How I Keep My Sanity and Still Allow Myself to be a Little Nutty...

I have 4 little boys, ages 8, 7, 4 and 1. It's not like I have 15 kids. I have 4 boys. And I have to say, for the most part they are well behaved. They ARE boys though, so to push them to be "good" and not be running around for 3 hours is asking too much. They have energy to spare, and I know that sometimes you just can't contain that energy for too long. It's going to come out.

So, I go to the grocery with 4 boys in tow. They all know their places: Koen in the cart seat, Deklyn on one side, Austin on the other, and Caden rotates depending on which boys is being more tolerant at the time. They DO migrate from their places though on occasion, and find their way to the lobster tank or to stare longingly at a display of cookies, but I give them a second and call them back.

But often, people give me different looks. Here are some that I get: The "Are You CRAZY?" look, the "Awww, that poor woman" look, and the "WOW, You have your hands full" look.

The "Are you crazy look", is also accompanied by some grumpy looking eye brows, and pinched lips or a frown of disapproval. These often come from the "children should be seen and not heard" people, who are more times then not, older people.

The "Awww, that poor woman" look is accompanied by a head tilts and often a half smile, as they scan all of my kids, trying to figure out what is going on! Sometimes this look is followed by...

The "Wow, you have your hands full" look. This look can consist of almost a look of shock, and comments like "Wow, you have your hands full!" or "Are these all YOURS?".

I often follow up any comments with a "Yes, I am blessed!" Then all of the people revert to the "Are you crazy?" look....

To start off, I really am NOT crazy! I am a completely sane (according to medical standards) woman in my lower 30's, happily married, Christian. I am not a woman who is held under the thumb of her husband. My husband values me and I value him tremendously as well.

I say that I am not crazy, but I WILL say that I could be a little nutty! The difference, well... there may not be MUCH difference. But I say that to be nutty is to NOT be stuffy or uptight, I definitely have a sense of humor (I have to!), and I have learned which things are important in life, and which aren't!

How do I keep from going completely grey? Well, THAT one is easy. My sister is a beautician, and she colors my hair for me. How do I keep from screaming at the top of my lungs? This one is easy too. I actually DO scream at the top of my lungs, and sometimes that is the only way I can be heard over the top of all of the fighting...

So, I how do I stay sain, and nutty?

Well, first I give my boys responsibilities. They have a chore chart of things they do in the morning and things they do after dinner. Each day they have different jobs, and yes, sometimes I have to oversee and make sure things are done correctly. Jobs consist of: weeding the garden for 30 minutes, trash out, table cleared, dirty clothes to the basement for washing, sweeping the kitchen floor after dinner (broom), feeding our animals (dogs, cats, chickens, ducks), dusting, etc. I am NOT super woman, and I WILL NOT clean up after everyone leaving behind messes all of the time. I think it has been an eye-opener for them to see that a mess left behind always gets cleaned up by someone, and MAYBE I shouldn't leave behind a mess!

I also hold them to a higher standard. I EXPECT them to be able to sit for a little while, or to store that energy for at least a little bit! And if they don't they get in trouble. I want to show people it IS OK to have many children. I want to be an encouragement to others, not an argument of why we should limit the number of children to 1 per married couple... So to hold your children to a higher standard is OK!!! As long as you ALSO understand that they ARE kids! They DO need to get that energy out! So give them adequate opportunities to do that.

NUTTY IS GOOD! To be nutty is to be able to have fun, to laugh at their silly kid humor, to be able to not get too upset at them wearing their underware outside or for peeing in your flower beds. Being Nutty, allows you to live, love and laugh! A lot of people have heard that saying but don't really KNOW what it means.

So, go ahead. Allow yourself to be nutty! But also keep you sanity by letting those kids help! And set some boundaries! Then watch those beautiful babies of yours blossom and grow!

Are you sain and nutty?

To see some more Works for Me Wednesdays go HERE.

Wordless Wednesday- Self Named Egg Man

"Egg Man"

For more Wordless Wednesdays, go HERE.

Make Your Home a Haven- Finish of Day 4

Here is how our Thanks & Giving Trees turned out. I think they went pretty well.

I explained what the boys needed to do, and they were excited. They are ready to do things for other people, and of course had a list of things they were thankful for!

Yes, this actually says Caden folded laundry for me! He is a HUGE helper. He LOVES to load and unload the dishwasher, fold laundry, pick up toys... Somethings I have to "recheck" for him, but he is a boy that's list could be a mile long everyday!

I think it will be a fun project to review around Thanksgiving.

What are we Feeding our Children?

I love my kids. I try to feed them what I think is healthy food. It's just too scary looking at all of the news reports about obese children or kids with juvenile diabetes. I don't want to take those chances!

One thing I don't do is give my kids soda to drink. They have drank soda, but it's only if we are somewhere with nothing else for them to drink, or when the Nana gives it to them (Yeah, I know, Nana!!!). We don't buy kids candy. We may get some chocolate every now and then, but we eat it in moderation (Unless mama has had a rough day...). We don't eat out much. Hardly any fast food (maybe once a month, less if we can avoid it.). My husband and I hate eating fast food, actually. I know, strong word, BUT we mean it! I make nearly all of our meals from scratch. So I know the sodium contents, the sugar contents, etc... (We also buy things like Unsweetened Applesauce, and No Salt Added Canned Veggies, when we can.) And I am by NO MEANS saying we eat like we need to be eating, but we do try.

In the mornings, when I get my kids up before school, I will either make them something like Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries, Eggs, Cheese & Sausage, French Toast... we do this like 2-3 times a week. The rest of the time they get cereal. I will pair their cereal with O.J., with Yogurt, Apple Juice, etc... Our cereal choices are as follows: Cheerios, Honeynut Cheerios, Life, Rice Krispies, Special K with Strawberries.... And if we get a cereal that may have a little more sugar in it (but was nearly free!) then we mix it with something with a lot less sugar, like one of the above cereals. So they really think they are getting a treat! Less sugar cereal was a must with my husband from the beginning. I, on the other hand would buy myself the "Sugar- FULL" cereal, until of course I started having bloodsugar issues. (hmmmm.....)

I just came across a report by Reuter's that talked about the sugar content in cereals. They said there are a lot of US cereals that are more than HALF SUGAR! There are 11 popular cereals that have as much sugar as a glazed doughnut.

This Reuter's Report said, "Post Golden Crisp made by Kraft Foods Inc and Kellogg's Honey Smacks are more than 50 percent sugar by weight, the group said, while nine brands are at least 40 percent sugar. Honey Smacks has 15 grams of sugar and just one gram of fiber per serving while Kellogg's Corn Pops has 12 grams of sugar and no fiber."

They also said, "The most healthful brands are Cheerios with three grams of fiber per serving and one gram of sugar, Kix and Honey Nut Cheerios, all made by General Mills, and Life, made by Pepsico Inc's Quaker Oats unit."

They also said that kids who poured their own bowls, tended to pour 50-65% more that the suggested serving size. Which means that much more sugar!

So what can we do? The report says, "Be sure to read the product labels, and choose cereals that are high in fiber and low in sugar and sodium," Gayle Williams, deputy editor of Consumer Reports Health, said in a statement."

They also said, and I think most of us already know, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So, check out the cereal in your cupboard. Our Cheerios box says it has 1 gram of Sugar, 3 grams of Fiber and 190 mg of Sodium. I also have ( a sale item) GM Mickey Mouse ClubHouse Berry Crunch. It says on the box it is a good source of Whole Grain, but it has 9 grams of sugar, 2 grams of Fiber, and 180mg of Sodium. The sugars are a little high, but the rest sounds OK. Mixed in another cereal, it will still be a treat.

So, do your kids a favor, watch their sugar intake!!! You don't want them to have to deal with Diabetes, obesity or a whole range of Autoimmune diseases (which your Autoimmune System CAN be affected by the ups and downs that your bloodsugar DOES DO when you eat high amounts of sugar!).

Your children will thank you someday!

Our Priorities

Yesterday was a good day for me! I actually felt like I accomplished quite a bit. I got woke up by a very sad teething baby at 4:45 AM. I had my alarm for 6:20 AM, so I could throw in the Baked Oatmeal (it takes 30-40 minutes to bake). I got up, put it in the oven and layed back down. Then up just before it came out! Perfect! I got the boys up, served them their oatmeal. I started my laundry early... Of course like most days the momentum slows when my hubby is around. (After typing that, he wanted me to cut his hair! So, I just got back.). And some days, there just IS NO momentum. It's like I'm fighting against SOMETHING, just TRYING to get things accomplished!

And how can I, how can WE, not feel like failures when we don't get done everything that a super mom or a super wife should get done in a day?

God calls us to be a lot of things (good wives, mothers, daughters, homemakers, hostesses, planners, etc, etc, etc....), but what if we have a bad day? Or a day that could just be SO FILLED with stuff, we just don't know how to keep our heads above water? WHAT DO WE DO???

The first time a woman emerged onto the scene, in the Bible, what does it say about her?

Gen 2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

God wanted a helper for man. We are called to be OUR man's helper. I always joke with my husband that I am his secretary, but that is kind of what PART of our roll as a wife is! Taking care of the affairs of the household for the boss.

Also, God says this:

Mat 22:36-40 Master, which is the great commandment in the Law? Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

So His greatest commandment is the we first LOVE HIM! An all consuming love (with our heart, soul & mind!). The second is that we love others, as ourselves. And then it says, "On these two hang all the Law and the Prophets". Everything that we do comes back to these two commands. God first, others second- ALL THE TIME. If we follow those two things, that is everything God commands of us all summed up!

So- back to our original question. What are the most important things? What if I can't accomplish everything?

Well, from these I think we can see that God requires that HE be first in our lives! So each day our first priority, should be that we spend time with Him! And a lot of time, all day long!

The second priority should be our Husbands. God created us FOR him, to be his helper! If that is why we were created, we need to fill the position! Going with this, if our husbands ask that we have certain things in our homes completed, we need to do them! If he likes dinner on the table when he comes home from work, we should do this! But also, if our husbands see that we are putting forth the effort and one day we just couldn't get it all done, I know our husbands will be forgiving and know that we did our best. (God also calls that HE do certain things too, like being loving to his wife!) But we need to put forth that effort!!!

After our husband, of course, should be our children. We need to spend time with them! I consider my children part of my spreading the gospel throughout the world. If I give my children the time, and teach them about Christ, then it will hopefully resonate in their lives for others to see. And spending times with our kids is just important! As I am reminded of in watching my baby, children grow so fast, we don't want to miss any of it. God has intrusted us with children! HE entrusted us. We didn't just decide, or it wasn't just "an accident", HE did it. HE knows the beginning from the end, he knows every hair on our heads, and HE is the MAKER OF EVERYTHING. Taking care of HIS children, is just an extension of loving HIM! (This can be our own, or other kids that we come into contact with or are under our care!)

After these 3 very important things, can come everything else. Keeping in mind what does the Lord want me to accomplish today, what does my husband need me to accomplish today, what do my kids need today, and then what else is a priority? Are the cobwebs more important than your husband or your children? Is sweeping or laundry more important that spending time in the Lord's Word? These are tough decisions!!! But we always need to go back to who is first.

If we are having a tough time trying to figure out what needs to be done first, stop and pray! The Lord knows everything, so He will help us to figure out what will be the best thing for us to do next!

And we can go back to starting our day... we need to start our days out in prayer! We need to seek God and see what HE wants us to accomplish that day. Sometimes His plans may be completely different than ours BUT, isn't His plan better?

I like to call this "bob-n-weave". I love this term, and husband laughs when I use it, but that is kind of how we need to be in life. We need to have a plan, we need to be organized and accomplish things, BUT if the Lord tells us to do something else, we need to be able to roll with it. We need to roll with the punches!

Mat 6:31-34 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

A Blessing

6 months ago today, God blessed my husband and I with our 4th son. It was a rocky beginning, but God was definately there with us. You can read my post here from my other blog, and look at some precious pictures of my baby boy.

For Mothers to Teach Sons

I found encouragement in reading Proverbs 31 (as I usually do!), this time in particular in reading the first few verses of 31 (1-9). Yes, these I usual skip right over because I love the Virtuous Woman!

So what are these verses that I have been skipping over? Why are these together? DO they offer anything to 10-31? Well- I'm glad you asked!

I find great encouragement in these verses because this is what a mother is speaking to her son! I had no clue! Well, I should say I just never paid THAT much attension to it, because I wanted to get to my favorite part!

Pro 31:1 The sayings of King Lemuel, a prophetic revelation, used by his mother to discipline him.

This is what it says! The verses following are what she used to discipline him!

Pro 31:2 "What, my son? What, son to whom I gave birth? What, son of my prayers?

It shows first that she prays for him! We need to be continually praying for our children. She identifies him as being the "son of my prayers". Not my 3rd son, not my son who is really good at football, not my straight A student... the son of her prayers!

Then she goes on to talk to him about his character. Treat others fairly. Defend the underdog. Defend those who have no voice. She also warns him about drinking! Wow! She tells him Kings shouldn't drink, and warns him about what happens when you drink. You may do something you'll be sorry for later! Kings not drinking would apply very well to our children, now! If you want to be treated with respect, you want people to take you seriously- Don't Drink!

She also (in my favorite verses!) tells him about what type of a wife to look for. We will definately be going through those verses in weeks and months to come!

There are many good verses instructing us in how to train our children. But I found this very interesting in that I have sons! This is what I will one day have to talk to them about! We could almost take this word for word in instructing them someday.

It is very intersting too, there are some people that think that King Lemuel, spoke of here, is really Solomon. And the instruction was given by his mother, Bathsheba. The more you dig into the word, the more you want to know!