. Like the fact that even if you tell her to be quiet she HAS to finish whatever she was saying. Julia is 5. She is savvy, stubborn, quick witted, stubborn, and extremely funny. And did I mention stubborn? For example, when we went for her 1st school conference the teacher said she had actually digressed. She knew her letters and numbers at the beginning of the year, before they started teaching her, but now she only knew about 3 letters, 2 numbers, and the color blue. All because she didn't feel like telling anyone anything on the day they evaluated her. Madison is 3. She is a delight and it is wonderful to look at the world through her eyes. She is resourceful, insightful, and free spirited. Like when I found her in my washing machine because she thought it looked like fun. Or the time she cooked an entire box of waffles in the toaster oven while I was taking a shower because she decided she was hungry. Sara is 7 months. She is the most patient baby you will ever meet. She is learning to crawl and sits up pretty well. She loves Raggedy Ann and all of her sisters.
My husband and I will be married 10 years in May. He is the love of my life. He is the one person who can make me laugh no matter what else is going on. Like when I am so mad at him I could spit nails and he ends up making Coke come spewing out of my nostrils instead. Wonderful visual, I know.
Well, I hear my jungle animals calling me to come and feed them so I will end it here. Have a great day and try to find the things in it that make you smile.