Paint!

While we love our new house, I was going crazy with all of the white walls. I am definitely a color kinda girl. It's really interesting, but in this house, I have much less blue than in the past. I have a lot more red and black. Not sure what that says about me, but there it is.

Please, go back to Kaylyn's party pictures, and you will see the kitchen with white walls. Of course, no matter how many times I thought about it, I forgot to get before pictures. I went really bold and had RED painted in the kitchen. It's a large room with really light cabinets. I thought it could "do" red. I love it!

The hallway, stairwell and upstairs hall is a color called "blonde". I thought it was a tan, but now that it's on the wall, it's a tannish/gold. Not what I thought it was, but I think I like it. Gary's not sure, says maybe it'll grow on him. Now that I have the pictures back up, I think it's a nice, warm neutral.

So, what do you think? Do you like or not? Actually, don't tell me if not. We are stuck with these colors for several years!

Chip Pics

When we went to choose a new puppy, we chose the Chip from the liter Collin wanted. Now Collin feels a special bond with Chip. The past few days, I often find Collin taking pictures of his new buddy. It's great to see Collin so interested in the puppy. Here are a few of my favorites.

Fun Friends

Kaylyn invited 2 special friends from our old church come to her party. Since it's such a long drive, they spent the night with us. The girls had a so much fun being together again.

Thanks for coming Ellie and Tabitha. You really helped make Kaylyn's birthday celebration extra special!

Kaylyn's Party Cooks!

Today was Kaylyn's cooking party for her 10 1/2 birthday party. Kaylyn loved her cooking teacher, Amanda, from camp last summer. We contacted her and asked if she would be willing to come and "do" a party for Kaylyn. Amanda was thrilled. She said she had never done a party before.


The kids had a blast! They made pizza crust, pizza sauce-both from scratch-and fun cupcakes in a cone. We ran a little long, but the kids didn't care...neither did most of the parents.
Yummy pizzas in different, unique shapes.

Kaylyn with her cupcake cone.

Everyone with Miss Amanda.

Miss Amanda even had a special certificate for each girl at the end.


What a super party!

There's a New Baby in Town

We adopted a new puppy last night. Introducing...Chip, short for Chocolate Chip. We went looking for a golden retriever, but came home with a black lab. I'm still not sure how this happened, but it did. Chip is 8 weeks old and should be a fun dog for the kids to play with. I've not had a lab before (and truthfully, never aspired to own a lab), but understand they can be full of energy and a challenge to train. Wish us luck.

Exciting News!

I am too tired to write about it tonight, but we have some news to share in the morning. Tune in!

Another Half Day?

How is it possible that my kids have ANOTHER half day? I swear, the kids hardly ever have a full week of school. Really, just how much can a teacher get done in a half day? Ugggh, I HATE half days. Give me a full day, or no school. This half day just doesn't allow for anyone to be productive.

Nate's Thoughts on Soccer Pratice

I took these pictures at the beginning of practice. You can imagine what the end looked like. The comments are what I imagine going through Nathan's mind. Enlarge them to see Nate's expression!

A Moment

I almost had a "white trash" moment. You know, one in which you totally loose your mind and start screaming at the top of your lungs and look like the lowest, trashy-est member of society? Have you ever had one of those moments? I wasn't sure what to call them until Jenny told me about one she had.

Anyway, usually my "moments" occur when my kids have pushed me WAY TOO FAR. This time, it wasn't my kid that caused this moment. It was Nathan's soccer team...or at least a good portion of them...and their parents (and I use that label loosely!).

Nate arrived at practice last night ready to, get this, PRACTICE. I know, this may be wild and crazy to some, but that's the way we do things here. I am finding that not everyone does things the same way. About 10 minutes into practice, my blood is on low simmer. About 15 minutes into practice we have come to a boil. About 20 minutes into practice I am at a rolling boil. After 25 minutes of practice, I am boiling over.

Over half of the team is totally goofing off. They are doing handstands, rolling on the ground, cursing at one another, throwing a kids hat (ok, there is NO reason to wear a hat to soccer practice!) around, TEXTING, yelling over the instructions and all around misbehaving. The few parents that were there did NOTHING! Poor Nathan is standing with his arms crossed, head and shoulders taller and more mature than the other kids, looking at the assistant coach like "would you please DO something?".

I finally went over to the 3 other parents and asked if practices are always like this. I guess so, since their response was, "Like what?". Thankfully, I did walk away before I explained just what I meant.

At a moment between drills, I pulled Nathan aside and told him I was doing something I NEVER do. I was leaving...WalMart was just down the street. Nathan needed more paper for school and I decided it was in everyone's best interest for me to go purchase it...now, this very moment.

I have NEVER been so hot at someone else's children. If I had not left, I am truly afraid of my actions. I may have been arrested for disciplining someone else's kid! Not to mention, I would've totally embarrassed Nathan. I am not known for my self control on a good day...and this was not a good day!

My children are by no means perfect, nor do they always stand perfectly awaiting instruction. I don't expect the kids on the team to be perfect. But we are, in theory, dealing with 11 & 12 year olds. Is it too much to expect them to stand up, pay attention and give some effort for the soccer drills? We were at soccer practice!

I can honestly say, without the smallest doubt, I would've yanked my kid off the field, dragged his butt home and PUNISHED him within an inch of his life if he had acted like one of those, those...hellions!!

Oh my goodness. I can only hope Gary will be home in time to take him next week. If not, well, please be prepared to bail my butt out of the local jail. I don't think it will be pretty.

You Need These!

Jenny and I went out shopping and for lunch today. Look what we found at Pier 1.
In a family with so many people, it is a challenge to keep track of what glass belongs to whom. This is the perfect solution. You just write their name with chalk on the chalkboard (black) section of the glass. When you wash the glass, the name washes off so you start again. The kids are thrilled! I got them the smaller glass and Gary and I the taller glasses. (I didn't get the bottle.) Pass this along to anyone you know that has more than 1 kid and needs a little organization in their life.

Perspective

I have been so very sad over having to give my Holly away. The decision and the actual "doing" have all but knocked me off my feet. As I emailed to a dear friend, my mind knows I did the right thing, my heart is just having a hart time getting in line...it's just too broken. I know she's just a dog, but for me, Holly was a part of the family.

God is so good to allow me several days to morn. However, tonight, he has reminded me that my life is really filled with such great blessings. I was checking on some blogs that I follow and realized that so many others have such hard situations. There is one in particular that has touched my heart. MckMama has a baby boy in the hospital right now. Their story about Stellan's birth is a true miracle and testimony to their faith. I found this blog through several blog links a while ago. She has a huge following. I sometimes check to see what is new. Tonight, I was sad to read that Stellan is so sick. Check out their amazing story by clicking here: MckMama. If you feel led, please send up a prayer on their behalf...I know I will!

Needless to say, this totally put my little bump in the road in perspective. All of my dumplings are, against all odds, healthy, happy and full of life. There was no way that I should've had 5 such wonderful, healthy kids. I was told by the doctors I wouldn't! Even when my triplets were in the NICU, I had such a peace about their health. We had very few moments of worry...it was mostly just waiting on them to be able to eat and regulate their temps. Even the nurses were amazed at just how healthy all 3 were. I can't imagine wondering if my baby will make it home.

So, tonight, I will go to bed a little less sad. I will count my blessings, check on my peacefully sleeping children-all in their own beds, and wake up tomorrow with a smile on my face. Will I still miss Holly? Sure, but I will choose to focus on the blessings in front of me...and be thankful for them.

The Party

The party was a hit! The boys had a wonderful time! I had planned for the boys to watch a movie, but we never even got to it. They had so much fun with the Nerf guns, the trampoline, making their own pizzas, and eating, we never even thought about the movie.

Collin and Danny each invited 2 friends for their party. One boy couldn't come, so we invited my friend Jenny's oldest son, Matt (he is actually Nathan's friend). Her younger son was already going to be here, so it worked out great! Anyway, it was Nathan and Matt vs. the younger boys in an all out Nerf battle. From the sound of it, all of them had to be dead, revived, shot again, revived again and so on. They had a blast!

I made them come down to make pizzas and then it was off to the trampoline while the pizza cooked. I am shocked at how much use that trampoline has gotten through the past year. They had a blast!

There was more Nerf war, gifts, ice cream cake and finally more trampoline. I can't believe how fast the party went! I know they all had a ton of fun.

Birthday Kits

In case you missed it, I was neglected to have parties for Kaylyn, Collin and Danny's birthday in September due to a grueling soccer schedule. Then came Thanksgiving, Christmas and then January birthdays. Well, let's just say that it got away from me! So...I decided that we would celebrate the 10 1/2 before I totally missed the whole year. Yeah, yeah, I'll NEVER be Mother of the Year.
Anyway, I was a little nervous about Collin and Danny's party. I wasn't sure what to do with 7 boys in the house for several hours. I came up with this idea. I made up a Party Kit for each kid. It was kind of a goodie bag that they would get at the beginning of the party. It holds stuff for them to do throughout the party. There was a small Nerf gun, several Nerf bullets, a excavate your own dinosaur kit, and several snacks (everything was labled with their name). I hope the kids love it!

It's Done

We finally took Holly to the shelter. Please pray for her to find a wonderful, childless home and for us to deal with loosing her. It was one of the hardest decisions ever.

From Me...To Me

Random Silly

Here are a few random silly pictures from the last several days:

Kaylyn keeping her legs warm. I would just put pants on, but she wants to wear shorts I think they are Claire's shorts! If not, they are now! And, NO, this stunning look did not leave the house!

Chasing the geese (we have HUNDREDS this year!) in the neighborhood. Geese leave quite a mess behind! YUCK!

Claire's self portrait. Oh, the things you find on your camera after the kids get a hold of it!

Who else do you know that has such an...ahem...interesting life?

Mental Health Day

Claire needed a mental health day today. She just totally melted down this morning and couldn't get her act together for the bus or school. So, she stayed home. We snuggled in my bed and napped a little bit after the others got on the bus. She really needed some rest. Is she really "sick"...I guess not. Did she need a day off? I think so!

She's in first grade! She is reading at a second/third grade level. Am I worried that she is missing something by staying home today? Nope, not even a little. Everyone needs a mental health day every once in a while. Today was hers!

Hmmmm, maybe I am a "school is optional" kinda Momma.

Nathan's Spring Soccer...

...started tonight. There isn't a spring team near home, so we need to travel about 35 minutes for this spring program. He is back to playing on a U-12 (12 and under) team. (He played on a 12-15 team in the fall.) We had to laugh when we got there. I know that Nate is a big kid, but he looks like a GIANT on this team. The next tallest kid comes to, maybe, Nate's chin. The coach is only about 2 inches taller than he is. Two different mom's asked me just how old he was...and when did he TURN 12?

Thankfully, this soccer organization seems to focus a lot on footwork and soccer fundamentals. Nate has been able to skate by on his size for a long time, so I am thrilled that he will have to focus on some of the basics. I can see this really helping him long term. I do wonder if he should have to move up to the next age group, but Gary assures me that this will only help Nathan's confidence in his ability to play. Okay...

Did I mention he looks like a GIANT on the team! They were doing a little drill in a small box formation at one point. I told Gary that it wasn't fair. It was like putting a shark in a goldfish bowl! It might have taken Nate 10 steps to get from one line to the other. It was a funny to watch.

Even funnier was when he "challenged" a kid for the ball. They both ran towards it, and bumped shoulders. Well, I say bumped, but the other kid looked like he hit a wall! He fell like a ton of bricks and Nate kept running almost as if nothing had touched him. He didn't even break stride! Bless Nate's heart, he stopped, turned, ran back over and helped the poor kid up...apologizing the whole time! The first words to me after practice were,

"Mom, I'm really gonna hurt someone! I barley touched that kid!"

It'll be an interesting season.

The Hardest Decision

We have made the hardest decision. As soon as arrangements can be made, we have to give our little Holly back to the shelter. We have tried everything to make her fit with our family. We have had a dog trainer come to the house and work with us. We have spent a ton of money on blood work, x-rays and medicine. We have visited a different vet. We have tried everything we can think of...given her chance after chance. She just keeps having issues. The worst part is that 95% of the time she is the sweetest dog ever. She is loving and fun-all a puppy should be. It's the other 5% that is the problem. We just can't have 5% unpredictability. She has at least one incident of growling or snapping a day...out of the clear blue. These incidents are totally unprovoked. Thankfully, she hasn't caught anyone, but, really, do we want to wait for that?

So...I am asking for your prayers that I can get over this little bump in the road. Although my mind knows that we are doing the right thing, my heart feels like I have failed. I feel like there should be something else we can do, something that will give us a happy ending. I just don't know what it might be.

I am heart broken.

Danny Yesterday and Today

Today was a milestone day for Danny!

YESTERDAY:

TODAY:

Phase I done for Danny. What a difference no braces make. He looks so grown up.

I Have Never Seen Such a Thing

A couple of years ago there was a huge interest in penguins. I remember taking the kids to see a documentary about the life of penguins narrated by Morgan Freeman. We were totally amazed at how they all walked in the same direction, one after another, to get to the water. Kind of a bird version of Follow the Leader. Well, today I saw the Eastern Shore version.

Click on the picture and you will see all of the Canadian geese following each other to the small drainage pond in our neighborhood. There were hundreds! I am always amazed by the things you seen in the country.

Muffins with Mom

Once a year, the school hosts Muffins with Mom. It's a nice thing to go to the school and have breakfast with your kids. Of course, that means you have to have all the kids up, ready and to school half and hour before the bus usually comes. And even more important, I have to be up, showered, dressed, hair and make up done before I take Nathan to school. Wheeeeew, I did it!

Here I am with the girls:

Here I am with the boys:

We had fun, but I am so glad it's only once a year!

Unbelievable!

I have had the most awful experience today!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, we are having some trouble with our puppy, Holly. Several months ago she started having some issues getting up from laying down. We were concerned, so we took her to the vet as soon as we could. We had x-rays done that show she has some hip issues that may require surgery in the future. Until then, we should give her glucosamine supplements to help with her joint health. Okay, we are fine with that. After all, it doesn't stop her from running all over the neighborhood after the kids or the bus!

Then, although she has always been a "mouthy" dog, we noticed that she is sometimes starting to snarl, growl and even snap when you approach her. When she approaches you to play or be petted, she is fine, but if you approach her, she can be grumpy. It doesn't happen all of the time, but often enough that I was concerned. Being what I thought was a responsible pet owner, I called a dog trainer to have us evaluated. I thought maybe I wasn't dominate enough or maybe she just needed some extra training. As mentioned before, she did great with the trainer, but we still had the snapping problem.

Today I took her to have a full panel blood test done in hopes that maybe there is a medical reason for her sudden grumpiness. I took her to a different vet, the one recommended by the trainer. The new vet had some concerns as well when I explained what was happening. She had the blood drawn and is "hoping" it's a thyroid problem, but "really doesn't have much hope". It seems that Holly is really young to have a thyroid issue.

Okay, the outcome of all of this, other than a ton of wasted money, is: I have been told by both the new vet and the trainer, that we really need to prepare ourselves that it would be best to find Holly a new home. It is most likely that there isn't a medical issue and it is really just a personality issue. She would be better placed in a home without children and their unpredictability. THIS IS HARD FOR ME TO DEAL WITH!!!! As my father said, I have a save the world complex. However, being told by 2 different professionals, and going with my gut feeling that we are on borrowed time before someone gets bit, I am trying to prepare myself and my family with the inevitable...we will most likely have to give Holly away.

In an effort to help the kids, I have been looking for a new puppy that we might be able to bring home. We love having a dog, but want one we can trust. I found several Golden Retriever mix puppies at a local rescue shelter. GREAT! That's just what we are looking for. I have never heard of a grumpy Golden! I called and was assured that they were still available. So, I went there and was told that I could see them, but several were already in the process of being adopted. I would have to fill out an adoption form.

Here is the awful part. I was explaining, through tears, the situation we were having, and the lady at the desk was AWFUL to me. She made me feel as if I was a really bad person for having to give up a dog.

I explained that she was snapping at us. She told me that was because, obviously, Holly was in pain. I needed to do pain management for her.

I told her that we had 5 kids and couldn't have an unpredictable dog in the house. She told me that a house with 5 kids was no place for a dog...I shouldn't be even looking at puppies!

I told her that we had a trainer to the house to work with us. She told me that I needed to speak with their trainer because she would be able to help us...there was no reason to get rid of a dog because of a behavior issue.

I asked, since we wanted Holly in the best place to find a good home, would this shelter be somewhere, if we needed, that we could take her. She told me absolutely not. They only took dogs from shelters.

Finally, I asked if this was going to prevent me from being able to adopt a puppy from this organization. She told me, dripping with contempt, that she couldn't make that decision. She would have the person in charge of adoption call me when she had time.

I have never, ever been judged so unfairly in my life. I left there feeling like I was the worst person on Earth! We have put a ton of time, effort and money into trying to make Holly fit into our home. We HAVE NOT made this decision lightly. She made this hard situation even worse! I can't even believe that I had to deal with that. I am so upset.

My Newest Revelation

My neighbor, Casey, had to put her dog to sleep today. I feel so bad for her. Having just been through this in July, I shared some tears as well. Much like Mickey was for me, Casey's dog was her first "baby". It was her first "I'm a grown up and on my own" purchase. My heart just bleeds for her. It will be a tough couple of days as you go through all of those firsts...The first time you realize that you don't have to let the dog out before you go to bed...The first time you have to pick up the food you drop because the dog isn't there to eat it...The first time you can walk to the door without tripping over the dog...You get the idea. Please pray for her.

I mention this because Casey has two kids that I was honored to watch while she and her husband took the dog to the vet. Colin is 3 and Ryan is 7 months old. I had a ton of fun watching them! Colin and I played cars, read books and crawled around on the floor. I got to hold Ryan, play with him on the floor and change his diaper. It was wonderful! That being said, for the first time I realized that...

I DON'T MISS THIS!

I don't miss the diapers. I don't miss the struggling to understand early language. I don't miss the demanding urging of "Come play with me NOW!". I don't miss the wondering if we are on the cusp of tired enough to nap vs. too tired to fall asleep. I don't miss all of the extra "needed" accessories that you have for little kids...the high chair, the swing, the play yard, the train table, the monitor, shall I go on?

THIS IS A HUGE STEP for me! HUGE!!!! This is a step I thought I would never reach! NEVER! I thought that there would always be a huge hole in my heart yearning for another and another baby. I find myself in uncharted waters...waters that I never, ever thought I would enter. It is a little strange.

Please, let me be clear. I loved going over to play. I love to hold babies, and I am sure I always will. There is nothing better in the whole world than holding a sweet smelling, content baby. I don't mind the occasional diaper. I don't mind the struggling to understand. That being said, I LOVED being able to leave! I loved knowing that when I got home, when my kids got home from school, they could feed themselves, potty themselves, and let me know just how their day went. I can go out to lunch and not have to carry a suitcase otherwise known as a diaper bag with me. I don't have to worry if the baby has enough to eat while I am gone. There are a ton small freedoms.

I am still needed, don't get me wrong. It's just in a very, very different way. Now it is a lot more about holding the limit line, being consistent, making sure everyone feels as if their EMOTIONAL needs are met. It's a lot more discussion and evaluating what is appropriate and what is not. It's turning these children into functioning young adults! Young adults that have to have the life skills to make good choices and know how to identify bad choices.

OH, MY GOSH! Who left me with all of that responsibility?

Does anyone else feel like they have entered this unusual place? Am I totally strange (read the rest before you answer, please) in feeling like when I wasn't looking, life moved on without me realizing it...and it's okay? Am I really okay with this new stage in my parenting?

You know, maybe I am.

Our Weekend

We had a fun filled, packed weekend.

Saturday:

It started with Nathan's first, and sadly last, basketball tournament game. We were sure that he would win, but it wasn't meant to be. His team came up against a really tough team that was on a winning streak. We also had officials that we hadn't seen before, so they called the game a little tighter than we were used to. This is especially tough when you are the biggest, strongest player on the court. Nathan played great, scored 9 points, but for the first time EVER, fouled out...in the 3rd quarter. It's a real shame, because he had come out of the half totally on fire. He scored a quick 5 points and seemed to be on track to score a bunch more. He was playing tough defense and had a few questionable fouls called on him. It was really hard for him to watch the team struggle to the end of the game. His buddy, Matt, did a great job playing center while Nate was out, but the team just couldn't pull it out. Bummer!

I have to say, I was really proud of Nathan's improvement throughout the season. It was great to see him go from "I'm not sure I want to play...I don't know what to do" to "I want to be the guy with the ball...I can make the play happen". I watched his coach and Matt's dad work with him and help him understand what he could and should do on the court. I was so proud to see the coach pull Nate aside and explain how and what he needed to do to help the team comeback...and then watch Nathan do his best to make that happen.

Thanks so much Coach Bryan! You were just what Nathan needed to boost his confidence this year...and you really helped him learn the game of basketball! We can only hope Collin and Danny are on your team next year.

We came home and cleaned the house top to bottom for the company we had coming for dinner. Needless to say, the kids HATED this, but it sure made the house look great. Gary always says we need to have people come over more often so the house gets cleaned. He's right...I clean all week long, but it is never clean all at the same time unless someone is coming over.

We had a lovely dinner with some new friends from church. It was a great time of getting to know them. I finally feel as if we are starting to get to know some people at church and it is great! I really missed a church family since we have moved.

While they were here, I worked with Holly and her behavior. She did well, no growling, snapping or other nasty behavior. Good for her.

Sunday:

We went to church and rushed home to prepare for another family, to come visit. I know, entertaining twice in one weekend, CRAZY! However, like Gary said, the house was already clean! They have 3 kids, two of which are afraid of dogs. I sent Holly over to visit with Grammy.

I was so proud of my kids. They did a great job playing with the visiting kids. They have a toddler that my kids just adored. Nathan and Collin were particularly good with him, getting down on the floor, playing ball, reading to him, and Nate even allowed him to use a video game controller that he had unplugged. Once again, the Nerf guns were a hit! I am now convinced that you can never have too many Nerf guns in one house. I am also convinced that you can never find all of the Nerf bullets that have been fired in one house! They turn up EVERYWHERE!

It was great getting together with a new family and all of the kids getting along really well. It's amazing when you have 2 families that have well behaved kids. There were 8 kids in the house and there weren't tears or arguing even once! That is a successful day if ever there was one!

It was a busy weekend, but we had a great time. I hope your weekend was as fun filled!

The Dog Trainer

The dog trainer, Kelly, came this morning. She had never met Holly before, and I was ready for Holly to "show her stuff". Well, in true "Robin's Law", Holly showed her stuff all right...she was a perfect angel! She didn't jump up, she didn't bare her teeth, she didn't growl, and she didn't even poke her nose in Kelly's crotch! Normally, I would be soooooo proud of her wonderful behavior, but today, I wanted Kelly to see Holly at her worst. How can we work on these things if Kelly doesn't see them?

Kelly and I spent some time talking at the kitchen table and Holly laid down beside Kelly's chair the whole time. Every so often, Kelly would toss a small treat in Holly's direction so she just stayed there. UNBELIEVABLE!!! *#@#%* dog! She made me into a liar!

We worked on some commands to give Holly some boundaries and, of course, Holly did them perfectly. She can now do "come", "sit", "down", and "wait" verbally or with hand commands only. *#@#%* dog! Kelly left, asking me to work on the new commands for the next week and a half...until our next visit. She also wants me to get Holly's thyroid tested because this can cause unpredictability in dogs...not that she saw any! Kelly will be back in a week and a half to see how we are doing.

Of course, after Kelly left, I went upstairs to comb my hair, potty, etc. before I had to run out. I came downstairs and went to pet Holly before I put her into her crate. What do you think she did? She bared her teeth and growled at me! *#@#%* DOG!!! She couldn't have done it while Kelly was here so I would know the correct response. Nooooo, that would've broken "Robin's Law"! Needless to say, Holly earned a one way ticket to her crate for the rest of the morning. I left the house and went to Sonic for a Diet Coke with lime...Surly I earned it! Please, keep praying for us!

*#@#%* DOG!!!!

Dog Problems

My puppy, Holly, has developed some disturbing problems. She is getting more and more protective and a little aggressive. In a large family like ours, this presents several issues. The biggest issue is that we have too many people in and out for her to decide that she doesn't like new people. We can't have that! Also, there is no way I'll have a dog that I can't trust around the kids. If I am at all worried that she might in any way, shape or form, bite one of us, she will find a new home...fast!

With these new issues, I have decided to have her evaluated by a dog trainer. (Now, there is a great gig! $60 for an hour long evaluation! I think I need a new career!) I want to know if she can be trained properly so that I can trust her. Wish her luck. I really do love her, and 90% of the time, there are no problems. However, 10% is too much to wonder about. If the trainer has any concerns, we will be looking for a new home for Holly...and I'll be sad.

"Real" Food

I LOVE food. It is no secret, I just love food-and, sadly, I have the waistline to show it. I love to eat it, I love to prepare it, I love to play with it, and I love to watch others enjoy what I have created. It simply makes me happy. And, really, contrary to what my family thinks, I'm not too bad at it.

I am married to a man that isn't really very adventurous with food. He can pretty much eat the same 4 or 5 meals each week and be really satisfied with that. He really doesn't like to eat anything new, creamy, cheesy, saucy, from the sea, or in anyway combined. He wants to know what he is eating, and he wants to keep it separate on the plate, thank you very much. I guess you could say he is the traditional "meat and potatoes" kinda man. He would really rather stay at home and eat, knowing that I will prepare it the way he likes, than go out and get something he may/may not like.

I also have 5 of the pickiest children on the face of the Earth! (My extended family considers this payback for my childhood picky!) They also love to eat kid friendly all of the time. You know, the chicken nuggets, frozen pizza, grilled cheese etc. Nothing "good for them" in anyway, shape or form. Oh, and let it be known, I DO NOT prepare anything that would be considered unusual, EVER! Remember, I was that picky kid. I REMEMBER not liking unusual foods, so I don't prepare anything strange...no mushrooms, no hidden veggies, no liver, no sushi...none of that! Just regular, normal, all American food-nothing fancy!

I mention all of this because, although I really enjoy cooking, I don't enjoy cooking or eating the same 4-5 meals on a regular basis. Cooking dinner has become a chore for me, one that I dread every night. Daily, I call Gary and ask what he wants for dinner, knowing that he really doesn't have an opinion. One of the regular meals of fried chicken, grilled chicken, spaghetti, or hamburger/hot dogs is fine with him. Great. There is nothing that takes the joy out of preparing a different meal like hearing:

"Oh, what IS that? Do we have to eat it? Can I make a peanut butter sandwich (or cheese sandwich or bowl of cereal)?" Or "Hmmm, well, just a little for me, I had a big lunch." Or, my personal favorite "Well, it's different...Do you like it? Do I have to eat it?"

I have lost all joy in family dinners...planning, shopping, preparing, or even sitting down to eat them. I miss cooking for people that enjoy eating something other than chicken nuggets, pizza, hot dogs or breakfast for dinner. I find that I am really allowing my family to eat a lot of processed, frozen prepared crap just because I am unwilling to fight the dinner battle...it's just easier. I know it's not good for them to eat some form of pizza 3-4 times a week, I know it's not good for me, but just how much stress do I want to go through for a simple meal at the end of the day?

Needless to say, I am frustrated. I am sick of making food and then having leftovers go bad in the frig because no one wants to eat anything but pizza. The whole "you need to eat what I prepare" backfires on me because then I have kids up in the night with upset, empty bellies. Oh, I am NOT a middle of the night person! It's quite the impossible situation, and I am sick of it.

I battle this problem with going out to lunch. I go out to different places with Mom or a girlfriend and get "real food". The kids are in school, Gary's at work, and I can go and get something that I KNOW my family would never eat. Not only would they not eat it, but they would comment through the meal about how they can't believe that I would eat THAT! (Again, nothing fancy!) We go places other than Chic-fil-A, Applebees, Sonic, or the true gourmet, McDonald's. We go places that have real chefs back in that wonderful kitchen...chefs that make things other than chicken strips, chicken sandwiches, hamburgers and pizza! In other words, utopia!

Yesterday, I went out with a girlfriend, Jenny, to one of those terrific places and had a wonderful meal! It started with a herbed cheese and bread plate that I could've made into a meal all by it's self.

Then I had a crab melt (crab meat on a piece of sourdough bread covered with melted cheese!) and smashed red potatoes. OH, MY GOODNESS! There wasn't a piece of shell in the whole thing! The potatoes were amazing! I can't tell you how wonderful it was. I ended my meal with a piece of Key Lime pie. Mmmmmmm, it was so yummy, I almost couldn't get up from the table. Oh, and not one time did Jenny complain about her meal or ask for a peanut butter sandwich! Is she a great friend or what?

Since I cannot get my family to eat real food, I guess I'll just have to continue to eat some really great lunches. The food is great, the company terrific, and it is less expensive than taking the family out. Not a bad deal. Now, if someone else could just come fix dinner for my picky family tonight, life would be ideal.

Lunch

I am going out to lunch today to a real restaurant. I can't wait to have food prepared by a real chef. I'll take some pictures and let you know how it is! Have a super day!

Please Pray***UPDATED***

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Mom went to the eye doctor and was told that there wasn't much they could do for now. She has had a "stroke" in her eye due to hardening of the arteries. (As far as she knows, she doesn't have high blood pressure or cholesterol-the usual high risk factors-so it is unusual for her to have this issue.) The problems with her sight is due to the bleed that resulted. She needs to go back in 6 weeks to see if the blood flow to the damaged area is regenerating. If not, there is a series of shots that they can give that may help with the regeneration of the arteries. If that doesn't work, they can try some laser surgery. All in all, she is still in need of prayers. Thanks for caring!

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My mom's eye sight (in the one bad eye) seems to be getting worse by the day. She was able to get an appointment today at Hopkins, instead of Thursday. Please, pray for her eye sight, wisdom for the doctors, and for travel. Thanks so much. It's great to know that I can count on my friends when there is a need.

Lots of Snow

It was super windy today, so it was hard to measure, but I believe that we got at least 9 inches of snow. I have never seen so much drifting. Since we are surrounded by farms, there is little to stop the the wind. Gary and the boys shoveled the walk and driveway (the prize goes to the Momma for finding the show shovels in the garage. They were hanging right on the wall where they should've been!), but the wind blew it right back over. It's amazing.

The kids went out to play, but it was so cold, they didn't spend a lot of time out there. Here are a few pictures. Here is the view from my back window. We are blessed to have the trees behind our house, as they help block the wind just a little. Isn't it pretty?

Now, who thinks we'll have school in the morning?

Oh, and my mom didn't make it to the eye appointment. It has been rescheduled to Thursday. Please continue to pray. Thanks!

It's Snowing, Again, and a Prayer Request

We are getting a real snowstorm! They are talking 6-10 INCHES!! We don't own a snow shovel because when we moved we didn't think we would need one anymore. Oh well, I am sure that we will have fun anyway. I hope to have more snow pictures tomorrow. The kids are really counting on no school...me too!

Oh, on another note, my mom has to go to the eye doctor at Johns Hopkins in the morning. Please keep her in your prayers as it is possible she has lost 3/4 of her eye sight in one eye. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, restored sight for the eye, and travel for Mom and Dudley in the snow. Thanks!