Good-bye 2011!

It was a fun week...no work for the Daddy, no work for the kids and Star Wars on Blu Ray! The vacuum cleaner was finally run this morning to pick up all of the things that were dropped as we ate a lot of our meals out on the living room and plenty of popcorn to get through the six Star Wars movies.

2011 is almost over and I can't say that is has been the favorite year of my life. In fact, I am not too sad that it is almost over. I don't like that it seems to have flown by way too fast. I fear that this is the way it will go from now on. Looking back, I would have to say that my favorite times were the ones where all seven of us were snuggled up together at home. As the kids get older and busier, those are the moments that I cherish most.

This afternoon I turned the calendar to the January page and was a little shocked that there was very little written on it. That scares me because I know that there are many things coming up and I hope that I don't miss anything! Lessons and practices will start again and taxi-ing everyone to their respective activities will resume. I am thankful for two more days of togetherness before the rest of the world sneaks back in and takes over.

Favorite Christmas Things

The Box Said Bosch!

I love that for all the years of my married life, I have been able to have my Grandma's old Bosch mixer that was just like my mom's. I love that I knew exactly how it worked and how to make all the things that I grew up making because the mixer worked the same as the one in my mom's kitchen. Of course, I would have much rather have Grandma still with us, but that was not my choice to make.

I think of her often when I am making bread, muffins, cake, or mixing up anything that I have to mix! So, when I saw the new Bosch mixer as I unwrapped my Christmas present I of course was excited to have such a nice machine and thankful for a husband who knows that he is married to a woman that does like to get practical things every once in awhile, especially when they are needed.

Grandma's mixer would have been welcomed in my house forever, but even David was realizing that the days of that mixer were numbered. It complained every time it was running with all kinds of unique and often surprising sounds. I knew that it had done its work and I wasn't going to be able to ask it for much more. Still...I love the thoughts that I would think of being a girl and being in Grandma's kitchen.

It was as I was setting up the new machine that I could almost hear a sigh of relief from that trusty old Bosch...it was ready to be done. Besides, if Grandma were still with us, she would have upgraded to a newer model long before this. With that in mind I am certain that just because it isn't her machine that I am mixing with, I will still have the memories as the new model hums along and makes wedding cake for my little girls and all the other food that will sustain my family. I can't wait to break it in!

Dawn's Heart

I was reminded again last weekend about the sweetness of Dawn's heart. We were at Grandma's Christmas party and I have to admit, it is hard to witness my Grandma's mind go downhill as she gets older. I know she doesn't like it and I imagine her life feels out of her control. It was a better visit this year than last time I saw her and that was a wonderful thing. She spoke of things that were real and remembered all of us.

Watching Dawn with Grandma reminded me of our visit to see Grandpa Carl in the nursing home when she was 5. Seeing Great Grandpa after his stroke was noticably troubling for all of the kids when we got there but it was not so with Dawn. Although Grandpa couldn't communicate with us at the time, I could tell in his eyes that when Dawn snuggled up next to him and kissed him that it made his day. She stayed by his side for most of the visit.

Sunday was no different for Dawn when she saw Grandma in her wheelchair. She jumped right up in her lap and stayed there for some time sharing secrets and giggles. When it was time to go, I could tell they were both sad. I love the heart I see in my Dawn. There is something special for her future, I can tell, she sees things the rest of us don't always catch.

TOM

Zombie Tag!!!

I am sure this idea came from a Phineas and Ferb episode but the new thing around our house is playing "Zombie Tag" and I can't do it justice without being able to hear the kids say it, especially Matthew with all of the doom in his voice that he can muster! I laugh a lot because these are the cutest, most pleasant looking zombies I have ever seen!

Gingerbread Night

Gingerbread house and Christmas tree done! The tree was new for us this year and I am afraid that I got it stacked a little lop sided but the children gathered around afterward talking about how wonderful it looked...they love it and that is all that matters! I am proud to highlight their work in the middle of the table!

Angels Sing

What a fun night. Matthew was so excited to put on his angel costume and go up on the stage. It was a little different than the rest of the kids have been in the past. I guess I really didn't have a "performer" until now. Matthew ate up the spotlight and it was pretty funny to watch. It makes me think about what is in store for us in the years ahead!

Zachary did a very good job too. He wasn't sure if he knew the songs very well but he got up there and did a wonderful job with the actions. We had a good time this year at the preschool Christmas program!

No Best Mom Award Today

What is this you may ask? It is Coffee and Cookie Bar recipe after being baked 3 1/2 times as long as it needs to be!

I was rushing around like a mad woman today trying to get some help from the little people who really wanted some time to play on a Saturday. I don't blame them. I wanted to as well but with a sick child earlier in the week, I didn't get my baking done for the "playing" that was planned for the afternoon. I could feel my blood pressure rise as the energy level of my children trapped indoors on a rainy day was also rising.

Preparing for a Christmas card making party with 6 of my grown up friends, I made a few treats this morning and the kitchen was a mess. I decided to throw the last recipe in the oven and then go and make sure everything downstairs was set to go. As it turned out, I didn't make it back upstairs before guests started to arrive. We got into the card making and all was well.

Upstairs the rest of the family had sat down to watch Cars 2. All the cleaning up and running around had culminated in afternoon fun for all who were here. It was an hour and a half later when my wonderful husband came half way down the stairs and asked "did you have something in the oven"?

I actually had to stop and think about it because it had been an hour and a half! But yes, it was then that I remembered that I had put the Coffee and Cookie Bars in the oven and had forgotten to turn on the timer! Who knew that burning chocolate still smells so yummy? Everyone upstairs claimed not to have smelled anything burning.

The fact of the matter is, if you cut around the outside inch and get into the middle, it still actually is edible. They can't wait to dig into it, which they will do tomorrow since they had eaten way too many other cookies and treats to need more sugar today!

I was pretty demanding of them this morning when I was trying to get everything ready for the afternoon and felt pretty bad about it when all was said and done. I have days like this sometimes, like when I hear my voice over and over again asking for this to get picked up or that to be done. I am certain that all they hear is "waa waah waaahh waah waah" like on Charlie Brown. Some days I even yell to make sure they hear me, and they do: "WAA WAAH WAAAHH WAAH WAAH!!!"

There are a few of my friends out there that I love because they have kids older than mine. It is encouraging to hear that this can be outgrown. For now though, as I wind down my day in the quiet of this hour, hearing a "Jesus Loves Me" duet sung by two brothers in their beds is a pretty sweet sound. Sometimes His mercies are new even before I go to bed!

Jesus Tree

I love the Christmas season. It always makes me sad when I hear people talking about how much the dread it. I love everything from decorating to baking to searching for the perfect gift for the people I love.

It gets harder as the children get older to fight the "gimmies". The things that they want tend to be bigger and take up more space in their mind. This year with a rearranging and purchase of new furniture for the living room, we had to find a new place for our Jesus tree.

We get to go through Jesus' story day by day and add new ornaments to the little 3 foot tree. Each year as the kids get older the big ones help share the story with the little ones. Last year where Matthew was just present during the reading, he is this year putting ornaments on the tree with everyone else. I hear Zach telling Mat

thew what the red ribbons are for and I smile knowing that for a few minutes a day the kids know what Christmas is all about along and can see what a right focus can give in all of the talk of wanting and getting. I love the cozy feel of my living room and the smells of yummy treats.

People ask me every year about the story of the Jesus tree. Starting on December 1st it goes like this:

Day 1:

• GREEN TREE - Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love."
• WHITE LIGHTS - John 9:5 "I am the Light of the world."

Day 2:

• RED RIBBONS - Hebrews 9:22 "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin."
• SMALL BIBLES - John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Day 3:

• NAME TAGS - "I have called you by name, you are mine."

Day 4:

• SHEEP - John 10:14 "I am the Good Shepherd; I know my own sheep and my sheep know me."

Day 5:

• MAP - John 14:6 "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Day 6:

• BAR OF SOAP - 2 Cor. 5:21 "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God."

Day 7:

• GLUE/GLUESTICK - Hebrews 13:5b "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake
• you."

Day 8:

• MUSICAL NOTES/INSTRUMENTS - Zeph. 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

Day 9:

• SNOWFLAKES - Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful."

Day 10:

• HEARTS - John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

Day 11:

• ADOPTION PAPERS - Romans 8:15 "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery leading to fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father".

Day 12:

• PAINTBRUSH/PAINT ROLLER - Eph. 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works."

Day 13:

• ANGELS - Psalm 91:11 "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways."

Day 14:

• KLEENEX - Rev. 21:4 "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Day 15:

• EYEGLASSES - Isa. 43:4 "Since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you."

Day 16:

• MODELING CLAY/PLAY-DOH - Isa. 64:8 "We are the clay, You are the Potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Day 17:

• SHIELD/BADGE - Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped."

Day 18:

• CONSTRUCTION TRUCK/TOOLS - Phil. 1:6 "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Day 19:

• CANDY CANES - Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

Day 20:

• SILVER COINS - Matthew 26:14-15 "What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you? So they counted out for him thirty silver coins."

Day 21:

• BUTTERFLIES - 2 Cor. 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Day 22:

• NAILS - Acts 2:23 "This Man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death nailing him to the cross."

Day 23:

• CROSS - 1 Cor. 1:18 "For the world of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to those who are being saved it is the power of God."

Day 24:

• CROWN - John 18:37 "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

Day 25:

• WRAPPED PRESENTS - Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace we you have been saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is a GIFT of God.

You'll Be In My Heart

Stacey was about two when I introduced her to this song. It's from the Tarzan Disney movie, written by Phil Collins. David and I were visiting friends who had kids back when it was out in the theaters and although for 10 years of our marriage, we didn't have kids, we still were suckers for a good Disney movie. So, we went with our friends and their kids to see the movie.

Although the circumstances of my life have changed dramatically since then, I will never forget the years we wondered if we would ever have children. I heard the song "You'll Be in My Heart" in the movie and strange lyric rememberer that I am, I tucked it away for another day thinking "this will be a great lullaby song someday".

Fast forward to when the triplets were two. It was then that they each had to have their own song for me to sing to them before bed. There were many for them to choose from at the time but one night I remembered my experience in the theater watching Tarzan. I was a little disappointed with myself for not remembering it sooner since my "babies" were now two.

Stacey loved it from the start. Probably because at that stage she was crying almost every night because she never wanted to go to bed and the opening line to the song is "come stop your crying...". Or, maybe it was because it is the longest of all the songs I had sung to them which works perfect for her since she is the princess of dragging bedtime out as long as possible.

Whatever it is, it was a very fun thing to sit with her tonight at her piano lesson, and play her "night night" song with her as a duet. She was so excited to get it on video tonight with no mistakes, the only problem is that it is too big to post! :(

A Patchwork Quilt of Sorts

The commercial for cotton says that it is "the fabric of our lives". I know that some of these patches are cotton, but not all. No matter what the type, most of these patches are a part of the fabric of my life.

Finding the old pictures of the first quilt I made the other day reminded me of this "unofficial" first quilt that has been years and years in the making. It began as a treasured gift from an elderly woman named Bernice who would have my dad do jobs around her house and yard. It was a Holly Hobby sleeping bag.

I loved that sleeping bag. It was a tragic day when it got its first rip. We were playing in the yard and had it thrown over the end of the clothes line to make a tent. When I pulled on it to get it down, I heard the rip. The rip was shaped like an L so I took some fabric from my mom's leftover stash and hand stitched it over the rip.

From that time on, whenever there was a tear or a worn out spot, I would patch it. It became my "sick day" activity to sew patches on my quilt. My aunt Jo had a patched up blanket when she was a teenager that I thought was so cool. I think

it was her blanket that inspired me to keep patching my own.

At one point the zipper broke so I took it off and hemmed up the edges with strips of fabric. After some time I realized that this blanket told a story since most patches were leftover from some piece of clothing or fabric of interest in my life. Whether it was the stretch panel from Mom's double knit pair of maternity pants, my favorite pair of blue jeans, or the bottom of my boyfriend's (now husband's) many pairs of dress pants that I have hemmed for him through the years; there are patches that represent the many eras of my life.

These days I save swatches from Easter dresses I made for the girls or from worn out clothes that all three of my boys have worn that make me smile. There are 4 or 5 layers in some areas of this blanket and it is the warmest thing I have ever slept under. I love sharing the stories behind the patches with the people I love.

My First Quilt

I read on Jo's Country Junction (http://www.joscountryjunction.com/) this afternoon about first quilts. Jo wrote about Bonnie at Quiltville (http://quiltville.com/) who wanted to see first quilts. I smiled when I read her post because my first quilt was one that I made for my aunt Jeanne (Jo) as a gift for her wedding day. It was a little while after I left the computer when I started wondering if I had any pictures of that quilt stashed away somewhere.

I have been to Jo's house a couple of times to use her quilting machine to quilt three quilts I have worked on in the past 6 months. That is why it was very amusing to me to dig through piles and piles of old pictures because I found some!

This quilt was a 4-H project too so I documented it step by step for my records. Here is how it went back when I was 16. I sewed the top together and ironed it preparing to quilt. I also pieced together

a back for it as well.

After that, my mom and I cleared out all the furniture from the living room and spread out the back of the quilt on the floor right side down, pinning all of the edges down to the carpet. Having extra cushy carpet matting was a plus because the pins went right into the floor and stayed tight.

Once the back was pinned down to the floor and pulled tightly, I laid out the batting and put the top over both layers. At that point, the top was pulled tightly and also pinned to the carpet.

Starting on one side and going across, I pulled all layers up and placed pins every three to four inches across to hold it together.

After getting the whole quilt pinned together I was able to pick it up off of the floor and move the furniture back into the living room!

Pulling the sewing machine out of the sewing room, it was set up on the dining room table where there was enough room to spread out the quilt and sew across each seam line to get keep it all together. To bind the edge, the back was measured a few inches longer on each side of the quilt. I folded up a hem and stitched it. I know I have a picture of my dad helping me guide the large queen sized quilt through the sewing machine on the other side of the table. I couldn't find the picture in my search tonight but I do remember how he helped me. It was a great accomplishment for me. I didn't make another quilt again until I was 24 for my parent's 25th wedding anniversary, once again using the "stretch and pin to the living room floor" technique that my mother taught me. I thank Jo for her blog because it has been fun remembering and inspiring to think of new projects to do as well!

That Time of the Year Again

Well, it is that time of the year again, the time of the year when, if you haven't gotten any "accidental" pictures of your family all together in one place, you need to figure out a plan to get it done. This year I thought I would just stick to getting the kids together and see if it would work out. People don't care what the grown ups look like more than maybe every 5 years or so. It is always a plus if the whole family is in the same picture but you can definitely get by with just the children in the photo to send with the annual letter. I tried a family picture on Thanksgiving that was okay -I only had to clone one kid's "better face" into the picture so who knows what it will be this year when the actual letter goes out!

A Visit to the Museum

I have been looking through recent pictures today and am a little disappointed in myself for the lack of pictures from the second half of the year - especially pictures of the big kids in the house. I did run across some fun pictures that we took when the girls and I went to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Of course, that day we learned a lot about Grant Wood but also got to see Charles Willson Peale's portrait of George Washington which is visiting here in town too.

I do have to say that the most fun picture of the day is the one here of Dawn. She really took a lot of time looking at the paintings and this particular one produced quite a giggle when she went up and stood next to it. I love her eye for art and her way of explaining to me how different works make her feel. We got to enjoy a little bit of culture, even in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Ice Skating Fun

Michelle was here over the Thanksgiving holiday and when David asked her what she wanted to do she told him ICE SKATING! It was in 2008 when she was up for a visit that we took her ice skating for the first time because the triplets wanted to go.

A couple of things surprised me this time we were on the ice. Ryan and Chelle could be seen skating around the rink quite a lot. He said he enjoyed skating with his auntie. The other thing that surprised me was Zachary his first time on the skates.

Once we got the right size skate on his foot, he was determined to skate away from the wall. Within 15 minutes he was venturing out with the rest of them. He liked to find a straight line across the rink and see if he could stay on the line. He loved it even more when Dawn let him borrow her gloves. Dawn was a good help for him giving him all kinds of advice. I love seeing my kids working together to tackle a challenge. It was a fun day!

Sometimes Shortcuts are Okay

The girls' birthday party wasn't able to happen before September 30th because we had to be sure that all of the lice treatments were done (that is a whole DIFFERENT story for a different blog!)

It was a quick statement one afternoon that week "we could have an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen for your party" that got them excited enough that I could take a different route this year. I was totally ready to make their cakes but sometimes moms just have great ideas that make everyone happy!

So, rather than making two more cakes in September this year, we went to Dairy Queen. Everyone loved the cake and the 12-girl sleepover was a lot less work for this crazy-busy in September mom! I am SO okay with that!

The Strength of a Mother's Words

I am cruising toward middle age learning day by day how to parent children that are getting older. Meanwhile still trying new things myself, I will run into discouragement along the way. I spent my time on fun projects today. This afternoon I went into my sewing room and tackled this week's blocks, the star and the heart for our crumb quilt. (www.joscountryjunction.com)

I tried the star block on Tuesday and it was terrible. I didn't have anything to scale and the block was bigger than it should have been. Thankfully in crumb blocks, I can just cut it into strips and throw it in with other blocks. To "reset" so to speak, I went back to the flying geese I had started. There were two more to finish so that is what I started with. Then, on to some heart blocks. Those went better and I am excited to show Dawn because she will enjoy the hearts. I did tweak the second star block I tried on Tuesday and am pretty happy with it.

Being alittle unsure of myself and my quilting, I wasn't thinking too positively about my efforts. I don't know what led me to throw the squares I had done into my purse when I dropped the kids off at my mom's house for a sleepover. I chatted with her for a little while and told her about my day in the sewing room. She was of course supportive and wanted to see the squares. After showing her she actually "wowed" over them! I was surprised that she found them to be so good (my own opinion was not as high). So, I will keep working on my blocks, thanks to my mom who thinks I do pretty good work!

The Little Man I Spend My Days With

My day started out with quite a giggle this morning. Having Daddy gone all week has taken its toll and we are all ready for him to return tomorrow. My little man (spittin' image of his daddy) was in my bedroom with me as I was getting ready for my day. He looked down at the floor where his daddy's shoes were and he said "There's Daddy's shoes". In the automatic response mode that I spend most of my day in, I replied "Yes, those are Daddy's shoes". After a short pause he said "Daddy barefoot!" Precious, precious observation and with real concern in his tone that his father must be spending his entire week in Washington without his shoes.

Four off to school, one home with me. These last few weeks getting used to having a "tag-a-long" have been quite an adjustment for all of us. The big kids at school are doing well in their adjustment to a new school year. Matt and I? Well, we are a work in progress.

His most common question is "I help, Mommy?" So, I hoist him up on the dryer so he can throw dirty clothes into the washer, I show him where the plastic containers go when we are unloading the dishwasher, and well, you get the picture. Being the social creature that he is (my first social son), there always has to be a conversation going on. He is quite a blessing...totally unexpected, not so unlike many of the comments I find coming out of his mouth that fill my day with joy.

A Mother's Thoughts

This morning was one of those rough mornings. At least for a little while. The two little boys had a doctor's appointment. I had waited as long as I could before sending Zach to get his 4-5 year shots. You know, the controversy...do vaccines harm autistic children? I have read both sides of the debate. Doctors on both sides, saying the opposite things. Some with autistic children, some with funding from pharmaceutical companies.

I think that there are good points on both sides of the issue. But for this mom, I tend to lean toward the side that lines up the most with my experience. I have learned in this experience that medicine is not an exact science, and I wish I didn't I feel so inadequate to speak up. Our doctor is understanding and has told us he wants to support us in the things we would like in regard to Zach's care. But still, I don't always feel like I have any choice in the matter.

I started the morning talking to God about the whole thing. I woke up stressed out and worried. I asked Him to put a hedge of protection around his mind and his body in any of the areas that may be affected by the "not so good" things that are in the vaccines. This was one of those times I second guessed whether I know what is best for my child. Zach has made some great progress on his journey in the past two years or so. I can not be prouder of the determined little boy he has become. The last two times he has had shots we have noticed changes in his behavior and the amount of control he has. So, here we are again a few years down the road and I was a little worked up. I know that God has knit him together and knows every inch of him inside and out. He knows how he will react to the shots this time around and He knows all that the future holds. I know it in my head and I love that I can rest knowing that He loves Zachary even more than I do.

Zach was so tough when it came time to get the shots. As he told me a few times today "I didn't cry, Mom. Matthew cried and cried". We celebrated his bravery by eating out for supper. Each day that ends like today is one that I cherish. We got home from eating out and he told me as he got out of the van "Mom, I want to hug you because I love that we get to go to eat at a restaurant". Then as I closed the door of his room after tucking him in he said "I am going to love you Mom, I am going to love you a lot!" You just can't ask for more than that!

Two Boy's Birthdays

There are four Sloan birthdays this month. This year, the triplets decided to have a boy party and a girl party so as of today, two birthdays have been fully celebrated. The girls' will be having a sleepover party later this month. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen in September thinking of themes for the cakes and trying to surprise them with something unexpected. This year Matthew had a football/basketball/baseball cake and Ryan had R2D2's head. There are two more to bake next week so stay tuned...

Crumb Quilting

In the midst of the September birthdays and the cake baking, I started a crumb-along quilt project on my aunt's website Jo's Country Junction. The first week was flying geese blocks with all of the scrap pieces.

I still have different sized scraps from the girls' quilts that I finished last month. I am excited to use the squares for throw pillows and possibly curtains for their room depending how many squares I can make with the scraps.

These went together pretty quick and Dawn is excited to help make some too. I am also making squares from old shirts that David has worn way too many years, along with some very old calico type fabric that has been in my fabric bins for along time. Dawn went with me to Goodwill to find some fabric possibilities. I have three more started with the shirt fabric.

A Change of Venue

An anniversary; quiet candlelit dinner for two, wine, soft music in the background, scrumptious food that is way overpriced, an opportunity to wear that little black dress (the one that has grown just a little bigger through the years)...is that not the picture you think of when you think about an anniversary celebration? Well, tonight on my 19th anniversary, supper dishes are cleaned up, kids are playing in the backyard and husband is at band practice. It is okay, it gives me a chance to introduce the new blog. I still have a little time before the kids make it into their beds and my wonderful husband returns with the expensive cheese we will share with our wine this evening.

Call me a little bit strange, but after our 5th was born, I lost some of my enthusiasm for my "Fun with Four" blog. It felt like I was leaving him out. Speaking of my last born, it has been since his arrival that I have felt like my life has spun totally out of control. I have kept it pretty much under wraps for anyone looking in from the outside but I found myself many times wondering how in the world my mother and so many others I know with larger families keep it together?

I have read so many books on how to keep up with the housekeeping, how to plan meals and even how to train my children how to clean up after themselves. I even have Flylady telling me each day what I should be doing to keep up with my laundry and housework. After all of that I have determined that only I can answer that question...how do I keep it together?