27 Things I've Learned as a Mother

1. It is possible to have toys creep into every single nook and cranny of your house.
2. You can never take too many pictures.
3. Time goes by faster as your kids get older.
4. Some of the best memories come from the silly everyday moments.
5. It is possible to love your kids so much that it hurts.
6. Little things, like a Dora toothbrush or a trip to the library, can make a big difference.
7. Your kids appreciate you even if they don't always tell you so.
8. It's not always easy to get your kids to eat healthy food, but it is completely possible.
9. Sometimes it's nice to buy a friend a chocolate bar for their birthday...and get one for yourself.
10. Boring is not always a bad thing.
11. Belly kisses are hysterical.
12. It is possible to love all of your kids equally, yet completely differently.
13. Boys and girls are wired differently.
14. The best knock knock jokes have a punchline that makes absolutely no sense.
15. Simple is often better.
16. Ice cream is always a good thing.
17. Little kids are really smart if you just pay attention.
18. I have lots more patience than I ever would have guessed.
19. It is possible to lose your mind on a daily basis and still function.
20. It doesn't pay to worry about things that might not ever happen.
21. Play Doh is a lot of fun, but makes a big mess.
22. Naps make the day go better.
23. A fart by any other name is still a fart, and it will make kids laugh.
24. You can't live vicariously through your kids, but it's great to look at life through the eyes of a child every once in a while.
25. Love will give you the strength to do things you never would have guessed you would be able to do.
26. Grocery shopping can count as a date - even as a fun date, especially if you thrown in lunch at Noodles or Panera Bread.
27. Dirty laundry will multiply if it's left alone in a dark room.

Crazy Girls? I Like Crazy Girls!

Two weeks ago, Erica was just starting to get really sick with viral bronchitis. It was eight o'clock on a Monday night, and Matt and I were just getting ready to watch some grown-up TV. Erica was upset and coughing so hard she threw up. After she started to settle down, I told her she could snuggle with me while we watched The Bachelor. To explain, I said "The Bachelor is a show where a bunch of crazy girls are all after the same guy." She paused for a split second and said, "Crazy girls? I like crazy girls."

A week later, we were loading up to take Julia to yet another doctor appointment. Erica sat in the back, Julia and Christa sat in the middle and I was driving. Then, Erica informs us that we are just like the crazy girls all riding on that bus. Um, yeah, it kind of was just like that - the bachelorettes were all riding in an RV in the episode we watched together, and our strange seating arrangement was sort of like that. And, in case you were wondering, she also remembered that the bachelor's name is Jake - seems we were watching quality adult TV with a three-year-old that was really paying attention.

January Round-Up

- Making eggnog pound cake and eggnog muffins in an attempt to use up lots and lots of leftover eggnog.
- Alex brought home a C on his Social Studies test (first C I can remember him getting), and was quite upset about it.
- Julia had some sporatic attendance at school. Although she has been relatively healthy, she has lots and lots of sinus congestion. It takes the whole morning to get things moving and cleared out. She saw a new pediatrician who said she is not contagious. Nice thought, but everyone but Luke has the same sinus junk and cough, so if it's not contagious, how did we all get it at the same time??
- Cooper is still chewing - latest casualty is the Super Mario Brothers DS game.

December Round-Up

All in all, not a bad month:

- Julia returned to school on December 23, just in time for some holiday celebrations. She had a great day. She had been absent for just over two months.
- We took two trips to the Enchantment in the Park light display at Fair Park. The outdoor courtyard with the light display sychronized to music was my favorite part. I even found a new holiday song I LOVE - Snowflake.
- Lots and lots of gifts for the kids - highlight was Luke's new Nintendo DS. In his words, he got the grand prize.
- Tubing at Sunburst with my boys. It was packed, but we had a good time.
- A very white Christmas - I'm not sure what the stats say, but it seems like we're getting a lot of snow this season. It did make for an eventful drive to and from Matt's parents on the 26th.
- After waiting until nearly the last minute, we pulled off another year of cookie trays.
- Going with Erica, Luke and Alex to see "The Squeakquel" - after dinner at Noodles, we still had room for soda, popcorn and M'n'Ms at the movie. Yummy. The movie was good, but I did like the first one a little bit better.

The Easter/Christmas Mix-Up

We arrived for Christmas eve mass about 40 minutes before the services started and we sat closer to the front than we usually do. Those two changes set up a situation that was sweet, frustrating, cute and a bit heartbreaking all in one. Here's what happened - once we were seated and settled, I took Erica and Luke up to the Nativity scene so they could get a close look at Baby Jesus. Then, we settled back into our pew. The kids looked at books for a little while (we usually don't bring books to church, but we knew there would be extra time to fill). After she was done with the books, she started studying the pictures on the wall of the Stations of the Cross. That led to many, many questions - "Why is Jesus on the cross? Who put Jesus there? Do you see how sad his mommy is? How did they get Jesus down? Why did the soldiers think Jesus was a bad guy? Why did they take his clothes? Why did they make him carry the heavy cross?" Once she understood that Jesus died on the cross, she was heartbroken. She started crying and saying, "I miss Jesus." By this time, Mass has started, but she wasn't finished figuring things out. We kept telling her that she needed to be quiet, but she said, "I have lots of questions!" Finally Luke said, "Erica, Jesus died for our sins, but he rose again. I will show you in my Bible when we get home." She finally settled down, but she wanted to see the Bible story for herself as soon as we got home. So, that's how Erica learned about the Easter miracle...on Christmas eve. On a side note, when we went to Sunday mass, she was still studying the art on the walls, and Father Rick asked what she was looking at. She told him, "Pictures of Jesus." He explained that there were fourteen pictures, with seven on each side. She spent a good part of mass confirming his count.

Wardrobe Management

I have spent the last three days doing laundry. But, it's really more than just doing laundry - it's more wardrobe management. Sorting, washing, folding, hanging and putting away clothes for six people is a huge job. On top of that, I have a complete system for processing hand-me-downs and advance-purchase clothes. The system is pretty straighforward for the boys - Alex outgrows his clothes, they go into storage tubs in the basement,they come out when they fit Luke. The system for girls is a little more complicated, but in a good way. We are lucky to get lots and lots of hand-me-downs. Sources include: the Hoxworth girls, the McLaughlin girls, and now the Christiansen girls. Some of the hand-me-downs fit Julia, some fit Erica, and some are in-between. By the time all of the clothes get to Erica, she has about three complete wardrobes, complete with shoes and accessories. A perfect situation for my little style diva.

Christmas Letter - Take 2

Sometimes, God makes it a little more challenging to count your blessings. For us, this has been one of those years. We've had what seemed to be more than our share of heartbreak and anxiety. In June, Michele's Grandma Maddie passed away. In October, her Grandma Ertl died. Later in October, Julia got the H1N1 virus, and she's been sick ever since, fighting back-to-back illnesses. Since July, Matt's had four weeks of work furloughs, with one more coming over the holidays. In many respects, it’s been a tough year.

But, there's the other side of the story - the wonderful blessings that far outweigh the difficulties. Although they are very much missed, both grandmas lived long, full, happy lives. As sick as Julia has been, she has not been hospitalized, and she's on the road to recovery. And, while Matt's been on furlough, Michele is able to work full-time and more.

Here are a few of the highlights about the kids this year:

Alex – Very clever and far too grown up for his age. He’s very involved with Cub Scouts (the next time you see Matt, ask him about the swimming test he took at Cub Scout Summer Camp). Alex continues to do well in school (as long as he’s not daydreaming about building contraptions.) And, in spite of reminding us that having the little kids “ruined his life,” he is usually a wonderful big brother. He still has a great work ethic, and has taken over cutting the lawn and shoveling the driveway among many other jobs. He is a joy to be around, even if most of our one-on-one time comes during errands, grocery shopping and brushing our teeth.

Julia - Before illness set in, Julia had a great summer. She loves to swing, and her new game is to kick the person pushing her and then smirk. She has been ‘talking’ to us more by responding to questions and comments with vocalizations - and her timing is too perfect to be a coincidence. She likes to be part of the conversation, and I don't think she always agrees with us. Julia also has four new members in her entourage – nurses that are with her five days a week, making sure all of her medical needs are met. We’re sure they are a large part of the reason Julia has not ended up in the hospital in spite of being a very sick little girl over the last two months. She loves the extra attention, and mom and dad are happy to get a bit of a break once in a while.

Luke – He’s still our outgoing, charming boy. He’s in 4K five mornings a week, which he loves because he can spend time with his ‘buddies.’ He loves going to the Texas Roadhouse, and has charmed one of the hostesses into giving him dance lessons every time we’re there. And, that kid really has some good moves (he did not get that from his father…) He has also proven to be a little fish, and is doing great with swimming lessons.

Erica – She is in 3K three mornings a week, and she loves it. All too quickly, our ‘baby’ is turning into one headstrong little girl. She is so much sweet and sass wrapped in one adorable package, we can’t help but hold back laughter when she starts in. She has a comeback for everything, like the time we asked her to pick up the many toys she had out and she responded, “Hello! I am not an octopus girl. I can’t pick up eight things at one time.” Oh, but the sweet side of that girl. She gives the tightest hugs, has a sparkle in her eye and is just full of love.

And, we have a new furry addition - a teddy bear puppy named Cooper joined our family in August. We may be biased, but he's the cutest little guy on four legs we've ever seen. He's also a little stinker, but we can't help but love him.

Happy holidays to our family and friends. We hope that your blessings far outnumber the challenges you face.

Wishing you peace, love and hope -
The Rosners