A recent article on money spending habits is probably not news to most of you but this concept of looking at your inner brat when it comes to money spending was a good reminder for me.   The article talked about how the author named their inner spending brat after someone they knew as a young person who acted like one.   Juanita wasn't a 'brat' as I don't like that word in reference to kids but......she was a little student who definitely liked her own way so my inner spending  brat will be Juanita.   My spending habits can surely be Juanitaish at times.   Actually too often.    So.....the silly FlyLady has me examining that aspect of my family life and management or lack thereof.    Trying to organize my book habit is daunting so perhaps I should finish reading what I have?    Discipline......is such a challenge.   Books are my biggest temptation next to a sale on cute kids clothes or even mommy clothes.   Hmmmmm.........not too good.    Here ends today's confession.   I will probably kick myself for yesterdays.......

FlyLady is a swear word at times.   But at other times she is a Godsend.   If I cannot manage to get my oafy self off the couch, the FlyLady has been assisting me in at least giving goals and direction.   This does not always work for me but at times it has been a huge help.   Ongoing battles with depression keep whacky me from taking care of things like I should and also fighting the weight of all of that frustration leaves one feeling a bit befuddled at times.    So.....I re-signed up for  the FlyLady to fight the good fight.   I can't believe I am writing this but whatever.   I also can not believe I am the only person in this boat.   So at least if there is someone telling me what to do, I might do it.   It is making a difference so far.   No one else is me but me and no one else can help get me moving besides me.   Blah, blah, blah.  

The Sillies

It is my odd observation that sometimes this family is too silly.   I think I am to blame for that one.   We get ourselves in trouble at times with silly.   So, thus and therefore, I have been talking to dear children about toning down the silly so that some things in our daily routine are less confusing.   It is confusing to give instruction and then have silliness and questions since no one was really listening but rather just being silly.   A time and a place for the sillies.   I am glad we all have a sense of humor but at times I just want to get er' done around here.   I am really not sure how to convey this to my sillies and even to myself, but at least I am thinking about it for my own sake and have just been pondering the effect of silly during the day.  So ends my deep and profoundness for this day.   Time to do the next thing. 

Yes, that was naughty

So....the commercials for the Mormon church make me a bit nutty.   I think it is a ploy to either make Mornons seem part of the norm or to help people want to be Mormon since they live such glamorous lives....apparently.    A Lutheran commercial might also show 'normal' but perhaps also show sin, (which is normal), repentance and forgiveness.   Maybe a couple having an argument, going away from each other, reflecting on their sin, repenting, asking forgiveness and receiving God's forgiveness from the Pastor and resuming living by faith and proceeding in faith.  Of course Jesus and the Holy Spirit moving hearts to repentance might be a good idea too.  That would be a Lutheran commercial or....something like that.   This is just my morning reaction to the weird pretty commercials which keep coming on during the morning local news.   Others could add to that but I must return to that vocation thing. 

Commercial break

I am contemplating contacting the networks about making a new commercial.   It will feature me or some other better looking mom, doing wondrous, ponderous things such as.....du, du, du.......changing a diaper or.....putting the clothes in the drier.    It will be colorful and awesome with cutely decorated rooms and a beautiful garden which the awesome mom is weeding (or not) and then......at the end of the commercial break it will say......can you guess???????

My name is Martha Ingebretson and..... I'm.......a...... Lutheran.   This will stop all the prejudice against Lutherans I am sure.   All that crossing of themselves and such and living life.   We need to set the record straight.    I know that most people contemplate the weird behavior of Lutherans.  Yes.   You know they do. 

If you say......

in any public way, that your kid is learning to read then they might promptly stop learning, forget everything you have taught them and come to a screeching halt.   I have learned to never say things are going well and keep it all a deep dark secret lest I find myself disappointed.  Quietly keeping that all to myself till they have graduated, I've quit teaching them, or they get a job is the plan for me.    I have nine kids.   They are all great and wonderful kidlets.   They mostly live here except for that one who lives south in some school place.   I'll let you know what is up with her in a year or so......hopefully.    Same goes with announcing the regular use of underwear.    You might discover them in their yucky diaper when you thought they had normal human wear on.   If you spend time with one of the kids, another will come and tell you how you never talk to them or play games with them.    Oh dear.   If you switch curriculum because you think it is better, your kids will take two years to catch up to where they would have been in the old curriculum.    Do I care?   Not usually but sometimes I might feel squished by the list of things to do.

Definitely do not declare that you are working on the kids basic attitude and improving it.   Someone is sure to stop by when you are snapping at a kid or two kids are killing each other in the driveway.   If you say you are going to complete a project by Christmas......don't say that.   It is best to take one day at a time.   One thing at a time works.   Hard to remember but it works......if I can remember.    So goes my rambling for Tuesday.   Now off to decide to get something done but I am not telling you what it is. 

Seminary Clothing Bank

I went a few years back with a friend to the Sem clothing bank and.....um.....yeah.....the childrens clothing  were nice and picked over and looked pretty sad.   In the process of thinning things out in Hornerdom, I always think of that visit and hope not to send yuck their way.   If it is my clothes, I carefully consider if I seriously will ever be that size again, in that season and picture an appreciative Sem wife with something decent to wear.   There are dresses which served during pregnancies when not too far along which went that way.   Childrens clothes.  Hmmm......I cut the reserves in half and hope someone was able to use something.  No.....it was not my sleeper on the Concordian Sister baby.   We get new clothes seemingly with every new baby one way or another and no baby could ever wear that many.   Now we are in the potential stage of downsizing in the clothing etc department so here is  hoping the bank can use more.   If it is yuck, it does not need to dry rot at the Sem.   I did think that some day it would be nice to go to garage sales and pick up decent church clothes etc to keep things fresh there.   I am grateful for how richly we have been supplied with what is needed and garage sales have rocked in this way too.   I honestly can not imagine being at the Sem and strapped for cash and managing.   Hopefully some Sem wife is not crying anymore on Sunday morning wishing for something decent to wear.  It wasn't me which provided it but God's gracious provision for this sinful group of Horners.   I just have always wanted my best cast offs to go to the Sem as I know what a wimp I am and it is pretty obvious why God found it best for me to marry an engineer.......I am just a wimp.    

Haiku

Wasabi

Green scary
Brain tried to leave me
Smarter now

9th child well kid check up

Rips 15 month old out of crib, brightens his day with oatmeal immediately after this extraction.   Poor a sipper cup of milk, shove poor bewildered child in his car seat with cup, shut the door and speed off to doc.   Ponder on the way to doc that wittle ickle goo goo probably needs his nails cut.   Rummages to see if emergency nail cutting device is in console for use before Holy Communion avoid embarrassment missions.   Check.   Extracts small child from car seat at doc, checks him in and heads for the bathroom to cut his nails and clean his wittle hands.   Is relieved to find paper towels in bathroom to wash oatmeal off his baby schnuckem cheeks and exits for waiting area happy that I might appear like I take careful care of my one year old.  

Nurse forgets to check her clock and emerges fifteen minutes later after little person had 'read' all the magazines, ripped off his socks, charmed some old people and stole the Gideon Bible.

  Questions......'can he throw a ball?"   Me, "I am not sure but he can whack his older sister on the head."  

Nurse, "Can he say four or more words?"  Me, "I knew you were going to ask that last night so took inventory - Chip (the dog), Cia (Cecilia), Mama (phew),  NaNa (Matthew or Anna)."

Doctor, "Does he have his molars yet?"

Me, "Um......I am not sure.   No, I don't think so but am not sure." 

Such is the life of this mom of nine.   I probably did the same thing with one.   I am just a lot less focused on the ickle small people's every move etc.    He did get many comments about how expressive he is and after a nasty blood test for lead, went merrily home with me.    Gotta love his little self.   

Love in

I have all my kids ten and under who LOVE to have love ins with mom.    Last night at church you would think I was leaving on a long extended journey for all the hugging and loving that went on in the pew.   I hate to 'discipline' them for all the hugs as I look at my thirteen year old and that sort of loving is no longer his thing and I know it will pass.    I suppose we have to have a chat about the extent of hugging and squeezing which goes on during sermons etc.   Benjamin thinks I am sleeping during the sermon when I close my eyes to listen.    I tried to explain that I close my eyes to shut out the distractions.  Hmmm.......hard to close your eyes if when you open them for a second there is a cute eight year old face looking up into yours.   The same goes on at home with all the short people vying for space on either side of me.    Perhaps I should get one of those deli machines with little numbers they can pull out.    This is not a huge problem till they begin screaming at each other about who is sitting where. 


Time to rip myself away from the cute little people and get something done for the today.   Bye kids!   Hope you survive without my warm self beside you clicking away on the keyboard.