Bonin Family Adventures: Day 1- Why Bother
My friend Terri is doing 31 posts in July on how she stays healthy. She is TOTALLY qualified to do this and I can't wait to hear and follow her tips. Let me describe Terri. She is very petite, always looks perfect and has impeccable manners, and is always back to her perfect size 2 minutes after she has a baby.....oh yeah, and great teeth! But, before you hate her and write her off as a barbie doll no one could aspire to....let me fill you in on the rest of her. She is a Godly, Christian woman whose light shines brighter on the inside than the out. She has given birth to 10 amazing children that are also beautiful inside and out. She is one of the healthiest people that I know, AND one of the most balanced and non legalistic as well. Oh, and she is married to a great dentist.
So, I am super excited to go on the journey with her this month. Want to come too? Check out her blog and sign up for daily emails of encouragement. You'll be glad you did!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Sleep doesn't exist in hotels...
I'm convinced that something is put in hotels to keep babies from sleeping. I haven't discovered the full conspiracy yet, but I know when I do that it will be deep and dirty. The entire hotel industry is in cahoots to torture mothers of babies. I'm certain of it!! In our previous adventures with babies, I had the slightest glancing glimmer of the plot, but then I tried to rationalize it away. My first three babies didn't sleep at home, so it was plausible that maybe that was why they didn't sleep well when we traveled either. BUT, I now have definitive and verified proof. My baby that has slept through the night since she was 5 weeks old, minus three nights in March when she was cutting a bunch of teeth, won't sleep in hotels.
It hit me like a ton of bricks this weekend. We traveled in early May and she didn't sleep and then again this weekend, and again, no sleep! My investigative portion of my brain leapt into over drive. SOMETHING IS AMISS!!!!! I'm sure it must be in the air vents. Maybe they are pumping the entire hotel with an odorless, tasteless never before heard of by the public phermone that keeps babies constantly aggitated. Or maybe it is that exceptionally ugly "carpet" they use in hotel rooms. I mean, even the nicest resorts have that same consistently awful carpet. I'm sure they have that stuff lined with a backing that emits special waves only heard/felt by dogs and babies....this would also explain why the few hotels I've been in with with dogs were also unpleasantly filled with barking. Or it could be those cute little soaps they have out in the bathrooms. Actually, this one makes more sense than them all. I mean, who really uses them? No one wants to mess up the pretty soap, you always just get the packaged shower soap out instead. The "pretty soaps" must be made by a special forging process that radiates constant light flashes somewhere only on the spetrum for babies to see!
Yes, YES! I have them figured out!
I'm certain that it couldn't be that these poor babies are totally off of their normal routine. Or all of the rustling from 5 other bodies rolling around on noisy over laundered sheets could be the culprit. It certainly couldn't be her sleeping in a rattly, small pack N play instead a luxuriously large and padded crib. It definitly couldn't have anything to do with me drinking caffeiene to ward off unfortunate dozing episodes in the pool or nasty exhaustion migraines. In fact, none of these explanations would make any logical sense at all!!
I'll continue to do my due diligence to break the silence of this hidden industry secret and report back when I have more data!
It hit me like a ton of bricks this weekend. We traveled in early May and she didn't sleep and then again this weekend, and again, no sleep! My investigative portion of my brain leapt into over drive. SOMETHING IS AMISS!!!!! I'm sure it must be in the air vents. Maybe they are pumping the entire hotel with an odorless, tasteless never before heard of by the public phermone that keeps babies constantly aggitated. Or maybe it is that exceptionally ugly "carpet" they use in hotel rooms. I mean, even the nicest resorts have that same consistently awful carpet. I'm sure they have that stuff lined with a backing that emits special waves only heard/felt by dogs and babies....this would also explain why the few hotels I've been in with with dogs were also unpleasantly filled with barking. Or it could be those cute little soaps they have out in the bathrooms. Actually, this one makes more sense than them all. I mean, who really uses them? No one wants to mess up the pretty soap, you always just get the packaged shower soap out instead. The "pretty soaps" must be made by a special forging process that radiates constant light flashes somewhere only on the spetrum for babies to see!
Yes, YES! I have them figured out!
I'm certain that it couldn't be that these poor babies are totally off of their normal routine. Or all of the rustling from 5 other bodies rolling around on noisy over laundered sheets could be the culprit. It certainly couldn't be her sleeping in a rattly, small pack N play instead a luxuriously large and padded crib. It definitly couldn't have anything to do with me drinking caffeiene to ward off unfortunate dozing episodes in the pool or nasty exhaustion migraines. In fact, none of these explanations would make any logical sense at all!!
I'll continue to do my due diligence to break the silence of this hidden industry secret and report back when I have more data!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Around
I've been meaning to get back to bloggy land, but life... I think of posts as I sit and nurse and rock Priscilla. I want to update on all of the kids, since this is where I store their "baby" books, at least the info of our daily lives part. And, of course, I have random things I want to pontificate on. Things that no one is around to chat through during the long, busy, fun, exhilerating and exhausting days of Mommyhood to Several Littles. I text with friends, and that really is my lifeline to sanity at times.....I think God gave us that little bit of technology just for homeschooling Moms of many (although I don't feel like we have many, even with all the comments we get when we are out). To be able to shoot a quick plea, question, prayer or request and not have to sign in or look up addresses or wait for a reply or worse get caught in an extended conversation that you really don't have time to finish, and just go on with the warp speed pace of the day is so wonderful! It is uncanny how often a friend will shoot me a text of just the encouragement I need to keep going, right when I'm about to poop out. Of course, all the Moms reading this know that I wouldn't get to poop out alone....heaven, forbid...I would have a curious audience surrounding me saying, "Hey, Moe...."
Priscilla is getting so big. She's 8 1/2 months old now and just the most prescious, sweet baby ever! I know that everyone says that about their baby's, but I don't. Babyhood is not my favorite phase of this Mommy gig, but there is just something special about Priscilla. Lots of people notice it. Even my fellow non-baby-fan friends agree that she is just something amazing. She's calm and peaceful and adorable and sweet and you just can't get enough of her. I hope she keeps that sweet spirit all her life and uses it to please and serve our Lord.
She is getting all around and into EVERYTHING! She army crawls, QUICK and is pushing up to all 4's and attempts to crawl that way but quickly decides to get the show moving more effeciently army style. She can pull up to standing and climb up on anything and will at every given chance! She says Bubba, of course since he is the love of her life, and bye bye and she'll wave....when SHE wants to. Like our other kids, she is quick to show that she is NOT a performance monkey. She's been sleeping thru the night since 5 weeks old, see something special about this one since she beat her next sibling by about 13 months on that one! She has 6 teeth and she's not afraid to use them either. She's just so awesome!
Hannah is three and she will quickly correct you that she's almost 4! I'm not sure what is going to happen at 4 but she is pretty excited about it. She is S M A R T! We've been so impressed with Joshua all these years, but she might show him up if he's not careful. She colors better than any three year old I've ever seen. And she is FUNNY, but you aren't allowed to laugh at her. It really is a fun personality growing in that little thing. She follows Leah around and will copy every move she makes. They are best friends and I love to see that! They play and work together so wonderfully. A guranteed lifetime friend, you can't ask for more than that.
Leah is so BIG. I wonder how she got that way. She loves all things pretty and sparkly and shiny. She has waist length hair that she brushes and "fixes" all the time. Her mainstay do though is a pony tail at her neck. Keeps it out of her face and her neck cool and always has a bow or three. As girly as she is though, she LOVES playing in the dirt and will keep up with Joshua on the playground and field any day of the week. She is reading now, but not totally independently. I am very proud of her progress, she's never gotten frustrated or pouted about school. Math is not her thing, at least not right now. The curriculum that is perfect for Joshua did nothing for her, so we are taking a math break and will launch off another path again soon for her. She can add in her head all day long, but put it on paper and she's stumped. I hear that my grandfather was that way all the way through school. Good thing she's homeschooled is all I have to say!
And finally, my baby boy.....who is 7 and 1/2, don't ya know can't forget that 1/2! He's brilliant. Really, he is so fun to teach....ok, I don't do alot of teaching. He already schools pretty independently and just runs things by me when a new concept pops up. It really amazes me. He DEVOURS books.....he could easily read 2-3 a day on the 4-5 grade level. I thought I'd be able to stay ahead of him longer but it is hopeless. I'm so grateful for so many christian classical book lists out on the web that I can pull titles from for him. So far, I have 52 books from 4-7 grade levels lined up for him for history and literature next year. Who knows how many he'll get through this summer, once we actually get to summer. Since we started school in October after Priscilla, we still have a ways to go to wrap up this year. I'll try to post a video of his history song finalle when he gets there in the next few weeks.
Priscilla is getting so big. She's 8 1/2 months old now and just the most prescious, sweet baby ever! I know that everyone says that about their baby's, but I don't. Babyhood is not my favorite phase of this Mommy gig, but there is just something special about Priscilla. Lots of people notice it. Even my fellow non-baby-fan friends agree that she is just something amazing. She's calm and peaceful and adorable and sweet and you just can't get enough of her. I hope she keeps that sweet spirit all her life and uses it to please and serve our Lord.
She is getting all around and into EVERYTHING! She army crawls, QUICK and is pushing up to all 4's and attempts to crawl that way but quickly decides to get the show moving more effeciently army style. She can pull up to standing and climb up on anything and will at every given chance! She says Bubba, of course since he is the love of her life, and bye bye and she'll wave....when SHE wants to. Like our other kids, she is quick to show that she is NOT a performance monkey. She's been sleeping thru the night since 5 weeks old, see something special about this one since she beat her next sibling by about 13 months on that one! She has 6 teeth and she's not afraid to use them either. She's just so awesome!
Hannah is three and she will quickly correct you that she's almost 4! I'm not sure what is going to happen at 4 but she is pretty excited about it. She is S M A R T! We've been so impressed with Joshua all these years, but she might show him up if he's not careful. She colors better than any three year old I've ever seen. And she is FUNNY, but you aren't allowed to laugh at her. It really is a fun personality growing in that little thing. She follows Leah around and will copy every move she makes. They are best friends and I love to see that! They play and work together so wonderfully. A guranteed lifetime friend, you can't ask for more than that.
Leah is so BIG. I wonder how she got that way. She loves all things pretty and sparkly and shiny. She has waist length hair that she brushes and "fixes" all the time. Her mainstay do though is a pony tail at her neck. Keeps it out of her face and her neck cool and always has a bow or three. As girly as she is though, she LOVES playing in the dirt and will keep up with Joshua on the playground and field any day of the week. She is reading now, but not totally independently. I am very proud of her progress, she's never gotten frustrated or pouted about school. Math is not her thing, at least not right now. The curriculum that is perfect for Joshua did nothing for her, so we are taking a math break and will launch off another path again soon for her. She can add in her head all day long, but put it on paper and she's stumped. I hear that my grandfather was that way all the way through school. Good thing she's homeschooled is all I have to say!
And finally, my baby boy.....who is 7 and 1/2, don't ya know can't forget that 1/2! He's brilliant. Really, he is so fun to teach....ok, I don't do alot of teaching. He already schools pretty independently and just runs things by me when a new concept pops up. It really amazes me. He DEVOURS books.....he could easily read 2-3 a day on the 4-5 grade level. I thought I'd be able to stay ahead of him longer but it is hopeless. I'm so grateful for so many christian classical book lists out on the web that I can pull titles from for him. So far, I have 52 books from 4-7 grade levels lined up for him for history and literature next year. Who knows how many he'll get through this summer, once we actually get to summer. Since we started school in October after Priscilla, we still have a ways to go to wrap up this year. I'll try to post a video of his history song finalle when he gets there in the next few weeks.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Pox Log: Day 4?????
I hadn't been outside since Saturday night. Time is passing quickly, and not. Joshua had a harder day...but who wouldn't looking like this?
Leah is not dealing well at all. She's very dramatic and it is tiring for us all. Poor thing. Tomorrow will be a harder day for her, hope we all survive. Priscilla isn't bothered at all, THANK YOU JESUS. She has a light case and they are only on her head and bottom. Hannah just barely has a few showing up now. We'll see how hers goes.
Since no one really wants to hear my every moment of feeling about chicken pox, I'll post some long over due pics instead. For anyone with an iPhone. I post a picture a day on Instagram for Priscilla.
I do have to give photo credit to my amazing friend Shannon at http://www.shannonmucha.com/ Her work is AMAZING and I am lucky enough to call her sister in Christ and FRIEND!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Down with the Pox
Long time I know, I've thought of posting, but haven't found time to sit and do it....at least not when my eyes will stay open long enough to do it. But now I have the perfect opportunity. Joshua has chicken pox, finally! We went to our fourth chicken pox party two weeks ago and this time, finally, one of my kids picked it up. He's had spots for three days now and is doing great! He hasn't really been bothered too much at all. We are just hanging out, watching a ton of tv and relaxing. Kind of enjoying the mandatory rest period. I'm really hoping the girls get it as well.
Priscilla is great too. She's almost 5 months and is the most joyful, easiest baby ever. She started sleeping through the night at 5 weeks and has ever since. I don't know how I got a baby this easy this time, but I am loving it! She rolls around everywhere but isn't trying to crawl yet. Nurses like a champ. Loves people. But the most special thing in her life is her big brother. They have the sweetest, most special bond I've ever seen. It just makes my Momma heart so happy. He would rather hold her than do anything in the world and when she falls asleep on him, he just beams!
Hannah is growing so big as well. She is pretty sure that she should be doing anything her siblings do. She can be a bit of a challenge at times but that is mainly because I don't always give her the attention she wants. Schooling two and a baby makes her a back seat sometimes. She amazes me though because she will just go off and play by herself for hours sometimes. I think she is a less social temperament than her older two siblings.
Leah is reading. It is a slower process than with her brother, but everything about her is different from her brother. She's fun, spunky and a servant hearted beauty. And I do mean beauty. We get stopped regularly by people to comment on how pretty she is. Thankfully, it isn't something she notices yet. She's my second Mama around here and just loves helping, especially cleaning. I'm ok with that. ;-)
I'm doing good. Trying to figure out how to balance everything required of me. Don't know if that is even a possibility. Something always gets left undone....I usually choose that to be housework,lol. Thankfully, my hubby doesn't mind at all. Every month that Stinks gets older, gets a bit easier. Such a short time, I'm enjoying it. :-)
Priscilla is great too. She's almost 5 months and is the most joyful, easiest baby ever. She started sleeping through the night at 5 weeks and has ever since. I don't know how I got a baby this easy this time, but I am loving it! She rolls around everywhere but isn't trying to crawl yet. Nurses like a champ. Loves people. But the most special thing in her life is her big brother. They have the sweetest, most special bond I've ever seen. It just makes my Momma heart so happy. He would rather hold her than do anything in the world and when she falls asleep on him, he just beams!
Hannah is growing so big as well. She is pretty sure that she should be doing anything her siblings do. She can be a bit of a challenge at times but that is mainly because I don't always give her the attention she wants. Schooling two and a baby makes her a back seat sometimes. She amazes me though because she will just go off and play by herself for hours sometimes. I think she is a less social temperament than her older two siblings.
Leah is reading. It is a slower process than with her brother, but everything about her is different from her brother. She's fun, spunky and a servant hearted beauty. And I do mean beauty. We get stopped regularly by people to comment on how pretty she is. Thankfully, it isn't something she notices yet. She's my second Mama around here and just loves helping, especially cleaning. I'm ok with that. ;-)
I'm doing good. Trying to figure out how to balance everything required of me. Don't know if that is even a possibility. Something always gets left undone....I usually choose that to be housework,lol. Thankfully, my hubby doesn't mind at all. Every month that Stinks gets older, gets a bit easier. Such a short time, I'm enjoying it. :-)
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