HappyMama

I finally made some time to blab a little on this blog, but wouldn’t you know it, WordPress just “updated” their system, and now I can’t figure out how to add pictures to my posts.

So instead I’ll just share some random thoughts.

We are adjusting to life with 4 children. My head is often spinning, but I haven’t really had any “bad” days, at least not yet. We went on our first outing today, to a new friends house. As I was walking out the door, I remembered to throw an extra baby outfit into the diaper bag, in case of a diaper blow-out, and I thought to myself something along the lines of, “way to go, mom. You’re finally getting the hang of this motherhood thing.” And then shortly after we got to the home, something happened to me that has never happened before: there was an immense diaper blow out, all over MY clothes! I was holding her when she pooped, and it went straight out her little onesie and onto me. Sheesh.

In other news, we are the proud babysitters of a FERRET. We get to keep her for about 3 weeks while her owner is traveling. (Apparently my husband thought that having 2 kids in diapers was not enough poop for me to deal with already!) Because none of us knew anything about ferrets, we have been reading up on the web and checking out books from the library about this strange animal. Did you know that female ferrets are called jills? Really! They are not rodents, they are mustelids, along with otters, skunks, and weasels. They are very difficult to photograph because they don’t sit still, but when I figure out how, I’ll share some pics of this one. If we like her, we get to keep her. The owner would be more than happy to find a new home for her! We’ll see…

And finally for now, we ask prayers and thoughts for my brother-in-law, who is leaving this week on a 4-month deployment. (Not to the Middle East.) It will be his first deployment. Safe travels!

Today we were driving in the van & the 5yo says,

Now that I’m done reading number 13 [of this series], I know that the answer is to always do what God wants.

Just a quick post to thank my parents and my mother-in-law for all the help they have given us recently.  I have been amazed over and over again how wonderfully taken care of my children and I have been.  Thank you, thank you everyone for all the helpfulness and kind thoughts.  God has truly held me in His hand at every moment.

My past 2  pregnancies,  I have worried constantly (and needlessly) about what to do with the boys if I needed to go to the hospital unexpectedly.  Who would take care of them?  What if it was in the middle of the night?  Would I have to deliver without my husband beside me?  Now the worries are ended.  Everything has worked out beautifully. 

Monday will be my first day “on my own” with the 4 kiddos, and I know we’ll have those moments where I’ll be nursing, the 1yo will be climbing up to the top bunk of the bunkbed, the 3yo will be needing his bottom wiped in the bathroom, and the 5yo will be asking me why the Native Americans were told to live on reservations…  But we’ll get through this.  Looking into the dark blue, wondering eyes of my little daughter makes it all worth it. 

The 5yo was quiet all through Mass, as he sat reading a children’s bible.  On the drive there and back home, however, his questions were nonstop and relentless.  A sampling:

• are there more good angels than demons?  (I think so.)
• why is “lb” the abbreviation for “pound”?  (Anyone?)
• how much does this pickup weigh?  (go ask your dad)

Today I got to have my first watermelon of the summer.  It was delicious.  I love watermelon.  Generally, I’d say that genetically altering our food supply is a bad thing, but I’ll make an exception for seedless watermelon.  Ingenious.

Hubby has been referring to me with such terms of endearment lately as “wide-load” and “big momma.”  I can’t disagree with him, I feel huge.  Although I am 10 lbs. (there’s that abbreviation again) lighter than I was with any of the boys.  Regardless, we all went SWIMMING this afternoon at a friend’s pool, and the water felt amazing to be in.  Nothing hurt or ached.  Wonderful.  Psychologically it’s on the stressful side being responsible for 3 tots who don’t know how to swim (and don’t even realize that they don’t know how) in a 5′ pool, but physically it was very relaxing.  Perfect weather and several desserts as well. 

We have many friends with husbands deployed in Iraq.  5 of the children there today had fathers in the middle of 15-month tours.  I know that these families adjust, they have support systems, and some manage well and bravely, but there’s no doubt that they are making huge sacrifices for the people of Iraq.  My 1yo clung to my hubby all day in the pool, giggling and having a blast.  He didn’t want to come to me with daddy there to hold him.  I can only pray that the servicemen come home safe and sound and ready to spend a lot of time playing with their kiddos.  And I am constantly grateful to have my own soul-mate at home with us.

It was a fun, blessed summer day.

we recently have tried 2 new recipes.  The first is an asian chicken salad with bok choy.  It was my first experience with this Chinese lettuce, and dh & I really liked it.

It also called for pine nuts, which I had never purchased before.  These were tasty, but I won’t buy them again because of the price.  I’ve said before, I like to try new things at least once!

The second recipe is an easy way to grill sweet potatoes.  (I steamed them first to reduce the grill time.)  They were great with grilled chicken.  This recipe adds apples, which are just heavenly cooked this way.  Of course, with a stick of butter and brown sugar, how could they not?  My 1yo couldn’t get enough of this.

Isn’t it great when your neighbors are friends you can trust?  And who don’t have kids of their own yet, so they buy your kids fun toys?  Thanks Paul, for bringing over this pool for the boys (and for setting it up)!  Perfect for the 90+ heat.  Tonight the boys played for a long time, while I grilled dinner… and then I had the kids eat outside to give my kitchen a break for once.  You gotta love watching little kids playing in water!

my latest concoction in the smoothie machine:

• sun tea (I’ve been drinking this lately instead of coffee, made with green tea)
• 1 peach
• frozen raspberries
• lemon juice
• sweetener, to taste
• ice

2 things that still amaze me, after all the time I’ve been a mom already - (1) how far splatters can go when a drink gets spilled, and (2) how the kids can talk nonstop every waking moment of every day.  Every day seems to bring new discoveries to the boys, and they can’t stop talking about them, or they will dive into very deep thoughts like the ones I overheard last night as they were getting ready for bed:

5yo: what if a million people had to go potty all at the same time?

3yo: what if two million people had to go potty all at the same time?  I guess they would have to go potty on each other.

[giggles galore]