~Loopy Lorraine~

Six Month Hiatus?

Well, almost six months...Goodness, I must have been feeling pretty hormonal and very pregnant with my last post. ha.

 So, let me catch ya up to speed::

October 30: Ella turns 3!

November 6: Trip turned 9!

Add to that lots of homeschool, getting ready for baby, soccer, holidays, etc...

January 12, 2011--baby Caroline joined our family. You can read more about her, here.

Lots more soccer, mastitis and other new mommy happenings,  more soccer, more homeschool, etc...

February --I turned 28! *gasp* Oh my! ha...I'm still pretty young, right?! Considering that most people with children the same age as our children are,  on average, about 5 years older than me.  

March 14:: Genna-Clair turned SEVEN years old!! And got a SEWING MACHINE for her birthday---she's growing up way too fast...they all are.

Ella's tonsilectomy, more soccer, more homeschool....noticing kids are growing too fast, frantically digging through boxes put away for the next size for the three girls, being thankful for hand-me-down jeans for Trip who was only in size 7 jeans MAYBE 6 weeks!(at least he's growing...)

April 7, 2011--David and I celebrate 10 years of marriage! You can read more about that here, as well! haha...

Today, baby Caroline is 3 months old. Smiling, giggling, absolutely precious baby girl!

Also, I'm going to be part of the EXTREME Makeover: Fabric Edition, at The Extra Ordiary Bree.  I'm listed, simply, as "Kristen".

I have what I consider to be an OUT OF CONTROL fabric stash...hoping this competition will help me to "destash" and get back to creatiing!! Now that Miss Caroline is on a little bit of a schedule, and we have our homeschool going in a productive direction, I feel like I can drag out the sewing machine once in a while. Maybe there will be opportunities to collaborate with my crafty daughter, Genna-Clair (age 7).

AND While on the subject of "de-stash-ing"...I'm going to get rid of a blog. Still deciding which one, honestly. I'm really leaning toward keeping this one (follow the link)...I would, of course, transfer everything from HERE to there. I feel like I've discussed this before! It's easier to transfer to THAT blog, than it is to THIS one. SO...weighing pro's & con's...whether I want to really blog, and have fun with it; or put it on the back burner as something I do when I'm bored...ya know?

That's what's going on here! Oh. and soccer. lots and lots and lots of soccer.  Yep.

Hey, if you haven't figured it out yet:: THIS is MY space. If you don't like it...move on! ;)

Just needed to get that out there. I think it accurately fits all the happenings in my life right now. 29 weeks pregnant with fifty bazillion things all going on at once! Life is BUSY!! My house is even busier!! If that makes you feel a bit overwhelmed then pitch in or move it! :P

 Also:: (Edited in later, after doing some research) The comment on a previous post about "supporting" a site named "Poop on Peeps"...I do believe that was in reference to a family needing prayer. POP was the site that had linked to the family...I was simply passing on word, in a time of need...

I see that POP has long since shut down, and, you know I never really agreed with that site --but I was touched that something positive (asking prayer for a family in need) had come from it. I believe also, in a later post, that I mentioned the fact that NOBODY is perfect. Some Proverbs come to mind, regarding the entire situation...and those of you who may read this and are familiar with situations of this type are probably reciting the same verses in your own mind.

I laugh at my run-on-sentencey self. ;) We all have our flaws...I'd rather not pick at specks and risk the realization of a plank. Know what I mean?

Goodness, I guess I have some catching up to do!!

Well, first of all...My husband being the "best" is due to his signing us up for piano lessons. I took lessons from age four until about age 17...but I was taught "by the book". My goal is to learn some improvisation; Hubby's goal is to learn to read music as effortlessly as I can. (I think we're both a little jealous of each other's ability, musically.) The biggest perk to this eight-week study is that, on week two, we were accompanied by one of the Memphis Grizzlies at our lesson. Mike Conley is a pretty laid back guy...kinda quiet, seemed kinda short for an NBA point guard. Really, he didn't look 6'1"...he did well with the lesson.  

  That was week two. Week one was a little more exciting. For us, anyway. After our lesson that week, I mentioned to Hubby that we might need to stop at the dollar store....he immediately knew what I meant. So I walk into this particular store to find a home pregnancy test....I found THE ONLY ONE THERE. I embarrassed the poor kid at the checkout when I said, "Well, this was the only one...must have been intended for me!" We went home and shortly after getting there, Hubby's parents showed up and were hanging out on the front porch....I couldn't stand it. I had to know!! So...I....snuck away for a few minutes, and before I could get a breath, there was a dark definite positive!! All that to say:: 

   

We're proud to announce that we're expecting number FOUR!!!
 

We just announced it to everyone else, last week. I shared this cute picture of Ella, on facebook. Somewhat cautiously expecting...I have a little more confidence this time, after seeing and hearing a strong, steady heartbeat on the ultrasound. It was like a drum! Just perfect..... We are all VERY excited. 

We have been quite busy, the last few months!! Camping, boating, VBS, piano lessons, babysitting, morning sickness.... you name it!! It's quite a bit to share, and I wouldn't want to bore you with the details. 

Oh!! Is anyone besides my family having a BLAST keeping up with the World Cup!??! I am so proud of our USA team, today:: "Don't Tread on Me!"  They had a brilliant comeback, even if the referee made some questionable calls. We can't all be perfect, right? I am thrilled with Argentina's performance, thus far. I can't wait to see how the rest of the tournament goes. I love teaching our children about the history of the game, the rivalries, and answering their questions about the host country of South Africa. 

Well, we'll be around! haha.... ;)

So much to share, and I left the camera at my parent's house.

 Boo!! No camera!! 

But hey, the sewing machine was out for a few minutes making alterations on soccer jerseys. (yay!) 

My husband is the best EVER and I'll tell ya why later. ;) My children are growing up way too fast! 

That's all I've got for now....until I get my camera back. 

Have a great Friday!! =D

Maybe slightly crazy...

Ha! That's an understatement for sure!! So, I shared how I was changing my laziness, right? I've done better...but not being CONSISTENT gets me every time. I'm so pumped about CHANGING things around our home. I'm driving for a complete overhaul..... I started reading "Have a New Kid by Friday" written by Dr. Kevin Leman. I LOVED his book, "Making  Children Mind Without Losing Yours". I still refer to that one, often....but this newer book is hard core! It's no nonsense, fix yourself and your attitude, reality discipline and sound advice. I'm simply thrilled to see the quick changes in how our days have been running. I have some sassy little ankle-biters in my home. They learn so much from our examples--good and bad. I've been paying attention, especially, to GC's sassy 'tude. I'm told so often that she's JUST LIKE me, so I've been taking notes. Yes, sure enough :: the head-bobbing, expressive eyebrows, and sarcastic rolling of the eyes, are a direct carbon-copy of her MOMMA!!! UGH! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!! SURELY I'M NOT THAT WAY!!!  

K, but I get it honest!!! (You know, because nothing is EVER our own fault) Right....ahem. (What happened??!!)

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I can't do anything small. It MUST be all at once, everything changes, or I'm just not satisfied. I don't know where it came from; I'll probably never be able to explain it. I'm reading at least ten books at once, for example. (Is this a sign of ADD?)

 While I'm working on changing my attitude and tweaking the discipline and education of my children, I'm also changing myself emotionally and physically. I've recently lightened my hair color and rediscovered my inner health nut. (She was on vacation...somewhere fun) I had been running every morning and doing an exercise routine, laying off the coffee and caffeinated products, and doing other semi-good-for-you type things. I quit them ALL. Now I wish I hadn't...I want to be physically FIT, not just okay. I want to FEEL GREAT! I want to be able to go on a thirty minute jog, and jog the entire time. I want to be able to referee my soccer games, making sprints, and last the entirety of the  two ninety-minute games I've been assigned without fretting too much about the time and whether I'll be able to WALK for the next week. I've decided 'enough is enough!!' I believe I have said it over and over again, "I want ME back!!!" 

So bear with me, folks, while I work this out...

 Couch to 5K  and Power 90 begin again, tomorrow....I'll be alternating days but using the stretches from P90 every day. They really are great. No more carbonated drinks...save the occasional strawberry limeade from Sonic. I plan to leave the coffee alone and drink tea instead. No iced sweet tea...I know, I know, I live in the South. Iced sweet tea is the staple drink of us Southern girls, but I know that it causes ME to have a double chin. So, I may not partake. I refuse to buy potato chips and most other junk foods anyway, so that's not too much of a problem. My goal is to look and feel the way I have in mind (GREAT!) by hubby's birthday, in June. I don't have far to go, I know....but it seems so far away to me. 

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Finally, I have included in my "things to change":: The way I blog.

I have stifled sharing how I truly think/feel/am behind the screen, because of fear. I have been afraid of being put down for sharing my faith or certain happenings with our family. But, you know what?? This is MY blog. If you don't like what I have to say, then don't read it! (*wink*) Thank you all for following my randomness. I really appreciate visiting my page and seeing in the stats that people have actually been here to check things out! I hope you liked what you have found so far, and that I can continue to evolve and grow into something closer to myself. haha....and so, we begin "Day 1" 

Didn't someone say "Love is a Battlefield"???

Oh. My. Word!! I think the correct line would be, "LIFE is a battlefield!" ha. 

 So Friday I posted my "list" of things I was determined to change. Do you know what I've done the last two days?? Yes, I've spent more time cleaning and stuff, but I've also been beating myself up (in my perfectionist way) for not having accomplished everything on my list! Can we say, "HELLO!!! CRAZY LADY!!! GET A GRIP!" 

It's only been FOUR days since you made that list. You can't POSSIBLY expect to achieve perfection in that short amount of time. Right?? Right. 

 You know that when ya try to change something, the whole world is stacked against you....chin up. Tomorrow is a new day. :P

Back to Basics...

It's the time of year when I assess what we've been doing, what works, what doesn't, and what I should change in order to accomplish what we need to. 

 Most people do this in January, I think.... For me, Spring makes more sense. First on the list is myself. Seems selfish, maybe, but I know that if I don't fix ME I can't fix anything else. I have to drop the laziness into the garbage can. Seriously. I was doing an okay job of this during Lent; but after Easter got here, the old lazy bug crept back in. I HAVE TO make time for "me" in the mornings, before everyone else gets up. I really hate realizing at 4 in the afternoon that I have something scheduled at 6PM and haven't showered that day. 

 So, okay, let me bring you up to speed. I took on some more children to baby sit. I'm continuing to homeschool my three children. Things have been going well, but now the "honeymoon" stage is over and I really MUST get my mind, body, and generally everything back into a good routine. (we have one, it just isn't really working too well....for me.) The children are happy, well taken care of, having fun, getting school work accomplished, et cetera. MOMMY, on the other hand, is hanging by a thread. haha. My life revolves around them, as it should, but really. I NEED some "ME" time! (Didn't I already say that??) We're talking desperate, here. The sewing machine hasn't been used since January (shame, shame). My crafting has been on the back burner. Time for being creative has been lost in the busyness of our day-to-day. This makes me incredibly sad and I find myself facing burn out. 

  The solution I have thought of (If all goes as planned) requires me to get my lazy butt out of bed no later than 6AM and to have some quiet time after I am ready for the day. Mid-day I can nap with the kids if I'm feeling especially worn out, or work in some time for crafting or playing the piano. (Things I love.) At the end of the day, I need to have cleaned the kitchen and generally picked up things off the floors and put away the laundry. Going to bed at a decent hour won't hurt. (*wink*) An attitude adjustment would be helpful, too. Don't ya think?! 

   Look, the lady in Proverbs 31 had it going on! But don't you think some of her time was spent for her enjoyment as well as for her family? When I get up earlier in the morning, I'll have some time for "me", but in reality I'm preparing myself to teach my children and to not feel so UN-prepared. When I'm crafting or writing or drawing, I'm usually doing things for my children...though it helps me to chill out a little and have a sense of doing something I want to do, for "me". Of course there is time that I'm helping my husband with the soccer business...spending time quietly working alongside one another. Those are sweet moments. I'm trying not to sound selfish....

 Now that I've rambled on about ME, next on the list is obviously going to be my family. I really have GOT to be more diligent about expecting my children to do their chores, daily. This will cut down on a lot of the chaos. I've been in a mind-set of "not wanting to fight that battle"....if that battle isn't fought, my children are going to learn to be lazy and expect others to just take care of things FOR them. Or get the "It'll get done eventually" disease. (procrastination) Children learn what they live, I'm telling you what!! (Back to changing ME first, haha) 

 JOURNALING:: When I kept a journal, I had a better sense of what I had done, what worked, what didn't, and what I needed to do to change what wasn't working. So in the spirit of going back to the basics, I'm going to be better about journaling our day-to-day and teaching my children to do the same. 

 PURGING:: We need to get rid of things we don't use or no longer need. We need to know what we have and pass things on to others who can find our "clutter" useful. 

 Well, that's all I can think of for now. My brain is running wild, coming up with more and more things that need to be tweaked here and there. For now, this is enough. This will give us a good, fresh start. 

The bottom line is that I have been the problem. I am responsible for my children not doing their chores or not completing tasks. They have learned from what they see me doing. They have learned to be unprepared complainers instead of driven doers. If I want to have time to craft, play music, lay out in the sun and do nothing, then I have to stop procrastination and laziness in its' tracks. 

Thanks for reading my rambly silliness. I really just needed a chance to type it all out so I could pin-point the issues. haha Have a great weekend!! Mine will consisit of journaling and purging and making sure I'm PREPARED for Monday's happenings!!  

*note:: I'm purposely NOT going to proof-read this, so I can re-read it Monday and laugh at how ridiculous I sound.*

Last Wednesday...

My husband and I celebrated NINE years of marriage!  :D 

YES, we've come a long way. 

"I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow."

 

haha....bad pics, but that's us nine years ago this weekend, at my senior prom. We had been married a week. Yep, yep....'tis true!! And then a not so great (but the only one I could find!!) more recent pic of us on a date night, watching a soccer game. We had some HAIR back then, huh? Ah....how I love that man. 

We've been through a lot, growing up together. 

"Always and Forever....Every day love me your own special way, melt all my heart away with a smile..."

This was, by far, the best anniversary yet....it closely rivals the trip to Hot Springs, AR, a few years ago.

We had fun, just staying in town....we spent the day at home with the littles; then my brother babysat while we went out to eat and rode around like we were teenagers...listening to Tom Petty. hahah 

And why? Just thinking about some of the lyrics, they're pretty depressing. But you know, "even the losers get lucky sometimes."

*wink* 

Look who's "officially" found her place at the learning table!!

 


That's right....the 'baby' has decided she's ready to join us for school, "just like the big kids!" :) She wrote her name without help for the very first time, March 31, and is also drawing "people"....

**notice the 'glue goo' coming from the nose on her artwork, above.** haha!! :) 

My little lovely, Ella. 

This spring has been, in a commonly used word, BUSY!!!

The sewing machine has not been used in a LONG LONG time. I wanted to make Easter dresses....but.....that didn't happen. My kids still looked adorable and had cute baskets as we celebrated Resurrection Day...

We've had many opportunities for visitors the last two weeks. We have some new friends spending their days with us now. We're having to be much more deliberate with how we do things around here to keep chaos at bay. Diligence is key in a house full of little ones who need to be taught, fed, kept clean, and entertained. haha

Last week, we had co-op classes on Tuesday and a meeting....Wednesday was spent outdoors, playing....THURSDAY we had an Easter party with lots of little friends::We dyed eggs, hunted eggs, had a picnic, and ate cupcakes!! ....FRIDAY we had a picnic and family day at the park....

Last week, we all got sunburns from spending so much time outdoors. We spent so much time together, and still begged for more time before coming in for dinner and baths in the evenings. :)

Today was no different....time was spent outdoors, learning was done while observing all of the new growing things, and children exclaimed how much they LOVE this season. I believe I do too....Spring is my favorite, by far.