Week 2: Interpret a Song - Breathe

My favorite song right now is Breathe by Jonny Diaz.  Every time it comes on the radio, Meiners says, "Mom!  The right song at the right time!" because really?  I need that song every moment of every day.  After the millionth moment of absolutely losing my marbles this week, I posted this in our kitchen:

"No Drama Momma" became my battle cry.  I have to admit - it helped.  Mostly.  I would guess my moments of complete and utter loss of control of my patience reduced by...maybe 10%?  Nah.  I kid.  Mostly.  

Way more like 12%.

Grandma and Grandpa came for pasta dinner and a sold out Beginning Violin concert!

Grammie enjoyed dinner and the concert, too!

Yikes.  Just breathe?  Baby?

Ouch.  Breathe. 

Xopenex helps her Breathe!

In addition to BREATHING and REMEMBERING that Jesus wins in the midst of the chaos of single-parenting while The Mister worked out of town with a winter concert this week and extra rehearsals, basketball practices, breakfasts and dinners and crazy school lunch spending, three different school starts, work, two hour bean bag snuggle conversations discussing painful childhood moments for one of my people, and additional doctor's visits because someone broke his arm, we also enjoyed an exorbitant amount of coughing that led to a stethoscope to a chest and every-four-hour breathing treatments.  Oh yeah.  Breathe.  And Just Be.  Because chaos calls and all I really need is for Him to blow air into my lungs (and into hers!) and to keep me moving and going and ultimately worshiping because truly, that is the only point.  He reigns.  He gives.  He wins.  It is good.  It is good to rest at God's feet, and to just be.  Take it in.  Fill your lungs with the peace of God that overcomes.  Lay down what's good and find what's best.  

Love this kid!

He is just the best!

Love.

Lyrics to Jonny Diaz's song Breathe:

Alarm clock screaming bare feet hit the floor
It’s off to the races everybody out the door
I’m feeling like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life
Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life
It’s ready, set, go it’s another wild day
When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel you say just

Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe

Third cup of joe just to get me through the day
Want to make the most of time but I feel it slip away
I wonder if there’s something more to this crazy life
I’m busy, busy, busy, and it’s no surprise to see
That I only have time for me, me, me
There’s gotta be something more to this crazy life
I’m hanging on tight to another wild day
When it starts to fall apart in my heart I hear you say just

Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need

Is to take it in fill your lungs
The peace of God that overcomes
Just breathe
So let your weary spirit rest
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best
Just breathe

Just breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe
Just breathe

And the video:

Week 1: Beginnings

2016 is upon us, and I am challenged by the beginning of a new year and a dear friend.  Let's get started!

I do try to keep the kids' activities to only one apiece, but this year I threw all restraint to the wind.  The kids are doing more than ever, and so are The Mister and I.  First up, ice skating lessons.

The kids' big brothers and big sisters invited them to ice skate in December.  The idea is a great one in theory, but only Sashi has ice skated before.  With the fear of Pookie falling and the awareness of how sore my back was after helping only Sashi skate with Girl Scouts last year, I knew having them go with the med school kids would be disastrous.  Insert ice skating lessons as an experience gift for Christmas.  Great idea!  Only The Mister didn't think so.  He was convinced someone would get hurt.  "But the first thing they'll learn is how to fall safely!  What could go wrong?!" I questioned repeatedly.  

First Ice Skating Lesson Day came on Friday.  All the kids were excited!  A few of them eagerly awaited the start of class so impatiently that they insisted on going out on the ice before lessons began.  Initially, I firmly said, "No!" but my resolve abated and out they went.  Except the oldest.  He said he would stay put.  My absent-minded-because-I-was-intensely-preoccupied-with-worry-about-the-three-already-on-the-ice response of "Do whatever you want T" came across as a taunt, so out he went.  He made it to the middle and back - I was thrilled!  When he shuffled out one more time, however, he took a tumble while I wasn't looking, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Arm broken, skating lessons, snowboarding lessons, and basketball on hold.  (I said I had thrown our cautious schedule to the wind, right?  Maybe this is God's way of saying I really should slow down.  Maybe.)

Another first and new beginning is CYC basketball for Meiners.  He played with Upward for five years but looked for a more competitive league this year.  Unfortunately for my little athlete, he didn't make the Junior High team :( :( :( so he decided to try the catholic league.  It hasn't been without bumps in the road - boys who have played together themselves for years found it difficult to welcome a new boy, but his second game was this weekend.  They didn't win, but last year his team was Division III and they won the league, so they were moved up to Division I.  Then, the team they played yesterday was the team who won the entire championship last year.  Great competition for Meiners to improve upon!  He came off the court red faced and sweaty, having loved every minute of it!  Seems it will work out just fine.

Other beginnings include new books for Sashi.  At Barnes and Noble this week, she chose the newest American Girl book.  She was thrilled to discover Lea is from St. Louis!  I love that the St. Louis heroine is traveling to Brazil and will be studying animals.  Little S thinks for now that she herself will be either a vet or a teacher.  We also bought her a pristine, new Kumon book to practice her multiplication.  That particular book thrills her far less.  I'll take the good with the bad.  ;)

For me, the end of my quiet, leisurely mornings by the tree before dawn, sipping on toasty chocolate-laced coffee and immersing myself in bible study, listening to the newest Amy Grant Christmas CD or simply reading for pleasure has come.  Instead, 5AM workouts have begun again.  6AM kid wake up calls have returned.  Slurping cold coffee between trips to school and hopping in the shower at the last minute before running to work has become my new normal again.  I've contemplated words for the year and resolutions, loosely landing on "Joy" and "Prayer," neither finding itself on a necklace or refrigerator magnet.  Resolutions are more contemplations in my mind than decisions, yet this one - this 52 week challenge - came at the right time.  A good time to begin photos and writing, connecting and catching up.

Here's to Happy Beginnings in 2016!

October 5th

It's a soccer time of year.  We have three in soccer this year.  It's a first.  It's crazy.

This weekend, we have three soccer games at three different times (thankfully, really) at three different locations.  Apparently, it's also against the rules to post pictures of CYC games without written permission from the other team.  So we won't be doing that.

But here are some from the Baptist league - they aren't so picky:

that's Mr. T in the blurry electric blue shorts in the middle yellow shirt - goalie!

It was also a "Let's Make This Place Festive and Get Out of This Funk" kind of weekend, so out came the Halloween decorations.  The kids helped a little.  I really need to let go of that control more.  Everything Meiners put out was perfectly positioned, but my first response when they ask, "Can I help?" is like fingers on a chalkboard and dissonant noise in my ear - I hike my shoulders up to my earballs and sneak off like I didn't hear.  Poor kids.

Happy Fall!

SOMEone turned FIVE this weekend!

A little bit of cuteness celebrated a milestone birthday Sunday!  I remember my fifth birthday!  I wonder if she will remember hers...

The night before her birthday, I waited and waited for Sashi to finally fall asleep so I could dec out her room in the style the kids have become accustomed!  Two of the sibs were still awake and helped blow up and distribute the balloons!  I sure appreciated the help!

I left the doorway unfettered since the last time I paper~taped one shut Mr. T busted through it instead of the intended recipient (Meiners!)!  I also didn't want little Sashi to get scared or have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and have no way out of her room!  Taping the doorway shut may be an older kid fun-omena!  Taping up the bed with a distinct escape route was top notch for this five year-old!

Sash insisted we not do Bread Co in spite of our long-standing Sunday morning ritual.  She wanted pancakes.  What Momma could say no to that face?  Pancakes for a princess indeed!  And they always get their number, so I of course had to oblige!

Saturday Dad and the boys built this stellar playhouse ~ so that was the primary entertainment while Sashi waited for her cake I mean party! 

I've wanted one of these for the kids for a decade! How cool would it be to be little again and have this house in the backyard for hours upon hours of imaginative play?! Three of them played all afternoon in there, taking orders and answering phone calls!   Loved it!

Between playing and cleaning up for the family party, the kids decorated Sashi's birthday cake.  She wanted a cake with her face on it.  My friend Christi made a stellar RAINBOW cake last week for her daughter, so when I suggested this one to Sash, she was all smiles, and a birthday cake concept was born!

Oh man ~ I may complain about the details along the way (and I use the term 'concept cake' loosely!  Rosie sure makes it look easy on her blog!), but I loved the anticipation of eating this fun cake!  I have a few lessons to learn about fondant, but when you're five, do you really care if your cake has extra cracks and pleats?  Wouldn't Fancy Nancy just call that "unique enhancements?"  I think absolutely.  :)

Everyone had a chance to put something meaningful on the cake!  From her love of flowers and all things watering them, to her desired 'face picture' alongside siblings...to maybe even a few of those siblings' favorte things...Using the edible markers was a challenge, but we got the hang of it, and I really love how it turned out!  Wrinkles in fondant and all!

Sunday was a busy and fun-filled day for our five year-old super star!  Here are five of the top reasons why I truly think she is a super star!

1.  She is very responsible.  (It may not be fair to say the most responsible sibling, but it's true and life isn't fair!)  When you tell Sashi to do something, you can turn around, and she'll have it done!

2.  She is a hard worker!  This goes with number one, but not only that, she said yesterday, "I love to work hard Dad" and that is Truth.  She desires to vacuum like the big kids.  I vote we let her!

3.  She colors constantly and has a great eye for putting colors together in unexpected ways that turn out beautifully!  She loves to color with me, too!  (Except my color combinations are not as fun as hers!)

4.  She has a sweet tooth that just won't end, but she'll eat any combo of fruit, vegetable, or other to get her hands on a piece of the sweet stuff!  She's one of my best eaters!  (As long as I don't let her snack all day!)

5.  She is just the most adorable, squeezy, sweet, little cuddler and baby girl around and I love her to pieces!

Love you Sashi~girl!  To the moon and beyond!  Can't believe you're five!  I'm so proud to continue to watch you grow and mature and develop while being your momma!  God's got the greatest of plans for you! 

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!  And yes, you'll always be my baby!

jingle every night

Sashi received this Jingle the Husky pup intereactive plush toy and story book from us for Christmas. 

To say she adores it is an understatement.  It has become a staple of her bedtime routine.  Threatening not to read Jingle has high obedience value.  We have literally read it every night since Christmas.  If not me, then Meiners or Pookie.  It clearly states in the book that Jingle does not respond to all children's voices, but it doesn't stop them from trying.  And we've discovered that saying the target sentences together leads to pretty successful responses from Jingle.  It is truly an amazing toy and a favorite from the whole season.  Sashi insists we will read it every day until she turns five (six months from now, by the way).  Then she will immediately outgrow it.  {Apparently she is clairvoyant.}  So I figured I'd better document it now.  Before it's too late.  ;)

The cool thing is she has the entire story memorized and relishes the opportunity more often than not lately to "read" it to me.   I sure love that kid. 

it's just too easy to forget

Last week Meiners spent a day at home with Sashi and me since he woke up with a fever and some achiness.  Of course, by 10:00 he felt like a super hero ... or maybe he just acted like one as he leaped from couch to coffee table to fireplace hearth to beanbag to couch again.  In a single bound.

But later as he and Sashi sat at the counter giggling and mostly ignoring their lunches, I stood back and marveled at how quickly I'd forgotten what a help he used to be with her before he left us for school full day.  They were bosom buddies, best friends, she was his sidekick and he her mentor.  I loved their relationship back then.  I still do, but I see its evolution.  She's peskier with him now.  Has her own opinion and doesn't cater to his every whim as she used to.  He still adores her and wants her undivided love and attention.  Sometimes, nowadays though, she scoffs at his attempts to kiss her lips or hug her or his desire to lead her.

Then again, sometimes she just adores him back and all is still well with the world.

Shopping with a 4 year-old

Sashi is an entrepreneur.  Her favorite playtime activity is "shopping."  This is when she arranges things in her room is such a way as to make it look a little boutique-y and then invites me in to "shop."  She's the store owner.  I get to play various types of customers.  (She doesn't appreciate the crabby teenager who's always on the phone.  She does tend to like the cowgirl from Texas, but she mostly asks for the mom lately...)

Before Christmas, she used our coffee table as her register, sliding items across the top and providing a tell-tale "beep" verbally.  About half-way through December, however, she began to confide in me, er I mean her customer, that she would be receiving a new cash register from Santa.  I always oohed and aaahed over the consideration but encouraged her to keep the coffee table one since it was such a unique antique.

Anyway, lo and behold Christmas morning, Santa came through.  He brought her a talking cash register that scans, adds, identifies coins, accepts debit cards, and even offers discounts to repeat customers (no lie).  She was in heaven!

Now, "shopping" has reached an entirely new level.  We go almost every day.  And when we don't go, I get told.  And made to promise that we will go tomorrow.

It is definitely one of those quirky play time routines that I want to remember because it is so endearing.  And will change before I know it.

Cherishing these days.

:: How to Make {Diva} Flip Flops ::

How cute are these feet?  I know! 

You can't even see those finely pedicured tootsies under those ADORABLE BOWS!  You wanna know how we made those, right?  Right?

I let Sash have 'a friend party' last week.  A party of one ---> her BFF Miss R.  {As our beloved preschool teacher Miss Jane always says, "You wrap it up and put a hat on it and [to a preschooler] it's a party!"  I l.o.v.e. that!}  At the last minute - as always - we decided our 'goody bag' should be filled with Diva Flip Flops.  So ~~ without further adieu ~~

:: How to Make Diva Flippy Flops ::

First and foremost, Meiners and I watched this video that completely explains the ribbon-into-bow process in real-time.  Feel free to watch her and enjoy her southern drawl. 

Then come back 'cuz here's our bow-making process for Sashi and her BFF's birthday 'party' take-homes. 

First ~ Wrap.

Pinch and stitch.

Repeat.

Stitch all ribbons together in desired layers.

Wrap thread around the ribbon bundle and pull tightly.  Knot.

Take another string and use it to crisscross wrap the bow onto the flippy flop.  Tie tightly.

Now, here's where we deviated from the Mickey Mouse diva flippies that Meiners made.  For the teacher's custom fabric-wrapped buttons, we used this button maker from Hobby Lobby - after ironing on pre-fab stitched monograms also purchased there.  BUT, for S&R, Sashi found PINK pre-fabbed monogram pins that she insisted we use.  So - once the ribbons were securely attached, we stuck the pins in.  It might be wise to glue the pin part shut to avoid future oops-sticks.  We'll have to do that {Note to Kimberly}.   In the meantime...voila!

Diva Flippies.
Enjoy!

when mommy has gray hair...?

The other morning while playing, Sashi matter-of-factly told me:  "This grey-haired one is the mom.  That pretty one over there is the grandma."

I provided the perfunctory grunt as I went about making lunch.  But later?  Later when I bent down to play and realized what she'd said, I have to admit.  I was a little taken aback.  What exactly is she trying to say??

Hey - at least I've still got my driving skills.

More Awesome Photos!

Seriously, Folks. How could I not follow the last post up with this series of photos? See that? That right there?


What's that girl doing? Is she break dancing?

What girl?

THIS one:
Wait, wait, wait. Wait just a minute. You can't tell from this angle? You think she's just 'Doin' the Mit'n?

Yeah. You might think so. Til I zoom in on this:



She's doin' the mit'n dance all right. My mom told me she was gonna hate me for this one day. I told my mom I had every intention of showing it to Sasha's future husband before she walks down the aisle.

Full disclosure. That's all I'm saying.