As Many as We're Given

Winner!

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:39:00 +0000

So, I'm a day late in announcing a winner. Husband working from home is throwing my blogging schedule for a loop (ha! like I have a schedule!). Anyway, the winner is Jacquelin! Visit her and say congratulations (and see her beautiful girls). Jacquelin--send me an email (see profile) with your address and you'll get your games in the mail soon. Yea!

What I Learned: Clothes Talk

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:46:00 +0000

So I've been pregnant five times before this, so you would think some things would not surprise me. Maybe I'm a slow learner (please don't share your insight on that point).

I am 13 weeks pregnant. And it appears as though I am going to have to make the full move to maternity clothes soon. Or get the Bella Band. I loaned one box of maternity clothes to a friend of my sister's, not really expecting to need them anytime soon. Apparently that box had my maternity jeans in it, as well as any casual pants. I wasn't too worried though, I really felt like I could last a long time without them. I was wrong. Yesterday, by the end of the night, I was dying to unbutton my jeans to relieve the pressure, but I was at a meeting at church, so that wasn't exactly appropriate. However, I want to be thrifty too. Hopefully the Bella Band will allow me to really maximize my wardrobe.

In the good news category, I have some really cute maternity shirts that I am looking forward to wearing. Some are shirts I only wore a couple of times last pregnancy (my first winter pregnancy). This time, I get to wear my winter and spring maternity clothes. Yippee!

In non-baby clothes talk, I might have to start getting clothes made for my girls. Princess loves to wear skirts, but finding skirts that stay on (even with adjustable waist) and are long enough is proving to be challenging. She has these long legs and is rail-thin and I just don't know what to do. And Buddy keeps growing, and needs more jeans and long-sleeve shirts, and well, darn kids, they just keep growing. Thankfully we have generous family and friends and they helped us out at birthday time and the remaining gift cards will be very handy.

Okay, enough boring clothes talk for the day. Visit Jo-Lynne for (hopefully) more enlightening posts.

Quick Takes Friday

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:16:00 +0000

1. Go read Antique Mommy's post. She talks about her and her husband's financial lifestyle and the choices they made that have put them in a good place. Read the comments too. Very encouraging for those of us trying to get it right.

2. Here's your chance to judge me as a selfish parent. We have two soccer games scheduled tomorrow. We also have a UNT football game. The game starts at 3:00, so tailgating has to occur before that. Usually the football games start at 6:00, so we can play soccer and tailgate. But obviously they did not want to schedule a night game on Halloween. Husband and I are hoping that the rain the last two days will have been enough to make the soccer fields too wet to play tomorrow. We are taking the kids to the football game, so it is not to get out of spending time with them. Our day would just be a little smoother and easier without throwing soccer in the mix. Because obviously we are trick-or-treating after the game. Our priorities might be a little mixed up.

3. It is cold here today. Husband says it is not that cold, but when desktop weather thingy says it is 49 degrees, I say it is cold. And I have to run errands today. Very generous people are giving us tickets to the game for the kids and I need to pick those up. And I'm making a snack for our Family Rosary night. And we're out of milk and cereal. But all I want to do is stay in my toasty warm house with my lazy clothes on for as long as possible. I'm contemplating making the drive to the fancy Wal-Mart with the Dunkin' Donuts to try again to get a pumpkin donut. That might make it worth getting out in the cold.

4. I bought a six-pound bag of assorted chocolates for Halloween. I got it at Costco two weeks ago. I think about half the bag is left. I might have a slight problem resisting Butterfingers and Baby Ruths. But there are plenty of Milky Way Darks because I am not sophisticated enough to like dark chocolate.

5. I am officially showing. Strangely enough, my belly seems to grow during the day, and then shrink while I sleep, and repeat daily. My tummy is barely noticeable first thing in the morning, but by evening there is no denying it is there. Weird. I will not plague you with pictures, since I documented my last pregnancy. If you want to know what I look like pregnant, look in the archives from August 2007 through February 2008.

6. Have you entered my giveaway? I'm giving away two brand-new games, perfect for preschoolers and young elementary kids. You just have to leave a comment on that post to be entered. Tell your friends (or don't, if you want to increase your chances of winning).

7. Happy Friday!

Visit Conversion Diary for more quick takes.

Family Night Means Game Night Giveaway

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:17:00 +0000

We have recently begun a tradition of setting aside one night a week for a family night. Most weeks this is Wednesday night, as this is the night that has no outside obligations after 6:00 p.m. So far we have spent time decorating pumpkins, celebrating a birthday by playing at McDonald's, and of course playing games.

I recently had the opportunity to review two new games (see end of post for requisite disclosure) courtesy of MyBlogSpark and Hasbro. We got to play two games from the Elefun and Friends family of games. We have Elefun, and our kids enjoyed it until the trunk wouldn't stand up anymore. We also have Hungry, Hungry Hippos, which the kids love and I don't mind as long as they play it in their room (it is a bit noisy).

We got Giraffalaff Limbo and Scatterpillar Scramble.

Here is the official promo blurb for each:

GIRAFFALAFF LIMBO is the crazy new game of "how low can you go?" Spin the dial to try one of the 6 limbo styles: classic limbo, crab walk, crawl, giraffe walk, bend forward or backward. The game´s built-in sound will play an encouraging song as preschoolers try not to bump into Giraffalaff. If he´s knocked over, he´ll roll on the floor in laughter. The player that passes under Giraffalaff at the lowest level wins.

In SCATTERPILLAR SCRAMBLE kids will do their best to balance marbles in the hands of one very wiggly caterpillar. Kids will have fun dancing along to the music with Scatterpillar in this fast-paced marble game. The first player to securely place all 8 marbles in Scatterpillar´s hands wins. SCATTERPILLAR SCRAMBLE was named the 2009 Preschool Game of the Year by Creative Child Magazine.

Now onto some pictures and our personal opinion of the games.

We started our night with Giraffalaff Limbo. I didn't have the game setup prior to our game night, so the kids waited very patiently (or wildly and loudly, whatever) while I put it together. Assembly of the game is very easy, and once it is built you could just keep it that way, assuming you have a place to keep it.

Here is what it looks like, with a curious toddler on the scene:

We found that once we started playing, the giraffe decal was not working out. It weighted the Limbo bar and made it spin, which is not good when you are trying to keep the bar set. The bar rests on plastic leaves, and it was a little unsteady. There is music playing while the kids try to go under the bar, and if the bar is knocked off, the Giraffe laughs and that player is out. The game comes with a spinner that tells the players how to go under the bar. There is a crab walk, a bird walk, a traditional Limbo move, a forward bend, a backward bend, and a crawl. We changed positions when so moved, not necessarily when someone got out. The kids had a lot of fun with this game. I think it is best suited for kids 3-4 years old, due to size and and challenge level.

Princess and Monster said this was their favorite game. Princess liked it because of the motions and the music. Monster liked it because he won!

We next turned our attention to Scatterpillar Scramble.

This is more of a skill game, and the box says for ages 4 and up. All of my big kids could play it, but I would say the focus it requires is more suited to 5, 6 and 7 year olds. Each player (4) has what is essentially a set of tweezers to grasp the ball and place it on one of the caterpillar's hands. The goal is to get all seven balls in place first. While doing this, the caterpillar is wiggling and squirming and playing music, so balls get knocked off and fall down. The game suggests a couple of variations on game play. I personally enjoyed this game very much, it requires hand-eye coordination and grownups can play along with the kids. Setup is very easy, and it all goes right back in the box. Hasbro thoughtfully included two extra balls of each color in case you lose some (they must live with small children too).

All in all, these are both fun games. The Giraffalaff Limbo is not perfect, but is still fun and can be played with no rules for hours by the preschool/toddler set. Scatterpillar Scramble is fun for all ages, in my opinion.

**WIN IT**

You can win both of these games! Just leave a comment telling me what your family's favorite game is for one entry. You may gain one additional entry per day for Tweeting the giveaway, just come back here and let me know you did it. I will draw the winners next Thursday, November 5. Tell your friends! Get Christmas shopping done at no cost to you! If you don't win, go here and print a coupon for 4 dollars off any game before December 31!

Disclosure: This giveaway and review was part of MyBlogSpark. While I received the games for free, I was not paid to write this review. All opinions are my own, unless otherwise indicated, and I was not required to say anything positive or negative about the games. What you read here is from me, being honest.

Saggy jeans on toddler optional.

The Cuteness is Criminal

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:39:00 +0000

Seriously, how can I resist that?

After reading the comments on yesterday's post, I feel I must add some clarification. I did not mean to judge any specific woman or set of circumstances. I think what I was ranting against was the entire attitude that we as women lose our identities and lose control of our lives as soon as we have one child. Does our life change immeasurably when we have children? Yes! Of course! But that does not mean that we must give up and quit trying. When we as mothers portray parenthood in such a negative light, are we encouraging other women to be mothers? Or are we instead feeding into an image perpetuated by society in general that parenthood is all bad and no good? I just want women to think about the choices they are making and the things they are saying about parenthood. I'm all about keeping it real and being honest about the struggles, but I don't think that means we can blame our children (in most cases) for things that really are not their fault at all. My readers are far more charitable than I am, so go read their comments to get the dose of perspective that I missed.

Pardon Me While I Rant

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Okay, let me just say I am sorry that what I have to say may hurt some feelings. I'm really not writing about one specific person, I promise.

Moms--stop blaming your children for your failure to get dressed and put some makeup on before you leave your house! I'm watching Rachael Ray this morning, and they are making over couples. One of the women says that since she has kids she just doesn't have time to get dressed to go out. Give me a break! Who is in charge of these kids and the time management? You are!

I'm not saying we should all be wearing diamonds and heels all the time. And I'll even admit that yesterday I wore my yoga pants with a long sleeve t-shirt to run errands with Husband. But it was not because my kids kept me too busy to get ready. It was because I was being lazy and didn't feel like wearing jeans and cute shoes and so on. If you're going to wear athletic gear, fine, but acknowledge it is YOUR choice, not the fault of your children!

I have five kids, and only some of them can get mostly ready on their own. But, when I leave the house I don't look like I fell out of bed and walked out the door. I make time in my planning to get ready. If that means I start getting ready an hour and a half before we need to leave, so be it. Does it really take that much more time to put on jeans/pants and a cute, fitted top with some flats or boots? Or a tank and skirt and flip-flops in the summer? My makeup routine takes less than five minutes. Maybe I'm skipping some essential steps or something, but I feel pretty good when I walk out the door most days.

Obviously there will be days when even when you plan to get ready, your kid will puke on you or spill their milk all over you and you only have time to grab a different shirt. We all have bad days. I'm just tired of listening to adult women say that small children control their lives to the point that they can't figure out how to spend twenty minutes getting it together on most days. Maybe I am more sensitive to this because I feel an extra obligation to look put together and "with it" when I am out with all of my kids. People are mean, and I don't want to give them any fuel to question our family choices, so I feel like I need to look nice so people aren't thinking "Boy, she sure has let herself go, maybe she shouldn't have had all those kids" and whatnot.

In the end, though, I feel put together when I look put together. Taking the small amount of time to get ready makes me feel ready to get things done. I think sometimes I am more patient and gentler with my children when I feel good about the time I took for myself before leaving the house. That might be shallow, or sad, but whatever.

So, Moms, you are worth the time it takes to get ready and feel nice. Stop blaming your children for your failure to focus on yourself for a little bit. You can be a Mom who loves her children and serves them to the fullest and still take time for yourself. You (and your family) deserve it!

My Girls are Cute

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:26:00 +0000

So I'm not the Mother of the Year. But, here, finally, are some pictures of the birthday girls and a picture of Butterfly in her super cute outfit with the little hooded top.

Holding her Webkinz, favorite gift for both girls (thank goodness they are cheap):

And the two big girls with their shared gift:

Happy Thursday!

I'm Not Dead

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:09:00 +0000

I doubt any of you really thought that, but just in case, here I am to bore you with some drivel and prove my alive-ness.

Husband has been home for sick two days. He has a sinus infection. I was worried it was swine flu. I've been sufficiently alerted to the risks of swine flu for pregnant women, and with no vaccine currently available, I may have been freaking out a bit. But he just has a boring sinus infection.

Apparently when Husband is sick, I get really tired. I took two naps today! All we've really done is trade places and take turns making sure the kids don't kill themselves or burn the house down while the other person is sleeping. He has to go back to work, I can't keep being this lazy.

Also, in other news, I have discovered the joy of the yoga pant. How could I be so far behind the times? I don't know, but I am. Anyway, I have had capris that were in the yoga pant family, and of course my share of pajama pants. But these are the first real yoga pant I have owned. And now I know why women want to wear them everywhere. They are fitted and sleek and comfortable and with a cute, fitted long-sleeve shirt they look pretty perfect. So now I will have to resist the temptation to wear them every day. I must remember that I also love my jeans, and wearing shoes other than sneakers. In the meantime, should anyone be at Target and feel the need to send me a little love, the Champion double-waist yoga pant Fitted Regular, size small, in gray, would be perfect. ;)

Aren't you glad I am still here to share with you my inane ramblings?

Quick Takes Friday

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:49:00 +0000

Hello! The logo for the weekly carnival won't load. I won't let it get me down though.

1. It is a beautiful day in the neighborhood! So beautiful that it is criminal that I am sitting in my house instead of enjoying the outdoors. We have had endless days of rain and gray skies, and it didn't really bother me, but then seeing the glorious sunshine today reminds me of what we've been missing. Today is just one of the days that reminds me why I love living in Texas. Blue skies, bright sunshine, slight breeze=gorgeous!

2. I am a bad mom. Two of my daughters had birthdays in the last week and I have neglected to post a thing about it. Partly because I'm too lazy to upload the pictures, but also because I'm just lazy period.

3. Tomorrow is UNT's homecoming. And this is a make-or-break game for our team. And it will be gorgeous tailgating weather. But, we won't be tailgating. Due to all the rain and wet we have many soccer games to make up. Two of those games will interfere with tailgating time. We will be lucky to make it to the game in time for kickoff. Kind of a bummer, but that's life I guess.

4. We have a slight dilemma. Our two big girls have been sharing shoes for soccer and softball, because practices and games have never overlapped. Until now. They both have a game Monday. Princess says she is not going to play softball next spring, so we don't want to buy her new shoes. And IndieGirl can wear Princess's shoes, so it seems silly to buy her shoes. And she says her soccer shoes hurt her feet. I don't what we're going to do, but we'll figure something out that hopefully does not cost any money.

5. We are discussing a family Christmas present. I am a fan of the family Wii, Husband is on the fence. This is partly motivated by a realization that my kids really don't need/want any more toys. They all just had their birthdays and I had a hard time thinking of ideas for gifts when asked. We would need extra remotes and I would want a couple of extra games. If we do this, the game time will be limited to the weekends and family nights, and will never be played alone. But Husband is not sold on the idea. For those that have Wiis, tell me why we should or should not get it.

6. I am officially uninterested in the baseball postseason this year. Any teams I had a mild interest in following are out. First round sweeps are boring. I'm disappointed, since this is usually our favorite sports time of year.

7. It is Friday! Yea!

Visit Conversion Diary for more quick takes.

I Saw a Rock Show

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:57:00 +0000

So the big concert was last night. I was pretty excited to be heading out to do something different from our normal date nights. We rode with friends, so they handled the traffic, and we just split the parking. My anal side came out and we left for the concert early in anticipation of lots of traffic, and that was good. Of course, our biggest delay ended up being the slow service at Jack-in-the-Box before the show. Understaffed the day of a huge event is not smart.

Anyway, we arrived at the stadium (Cowboys Stadium, a.k.a. Jerry-world) and walked in. We had to walk up a lot of ramps because our seats were in the upper section. When we sat down, this was our view.

It may not be clear from the photo, but that large green thing was right smack in the middle of our line of sight. So we could see the band on the video screens, and we could see them when they walked around the stage and came towards the back, but we could not see them directly. That was kind of a bummer. We thought the stage looked pretty lame, but once U2 was on, it was actually very cool.

As I said, we were sitting in the upper section, and this proved to be a bad thing for sound. We were above some of the speakers, and the way the sound was mixed, we heard a lot of noise, but not necessarily music some of the time. This was most disappointing during the Muse set. I was really excited to see them, as we have been listening to the band since our college days. The lead singer has a very unique voice and it really makes the sound complete, and we just couldn't really hear him at all. So, if they were to tour again on their own in a smaller venue, I would definitely want to see them again, and hopefully have a better experience. However, our friends sitting in the lower seating area said the sound was great, so it was definitely our seating location, not the music, that was the problem.

We waited around for about 45 minutes for U2 to come on, and as soon as they did, the vibe in the stadium was electric. I have to say, they are just cool guys. From their entrance to their exit you feel like you are getting a great show. The sound was still not great, although it was better than during the Muse set. Of course, their style of music at times is very different and the vocals were just clearer. They opened with three songs from the new album (Get on Your Boots was very cool) and then went into Mysterious Ways. They played a lot of older stuff throughout the set, and the crowd definitely responded to that in a big way. Sunday, Bloody Sunday was in the set list and Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, and Where the Streets Have No Name was in the encore. The second encore was the best part of the show, in my opinion. They played One, Amazing Grace, and Where the Streets Have no Name, and maybe something else I'm not remembering. We are glad we went to the show, but agree that we would probably not see them again unless it was in a smaller venue. The stadium is just not ideal for this kind of thing, I don't think.

Still, it was fun and the people watching was, of course, entertaining. Husband and I had a great time hanging out together, pretending like we were back in our younger days.

Nothing Interesting to Say

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:44:00 +0000

I feel as though there should a new post up, but I am struggling with the writing these days. And am also t.i.r.e.d.

Here are some bullet points, most of which are not related at all.

We had a fun family night last week, and I am going to write an actual post about it, but not yet. I have pictures and everything, but I am feeling overwhelmed at the idea for some reason. Also, we will have another family night this week where we try out some games I was given to review. My post on that family night will include a giveaway that could take care of Christmas presents for one or two kids in your life, so come back, despite my mediocre writing these days.
U2 and Muse tonight! Perhaps this is part of the reason I can't write anything. I'm giddy with excitement to be doing something different and to get a date night with Husband. We had two different couple nights planned last week before I was beset with illness. And my patience with my children is nonexistent today, so a night out seems to be a necessity.
Scottoberfest was a success. Our annual fall family birthday celebration was this past weekend. As usual our kids were spoiled with presents and our responsibility for fall clothes was greatly lessened thanks to the generosity of family.
If anyone reading this is pregnant, what is your doctor saying about the H1N1 vaccine? My doctor's office was NOT recommending it as of a week ago, but I have also been made aware that 1 in 3 pregnant women diagnosed with H1N1 this year have died from it. Scary. I'm skeptical about the vaccine because it is so new and has been rushed through, but maybe that is no big deal. What do you think?
Finally, I think our kids would totally love it if we dressed up for Halloween. I'm not fun and I never do this kind of thing. Who can Husband and I be? I thought about being Jim and Pam, but Husband shaves his head, and I have short hair, and I don't think our kids would know who we are. We need cheap, easy suggestions.

I'll try to write some real posts this week.

Shattering the Illusion

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:50:00 +0000

Can you shatter an illusion that has probably already been broken? We shall see.

This week is parent-teacher conference week at our school. The kids get out at 1:00 every day, which doesn't interrupt our routine at all, except when it does.

I had two conferences on Monday, so Husband graciously allowed room in his schedule to meet me at school and take the kids home so I could meet with the teachers in peace. These conferences were for IndieGirl and Buddy, and I expected them to be fast and easy, but there was some time between them, time I did not want to spend in the hall with five kids. Including a little girl missing her usual nap time.

Anyway, to make a long, boring post, longer and more boring, yesterday was the conference for Princess. It started at 1:30, so 30 minutes after school got out. However, there was no way I was going to take five kids home, get them out of the car, and then load them back up fifteen minutes later. So we congregated in the hall outside her classroom, waiting for the teacher to be ready.

And there was the beginning of my doom.

Not five minutes into the conference, and Monster poops in his underwear. Ugh! Thankfully there is a bathroom in the classroom, so I go in there with him and my bag and change him and clean him up and try not to think about how gross it is, all while the teacher is talking to me through the door. I should mention that Princess was pushing Butterfly in the stroller in the hall, trying to keep her from screaming and disturbing other conferences going on. Buddy and IndieGirl were supposed to be sitting quietly looking at books. But looking at books apparently means walking around and being noisy in their dimension.

So, Monster is cleaned up and changed and I'm avoiding thinking about the dirty underwear crammed in a sandwich bag in my purse as I listen to the teacher tell me my daughter should be taking more AR tests. Except that it turns out she has taken all of them so far and the teacher didn't have the complete report in front of her. Now, as a woman at a conference with five unruly children, I should cut her some slack perhaps for her lack of organization, but I didn't . I was very frustrated by all the topic jumping and paper shuffling. It did not go well with me. Oh yeah, while we're figuring out what report we want to look at, Monster pees on himself! Yes, less than three minutes after I changed him into the only dry clothes I had, he pees everywhere! Could it get any worse?

I sent him to the hall to be sad. I made IndieGirl sit out there with them. I assured every child that when we got home it was nap time/quiet time, because Mommy needed quiet time in a BAD way. I gathered from the teacher that Princess is smart and doing well. She needs to practice her math, which means I need to get my act together. The teacher didn't seem too bothered by all the commotion, but I was completely frustrated. It was not my finest parenting moment.

So, if you were thinking my kids were angels and I never feel like I'm losing my mind, rest assured that I feel that way as often as not. My kids are well-behaved, but they are kids and they have bad days like the rest of us.

And I have already told Husband that I will never go to another conference with all the kids again.

A Plague on Our House

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:52:00 +0000

We only have one house, so I can't actually quote the Bard.

I was stricken with the flu last Friday. I had a nagging cough and finally decided to see the doctor on Friday. I didn't have a fever (I rarely do), so I didn't think it was the flu. We did the test anyway. Sure enough, flu was paying a visit. Due to my delicate condition, Tamiflu was not an option. Nope, fluids, rest (yeah right) and Sudafed and Tylenol were to be my only relief. I didn't feel too bad till late Friday afternoon, and then I felt pretty miserable. I thought I felt better Saturday morning, but I was deceived. I muddled through the rest of the day and was asleep by 9:30. Would have been earlier, but Husband was away and I had to put kids to bed and so on. The worst part of it all was that I had to miss taking the kids to see Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3-D. It was their big birthday surprise. Husband says they loved it, and there are many cool movies coming out in 3-D. We'll have to go again when we are all well.

No one in our family has had a flu shot, except Husband, who got one Saturday.

And so Butterfly was stricken with a fever yesterday. A fever that did not do too much to slow her down, mind you, but a fever nonetheless. Some Tylenol kept it manageable, but when she woke up at 4:00 a.m. burning up I knew a visit to the doctor awaited. While they did not give her a flu test, with her symptoms mirroring mine, save the fever, the doctor put her on Tamiflu. And the pharmacy was not kidding when they called it liquid gold. I think I could buy gold for less than I paid for ten precious doses of the stuff.

So now we wait and see if the rest of the family falls ill. This weekend is supposed to be Scottoberfest, and now we will not only be keeping a wary eye on the weather (rain all week could make for a crowded house) but also on the rosy faces of our children. Husband and I were supposed to enjoy dinner with old friends of his before seeing one of his all-time favorite bands tonight, but he had to go solo. I couldn't ask a sitter to expose herself to our germs, even if Butterfly is her usual charming self, most of the time. But nothing will keep me away from Muse and U2 next week, mark my words.

Be well friends, I'm convinced germs are spreading via the internet.

Best Birthday Ever (when you're 6)

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:11:00 +0000

Buddy turned six yesterday. To say I was unprepared for the day would be startlingly accurate. I had no cake, no presents, no plan. We were supposed to have soccer practice and softball practice.

Husband and I met up at school and had lunch with Buddy. I brought him a turkey sandwich from his favorite sub shop, that he calls The Train Place. Their sandwiches are delicious. He felt very special to have his parents and his little brother and sister as his lunch guests.

After lunch we made a quick trip to the store for presents and cake. Buddy wanted an Aggie cake, I guess in honor of his Grandpa. This kid is so easy to please. A sheet cake with poorly iced lettering (made by me, from a box) was all he needed. He got a Webkinz (Jack Russell Terrier), a Spider-Man shirt, and a Star Wars coloring book. At the end of the night (after practices were canceled due to some timely rain-yea!), he declared it the best birthday ever. And I may have choked up a little. He's so sweet and kind and really turning into this fabulous big boy.

Baby Name Meme

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:33:00 +0000

Hey there! I lied. I'm totally talking babies again. Except this time I'm talking about the ones already out in the world. Steph at Adventures in Babywearing posted this meme and I couldn't resist.

1. Do you have any cultural or religious naming traditions?

Sort of. Butterfly's middle name is a saint name, but we chose it because we liked it as much as anything. Buddy's middle name is BIL's first name, and Monster's middle name is my brother's first name. Princess shares a middle name with me and my grandmother. This baby will share a middle name with my sister if it is a girl. If it is a boy, it will have the names of Husband's grandfathers. IndieGirl's name is just pretty.

2. Did you or your partner come to the marriage with pre-selected names?

Yes. I had one girl name picked out, that was it. Husband didn't really have any that he was determined to use, that I recall. He liked my pick for a girl name and Princess got it.

3. Did you consider the sound of the first and middle and last names together? Did this make any sad eliminations?

Of course we did. You have to think about flow. I don't know that I was sad about eliminations, but there were definitely names that I liked that just didn't work.

4. Did you have veto powers?

Both of us had to agree on the name.

5. Did the baby naming cause arguments?

Not really. We have always found it fairly easy to come to agreement on names for our children, thank goodness, since we have done it a few times. :)

6. Do you think it is easier to name boys or girls?

I don't know. So far it has not been very difficult to choose either, and since we typically don't find out the gender until the big day of arrival, we always have to have one of each ready to go.

7. Did you eliminate names because of people from your past or present who you don’t like or because a certain image comes to mind.

Yes.

8. Did you / would you survey your children to get their thoughts on the name?

We asked the kids for ideas for girl names for this baby and got some interesting suggestions. We will use the same boy name we had chosen for Butterfly. The kids are welcome to make suggestions, but the grownups make the decision.

9. Did you tell people the name or possible names before the baby was born or were they “in the vault”?

We have always shared. The names we have chosen have been fairly normal, common names, so we haven't had to take a lot of flak for it. But, my front-runner girl name for this baby is a little on the unusual side, so we'll see what happens. When I was pregnant with Butterfly, people would ask the names we had chosen. Everyone thought the boy name was nice, but when I said the girl name they would say "Awww, that's pretty, sweet, cute, etc." Everyone was pulling for a girl.

10. Did you use baby name books?

No! We just threw out names we liked. We did consult the Bible for boy names with our second son, just for inspiration.

Drumroll Please…What did you name your kids?

Yeah right, like I was really going to answer this one. If you have to know or will die of curiosity then you can send me an email.

Because Sleep is Required for Thought

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:01:00 +0000

I have a big bag of nothing.

I am so tired my eyeballs hurt. I did not get up and do my daily prayer this morning. I have not done it yet today, and it is nap time and I should be sleeping, not writing a lame blog post. I made a conscious choice this morning to stay in my lazy clothes and lay on the couch and turn on cartoons and let my eyes slide shut once or twice. I kept an ear open for the sounds of a toddler in trouble or a big brother inflicting untold torture on said toddler. I dutifully put some snacks on the table or highchair to make sure the natives were fed.

I have been pregnant five times before this and I know this is just a phase. But man, it still knocks me down sometimes. This tired feeling. I tell myself I would be this tired anyway. I do have five kids after all, and numerous obligations. Still. You know it is bad when your first thought upon getting out of bed is when you can get back in bed.

But I don't want this to be a boring pregnancy blog, I've already done that once. So no more baby talk unless absolutely necessary. I do have a post in the works about how we're redoing the girls' room. But fabric has to be purchased and paint choices made and so on. And a lot of sleep has to happen too.

P.S. It makes me happy when I click spellcheck and it tells me "no misspellings found."

Expecting the Unexpected

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:09:00 +0000

I went to the doctor yesterday and all is well. Just one baby (whew!), looking good, for being less than an inch long and all. My due date is May 9, but with a scheduled c-section it will be a little bit earlier. I feel good, my weight is right where I want it to start, and hopefully will stay steady for at least the first trimester. Yes, I'm a little bit vain.

So, how are we feeling about all this? I want to be as honest as possible, since this is my blog after all, and I just posted a couple of months ago about our struggles with NFP and conforming our will to God's and all that. I said in that post that we felt we had serious reasons for postponing pregnancy. But the thing about using NFP (or some other natural method) is that you accept that there is always a chance that a pregnancy will occur. And so you say you are okay with that, but until it happens, maybe you don't really know how you feel. The day I took the test and got a positive sign, I cried. And not tears of joy. I was crying tears of fear, disappointment, frustration. I was mourning the loss of feeling that we were moving out of the baby stage. I was thinking about all of the things that would once again be delayed (vacations, paying off a car, so on). I was thinking about how Husband and I felt like we were just getting our bearings back after having Butterfly over a year ago. So that first day of knowing I was carrying another life inside me was a hard one.

Just once, I want to know what it feels like to try to get pregnant. To eagerly anticipate that positive sign on a pregnancy test. To be intentional about growing our family. But that is apparently not what is in store for us.

Three weeks later, I'm in a much better place. God has showered me with His grace. I will say that from the first day, I did not doubt His provision in the more practical matters. Yes we need a new car, and no we weren't planning on that, but He has already shown us that He is with us and providing for us. My insurance is less than ideal, but I do have insurance, and an amazing doctor and friend who will work with us to make sure we do not jeopardize our financial health to have this baby. We are surrounded by people who have done nothing but express joy and thanksgiving for our blessing. We are not growing our family alone. We have spiritual support in droves. Our kids are nothing but excited.

Our path to holiness appears to be one that includes a large family. It is not the path that I would have chosen, but then, who am I to question my Creator's plans? I do know that His ways are greater than I can ever know. I do trust that He will lead us to a life that is more beautiful and more full of His love than we can imagine. Not coincidentally (I think), we have just started a 34 week spiritual retreat going through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. I'm pretty sure God will lead me (and us as a couple) to a place of grace and wisdom that prepares me (us) for this life. We are also involved in a two year study on Pope John Paul II's teachings on marriage and family, and I have no doubt that this timing is not coincidental at all. We are all called to be witnesses to the transforming love of Christ. What better way to do that than to bring life into this world? To say that we have hope in this life, that we do not despair, that there is no greater joy than that of a life lived in conformity with the will of God?

There will be good days and bad days. There will be days when I question where we are headed. I will have days when I feel certain I can't go on and that I will lose my mind. I have those days now, but I do go on and my mind does stay intact (barely, but still). I take comfort in His assurance.

For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Protector

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:48:00 +0000

I just love this picture. Monster loves his sister so much. He is excited to see her when they wake up in the morning. He likes to hold her hand when she lets him. And I'm pretty sure she knows he likes her. They make me smile. And when I look at this picture, I am reminded that the blessings far outweigh any challenges this large family life might present.

What I Learned This Week: Surprise!

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:59:00 +0000

The cute picture that usually goes along with the carnival won't upload today. Musings of a Housewife is live with the carnival now.

What did I learn this week?

I need a bigger car! Okay, so we learned this news three weeks ago, but out of respect for traveling family we were not ready to go public until now. Also, I haven't been to the doctor yet (Thursday), so I planned on waiting until then. But our news was shared elsewhere, and I like to be an equal opportunity user of social media. I will write a longer post on our thoughts and feelings and hopefully a happy healthy baby sonogram picture on Thursday afternoon.

I have also recently learned that I'm in trouble with the cravings. My last two pregnancies I craved healthy things, lots of fresh fruit and salad. This time all I want is sweets and fast food. I'm doing my best to resist, but I'll be honest and say that I cave as often as I resist.

I also learned that the internet continues to be a good thing for me. Shelly as notthedaddy was kind of enough to send me a little package just because she was feeling generous. A book, cute stationery and a note pad! Perfect! Visit her if you like talking about books.

Finally, I might own a little too much Mean Green gear. I realized today when walking into the store after going to the gym that I was wearing UNT shorts, t-shirt, and hoodie. A bit much, but at least I look good in green!

What did you learn this week?

Oh Happy Day!

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:46:00 +0000

Hello blog friends!

I'm in an unusually good mood today, so this post might be filled with excessive exclamation points and annoying perkiness. My apologies in advance.

Mission: Potty Training is a success! Well, we are not without accidents entirely, but Monster is well on his way to mastering the task. He stays dry at night and at naps! We have had only one #2 accident, thank the good Lord. He is a cheerful learner, which makes this process much easier. I am so happy to be on the other side of this arduous task.

I finally made it back to the gym today, after a week off to work on the above project. I only did 15 minutes on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the bike, but it was better than nothing. I had planned to attend the boot camp class, but the instructor had to leave at the last minute. I suppose a gradual re-entry into exercise is okay.

Although we were greeted by the sunshine on Saturday morning, our soccer games were still canceled due to field conditions after a week of rain. I don't mind practices being rained out, because we don't have to make those up, but two weeks in a row of rainouts means that we will either have an extended season, or more weeknight games. I don't like either option.

Husband and I are going to a concert two weeks in a row! One of his fave band's is Sunny Day Real Estate and they haven't toured in years, so he did not even think twice about going to this show. Turns out it is the week before we see U2! I bought the tickets for U2, and Husband wasn't as excited as I was to see them, until we found out that Muse is opening for them! This is another of Husband's favorite bands, so we are all excited now. Both concerts are on Monday nights, which will be interesting for us, but thankfully we have no early obligations except getting the kids to school. Husband is on a flexible schedule, so he can take the kids to school and then come home and go back to sleep if needed. Because while we like to pretend we are hip youngsters, in reality we are boring old people and we like to sleep.

I hope your Monday is full of good things!

Not Quick Takes Friday

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:55:00 +0000

I don't think I have seven thoughts to string together today. What else is new?

I was more productive before 8:00 a.m. today than I normally am in a whole day. I made breakfast for the kids (just cereal, but still), lunch for the school kids, ran the dishwasher, made muffins and made a pasta salad with sauteed chicken to eat for lunch. It helped to know that Husband was bringing me a Pumpkin Spice Latte after dropping off the kids.

It is good to know that I can still be productive, since I haven't been to the gym all week due to Mission: Potty Training. We have only left the house if absolutely necessary. Monster has managed to stay dry on those outings, but at home things are not going so well. He even has a toy on the mantel, just waiting for an accident free day before it can be opened. If I make him go potty every 20 minutes or so then we usually have success with few accidents. But, if I rely on him to go on his own, it is accident-city. So he is not recognizing the urge to go. Which I suppose means he might not be ready, but the kid is four years old and it is time to say goodbye to diapers. Since he is willing to continue working on it (even choosing underwear over a pullup when given a choice) we will persevere. And I will stop using that as an excuse to do no exercise, since I can do strength training at home.

Finally, go to the store and buy the ingredients to make this crockpot lasagna. It is SO GOOD!

Happy Friday!

What I Learned This Week

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:59:00 +0000

Okay, so my post might look a lot like a Quick Takes Friday post, but it's not. Promise.

What did I learn this week?

1. A pair of cheap, fake diamond studs can make a girl feel pretty good. I bought some 5 dollar earrings at the Bullseye and have worn them several times and just feel so pretty. They really dress up a Mean Green t-shirt.

2. I am a bigger fan of said Mean Green than I realized. Husband and I tailgated in the rain Saturday. We sat in the rain for the first half of the game. A game that was on TV! We succumbed to the elements at halftime and went to a friend's house to watch the rest. Much as I love my team and like to support them in person, I must admit that watching the second half in some warm, DRY clothes with a cozy blanket was very nice.

3. I hate potty training a kid. Still. It does not seem to get any easier, regardless of how many kids you have. Monster has had a few successes and many accidents and we are soldiering on. I know he will figure this whole thing out, but I do not like being housebound. At least the rainy weather encourages staying in anyway.

What did you learn this week?

Visit Musings of a Housewife for more.

Can Time Stand Still?

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:32:00 +0000

This cuteness is four years old today! I took that picture last year when we were camping. I want to freeze him at this age, he is so cute. Alas, he insists on growing up. And really, I don't want him to stop growing. I want him to grow up and I want to see what amazing things God has in store for him.

He is probably our most easy-going child, and that is saying a lot, as our kids have all been fairly easy (until we got Butterfly). He is the child that figured out how to rock himself in his infant carrier during Mass. Friends called him Happy Baby Pants. He is a fantastic sleeper to this day. He happily takes his nap every day. He has a blanket with bears on it (Buddy's crib bedding), and he calls it Grumpy Blanket because Buddy has a teddy bear that he has always called Grumpy and somehow Monster thought all bears were called Grumpy. It makes me smile.

He is a natural athlete. He hasn't met a sport he doesn't like. He'll eagerly tell you who his favorite Ranger is (Michael Young), as well the jersey numbers of most of the starters. He cheers for the Mean Green with gusto. He likes the Cowboys, but also the Steelers, thanks to his love for the Awesomes (family).

He turned four today. He promised he would use the potty when he was four. So far he has had no success and lots of accidents, but he is at least willing to try. And that is just one reason I don't want to freeze time. Because I want him to put diapers behind him.

Still, he's pretty stinkin' cute.

Quick Takes Friday-Yea!

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Yea for Friday!

1. I bought a cute shirt at Target recently (can't find it online). When I wore it, Husband said it looked like a Mozart shirt because it has a ruffle front. I said whatever, it looks good. And it does. Especially with my awesome jeans and fave black peep-toe heels. I love clothes.

2. Also recently got this dress from the GIRLS section at Target! A friend was wearing it and I commented on how cute it was. Could not believe it was from kids section. But an XL fits just right. So yea for exercise and yea for cheaper clothes. If you are petite, consider checking out the kids sections once in a while. I look at it as one of the few upsides to the trend to make our kids grow up too fast.

3. Mean Green home opener is tomorrow! Yippee! We have secured a sitter and are ready to tailgate, rain or shine. And right now it looks like rain. I'm not thrilled about sitting in the rain for an afternoon/evening, but I'll do what it takes to support my team. College football is immeasurably better than the NFL for entertainment.

4. I wrote my first three takes this morning, and now it is 4:22 p.m. and I am back home to finish. I met some good friends in a nearby town for lunch followed by playtime at the mall. Butterfly was so good during lunch! We have been avoiding taking her to restaurants lately because her behavior is so unpleasant. But today, she sat in the high chair most of the time, she didn't throw too much food on the floor, and the screeching was minimal. I did have to take her outside to play after about an hour, but that is to be expected. It was so nice to have a pleasant meal. It has been a lot of fun to run errands with just Monster and Butterfly lately. They are both talking so much more now that they aren't competing for attention. They make me laugh and elicit smiles everywhere we go. I'm going to enjoy this new life of two kids at home.

5. My left turn signal has been blinking faster than usual lately. I wasn't sure why, but now I think I know. A friend that was behind me in traffic today told me that my left taillight is burned out, so my car must have been trying to tell me that. So now I can add that to the list of things my car needs, which includes two new tires and an oil change. Ugh.

6. I remember now why I stopped buying Kix. Our kitchen vacuum cleaner is not very good at picking them up and Butterfly doesn't seem to like them as much as Cheerios. So my kitchen floor is currently covered in little yellow cereal balls. Boo.

7. Rain in the forecast all weekend makes me happy.

Visit Conversion Diary for more quick takes.

The Curse of the Good Girl

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:46:00 +0000

This post is a review of the book The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence by Rachel Simmons. I was given the book and asked to write a review as part of a Virtual Book Tour by TLC Book Tours. I was not required to post anything specific in my review, so the opinions found in this post are completely mine unless otherwise noted. For the official promotional stuff, go here.

When I was contacted about this review, I initially thought it was not for me. But then I read a little bit about it, and was curious. I have a daughter who is prone to overreacting to certain situations and who has a hard time handling her mistakes.

From the book jacket:

"Unerringly nice, polite, modest, and selfless, The Good Girl is an identity so narrowly defined that it's unachievable. When girls fail to live up to empty expectations--experiencing conflict with peers or making mistakes in the classroom or on the playing field--they become paralyzed by self-criticism that stunts the growth of their vital skills and habits."

I could see a glimpse of what I might be dealing with in the future.

The first half of the book describes in detail the many facets of the "Good Girl." While I don't agree with all of Simmons's points, I could definitely understand the danger in the way of thinking of these girls. Young girls are afraid to risk friendship by telling the truth when they are hurt. Instead of confronting a peer about an issue, they might blow it off or talk about it behind the back of the other person. As a girl myself, I realize that we all have been guilty of this behavior. But for many of us, it is not constant and it does not debilitate us in future relationships and interactions. Simmons points out that a girl will think something bad about herself and then blow it up by thinking others believe the same thing about her. Simmons asserts that girls are forced into a mold of behavior that prevents them from understanding and recognizing a range of emotions, so that they live on the extremes. One mistake can be a crippling blow to a girl living in this world of perceived perfection. Simmons gives many accounts from girls relaying their experiences with their peers. I enjoyed reading the first half of the book, as it gave me insight into what to expect and what to look out for in the future. She also includes a chapter discussing how we as mothers may have fed into this problem with our own inability to grow beyond the idea of a "perfect mother." Overall, the first half of the book is enlightening and entertaining, while also making a clear case for the existence of these disordered behaviors, so to speak.

The second half of the book focuses on problem-solving and learning healthier behaviors. The book is directed toward middle and high school age girls, so I was admittedly less interested in this portion, as my oldest child is not yet eight years old. Still, there were again many helpful points. Simmons encourages parents to look at their own behaviors, especially in conflict and relationship, before targeting their daughters' behaviors. The author provides very clear scripts to role play and help a girl practice appropriate techniques in certain situations. Simmons makes a point to say that parents should not excuse mistakes or bad behavior in their efforts to help their daughters manage and learn from their past experiences. Again she includes a chapter on how we as mothers might need to relearn some behaviors to better parent our daughters. Rachel Simmons has a clear plan and strategy for helping young women move forward to healthier lives.

My biggest question/concern was that the book does not address what a Christian worldview would do to influence both the negative aspects of the "Good Girl" and the positive aspects. I believe there is a place for girls to learn humility and to put the thoughts and feelings of others ahead of themselves. That being said, I will keep this book as a reference. As I said in the beginning, I can already see one of my daughters exhibiting some early behaviors that concern me, and I certainly want to have as many resources as possible to help me raise her to be a strong and confident young woman. I think this book would be a great tool for parents and teachers in navigating the turbulent adolescent years with girls.

As Many as We're Given

Winner!

What I Learned: Clothes Talk

Quick Takes Friday

Family Night Means Game Night **Giveaway**

The Cuteness is Criminal

Pardon Me While I Rant

My Girls are Cute

I'm Not Dead

Quick Takes Friday

I Saw a Rock Show

Nothing Interesting to Say

Shattering the Illusion

A Plague on Our House

Best Birthday Ever (when you're 6)

Baby Name Meme

Because Sleep is Required for Thought

Expecting the Unexpected

Protector

What I Learned This Week: Surprise!

Oh Happy Day!

Not Quick Takes Friday

What I Learned This Week

Can Time Stand Still?

Quick Takes Friday-Yea!

The Curse of the Good Girl

Family Night Means Game Night Giveaway