Why Didn't I Think of This Before?

There are times when I have take my children with me to the grocery store. I'm pretty sure taking the kids doubles if not triples the time spent at the store. The trips are always smoother when I am creative and have something planned for the children to do while we shop. Yesterday evening I had to take the children to the store and I came up with a plan and I think it was the best in a long time.

Saturday, our local library had a book sale. I went by myself in the early afternoon and brought back a backpack full of books for five dollars. I didn't have enough time to look, because I had to get home to take the four girls to a skating party. While the girls were at the party, Jon and I decided we would take the boys to the library and see what else we could find. As we walked in we were handed plastic grocery bags and told that we could have whatever we could fit in a bag for one dollar. The boys had a blast helping us fill the bags. We brought home seven more bags of books.

Our children are loving having all the new books to devour. At least one has plans to read all of them this Summer (well maybe not the college math book I picked up).

I took advantage of their interest last evening and allowed each child to bring a book with them to the store. That was the most peaceful shopping trip with children that I have had in a long time! I'm definitely going to do that again.

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On another topic, I have a couple prayers of thanks. 1. We paid our van off Thursday and we now officially own all our vehicles. 2. A man in a car sped through a red light Saturday. The boys and I (in the above mentioned van) had been stopped at the light for the intersecting street. We and the van turning in the lane beside us just missed being in an accident with the speeding car. The fact that I was at a full stop at the light before it changed kept us from being in the intersection as the car sped through. The car missed our van by about five feet and missed the other van by about five inches. As Puppy Dog said, "that car was flying" and "we need to thank God that He made you put on the brakes!"

Some of What We've Been Up To

We've been a little busy, lately.

Birdie, Monkey, and Puppy Dog were in our church's children's choir. This year they went by the name, Inside Out. Froggie and Kitty Kat didn't sign up for the Jr. High choir in time, so they didn't participate (on stage) in the Night of Worship this year.

Birdie and Monkey

Puppy Dog


all six children after the Night of Worship





We watched two of Jon's nieces last Saturday. While they were here, the children discovered some strange fungi (?). The children have been been observing the fungi each day. It dies off each day and then a new fungus is in the same area the next morning. Does anyone know what it is?





Birdie, Monkey, and Puppy Dog after their Inside Out award ceremony.

Kitty Kat, me, Froggie, Monkey, and Birdie after the Sonflower Scout badge ceremony

This is what our living room ceiling looks like right now. Little Bear says we made it naked. Actually, it's not even there. The old plaster ceiling was falling down, so we had to take it down. We're hoping to have the new ceiling up this weekend and get the living room repainted next week. We still haven't decided what color of paint to use. We have some ideas, though.

An Angel with a Flaming Sword

Aren't four year olds interesting? Little Bear just told me, "Mom, when I grow up I'm going to be an angel, but I'm going to have a flaming sword. Do you want to know where I got that from? I got that from my Adam book." LOL My son is not going to be a doctor, a lawyer, a street sweeper, or any other normal profession. No, my son is aspiring to be an angel with a flaming sword. I wonder what he'll want to be tomorrow?

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I didn't get to the store on Thursday which is our normal day to shop. The kids and I went on Saturday. The kids were not in the best of moods. I started out by telling the kids I was going to take a picture of them to put on the blog anytime I caught them misbehaving. It didn't take me long to realize my mistake. I switched to taking pictures of the kids when I caught them behaving.

Birdie helps by getting beans to put in the cart while we were at Wal-mart.

I caught Monkey with her hands in her pockets while several children behind her were handling the items on the shelves. Her siblings saw this take place and the next thing I knew, several others had their hands in their pockets. (Pay no attention to the green coat sleeves. Ugh! They are the stained sleeves of Froggie's old coat. I told her I would not put a picture of her in the blog if she had the coat on, but she refused to take it off. She was caught being good a couple times, but I can't post her picture since I told her I wouldn't.

Puppy Dog stands by the cart with his hands in his pockets.

Birdie poses with her hands in her pockets. Monkey is in the background looking at a movie display with her hands still in her pockets. Another sister is looking with her hands. Ahem!

Little Bear tries to hide behind his arm as I take this picture. It took me several tries!

What a great older sister! Kitty Kat helps out by taking the boys to the restroom at Kroger.

Our total for food at Wal-mart was $21.56 .

Our total for food at Kroger was $77.75 .

Jon spent about $40 while I was at a friend's Friday.

weekly total = $139.31

total for two weeks = $277.00

average weekly spending = $138.50 .

I haven't been stressing out about food prices as much these last two weeks. Most likely, this is due to the fact that we have had more money available for food. It's looking like our average for food may be higher than it was previously. Due to the rising cost of food, we may have to increase our food budget. Then again, I usually will have a week here or there where I don't do the regular food shopping. That would really drop the average.

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While I was typing this, Little Bear brought me the book he previously referred to, and showed me the picture of the angel with the flaming sword. The book is CREATION MY FATHER LOVES ME by J.D. Wise.

Second Shift Can Be Hard On A Family

Little Bear was having a difficult time getting to sleep last night. I had him come to lay down on Jon's side of the bed to see if I could get him to sleep. The following conversation took place.

~12:45 am 3/24/09

Little Bear - Mom? Why do you and Daddy share a room?

Me - because we're married

L. B. - If I was Daddy, and they called me into work I wouldn't go.

Me - Then you would lose your job.

L. B. - Well, if I had to go to work, then my kids might miss me.

Me - Is that why you can't get to sleep?

L. B. - Yeah.

Me - Well, you just lay down on Daddy's side of the bed, and I'll move you later.

L. B. - OK.

I ended up falling asleep too, so Jon moved Little Bear.

* Little Bear helped type this. His self appointed job was to type B and b. He thought it was hilarious to hold the key down. I was mean and erased the extra ones. So, here are some lines typed by none other than Little Bear himself:

g;;jmnnnfnmnnnnb,mb,bbb9Benjkphwrr jvkjitrjjtguj5r3ut5huhr3euireyuewyuhrewyu3yggf
bbuhhbfuhfhet5yeutrediotue3y78934uu4ui5ihyu4yuggg bvvcvvvvswvsvgbbbbbbb b bb b bbb

How do you get a letter to Jesus?

Little Bear is really coming up with some deep problems and interesting solutions, lately.

Monkey, Puppy Dog, and Little Bear were making/playing with "mailboxes", cards, and letters today. Baby Bear decided that his card/letter was for "Baby Jesus". Questions and answers about how to get the card to Jesus, Jesus growing up, Jesus dying on the cross, and rising from the dead, etc. followed. Of course, you can't just mail a card to Jesus. My idea that Jesus would see it as Bear wrote it wasn't enough. So, Little Bear has decided that he needs to climb a mountain to give the letter to Jesus. Not only is Little Bear planning to climb a mountain, but he also has to put on his shoes and socks so that he can climb the mountain with Daddy and me.

As much as I need to get into better shape, climbing a mountain really isn't what I had in mind.

Where should the moon be at 5:30pm?

We were out this afternoon between 5:30 and 6:00 and the following conversation took place:

Baby Bear: "Mo-ommy-y, there's a pro-oble-em!"

Me: "What's the problem?"

Baby Bear: "The moon is up!"

Jon: "Where did you see the moon?"

Baby Bear: "in the sky"

Who would have thought that a 3yo (almost 4) would be that aware of the time change differences?

Cute Quotes

Baby Bear: "Mommy, I'm going to build my cubhouse at Gamma R-----'s house. And, I have biznis cawds. I'm awowing you and Daddy to be in my cub."

What a Big Boy!

Look what I discovered! Someone changed the toilet paper after finishing a roll. After a short investigation I found out it was Baby Bear because, "I used up the other roll." He didn't throw away the empty packaging (left in the cabinet) or the old tube (left on the back of the toilet), but we talked about it and he now knows to throw them away next time. I made a big deal about it and I hope he will continue to replace it when needed. I think all my children will be good at this for a month or so, hopefully the newness won't wear off before it becomes a habit for them.



As I was taking this picture Baby Bear pointed to the holder, "Do you know who put this here? Daddy put this here."

Cute Quotes

As Baby Bear was putting on his P.J.s, he was talking to Jon and I about the puppies and bones on the pajamas. He told us, "They're not alive, they're dead."

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Puppy Dog was shouting, "Jelly fish, jelly fish!"

Baby Bear added, "Peanut butter fish, peanut butter fish!"

Puppy Dog Quotes

Puppy Dog: "Mom, I need to get cold. I need a cold shower."

(Now, now! Don't go there! Remember, he's an innocent five-year-old.)

Me: "Why?"

P.D. : "Because, I'm sweating."

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P.D. : "Mom, may I get in the dryer?"

Me: "Absolutely not!"

P.D. : "I just want to see if I have any clothes in there."

Me: "Oh, well it just got started a little while ago so they aren't dry, yet."

Rolling Out The Dough

This evening, Baby Bear came marching through the house. He was holding each end of the boys' rocking horse handle (wooden dowel with rounded ends) and pretending to roll the "pin" back and forth. All the while he was singing, "Holling out da dough! Holling out da dough!". My little chef in training. : )

"I falled."

Baby Bear was asleep when we came home from an appointment this evening. I laid him on our love seat without taking off his coat, gloves, and shoes because I wanted him to stay asleep. He had missed his nap earlier. While I was reading to the other children, all of a sudden, Baby Bear slipped off the love seat. He lifted up his head and said, "I falled". Monkey was the closest to him, so she comforted him and he fell back to sleep beside her. I'm not even sure he was actually awake. It didn't even bother him when we all laughed at his statement.

Baby Bear says...

I asked Baby Bear what I should write about tonight. This is how our conversation went:

Me: "What should I write about tonight?"

BB: "About Gawd."

Me: "About God?"

BB: "Yeah."

Me: "What should I write about God?"

BB: "About we're going to Him."

Me: "We're going to Him?"

BB: "And fishy and animal crackers."

Me: "Are you going to eat fishy and animal crackers?"

BB: "Yeah, in my c'ass."

BB then ran off to play with Daddy.