Experiencing Three

I haven't posted much this week because I've got an extra child! Friends of ours went away for a few days and decided we were trustworthy enough to watch their daughter while they are gone. So my kids have been enjoying having their friend Kelsey "sleep over". And I've been whipping around the house mediating arguments, cleaning up messes, intervening when punches start flying, and racking my brain for ideas to entertain three emotional youngsters under the age of 4. So if you have any ideas, please share them, because it's cold outside and they're getting cabin fever! So far we've done stickers, played outside in the snow, made homemade pizza, and while I was upstairs, the two older girls made themselves breakfast this morning so I guess that counts as an activity. By the way, their idea of breakfast was yogurt sandwiches (YUK!), apples, and granola bars.

This Week's Memory Verses

Romans 8:38-39 (New International Version)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:5 (New International Version)
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

This is mostly for my own benefit and reminder, but feel free to memorize with me!

Tell the Truth Tuesday

Today's Truth:

I think I sometimes give off the impression that I have "it" all together. The truth: I do not. It only looks like I do because I am obsessive-compulsive about my house, and when your house is under control, people assume you are too. The truth is, I spend far too much time on my house, letting all other aspects slide. And it's not out of a desire to provide a nice environment for my family, it's purely selfish (and prideful, YUCK!). I am stressed and anxious when my house is messy and disorderly, so I clean and clean. True, my closets and cupboards are organized and I have three binders of coupons tucked into baseball card page protectors, but I often feel like I don't spend enough quality time with my girls, I know I don't spend enough quality time with God, I struggle to maintain a good fitness level, I should spend more time with friends.....so next time you visit, if my house is a little messier than usual, compliment me on my self-control and newfound priorities! Now you all know my "dirty" little truth. What's yours?

Make Something Monday

I actually made these last year, but I thought I'd share them. Last spring, I won some hand-dyed yarn on http://www.hyenacart.com/. I used the gorgeous wool yarn to knit up some longies for my youngest. What are longies? For those of you who don't cloth diaper, they are pants and diaper covers in one. In this case, the wool acts as a water-resistant barrier, and is anti-bacterial so it doesn't stink! It took me nearly 9 months to knit these...I finished them just in time for Christmas, but I'm so proud of myself, and I really need to get started on those shorties for summer! So for this "Make Something Monday" I pledge to begin that pair of shorties tonight after the girls are in bed. Oh, and never mind the one funky-looking leg. It actually doesn't stick out like that, she must be standing funny.

I *think* I'm still glad DH got a job

Now that B is on the road home, I feel it's safe for me to share my last few days. Wednesday is always a stressful day, as I have to get Amelia ready for Cubbies, Adeline ready for nursery, and myself and B ready for youth group. (We each lead a small group there.) B gets home just in time to grab a bite, throw the kids and all our respective workbooks and study materials in the car, and shoot over to church 30 miles away. And we're usually about 15 minutes late for Cubbies...So this past Wednesday I was feeling pretty good about myself. I had ribs in the crockpot, potatoes boiling on the stove, Amelia knew her verse, and Adeline was up from nap, when I get a phone call; what I believe to be B letting me know he's on his way home from work 40 miles away. It is B, but he's calling to tell me that his boss is in the process of booking him a flight to Phoenix for that evening, and he'll be gone through Saturday. So of course, I respond in the supportive wifely way of yelling at him for having to leave me to drag the girls in zero degree weather to church and back in the dark, cancel plans for both Thursday and Friday night, and drag the girls with me to a baby shower on Saturday, instead of being able to go alone and have some mommy time. And what really got me is that while I was hauling two girls around in snow and freezing weather, he would be flying FIRST CLASS to sunny Arizona. Thankfully, I got my act together and sent him off in good spirits, but here is how my week "alone"' has gone:

Wednesday: Leave for church 30 minutes later than usual, as B has the car with the car seats and has lots of loose ends to tie up before he can drop the car off with me. Thus, Amelia misses her favorite part of Cubbies, the puppet show, and I arrive at youth group stressed and breathless. Despite my poor attitude, youth group went really well, and we made it home safely. Prying my white knuckles from the steering wheel when we got home was a challenge, but it's good for me to drive outside my comfort zone.

Thursday: Storytime in the morning, home for lunch (left my wallet at the library and the movies that were due at home), clean the house, leave for speech at 2:30. While I'm cleaning the house, I stupidly believe the girls are upstairs reading quietly in Amelia's bed. To my horror, they are instead filling their sippy cups with water and dumping it all over Amelia's bed (soaked through two quilts, a comforter, the pillow, and into the mattress), all over the hall carpet, and filled a laundry basket with it, which Adeline was leaning over as Amelia poured water over her head. Fully clothed. So I clean that up and we leave for speech, again in zero degree weather. Other than Amelia's recurring bout of explosive diarrhea, the rest of the day went well, thanks to my mom inviting us over for supper.

Friday: Had a nice lazy morning, and friends came over for a playdate in the afternoon. Made it through supper and got a call from my mom offering to have my dad babysit so I could go with her to "Fireproof" at my brother's girlfriend's church. Score! Had a nice evening until the drive home on awful roads, but we made it. I was hopped up on lattes from the movie, so I vacuumed, emptied the dishwasher, purchased a cloth diaper online, then read in bed until way too late. Girls both woke up several times in the night and I ended up letting Amelia sleep with me which I know was a bad idea. At some time during the night, she wet her bed. Recollection of the details is fuzzy, but I do know for sure it wasn't in MY bed.

Saturday: More diarrhea. The roads look bad so I'm not able to make it to the shower I've been looking forward to. Lots of snow, so I went out to shovel for the first time in years. At least it can count as a workout! Now waiting for B to get home, and praying that even though I feel ragged and stressed from the last three days, I'll have a gentle and welcoming spirit.

Wordless Wednesday

Diaper Laundry (about 2 days)

Enter to win

Enter to win a baby bath care gift basket from Nature’s Baby Organics. Just visit our friend and mommy blogger Cat at 3 Kids and Us to win with more great giveaways all February long. I've been on the lookout for natural baby products lately, but have no money to shell out for them, so I'd LOVE to win this package.