This kid...

This kid:

scored seventeen points at his basketball game yesterday.

got all A's on his report card (except for a B+ in art...how do you get graded on artistic ability anyway?).

dreams of making it big as a left-handed pitcher for the Major Leagues, then moving to Australia ('cause he likes the way they talk, as in "g'day, mate" :).

is an incredible big brother to Gabe, always playing with him and making a big deal of Gabe's accomplishments, even covering him up with a blanket if he's chilly.

is so smart and athletic and funny, I can't wait to see where the future leads him.

I just love this kid.

Welcome BlogTrotters!

Hello, fellow BlogTrotters! Welcome to my neck of the woods! You are about to enter the peaceful midwestern town of Lebanon, Ohio. Located about 30 miles north of Cincinnati, OH, Lebanon is like a modern-day Mayberry, where the librarians know you by name (and remember the kind of books you love) and kids can be seen playing on every street corner.

Ready for your tour? Let's go!

The Cincinnati area is known as the "tri-state" of Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. Within 20 minutes, you can be in any one of those three states...

I work at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati; I love the view from the hospital, overlooking the river. This picture is taken from the Kentucky side of the Ohio river, looking at the city. Beautiful, isn't it?

If you like roller coasters, King's Island in Mason, OH, is a great place to spend the day (or the summer, as we've been known to do!). Only about 7 minutes from our house, we usually get season passes so we can visit when the crowds are less (after a rainstorm or on a gloomy Wednesday). They have a fireworks display at 10pm every summer night, which you can hear from our front door (though I thought it was a thunderstorm the first year that we lived here!).

Now, on to the tour of my hometown. Although there are around 20,000 citizens, somehow Lebanon is able to hold on to that "small town" feel...

Lebanon United Methodist Church is where we spend our Sunday mornings.

Lebanon is a family-oriented town, filled with kids of all ages. This school used to be the high school; it now houses only the 5th-6th graders (over 800 kids!). Our school system still has an excellent rating, despite this large number of students.

Downtown Lebanon is known for their antique shops and unique stores. One of my favorites is "The Open Hearth". (Click on link to pay a visit). The kids used to love to visit Tammi and peruse her selection of Webkinz; now it's just me, admiring her decorating abilities and her selection of country chic decor. If only I had more money to spend...

Interested in opening a shop of your own? There's some property for sale just down the street! I'm sure Tammi would love to have new neighbors :)

One of the landmarks in Lebanon is The Golden Lamb. Full of history (presidents have slept in the hotel upstairs), this restaurant serves up old-fashioned food with friendly service, although I don't recommend taking picky children there :)

The place I love to visit...our public library. It's gorgeous on the outside, filled floor to ceiling with a great selection of books, and staffed with the friendliest librarians you'll ever meet. Gabe even hugs Miss Barb when we see her out shopping at Kroger!

I can't wait to spend summer afternoons in the new library park, eating fresh strawberries from the Farmer's Market held every Thursday just down the street.

Don't let looks fool you; this old barn houses the best selection of flowers, shrubs and trees from spring to fall. We even get our Christmas tree from their nursery every winter.

My dream is to someday own a home on Orchard Street, the prettiest street in town. Every home is unique, mostly in Victorian fashion, and the landscaping is beautiful (although these January pictures don't do them justice).

Driving down Orchard Street never fails to make me happy, especially at night when you can see the houses all lit up and looking so cozy.

At least three or four days a week, you will find us here at our local YMCA, one of the biggest in the country. We are blessed to live five minutes away; someday the kids may even be able to ride their bikes here (when I have the nerve to let them cross the busy state route). More pools than you can count, endless activities for every age, pool parties in the summer and hayrides in the fall; the Countryside Y was a huge draw for us to move here.

Hungry after all that touring? Let's stop at my favorite pizza place, LaRosa's. Hot melted cheese on top of a perfectly baked pizza, with mushrooms and pepperoni and delicious sauce...yum!

Thanks for "trotting" all over Lebanon with me...hope you enjoyed your taste of Smalltown, America, Ohio-style. If you want to read more, here are a few of my favorite posts:

Advice

Birthday Party Etiquette

Did You Know?

What, a Date?

The next best thing...

I have an exciting new find to tell you all about.

If you have a digital camera and a computer (which I know you do if you're a blogger, duh), then listen up.

My scrapbooking idol, the woman I love and adore and model myself after (in a scrapbooky way, of course), Becky Higgins, has come up with an incredible way to preserve your photos via the computer.

I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. But to try it out is totally free; you pay nothing until you finish your digital scrapbook and want to have it printed. You need NO software, you download NOTHING. Everything is based on their server; you download your pictures, throw in some journaling and some cute clipart (if you want), and that's it. You have a beautiful scrapbook on its way to your home, instead of a thousand jpegs sitting in a folder on your harddrive.

Seriously, go check it out. Don't take my word for it. It's cheaper than Shutterfly, and easy enough for even a computer-illiterate gal like me to figure out...

What are you waiting for? Go here. Now.

Luck of the draw

We play cards often, especially this time of year.

Nerts, solitaire, euchre, rummy, spades, pass the ace, Texas hold'em...anything to help make the grey winter days pass more quickly.

Most of the time, we play with Joe's parents, either at their house or ours.

Lady Luck has a lot to do with playing cards. Sometimes she's with you, sometimes she's not.

But she had nothing to do with the people who happen to be the grandparents of my babies. I often say how "lucky" I am to have them in my life, but I don't really believe that. I know that God put Kay and Bob in my life for a reason, a blessing to me and Joe and our kids. Elijah, Isabel and Gabe are the light of their lives as much as they are to us; they love them unconditionally, and always want to share in their achievements as well as comfort their hurts. I know my kids don't yet understand how blessed they are, but someday, I hope they do. They are loved. They are treasured. And they are learning how to play a mean game of thirty-one :)

"You don't choose your family;

they are God's gift to you,

as you are to them."

-Desmond Tutu

"Lost" in my dreams...

For the past couple of weeks, I have been watching the episodes of "Lost", starting with Season 1. I am now halfway through Season 2. Every night when the kids are safely tucked in bed, I run down to the Xbox and turn on Netflix, losing myself in the world of Jack and Kate and Sawyer and all the others.

I may have to face the fact that this is an addiction, one that my children share. Gabe loves to watch it with me, and make scrapbook pages about the island (he even drew a plane, cut it out, and made it crash-land on his "island", complete with the hatch and the beach!).

Often, I fall asleep on the couch immediately after the show is over, visions of sugarplums, crashing waves and Sawyer dancing in my head...

Those kind of dreams make it really difficult to wake up in the morning, folks. Do I hear an amen?

Thank you, Josh and the creators of Lost, for making me one happy, if slightly fantasizing, girl.

Worry Much?

In my women's Sunday School class, we are studying this book:

I love it! If you don't the know the Bible story of Mary and Martha, I'll sum it up for you. One day, Jesus pays a visit to the home of these two sisters. As Mary sits at Jesus' feet, soaking up his very presence, her sister, Martha, is busy scurrying around the kitchen preparing a meal worthy of their guest. The harder she works, the more she resents her sister "doing nothing". Finally, Martha appeals to Jesus, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!". To which Jesus responds, "Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42)

One thing I really like about this book is that it doesn't try to make you feel guilty for not being a stay-at-home mom, baking cookies and cleaning house and making everything just perfect for your family. It emphasizes that whether you work in the home or outside of it, we are all in need of having a heart for Jesus.

Today's lesson was focused on worry. One of my favorite Bible verses was used: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:27). An interesting bit of statistics was mentioned:

What We Worry About

40% are things that will never happen.

30% are about the past, which can't be changed.

12% are about criticism by others, mostly untrue.

10% are about health, which gets worse with stress.

8% are about real problems that can be solved.

God tells us not to worry. It is not a suggestion; it is a command. Why? As Joanna Weaver says, "God knows worry short-circuits our relationship with him. It fixes our eyes on our situation rather than on our Savior." (p.35, HMHMW)

But how do you avoid worry? Some people seem to worry more than others. God does not call us to not be concerned, only to avoid useless worrying. Paul sums it up quite nicely in Phillipians 4:6-7...

"1. Be anxious about nothing.

2. Be prayerful about everything.

3. Be thankful for all things."

Honestly, I can't say enough about this book. This chapter really spoke to me; as mothers, wives, and women in general, it seems we are greatly susceptible to worry. Any tool that can help us overcome this tendency is worth a try, and Jesus is the greatest tool of all.

Has anyone else read this book or done the Bible study version? Are you a worrier? Or have you found a way to overcome worrying?

Weekend Update

Live from Lebanon, it's time for the Weekend Update.

Fun was had by all Friday night at the local winery. Three bottles of wine, six steaks with all the fixins', endless quoting of The Hangover and loud guffaws of laughter abounded. Clearly a good mix of personalities!

(Diane, Monica and me)

In other news, today is the third game for the local basketball team, the Monarchs, featuring awesome playing by Elijah K., coached by Joe and Heather. The season has started out with a bang, and the team is 2-0 so far. Go Monarchs!

(Disclaimer: this picture was taken early in the morning last week, before any coffee or breakfast. Thus the pale faces and puffy eyes. No retouching was available.)

New Construction update: the new miniature house being built for Master Gabe is nearing completion. A roof, some trim, and installation of curtains and the staircase is all that's left. This house's worth is estimated at $1 million (or at least it should be, after all that painting and sanding and gluing). Do we have any buyers?

That's it for the Weekend Update...hope you all stay safe and warm on this gloomy, cloudy, foggy, rainy, cold, yucky January weekend. (Yep, I'm sick of winter, alright.)

Bit of this, bit of that

Watched The Hangover last night. Laughed out loud more times than I could count. Joe didn't think it was as funny as I did. I'm still laughing about it this morning.

Had a load of laundry in the wash before 7:30am. Realized it's been over a week since I've washed my own clothes; clearly, I have too many pairs of socks and underwear, otherwise I'd have done it by now.

Planning on going to Muscle Max this morning for a good workout. My right shoulder hurts for some reason; hope I can make it through the class.

Do you have a chatty morning child? 'Cause I do. Isabel hasn't stopped talking since she woke up twenty minutes ago. She's in the kitchen, still talking. I need some coffee.

Going to the winery for dinner with friends tonight. Kay is babysitting (once again, awesome MIL award). Monica and Diane have never been to Valley Vineyards, so we're taking our husbands, getting dolled up and going out for a great time. Can't wait.

I'm off work this entire weekend. Need to study, finish the roof on the miniature house, and make a wedding scrapbook for a friend (getting paid for this one).

Looks like more rain today. Need to find the galoshes and more umbrellas. At least it's not snow. Looking for the silver lining here...

My heart is breaking for those in Haiti. It's so hard to watch, you almost can't stand it. One of the doctors from Christ was there; he's back now; planning on going back when he gets more supplies.

So grateful for all the blessings in my own life. The internet, hot running water, the health of myself and my family, enough money to pay the bills, a nice home to live in...I could go on and on. Thanking God right this minute; determined to have a thankful heart all day long, no matter what.

What's on your mind this morning?

Advice

When I did that post about Gabe and our behavior struggles, I got lots of good advice. Suzann from The Olive Cottage recommended this book, which I ran right out and bought with my Barnes & Noble gift card. I have hope that it will work.

Some of you are aware that when I played the "mother-in-law lottery", I won the grand prize. My MIL, Kay, is one of the most awesome people I know. She has the same struggles with Gabe when she watches him for me, and she knows the challenges I face. Her discipline style with her kids was very similar to my own, and I never receive judgement from her; always love and support.

So I was really surprised when I received an email from her entitled "Tough Love vs Spanking". I thought she was judging me for the way I've been handling Gabe.

See if I'm over-reacting. Read this email and let me know what you think:

.Tough Love vs.
Spanking - Good
Argument


Most
of the American populace

thinks
it improper to spank
children,

so
I have tried other methods

to
control my kids when

they
have one of 'those moments.'
One
that I found effective

is
for me to just take the
child

for
a car ride and talk.

Some
say it's the vibration

from
the car, others say

it's

the
time away from any

distractions
such as TV,

video
games, computer, iPod,
etc.

Either
way, my kids

usually
calm down and

stop
misbehaving after

our
car ride together.

Eye
to eye contact helps a lot too.

I've
included a photo below

of
one of my sessions

with
my son, in case

you
would like to use the technique.

Kay, I almost peed my pants when I saw this last picture. I had to show it to another mom at work, and as I was reading it to her, she said, "maybe I should try this with Owen (her 5-year old)". When she saw the picture, she roared with laughter.

I love you for many reasons. But this takes the cake!

Hope you all got a laugh, too. Please be assured that I will never try this technique in real life, even though I may consider it seriously somedays...

The Great Outdoors

Trying to live my word ("frugality", remember?) while planning a vacation for a family of five is a difficult thing to do.

Airfare is outrageous, a beach is at least a twelve-hour drive away, and visiting a big city is just too darn expensive.

What's the alternative, you may ask.

How about teaching our kids about the great outdoors? You know, like a camping trip? I know some of you would rather cut off your left arm than spend the night in a sleeping bag under the stars, but I think we could make some great memories together, not to mention teach them a few survival skills along the way.

I'm not talking about roughing it with just a tent and two sticks, killing our own food and using leaves to wipe our, well, you know.

I am talking about visiting some of the state parks and other natural sites in our area, pitching a tent and sitting by the campfire, toasting marshmallows and telling scary stories. Getting up early the next morning and going hiking, seeing how many wild animals we can track and maybe get a glimpse of. Pretend like we're the Ingalls family (Isabel will love that!) and look for our new home on the banks of Plum Creek.

We have decided to make 2011 The Year of the Cruise for our family, with Joe's mom and dad coming along, too. Which means that 2010 is going to be The Year of the Tent, and we're good with that.

I know I'll have some great stories, if nothing else. No camping trip ever goes off without a hitch, it seems.

What about you? Do you like to camp? To cruise? Wanna make 2011 the year of the cruise along with us?

Effective discipline?

Gabe is so used to being in trouble, sometimes he puts himself in time-out.

When it's just me and Gabe at home, he is very well-behaved. He listens to me, helps me around the house, has fun playing on his own or doing puzzles or scrapbooking with me.

Then the kids come home from school. And he wants to be the center of attention. Don't get me wrong; he is not instantly ignored the moment Elijah and Isabel walk in the door. They talk to him and play with him until he starts getting wild. And wild he gets. To the point where no one can stand it, and he ends up getting sent to his room.

Sigh.

Sunday, while at church, Gabe was in rare form. Ornery as all get-out in Sunday School for his teacher, loud and wiggly during the first part of the church service, and being generally disruptive with his bad behavior. The thing is, we had talked that morning about our "plan" for church (he has been wild in Sunday School for the last couple of weeks). There are two other boys in his class, and when the three of them get together, it is awful. I know boys will be boys and all, but come kindergarten and beyond, Gabe is going to have to figure it out. Anyway, our plan consisted of this: if Gabe was able to be a good listener to his Sunday School teacher, participate in the class activity and not get in trouble with his friends, then he would get to play his DS and have a snack during the first part of church (which is aimed at the adults). Needless to say, he did NOT uphold his part of the plan; therefore, he did not get his reward.

I'm at a loss. Positive discipline, consequences/rewards, even the occasional meeting with the spanking spoon...nothing is working lately. My patience is wearing thin. I don't want him to have a bad school experience, being labeled as "hyperactive" at an early age, but I don't know what to do to help him.

To make matters worse, when he does get punished for his bad behavior, he knows exactly how to twist the knife of guilt and make me feel horrible. The other day, while being confined in his room for an hour before dinner, he drew a special picture just for me, with a heart on it "so you could love me again".

Jeez.

I hugged him and told him I always love him, even when I'm angry, but I'm sure that makes no sense to a five-year-old boy. Mad=hate; nice=love in his point of view.

Anyone else have a child like Gabe? Any words of wisdom for this desperate mom?

Power of a Word

Awhile ago, I read a post by my friend, Jennifer, about finding a Word of the Year to live by. I had heard of this from scrapbooker Ali Edwards, but hadn't thought too much about it.

After giving it some thought, and reading Jennifer's post, I decided to give it a try. I went to this website to get some help.

One word kept coming back to me.

I fought it.

I don't know if I can live up to it.

I have delayed this post for days, hoping to "get" another word. To no avail. This is the word I am meant to live this year, no matter how much I deny it.

The word, you ask?

Frugality.

As in, the practice of resourcefully using already owned economic goods/services to achieve a longterm goal. Or another definition, by Wikipedia: curbing costly habits, defying expensive social norms, suppressing instant gratification by means of fiscal self-restraint.

Can you see why I was fighting it?

I like to shop. I love Hobby Lobby and Target. I want to go on nice vacations and wear new clothes and get a pedicure.

But I already have a lot of nice things. I've been on many great vacations. Hobby Lobby and Target are in business due to my patronage, and my scrapbook room is full of awesome paper and albums and stamps.

When I look around at the many folks who have much less than I do, I feel convicted to try my best to live this word. By writing this post for all of blogland to see, I am making it official. I am so afraid of failure; I know I have an uphill battle. But I have a plan, a list of five things I can do right now to help me get started.

1. Make a weekly meal plan and stick with it (save money by not eating out).

2. Get books from the library instead of buying them (do I really need to own every book I read?).

3. Use the scrapbooking supplies I already have in abundance (maybe even sell a project or two).

4. Shop without the kids (especially Gabe...can I please get a tiny toy, Mom?) and stick to the list. Don't even LOOK at the clearance rack unless it is something I need.

5. Instead of shopping when I'm bored, go to the Y or out for a run.

My goal is to pay off some bills and put a big chunk of money in the bank. If I achieve this goal by next January, we are going on a cruise and I am rewarding myself with a new camera that I've been dreaming of buying. But if I don't succeed, I will hang my head in shame and try again next year.

Wish me luck living up to my word...

Anyone else wanna give it a try? Click on Christine Kane's link and check it out.

A tradition and my sister.

During the hustle and bustle that was December, I completely forgot to post these pictures. And now that we are smack in the middle of my least favorite month of the year, I am ready to dig out some of those pics and post them.

When I was a kid, my grandpa would bake a gazillion Spritz cookies as gifts for the family. I loved them. We all did. Flour, butter and sprinkles were the main ingredients; really, what more do you need?

My grandpa died when I was thirteen. But now, Michelle and I carry on the tradition of baking Spritz cookies for Christmas (a bit easier thanks to her electric cookie press!).

On our Christmas-cookie-baking-marathon-day, we made all sorts of cookies. For ourselves and our families. For friends and neighbors. For co-workers and teachers. I found a great deal on these jelly jars this past fall, and they worked out great for gifts!

I'm so glad Michelle and I have this tradition. With her kids being teenagers, and mine being so much younger; with the both of us working and driving kids to events and trying to maintain our households; we don't get to see each other near enough. We text, and email, and talk on the phone. We see New Moon together (twice!), and talk about books we've read and loved (Catching Fire). She asks me for medical advice/information, which I never charge her for :)

In short, I love my sister. And I'm so blessed to have her in my life. And even if we only see each other once in a while, I know she's there for me, and she knows the same.

Now if I could only get her back into blogging...

(Don't you just love how Gabe jumps into a picture at the last second? That kid, I swear!)

Who Knew?

That after visiting Lula last summer, Elijah would become determined to be an X-Box 360 owner. (Thanks for sharing your man-room, Scotty.)

That Joe and I would give in and actually buy said X-Box for him for Christmas.

That hooking up X-Box Live would be so complicated, even for computer-whiz-Joe.

That even I would love it, too!

As Elijah says, the graphics are amazing!

The ability to play online with other people through your game system on your own TV is cool.

And the absolute best part? Netflix on Live. You can log onto Netflix, pick out your movie (or TV series...hello, LOST!) and then load it right onto your system and watch it immediately.

Even though I was skeptical of having another game system in our house, I can now say that I love this one!

Anybody else have X-Box Live with Netflix? Any good movie suggestions? Wanna join me in a game of Lego Indiana Jones?

How to make a friend, by Gabe

As most of you know, Gabe is my outgoing not-a-shy-bone-in-his-body kid. Elijah and Isabel are friendly, but Gabe takes it to a whole new level. Any place we go, be it Kroger or the YMCA or even the hospital for a work party, he manages to make a new friend.

How does he do it, you may ask...

Here's an example:

Yesterday, at Elijah's first Upward basketball game, Gabe spotted a boy about his age playing a Nintendo DS just like his.

He looks at me and says, Mom, see that boy over there. I'm gonna go and make him my friend. I bet he likes Kirby and Lego Star Wars just like me!

And off he went. Within two minutes, the two of them were sitting side by side, discussing their games and ages and likes/dislikes. Now, if Gabe had his way, we would have invited the boy over for a playdate and maybe even a sleepover, without even knowing his name. I have to teach him to hold back a little, as some people are a little overwhelmed by his friendliness.

I, on the other hand, love it!

How bout you? Wanna come over for a playdate? I'm sure Gabe will even share his beloved black olives :)

Different perspectives

Amazing the difference a (few) years makes.

When I was a kid, I lived and prayed for snow days.

As an adult, I like the occasional snow day, especially in December when I'm in the Christmas spirit and the snow makes everything prettier.

It's kinda like this...

Kid Heather: Yay, we have a snow day again today! A four-day weekend for us! Woo-hoo!

Mom Heather: Um, four days in a row with a houseful of husband and kids? Really? wow, that's great...

Kid Heather: But we can go out and go sledding and make a snowman and have a snowball fight!

Mom Heather: I can't be outside for five minutes without my hands going numb and white (damn Raynaud's disease). I'd love to sled, but I won't last out there. Snowball fights? I give it two minutes before a kid comes in crying from a snowball to the face.

Kid Heather: I love when we come in all cold and frozen and drink hot cocoa 'til we thaw out.

Mom Heather: I hate the piles of wet snowsuits and socks and boots and hats and gloves on my floor. It takes ten minutes to get the kids bundled up, ten more minutes to get those clothes back off, and two hours to wash all the darn stuff. Snow days are too much work.

Kid Heather: But it looks so pretty outside!

Mom Heather: I agree, it does look pretty. Until you have to drive thirty miles to work in the stuff, 'cause nurses don't EVER get a snow day. And then you end up getting stuck there for a double shift when your relief can't make it in. Been there, done that, many a time. Not fun.

Kid Heather: Well, I'm glad we got two snow days this week. So there.

Mom Heather: I'm fine with it. I just hope these are the last snow days of the winter.

Clearly, I am a woman on the edge. My two days of having the house to myself so I can get some things done are just a figment of my imagination. I need an hour long shower and a tall glass of wine.

How are you surviving the snow? Do you still like snowdays? Am I just a grump?

A student is (re)born.

Here I am.

I survived my marathon work/school/work and now snow day, and I've managed to get the kids out of the house and into the snow for at least 15 minutes. Time enough for a quick blog update.

Tuesday was my first night of class.

American Cinema, which counts as my American History credit. I wasn't sure what to think about the class description, but once we met the professor ("call me Pete, not Dr. Bender"), I was hooked.

He loves his subject. He is excited to teach this class of thirty-something nurses a bit about American film. And though I can't speak for the rest of them, I am excited to be there.

Opening a crisp new notebook and putting pen to paper, jotting notes while watching this movie:

Discussing the movie afterward, noticing plots, subplots, hidden meanings and methods of cinematography...stimulating our brains and urging us to broaden our horizons and think outside the box.

I know these next two and a half years are going to be a lot of work. Papers, midterms, finals, clinicals. I'm sure there will be classes that I won't love (nursing theory and research, yuck). But sitting there in that classroom, I remember how much I love to learn. And I'm excited to be a student again, after all these years.

Several of you have said you are thinking of going back. I'm telling you: sign up for one class that sounds interesting. Get back in the classroom. See how much you love it. Then blog about it, 'kay? (Yes, Suzann and Rebecca, I'm talking to you!)

And we're off...

Work 13 hours Monday night.

Sleep for 6.

Go to school for 3 hours Tuesday evening.

Work 9 more hours Wednesday evening.

Find time for sleep somewhere in between.

Thank Joe (again) for the best Christmas gift ever:

Not only will I be able to keep my eyes open, but I'll be smelling good, too!

I apologize in advance for not visiting much this week. They're forecasting snow on Thursday, so I'll be snuggling up with my laptop and coming by then. Have a great week, and thanks so much for your encouraging words on my last post; you guys are the best!

I am that person.

You know the person that goes to church, then cusses out the driver in the parking lot after service is over?

You know the person that smiles to your face, then badmouths you when you walk away?

Okay, maybe I'm not that person. I don't (hardly ever) cuss in the car, especially when the kids are with me.

And if I'm pissed at you, I'm not going to smile and tell you I'm fine. I will tell you that I'm pissed. And why. I may get all nervous inside, and feel like I'm going to vomit, but I'll tell you (I hate confrontation).

But today, I am that person. That mom that looks like she's got it all together, sitting with her kids in front of the church, smiling and shaking hands and listening to the sermon. Feeding her lovely little children lunch, tidying up the house, doing some laundry, printing out some pictures...Martha freaking Stewart, right?

Yeah, except for the part where I just completely lost my temper and screamed at Gabe over a broken Christmas toy (brand new only one week ago, now missing a tire and thus unable to function). I didn't just yell for a minute. I yelled and screamed for a full five minutes, sent him to his room, then proceeded to lecture him for five more mintues about how hard Joe and I work for our money and how I am not going to buy him any more toys. EVER.

Yep, mom of the year right there.

I could say it's because I'm pms-ing. I could say it's because I am craving some me-time, which has been non-existent during these last two weeks. I could blame it on the cold weather, and being cooped up inside with three restless kids and a computer-addicted husband.

But I'm going to be honest here. Right now, I am failing miserably at being the mom I want to be. I have zero patience. I am fuming. I want to leave this house and not come back. I want to go somewhere warm and lay on a beach and read a book and not hear the word "mom" for at least a week. I want to not feel guilty.

All I can say right now is thank God for grace. And forgiveness. Both His, and Gabe's. Because I know in a little while, I will settle down and I will let Gabe out of his room, and he will be just as sorry as I am. And we will cook some dinner, and put away laundry, and read some books, and work on his miniature house, and it will be fine. No grudges, no tears, just a broken toy that probably only cost $5 anyway.

Sigh.

That beach still sounds really good right now...

Baby, it's cold outside!

Like, sixteen degrees cold! With no hope for above-freezing temps for at least a week...brrr!

What better place to spend these cold winter days than our snug and warm basement? Gabe got a miniature farmhouse for Christmas and he was chomping at the bit to get started. Have you ever built a dollhouse before? It comes with about a million little wood pieces that you must label and sort before you even get started with the paint or glue! I had to do that part on my own (with Isabel's help), and then we headed over to Home Depot to pick out the colors. I love that Gabe wanted this for a present...it's going to be a great family project!

I'll be sure to post pictures of the house once it's completed...hopefully before spring!

What are you going to be doing during these long winter months?