Mud Pie Fun

A couple of weeks ago Emersyn told me that she wanted to make mud pies.  Hmmmm, I thought to myself, sounds like fun.  So I set her and Maximus up with some cupcake pans, utensils and of course water and dirt.  They had a GREAT time and were so dirty!  GROSS.

But dirty is just fine, because I don't do baths, that joy falls squarely on their daddy's shoulders.  Don't get me wrong, I have been known to give a bath in desperate daddy hasn't been home in a week circumstances, but they usually include bathing suits, Jacuzzi tubs and older siblings. :)

By nature I am not a "player."  I am much better at setting the kids up with activities than getting down on the floor with them.  Realistically I just don't like the silly games,  or running around like a nut.  I don't love doing projects with my kids and I don't like playing Polly Pockets or Little People.  You will rarely find me coloring with them.  I will board games when they are old enough to play.  Just sayin'.

You know what I do like though, finding that one super fun idea that they will just go ga-ga over.  I don't care how messy or annoying it is.  Play-doh or finger paints, goop or rice.  Shaving cream with food color. Highlighters on the windows. Water play in the sink. And, of course, mud pies.  I don't even mind picking it up when they are done.  The 20-30 minutes of peace I get while they are occupied with something fun is worth the trade off to me.

Their father on the other hand is a whole different animal.  He finds giving baths relaxing, and you will NEVER find him breaking out ANY sort of messy toy or craft; I actually think the thought gives him hives.  He would much rather run play baseball with the kids or practice hip-hop moves in the living room.  Wrestling is also a much loved past time.  And even now as I write this he is out in the yard with the kids playing a loud and annoying game of Capture the Flag.

Me, I am going to finish this, post it, and then go inside to get the ice cream ready.  Give me a good mud pie any day.


'til next time,

*please disregard the fact that I have no lawn.  Lesson learned, don't buy a house in the dead of the winter without asking if there is grass under the snow.  

A Challenge

I don't know why I find it such a challenge sometimes to write in my blog.  Most times, I think it is because I get so caught up in the everyday stuff that I just don't make the time.  Some of the time I think it is because really as a stay at home mother of 6 kids I don't really feel all that interesting.  And sometimes I think it is because, while I love to write,  I just don't know what to say, how much to share.


For those of you who know me IRL (in real life), you know that by nature I am a talker (shut up).  I have a hard time being quiet, I like to share and probably share more than I should at times.  I also change my mind 16 times a day on big and small things. I am sure that I make my friends head spin trying to keep up with what I am planning. I like to call it "idea ADD" but I am very sure that is politically incorrect. When it comes to writing it down for the world to see I wonder how much is too much.


 I feel like if I write it down, it can't be changed, it's just out there for all the world to see and to judge.  Or even worse for no one to even care about, to be invisible.  And I think somewhere in the in between lies the truth.  I fear being invisible everyday.  I fear that in no way, when I go, will I leave MY mark on this world.  That no one will remember me because, well, I am just not that interesting.


You see, I am just a mom, I have no unique ability, nothing that really makes me special. I am not a super volunteer, I am overly charismatic, or strong or anything really.  Nothing about me makes others sit up and take notice.


But, on the other hand I am a mom, a wife, a woman, a daughter and a friend. Maybe, just maybe, that is enough.  So I am going to challenge myself in a different way, to write, to share, and to not hide behind the fact that maybe no one will notice.




'til next time,

Sometimes.....

you just need a little nap.

No matter where you are. :)

"til next time,

Bullet Points

Whew, it has been wild and crazy around here!  We are smack in the middle of our CRAZY time of year!  With 6 kids, 5 of whom are in some kind of sport or class,  it is a bit insane!

High school soccer is going strong and it seems like we have practice, a game or a tournament every day!  It's also competition season for Alainna so we are running like crazy for that!  Both girls are having a very good season!

 Brenna #17

The boys are hanging strong with their various extra-curricular sports.  Ki is taking hip-hop and gymnastic, he is also planning to do soccer in the fall (as long as his dad coaches him).  

Griffen is taking weekly music lessons on both his trombone and keyboard.  He seems to prefer the keyboard though.  And he has a great ear for music!  I am not sure where he gets it!  It must be his Grandpa because it's not from his dad or I, that's for sure!  Oh and he now wears glasses!  And  he is TALLER than I am!  The first kid to do it!

Emersyn is finishing up her first year of pre-school dance.  She was in gymnastics for a bit too but our schedule was out of control so we didn't re-sign her up.  And we hear about it everyday!  I am thinking come the fall she will be back in the gym too.

Maximus is in NOTHING at the moment.  He has decided that he doesn't want to potty train, so we have decided that he is not ready for any sports or activities!

Hope everyone out in blogland is having an AMAZING Spring!

'til next time, 

*Sorry I don't have pictures of all the kids this time!  I am too tired to keep going!

Amazing, Crazy, Weekend

We had a crazy and amazing weekend, although you can't tell it from the lack of pictures that I took, or maybe you can.  Yeah, let's say it that way, we were just too busy having fun to take pictures! 

First off we celebrated my Brenna's 16th birthday!  We had posters, we had friends, we had the Hunger Games movie and we even had a bit of a glow party!!  We had 9 girls sleeping in our basement Friday night!  And as far as this mom knows NO DRAMA!!

Saturday morning we all had to be up nice and early, Brenna had her first highschool soccer tournament of the season about an hour and a half away.  And Alainna had her first competition of the season.  Brian followed Brenna with the rest of the kids and spent the day watching Brenna play (they won 2 games and tied a 3rd, not a bad day!)  and headed out with Alainna to be a dance mom!  (She placed 1st place platinum with her jazz and fourth overall, 1st place gold with tap, 1st place gold with her modern production and fifth overall, 1 place platinum and 3rd overall with her jazz production, and 1st place platinum with her hip-hop production and 1st place overall!)

These are the only pictures I took of the whole comp.  and Brian didn't get any of the soccer tournament.  Shame on us!

It was a great weekend but very, very tiring!  I am still trying to catch up on my sleep!  

'til next time,

Going Down the Domestic Path

Surprise!! We have decided to try a Domestic Adoption.  It still feels sort of odd to tell people that we are no longer paper chasing for a China adoption.  But, after lots of research and talking to our new social worker (still miss Audrey but we do like Heidi too!) we started to feel more and more pull to the African American domestic program.  


Honestly, we never really put much thought into adopting domestically mostly because of our family size.  Then it was brought up to us and so we started asking questions, attended a couple of meetings and talked a bit with Heidi.  And we really liked what we heard, it felt, I don't know if this is the right work, comfortable.  


I think one of the biggest reasons that we are drawn to this program is because it is a chance for Brian and I to do everything together.  From paperwork to baby.  With the China program there was always the knowledge that only one of us would travel, and get to experience those first days with our new little one.  


Also, if I am being honest, I was just soooooo tired already of all the hoops that we were having to jump through for China. Hoops that have nothing NOTHING to do with our ability to raise a child.


 I don't know if this is popular opinion or not but as someone else recently said to me, "Hague, is a pain in the ass."  True that!!  For those that don't know the Hague Convention is supposed to be:  Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) is an international agreement to safeguard intercountry adoptions.  


I don't know if it really works or not, but I will venture to say that it definitely makes things much more tedious!



We are so excited and nervous around here right now!  It's all different to us, making a profile (which is basically the story of us), complete with pictures. Hoping that a birth mom will feel a connection with us and choose us to raise her child. It's sort of unnerving to put ourselves out there like that.  I still have some skepticism that our family will be picked but I am trying to be cautiously hopeful.


OMG!  A baby!  I haven't had a baby in almost 3 years!!!  I will have to say that this is the first time that I feel like we might be getting too old for this!  


We took a trip to Babies R Us this past weekend to look around and I have to tell you we were the ONLY  people there wandering around over 30 with 6 kids.  Awkward! 


 Where is the hey my family is huge and we just keep growing but my husband gets rid of the baby stuff EVERY time store?  That's the one I need to be shopping at!!


Oh, and holy crap with the bottles....there are glass bottles and BPA free bottles, and bottles with tubes? and tomee tipee bottles and bottles that are super short and fat,  and bottles made from recycled sheep skin (ok I just made that up). I am feeling slightly out of my depth here.


I will get it all figured out though!  There is nothing this momma likes doing better than making things nice for her babies!  Unless it's Margaritas.  Keepin' it real.


'til next time,

Our Sunday

This is what we spent all yesterday doing, taking lots and lots of picture, editing lots and lots or pictures, finding lots and lots of pictures, all in the attempt to find the best ones.....

I like this one of Bri and I 

Our house!

 Who let Brenna have the camera?

 Awkward picture of us looking at each other

 My eyes, where are my eyes?!

 I think maybe I passed out here for a minute.

 Isn't he cute?

 Just kidding

 I swear I have eyes!

 Painful

 Ummmm....?

 Getting there

 Jackpot!

 Where in the world did all these kids come from?

 ummm...

 Please shoot me now.

 Closer

 As good as it gets....

 Ah....much better....my heart.

Why does he get to stay cute for all these years?  

After the photos, we started writing and writing and writing. 

This all has to do with our new adoption plans....we are no longer paperchasing for China but heading in a new direction!  Any guesses!?

'til next time,