As Many as We're Given

Being Totally Honest

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:31:00 +0000

I should not be writing this post right now, but I feel like I've left the last one up too long. The next four days will be somewhat busy in our house and I should be getting ready for that.

What I should be doing:
1. Baking sugar cookies for Buddy's classroom party tomorrow
2. Making fudge for friends
3. Baking chocolate chip cookies for us and friends
4. Cleaning in preparation for a house full of guests this weekend
5. Playing with my kids

What I am doing/have done:
1. Writing a blog post
2. Reading blogs and Twitter
3. Snoozed on the couch while the kids watched TWO Mickey Mouse Christmas specials
4. Watching Beverly Hills 90210 while on the computer (silly, silly, guilty pleasure)
5. Thinking about a plan of action to accomplish my myriad tasks

Excuses: Bad night of sleep, general tiredness, cold weather, just don't want to do anything.

In more exciting news, we find out the gender of the baby tomorrow! But I can't publish it here until after Saturday, because we are waiting until then to share the news with Husband's parents and brother and his wife. BIL's wife is expecting as well, we might have our surgeries on the same day! So we are waiting until we are all together on Saturday to reveal the big news (they found out the gender last week). We usually don't find out the gender, but for some reason we just want to this time. Both of us have had dreams that the baby is a girl, but who knows. I'm not a person who has ever had that instinctual feeling about the gender.

Perhaps sometime in the next few days we'll also find time to take a picture to put on a card. It is looking like we'll be sending New Year's cards this year, at the rate we're going. Still the Christmas season!

Quick Takes

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:15:00 +0000

Hello Friday! I love Fridays!

1. Tonight Husband and I are going on a date! Just the two of us! Can you tell I'm excited? We get sitters to go to parties and to meetings and other group functions, but we never go out just the two of us. I miss that. I was hoping for free babysitting but that didn't work out this night. But we're worth it. We're going to see A Christmas Carol and have dinner. Maybe we'll share something at dinner to be a little less spendy. We also want to see two other movies, but the timing is better for this one and we figure out of the three it is the one that really should be enjoyed in the theater. Even the frigid temperatures can't bring down my excitement.

2. This might be one of my most unorganized Christmas shopping years ever. Even though we know we are getting the Wii for the family, I still have other people to shop for and stocking gifts and so on and so forth. I have no plan, no list, and I'm beginning to feel a bit panicky. Perhaps I should make a list. :)

3. I have done no festive baking this year. Last year it seemed I was baking something every day. I guess I'm just feeling uninspired or something. I did buy the ingredients for pumpkin bread, and I plan to bake that soon because warm pumpkin bread sounds really yummy. I've read a few recipes here and there that I want to try, I just haven't done it yet. After I started this post, I put it on hold to bake this recipe of pumpkin bread. Delicious.

4. I think all this disorganization and lack of interest is really a sub-conscious desire to simplify and scale back. But I also think I'm failing at that. We foolishly stored our Advent candles in the attic (clearly not thinking when packing up decorations) and so of course they were melted. I finally got a new set yesterday. So maybe now we'll actually recognize the season. One can always hope, right?

5. We made a gingerbread house last night, and if I can muster up the energy to figure out the new camera and get the pictures on the computer, I will come back and add them to the post over the weekend. Let's just say that this kind of activity requires a lot of surrender, and I can always practice that.

Visit Conversion Diary for more quick takes.

I Got a Good One

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Yesterday was not a good day. It started off poorly in the very early a.m. when Butterfly woke up crying/screaming. I brought her to bed with me and she fell back asleep, but I did not sleep peacefully for the remaining hours. Since she was in bed with me she woke up when I wake up to get the kids ready for school. She's having some sleep issues.

We put her down for a first attempt at a nap around 8:oo or so, I think. Completely unsuccessful. She cried and screamed but did not sleep. So I got her out of her bed. She played for a while and then she got whiny again. I tried giving her food but all of my offerings were not to her liking. Back to bed she went. Out of bed she came. I put her down for a nap three times before noon, and she slept maybe 20 minutes total.

Needless to say, by the time Husband came home I was not in a good place. Butterfly had still not had any kind of effective nap and so neither had I. I need a nap most days to have the energy/will to make it through the afternoon and evening routine. After serving the kids their dinner and making some necessary phone calls (I hate talking on the phone, most of the time), I was preparing to figure out what I was having for dinner.

Husband took one look at me and kicked me out of the house. He told me to go eat and read a book or see a movie or something, but to just go because I obviously needed the break. So I did. I saw New Moon all by myself. If I could have stayed home and had a stiff drink, perhaps I would have. But Husband recognized that I needed to be away from the noise and the chaos and the clingy toddler more than I needed to be home. We even had an extra kid hanging around as a favor to a friend. And still he told me to go.

I'm so blessed to be married to a man who can see what I need and give it to me. Who didn't think twice about managing six kids on his own while I fled the madhouse. I came home to a quiet house with children sleeping (even Butterfly, who made it until 5:30 before waking up this morning) and clean bedrooms. He feigned interest in the movie (not as laughably cheesy as the first, but I didn't like the second book so I didn't love the movie either) and did not begrudge me the time at all. I could learn something from his charity I think.

If you are married, choose today to focus on the good your spouse gives/does, not the frustrating/annoying things. Remember that you got a good one too.

And please pray that Butterfly gets back together with sleep (she is back in bed now, at 7:49 a.m.).

Perspective

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:34:00 +0000

My weekend did not get off to a good start. I decided rather tardily that Husband and I needed a date night but could not find a sitter. What a surprise--no one available at the last minute on a Friday! Ha. I let my frustration affect my attitude way too much. I was frustrated. I was short with the kids. I sulked around. It seemed the kids (especially Butterfly) were extra hyper and demanding. Poor Husband came home and suggested I leave the house for a bit. I could have taken him up on it, but I wanted to spend time with him, not just be by myself. I rallied and managed to cook dinner and then sit on the couch and read my sports magazine and happily let Husband handle most of the kids' varying demands. Not my finest hour, but I did pull myself out of my sulk at least a little bit.

Saturday was a new day. A local high school choir was hosting a craft fair. I decided to see if I could complete some Christmas shopping. I invited the big girls to join me. We made a stop at the post office (thankfully minimal waiting) and headed to the craft fair. We saw many things to tempt us and I collected a lot of business cards. It is surprising how many of the vendors did not have a website or use Etsy. Since I wasn't supposed to be shopping for myself or the girls, I had to pass on many things that I would be interested in later. We found a few gifts, some crocheted beanies for the big girls, and a pillowcase dress for Butterfly. I spent most of the cash I had and could have spent a lot more. I am always seeking more will power.

The rest of the day our big plan was to drive to a nearby German town to buy some nice steaks for our Christmas dinner. The cattle is locally raised and is excellent. Definitely worth the hour drive once a year. We also loaded up on smoked cheeses and homemade jams and such. On our way home we decided to eat at Babe's, a fried chicken dinner house. They serve everything family style. The fried chicken is divine. The kids enjoyed the food, the singing waitresses, and we even indulged in some dessert. Compared to my attitude the day before, it was remarkable. Everyone was happy and cooperative. We laughed and enjoyed each other's company. It was a good day.

Sunday was our usual relaxed day (Butterfly is having some sleep issues though) until it was time for Mass. I actually got to hear the homily! Butterfly made it all the way through Mass. A banner day! Husband and I had the chance to grab a quick bite alone before heading to our training for our couples study. We watched the Cowboys lose. Boo. We shared appetizers. We're finally getting smart about how we eat out, at least most of the time. Our study was good and our drive home was great. I ended the weekend aware that my attitude had a lot to do with how things went. Instead of whining about needing a break I chose to embrace my family life. I got over myself and decided grumpiness wasn't worth the effort.

Why did I call my post perspective? Go read Kristen's post at We are THAT Family and see how the money I didn't spend on a date night Friday can be put to much better use, for families that really do know suffering. A bad day for me is one that is busy and without a nap. A bad day for some is one that includes putting your child to bed with no blanket to keep them warm. I can forgo a date night to make another Mother feel that she is doing all she can to take care of her children. What can you do?

Because I Have To

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:07:00 +0000

It snowed this morning! So of course I must be one of the hundreds of North Texas citizens to provide photographic evidence. Monster looked out the window at breakfast and said it was snowing. I didn't believe him. I told him it was just frost. Until I actually looked out the window and saw that it was in fact snowing. As of 8:09 a.m. it has already stopped. But you can bet that it will be enough snow to keep me home from the gym. I'm nothing if not opportunistic in my laziness. Thankfully I got out of the house yesterday and we have more snacks than is reasonable due to a trip to Costco while hungry. Oops.

Speaking of Costco, I'm wondering if I'll ever stop being surprised by how much food my family eats. Yes I know we have five kids and one on the way. I suppose I should be used to buying six loaves of bread at a time. I only buy two gallons of milk, but only because we tend to limit consumption of milk to one glass a day (except for Butterfly) and because I don't have room for any more than that. We are definitely going to have to upgrade to a second full size refrigerator/freezer in the near future. I kept my old crockpot when I got a new one last year, knowing that the day will come when I need both of them just to make one meal for my family. It can be overwhelming if I think about it too much. I'm going to have to get better at grocery shopping wisely. But right now it gives me tired head, so that can wait.

Also, look who is a big girl now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:13:00 +0000

I'll go ahead and make it official and say I'm taking a break from posting until next week. I'm in the midst of reading some good books (Susan Carroll's Cheney Sisters Trilogy), among other things.

As always, we have much to be thankful for, more than can be listed in one blog post. We are blessed beyond imagining.

If you have time (or even if you don't), please go visit Suzanne at Raising Saints. I don't know Suzanne personally, I've just read her blog for a long time as our families seem similar. Suzanne is embarking on a fight for her life and could use your prayers. There are families all over the world (and the internet) needing prayer and Suzanne didn't ask for more attention. I just feel like directing any good vibes I can her way.

Peace and happy eating!

Things I Like (at least right now)

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:43:00 +0000

Consider this a service, as I point you to things I like and that you or someone in your life might like too. It is like a gift-guide, only not because some stuff is local or not available for purchase, and because it has no coherence whatsoever. You are welcome.

1. Cafe Du Luxe, which is a local coffee shop that is very close to my house. They have a drive-thru, like Starbucks, which immediately makes it nice. But, even better, is you get more coffee for less money. I can get a medium latte for the price of a small one at Starbucks. Not that I need a medium, but it is still a good deal.

2. Here are two things courtesy of Big Mama's Fashion Friday post. First is an apron that makes me positively swoon. I would like to think I would all of a sudden become a fabulous cook wearing this apron, but I realize it is just something meant to keep my clothes clean, after all. Second is this Etsy shop with bulletin boards like this one. That fabric would fit right in with the quilt that my girls will eventually have, courtesy of our kind aunt that quilts.

3. I love the Vintage Pearl. I have a necklace from her shop that I won in a giveaway and when I wear it I can't help but feel cute and spring-y. I would really love to have this bracelet, with Husband and my names on it with our wedding date. Hint, hint, Husband.

4. I'm still coveting a fabulous new handbag. Sometimes I think I want something like this, from Etsy. But then I see something like this, at Target, and can't make up my mind. Or maybe I won't show you what I mean because I can't find it on the website. Anyway, I like the uniqueness of Etsy, but I am sometimes swayed by the immediacy of retail shopping.

5. Do you have a friend that just had a baby or is about to have a baby? Go to The Nook and get some cute, personalized onesies. I have been ordering gifts for friends from this shop a lot lately. I love her work.

6. Okay, that is a lot of coveting. What else do I like? I still love the library! Our library is so great. I like searching the online catalog and making hold requests. I like the emails when an item is waiting for me. I definitely like the emails that remind me when my stuff is due. And I will love it when the branch across the street from our neighborhood reopens after renovations. I'm kind of tired of driving across town.

7. I also like that tomorrow we are tailgating. It is the last home game for the season. We are not taking the kids and that makes me happy. We haven't been able to tailgate as much as usual this year due to soccer and whatnot, so tomorrow is our last chance to really do it right. My parents are joining us, as well as Husband's parents and his brother and his wife. It will be lots of fun, even if we don't win. We are playing Army, and there are several things planned to honor the servicemen/women of our country, especially those at Ft. Hood. I'm pretty sure I'll be bawling like a baby.

8. What do I like the most right now? It is Friday!

Happy weekend!

So Sweet

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:03:00 +0000

I miss these days. Buddy is at school every weekday now, and I think Monster misses him, even if he doesn't say so. I miss the days of two little guys hanging out. Now they wrestle and fight and of course still play together, but they are getting bigger and well, it is just different.

But Butterfly has a playmate on the way (no, we don't know the gender) and maybe I'll get a similar picture in the future.

Makes my heart melt.

Cracking Down

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:07:00 +0000

My apologies in advance should you find yourself at the end of this post wondering what exactly you just read. I have a point, but I know it will be long-winded and rambly getting there.

It is time to establish some order in this family. Things have gone way off track, at least in our estimation. We have behavior issues, housekeeping issues, just issues in general, it seems. I don't want to make it sound like things are falling apart at the seams, because they are not, but it feels as if we are nearing that point. Like we are shuffling along, getting the bare minimum done, and nothing else, and that just won't cut it for very long.

First, Butterfly is giving us fits. Now, I have a healthy amount of perspective, and realize that a lot of her behaviors are very normal for toddlers. We understand that perhaps our first four kids were unusually easy-going and well-behaved from an early age. I really believe that is true, to some degree. We certainly don't take full credit for our kids. But, we do think we played a part and Husband and I both recognize that we have let things slide. We have just not been as attentive and as consistent in how we handle Butterfly. "No" was a regular part of our vocabulary with all of our children from the beginning. We didn't hesitate to tell them they couldn't have something they wanted if it wasn't appropriate (soda, candy, whatever). Somehow that firmness has softened with Butterfly. Don't get me wrong--we're not letting her guzzle soda and eat her fill of junk, but we also indulge her more than we ever thought about with the other kids. That is just one example of what I see as our parental laziness.

It seems we have fallen into a habit of doing whatever we can to keep her from throwing a fit. Perhaps this is because tantrums are so unfamiliar to us. I can count on one hand the number of full-on fits we had from the first four kids combined! No one likes to listen to a screaming kid, and especially in public. But that is no excuse. Her long-term behavior is way more important than our temporary discomfort, even in public. I'm not saying we'll not do what we can to keep her quiet and content in certain situations, but I am saying that we can start to turn things around at home, at the very least. Parenting a challenging child is taking its toll on us, and we know that the only way to get it better is to be firm, consistent, and committed to making positive changes.

Butterfly is not the only child giving us challenges. The big kids do it in more subtle ways sometimes. We are experiencing a fair amount of backtalk and sneakiness from some kids. We know it is influenced by peers and we are addressing that as kindly as possible. But again, a large part of the blame falls on us. Good habits have fallen by the wayside. The fact that the three older kids especially can get themselves ready for bed means we are neglecting family prayer. We're not spending enough time talking about what is good and right and pleasing to God and too much time pursuing our own selfish interests. So we need to make changes there too.

Finally, and this may seem unrelated, but I think it is actually a bigger part of the problem than I would like to admit, we need to change the way we eat. I'm not naive--I'm not going to say we are throwing out all our convenience food and never eat takeout again and so on. There are five kids in this house and two parents and busy lives and there has to be some room for flexibility. But I can't help but think that some of the issues in the house revolve around food. We used to be pretty restrictive on what kind of food the kids ate especially. Plain Cheerios only, fruit or yogurt for snacks, milk and water to drink only. A lot of the time we still stick to this, especially what they drink. But too much sugared cereal has found its way to our home. Too many snacks are crackers or chips. I especially think this is affecting Butterfly. She wants to eat constantly, and it is so tempting to give her the easy snack, the food from a package that requires no preparation. I know if the big kids were home every day they would be asking for more food quite soon after breakfast. Butterfly had three breakfasts this morning! Granted, her portions are small, but it is a sign that she is not getting what she needs. I just think that convenience and selfishness have taken priority over what is best for everyone.

So, what does all this mean? I can't make all of these changes at once. I've tried that and failed. I'm going to start small. I'm going to work on getting protein included in breakfast first, and making the commitment to go back to our healthier snacking ways. I'm going to focus on my own prayer life before I get too busy with the kids. I would love some suggestions on more filling, good-for-us breakfasts (ideally easy to prepare, but I'm working on embracing more work for better food) and snacks. My kids to enjoy apples, yogurt, some of them like oranges but beyond that I am hopeless. Does any of this even make sense?

Quick Takes

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:13:00 +0000

Hello Friday!

1. We are having our first meeting tonight for the Splendor of Love couples study. We were supposed to start last month, but the flu attacked half of our group. So we start tonight. Yea! I'm taking Dulce de Leche brownies. I have never made them before. I have this bad habit of making things for the first time when I am taking the dish somewhere. I guess I like making my friends be my guinea pigs.

2. Tomorrow we are camping! We only have time for one night right now, which is frustrating because of all the work to set up the camp site, but we'll take what we can get. I will only camp at state parks, I need facilities (if you know what I mean). The kids are super excited. Butterfly was not completely mobile last year, so this year will be a new challenge for us. Hopefully she sleeps well, last year Husband slept in the car with her because she cried a lot before falling asleep.

3. We are looking at the Flip Mini or Ultra for a family camera. Our old-school, non-digital camera has not worked for a while. We hope that with a smaller, easy-to-use camera we might actually record more of our lives. Does anyone have one? What do you think?

4. I'm watching Oprah right now (not a habit, I promise). She's talking to Stephanie Meyer, the author of the Twilight books. I'll go ahead and say I am looking forward to seeing the movie. I laughed at the first one, it was so poorly made, and I anticipate some more laughing at this one, but I like the story for the escapism it provides. It has been a long time since I read the books, so the story will seem fresher I hope. Speaking of movies, this is the time of year when all the good ones start coming out. Husband and I love seeing movies, but we only make it to about two a year. I look forward to the days when we can leave Princess in charge for a couple of hours on a regular basis and I can see movies again.

5. We went to the zoo this week. I love living in Texas. It is early November. We have had glorious days of sunshine and mild temperatures. Perfect zoo weather. Monster was most interested in seeing giraffes. So we did.

Isn't the baby cute?

6. We have joined the pigtail bandwagon!

7. Finally, I realized I have posted no pictures of all the kids from Halloween.

Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Ballerina Kitten (last minute decision that just cat costume not appropriate) and Angelina Ballerina (ditto on mouse costume) wish you a happy weekend.

Visit Conversion Diary for more quick takes.

Husband's New Job

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:29:00 +0000

Husband starts a new job next week. This will be something like the seventh job since we got married. All those changes have been by choice except when he was laid off last year. He is one of those people who seems to know everyone and keeps his options open. All of the jobs have been in the mortgage business. This is not necessarily his dream career. It is more a situation of what was available upon graduation from college, and has continued to provide opportunities.

Husband was not looking for a new job this time around. In fact, we really felt like we had been so blessed with the job he has had. He has been selling mortgages for a private mortgage bank. He started out part-time, while working another (short-lived, non-mortgage) job. When he realized that the other job was not going to work, we made the risky decision to take the mortgage job full-time. I say risky because the set-up was one he had tried a couple of years ago. One where he has been responsible for finding all of his business. He has had to seek out borrowers on his own, build relationships with realtors, work his database of past clients, and so on. There has been no guarantee of income at any given time. Last time we tried this scenario, we had more than one month with no income, and we are still paying for that. We were more prepared this time around. And, God has blessed us with such prosperity! Whatever it is about this time, even in a weak market, we have thrived.

So why would he take a new job? Like I said, he was not looking. But a former co-worker tracked him down and had a meeting with him about a position he was looking to fill. Husband met with him just to get the information, but we both figured it would not be an attractive offer. We have really loved the flexibility his current job provides. Still, he wanted to find out what was being offered. After his first meeting, he was curious, but I was hesitant. I felt like God was really providing for us in his current job and maybe we shouldn't turn away from that. But Husband kept talking to his friend, and the more they talked and the more we talked, the more we felt led to say yes to the job. One of the biggest selling points is the health insurance. We are currently on private insurance, which is certainly better than nothing, but we were looking at 10K out-of-pocket to have this baby! So this job has better insurance than we've had in a couple of years, and the premium is unbelievably affordable. Husband will still be local, and will have some flexibility, but nothing like he has now. We have to give some things up to get some things, and that is okay.

As we have prepared for this change (oh, he will be a mortgage representative for a major bank with four local branches) I have felt some conflicting feelings. Of course I am overjoyed and praising God for continuing to provide for us in ways we were not expecting. But, I have several friends that are in tighter financial straits and desperately seeking better job opportunities and finding nothing but closed doors. They are good, faithful people whose needs are great. So why are we finding things falling so neatly into place, at a time when we weren't even looking, and others are struggling so? It is easy to praise God when things are going well. It is not easy to see people you care about struggle. All I can do is trust this His providence for each of us looks different and that He does have a plan, however difficult it may be to see it. Still, this is one of those times when our happiness is tinged with a bit of hurt for those not so fortunate, right now.

So there is the story on the new job. We are blessed, always, and will continue to praise Him for where he leads us.

A List, Because I Can

asmanyasgiven@yahoo.com (nicole) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Hello!

1. Two kids are sickly. Monster and Butterfly have coughs and congestion and possibly mild fevers (thermometer broken). Monster's cough has been bad enough to wake him up at night. Albuterol is our friend. Butterfly is not so puny, but if I'm taking one kid I might as well take the other, right? Hopefully they will tell us that it is just a cold and to keep up the breathing treatments and wait it out.

2. Okay, this week look to the sidebar for a new guide to the people on the blog. I'm going to leave behind the nicknames and just use initials. With #6 on the way I don't have the desire to keep up with nicknames any longer. I'll keep the guide visible so that everyone can get used to the changes.

3. Husband starts a new job next week (longer post on that to come). Because of this, he has been working from home a lot the last couple of weeks, which is why I have been somewhat scarce. He uses his laptop at our desk, which seems silly, but sometimes he has to because he needs to be wired into the internet connection, the wireless doesn't always work. Anyway, today he is golfing and it almost feels like a normal day.

4. I am in love with my yoga pants and wearing them way too much. I am excited for my Bella Band to come in the mail so that I can wear my jeans and stuff comfortably again. Also, a wonderful friend is going to loan me her maternity clothes. Yea!

5. I actually have ideas for a couple of posts this week! You might get real content, instead of lame lists and such. I know you can't wait.

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!

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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!

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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.

As Many as We're Given

Being Totally Honest

Quick Takes

I Got a Good One

Perspective

Because I Have To

Happy Thanksgiving!

Things I Like (at least right now)

So Sweet

Cracking Down

Quick Takes

Husband's New Job

A List, Because I Can

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

Family Night Means Game Night Giveaway