A frazzled mom's survival guide

I am not a camper. I am sure that there are people out there who LOVE to camp. Me, not so much. I mean we tried it once, two years ago back in South Carolina… Picture it, Devils Fork State Park in South Carolina… June….102 ° …at night. For summer vacation we decided to go on a week long trip to visit many of the beautiful SC state parks and become  Ultimate Outsiders . This was to be our kick off at one of our favorite State Parks. Anyway, I head up by myself with the kids (who magically multiplied from 4 to 7… kids multiply in the summer when you are a mostly stay-home-mom). Get there around lunch time, and with my mad camping skills, ruining two pots in the process managed to crank out some beef ramen and chicken nuggets. Kids were satisfied. I did get everything out of the car, made a halfhearted attempt at putting up the tent, and dealt with 7 kids and the two dogs that would die of boredom if we left them home. When my husband got there at 7:30 and helped me take t...

This week has been hard. I've seen both sides of a debate that no one knows the answer too.  I've seen friends post pictures of the most adorable new born sons who are worried that they will not survive to adulthood because of the color of their skin. There are those in this country who try to say that race is not issue.  However, what happened in August in Ferguson, Missouri is eerily similar to events in Money, Mississippi in August of 1955 . It saddens me to that despite our best efforts, as people we have fallen short.  We claim to be a Christian nation but yet we are unable to offer comfort to those who mourn without pointing out why they are unworthy of our love. How do I justify the privileges that I enjoy because of the color of my skin?    I don’t have to worry that my son will be killed playing in the street by someone who is scared of him.   I will more than likely never feel the pain of losing a child and have him vilified for the...

Wings of America Show        This was the first time we had ever tried to take our family to an amusement park. Having two children with ASD it is intimidating to venture out into large crowds. Add to that a husband with motion sickness, and the inability to wait in line, such a trip has potential nightmare written all over it.  Additionally Dollywood does not offer accommodations for children with ASD. At least fellow patrons were pretty calm about some of the behaviors my kids exhibited in the 2 hour wait for the Firechaser.  This time I went with my brother and his family with Grammie in tow. It really was quite fun.  I ended up with the bravest of my four children, my brother and sister in law with their son riding the fun rides while my husband and mother took care of the less adventurous kids. Little Piggy Ride     I ended the day in the Country Fair part of the park which was little kid heaven.  The lady at the l...

      Well it is official. I met with my thesis committee last week and it was confirmed that I will never make the NY Times bestsellers list. Oh well, I knew that going in.  However, the project passed.       While I am far from being a bestselling author my five year old learned how to write his name. :)  The picture on the left is his and while it only has the first three letters, they are correct and in the correct order.  Since this masterpiece he has managed to include the other three.  I realize that many kids master this in 4K, there are many more who may never master the skill and I'm pretty lucky that he is able to. Now on to potty training. Oh and we are down to two major meltdowns a day :) Like I said it's the little things.    Emily is progressing. She is reading on her grade level. A skill at one point I thought she would never master.  She has also learned to swim and wants to join a swim team.  Wh...

It can't believe that another year has come and gone.  And while I may be older than the internet I realized this morning that I'm not over the hill yet. I've accomplished a lot this year so here's the list... Finished my BS  Finished all but three classes for my Masters :) Discovered that we can take the kids to a restaurant with fewer odd looks :) The youngest started 4K so I have a quiet house until 11 am :) Cleaned something almost every day. Survived 4  IEP meetings. I really don't like parent teacher conferences. Reorganized the kitchen (it involved a sledge hammer :) Still have 4 kids Discovered that I live town with lots of parades :) Regrettably I still have not learned patience.  It's not a resolution just an observation. I don't even try to make those anymore, I never make it past January 2nd.  I think patience comes with age and experience, I have more than when I was 20 but not nearly as much as I will have when I'...

You know, I've come to accept that I'm a bleeding heart liberal.  I really try to care more about people than things.  When I get a pay check, I feel guilty that there are those out there without a job, or for those who are underemployed. And even though I give as much as I feel that I can away, I am overwhelmed at how little my donation is able to relieve over all poverty. This seems to be the point of view of many liberals who try to equalize a sytem that only benefits a rather small portion of society. In a free market workers are not people, they are merely inputs to production.  A free market seeks to find inputs at the cheapest possible price, and this pushes wages lower and lower.  Already wages at the lowest levels are lower than what it costs the worker to provide the labor.  In my opinion one of the biggest problems facing our country is that our workforce is not being paid an honest wage for honest labor, they are being paid less, and expected...

Shower Organizer It's official we are all in school. My youngest started school last month for some reason it just hit me that we are all in school at the same time.Stephen will finish his Phd sometime next year.... I will finsish my Masters next fall..... And I have four children in Elementary school. 4th grade, 2 in first grade (no they are not twins), and a child in 4K. Ok so how do I get through the day? One of the most hectic times of the day is after school.  Now I readily admit that I do not get everything done. Just ask my kids teachers. But here's one thing that I do.  I took a shower organizer from and an over door hook and hung it on the back of the pantry door in the kitchen.  Since the kids most often end up doing homework around the kitchen table all I have to do is open the pantry and they have supplies that they need for school. Additionally I keep this craft caddy in a cabinet that I can pull out when the kids come home between the two th...

Ok if you have kids in school and they are not doing well here are a few things... 1. It is a teachers job to teach your child! They shouldn't complain about having to work one on one with a student. College professors have office hours for students who need one on one attention kids deserve one on one attention as well. 2. Keep records and take a witness. The guidence counselor can meet with you and your teacher for teacher conferences. 3. Ask for accomodations. Even children without disabilities can get them. 4. Call your child's teacher by their first name... You should be working with them. 5. It's your child and you know them better than any one else! 6. You're not responsible for your child's action in the classroom.

All I want for christmas is a new frying pan. I've been trying to decide if it's me or the pan who's the culprit behind the charred discs that we call pancakes around here.(There are differing sides to the issue.) But I believe that the burning is worsening. The pan is 6 years or older and I just think that I have recouped the $9.99 that I paid for it. So please Santa, I've been pretty good, I started and ended the year with 4 kids,1 husband, the fish almost made it through, the cat wasn't my fault, I made good grades and I even let my professors get a word in every now and then. I promise not to ask for another one for at least 5 years. (Longer if I get a better pan than I had.) With love, Beth PS.... If you have any spare ceiling fans up there.....

Ok perhaps I am dense. I decided to go back to school again. I started classes on the 19 th of August and I am really the oldest person in most of my classes (I have two teachers that I'm pretty sure are older than me.) I've been called a dinosaur, no kidding we were talking about cell phones and I agreed that I couldn't see why a 15 year old needed an I-phone. Anyway I was applying for student council and was filling out the application. Here's one question.... What are your strengths and weaknesses? Answer : I'm a mom of four children six and under, I'm 33 years old and older than at least two of my teachers a third is questionable and another called me a dinosaur. I have days where I get everything done that I needed to and there are days where I sit around and watch the Wiggles. I'm human, I'm not perfect but I've learned that dwelling on things that can't be changed doesn't do anything. I have things that I do well, so does everyone, ...

How did i get myself into this one? I've been asking myself this question everyday for the last week. We decided that this was a good time for me to finish my bachelors. So as I type this I sit outside of Daniel 412 waiting to face my greatest fear, public speaking class. I wonder if the teacher allows barf bags in class. I have begrudgingly attended orientation even dragging Haylie to one session, she loved it and her enthusiasm helped alot.The good thing about transferring to a new college is that while all of my classes transferred making me currently a junior, none of the grades seem to have transferred leaving me with the proverbial clean slate. So not only do I have to take this class but I have to male an A. So wish me luck.

Ok so I am the nosy neighbor. I went to the park the other week on a thursday and forgot to put out the trash before I left. I got back at about the time that the trash would have been picked up and didn't want to drag it to the curb if it was already gone, so I checked a neighbors can. The trash had already been picked up, but what I saw shocked and amazed me. His trash can was cleaner than my kitchen floor. It didn't smell, it was seriously pristine. So of course for the last couple of weeks I have been contemplating getting out there with some bleach and a scrub brush. Well today I was cleaning out the garage and I came across the pressure washer. My trashcan is now as clean as the neighbors. It is actually quite fulfilling to watch the black goop just melt away. No wonder I can't get Stephen to stop when he gets out doing a job like that. So if you have a pressure washer at home, go have fun.

I've been trying to find things that get me out of the house that are free. Anyway our ward has a book club and I've been meaning to go for a while but i keep forgetting to read the book. I went to the library last night and picked up this month's read, it's called The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Fortunantly the only copy they had was large type, and yes even though I am only in my early thirties I need the big print, especially since my glasses seem to have fled my home once again. This is a good read, especially since the author was a computer science guy, much easier to follow than my husbands thesis. So now I'm thinking about what I should do differently in my life, you know so I don't spend the rest of it on Bull Street. A big one is that I need to get less frustrated over the little things. I really need to learn that the house doesn't need to be spotless, just safe and sanitary, the kids don't need to be dressed, and the laundry doesn't hav...

Everytime I mop the Kitchen Floor...... ........Something is bound to happen. About two hours after I cleaned the kitchen floor. Now I say cleaned because mopped implies that I only used a mop, no I scrubbed the floor,on hand and knee.I removed every hint of oatmeal or spaghetti. It was spotless. Also, in my quest for household cleanliness I bathed the children. I then proceeded to take a much deserved break. I saw Justin go into the kitchen, but thought what can he do in there. (List to follow.) I made a video to remember him by after I sent him off to the wilderness camp for wayward toddlers. I it would be amusing here. Enjoy. Oh yes here is the much anticipated list of things that a toddler can do in a kitchen that I thought was childproofed... 1. Dump a pot plant all over the floor. 2. Eat dirt. 3. Eat trash... (Reminder get a lock for the trash can.) 4. Empty all dishes from the cabinets. 5. Start a heavy metal band with your pots. 6. Invite sisters to join band and and go on tour...

This was not my idea, but a riot all the same. We were visiting Aunt Coralee and Uncle Rich, and Who would have thought that Uncle Rich was a one man amusement park for toddlers. He made them into burritos, then put peanut butter on their feet for the dog to lick off. I don't think muffin liked foot taste, she didn't seem all that excited about the peanut butter, but she licked enough off to have them squealing. and wanting to put more on. He wrestled. When we thought he was completly out of ideas he brought out a roll of paper towels and some tape. He then turned my kids into deer, kittens, unicorns and puppies. They had a blast and didn't want to leave. And just when I thought that there could be no more he broke out the pinto beans. Things I learned 1. Who needs Carowinds when you have a dog and some peanut butter. 2. The best things in life really are free. 3. We need to visit Aunt Coralee and Uncle Rich way more often.

I decided today was the day to tackle the grime on the kitchen floor. I scrubbed until the floor was at least clean enough to eat from. It took three hours, although there were frequent time outs to comfort the one year old who insisted on running through the kitchen full speed. He'll make a great stuntman one day, I never knew people could really fall like that. Now before you go calling anybody on me he only fell once, after that he whined at my makeshift child gate wanting back in so he could run across the floor again. With colossal task completed next on the list was lunch. Since we went blueberry picking yesterday the kids wanted to make a blueberry pie. Piemaking commences, I admonished the kids that I don't need help this time, and I get the crust made. I will spare those who are a little germ apohbic the details of this process as it occurs with my children, the earlier warning must not have been heard. Now time for lunch. To appease the kids I pull out the craft bo...

I think that I had forgotten how hard one year old are. I haven't been able to take a full step for weeks now and I just want to walk again without impediment. Fortunately I haven't lost any pants......yet. Justin started climbing as well. He climbed on the table while I was busy somewhere and broke my cookie jar... It was the only breakable thing in the house. Isn't it funny that no matter how high you put things the kids will eventually destroy them. I had a neat little plate that I had sitting on top of my cabinets in the old house. I think it actually got jealous of everything else that got the special attention of the glue gun and one day it just fell over and broke. Nothing touched it, as far as I'm aware nothing even looked at it. It just fell over. I think that I had managed to start getting too attached to things again. At one point I had all the breakables put away. In fact they were put away for so long I their useful waned and I had a big yard sale to get ...

We've decided to start taking mini vacations on the weekends. So yesterday with kids in tow we headed out. Haylie had said that she wanted to see some caves. so we went out in search of spelunking adventure. We'd noted a sign on the highway several times for Bat Caveso we thought we'd try that. We failed however to discover a cave in Bat Cave, NC. (I wonder why the sign on the interstate is so big?) We did however discover The Beach at Lake Lure, and that is where we ended up. The kids really enjoyed it, it had a neat little water park with big water guns and a few water falls. I put lotion on all the kids and judging by the fact that they aren't blistered today I must have done a pretty good job. On the other hand Stephen and I were to stubborn to ask for help getting sunscreen on ourselves. I have a swath on my back that I just couldn't reach, and Stephen is pretty red, although I remember putting it on him. That brings me to what I learned today... Ask for help ...

It's only two weeks into summer vacation, and already I'm ready for school to start back. We were supposed to go to the beach but grandma is sick so we're waiting for her to get better so we can head out. In the mean time I find myself looking for somthing to do with my kids during the day. Yesterday I decided that we could go to the rec center pool. It's practically free, close by and my kids will be entertained for a few hours. As an added bonus I won't be tempted by the apple pie in the fridge. So here we go, all in our bathingsuits, including life vests, I grab a two towels and get in the car. Of course the kids whine and cry all the way to the pool, Haylie's too hot, Annie wants her babydoll buckled in with her, Justin just doesn't like the car seat, and Emily well she ended up in time out when we got to the pool, but I can't remember why. The pool part was actually kind of fun. I got to talk to people over the age of 6, the kids didn't fight th...