Coordinating Clothing

OK, so I brought the children to the dentist last week. . . all four of them. BUT, my husband was with me, so it went rather smoothly. I stayed in the waiting room with Jessica, while hubby went with each boy as they took their turn getting their teeth cleaned.

As I sat in the waiting room, the receptionist kept chatting with me (amazingly, there were no other patients around). I heard the usual, "Wow, you have your hands full" and "Awww, you finally got your girl, huh?" 

When it was time to check out, she looked at the whole gang and was surprised that all the kiddos were wearing some form of orange. Like others before her, she asked, "Do you match them all the time?" The answer is NO, but I do tend to coordinate them more often than not. Part of it is a bit "OCD," but the other reason is purely logical.

Here are the kiddos in orange

Picture this: you are at the park with 3 boys - ages 4, 3, and 2. All are "mobile" and climbing and jumping everywhere. The park is crowded and you hear a blood-curdling scream. You rush over to find your youngest has tripped on his own two feet and whacked his head into the wooden frame. Blood is pouring out - as happens with any good head wound - and you realize you must head to the ER. But where are your other two children? Ahhh, there they are, with the bright orange shirts. You yell to the oldest the get the middle child and head to the car. Everyone is buckled in a matter of minutes, and off you drive. 

Has this particular circumstance happened to me? NO. But, I have often "lost track" of one while watching the other and I'd like to be prepared for the worst. THIS is why my children wear bright colored, coordinating shirts when we go to the park, mall, children's museum, fireworks display, etc.

Two words: semblance and sanity. The children looking similar gives me some sort of "peace."

Anyway, back to the dentist's office.

The receptionist also asked (in relation to the coordinating clothes), "What. . . did you read some sort of parenting book?" LOLOLOLOL! No, I did not. I was not trying to copy the Duggars as I did not even know who they were when I started this. I was just learning from experience, as we all do when we are parenting. 

Another reason for coordinating my children when they are in public, is so they don't look like this:

This is my middle son and a sample of his clothing choices. As you can tell from his facial expression, he is pretty goofy sometimes :) My oldest and youngest boys like things to match, but my middle son just doesn't care.

When we are at home, I don't really care what they wear, as long as they're dressed - lol! But when we are out in public, they are representing our family, so they need to look presentable!

We may not be able (or willing) to buy all name brands or the latest fashions, but I do want my children to look nice when we're out and about. So, if we have an appointment in the morning or even just plan on doing some errands, I lay out their "nice" clothes. I don't let them wear jeans with holes in the knees or shoes that are scuffed and torn. I want them to learn to be proud of how they look without becoming cocky about how they look.

As an adult, doesn't it bother you when other adults are shopping in their pj's and slippers or waltzing around without any undergarments?!? It sure bothers me! I'm not saying that I always wear make-up or that my hair is always done, but I surely don't want people to think I just crawled out of bed!

And speaking of "crawling out of bed". . . if you look closely, you can see Kyle's hair sticking up quite dramatically. It is past the point of needing a haircut, so I would definitely have combed it. . . if we had gone out today!

Thanks a lot, Pinterest! ;)

So, most of my friends know how "addictive" Pinterest can be! I, personally, don't have time to sit at the computer and peruse for hours on end, so I just browse on my phone while I'm feeding the baby.

Apparently, I browse often enough. I have enough ideas for cooking, decorating, and even exercising to last me for the next 10 years! Unfortunately, the time to carry out these ideas, seems impossible to find.

I have done a few things, so I thought I'd share :)

These are photos of my kids mounted on cereal boxes. I covered the boxes with black fabric, then used spray adhesive to add the photos I had printed. Very inexpensive, and pretty easy too!

I saw this idea on Pinterest, except the lady had the letters for "Mr. & Mrs." For some reason, Hobby Lobby is the only place I could find large letters. . . and they were all out of M's! Anyway, I still think it's cute ;)

Our bed, obviously, could use a headboard. When we upgraded to a California King, we did not upgrade our headboard. I'm sure I can find an idea to make my own on Pinterest somewhere!

Jack of All Trades. . .Master of None

My father is truly a "jack of all trades."

I don't remember my parent's ever calling an electrician or plumber. They didn't hire a chimney sweep or a carpet installer. I honestly don't remember my dad ever taking our vehicles to a mechanic! My parents remodeled our kitchen themselves (including staining all the cabinets!). And my dad also built his own garage/barn himself and re-sided our house on his own. He could plant and maintain a garden and also bake a great, wholesome loaf of bread. He laid his own concrete sidewalk and tore down and rebuilt the back porch too!

I think part of the reason he did everything himself is because he did not want to pay someone else to do something he could do on his own, but another reason is because he likes to stay busy with his hands. My dad is definitely a "doer!" And I don't mean that he is NOT a "thinker," but he just likes to stay busy.

Apparently, I have inherited the same behavior. The problem with being a "jane of all trades," is that I truly am a "master of none!"

I can hem or patch some pants, but I couldn't sew a dress. I can bake cookies or brownies, but can't "properly" decorate a cake. I can entertain children, but not throw an elaborate birthday party. And the list goes on. . .

It is nice that I don't need to call anyone when I want to make chicken noodle soup, but it would be nice to excel at something! I see people post pics on Facebook of beautiful hair bows they made or a 5 course meal they created. Sometimes it makes me a bit jealous, but fortunately, my family does not care.

The truth is, I like to stay busy. This means I want to accomplish as much as possible in as little time as possible. So, if that means that nothing I do is absolutely perfect, then I'm okay with that. After all, it is more important that my children are fed 3 times a day than have 1 meal with bunny shaped pancakes with fruit and yogurt on the side ;)

So. . . to all the "jane of all trades" out there - be glad you can do so much! I mean, our goal in life is to raise happy, healthy children. . . not win an award for the prettiest floral arrangement, right?!?

Sa-weeeeet Tea!

When my husband and I were first married, I gave my mother-in-law a call to get a recipe from her. Not a recipe for her mac and cheese or her moist chocolate cake, but her recipe for sweet tea.

You see, growing up in Massachusetts, sweet tea was not the drink of choice. People around me drank Moxie, Tab, and Root bear (also all known as tonic) along with other basics such as milk or juice. I do remember having ice tea, but it was sweetened with a few packs of Sweet and Low.

The tea on which my husband grew up was sweet - too sweet for me, but perfect for him! Over the years I took her recipe and tweaked it to my husband's taste. He recently told me that I should share the recipe. Each night he brings a whole gallon to work because his coworkers prefer it over anything they could bring themselves.

I know most everyone knows the process of making tea, so here I'll just list the measurements I use:

2 large tea bags (sometimes called "family size" or "ice tea blend")

1 1/2 cups of sugar

Simple enough! Just be sure you add the sugar to the hot tea and mix until it is completely dissolved! Enjoy!!

How Does Your (Kinder) Garden Grow?

Since I teach my children at home, I thought it would be fun to post some pics of our school/play room. Zachary does K5, Kyle does K4, and Evan does. . .hmmm what does Evan do? I don't know, but he obviously is listening since he knows most of his letters and numbers! It is so nice to have a separate place to contain toys, books, art supplies. . . kids ;)

Here is pic of my son working diligently. We are currently using the train table for school work AND playing.

I hope to find a small table and chair set soon though.

Here is a close up of our calendar. I have had this since I started teaching in '96 (wow - am I that old?!?). I have a different theme each month and the pattern becomes progressively harder each month. As you see, in March, there is a pattern of 5 different colors of kites. I think adding each day is my Kyle's favorite part of school ;)

Here's another pic. The clock is also above, but isn't shown in the picture.

Here's a way to use foam letters from one of those alphabet floor mats (found one at a yard sale). I'm pretty sure Evan must have walked off with our "Z." The letters are on with double sided tape but can be removed easily.

In the corner by the door I have all their crayons, markers, scissors, stickers, play dough, etc on a shelf. The chalkboard/whiteboard easel is also there. Since there is a place to keep this stuff, it is much easier for them to take care of it on their own!

I saw this idea on Pinterest and it works great! Instead of them littering my fridge, each boy has a clipboard on which to put his papers. I go through at the end of the week and file "important" ones while throwing away the rest. Kyle loooves putting papers up, but as you can see, Evan could care less - lol!

And after a long day of work, we have a TV with DVD/VCR for their movies. My older two can operate this themselves, so it helps when I'm feeding the baby or cooking dinner. The most used toys are on the shelves around them while other toys are in the "storage room." Isn't it amazing how toys accumulate?!? On rainy days, I'll take out a box from the storage room and they get all excited about "finding" things they thought were missing.

Well, that's a peek into part of our life. Hope you enjoy!

Why Does She Dress Like That?!?!

Wow, seems I haven't "blogged" for a while! Guess I've been a little busy with moving. . . and unpacking. . . and a constantly sick baby. Well, here's hoping I can get back on track!

I wanted to write about my dress standards because I read a quote that inspired me. "Dress in front of other men as you would want women to dress in front of your husband." It led me to think that people may not know why I wear skirts/dresses all the time. I don't intend this to be "preachy" at all! I grew up wearing all different types of clothes and did not have my current standard of dress until I was in my early 20's.

Let me start off by telling you that I do NOT have this dress standard because I attend a Baptist church and I do NOT have this standard because my husband. . . or father. . . told me I should. My dress standard was a personal choice that took months to become "settled" in my heart. I will also state, the way I dress is a STANDARD not a CONVICTION. As a former pastor once stated, "If a man with a gun tells you to put on a pair of slacks, PUT THEM ON!" This is not something I will die for . . . or leave friends for. . . or preach at somebody.

OK, so now let me give you some of my history.

I grew up a "tom boy." I loved playing with LEGOS (and they didn't have pink ones back then) and Matchbox cars. I HATED Barbie and only had 1 or 2 other dolls (one of which was a Cabbage Patch Kid my grandmother won for me). I loved climbing trees and playing in mud puddles. I got greasy with my dad when he worked on the car and I climbed up on the roof with him when he was fixing the shingles. I played soccer and tennis. Up until 6th grade, I could run faster than anyone in my class (which included a group of 20 boys) and I could beat all but one in arm wrestling. I loved riding my bike and playing outside and beating up boys :)

Now, none of those things is wrong. I hope my own daughter will enjoy some of those activities (I know she'll learn to beat up boys!). But, the thing with me, is that I didn't want to be a "lady" AT ALL! I hated dresses. . .oh, and those Easter hats! I didn't paint my nails or wear bows in my hair. I didn't dress up like a princess or read fairy tales (I did read a lot of Nancy Drew though). I did not want to learn to cook or sew or clean. Ironically, I did like ballet (but not the tutu part). ;)

So, I grew up wearing pants and often put my hair in a ponytail. When I started going to a Christian school, the dress code required me to wear knee length skirts and nylons - blech! Needless to say, I did not own any and my mom had to take me on a shopping trip. Through high school and college, I had the same dress code, so I obeyed the rules, but it was not my personal standard.

When I was in my 20's, I attended a church that "preached" standards. By that, I mean, the pastor would give Biblical reasons why he had certain standards in his life (not smoking or drinking, not listening to certain music, how his family dressed, etc.). I think it was the first time I had heard such preaching.

The Lord started working in my heart and led to two thoughts that really formed my dress standard. First of all, I wanted the way I dress to be modest and secondly, I wanted it to show others that I am a lady.

As for being modest, I know there are some who will say, "If a man looks at you the wrong way, that is his problem." WRONG! It is not his problem - it's his natural tendency. He is a man. That is how God created him. If you have a man who does not notice a woman in tight jeans or a low cut shirt, then I'm sorry. Men were made to be attracted by sight. And on a side note, that's why you should stay attractive for your husband :)

Others will say, that dressing "does not a lady make." And you are correct - to some degree. I am a woman no matter how I dress, but for me, dressing in skirts helps me to act more like a lady. When I wear skirts, I don't sit with my legs spread open. When I wear skirts I don't bend over with my behind in the air. When I wear skirts, I usually "feel" more dressy and therefore "hold" myself differently. I command more respect.

Take for a minute, the lady in Proverbs 31. She was a hard worker, no doubt, but she also earned the respect of others. She bought fields and sold linen. I assume this means she did business with men - which was not the custom in those days. That leads me to believe they respected her. And also, she didn't run around in "house clothes." The Bible states she dressed in "silk and purple." She didn't look like a "street rat." She had wisdom and was virtuous.

Now, I said all that to explain my dress standards. I do not intend this to change anyone else's mind. I have many friends who dress differently than I do. They are still my friends, and I do appreciate the fact that most of them dress modestly, even if their standard is different than mine.

Our pastor has said, "What do you think when you see a lady in a skirt?" The answer? She's a Christian (or at least she's religious). How you dress identifies you (whether you like it or not). I'm proud to think that people may see me and think "Christian" instead of seeing me and thinking "Soccer Mom." Although, to be honest, most people who see me probably think "Baby Factory" - lol!

Anyway, that's my two cents and you can take it or leave it. I just felt like taking the chance to explain my dress standard. Everyone has a standard, whether they can explain it or not. I am glad I know why I do what I do, and that I am able to give an answer to others!

I Did It!!!

On January 1st, 2012, I set out on a 30 day challenge to not eat any sugar or foods that act like sugar. That meant NO SWEETS, no bread, no pasta, no chips, no crackers, no store bought salad dressing or dip or barbecue sauce, no cereal, no flavored yogurt, no pizza, no juice, no potatoes or corn or bananas, no hot chocolate or coffee with creamer. Many other things were off limits too, but. . . I DID IT!!!

You may wonder, "What on earth did she eat?"

I ate carrots or apples with all natural (and sometimes homemade) peanut butter, salad with homemade dressing, lots of eggs, chicken and ground beef, plain yogurt with fruit, and sauteed vegetables. I ate spaghetti squash instead of pasta, and learned how to make chili and meat sauce that was sugar free.

So then you ask, "Was it worth it?!?!"

Definitely, YES! Not only did I lose 15 lbs and 4 in off my mid-section, but I also realized how to "survive" without sugar! Do you know how many things contain sugar?!?

Look at the labels of the products in your pantry and fridge. There is some form of sugar in just about everything! Why? Because sugar is addictive. . . and companies want us to buy more and more of their products!

During the first two weeks of my journey, I was hungry all the time. . . so I ate all the time - but the weight still came off! I stuffed myself "chock full of nuts" ;) I love almonds, cashews, and macadamia nuts, so I ate them as much as I pleased. They do contain fat, but it's a "good" fat.

After those initial two weeks, it seemed my body "regulated" itself and I became less hungry which resulted in snacking less. It was amazing!

I thought this lifestyle would be too expensive (there are not usually coupons for fresh produce, dairy, and meat), but once my body was cleansed from all the sugar, it seemed I required less food. In the end, it wasn't any more expensive because I was eating less.

My 30 days are done, but I am still maintaining a mostly sugar-free diet (I did eat some of my son's b'day cake today). I used to live for my piece of dark chocolate every afternoon, but yesterday I tried a piece and it tasted too sweet! I do like pasta, so I will probably add in some of the whole wheat variety and I do like baking, so I will try some recipes that have less sugar.

Another benefit from my taking on this "challenge," is that I found my children like many "non sugar" items, so they have been eating healthier too! All of them eat salad and fruit - and would often walk off with one of the carrots I had just peeled for myself.

I am very glad I chose to try this "challenge," and would like to "challenge" you to investigate the harm that sugar can cause. I'm no expert, so I won't try to inform you, but look into it! I feel like my body is working properly and is getting healthy again.

Now to lose another 15!