Splash Day At Preschool

 If I were the kind of mom that put any old suit on my daughter for her preschool splash day, 

my life would be so much simpler.

But, I'm not.

Months ago I hunted down matching sister zebra bathing suits for this summer, and found them on sale at Osh Kosh B Gosh. The girls and I rushed to the nearest outlet to snatch up their sizes. Of course I had to pick them up matching flip flops too...afterall they were also on sale and I had a coupon. Not to mention a wonderfully supportive husband who pays for my habit. ;) 

We won't get into the matching surf board outfits my boys just had to have.

 So naturally Vivi then needed a beach towel. 

I purchased this one off Etsy to go with the suit 

and the cover-up dress that she already had.

Yes those are zebra flip flops embroidered onto the towel

I dug out her old lunch box and then just had to get her a 

matching beach bag to go with the whole ensemble.

 Good grief, you are thinking?

Me too.

I've got problems people...I've never denied that.

You've seen their birthday parties.

Anyway...so then I beaded and braided her hair.

 And since we were already so far gone, I went ahead and painted her nails.

Zebra, of course.

She has been talking about Splash Day and counting down to it for weeks now.

I think I was just as excited as she was!

Have fun...my precious, adorable, fashionista daughter.

Your Mommy loves you soooooo much.

Freezer Cooking

 I am part of a freezer cooking group of 3 other women from church who meet once a month to prepare meals for our families. It has been a HUGE blessing for me to have two weeks off each week in meal planning and prep. At our last meeting, we prepared 9 meals and one dessert and our total per family was only $50. I can't make that many family meals on my own for that cheap.

 

The first step is to find freezer friendly meals that your family will enjoy.

Our friend Robin does this for us and then emails the menu and the list of pre-night duties, like shopping in bulk and cooking meat ahead of time.

 Then we bring all of our assigned items to Maile's house and begin to prepare them by selecting a recipe and either filling 4 gallon bags or 4 foil pans with each recipe.

 At the end of the night, when all items are prepared and the dishes are clean: Robin totals up how much each wife owes based on what we contributed that night.

Then we divvy up all the meals per household, load up our coolers and go home with 2 weeks worth of meals...factoring in nights you eat out or order in.

I love my freezer cooking group!

My next plan is to get involved with a local fruit/vegetable co-op so we can all eat more produce around here. Plus, my Chiropractor wants me drinking over 100 ounces of water each day. Ugh...I feel like am drowning!! But, I gave up soda completely so this will be another step in getting healthy!

A Big Milestone For Oldest Daughter

This child lost her very first tooth on the exact day that she turned 5 years and 2 months old.

It was a milestone for sure!!

On Sunday night, it got loose while she and Daddy were roughhousing.

Vivi screamed and cried and said she didn't want to loose any teeth but wanted to keep all her old teeth. It was quite traumatic. She couldn't sleep the whole night worrying about that tooth. By the next afternoon she was over it and 

anxiously awaited the coming out of it already! 

Last night before dinner she ran into the kitchen holding it and said excitedly,

 "My tooth came out!! My tooth came out!!" 

She talked about the tooth fairy all evening and this morning jumped with joy to discover a glittered note and 4 quarters from the Fairy herself. I was still in bed, but Billy said it was better than Christmas. She promptly told us she wished she owned a wallet. LOL! The tooth fairy was kind enough to leave her first tooth in its baggy so that she can take it to school today to show her class. 

She is quite the big girl now.

I for one am lamenting the loss of her perfect row of top and bottom teeth.

However...I had to let go of her perfection when she was two and scratched her cheek below that right eye...a scar that is still visible to this day.

So is the life of an active little girl...and physical beauty isn't everything, right?

I Have Such Happy Children

Who make me so very happy too.

Sometimes Mother's Day Isn't So Happy

Tulips make me think of Mother's Day.

Thirty four years ago, my mother was pregnant with me in Michigan on Mother's Day.

Her second daughter.

Tulips are a big thing in Michigan because of the dutch roots there.

I went on an adoptive mother's retreat this weekend. It was wonderful. 

Our speaker was Sherrie Eldridge, well known author and adoptee who speaks
 strongly on the subject of grief.

She talked about doing a grief box for yourself or your kids...where you put things in there that remind you of all the times in your life you have hurt. She talked about how her birthmother rejected her later in life, and the profound effect that had on her. She said to then pray over the items in the box and ask God to release you of their symbolic hold on your life. Then you think of a thanksgiving for each grief...maybe lessons learned, or the way God provided in that sadness and pain.

I will be making a grief box very soon.

You see, Mother's Day is a loaded holiday for so many people.

For my dear friend, it brings the pain of the suicide
 of her mother and the miscarriage of her 3rd child.

For another sweet friend, this day may bring about the pain of her only daughter being born brain injured 7 years ago, who will never be able to make her
breakfast in bed or kiss her and say,

 "I love you, Mommy."

For another friend, Mother's Day surely makes her miss her mother who is in Texas while she is half way around the world doing the Lord's work. 

 For countless others...Mother's Day reminds them of their barrenness, or their baby born into the arms of Jesus....or their wayward grown child who has left and broken their hearts.

I know of 3 women who are probably thinking about the babies born to them and placed for adoption,
the very children who bless my day beyond my wildest dreams.

Yes, Mother's Day is a loaded holiday for so many.

I won't be calling my mother tomorrow.

Not because she is gone from this earth.

Not because I am angry at her.

But because she chose not to have a relationship with me some time ago.

It has caused me the deepest sorrow I have felt in my entire life.

To be unwanted. To feel unloved.

I am in therapy now...and it is proving to be a very healing experience.

I wish I could give my mother tulips on Mother's Day.

I wish I had my mother with me. I wish she knew how to love me. 

I wish her mother had known how to love her better.

Instead, I send my love in my prayers...respect for her position as the only mother I have.

Mother's Day is a joyous celebration for me because I have been blessed with four beautiful children.

I pray every day that I will know how to love my kids well...that I will stop the cycle.

 It is also a sad day for me...and many of my friends.

Grief mingled in with joy.

Isn't that how so much of life goes?

So I say to you...Happy Mother's Day.

Or maybe not so happy.

Either way, we are deeply and unconditionally loved by our Father who is ALL things to us on this earth and for eternity...and for that I can be joy filled on this day.

My prayer is that you will be too.

Teacher Appreciation Day 5

 

Today's final gift to the teachers is a personalized insulated cup that I filled with Crystal Light packets.

 The teachers LOVED these. One hugged me and jumped up and down. I don't blame her, cause she got the hot pink and black one (her favorite colors) and I like that one a lot too!

I ordered these cups from the Etsy shop: The Posh Diva.

She did a beautiful job!!

You choose your design, colors, and font.

With shipping, these cups cost me about $10 each.

Oh...and they arrived with adorable coordinating ribbons attached,

perfect for gift giving!

This wraps up Teacher Appreciation Week for another year.

I hope you enjoyed it.