Twisted, backwards...

...inside out, and one leg out! Yes, I am describing Sierra's pants. (She was so proud!) But, I am also describing how I've been feeling the last 3 days. I was in such a funk! I am so happy to be typing "was," because I feel the fog is lifting.

I believe the main culprit has been fatigue. My Sierra has not only given up napping at the tender age of 2 yrs. 4 mos., but she has also decided that sleeping through the night and sleeping-in are no longer for her, either. I've been through this once before; my number one gave up napping at this age, as well. So did my number 2, but somehow she wasn't the bear that number 1 and number 3 are without their naps. My husband has been working a lot, and somehow I just fell into this funk!

Now, I feel I must confess something. I did not run into the arms of the One who calls me to cast my burdens unto Him (1 Peter 3:5) and come to Him for rest (Matthew 11:28-30). No, I looked to my iced coffee with heavy cream! But, it wasn't cutting it!

I did try to think of all my blessings - and I am SO blessed. I began thanking God for everything I could think of. But, I was still in my pity party! Ridiculous, I know!

I blasted my worship music, but I felt like I was constantly turning it down or off because I needed to break-up an argument, or put a baby to sleep. I tried to cry out to God, but couldn't find a time/ place to be alone, and kept getting interrupted.

Somehow, I couldn't find the humor in things. I couldn't see anything beyond the immediate situation. All I wanted was to be alone. I was just plain self-focused!


Finally, today I opened my windows to let the fragrance of the jasmine permeate my house. And, this is what I believe changed my attitude; I began to pray for my friends! My, oh my! Was it really that simple all along? I absolutely needed something -- anything to get my focus off myself! From there I began to pray for my kids, which again, caused my heart to melt for them.


I am still tired. T-I-R-E-D! So is the sweetie in the swing. I think she began rubbing her eyes the moment she woke-up, and continued to do so until bed time. She carried her blankie with her all day, too; a sure sign of a tired girl. We spent a lot of time in this swing today!


Tired, but at peace. My joy and love tank are being refilled as I consider this trial "pure joy." Really, it's not even a trial; it's a little funk. It's a lot of fatigue. It's a season that is passing quickly.


I am just looking at this face as I am blogging -- looking at that mop on top of her head! Looking at that smile and once again praising the Lord for my blessed life!

Dr. Seuss Fun

As I mentioned in my last post, we did indeed celebrate Dr. Seuss day; we just happened to do so a day early! When we first did Dr. Seuss day 2 years ago, I remember lots of planning took place. This year -- not so much, thanks to Pinterest! Not-to-mention, I realized I have a lot of Dr. Seuss paraphernalia around here! For example, these 4 Dr. Seuss puzzles we started our day with:

Next we did the classic reading of "The Cat in the Hat." I had my girls help take turns with the reading. In fact, I had them help plan most of this day. I thought it would be fun for them to feel like little teachers since they were the oldest kids there at 5 and 6! The night before I handed them a checklist of things to do to prepare, such as collect items that rhyme and put them in a basket and build the "trick-a-ma-stick" for the game. They did a great job working their way through it.


Here are all of the cuties doing their "sit-down work: which came from here.

And, here was our snack:

And, here is the story behind the snack: Ever since our last Dr. Seuss day celebration 2 years ago, I've wanted to make the "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" cupcakes I saw on some blog. So, I loaded the 4 kids in the car the night before and drove to the only place I know to get cotton candy; The Dollar Tree. As you can see from the picture above, it appeared that some blue cotton candy would be in the bag. That was not the case -- it was all yellow and pink. Ugh! To make matters worse, I could NOT get the circle labels to stick to the front of the cupcakes. So, this is what we ended up with:

On the bright side, the kids did not care one bit, and they tasted delicious!

Finally, we used our 2 Dr. Seuss games to end the day with a little fun.

Setting The Tone

Yesterday I had a few friends over to celebrate Dr. Seuss day a tad early. Though my husband had been gone for 2 days, I managed to have the house all clean, my lessons all prepared, and I was ready to host a fun day of learning! You're waiting for the "but," aren't you? Actually, it all went down as planned. It was homeschooling at its finest!

Both friends have kids 4 and under, so they haven't decided whether or not homeschooling is the road for them yet. I was happy to encourage and give advice. They asked things like how I managed with the 2 little ones. "We just go with the flow," I said with a smile. And, it's true. I answered many more questions and we had a great time, and then said goodbye. I was feeling great. I had even convinced myself that homeschooling was the best! And, that is how I've been feeling, lately! And, here comes the "but..."

Then, last night hit! My oldest lost her 10th tooth! Tenth, and she's only 6! That meant I would have to remember to stay up to play tooth fairy, and I was already quite tired. It also meant I had to help Allison get to sleep because she was too excited. Once I finally made it to bed, the little man had some trouble sleeping due to his second cold. Sniff, snort, snuff, cry -- poor little guy! Then came Natalie; a bad dream brought her to us insisting she sleep in our room. We got a sleeping bag and a box of kleenex and I was hoping to hit dreamland again. That was not to be -- our crazy dog began barking, as he heard the wind coming. He is so crazy; must bark every time the Santa Ana winds hit! Last, but not least, the bloody murder screaming of our dear Sierra. All I know is that she is way overly tired, which makes her sleep worse -- makes sense, right?

All that to say, today started off way too early, (5:30am), and on little sleep. The fun began right away when I decided to take a shower and Sierra decided she would feed the fish. Here's the picture:


Next, as I was cleaning the fish, Sierra was upstairs with her sister and I found this:

You're not suppose to smile when you're naughty, stinker!

Oh, this is just a glimpse. There was lotion all over. And, it happened 2 more times today... TWO more times, despite a spanking and a very aware little girl apologizing. Hmmm... we also had markers all over, floss pulled out, chapstick all over the face, and... yes, it was one of those days!

School still happened. I'm not sure how, but it did. We didn't get to read, but we made it through everything else. Was I patient? Not really. Did I laugh about how crazy it was? I tried, but I couldn't. What happened to "Go with the flow?" What happened to my clean house?

There was fighting and arguing today. There was mess-making and crying. It was a tough day for me. I felt like I couldn't give the love that everyone needed. It was ugly, and not the perfectly planned day I like.

I put the kids to bed by 6:45pm, then came downstairs to process. Oh, the joy of a quiet house! Thinking back over the day, I can see a few things that make me smile. When we first got up and I was in bed surrounded by all 4 kiddos, Allison pulled out my "Jesus Calling" devotional, asked the date, and began to read. Thank you, my sweet child! God knew I needed to start the day with those words! After lunch, when I was about to pull my hair out, I decided to turn on worship music to clean to. Oh, how worshipping our Savior can refresh a frustrated heart!

I was listening to a broadcast from "Focus on the Family" a few weeks ago, and it was a mom talking about raising kids. One thing she said that really struck a chord with me was that WE, as mothers, are the ones responsible for setting the tone for our family. I love these people:


But, they are not the ones to set the tone for our day. It is up to me, when they have the grumps, to turn on that worship music. Lately, Allison makes a funny face at me when she's mad where she puckers up her lips. I smile and ask if she wants a kiss? It often makes her laugh and changes the mood in an instant.

Part of today I was successful at this. Part of today, I failed miserably and let them dictate the tone. I am learning. I know this will not be my last tough day. More are to come. Yet, even as I write and look at these sweet faces, I am reminded that there is humor in all this. I will look back one day and laugh as I tell Sierra what a stinker she could be. And, I will continue to be humbled and brought to my knees, asking God to please help me set the right tone!

I'm off to bed now -- so tired, I hope I'm even making sense! Pictures of our fun Dr. Seuss day to come!

Two Things

1. Laundry isn't so bad when you have a cozy fire to do it by on a rainy day.

2. I would do laundry all day with this adorable little guy next to me.

1. 

If You Give a 2 Year Old Bubbles...

...They may end up in your fountain; which isn't all-bad. It is kind of cool, really. Leave it to a 2-year-old to know how to have fun. Ha! Oh, Sierra!

Malachi 3 Months

Dear Handsome,

• You are 3 months old, today!

• You love to talk more than any other baby I remember -- I think you are getting ready to live in this crazy house of girls!

• You have had a bed time of 7:30 for about a month now, and only wake-up once or twice; THANK YOU!

• You are losing your hair rapidly, and I am guessing you will be bald by next month's picture.

• You have not once made yourself a fountain, and I don't even bother covering your turtle anymore. Please don't start now!

• I am so in love with you, and so are your sisters and your Papa. You are one special boy!

And now to totally embarrass myself with babytalk just for Grandma:

Lessons from Sunday School

Up until last year, it was like pulling teeth to find out what the kids learned in Sunday School. Perhaps they were just too young to articulate it; I don't know. Somehow, it all changed once Allison was moved to the first grade classroom this past summer. Now we get bombarded with verses, stories, and tales of games, snacks, and friends the minute we pick them up from Sunday school. I LOVE it! What I love even more is when the lesson "sticks."

Yesterday, Allison told of how she learned to share. Today, I found this upon returning from Costco:

I had to smile!

Then there's our artist. She told us how she learned the story of Jesus calming the storm. She explained the whole deal to her dad while he questioned her. I say she got an "A." Today, the picture she painted was this:

Yup, that's Jesus in His pink robe calming the storm. Makes me smile.

Spring Surprises

We've been in our new house now for almost 8 months. Time flies! Needless-to-say, this is our first "spring," (though it's technically winter), living here. While the girls and I were enjoying the beautiful spring weather and some yummy smoothies the other day, I noticed a strong fragrance. I walked around the corner, and found these beauties:

I think they're jasmine? Anyone know for sure? Oh, how lovely they smell! At least that is my opinion, I was informed... Allison thinks they smell disgusting! Ha!

Inside we've discovered a little spring, as well. Our curriculum had us creating a little flower garden...
...As well as a little herb garden. I learned that an herb is just any soft-stemmed plant. Bet you didn't know that! :) First grade has sure taught me a lot.

Looking forward to spring and planting a real herb garden; and lots of veggies! First we have to find a spot. Melissa, I need your HELP!

The American Flag

Do your kids always ask for stories of you when you were a kid? Mine do! And, I am realizing just how bad my memory is. But, when I do think of stories it is fun to share.

This entire year we have been studying early American history. Allison is absolutely fascinated with the Colonial times, and would tell you that history is her favorite subject. I have loved the books we have been reading and the true stories of history that I don't remember hearing about as a kid.

This past week we hit the Revolutionary War. We marched around like we were the "Red Coats," learned all about the American flag, and every day we sang the Star Spangled Banner. I told my girls I cannot sing that song without crying thinking of all the patriots that have gone before us to give us our freedom. (I've actually been moved to tears on many occasions with this history curriculum!) And then I thought of a story to share with them. I told them of how we were in a bus driving home from a field trip in 5th grade, and I will never forget being reprimanded by our teacher, Mrs. Cummings, for starting to sing our national anthem without standing up. She explained we needed to stand and honor those who have died for our freedom. So, we stood up and sang it once we got back to our classroom. And, this week the girls and I stood and sang it each morning. Thank you for instilling honor in us, Mrs. Cummings!

Discussing how blessed we are to have freedom to worship, I was even able to share of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran, who has currently been sentenced to death for apostasy by the Iranian government. Even at the tender age of 6, Allison was moved to tears and has been praying for his freedom. Please join us in this prayer!

We finished off this flag week with an edible flag! Sugar cookies are the best. For frosting, I used a Martha Stewart recipe we got from our friends at Keepers of the Home. It's a cinnamon-honey frosting, and it is soooo good! (And easy!) You can get the recipe here.

My New Pillows

So, by any chance did you think I was busy crafting all week? Sadly, no... the truth is my computer was in the shop! Thankfully, all is well and it is back home now. (I am embarrassed to admit how clean my house is and how much I got done around here while it was gone; It obviously takes up way too much of my time!) This week I needed

• an address to send a friend a card
• to check the weather
• to look up recipes
• to send an important e-mail to someone whose phone number I don't have
• a plethora of school ideas to browse through
• my dinner menu so I knew what I was suppose to be making

And a whole lot more... I TOTALLY missed my computer! But, I digress... would you like to see what I was crafting last weekend? As you may know, I have a bunch of ideas for my bedroom that are slowly getting done. First was my wall... you can read about that here. Next came my painted dresser and shadow box you can see here. And now, here are the pillows I did last weekend:

Not the best picture, I just realized. But, you get the point! I sewed the orange and brown pillows using cheap blankets I found at Ikea. I just went to take another picture up close so you can see them better: (Don't mind the adorable baby sleeping in the middle of our bed!)

The brown one is a sweater-type fabric, and the orange is a shiny quilted fabric. So, it was just a few straight lines, but it was a big deal for this non-sewer. I was happy to finish them!

Once I finished sewing the orange and brown pillows, the white pillows suddenly looked way too white. Then I had an idea; why not stencil them? I decided on our names and half of a heart for each one. My goal was to get them all done and the bed made before my husband got home the next morning. So, after dinner with their jammies on, I loaded all 4 munchkins in the car for a trip to Michael's. It was to be a quick trip -- some fabric paint, and a quick look at the Valentine's clearance items, and then home! We were doing well until Sierra muttered something I couldn't understand, and them proceeded to throw an all-out 2-year-old-laying-on-the-floor-screaming temper tantrum because I couldn't follow through with her incomprehensible request. Ha! But, I digress again...

We made it home with the fabric paint, the munchkins were quickly escorted to bed, and I stenciled away. I highly recommend this fabric spray paint. It made the job super fast and easy. All I had to do was wait until morning for it to dry, and then make the bed. I must tell you, my husband noticed the front pillows, but thought the orange and brown ones had always been there. Men are so funny!

Busy Crafting...

Can you think of anything more fun to be busy with? Here's a hint of what I'm doing... it involves this:

Of course, even with the coffee it's a little slow-going. I find things like diaper cream mixed in with my bobbins...

I trip over dolls and such...

I peak back at this little one to make sure she's still on this side of the railing...
(I even let her skip her nap today to watch me sew! I felt like Mother of the Year until she threw her roll-on-the-floor-because-I'm-so-exhausted tantrum at Michael's)


But, I wouldn't have it any other way! I even have my grandmother's sewing basket: (LOVE!)


Ok, time to get back to work. The Littles are asleep, the house is quiet, and it's me time! Now, where is that coffee?

Life is Messy

I just love doing posts like the one I did yesterday... where there is a theme and lovely pictures, and you can almost feel the warm sun on your face and the sand under your toes. Then there are posts like today. Reality. Messes. Life.

There is a little girl who colored all over herself, her clothes, her desk, our fireplace, etc.

She may have also discovered her mom's dot stickers and an open cupboard that contained Doritos... Her hat is most certainly on the floor somewhere waiting for Mom to trip over it!

Her big sisters had fun playing with bears... and left the evidence to go do something else!

Our days are full. We do things like weave potholders...

...Wear balloon hats and jump on the couch!

...Color on potted plants outside until Mom looks up from making lunch and notices!

Sometimes we eat lunch on the barstools because the kitchen table is way too messy for a change of scenery.

We swing on the swingset and tell mom to take a picture because it would be so cute on the blog! (Yes, my girls really tell me that!)

We relax...

We paint...

We jump on the bed (often!)

We color...

We ask for tea like our big sisters and then don't drink it!

... And we brush our hair!


We live life, day-in and day-out. And we enjoy life. The good, the bad, and the messy! And, as much as I love the posts like yesterday's, I love the ones like today even more. It's in the simple things... the day-to-day things that I always dreamed about before becoming a mom that I feel so blessed. These are the snapshots in my head that I'll remember. When I take pictures of them, I can smile instead of getting overwhelmed by the circumstance.

This is life. It will always be messy. The kids will grow-up. The messes may change, and the antics may not be as cute or funny. But, if I take pictures of them and caption them in my heart, suddenly I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude when I realize I am living the life of my dreams. I shouldn't be surprised to find my kids being kids -- arguing, creating messes, hugging each other, making me laugh, making me cry. I pray that God will allow me to see beyond the mess and smile because He gave me life. And, He gave me these 4 precious lives:




And I am living the life... a blessed life... the Yeh life!