Don't Miss It!

Sometimes I just sit and stare at people in airports, restaurants, malls........and I wonder to myself "are they happy? are they suffering? are they okay?" I always wonder what is REALLY going on inside of people. You know, you just can't fake happiness! Go back and look at photos of yourself. I do this all the time and I shine the most in my pictures when I'm truly happy. Then I see those pictures which are not so flattering and I remember "oh yes, I was disturbed or feeling a bit grim that day." I'm reading a wonderful book, One Thousand Gifts by Voskamp and she talks about this 'sanctuary of time'. I want to enjoy each moment, while I can. She quotes a pastor as saying

"Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the way of all the rushing...Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away."

She says "I don't really want more time, I want enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You glory and rest deep and sing joy and just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done- yesterday. - Hurry always empties a soul" and my moist favorite thing that she says....

WHEREVER YOU ARE..BE ALL THERE

Stop looking at your phone, stop checking your dang facebook, stop texting and listen.............I'm slowly learning. I'm sunbaithing in the funny and serene moments with the kids. I love this picture of the girls talking to their cousins on the phone. Look at them......holding one another....sigh......another sigh.......I don't want them to grow up. I love their shade of innocense......although momentary......I love it and want to be stuck in this moment forever. That can't happen, snap my fingers and come back to reality. But atleast I didn't miss it!! Are you missing the moment? Ladies are always asking me if I'm doing the next best bible study or going to the next best ladies event at church. I usually say "maybe later." Nothing wrong with these fabulous opportunities.....but they will be around later and my preschooler won't be. I get that wild horse look when I'm going 100mph and I don't feel comfortable. Right now.......I just want to 'be all there'.

This To Shall Pass.........Ok Go

If you know anything about music, you've heard of this song/group. I love this song and I love their sound. Well, I"m feeling like this right now. Paul left town about 2 and half weeks ago and everything has gone bonkers! It's so funny how these things only happen to moms when the dads are our of town! It's got to be a "Murphy's Law"- when husbands leave town......all chaos must break out!". hahahah...well, our garage door broke during a major storm and on the way home I nonchalantly said to the girls "aren't you glad we have a garage that we can pull into and not get soaked?!" Then of course, the clicker didn't work and I didn't have any keys to the house with me..........after 10 days, and 2 more rain storms, it was fixed! My inter-net shut down, Clifford brought a dead chipmunk into the house and girls were horrified. Lincoln pooped his pants at dinner (Never Happened Before!). Lots of fun moments. But.........in the midst of the chaos, I find myself snuggling with Mia last night and telling her how dang cute she is with those perfectly placed freckles on her nose between those perfectly blue puddles of blue, called eyes. My gaze was locked onto her and I all I could think about was how cute she also looked when she was a baby and she'd bounce in her crib with a smile as wide as the ocean. I miss those days. I'm thinking....where on earth has time gone. Oh, how I would give anything to go back in time and hold her next to me in her snug onesie and thick diaper and chunky thighs. How do you tell a young mom to really realish those moments and stop rushing around, stop cleaning the house, stop fretting over nothing. Just pick up your baby, hold her, rock her, kiss her nose, and you can start cleaning when they are 18 and all grown up! I found Lincoln's dump truck today in the baby buggy. I had to laugh. I love my kids. That little baby buggy is the best yard sale treasure ever! Kennedy puts her guinea pig in it and Lincoln puts his most precious trucks in it. And then there is Mia, she puts herself in it! How wonderful kids are! Hold onto the moment. With daddy gone, we are learning to relax, slow down, and have movie/popcorn nights more often. Laying low is nice. Cereal for dinner is............nice! There will be plenty of busy days to come, so I'm enjoying the 'not so busy days'.

Fun Mommy Tips After 7 years.......I'm Still Learning

I was thinking that it would be fun to share some of the things we do around the Alexander Home that really help us out and hoping these tips help you out too. We have begged, borrowed, stolen, and made it up as we've traveled this journey called life!

1. Never thought that Men's Axe spray would come in handy. Paul won't wear it
but I found it handy to keep a spray can in the bathroom for those un-
pleasant moments. One spray will knock out any scent that might be looming!

2. I like to make banana chocolate-chip muffins or some other type on Sunday
night and warm them up for breakfast all week for the girls! yummy/easy


3. When kids are fighting in the car........I turn up the music really loud
and I feel like loud music is better than 'loud mom!' They eventually stop.

4. You have girls? We do and go through tons of shampoo/conditioner. I've been
buying the pumps at Walmart for $3 per large bottle and it will last for
6-9 months. Pumps get more out and girls use less!

5. Looking for healthy/cheap snacks? Sounds like an oxymoron, I know. But...
Costco saved the day for me! We buy Large Bag Crasins, Lg bag of Sea Salt
Chips, Lg bag of Almonds, Annies all natural fruit snacks, Guacamole, Lg
box of individual all natural applesauces, sweet potato chips, Lg.Organic
strawberry jam, and veggie chips- all for about $50.00 Lasts for a month!

6. Your kid wets the bed in middle of night? We put a fitted sheet under the
mattress pad so that I don't have to put another sheet on the bed at mid-
night. I just wait until am to wash and put pad on. Atleast they have dry/
clean sheet for the night. super easy!

7. Want a cheap reward to give your kids!? We only allow t.v. and dessert on
Fri-Sun. No dessert or t.v. on school nights. So.....Friday is so much fun
and occasionally I'll surprise them with t.v. or dessert in the middle of
week as a reward and they are estatic! My kids are only ages 3,6,7--easy
to please- still!

8. Does your kid suck his/her thumb? Cure it quickly by using painter's tape
and short popsicle sticks at night. I tape them onto their thumbs and they
have no desire to stick thumb in mouth! It works!!!

9. Not sure what to do for your quiet time? Maybe you're 'Beth Moored' out
and ready for something different......but no bible studies. Well, you're
not gonna believe this but I'm reading thru the bible in a year and I
LOVE it. I'm behind on the schedule but just taking my time and journaling
and underlining all the cool tidbits that I'm learning! I thought it was
gonna be boring but........love it!!

10. Wanna get in shape but you HATE running? Go walking or get on a treadmill
and set it too a quick pace with HILLS!! You'll really feel it in your
legs, that's where we want to slim up. Also, lift light weights to help
get rid of the saggy arms and back-fat! I'm dealing with it all now! Got
muffin tops??? stop eating so many carbs/sugar--- get on a large ball and
do sit-ups a few times a week. Keep it simple and low key!!

11. Family devotions at night? What, huh?!! We use the Jesus Story Bible but
we've been though it a million times now. So, we are letting Kennedy read
the stories. If Jesus Story Bible is too hard to read, pick up a simpler
one. We have that too and Kennedy prefers it. It's fun seeing the kids
lead the bible study by reading now and then!

12. Ummm....what happened to table manners? We play a game at mealtime to
see who doesn't put napkin in lap or puts elbows on the table. The
signaled saying is "I don't see any ladies/gentlemen at the talbe..."
That quickly reminds them. Daddy always loses the game cause despises
putting a napkin in his lap and loves to put elbows on table. This goes
for talking with food in mouth too! When you catch em' doing it, you get
a point!

13. Okay one more!! I couldn't get Kennedy to read and now she's the top
reader and writer in her 1st grade class......reading on 3-4 grade level
and amazing writer. Secret?? food!! Find your child's soft spot. She loves
to eat so here is what I do. After she has read 5 pages (you can start
with small number) she can come see more for her bowl of goodies. I give
her cereal, craisins, nut mix, or choco. chips. Each time she finishes a
page, she can put one craisin or chip in her mouth! She will read for 2
hrs. Half the time, she forgets to eat at each page cause she is so into
the story!! If your kids loves t.v./Wii, give them same amount of minutes
on t.v. that they spend reading!! You catching on?

Well people, here are my silly thoughts and I hope they help! Feel free to post any of your amazing tips! I love hearing what other moms do cause I still have a lot to learn!!

The Not So Perfect Mom and Her Family

Because moms are not perfect and neither are their families.......here is a real life photo of our 'happy' family and some great quotes from my own kids! I love seeing the REAL DEAL! It's hard to believe what comes out of a kid's mouth.

-"Next week when I'm an adult, I'll charge my husband to get me a muffin and coffee" Kennedy (daddy had just come home with treats for mommy)
-"Mia, you can't be selfish all your life....you have to share with your sister!!" Kennedy
-"Mom, tell Kennedy to stop..she's trying to spank me and wedgie me!" mia
-"I hear an ambulance and I think there is a mom in there who is falling asleep forever. I guess the kids will have to adopt go adopt a mom, probably one that is poor and has not home."-Mia/Kennedy coversation
-"When am I going to grow up anyways? It's taking a long time!" Mia
-"I saved the day one time" Kennedy
-"Mom, if you don't know how to make strawberry pie than watch Strawberry Shortcake on t.v. and she can teach you." Mia
-"I'm not brave everyday. I'm only brave sometimes." Kennedy
-"Garage door open!!!!" Lincoln stood naked as a jaybird yelling at the broken door to open
-"I feel like I have to go poopy, I'm burping in my pants." Mia
-"I'm sharing with Lincoln, cause I want to be like you, Mom." Mia
-"I wonder why Clifford is destructing our yard?" Kennedy
-"Mom, you're smart when you laugh." Mia
-"I met Jacob Dodd and he's gonna be my husband!" Mia
-"When I'm a teenager, you can pretend I'm little again, if you want, and we can go for ice-cream, mom." Kennedy
-"I'm done coloring,Mom. I have some business to do." Mia
-"Sometimes I just get worried about my life. It's a hard time being a kid." Kennedy
-"I growed so tall while I was napping." Mia
-"I really wanted that cereal (in tears) cause it's the last day of my life that I wanted to eat it." Kennedy (drama drama!!!)
-"I didn't want to come out of your tummy,Mom. I just wanted to roll around but I know you missed me,so I came out." Mia
-"Can we keep Lincoln? He's a good boy!" Mia
-"Daddy knows everything about everything." Kennedy
-"I don't like when your muffins taste like ear wax." Mia
-"I'm mommy's prince." Lincoln
-"Mommy, snuggle me!" Lincoln