Staying with my Roots

I mentioned in a blog recently that I have a "project" I am about to start.  As if I don't have enough project in the "Farm House Project" but I am having a chicken coop built for out backyard and about to purchase some chickens to brood for the kids.  I want them for eggs but I also want them for the kids to have an interest, something to help keep us in the backyard.  Since I grew up on a farm I LOATHE the television on during sunshine hours.  I am sure that Alese would attest that she LOATHES that I loathe that, lol.  Anyway, I just don't believe in sitting in front of a t.v.  I allow a little television but I definitely limit it!! So I have been at the beach reading my GRIT magazine, which  I LOVE.  This magazine has been around since the 1800's and it actually use to be a newspaper and my Pappy use to drive my daddy and some of his siblings around to sell it.  I love that I subscribe to a magazine that my grandparents use to read and my daddy use to sell to make a little money.  I am also reading up on chicken breeds, diseases, vaccines and all that goes with raising a few chickens.  I can't wait.  Stay tuned.....

Recharging

I am almost feeling jealous about blogging this but I am going to anyway.  I am blogging on the beach.  I brought Patrick's laptop down here so I could relax and do a little blogging.  The kids are at the farm.  I truly believe in recharging your brain, your energy etc...It helps me give my best to my kids when I am able to get a "breather".  I know that not all mothers are fortunate enough to live close to family or have family willing to help but I am and no one will EVER know how much I appreciate that.  My little cousin Joy has two young children and expecting her third and lives in Yelm, Washington.  She truly has no one, I often wonder how she does it, her husband is great help when he isn't on base but I mean she can't just run over to her parents and leave her kids.  I know I am blessed.  I know that are not many IF ANY grandparents that will take ALL of their grandkids for nights at a time.  My parents will take all 7 grandkids at once and not think a thing of it.  WOW, it amazes me that they are that brave!  So all this leads me to my next question; "Does it take a Village"?  Now I am no Hillary fan and I am certainly no democrat but I have pondered that question recently after reading a devotion one morning that triggered that question in my mind.  The first time I heard it I wasn't a mother and I thought it was ridiculous.  Now I am a mother and well, it doesn't seem so ridiculous at all.  Here are my thoughts on that question.  Why hell yes it takes a village!! I would loose my mind without my village!! My village being my family.  Being a mother is a hard, "thankless" job.   I love it but some days I want a break and I can always count on either of my parents and both of my brothers.  Mother's day for some reason both of my children decided to not behave in church.  We were at Providence and there is no nursery for Cash and Arden likes to go in with us.  Whew, it was very hard for me to worship while loosing my mind with the monkeys.  Uncle Jason quickly intervened and told Cash he was going to take him out and spank him if he didn't settle down and mind his mama.  "It takes a village" was my first thought.  For some folks, that may not like another family member jumping in like that but that is the really great thing about my family.  We aren't like that.  We help each other when needed, we are all smart enough to know when to step in and when to stay out.  Cash loves and admires my daddy so much that he can talk to him about something and it sticks with him.  I appreciate that my daddy will do that when he needs to, without me asking him.  When we are on the farm you never know whose kids are going with who, John may have one or two, Jason may have a few, they just scatter and so because of that we all have to love and discipline each others kids.  It is what we do.  I think it is what our God would want us to to.  He tells us to love on each other, that is what I strive to do everyday, LOVE people and I think my family helping me with my kids is them loving me!!  So maybe it doesn't take a village but  in my case it sure takes a FARM!!!

Beach Blogging

Newest Season

It has been a while and I have been sooo busy.  I feel like me and the kids live on the road between Hattiesburg and Jayess, we have been spending a lot of time on the farm.  It has been great, don't get me wrong but it does tend to get routines out of whack. But it is worth it to see the family, help daddy with our agritourism business and see my kids LOVING the country life.  Cash asked me last week if we could build us a house on the farm and just come to town to visit daddy, lol! Poor daddy!!  For mothers day I am always pondering what to get the mothers.  This year my mama called with a request, I was thrilled, that was going to make my search so easy.  Then she told me her request.  She wanted her flower bed  tilled, fertilized and planted.  Well okay then, I knew how I would spend my mothers day weekend :).  I didn't mind at all though.  I love getting outside and getting my hands dirty being productive.  I ran the chainsaw, the weed eater and got her bed looking good.  My poor legs proved my hard work the next day, bruises from head to toe! Happy Mothers Day Bonnie Jean, it was my pleasure, you are after all the best mama and especially the best grandmother ever, hands down.


So Miss Arden has been busy as usual keeping me running in circles and constantly looking over my shoulder for her next stunt.  If her latest wasn't a sign of what she was ready for then nothing is a sign.  She was climbing out of her crib, taking off her pajamas and her diaper and putting panties on and laying in the floor.  She would sometimes go back to sleep or sometimes play in her closet or sometimes just model 6 different pairs of panties on, all at once.  I knew it was time to move her crib out and potty train her so last weekend I went and bought her a twin bed.  The beautiful Bratt Decor crib that has been part of our home since late 2006 is officially moved out of the house.  I will post some pictures when I finish making her bed skirt.  I have to actually start it first :).  Stay tuned.....


The kids humor:  Last week Arden came in the house and asked, "where is Noah"?  Noah is a little boy in her Sunday school class at church.  I may add here that he "attacked"her a few months ago, clawing her face and neck and leaving a scar on her cheek so I thought it was funny that she was asking about him.  Anyway before I could get a word in Cash loudly declares, "Arden, Noah built the Ark, he is in Heaven with Jesus".    Love my babies.

Meltdowns, PMS, and all that it means...

Wow, talk about blowing it before 9 a.m.  I have succeeded at yelling at my children, sighing to myself that they were sucking the life out of me and thanking God that they had school today.  Supermom, huh?  I didn't even feed them breakfast.  :( Of course on the way to school I told them how much I loved them before quickly dumping them in car line and having a meltdown all the way home because I am such a horrible mother!!  I blog about these kinds of things because they are real, this is the season of my life with young children and I KNOW that other mothers are feeling these same things, the overflow of love, guilt etc... all the things that come with the daunting task of being a mother.  Who knew it would be so challenging?  Have I mentioned that before? ha!  


I WISH I had a dollar for all the times I have been told "enjoy this, it will be over before you know it".  What I really want to say to those people that tell me that is "Really? God I hope so". :)  (insert laugh here).  Okay in all seriousness I thoroughly enjoy my babies, my days with them, their contagious smiles and laughs, the way that for the most part they love each other so much, the way they really do NEED me for everything, the way they sing with me, the way they usually take every step I take even if it means that sometimes they trip me.  I LOVE them, adore them miss them when they are not around, they are the reason for my existence but some days like today, I don't get off to a good start. These are also the days that I don't start my day with quiet time to pray for them (and for me).  Cash had a meltdown (which  I would swear by  now he is getting to old for, lol) because he wanted to watch Bob but he didn't want to bring me the remote, he wanted me to come in there.  I am trying to stop doing EVERYTHING when I know that he is capable of doing some things and I am trying to teach him a little bit about motivation (like actually looking for something instead of crying to me that he can't find it) and responsiblity. Trust me, I know how R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S this seems. :)  I am laughing at my own self, what 4 year old CARES  if what he is looking for is in eye sight, he just wants YOU to come get it.  
I really don't want these days to pass me by to fast, I want to embrace them and for the most part I have been very good about that.  However sometimes when the P(rincess)M(ust)S(cream) syndrome hits, I have a hard time with balance and let's face it, with sanity.  It is a stupid, stupid misconception that we must do it all alone, that we must be supermama's, that we must must must must......STUPID!!!  Our kids are going to grow up with or without us, once it is over it is over and I do not want to wake up with regrets.  I will not remember that one of my couches was covered in folded laundry(hey at least I got it washed) or that their bedrooms look like a war zone or that i fed them spagetti o's for supper, fortunatley they won't either.  What we will remember is that we laid on the couch and watched Bearanstain Bears and did not think of it as wasted time, that I stopped what I was doing and pushed them on the swing.  I will never have this day with my children again, it is a gift  I want to enjoy this day.  Thankfully since they are at school :)  I have been able to come home, breathe, speak to the Lord about my ignorance and ask him to fill me up so that I can be as gracious to these brain cell sucking little people as HE has been to  me.   Whew, thank you sweet Jesus that our children are SO forgiving, that they don't hold it against us when we act like yelling idiots.  Thank you for do over's!!! :)