Twins-
So I'm 34 weeks according to my (mildly inaccurate) EDD. I have been having weekly bio physical ultrasounds to check the girls heart rate, organs (stomach & kidneys), and their breathing. Apparently, the tech scores these and each time the girls have gotten a perfect score, whoo hoo!
I won't lie, it is nice to see the girls every week and know they are doing so well. However, laying on my back with the tech bouncing my belly to get a twin to practice her breathing, really hurts. I am toast after these visits. I have to lay down as soon as I get home because it hurts. I am also very sore the next day and really need to take it easy. I am going to make sure I have a crock pot meal that the kids can finish for me on those days. If you think about it I only have maybe 3-5 more scheduled visits in my future (maybe less) WHOA!
Nesting-
Right now I need to concentrate on small nesting tasks- get car seats (friends are passing these on to me, but we are quickly approaching needing them. I also have two swings I need to collect. I should order the Twin My Breast Friend Nursing pillow too. Oh ya, there is the matter of finishing the little baby hat I'm knitting...
Around the house-
Once again, I'm not gonna lie, it's a mess. Truly this situation is driving me nuts. My kids are really good about cleaning up, but dh tore up old carpet in a bedroom and I can't declutter the contents of said bedroom *sigh*. The kids are doing a great job of keeping the kitchen clean and moving laundry. In a large family those are the most important things to take care of.
School-
It is not going as well as I had hoped, but not bad. Everybody is getting math done. Big kids are getting science, speech, and personal finance done; but they need to get their reading/ history done. The younger set need spelling more read aloud time.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Monday, October 13, 2014
I've got a joke for you...
So, a lady walks into her OB's office, 28wks and pregnant with her 8th child.... Her doc tells her it's TWINS!!!!!!
Whaaaa????
That's right, twins, and thanks to health insurance woes I had no idea until 28wks. It was probably for the best, lol! Thankfully I know how to be pregnant, and the girls are great (yes, TWIN GIRLS).
So, I thought I would do a little FAQ of the questions I have been getting in real life. I figure that maybe, some of this will be helpful for another mama (possibly of many) who finds herself with older children and expecting twins.
Do twins run in your family?
Not on my side. I figure this is my "Welcome to 40" gift package.
What do the children think?
They are soooo excited! Yes, even my teens are thrilled. Before I was pregnant my 16yr old ds was asking when we would have another. Apparently, twins is even better.
What does your husband think?
It was his idea. Seriously, my reaction and his reaction was the same; uncontrollable laughter. We laughed and laughed.
Did you want twins?
Ummm, no. Well, maybe in some alternate reality. I am thrilled to be having twins, though.
Did you know you were pregnant with twins before you went to the doctor?
No, but, I had really bad morning sickness. It was all day, and very intense; though I did not throw up (because I am stubborn like that). I also gained weight really quickly; that was my first tip off that I was pregnant- 5lb gain in the 1st few weeks! Then right before I went to my first OB apt. I saw myself in the mirror and thought, "Woah! I'm really big, maybe it is twins." (all my friends, who have had twins assured me I was not!)
So that's what I've got for now. I hope to update as things move along. I did a ton of Internet research and found very few blogs of large/ largish families expecting or having twins (they are probably just to overwhelmed, lol). I did find one by a very nice lady at largefamiliesonpurpose.com They have 9 dc too, and had twin girls at the end. She has good organizational info!
TTFN,
Al
Whaaaa????
That's right, twins, and thanks to health insurance woes I had no idea until 28wks. It was probably for the best, lol! Thankfully I know how to be pregnant, and the girls are great (yes, TWIN GIRLS).
So, I thought I would do a little FAQ of the questions I have been getting in real life. I figure that maybe, some of this will be helpful for another mama (possibly of many) who finds herself with older children and expecting twins.
Do twins run in your family?
Not on my side. I figure this is my "Welcome to 40" gift package.
What do the children think?
They are soooo excited! Yes, even my teens are thrilled. Before I was pregnant my 16yr old ds was asking when we would have another. Apparently, twins is even better.
What does your husband think?
It was his idea. Seriously, my reaction and his reaction was the same; uncontrollable laughter. We laughed and laughed.
Did you want twins?
Ummm, no. Well, maybe in some alternate reality. I am thrilled to be having twins, though.
Did you know you were pregnant with twins before you went to the doctor?
No, but, I had really bad morning sickness. It was all day, and very intense; though I did not throw up (because I am stubborn like that). I also gained weight really quickly; that was my first tip off that I was pregnant- 5lb gain in the 1st few weeks! Then right before I went to my first OB apt. I saw myself in the mirror and thought, "Woah! I'm really big, maybe it is twins." (all my friends, who have had twins assured me I was not!)
So that's what I've got for now. I hope to update as things move along. I did a ton of Internet research and found very few blogs of large/ largish families expecting or having twins (they are probably just to overwhelmed, lol). I did find one by a very nice lady at largefamiliesonpurpose.com They have 9 dc too, and had twin girls at the end. She has good organizational info!
TTFN,
Al
Friday, December 13, 2013
Tired & Dirty
The Hubster had to leave for a week long business trip last Sunday. It has been a really busy week. The kids have had activities every.single.night. Oh, did I mention we also had two birthdays? Also Hubs called me each night... around 12am. Now just so you know, I am a gal who likes her sleep. I woke up this morning and looked like I had gotten into a bar fight! I just could have stayed in bed for the day. Thank the Lord there was coffee waiting for me (bless you auto program coffee setting!).
This morning I began looking around the house, clutching my coffee, and I realized how DIRTY my house is. It is not just clutter and trash that you can just pick up and put away. It is dusty, smudged, cobwebbed, GROSS! How did this happen? That is a good question, and there is a simple answer...
I am a poor housekeeper.
There, I said it. I think I need to do something about it. I think I need Auntie Leila to kick me in the tush.
http://ourmothersdaughters.blogspot.com/2010/01/reasonably-clean-fairly-neat-and.html
She just rocks!
This morning I began looking around the house, clutching my coffee, and I realized how DIRTY my house is. It is not just clutter and trash that you can just pick up and put away. It is dusty, smudged, cobwebbed, GROSS! How did this happen? That is a good question, and there is a simple answer...
I am a poor housekeeper.
There, I said it. I think I need to do something about it. I think I need Auntie Leila to kick me in the tush.
http://ourmothersdaughters.blogspot.com/2010/01/reasonably-clean-fairly-neat-and.html
She just rocks!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Where we are
This year we are facing Christmas with a very, very, tight budget. With seven children ages 15- 2yrs. the money spent on Christmas can add up quick. It has been particularly hard this year when I have occasionally watched TV. Holy cow!!! The advertisements are so relentless. They are pushing so hard to get you to buy 'stuff' that, I am really ok with not having any money to spend on gifts for the kids.
I sat down my older crew the other day and asked them what they wanted. The all had a few little things- a lego set for ds11, a new ipod case for dd13, a pocket knife for ds15. Other than those things, they really just want to do things. They want to go to 5 Guys with dad, go ice skating, walk downtown and see the lights, have a party! These are great, inexpensive ideas that they will enjoy and really remember.
All that said, I will pull a few homemade gifts out of my tush. For my older dc I am making them reading pillows for their beds, like this tutorial:
http://www.polkadotchair.com/2012/09/on-the-go-reading-pillow-tutorial.html/
They, of course, get a book in the pocket.
My little girls want aprons, and I have a pattern for that.
For my 2yr old dd I am knitting a bunny & a dress for it:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easter-dress-for-genevie
I'm knitting a hat for oldest ds
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2010/01/19/lornes_hat.html
So that leaves the little guy ds5. Guys his age are easy, I'll figure something out.
Then there are the stockings. Socks, underwear, toothbrushes (awful, right?). Then we will add homebaked goodies- cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, nuts, and whatever else I can come up with.
There is one other idea I am toying with- waiting to do bought gifts until Epiphany. It offsets our cost and we can really "keep Christmas". In our country, we celebrate Christmas beginning December 1st. It has become this mad rush to buy, party, and treat ourselves, before we even get to the Holy Day. So much so, that by the time we get to Christmas, we are exhausted and want to chuck the tree the next day. Before Christmas, is the beautiful season of Advent. It is a time to Wait, and to Prepare. If we feast before we get to Christmas it will be devoid of the pleasure of a feast, we will be left hollow and discontented. When we fail to wait and prepare for our Honored Guest, we miss the point of Christmas.
Advent, up until the recent centuries, was a time of fasting and penance, similar to Lent. It was a liturgical season punctuated with wonderful feast days that could be joyfully celebrated, and then you would dip back into a more austere existence. We are cultivating more of that spirit this year. We are eating simply- cooking from scratch, fasting from tv, decluttering and deep cleaning; all to make way for the newborn Babe, which will be laid in the manger for us.
I sat down my older crew the other day and asked them what they wanted. The all had a few little things- a lego set for ds11, a new ipod case for dd13, a pocket knife for ds15. Other than those things, they really just want to do things. They want to go to 5 Guys with dad, go ice skating, walk downtown and see the lights, have a party! These are great, inexpensive ideas that they will enjoy and really remember.
All that said, I will pull a few homemade gifts out of my tush. For my older dc I am making them reading pillows for their beds, like this tutorial:
http://www.polkadotchair.com/2012/09/on-the-go-reading-pillow-tutorial.html/
They, of course, get a book in the pocket.
My little girls want aprons, and I have a pattern for that.
For my 2yr old dd I am knitting a bunny & a dress for it:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/easter-dress-for-genevie
I'm knitting a hat for oldest ds
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2010/01/19/lornes_hat.html
So that leaves the little guy ds5. Guys his age are easy, I'll figure something out.
Then there are the stockings. Socks, underwear, toothbrushes (awful, right?). Then we will add homebaked goodies- cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, nuts, and whatever else I can come up with.
There is one other idea I am toying with- waiting to do bought gifts until Epiphany. It offsets our cost and we can really "keep Christmas". In our country, we celebrate Christmas beginning December 1st. It has become this mad rush to buy, party, and treat ourselves, before we even get to the Holy Day. So much so, that by the time we get to Christmas, we are exhausted and want to chuck the tree the next day. Before Christmas, is the beautiful season of Advent. It is a time to Wait, and to Prepare. If we feast before we get to Christmas it will be devoid of the pleasure of a feast, we will be left hollow and discontented. When we fail to wait and prepare for our Honored Guest, we miss the point of Christmas.
Advent, up until the recent centuries, was a time of fasting and penance, similar to Lent. It was a liturgical season punctuated with wonderful feast days that could be joyfully celebrated, and then you would dip back into a more austere existence. We are cultivating more of that spirit this year. We are eating simply- cooking from scratch, fasting from tv, decluttering and deep cleaning; all to make way for the newborn Babe, which will be laid in the manger for us.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Back again: Knit Along
I decided to come back to the old blog and after a little tinkering I will even make it public. The reason for this is: the BSJ knit along. That's right, very exciting stuff, I know. It will make the KAL even more fun if I can share with the others who are involved.
I had started on this project recently, but I hit a wall and had put my Baby Surprise Jacket aside until my brain could figure it out. Then Elizabeth over at Keep on Spinning and Elizabeth Foss at In The Heart of My Home offered the KAL and I couldn't resist.
This morning while my 4yrold begged for school work (ha ha ha how quickly they stop doing that!) I had her hold my 25 rows of BSJ so I could rip more easily. It felt so gooooood to rip that sucker so I could start from scratch- I tend to do that with most of my first-time-attempted knitting projects.
So tomorrow I hope to have pictures to share. Wellllll..... sometime in the next few weeks ha, ha, ha!
I had started on this project recently, but I hit a wall and had put my Baby Surprise Jacket aside until my brain could figure it out. Then Elizabeth over at Keep on Spinning and Elizabeth Foss at In The Heart of My Home offered the KAL and I couldn't resist.
This morning while my 4yrold begged for school work (ha ha ha how quickly they stop doing that!) I had her hold my 25 rows of BSJ so I could rip more easily. It felt so gooooood to rip that sucker so I could start from scratch- I tend to do that with most of my first-time-attempted knitting projects.
So tomorrow I hope to have pictures to share. Wellllll..... sometime in the next few weeks ha, ha, ha!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Monday, August 17, 2009
1st Day of School!
Ack! Here we are already! Generally we slide back into school.... because we generally don't really stop lol. I gave up this summer and just let the rest go. I didn't even do a read aloud this summer. We just played, we swam, visited friends, and a few folks went to some day camps.
I really worked hard the past month to map out our school. I PLANNED! I wrote them down *gasp* I have a road map for where we are going this year. I have never done it like this before.
In the past I would plan 1-2weeks at a time and just follow our workbooks and loosely follow the MODG Syllabus. Then something bright and shiny (typically on the 4Real boards) would catch my eye and off I would go willy- nilly. Consistency and order are not my strong suit.
One thing I noticed when I was making my plans was how nice MODG's plans are. They are not fussy or cluttered (like mine usually are). They provide ORDER with out being overwhelming. You can easily substitute one thing for another- it's magic!
Why did I not see this before? Why does it take me forever to see what I should do? Why must I over think and complicate every thing?
I think part of that answer is that I always wanted the lesson plans I bought to talk to me. Now I know that sounds funny but I did. CHC's lesson plans do that. Aesthetically they are lovely. They encourage mother right along with the child. I couldn't hold to CHC's plans because my kids weren't at the same reading level and I tended to wander.... so MODG's plans are a better fit for me because they provide a durable frame-work and allow for my late readers as well as my early readers (although I do keep CHC's plans on hand for all the fun stuff).
OK so my post has gotten completely off topic. And it's time for me to wake children and dress myself, so we might begin school by 8am arrrrrghhhhh! (can you here my children crying?)
I will report back and let you know how things go.... bwaaaaahaaahaaahaa!
I really worked hard the past month to map out our school. I PLANNED! I wrote them down *gasp* I have a road map for where we are going this year. I have never done it like this before.
In the past I would plan 1-2weeks at a time and just follow our workbooks and loosely follow the MODG Syllabus. Then something bright and shiny (typically on the 4Real boards) would catch my eye and off I would go willy- nilly. Consistency and order are not my strong suit.
One thing I noticed when I was making my plans was how nice MODG's plans are. They are not fussy or cluttered (like mine usually are). They provide ORDER with out being overwhelming. You can easily substitute one thing for another- it's magic!
Why did I not see this before? Why does it take me forever to see what I should do? Why must I over think and complicate every thing?
I think part of that answer is that I always wanted the lesson plans I bought to talk to me. Now I know that sounds funny but I did. CHC's lesson plans do that. Aesthetically they are lovely. They encourage mother right along with the child. I couldn't hold to CHC's plans because my kids weren't at the same reading level and I tended to wander.... so MODG's plans are a better fit for me because they provide a durable frame-work and allow for my late readers as well as my early readers (although I do keep CHC's plans on hand for all the fun stuff).
OK so my post has gotten completely off topic. And it's time for me to wake children and dress myself, so we might begin school by 8am arrrrrghhhhh! (can you here my children crying?)
I will report back and let you know how things go.... bwaaaaahaaahaaahaa!
