I'm DOing it again, someone stop me!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am doing it again. I am trying to figure out my life. The basic idea that it's my life is comic anyway. My life is in a place I would never have chosen nor hoped that it would be. Don't get me wrong, I love all of it...but, were it my choice there would be housekeepers and much travel abroad involved, let's be honest. I have come to a place where I've been asked into a position I had previously held and had left because I had Bunny. I thought that my leaving would open up the opportunity to persue my doula/massage therapist aspirations. The position is a voluntary one teaching bible preschool. I've been bouncing back and forth as to whether or not I should accept the position.
CON: It eats up 2 morning/early afternoons a week.
PRO: I can bring Bean & Bunny with me both days and my niece with me 1 day
PRO: Bean won't be home those mornings messing up the house (which I'm pretty sure has been her new objective lately)
CON: It's going to make it a whole lot harder/stressful to persue my career
PRO: Bunny is still so young that I really just need to meet the minimal requirements which is 3 births by July
PRO: I'll be immersed in God's word daily which always helps bring a little clarity to things
CON: I'll be affecting the lives of other people like my brother who will have to babysit both of my girls for a few weeks while I'm in training
PRO: I'll be helping to start a program that will enable other mothers (who don't have 'Uncle Brothers' to help them )with small babies to attend the Bible study
PRO: I may be able to toss a little $$$ Brother's way before the holidays

Obvoiusly, the PROS outweigh the CONS right now. I have my husband's support either way. I do love to see God at work....maybe all the babies will be born on the weekends. Hmmmmmmmmm. Something to continue to think and pray about. Either way, I've come to the conclusion that it's not my decision, it's God's. I'm praying for guidance and clarity in this matter and leaving it all up to Him...I'm trying anyway.

Busy Bee

Well, it's been a while since my last post. I've been quite the busy little (using the term loosely) bee lately. we've been using the mild weather to get outside and do some much needed yard maintenance. I've finished up my quilt and sent it off. I'm not the quilt maker I hoped to be, but it wasn't so bad. And yes, Beanbag did cut off all of her bangs a few days before I snapped this picture. At least the yellow highlighter that she had used for makeup was gone. We've been putting the finishing touches on Bird's big girl room. The wall is painted, curtains made and hung, closet organized, and feng shuied to the best of my limited knowledge and capability. We've also established our Missions Board for our Miss Rebecca. We have pictures, prayer requests and maps all on a posterboard to remind us to pray for Miss Rebecca and her ministry StreetHeArt . I've also been preparing for a craft bazaar at the grange after Thanksgiving. I've been finishing up some colored pencil cases, drawing aprons, aprons, and jewelry. Today I plan on starting some wallets and change purses. The car's in the shop and I'm pretty much stuck at home, might as well make the best of it. Gotta go. BuZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Fashion

Fashion is one of the battles of life with my girls that I choose not to engage in. Not only do I feel that clothing is a way to express one's individuality, but I also like that they dress themselves. I have to admit that I do highly encourage modesty and frown upon the lack thereof. I will give my two cents on picture days and the like, but I will usually stay out of it. Today was one of those days that maybe needed a little more battle from my end. Bean's been out of preschool since last Thursday because at any given moment SOMEBODY was sick in our house and I just hate sharing cooties. So, being that it was her first day back, she decided she wanted to wear her jean dress. It has long sleeves and is really cute. It's a bit short for my liking so I usually suggest pants or tights and have been received quite well, until this morning. Yesterday was my day of illness and I asked my father to pick Bird up from school (she was the first one to be sick and is well over it) and grab us something for dinner. Not only did Poppy bring pizza (favorite), but he also brought each girl a huge tattoo. Bird's was a sparkly silver bird and Bean's was a flaming heart. Both girls decided to put their tattoos on their shins. Now I'm not sure if it is because the tattoos are huge or if their shins are so small, but Bean's entire left shin is covered with her flaming heart which is completely exposed due to the lack of pants or tights. Bean also decided to wear her red sparkly 'Dorothy' shoes to match the red in her tattoo. When she sat down to breakfast, she commented on how her 'butt was chilly'. When I told her she might reconsider the pants/tights subject, her response was a matter of factly stated "But then it won't be fancy." Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It is important for us girls to feel fancy, especially after being sick, isn't it? So off my 3 year old went to preschool with a miniskirt, tattoo and fancy shoes. Fashion beat Function today! Tomorrow? The dress will be donated to Goodwill.

Taking out the Trash

I've hit one of those times in my life where I can't handle any of it any more. I went away for the weekend with just the baby in order to get a little relaxation. When I returned home, I realized the difference between relaxing and resting. Relaxing to me means the absence of daily chores and household maintenance. Which is exactly what I did while visiting a very dear friend and her family. Resting to me (which is now obvious) is sleeping. Hours upon hours of lost sleep regained through a day or two of uninterrupted SLEEEEEEEEEP. Needless to say, with Bunny being with me, my version of rest did not occur. So, when I came home to all the usual mayhem and chaos, I couldn't handle it. Sug wasn't feeling well (we know how that goes). Bird has been feeling particularly rebellious and defiant, and Bean is out of control. Her screaming, whining and crying has been a constant for a few weeks now. My sleep deprived mama brain can only bear so much and the amount has been exceeded for a while. I would be lying if I said that I didn't consider abandoning it all. I had plotted a month long undetected escape. Unfortunately, the type A personality that thrives within my being got caught up in the logistics and I was violently thrashed back into reality and the need for change. It is time for our family to take out the trash. Potty mouths, violence, back talk, disobedience, whining and screaming are all being kicked to the curb. Last night, I watched about 6 episodes of Supernanny and began to really take notes on what seems to work and why. I also began to pray to know and understand my children better so that I can execute the proper guidance and discipline required to each as an individual. I will also be implementing a special Mommy time and Daddy time for each child each month. My time away with Bunny will be her Mommy Time for the month. Bird and I will be attending a clothes swap this Friday evening and Beanbag and I will be touring our CSA farm and how it operates on Sunday afternoon. As far as Daddy time is concerned, I really want them to figure it out on their own (says the control freak). I'm ready to change the atmosphere of this house from children vs parents to our family vs the world. Keep us in your prayers as I am well aware of the fact that I can't do this properly on my own.

Shots

To immunize or not to immunize that is the question. It freaks me out to think that every time I allow my children to get a shot, I am allowing them to be exposed to harmful chemicals. Not only are they exposed, but they are being infested by them. I have to admit my lack of research and knowledge in this department. I only know by past experience. Beanbag got one of her MMR shots and ended up with a case of the measles. I think she was somewhere around 8 months old. Today, I have to bring her in for her yearly physical and in order to keep her in the preschool she currently attends, there's a good probability that she will need some shots today. I will be bringing Tylenol for the pain and have promised chicken nuggets for lunch, but I will be praying the whole way there and for the next few days that all will be well. This may be just the thing that starts my research. Unfortunately, it appears as thought the public school system has made my decision for me.

Ahhhhhhhh

The big birthday bash is over. I can breathe a sigh of relief. It rained. We survived. The kids actually had a great time playing in the mud and rain. Overall, it was a good day. Although, I have to admit that I am experiencing quite the hangover. No, there wasn't any alcohol at my daughter's 3rd birthday party. But there was copious amounts of time, energy, stress, thought, and money spent in order to bring it all together. I went to sleep last night feeling guilty, pained and even slightly embarrassed about what had just occurred. I feel the same way this morning that I used to feel after a night out drinking. I feel deep remorse and slight confusion over it all. I hate that I wasn't able to spend much quality time with anyone at the party. When left to look over all the left over food, the pile of beautiful/thoughtful presents, the amount of things that I had bought/created that were never used, and the sheer exhaustion and crankiness which ultimately led up to ungratefulness and sense of self righteousness and pride in my girls, I cried. I just began to think of all the people who have NOTHING and here we are sitting in abundance and feeling as though we deserve it. I am glad that my daughters and their friends had a great time. I just feel badly for neglecting what I have. I have an amazing circle of friends and family who care about us and love us. I have 3 beautiful, healthy, smart daughters, one of which is now 3 and believes in the depths of her being that 3 year olds use the potty and now lives by it (day 2). I have a husband who loves us deeply and does everything he can to provide for all our needs. We have all been blessed enough to bless each other with our time and gifts. The joys of this world are so fleeting and our time here is so short. There is a good chance that I will fall into this pit again as I do so love to create, make, focus, and dream big. I'm just hoping that I will put what is important first next time.

Drumroll Please

Tomorrow is the big Wizard of Oz birthday party, and there is still a bunch of things to do. I need to assemble the 'Rainbow Birthday cake'. I made 6 white cakes: red, orange, yellow, gree, blue, and purple. I will be cutting them in half and layering them to make two 6 half layer cakes. I will be covering them with blue frosting (sky), a little rainbow and a number 3 candle. I will also have green macaroni & cheese and Toto hot dogs (teeney weenies) among other things. I also need to cut doors and windows in Emerald City. Here are a few pictures of some of the stuff I've finished: The Wicked Witch's legs, Tinman party hats, Cowardly Lion Apple Toss, Dorothy's costume, Yellow Brick Road and lolipops as big as your fist. I've finished much more, but instead of snapping pictures, I need to buckle down. We're expecting close to 50 people (98% family) and it is now supposed to rain. I had planned a route around my yard, but it looks like I'm going to need to regroup on a few things. I may even need to make a rain date.

Lesson in the process of being learned:
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

For Every Season

Since Bird was home 'sick', yesterday, I took the opportunity to start to switch our clothes from summer to winter. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that Bird was sick when I picked her up from school, but all yesterday's activity told me otherwise. To find out last night that she had a temp of 100.0 still, baffled me. Upon waking up this morning to the same (even after another night of 'sick socks') just didn't seem right. After some diagnostic testing, the verdict is that the temporal thermometer is broken. Bean had pulled the tip off and replaced it after I had taken Bird's temp a few days ago. So, with a day of us all stuck at home, 'sick', moving clothes it was. I have to admit that after 5 years and three kids, I have finally gotten the system down. I am blessed to have quite a bit of storage in my basement (being as it is unfinished). I have a storage tote for each size: 0-6, 6-18, 24-2T, 3T, 4/4T, 5, & 6+. The 6+ is for all the clothes that people give us that have not yet been designated a tote of their own because nobody is big enough to wear them. At one point, I tried to even separate summer from winter, but I realized that I usually hang on to at least 3-4 outfits from the previous season to help make the transition smoother. There is nothing worse than having an unusually warm day in October, and no short sleeve shirts to celebrate. I begin with Bird, I clear everything out of her dresser and closet and fold them out into sizes/seasons. I bring up the totes for whatever size is in her closet/drawers and the next size up. I pick out a few key items from this season to hold onto, and try on things from the next size to see where we're at. This year, Beanbag had more things than would fit in her drawers and closet, so I let her go 'shopping'. I picked out anything that was stained or I didn't quite like and set them aside. Ithen let her pick out what she liked and packed the rest back into the tote (Bunny may have different taste by 3T). Today it's my stuff and Bunny's stuff. Going through Bunny's stuff always makes me sad because I realize it may be the last time I'm seeing these things. Whether we decide to have another child or not, there is no guarantee that it would be another girl. My clothes on the other hand are depressing for a whole different reason. Because of my constant increase (maternity/ size 22 at my largest) and decrease (size 6 at my smallest) in sizes the past 5 years, it's always a chance drawing on what actually fits and corresponds with the season. Pray for me and my current endeavour.

Grasshopper

Earlier today, I took Bean and Bunny over to my father's house. As you may know we are planning a Wizard of Oz birthday party for Bean, and I needed some hay for all things Scarecrow. My father just had someone come to harvest his hay a few days ago so there is still quite a bit that can be raked up and bagged for our purposes. After stuffing 2 huge garbage bags full and loading us all back up into the car, we headed home. The ride home is literally 5 minutes (if you get stopped at the light). I had on the country music station and was lost in my own little world of song while Bean counted to 10 in Spanish over and over again (thank you,Dora). All of a sudden, blood curdling shrieks of panic filled my eardrums and fear filled my heart as I tried to figure out what was happening. Then, I saw it. It was sitting in Bird's booster seat right next to Bean, it was the biggest grasshopper ever. Maybe not quite, but it was a good 3" at least. Bean was scrunched up all the way to the other side of her carseat, crying, screaming, and gasping for breath. I pulled over as quickly as possible, wondering if grasshoppers had ears, and set our newest passenger free. This was one of those things that was way more entertaining after the fact. I'm actually still chuckling at the thought. I'm just glad the grasshopper didn't actually land on Bean or her carseat instead. This could be a much different post.

Smelling Like Roses

So here it is....Since having children, I have yet to have a day that I end up smelling like roses. 15 days ago I began a mission to have one day (not even a 24 hour period, just from 6AM-8PM) that I did not have to deal with poop. I know I still have to change Bunny's diapers, but does she need to decide to do her happy dance just in time to get it on her foot and kick it all over my arm? And I know that Beanbag is potty training, but do I have to find out that she had an accident by sitting down in the exact chair that she pooped herself in? And I know Chloe hates me, but can't she just prove it by eating out of the trash again instead of stepping in a pile of the stuff she left in the middle of my kitchen floor? And I know I need to clean out the litter box, but why is there poop on the outside of it? And then there was the day of the mystery poop, which still goes unresolved. I was cleaning the house and while vacuuming the living room, I noticed a smudge on my arm, which was most definitely poop. Where it came from, I have no idea. I just have to chalk it up to another poopy day. Today has already been crossed off of the potentially poop free day, but there's always tomorrow. I have been praising God for things like baking soda, vinegar, soap nuts, and anti bacterial hand sanitizer as well as hiney wipes, paper towels and house rags. The first day without poop will be a cause for celebration, but I know that the first year without poop will be a cause of sadness and reminiscence of days gone by. Everybody is going to have a crappy day, and today is just one day in a long string of crappy days, and I couldn't be happier.

Party Planning

I LOVE to plan parties. In college, I used to house sit for my German professor. She has the most amazingly beautiful home that is perfect for entertaining. I would throw huge extravagant dinner parties there, taking a week or two to plan the guest list and dinner menu. Then came the mother of all parties, my wedding. Months upon months of planning and accommodating the needs and wishes of all involved. It wasn't always pretty or perfect, but I had a great time and so did my guests. The skinny dipping in the hotel pool which had glass walls facing the completely full lobby was sign enough for me. Now it's time to have parties for my girls. I so look forward to them and put so much energy into them that I've decided that thy have to rotate major birthday parties (family parties). My husband is 1 of 8 children almost all of which are married and have children of their own. I also let my girls invite the same number of friends (and their parents) as it is their new age, so "family parties" tend to get a little large. So far, only Birdie has had a family party, as a matter of fact, she's had 3. We celebrate their first birthdays with just us, small and intimate, recalling the special day that they joined the family and our lives were changed. Beanbag is going to be 3 next month and has yet to have a family party. So, it's time to start planning. The theme? The Wizard of Oz!!! How fun!!! My girls love the Wizard of Oz, Annie, Mary Poppins, Little House on the Prairie... Any of these would have been great, but the Wizard of Oz can be incredible. Imagine a rainbow arch of balloons, Find the Lollipop in the Scarecrow's Straw Patch, Pin the Heart on the Tin man, Cowardly Lion Beanbag Toss, huge spiral lollipops, the Yellow Brick Road, The Emerald City, characters galore!!! I am amped!!! Let's get this party started. Today's the day to firm up the guest list. It's a "family party", so the family will be invited, but should I allow her to invite her whole preschool class or just 3 friends? If I invite her preschool class, I may also allow her to invite 3 friends as well, because by then, what does it matter? Oh I look forward to the thoughts and ideas that I will be experiencing today!!! Got to go, I'm off to see the Wizard!

PS Bean's birthday isn't until October. I know I'm nuts.

A Tale of A Tail

While sitting in the car, waiting to leave our fabulous cabin in Maine, Birdie asked where her daddy was. I responded that Daddy had to use the potty before we left. She then asked if daddy sat down when he used the potty. Beanbag quickly responded with "Hims can't sit on the potty, hims has a tail."

Mommy Sex

Yes, I said it...Mommy Sex. In my life, the two words are complete contradictions, not because I wrestle with that Madonna/Whore thought process and the necessary mental jumps that tend to accompany that, but because I'm a mommy and I'm tired, and sex (if done properly) is a lot of work. My husband and I recently had a passive aggressive joking spat about our sex life. Now, as a Christian, I believe that after loving God with all my heart, mind, body, and soul; I need to love my husband and respect the bonds of marriage above all else. This includes sex on a regular basis. Unfortunately, being a Christian and believing something doesn't automatically make it happen. I have hundreds of excuses and some of them are quite valid: Bunny sleeps either in our bed (to nurse once or twice a night) or in the hanging crib next to our bed, Beanbag wakes up at least once during the night and needs to be snuggled back to sleep or she'll begin screaming at the top of her lungs waking everybody up which results in being awake for hours (not to mention hubby's temper tantrum from being woken up), and Birdie and Chloe have something against anyone sleeping any later than 6:45....the list is endless, but most of it revolves around the reality of sleep deprivation. The recent spat began after Sug thought it was a good idea to put the "moves" on me at 5AM. Although he thought he was awake because of his unbridled passion for me, it was actually because I was just climbing back into bed after putting a fully nursed Bunny down in her crib. I had already been up twice with Beaner, twice with Bunny, and neither of the big girls went to sleep until 11PM (Ridiculous). Needless to say, Sug's enthusiasm far exceeded mine. A few minutes into our little make out session, Beanbag wakes up screaming....again. I had to "go, go, before she wakes everyone else up!". Later that day, I was confronted with the jokingly said statement of "How can I make myself more attractive to you, I'm already the best looking guy I know. It would be nice to be surprised by you every once in a while." I can only assume that everyone knows exactly what Sug meant. So, in a very respectful way, I posed a challenge to my dear husband. He didn't have to stay awake with me, but he did have to wake up every time that I did through out 1 night. He accepted my challenge. Last night was a fairly slow night. The girls went to bed easily and on time, Bunny only woke up around 1 and again around 5:30, and Bean only woke up once around 3. I never saw my husband move until 5:30. I had assumed that he did not participate in the challenge, until I received my morning phone call. Sug usually calls at about 7:15 to check in for the morning, my call this morning did not arrive until 8. I answered the phone to the words "Alright, you win. I woke up every time you did, I couldn't stay awake and I'm exhausted today, already. I just want to go to sleep. You win." Now, don't think for one minute that I win by us not having sex. That would actually be the biggest lose/lose situation ever. I think that what I was trying to show my husband was that the way that I feel about him and my enthusiasm for him has literally been exhausted by my duties as "Mommy". Sug will keep trying, and maybe I'll even surprise him sometimes, but it's nice to know that he can appreciate where I'm coming from. Instead of being angry, confused, feeling unattractive, or unwanted; he can understand and sympathize with our reality at this season of our lives. There truly is a season for everything. I am grateful and humbled by the fact that my husband loves me enough to accept my challenge and has taken it to heart. We've come a long way in our marriage, and this could easily have been another hurdle. It could have easily become a source of confusion, pain, resentment, and distance. Instead, we were able to take practical steps to understand each other better and open the table for discussion. Hopefully, in a few more months, Mommy Sex won't be such a contradiction.

Food For Thought

I feel as though God has slowly been trying to teach me the proper way to care for my body. It's been a long road, but I think I may finally be getting it. The road started in a way that may seem easy enough; I stopped dropping acid. That was in 1997 (I think). I then stopped all hard drugs and finally quit smoking pot, but only because it made me paranoid and tired, not because I wanted to take care of my body, necessarily. That was in 2005, and yes, I was a Christian and a mom at that point. During this time, I was also battling alcohol, by no choice of my own. I gave up smoking cigarettes and only indulged in the occasional glass of wine while I was pregnant with Bird. After I had Bird, I was a breastfeeding mama so I tried to bump up my occasional drink without going completely haywire, but I realized that I just couldn't. At this point, I began to realize that I had a problem. One drink easily turned into 7 or 8. I didn't really know how to deal with it. I stopped hanging out with my friends and eventually even talking to most of them. I put everything I had into my baby and completely isolated myself. I prayed a whole lot and came to a point that I would actually become physically ill if I drank even a few sips of a beer. When I was pregnant with Bean, I had gestational diabetes and learned that my life was being run by SUGAR! The reality of multiple daily insulin injections really woke me up to the warning that gestational diabetes may be a precursor for adult onset type 2 diabetes. I vowed to change the way I ate and thought about food. I went on Weight Watchers and learned how to eat smaller portions and well balanced meals, and I had my last drink on September 22, 2007. When I got pregnant with Bunny, I was probably in the best shape of my life (not my lowest weight). I felt strong and although I wasn't on WW anymore, I had continued to apply some really good exercise and eating habits. With bunny, I wanted to have a homebirth, but if I had GD again, I would be considered high risk and would not be considered for a homebirth by the only midwife in our area who attended homebirths. I was suddenly thrust into a battle against diabetes. During that time, I learned a lot about herbs and the benefits of grinding my own wheat. With God's blessing, I narrowly beat the diabetes and was blessed with an amazing homebirth. That was nearly 4 months ago. Two weeks ago, I looked questionably at Beanbag when she said she "needed" to have a lollipop at 9:30 in the morning and I suddenly realized that it wasn't about me. I had been focusing all of this new found food knowledge on healing myself while continuing to allow my husband and children to become addicted to sugar and other unhealthy foods. I'm not going to let my children become a statistic. My children will not be counted as one of the nearly 24 million people who have been diagnosed with diabetes in the US. After calling, once again upon my Lord, I was led to read "The Maker's Diet". In 2 days I was halfway through the book. I know that we will not be able to stick to all of this diet all the time, but I plan on adopting many of the guidelines in our home. Sug is not yet on board, so I may be buying 2 sets of groceries for a little while, but for a family who doesn't have much money, I'm sure that won't last long and the Doritos and cheese doodles will be taking the hit before the organic fruits and veggies. We have been blessed with our own little Garden of Eden by way of fruit trees and fertile land and I plan on making good use of both. I am so thankful that God has provided a way for my family to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and I look forward to amazing results.

The Luxury of Illness

I never thought being relegated to the couch with a bucket and a glass of water for what seemed like days on end was a luxury, until now. Mommies are not given the luxury of self focus during illness. How can we change this? I'll sign any petition, or vote for any law that would require that ONLY Mommy is allowed to be sick when she gets sick, and no one else is allowed to complain about feeling ill or ask her to participate in any day to day activities. I do believe that a 2 day limit would need to be set for this law as the temptation to curl up in bed, left alone to watch an overabundance of junk TV could be devastating to our economy and culture. I also think that daddies need to be sick first. Around these parts, if anybody besides Daddy gets sick first, Daddy freaks. All we hear about is what we were supposed to be doing or how his plans have been thwarted and he trys to get the sickie to carry on as if they are fine. But when Daddy gets sick first, he gets it. The girls are set up with activities, fed meals, and bathed while Mommy get regular hydration visits and respite from arguments and mayhem. Unfortunately, Beanbag, Bunny and I got sick this weekend. We still made it to the Farmer's Market, Babies R Us, Kohl's (to return some stuff), JC Penney (to buy some stuff to wear to a wedding), Trader Joe's and to a baby shower (sitting in the back of course). I will finally get the chance to sit completely still for a few hours today just in time to beat the tail end of this thing.

The phone just rang and it was Sug. He proceeds to tell me that he had to throw up right before he went to work today and that he was planning on doing absolutely nothing when he gets home. Part of me feels a little vindicated, but Daddy being sick is a whole other issue in and of itself.

Introducing....

So, I figured it would be best to start this blog with a brief introduction to some of the key players in the story that is "my life". My life pretty much revolves around God, my family, and a small spattering of close friends. So, without any further ado, I bring you the cast...**Drumroll**

God~If you don't know Him, I'd be happy to introduce you, but I can only do that through His Son, Jesus. I'd like to think that we're pretty close, but there are a whole lotta days that I seem to forget He's here. (My fault, not His). We've known each other intimately for the past....almost 7 years, I guess. We've been through a lot in such a short period, it feels much longer.

Sug~My husband. His nickname is short for Sugar and he's been recognized by this name, not only by his loving wife, but also by most who know him. I suppose it may have been a little embarrassing or maybe even annoying the first 800 times he was referred to as such, but it's grown on him. The fact that his boss and the men in his new bible group call him Sug makes me laugh. Anyway, Sug's a year younger than me and never ceases to let me forget. He's working toward being a master plumber and pipefitter and works very hard to provide for us. Sug and I have been married for 5.5 years.

Bird, Birdie, Birddog~All are nicknames for my oldest daughter. She is currently 4 but will be 5 at the end of the summer. She's been planning her birthday party since Christmas. Needless to say, it changes everyday from princesses to animals to art to circus to Dora...she should be a party planner. Bird is "the big sister". She tends to have a heart for others (others meaning for those OTHER than her sister, Bean). She's an animal lover and could talk the bark off a tree. She's smart funny and definately a leader in the making, but right now...dare I say, she's just plain bossy.

Bean, Beaner, Beanbag~All are nicknames for my little middle daughter. She's 2.5 and a spitfire to say the least. She's the kid who uses the fishtank to fill up her teapot for her teaparties and tosses that fishwater back like she's doing shots at a fratparty. Life has been nothing short of interesting since Bean has joined us. She started walking at 8.5 months old and running 2 days later and hasn't stopped since. Beanbag LOVES music. She'll sing excerpts from ANNIE on command even in front of a crowd of people she doesn't know. It's fun because she IS 2 and doesn't speak completely clearly all the time and even though she'll be singing at the top of her lungs, it may take a few seconds before you can really recognize the song she's chosen. Bean is adventurous and makes us laugh often. She also has a tendency to make THE most annoying sound ever when she gets worked up, which tends to be more than I would like.

Bunny~Is the nickname for our youngest. She acquired this name by being born around Easter. She's almost 3 months old. At this point, she is the sweetest, most easy going of my three girls. She only cries when she's hungry or needs a diaper change. Mostly, she'll stare wide eyed at all the goings ons and flash the hugest smile when she notices you looking at her. For some reason, having Bunny has given me the desire to get a little greener in my living. She was my homebirth baby that I now cloth diaper, neither of which were the case with Bird or Bean. We co-sleep, breastfeeed until about 1.5 and more often than not use a sling, just like with Bird and Bean. Hey, it works for us.

Chloe~my arch nemesis. She's a 12 year old black lab who has hated me since I married my husband. We used to be pretty cool, but coming back pregnant from my honeymoon changed everything. My husband had her for 4 or 5 years before we started dating. Since he was a fisherman at the time and gone for days and sometimes weeks at a time, she was never trained with any consistancy and now we are usually at odds. She's beyond youthful for her age, even the vet who has known her since puphood just claimed that if he didn't know any better, he'd think he was examining a 3 year old dog....YEAH for me!

Lil Mo~ She's Birdie's new kitten. We've had cat's before, but she ROCKS. You can always find her playing with the girls or curled up sleeping with them at night. She lets them pull her tail and dress her up. She is a perfect fit for us as a family.

Me, Kimmiesunshine~ Last but not least, the writer of this here blog. From the prior introductions, it's pretty obvious that I am a Christian wife and mother of 3 girls. I was permanently laid off of my part-time bookkeeping job 1 week before Bunny was born, so I am now officially a SAHM. In my life before family, I was a nanny (which lead to my bookkeeping career), a massage therapist (trained and educated by a very reputable school, but only massaged for family, friends, and friends of friends as a hobby), and have for the past 7 years been trying to obtain certification as a birth doula, but I keep getting pregnant and having babies of my own. My motto is "My husband makes the money, and I save it". Let's just say that he does his job much better than I do mine in that regard. I like cooking and doing crafty type things. My focus is on my family and training us all up in the ways of the LORD, no easy task whatsoever. Since, I only recently became a Christian, you may notice that quite a bit of sass still flows freely, although, that may never change. I'm starting this blog to help me remember... my life in words.