Our guest blogger today will be Gus, one of my little shoes!

"Dear journal today where is the double u? found it. Well it was a great day.we played Lego Harry Potter"
Gus is 8 years old.  Beautiful boy!

What to get a 9 month old for Christmas?

This scrapbook design customized with Smilebox What do you get a nine month old for Christmas?  I think back on the other kids and I guess it was easier.  Zoe was our first, so we bought her toys and clothes and it was a given that she got lots of presents.  Gus was the first boy, so "boy" toys of course, and he was 8 months, almost the same.  Emma was the new baby and only about 4 months, so she got clothes and a floor toy thing I found her.  I had the other kids get her a build a bear.  Now Teddy is here and he is the new baby who needs nothing.  He needs clothes, but I didn't wrap them, or opened them already.  The other kids had toys left over that needed new batteries, so we replaced them and they wrapped them for him. He is getting a cute shirt that I picked out, but decided to put my in-law's name on it, since they had me buy his present from them.   He got the old build a bear's that were saved from going to Goodwill, and he loves to unwrap things, so maybe we will just let him play with all the paper and boxes, and take lots of pictures of his first Christmas.  Next year, Thomas the Train will take over our house again, and toddler toys are a little easier to pick out, just hope they have come out with some new ones that we don't already have two of!  Merry Christmas!

December is Here

It's already December. I always remember when I worked in a collections office, that the girls would comment that customers who owed money would say "Christmas is coming" as an excuse for having no money. They would scoff and say things like "you know it's coming every year, that's no excuse". And though I agree, it's not an excuse for not paying your bills, I am one of those people, who December and Christmas sneak up on every year. It's the far away theory. In January, Christmas seems so far away. When tax season comes and we get a little cash back, I will always say, let's buy Christmas presents now (in March or April). But we never do, because we need it for other things. Then I think we should put some away every month for the Christmas season, or do a Christmas club at the bank. I've tried those too, and can't ever seem to put money into them, or keep it in for very long. So I am here again, surprised that time has flown so fast, as I get older it does fly! We will have to make it work, I put if off until the last possible moments to shop. Can't break the cycle, so I guess we should just enjoy the ride. Maybe one day, I can have all my shopping done by June, and I'll be one of those people who December never sneaks up on, but until then, I'll just be the one to go out at 3am on Dec. 22nd to shop at Walmart, and wrap it all up.

Finding Peace

How do we find peace in our lives? Having children makes you reflect on how to see the world as a peaceful place, and at the end of the day,  I proud of the decisions I've made.  The decision to leave dance and go back to school was a big step in my life to regain control that I had lost, and to better my life for my family.  I am finding so many things to be thankful for and seeing so many ways that I was being pulled in the wrong direction. We live and learn, and I've learned that I am a responsible adult, not perfect, but I am putting my kids first, and my family is everything.  Since I took back my life, I've found more time to be with my kids and husband, and feel so much better about the time I spend doing activities that we choose to do.  I enjoy our time at home, and really appreciate watching them grow up.  I don't miss being criticized daily, put down for my efforts, and the negative atmosphere.  I don't know yet if I want to be a principal, but I have learned that the climate of a school depends on the administration taking leading positively, and I know how to treat each student and co-worker with respect.  Those are things I already knew, but now that I've come out of yet another abusive relationship , I see that I am drawn to creative people, and I have a need to be creative, so I will use that for my career, and always work to see the good in people, and hopefully use what I have learned to better the students I teach. I have found peace, and am so happy to not be a part of that world anymore.  My world includes those that I love, and teaching character responsibility to my kids and students.

Things to be thankful for

Just another Sunday.  I'm sitting here in the eye of the storm.  They are all around me, the kids.  Screaming, singing, laughing, yelling, and I'm blessed and thankful for just having them in my life!  This is what I see...

Zoe. 5th grade, 10 years old, smart, sweet, still young.  Loving, and critical at the same time. She is a good girl.  Have to make sure she stays that way.   Very creative, always thinking of something to do.  Writing something right now. She took the Darth Vader mask from the other two. 

Gus. 3rd grade, 8 years old,  smart, kind hearted, emotional, creative, loves kids, and most of all his brother! Wearing Darth Vader mask.

Emma. Pre-K, 4 years old, smart - really smart and clever, headstrong, very spontaneous and spunky.  Her innocence sets her apart, passionate, about everything she does and sees. Taking apart a toy and asking me to fix it for her.  Now she is wanting the Darth Vader mask and fighting over it. 

Teddy. 8 months on the 23rd of this month.  Growing, soft skin, hungry, smiling, laughing.  Sitting up, stronger every day.

Looks like they have abandoned the mask and are now on to other toys.  Going to be a great day!

http://flic.kr/ps/24Xzns

Fall Reflections

This has been a very good fall for us in the DeVries house.  Though we are no longer dancing, the kids are finding fun in many activities.  Zoe has been chosen for student council, saftey patrol, and is trying out for Cheer Leading.  Zoe, Gus, and Emma have taken swim lessons for the past two months and really loved it.  Teddy is growing and is just too cute for words!  Now if Tony and I could find time to have a nice dinner together, that would be perfect.  School is going well.  I'm taking two classes as USI and teaching music and technology.  Really enjoying the tech stuff, which is spurring me to blog and giving me fuel and passion for a something I do anyway.  Halloween was very nice, with great weather.  October seemed to be a long month, but somehow November is already accounted for.  Guess I better write more often, so that I can continue to keep up with my life! 

Tomorrow is the big day!

I guess I am nervous, but mostly excited.  I feel that he will complete our family, and I'm also loosing a part of myself as I get my tubes tied at the same time!  So I feel a little sad that the pregnancy era is over. It's been a wonderful 10 years, or so of being pregnant on and off, so what if what should have been one last pregnancy gift became so uncomfortable?  I'm really ready.
Will I log my breastfeeding?  Probably not!  But he will eat, and grow, and just like the rest, he'll be beautiful, and look like Winston Churchill!
Pictures will be taken and videos galore.  Family will be there, and hopefully more. Welcome to the world, Theodore

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe...

You know the story. She had so many children, she didn't know what to do... Well, four isn't too many, is it? For a 35 year old? I just feel old. Ten years ago, at 25, I was so excited that we started 10 years earlier than my mom did. She was always older than the other moms at my school. But now that it's me, I guess it's going to be ok! It has to be! But I was an only child, and I always wanted lots of kids. My husband is the youngest boy out of 5, so he's used to a large family. Now with lots of cousins, my kids are used to the big family too, and we are truly blessed that many of them are close to us, and we get together often.
When I look in the mirror, the gray pops out at me, and as I send the older kids down to the walk-in basement to play with the 3 year old, I wonder, what am I in for? Is it just that I'm tired from this pregnancy? It hasn't been an easy one like the first two. The third had a few things, like a breach baby and a c-section, but this time, with a month left, I could hardly walk and he (it's a boy) was so low, he feels like he's falling out, so I'm on bed rest. Feels like house arrest, though I'm grateful for the rest, so I'm starting a blog!