Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom

Sneak peek for Baby Shower!

2011-12-06T18:12:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited for this couple and the birth of their first baby boy! There is absolutely nothing more special than the birth of your first child...and your second, and your third... I can still remember after my first baby shower, all the excitement of bringing home all the baby stuff and taking it out over and over again. I knew I was already in love. With this huge family around him, this little guy will definitely be loved!! Here's just a few of my fav's...

Sneak peek for "M" Family!

2011-12-06T13:42:00.001-05:00

Here is a holiday sneak peek for one of my favorite families! These guys always make my job easy by just kinda falling into place, I don't even think they mean to but they are all just so photogenic!! Enjoy your sneak peek!

Sneak peek of little "C"

2011-11-11T13:52:00.001-05:00

This sweet baby is one lucky little girl because she has not only her Dad, but two other special guys to love on her. You might remember them from here. She did perfectly for our session with a little help from mama. I just love her perfectly dainty little features!! Hope you like your sneak peek!

I think she looks like her Daddy in this one...

And a little tiny smile...

Newborn Pictures

2011-11-08T13:01:00.002-05:00

One more of Little "A!"

Sneak peek for a very special little guy...

2011-11-06T19:02:00.001-05:00

Meet my newest nephew, Little "A." He's a very special guy for many reasons. First, he was born during the October Noreaster, October 31st, a birthday which he shares with his big cousin, my oldest son. He was born during the weeklong blackout...he decided to come when the family was stranded at my mother's all together, seven children, six adults and two dogs... amidst perfect chaos. Second, he is so special to our family because he shares the name of my grandfather, his great-grandfather...the best grandfather a kid could have, the man who anchored our family. I wonder if our new little guy will be as spunky as our grandfather was. I bet he will... Here he is in his first of many photo sessions from his aunt Mar...meet Little "A."

And one with his big brother and sister...

Sneak Peek Friends Session

2011-10-16T21:52:00.005-04:00

I lucked out and the rain held out for my session at the state park today. I had an awesome time with an awesome group of people. This group of friends wanted a session with all of their families, which I thought was the coolest idea...this was my largest group yet. Considering there were eight kids under five, and it was pretty frigid, I think you guys did so great. Your kids were just adorable. Thanks so much for your patience, and for all the fun! I picked out a few of my favorites from today's session...enjoy!

Sneak peek for "K"

2011-10-01T17:03:00.005-04:00

My first session back, since having my baby girl, went great! I had so much fun with one of my favorite repeat clients! She was once a shy little girl last year, but now has turned into quite the little ham for my camera. We had three different wardrobe changes, including her dance outfits, and she did amazing! I love all of her different expressions, her silliness...it was the perfect session to come back to. Thanks so much for a great day! It was very hard to choose, but here are a few of my favorites....Enjoy!

Sneak peek for Baby "J"

2011-06-21T09:13:00.006-04:00

Yesterday's newborn session was very special to me because it was for my childhood best friend's second son. It's so amazing how God brings people in your life, even as early as little kids, that stay with you for life. It's been so wonderful sharing motherhood with my friend, and watching her little guys grow. This tiny little peanut surprised us all coming into the world very early, but as you can see, is just perfect! Thanks so much guys for all the fun yesterday, hope you enjoy your sneak peek! More to come!

One little smile...

Sneak peek for Baby "O"

2011-06-15T20:01:00.005-04:00

My session today was especially fun because the sweetest baby girl gave me some incentive to get through these last weeks of my pregnancy.(Not like I have a choice anyway.) Baby "O" seriously was the prettiest little thing, and although she put up a little fight going to sleep, some milk from her mama did just the trick. I especially love photographing these friends of mine, because they are always open to anything! Thanks so much for letting me play with your little doll. She's beautiful! Enjoy your sneak peek, I definitely had a hard time choosing my fav's!

Sneak peek for Baby "G"

2011-05-31T20:46:00.013-04:00

We thought this little guy was gonna give us a hard time because he's a bit older than my usual newborn sessions....BUT....we got him to sleep and he did great! I know his safe arrival is such a blessing to his family and I know he is going to be completely adored by his two big sisters! Thanks for letting me snuggle with your sweet boy. Here is your sneak peek! Hope you like it!

Sneak peek for the "L" Family

2011-05-15T15:53:00.007-04:00

The more I photograph families, the more I realize that it's the nonposed, natural moments that I truly fall in love with. While it's always great to have some shots where everyone is looking at the camera smiling, these shots aren't truly my favorites. The way Mom and Dad look at their kids, the unprompted outbursts of laughter, these are the moments I love to capture. After I have a session I cannot wait to go home and review my shots, and I always have a few that I just know came out great. But the true gems of the session for me, are when I load my files, and I've caught some of these awesome natural moments, that capture you just being you as a family.

I had a blast at this family's session. We were hoping the rain would hold out for us, and it did! We lucked out and were left with the perfect light, a perfect overcast day at the park! This cute little guy may be small but he kept us all on our toes chasing him all over the park! Thanks so much "L" family! I had a hard time picking out my favorites...tons more to come! Enjoy your sneak peek!

I love this next picture because when we finally got little "E" to sit for a moment, he decided to munch on some dandelions! I love everyone's expression in this one!

And one just to capture how fast this little cutie really was! His older brother even had a hard time keeping up with him!

Sneak peek for Baby "M"

2011-04-23T13:56:00.005-04:00

Meet sweet little "M," just a little over two weeks old. She was a perfect angel for her session, and even though her parents had originally wanted an outdoor session, I think we made this terrible weather work!! Thanks so much for letting me photograph your beautiful new family! She's a little doll! Here are a few of my favorites from your session, more to come!

Four generations...

And one with her proud Daddy!

The photographer photographs her own...

2011-04-22T19:47:00.011-04:00

These are my all-time favorite clients. They just aren't my favorite clients to take pictures of. To accomplish this session there was quite a bit of threats, and even more bribery. Not unlike some sort of mafioso deal, I imagine. All four of them, mine. They make my life wonderful, meaningful, chaotic and exhausting. I love them so much it hurts. Here they are, in random order.

Sneak peek for Little "A"

2011-04-03T21:26:00.005-04:00

One of the sweetest little baby girls just turned one! And she's walking! You might remember from her newborn session here. It was so awesome to get my hands back on my camera after a pretty dreary winter. And this little honey was the perfect start for my very first Spring session! She did awesome like usual...even without a nap! Thanks Mom and Dad, especially for the emergency pickup!:) Enjoy your sneak peek!

Sneak peek for Baby "J!"

2011-01-24T10:39:00.004-05:00

Guess who turned one?!? This handsome little guy grew so fast...remember his sweet newborn shoot here?
I couldn't get enough of his HUGE blue eyes! Little "J" is cruisin and crawling all over the place, but once we got him to stop for a minute, we managed to catch some great shots! Here are a few of my favorites...hope you like them!

MB Photography 2010

2011-01-03T17:22:00.006-05:00

This year for MB Photography has been awesome! The year has brought me the most beautiful newborns, tons of adorable children, my first Portrait Party and even my very first wedding! Thanks to all my clients for putting your trust in me, and allowing me to be a part of your world for a day! Here are some highlights from the year.

Sneak peek for Baby "A"

2010-12-31T22:16:00.004-05:00

My session with this little doll was just before Christmas, and I've finally gotten around to editing it! Here are just a few of my favorites!

Sneak peek for twin girls!

2010-11-20T14:29:00.006-05:00

Today I had a session with the sweetest set of twin girls, and their adorable big sister! These little dolls took their sweet time settling down, but once they did...they did great! Thanks so much for letting me photograph your beautiful family! Enjoy your sneak peek!
More to come!

Sneak peek for the "M" and "A" Family!

2010-11-13T16:32:00.006-05:00

I couldn't have asked for a better fall day for this extended family!! This yard is one of my absolute favorites to shoot at!! Thanks guys for an awesome session! Here are a few of my favorites, more to come!

Sneak peek for Baby "S" Part Two

2010-10-28T21:23:00.006-04:00

Finished up my session with sweet Baby "S" today... Here are a few of my favorites! Enjoy!

Sneak peek for Baby "S"

2010-10-27T19:41:00.007-04:00

My session today with this little honey went surprisingly well, considering it was rainy and dark...but we found the perfect little corner by the door to shoot these. And although our session will be continued tomorrow, since we didn't capture all the shots, I think these came out pretty sweet! This sweet baby has brought some much needed joy and delight to her entire family, and is a very special blessing. And I just love her...she couldn't get any cuter, I mean check out that hair! Enjoy your sneak peek!

Sneak peek for twins!

2010-10-20T19:16:00.007-04:00

Meet my smallest clients yet...baby "D" and baby "V" came into the world just over 5 pounds.
I had so much fun holding these tiny little babies, this is what makes this job so unbelievably awesome! They worked hard today looking so cute...but I think it paid off! Here's a few of my favorites Mom and Dad, hope you like them!

Sneak peek for the "N" Family

2010-10-18T17:41:00.008-04:00

There's nothin better than an outdoor session in the fall...especially when you've got adorable kiddies like these three! You might recognize this little guy from his newborn session way back here...Thanks for putting up with all the crazy distractions mom, here are a just a few of my favorites...hope you like them!

Sneak peek for baby "A"

2010-10-10T21:43:00.007-04:00

You may recognize this little blondie from some of my past sessions here and here. This little dolly was such a good girl today for our session, she just sat contently while her mommy and I danced around her...a couple of wardrobe changes, two different rooms....and not a peep. Her beautiful blue eyes pop in every picture, a photographer's dream! Enjoy your sneak peek "M" family!

One with her little lovey...

Sneak peek for Baby "H"

2010-09-06T15:30:00.004-04:00

I had so much fun photographing this adorable little guy during our session today. At only twelve days old, he did just what he was supposed to...with just a little help from mom, keeping his belly full. He makes an awesome new addition to this sweet family of five, and I have a feeling his two older sisters are gonna eat him up! Thanks so much "W" family for letting me hang out with you today...and rest assured, I will be investing in a Garmin very soon! Here is your sneak peek, enjoy!
(I think we got that million dollar shot mom!)

Sneak peek for my first Portrait Party!

2010-08-06T19:16:00.016-04:00

I had my first portrait party today and it went awesome! We had an unbelievable location, thanks to a friend who let me borrow her house and amazing yard! I had eight kids total, and all of them did so well. I chose just a couple of my favorites from each family, enjoy your sneak peek everyone!

And just one more for Snickers...

Sneak peek for some sweet cousins...

2010-06-18T21:00:00.008-04:00

I had so much fun today photographing these four little sweeties!
I really do love what I do! Just watching each of their little personalities unfold as we try to position and pose them for the perfect shot, was just priceless! They just couldn't have been cuter in their matching sailor outfits. What better gift than to have a picture of all of your grandchildren together? I couldn't have done this without you moms and Grandma! Hope you like your sneak peek! Your little ones were precious!

Sneak peek for Baby "A"

2010-06-16T20:34:00.006-04:00

This little honey is the baby of my very dear friends, who just happen to be one of my most faithful clients as well! And lucky for me, they keep having the most adorable babies! I'm sure you recognize Baby A's awesome head of hair, from her newborn shoot here. I'm telling you, she just gets cuter and cuter...I know I say this a lot, but seriously,doesn't she look like a doll? I had the hardest time coming up with this sneak peek, because I had so many favorites! So, here are just a few of my fav's. Hope you like them!

Sneak Peek for the "C" Family!

2010-05-30T22:23:00.014-04:00

One of my favorite parts of being a child photographer is when my clients come back to me time and time again as their children grow. Babies grow and change so fast and I am so lucky to be able to witness and capture this with my camera. You may recognize these big beautiful blue eyes, as this little guy came to see me as a newborn! Our session was great--Baby "J" was a real trooper in his little baptism outfit. What a doll! Check out those squishy cheeks! This time I also got to shoot his big sister "K", who really did an awesome job! Thanks for having me back, I had a blast today! Enjoy your sneak peek!

And one more cheesy one just for you Mom!!

Sneak peek for the "H" family...who just happens to be a part of my family

2010-04-02T22:30:00.008-04:00

Here's your sneak peek H family. Thank you for adding just one more dimension to my Good Friday. And to my very smart and photogenic niece and nephew, Aunt Mar hopes you made out real good for this photo shoot!!
Here are some of my fav's--hope you like em!

And one more, that just showcases their funny personalities...

Sneak peek for Baby H

2010-03-27T20:56:00.007-04:00

This sweet baby girl did so good for our session today, hardly making a peep the entire time! And what a little doll she was. She has the most beautiful peaches 'n cream complexion and the most beautiful eyes...check out her eye contact! Thanks mom and Auntie for letting me get my baby fix today! Hope you like your sneak peek!

And one for little Benny!

Sneak peek for Baby P

2010-03-25T20:53:00.005-04:00

This little honey took his time arriving and made his mommy wait until he was good and ready to come out! And he sure was worth the wait! What a little doll, check out his pudgy little cheeks! His addition to this family is extra special because he is their FOURTH boy!! Thanks for keeping his belly full mom. Hope you like your sneak peek! More to come.

Sneak peek for baby "A"

2010-03-06T17:31:00.010-05:00

This little beauty was long awaited by her three siblings who you've seen here before...and boy was she worth the wait. As you can see, she has the most unbelievable hair a newborn photographer could ever wish for! I think she was such a trooper lasting through all her visitors today, and our patience paid off! Thanks guys! Hope you like your peek!

And one with her sweet little smile!

Sneak peek for sweet baby "R"

2010-03-02T16:51:00.011-05:00

This sweet girl made quite an entrance into the world...three weeks early! And what a little dolly she is! She was the perfect little model, making hardly a peep during our session. I think our patience was worth it! Hope you love these mom, here are just a few of my favorites...more to come!

And...we have a smiler, folks!

Inspiring...

2010-01-18T12:57:00.002-05:00

These women are completely amazing at what they do, and inspire me daily with their photography!

Sneak peek for "C" family

2010-01-16T21:04:00.005-05:00

Heaven sent
This little guy was so sweet, he just did not want to shut his little eyes to miss a thing. Luckily his mom was awesome and patient and we waited him out, and sure enough, he fell asleep...just in time for the perfect shot. Thanks so much for your patience mom, I think it was worth it!

Ear plugs.

2010-01-14T11:27:00.005-05:00

I need them.

I need them bad.

I need them in the morning when my kids are brawling on the couch about who stole who's spot, and I'm trying to catch every last second of sleep that I possibly can, before starting my marathon day.

I need them in the car when my kids are playing "ratboy," and thumb wars, and when my sweet baby girl decides to chuck her sippy cup halfway across the van while letting out the most ear piercing, high pitched scream you've ever heard.

I need them at mealtimes when my little boy rattles off his likes and dislikes list, and directs which foods I should and should not put on his plate while my older two fight over who is getting the snowman plate.

I need them when I'm vacuuming and our supposedly very intelligent cairn terrier barks incessantly as I attempt to clean up last night's pretzel crumbs while dodging his bushy paws. At that very same moment my kids announce to me that they cannot hear the television and so they pump up the volume to level 35, a level so loud that the neighbors hear the entire episode of Cyberchase through the walls.

And I need them at bedtime.

Yes, a time when the chaos of the day has quieted, all is calm, children are sleeping, and nothing can be heard but the sound of my hard working, sleep deprived, allergy-ridden hubby attempting to breathe in and out as he sleeps peacefully next to me.

I can't believe it's not butter

2010-01-12T09:34:00.004-05:00

Actually I can't believe it is...and I made it. Yup, that's right, I made my own butter. You know you've hit your groove in homeschooling, when you do the ol' "make your own butter" experiment.

Turns out it's very easy to do. My kids and I just took turns passing around a mason jar filled with whipping cream, shaking it vigorously for 20 minutes.
I'm not sure I'd recommend it though unless you have about 5-7 adults to help you cause the kids averaged about 10 seconds each of shaking, and I ended up shaking it for the other 17 minutes, hence the numbing arm cramps I have today.

Graciously my middle boy offered to relieve me for a few more seconds toward the end, which turned out to be a bad idea cause he shook it so hard the lid went flying off and all the whey (disgusting milk-like liquid that separates from the butterfat,)
went flying all over my floor.

But nonetheless, we now have our very own butter. And my kids learned how to get butterfat and whey stains out of an area rug.
I've got this homeschooling thing down for sure.

Don't cry over spilled milk, unless the glass broke when you spilled it

2010-01-10T10:44:00.003-05:00

Why is it that every time I decide to steal a moment to quench my day-long thirst with an ice cold glass of water that one of the following happens:

1. not one single ice cube is ready in the freezer

2. as I go to sit down in my comfy chair, I tilt the glass just far enough that the ice cold liquid goes streaming down my shirt

3. I place it on the counter for one second too long, just long enough for my little one to stretch her chubby little fingers far enough to grasp the glass and send it flying to it's demise, shattered on my kitchen floor

Time for a face lift

2010-01-09T23:12:00.003-05:00

While I've been very busy keeping up with my four little darlings, I realize I've been a bad blogger and neglected my blog quite a bit. I've decided to come back and start anew--new stories, new thoughts, new pictures. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Sneak Peek for "C" Family

2009-12-20T19:32:00.003-05:00

Here is your sneak peek "C" family. Thanks for all your cooperation in making my vision come to life! Enjoy!

Sneak Peek for Little "L"

2009-11-22T18:50:00.008-05:00

I had a blast today at a session at the park with this little guy. Isn't he adorable? Check out the hair!?! Little "L" made us follow him all over the park, but still managed to stop and pose every few minutes for the perfect shots! Thanks so much D family for letting me take pictures of your sweet boy! Here are a couple of my favorites, hope you like them!

Another Sneak Peek...

2009-11-19T19:13:00.010-05:00

Oh, how I love a cloudy day for pictures--just perfect! Now I'm a little biased but I really do love taking pictures of this family, because they're always up for anything, and the kids always give me just what I ask them for!(with a little candy coersion of course.)
So here they are "M" family...Just a few of my favorites, although there are so many to choose from! Hope you love em!

Sneak Peek for Baby "S"

2009-10-26T20:28:00.009-04:00

Here is baby "S" posing just right for his fall shots. He was such a good boy today!
Hope you like your sneak peek!

Who new still life photography could be this fun?

2009-10-25T21:08:00.009-04:00

My friend has decided to pursue her passion of floral arranging and asked me to take some pictures for her new site. Aren't the flowers so awesome??? She truly has a talent for this and I was so thrilled to take part in the beginnings of her dream! Here is your sneak peek "M" family...just a few of my favorites!

Fall Mini Sesion Special!

2009-10-12T19:50:00.003-04:00

Sneak peek for the "P" family

2009-08-14T21:15:00.014-04:00

Thanks so much for bringing your beautiful girls back for more pictures. I know there was a lot of chaos, but I think it was worth it! Here are a few favorites, it was so hard to pick...Enjoy!

For my niece on her birthday

2009-08-09T22:00:00.006-04:00

To the girl who defines "girl"...
To the girl who's loved pink tulle and high heeled shoes since she could walk...
To the girl who notices every time her aunt gets a new shirt, and remembers to compliment her on it...
To the girl who squeals with delight at a bag of hand me down dresses...
To the girl who would be completely content with having every gift for the rest of her life be a stuffed black leopard or a baby doll that pees in its diaper...
To the girl who wears snowman tights in the spring and black patent leathers in the summer purely because they "go" with her outfit...
To the girl who's little giggle makes you wish you had five more girls...

Happy 5th Birthday little honey! We love you!

Sneak Peek for Baby "B" and Baby "J"

2009-08-08T17:01:00.005-04:00

Hey guys,
Thanks so much for letting me come and take pics of your sweet boys. I think all the sweat and hard work paid off...
These are a few of my favorites. Hope you like 'em!

Random thoughts of a three year old

2009-08-04T21:41:00.005-04:00

After picking up a feather in our backyard my son came up to me and said, "Mama, can I buy candy with this?" While I couldn't overlook the obvious absurdity of the question, the mom in me couldn't help but be impressed by his understanding of the barter system at such a young age.

The next intellectual conversation was this evening on the car ride home when he randomly asked my husband if fish had teeth. He went on to explain how his poppa had put his hand in a fish's mouth at the "fish catcher place," and he wondered why the fish hadn't bitten him.

Who knew the same kid that tries to ride his one year old sister has these kinds of complex thoughts going on? Crazy.

So cute it hurts...

2009-08-01T14:24:00.007-04:00

Here is your sneak peek "N" family--sweet baby "L", he was so good! Thanks for running all over the yard with me! Hope you like them!

And my all time favorite...

More to come!

Better late than never...

2009-07-21T01:01:00.008-04:00

Okay "M" family...it's your turn. Just thought you might want a sneak peek of some photos I've been editing...
I mean, c'mon, the curls, the blue eyes...yeah, you know where I'm going with this. Check out the facial expressions! More to come!

Sneak peek for Baby "J"...

2009-07-01T09:15:00.009-04:00

This little peanut surprised his mommy and daddy three weeks early! Isn't he so sweet??

And one with their firstborn...

Just a little story...

2009-06-25T00:51:00.001-04:00

I just had to post this storyboard I was working on...

Sneak peek for the "D" family

2009-06-24T12:30:00.009-04:00

I had a blast with these little girls...don't they look like little porcelain dolls? I'm so glad we got the pictures done, just before the rain hit...you all did great! And I'm pretty sure I lost a few pounds chasing little "I" around the yard!!!
Here are just a few of my favorites...hope you like them!

Introducing...

2009-05-22T17:32:00.009-04:00

My new nephew...
Isn't he a little doll?

A Good Man is Hard to Find

2009-04-28T17:57:00.002-04:00

Looks like I found one...

Three Little Boys

2009-04-25T00:39:00.005-04:00

Thanks for the fun today A Family! Here are just a few of your shots from today...just look at these boys! Hope you enjoy your sneak peek.

A day in the daffodil fields

2009-04-24T23:18:00.004-04:00

Here is your sneak peek from today, just a few from the hundred I took...I just love, love the way your pics came out! Thanks for cutting up your feet and missing swimming, all for the perfect shot. Hope you like them!

Sneak Peek for the ENTIRE "M" family...

2009-03-23T10:58:00.006-04:00

Thanks for letting me come take pictures of you all!

P.S. Sorry for making you trepse all over the yard carrying lawn furniture!

Sneak Peek for the "M" Family

2009-03-20T17:19:00.006-04:00

Thanks guys! I'm looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow! Hope you like em!

Sneak Peek for Baby J

2009-03-11T08:40:00.004-04:00

Here is sweet Baby J...just five weeks old.

My First Maternity Session

2009-03-10T10:36:00.005-04:00

Here's your sneak peek...

Check out my new site...

2009-02-23T21:13:00.001-05:00

What I do when my kids go to sleep...

Sneak peek for the P family

2009-02-12T19:00:00.010-05:00

Thanks for the fun! Here's your sneak peek...

No words.

2009-02-12T18:34:00.004-05:00

Some people's children take their breath away. Mine take my words away. I used to be sharp, I used to be quick, I used to be innovative.
I used to have an answer for everything.

My Kid: "Mama, why can't I hit my brother?"

Me: "Because it's not nice...and he'll probably hit you back."

Bam. Problem solved. Fight diffused.

Yes, I used to be...

While I once could come up with a sufficient punishment at the drop of a hat, I now find myself stuttering, and tripping over my words to come up with a proper "if...then" statement. A statement that means business.

One that keeps my three year old from ripping open a bag of chocolate chips from the pantry, and one that makes my five year old think twice before he talks back "one more time."

Yeah, my kids know mama's going soft. Oh,they're all over me, testing me left and right.
My "one more time" has now become forty-seven more times. Wanna know why? Because I have no more words, and I need the extra time to come up with something good.

Take this evening at dinner. Not unlike any other night, tonight's meal started with a brawl over a plastic cup. In our home, this cup is referred to as the "special" cup. While it serves it's purpose well as a liquid container, I can't for the life of me figure out why this cup is so "special." But to my children, it is.

In fact it's so special that my kids are willing to risk their meal, their toys, their valentines, their college education and every other good thing they have, just to drink from it. Unbelievable.

Unfortunately, when the fight broke out tonight my brain was unprepared yet again, and the only thing I could come up with was for the culprit to go sit on the red chair.

The red chair.
Pathetic, I know.

Ahhh...the life with four kids. I need some help people.

Who I blame for my three gray hairs...

2009-01-31T08:43:00.002-05:00

This is beginning to look look like one of those photo blogs...

2009-01-23T22:19:00.003-05:00

Here is your sneak peek of Baby S!

I need some new models

2009-01-16T10:54:00.003-05:00

My children are getting pretty tired of me sneaking pictures of them. Let's just say there is a lot of free candy floating around my house these days...

Plan B

2009-01-02T22:48:00.006-05:00

Some recent photos...get the word out, if you're pregnant or a mom, this Mama of four wants to take pictures of your newborn, kids or family. Check out my site at www.marionburgos.printroom.com.

Another year, another year older...

2009-01-02T22:33:00.004-05:00

With my recent family addition of my fourth child, my sweet baby girl, I've come to realize now more than ever, that my children are growing, and they are growing fast. Faster than I can keep up with, actually.

My days are a whirlwind of carpools, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and poopy diapers. Sometimes in that order. Sometimes, I go to bed at night not even able to remember what I did, or who I spoke to that day.

My husband tells me I often wake in the middle of the night in a panic, running around the room saying, "where's the baby, where's the baby?" All the while, she is safely tucked into her crib.

It's not necessarily the actual load of the kids, that makes having four small children difficult, it's mainly just that there isn't enough time in the day to feed, clothe, entertain, read to, sing with, play with and kiss a million times, all of my children. And when I don't do all of the above, every day, with each of them, I go to bed feeling like the day is done, before I am done. Don't get me wrong, at the end of every day I am completely physically done, sometimes I just feel like there just wasn't enough time in the day. Today was one of those days. Today I was in the same house with my children every second of the day, and yet I will go to bed tonight missing them.

Where in the world have I been?

2008-11-15T21:08:00.002-05:00

What can I say? I'm a dreamer...and I've been busy working on my next dream over here.

Death of a Wardrobe

2008-10-22T16:31:00.009-04:00

Something very sad has been happening around here. My wardrobe is dying. A very long, slow and painful death. And while I'd like to say that I have just discovered that the shirt I've been wearing around town for the past year is "so eighties," (as is that phrase,) sadly enough, I'd have to admit that I saw signs.

I'd say it probably started about 6 years ago. Strangely enough, it was right around the time I gave birth to my firstborn, my source of delight--my daughter. Yes, come summer of that year, I realized that even though I had lost all of the weight I had gained while pregnant, somehow, someway, my body had changed(became permanently deformed), and the clothes that once fit me, now did not.

So I began to shop with the mindset of, "I will buy whatever fits me in this entire store, as long as I don't have to go up a size." And with this, as you may have guessed, brought home some questionable pieces.

Shortly after my daughter turned one, came my pride and joy, baby number two--my son. (AKA: the baby who turned my thighs to jello.) This time around I remembered what I looked like after my first, and I tried to cut back during the pregnancy in hopes of lessening the aftermath effects a bit. And for the most part, I did, and was able to fit into a lot of the after-pregnancy clothes from my first. While I had hoped this size was just a "transition size," (defined as: the size we moms are, after we have our babies; sometimes months after, sometimes years after,) unfortunately while pregnant with my son, I ate too many Tostitos with Lime, and this became my new size. Luckily, I had an abundance of fashionable clothing from my last pregnancy, so updates were only needed for family events and Christmas parties.

While the two years in between my second and my third may seem short to some, it was a breath of fresh air to, well, my wardrobe. I managed to cut down my thighs a bit, and in turn, managed to pick up some new clothes here and there, just enough to make me look somewhat put together.

And then there were three. Clothes weren't about fashion. Clothes were about not being naked. (My wardrobe begins to get sick. Very sick.)

And just about the time I begin to lay some pieces to rest, my sweet baby number four arrives, my second baby girl, my love, the one that makes me wish I could fit into post-pregnancy clothes from baby number one, and the one that makes me know that I never want to sport a "post pregnancy" wardrobe again.

At this point, my wardrobe consists of a mish-mash of clothes from past years, clothes that are stained, and either clothes that are way too big, or way too small. My wardrobe is ill I tell you. Very ill.

And from the way the events unfolded today in the dressing room with my infant and toddler, I'm pretty sure it's going to stay that way for awhile. I almost think that they want me to dress like a bag lady.

Unless of course, one of you out there nominates me for TLC's WHAT NOT TO WEAR.

Wait, I guess you'd have to see me to do that. Scratch that idea.

It's never too early to learn about the Trinity

2008-10-21T19:24:00.011-04:00

Despite their sometimes questionable policies, I have resumed all activities at the library. And yesterday when I took my four kids, I struck up some interesting conversation with my two year old, while reading a book.

MY SON: "Mama, those are stars." (He feels the need to narrate everything.)

ME: "Yes honey, you're right. And do you know who made the stars?"

MY SON: "Jesus."

ME: "Yes, God made the stars."

MY SON: (With puzzled look on his face) "God made the stars? I thought Jesus made those stars."

ME: "Jesus is God."

MY SON: "Jesus is God?!?"

And I was just about to quote some scripture and go into the biblical truths behind this, but luckily a daddy long leg caught his eye, and that was the end of our conversation.

These few moments, however, along with an in-depth conversation with my daughter last week about how Adam and Eve "weren't born," have caused me to reprioritize my daily schedule to include a much more detailed and fact driven quiet time in the Word.

Two things that are sure to ruin my morning

2008-10-08T08:55:00.006-04:00

1. Quaker chewy granola bars

My sleepy two year old asks for one every morning, but because they are chewy they almost always break in half when you open them.

This is an action that sends my son into a tizzy that is impossible to pull him out of. Needless to say, there is a half of box of half opened granola bars sitting in my pantry.

2. 3/4 in. sleeves

My six year old wears uniforms to school that consist of a white collared shirt and navy blue jumper. For some reason my daughter is very sensitive to minuscule droplets of water, and any kind of constraining device on her forearms--ie. 3/4 in sleeves.

Typically after I've meticulously opened the Quaker chewy granola bar, I attempt to stretch the armholes of my daughters cotton dress shirt, so that her arms freely slide up and down the shirt.

And I'm expected to get four kids out of the house by 7:30 every morning.

Like What Your Reading?

2008-10-01T08:18:00.001-04:00

Come check out my articles over at New England Mamma!

The costumes that broke the bank

2008-09-29T19:19:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year again. The leaves are falling. There's a chill in the air. And the seasonal section of department stores are lined with every Halloween costume known to man. Whatever your kid wants to be, they've got it. We're talking a real diverse collection of costumes here--Spiderman, Transformers, Elmo...
My husband even found a "Diva" costume today. I'm sorry but how in the heck do you dress up like a Diva? Gold chains and big hair? Who knows. One thing I do know is I guarantee some little girl is going to walk right into Target and pick out that very costume.

That is, only if she can afford to be a diva! I'm telling you what, I just about passed out in the aisle today when I saw how much these costumes were! Twenty, thirty, some even forty dollars! For a Halloween costume! It's crazy!

And what's really crazy is that I almost bought three! Luckily, my kids are still young, and can be easily swayed into changing their minds. Mommy has a way of making certain things sound better than others.

"I bet they have a ton of costumes on E-bay. Orrrr...mommy can make you a really awesome costume! Why don't we go home and search on the computer?"

So, to avoid my family's financial demise, and the need to be "bailed-out," I swayed my children and am now responsible for putting together three very "cool" costumes.

The irony of this whole predicament, is that we are not big fans of Halloween anyway, being that we are against pretty much everything it stands for.

What can I say?

We like candy.

Manners for manners

2008-09-28T18:45:00.004-04:00

I've recently come across a problem, that I did not see coming. For the past six years I have been teaching my children to use their manners, to be polite, to say please and thank you, and excuse me when it's appropriate. And for the most part, they have done very well in this area, and have turned out to be very polite little people.

However, while I was able to teach them manners, I have failed in teaching them couth. Like if someone has a boogie in their nose, it's not polite to point it out. Or in this case, if someone passes gas on the sly, you don't always have to point them out and tell them to say excuse me.

This is what my two year old did this past week. While I also noticed the faux poi's, I of course didn't mention it. Unfortunately my little darling couldn't help but say something.

At the time, I must admit, I was kind of proud. I didn't know whether to say, "good manners, sweetie," or pretend I didn't hear him and walk away. I opted for choice B, and I walked away, completely oblivious to the mumblings of my two year old.

Oh well, guess it's just one more thing to add to my list of fears in public.

My week in a nutshell

2008-09-26T08:33:00.006-04:00

Monday morning, my son decided to style his own hair and put half of the container of gel into his hair, while sitting on my couch. He looked like Frankenstein.

On Tuesday, I caught my two year old son eating a half a stick of butter. For some strange reason, he enjoyed the taste, and continued to grab chunks of it and shove them in his mouth, as I attempted to pry it from his hands.

On Wednesday, it was clear that the butter did not sit well with my son. He tried to run to the bathroom, but didn't make it in time and pooped on the floor in front of the toilet. Lesson learned.

On Wednesday night I went out to an evening writing class and came home to my three month old, who had not eaten in three and a half hours. For a breastfed baby, that mineswhile have been three and a half days. Apparently, all bottle attempts had failed. I went to bed with terrible mother guilt, and resolved to never leave my baby again.

Thursday seemed to be going by without a glitch, that is, until my hubby came home. We seem to have some sort of crazy fertile soil in the front of our house, as all of our perennial "shrubs" have grown to massive sizes. My husband volunteered to trim down our butterfly bush. Twenty minutes later the entire landscaping in our front yard had disappeared. Vanished. It looked like a tornado had come through our neighborhood, ripped up all the plants, and left the house. (Sorry honey, I know I told you I would never mention it again.) What once looked like an amazon jungle, now looks like a desert. I will now spend an unmentionable amount of money, replacing all plants that were lost.

Today is Friday. So far, the morning has been pretty uneventful, but I imagine it will not stay that way. I guess we'll have to wait and see...

A picture is worth a thousand words

2008-09-21T20:34:00.005-04:00

Yeah, but is it worth a thousand dollars?

Definitely not if it was taken at one of the department store photo labs. I'm not going to name names though, I'm only going to warn you not to waste your PENNYS at any of those places.
Unfortunately, I am a tough learner, and realized this only after my 25Th time there.

If you're a mom, and you have more than one child, chances are, you can relate to this story. Pictures mean the world to me. I just love them. I love capturing memories, especially since I have four kids now and can barely remember all their names.

I want pictures of every moment of every day.

I want a picture of my baby's feet, because I know one day, I'll forget just how tiny they really were.

And I want a picture of my boys with their spiky hair, because I know that one day, they won't let me rub hair products in their hair, just to get it the way I like it.

One day they probably won't even let me touch their hair.

And even though I didn't love the thought of getting my kids all dolled up and driving forty minutes to get their picture taken, I decided, the picture would be worth it. The memory would be worth it.

So, my husband and I did just that.

Unfortunately, our picture perfect moments were not captured. In fact, the only moments that were captured, were these cartoon-like, wide-angled photos of children with enormous heads. Not my children, more like bubble children.

Now, I'm not a professional photographer by any means, but I'm pretty sure if you use a wide angle lens up close on a child's face, their face is going to look, er...wide.

Besides the terrible shots, the photographer's people skills were less than desirable. I mean, what kid is going to smile at someone who's shouting at them to move their feet?

And to round out the entire unpleasant experience, when I refused to buy any of the photos, they explained to me that I would need to pay the $40.00 sitting fee. Can you imagine?

Unfortunately, I don't remember the end of this story, as I blacked out shortly after that.

I do, however, know that when I came to, all of my money was still in my wallet, and...I didn't have handcuffs on.

Why two year olds shouldn't make homemade pizza

2008-09-13T23:15:00.008-04:00

Because they may or may not grab the garlic salt and run around the house dumping it all over the carpet.

And the couch.

And their sister's head.

Surely, we will not make that mistake again.

Politics? What are politics?

2008-09-12T17:10:00.006-04:00

I've noticed that a bunch of bloggers have been writing about politics and the upcoming election. Until about a week ago, I would have nothing to say on the topic. Mainly, because I know nothing. Politics just doesn't interest me. Not one bit. Heck, I've never even watched a debate before.

But, when I heard a mother of five kids could possibly be Vice President, I just had to find out about her. So, I watched her speech...and she blew me away.

She inspired me as a woman and as a mother.

She made me proud.

Proud of a fellow mother. Proud of a fellow American.
Proud of a fellow Christian.

As I watched this woman speak on possibly becoming the second most powerful position in this country, and then walk over to her family proudly embracing her five children, I was brought to tears. One of these children, being a baby which some Americans wouldn't have even valued as worthy to be born, only months ago, and another, a teen who will probably be looked down upon, and deemed foolish by some, because she sinned.

But her children, nonetheless.

From the few moments I heard this woman speak, I knew. I knew that we shared the same values. I knew that she believed in the same God as I. I knew that she valued human life. And I knew that she believed in forgiveness.

Her family isn't perfect. She isn't perfect.
But as Palin walked over to her children and kissed each of their heads, she painted a picture for me, of the kind of country I want my children to grow up in.

A people that believes in God.
A people that values human life, even when others don't.
A people that needs and gives forgiveness.

Come election day, I know where my vote is going.

That is, as long as I can figure out those poll machines. (Just pull the lever, right?)

Death by laundry

2008-09-10T17:09:00.005-04:00

I'm pretty sure if you laid out all of my laundry, end to end, the pile would go around the world 13 times. Maybe more.

The strange thing is, noone in my family ever has any clothes to wear.

So the obvious question would be, whose clothes am I washing?

When two year olds begin to reason

2008-09-08T18:20:00.005-04:00

Somehow my son managed to drag his bubble lawnmower into my living room, and up onto my couch.

As soon as that caught my eye, I told him to put it back outside on the porch.

He responded with, "but then my lawnmower can't see me!"

Who can argue with that? The kid is smart. Makes his mama proud.

Change of plans

2008-09-06T22:25:00.005-04:00

As I dropped my big girl off at her first grade classroom this week, I couldn't help but feel as though I was losing her for good. Sure, I know, it's only first grade, I mean she's only six, for crying out loud. But...I wasn't prepared for this.

I wasn't prepared to rush out in the middle of the night searching for dress shoes and navy blue knee highs. Or prepared to be cutting off the crusts of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich at ten o'clock at night. I wasn't prepared to drop her off and leave her for six whole hours. Every day. For the next 180 days. I wasn't prepared for it, because it wasn't my plan.

My plan was to homeschool my daughter. My plan was to see her every day, all day. My plan was to teach her how to add and subtract, take her on field trips, explore and dissect things together. All the while providing her with all the foundation in God, and the academic education she would need. I could do it. I knew I could.

People looked at me like I was crazy. Homeschool with three kids and a newborn? "That sounds really difficult," they'd say. Or at least they'd think it. But I was determined, I knew what was best. Or so I thought.

As I sat down at the kitchen table with my eldest daughter and began to recite the instructions for the lesson, something didn't feel right. It wasn't that it was too hard to follow, for me or for her. Sure, I was somewhat distracted by my two year old attempting to bite my four year old in the butt, but I remained as composed as possible. And my daughter, she whizzed through page after page. She stayed focused and neat, the picture of a perfect student. But again, something didn't feel right.

Still, I pressed on with the lesson. As we closed up our books, I began to feel this gnawing feeling. Maybe, just maybe, homeschooling wasn't the right thing for my girl. Maybe, this wasn't enough.

The huge grin that once adorned her face as she ran out of her classroom, just wasn't there, as we sat down to work together. And the beaming smile that she had, as she performed "Grand Old Flag" on stage with her peers, wouldn't be there either.

Sure, I had big plans. Plans for groups of other children, and science and music lessons, but for my girl, it just didn't seem to be enough. She needed more. She needs more. And though it was hard to admit, for the first time, I couldn't give her what she needed.

My plans of homeschooling my girl, and knowing and being a part of every single thing she learned, turned out, not to be the best thing for her. I struggled with this decision. I wrestled with it, going back and forth in my brain. I even resorted to telling myself that if other people did it, why couldn't I? She'd be fine, I thought. But in the end, I decided, fine isn't enough. Not for my girl.

I want her to thrive. I want her to be happy. I want her to fulfill the plan God has for her. Not the plan I have for her. So, I let go. I let go of my plans, and began to take hold of God's.(Not without a good fight, of course.)

So now, my girl will go off to a good Christian school for six hours every day for the next 180 days, and I can't be with her. I can't watch her learn how to multiply, or make sure she's being polite to her teachers, or even eat lunch with her.

I'm just thankful He can.

Three things that have changed since I had my fourth

2008-08-29T22:23:00.011-04:00

1. I have found that I need to make lists, in order to remember to do things. Go pee is on that list.

2. Dinner time used to be a time for our family to talk about our day. Dinner time has now officially been renamed, "quiet time."

3. My husband and I are so busy running around during the day, that the only time we have to talk, is when we're sleeping. We call it multitasking.

Wake up call

2008-08-29T22:16:00.006-04:00

I recently aspired to waking up in the morning with a much more enthusiastic and positive attitude for the day, even if I am run down and exhausted.

This morning I awoke around 4 am to my toddler lying next to me. Unbenounced to me, sometime during the night, he snuck into my bed and curled up between my husband and I.

I also awoke to a wetness streaming down my back.

He peed in our bed. A lot.

So much for aspirations. Better luck tomorrow.

Interesting bedtime conversation with my daughter

2008-08-27T21:51:00.003-04:00

On our recent weekend family getaway, this is what my daughter said to me as I laid her to sleep one night.

My daughter: "Mama, did you know that today the policeman brought my baby brother back to our room?"

Me: "What are you talking about honey?"

My daughter: "Yeah, when daddy brought us back to our hotel, the policeman found (brother) in the hallway, and knocked on our door."

Me to Husband: "Honey, what the heck is she talking about?"

Husband: "NO, it wasn't like that at all...it wasn't a policeman."

Me: "Yeah??"

Husband: "It was just a security guard."

Qualified

2008-08-27T21:00:00.011-04:00

With the recent addition of my newest baby, our fourth, the family dynamic has changed a bit. What was once a sometimes rambunctious household, has now turned into an all out every-man-for- himself, chaotic zoo. Some days I feel myself attempting to block out the myriad of "mamas!", and waterfalls of tears, but to no avail. Some days I am in such a exhausted stupor, that I forget things, like putting the stroller in the trunk, before I back out over it in the driveway. Yes, rare is the occasion that I can even hear myself think, but this morning I found myself drifting off into my brain, for just a quick second.

It all began as I pulled up to the gas pump and began pumping, as I listened to the screams of my six year old. She had gotten her hair entangled in the seat in front of her, while she was picking up the gum wrapper for her "collection." In doing that, she bumped into my two year old who was already screaming about the water bottle that he had dropped on the car floor. As the tears welled up in my eyes, (just a reflex), I found myself comparing the many facets of my job, to other jobs out in the world. And to my surprise, I concluded that the level of stress that I endure on a daily basis, is that much like these other high-intensity occupations. I have discovered that I am in fact, much more qualified for these positions, now, as a stay at home mom of four, then I would be if say, I went to a four-year private college. The following is a list of jobs that I might apply for when I retire:(Please add any additional occupations you think we moms, might be qualified for)

1. Hostage Negotiator--impeccable bribery skills

2. the next Survivorman--with the amount of food that I "save" in my minivan, a family of four could stay alive in an amazon jungle, for at least a month

3. Captain of a Cruise ship--my sense of direction is unwavering, even with passengers in complete pandemonium and disarray and all out fist fights

4. Wrestler--I can pry a bottle of body lotion away from my two year old faster than that baby jaguar on Diego, can climb a tree

5. Lawyer--let's face it, I read my kids like a book. I know when they're tired, when they're hungry and most importantly, when they have to go potty in the middle of a fancy restaurant

One reason why I know God has a sense of humor

2008-08-17T20:24:00.006-04:00

I just came across this very interesting post...

"Ask, and it will be given..."

The Beginnings of a Perfectionist

2008-08-15T09:03:00.004-04:00

Last night, my husband and I awoke to the unconsolable screams of my two year old. We waited for him to stumble down the stairs to us, and when he did, asked him what was wrong. I had assumed he was either thirsty or had a bad dream, but to my surprise, his response was neither. Through sobs and tears, my little darling cried, "my room is a mess!"

O-kay. Not exactly your typical toddler trauma, but understandably upsetting. I know that I've felt like waking in the middle of the night and screaming about the nine loads of laundry that were waiting for me in the basement.

The Place to Poop

2008-08-14T22:41:00.002-04:00

Let's just say our town library probably won't be extending any personal invitations to my family, to return any time soon. Can someone please explain to me why my children insist on pooping every time we go to the library? I mean are they pumping microscopic fiber molecules through the ventilation system? Are they serving raisins and apple juice for snack time? I just don't get it. What is it about the library, that makes them have to go?

Not more than five minutes had gone by when my nine week old decided to do some major pooping, with sound effects mind you, at exactly the moment that I bent down to pick out some books for my kids. The embarrassment from that little incident alone, was enough for me to hightail it out of there. Boy was I naive. The real torture hadn't even begun. After I changed my daughter's diaper, I proceed back to the main children's area to pick out some more books, only to find my potty-training toddler holding the back of his pants saying, "pee-pee, mama!"

This of course turns out to be entirely false, as I go to help him up on the potty, and to my surprise, receive a handful of poop as a thank you. Yeah, did I mention my son mixes up the names of his bodily functions? It gets worse. Because I wasn't aware of this major accident when I placed him on the potty, by now there is poop everywhere...in his pants, down his legs, on the potty.

I attempted to clean up my squirming toddler and the library facilities, all the while using an appropriate library inside voice. Unfortunately, my attempts at remaining discreet in my mission failed, as my infant screamed in hysteria for me to pick her up. Did I mention how those bathrooms echo?

So, I finish the cleanup and head back out to my older two, who are patiently waiting to pick out some books. Just as I lay my baby back in her stroller, I hear the same daunting words all over again..."pee-pee mama." Yup, that's right. Poop mission number two, except this time it's even worse because I have no more wipes, and no more changes of clothes. Needless to say, after the second attempt to sanitize my son and the library bathroom, I promptly packed up my four children and headed home. From now on, I'm renewing my books over the phone.

One ticket to crazyland, please.

2008-08-13T14:49:00.006-04:00

After a long, hard day with the kids, I received a very interesting phone call from the telephone company. One that kept me wracking my brain for hours:

"Tiffany" the phone operator: "Hello, I'm calling because you have an outstanding portion of your bill that has gone unpaid. And in order to prevent an interruption of service, you're going to need to pay this portion."

Me: Oh, yes I know all about it. Yeah, we actually don't owe that, we returned the DVR box(babysitter), and we were told we would receive a credit."

Tiff: "Yes, there is an outstanding $300.00 on your bill for the box and I see no credit."

Me: "The box was returned, I know, I did it myself."

Tiff: "Right, but we are showing no record of that. The box would've gone to customer service, so you're going to need to work that out with them."

Me: "Okay, can you transfer me?"

Tiff: "Uh, no ma'am I can't. But I can give you their number."

Me: "Ok, I'll call them now."

Tiff: "So how would you like to pay your bill ma'am, to prevent interruption of service?"

Me: "umm.. I don't owe anything, but I was going to call customer service to work it out."

Tiff: "Yes, you'll need to work that out and then call us back...but as soon as you hang up, you will receive an interruption of service, unless you pay this portion of the bill."

Me: "Okay, so as soon as I hang up, my phone will not work?"

Tiff: "That is correct, ma'am. Unless you pay your bill."

Me: "But I don't have a bill. I have a credit."

Tiff: "Right, but we have no record of that, customer service does."

Me: "So, how exactly can I call customer service if my phone won't work after I hang up?"

Tiff: "Well, ma'am if you pay this portion of your bill, your service will not be interrupted."

Me: (banging head on table) "I'd like to speak with your supervisor."

"Please hold..."

This conversation resulted in the phone company admitting their mistake and crediting my account. They assured me my service would not be interrupted, and I no longer owed anything. I got off the phone and just as they said, it was not shut off. Later that day, I went food shopping and came home and mysteriously, my DVR box was shut off...

All aboard....

Do we really need bread?

2008-08-05T16:08:00.002-04:00

Four things. I only need four things. This was my mantra as I pulled into the grocery store parking lot yesterday, with a minivan full of children. My children to be exact. Although outings these days aren't as easy as they once were (yeah,right), I decided to forgo the risk that accompanies four small children in a grocery store. After all, I only needed four things.

I unloaded my gang and allowed my two year old the freedom to walk and hold hands with his sister. First mistake. I managed to walk my parade the 30 feet across the parking lot, into the store and right up to the redbox movie machine, (AKA: Date night.) And the meltdown begins. I tried to wait patiently for my two year old to slide the movie into the return slot. I noticed my eight week old begin to stir, and I knew my window of opportunity was closing in. I watched as my two year old stretched as tall as he could to reach the slot and tried to assist without him knowing, but my feeble attempt had failed. The second my finger grazed the machine, the wailing and body thrashing began. I decided I would not be completely controlled by this kid,(at least not this time), and I quickly pried the movie from his hands and shoved it into the box. Within seconds he had flung himself to the ground. And to top it off, at this very moment my hungry infant begins to cry.

As I picked up my baby, I couldn't help but notice the stares, some sympathetic, some just plain annoyed by the commotion. I strained my voice over the screams of both my children and managed to lure my two year old to follow me towards the bakery. I attempted to regain my composure and my thoughts long enough to remember what the heck I had needed at the store in the first place. But as my mind wandered, so did my son--right up to the freshly baked italian bread where he began to slide the loaves out of their paper bags, all the while telling me, "we need this." I motioned for him to put the bread down, and when he didn't comply, I grabbed his little wrist and made a bee-line for the diaper aisle. This pattern continued on as I maneuvered through the store looking for my four items.

We neared the registers and as I pulled into the lane, my sweet child proceeded to grab numerous candy bars and throw them into the cart. With my infant on one arm, I used my other arm to wrestle the candy from his hands and lifted my son into the cart. A feat that had to be seen to believe. As the screams intensified I tried to remain calm long enough to scan my items and pay. Gotta love self-checkout.

I was pretty much to my boiling point as I headed out to the car with two of my four children screaming at the top of their lungs. I lifted my two year old out of the cart, and wrestled him over to the driver side to put him in his carseat. Unfortunately, I could not even get to the driver side, as a large orange pickup had pulled into the parking spot next to mine, so close that only a paper thin person could fit through. And unfortunately, paper thin I am not. At this very moment I actually thought to myself, "Now I understand why people key other peoples cars." Terrible thought,yes, but sadly enough, true. So, I head back around to the other side of the car with my kicking and screaming toddler and catapult him across the baby seat, into his car seat. Once all my children were securely fastened I jump the passenger seat to get to my seat, and sped off towards home.

The moral of the story is this: If you're thinking about going on an outing with all of your children, ask yourself this, "do we really need bread?"

Number One Sign that Your Kid is Bored

2008-06-23T13:31:00.004-04:00

This morning my two and a half year old playfully drove his Imaginext safari jeep into the living room. Alongside his "bounty hunter," (thank you husband), was one spankin new nursing pad. Shortage of toys, you say? Afraid not.

And Then There were Four...

2008-06-23T08:50:00.003-04:00

Here she is, born two weeks early...

Grace Kathryn
June 6, 2008

7lbs. 3 oz
20 in. long

Keep checking my posts, as this mama will be back in service very soon.

A CHIP off the Ol' Block

2008-03-26T17:59:00.003-04:00

My husband has a problem. A serious problem. Actually, it's more of a condition, then a problem. He's a chronic thrower-outer. And yes, that is the official medical term. You see, he throws everything out. And I mean everything.

Any type of food that has had it's temperature altered for more than thirty seconds, is game for the garbage pail, at any given moment. That last, juicy piece of Easter ham that you had been craving all day--gone. Oh, didn't you see? A smidge of mashed potato cross contaminated it while you were transferring it into the tupperware Sunday night. Yeah, it had to be thrown out.

And that Reese's peanut butter cup that you had hidden in the fridge, for that late night chocolate fix--Sorry...freezer burn, had to get rid of it.

This has been the story for many a food item at my home in the past seven years. And for the most part, I've gotten used to it. Typically, if I want any food that I don't eat in the first 24 hours after I bring it home from the grocery store, I try to make it well-known. And I have somewhat established the rule of, if there is nothing growing on it in the fridge, then it is still edible, and it is off limits to the garbage man. I've also adjusted pretty well to the fact that the term "leftovers" is null and void at our home. The Good Lord knows leftovers don't stand a chance next to my husband.

So, as a good wife, I've put up with many disappearing food disappointments, and I've accepted the numerous stories of my husband's bouts of "food poisoning"... If I had a nickel for every food poisoning episode...

As adjusted as I am, in this state of pregnancy that I am in, certain things are just unacceptable. Like the disposal of a perfectly brand new bag of sour cream n' onion Baked Lays--completely unacceptable. I had bought them about three days ago, and then like most things I bring into my car, they were stranded to my front seat since. (It was either carry up the chips, or my sleeping two year old.)

This evening, as I felt a crunchy craving coming on, I asked my husband what he did with my brand new bag of Baked Lays. I should've suspected their fate, as I watched my husband's face droop, and his words begin to stutter. He couldn't even look me in the eye. I knew it.

"You threw them out???"

"I didn't throw them out."

"I cannot believe you threw them out!"

"I'm telling you I did not throw them out. While I was cleaning out the garage with the kids, we opened them up and started eating them."

"And then you threw them out?"

"NO! I did not! We started to eat them...and then...(he totally was trying to make it up as he went along,) our son was eating them all, so I put them on top of the car."

"Wait, let me guess, the old man up the street walked by and asked if he could borrow some potato chips?"

"NO, I'm telling the truth."

"Okay, so what...technically you didn't throw them out...the kids probably dropped them on the floor, and all these bugs started to come, so you had to vaccuum them up real quick...right?"

"No, I didn't."

"Okay, so if that didn't happen, and you didn't throw them out, then could you please go down to the garage and get my Baked Lays?"

"Okay, I will."

My loving husband proceeds to walk down the basement stairs. I heard him get halfway down and then head back up.

"OH, I remember what happened...the kids were starting to eat them all...and so I let them eat some, and then put them on top of the car...and then when we drove to the park, I forgot I had put them on top of the car, and I drove off."

"So, you are honestly telling me that my chips are spread out through our entire neighborhood?"

"Yeah, they're probably down the big hill, ya know, the one with all the bumps?"

"Unbelievable."

I had no more words. I could not and still cannot, grasp the untimely demise of my chips. Undeserved I say, undeserved.

And so the reign of my husband, the garbage man, continues on, and one more innocent food item gets thrown into the trash bin...or in this case, pavement.

Hormones...what hormones??

2008-03-09T15:51:00.003-04:00

How bad is it when your five year old nephew tells your sister that you were "grouchy" yesterday?

So, just how many days will they let me stay in the hospital?

2008-03-06T17:08:00.010-05:00

...one of the many fleeting thoughts I had this afternoon, as I attempted to keep composure during my two year old's 30 minute tantrum. Thoughts that shortly followed that, "how invasive is a tubal ligation?" and "I wonder if I have enough cheddar for dinner."

So, it's been awhile. I'm sure all six of my avid readers(family members), greatly missed my sarcastic rants. My apologies for my lack of commitment, but lately my days consist a great deal of driving back and forth to kindergarten, peeing every seven minutes, and catching at least 45 minutes of the ever popular American Idol, right before my husband and I doze off to sleep at approximately 8:56 p.m. Sadly, that is a pretty accurate description of my days. Throw in some daunting sciatic pain, an expanding backside and you have me, a just turned 27 year old, mother of three, who is 25.4 weeks, towards being a mother of four. And yes, the .4 matters. A lot.

Back to my original question...As of today, I have decided that this time I give birth, I am going to stay at the hospital as long as I possibly can. To some, the hospital may seem sterile, and smelly. A place where comfortable sleep is nearly impossible, and the food is worse than tv dinners. But to me, at least this time, the hospital will be my little paradise. I'm pretty sure our vacationing will cease to exist the second my fourth baby takes her first breath outside of my womb. So, I am going to treat my short stay, as a little treat, a little break, a little breath of fresh air. I mean sure, the food is pretty bad, but...I don't have to cook it, and that there, is worth its weight in gold. And ideally my vacation wouldn't include hours of painful labor, but hey, they've got epidurals. And typically I would prefer more "spa like" accommodations, rather then the "break down" beds they currently offer, but hey, at least I know I'll be sleeping alone there. All in all, not such a bad deal, I mean going from three kids at home, to one kid in the hospital? Sounds like a vacation to me...
Beggars can't be choosers, you know.

Dear Carol...

2008-02-01T14:57:00.001-05:00

It seems that lately I am a magnet for running into very interesting people, on my day to day journeys. And wouldn't you know it, I always seem to run into them on those days when everything seems to be going wrong, and I'm just about to my breaking point(signing myself into an asylum), and then BAM!--there they are, smack down right in the middle of my chaos. Hmmm...maybe He is trying to teach me something? You think??

That's what happened this Tuesday--after my two year old had been complaining he had a boo-boo back for three days, and then woke up with a fever. Wouldn't you know I landed myself right in the x-ray department of the local hospital...at 9 a.m....with three kids...ALONE...
And there she was.

I wouldn't have guessed it when I saw her, she seemed nice enough--just doing her job(Or so I thought). Now, I could go through the whole story of how I met her, but I decided instead, I would just write her a letter...a letter in honor of our meeting:

Dear Carol,

If only we had met at a different time, or even a different place...maybe we could've been friends. Okay, maybe not friends, but I know for sure, we could've at least been friendly.

Sure, our meeting definitely could've been better. I can still remember looking up when those elevator doors opened, and then closed again, as I wrestled with my two year old to stop arching his back and dragging his feet, just long enough so I could actually exit the elevator. Yes, I remember your face as I finally squeezed my troop out of those doors. And although I could hardly hear you as my toddler screamed blood curdling screams, I'm pretty sure when I asked you if the wait would be long, that I sensed a bit of irritation in your voice. Was I bothering you Carol? Did I disturb your work that day? Or were you just annoyed that you couldn't concentrate with the screaming toddler in the background? If that's the case, I surely can understand. Maybe you can get some earplugs though, as I'm almost positive I am not the only mother in the world who totes around a screaming toddler. If I am, however, scratch the ear plug thing, as my children typically scream at higher-than-normal decibels.

Nonetheless, I sensed the irritation when you answered me, yet I wasn't bothered, as I figured maybe you too, were having a morning like mine.(although I highly doubt it)
I must admit, I was so involved in trying to appease(shut up) my screaming toddler, that I didn't even notice you were still staring at me, that is until you spoke. Yes, as I threatened my child with the all too familiar and yet completely uneffective "time-out," I couldn't help but hear a small voice in the background. It was your voice Carol. While I would've hoped for maybe a more helpful voice, or even a Higher voice, I heard your voice.

"Don't say that!"

I'm pretty sure those were the three words that once vocalized, would annihilate(at least for a time), our chances of ever becoming amigos. I questioned you, just to make sure that you were in fact speaking to me...and you were. You may have noticed my mouth drop as you went on to protest me telling my son that he would receive a time-out in of all places, the hospital. And though I think I may have passed out for a second or two, as you went on and on, I'm pretty sure I heard most of your argument claiming that I would make him afraid to come there--there, being the hospital--the place where sick people go--the place that typically doesn't evoke happy feelings in children.

Nonetheless, you stuck to your guns...as did I. Though I didn't agree with your position, or even your involvement in the disciplining of the child whom I birthed, I find it somewhat kind--your concern for my child, and his future fears. I'm not sure I told you that though. Umm...yeah, I'm pretty sure I didn't tell you that. So for that, I am sorry.

And when I told you that you obviously didn't have children...well, I suppose I could've jumped the gun there. Maybe you do have children, but maybe, just maybe, you slept through their toddler years. So, for that unnecessary comment, I am sorry again.

As far as you calling out another hospital employee, and claiming that I was causing a problem...I'm not sure that was necessary. In response to that action, I've got to ask, what did you think a pregnant woman with three small children, was going to do in an x-ray waiting room? Just curious.

So there you have it--our meeting. Not exactly a pleasant one, for either of us I'm sure. In closing, I just have one question for you Carol: Do you actually know what a time-out is? Because to be honest, it really isn't all that bad. Just sitting in a chair, that's all. And for my toddler, a two minute time-out, is usually completely forgotten about in, well, two minutes. I thought I'd tell you, as you may have mixed up time-out, with the word for midieval torture device. I can understand that.
So, my only hope is the next time we run into eachother, (there aren't any other hospitals to deliver my baby in), that we could be cordial to one another, maybe even smile at eachother. Maybe you won't even remember my gnarled face, and we could start fresh, meeting eachother all over again, for the first time. Yes, I think I hope for that.

My Best,

Mamaofthree