Is there any such thing as too many boots?

This is the time of year that I start wearing my snow boots and winter coat inside the house, all day long.  I get so cold every day when we are trying to do our school work. I turn up the heat, I drink hot drinks, but nothing seems to help. My feet are still cold!

I have tried every combination of thick socks and house slippers, but nothing seems to work. My feet still get freezing cold unless I have that nice thick rubber sole separating me from the cold floor. I try my best to survive, sliding around in three layers of socks. But finally, I give in and put on my winter boots.

I know this is horrible. Even though I make sure my boots are CLEAN, I'm still concerned all day long that I'm spreading boot germs all over the carpet and the hardwood floor. But the alternative is even worse. When mama is cold, everyone feels the chill!

So, I'm hoping I've found the key to save me from six months of freezing feet and to save my house from being trampled. Here is is. The indoor house shoe boot:



This thing could save my life. Not only does it look very warm. It's cute! I think it's going to look awesome with my "home schooling outfits." Only a slightly crazy home school/work-at-home mom would worry about finding a house shoe that will go with her jeggings, but I think this one is perfect. =]

I've already sent my husband the link to the Old Navy web site where I found these and begged for them for our anniversary, which is this week. I would secretly like them in every color combination.



And while we are on this very important topic, can I just say this:

I really thought there was no possibility I could need a new pair of boots this winter... But they come in black, too.



Oiy.

In-be-TWEEN

Yesterday, I became the mom of an 11-year-old.

We had a great day celebrating our sweet, tender-hearted, super creative first born. And yet, I did have a few melancholy moments of realization that my baby is growing up.

I have been trying to cope with some of the changes that come with being the mom of a Tween. I'm a little nervous about adjusting my parenting style to navigate the waters of this awesomely wonderful, and yet confusing stage lodged between kid and adolescent.

Here are just a few of the adjustments I've been trying to make.

Now, my kid can engage in deep meaningful conversations with me. And at other times, I will ask him a question and he will give me that silent stare that tells me he doesn't want to talk about it.

When it comes time for gifts, he's still a kid that plays with toys on some level, but it's hard to find anything that's not "babyish." And yet, I'm not quite ready for a wish list that includes nothing but electronics and clothes.

A few weeks ago, I was shopping for his Halloween costume and realized that it was nearly impossible to find something in his size that was cool, but not too creepy. I went to six different stores to try to find something that would work!

He's still young enough for a kids' meal in some restaurants. But it's usually not enough food to really fill his big-boy appetite.

My kid who has always been up at the crack of dawn is now the last one to roll out of bed in the morning.

I've always bought the majority of my kids' clothing at Children's Place, but I have to shop carefully to make sure I only buy him shirts and jeans that don't look too "kidish." Now, he has outgrown nearly everything in the store.

He still seems comfortable hanging out with a few of his close friends who are girls. But he gets embarrassed if he "gets stuck" sitting at the "girl table" in class.

I'm trying to give him more freedom to make certain choices for himself. But he still asks mom for permission out of habit.

He's very responsible in taking care of his younger siblings. But he's not quite to the point of being a babysitter. And yet, many of our babysitters are only a few years older than he is.

I guess it's good for both the moms and the kids that we have a few years of being in-be-TWEEN. It's helping me ease into the next stage that will be here before I can blink!

You, me and technology

A few weeks ago, I was at church early setting up my stuff in the hallway. Someone grabbed me and pulled me into the auditorium.

"We want to see what you think about something."

I looked at the screen where the media team displays the words to the songs we will sing during worship. Behind the words were moving strips of colors. Lights were fading in and out. I had to look away. My head was spinning. I felt like my old friend, Vertigo, wanted to pull me down a spiral staircase.

"I don't like it," I announced. I actually thought that by saying this, it would just confirm what they already knew: This was a bad idea.

Instead, the other three people standing around me looked at each other. They gave each other a knowing look. They all seemed in complete agreement that it was fabulous!

"I hate to say it, but I think it's an age thing," one of them told me.

Ugh. That was hard to swallow. Up until that moment, I really did not realize that this group of people saw me as being so much older than they are. I don't feel older. But it wasn't really the outright statement about the obvious truth that I'm 10 to 15 years older than the people in that group.

It was the implication. It wasn't so much my chronological age. I just wasn't hip enough to understand. I wasn't cool enough. I wasn't with it.

I try hard to stay on top of technology. I'm always looking for ways to try to make things more appealing, either through graphic design, video, color, glossy paper, background music, web design... whatever!

I like to think of myself as being forward thinking. I would say that, in general, I'm a visionary. I love to try new things, think of new ideas, dream of better ways to do things. I couldn't believe that I really thought I was on top of things and, in fact, I didn't have a clue!

Later, one of the guys explained it to me.

People in their mid-20s and younger are so accustomed to seeing flashing lights and moving graphics on a screen that it significantly adds to their "experience" if that is part of what is in front of them. It's not just that it's an added element for them. Something is actually missing without it.

So, they were right. It WAS an age thing.

I realize that people born 15 years after me have had a different life experience due to the fact they have been immersed in media and technology from birth. Let's face it! I didn't even have an e-mail account until I was 23!

In our home, I am probably over-the-top strict about limiting the amount of time my kids spend in front of a screen. And yet, they are inadvertently exposed to more flashing lights, moving graphics and background noise as children than I ever was on purpose.

I was glad someone explained this to me. Now, I DO get it.

As it relates to church, I was probably feeling the same way that day that my parents did 30 years ago when the church wanted to replace hymns with "contemporary" songs like "This is the Day." Now, it made sense to me. I had no desire to stand in the way of something that might really matter to a younger generation of people (even if it did make me want to close my eyes and throw up right in the middle of a worship song!).

It reminded me of something I heard someone say recently about the way people communicate today. There are certainly lots of downsides to a near addiction to communication these days. It cracks me up to see a group of teenagers all hanging out together and every single one of them is staring at his or her smart phone because the joy of communicating with someone else is more important than talking to the person right next to them!

I will admit that I'm overly addicted to my shiny white iPhone that hangs out in my back pocket, alerting me with every new Facebook notification, every new text message and every new e-mail all day long. But I get equally as frustrated with people who believe that a phone call is the only "legitimate" form of communication. Just sending a text or an e-mail to say hello doesn't count as a real effort to reach out and keep in touch.

However, as this speaker said the other day, ignoring technology won't make it go away. Our kids are still going to set up Facebook accounts, or text their friends or use whatever new form of communication we haven't even considered yet.

We can pretend it doesn't exist because we don't like it. We can insist they only communicate with us the way we did when we were growing up. But the only person who would be missing out on communicating with them would be ME.

I hope I don't get to the point that I refuse to consider keeping up with changes in technology and communication just because I don't like them. I would prefer to friend them or follow them or facetime them or whatever I need to do in the future to spark communication, rather than miss out because I insist they only mail me a handwritten letter. :)

In the same way, we can ask people to come to church and only experience the same thing we did 10 years ago. We can ignore the real fact that a younger generation expects something different. Yep. We can ignore it.

And they will go find it.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic! What do you think?

Beautifully made

We've had a hard week. Home schooling can test every iota of one's character. When you spend hours and hours everyday sitting next to your kids helping them with their school work, you learn that even a person who was born from your gene pool can learn and process information in a way that is so completely opposite from how you are made that it can be mind boggling.

You reach points where you aren't even speaking the same language. You are saying one thing. Your child can't understand. He is doing one thing. You can't understand. You want to pull out your hair. You want to cry. You want to throw in the towel. You want to give up.

I have to step back and remind myself that God gave my child a beautiful brain. It doesn't function like mine. It doesn't process information in the same way mine does. It can frustrate me because of my own inability to help. But I have to remind myself: That kid's brain is beautifully made.

I love the way that brain is always full of songs. The songs pour out right in the middle of grammar tests. There is uncontrollable humming during spelling review. God gave him a beautiful brain.

I love the way that brain is full of stories. The stories in his head are so much more interesting than his science text book. He can imagine historical characters embarking on adventures that are far more entertaining than the stories in his history book. God gave him a beautiful brain.

I love the way that brain loves to draw. The pictures flow out of his brain and onto a sheet of paper at every opportunity. There is no better place to draw a cartoon than on the scrap paper used for deciphering division problems. All of those numbers that dance around in the math book are confusing and take long stretches of time to solve. The drawings appear on the page without any thought. God gave him a beautiful brain.

My instinct is to wish I could rewire that brain. To make it function more like mine. But God knew better. He knew exactly how to create a beautiful brain.

The hazards of getting dressed for work when you stay at home

This week, I am celebrating my 11-year anniversary as a stay-at-home mom. This has been the best job I could ever have hoped for. However, to commemorate this momentous occasion, I also want to point out one of the perils of going to work at home.

When I first started staying home more than a decade ago, it was difficult to motivate myself to get up and get ready in the morning when I had no where to go. Many times, I wouldn't even take a shower until right before my husband came home from work.

I have come full circle since then. Now, I know that I will feel better about myself if I get up and put on clothes that I like even if I don't have any plans to leave the house. I even complete my daily outfit with accessories, such as a necklace or a scarf.

But this can also lead to some significant dangers on the job. 

Take for example, the long necklace. Now, we all know it's stylish to wear a long necklace. But look what can happen when you attempt to cook dinner! There is nothing worse — nothing! — than raw chicken on your long necklace!

Then, there is the fashion scarf. It is cute. It's stylish. But it is not a practical look for cleaning any part of the house that involves bleach. Just imagine what can happen when the long scarf meets cleaning the toilet. (It gives me shivers just to think about it.)

Finally, there's the cape. I love my comfy cape with the long, dangly fringe. But I cannot even tell you how many times I have nearly burst into flames trying to bake while wearing the cape. Just imagine the danger of pulling a pan of cookies out of the oven while wearing the long cape!

So, I admit, it is crazy to subject myself to this kind of danger on a daily basis. But I have to say it's worth it. When I lounge around in my PJs all day, I get grumpy. It's better to get up, get dressed, go to work and just try my best to survive the accessories!

What about you? Do you like to lounge around if you are going to work at home? Or do you prefer to get dressed for the day?

I give! The laundry wins!

I give up. I'm conceding defeat.

After months of waging war against my laundry, I am finally ready to throw in the towel. Literally.

I feel like the dirty clothes in this house dominate my life. They stack up in piles. They beg to be washed. In fact, they stink.

I used to have somewhat of a grip on the laundry around here. Back when the kids were in preschool, I would set aside one day a week to do nothing but laundry. No playdates. No errands. Just laundry.

But as our family grew, it was no longer possible to do all of our laundry in one day. It wasn't physically possible for our washer and dryer to complete all of the loads in a 12-hour time period. And I wasn't willing to stay up all night.

So, I switched to the one-load-a-day method. Every day, I would wash, dry, fold and put away one load of laundry. The only problem was when I would miss one day. I would start to feel behind. I would skip another day. Soon, I was so buried in being behind, I would start to feel hopeless. Then, I would have to go back to Plan A.

That's when we went to the system of giving each person in the house one day a week to do his or her laundry. The oldest child was on Monday. The second on Tuesday. The third born on Wednesday. Then, the baby on Thursday (me), Me on Friday (me), my husband on Saturday and the towels on Sunday (me). I can't even remember what happened to this system. I think I just got tired of trying to remind people whose day it was and trying to nag everyone to get their load done to make room for someone else.

Over the summer, I simple gave up on the laundry. I watched it grow in tall piles and topple over the tops of the brown baskets that indicate the laundry is dirty. Children begged to be able to wear clean underwear. The boys' socks got so smelly I had to throw them away.

My husband tried to intervene even though I have fired him from laundry dozens of times. He CLAIMED that clean laundry — even when it's in the wrong drawers and not folded up to my folding specifications — is better than dirty laundry. Oh, he's always got some clever argument and practical reasoning. I still wasn't buying it.

I kept telling him he was fired. He would smile. And then the minute I left the house for more than two hours, I would come home to find him folding laundry.

As summer turned to fall, our laundry woes have only grown. I have tried to do a load here and there. But between home schooling, chasing a toddler, working a part-time job, cooking meals, cleaning the house and driving people from place to place, I simply don't have an extra 12 hours a day to devote to laundry. I just refused to do it. I would look the other way. Ignore it. Maybe it would go away on its own.

Well, I'm finally conceding defeat. We just can't live anymore in a house piled up with dirty clothes. I'm completely out of laundry strategies. So, I'm just going to take it slow and steady. One load at a time.

If you don't see me for a few days, please don't be alarmed. I will be washing. Drying. Folding. Putting away. And as soon as I get done with all of the clothes, I know there will be plenty more waiting for me. I'm devoting my life to laundry.

I'm going to get started right now. As soon as I finish this blog post. And help the kids with their school work. And make lunch. And clean up the kitchen. And put the toddler down for her nap. Yep. I'm going to get to it right after that. Unless something else comes up.

What about you? Are you on top of your laundry? Or feeling a little defeated?

I got you babe

Last year when we were out trick or treating, one of the parents gave a challenge that the adults should get dressed up too this year. I have had it in the back of my head the past few weeks, but I really couldn't come up with any good ideas for a costume.

A few days ago, I was at WalMart shopping for costumes for the kids and I saw the wig with the pick. I could imagine that my husband would rock that wig! My plan was to dig deep in our closet to find some hippie outfits to go with the hair.

But alas, we don't have any tie-dye T-shirts or a single pair of faded bell-bottoms! So, I popped into the Halloween store hoping to maybe pick up a few peace-symbol accessories. That's when I found these outfits. I'm sorry. I couldn't resist!

And here's our little eskimo.

We loved our daughter as Cleopatra!

What's Halloween without a ninja?

And a Jedi knight?

The whole crazy family...

Rock on!

I've always thought it was annoying that my kids start planning next year's Halloween costumes on Nov. 1. Now, I'm starting to understand!

I'm going to have to rank getting dressed up for Halloween right there with roller skating, going down a water slide and having a water balloon fight. It's one of those things that adults often sit back and watch. But it's a lot more fun to get in on the action!