The Ozmerican Life

I'm thankful that the worst sickness my kids ever get is a little snot and cough. 

I am also very thankful that when it wakes them up in the middle of the night, they always want their Daddy.  They always want Daddy in the middle of the night no matter what it is.  From what I've heard from other...that's rare.

I'm also thankful that Daddy always willingly comes to the rescue. 

There is something about a child falling off a chair that always gets me....I find it.....Hilarious!  I know, I know...probably not something a mom should probably say.  But when you don't see it and just hear it:

Thump...Thump...Whack...Bang...Thump....a short pause while the situation registers....Waaaaaaahhhhhhhh! 

Come on....it is pretty comical...at least I know my sister agrees with me :)

Don't worry, I hide my chuckles before I go to console my child.

My kids are currently vacuuming each others faces....

J:  (laughing hysterically)  "When I vacuum my nose, it pulls my snot out!!!"

The words end there....I have no more.

It's 9:15am.  Breakfast is finally done for my children.  They are in a bit of a habit of sleeping in until 8-830, which would be great normally.  But it sort of puts a slow start to the rest of the things I like accomplised by lunch time. I'd actually like to have them up by 7am.  I have also learned that waking them up early brings 4 little monsters from bed rather than my 4 little sweet peas.  This new sleeping schedule I can directly link to 3 things:  Daddy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tv show, Mom who likes to go to bed early leaving the first 2 together and unattended. 

I'm sitting at the computer checking emails, banking, reading blogs...all while eating my breakfast.  As a mother of 4, I've learned that it's nearly impossible to be doing just one thing at a time.  My life simply wouldn't work. 

I'm eating leftover whole wheat waffles.  The recipe called for plain yoghurt...I got half way through making them to discover that I didn't have any plain yoghurt.  I had sour cream.  I used that instead.  They worked for the most part except that they are a bit crumbly, and they taste a bit....sour.  So I guess they didn't really work at all.  My kids did eat them, but not without a couple of funny faces and "these taste funny" comments.  Those comments were directly followed by, "just put a little more syrup on them, they're fine." 

In my efforts to be frugal in the kitchen, nothing goes to waste.  Hence my breakfast this morning of sour waffles, because I can't stand to throw them away, and I'm feeling particularly kind to my children.  I'm chasing them with some sweet apples from the orchard...it's bearable.  I'm also explaining to my one child the difference between "your" and "you're" while gently reminding the other 3 upstairs that the noise I hear sounds a bit more like playing that actually doing what they're supposed to be doing.  I'm also solving arguments, and occasionally helping them modify their choice of words to each other.  Okay, so maybe it's not exactly gentle every time.  We go through this every morning....will they ever catch on??  Will my laundry ever catch on and hop itself into the washing machine when it's dirty?  Will my floors ever jump up and scrub themselves on a rag when needed? 

When you're feeling a little hopeless in one area...it's great to compare it to other absolutely impossible things.  It puts a little air under your wings :)

Well, welcome to my usual morning.  I do love them, and can't wait for another one...minus the waffles that is :)  

Keira:  "Mom are you thinking about God?"

Me:  (not being at all sure about what I was just thinking as it probably skipped to 10 different things in the last 10 seconds, being sure that God was one of them)  "Yep."

Keira:  "Me too.  I'm thinking about loving him, and hugging him, and kissing him.  I just love him so much."

Earlier in the day while Keira was having a meltdown about something...I picked her up and give her  a big hug and kiss to clear the tears...

Me:  "I love you so much, Keira."

Keira:  (while trying to get her sobs under control)  "You.....(sniff, sniff, sniff) You should love God more."

Me:  "Yes Keira, I do."

Keira:  (sob, sob, sob)  "Good."

Keira:  "Where's God Mama?"

Me:  "He's in you!!!"

Keira:  "I want to open my body, take him out, and eat him up!!"

I pray that you always have that kind of passion for the Lord, my sweet little baby!

I've been working on a quilt for Ava for 2 years.  Although it feels like it takes that long to make a quilt...it actually doesn't.  I work in spurts...working on it for a few weeks solid and then taking months off.  I have a great friend from college who also quilts.  When I need to get motivated, I invite her over to quilt.  I'd have her over even if she didn't quilt.  She's the sweetest thing and I love her dearly! 

She came over last week to get me motivated to finish it up.  It's time.  2 years later, it's time.  I was sitting on the couch watching the Olympics last night, stitching away...still on my motivated high from her visit last week. 

Ava is beyond excited to have her quilt nearing completion.  She stuck her head right up close:

A:  "Let me just watch a stitch.......(watching me take one single stitch)....ooohhh, yep that's how you do it.  Got it.  If I watch something just one time I pretty much have it.  That's all I need to know how to do something."

Me:  "Really?  You're now a sewing expert just because you watched one stitch?"

A:  "Yeah.  Like I watch you and Dad drive.  My seat is in the back diagonal from you so I can watch everything you do.  I pretty much know how to drive already.  Sometimes when you're driving I pretend I'm turning the steering wheel with you.  I already know how to drive."

If it were only that easy...