Livin' With a Toddler....again

So, it's been a while since we have had a toddler in the house! My youngest is 4...so it's been a few years. I forgot how much you learn from 2 year old little boys!
What I've learned this week:
1. when you see something brown on toddler's finger you pray it's play-dough! It was.

2. It's very tricky to convince toddler that a bag of cotton balls is not a bag of marshmallows!

3. If you want everyone in your house to see you naked...forget to lock the bathroom door while you shower.

4. I learned that more food goes on toddler's clothes than in his mouth!

5. I learned that the toilet is a fun place to play!

6. I learned that everyone 'shares' a toothbrush with toddler....other kids were not impressed....don't worry we cleaned them!

7. I learned that toddler is smarter than I am as English is his second language....I only know English.

8. I learned that not matter what time I set my alarm for...toddler will hear it....toddler will get up.....and speak loudly to me in his first language.....that language has no name....he's one smart kid!

9. I learned that toddlers smile makes my heart melt.

10. I learned that the toddler has lots of friends....cuz he's so cute!

How It's Going

Yup....the picture says it all. LOL....it's not all that bad....but this is an acurate picture of Sunday night! We are all still trying to get meshed together. It's hard. The kids miss thier parents...and we don't "know" them. We are still trying to figure out where the baby is 'at'. I think we got it. We are now feeding her baby cereal before bed and she is sleeping better. We are introducing stage one baby food today. I always made Colton's {my youngest son} baby food....so we are not used to buying jars. Other than that....we have had fit throwing, biting....lots & lots of biting. So much biting that we are now required to keep a log for when Matt bites! All 3 are in diapers so we have had countless diaper changes. We have had a million appointments and we have about 6 or 7 specialists that come to the house for the kids weekly...all different people and all different days. We are stretched.

BUT.....to see God's hand at work is awesome! All that hard, stinky stuff I just wrote is true....that's our life for a while. It will smooth out, it always does. But, along with all that 'stuff' are some pretty cool moments! We have got to see the oldest of the boys start to trust us enough to go potty. {some times!} We have seen that the middle child stopped pulling his hair out! We have seen both boys sit and eat real food. We have seen the first time the boys were in the woods. We have seen the boys go to bed with smiles because they could show us thier "own" beds. We have seen the oldest boy call our house 'home'. We have seen the children happy to come back here, to this house, after seeing their parents. We have seen that the boys are responding to directions and doing what they are told {most of the time}. We have seen that the kids will hold hands and be silent while we pray as a family. We have seent he baby start to use her leg muscles {they didnt know if her legs worked, nobody ever held her...just laid in a crib} We have seen that baby can indeed hear {they thought she was deaf, nobody talked to her} We have seen that baby eats like a PIG { we were told she has failure to thrive, nobody loved her} We have seen baby fall in love with my husband and play a game where they stick tounges out at each other. We have seen baby giggle and laugh because she has more friends {all my kids} than she knows what to do with! We have seen baby's brothers be happy to see here instead of try to hurt her {we were told the youngest tried to hurt her and the oldest was scared of her}.....

What have I learned......so far I have learned to not push and just wait on God. I have a tendancy to think I "know" what is best for these kids {meaning all of my foster kids :0) } and yesterday wasn't soon enough for the "best" for them....so I push....hard. It gets me in trouble. County workers don't like that. So....this time, I am not pushing....God can handle it! And of course...He is! I was told by a driver yesterday that the kids have court tomorrow and they are going to try to change the goal to pull the oldest boy out of preschool and keep him home with me! WOW! What an awesome God thing! I am learning to not expect too much. I am learning to accept the kids parents and know I need to pray for them and not get mad and judgemental. I have learned that my job is not to organize all the counties "stuff" {they like it when you do!} and let them....my job is to care for the kids, that's it. I have learned to go with the flow and things go much better...meaning, school will get done...but may be off schedule a bit...stuff like that. I have learned that I am grateful I run a very organized home. I have learned that it was good to train my own children so they do not need so much direction and I have the time to focus on the new kids and their needs. My own kids know the routine and what to do, so they just do it. I have learned that God really does have a plan for me and He will have His way. We had a TOTALLY different plan for this time 'round in foster care....His plan won out. Go figure :0)

*Spell check wouldn't work & I don't have time to look this over...sorry !!! ***

WOW! 3 more!

WOW! We have been in the process of getting our cert. to be foster parents again....and when we did we were told that there were 3 little boys that we could consider for adoption....we were thinking we wanted to foster teen girls {we did this years ago....for 5 straight years}....but we wanted to follow God's will so we said ok. A week later we got a call and they said "it's a no" about the boys...we weren't even cert. yet...so we were just taking out time...chillin' out....waiting on God. Then yesterday we got a call and a proposal....the county asked us to take another 3 children and that they would just go ahead and call the state to get us approved for emergency care. They NEVER do this...as we are not kin of these kids. I prayed...rob prayed...we said yes...but were sure they would call back and say "no". Not this time! They called and said they would be coming in 2 hours! So....the kids we were blessed with taking care of for a time {honestly, they hardly ever go home}....are...a little boy {4}, another little boy {2}...and a sweet baby girl {5 months}! So in a matter of 2 hours we went from 7 kids to 10! All three new kids are in diapers....I tried to put the oldest on the potty and he arched his back and got upset....and the other boy has downs syndrome...I think. they are all VERY VERY delayed. We shall see where God takes this, but we are in much prayer that these kids' parents will get help and they can all be a family once again. Please join me in prayer for these 3 kiddos and their parents. they sure do need it!

Family Fun

Family fun....that's been what we have been up to! We are on an even tighter budget, for which I am thankful, so our fun is more of the "free" kind! We have also been trying to get more activity as a group. In the picture above we are watching a close friend of ours make homemade cider! We picked MANY 5 gallon buckets full of apples that day! Then we went on and unloaded a huge trailor of "stuff" for them. We had an awesome workbee!

We have spent countless hours hiking in the woods as of late. We are always laughing and finding treasuers!

Bike riding!

the crew getting ready to "hit the road"! What a fun time!!!

And last night we had a 'camp' fire! We roasted marshmallows & played hide and seek in the dark! The kids loved finding hiding places behind hay bales! Daddy also led us in worship songs! We didn't have time for baths before bed....and the kids all smelled like "camping"....ahhh....life is so good! I cannot believe the Lord has blessed me with so much!

Interesting....

I have had tons of people approach me as of late to ask about adoption through foster care. We adopted 5 children through foster care in Nov. of 2010. It was awesome! I am glad that people are thinking about adoption...it's SOOO important and I am hugely in support of anyone who feels led to adopt. I pray we will have the chance to do it again someday! BUT....these people who are calling me all say the same things...we want kids with no or very few "issues"...only one child....and a child under 2! That's all fine and dandy....but then why are they looking to adopt through foster care? That may sound harsh....and maybe it is harsh. I am a strong supporter of Children and Youth....and foster care is primarily for kids who have "issues"...to say you want a child with no "issues" is just like saying that you really just want a kid and don't really want to do the REAL "foster care thing". People are under the wrong impression by thinking that children who were abused under the age of 3 will suffer no ill effects from their abuse. Wrong. It's part of them. A very important part of what makes them who they are. A part that needs talked about, cried about, prayed about WITH the child. These certain people who have been asking me questions about adoption really don't even intend to tell the kids the truth about who they are. Adoptive parents cannot just pretend to be "birth parents" to these kids...we are not. They have a whole separate "family" that they will want to and need to know about and maybe even meet so they can have some peace with things. I guess the whole point of all of this mumble jumble is this....adoption is not about the adoptive family....it's about the child whom you are adopting. Adoptive families need to realize adoption is not a fairy tale...it's not all dreamy and easy. It's not like you wave a magic wand and have a new family who lives in harmony. Not AT ALL! It's hard...it's sad...it's exhausting. It's SOOOO worth it. But, these people who are asking me questions don't see it that way and then take GREAT offense to my answers to their questions! they ask me if all of my kids get along...meaning birth and adopted...answer : NO! My birth daughter and my oldest adopted daughter hate each other. My adopted daughter tries to ruin my birth daughter's life...by stealing from her and being REALLY mean. Then they ask me..."why did you adopt her then? What are YOU going to DO?" I answer them..."I will DO nothing and we adopted her because God said to do so and because we love her."....then the person who is asking a million questions looks at me like I have 2 heads! People ask me if my baby (he's 4 now, but came to us at 10 months) was "normal".....keep in my mind...these people only want babies...I get to tell them that he hated everyone and would scream like you were gonna kill him when you touched him for over 6 months! That he still has food issues from being starved. they just say "oh"...I feel like I am not being an encouragement to these people and that's wrong of me. It's just that they are not appearing to want to adopt through foster care for the reasons it was intended. Adoption through foster care is beautiful...but it's hard work. It's not just a way to get a "free" adoption! (the county you live in usually pays for the adoption fees)....it's to help kids have a better life. It's to minister to lost souls and show then that God loves them. It's to show then that no matter how many times they steal from you or try to kill your pets that you will love them and pray for them. It's NOT to make them feel creepy for what they do...it's all manifested from their abuse. It's NOT to pretend that nothing happened to them....that makes them feel "dirty" and "odd" for the things they think, say, and do. It's NOT a way for people to get a ready made family. I pray for these people and I think I have upset them with my answers. They were honest answers and they were just shocked by what we live through...daily. I see it as a blessing....they are scared. I pray anyone who is thinking of adopting...decide what you are looking for. Remember that any kids who are up for adoption WILL have issues....they are up for adoption after all! Remember that's it's NOT about you...it's about them. If you adopt through foster care....know the adopted child may never love you....they may never even be able to show love. Love them anyway. they may never be able to eat like a normal person....teach them anyway. They may try to kill you in your sleep....make them feel safe. OR....they could adjust normally and feel like they are just part of your family. We have both. I just described my kids. the thing is....you don't know what's going to happen or what it's going to be like. There are so many failed adoptions because people give up. They had a picture in their mind....and when the picture isn't just as they had envisioned....they are done. This is horrific for the kids....it makes them full of hate for God. Again, if you are thinking about adoption....figure out why you want to....what you want....pray....and don't give up! I pray that many families feel led to adopt....it's very important...it's a command from God to take care of the orphans....just go into it with real expectations and know it's not fair to your adopted child to out those fairy take dreams on thier shoulders!

Fall Centerpiece

I was looking around....trying to figure out what I could make into a fall centerpiece....this is what we came up with! I love it! I love that it was free! I love that Rob helped me with it! We saw in a magazine that people decorated with chunks of tree trunk, we thought it was cool....so out came the chainsaw....and this is what we ended up with.

I pray that the people who gather around this table will share the love of the Lord and we will have sweet and godly fellowship this Thanksgiving. I pray that they will all be able to feel God's love for them...and be thankful.

Object Lesson From God!

Yesterday we were doing our family devotional....titled..."Temporary Treasure"...the scripture reading to go along with it was Matthew 6:19-21....the devotional was about how we need to not hold tight to our earthly treasures....but work to store up treasures in heaven. It spoke of how we are to handle ourselves when things that we hold dear get broken or lost. (this is a children's devotional)....as I was turning the page I looked at my left hand....and....my diamond had fallen out of my wedding ring! Next to my Bible, my wedding ring is my moset "prized" possesion! I was upset...but this even was a gift from God! It was the perfect object lesson! I got all the kids around and within 2 minutes Kate (my 5yr old) found my little rock...on the throw rug in the kitchen! that was such a God thing! I then was able to sit down with the kids and explain how that really tied in with what the Word tells us. I'll bet that they will have that piece of scriputre hidden in their hearts due to God's object lesson!

By the way....I am getting my ring re-set and re0sized next week for about $100....so not too bad!

Kids....Frugal or Not?

I often hear that people don't "want" more kids because they think "they" cost too much. I have thought much about this. Yes, children do cost money...they eat and need clothes. I will not deny that my food bill has increased since we have grown our family! That is a burden financially...but it's expected. You expect to buy clothes for children, but there are ways to cut costs. It saddens me to think that people use this as an excuse to not follow the will of God. I thought I would list just a few things that I could think of that people could use as an excuse that kids cost too much, and a way to avoid the cost.

Babies:

clothing...you could buy used, wear hand downs, and what I do is buy neutral colors so they can be shared between sexes.

Baby food....make your own! Those jars cost a lot!

Gerber Bottled Juices....just water down the juice your whole family drinks.

Bibs....a dish towel works great!

Kids:

special shampoo.....teach them to close their eyes and look up...lol...we all use the same shampoo!

special bodywash....we all use the same soaps...either bar soap or a "regular" smelling bodywash. Babies should use something more gentle.

Toothpaste....we all use the same as soon as child can spit out what's in their mouth!

Toys....children who are close to the same age don't all need the same toy...they can share! I know a lady who buys all of her girls and then the boys the same toy so they don't have to share.

Toys....try not to buy gender specific toys, they can all play with them!

Clothes...again, hand downs, used, and for instance....plain white turtleneck shirts can go for either boy or girl under sweaters for added warmth. We have had the same set of turtlenecks around here for years!!!

Bedding....don't buy "kid" bedding...plain is best as it can be passed around from child to child.

McDonald's....yup, we all eat there from time to time! People always ask us how we afford it. They think that everyone gets a happy meal! Not so much. A few times a year, yes. This is how I do it for the kids....on the cheap! I get them all a $1 sandwich...and a few boxes of fries to share, a few drinks to share (I split them up into cups)....and there you have it!

Christmas....kids don't need everything they WANT!

We need to remember that children and a gift and not a burden! Yes, they do cost some money...everything does...but people make it seem much more than it needs to be!

Those are just a few ideas I had....share yours!

Provision....the Frugal Kind

The Lord's provision always amazes me! What a blessing this is to us! We eat around 7 deer a year, so this is a blessed start. It just makes me sit in awe when I think about how God has provided all we NEED to live within His creation.

On a frugal note...this is CHEAP food! He buys his hunting tags...I don't really know how much it is...not a lot. Other people we know shoot and give us the deer. We process our own meat. Super cheap eats! That along with the produce we can from the garden...and we will have some nice meals this winter!

Big Stuff & Deep Thoughts

Wow! What a time of it we are having. BIG stuff...I won't get into it all, but let me say that 911 has even been called this week! (everything is OK...just a scare). The last few days have left my mind spinning and heart aching. Wondering how and why things don't go "as planned"...how people can hurt you and say "I didn't mean it"....and that's somehow supposed to be ok?? Left me wondering if letting the Lord determine our family size was and is really the smartest thing? Why is parenting so painful and hard? How can people say things they say?? How can people look at my family and since it's large and we adopted 5 kids that they can ask me things that nobody should even say outloud? Hmmmm? So, those are the deep thoughts.

I KNOW the answers to many of those questions, if not all of them. I have been a saved person for some time, I read my Bible daily...so I have found the answers in the Good Book. So, like I said I KNOW them...in my head...but as you can see this is where my heart has been left. Such weak faith. God is using this time of pain to grow and mold me. For instance, last night a lady I have never met before was talking to me (our church had a Fall Fest for the kids) and she asked me if i have a hard time loving my adopted kids like my own birth kids....she thought she would have trouble with that! My jaw hit the floor...and I said "no"...they are ALL my kids! This pained my heart...was this true? At the beginning....no, that's not true! I did struggle! I have a child who will kill me! that was hard to deal with....at first. Now, I do love them all the same and I can say that truthfully...how am I so transparent? How could she see that? Why am I ashamed to admit that? Maybe the Lord was directing her to adopt, maybe He wanted me to share. So, share I did. Maybe I sounded like a crazy person...this is what happens...I share our story and peopke say.."oh, you are a saint to adopt abused kids"....ha! What a joke! I am FAR from it! I am just a vessle the Lord is using to help these kids....it has nothing to do with "me"! But God is using this to grow me. I should not be ashamed of that growth....where I was and now where I am. Shame on me. We had an issue with our oldest daughter. A BIG one. I was ashamed. Why? It was her choice...she is my child, yes, but more than that she is my sister in Christ. God has shown me that she makes choice, I make choices, we have to live with the ones we make. she is responsible for herself ( as far as her choices, when she is sinning anyway). You see, she did something that she knew was not honoring to God...and her sin bit her in the butt! I'm glad. It has hurt, still does....but it's not about me. I pray that we can all grow and learn from this. I pray we can move forward. I pray the changes we have made as far as rules and restrictions will honor my Father. Life is tricky. Life is short. Life is for growing. Praise the Lord!

Frugal Art Class

We like to do some sort of art project on Friday's. I do not like to spend a lot of money or time on art...lol...call me crazy...but it's just for fun at this point. So, today's frugal art project was painting a pumpkin! I just printed off a pumpkin coloring sheet.

I always like less mess when we paint, so an easy and cheap way to contain our paint is to use cupcake liners!

Another thing we often do is give little ones a Q-Tip to paint with...it's easy for them to handle and we can just throw it away when we are done!

The finished product! These pumpkins will make wonderfully beautiful fall decor, don't ya think?

Home Improvments

With cold weather coming there is much to do around here! We need to winterize the house and barns...but also, it's home improvement time! This is exciting and frustrating all at the same time! LOL...our house is OLD, and when you try to do any sort of improvement you can count on finding at least 5 things that make you want to cry! LOL. So far, in every room that we have tried to fix we have found crazy electrical work, crooked walls, not properly patched holes, one room of our house is built with boards one on top of the next...and the boards have bowed, so our wall bows in...it's a strong room, I think it was the first room built. Our home started out MANY years ago as a one room "cabin"...and slowly people added to it to make it a farmhouse. Whoever built on to it didn't do it for looks, it must have been just to have space for a family to live. Then, about 30 years ago, my uncle built the upstairs portion...and did a very poor job. Soft floors, uneven everything...the house has settled so much there are cracks in the ceilings and walls...you get the picture! It's a work in progress! We are going to tackle two projects this winter...the mud room and the downstairs bathroom. Should be interesting as these are both part of the very old, original part of the house. I wonder what we will find! It's been fun to see the newspaper that they used to line things with (walls, floors...i guess it was used for insulation??)...but it's not been fun when you see something you had no clue was under the floor or behind walls that could have burned your house down! LOL...Praise the Lord it didn't! I also have a few smaller things to do, I need to finish some painting projects and paint the family closet room and my pantry. Fun times!

Obedience

As of late I have been doing a study on obedience to God. It has been convicting and forcing some soul searching...both for which I am grateful. In the last two weeks I have had two major events come up...My flesh was screaming for me to "take action"...and do SOMETHING! I have learned that the something I need to do is wait. First, I need to be willing to obey God...when He lets me know what course of action to take...I need to say "yes, Lord"...and then comes the hard part...ask Him..."what's next?"...and wait. I have learned that His timing is perfect & I screw stuff up. I am so thankful to have a Bible so I can learn. Each of those situations had nothing to do with me, really...but I was very involved...had I satisfied my flesh and acted hastily, without listening and obeying God step by step, other people's lives would have been effected. It's like a chain reaction.

Today I am not feeling well, so much time will be spent reflecting over what He has taught me...I

Weekly Meal Plan

A frugal tip....PLAN, PLAN, PLAN! It really does save you money. I am trying to cut down on my food budget even more in the next few weeks...wish me luck :0)

Breakfast:

1. french toast

2. muffins & smoothie (from homemade yogurt!)

3. eggs & toast

4. homemade granola cereal & toast (or fruit?)

5. pancakes

6. spice cake (either made with rhubarb or zucchini)

7. homemade cinnamon raisin bread

Lunch:

1, Kielbasa, fries & corn

2. tuna melt & celery w/ p.b.

3. ham & cheese sandwich...and a side

4. hot dog casserole & fruit

5. pizza toast & applesauce

6. p.b. & J & apples & grapes

7. toasted cheese & tomato soup

Dinner:

1. Pizza roll (homemade) & green beans

2. hamburgers, potatoes & corn

3. Corndog patties & veggies

4. "stuff" with biscuits on top (we made it up!) & fruit

5. shepards pie & homemade bread

6. spaghetti & homemade garlic bread

7. "shake & bake" chicken, potatoes & veggies

Having a plan that's not too strict helps as I just pick & choose from the above menu...whatever we feel like cooking that day! another bonus...since I am prganized about my meal plans and food shopping...rob takes me on Sundays after church....and we go out for lunch! I'm sure he would not do this if I was just aimlessly walking arounf the store throwing "stuff" into the cart...and then after all of that ask him what he wants for dinner...LOL....he'd rahter stay home if that was the case! Either way....meal planning saves money and might just get you a date!

Frugal Birthday Party

OK....So, let me give you a bit of background about birthdays and what they are here...I learned a VERY valuable lesson when my oldest daughter was turning 2. She was my only child (I was VERY pregnant with #2)...and thought she needed to "have it all"! We spent well over $400 on her birthday that year! We had a huge party...tons of gifts...a cake special ordered from another town, a new outfit for the birthday girl, and spent tons of time and money on decorations. This is how that party went....guests came, ate, made a mess, didn't look at the decorations, Ashley opened gifts that she never really played with, fell face first into her fancy cake and screamed her head off...and as I was rushing around in a frantic state to make sure everything was "just so"...my pants nearly fell down...for real! (gotta love well used maternity pants, right!)...so I literally dropped the plate of food I was carrying to pull up my pants....you get the picture...oh yeah...and my step-SIL told me I had ugly hair! Whew....that was worth $400, right??

This is now how we "do" birthdays....it's VERY low-key! I spend less than $5 on decorations...usually $1 for a tablecloth in the child's favorite color...and a treat for each spot at the table...and the rest of the decor is FREE! It may be cheezy...but kids DO NOT care about decorations! I think they would be sad if there were none, but they don't care what they actually are as long as it "looks" like a party to them! I put the gifts in the middle of the table (they get as many gifts as years old they are), I color and hang up coloring sheets in any "theme" they choose, and make a homemade birthday banner. They get to choose whatever homemade meals they would like to have that day, and what dessert they would like. Only a few of my kids like cake...they choose ice cream, pie, candybars...all different things! We don't have a single person over, and they still have to do school. We like birthday's, but we keep them in perspective...and cheap! I have never had a kid cry because they hated their birthday, so I guess we are doing ok!

The birthday pictured above was thrown yesterday for the little girl I babysit. It looks just the same as it would if it were one of my own kids. I think I spent around $10 for the whole thing...

decor...was only $1 for the table cloth as I decorated the table with her gifts, and stuff I had here

gifts...she turned 5 so she got 5 gifts...

1. movie, already had...Colton got a double for Christmas (Dora)

2. 10 commandments book (I buy the surprise packs from CBD and then hand out the stuff for gifts whenever I need one)

3. Dora coloring book $1

4. Play jewlery $1

5. A set of dolls $5

She had a brownie "dessert"....free....and the candles I had

She had the time of her life, the girls all dressed up in princess dresses....who could ask for more!

I Can't Comment!

I wanted to let you all know that Blogger won't let me comment on anyone's blog! I try...I want to comment....I just can't! Sorry! I am reading and enjoying....just can't join in. If anybody knows how to fix this issue...please let me know :0)

Blessings!

Frugal School Tip

Just a little tip....and maybe I'm the only one who would do this...BUT...this is a tip on how to be able to re-use all of your home school materials...and never buy the same grade level twice!

It has always irritated me to have to re-buy a grade worth of books that I had already bought once...we use a lot of books that are consumable. I buy a ready made package of curriculum for a very cheap price, and they come in mostly consumable workbook type books. I love the curriculum, the price is SO right, and it really works for us! Again, not thrilled about spending money for something I already paid for more than once....call me crazy! LOL. So, this is what I did and it works very well....I just tore all the pages out of each consumable book and put them in a binder with page protectors. The kids don't write in them, they just simple use a notebook! This is a HUGE savings....I will teach (for instance) 6th grade at least (still praying for more kids!) 7 times. I paid $206 for 6th grade curriculum (all subjects...awesome deal!)...so if I were to buy that same package 7 times (becasue most of the books are consumable, but we like them) it would be paying $1,442 just to teach 6th grade 7 times. I bought it once at $206 and had to buy page protectors and binders...I didn't calculate the exact cost as I had some of the stuff here to do that with...but just say it was around $50 for supplies....that makes the curriculum now cost $256 for gth grade wich will be reused to teach all the kids....that's a savings of....$1,186! I'm sure some of you have better curriculum that can be re-used...but this is what I have found works for us! :0)

Blessings on your day!

Blended

you know something.... I have waited, watched, and prayed for this to happen....and it did~ God is SO good~ our family has finally, really and truly, blended! I no longer see birth siblings gravitating to each other, I no longer see that when we ask them to stand or sit together as a group, birth siblings always stuck to each other. I no longer see the birth sibling groups always watching their own siblings to make sure they are OK. they no longer ask to make SURE their OWN birth sibling will also have a snack...they are blended. They are all mixed together. We are a true and real FAMILY! Praise the Lord!

Look At Me

I have a little issue I wanted to talk (vent) about....I was at Walmart last night and was walking along, quietly talking with my oldest son, and we hear this mom YELLING at her child...child is running away giggling...you know the scene. What I wonder is why do people do that?? Nobody wants to hear all of that! I am not judging her parenting skills or child...as some of you know I have a child with RAD and we know what bad behaviour in public looks like :0) ( Savannah is doing MUCH better these days, just in case you were wondering!) What I want to know is what makes people think it's OK to be so LOUD in public?? It changes the atmosphere and your experience when you have to hear a loud adult screaming at a child. My son quickly looked away, although I'm sure, as a child, he wanted to stare to see what was going on...and he tensed up. Not cool. There are ways to get your child's attention while in public (or at home!) without even saying a word! I have trained my kids to listen to me...but when they are out of line, I need to let them know....how we do this is.....I taught them that when they hear me QUIETLY clear my throat...I WILL HAVE ALL EYES ON ME....NOW! I then just simply make eye contact with the offender...they stop...life goes on. And NOBODY heard or knows anything at all happened! this leaves the people around us happy...the child happy as they were not just humiliated...and me happy because I just didn't fall into the sin of anger :0) Spread the word....you shouldn't yell at your kids in public (or at home!)....it makes an unwanted scene!!

Frugal Bathroom and Family Closet

My bathroom is pretty small and needs some work. Someday :0) The pictures aren't the best as there really isn't much room to stand and take photos! I did the best I could! LOL

This is what my shower curtain looks like. Nothing fancy...I recently got it at Walmart...I had another one up that was pretty...but I wanted it to be brighter!

Here you see our washer and dryer...my husband bought these before we were married! We have done minor repairs, but they still work just fine! On the shelf above the washer and dryer is where I put my donations (tall white hamper), my mate-less sock bin ( my dryer snacks on socks!), cleaning supplies for the bathroom, and laundry soap/vinegar.

This shot shows my homemade curtain...again from a bed sheet...the things hanging on the wall are glass star things....they were given to us (they are cool up close!), the potty, and the vanity & mirrors. the vanity and mirrors were given to us by Rob's dad...they are the same ones he had growing up...FREE :0) They need to either go soon or be repaired...but for today, they are fine :0)

This is the scary part!!! the family closet...EEK! Each person has a shelf with 4 baskets. A shirt basket, a pants/skirts basket, underwear basket, and a p.j. basket. They may not have more clothes than fits in the baskets! Mine are the fullest...and I have 2 shelves...lol...

My husband and Ashley keep their clothes here....shelves right by the "secret room"...my kiddos call it that! LOL....I think that's a hoot!

this system REALLY REALLY REALLY works for us!! below this last photo is where we have our dirty clothes hampers...so it's easy as pie....everyone showers, and changes in the bathroom...no clothes leave this room (except for the ones you would be wearing!)...they are washed, folded, and put away all in the same room! How easy and efficent is that!! The family laundry room was all free! Rob built all the shelves out of stuff we had around! It really could use some paint....or something....but it's what works... beauty wouldn't get my laundry done, right?