Road trip day 4

Let's just say after Monday's events we didn't think anything could top it. WRONG...There I was with the kids visiting with a friend from Parenting After Infertility and her kids when all of the sudden the world started to shake. At first it sounded like a large truck roaring by but then the shaking got worse and stronger and I knew it was an earthquake. Thankfully I had experienced one before otherwise I might of totally freaked out more than I was.

After the quake my friend and her family kindly took us to their neck of the woods because the whole DC area was shut down. We got to see some of the History of where George Washington had his surveyors office. Cool huh? The rest of the pictures are from Winchester Virginia.

Road trip day 3

Monday this glorious Monday. The Lord gave us awesome weather for our first trip in to DC. We decided to take the kids to the National Mall. Parking didn't seem to be an issue. If only we could see into the future. We loved our walk. We saw the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, World War Two memorial, and from a distance saw the White House and Capital building. We should of known something would happen it was to perfect of a day.

You see that little red sign. Yeah it should of been our warning.

You see the white SUV in the middle bottom of the picture? To the right down a ways was where our van was parked. We walked down over the hill just after the picture was taken to find our van gone. Lovely huh? Apparently the FREE Parking 9-4 Mon-Friday should of been followed by a sign tow away zone 4 to ? because that is what happened to our van followed by a $100 ticket on the windshield. We finally found our van parked in a construction zone across the street. Would of been nice if someone would of pointed out that we'd get towed if we weren't back by a certain time I mean there were only two dozen security people around and obviously our Illinois license plate and packed car would make you realize we were tourists but I guess that is the point. SO BE AWARE don't park where it says free parking even when it says free parking you never know what might happen.

Road trip day 2

Day two of our road trip was a little less eventful despite losing a signal to our phone which included the gps in which we had to find a map. Lucky for us we just happened to be right in front of a National landmark so we could look to see which way to go. Our 7 and a half hour journey took us around nine hours before we finally arrived in Falls Church.

Road trip

We are blessed enough to have a husband and father who loves his family so much that he just had to have them come with him on business to the Washington DC area. We took off Saturday morning on our fourteen hour trip. Day one was eventful and stressful rolled into one. Titus does not like to travel and he really doesn't like his car seat and I mean REALLY. We pretty much knew he would be a bear on the trip since our road trip to Texas was almost the same distance as the one we were going on. He proved us right and then some. He is quite the determined guy screaming for two to three hours at a time in between a biter biscuit or two. Or three. Let's just traveling with Titus is enough to make anyone go mad.

And then there was this.

Oh no not us. Our car was blocked by the Ambulance. Some man eating either passed out and hit his head or cut himself or both. We got several stories. It was a man in his later years out to a meal with his wife and grown Son. We used this as an opportunity to teach the kids about prayer and we stopped to pray for him while we sat on the front porch of the Cracker Barrel we were eating our lunch at.

we passed the time by posing for pictures. You can never have enough pictures!

On the first day of first grade

Our Grace started first grade yesterday! It is SO hard to believe I have a first grader. She is growing to be a wonderful girl and a very good big sister but above all is loving to learn about Jesus.

Friday Funnies:

In no particular order: Top things NOT to say to me in the checkout lane.

1. Boy you have your hands full. UM DUH!
2. Boy you must be busy. Again UM DUH!
3. You are almost like the Duggars. Except that I have five kids and they have 19. Um no thanks I can barely handle my own.
4. Are they all twins? If they were all twins they would all be the same age, no?
5. Are the identical. Usually referring to the two that are twins. Do boys and girls have identical parts?
6. You poor thing. Having kids is a blessing not a curse.

No Naps results

So as much as I hate to admit the no naps went well in that instead of an hour trying to get the twins to go to bed it only took fifteen minutes. The hating to admit part comes from that now I have no break during my day and I am quite sad and overwhelmed by that. I know God will help me through and when Mother's day out starts again I will have some time but for the next 4 weeks it will be mentally challenging.

I am an introvert and I need space. Having five kids has opened my eyes to a lot.One being that my introverted personality even gets exhausted by being around my kids. For that reason it is EXTREMELY important I get at least one hour a day alone. Yes I am blessed to have a large family. Hopefully I can embrace whatever characteristics I have that God gave me and do right by these children because sometimes I just want to hide under the covers and never come out.

Naps

Yesterday was very stressful. I do not believe I have any brain cells left for a blog post yet here I am. Lately Micah and Kerith have been asserting their opinion that it is time to give up naps and sleep all together. So basically two hours of my day is spent either putting them back in their room or listening to them scream. One hour for naps and one hour for bedtime. We have done everything from Supernanny techniques to letting them sleep together. Nothing. NOTHING has worked and we have been at this for a while now. Today is an experimental day. I am not giving them a nap in hopes that bedtime will be easier. Less stress for me in that I don't have to spend an hour making them get back in their room or listen to them throw fits and can actually give some time to Titus. Poor boy always gets Mom when she is tired and in meltdown mode. No doubt I will survive this period in my life. Having five children six and under is no joke, thank God he is there, where would I be without him?

He Never Forgets: Guest Post on Held

I had the honor and privilege to write a guest post for Held and TODAY is the big day that it goes live.
Each word that was written came from God. It is only a part of my story. Only a part of what God has done in life. My prayer is that God will use it in someone's life for his Glory.

Accidental Day

Oh yesterday. It was quite the day. The events of yesterday give a pretty good idea of what life is like with five children 6 and under, and this is just the doings of one child just imagine four more!

Micah:
Cut Jonah and Kerith's hair. Yes we have been working on using scissors although I am not sure he is quite ready.
Fell out of the shopping cart, more like tumbled out right onto the concrete. It scared him. He didn't have a scratch.
Decided he would "cook" while I got dressed. he poured oats into a bowl, dumped cocoa puffs in with it and mixed it with chocolate syrup. He was very proud of his masterpiece.

oh and the night ended by Titus taking his first and hopefully last tumble down the stairs. I know what you are thinking. Doesn't she ever watch her kids? As much as I would like to be in the same room with them 24 hours a day. I do appreciate the occasional clean underwear, after all I have already given up showering in the morning.

the return of the hornworm

These little boogers are called hornworms. They like to eat tomato plants and every year I seem to have a battle with them. I hate killing things even if they are damaging plants I know call me weak. I did however kill a huge ole hornworm this morning by squishing him to death with my sword, um I mean shovel. It will be another battle tonight as I go against these boogers again. I hope to get rid of them ALL this time. I plan on asking God when I get to heaven the point of the hornworm. They can destroy your tomato bush in a day! Believe me...these are not friends to your garden. No siree.