The Outspoken Mom Blog

Be the best you can be.

(Our 5 year old off to her warm-ups for her first meet)

 Good Morning Everyone!

What a wonderful weekend we had over here at the Schwab house.  My 5 year old daughter had her first 'real' swim meet on Saturday and she did great!  She is in the U8 division so, she is swimming against 6 and 7 year olds!!  She is so little out there and she swims her heart out.  I cried every time I watched her race.  I cried for the simple reason of I was so happy for her and she is such an inspiration to people! 

Our 5 year old(who will be 6 in 10 days) is little, always has been.  She is getting bigger but, she was always a peanut and she was my baby for 4 1/2 years until we had our 4th baby, so I still consider her my baby.  She is our little engine that could.  Not being able to do something is NOT in her mind.  She goes out there in anything she does and tries and tries hard.  She actually listens to her coaches (my older 2 don't!!) and she takes what they say to her and uses it to make herself better at what ever sport or activity she might be doing at that moment.

She is nice, kind, self-less, and always willing to try almost anything.  She isn't a dare-devil but, she is willing to do most sports.  She plays soccer in the fall and spring, does dance(ballet and tap), gymnastics, swim team, and ice skating in the winter months.  She wants to try hockey (we just haven't let her yet) and karate and she is fascinated by Yoga.  She practices her sports daily!  Many times during the day you can see her practicing her handstands, practicing her swim strokes in the air making sure her hands are 'just right' and she taps around the house and practices everything her teachers or coaches as of her.

She is a delight to have for a child and I am so pleased that I get the opportunity to be her mom.  She is very excited to teach me how to ski this winter and I am excited for her to do it.  She is a very patient person when it comes to teaching them! 
OH, she does have her moments of frustration, usually aimed at her older brother and sister or mom and dad and she is so soft-hearted she often gets it broken.  Those are things we still need to work on with her to protect her but, the determination to not really win but, to be the best she can be at her particular sport at that time, is amazing.

I have watched her grow in every sport and activity she does and I am so thrilled.  She doesn't necessarily have the most athletic skills, she isn't athletically gifted but, because she listens to her coaches, she practices, and she is determined, she will be a great athlete as she grows. 

I could learn so much from that little girl!  For the same determination she has in sports and activities she also has in school and doing her homework.  She is very determined to finish her homework, do her best and she is very pleased with herself when she has done something well. 

My husband and I have often compared her to a Golden Retriever...no, we don't think our daughter is a dog!  But, if you know Golden's, they have this desire to please their owners, they just want to make them happy.  Our 5 year old is very similar.  She has a desire to make people happy, to please her coaches, and her reward for that is how she feels about her hard work and that is pretty awesome.

Oh and by the way!!!  I have to say, watching swim meets is WAY better than any other kids sport to watch!  It was fast paced, super exciting, you had no clue who anyone was, or for me, what they were doing but, it was entertaining and fun.  I watched a lot of races when I could(I was volunteering in the kitchen) and it was a thrill to see those children race and swim. 

If you ever get the opportunity to watch a swim meet I suggest doing it.  It really felt like it does when you are watching the Olympics, it is high energy and the swimmers are all cheering each other on, it was really cool.  I wish my older 2 were on the swim team too, it is really neat.

Anyway, the baby just woke up so I must go. 

Go out today, put your best into everything you do.  You don't have to be the best but, you have to do your best!!

Blessings to you all,

-Liza

Hectic Schedules

Good Morning Everyone!

I can't believe I am taking the time to write this blog but, I do love writing so yes, I am taking the time!

I never knew how busy I would be as a stay at home mom, truly busy.  Back to school is usually the hardest part because everything starts at the same time.  So, I am not only making sure my children all have their backpack, lunch box, and school supplies but, I am also writing insane amount of checks, blowing through even more cash than at Christmas or vacation and I still am forgetting some things.  I think I am going to keep our baby out of any activity until her older brother can drive to help out!  That is only 7 1/2 more years so, she can do her first activity of any kind when she is 9.  Yeah right!

I just laugh looking at our family calendar and how some of the days are so full I have run out of space to right!  Even my Outlook Calendar can't take it all in!  I think it thinks there is some error with how busy some of the days are. 
I admit, I completely overbook myself and my children on a couple days a week but, that is because we try to book most if not all of their activities in the middle of the week so that Mondays, Fridays and weekends we have very little scheduled.  I know that will have to change as they get older but, for now, we barely see each other Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Our schedule is actually manageable with the amount of activities they have but, then you add in birthday parties, birthdays, my book club, our dinner club, date night, doctor/dentist appointments, and Bible study and WOW things get really hectic fast.  Our craziest time of year is usually September and October too which I would love to be the least hectic with school and everything getting going again but, in Minnesota you can only play summer soccer or fall soccer and for the little ones, fall soccer ends 2nd week of October due to cold temps.

Yes, many of our schedules are forced by our seasons here in Minnesota and others are forced by working parents and other over scheduled families.  So, I guess we all do it to ourselves.  Really, how much is too much?  See I had no siblings so, I did a lot of activities because there also weren't children in my neighborhood to play with and my mom worked a lot.  So, I did dance, gymnastics, softball, soccer, and basketball.  Granted, I didn't do any sports until 4th grade which is when most of the children started sports...not like now when if you don't have your child proficient in a sport by age 5 forget it! 

So, my 8 year old is playing soccer right now but, only 1 or 2 days a week and next week he starts church choir(which he hates, I will admit).  He will start Cub Scouts again next month and we are forcing him to play hockey again this year.
My 6 year old(will be 7 on Sunday) is doing dance, gymnastics, and ice skating(only in winter) and thinks she will be playing basketball again this year(so painful to watch!  She just sits on the floor unless she is bringing the ball down) and Daisy's(baby girl scouts) will start up again for her in October and church choir will start for her again next week too.  Plus, she wants to play softball next spring..add to that her social calendar of birthday parties(which she LOVES as friends are her life) and that she makes us sign her up for after school care because to her it is social hour :-)  I do truly love that girl!
Then, my 5 year old who is finally a big girl in Kindergarten, she is our most active and gets most joy from sports and activities along with friends.  She is in dance, gymnastics, soccer, ice skating(in winter only), and new this year swim team(2-3 days a week).  She also wants us to sign her up for tennis and hockey..we are waiting a bit. 

I only have so many hours in a day/week but, I am also flat broke some months by all the activities fees!  This month of September has been so expensive I blew through my entire months grocery budget(on activity fees) in less than 2 weeks.  Sorry family, it is beans and rice for the next 2 weeks!  Just kidding honey, I know you read my blog daily.

It does crack me up though.  Because after adding in the meetings about all the sports and activities, the volunteer hours, the working at the 3 different schools to help out, trying to have lunch with all three of the children AT LEAST once a month if not more and fundraisers, social gatherings, conferences, school pictures, buying things for teacher wish lists(which I NEVER will complain about because I believe it is SO important).  Then, add in my husband and my activities, we have a standing date night every Monday night(why our children don't do anything on Mondays), me in the process of planning my 20th high school reunion, my book club, my new Beth Moore study at church, and my husband and I belonging to a dinner club, well life is busy.

It is a good busy though!  Truly it is.  I think it is a good problem to have trying to figure out a time when Grandma can take your almost 7 year old to American Girl to get her first American Girl doll.  YES...don't tell our almost 7 year old but, she is finally getting one and she will flip out!  I also think it is a good problem trying to figure out how to get my daughter to a birthday party and the other daughter to gymnastics plus, feed everyone dinner.  Or how and when to give my almost 7 year old her bike from Grandma and Grandpa (yes...don't tell her!)  See, these are good problems to have, really good problems.

We are busy and I frankly don't know how we are going to manage some of our nights this year but, we always have figured it out in the past so, we can do it again this year.  God has blessed us with so much!  We have been blessed with great friends, great communities, great children, great schools and a great church, of course we want to be as involved in all of those things as possible!

I do have to say though, I do not know how working moms do it.  Seriously, how on Earth do they do doctors appointments, dentist appointments and not just for their children but, them too!  Then, conferences, sports, and social time.  I am exhausted at the end of my days, I couldn't imagine how tired I would be trying to do all this and work at the same time.

Oh...I almost forgot, we are doing all these activities and we have a 15 month old at home too!  She was lucky enough to go to a meeting with me today and by the way, she was perfect!  Thank you baby.  Life is truly very busy and I am sure we are one of those over booked families however, the children LOVE their activities for the most part.  They don't enjoy church choir as much as I believe they should but, that is NOT an option to quit so...smile children :-)

Maybe I am pushing too much on myself too trying to do book club, dinner club, soccer, and a Bible study but, I need activities too and I need to see my friends and have adult time.  Ok, so should we cancel our date nights...no way, our marriage is the pillar of strength to our family and our date nights are extremely important to keeping a strong and happy marriage.  So, looks like the busy schedules will just continue and that is OK.

This is why I don't work, this is my job of sorts.  I have always said I am 'retired' and I have scoffed when mothers say, I work I just do it in the home.  Well, I am finally going to agree with them!  I do work and it is exhausting!!!!  But, it is by far the best job I have ever had even though the vacation time sucks! hahaha.

I will tell you all though, I am taking my first ever time away from my family next weekend!  Yes, I have NEVER been away from my children!  Never.  The longest time I was ever away from any of my children has been around 12 hours.  So, this is truly going to be a new adventure for me and I hope it is just the beginning of my mini vacations from the children.  I am hoping my employer(my family) is finally going to start allowing for more mommy vacation time.  I am not nervous, although...I am worried a bit about the baby as my hubby tends to step on her a lot but, other than that, I am ready.  I think 8 1/2 years of working without a vacation...well, it is just time now.

It is a mini-weekend vacation up to the cabin but, oh how great it will be.  I just hope the weather cooperates and isn't too cold or rainy as I will be driving the convertible up and I love driving up there with the top down.

Anyway, way off subject there, can you tell I am a bit excited?!

So, today, think about your family, think about your schedules and don't forget to schedule time for your spouse and yourself.  It is so important for your children to see you doing things for yourself and you and your spouse doing things without them.  Enjoy your life, no matter how busy or easy going it is, for it will all go by so fast.

I love my life, I love my hectic schedule and I love filling out what seems to be millions of forms a year.  Life is good and these are the days our children will look back on hopefully with fond and funny memories.

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Bleeding Purple and Gold

Good Morning Everyone!

Oh, it is my last home game for soccer tonight and the forecast is rain.  So bummed.  My girlfriend Lee plays with me and we were going to have our family and maybe some friends come out and watch our game tonight.  I am really hoping the rain either ends before 6pm tonight or doesn't start until around 830pm.

So weather people in Minnesota, do you hear me?!  lol.

I know this is probably being talked about on blogs all over the place and I try to not write blogs similar to other people but, today....it is a must!  Brett Favre is a Viking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I was out with my children yesterday when my husband called me and told me to guess who was on a plane right now on their way to Minnesota.  I didn't know what that meant or who it could be so I asked him if it was someone we knew or someone famous.  Then he said someone famous and I was stumped.  I honestly couldn't think of someone famous coming here on a plane that my husband would know about and that he would actually care enough to call me about.  I sheepishly said Kenny Loggins because I am seeing him in concert in a couple weeks. 

He said no and then told me it was someone from Mississippi...I instantly squealed in delight and said, "Brett Favre!"  I couldn't believe it!  I was so happy and couldn't stop giggling and squealing!  My children couldn't figure out what was going on until I screamed, "Brett Favre is going to be our Quarterback for the Vikings!"
My 5 year old daughter instantly said, "The Vikings! The football team?!  Can I go to a game and see Burt Far?"  I said, "of course!"

So, for most of the rest of the day yesterday, I listened to KFAN on the radio, giggled, screamed, jumped up and down, and just couldn't believe my ears.  I squealed again as I watched the 'Breaking News' on TV of his plane landing and seeing Brett and his wife and Brad Childress shaking hands on the runway and heading off in Brad's Black Escalade to Winter Park.

It all seems so surreal to me and yet, it is real, it is real! I danced, and giggled as I listened to the Vikings announcer on KFAN call and apologize to all the sportscasters he didn't believe when they said Favre was coming here and laughed outloud when he called and taunted other teams.  It was so exciting and fun to hear a grown man super excited and singing on the radio to the Will Smith song, "Going to Miami".  Or "Physical" by Olivia Newton John, or the other songs that he played during his show.

For the first time in my long and broken-hearted but, faithful following of the Vikings, I am more than excited and more than hopeful.  For the first time in MY lifetime of following the Vikings, we have a very good team, and a very good Quarterback, running back, and receivers and our defense is amazing too.  My only fear is the Williams boys....I sincerely hope they don't get a judge that is a Packer fan and suspends them...hey, the rivalry is THAT big up here!

I don't know if Favre can stay healthy, he is 39 afterall but, oh gosh, this is the best shot we have had since 1998 to get a chance at the Superbowl.  I have always said that if the Vikings ever made it to the Superbowl, I don't care what I would have to do to get there, I would find a way to get to the Superbowl.  In 1998, I was prepared to sell my car..yep, crazy I know but, it is the Vikings afterall!!!

So, I have already prepped my husband and told him that I expect we will be heading to Miami if my boys make it to the Superbowl.  He just smiled and unfortunately, I think he secretly hopes they don't because he knows, I am completely serious about going.  I have also told him if ever there was a time for him to win the Powerball or whatever else dumb lottery he plays this would be the time.  I would LOVE to see the Packer/Vikings game here at the Dome AND in dream world, I think it would be AWESOME to see the Packer/Viking game in Green Bay!  Oh to see Brett come out of the tunnel at Lambeau Field in PURPLE and gold instead of green and gold.....ohhhhhhh.

So, yesterday, was one of my favorite days and it was a day I really thought would never come.  I can't believe that we have Favre.  Now, here comes my compassionate side.  I feel so bad for Sage and T.Jack.  Especially for Sage because he was really looking like the front-runner for the QB position but, at the same time, I think those guys should be super excited because they will be understudying and learning from the best in the business. 

So, to finish out my blog today, I sing loud and proud....

"Skol Vikings, lets win this game, Skol Vikings honor your name, go get a first down then get a touchdown..rock em sock em..fight, fight, fight, fight.  Skol Vikings run out the score, you'll hear us yell for more... V-I-K-I-N-G-S  Skol Vikings let go!!"

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Great books, great sports, great holidays....ain't life great?!

Good Morning Everyone!

Sorry it has been a while since I have written, life just gets busy sometimes as you all know!

First let me tell you how thrilled I am at how many people are starting to find my blog!  Welcome all new readers and I hope you stick around and continue to enjoy my blogs.  I can usually figure out who is reading my blogs and who is finding my blog by who follows me on Twitter. (www.twitter.com)

Just this morning I discovered 2 more people following me on Twitter and I giggled.  One is Master_Cleanse and the other is a twitter page all about reshaping your thoughts on eating.  Obviously they had found my blogs about me doing the Master Cleanse and my issues with food! :-)  So, welcome new blog readers and new followers on my Twitter page. 

This morning my husband is playing golf with 2 of his really good friends as no one had to work today!  Yay!  I love it when my husband gets the opportunity to play golf.  It is one of the few sports her truly enjoys and really likes to do.  Plus, I secretly (well....not secret anymore!) love that he can kick butt in golf.  Actually, my husband kicks everyone's butt in most sports.  He doesn't play any sports anymore but, when the time comes or he has to, he goes out and plays and just kicks butt, every time!  I love being married to an awesome athlete that no one ever sees coming.  It is fun.

I wish my husband actually played sports more often but, I should just be happy he does anything once in a while!  As he really doesn't enjoy many sports other than golf even though he is amazingly talented.  Oh, he does enjoy skiing as much as golf.  Those two activities have stayed with him from his youth and still bring him great joy when he does them. 

Both sports of which, I do not play.  Sucks.  But, as a mother of 4, how am I supposed to play a sport that takes an average of 4 hours to play?!  Then, skiing....oh yea right.  I don't like heights and I don't like speed.  Plus, I don't like being cold.

I would like to learn how to ski well enough that I could ski with my family and be able to swoosh down the hill leisurely.  I want to be like one of those old guys that just slowly glides down the hill going side to side seemingly without a care in the world. 

As for golf, it is a sport I have wanted to play since I was young.  I have to get over myself and my mother's words that constantly roll through my head about not only golf but, skiing, and tennis.  'Only rich people or talented people play those sports'.  Or her many fears cast into me over the years of, 'you could get hurt', 'oh, I would NEVER do that', or 'it is too expensive, such a waste of time and money'.

I just finished one of our July book club books this morning and found myself strangely understanding how the author felt and so mad that the father didn't try harder to save his daughter.  After finishing the book, I realized a lot of the feelings and things the mother in that book did to her daughter and how her daughter felt and thought as an adult, are very similar(albeit very different) to the same feelings/thoughts I have about my childhood.

The book is called "Swallow the Ocean" by Laura Flynn.  It is a memoir however, it feels like it is written more as a story and it didn't take very long for me to get into the book.  Nor did it take me very long to read the book.

Now, this book is about a family where the mother suffers from Paranoid Schizophrenia, my mother does not have any other mental illness other than fear running through her so, that is not the same.  It is hard to explain but, I felt strangely connected to the author.

It is a very good book, I think, even if you come from a completely 'normal' family, I would still highly recommend this book.  It isn't necessarily dark, it is just a good story most of the time.  It didn't hit me until I got to the end of the book....looked at the picture and read the acknowledgments then I teared up.  

Great summer read as most of her memories are of the summers.

I need to end this here, my children are all finally awake (it is 10am!) and they are about ready to eat me for breakfast so, I need to hurry and feed them!

If I don't write tomorrow, have a great and safe 4th of July!  Oh!!!!  Let me give you all a few tips on creating family traditions for the 4th if you don't already have some or if you need new ones. 

Family 4th Traditions:

-Most important in my eyes....Hang an American Flag!  This is a great country, lets celebrate our freedom!  Please remember a few simple laws about the American Flag.  It MUST be made in America(it is a law now), it cannot be hung in inclement weather, if flying at night, it must ALWAYS be lit, and it can never be torn or frayed.  These are simple laws about our flag that need to be followed!

-Wear red, white and blue.  It seems simple enough but, many people don't.  You don't have to be glammed out.

-Say a prayer of thanksgiving that you were born or are able to live in the land of the free. 

Food ideas for the 4th of July.  Have a 4th of July feast with family and/or friends.  This is a GREAT time to have a block party and to get to know your neighbors.

-Go All-American with your menu:  hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, potato chips, and baked beans!  Make an apple or cherry pie and enjoy!

-Decorate in red, white and blue and go crazy!

-Find some silly recipes, make a jello cake with cool whip frosting and make the flag on top using blueberries and strawberries!

-Serve red punch with blueberry ice cubes....yum, yum!

These are some tips from the fantastic book called "Creating Family Traditions making memories in festive seasons" by Gloria Gaither and Shirley Dobson.

I highly recommend this book for all seasons of the year and your life!

Blessings to you all!

-Liza

Super Bowl commercials and good books

Good Afternoon everyone!

So, how great was the Super Bowl last night?!   I do have to apologize to all of the Arizona fans though.  I am a jinx.  Always have been, I am sorry.

I couldn't handle watching the game anymore because I felt like Arizona was losing because I was cheering for them so, I left the game and went upstairs to put 3 of my children to bed.  I stayed upstairs until my hubby ran upstairs and told me I HAD to come down.  For Arizona had gotten a safety and were just about to score.

I was very excited and ran downstairs just in time to see the amazing run by Fitzgerald.  Well, I should have left after wards and I am sorry I continued to watch and cheer. 

Now, my husband doesn't believe me about me being a jinx however, for all of you from Minnesota....how often has Minnesota been in the playoffs and gone to the Super Bowl?  Yep. 

Seriously, I think my hubby is finally starting to believe me.  As last night he admitted, he doesn't believe I am a jinx however, it is a bit freaky how often a team I am cheering for falls apart when I am watching and does so well when I am not.

So, I guess I should probably apologize to all the Vikings Fans out there too.  As I bleed purple and gold and gosh darn if our boys can't pull it together!

So anyway.  I do have to say the commercials were some of the best I have seen in a long time.  I am a HUGE Super Bowl commercial person.  I will say though, some flopped BIG time.  I LOVE Budweiser and they usually have pretty good commercials but, the one last night about the two horses being in love and running away together, that was dumber than dumb.

I also wasn't too impressed with GoDaddy's commercials however, I bet it got A LOT of people to their website!  So, from a marketing stand point, I think they blew everyone else out of the water however, from a parental stand point...I had to send my son out of the room every time one of their commercials came on!

How about that great Bud Light commercial with Conan?  Wow, was that funny.  Also, I LOVED the 1 second High Life commercial, I think more companies should do stuff like that.

We really liked the 3D commercial for the new movie coming out from Pixar....can't remember the name but, cool commercial.  OH, the Sobe water commercial in 3D after wards was really funny too.

I think Pepsi blew Coke out of the water with their great commercials!  However, one Coke commercial rocked....the Coke Zero one...that was super funny.

What were your faves?

I also finished my book club book and am about 1/2 done with my Bible Study for tomorrow so, I feel like I am on task there.  Now, if only my house were in order again...Blech.

I will say, I highly recommend the book, "Beneath the Marble Sky"  great book.  It was hard to read at the same time doing Bible Studies though because I was finding myself mixing up the two.  Oh yes, I am very capable of that!  In the book they had very strong religious beliefs and it was set around the time of the Taj Mahal and they were Muslim, seriously, hard to read while reading the Bible too.

But, a good love story based on fact but, fiction about the building of the Taj Mahal and the family and empire around it.  So, check it out if you can.

Our next book is Revolutionary Road which is also a movie right now.  I wanted to see that movie before we picked out the book but, now I can't until I read the book and that is our Feb/Mar book.

Anyone have any other really good book ideas for our next books for book club?  At our next meeting in a couple weeks we will pick out another book and I would love to suggest something!

Oh, I need to go, my daughter is just about to get off the bus. 

Blessings to you all,

Liza

Baby Sign Language

Good Morning everyone!  It is absolutely beautiful outside here today in good ole Minnesota.  Yes, it is overcast but, it is lightly snowing and the temp is supposed to reach a very balmy 25 today.  My husband said he is going to walk around all day with his shirt off it is so warm.

For those of you not from Minnesota, for the past few days it has been 25 below zero without the windchill so, this feels like summer to us!

So, today I am writing about baby sign language.  I am a HUGE believer in baby sign and think it takes a lot of stress from the parents and the baby when they are able to communicate with each other a bit more.  I used baby sign with my first 3 and we never experienced temper tantrums or the terrible twos like so many people do and I believe it is because our children were able to communicate with Steve and I what they wanted so, they didn't get frustrated.

Now, as far as temper tantrums go now....WOW, we definitely have them at ages 5, 6, and 7, lol.

So, I was a big believer of baby sign even before I had children.  In college my foreign language was ASL(American Sign Language) so, I already knew a lot of signs and once I heard you could teach them to children, I was sold on the idea!

I remember teaching our son (who was our first born) signs, he picked them up pretty fast and before you knew it, he was making up his own signs and pretty much had a full vocabulary of signs!  He loved signing, I think it helped him to feel like a 'big boy' and he was such a happy go lucky little guy.  Of course, it has been 6 years since he was signing so, I can't remember a lot of his signs but, they were really cute.  I even have a picture of him at Costco in their parking lot of him making his made up sign for fire hydrant standing in front of one.  Fire hydrants were his favorite thing when he was a baby and wouldn't you know it, starting at age 3 he said he wanted to be a fireman.  That is still the job he is going to be but, now he is going to be a volunteer firefighter so that he can draw and design buildings for a job.  These are all his words not mine, love that guy!

So, we also did baby sign with our 2 older daughters and they did well with it too.  Our son loved teaching the girls signs and so, it was a family effort.  I think the only person who suffered in all of this was my poor hubby who only knew a few signs.

Now it is our time to teach our youngest her signs.  I actually had to buy a book to refresh myself however, it is working wonders!  She says, "all done" when she wants out of her high chair, she this morning for the first time did her sign for 'nap' and she is working really hard on her sign for 'water'.   I am sure 'kitty' will be the next sign after that.  Now if only I could remember the sign for dog!

She is our only child that has no interest in bananas which is a bummer because that sign was always a Schwab favorite! 

I do remember from learning baby signs with the other three that food signs were hard to find.  I remember those signs were mostly the ones we made up because all the foods in the baby sign language books wasn't food we were eating.  I remember we made up the sign for strawberry, beans, cereal bar, and spaghetti.

Now of course, I can't even remember our made up signs!  I think I am going to have to do a refresher course in sign language for our baby now.

I really believe that teaching our children baby sign language can really take a lot of the frustration out of babyhood and parenthood.  Yes, it takes a little bit of effort from the parents however, it is well worth it.

I think I have stated my theory before but, I really don't believe there is such thing as 'unexplained colic' in baby's.  I believe a lot of it has to do with their diet or the nursing mothers diet and their environment, their schedules and how attentive the parents are to their children's needs.

I think a lot of us really do the best we can.  I just know that I really couldn't handle the stress of a baby that cried all the time.  I will go again with something I heard once when our first was born.  "God wouldn't have babies cry that loud and often, if something wasn't wrong."

I need to go and get our super busy Saturday started :-)  We have Cub Scouts swimming, cartwheel clinic(both at the same time across town from each other, should be interesting with one car.) then tonight my husband is taking our 3 oldest to MONSTER JAM!  Oh yea, going to see a little monster trucks!  Our children all love Monster Jam and look forward to it every January.  And every January they go to it.  They had to miss it last year because it was so gosh darn cold but, this year, they were going to go no matter what so, I am grateful it is warmer since it is downtown at the Metrodome.

This will be our 5 year old's first year, she is our "Can I go to bed now." child so, I pray she will be ok and not get too tired as they usually don't get home until around 11pm.

I will let you know how they all did.

Blessings to you all,

-Liza

Pain and unsure of the right decisions

Good morning everyone!

Ok, if you are in Minnesota, another brrrrrr morning.  I think we are almost out of the deep freeze though.  I really didn't want to bring the baby out in todays weather but, I knew I had to drive my 5 year old to preschool and I had a friend finally coming to a Zumba class with me today.

Well, my 5 year old set the course of the day in a different direction when she told me her belly hurt, got a weird look on her face and threw up all over the dining room floor.  It's ok, I really did need to wash that floor anyway!  So, decision made, we are not leaving the house today, oh darn.

Really, I am thrilled she threw up, I really don't like these types of days.  I don't mind them for myself but, I don't like bringing my peeps out into this type of cold, especially the baby.  So, I am hunkered down until my 1st book club tonight.  Yea!  Oh yes, forgot, I am starting in a book club with some girl friends of mine.  Very excited, I have never been in a book club before either so, this should be fun.

Does this mean I am finally becoming an 'adult'?  I am not just playing soccer for my time away but, I am also now in Bible Study and Book Club?  Wow, look out world, Liza Schwab is growing up :-)

So anyway, on to the blog.  First, the pain part.  Actually, this is the physical pain part of the blog.  Last night, I broke my first non-New Years Resolution type deal.  After hearing a friend of ours say he wasn't going to spank his children anymore because they were getting too old and they could be reasoned with instead, I decided that was a really good thing to work on so, I adopted it for myself.

Well, last night, I broke it however, I paid dearly for it in my own pain.  Long story short, I had put everyone to bed, read with them, prayed with them, etc.  I went downstairs to watch a little TV and get ready for soccer.  I can hear footsteps, they are messing around!  I let them do it for a while, then about 15 minutes after their warning, I go upstairs fully intending to spank my 6 year old.  I caught her trying to wake up her little sister and she had already woke up her brother, I was mad and she was being naughty!

So, I caught her as she tried to run past me, I grabbed her arm to lift her up and went in for the spank.  OH, the pain!  Not her, me!  She turned at the very last moment and my forearm whacked into her knee.  I fell on the floor in a heap.  I couldn't feel my hand, my arm was throbbing so bad I actually lost my breath!  I just laid there, for a moment I actually thought I broke my arm.  Not good.

Well, the pain finally became somewhat manageable and I walked downstairs to finish getting ready.  I am at this point still not entirely sure I haven't broken my arm however, I have learned my lesson!  No more spankings in this house from me.  No way, lesson learned.  Wow.

So, I went to soccer with my arm still throbbing and unable to bend my wrist without pain.  I am a little late and we are short 1 girl so, I run out onto the field.  Just as I am getting out there, someone passes me a ball.  I quickly look upfield and kick it, SNAP!  Ouch, what on Earth!  My neck, oh my neck.  Something snapped in my neck, instantly I can't turn my head either way, my shoulders are instantly cramping up, and my arm still hurts.

Ok, ok, I get it, I am not supposed to spank anymore!  So, I had to play the whole game unable to lift my arms above my head, unable to turn my head more than a little big to either side(hard to do when you play defense) and I have throbbing pain in my left arm and both shoulders and neck.  Wow, is this what it is like to get old?

By the time I finished the game, I could barely move.  When I got home, I was almost immobile from my neck to my waist.   This should be a fun night of sleeping.  Thankfully the baby was only up 6-7 times instead of her normal 10-15 times lately.  So, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

I know I need to go to the Chiropractor but, oh, that will hurt so bad since my muscles have completely tightened up.  I think I will wait until tomorrow to go.  Anyway, so, that is my physical pain part, isn't it pathetic?!!

Now, my emotional pain/parenting pain/am I doing the right thing pain.  Our son is 7, he is in 2nd grade.  He is one of the neatest little guys I have ever met and he is a spitting image of his daddy and me if that is possible.  If you have ever met him, there is something inside of him that captures a piece of you immediately, he is definitely a cool little guy.  Well, he is also tough sometimes.  He has Asperger's Syndrome which is on the Autism Spectrum however, he is VERY high functioning and really, to tell you the truth, Steve and I don't think he needs any 'special' treatment or things like that. 

Well, after 2 years of struggling more than we ever imagined with my son's schooling and frankly, seeing our sons will being broken and our faith really being tested.  We quit fighting with his school to keep him in there and sent him to the local public school.   He actually has done really well there and has blossomed as a student, learner, and a little boy.  He has friends at school he plays with and he really is learning what it takes to be a 'student' in a classroom and to be responsible for your own actions.  He is finally understanding boundaries and all is well.

I know I should be happy about that, I know that I should be happy he likes his school, I know that I should be thanking God for this opportunity for our son.  I am grateful for all these things and I do thank God everyday that we are getting our boy back and he is flourishing in his new school.  I struggle, on a daily basis about his school though still.

Steve and I still don't feel his local school is good for him, we miss the 'love' and the parent/family connection at his old school.  It is very difficult to get to know other families at this new school.  Yes, we know a few however, very few are actually families in his classroom.  We love his teachers and the Special Ed. department people are fantastic.  But, something still isn't sitting right with me.  I still don't think this is the right place for my son.  I thought that feeling would go away but, it hasn't.  In fact, it is getting stronger and stronger and I find myself fighting back tears somedays. 

This isn't where he belongs, I know it down to my soul I know it.  Our son is a loving little guy.  Relationships mean the world to him.  He likes to be able to connect with people and teachers and families.  That isn't able to happen here.  He also isn't getting the amount of free time/recess I think is needed and his school lunches are disgusting and small.

I think our local schools have lost focus on so much and frankly, it is hard to see.  We were very spoiled by the 2 recesses a day at his old school and how the parents were the playground supervisors not hired staff.  We loved how they played soccer, basketball and were able to be free and explore.  They can't even bring a ball or jumprope out onto their playground at his new school and heaven forbid they run! 

The lunches at his old school were catered and were healthy, big, and yummy.  Every Thursday was my sons favorite meal, salad.  It was either Chef Salad or Chicken Caesar Salad and he loved those days.  Well, his lunch today at his new school is Italian dunkers, Garden Salad, and Pineapple tidbits.  Sounds good right?  Oh gosh, how wrong we all are!  I have eaten lunch with him a few times and the food is horrible and the portions are so small he is starving when he comes home from school everyday! Same thing with our Kindergartener and she rarely eats!

I don't know what the Italian Dunkers look like or how many you get since Seth can't eat wheat.  However, I know that the 'tossed salad' is served in a souffle cup.  It is less than 1/2 full of shredded lettuce and some have dressing on them and some don't.  By the way, there is such a small amount of dressing, you can't even taste it!  Then, the pineapple tidbits, everyone knows how small those are and you get maybe about 10 of them, that actually might be a bit more than what you get.

That is it, that is their lunch!  Growing children cannot live and learn and thrive on that size of a lunch!  One time I went and it was hamburger or hotdog day.  Both the hamburgers and hotdogs were cold and the french fries, all 10 of them, were still frozen.  Yuck!

So, my heart aches.  My mind wonders, are we doing the right thing?  Can't we find a place were our family can be involved, we can play on the playground together, we can find a place were our faith can be celebrated and our son can not only get the small amount of help he needs (he takes 3 10 minute breaks a day in the special ed room and gets a small amount of extra help in the classroom via picture charts in addition to the normal things in the classroom) but, he can also get the love he so desires and longs for.

We prayed he would return to his old school for 3rd grade but, he doesn't want to.  The bad memories and experiences now far outweigh the good ones in his head.  He wants to continue in the public school system and we are ok with that however, where is the love?

I pray about this every single day often many times a day.  It still isn't leaving my head or my heart that this isn't where he belongs or where he can get the right education for him and the love and affection he needs too.

I need to go as the baby is screaming mad right now!  Wow! 

Blessings to you all and please continue to pray for our family and that God will lead us down the correct path and we will follow it.

-Liza

New soccer shoes and a non-existent baton class

Hello everyone,

Well, I haven't heard any comments from my previous post so, apparently it wasn't nearly as funny as I thought it was.  Maybe it was a moment that was only funny being apart of.

So today I was out trying to get myself some new soccer stuff.  Oh yes, again, very similar to the black boots I have wanted since age 16 well, I am still wearing the same soccer shoes I wore in high school.  Yep, same ones.  They are still in great shape however, after 4 children my feet have grown a bit so, they are a little too small and hurt my toes.  So, I have been trying to get myself new soccer shoes for about 4 years now.  No luck. 

I was super optimistic this morning that I would be heading to my soccer game tonight with brand new shoes AND shin guards(those are only 16 years old).  But, as I pulled up to the soccer store...that I drove WAY out of my 'bubble' for(a whole other blog again there people, I very rarely leave my safe little neighborhood bubble and if I do, I often panic) I realize they are not open!!!  I look at the clock in my car...hmmm, it is 10:40 am they should be open right?  Nope, they don't open up until NOON!!!  What?!!

So, I drove all the way across town and they don't open up until noon.  So, I then mistakenly think I can drive all the way back to my part of town and go to the big box athletic place....even though I have tried there for more than 4 years.  Again, struck out in a big way.

However, I will say, even though they had a horrible choice of soccer gear, they had a lot of their workout stuff on clearance and then an additional 25% off the clearance price!  Well, if you have ever seen me or if you know me at all....you know that I am cheap.  I mean really cheap.  I won't buy workout stuff ever because it is so gosh darn expensive and I feel it is INSANE to spend more on stuff I wear to the gym or sweat in than clothing I would wear out of the gym.

Anyway, I got myself a pair of workout pants, perfect for Yoga or running or just lifting and they were only $9!!  Ok, I can do that.  I also got myself a new pair of tennis shoes as my feet were cramping during every Zumba class because I had the wrong type of tennis shoes and I was ruining my running shoes in that class.  Then, my 3rd child found herself a pair of pink Croc boots that she loved and they had fur in them just like her UGG's however, they are plastic so super waterproof....so, I bought them for her.

So, even though that huge box store didn't have what I needed somehow, they still got my money.  And that is why I HATE shopping.  Of course you can always find something you 'need/want' at those stores, and they are banking on it.  Ugh, I bug me for falling for it and they bug me for doing it.

So now, let me tell you about part two of my afternoon.  So, while at this big box store throwing away money my hubby worked hard for, I get a voicemail.  I listen to the voicemail and instantly, panic...really panic.  Then, I get mad, then, I get nervous and a little scared, now more scared.

What was this phone call you must be thinking?  Bad news?  Yes, the WORST!  Or at least the worst if you have my 6 year old for a daughter!  She is our passive/aggressive child and drama queen to boot.  She is the 'always and never' child.  You know..."You always make me clean my room, you never love me" type child.  Well, I have been the worlds worst mom now for a while because the fun club in her school is full.  All of her friends go, in fact, according to my daughter, EVERYONE gets to go to fun club but her!

So, finally I find something she can do after school at her school.  They are offering a baton twirling class!  Super fun, pretty cheap, totally up Charlie's alley and it is all girls and only girls from her school.  This will be great!  I tell her all about it, she is thrilled.  It starts today, I tell her this morning and she is so thrilled that I am finally letting her do something!

So, at 12:11pm I get the horrible voicemail.  "Mrs. Schwab, I am sorry to tell you that the Baton Twirling class has been canceled.  Sorry about the late notice, there was a problem with the teachers schedule and she isn't able to teach the class this session.  We will refund you your money plus $5 for credit toward a future class.  So sorry."

OMG....seriously?!!  You are calling me 3 hours before the class is supposed to start to tell me this?  I sent my daughter to school this morning and reminded her about how much fun she is going to have this afternoon at her new class with her friends.  Are you kidding me that it is canceled?

I called up my husband and told him and he even thinks I should be scared.  The scary thing about our 6 year old is whether she will have a reaction or not...you never can tell.   Sometimes you think she will just freak out and she says, "oh, ok." and walks away singing and other times, she flips out, cries, tells everyone she is running away from home and how much we hate her.  Oh the passion in that girl!

There is a lot of passion in our house as her mommy is very much the same way....I was much more like her when I was younger and I think I peaked in my mid-20's and thankfully I have been going downhill back to 'normal person land' however every once in a while, I take a visit back to crazy town and oh the passion.  So, I get her feelings however, I now can see it from the outside perspective and oh gosh! 

I will say, once you have children, you get to see not only all of your good traits but, also your bad ones too.  LOL, it is interesting to say the least.

Blessings to you all,

-Liza

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! 

This tends to be a weird time of year for me and I am sure many others.  The holidays are all over now, it is a new year, the children are still on break however, what is there to do? 

Crazy time but, I also sort of like this time.  Oh, first before I get into this blog, I just have to talk about last night.

Our friends had their 2nd annual New Years Eve gala last night.  Our baby fell asleep 5 minutes before we were supposed to leave so, I stayed at home with her and Steve took the older 3 over to their house.

He was there for a little over an hour and came home to stay with the baby and I went to the party.  It was nice to see good friends and it was really nice to see our children playing together.

At just after 10pm, the host had all the adults sit in the living room and tell our New Years Resolutions.....I promptly told her I knew she hadn't read my blog! 

Some people gave resolutions, other gave what they were grateful for in 2008, some said what their hopes were for and others told of some things they were looking forward to in 2009.

I said my goal was to be debt free (with exception to the house and maybe car) by the end of 2009.  I think it is fully manageable with some good saving and some good money management, I think we can even have some left over in the bank.  It will be hard work but, well worth it in the end.

We were home by midnight...did our quick oh look at the ball drop in NYC and then left.  I had 2 sleeping children, one I had to carry to the car, the other woke up just enough to walk herself there.  I also had my pyro guy and his big milk crate of fireworks.  By the time we drove the mile home, I had 2 people crying and my son had told about 10 stories about fireworks.

My husband met us at the curb and helped carry in our super cold and tired people. 

Everyone slept great last night!  The baby slept until 415am before needing a feeding!  Then, she went back to sleep until 730am!  Wow.

Everyone else including Steve slept in until sometime between 8 and 9am.   It was wonderful.  What a way to ring in the New Year, no hangovers, no headaches, just lots of sleep and good moods.

So, our day today was pretty relaxing too.  We all did different things, Steve took our 5 year old skiing, my mom took our 7 year old to a movie and to play at her house and my 6 year old had a friend come over.  The baby took great long naps today!

Then, tonight, we had a homemade pizza party.  Yum, yum.  Not sure if I have ever mentioned this before but, we are all wheat/gluten and dairy/casein free in our family.  So, we have had to learn how to cook/bake all over again.

But, our pizza recipe I think we have perfected.  It is super yummy, I make homemade crust, soy cheese, and whatever toppings we can find in the fridge/freezer.  Tonight we had a pepperoni and sausage pizza, YUMMY!  Although, I got yelled at by my 5 year old(yes, yelled at) because I didn't make her a cheese pizza and apparently, that means I don't care about her.

The baby even had 4 slices of pizza!  She loves people food, she refuses to eat anything baby anymore except for 'mama milk'.  By the way, she is only 7 months old and just started to get her 1st tooth however, she manages to chew and eat just about everything we eat for meals.

Then, after dinner, Steve took the 3 older children ice skating at our local park.  The girls both got brand new ice skates for Christmas so, they were very eager to use them.  Well, they were at the park well over an hour just skating around and stuff.  I guess they had a great time and just giggled and giggled around the rink.  So great.

I guess it is safe to say, the girls will be getting the skating lessons they have been asking for.  I think this is when having a lot of children starts to really become busy.  They all want to do something and if one is doing something well, the other one wants to do something too.

Yes, I can say 'no' but, why?  They are at an age of experimenting with things they like, finding things that are fun to do and things that they will enjoy doing.  Yes, some days, some weeks, may be busier than others but, as long as they are having fun, that is what it is about.

Too soon, they will get bigger, their friends, school and maybe jobs will start eating more and more into their play times and their sports interests so, take advantage of their eagerness to learn and do new things now, while you can!

OOOOOHHHHH, thinking of my day tomorrow just lead me to something pretty funny.  Our daughters were getting ready today for skating and didn't like that they didn't have 'pretty coats and snow pants'.  I guess my 5 year old also noticed it today on the slopes when she noticed her friends nice coats and stuff.

Well, I was about to fight the having to buy them new things just because they want something pretty and then I looked at what our 5 year old daughter was wearing.  She had this beautiful pink and brown hat with matching mittens on with an orange ski coat and black snow pants.  Well, yes, the hat and mittens are brand new but, the orange ski coat...well, we got that 4 years ago as a handmedown from some friends of our that both of their boys wore.    Our son wore it 2 winters, our oldest daughter wore it 2 winters and now our 2nd daughter is wearing it.  Same thing with the snow pants.

I started laughing and I said to my husband who was also lamenting the fact they wanted prettier coats.  I told him, this...."Do you know that we have NEVER purchased a coat/jacket or snow pants for any of our children except for their infant stuff?!"

Yep, we have gotten so many handmedowns over the years that have been great stuff that we haven't purchased ONE coat or ONE pair of snow pants!  LOL.  So, we decided it wouldn't be frivolous or silly to finally buy the girls a 'girl' coat instead of having them wear boys coats/jackets that 3 other boys had worn before them :-)

Boy, praise the Lord for handmedowns!

Blessings to all of you in this New Year and don't set your sights so high that you can't see the end.

-Liza