The Rule

 The last time I worked full time was the year Tracey was a baby.  Even then, my days began at 5:00am and I was off at 1:00pm -- so it was a 40 hour week, but I got my afternoons and evenings with my baby.

Fast-forward 7 years and I am not only working full time, but I am filling two teaching positions -- one should be full-time by itself and the other should be half-to 3/4 time by itself.  My plate is very full.

I'm contracted to a full-time position, but this job could easily take 60+ hours of my life... and of course, I want to do it well.

But I'm also the mother of 6, and I get off work at 4:00pm, and my children are headed to bed at 7:00.  I get three precious hours to welcome them home from school, connect with them about how their day was, feed them dinner, help them with homework, get them baths, and ready for bed with a bedtime story.  The evenings are even more full when you add sporting events, school events, and Hubby's evening school responsibilities.

If I do not devote my attention to my children between the hours of 4:00-7:00, the time is gone.  Not only is the time gone, but everyone has a rough night, a poor night's sleep, and it carries over into a rough morning.

Sometimes there will be a work event or meeting that requires my after-school attention, but the RULE has to be that I am with my kids from 4:00-7:00 and taking care of them and their needs, and it will be the rare EXCEPTION that takes me away from that.

Caddie Woodlawy

Caddie's father comes and talks to Caddie after Caddie has spent the day in her room as a punishment issued by her mother.  Father speaks to Caddie.

 "It's a strange thing, but somehow we expect more of girls than of boys.  It is the sisters and wives and mothers, you know, Caddie, who keep the world sweet and beautiful.  What a rough world it would be if there were only men and boys in it, doing things in their rough way!  A woman's task is to teach them gentleness and courtesy and love and kindness.  It's a big task, too, Caddie -- harder than cutting trees or building mills or damming rivers.  It takes nerve and courage and patience, but good women have those things.  They have them just as much as the men who build bridges and carve roads through the wilderness.  A woman's work is something find and noble to grow up to, and it is just as important as a man's.  But no man could ever do it so well.  I don't want you to be the silly affected person with fine clothes and manners whom folks sometimes call a lady.  No that is not what I want for you, my little girl.  I want you to be a woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind."

Caddie Woodlawn

Chapter 21, page 244.

A Boy and His Puppy

 Every boy needs a puppy... and Hunter has found a good one.

Other Bathrooms

 Hunter (my 2.5 year old) was sitting on the toilet and Brady (my 1.25 year old) was in the tub. 

I was doing a little dance in the bathroom the way a mother does when she is watching a toddler in the tub and a toddler on the toilet and she has to use the restroom herself. 

I look at Hunter and say, “Mama has to go potty too.”

He responds, “There are other bathrooms.”

In other words... I plan on taking my time here on this potty.

1000 Words

 1000 Words

School Pictures

 School pictures are back...

1000 Words

 1000 Words

Great Line

 Sometimes a song won't really be all that memorable... but golly one line is just so well written it will just stay with you for many years.

There is a Dixie Chicks song from a few decades ago... I could look it up to see which one it is (they had some catchy songs when I was in high school and college), but the line that I really like is just a quick line in one of the verses that is quickly sung without much fanfare...

"...watchin' the children and the garden grow..."

It is now well established how poor I am with plants, but I love that line.  Basically, all is right with the world - watchin' the children and the garden grow.

I'm reminded of that line when I see this picture that I took this past weekend while we were with my parents in Michigan.

Valuable Time

 Given how much work Hubby and I returned to, I have to remember how valuable our trip was (and it was!)

Long Weekend, Long Trip

 We just got home from a long trip over a long weekend.  We went 3150 miles in 5 days with our 6 kids.  Events included dinner with family in St. Louis, a day and dinner with family in Michigan, a wedding in Michigan, a family reunion and birthday fish fry in Michigan.

It feels good to be home.  And it will feel even better to sleep in a bed tonight instead of our suburban while Hubby drives cross country.

Here are a couple of favorite pictures:

More pictures and stories from the trip coming another day.

1000 Words

 1000 Words

Happy Birthday Hubby!

 My hubby is another year older.

I have had the honor of pleasure of spending the last twelve of my hubby's birthdays with him (as his girlfriend for one, and his wife for eleven), and it is such a pleasure to watch how this man changes and grows with every passing year.

This past year I have watched my hubby sacrifice for our family, go after a lifelong dream, and lead our family into a brand new chapter full of challenges and adventures for each and every one of us.  We have had to lean on one another, inspire each other, and pull together in brand new ways as we're adjusting to a new life in a new place.

This man works every day to give his all and his best to those around him and our children and I are so incredibly lucky to have him as our Mtn Miller Daddy.

Happy Birthday, Hubby.

Musical Night

 We took our 4 big kids to a musical on Saturday night and to dinner before the show.  It was a GREAT TIME.

We can't wait to do it again.

We saw You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and met the cast after.  The kids favorite parts were when Linus and Lucy acted like brother and sister (which they are in the comic strip).

9-11

 I will never forget 9-11-01

Making Good

 For years I've told the kids one thing whenever they asked for a new pet, "No more animals until we're doing having babies."

Once Brady was born, it kind of became, "Yes, we will get some animals, but give me a chance to get Brady settled in our family."

Then, we realized we were moving to Rangely so it became, "Yes, we will get some animals when we move."

Well... now it looks like we're moving AGAIN in a few months (more on that later)... but I was very proud to begin to make good on that promise of adding more animals to our family.

The Septemberfest Carnival jumped the gun a little more than I would have preferred, but sometimes that's what a Mama needs in order to incorporate something new into our family.

So, we now have an aquarium.  We have one new Beta fish, our three carnival fish, and we will go back to the pet store in two weeks, once the good bacteria is established in our tank and pick out a few new fish for the family.

Truth be told, we're not entirely sure that a Beta fish, and the Carnival fish can live together... but we made the family decision that we were going to have one fish tank, and we will see how it goes (and who survives) over these 2 weeks.

Welcome, Fish!

Little Brothers

 Lexie, especially likes her new little brothers... the fish.

Parental Consent?

 Over the weekend, our kids were thrilled to welcome 3 new members into our family -- Guppy, Gulpers, and Nibbles, three fish.

Our kids won these in a carnival game at the Septemberfest Arts and Crafts fair... 

Should parental consent be required before someone just hands your kid a fish?  I would say yes.

 This long weekend is making me long for more summer... I love when my only responsibility is taking care of my little ones!

Go Blue!

 We didn't get a terrific picture... but we got a few funny ones, and we are all very excited for the start of Michigan football again!

Go BLUE!

A Laugh

 I don't golf... but this made me laugh.

Sister's Care

 Maybe this is why he isn't really walking yet...