Having "Littles" (and a giveaway)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my children. I feel so blessed to be in a family and so honored to be entrusted with the character traininga nd nurturing of someone made in the image of God. Each time I have been pregnant I have felt so unworthy and soo grateful.

I have my hands full. I *constantly* feel like I am neglecting someone. Maybe that is good, maybe it keeps me on my toes and causing me to constantly re-evaulate.

I am a big believer in scheduling and the MOTH system in particular. Trouble here is that mom can't get to bed at a decent hour and wakes up two steps behind throwing everyone else off course. I also overestimated what I can expect of a just turned two year old. I thought I would give the first part of my day to my littles because it is most important. I thought we would go through a nursery school curricuilium and sing songs and make crafts. it never flew. Maybe I should try again. I do not want to park my toddler in front of the tv so that I can do more with my older kids.

We are invovled in a history/geography co-op this year. I am in the birth-5 age group. People had ideas of detailed lesssons and planning and crafts and....My two year old misses his two hour nap while I try to nurse my baby, change my baby, keep peace with the 4 year olds and enforce "we all sahre together" "please don't satnd on furniture" "lets not touch anyone"....maybe at this age a consistent lesson on social expectanncies is all we will get done.

I am feeling overwelmed and frustrated but I am also glad to be where I am.

If you can relate and are where I am right now..maybe you would like to enter this contest as I am :)

head on over to
http://inevergrewup.net/giveaway-25-bumbleride-indie-stroller/
and see how :)

Do Whaaat?

I am feeling pretty silly. On two levels. First I feel pretty shallow mourning a store going out of business. Then I feel guilty having taken said store for granted for so long.

The Big Lots in our town is gone. The Big Lots that was just a few blocks from me. The Big Lots where I bought Waverly table cloths for $6.00, organic & dye free Mac n cheese for 65 cents, organic breakfast cereal for $2.00, baby wipes for $1.00 a pack. I was there so often. My son also reminded me that we'd buy Little Debbies there. For less than $1.00. Came in very handy on our snack night for Boy Scouts.

There is another store a half hour away. But we wont go there. I cant send my husband out for a quick errand with a toddler while I school the olders. I cant sneak there during a Scout Meeting to eat Little Debbies. I cant run over there when out of Baby Wipes. It costs $$$ to drive a half hour away.

I will miss Big Lots.

I was there when our store closed. I was actually in the store when they turned the lights out. Very surreal.

Do you have a store taht you are taking for granted? One that could fill the gaping hole left in my life by "my" Big Lots abandonement? Do you have a suggestion on where to now get the things that I use to get at Big Lots? HELP!!!