In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month I put up an adoption related post on my blog each week throughout the month of November.  The following is the post for this week: 

Typically adoption is talked about when someone is pursuing it (“Oh, how exciting!”) or when a child makes poor choices and happens to be adopted.  Then the “Well, he/she was adopted.” starts to run through the minds of people and at times is voiced.  As if children who aren’t adopted don’t make poor choices or wrestle with challenging circumstances.  Which brings me to a sometimes overlooked aspect about adoption and that is the opportunity it brings for discipleship/mentoring. 

 Parenthood is an opportunity for mentoring whether children arrive through adoption or other means.  From what I have read (I don’t know Greek!) the word mentor comes from a Greek word meaning enduring.  Isn’t that beautiful?  Don’t we all want enduring relationships?  In parenting we ought to be mentoring our children, we ought to be enduring with them, we ought to be walking side by side along the road of life with them. 

Pouring into the lives of our children is no small thing.  And, yes, sometimes things do go differently than we had hoped.  Sometimes things go terribly wrong.  That can happen whether a child is adopted or biological.  And what every person, young or old, adopted or not, needs is enduring relationship.  It is mentoring.  It is discipleship.  It is what parenting is all about. 

“Put your hand in mine and let us help one another to see things better.” ~Monet

I am regularly on the lookout for products that fit the following profile:

• Natural and environmentally friendly
• Well-priced
• Make life easier
• Of high quality

So, one can only imagine how thrilled I was at the discovery of Prairieland Herbs!  I recently ordered one of their shampoo bars and some facial care products.  I have not been disappointed.  You can read my complete review here. 

For this post, I want to briefly highlight the shampoo bars.  They sell for $5.50 or you save fifty cents per par if you order three or more.  Not only is that a good deal for shampoo, but when you consider that you really don’t need to use conditioner as often when using the shampoo bars, it makes them an even better deal.  Plus the quality of these bars is quite good.

Those of us with larger families know how cluttered the bath and shower can get with all the bath toys and products.  Older kids may want more products, but younger kids and mom and dad may really appreciate one product for total body cleaning.

These shampoo bars are perfect for

• Busy moms and dads.
• Stocking stuffers.
• People who travel-they are a solid, so not worries about spillage or airline requlations on liquids.
• Streamlining the bath routine for larger families-one bar can clean from head to toe.
• People who like natural products.

Check out Prairieland Herbs and consider doing some holiday shopping with them.  It could hardly be easier.  You can shop online, purchase high quality products made by a small business and have unique, fun and useful gifts to give this Holiday season.  

People often wonder, out loud, how those of us with larger than average families manage it. While sometimes I believe people are just being downright rude, there are other times when I believe that the person asking the question truly wants to know the answer.

There are those of us out there that grew our families slowly, one child at a time. Or families like Jon and Kate plus 8 that just kind of blew up over night, or families that through the miracle of adoption added two, three or even four kiddos overnight. No matter how it happens the answers are not right there magically in front of you! It is a learning process that never stops. You just keep trucking along until you find the thing that works for you and your family. Over the years here are some of the things that I have found work for our family.

Meals: Personally this is one of my weaker areas. I can cook, I will cook, I don’t enjoy the day to day cooking. I do however enjoy, baking, or making something new.

Breakfast during the school week: EASY EASY EASY, I don’t like mornings and I am over pretending that I do! Cereal, bagels, slim fast, frozen waffles, extra batch pancakes, hard boiled eggs. I do not make breakfast for my older two. I do however make breakfast for the 7 and 5 year old. This is the one time a day that they have a choice in what they eat. Since we keep it simple it is not hard to make a few different things.

Breakfast on the weekends: We get a little bit more creative and usually Brian makes a full on breakfast one of the days.

Lunch: I have 3 kids in school full time now, in our family you must pack your lunch until you are in Junior High. There are the occasional pizza days or whatever but for the most part they bring their lunches. In our schools, we have major peanut allergies so we are peanut free, it made it harder to pack, until I discovered thermoses! These are wonderful. Soup, pasta, Ramon noodles, left-overs! Even my husband asked for one after he saw the things that the boys were bringing for lunch. Lunch always consists of a Sandwich or Thermos, fruit, something crunchy, and something to drink. If I send anymore than that it doesn’t get eaten. For the little one that comes home after a half day, she gets the same thing.

Dinner: I cook ONE meal, period. If you choose not to eat it, you are also choosing no after dinner snack. I used to give peanut butter and jelly or cereal as an option until my oldest was big enough to make herself something other than what I made. Then every other kid at the table wanted whatever she was throwing together. I do try to stick to what I know that they like, mostly, but not everyone likes the same things. Usually, pasta, hot roast beef sandwiches, swedish meatballs, we do a lot of mexican type meals, and I have discovered you can cook pretty much anything in a crock pot. I only cook chicken in the crockpot now because it makes it so moist and easy to shred, I like it much better that way.

Snacks: 2 snacks a day plus an after dinner snack if you eat your dinner. I try to have something together for all of the kids after school that they can just pick at. My kids come home a 4 different times so it eliminates the need to get 4 different snacks. Cut up fruit with yogurt, fruit salad, veggie tray is a new one that I want to try, cheese and sausage, pretzels and dip, blah, blah, blah.. We do kool-aid, I know that it’s bad and I didn’t do it for years but I caved, water and milk! I have juice boxes on hand only for school snacks and lunches. There are also Gatorades for the ones that play sports.

Also, I keep a basket of snacks on the table of things that they can grab thinkgs like, muffins, cheese and crackers, single serving bags, etc.

Another thing that really helps me out is after grocery shopping I come home and prepare everything that I can prepare, while unloading, that way there is none of the “I’ll get to it laters”. Boil eggs. Grapes come out of the bag, off of the stems and into a bowl, and become an easy grab snack. Strawberries are topped and put in bowls, carrots out of the bag into a bowl. That way most everything is easy grab and more likely to be eaten before it goes bad.

On the weekends I always make up one large pot of soup or chili or spaghetti, so that for the rest of the week when I don’t feel like cooking or we are too busy for a full meal, I know that there is something on hand for dinner. I like to bake something on the weekends too when I have the chance. I am not big on freezing meals, I know that it is a great time saver for most but once it’s in the freezer I hate taking it back out, I just can’t make myself use it, what if I need it tomorrow!

These are some of the things that work for our Larger Family mealtimes. Some of these things I have come up with on my own through trial and error and some things I have “borrowed” from other large families and incorporated into my family. I think that is one of my favorite “tricks”, using what works for others in my family. What works for your family?

Jillienne

*cross-posted from my blog www.imminent-chaos.blogspot.com , Part II (Laundry)

It’s November, and at our house, that means the annual mad dash to get all the leaves bagged before the snow flies.

I decided that this year, I would take a break from the rake, and force encourage my 13 year old son to get the leaves up.

So we’ve been fighting with the leaf blower.  First we ran out of machine oil.  Then gas.  Meanwhile, the weather has been in the 70s, and the leaves have been begging to be dealt with.

One afternoon, I coaxed my 16 year old daughter out to rake while her brother used the leaf blower.  She grabbed the camera.

And then the babies ran outside, because leaves are for jumping in, right?

Now it’s snowing and we have yet to put one leaf in one bag.  Happy days.

Several years (and two kids) ago, our family joined the YMCA.  It sounded like a fun place to be, and that getting free & cheap classes for the kids might be a more affordable option than park and recreation sports, and well, everybody else was doing it. 

Let me tell you - this is one time that I’m really glad I followed the crowd!  When I tell people that the YMCA saved our lives, I’m not really joking!  It certainly has saved our sanity over the years, as our family has grown.

Number one lifesaver: free childcare. 2 hours of free childcare.  As in, I could stand in the steaming hot shower for 2 uninterrupted hours if I wanted to.  Or exercise. Or read a book. Or do absolutely. nothing. at. all.  Need I say more?

The free kids classes have been a biggie for us, too, which were included in our membership fees.  Community education or park and recs sports can be a great option, but I found that with several children, it ended up being cost prohibitive, made my schedule extra crazy, and it was difficult to do with a sometimes-cranky toddler (or two, or three …) in tow.  Again: free childcare. 

The opportunity to exercise pretty much whenever it’s convenient for me, knowing that there’s great options for each of my kids while we’re there, well, what more could I ask for?  The frequent (free) fun family activities or use of the pool with the kids - it’s just the kind of thing to help bring our family together, keeping us healthy and connected to each other.

In all honesty, I am a YMCA employee…but I was a member first. It’s been an ideal place for us to participate as a family as well as for me to serve the community. 

I think that in these tough economic times, aren’t we are all looking for ways to relieve the stress, be budget-savvy and stay connected as a family?  At the YMCA we’ve been able to do all this and more.

Check it out!

Yup, that was the title of a book from some years back and it certainly describes me.  Name the countries and capitols of Scandinavia, couldn’t do it.  Name the countries of the former USSR, hmmm, well, probably not.  Even if they came to my mind, could I actually pronounce the names of them all?  Not likely.  But that is changing! 

Does this sound like an infomercial?  It is okay if it does, because this is a great product and it must be shared.   Audio Memory’s Geography Songs CD is a great resource!  Our family has been listening to it in the van and improving our geography knowledge.  The songs are catchy and fun to listen to.  If you, like me, “don’t know much about Geography” and your kids are ready to learn in a fun, creative way, then this CD is for you!

In a house full of boys there is rarely a day when there is not some kind of mess to clean up.   Sharpie/marker/crayon/food smeared on walls, mud caked on the back door, grimey prints along the banister, unidentifiable nastiness on the walls.  Magic erasers have saved me countless hours of scrubbing.  I mean, what else gets SHARPIE off walls without damaging the walls…or my manicure?  So Mr. Clean, I thank you for your valuable contribution to society.  I thank you for making it possible for me to hand a two year old an eraser and tell him to clean baseboards…not that I do that or anything.

LaShawn

Frazzled LaShawn

The nights around here tend to be as exciting if not more so than the days.  Here’s an example of a night I experienced and posted about on my personal blog just last week:

Last night was one of those nights. You know the kind where you think it will never end. Then it does rather abruptly and you’re devastated. It started with Boo. Coughing and coughing and hacking and hacking. Not really sick so to speak just congested enough in the chest to be miserable when laying flat. Finally I had no choice but to hold her in a semi-upright position while she slept soundly on my shoulder. All the while my body was begging me to lay down.

After a great deal of time in this position I attempted to roll her onto my bed and it was a successful drop. She snuggled in, I covered her, and slid in thankful to be on my way to sleep at last. Just as I was about to drift off the kitty came into the room and jumped on the bed purring like a lawn mower. Seriously I have never heard an animal weighing less than a pound make this much noise. The neighbors probably heard her. Of course this woke the baby who sputtered and coughed and reached for me. Thus beginning the cycle all over again.

By the time I did the second roll and drop I was delirious. It was again successful and this time I remembered to shut the kitty out. I snuggled in and had nearly fainted when I heard Midge crying in her room. I ignored her for about half a second and then mustered up the strength to go check her. Her left big toe was hanging out of the covers and apparently covering it was a job she saw fit for only me. I covered it stroked her hair and she smiled sleepily. She’s a little manipulator that Midge…

Back in my own bed I checked the clock. By now it was 4 am. Good 3 more hours left until the new day would be upon me. Who would’ve guessed that in that 3 hours we would have: a bad dream, much more coughing and sputtering, purring that sounded like a jet taking off, and one more “my big toe is cold” incident. Now I can’t say that this is a typical night. It’s not. Usually the kids are down at 8 and I follow around 11 and we see each other again in the morning. Which is hopefully how tonight will go. I can hope, cause darnit I’m tired….

Cross posted at The Dauk Is In

When I thought about what to write for my “A Day in the Life” post this week, I decided not to break down everything that happens in my day to day world.  Because mostly, my days are fairly repetitive, with the odd drama, or hallmark moment thrown in.

Instead, I thought that I would share the reasons that I keep going day to day.  Because it isn’t always pretty, and it isn’t always fun, and on more occasions than I can count I do wonder what the heck I am doing.  I think about these things a lot right now as we embark on yet another journey to child #6. 

And it boils down to this, I could have more money, more free time,  a less demanding schedule, less gray hair (I think), or time to sit down on a Sunday morning a do the crossword puzzle in bed.  I could have stopped at the standard 2 or 3 kids.  But I don’t and I didn’t, instead I have a 10 month old baby who wakes up in the morning jabbering to herself, who grins the biggest grin just for me when I go and pick her up, a 12 and 10 year old that I have taught to be self-sufficient enough to take care of their needs in the morning.  A 5 and 7 year old that make me laugh but have absolutely no idea how to get themselves ready.   I get big fat open mouth kisses everyday from my 10 month old and have a 7 year old son who thinks that I walk on water.  I have a 12 year old who still wants to share her day with me and loves her baby sister to the moon and back.  A 10 year old boy who thinks his dad is a hero.   A 5 year old princess that refuses to let me pick her clothes and even looks beautiful in orange, green and pink together.  

Which of these things would I give up?  These are the real things that my days are made up of.  In 50 years when I look back on this time, I will not think I wish I would have had more money, more free time, etc.  No, I will remember all of the wonderful moments and the dramas will fade.  How lucky I feel to know this now.  When the day to days get a little to repetitive, I can imagine myself wrinkled and gray (but still hot) surrounded by everyone I love and forcing them to listen to me “remember” the past. Not for all of the time or money or crossword puzzles out there would I give this up, nope, no way. 

Those are my days, everyday, how lucky am I?

Jillienne  (www.imminent-chaos.blogspot.com )

Only it wasn’t really manic.  Magnificent?  Marvelous?  Much-ado-about-nothing?

My littles like Mondays because I usually drive them to where they meet the crossing guards.  My son and I go to Bible Study at our church Monday mornings (I attend the study while he works his childcare job) and since we’re leaving at the same time as the girls, it’s easier to just drive them.  I’m driving my older daughter to school each day, too, but she needs to leave earlier … generally right when I’m, say, just stepping out of the shower, helping someone with homework and foaming at the mouth with toothpaste (yes, usually all at once).

After Bible study, we made our near-daily stop at the library on the way home.  Between homeschooling, my secret fascination with chick-lit and the books I pick out for my kids at the Y each week, I keep those dear librarians pretty busy.  I’d put a documentary on the Suffrage Movement on hold - watching and discussing that was about the extent of our “school” for the day.

After the girls got home from school, we all went to the YMCA so I could work out, then picked my oldest daughter up after swim practice.  She had a little down time between practice and her FCA group, so it was fun to have her home on a Monday night for supper (bbq pork which we’d made the previous day in the crockpot).  I drove her to her group then, which consisted of a whole bunch of highschool athletes going “trick or can” - collecting food for the local food shelf.  She said later that they collected a lot of food and had a lot of fun. 

The rest of the evening I spent hanging out with the other kids - a little homework, a little Dancing with the Stars, a little end-of-the-day-meltdown, a little reading and snuggling in bed.

So really, hardly manic.  Magical, really.