6 PM Zonkers

Well, it's only 6PM and this is what my household looks like.

Each of my precious children and my worn out, wonderful hubby are zonked out. Poor things.

The flu stiiiiiiiinks!!!!

But, the Lord lifts my weary soul with the sound of rain outside our windows. How I love rain. And, if we have to be sick, it is so nice to have the sound of rain to listen to.

Jesus, you are the lover of my soul!
Jesus, I will never let you go...
I love you. I need You.
Though my world may fall, I'll never let You go.
My Saviour, my closest friend.
I will worship you until the very end.

- Hillsong

Flu Duty

What a week we've had.

Warning: This post is gross. Just plain yucky. Don't read if easily queasy.

We are all down with the flu and my poor children have it baaad. There has been a steady flow of vomit and diarrhea. We have had to clean up vomit numerous times on carpet, bedding and tile (not to mention the constant dumping and rinsing of their vomit buckets). The first was a literal dumping of vomit from our poor E who was practically sleep walking and had no idea what was going on.

MyLove helped him to the toilet to finish and get in the tub. I rushed to start on the carpet.

My initial reaction there at 11:30 PM was to look at MyLove while trying to scoop up the vomit as fast as I could and say with all seriousness, "Here it is, Babe. Our impetus to rip this carpet up!!! Finally! We can get rid of it! Let's do it now!"

Buuuut, with a practical, hardworking, and smart hubby like mine, he pulled me back in to reality and said, "Babe, yes, we're going to do that, but we need to clean this up now."

Waaaaaaah, waaaaah! I want wood floors noooow! (I screamed in my head)

"I don't mind concrete floors!"

"Honey, this is not the time."

"But, Honey! This is going to be impossible! It's too much. It's going to be smelly and disgusting FOREVER!"

"Let's look online."

Aaaaaand, that's when we found this site. It took us a good 2 hours to get poor E back to bed and to clean up the carpet. This site is sooooooo helpful. I have no idea who this guy is, but his method definitely worked. The stench of the vomit was all over our room and by the time we had finished cleaning, before the baking soda step, you couldn't smell it anymore and the carpet looked like new.

Here is the site:

How to Clean Things

This guy is so funny with how he refers to vomit and the whole process of cleaning it. I think he would have passed out had he been in our home the last five days.

Here are a few excerpts:

"Shower the vomit with love. Once you're all done gagging and puking from the previous step, you will have to continue to remove vomit. Sorry. This step is noticeably less disgusting than the last. Get a spray bottle, fill it with cold water (or, better yet, club soda), and spritz down the vomit goo. Now, take a white towel and start blotting and dabbing the puke. Spray with water and dab with the towel repeatedly until the puke is up.

Clean puke with your very own vomit cleaner. Grab a mixing bowl, pour 2 cups of warm (not hot) water in it, and stir in 1 tbsp of table salt. Once the salt is dissolved, mix in ½ cup of white vinegar, 1 tbsp clear dish or laundry detergent, and 2 tbsp rubbing alcohol. This isn't an exact science, so just estimate. Now grab a clean kitchen sponge, dip it in your vomit cleaner, and press it into the vomit. Do this several times so there is cleaner all over the stain. Grab a new old towel and blot just like before. This will be repeated, also like before, as often as necessary until no more vomit is being transferred to the towel. Each time you blot with the towel, you will be removing vomit. Have an extra towel or two on hand.

Rinse away the sins. Alright, we're getting there. Now it's time to really see how your vomit carpet turned out. Grab a glass measuring cup, fill it with warm water, and flood the area of the stain with it. Using yet more clean/dry towels, blot up the water. It works best to set the towel down and walk around on it. Rinsing is important because you want to make sure to get the detergent out of the carpet. Detergent has a tendency to attract dirt. You probably don't want that. Do this twice and see how it looks. If you're satisfied, go to the last step. If not, march on to the next one."

Thank you, Mr. Eric Ronning, for helping MyLove and me clean up some serious vomit!!!

"Bam-Bam! Hit the Clock!"

E has a saying that I have to get down before I forget. We have no idea where he got it or how he came up with it. He doesn't even know!

"Bam-Bam! Hit the Clock!"
Definition: awesome! So good!
Use in a sentence: Mommy! This tofu is so good! It's bam-bam hit the clock!!!!
Use #2: Bam-Bam! Hit the Clock!!! I love this snowcone!!!


It's so funny because even M and C have started saying it!

Baby Dolls, Tain Too

G just loooooooves that baby doll. I don't know for sure but I think she has loved on this baby earlier than I have ever seen a child do so. I mean. She just squeals when she sees her in the morning or after coming home from being out. It is adorable then she will give her to daddy to play with and MyLove so lovingly obliges. It's hilarious seeing him play with the doll like she's real.

G has just been talking up a storm. It is beautiful to hear her voice and her personality coming out so much. She now says "tain too" whenever she is given something like her baby doll, food or anything. She'll also say it when she hands you something!

Our 10 Year Wedding Anniversary

Packing our bags. Boarding the plane. Layover in London. Landing in Rome. Unloading and visiting the first hotel we stayed in on our honeymoon in Rome. Sipping cappuccinos and enjoying gelato together while reminiscing and talking the time away. Taking jaunts to France and Spain with our Eurail pass. . .

That is what we were supposed to do on our 10 year anniversary . . .

As we have planned and dreamed to do since our fifth wedding anniversary . . .

Lo, and behold, our 10th came and we have four little babes, the youngest only 17 months . . .

How could I leave her? She is not even weaned yet !!!!!

How could we leave all the kids?

They can barely stand two nights?!?!

That is when all praise and glory goes to the Lord for giving me my soulmate, because it doesn't matter what we do, we just love being together.

Sooooo, we planned a grand, 10 year anniversary, two-night stay at . . .

The Hotel Derek in the Galleria!!!! Only 30 minutes away :o)

We dropped all four kids off for a date at the shooting range, something we have been enjoying for some time now and where we can quench our enjoyment of competition by seeing who's targets had the best clusters.




We then went to dinner then picked up G and headed to our hotel: Hotel Derek. Beautiful hotel. Clean. We were given a room on the fifth floor. We told the concierge the occasion and we got the 15th floor with an incredible view!!!

Downtown Houston


Houston Medical Center



G absolutely loved it and kept running around and made herself right at home.








This sink was awesome. I really want this sink. It was shallow, square-ish, spacious . . . It was perfect for bathing my little one and didn't take forever cleaning it out before hand. She loved it. It was wonderful also because I didn't have to bend over.






MyLove and I had so much fun looking for good places to eat,

(This is his "Oooooh, this is gooooood," face at Carrabba's :-)



. . . renting a RedBox movie and watching it on his laptop, getting ice cream and staying up late talking, swimming in the freezing cold pool, and just hanging out. What bliss! And, when going from four children to one, it's wonderful! We got to spend some one-on-one time bonding with G and she was such a doll. One might not think it is optimal for an anniversary trip, but I tell you, it was beautiful.



I remember going from no children to having one . . . it was one of the hardest transitions ever. I truly thought we were sooo busy with no time to spare. Then we had more children and realized that having one can be so non-demanding. Now, I realize that we have grown and learned a myriad of things as parents, but it's fun to appreciate those non-demanding times! -.O



Thank You, Lord, for my soulmate. Thank you for blessing us with 10 years of marriage. Please bless us with many more. And may we be a solid team of ambassadors for Jesus Christ!

-Amen

Ikea was a wee little man . . .

Well. It seems that my children have been spending a little too much time at Ikea. The other day MyLove and I heard C singing "Ikea was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree ... And he said, "Ikea! You come down! For I'm gong to your house today." We have tried a few times to correct her and tell her that Zacchaeus is his name. But I think it's too much to think about while she is in the moment singing her heart out.

A couple years ago my mom said that C's voice sounds like music. She would tell me that one day she could be a singer. I did not agree because she didn't seem to be able to get the keys right and not only that she is so shy. I know that sounds funny thinking my 2 year old should hit the notes right, but I hear of these people who really have talent that just hear the notes and match them perfectly at such a young age. As a matter of fact, M used to do it all the time. He would hear a clock tone or some kind of ringing or elevator sound and make a sound to match the tone. Anyway . . . lately C has been singing her heart out while standing on the coffee table. It has been so cute. I so wish that family and friends could see this side of her. She is just so painfully shy around everyone (except for Mema and Papa!).

Here she is talking on the phone to Mema in a Belle costume (Thank you, Teresa, for all the costumes!!!)

A poopie day . . . with a great ending!

Today, the plan was for productivity, joy, excitement, unity, bonding . . . We had to run some errands and then we would get to meet a brand new human being who was born into this world just yesterday. Our really good friends just had their second child, a son.

What beautiful prospects.

Well, it didn't turn out that way. . . totally.

Woke up . . . late.

Dishes still in the sink. Behind already. Get them done.

Get the kids up . . . running around to get ready for the million and one errands to run. Why am I running around like a crazy woman?! This can't be that hard.

Package two large envelopes: one with a gift needing to be sent a week or two ago, the other to return fabric the seller incorrectly sent me (despite the fact that I ordered exactly what she listed: grrrr)

Make kids eggs. They're still hungry! What sweet thing can they all have, they ask. Bagels! We are going to Panera Bread! Please be patient!

Running late, running late.

Stop by neighbor's house unannounced to drop off some clothing . . . she's not there.

Go back home to drop off clothing so as not to tear, mangle, ruin them during the busy day.

Stop by other neighbor's house unannounced to drop off a gift meant for her Christmas 2010. How rediculous am I?!?! . . . she's not there either. Leave it under her doormat.

Talk to a different neighbor who's salvation I am praying for.

She praises my "well behaved" kids. I tell her I can't take credit. Psh, she says. Sure you can. No, I say. It's the Lord. I couldn't do it without Him nor would I know what in the world I was doing without Him.

She asks if I "hit" them at one point. I tell her, "yes, I spank them." She is shocked. She would never think I would "hit" my kids. We talk a bit more and I tell her how MyLove and I both believe in spanking and talking with our children. Telling them we love them. Also, we as individuals of our family are all ambassadors of not only ourselves but of the Ford family (and ultimately God, but I didn't share that this time) and it is their responsibility to uphold our name and we expect them to bring honor to us (and the Lord). It's a heavy burden, but they need to know we expect it at an early age. She notes that we have such good debates and we could go on but leaves me with a question for my hubby: Isn't it a confusing message to hit and tell the kids we love them? No, I say, because they know there are consequences to bad behavior and we care for them and want them to make good choices. There has to be swift and understandable repercussions for wrong behavior, especially violent/hurtful behavior. We are protecting them and we care about the decisions they make and will make. There is security in that.

We leave on a good note and look forward to more discussions. She says bye and the kids are, like always, quite shy and say few words, just as they did when they said hi. All of the sudden I am quite self-conscious thinking she is probably thinking that they are not open and lively and are quiet because they are fearful because I beat them . . .

Stop by post office. C almost has meltdown because she is upset that her outfit is making her hot. I wish my neighbor could see that my kids are quite normal and misbehave too.

Go to Shipley Do-Nuts for friends who just had their second child.

Stop by Target. E throws a fit because he can't have a do-nut right then. Almost falls to the floor in utter frustration numerous times. My cart is ridiculous and loud and all attention is on this crazy woman walking so fast with a melting-down son hanging onto a scraping-loud cart.

Pick out few items. Kids talk about original plan for only one item. I tell them that's enough and to not complain.

Get back in van. Kids ask for do-nuts again and I make them wait 'til after Panera Bread.

Arrive at Panera Bread. Unload. Attended by not so nice girl behind counter who is quite miffed that I am ordering so many bagels and ask her questions like, "Do you have cinnamon crunch bagels?" "Can you toast those?" "Do you have jalepeno cheese bagels." I order some pastries as well. She gives my whole order in a paper sack with no handles even though I am holding a little one, have a large order and this bag is cumbersome.

Get MyLove's sandwich, go back to the original counter and a sweet ray of sunshine of a girl kindly responds to my request for a large bag and helps me put everything in. God, please bless her for her act of kindness. As for that other girl . . . well, nevermind.

Load back in van. Pass out bagels and do-nuts to kids. C is quite sassy with me still. Give her the yummy treats anyway and tell her I am not proud of the way she has behaved and she tells me that she is going to tell my mommy on me (something she has been saying the last three days to my amusement, but at this moment was quite too sassy. The boys pipe in and say that Mema would not agree with her anyway and say that she is not being a good girl).

Drive swiftly to Med Ctr. to pick up MyLove.

Stop by Smoothie King to get our friends some liquid energy. It takes f o r e v e r .

Arrive at the hospital 2.5 hours later than originally planned.

Our friends are tired, but so happy with the treats. Baby boy is just precious. MyLove and I take turns holding him. What joy!!! What salve for the heart and soul babies are. Oh, I just give glory to the Lord for these special gifts called children . . .

Our E and C fight almost the whole time about what chair they want to sit in. Not enough room. Someone's touching the other. One rocking in the loud glider. G wanting me to hold her. Touching the ground. Needing to go potty. Trying to hear the birth story. The kids arguing louder. C kicking her brother and in complete defiance of any instruction I give her.

I end up giving her two spankings in the bathroom . . .

We all leave.

Go to MyLove's office . . .

Kids spinning in chairs and running around cubicles as I try to talk to MyLove's boss's boss about her daughter and son and painful, gut-wrenching decisions she is having to make with them.

Go to HEB to pick up some veggies and pizza for night with Uncle Daniel. Just shy of $3 off gas coupon.

Come out to waiting hubby and kids and find a $3 off coupon floating by on the ground! Thank You, Lord.

Get gas.

Come home.

Uncle beat us. We are late again.

MyLove and I have small tiff because I am emotional and again, ridiculous, and got my feelings hurt.

We talk, kiss, laugh. Everything is fine.

Eat.

Put G in our bathtub without water to play while I rinse off my feet in shower (I'm anal about feet). I am right next to her with only glass between us. What could happen?

Get out and find that she had POOPED in the tub and was playing with it. Wait! She already pooped today! What's happening?!?! It is all over her body and hair and on the toys and she was at that moment poking her finger in and out of it. How quickly havoc can be wreaked! I grab her hand before she can put it in her mouth. Let go of her hand to grab some toilet paper! She sticks her hand in her mouth. I grab it. Do I hold her? Take her out? I tell C to get me some toilet paper. I wipe G's hands and grab a whole lot of toilet paper and scoop/wipe up as much I can and wash out the tub and toys and as much of G. Fill tub with clean water and tons of lavender bath soap. Bathe girls. Get them to bed.

Have the best fellowship with Uncle Daniel. We skip the movie and talk about the goodness of the Lord. Freedom in Christ. The simplicity of just knowing Jesus. The pureness of stripping away unnecessary doctrine. Our need of Him. The answer to all of our needs being to turn to Him. Always. Forever. He just wants us to come to Him. That is the beginning of understanding and the foundation of the Christian life.

Hallelujah. We give glory to Jesus.

Well. I told you it was a poopie day! Literally! But, the Lord showed His mercy and grace throughout. I asked MyLove at one point in the van together for prayer. I needed peace in my heart. I was so anxious and on edge. Of course he did, and it encouraged me, but I know what the Lord wanted was for me to go to Him with every anxiety.

I just love Jesus so much. There are so many verses I should quote right now and reference, like: be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication make your requests known . . . pray without ceasing . . . it is for freedom that Christ has set us free . . .

but I am tired and lazy . . . I know that that's so pathetic.

Anyway. Goodnight. I'm desperate for sleep!