I signed up for this?!

It's been over a year since my last post, because let's face it being a mother of three keeps me busy.  Now I'm a homeschooling mother of four wondering how God thinks that this is what is best!  Our little one is now 3 months old.  Little Deklan is a joy to have and we are truly blessed to have a healthy baby boy.

The truth is I love each of my children but have the hardest time with the logistics of raising them.  Currently, they are on a "Divide and Conquer Mommy" campaign that seems to be having success.  When I am on task taking care of important issues like school, one of the younger children seem to always "call" for my attention in some way.  Usually this call has to do with getting into trouble.  However recently, they have decided to expand their horizons on getting my attention.  In the last week we have encountered, stealing food (like eating sugar straight from the container), spilling dog food all over the pantry floor, climbing over the back of the couch like it's an obstacle in an obstacle course...while I'm sitting on it feeding the baby, taking toys away from the 2-year-old in order to watch her scream and chase them, screaming bloody murder because because...fill in the blank, throwing things at someone or the door/wall because they are mad, "loving" on their little brother so much that he screams bloody murder wondering why his life is flashing before his young eyes, along with the normal craziness that being a parent brings.  It's not that their capers are all that new or innovative, it's just that their timing of them has improved greatly. 

Of course, all of this is compounded with no sleep.  Our little one doesn't want to go to sleep and be laid down until late which puts me in bed late.  Then, he likes to take his leisurely time to eat in the middle of the night which means I am up for over an hour at a time.  Of course, I also wake up early because once little man gets good and conked out and Dave's at work, the girls start to stir (yelling at each other that it's not time to wake up yet and kicking the walls so that I can hear them loudly downstairs).  Once you count the average hours of sleep I do get, it's about 5 on a good day.  This "8 hour of sleep a night is required" kind of girl is having trouble seeing straight.  I know this too shall pass...BUT WHEN?

Years ago when the doctor told us that having babies would not be an easy prospect if at all possible for us, I was crushed.  I had wanted children so badly.  My lifelong calling was to be a mom!  How could this be happening were my thoughts.  Funny how God has a massive sense of humor and loves to use irony!  Now all these years later, I am faced with four children (the doctor was WAY wrong in his assessment) that make it their goal to push my buttons if I spend any time not focused directly on them.  When I mean "them," know that I mean individually, not collectively.  Each of them want my sole attention and seem to earn it in a bad way on an on-going basis!  I don't know that I would have been so anxious so start a family if I had known just how hard it would be.  Thankfully, this too shall pass!

Just this morning as I broke away for a few minutes to go to the bathroom, I heard blood curdling screaming from the baby.  Why you ask?  Why else?  His closest sister who is two wanted to "love" on him by climbing on top of him to hug him in the bouncer.  I thought, "Lord, why did you trust me with four?  I don't think I can keep this last one alive with the other three around!  Help!"

Now, an hour and a half after quiet/nap time started the girls have finally quieted down.  It seems my four trips up there have finally paid off...just in time for them to get up! 

Who would have guessed that when I woke up this morning I would have been greeted with the girls being kind and helpful with each other giving us a really pleasant morning.  I was really hoping it would last, it was so great!!!  No so, all of it turned upside down and was trampled on by a sugar thief who then had an emotional melt down because I asked her to put a color up which ended up in her losing all the toys our of her room, her candy being thrown away, and being grounded (don't be mistaken...she earned those punishments.  I have the bruises to prove it.).  Then during what should be the most quiet and peaceful time of the day in which we ALL get to recharge and turn our attitudes around, I walk in on the two middle girls out of bed and on the floor with wipes and poop everywhere.  Caillyn decided to help Bryleigh by changing her poopy diaper.  This resulted in poop on half of the wipes from the container piled in a two foot wide pile on the carpet with what look like no poop cleaned of Bryleigh's rear but instead smeared on the carpet.  Good times...

I'm sure I will look back and laugh wondering where the young years have gone and actually miss it a little.  As for now, I have a headache but can't complain because I did sign up for this!

English is a hard language

As the girls get bigger, it never ceases to amuse me how they hear and interpret things that are said.  Despite their very best efforts, sometimes their mouth just cannot get the words right.  Here are a few of the examples Dave and I have heard over the last few weeks.

Meliya -
- "That's to remenu." which means to remind you
- At the grocery store, "Let's look for disciples." which means looking for samples to eat
- "Caillyn's laying down under the compano." which means under the piano
- "Daddy, we had a donut disciple." which means a donut sample
- While listening to music, "This would go really good with the compano.  I'm really good at playing the compano." which means the piano.

Caillyn -
- "Don't catch it to me." which means throw it to me
- "I have a wormaid!  I have a wormaid!  I have a wormaid!" which means I have a mermaid

I'm sure there are many more examples that happen on any given day, but these were the only ones I was able to write down so that I could remember!