my little "steeplechaser"

imagine our surprise as parents when Hannah told us she was doing steeplechase in her first track meet of the season.  distance running we expected, and she is doing that well also.  but steeplechase??  i hardly even knew what it was, and so it was with great surprise that we learned our tiny daughter would be hurdling into a pit of water multiple times in a race.  she's tiny, she has never hurdled (even without the water pit), she hates being cold, and she usually needs forceful gentle nudging into brand new life experiences.  this was monumental.  

 i'd say her first race was monumental too.  such priceless photos of her "dip in the pit". not exactly the intent of the race, that you fully submerge and take a swim, but regardless, the photos are golden.  

in the above pic you can see her shoe and her right hand and fingers reaching up out of the water...kind of like an "it's okay, i'm good!!" signal to the crowd...

 brrrrr.....no time to towel off...get running!!

so proud of her courage, her ability to laugh at her mishaps, her confidence in owning last place and her perseverance to do it all over again at the next meet.......with goggles....how fun!

i told Hannah the three photos should become her "motto for life", in picture form.  something along the lines of "live adventurously, don't quit, capture the moment and laugh at your imperfections"...do things that will make for interesting stories later in life.  that she has done.  as we say probably a thousand times a year to each of our kids, it isn't the place you finish that matters, it's the effort and attitude and character that means the most....great job Hannah!!!  

artsy genes

ya know, it's such a relief to see that one of my birthed children received my undeniable artistic genes.  they had to be shared with one of the kids, at least.  far too much talent there to limit to just one human being.  Layla is proving to be the lucky recipient.

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hahahahahahahaha.....so therapeutic to poke fun at myself sometimes.  and the notion that any of her "arts and crafts" talent came from me is purely hysterical.  actually, there is some pretty nice artistic ability in both sets of grandparents, so maybe she has them to thank.  

regardless, it was such a pleasure to head to a nearby art gallery on the weekend to see her work on display in the student art exhibit.  it is vibrant and textured and beautiful.  i could see why her piece was chosen.

  great job Layla! :)  

one of those days...

ya know, this role i fill isn't always one of rainbows and sunshine and unicorns.  this title i bear~ "Mom"~ this 24/7 gig i signed up for wholeheartedly, repeatedly even :), well some days it stinks just a little.  in perfect timing for the wonderful holiday of Mother's Day, yesterday proved to be one of those days.  it left me certain i was out of contention for the title of "Mother of the Year"...oh well.  all of the components of a perfect storm collided late last evening leaving me a bit shell shocked, drained and searching for chocolate.  chocolate i found. relief, well not immediately.

to all the other mom's out there, you get this.  oh how you get this...one of those days where you finally see the last ones head to their beds, and you feel like the work that needs to be done in your family is daunting... this realization, starting with my own weak and very imperfect heart, combined with the qualities i wish to see further developed in my children~ it weighs heavy on my weary shoulders.  it just doesn't feel like i'm far enough along, or adequate, or consistent enough some days...just being totally honest.  because hey, as i always tell you, i will say it straight here.  doesn't mean i need to air every piece of dirty laundry ever, but i will keep it honest and real. this is necessary, i feel, because one of the things that makes me most uncomfortable is when people throw out comments like "wow, you're a super mom!" simply because of the number of kids we have.  like somehow that makes me extra fabulous.  i struggle and have days where i am less than i could and should be for our children.  just like the rest of the mamas out there, i'm guessing...

 i always say, it isn't the physical work of this job that gets to me, it's the emotional and mental stamina required to stick it out.  every. single. day. so, yesterday was a wee bit of a challenge.  i probably over think many of the issues we have with our children, and it's super easy for me to take a lot of it on as being my own shortcomings that caused the problem in the first place.  like something i failed to teach properly, or discuss often enough, to pray hard enough against, etc...all that negative self-talk, you know?!

thankfully, i don't stay there in that place long.  really, i don't.  already today, i'm feeling hopeful again and encouraged a little.  i am reminded of some wise advice from an elderly lady we know.  she writes letters to my girls.  when things get tricky in her life she always stops and says, "God, take over."  yes, there is great freedom in those three little words.  i hand over the control of the outcomes, for the billionth time, and remind myself that the Maker of the galaxies has the same magnificent plan for my children as He did when He spoke the vastness of this universe into existence.  and a plan for me as well.  so, i loosen my grip and trust more.  all is well with my soul, for now at least, until i face the doubts and concern all over again...because hey, i'm human and apparently forgetful too.

and to all you moms out there, keep pluggin' and pouring yourselves out to your children. which, by the way, reminds me of the mom i saw yesterday in the grocery store.  i even paused to watch and remember the stage she was in.  she had a baby in her shopping cart, and a little boy beside her who looked about two.  she was holding out two sippy cup options and letting the little boy choose which one he wanted to take home.  this was not happening quickly.  he was weighing the decision carefully.  she was waiting patiently.  i smiled to myself and wished her well inside my head (do i sound stable? wait, don't answer that...) because i think in most cases we all just want to do the best with the children we've been given.  we all come into the role with different qualifications but most have a desire to do it really well.  that common thread allows us to uniquely relate to eachother and hopefully encourage eachother along the way.  as i've said before, i have the utmost gratitude for my own mom, and my mother-in-law for the countless ways they have and still do bless our family.  they were consistent and loving fixtures in their homes, and their kids have grown to be the same in the families they now raise...they are a great reminder for me that the investment is priceless.  this "Mom" title sure isn't a position with a six figure salary, but i am hoping in time i see the returns on my investments. until then, i chalk it up to having just survived "one of those days" and celebrate that many more days are much, much better.  thank goodness...
wishing you all a very happy Mother's Day!

oh, and if you are still reading, you deserve a prize.  sooo, i always enjoy the P&G commercials that celebrate moms at the Olympics.  here's the latest,  enjoy!

donuts!!

dear Hannah enjoys her time creating in the kitchen.  her parents and siblings are glad she does, and we are all reaping the extra calories benefits of her delicacies.  the latest recipe~ old fashioned sour cream glazed donuts.  i know.  enough said.  one day (in like 15 years if i let her) she will have an extra grateful husband and kids if she keeps this up.

  

 

i'm already prepping Layla, trying to excite her for the summer ahead and attempting to pass on the "baking bug" from Hannah to her, for when Hannah is away.  so far, she's not convinced.  there's still time, i'm hoping for the best.  Adam is more into creating beverages, like smoothies or homemade egg nog, so whose to say i can't sway him a bit too.  i would love more hands on deck this summer to keep up with the ravenous masses.  it's a bit of a project!  it's a good thing full stomachs give me a full heart. 

april fools

i have vivid childhood memories of April Fools Day. not even sure that i was annually pranked by my dear sweet mother, but it seems that when she did succeed in fooling us kids, it made an impression.  there were several jokes that caught me~ the overly gullible one....mostly, i remember saran wrap under the toilet seat (i believe that horrified me), and once an all-purpose cleaning sponge cut into cake-sized pieces, placed in individual bowls, and covered completely in yummy frosting with sprinkles on top, served as our after-school snack (i've always loved my cake, so this prank caused great elation followed quickly by a giant letdown upon first slice). 

so, this year, as a tribute to my mom, it was time to do the same to my own kids.  seeing as i have zero original creativity, i consulted Google.  Google came through.  only two or three of my crew are really easy to trick anymore.  and tricked they were!  although, the call upstairs for warm brown "E's" did get Hannah.  she had it coming to her.  besides, i was kind enough to follow with real warm brownies later...

AJ actually finished a WHOLE OREO cookie with the sweet filling replaced with toothpaste, before declaring they were awful.  halfway through he began blowing deep breaths through his pursed lips, because of the strong minty flavour, saying "i don't really like the mint OREO's as much as the regular kind..."  he was trying to like it, he really was...Layla knew the joke, so the two of us just about died laughing at him.

Hudson was equally disgusted.  they both were great sports though.

this kid...

this kid is sooo funny and sweet...loves to be right nearby, always happy and content to play as long as i'm in sight.  often he will pass up the toys for the contents of the cupboards i'm closest to.  sometimes i open the cupboard full of lunch containers and let him topple over the stacks.
    

sometimes it's the baking tins (noisier!), sometimes the cupboard where the odds and ends of my food processor reside.  

small dude likes to tinker around, putting things in and out, on and off, open and closed.  often right by my feet.  i know he feels most secure when we are near.  can't say i blame him, and of course we don't mind a bit.  sometimes we have conversations, sometimes we sing and dance, sometimes we make sounds and sometimes we mimic facial expressions or actions.  too cute.  who knows, maybe something in the culinary field awaits this fella one day...

heartwarming link

a link i enjoyed, right here .  so worth the read and listen.  a story of friendship, adoption, and crazy unusual outcomes that can only be chalked up to God.  just God.  in People magazine, no less!  People's writers don't exactly give the credit to God in the text, but i'm taking the liberty to do so here, because that's what i believe happened in this story.  a reminder to me once again of the beautiful way God's heart bends to the orphan.  He sees their plight.  He cares about the details of each and every fragile life.  He orchestrates the outcomes in such a way that undeniably shouts of His great love for us all, orphaned or not.  Psalm 68:6 says "God sets the lonely in families..." and in this case, He sure did! for these two boys, i guess you could even add on the end of the verse "and within a mile of his best friend."  love it so much....

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i've mentioned here before how much our Hudson enjoys his friendship with a Haitian friend of his. they are from the same orphanage but missed eachother by a few months i think, yet even still they have a unique and special bond that is sweet to see.  they know where they came from.  they know their stories are similar and unique when compared to other friends they might have.  they seem to re-connect in a special way even if months go by between visits.  i hope they are friends for life...

anyway, hope you enjoy! and happy Tuesday!