School Closings

Georgia doesn't usually get too much snow, but tonight it's snowing and there is such an excitement in the air, despite the roads being totally empty. What makes this snowfall different than the normal once a year dusting of snow we get is that it is COLD-brutally cold!! The low is supposed to bottom out at 17* tomorrow morning at 6am, just in time to start getting up and getting the kids ready for their 7am bus pickup. The snow isn't going to melt like it normally does. This snow is going to turn to ice on the roads and since there are no plow trucks, no salt and a bunch of drivers who are too afraid to drive anywhere, I think it's going to be extremely slick. I've been pushing refresh on my screen every 10 minutes or so, waiting to see if the county cancels classes. Of course ALL the counties around us are closed, but not us. A friend had posted on Facebook about wanting her kids to have tomorrow off and another friend asked Am I a bad mom? I hated "A's" school being cancelled" (A is her daughters initial. I removed the name.) I decided this was a good topic for a 'normal mom' blog. HECK NO you aren't a bad mom!!!! More than likely I am the bad mom. I'm lazy and don't want to have to get up early. If the kids have school, that means getting up at 6:30am and getting 3 of them off to the bus by 7. Seth then will need to get up and finish his homework before going to the bus at 8:30. Yes, they'd be gone all day and I could get some much needed housework done (or even take a nap!!!) but sleeping in sounds heavenly too! The kids also missed a couple of days of school this week because they were sick and so have a lot of work to make up. By not going to school tomorrow, that will give them something to do during the day and they can get caught up. Yep, I'm probably the bad mom. My reasons for my kids staying home are pretty selfish ones, but that's ok. It's nothing an extra couple hours of sleep in the morning won't make me feel better about. Now, I'm off to check for school closings.....

Potty Training

I HATE potty training! Jacob turns 3 on Saturday and it's time, but he doesn't seem to realize that! He got new Thomas the Train big boy pants from Santa for Christmas and I was sure that would get him excited. Nope. He'll go sit on the toilet for all of about 30 seconds, proudly proclaim he's done and start to climb down. I tried today to make him stay there and tried to talk to him about what to do. I turned on water. We waited. And we waited. After about 5 minutes, he gets down and declares that he's done. I've done the whole timer thing where we go in there every 15 minutes but that doesn't work. I know all the lines of "He'll get it in his own time" but I don't like his time! I want it now, gosh darn it. Anyone have any amazing tips for potty training? You'd think that by kid #5 I'd have this down pat, but I don't. :(

My purpose

I've spent the last few days pouring over blogs by moms who appear to be "SuperMoms". I read some great posts, but they seemed to be so focused and organized. It left me feeling a bit down and like I'm not succeeding at this thing we call 'Motherhood'. My kids don't do all the chores around my house. Shoot, the majority of the time I can't even get the to make their beds or pick up their dirty clothes. I don't homeschool. I don't make everything from scratch or create perfectly well balanced meals. I didn't babywear or use cloth diapers. I WAS a stay at home mom until my husband and I decided to both go back to school to become chiropractors, and I have to say that I'm much more fulfilled now that I'm outside of my home for several hours a day. I used to say I loved being a stay at home mom and I didn't need to be outside my house, but once I actually discovered adult conversation and life outside the walls of my abode, I realized I really did need that part of a life. Spending the last 4 weeks off of school has left me excited and anxious to go back next week. My husband isn't the perfect model of dad or husband. He's human just like myself.

That said, we are both Christians, just trying to live a life that is God approved but not being ultra religious about it. We aren't into religion, rules or even guidelines of how our lives should be lived out. We are about a personal relationship with Jesus, and because it IS personal, you may never hear us tell you much about it. If you are in conversation with us, you will know we are Christians, but we aren't going to push it on you or even use "Jesus" or "God" in every other sentence.

I've read on all these other blogs about how the couples are 'allowing Jesus to guide how many kids they have'. While this may work for them, it's not for me! When Tim (my husband) and I got married, I had wanted 3 kids, he had wanted 8. After 4, we truly knew we were done. God DID surprise us with a 5th, despite us using "protection". I now have an IUD in place and can honestly say that if I have another baby, it IS because of God, not because of me just not caring what happens. I used to tell my mother in law that if God wanted me to have more kids, I could have my uterus taken out and I'd STILL get pregnant. I believe that God IS that big and capable. ;) I believe that while it's good for some to turn this area of their lives over to God, I also feel that God wants us to take responsibility for our families and our lives. I believe that God wants us to make responsible and wise decisions, and for me, 5 kids is PLENTY!!! (I WOULD like to adopt some day, probably when my youngest is about 7 or so.)

I'll share with you about my family in a later blog, but for now, I want to close by saying "WELCOME" to all the normal, everyday moms who are just trying to survive another day. To all the moms who dream of being a SuperMom, but their circumstances keep them from it. We are in this journey together! I know that you've read those other blogs out there that left you feeling you were incapable. I'm here to tell you "You aren't alone!!!" I hope you will visit me often and leave your feedback. As I get better with design, I'll (hopefully) add more to this blog. Until then, stop in and see me again soon!! I'll be here, trying to survive another day.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,
our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkdgK3adrmw
Marianne Williamson

As we start out this year, we have a chance to really let ourselves shine through. We have a choice to make on how we will live out the next year of our lives, how we will react in situations, how we will live each day. We are capable of great things, each one of us! Somewhere along the way, we've lost sight of that though. We've been told that we were incapable of excellence, that we were meant to live a life of 'simplicity' (ie. poverty), that we were meant to be 'just a mom' or 'just a wife'. We all had dreams of what we wanted. We all saw Cinderella in her castle or Sleeping Beauty being kissed by the prince, and our hearts skipped beat. Deep inside us, we all wanted that. We wanted to be swept off our feet. Now, our 'prince charming' is wearing holey sweatpants, drinking beer or sitting watching football, not sweeping us off our feet like he did during those early years of dating. But don't be fooled. WE have changed too! We've settled for the comfortable atmosphere of our homes, knowing that our husband will be there, despite our looks, weight or attitude. We forget to do our makeup, wear our hair pulled up most of the time and have our own holey sweatpants. (And yes, I'm sitting with my hair pulled up, no makeup on as I type this!!) We settle for the "This is how it was meant to be" or "this is how it's going to be so I just need to accept it" mentality.

It's time to change that mindset. We are ALL made for something bigger than mediocrity. We want our kids to strive to be the best they can be in their classes, their sports or their other activities, but we don't push ourselves the same way. Could it be that we are scared of what would happen if we demanded that same type of determination for ourselves? Could it be that we are scared of the person that we have hidden behind our extra 20, 40, 100 pounds? Could it be that if we became the person we were designed to be, that we might just find ourselves in a position of authority, in a place where people wanted to KNOW us and we were surrounded by friends.

In this near year, I challenge you to find yourself. Become the you that you were designed to be! God has called us to bigger and better. Make 2010 YOUR year to shine!!!!

A Look Back at 2009

I can't believe it's been a full decade since we all feared Y2K. We wondered if the lights were going to go out. Many stockpiled food and water. We made plans for the 'what if' that lay before us. New Years came and went without a glitch and we all let out a huge sigh of relief. Here we are, 10 years later, still wondering what the night and tomorrow will bring. Terrorist attacks are now the new Y2K. We wonder if Times Square is safe tonight. We wonder if the airplane we are about to get on will make it to our destination safely. The fears aren't quite as vivid as the one 10 years ago, but they are still there, etched in the back of our minds, in a dark place that we really don't want to visit.

As we leave this decade behind us and look to the next, what will our lives be? If someone would have asked us on December 31, 1999 where we saw ourselves 10 years from, would this be the place? Are we where we dreamed we'd be? I never in a MILLION years would have imagined myself in Georgia, much less going to school to be a DOCTOR! Who would have ever thought! I never would have imagined, 10 years ago, that I'd have 5 kids, that I'd have just celebrated my 14th wedding anniversary or that I'd be back in school. Life can take us in crazy places, that's for sure! Back in 1999, as we sang Prince's "Party Like its 1999" at the top of our lungs, I imagined I'd be living in a big house with a pool and on a lake. I'd be driving a nice car and wearing nice clothes. WOW! Was I off base!

I am now pushing forward and taking the steps to make those dreams more of a reality. Each class I pass, takes me one step closer to a nice house, a nice ar, and beautiful things. Each quarter takes me one step closer to helping other people better their lives.

So, at the end of this year, I ask you, are you where you thought you would be, if someone would have asked YOU 10 years ago? Where do YOU see yourself in 10 years? What steps are you going to take to get there? This is the time to change your life! This is the day to create your future! This is YOUR time!

Babysitting in the Milano House

I HATE to use the tv as a babysitter, but sometimes, especially with finals approaching and being home with all 5 kids by myself and needing to get studying done, it's the only way. Thank goodness for a 2 hour Incredibles movie!!!!

Lego Boys

My boys LOVE legos. Seth is constantly asking for more sets and will spend hours building and creating amazingly odd contraptions and space vehicles. Micah got his first set for his birthday and now Jacob is into them. The other night I came upstairs and found Seth and Jacob building...TOGETHER! (odd occurance in my house for these two to do much together since there is such an age difference).

Bathtime Fun

Tonight, while getting his bath, Jacob found David's play shaving stuff in the bathtub. He was so excited to try it so I got some of my shaving cream and let him play with it, to see what he would do. It was so cute! Needless to say, bathtime turned into some fun photos.






Next Came a Long Conversation with Rex (or as Jacob calls him "Rexie".)



Next he pretended to Swim. Love the smiles!



Lastly, "Mr Independent" brushed his teeth for bed...and don't forget the tongue!

The kids have started school....

...and I really need to keep up on this blog better now! We had a rough summer. The middle of July, our nanny, who's been with us for 2 years, just up and left us. We still don't know the entire truth behind why she left, but she told us she she had a job offer (which was a lie, but whatever) and that she needed to make her own way. She showed up at the house, with MY garbage bags and 7 of her friends, and moved out. It threw Tim and I into a whirlwind of emotions, planning, trying to figure out what to do next. We had just finished our first week of our quarter and so really were at a loss. It's not easy to find childcare for 5 kids, let alone so quickly. Fortunately, family was a big help. Tim and I left Monday night and drove to Lexington, KY were we met my dad and my brother-in-law who took the kids the rest of the way to Michigan. While in Michigan they alternated between my parents, my sister and Tim's parents, spending the weekend with my family and the middle of the week with Tim's family. While they were there, Tim and I raced to come up with a plan. We started looking for a house closer to the school and moved. The kids came back to Georgia the weekend before starting in their new schools, which by the way are AWESOME schools. They are some of the top schools in the state and have so many programs for the kids. Seth auditioned for the band and had high rankings in every single instrument. They told us that he has a natural ability for music and that just about every instrument he picked up, he was able to play, and many sounded like he'd been playing for years. A lot of kids couldn't get sound out of some of the instruments but he got not only sound but actual notes and tone out of every one. He excelled at the bassoon and percussion though and we were told he had an innate rhythm. He picked percussion as his first choice, bassoon as his 2nd and alto sax as his third, and came HIGHLY recommended on percussion and bassoon. He was chosen to play percussion and is currently working on the bells and will be learning drums soon.
Mikayla was asked early in the 2nd week to try out for the Aristocats musical they are putting on. She has auditions this next week so I'll keep everyone posted on the results. Her teacher had heard that she has competed in Odessey of the Mind the last two years and likes that she has experience with drama.
Katelyn and Micah both are doing well with the adjustments and making great strides. Micah is learning to write his letters and Katelyn is mostly in review right now but doing excellent with it.
Mikayla has already had her first field trip. It was with her accelerated class and was to the water treatment plant. They are learning about how water is used and the importance of it and in the next couple of weeks they will doing a project called Water Kids where they will be testing and monitoring (monthly) the pond in our subdivision. It's a great program (and sure beats the "Cowboy theme" her last school had. It's a great experience for her and a great program.

Anyways, that about sums up the first couple weeks of school. I will do better with updating this. It seems that almost daily there is something now to write about so it should be much more active. :)


Mikayla (3rd grade), Katelyn (2nd grade) & Micah (Kindergarten)


Seth...the big middle schooler


Micah outside his Kindergarten room


Micah at his desk

Micah's Birthday

It's been a while since I've posted to this blog, but now that the kids are in school, it seems there is a ton that can be written about, pretty much daily. I'll start out by writing about Micah's birthday. It's always different being down here with no family around to celebrate with us. Our school had free tickets to the Atlanta Braves game for that same day so the boys all spent the day at Turner Field, cheering the Braves to a win over the Florida Marlins! He had so much fun at his first baseball game!

This year we had Jamie & David living with us though so we had a nice little party for him. We also had some friends of Jamie's over too so it was a good little group of people. Micah had wanted a dirt cake, so it can't get much easier than that when it comes to baking!! Grandma & Papa had bought him his present (Better Batter Baseball) when Granmda was here in June. We bought him his first lego set, a big dinosaur floor puzzle, a really cool lazer gun thing (which I actually bought 2 of so we could avoid fighting!!), some transformers and a nap mat for school. He also got his first baseball glove, a digital camera, Spiderman coloring books and a few little things.

Happy Birthday to my 5 year old!!!


Seats right on the 1st base line.


A dad and his boys!


Seth & Micah


Birthday Boy!


Micah and his baseball glove