Mr. Wolf in da' house!

So much for being on Fi-ya.

Alas, I was unable to sustain the momentum of 2 posts in the same week.

Oh well. It was nice while it lasted.

Did I tell you that my hubby was in Egypt for a couple of weeks?

Did I tell you that he brought an Egyptian home with him?

Well, not exactly.

But, I do currently have a very nice young man from Cairo living in the guest room off of my kitchen.

He truly is the most helpful house guest I could imagine. He loves the kids and they loooooooove him. He always offers to help with anything I am doing and the dude even makes his bed every morning. I mean, bed making is a lost art in this household. It's nice to know that someone in the world knows how to do it.

Maybe he can teach my kids. Maybe he can teach me. 

Mr. Moheb (or Mr. Wolf as Jenkins refers to him - and no, we do not know why) is going to be with us through the end of the month doing some challenge course training with Brent and others in the industry and we are blessed to have him.

Sassy has been particularly, shall we say... creative... this week.

You may recall Purple Kitty Invasion 2012?

Well, this morning she decided to give her purple kitty a make over...

It was a bit of an extreme make over.

She was very thorough.

And she was very proud.

She truly enjoys the art projects. I am however kinda being over run with her prolific creations.

I adore these pipe cleaner flowers... but seriously, I am about to run out of vases.

And, I'm not quite sure if the following technically qualify as art projects, but she makes many things out of copious amounts of Scotch Tape and construction paper.

Lately, she has been making casts for injured people and stuffed animals.

Chilli was the patient today. Note the yellow foot cast.

Sassy is very serious about her doctoring.

Please pay no attention to the pink couch featured in these pictures. You don't say "no" to a free 18 foot sectional from your family - even if it is ugly as sin.

We finished off our weekend with getting together with some friends to watch the Falcon's Game. Chilli bean got up from her nap only to fall back asleep on her daddy for round two of a Sunday afternoon nap.

She is so my girl.

Maranda

Fanny Cat-Pack

Two posts in one week...

I'm on Fi-ya!

Just thought I'd take a quick moment to capture a couple of the weekend highlights.

Sassy had her final herd ball soccer game of the season.

Unfortunately, I am not sure soccer was all Sassy dreamed it would be. Most Saturdays involved some sort of coercion just to get her in her uniform.

And then there were the more public battles on the sidelines to force motivate encourage her to be a team player and get in the game gosh darn-it!

The truth is, I caught her having fun on many occasions... I think she just likes to play on her terms...when it is her idea...when she feels like it. I can't imagine where in the world she could have developed this self-centered attitude?

ahem.

I only wish she hadn't learned it from me, but I know I do not model a selfless attitude well. I too like to think it is all about me.

It's not an excuse, but pregnancy does seem to be bringing out the worst in me lately. I have really struggled with feeling "entitled" to certain things this go 'round. And although I know there does exist a priority of self-care, after all, there is a little life growing in me that requires I be in good health, and  consequently, I must take care of myself. However, I hate the feelings of entitlement, resentment and bitterness that I find myself wallowing in. And I really hate the trickle down that flows into my relationship with my husband and kids in particular.

Ugh... sin.

It's so nasty.

Speaking of nasty...We took the kids to the pet store tonight.
How's that for a segue? I am a gifted writer am I not?

Actually, this particular store is pretty clean. They mostly have fish and rodents... and a few birds. They have humane society dog adoptions on the weekends and I am not ashamed to tell you that I have used this store as the "poor man's zoo" on many a Saturday afternoon.

This evening Sassy was desperate to hold a hamster. We asked one of the employees if we could hold one and she said, "Sure you can, but I'm just gonna tell you, they are going to bite. It's a fact."

Great. We'll take 2.

I jest.

I mean, if I were a hamster, I'd probably bite my kids too, but I wasn't up for the drama tonight and so I asked about the guinea pigs and was assured that they were not mean-spirited like their evil hamster friends. In fact, I believe she used the word, "sweet."

And sweet they were.

By the way... I wish I had a better picture, but can you see that Sassy has secured purple kitty to her waist via pink ribbon? She wore that cat like a fanny pack for a significant portion of the afternoon.

She is committed to the purple kitty.

She is also wearing purple kitty slipper socks... with her Keens.

To her credit, she is rocking some super cute skinny jeans.

I'm just not sure the stuffed cat head on the front of the socks is really working with the whole outfit.

But then again, who am I to give fashion advice? I once wore a skirt to high school that I decided was a little too long so I just cut it off at the length I desired and wore it with the frayed edge and strings hanging down. I think I may have been wearing tennis shoes with the scraggly skirt... I was quite the trend setter. I'm sure my friend Gina can confirm.

Well... that's all I've got for now. I just figured I should post something in hopes of keeping some bloggy momentum.

We'll see how that works.

Maranda

'Fess Up Friday

I really wish this blog would just write itself.

I can't seem to find the time lately to record our shenanigans and alas, the posts are few and far between.

I haven't 'Fessed Up in many a Friday, so perhaps I will tonight.
Kira... if you are reading this... this is for you.

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Halloween.

First of all. I have very indecisive children.

I honestly didn't know what Sassy was going to commit to until she put on her costume Halloween night. Her plans ranged from Kitty (shocker) to Frog, to Clifford the Dog, to Kangaroo, to Princess, to Fairy, to Fireman... and probably a few others I am forgetting. She finally settled on Magical Fairy Princess.

Mr. Jenkins waffled between a purple kitty and a dinosaur. I found an adorable dinosaur outfit at the second hand store that still had the tags on it and brought that sucker home a few days before Halloween. I was glad he ultimately settled on the dino costume because it was dang cute... however, he was a bit of a Grumpisaurus Rex.

Chilli is still at the stage where I just dress her and she goes with it. She was the kitty this year and girlfriend loved her some Halloween.

Brent took the kids while my large self stayed at home to eat hand out candy and he reported that she worked her cuteness to its full potential. Apparently if a bowl of candy was held down for her, she did not respectfully take a piece or two, but tended to rake large quantities into her bucket. Even though Brent tried to intervene, most people just said, "Oh, let her take what she wants! She's adorable!" Needlness to say, she returned home with the largest bounty of the three of them.

Pumpkin carving was fun...Primarily because I was not involved except to take a few photos.

I am not a fan of the pumpkin guts...

...Or wielding large knives around small children.

Nay, I do not care for it.

Here's the finished product which joined the 3 little pumpkin friends created by the littles earlier in the week.

Notice, I was in charge of the sticker and pipe-cleaner pumplin craft, not the real-deal jack-o-lantern.

Also, I thought I'd share this little gem with you:

Whist attempting to obtain some candy from the bucket, the dog managed to get said bucket stuck upon her head. I have captured here here standing in her shame.

Despite the sugar crash meltdowns...

It was a fun night.

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The Racoon.

I saw this posted on facebook and it has made me laugh. It has also made me wonder who seriously had the nerve to go and tie that balloon to the poor thing's paw?!

Bless.

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As you have probably observed in previous posts, Sassy has an incredible imagination. It is one of the many things I love about her. This week the kids reclaimed some pool supplies that I was attempting to organize and put away for the season.

Why I try to do these things while they are around, I'm not sure. Clearly it is about as effective as brushing my teeth while eating oreos.

Anyway... Sassy decided that the inflatables would make excellent "nests." After shrouding the nests with a soft blanket, she then collected some "birds" which were in fact two purple panda bears and a purple kitty. She strapped on some fairy wings and transformed into a beautiful "bird-fairy-mommy" with three babies.

I love her.

She then decided that she needed a beak.

So then of course Chilli Bean needed a beak too.

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So, I haven't done this is a while either, but I think we may have a new fashion offender in the making, so let's conclude with the outfit of the week:

As you can clearly see, we have not tired of wearing underwear on our heads. We now prefer to wear multiple pairs on both our head and bum, and we enjoy pulling the whole outfit together with a snappy pair of purple plastic high heels.

Work it guuuuurl.

Maranda

A list

Hello? Is anyone there?

I haven't blogged in ages... I'm sure all three of you who read this have missed me.

I will assemble a list of some recent observations and happenings...

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I saw this on someone's van today.

I know not who this woman is, but I am pretty sure we are kindred spirits.

I haven't run 1.0 miles in years... much less 26.2 or even 13.1!

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Have I mentioned that Brent is in Egypt again? He has been gone for a week already, and won't be back until next Monday.

I miss him terribly.

He is conducting a high ropes course training and course inspection for an upcoming sports festival held outside of Cairo. The event will take place over the course of 4 days and literally tens of thousands of Egyptians will come to participate in traditional sports, BMX/Extreme sports, high ropes course activities, etc... Each day closes with a ceremony awarding participants in various categories and includes an evangelical message that will be televised on Egyptian TV. Despite the perceived risk of being in a part of the world that has been a bit unstable recently, I am so glad that he has been able to go and serve.

I will also be glad when he gets back!

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The children. Oh the children.

They make me laugh.

They make me cry.

They are growing up so fast.

One minute I want them to be little forever, and the next I just long for the day that Mr. Jenkins can put on his own dang pants.

As I type this, they are in bed. Chilli is asleep... because she is chill.

Sassy and Jenkins are intermittently shrieking and laughing and whining and tattling on each other for various atrocities such as, "hurting me ON PURPOSE!" or "Getting out of his bed!" or "drinking MY water."

I'm honestly totally unsure how to deal with this any more. I love that my kids share a room... I like that they have a buddy to talk to and to play with during "room/rest time."

But...

I despise the recent bedtime drama. I know a lot of it is my fault since I typically deal with it by yelling empty threats up the stairs or through clenched teeth if things have gotten so unruly that I must drag my large self up there to regulate.

I want desperately to separate them as punishment when they get so out of control, but I don't really have another place to put a kid besides my room. And then, there is the dilemma as to who gets relocated. Some days getting "outcast" to mommy and daddy's room would be a treat, and which would view it as such changes depending upon the day - so I don't know who to select. Also, it's not a lot of fun to re-relocate a heavy child when I am ready to go to bed... and sometimes they wake up later confused as to where they are and how they got back in their bed.

Anyway... I've rattled on too long about this already, but if anyone has any insight, I'd love to hear your ideas.

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I feel bad for animals at petting zoos.

We stopped at a pumpkin patch this week and of course there were multiple "add on" activities to choose from. I ended up shelling out so much money on bouncy houses, giant slides and the petting zoo that we didn't even get a dang pumpkin.

I guess I'll just get one from Kroger.

Oh those poor little beasts...

So cute.
So traumatized.

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I don't think I have updated on the blog that I am no longer on bed rest... Praise the Lamb! I got a good report from the doctor and they are just going to continue to monitor me a bit more closely than they have in past pregnancies. I have been instructed to take it easy and I am seeking to do that as much as one can with three littles and a hubby in Egypt. Honestly, I have been super blessed by my family and friends who have helped me out so much lately. I do not know how people do life with littles without a support system.

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I am not really sure what is going on here... but I do love this child's creative mind. I have no idea how the poor dog got involved, but at least she is all cozy and snuggled for the experience.

There is probably more to share, but that's all I've got. Things have quieted down a bit upstairs and so I may head to bed too.

Maranda

This better have some Bailey's in it!

Seriously?

Step away from the coffee dog.

Honestly, I feel quite sorry for this poor, neglected, little, gray beast.

She was the baby of the family for so long.

And now... well, she is more like the black sheep.

Bless her. We do still love you Lola... I promise.

I think she just got the memo that we have plans to bring home another "puppy" (A.K.A. baby) in the new year. By the look on her face, I 'm pretty sure she was hoping that there was a little something extra in that coffee to help her cope with this news.

Maranda

Bed Rest

I have always been a lover of sleep.

I told my husband a few weeks ago that the dude who wrote "The Five Love Languages" totally left out the chapter on sleep.

Ah, the gift of sleep. I am convinced that is is the forgotten love language. 

I think I must crave sleep so much because I am robbed of it routinely. 

Though my children are decent sleepers... it does seem that someone (and it only takes one!) is often in a "phase."

A teething phase.

A bad dream phase.

An early rising phase.

And my personal favorite... a bed wetting phase. 

Sleep deprivation. It is just part of the gig of having young kids. 

I think as moms, we just kinda adjust to life with less sleep, and that's cool, 'cause it really is only for a season.

It is only for a season... right?

Dear God, please tell me it is only for a season!

Anyway, I have been contemplating sleep, and rest in general, as I have been prescribed bed rest for the first time in my life. 

It's an odd feeling to be forced to slow down and sit when all you are used to doing is being in constant motion. Most of my days are spent in the perpetual motion of care and training of little ones and the upkeep of a home. In the past few days I have found that this is not something that can be done very effectively from my bed. 

Consequently, I sent Sassy, Jenkins and Chilli Bean to my sister-in-law for a few days. 

God bless her soul. 

I have been praying that she is still alive as I have not heard from her today. 

All this to say, after a couple of days feeling like a total sloth, my love tank is full... 

Despite the perks...

Breakfast in bed, courtesy of my amazing, super-hot, husband.

...I do feel like it is nearing the point of being too much of a good thing. The laundry is piling up and there are so many projects that I would love to attend to - especially with a house void of "helpful" children - but I have tried to be very good (ie. horizontal) in hopes that I will get a good report from the doctor at my appointment tomorrow. 

I mean, clearly... I am totally cool with being told that I must get plenty of rest, but I am hopeful that I can be a bit more of an actively contributing member of our family once again. 

But until then...I'll rest. 

And, I'll pray for this baby boy to grow strong and healthy for several more weeks. 

And...I'll do the things that I can do from the bed - work, respond to emails, read my Bible, write letters, make phone calls that I have been putting off, read that book my friend mailed me last week, catch up on some trash tv... you know productive stuff like that! 

And... I'll count my blessings. 

For they are many. 

Maranda