getting them groceries.

let's talk grocery shopping, shall we?

for some, it's a nightmare. for others, who have their stuff together (not me), it's painless with all the perfectly planned meal plan shopping lists.

insert three kids into the picture. what do you get? a hot flashing momma who huffs and puffs through the aisles like a mad woman.

ah you thought this was going to be a post on meal planning? nope.

this is a post on not pulling your hair out, while dragging one child by the hand and simultaneously trying to maneuver the shopping cart...*inhale* and the two other kids constantly asking for every sugary item they see.
I realize that I may come off as a tad bit dramatic, and maybe. maybe.

see i'm not the kind of mom that will drive to a store to replenish the family's groceries to only leave a half filled cart at the store because one child is misbehaving. not unless he/she has a few dollars to pay me for the gas spent, of course. moving on.

 

to keep my sanity and theirs as well, since I perfectly well know grocery shopping doesn't make the top ten on their list of fun, I keep them busy...with their own list.

<feel free to print for your personal use>

here's the gist. I have three kids, so one kid gets the fruits, another gets the veggies, and the other dairy items, bread and such.
the rest is all you.
 

this last trip we got everything we needed in about an hour. usually with them it takes an hour and a half, sometimes a little more. it's a win - win. they stay busy and agree that it's fun, and you stay collected and cool while getting a to do item off your list.

there are a couple of things to consider of course. so let's digest them a bit.

 

age :  the list making would need to be age appropriate. mine are already a bit older and can read and write, so i allowed them to make their own list. for the younger tots, if they don't know how to read yet, you might want to use pictures.
 

<feel free to print for your personal use>

 

time: you may not want to go at the busiest times of course. some people might not appreciate a toddler or a kid taking a little longer to check for the best avocados, which i thought was super cute. but i'm their mom, so i would.
in addition, it might be a little overwhelming for the kiddos when the store is packed.

overall, i think it was fun for them because they said so, and it was a great learning experience too.
if i'm up for the challenge, i might give them a budget next time to stick too. that might be interesting to see. we'll see whether they inherited my thrifty, coupon when i can ways, or their dad's...

what kind of methods do you use when grocery shopping with kiddos?

 

 

weekend shenaningans. or lack there of.

this weekend was so laid back. i mean so, so laid back.

 

we didn't do absolutely anything that required packing, getting sunburned, going broke. yay, to that last one.

instead we just moseyed along the weekend, and waited around for monday.

sometimes, that kind of weekend is needed you know.

sunday morning, the kids woke up extremely early. like 7:30 am early.

i know some of you mommas of toddles and babies are rolling your eyes with your routine starting at 5 am every day, so i know, i know.

however the night before, my husband at 11 pm got hit in the head and announced we were going out to dinner.

i mean i was already in my pj's ready to start snoring.

i was about to start objecting with the kids being out so late, but i figured since it was not a school night, and i mean how often is something like this done?

we didn't get back home until 1:30 am.

my eyeballs were stinging from wanting to shut and rest. the kids were acting like it was noon.

where do they get this kind of energy??

 

anyway, back to where i was. they woke up at 7:30 am, so naturally i was only able to pull the covers over my head for so long before their tummies started growling.

that proverbs31 woman has me beat, i tell ya.

so i decided with my lack of sleep and grogginess we would make the most of it, we would have a pancake picnic.

we moved the table out of the way and sat on the floor.

 

but not without hissy fits and sibling arguing of course. apparently holding on to the syrup for more than five seconds is completely unacceptable. hogging the raisins is also frowned upon.

just a few tips to remember next time you're sitting a table with pancakes being served.

the rest of the afternoon, was filled with grocery shopping, which i managed to get through in an hour with three kids as the husband was working.

this week i will share some secrets i used to keep them from running around the store like hooligans.

 

so tell me, how was your weekend?

  

linking up with:

life lately

around here..

i've been in a rut as of late. it may have something with summer coming to an end, and the days have started to become a tad bit shorter but enough to notice the change.

still breathing though, going with the flow. i almost feel like a blog post is undeserved with the lack of creative content within, but i thought i owed some kind of status report of what's been going on in my end of the planet. so..

i started working out again, with a work out buddy, mind you. we all know working out with someone is triple times better than alone. seriously, the twenty arduous minutes we knocked out one day last week went by like nothing. i wasn't checking to see how much time i had left every two minutes. according to our calculations we should shred major pounds by the end of september. damn labor day weekend and it's sinful array of food. it's okay, we'll burn it off tomorrow.

i guess it's a good thing our oven needs repair. i had planned to bake muffins, soft pretzels, banana bread for after school snacks. in which i would obviously partake on a bit too much. hence having to work out extra harder. and who wants that? don't worry though, the kids are still enjoying after school snacks. just not the oven required kind.

and you know what's God been working out? my spiritual muscles. i mean seriously, when you tell God take it all, do what you will. He is not playing. it's pretty painful sometimes. the process, methods He takes. but all in all, if i'm going to be taken through the fire, so be it, as long as i stand refined in front of my Savior.

also, there's been a stirring in my heart for a new project geared towards girls. teenage girls, single girls in my area. so praying over that as we speak. i dream for it to be a grand blessing for all involved!
speaking of projects, why does procrastination always take over me?
it's september and back in march i thought i'd have my shop up by summer. i'm working on a couple of pieces. between being a little lazy, being in a rut, and sometimes not having much time, it's taking longer than that. but it will be up soon. crossing fingers.
i'll write more on it later. the why's and heart behind it.
for now will just lift me up in a quick prayer that it all goes well?

oh and before i forget,  can we please give me a round of applause for getting super close to that little guy up there to photograph it in all its glory? i mean for a girl who's gotten stung more times than i'd like, that took guts! and it posed long enough for me to snap the photo. once i was done, it flew away.

alright guys. that's the extent of my glamorous happenings around here. maybe this week i'll kick up the excitement with a mashed cauliflower recipe. try not to hold your breath for it. :)

what's going on in your world?

nuggets of wisdom

 

from my oldest as we were coming back home from family nite at Dave and Buster's, after I made a comment how it would have been cheaper to buy the nerf gun he won with all his tickets.

 

'yeah it would have been cheaper, but don't you feel it's better to win it? cause then you can feel proud of yourself for doing really good.'

 

womp, womp.
Kiddo 1 mommy 0 

 

what nuggets of wisdom have your kids given you lately?

 

 

 

back to school they go.

 summer for these kids is officially over.

another year of homework, projects, lunch packing, after school snack is in full motion.

yesterday morning as i got ready to wake them to get ready, it hit me like a ton of brick my oldest in middle school now.

middle school.

    

   
he is entering a world where teachers no longer practically hold their hand to the next class or to lunch, where the social status is determined. where all the cliques sit together and as a newbie, walking into the lunch room is kind of like walking into a lion's den.
where he pretty much is on his own to get to class on time, make wise choices and be his own little man.
and i cried.
at the chance that he would grow up way too fast, in a faster paced environment with kids from different home settings influencing his innocent thoughts.
what if he's exposed to hip hop with graphic lyrics or talks of sex among his friends?
what if his pure mind that i've worked so hard at keeping that way, is corrupted in this new chapter of his life?
then the Lord reminded me: 'he is in my care. he is protected by me. all of them are. your daughter, your youngest. all in my care.'

oh how hard it is to remember that as a mom. we want to always hold their hand, always be right there. but knowing the Lord is much closer than i could ever be, is so reassuring. so peaceful.

   

   









the only thing i can do is encamp them with prayer. each day, each night lift each of them up in God's hands, under His wings. and He will do the rest.

and you know, for the first day, every thing went so smoothly. even lunch time for my oldest. all sixth graders go to lunch at the same time. win!

if you're a mom to a child in school, i pray that your children's school year goes smoothly. and if you're a mommy with a little one, use these years to smooch on them as much as possible. these years go by so, so fast.

hubby's birthday - a weekend later

the hubby turned 32 last week and we celebrated with a four day weekend... last weekend. 

procrastination took over me and honestly didn't really feel like uploading a ton of pictures. still haven't uploaded all of them, just the ones from my phone. 

we drove to houston, and the first day we took the kiddos to the space center. it was right up my oldest's alley as his dream is to be an astronaut when he grows up. 

i thought it would kind of boring, but it was really enjoyable. lots of stuff to see, a tour of the training facility, fun shows, and a real rocket. 

the thing is huuuuuuuuuge! 

i love the my little man's face here. completely captivated by the size of this thing. 

just to even imagine the immensity of our universe is mind blowing!

later that day we drove to kemah and checked out the boardwalk. 

after the space center we were pooped, and we took a longer nap than planned, so we got to kemah later than we wanted. 

which of course left little time left to explore and enjoy before it got dark.

either way though, we had a great time, ate tons of calories in mexican food, sopapillas and tres leches cake. 

highlight at dinner for me was my little one offering to pray and thanking God for giving his dad another year of life. 

heart melting. check.

 

 all in all, it was a great day, full of fun, family and memory making celebrating my hon's birthday.
we are planning on going back later on this year when it starts cooling down and enjoying the rides too.

now, where can i get a sign like this for my desk and replacing 'birds' with leah. 

i swear there are potlucks, cupcakes, and treats at work every other day! 

 

 

how was your weekend?

linking up here:

life lately

whilst in the kitchen.

 

i'll be the first to tell you i'm not the greatest subject to shoot photos of.

i'm incredibly ackward, and it's kind of funny actually. well to me, not the person taking the photos i'm sure.

so when the beautiful katie at hope engaged (this girl is seriously gorgeous), decided to host a photo shoot link up, i got excited.

not because i love being the subject being photographed, but because i enjoy creating little photo shoot ideas in my head.

 

i decided rather than going out into an open field and running while sunshine dripped on my shoulders, i would just be more comfortable in my zone.

at home.

i'm as hermit as they come yall.

but more specifically in my kitchen. that's really my zone of comfort.

not because i can throw down like bobby flay or something, but because that is where i create.

 

   

whether it be a nice fancied up plate or simple sandwiches, the kitchen is where i feel the most useful. i know that kind of sounds a little sexist if you will, but it truly is my zone.

i create with love for my family there. i use my hands to place a warm meal to warm their hearts and tummies.

 and while it may not be up to par with what i would like my kitchen to look like with a nice back splash, butcher top counter tops and beautiful white cabinets, when i'm done cooking, washing the dishes and putting everything away, i feel satisfied inside that my little kitchen and i provided a warm token of love for my little family.

 

what space in your home is your comfortable zone?

 

ps. if you didn't get to link up yesterday with amy and i for yesterday's that song that moment link up, you still can submit your posts. we'd love to read what songs have spoken to you!

 

xoxo, leah

 

 

go visit katie's photo shoot link up!

 

 

  

motherhood is a...

sometimes you need a vacay from a vacay.
i mean the packing, the driving, the having fun, the family time spending. it drains you, especially if you have three children to haul around with you. i mean that in the most endearing way of course. if you know me somewhat, you knew that though.
part of this weekend, was spending time with my darling sister at her home for two days. my husband went out of town and i chose to crash my sister's house with the three kiddos to spend time with my niece and nephew whom they always have a blast with, minus the thousand disagreements over who gets the superman costume and who gets to use thor's, god of thunder's hammer. in the end you see two supermen swinging outside and it's all good.
but this weekend, in the midst of getting everything ready for a birthday party the next day, trying to get a one year old to nap while three loud boys ran around, an eight year old girl who had a meltdown about almost every little thing, we realized motherhood is a tough job, i mean pretty tough.

sometimes it doesn't feel like the greatest thing in the planet when you're running dry out of energy and patience, although it is.
but man, when the tough gets going and these kids test your patience like a chocoholic at wonka's chocolate factory, it makes you wanna run and hide in the nearest closet for at least five minutes, heck, ten minutes to yourself.

earlier that day at church the rabbi reminded us to never give up in doing the good job. never giving up because of our selfish desires, focused on us alone

never growing weary of doing good, for at the proper time reaping harvest if we don't give up. 
gal 6:9

yet i didn't see the rabbi's words applying to this area of my life until later that night, and more as i type now.

some days i grow weary of the discipline aspect, i admit. some days i grow weary of taking the time to actually sit down and talk instead of yell out. i grow weary of explaining the why and grumble the because i said so, i grow weary of doing parenting the 'right way' every day... because it's harder, more time consuming, takes more energy out of me.

should i not show consistency in doing good, with fairness for one as the other, pouring out grace as the Lord gives me, i may be endangering my calling as a mother. endangering that it doesn't hold up well together with love.

rather, in never growing weary of doing good in my home as a mother and lifting it always in prayer, i will at the proper time with God's grace and will, see a harvest reaping with children that will grow up, never growing weary of doing good in their lives as well modeled by the Lord. that is my greatest desire for them.

yes, motherhood is a tough job and superpowers might be required from time to time, but even in the worst of days, motherhood is a blessing given by the most compassionate Father of all, allowing us as mothers to grow, to teach, to care for, and learn from.

what part of motherhood do you tend to struggle with the most?

 

ps. if you don't know yet, this thursday amy and i will be hosting a link up on worship.

we look forward to reading your posts!

linking up here:

life lately

laundry bottle ball catchers

three kids in the house on a sunday afternoon with no where to go and crying out 'mommy i'm booooored' every ten minutes, will warrant getting down and crafty.

for some reason, i don't always throw away my laundry detergent bottles right away and they pile up. hoarding much? but this time they came in handy.

from trash to treasure i'd say.

especially when keeping your kids entertained is priceless. so yea, that'd be a treasure for this momma.

simply cut off the top part, paint, let dry and start playing catch.

oh and if you don't have a small ball, roll some socks up and voila, you got a ball.

get in there and play too. honestly, it was a ton of fun. especially if you're a tad bit competitive.

like that kid up there. don't know where he gets it from. victory dance and all.

(i know my daughter looks like she's sad to have lost in the background. don't worry, she was simply rolling up the 'ball' up again.