Guest Post Part 2

And here is part two of my guest post for Tyler regarding child training.

Guest Post

I was honored to be asked by my friend, Tyler, to guest post on her blog.  Tyler is transparent, encouraging and focused on helping moms overcome anger.

Check out my first installment!

Crappy Foods

You should have heard the conversation around our lunch table today. 

Some non-moral issues are more important to some people than to others.  For example, food.

Food can be a moral issue if someone is gluttonous or greedy.  If food controls them more than they control it.  If they eat so much junk they aren't healthy enough to be of service to anyone, especially God.  In which case, to me, it becomes a moral issue.  If we can think of food and excercise as a tool rather than a rule, I think it changes our outlook.  I happen to like eating healthy food.  I don't like exercising anymore (I used to)but I see the benefit, so I do it.

Anyway, in our house, on a certain level, I see eating healthy as a moral obligation.  After all, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  And so what comes into this house and into our bodies...especially my children's bodies...is important to me.

At lunch today we were talking about all the foods that are crap.  Crap is not really a bad word in our house.  Although I prefer the kids not to use it around other kids so I don't get in trouble by other parents.  But when the shoe fits, wear it.  And so we had a great time talking about all the crappy foods.

Someone told me once if I made my kids eat so much good-for-them food, they would grow up and eat all the junk food they could get their hands on.  I disagree.  If my children understand the why of eating the things God has given us and of being good stewards of the bodies He has given them, they will hopefully be wise when they they are grown and on their own. 

Oops!  A whole bowl of fresh watermelon.

Does that mean we never eat crap around here.  No.  We do. And in the last couple weeks it feels like it's more than usual.  Which is why we had the conversation at lunch.  My list of foods to avoid is pretty long so I'll tell you what I consider healthy:

Food that God gives us...preferably processed as little as possible. 
We eat meat once or twice a week and try to make it free range, no hormones added, no antibiotics, etc.

I would prefer organic everything but unfortunately we're probably not even halfway there.

I often hear that eating healthy is too expensive.  Here's how I look at it.  You can pay more to eat healthy now or pay later for the drugs to counter all the cheap junk you think is saving you money.

And for the record, our grocery budget for our family of 7 is only $700 a month.  And that is without buying cheap processed dinners, etc.  But, again, we also don't eat meat every night.

Now what do we do when we go to someone else's house?  We eat the gift they have prepared for us.  Just as we teach the children that food at home is a gift to be eaten in gratitude without complaint, we are thankful for whatever someone has taken the time to prepare for us.  We do not expect a special "healthy" meal on our behalf.

I have no intention of being legalistic about it.  And although some people think I'm crazy (mostly family members), I'm okay with it.  I'm obligated to do what I consider to be in the best interest of the family God has given me.  What anyone else does is between them and God...that is, as long as it doesn't interfere with what I'm teaching my kids.

October 31

I know it's a little early but wanted to share a new tradition that we came up with last year for October 31. 

In years past, we've gone to Fall Festivals, trick-or-treated in the neighborhood, passed out candy, or even one year did nothing.  Roddy and I tried to figure out what to do about this particular holiday.  You see, I hate Halloween.  I don't care what it started as, or used to be, or has become, or should be, etc.  I just don't like it. 

And we discovered that the only real excitement for the kids was getting candy.   They don't get it that often so it is understandably an enticing holiday for them...along with all the other holidays that load them up on candy (something else I really don't like!).   Usually we let them have a bunch the day of, then let one a day for a week.  After a week I tell them to pick 10 pieces to keep and then we throw the rest out.

Well we decided to make it special in our own way.  We went to Walmart and picked 3 movies we approved of and told the kids to pick the one they wanted us to buy.  They chose Swiss Family Robinson.

Then we loaded up on chocolate for melting and lots of other things for dipping: Oreos, marshmallows, graham crackers, brownie bites, bananas, pretzels, pineapple, etc.

The night of the 31st we turned off the lights downstairs so we wouldn't be disturbed by the doorbell, everyone put on their pjs, we put in the movie (we have a large screen tv in our room), and we ate, and ate, and ate!

The kids loved it.  We loved it.  And we all decided it was a great way to spend the evening.

Hmmm...I need to go find some chocolate!

MIA

I feel like I've been MIA with only my few posts here or there.  The truth is everything takes me a little longer these day since my energy level has dropped majorly.  Of course, I'm not complaining.  Two things I will not do during this pregnancy: complain or waddle. 

On a scale of 1-10 my nausea is a 1 or 2.  I have a friend who is so sick she ends up in the hospital has to be medicated.  So, see, no complaining here.  Mostly I'm tired and extra hungry.  I'm still working out but have gained 5 pounds already! Yikes.  I'm determined not to get plump.  We'll see.

I have decided on a doctor.  My friend and her husband have their own ob/gyn practice.  I will not being SEEING them (if you know what I mean), but will see the midwife and other two doctors in the office.

They deliver at a much smaller hospital than the one at which I delivered the first five so I'm looking forward to that.  My first appointment is Thursday.  Then next week I go back for a sonogram.

Did you know insurance only allows 2-3 people to be with you in the hospital room when you deliver now?  I had 5 with me when I delivered Iris.  I definitely want Emma and Iris with me this time.  I didn't ask if that eliminated kids.  And all this time, I've been picturing 5 kids coming in to see the baby when he/she is born.  There will be 8. 

On the adoption front...We sent our dossier and three care packages with the agency director to Ethiopia this past Friday.  I forgot to take pictures of the care packages.  We included a photo album with pictures of all of us, stickers, bandaids, crayons, pencil, a small notebook, hair bows and headbands, toothbrush and paste, lotion, and beef jerky (we don't eat it but we'll work on healthy eating when they get here).  I think that's it.

This weekend we get to go to a gathering with other families in the area who have or are adopting from Ethiopia.  Isn't that cool?  What a nice support system they have in place.

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I have so many posts I want to do on topics like chores, picky eaters, books I'm reading (ever so slowly), etc.  Hopefully I'll get to them soon.

Thoughts About Having 9 Children

Someone asked me what my thoughts have been realizing we will go from having 5 children to 9 in the next seven months.

Well, I've had lots of thoughts.  The thought of the work load actually doesn't phase me too much.  I can handle more laundry and food preparation and dishes, etc.  Our current 5 are very helpful and independent.  I'll expect the same from the K, A and E after their transition to their new home, country, family, etc.  I've never been one to baby my kids.  If they can hold a cup, they can walk to the refrigerator and get their own ice and water.

The most daunting part right now in my mind about the girls coming from Ethiopia is the medical stuff - parasites, lice, scabies, ringworm.  I don't know if they will have all or just some of the above but I'm not looking forward to any of that.  And I don't want the kids here to get any of it!

I told my mom if people ask me to help, I'm going to take it.  I'll be washing sheets daily for at least the first month and vacuuming twice a day.  And propably wiping everything down like a woman with OCD on steroids!

I'll also be teaching them how to use a toilet and not the backyard.  How to wash themselves, brush their teeth properly, wear underwear, use toilet paper, that sort of stuff. 

And since you never know how they are going to transition, I'm preparing for the worst...rejection, fits, etc.  Think about it...some crazy white family is taking them out of their culture, away from their people to a place they can't even imagine with strange food and an overabundance of everything.  It has to be shocking to them.

I was also thinking one night in bed about how sad it is for them.  They went to bed without a kiss from their mommy.  And when they woke up in the morning, she wasn't there to greet them with a smile or a hug.  So while it's great that they get the opportunity to live in this affluent country and have the best brothers and sisters in the world, who wouldn't trade all that for their mommy?

School next year is a blur!  I have no idea how I will get it done.  Again, if anyone knows a teenager who needs community service hours next year, surely that would count, right?!  I will basically do kindergarten with the K, A & E.  And then will have grades 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th & 6th.

My word for next year is "NO".  Not to my kids but to outside activities and commitments...at least until July.

I am looking forward to the baby and all the hands that are eager to hold and pet him or her.

I will say I had a talk with God and respectfully told Him He got us into this. I'm going to need Him to HELP me through it!  I CAN NOT DO IT MYSELF!

So there you go. 

The Duggars

I love the Duggars.  If anyone should have a bunch of kids, they should.  I don't get to watch the show very often (only on vacation or at my parents') but when I do, one thing I notice is that they rarely if ever have a negative thing to say about anything or anyone.  How cool is that?  Talk about standing out in a crooked and twisted generation!

Well, here is a nice article (there are so many bad ones) about the Duggars that I thought I'd share. Enjoy.