May Day 2017

This year's May Day was a "grin and bear it" kind, as I was in between surgery #1 and surgery #2 and had the 24/7 uncomfortableness of the stent.  Oy!  The things you do for those you love, even when you are not feeling 100%.  Thank God for His grace and strength.  The kids did 99% of the prep!  They needed a little help with set up  and the idea, but they carried it all out after that.  Ariel rocked the prep this year, since Melody and Fone were busy with their play.  And, for the actual carrying it out, I got to play chauffeur, which was doable for me too.  

(You probably wonder HOW DO YOU DO May Day with a crew of kids and the busyness of a large family living and homeschooling PLUS dealing with health issues.  Come check out my write up over at Cuppa Catholic....  it's "Easy as 1, 2, 3"!)

**the prep**

**ding and dash day**

++Thank you, Lord, for your grace and strength and traditions like this that bond our family together in love and generosity!++

Gender Reveal in 7 Easy Steps

Last Friday, I announced our pregnancy here on the blog.  Thank you all for your love, support, and most especially your prayers.  I'll need them for sure and appreciate them greatly.  And, as CrAzY as it sounds, this week I get to share the gender of our precious little baby.  What?  I know already?  Oh yeah!!  Today's post is "7 Easy Steps on How To Do a Gender Reveal".  Enjoy, my friends!!  

#1- Take the Informaseq Blood test.  It tests for Downs and Trisomy, but the BIG thing is...  it also tests gender.  And is 100% accurate on the sex.  This is the second baby we have done this for, because it's a newer test and wasn't available for my other pregnancies.  Plus, the cool thing is that it can be done much earlier.  Much earlier than the 18-20 week ultrasound that you are just hoping baby isn't crossing his/her legs for.  Anyways, I had my blood test done last week and was only 11 weeks along.

#2- Answer the phone when your doctor's office calls and tell them "yes" that you want to know over the phone.  Shhhhh!!! Don't tell anyone!!  (Except I did tell hubs, but not the kids - they got the Big Reveal!!)

#3- Go shopping as soon as you can!!!  How many kids do you have?  Me?  I have 8.  So, I bought 8 boy things and 8 girl things, plus 8 gift bags (or you can wrap the items, if you wish.  I'm lazy.  And busy.  Gift bags work best for me).  Obviously, I knew which items we would really keep since I knew the sex.  But kiddos didn't.  A few of my kids were at their homeschool history class, so I only had the 5 littles with me.  They got to help me pick out things and had a blast doing it!  But again, they had NO clue which items we'd be keeping!!  Now if you are able to shop alone, then only buy the sex you need.  I bought items for the other gender as a cover-up so my crew didn't know the secret yet.  (**don't forget to keep the receipt, because the items of the wrong sex should all be taken back**)

#4- Stuff away!!!  Put the correct items that match the gender from your phone call from your test into the gift bags (or wrap away - your preference!).  Don't forget to shut or lock the doors.  Or threaten kids to NOT PEEK and STAY AWAY.

#5- Take a cheesy picture of the kids.  For fun and a great "before" picture, but mostly to stall as long as you can.  And get everyone to smile perfectly.  Again more stalling.  You have to get the "perfect" picture!

#6- Take a video of the kids opening the presents/The Great Reveal.  You can't forget this one.  You will love to go back and re-play and watch it over and over.  Especially the really great actors of the family!  Where's my video?  Scroll to the bottom of this list.  I *have* to make you wait.  At least a little bit.  ;)

#7- SHARE AWAY!!!  Other than texting family and close friends the day of, this is my blog and Facebook reveal!!  Enjoy...

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Click the image below to read more 7 Quick Takes or to jump on the blog link-up yourself!!

How To Survive A Visit To The Doctor With Littles (and a Photo Shoot)

Pookey and Rose have been sharing fevers and coughs this week, and I thought I better take them into the doctor before the weekend to see if anything else was up.  They checked out ok and we were told it "was just a virus".  Phew!!  Glad it wasn't anything major, although days of fevers/coughs and being stuck in the house does take its toll.  So, we're going to let the stinkin' bug run its course and hopefully kick it goodbye soon!

For this appointment, I only had Pookey (6) and Rose (3) with me (not the whole crew of 8), but it's still a handful to keep them happily contained in those four walls of the room waiting for the doctor to come in.  We get "your kids are always so good and well-behaved", "you have some of the best kids we see here", and "how do you do it?" all the time when we are out and about at libraries, doctors offices, museums, grocery stores - you name it!  And, I guess I could say that I do have really good kids, and I do, it is true.  But, its the hard work and "tricks" and prayers that have helped them become this way.  Here are some of my pointers in surviving trips to the doctor....

**Prep Your Kids**
Remind them during the drive where you are going (doctor's office) and that they need to be on their best behavior.  Knowing their expectations and why they should behave properly is HUGE.  Do not forget this step.  It's a key to going anywhere!

**Play Games**  
We like "Mother Says", just like Simon Says.  Also, "I Spy", although this is a short-lived game as most of the rooms are pretty bare and empty and your run out of things to spy pretty quickly - lol!

**Sing Songs**
Yes, don't be afraid to belt out a little "If You're Happy and You Know it" or "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" or "Mr. Sun" or "Five Little Ducks Went Out To Play".  The louder the better.  The more motions the better.

**Take Pictures**
You got it!  Get out that phone and click away.  Silly pics.  Happy pics.  Sleepy pics.  Whatever they want to do pics.  Here's our fun pictures from our visit this past week...

So there ya have it!!  Try to add a little fun to the uncomfortableness of waiting to be poked at while at the doctor's office.  I promise it will make the time go faster!!  Enjoy these moments with your kids.  You will be happy you did!!

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For more, How Do You Do It (HDYDI) posts, click HERE.  

My biggest "secret" for getting it all done

How do you do it?

A question that I get asked all too often.

People think that because I homeschool.  Because I have a crew of kids.  A crew of happy, sweet, good kids.  Because I seem happy.  And always seem to have a smile on my face.  Because I am joyful.  That I am some sort of super mom, super woman.  Golly, I wish I could take that credit and award!!  But, no such luck.

I have had to learn many things....

You must have limits!!  You must say "no" to many things.  Many good things.  Many amazing educational opportunities.  Many cool field trips.  No.  No.  No.  Because if I say "yes" to it all, then I am saying "no" to something else.

As a mom/homeschooler, my number one priority is to serve God and my family as a wife and a mother.  I have been called to homeschool, so this is also added to my plate.  These things must come first.  Nowhere does it say that I must send my kids to every single education opportunity, go to every field trip, or even leave the house daily to go to daily Mass or adoration.  You see, my biggest "secret" for getting it all done is to STAY HOME.  That's right, if I'm gone every single day, or multiple times a day, who is going to teach my kids?  Who is going to do the grading?  Who is going to do my laundry?  Who is going to do the cleaning?  Who is going to keep things tidy?  Who is going to cook the food?  Who is going to do the dishes?  ....no one!!  It is my job to keep things running smoothly on the homefront.  My job to keep up with the house and homeschooling and keep things running running peacefully and smoothly.

So when the world starts spinning and my house is starting to fall apart.  Mountains of laundry. Bellies filled with too much fast food and junk food.  Grading days and days behind.  My head so much in a fog that I don't know up from down, left from right.  Then I know it's time to scale back and STAY HOME more!  My kids need me.  My house needs order.  (not perfection, I must add, but enough of an order where we can all focus clearly without the mess starting to sink into our souls and making our head and hearts spin, and taking away every ounce of peace that once was)

This fall has been the busiest we have ever had.  I am so so so grateful that it is done and the busyness is over.  It was a huge blessing to offer our kids so many great opportunities.  But I quickly realized that this is the busiest I want things to be.  I don't want to go beyond the number of activities we had.  We not only ran almost every day, but we ran multiple directions in the evening.  Barely had one or two family meals during the week.  Laundry and the house, thankfully, didn't fall apart.  But it was enough of a "split" feeling, that I know I want less of that and more simple from here on out.  These kids will grow too fast.  I don't want them to remember all the running and craziness and rushing.  I want them to remember our home.  That haven of peace.  And joy.  And love.  The place where they spend most of their time.  And have the best of memories there.

A very good and holy priest friend of ours encouraged us that staying home and living fully in our Domestic Church is what we need to be doing.  We cannot miss these opportunities for holiness in the most simple of moments.  Eating family dinners and being together is such a grace-filled time. He shared with us that staying home and being together is a lot more important than doing everything and being in every single sport and activity.  Satan wants to rob us of these holy moments by constantly making us be on the run.  Sometimes we just need to say no, and ground ourselves at home.

HOME is where the HEART is!!