Ollie- Our newest family member

For years David has wanted to add a dog to our family. He has been talking about rescuing a Greyhound since I met him and then about 8 years ago he started talking about Italian Greyhounds. 

I didn't know anything about greyhounds or most dogs for that matter. I did have 3 dogs while growing up that I loved and I feel very strongly that if you are going to have pets that they are a part of the family and should be treated as such. So....that meant I didn't want any. I figured I already had enough to do. (Selfish maybe, but this blog is about transparency). 

Over the last year I have been more and more open to the idea of adding a pet to the family. We have a gap in the ages of our kids and many times people have commented that it'll be like having two little families. I detest that idea. I want us to be one big family. We are very initial about how we structure our kids activities and our time together so that we function as a family of six. I had already starting getting sentimental about the idea of David having the dog he's wanted since we got married, add to that the bonus of the kids sharing memories and experiences of the same pet and I was ready to take the plunge. 

I started doing research and seeing what the options for rescue were available in the DC area. I found a great organization called the Italian Greyhound Club of America. We completed the application, had a home visit, spent time with several IGs (or Iggys) and in just over six weeks, on Sep 28th, we got to bring home Ollie!

He is WONDERFUL! I am so glad that he joined our family. Ollie is a great dog and a joy. The kids adore him. He loves to cuddle and burrow in blankets and believe it or not, he rotates whose bed he sleeps in. Ollie is 8 years old and in great health. Hopefully, we will have many years together. 

1st Day of Pre-K

A week after the older boys started school, it was Sybella's turn. It's her third year of preschool and now she is in a Pre-Kindergarten Class. Honestly, I wondered how she would adjust to the extra hours of school this year and interestingly enough, it wasn't her but little brother who struggled to adjust. After having all the kids at home for the summer, Cooper didn't like having none of his buddies around. He's fine now but clearly, I am not as much fun as I thought I was.   :o)   

First Day of School 2011

September 6th was the older boys' first day of school. They were excited to be starting a new year. Connor is in 5th grade this year and Colin is in 8th grade. They are definitely young men now. 

They were gracious enough to pose for pictures and even to allow their pajama-clad littles to join them. And boy, were the littles tired- the middle school bus comes early!

First Slumber Party

The week before school started Sybella finally had the opportunity to have her very first slumber party. It was particularly important for Sybella to have her friend Kylee over for one last extended play date before Kylee started kindergarten. The girls have been best friends for as long as they can remember (literally)! They have been in church, play groups, Bible Studies, Small Groups, and even 2 years of preschool together, not to mention numerous shopping trips, play dates, and lunches. But, with birthdays 3 months apart, Kylee meets the cutoff for starting school this year and Sybella didn't. Fortunately, the pain  sadness, drama, and absolute realization of this sunk in for Sybella in the spring so, now it's just about harnessing the last moments of summer. 

The girls dressed in their PJs from the American Girl Store trip in June and proceeded to giggle, play, giggle, play, giggle, play and not sleep very much. They had a blast! 

Who could've known then that Sybella would have Kylee's Ollie the Otter over for the night and just a a month later our family would get a rescue dog named Ollie. 

What beautiful friends! They don't get to see each other as often now with school in full swing, but they are still managing to find some quality time to hang out.  :)

Camping!

Over Spring Break (April 2011), David and the older boys went on their first camping Trip. They spent three days in the Shenandoah National Park. We aren't campers (anymore...we did enough of that when we were in the Army). But, David wanted to create a special Father-Son Memory and he felt like the best way to do that was to take all of them a bit out of their comfort zones, away from their electronics (His and the Kids') and just have some fun! They enjoyed hiking, climbing, and Smores-making. 

Car Adventures

This week was hectic and I had a son who was sickish (long story). I didn't realize how off kilter I was until Friday though...here's the story:

Thursday, I came out to my Tahoe, we were in a rush,  as you often are with 4 kids. I noticed immediately that something wasn't right. My steering seemed sluggish and there was an "engine overworking" sound to the car when I got above 45 mph. There were no "alert" lights or indicators on. The tires seemed fine. So, I kept going to my destination with a cautious driving stance. It became clear thru the day that this was not a temporary issue. There was definitely something wrong with my vehicle. I suspected power steering or drive belt. I called the mechanic and told them the symptoms and said, "it's almost like when I drive in 4-wheel drive but worse." The mechanic said that could check it the next morning.
On Friday, I took it in and had an hour to kill with the 2 youngest kids. We walked a mile to enjoy a slurpee and visit the local fire station. When we returned to the garage, my mechanic told me, it's done- you guys are ready to go. I was surprised and asked what was wrong with it. He chuckled and told me, Nothing.
What?! I knew that couldn't be right; something was definitely wrong with my truck. I looked at him quizzically and he said, "you know how you said that it was driving sorta like it was in 4-wheel drive? Well, it was in 4-wheel drive...you must have hit the button accidentally or one of the kids did. The indicator light is hard to see in the sunlight, especially if you didn't mean for it to be on. (I think he was just being gracious.)
He told me that he checked out all the belts and fluids and everything looked great. He didn't even charge me for the time and effort he spent on it. All in All, "no problem, no charge" was a great thing to hear from the mechanic but I still felt silly!
There will be no more "driving" for the little kids and no more trips to the mechanic without checking the 4-wheel drive light for me.   :0)

~Sharon

Meltdown

All the parents reading this title know exactly what a meltdown is...it's the moment at which your child's resources, reserves, and rational responses evaporate. Usually a meltdown comes when they are beyond tired, in a growth spirt, &  haven't eaten. The trigger for the meltdown is totally unrelated to it's cause and is usually so ridiculous that the parent can't see it coming. One minute everything is fine and then you put lunch on the blue plate instead of the green plate and it's as if lightening has struck. There is no real solution to the meltdown. It requires time, rest, food, love, and patience. Once it passes, it's over; over that is, until the next time.
Interestingly, meltdowns are not exclusive to children. They are universally human.
They happen when our margin is gone. Think of margin like the margin on a sheet of paper. It's there for a reason. It gives the visual boundaries necessary to write and read a page properly. It's a place for a teacher or editor to put notes or corrections. It's a place to put extra or forgotten information.
In everyday life, margin is our reserve - the place where we absorb unexpected or overloading circumstances to our time, emotions, & finances. The margin is a temporary extension of our abilities. We are designed to live inside the boundaries of the margins; we can only sustain expenditures of time, efforts, or finances to a certain amount and then to need rest and restoration.
When we find ourselves instead living IN the margins on a consistent basis, we are on dangerous ground. We are going to be prone to meltdowns and unfortunately, the meltdown isn't the worst of it-- it can get much worse. It can lead to financial ruin, unbearable stress, decreased effectiveness, health problems, damaged relationships, and much more. The meltdown is your warning. It's a red flag that says, "Get back inside the margins before you break or break someone else."
Last week, I had a meltdown. I don't even know what the trigger was- I can't remember. But I know that I was reduced to a child-like meltdown. Tears and all. I had spent the week living IN the margins.
In no particular order these were the circumstances:
1. sick kid
2. no quality sleep x3 days
3. major project due for a kid
4. kid with classes 2 nights that week
5. orchestra concert
6. week 2 of my diet
7. race training (running)
8. spouse out of town for 10 days
9. unexpected (bad) interim school report for a kid
10. 2 projects due for my non-profit volunteer work
11. First week of swim lessons
12. Sore throat and allergies for me
and who knows what else.....
Thankfully, it was late in the evening. I put the kids in bed and just fell to my knees (literally) to pray. I love our big family and I support my hubby's travel schedule, but sometimes in managing it all, I forget that I don't have to carry it all too. God wants to carry it with me and for me.
Over and Over again, I see how Psalms 40:1-3 rings true in my life:
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire.
He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord."

I am glad this meltdown was short and now I have a re-centered perspective for both my kids' meltdowns and an a reminder to stay out of the margin.
~Sharon

A New Stage of Life

It's not unusual with four kids to feel like you are in Taxi Driver Stage- the time in which you seemingly serve only as a means of transportation for everyone's activities. This stage occurs a few years after Bessie the Milk Cow Stage- filled with breast or bottle feeding CONSTANTLY and the Potty Pooper Stage- a time in which your party IS the potty, poop, accidents, back-breaking hovering and much clothes washing.  None the less, the Taxi Driver Stage is as time consuming and messy (and filled with sheer joy and laughs!) as the stages before it.
Today, however I got a glimpse of a total different stage that I had never seen before (not sure that I like it either). I'm calling it the Mass Exodus Stage- the stage at which you don't just run your kids around, dropping them off for an hour or two, rushing back to pick them up again. In this stage, the kids are old enough to have day-long or in fact, weekend-long activities, routinely; I'm not just talking summer camp. I'm talking regularly scheduled calendar-worthy all-day activities.  What?!   Next, you'll tell me that they'll be driving (in just 3 short years) to these things- I may end up calling that the Scared S*#@less Stage.
HOW did I get here? 
Well, an egg meets a....oh, sorry, I meant- How did I come to this revelation today?
Connor is in Ohio with his aunt and uncle this weekend. Colin spent Saturday snowboarding with his small group and then, to compound the sense of exodus, Sybella, my 4year old, went out to play with a 1st grade neighbor and her older brother. I was left at home with just one young son. That's a 75% reduction in labor, distraction, entertainment, and sweet, sweet moments. To top it off, David left for a week-long business trip- so he couldn't even make it feel like I was getting much deserved time off from the work of motherhood.
I am tearing up just writing this. I typically celebrate the passing of stages and talk fondly of a time in life without the obligations that come along with kids- but this weekend, the Mass Exodus made me stop and 'feel' their departures. I have SO much respect for the moms I know who are sending first and second children off to college. I am saying a long prayer of thanks today that I have an 11 year span between my oldest and youngest- at least I will get to ease into these stages of aging children that lead us to the  Empty Nest.

What Stage are you in right now? What do you love best about it?
~Sharon

Frying Pan Park

In late October, we had the chance enjoy a play-date with the St.Clair cousins (all the kids that weren't in school). We visited Frying Pan Park in Herdon, VA.

We saw lots of animals, ate lunch, and played. The kids loved the sheep, pigs, cows, horses, turkeys, ducks, and peacocks. A beautiful sunny day and fun with the family. We couldn't ask for anything more!

Thanksgiving Feast

Every year the elementary school does a 'Thanksgiving Feast.' This year was no different. Sybella, Cooper, and I had the opportunity to go Connor's school and enjoy lunch with him and his friends. Connor loves showing off his younger siblings to the kids in the class and the younger kids love both eating with Connor and all the attention.

We had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green beans....along with Pumpkin Ice Cream. Not too bad a fare for cafeteria food!

**Unfortunately, the Middle School does not offer a Thanksgiving Feast so, we didn't get to eat with Colin this year. :0(

Halloween 2010

Halloween festivities at our house this year included the preschool parade in which the kids dress up and parade around for the parents and sing songs for us. It was entertaining as usual and Sybella loved the fact that she and Kylee chose to be the same thing for Halloween. (Thanks Shauna for remembering your camera!)

Then we dressed up again on Halloween to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood. I usually stay home and pass out candy and dad takes the kids around to get candy. This year our older boys dressed up (for what was likely Colin's LAST year) and went to their friends' house to trick-or-treat. So, unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them.

Sybella was Tinkerbell this year for Halloween. She loved the costume but particularly enjoyed the 'glitter' hairspray that made the outfit! What a girl! (the lighting is great in this pic, sorry)

Cooper was quite a handsome 'UPS' man...however, nothing was getting delivered; he was eating it all, including this Chocolate Kiss, before it could get anywhere. He has decided he LIKES candy. (I have to change my hiding place several times a week- he sees the older kids get a piece and he waits 'till he thinks no one is looking and tries to get some for himself.)

We enjoyed time at the pool all weekend. What a great way to spend Memorial Day: pool, family, fun, friends, veterans, and food!

My Miracle

Miracles come in all shapes and sizes. Over the last 3 weeks, we have had our own little miracle named Christina. Christina, you ask. Yes, a wonderful angel who on less than a week's notice came from Tennessee to stay with us for 12 days to help us out following my surgery. It was minor surgery but it required me to rest and do no lifting over 15 lbs (which is of course less than my 1-yr-old weighs). I needed a great solution on not much time and one that would create a calm and peace in our home. Christina (and her family) were our answer. Thanks God for providing this relationship years ago in Puyallup, WA so that our needs could be met this year in Washington, DC!

Getting the Call

On Thursday, Dec 3rd, we were excited to get the "call" from our friends, Joel and Shauna Oswald that they had been authorized to travel to Seoul, South Korea to pick up their son. Needless to say we were all excited. Joel and Shauna have been on the adoption journey for this, their second child, for a long time.

We have prayed and rejoiced with them through the process and were happy to volunteer to help when the opportunity arose. Neither Joel or Shauna have ever been to Korea and would be traveling alone this time (their China trip to get Kylee was done with many other families at the same time) and also, they wanted to take Kylee with them on the trip but would need someone to assist with Kylee on several days because she would not go along to the visits/meetings or to pick up Keller. Since David has many times traveled to Seoul for business, he is comfortable in the city and with the transportation. And since Sybella and Kylee are best friends, we were happy to volunteer to join them on the journey.

On Thursday when the call came, Shauna and I got out our computers and started looking for some flights that wouldn't be outrageous and would get us to Korea in a timely manner; of course they wanted to get their son as soon as possible. Sunday (72 hours later) was the best option---we booked the flights and started the whirlwind process to get last minute preparations done for both the trip and stuff that needed to get done at home.

David and I had decided that we would take Sybella and Cooper but leave Colin and Connor at home to attend school and stay with Granda (my mom).

On Sunday, we went to the airport excited and sure that we were in for an adventure- small children and 14 hours on a plane is certainly never boring. We had a snaffu in the airport, long story short, we left our diaper bag (embroidered with Cooper's name) at the counter and instead of paging us to come back and get it, Delta, who we purchased the tickets thru, called the airport police and turned it in as an unattended bag. Really?! Needless to say, by the time we figured out we didn't have it, we had already come thru security and were almost ready to board the plane. No diapers for 14 hours???!!! Korean Airlines is amazing. They went above and beyond all our expectations. They went & retrieved our bag from the police promising to send it to us the next day and gave us diapers for the trip. Then when the flight was delayed by 30 minutes, they re-opened the plane door to go ahead and give us our diaper bag. Amazing!

The flight attendants were wonderful and the whole flight was kid-friendly. So, despite our anxieties, the flight was awesome!

The Oswalds on the plane as a Family of 3

The Police Department

Today I took the kids to the City of Fairfax Police Department.

Before I get into why I was at the police station, I have a little vignette to tell you:

We were in the parking lot on our way into the building. There was a policeman who had just gotten out of his cruiser and was on the way into the building. Sybella says, "Mom, that's a Police Man." I responded, "you're right Sybella, that is a Police Man." She then says in an adorable, sing-song, 2-yr-old voice, "I Liiiiike him!" It was too cute.

OK, back to why I was actually at the Police Station: The Optimist Club of Fairfax was assisting the Police Department in hosting a SafeAssured ID Program.

You may not know what the program is, The SafeAssured privacy-protected mini-CD offers a single repository of important information:

· All ten electronically imaged fingerprints

· Digital photograph

· Streaming video showing mannerisms and gait with linked audio file providing the child's voice inflection and accent.

· Private information (general physical description, street address, date of birth, life-threatening medical conditions, identifying scars or marks, and tattoos)

· Ability to create missing person poster from the mini-CD

Families also receive a full-color photo data card and a Parents' Guidebook with prevention tips, written in conjunction with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Essentially, you have everything you need to launch a National Amber alert and provide identification data to the police, all at your fingertips. I hope to NEVER need the CD and ID card that I was provided for each of the kids, but I would rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it! The experience also provided me with an opportunity to review safety information with the kids including our family "password," how to handle encounters with strangers, how a 911 call works, etc.

The Program we attended today was Free of Charge and they did a CD/ID card for each of my 4 kids (the baby's CD did not include a streaming video of him walking and talking since he doesn't do that yet-- but does have a photo and his fingerprints!).

This was a great experience, an awesome resource, and the kids loved interacting with the police officers and volunteers.

Note: Most organizations offer this service for between $0 and $10. It is recommended that you update your child's kit every year because kids change so dramatically from year to year. Check with your local police department, Optimist Club, or the SafeAssured ID event site to find an event near you!

Waking Cooper Up

Sybella loves her little brother, loves him so much in fact, that she'll wake him up to spend time with him. LOL---can't ever take your eyes off a toddler!

Breakfast with Grandma Cretella

While we were in Ohio this weekend for a wedding, we got the chance to have breakfast with David's Grandma Cretella. She met us at the Cracker Barrel to spend an hour with us before we drove back to DC. Here are some shots of her with Sybella and Cooper.

Blue Like Play Dough

Today my husband worked a short day and my in-laws are in town. This gave me the unusual opportunity to consider a nap.....I had the chance to take a LONG nap but I passed on it. WHAT???? That's crazy! Any mother of four who has the chance to take a nap (long or short) should take it. Why on earth would I pass up this chance? Because I wanted to finish the book Blue Like Play Dough by Tricia Goyer.

Now, I will confess that I read fast so I managed to get the reading in and still have time for a short nap so it wasn't all sacrifice. This book is wonderful. It hit on several parenting, spiritual, and life issues that were timely. Some of the topics I enjoyed most:

• There's no need for Excessive Self-Sufficiency.
• One of the best ways of Finding and Sharing God's Love is thru Relationship with others
• Remembering that TODAY is life, don't wait for the illusive tomorrow.
• Trust and respond to your inner voice!
• If you feel disconnected or "a little off"--- you probably are, but you can fix it. Get into the word and spend some time in prayer.
• There are no "side trips" on your journey with God, every season has a purpose. God can grow you thru it.
• Make the effort to tuck God's word in your kids hearts (ie: bible stories and memorization) and use creative ways sometimes... For instance, lights out or bedtime can be extended ANY time for reading God's word.
• The hard stuff isn't easy (like your teenager being arrested for stealing) but thru it we see God in different ways.

This book may well be the best book I have read so far this year. I plan to read it again while on vacation next week. But, better yet, I have a copy to GIVE AWAY. Comment here on the blog OR on Facebook by Aug 8 to be entered in a drawing for a free book (I'll mail it to you). If you aren't the winner, you should still get this book!

Summary: In the everyday stretch and squeeze of motherhood, Tricia Goyer often feels smooshed by the demands of life. In Blue Like Play Dough, she shares her unlikely journey from rebellious, pregnant teen to busy wife and mom with big dreams of her own. As her story unfolds, Tricia realizes that God has more in store for her than she has ever imagined possible.

Sure, life is messy and beset by doubts. But God keeps showing up in the most unlikely places–in a bowl of carrot soup, the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon, a woe-is me teen drama, or play dough in the hands of a child.

In Tricia’s transparent account, you’ll find understanding, laughter, and strength for your own story. And in the daily push and pull, you’ll learn to recognizes the loving hands of God at work in your life… and know He has something beautiful in mind.

Author Bio: Tricia Goyer is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including Generation NeXt Parenting and the Gold Medallion finalist Life Interrupted. Goyer writes for publications such as Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family, speaks to women’s groups nationwide and has been a presenter at the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) national convention. She and her husband, John, live with their family in Montana.

National Firearms Museum

Today, the kids and I went to the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, VA. The museum is co-located with the National Rifle Association (NRA). For any who aren't aware, my oldest sons are gun enthusiasts! They read about guns, they write about guns, they play army, army, and more army. They own at least 2 Air-Soft pellet guns each and are always asking for more. They have large (encyclopedia-like) books about guns and read them frequently. You might ask, does this bother me? No, it doesn't bother me at all. I sometimes get tired of hearing about guns but...they enjoy it, they are learning, and we often utilize this keen interest to help them set goals in other areas.

I grew up around guns. I think I was probably 9 the first time I shot a weapon (probably at a empty soda can, a fence post, or a cow patty--I was visiting my extended family in Texas). By 13 or so, I would go to shooting ranges and "practice." And, later I had to "qualify" with an M-16 as part of my annual Army requirements (as did David). So, you might say that I am uniquely-likely to have sons that would have such a great interest in weapons. At any rate, we decided that today we would go and see the museum. Admission is Free and it's close to our house so, it made for an easy Day Trip.

The Museum Exhibits are nice, the collection of weapons is well organized and informative, and there are historical references in order to both educate and give context to weapon development. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, but I was impressed. There were many more weapons than I expected and the history was very interesting to me.

For instance, I didn't know that until WWII, General grade officers had to provide their own pistol!?! That seems ridiculous! And now, a pistol is issued to each General and they are the only weapons issued by the United States Armed Forces that do not have to be returned. It's a cool little tidbit of information and there are many more like that.

Sybella's favorite part of the museum was the computers; most of the display cases have too much in them to have descriptions on placards. So, instead, there are computers where you type in the case and item number to find out what the item is, it's maker, and the history of the weapon. Sybella LOVED typing on the keyboards. She would then repeat the name of whatever weapon the boys were talking about (as if she had actually looked it up). The boys also enjoyed the computers but they used them to confirm that they had accurately named a weapon. I was downright surprised at how versed they are in WWII weaponry. I hear them talk about guns but they were actually able to pick them out!

Obviously, we enjoyed our visit to the museum and much to the boys' delight, they sell Air-Soft pistols in the gift shop! The boys used their allowance money to purchase a Sig Sauer and a Walther P22, which they are in fact using in "target" practice outside right now. What a great day!

***Don't forget that if you click on the mosaic or any other picture, it will enlarge for better viewing.

Out for a Walk

This is an iPhone photo (which I seem to be taking a lot of lately) of the younger kids in their Sit and Stand Stroller. I bought it on Craig's List and we put it to good use 5-7 times a week for walks through Old Town Fairfax.
NOTICE - A Slurpee is a special treat Sybella sometimes enjoys on our walks. :)