Catch-up

Whew! There have been lots of things going on this week, so I'm going to hit the highlights. First of all, can someone (ANYONE!) offer up a suggestion as to why a toddler feels the need to be naked - particularly from the waist down? This seems to be a new "hobby" for Sarah and Ava - particularly at naptime. I can't tell you how many times I have had to wash their sheets this week. Fortunately, they were just wet....no other "surprises"! :-) I don't know how she did it, but one day Ava managed to even get her dust ruffle wet. I'm going to have to start putting her in one-piece pj's - and possibly turn them backwards. As for Sarah, she chooses to be stark naked, so I don't know what I'm going to do with her. She's so tall they don't make onesies big enough for her! I hope this "stripper" phase passes soon -- I not only hate, I loathe changing crib sheets. I would rather change my own sheets every day than have to change crib sheets. They are back-breakers! One positive note...this week I discovered Sarah loves steamed broccoli & Ava likes steamed carrots. Now just how long that will last is anyone's guess!


So, that is what the girls are up to.....as for Zachary & Josh....they had their first karate tournament today, and I am soooooo proud of them! Zachary placed 2nd in his division for sparring, 3rd for kata. Josh placed 1st in his division for sparring and 2nd for kata. They were in the same division for kata b/c that is based on belt level (they are both orange belts). They were in different divisions for sparring due to size. Now, the belt levels go white-yellow-orange-green-blue-purple-red-brown-black. There is also a "black stripe" belt in between each color (i.e., white-white/black stripe-yellow, etc). Josh beat out 2 green belts to get 1st and Zachary lost by 1 point to a purple belt and placed 2nd over 1 purple and one orange. Granted, this was a small tournament - not "Karate Kid" size, but they still did awesome. This was the first tournament their instructor hosted and he did an amazing job. Every kid walked away with either a trophy or medal, and he (as well as the 3 judges) did nothing but praise these kids. They emphasized today was about having fun and doing your best. "Mr. Keith" does a great job of building up confidence & character in his students. He loves what he does! Most of all, the boys enjoy it, and that is what counts!

A Day In The Life....

You know with 4 kids there is always going to be SOMETHING going on at our house. So, let me give you a glimpse into the type of chaos that can occur at a moments notice....

Tuesday started as a normal day. I was off, so I took Sarah to MDO, then Ava and I ate lunch with Zachary. I picked up Sarah & the boys at school, then came home and monitored homework, snacks, etc., until dinner. The weather was beautiful, so after dinner, Charles & Zachary went on a bike ride and Sarah, Josh and I washed my car. Ava was supervising in her stroller. Let me add here that Josh did an incredible job of corralling Sarah. He did not allow her to get anywhere close to the street. (I never even asked him to do that - I guess after 2 very close brushes with moving vehicles, he didn't want the same to happen to her!) They had a great time - except at the end, Sarah decided to put her entire body in the bucket I was using to wash the car...with the dirty water still in it! I decided it was time for her to go inside at that point - it was getting dark anyway. I finished up outside and by the time I got in, Charles had just finished giving Sarah a bath. This is where our story begins. She came running down the hall and immediately Charles says, "She picked out her own pajamas!" What would normally be a pair of long-sleeved/pants pajamas was looking like a pair of skin-tight capris and a halter top. I was surprised she could even breathe! I was just thinking I wanted to get a picture of it when out of the corner of my eye I see Zachary headed out of the kitchen with about 6 paper towels. I asked him where he was going and he said Josh had an "accident" and he was trying to help him. I knew Josh was in the shower, so I'm thinking Josh+water+"accident" = not a good situation. I went back to our bathroom (where the boys take their showers) and water was EVERYWHERE. In hindsight, it appears that the nozzle had gotten turned around so when he turned the shower on, water was spraying all over the bathroom. It took 9 (seriously - I counted!) bath towels and a mop to get all the water up and the carpet is STILL damp 2 days later! (And to think - Zachary thought 6 paper towels would do the trick!) I was sooooo mad - not because it happened, but because Josh took his entire shower knowing that water was going everywhere! Now, while I am sopping up the water, I hear Sarah screaming from her room, "NOOOO MOMMY DO IT! MOMMY DO IT!" (She has a terrible case of "mommyitis" these days.) What was causing all that commotion? Charles was simply trying to put clean sheets on her bed. She was having a FIT because I wasn't doing it. You probably think I am making this up or at least embellishing but I promise you all of this is true. I added no details! These type of antics are common at our house...we just learn to shake it off! :-) Charles said later, "I'm sorry you had a bad day." I told him I actually had a good day - but the last couple of hours were very nerve-racking!

So - there is a glimpse into what kinds of things are going on at the Robertson household. Sometimes I think I should put a webcam in my house and charge people to watch! Like they say on "John & Kate Plus 8"........"it's a crazy life, but it's OUR life!" I do love it!

One Wish

You know, if I had one wish - besides a housekeeper - it would be for a "grocery fairy". I'd love to have a little person go to the grocery store for me. It is a chore that I dread every week. If we had the space, I would just go to Cosco once a month and be done. What is frustrating is that I can't get all the items I need at Kroger and I can't get all I need at Wal-Mart. For example, Zachary & I are fanatical about our popcorn. We love Pop Secret Homestyle. Wal-Mart doesn't carry Pop Secret. We love the Welch's fruit snacks - Kroger doesn't carry them. Kroger only carries the itty-bitty peanut butter I like (Peter Pan reduced fat) - whereas Wal-Mart has bigger sizes. Kroger has the better meat & produce section...Wal-Mart is cheaper on cleaning supplies and bath products. Now, I don't go both places every week. I try to do Kroger when I can, but sometimes I HAVE to go to Wal-Mart. I can't take all 4 kids. Oh - I could - and I have - but I can''t think and I have to have 2 baskets (one to hold Sarah & Ava & 1 for food!) When I shop, I have to have a list, and I have to be able to think. This requires more time & energy than I can handle sometimes! :-) It would just be so nice to have a little "helper" do this for me - or if I could just wiggle my nose and have my fridge & pantry full...how awesome! (Sigh) I guess we all wish we could have "little helpers" around our house. Granted, I do have 4 of my own, but they "help" in other ways. Zachary & Josh help so much with the girls, Sarah "helps" me with laundry and anything else she thinks she is big enough to do, and little Ava...well...she is actually pretty good at putting up stuff when prompted. I guess I should appreciate what I do have! For now, my kitchen is full and I actually had empty laundry baskets for a couple of hours last night. It's going to be a good week!

Another Week Over!

I guess it is an age thing, but I feel like time is just slipping out of my hands. The week starts and is over before I know it. In some ways I guess that is good, but it also means that my kids are growing up right before my eyes, and I am getting older that much faster! :-)

This week has been a whirlwind of emotions...for me at least. Mainly sadness. I look around me and I see so many people I know - some of them friends, some acquaintances - whose marriages are dissolving. It breaks my heart. I mean - dreams are shattered at no hope of restoration (at least at this time). I can't imagine the pain they are going thru. It has been a long journey to this point, and there is an even longer road ahead. Some feel free to share with friends and family  and others don't. Choosing not to share only makes you feel more isolated - I think. You need to be able to lean on your friends for support and encouragement - especially as Christians. Personally, I can understand how difficult it would be to talk to other people - no matter how close you are. Anyway - I am rambling...this is just something that has really bothered me this week. It has made me take a closer look at my own marriage.  With 4 kids, we have crazy schedules, but we do try to take the time just to "catch up" on our day.  It is an effort to stay connected with each other, and if we don't work at it, we don't.  I think that is what is happening to lots of families these days.  The husband & wife get so caught up in other things, that they slip away from each other.  One thing leads to another and next thing you know - separation.  Sometimes I wonder if people really even take marriage seriously anymore.  Some people decide they don't want to "do this" anymore and just bail out.  We have to pray - not only for ourselves, but for each other - that God will protect our marriages and use them as a testament of his love for the Church.

Like I said, I am rambling -- sorry!  My friend Jen probably thinks I read her blog and then write in mine!  We have both been dealing with similar issues this week.  I guess I need to go check on my little ones.  This much silence probably means that little hands (a.k.a. AVA) are into something they shouldn't be in - like the toilet!

The Mind of a 7 Year-Old

Don't you ever wish you could just go back in time and be a kid again?  When your biggest worry was whether you should ride your bike or roller skate?  Good times.....Today, we live in a world full of crime, poverty, catastrophe, and most of all sin.  I usually pull up FoxNews.com every day and the news is always so depressing  -- some of the stories I can't even bring myself to read (especially if they involve children).   Sometimes it would be so nice to be a kid again!  Josh just turned 7, and a couple of weeks ago, he had an assignment in school to write "Things That Make Me Happy".  Here is his list (I took the liberty to correct his spelling!): 

I like my Wii

I love my family

I like my Nintendo

I love church and God

I love air

I like to write

I like my Gamecube

I love to sleep

I like school

I like video games

I hate satan 

I got the biggest kick out of this!  This is one of those papers I dated and will tuck away forever.  If you know Josh, the abundance of video games on this list should not surprise you.  I have to say, I was impressed he threw in that he loves his family (not just "likes"!), loves church and God, and hates Satan.  I guess as parents we must be doing something right!  I really miss those days of innocence - when my parents thought nothing of letting me play outside until way past dark (in the summer!)  -- not always knowing where I was.  I cannot even fathom letting my kids out of the house and not being able to put my thumb on them at all times.  I want to protect my kids forever from the evils of the world, but I must let them go at some point.  All I can do is pray a hedge of protection over them and leave them in God's hands!   For now though,  I'll try to shield them from all the "bad things" take great joy in letting them just be kids!

Whew!

Another weekend over. I'm sure Charles is glad since I had to work Sat. & Sun.! One parent + 4 kids + busy schedules makes for one frazzled parent! I'm really praying that something will change so that I can go back to just 3 days during the week. I only have to work 1 weekend a month, so it isn't the worst thing, but when there are a thousand places to go, it makes for a hectic weekend for my wonderful husband! Not to mention the fact that he leaves the house at 4 a.m. on Saturdays and gets home around noon -- aahhhh the joys of a family business! (BTW - big congrats to Zachary & Josh for passing their test for their orange belt. I am so proud of them! Charles took pics, so I will post them when he downloads them from the camera.)

On a different note....I was finally able to read the People Magazine article on Steven Curtis Chapman and his family's recovery process following the death of their daughter Maria. I just can't imagine the pain and hurt. Not only are they dealing with the loss of their daughter, but also the fact that it was their own son who accidentally ran over her. I kept thinking of those few lines from Psalm 139 ....."you knit me together in my mother's womb"......."for I know the plans I have for you"........."all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be"... On one hand you think "how could God let this happen?" but at the same time you know He wasn't surprised by this either. He knew Maria would only have a short time here on earth - but the Chapman family did not. This is just like I wrote in this blog a couple of weeks ago. Our "curtain" is only open part of the way -- God is the only One who sees the whole picture. There are some things were just aren't meant to understand -- at least -- not at this time. Enjoy every precious moment/memory with your loved ones. You never know when it will come to an end.

CONFESSION

I have a horrible confession to make - one that might startle some of you - so sit down....take a deep breath....blow it out....now listen to what I have to tell you. I HATE to shop! Whew! I'm so glad I got that off my chest! I hope you won't think less of me for it! I guess I should clarify. I hate shopping for myself -- Charles & the kids are a totally different story! Today was a reminder of why I hate to shop. Charles & I were at Macy's. They had a great sale (or so it appeared). He got 3 shirts (2 of which we later realized were Calvin Klein) for $45. They were long sleeved, dress shirts, so that was really a great deal. Charles NEVER buys himself anything, so I really had to coax him. Geesh -0ne shirt was only $7 - you can't pass that up! I decided to look at the women's stuff. Problem #1 - a "deal" was a top for about $30. Problem #2 - there are only 4.5 billion variations to tops/shirts/blouses/dresses/jackets. Guys only have to decide b/w long or short-sleeved, material, pattern. There isn't much variation there - just find your size. As for the women? Aaaagh! I just refuse to spend that much $$ and I refuse to try on 25 items to see which one I can tolerate. I wear scrubs to work 3 days a week, and on the days I am off, I am chasing a 1 and 2 year old, so I don't sit around in designer labels all day. I'll go for comfort rather than style. Target - here I come!

Let me also add that I could spend ALLLLLLLLL day shopping for the kids - especially the girls - and I get so excited when I find a good deal! (If I had $1,000 to blow, I would spend $998 at Target and The Children's Place on kids clothes and $2 on a Diet Coke for me!) I've been to Chocolate Soup 2x this month and was ecstatic with my finds! I guess it is the thrill of the chase. Chocolate Soup is the most over-priced children's clothing store in the whole tri-state area, but sometimes you can get the most unbelievable deals. I love that I can buy for Sarah and know Ava will be able to wear it too (eventually -- she is sooooo tiny compared to my amazon child!) I would be happy wearing the smocked a-line dresses, but they look a whole lot cute on a little girl than a grown woman! I guess at that point they become "moo-moo's"! :-) Don't get me wrong, I don't spend my days off at the mall. I usually only shop for the kids at the change of seasons and maybe pick up a few things here & there. All the fall stuff is out now, but it is hard to break out the corduroy when it is still 90 degrees outside!