I think the girls will appreciate reading what life is really like when they are older, looking back on their blog, if they ever stumble across this post, so here goes.  I have a condition called fibromyalgia.  I’ve had it for the past 10 years.  The main symptoms are muscle aches/twitching and chronic fatigue.  Having this illness in no way defines me but rather helps me to prioritize what is important and let everything else go.  I’m forced to live life in this healthy place (ironic huh?); I don’t have the energy to focus on things that don’t matter.

With that being said, my discipline/watch-care over our children looks a little differently.  While it is imperative that we remain 100% consistent, we also give our children more freedoms than most get.  The ways I have compensated have been subconscious until I recently realized things really are different around here.

One blessing and curse that I have related to the illness is hypersensitive senses, all five included.  I see very well (yay!), but I catch details I would rather not see (I found a cracked tile in our bathroom last night), I feel things magnified (a pat on the back feels like someone is hitting me), I smell things that most don’t (I know when someone is smoking in a near-by car when driving down the street), I’m a really picky eater because I taste unusual things I think go under the radar for most people (I can’t eat chicken or turkey that is older than two days, I get sick, it’s a smell that goes into my brain and trips the system, lol), and my hearing… oh my hearing.  It’s a blessing and a curse.  I hear EVERYTHING, good things and bad things.  I know when Noelle wakes up from her nap because I hear her feet touch the floor upstairs (good thing), I hear Anna Kate when she wakes up and begins chattering in her bed when I am the furthest away from her room as possible in the house (good thing), but I hear crickets, dogs, cars, and everything, so much so that we listen to “noise” so that I can sleep at night.

The kids are super safe in our house, because instead of chasing them around, I can always hear what they are doing.  When friends are over, they are like, “Do you need to find Anna Kate?”  And I say, “Oh she’s in my bedroom playing with the pulls on my dresser,” because I can hear her.  It’s weird, but cool.

Another compensation is memorizing my kids’ movements and knowing what they can and can’t do better than anyone else.  I know how far it would take for Noelle to reach the street going at her top speed in our front yard if she were to sprint.  If Anna Kate were to trip, I know how far away she would land.  This comes in handy.  I don’t have the energy to run in circles with them, but I know their limits and jump into action when I am needed.

I don’t let our kids eat messy.  I just don’t have the strength to deal with the clean-up, expending unnecessary energy.  So, for instance, Anna Kate eats table foods (veggies, cheerios, fruits) with her pincer grasp, but I don’t let her spoon-fed herself with such things like yogurt, applesauce, soups, etc.  Instead, I let her color after supper to work on her fine motor skills.  Her counterparts, I’m sure, eat yogurt with a spoon but that’s one thing I’m positive she will learn in time.  Noelle’s got it down with no mess (she even makes her own oatmeal in the morning).  It’s all good!  I just didn’t let her try before she gained more coordination to reduce clean-up.

One toy at a time.  We only play with one toy at a time.  When Noelle is finished with a puzzle, she puts it up and gets something else to play with.  We don’t leave things out.  This helps during the days at home.  Kids can do chores.  Noelle is always helping me unload dishes, throw things away, clear the table, and get diapers/wipes.  These are things she can do and gets rewarded for doing them.  We have a sticker chart system and give coins when she completes her chores.  She is saving up for the Barbie Mermaid Movie right now.  Off subject, she just taught Anna Kate how to say, “Mermaid.”  It’s really cute.

One thing a day.  If we have a morning play date with friends, we don’t do a night activity.  We rest.  If we have dinner plans, we rest during the day and don’t make day plans.  This rule especially comes in handy over the weekends so we are not running ourselves ragged, which we are good at doing anyway because we have a really hard time saying no (which we have gotten out of the habit of doing because the summer is so stinkin’ fun).  Also, one day out, one day in.  I will take the girls to the library or somewhere fun one day and the next day, we will have a pj day, do laundry, dishes, and clean at home.  These guidelines are flexible, but they make high energy activities do-able.

Although it takes a village to rear a child and is welcomed here (the more eyes watching our kids, the better), it is my job and utmost joy to care for, love, and protect my kids.  I don’t take ownership of them, but feel they are a gift under my watch-care.  God has entrusted Mike and me to know these little buddies inside and out and care for them to the best of our abilities.  And although my abilities are different than the average person, we still have the freedom to be out and about and enjoy our days because we are continually learning new ways to compensate.  And God has been faithful through all of this.  He has been with us to leave little remnants throughout the day, to not only get us through, but let us know our creator is here, walking this journey with us.

I say all of this because I want you to know it’s not all a bed of roses around here.  I joke that we all have our laundry list of hardships.  It’s true, life is hard, but nothing springs forth without diligence and hard work, so I welcome the challenge.  We work really hard to stay focused on living intentionally happy and emotionally healthy lives.  I think in this way we are blessed by my illness.  We can either be victims or conquerors.  That choice is easy for me, but still, it is a choice.  I see so many hurting choose to dwell in the pain.  It’s so important to let it out when it hurts and then as soon as you can, move on to the things that give you life and energy.  I’ve never mentioned this on the blog and rarely talk about it because I don’t want, in any way, to give it power or focus.  But if it helps you to know that we struggle too, and then overcome, then here it is. 

And where is Mike in this whole deal?  Helping all of us more than is humanly possible.  Yes, he is amazing!  He understands what I deal with more than anyone because he’s walked the journey with me.  He’s cried with me in my hospital beds and seen me after jaw surgeries not even look like a human, way before we were married.  He knows me, loves me, respects me, hurts with me, laughs with me, cries with me, celebrates with me, and pretty much everything else in between.  So, if you come over for supper and see Mike cooking, know that it is an overflowing of love for me and for you!  And sometimes he whistles while he works.  🙂

http://vimeo.com/12425590

 

I see this face a million times a day, and there’s always a story behind that look!  In this picture, she said she couldn’t show her teeth because her Twizzler would fall out!

This update is long overdue.  I love making bracelets that are sparkly and fun for little girls.  I recently made these bracelets for the flower girls in one of my friends’ weddings.  However, I decided to stop selling my bracelets on a larger scale.  I got really nervous going to craft shows and visiting with other jewelry makers about the liability issues that could go along with selling children’s bracelets to strangers.  The bracelets hold up to 30 pounds of pressure before they will break, but still, I can’t be there to make sure a mother doesn’t put her baby to bed with one of my bracelets on.  I feel perfectly safe with my children wearing them, but I don’t let them wear them unattended. 

Funny thing, when I bought bracelets on Etsy for Noelle (before I started making them), one of the bracelet packages literally said, “Size: 0-6 months, Not intended for children under 2).  I thought it was weird at the time but now I totally get it.  So, I decided against the website and to exclusively sell to friends and family.  I have great clients who keep coming back that I trust will be safe and responsible with the bracelets. 

If you ever want a fun, custom Swarovski crystal bracelet with sterling silver components, let me know.  I’d love to create with you!!!  My most popular bracelet is the keepsake initial bracelet for newborn, colors pink and white, with cursive sterling silver initial, gift-wrapped in a white sashet, $18.00.

This was the most incredible kids museum we have ever visited.  If you are ever in Tyler, TX, plan all day to stay and play.  We didn’t even have time to dig for fossils, try out the shadow room, make our own newscast and be on TV, or enjoy the real live bees making honey.  We can’t wait to come back!!!

We spent most of the day letting Noelle try out different occupations.  

 

She was a nurse to start off the day!

  

She would pretend to get a 911 call and run to tell us to get ready because a baby will arrive soon who is going to be hurt really badly.  She made this up on her own… we do watch a little TV on the side.  🙂

Next she was a construction worker.  She loves playing with tools!

 

She was a great shopper next.  Both girls enjoyed shopping and checking out at the store.  I think the picture to the right looks like paparazzi caught her at the store, funny.

 

I can’t tell you how much fun they were having!

 

Checking out.

Noelle was the cashier for several children.  It was pretty cute watching all of them pretend together.

A pretend waitress brought Anna Kate food at the local diner.  She loved this!

Noelle was an ER doctor next.  She saw this dad sitting here and came up to him with her clipboard and said, “So, I heard that you were hurt?”  He totally played along.  It was the coolest thing to watch.  She’s so brave.

 

They had a real ambulance with lots of doctor toys to play with!  Noelle was going nuts!

 

Next, we headed over to the theater where Noelle hammed it up!  She even took a bow at the end.  I couldn’t help clicking away.  She was so creative, and I was having a blast watch her enjoy so many different things.

Noelle’s play went a little something like this, “I’m going to eat you up?”

“No, please don’t.”

“Too late, you’re so yummy!”  

After that, Noelle wanted to be a pilot.  When we got home, Noelle saw Chandler (our neighbor) in his pilot uniform packing up his car in his driveway and went crazy.  We stopped, rolled down the window, and let her admire the real deal.  She was in awe!

Love the pearls in this picture! 

This is what Noelle wants to be the most (right now) when she grows up: a veterinarian.  She loves animals in a way that I admire.  She is so caring! 

Brushing the teeth.

 

They even had animal x-rays the kids could change out and study.  Noelle thought that was cool!

 

Next, Noelle served coffee and treats at the internet cafe.  The older kids were playing games on the computers in the cafe, but Noelle was busy serving a great afternoon snack.  In the meantime, Anna Kate was playing at the grass seed table with her new friend.

 

This little guy played with Anna Kate for about 30 minutes.  He was so sweet and gentle, and they were really communicating.  It was so cool to see her growing up and making her own friends (like her sissy, who doesn’t meet a stranger).

 

The firegirl took her job very seriously!

 

We headed over to the discovery room next, where they had caves, and pretend earthquakes and tons of learning stations everywhere.

I wish I had audio on this pic.  She was going, “Oh oh oh!”  She loved watching the fish!

Noelle got to steer the big boat!

In the caves, they had neon, glow-in-the-dark rocks.  Super cool!

 

One last pic before falling asleep on the way home.  I’ll remember this day for a long time!

How cute is this?  She was just relaxing in the bench after bath time.  I pinch her cheeks all the time b/c she’s just so so cute.  How could God dream up a baby so sweet?  We’re blessed!

We had a blast swimming with Breckin and Jett last week in J’ville.  

Breckin didn’t really want his picture taken (hence the adorable face), but Noelle really wanted to have their picture taken so that she could remember him on the computer once we got home.  When we left, she gave him a really big hug.  Kids are so cute!

Jett with the girls!

Later that evening back at Poppa and Rara’s.

 

Poppa and Rara put up swings for all their grandchildren this summer.  Anna Kate was quite the dare-devil and even let me run under the swing while I pushed her.  Noelle was more interested in the water!  She said, “I had no idea it would be this much fun!”  They loved being a part of the great outdoors!

 

 

 

What a fun night, thank you Mr. Barry and Mrs. Karen!!!  Ended with an old lady wobbling up the hill to the car!

Has your kid ever gotten in a fight with a Happy Meal toy?  As of today, mine has.  First of all, we NEVER get Happy Meals.  I think they are a rip-off, however, I used a coupon and got one free, so that’s a pretty good deal, toy and all… or so I thought. 

Noelle was so excited to get a Littlest Pet Shop puppy with a bed and stickers.  To sort of sour things up a bit, the stickers wouldn’t stick on the bed, so that got Noelle irritated, but I didn’t see what was coming next.  Once the little puppy was connected to her bed, making her sturdy, her head started bobbling…  which led to her demise.  Wrong move girlfriend!

Noelle’s frustration turned into tears which turned into a rage of rants including the following:

“Stop moving your head!  Other animals walk.  You look crazy!”

“You’re the worst pet ever.  I want to throw you away and never ever see you again!”

“What are you doing?  I’m harmless.  You’re mean, and I don’t like you!”

She came crying to me about how horrific her Littlest Pet shop puppy was and how devastated she was that the puppy wouldn’t stop moving her head.  Seriously, tears streaming down her face folks.  Seriously, you’re thinking?  Yes, seriously!

I told her we should all take naps, and it will be better after nap time.  So, the drama has subsided for now, but when they wake up, Round 2, ding ding!

*On another note, Mike showed me this cool blog today, and I LOVE it!  Check it out:

http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

 

 

As you can see, we had a really great day of shopping with Rara!  Thank you for everything… our Tyler shopping spree, the homemade meals, and helping me bathe and take care of the girls, so that I could get some rest, while working at the office on top of all of that.  You’re twice my age and can seriously run circles around me.  I don’t know how you do it!  I love you, Mommy dearest!  (and of course, Poppa bear too, who had to be out of town for a tennis tournament half the time we were home… it was pre-planned but a big bummer)