The Investment of Time

"Mommy, when do I get to have my alone time with you?"

This is a question I have been hearing a lot lately. Around the end of 2010 and early 2011, I felt so burdened to spend some alone time with each of my precious babes. With M in the throes of his first year virtual schooling and with G still an infant, my time was so limited and I could see the effects of it on the kids. I felt sad. Time just kept flying by.

So, I prayed and the Lord blessed with the grand idea to have a bit of time with each child on some day of the week. I shared it with the kids and they were elated. We set what day each of them would have time with me on . . . and . . . we did it . . . ONCE! Each of them had their time with me and then I got sidetracked with the holidays or the new year, or something.

Well, I have been feeling the burden a lot lately, namely because the kids have asked when we were going to start our "alone time" again. So, this week I told them we would do it. How excited they were :-( Poor things.

M has Mondays. E has Tuesdays. C has Wednesdays, and G has Thursdays.

Sometime in the day we try to find a block where I can spend about 30 min. with my special babe. The others have to go upstairs and not come down for anything unless it is an emergency. We try to plan it when G is sleeping, but inevitably she ends up joining us and the kids are fine with it! They totally understand. They're just excited that the focus is on them at that time.

On Monday, M made his "famous chocolate milk" and I had my coffee. We sat and ate pastries (actually, I ended up eating all three with G eating a bite or two) and talked all about his latest drawings in great depth. He has such history and detail to each of the thirty or so drawings on his papers. We then talked about getting him a nice, leather journal where he can draw all of his pictures and keep all his "top secret" info in. He really liked the idea.



On Tuesday, E had warm chocolate milk and of course I had my coffee and we enjoyed some toast. E told me all about his favorite things and asked me what mine were (just like we had done in our first alone time). We also played some tic-tac-toe and a few rounds of hang-man. What fun! Afterward he read me the book I Like it When and oh, what a great job he did. I was so proud of him!!! I am reminded of how MyLove taught him how to read when I was pregnant and bedridden with Lael. MyLove was so patient and consistant with him.


On Wednesday, C and I both had some coffee. She looooooves coffee. Even bitter coffee! She loves tea too! She asked for a Nutella sandwich. We sat and colored a particular page of her Hello Kitty coloring book. She was so diligent in her manner. She colors so well. Quite methodical for a wee one. And, yet, sometimes she can just scribble and be crazy. We had great conversation too.

Here C is with her cousin Anthony. She loves him very much. They have a special bond.



Today, I never did have my "alone time" with Giselle, and the kids felt so bad for her. But, I didn't so much. We get a lot of time together nursing and sleeping together and diaper changing. I have to tend to her the most, although we don't have playtime or reading time together too often. That is what I hope to do with her.

I caught her here at the table playing with crayons. She had thrown them everywhere, but look at how precious she is with her belly resting on the table!!! It cracks me up!


Oh, what a blessing these times are!I realize that these things we did are things the kids are constantly asking me to do with them, but I am always telling them to "hold on" or "in a minute" or "later." I feel so torn. Schooling is definitely a priority and has such a pull. Meals, cleaning, diaper changing, laundry and such are always tugging.

But, these precious moments of time I can have with my little babes are so very important. I already feel like this week has gone better even though other things have had to be put off for those moments. My relationships with them I can tell have already benefited. There is more peace and rapport. We have had a more positive atmosphere. The kids just seem happier. Maybe they are feeding off me. Maybe I am just more at peace because of these precious blocks of time getting to know each of them.

The investment of time in them faaaar outweighs duties. My duties are there, but really, they always will be and they will get done. Whenever we have a gathering, I am forced into high-gear and get tons done. Surely I can do that for my little babes!

Thank You, Lord, for time. I see how much I long to invest time in my children and in turn see how much you long to invest and spend time with us. The investment of time with You faaaaar outweighs anything! Thank You for allowing me to come to Your throne all day long through prayer and praise. Thank You for feeding me Your Word in so many ways other than sitting and reading like the podcasts, radio, music, memory, and other believers. You are so good to me. I give you glory, honor and praise.

What's it like to have 7 kids?

Hmmmm? Let's see what words can describe it:

Loud
Messy
Laughy (is that a word? no, but I will use it anyway)
Silly
Teary
Playful
Funny (Oh, maybe that's the word. Anyway)
Toys everywhere-y
Snacky
Tire-y
Downright craaaaazy!!!!

. . . and loooooads of fun!


This last weekend we watched our friends' three children while they rode their way on bikes to Austin to raise money for the MS Society. What a great cause!

We had an 8, 7, 6, 4, 4, 2, and 1 year old.


This is what it looked like when we went to the park by our house. I was pushing Giselle in the stroller. She wasn't feeling great.


It was so funny. When we got to the park, three mothers were there with their children playing. One of them was so sweet and talked for a bit and she asked if all the kids were ours. The other two ladies were on the other side and I think they probably watched us most of the time. When we left, they stopped talking and just watched us leave probably thinking to themselves (or to eachother), "I wonder if all those kids are theirs!?"




This is what it looked like at bed time. Both nights we had movie night.



This is what it looked like when everyone was zonked. This photo amazes me. All of the kids are facing the same direction! What are the odds?! Carmelita and Giselle were in our room for a little bit then we all ended up in the living room on the floor.



Here they all are on the couch. What a precious pic. We will remember this time forever (via the blog anyway! I hate my bad memory!).



Thank You, Lord, for precious friends and precious times together.

And, thank you for our four children.

. . . I'm happy with four :-)

Here are a couple of MyLove with Giselle. Such special bonding moments.



I couldn't have done it without my Handsome Honey, that's for sure!!!!!

Our Tradition of the Shaved Head

So, the tradition continues.

Giselle is a couple months past one year old and we shaved her head!

Why?
1.) It is an old Filipino tradition that my Mom did with us.
2.) It allows for the hair to be all one length
3.) Because of the same length and blunt edges, the hair looks and feels thicker.
4.) When the babes are this young, it doesn't matter what the length of their hair is!!!

Giselle was the best little subject ever. I had given the boys their haircuts then decided that I would do hers. I have been putting it off because every night we thought about it, it was either too late or we had company or whatever.

Ethan filmed and Carmelita helped entertain. Martini was showering off after his own haircut. I was sad MyLove couldn't be there, but he agreed that I needed to do it soon. Each of our children had this done. Poor Carmelita, after everyone else got their haircut, she was begging me to cut her hair. I tried telling her that I did this to her when she turned one, but that didn't seem to suffice :-(

Here is her before. I love her hair, but I know in the long run it will help.



Here is our precious little "emperor baby" now!

The Commodity of Time

"Just buy it, Babe!" MyLove tells me.
I hesitate. "But, it's so expensive."
"Honey, it fits. It looks great. We're going to buy it."
"Maybe I can find something like it on sale."
"Babe, time IS money."
I scoff at the silly thought. I give him a look conveying the clicheness of such a phrase.
"You are going to waste more time looking for something that won't fit and then probably buy something you don't like anyway. That would be a waste of money. You need a [skirt] and you like this one. We're going to get it"

This is a a conversation MyLove and I had very early in our marriage. And, we have had it various times since.

As I have aged . . . ahem . . . I can absolutely see the truth in this statement.

The commodity of time is sooooo valuable to me. Time is not only money, it is more than money. It has to do with freedom.

The Lord has blessed me with a heart that loves to give. I believe I got it from the Lord, but my Mom REALLY encouraged it growing up. So, giving has never really been a challenge.

Now, time on the other hand is different. Giving away my time takes real effort and is usually a sacrifice. I love my time, my freedom, the ability to be with my family, in the cave of our home, doing the things our nucleus of a family loves or needs to do is what I love. I have been accused, and rightly so, of being the most non-commital person. It makes for frustrating planning for precious friends and family. Why am I like this?

It is not because I am thinking something better will pop up. Not at all. It's just that I know if I commit that I need to follow through. And . . . I love my freedom and there always seems to be a million things waiting to be done at home. We tend to be hermits by nature, my family and I, so not committing with or investing our time can definitely stifle our relationships outside the home. Relationships take effort. Time. Love. And it is ALWAYS worth it.

But, isn't that how it always is? When the Lord stretches us in the areas we are uncomfortable, He always blesses us more than we think we are blessing others!!!!!!! He is always encouraging and oh, so patient. Thank You, Jesus, for loving us so much!!!

Time. What a valuable, precious, fleeting commodity.

Zoo Time :-)

Our Acrostic Poem for Planets

Today, we had to come up with a way to remember the planets in order from the sun.

Me: Martini, this is an activity we are going to do.
Martini: But, I already know them.
Me: Ok. Say them.

And, HE DID!

Me: How do you know them so well?
Martini: I love learning about planets!

Well, you go, Boy!!!

Anyway, I made him help me do the activity anyway. Here it is:

My
Very
Exciting
Monster
Jams
Snails
Up his
Nose

Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune

Poor Pluto. No longer is it classified as a planet!

Lent

Today hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, begin observing Lent.

I believe that Lent is observed as a means of sacrifice to the Lord for the redemption of sins. To appeal to the Lord, and this is not what the Bible says to do.

In Isaiah 64:6 it says, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

Our "righteous acts" mean nothing if we think they will in some way redeem us from our sins.

There is one sacrifice only that can redeem the sinner.

Hebrews 10:8-14 "First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

There is nothing wrong with fasting, or focusing one's heart on what is right: Jesus. But there is no redemption of sins by anything except by the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.

Broccoli From the Garden!

We had a couple of pretty hard freezes this year. So, what a pleasant surprise to find our broccoli plant produced broccoli still!!!

We actually weren't sure what it was. We thought it might be kale, but to our wonderment, we found little florets of broccoli. We harvested them when they got big enough and boy, it was just delicious.

Bravo, Honey. You are so awesome with the garden and veggies!!! I can't wait for this years crops!

Thank You, Lord, for the joy in growing your gifts. How satisfying to grow and eat your own veggies!

Here is the broccoli washed, chopped, and ready to be cooked.


And here it is sauteed in the pan with some olive oil and salt. It was so fresh and wonderful! The kids kept asking for more!