Worth It...

bedrest, sickness, sleepless nights, 14 diapers a day, mounds of laundry, never a free moment, biting and fighting, multiple trips to load the car, etc...

yet, now both my cheeks are wet from where two babies leaned down from Daddy's arms to give me sweet goodnight kisses, so worth it!

I Have Failed, Failed, Failed...

For those of you who know me, I define myself as being a reader. Iread an average of 2 books a week plus several magazines. I have I always loved reading. I actually remember the first time I read a book on my own The Big Red Ball. I read constantly as a child. I practically had Little House on the Prairie memorized. I cannot imagine a childhood without books. Yet, did I pass this on? NO! I failed, failed, failed...

Yesterday in the car with Ashton as we drove by the old Kr*ger:

Me: Did you know there isn't a Kro*ger there anymore?
A: What's going to be there now?
Me: They are thinking about putting a church there.
A: How do you know this stuff?
Me: I read it in the paper.
A: Mom, I'm so glad you read stuff.
Me: I love to read (notice I'm really trying here). I can't wait until the day that you can read and we can talk about all the good books we've read together.
A: Ummm, yeah, NOT gonna happen. I mean I don't like to read. I like to watch stuff.
Me: :0 sniff, sniff

I have failed as a parent as a teacher as a homeschooler and as a reader. I blame bedrest. That is when I stopped reading to them every night because I wasn't allowed to go up the stairs and now I just don't have the energy after yelling at them for 30 minutes to get into bed. I know where I went wrong, but it doesn't stop the pain.

So, great parents and teachers out there: is it too late? Can I turn this around? Can I make her into a mini me who has more books than clothes in her closet? Can I get her excited to take my dream trip to trace the path the Ingalls family traveled in their covered wagon? Can I turn her into my future book buddy who races with me to see what happens next to the Baxter family children? Will she one day be excited to stand beside me in Stratford-Upon-Avon and see where Shakespeare was born?

Does anyone want to share their kids favorite books? (I also love reading children's literature.) Right now we are reading American Girl and Magic Tree House but I have decided this will be "The Summer of Reading" (like the "Summer of George, any Seinfeld fans out there?). They each have to read 100 books this summer. Feel free to place bets on whether this will actually happen :)

That Should Work...

I was reading an e-mail from Dr. Gary Chapman talking about teaching children obedience (I just got it in my e-mail box and I'm wondering who told him I needed it :). Any way, I thought it was kind of funny but probably very effective:

"Do you want to teach your child not to smoke cigarettes? Then don't smoke yourself, and make it a family rule. In our family, no one smokes cigarettes. If we break the rule we must eat a carrot - the whole thing. This will give the body beta carotene to overcome the nicotine, and chances are the teen will think twice about smoking a second time.If there is a second violation, a $25 donation to the American Heart Association, picking up 100 cigarette butts from the street and putting them in a trash can, and reading an article on the dangers of nicotine to the lungs will probably be enough to convince him that smoking is for camels and not for children. The third level is spending a day with a man who is dying of lung cancer. Your children are smart. Expose them to the truth."

It leaves me wondering what I should do for the problems around here:

Never picking up anything- I should do like KC and throw all things not picked up away, but I'm a softie. Maybe I should do an AJ and go on strike and see how long it takes before they hate living in a trash heap?

You know what? I don't think I need Dr. Chapman's e-mails, my friends are a wealth of ways to torture, I mean discipline, my children!

There Will Come A Day...

when my sink won't be full of dozens of sippy cups,
when there aren't little handprints on all my windows,
when I won't have so much laundry to do,
when I won't have to make another peanut butter and jelly sandwich,
when everyone can blow their nose without my help,
when I'm not covered with little bodies every time I sit on the couch,
when my entire days will be as quiet as naptime,
when toys won't be the main decor in my house,
when I won't be awoken in the night by warm bodies climbing into bed,
when cartoons won't always be on my TV,
when I'll have plenty of time to clean and read,
when my shirts won't be covered with food, drool and other stuff,
when my kitchen floor won't be covered with discarded food,
when my trash won't be 80% diapers,
when my weekends won't be full of ballgames and birthday parties,
when I won't be asked to watch video games and impromptu dance numbers,
when I won't cry wondering how I'll ever get it all done,
when I won't beg Jon to hurry home so I can get a break.

That day will come, but for today on this cozy, rainy day I am lazily cuddling on the couch, naughtily not doing school and appreciating every book reading, baby giggling, video game spectating, nose wiping, toy spreading, Word World watching, sippy cup filling, breakfast throwing, belly tickling moment.

Hope you are too.

I Love Baseball...

Believe me, I must love baseball and this boy to endure the chase-two-toddlers-all-over-the-world for 2 hours every game! I don't exactly get to leisurely enjoy (or even see most of) the games this season with my two little whirlwinds who always go in opposite directions, but I still love watching my boy play (and my girl is even playing for the first time this summer!). These are really the first time I've had the opportunity to take pictures. I was able to this night only because my sweet husband took it upon himself to hire me a sweet teenager to help me chase babies! She was a lot of help, but I wish there were two of her!

So, here is my handsome 8 year old in his 8th season, can you belive that?!

We are proud to be the Captai*n D's Tampa Bay Rays. We went to have dinner there before our last game and they all wanted to know where we got our shirts. It was pretty funny!

Jackson is very excited to be "pitching" this year. Although it is still coach pitch he loves playing that position, just like his daddy.

Jon is for the 6th time coaching the team.

I'm ridiculously sad that this is the last time Jon will be pitching to him. I love the sight of him out there on the mound with my boy. It is a beautiful sight. I guess his arm will get about 2 years rest and then he'll be pitching to the wee ones!

The twins are J's biggest fans.

I also love this picture of all our players who were more excited to see the caterpillar Ashton caught than the game. That might explain our record, hmmm???

This has been a really fun season where we have been blessed with a wonderful group of players and parents. Like I said, I love baseball!

Zone Don't Work...

Every time I'd try to talk Jon into having a 3rd child, he always said, "Then they'd outnumber us and we'd have to go from man-to-man defense to zone defense and zone never works as well." Quite obviously, I didn't buy his argument and we went for #3 (and got our "Bonus Baby".) I guess I should have listened.

Zone obviously doesn't work:

Poor guy is so outnumbered!

On Any Given Day...

I'm always trying to document the big moments in life, birthday parties, recitals and such, but it's really the every day life that is truly the most important. So, what will you find my 4 doing on any given lazy day at home?

If allowed, Jackson will be playing his Playstati*n:

Wesley ADORES the vacuum. He will play with it for hours!

Will loves to find a nook and settle in. Somedays it's the Blue's Clue*s chair with a book or like today it is the gaming chair with his own controller thinking he's really playing:

This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has called my house lately since Ashton now insists on answering all calls!

So, there we are just hanging out and enjoying be together. In all fairness, I guess I should include myself. If the camera had been turned on me I'd be in pajamas blog lurking! Jon gets off the hook since he was at work! I pray to always remember the beauty of a houseful of kids just enjoying one another. I am so blessed!

"I Mean I Know It's a Color"...

Ashton didn't get her way the other day and proceeded to kick Jon. (I know: shocking!) Jon said, "Wow, you get violent when you don't get your way."

Jackson is laughing along with us and then he says, "What does that mean, violent? I mean I know it's a color and all..."

Wow, I really miss being able to blame those "public schools" for my kid not knowing what violent means!