The Real Mom

Just thought I would give some insight into why I chose "The Real Mom" as my blog title. Considering I only gave birth to 3 of the 6 children that I am currently raising, this is an expression heard in my home often. "Is my real mom coming to my game?" "Is my real mom coming to get me?" "Can I call my real Mom?" After some time, you start to think you are made out of plastic or spare metal parts, considering it is never you that is coined as the real mom. I have had a great deal of time to ponder the term and what it means to ACTUALLY be their "real mom". Is it birthright? Is it claim to half of their DNA? Is it carrying them for nine months?

Where I have found that these things make you a person who has mothered a child, they do not make you their real mom. I have come up with  short list of criteria that I believe makes me the real mom in the case of all my children.

1. If you are the 24 hour on duty throw up cleaner upper

2. If you have painfully read with your kindergartner more than 100 times

3. If you fill out the hours of paperwork to get them registered to school

4. If you pray with them before bed every night

5. If you are the one comforting them after nightmares and kissing their ouchies when they fall

6. If you drag them all to the dentist every 6 months

7. If you make their favorite desert for their birthday every year

8. If you know their friends and meet with their teachers at school

9. If you wash their clothes and their backsides regularly

10. If you discipline and love them consistently and equally

11. If you lay them at the altar on a regular basis

12. If you buy their school clothes and supplies for the first day of school

13. If you are up at 6 every morning every day to make their breakfast, pick out their clothes, pack their backpacks,do their hair and tie their shoes up

14. If you tell them they are the most amazing and beautiful kids in the world every day

15. If you get the very best of them and the very worst of them

I say these things with a grateful heart. The reality that God chose me for them and them for me is so humbling and they remind me of Gods grace each day. It is the greatest blessing in the world to be their "real mom".

In the words of Ashley, it was Fun Fun Fun :)

What a great weekend. It was packed to the gills but that is how we like it around here. RJ and I have just realized we aren't happy unless things are crazy. If our life starts to calm down, we jump to cram more in. You gotta LIVE people! Wanted to post some of the things that kept it crazy this weekend.......

On Saturday the girls had a ball game. They are the Aliens....not of this world. I love watching them hit and run and interact as a team. They just amaze me.

Then we had Londyns 6th birthday party. It was a great party but I still cannot believe she is 6!!!

Londyn loves fruit so I made this for her. She loved it. Didn't even eat a cupcake. :)

As a matter of fact, I did make these cupcakes :) with lots of RJ's help.

What a party my girl had!.....and I got to see sweet Lauren. She made my day.

RJ and I also got our garden planted this weekend! This is our second year and we love it. We planted potatoes, onion, garlic, cabbage, squash, zucchini, cucumber, 3 different peppers, okra, eggplant, 2 different tomatoes, watermelon and cantaloupe.

Can't wait to eat them!!

As a side note, Coco got new Dora bedding this weekend. She was still using her crib bedding. Now, those of you who know me will know that I really don't like things with characters on them. Clothes, shoes, bedding, etc. But my sweet baby girl loooooves Dora and I knew that she would love Dora bedding. Sometimes it just needs to be about them, so I bit the bullet and bought the Dora bedding just to see her reaction. It was as magical as I thought it would be when she walked in on her Dora bed. It makes me misty eyed just remembering it. She was so so excited she squealed, threw herself down on it and wiggled around on it flopping around for at least 10 whole minutes. I'd buy that bedding 100 times again. 

A real life cinderella makeover story. :)

Coco and her baby Cinderella in the a.m.

As you can see, there is no order to their hair, obviously trying to pull off the tousled look (and failing). Coco is in a hideous number with frogs on it that looks like something a 2 year old would wear. Poorly fitted if you ask me. Her and this Cinderella chick need a makeover desperately!

One hour later...................

What a transformation!!!!

What we did is we applied some apple scented kids suave, a brush and a hairbow to complete the look of the hair. What was once a bed head mess is now sleek and sophisticated. We put Coco in a sunny little frock with the ever popular flower and fruit design. These girls are ready to hit the back yard hard! We have included some more shots.......

Love this girl :)

Theres nair on my legs

As you just read, I have nair on my legs right now and I have about 3 more minutes so I thought I'd throw a quick blog up. I never shave my legs, it is one of those things I hate doing.....like peeling an orange, scooping ice cream, making a pitcher of tea, etc. Is there anything weird that you just can't stand to do?

Some of the interesting things that have happened in the last 24....

My oldest informed me last night that she wants to live with her Dad!?!?!?! She is 9. It's going to be a long 9 more years. It's a good thing my Joy is not centered in my children. It is moments like these that I cannot take to heart. With 6 children (all but 2 having different parents) I have many many more moments like this to come. If I do not remember who my babies really belong to, it will kill me.

I put out fliers for the childrens fashion show we are having at work. I am the director of Living Alternatives of Palestine (look us up on facebook).  Our Mission:  To change and save lives in Jesus' name by sharing positive solutions to issues surrounding unplanned pregnancy. We will help those in need by sharing God's grace, educating about life and sexuality, and offering compassionate care.
*Best Job Ever*

Having Taco salad tonight (in actual taco bowl). Love it.

What you've all been waiting for! (the one or two of you there are)

Sooooo, I am back to tell you more about my family and it's strange and beautiful dynamics....

This is me....

On a really good day. I am silly and emotional and passionate and phenomenal. I love my husband and I love me some Jesus.


This is my husband RJ......

On any day. He is a giver and sincere and gentle and loving and the best. He is a sacred moment of Grace for me.

 This is us together.....

A shame really.


Now on to the innocent ones who are directly affected....

Tawny, the oldest (mine).....

Beautiful and brilliant and sweet and deep and philosphical. My original baby and a life saver.

Chandler, the only boy (his by birth)....

Most handsome boy ever and honest and hysterical (especially after a couple of pink lemonade shots) and intelligent and Coco's very best friend. This boy has a very firm grip on my heart.

Heaven, the third head of the trio (our foster girl)....

  Goofy and tough and independent and protective and lots of fun. She might as well be ours.

Mallory, the second head of the trio (mine).....

Stunning and emotional and artistic and social and so smart. My personal favorite, this one. WHAT?! I can have a favorite right? I prayed for a redheaded freckled face girl. I got her :)

Londyn, the first baby (his)......

 Gorgeous and kind and nurturing and affectionate and sassy and girly and sincere. My most loving child by far, the mother of the group.All girl.

Chloe, the baby (ours)...

 Let me see.....bossy and demanding and hard headed and high stung and fierce BUT funny and brilliant and determined and friendly and  loyal and the most beautiful two year old I have ever seen. The high and low of my day is always Coco.

These guys are the very best of me. We have so much fun amidst the raging chaos!

Is that the one that alerts the police?

If some may happen upon my posts, they will soon discover that the one we call Coco is feisty and unpredictable. Would we have it any other way? Of course we would.......but she is what we got so we love love love her as is. ;) I created that opening as an introduction into our (what we like to call) the incident of the day story. Earlier today.................. The kids were buzzing around getting ready for the bus, my husband and I were making plans for  his morning off when the sound started. Scary at first, the shrill  noise of the alarm intended to notify the presence of an intruder sounded throughout the house. Oh, there's an intruder alright. Coco. After we were able to disarm the system, there is Chloe, mommy's keys in hand. On the keys, red and square, the panic button. Apparently, the bright red of the panic button were basically begging to be pushed....so she did. Is that the one that alerts the police? We wondered......for about ten minutes (or however long it took for two sherrifs deputies to make it to my front door).  They let me go after a few questions.




Needless to say, I wondered what the rest of the day had in store for me. As it turns out, it has been a mild one. Chloe had her 2-yr pics made today. They turned out gorgeous. RJ and I put some of the kids Christmas presents together (I can't wait!) and I had my childrens department Christmas party tonight at church. I am about to snuggle up and watch a movie with my honey. Be blessed and be a blessing. 

I don't know if I have enough brain power

As I sit here, thinking on my very first blog ever, I ask myself....Do I have enough brainpower for this?! Holy Holy Holy playing in the background, face in hands, tensely listening for the click of Coco's door being opened (which means she is up from nap), I can admit to myself that I need an outlet.....something that is only mine. I just can't confirm to myself that I have the strength to do it right, but here we go anyways. Something about me.....I am 27 and I am raising (at this moment) 6 beautiful children. I have given birth to 3. I consider myself blessed amidst lifes everyday tragedies and I give Glory to and thank GOD for all of it. Some days I think I just may deserve an award for my outstanding mommy skills, other days (like today) I think someone may need to call the officials on me. I genuinely love my husband and we just bought our first house. Other things about our family will come with time. 

Just a recap of my day (so's you might see who you are dealing with):

Coco was up at 5 as usual (why!?!?!?)

Kids off on bus at 7:15

Coco found a permanent marker at 10

Coco takes a bath at 10:05, which is when I had the brilliant idea to use a magic eraser to get off the marker

10:20 is when I am drying her off and realize that I have gotten off most of the marker and also some of her skin (who knew)

10:25 is when I have my guilt drenched meltdown. What kind of Mom scrubs their baby's skin off?!?!?

11:00 naptime

12:20 is when I realized that I forgot to put Chloe in a pull-up for nap. I'll just wash those sheets later.

It is now 12:30

Here is a pic of my poor girl.... :(

Reunion group tonight with some of my dear sisters in Christ, good thing because I need some prayer.