I’m so proud of them!  My approach to potty training is to discourage it   Honestly–if they are doing it themselves it’s really easy on me but if I’m trying to do it it’s way too much work with too little results.  So Dugan has been wanting to take his diaper off and use the potty chair (even dumping it himself!) and Ronan, of course, wants to do what his brother is doing.  I’m sure they will be out of diapers soon–and I won’t miss that expense with twins!

I’m so proud of them And it’s not lost on me that we’re a week out from another Anat Baniel movement lesson!

hurts. There’s just no way to minimize this one.  In fact, I was so glad it wasn’t broken and now I’ve found out that the injury I have hurts *more* than a break and takes longer to heal *smacks forehead*

We were getting ready to leave the house the other day and I realized the boys’ bikes were still out and not in the backyard so I decided to put them back there so that no one messed with them.  I grabbed up Aidan’s spider man bike and headed through the gate.  Our porch is something I told dh when we first moved in was going to result in someone getting hurt and we’ve made some accomadations but haven’t done what needs to be done.  The shut off valve for the water to the house is right next to it and has a cover on it, but the cover was askew and when I thought I was stepping beside the hole I was stepping on the edge of it.

You know how life sometimes mirrors cartoons?  That’s how it felt when I was looking down my leg to the bottom of my foot because it had turned sideways and upside down.  I heard and felt the snap at the same time and went straight past wanting to vomit to wanting to pass out and then I was crying out to God that my babies were in the car and I couldn’t pass out in the back yard!  And please please please don’t let it be broken!

DH picks up the story from here and says that his phone rang and when he answered it he hears “IIIIIIIITTTTTTT HUUUUUURRRRRRTTTTSSSS” several times in a row so loud that his co-worker (10 feet away) asked if it was his wife and then said he’d better leave and meet me at the ER.  So he did, and I drove myself there (not at all easy since the injury was to my RIGHT foot!)

After an x-ray the PA had them wrap my foot and put me on crutches and told me that it’s a severe sprain of the ankle and I damaged the tendon down to my second toe. He said if it’s still hurting in a week to see my doctor and he’ll decide if I need physical therapy.  ARGH!  Well, that happened Wednesday and it HURTS today! Still!  It hurts–bad.

So I’m off my foot the rest of the day, but I can’t do that all the time because with five children it’s just not that easy. So I’m calling Tuesday to make a follow up Dr. appt and I was told to ask to see an Orthopedist and get a rocking foot brace. That’s supposed to help.

someone posted a link at GCM to the Lazy Organizer’s blog and I’m just starting reading it but I’m enjoying it a lot.  I just read this entry on decluttering http://www.gnmparents.com/how-to-teach-your-children-to-work-part-ii/ where she left her child with one stuffed animal and her child was happy as a clam and played with her imagination all day!  I’ve been so tempted to be that extreme with my children but hadn’t had the conviction to do it.  Now I think I will.  Even the babies have so many toys that they don’t get to play with them all and every time I weed through them I find things they love and haven’t played with in forever and they play with them for days

I have the closet in Aidan’s room set up to be storage for toys but he has pulled so many out of boxes and they are a mess :/  I think while I have my sprained ankle (just realized I haven’t posted about that so I’ll have to do a few entries today ) I’ll set up on a chair in that room and organize everything again.  But I’m going to bag up and put away a lot of things, and get rid of others.  And I’m going to only leave out what they can handle.

I did just go through dd’s room and do this–she bagged up a lot of stuff.  I’ve been telling them “if you aren’t taking care of it then you don’t love it” and I’m seeing that for myself too.  And when I get rid of enough stuff in an area that area tends to stay clean.  Imagine that!  I think when we get back from our vacation in June we need to have a big yard sale   I’ve also told the children that they can keep the money from the toys they sell so they are highly motivated right now

I have so much I still need to do but I worked on it over the weekend and it’s looking pretty sharp so I thought I’d post some pics

This is my fridge with my magnetic spice canisters

This is my pantry–it’s missing one of the top doors and dh needs to fix that, but here it is closed and open (on the bottom)

This is my oven with the pan hanger overhead and next to it is my counter with all the wonderful drawers

Here are the overhead cupboards–clcosed and then each open (the shiny area is our glasses *giggle*)

and now the counter over the dishwasher, what’s behind the curtain on the shelves above it, and the sink

It’s a blend of the original kitchen with the varde free standing kitchen from IKEA

Before we’re done the Lone Star State is going to be the GBD State WOOHOO!

What an awesome seminar!  A huge thank you and big appreciation for JoyintheSpirit from GCM who set up a seminar in Texas for a group of amazing women (and an awesome dad). We met and after some introductory ideas I shared (on echad and grace) I just opened things up to questions–about what they’ve read, tools, or things they haven’t had answers–and we had a great couple of hours.

It’s always wonderful to talk to GCM/GBD women (and men) about their families and theology and life.  There were several children there and they all got along so beautifully. Some new each other, many didn’t, and the ages were from 6 weeks to 6 years.  There were a few toys and a movie was put on eventually but most of the children just ran around and played their ideas, coming for cuddles or nursing when needed.  Babies napped, moms tended, and when the children got loud I just got louder

It was hard to be away from my children for the day, and I had to nurse badly when I returned!  Thankfully the bubbies were quick to oblige   What was interesting is that I had a chance when I checked in early in the AM to upgrade to 1st Class.  I had thought it would be neat if I were given a chance and it was a special they were offering at the kiosk check in–$90 for all of the flights upgraded.  And, for some reason, I clicked ‘no’ *scratches head*.  Then I wondered what I was thinking as I stood in the security check long line and watched the people walk through the non-existent 1st class line.  As I walked past the comfortable chairs in 1st class and squished myself into the (wrong–oops) chair, and then the right one I had to agree with the gentleman and his wife who were seated in my aisle who, after hearing of what I’d done, declared me foolish (hee hee).  But as we talked I realized that God wanted me to sit with them and we had the best conversation! They are Christians who had heard of our congregation and have been celebrating Passover with their Jewish friends for years.  We had just a wonderful and exciting conversation.  And then on the way home I was seated next to a family with a young couple with an almost two year old.  I was able to tell them how wonderful it was to watch them so in tune and attached to their child. He was just a sweetie–and very smart. He had flash cards and it wasn’t done in such a way that they were forcing him or trying to make him smart.  He was picking what card he wanted to see and identifying pictures like iguanas and elephants. And as the flight went on he crawled into my lap and fell asleep looking out the window (insert AWWWW and it was sweet).

A highlight of the day, which I knew it would be, was being able to show the shebet clip from Joseph: King of Dreams. To see Joseph mishandle the shebet and the authority represented by it, and the lamb was at risk, and then Jacob come in and weild it properly–against the wolves to protect the sheep!  Everyone said how powerful that was and to *see* it–it really makes an impact.

There is something about being able to audibly hear what you’ve been reading, interact with a person for questions, and kinesthetically *see* things like the Bear Hug.  The two little girls who volunteered to get Bear Hugged said it felt warm and safe. 

And getting to meet the women (and man ) and their children and spend a day with them–what a blessing!