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

Transition Period

Being as there has been virtually no fall here in the Northeast, my household has been in the midst of our summer to winter transiton period. This time usually takes a whole season to accomplish but this year it is all being jammed into a 2-3 week period. I have actually been messing around with clothes for about 2 weeks now. What started out as our usual change of season/size clothing swap turned into something much bigger. After we were all done, we got an invitation to an actual "Clothing Swap". We were to bring any clean, gently used clothing which would then be displayed and set up throughout my friend's home as a shop would. Any left over clothing was going directly to the Rescue Mission in our area. What a great idea, I had to get on board especially after realizing how many clothes we actually have and how few of them we actually wear. We ended up donating 11 bags of clothes from size newborn-size 14 Womens. I was also able to organize our collection of clothing totes so that each tote houses 1 size from newborn up to my stuff. Not only did we donate clothing, but also shoes and accessories. Bird and I made the swap a date night and had a great time. Bird came home with a few tee shirts and some jewelry to share with Bean and I came home with a quilted LL Bean fall jacket. I may not be able to wear it this year, but I expect that next year when I do get to wear it, it will be quite a gift. Sug and I have deicded that after our yard clean up (hopefully this week)the girls will be getting their own rooms. This will afford us the opportunity to donate toys (the "extra room" is currently a disaterous playroom) and give each older girl a place of her own. We will also be setting some new house rules/disciplines/family times into affect. Sug and I haven't gotten the time to sit and talk about it all yet. Sug has been busy chopping wood for our hastily appraoching winter, but I was able to secure some free babysitting at the Clothes Swap for 3 hours next Sunday evening. Wow!!! Although, I'd rather leave such things out of our rare date nights, I think we can come up with some things that will afford us some more quality time inthe future. Whoever said that the only constant is change sure knew what they were talking about!

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.

From Lunch Box to Lunch Bag

The face of school lunch has changed drastically since I was a kid. Growing up in the days of Captain Kangaroo, The Muppet Show (my personal favorite), and Romper Room, the average homemade lunch would be in a plastic lunchbox with a huge plastic thermos which left very little room for anything but a sandwich and small snack. Our food would basically cook in the heat of our cubbies and generally stunk up the whole cafeteria when they were opened. Now a days, the homemade lunch looks much different. In my quest to go a little greener, I have come across a couple of things for my Bird's lunch that I would like to share with you. Firstly, the plastic cartoon character lunchbox has been replaced with the ecofriendly lunch bag. A few years ago, I found this . Bird and Bean both have the pink one with their names embroidered on the top. The only problem is that they are probably not BPA or lead-free (not things I was even aware of at the time I found them). This has a little compartment to put an ice pack to keep things cool. Genius. Instead of the huge plastic thermos, I found this . It's a little small and pricey, but it is nontoxic and cute. I also have opted against paper napkins and instead let Bird pick out 5 different pretty washclothes (one for each day of school). The only two problems I am currently wrestling with now are finding the actual food containers. Currently, I am using small plastic storage containers for most of her food (again less trash, but not necessarily non toxic), and wax paper for her sandwiches (more trash, not as toxic (I hope)). I honestly thought that I would have to settle, until now. I found this site . They have containers AND food kozies, who would have ever thought. They sell the whole lunch bag set!!!! They are beautiful and well priced. Who knew I could have avoided all that frustration by just one click of the mouse? How did I find this amazing website? Through a giveaway at my friend, Tracey's site . Check it out. I really hope to win the set of stainless steel containers, but, you can bet your buttons, if I don't, I will be using the 15% discount and I will be purchasing a set of those kozies, no matter what.

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.

Soccer

I admit my ignorance. I don't know a dang thing about soccer. My brother played in high school and there was always a week or three of it in gym class, so I get the general rules of the game. When it comes to outfitting a 5 year old soccer player, I'm totally lost. Cleats- my 5 year old really needs shoes with spikes on the bottom....all the better to hurt your sister with, my dear. Shin Guards- I had to call my MIL about this (she's been coaching soccer for about 20 years now). Her response was "they basically need to cover the shin". How high/ How low? Do they come in pink? Where do they sell them? Today's mission has been set before me. I've measured Bird's shin, 7 or 8 inches long, and have 3 store suggestions. Pray for me!

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."

I Survived

I dropped my small daughter off at a building full of people that I have never met, with little more than a bag lunch and a few .art supplies. My heart and mind were completely confounded as she slid smoothly into the line of other small children, face forward, eyes intent. Her strides toward a building she had barely set her foot in, were strong and long, keeping in pace with all the others. She was all business. Her last words to me still hung in the air like a dense fog. Her words revealed more of her compassionate, kind, loving heart than I could stand. "Mommy, I'm going to bring home lots of pictures. I'm going to draw a picture of each kid in my class and I will tell you all of their names. They will be my friends, so I'll tell you who they are.....OK, Mommy. I'll have fun. I love you." Although, we had a busy day, my thoughts were with her and what she might be doing at any given moment. How was she being treated and how was she treating others? Was she being shy or bold? Was she going to be able to open her new thermos all by herself? And if not, would she be brave enough to ask for help? From 2-3:00 was one of the longest hours of my life. My husband and I piled into the car with Bean and Bunny. I tried to keep it cool, but ended up in an argument with the hubby when he jumped out of the car to get her and expected me to sit in the car and wait EVEN LONGER with our other girls while he just ran in. After a few short moments, he relented and opted to stand outside of the car with the camera poised. I stepped into the small cafeteria, my eyes scanned the crowd of children, parents and teachers hoping to catch a glimpse of Birdie talking with a new friend or staring back at me with wide eyes and a smile that couldn't fit her face. Instead, I had to lean around a group of adults who obviously knew each other and were having a fine time recollecting, to finally see her. There she sat on that cool metal bench that ran along the picnic style lunch tables, all by herself. She was looking at her shoes or her hands and she looked like the tiniest little child ever made. It took her a moment to see me and it was perfect. Her eyes were bright and smiling while her grin lit up the entire room. "It was a great day, Mama! Where are Daddy, Bean and Bunny? I want to show them my new bag." I survived, I survived all of it, and even more importantly, she thrived and can't wait until Monday.

Kindergarten

Today is Birdie's first day of Kindergarten and it's nothing but waterworks over here. She doesn't even seem to realize that I need for her to eat the breakfast I made. I also need her to let me help her get dressed. I guess I'm just supposed to sit back and smile at how self sufficient she is becoming, and take heart in the fact that she's ready to be away from her Mama for a long day at school. She's really living up to her nickname today, and my heart vacillates between feeling like it is being torn from my chest and swelling with intangible amounts of pride. God has to keep reminding me that she is His and He loves her even more than I do. Today, He promises to keep her safe and brave. I can't ask for more than that. The God of the Universe will be watching over her and keeping her safe and brave. He does this every day, but He also knows that I need the reassurance.

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.

The Pointer Sisters

So, whenever something awesome happens the song "I'm so excited" by The Pointer Sisters blares in my head and most times even escapes from my lips. The song is usually accompanied by a little 'happy dance' and a great big smile. This is how I woke up this morning. Why? Because today is the day that I'm going to be heading over to a local farm to join their CSA. The farmer's wife (who is also a farmer) has agreed to let me join half way through the season!!! Not only will I be receiving organic veggies, but also free range eggs, beef, chicken, goat, turkey and pork. They are also in the process of building a new cheese making facility!!! Normally, this would not be something that I could afford, but for the past couple of months I have been setting aside a bit of money each week for a special gift for Birdie's birthday. I had wanted to adopt a child through World Vision with the same birthday as Bird so that she could have a pen pal, learn about a different culture, helping others, and caring for the needy. I still think this is a great idea, but Birdie's birthday is in a couple of weeks and we're a bit short in the $ department, not to mention that Birdie can only really write her name. I had decided to put World Vision off until next year, when the CSA opportunity presented itself. I will now have a whole year to set aside $ for WV and 12 weeks to set aside $ for the next session at the CSA. "I'm so excited, woo wee, and I just can't hide it, no no, I'm about to lose control and I think I like it, yeah yeah" I love when God just puts stuff like that all together in one fell swoop.

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.

Vehicularly Vexed

I am utterly confused about this whole Clunkers for Cash incentive that's currently being offered. I normally wouldn't give a second thought to some scheme I couldn't understand, but we could really use a new car. Birdie and I were talking about a family of friends when she announced that the fact that they only have 2 children and are probably done having children was "bad, just not good".
Perplexed, I asked "Why?".
She exclaimed quite matter of factly, "Because it's better to have 3 or 4 or 6 kids!"
I tried to explain that God has a plan for each family and all families look different, some don't even have any kids, and some have many more than 6. I finished my mini sermon with what I thought was an extremely though provoking question... "How many children do you think God wants us to have in our family?"
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, she answered "3!"
Perplexed again, I asked "Why?"
I then had to cover my mouth to wipe away the smile that was fast spreading across it when her response was, "Because our car isn't big enough to fit anymore kids!" I believe that I have mentioned that Birdie is quite intelligent, and, of course, she's right.
Unfortunately, I love my car (not in a weird, don't touch it or eat in it kind of way, but I'm thankful for it). That car is the car that God gave me when I couldn't afford a car, never mind one THAT nice. That car is the one that Sug, my then fiancee bought for me and my safety. That's the car DJ and I used when we went to the beach and the movies the whole summer after her mother died. That's the car that moved us into our first little rental house. That's the car that drove us to the hospital when I was in labor with Birdie and drove our new little family home. That's the car that has taken us on all our family vacations, as well as all of our everyday errands. The broken moon roof is a reminder of a really rough storm about 4 years back. A tree branch fell on top of the car and cracked the moon roof while our new little family sat in the dark surrounded by candles listening to the wind howl (literally) through the ancient windowpanes around us. It was lovely. The crack in the windshield is a daily reminder of the day Bunny entered our world. Sug, broke the windshield when he pushed our new carpet into it by accident. Having Bunny at home ruined our carpet. Small price to pay for such an amazingly blessed experience.
There are some technical reasons I don't want to get rid of the car as well. First and foremost, I still owe quite a bit for it. Secondly, it has never cost all that much to fix whenever any issues have arisen. Thirdly, it fits all 3 car seats (snugly) and still has room for the stroller and a week's worth of groceries. Finally, it has all wheel drive which is beyond necessary for where we live. What's a girl to do? Well, when you have a husband like mine, you just tell him all of it (even if halfway through, he rolls his hands and eyes gesturing that he wants me to get to the point!). Well, after I poured out my heart and my concerns, he nonchalantly responded with "What about my truck, we can always trade it in and I can use your car, problem solved!"
"My hero!"

School Days

I can't believe that Birdie is going to kindergarten. We just went and picked up everything she will need for school. I have to admit, I'm a little bit sad that she will be using markers, scissors, and glue without me. She's probably even going to use the pencils and chalk without a thought of me even crossing her mind. I'm hoping that each time she opens that little tye-dyed recycled pencil case or maybe the cute little kitty folder, she'll think of her mama and the day we went to pick those things out. I have to admit that I had to hold back the tears with a little joke about how big her feet are getting when I picked up a size 9 thinking they were her size only to discover that she's actually a size 12. My four year old should be incapable of fitting into something in the double digits, shouldn't she?!?! I know she'll be turning 5 in less than a month, but until that fateful day arrives, she'll be 4 to me, not 4 1/2 or 4 3/4, but 4. Today at nap time as I'm reading a few pages from her American Girl book, I'm going to make sure that I hold her a little tighter for a little longer than I did yesterday. I'm sure that it won't slow time, but it may make me feel better to hold onto it purposefully.

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.