Spring Time!

As a stay at home mommy I love all that spring brings. More than anything I love the perfect temperature, not too hot but not too cold. The outdoors do me and the kids wonders. The fresh air,  the sunshine, and exercise, it is truly fantastic! I feel like it gives us all some much needed balance after a long winter.

 

Yesterday we walked to my parent's home (1.5 miles both ways). Above is pictured the two in the wagon I pulled the entire time and the other two walking on the side walk together.This is the best way for me, as a busy mom, to stay active. What could be better exercise than pulling nearly 50 pounds while walking? Not only do I get fit but the kids are entertained. It's a win win!

After we spent time with my folks the kids played outside in our yard. This is the best thing about spring, the kids running off their extra energy and getting out of the house. They have so much creativity and imagination being in a different setting than all that the indoors have to bring.

Today we played at the park. There are several parks in and around town and each summer I try to visit each one. The kids had a lot of fun even though it was a little windy this morning but we still enjoyed the spring weather. We live near two parks and seem to walk there at least once a week. Again great exercise and entertainment!

This year is also Eli's second year in spring soccer at our local YMCA and he loves it! Since my husband is the high school soccer coach all Eli wants is to be involved in soccer just like his dad! We're all excited for his new soccer season and how he will continue to improve.
In the Boltz household spring time equals fun time!

Homeschool

I am a mommy blogger and try to keep my blog all things mommy topic related. I believe my children's education is included in one of my many mommy jobs. I am a homeschool mom. Brian and I have several reasons for homeschooling #1 At home I can guarantee my children's safety. #2 My children can learn at their own pace faster or slower, there is not a No Child Left Behind law for homeschoolers. #3 I can keep my children innocent a little longer and monitor what they are learning and hearing. #4 Having four children and my oldest only being five, homeschooling can simply be convenient for us.
I have nothing against public or private education. This is just they way we have chosen to teach our children at this time in their life. What works for one doesn't alway work for all.

I would like to share with you what we do and what works for us at home. Eli soaks everything up like a sponge. He is only five but is reading books with ease and recently started learning the multiplication tables. In most subjects he is in 1st grade except math he is in 2nd grade. The truth is if he was in grade school he would still be in preschool with the rest of his class and they would not advance him, maybe give him extra work but not advance his grade level. I do not use curriculum to teach my children. I use free online resources and just recently joined education.com plus membership. They offer unlimited copies of their worksheets and access to their educational online games for a small fee. I have also learned the Dollar Tree and Dollar General stores have a great selection of school books through grade school. In the photo above Eli is doing a reading lesson from his McGruffey Reader which is an old book but excellent for beginner readers. When I started to teach him to read I was looking for books to teach him to read. I quickly realized the "beginner" level books were just too much and didn't teach him more about reading. I have found that books with copy write to the 1940's are terrific at actually teaching reading and using repetitiveness to help speed up the process.

My mom homeschooled me and my siblings as children and she bought me this book recently which I am in love with! This book contains my true desires of homeschooling. My desires are making learning fun and this book reminds parents school doesn't have to be just writing papers in a cut and dry approach but learning can be fun using other projects and games to teach children the same thing but making school something that they look forward to day to day.Our new routine consists of one or two subjects of paper work and then fun creative learning time. 

Bella is learning the value of numbers and letters learning their names and what they really mean and do. I also have her trace and write her name using using this excellent website to make personalized tracer sheets http://www.kidzone.ws/TRACERS/NONE/index.asp.

Lily is still working on her colors and shapes but learns with Bella of letters and numbers as well as tracing her own name.

Homeschooling is not for everyone. I don't think everyone should do it. You must be committed, know why you are doing it and be an organized person. It's always a bonus to love learning yourself! I'm glad that I have the opportunity and ability to do this myself I think it makes a big difference in our home. Our children may not always be homeschooled but for now it's working and they're learning above and beyond the "standards".

But Do I Get a Break?!

Saturday my husband gave me time alone! I spent the majority of the day in a town about an hour away with more shopping opportunities than in our little town can offer. I had a great time with my little sister (below) getting the rest, relaxation and fun without the responsibility of four little ones! It was wonderful! I enjoyed every minute of it!

Here's my question, why can't a mom just have a break? Why do we as mothers somehow, by fate receive pay back for our "selfish" decisions? After I got home the evening grew progressively worse. Before I went to bed baby Milo had a very nasty diaper...twice. After I fell asleep my oldest son came in our room saying he wet the bed, he did not wet the bed... After I was woken up once again, by a dirty baby boy I could no longer sleep for several hours. I stayed up until my oldest son, this time, made it to the toilet and relieved himself of this disgusting virus that sneaked into our home. It was a long night. The very next morning Bella had this sickness too. Sickness in a family household is always bad but when you have multiple children the torture seems to never end! My refreshing relaxation has already diminished greatly.

As thankful as I am for the refreshing day I had,  I wish the evening could have ended in a great way. But this almost always happens to me, as if the kids were punishing me for not being home. But I know it's not their fault. They are my babies and none of them would ever trade a great spirit and fun for, what seems like, endless sickness.

This experience has been good for me to take a step back. Take a step back and see the big picture; each of my children were in pain, frustrated and tired. It's not about me, the mommy. It's about others and in this case my very own children. I will have you know that each of my children experienced at least a "touch" of the nasties in these two short days. No I do not like cleaning that mess up but even more I hate being sick. I understand that for an energetic and fun loving child, who has no idea what's going on with their little body is far worse than if I were sick. I'm praying for my babies and that this virus leaves our family alone and I can once again see gorgeous smiles on each of my little loves faces. Motherhood is not about us, the moms, it is about or children. Without our children we would not have the great pleasure of being a mom. I believe that being a mom is one of the greatest things I could be. My children make me the woman I am today. True motherhood is a calling to a servanthood like no other. Serving, loving and raising our children should always be our number one desire and not the desire of what we can do for ourself. I'm proud to be a mom not of what I have accomplished but of my children who are daily teaching me, helping me and loving me. In the future I hope to take the time to think of my children first in these difficult and frustrating situations. To answer my title question no moms, we don't get a break not a real one, not right now. In the not so distant future our children will be grown and on their own and not needing nearly as much of our help. Sometimes our life just needs a little perspective to remember what's really important.

Lots of Loves

My youngest girl is a lover. A rough lover! She loves with all that she has and unfortunately that means loving in the most obnoxious and painful ways (like her mother).  Now just because I have the same difficult love does not mean that I enjoy that type of love. Honest, I can not stand that type of love. Get off of my face and love me like a real human being. But with this child I always keep in mind that this is how she loves, difficult or not, I must accept it.

Through every single fiber of my being I accept her love and give her love in return. I know that as she matures and grows older she will have a more centered and stable type of love but for now we must endure! She is the child who can not merely sit on your lap but sit on your lap with her face next to yours while petting your face.

Something I can certainly appreciate is her all or nothing approach. She will love you and she will love you with all that she has. Even when rejected, she will not accept your rejection but only love you more. As a mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend I want to give that type of love. I want to love with all that I have, even if it means that I will get burned in the process. I want to love so much that it may be uncomfortable but I'm giving my all and the receiver can feel that in every essence of my love. For me, there are times in motherhood that I actually become the student and my children become the teacher in ways they do not comprehend. Every time that little girl comes up to be with her love that just rubs me the wrong way, I accept it and love it inwardly that a two year old can have and give that much love and I, I am the one who has the pleasure of receiving that love each and every day.

Though it may not be easy as an adult, I want to give that love to others. I can remember back to my childhood the unfaltering love that I had for others. I remember that innocent giving of complete love to everyone and anyone. But the funny thing is that often times associated with love is also pain. I remember my love being rejected by friends and as a young child feeling alone. But is that really an excuse to not love as strong? I don't believe it is but I know at that moment in my life that my love strength diminished and was more selective and cautious. I feel a challenge with Lily, to give her the courage to love with her all as she grows older. Yes it will be hard yes she will get hurt but love is what makes life go on. It's the one drive that powers each human being to do good. Maybe the key is to continue to love and not accept the rejection. :) I too want to outwardly love with her and her unbelievably strong love. I will learn from her through the years and I will encourage her because, true love really can conquer all.

No Daddy...

The past two days have been exhausting for me! My husband has been gone to training for work since Tuesday morning. He just came home last night, right around bed time. Originally I was scared to be left alone with my kids for that long.  Now that I am through the woods I have done it and have complete faith that I could do it again!

I have actually had fun with the kids! We played together and I spent quality time with each of them. That special quality time has helped our two days to go by smoothly. They have not been perfect but well behaved. I have not lost my mind once. Perhaps my husband is praying for my sanity to stay intact. Because I'm surprised at how well this is all working.

We have built forts, played games, watched movies together and finished school work. I am so tired but wouldn't trade that time for anything!

Again I'm thankful for my mom taking the kids on Sunday night and my friend has the kids over for a little play date yesterday afternoon. I'm thankful to the both of them! They have encouraged me and relieved me!

I now know that I may be capable of handling more than I really know. With patience and God's help I can be the mother I need to be and step up to the challenges life gives me in motherhood!

A Full Night of Sleep

Yesterday we had a wonderful Easter with our families, blood, in-laws, and church. It was a wonderful time and the kids looked extra adorable (if you ask me!).

Have you ever gotten a photo of perfection of your kids? Yeah, me either! Their personality is just glowing all over this photo!

Our holiday was wonderful and exhausting! My Sunday morning started making scalloped potatoes for my parent's Easter dinner and from that point on I didn't stop. We went to Sunday school and church, ate at my parent's then went to my in-laws here in town and then went back to church. It doesn't sound like that much but when you have four kids it's not as simple as it sounds! Keeping the kids together, keeping an eye on them and trying to have them save some candy for later. I'm almost one-hundred percent sure that Lily only ate candy all day yesterday. By eight o'clock the only thing I wanted was sleep...real sleep, the uninterrupted type of sleep, the before children type of sleep. There was no way I would get that lucky. Until my mom offered to have the kids stay at her house for the night! What a blessing! I was so excited! The three oldest kids stayed with them, Milo stayed with me and Brian. I knew there was still a possibility that Milo would still not sleep through the night because his sleep has been so uncertain here lately. Let me tell you one thing. HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT! I feel like I won the lottery! He not only slept through the night but also slept until 9am this morning! I am grateful for the rest I received because I know there are many moms who don't get a break, ever. I have no idea how single moms can do it all without help from family. I am a mom who believes that me and my husband should raise our children not a "village" but sometimes we need a little help from the "village" to rest and recuperate. Stay at home moms, we work 24/7. We don't usually get breaks and if we do we're usually doing more of our job. This morning without children I cleaned the house, yes it was is quiet and uninterrupted but it was still my job. For me to have a break from my job I must leaved town, if only for a few hours. Otherwise I'm distracted from what else I could be doing. As my kids get older I want to help others in this way giving my friends and family the real breaks they deserve from time to time because being a mom is for the strong and even the strong need to recharge their batteries every once in a while.

"Our Terrible, Horrible, No Good Day"

What do these four things have in common, you may ask? 

One word...Lily! This week there was a day, a terrible, horrible, no good, day. The day started with  our youngest daughter having an accident in her underwear. I promise you she was completely trained and all of a sudden has been having accidents again. The "accident" was followed by another "accident", the kids were all watching TV together when my husband checked in on them. There was a disastrous problem...the bathroom was flooded. All fingers pointed to Lily, she left the water running. The next thing that happened was one of the worst, she had a number 2 accident in her underwear. When I finally thought the day would turn around and get better, after her nap she found a pen and started writing on the new gray slip cover on our couch. You've got to be kidding me! Finally we ended the day with her grabbing the parmesan cheese from the countertop (she is not suppose to touch anything on the counters!) and sprinkled it all over the floor leaving the tub about a fourth full. This day was horrendous with only one child doing terrible things over and over again.

I started thinking about the things that happened this day and realized a terrible truth, this was all me and my husband's fault. I felt like I let my baby girl down. I didn't do what I should do as a mom. I realized that she had no one on one time all day with me or her dad. It was so simple and right in front of me all day! The truth, I like to play 2 things with my kids, coloring and hide and seek. I hate playing with barbies, super heroes and games at this age of my children. But regardless I know this is a simple thing that my kids need from me every day. I am the mom who gets carried away with cleaning my house and keeping everything in it's place that I tend to neglect playing with my children. I hate a messy house but I know I need more quality time with my children. This was a learning experience for me.

On the other end of this I thought about Lily, she's not bad not at all. She is curious, brave, daring and strong. If these qualities are put into the proper perspective I know she will conquer the world and be an amazing woman. I love her and everything about her!

On this terrible, horrible, no good day, I decided that every day from this day forward I would take the time to play with my kids, at least once. Because, I love them!