Gardening By the Moon

  As you know, I was raised a City Girl, but when I grew up and fell in love, it was with a dairy farming, corn fed, Country Boy!   Dale and I have lived outside of town for 12 …

10 on 10: 5th edition

  Welcome to the 5th edition of 10 on 10! 

Never heard of 10 on 10???

Here is my last one.

Actually, there is an ENTIRE CATEGORY devoted to them.

Here are the instructions:

Take a photo every hour (for ten consecutive hours, if possible) on the tenth of each month. Document a day of your life and find beauty among the ordinary moments. Then share your beauty on the 11th! Please be sure to use the photo above on your blog post, and link back to mine, so we can all share in the fun.

The gal that I originally linked up to, is no longer blogging her 10 on 10’s, so I am a lone ranger. If you ever want to try, follow the instructions above, then just come post your 10 on 10 in the comments, so we can all visit you!

NOW, just so you know, I only post 10 on 10 when both the 10th AND the 11th fall during a regular posting day.  For those that are new to 4 little Ferguson’s, I post M-Th at 7am and Friday at 6am for Weekend Potluck. I take all Weekends OFF to be Mommy! 🙂

Without further adieu, 10 on 10…..

~T

P.S. It doesn’t have to be kept to just 10 photos.  I haven’t done that yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Guess mine should be called 30 on 10?

1) Good morning to my 4 Little’s!  It’s cold outside, so we are having OATMEAL!!!!!

2) My facebook status at 7 am.

(Go like 4 little Ferguson’s on facebook for all recipe photos and fun updates!)

For those that can’t read the photo below on their phones it says:

”I can understand losing a lens cap, I’ve had a lot of photo sessions lately.  I can also understand losing a camera battery charger, I have 4 kids, things grow legs and walk away. HOWEVER, I cannot understand how in the world I lost a 5 pound bag of potatoes. Seriously? What in the world!?”

{SIGH} It’s true. Potatoes were on sale for a dollar last week, so I had my mom grab me two  bags.  I used one right away and distinctly remember talking about putting it in a cool, dark place.  Hmm.  Guess time will smell…..I mean tell.

3) Headed to Preschool, it’s getting COLDER out! 8* now

4) Set out all my holiday baking ingredients thinking I’d get it a bunch of it done while it was just Paxton and I at home.

Nope.  I was too busy doing laundry and looking for my potatoes.

5) Three kiddos are home now, and it’s LUNCH TIME!
Leftover Chicken Pot Pies are on the menu.

Recipe coming sooooon! 🙂

6) I grabbed a couple of the kiddos toy microphones that they had left out and called them all to nap time…announcer style.

Paxton thought it was a GREAT idea, but didn’t quite know how to go about making his voice loud like Mommy’s. Didn’t take him long to realize he needed to place them on his MOUTH, not his EARS.

Silly boy!

7) 1st hour of nap is reading time, 2nd hour is quiet play time while Mommy works.

Todays work load is Season of Light edits for the church, and a stack of recipes to type out on the blog.

8) SUPPER TIME!  Coming to a blog post near you……

9) Family Baking Time: there is no such thing as too many cooks in the kitchen!

Good little Cinnamon Puppy Chow makers and shakers!

10) Advent calendar before bed…

11) Everyone is beat from such a fun evening!

12)  Good night my 4 little Fergusons, sweet dreams!

Trying Three’s

   This post 2 for the day, make sure you don’t miss post one:

Orange Cream Cheese Brownies.  YUM!

  You know how people always talk about the Terrible Two’s? 

 Yeah, our kids skip that and save it all up for the “TRYING THREE’S”.

  The sweet angelic babies of days gone by, take a temporary leave of absence. 

And in their place?

 

These volatile little people that get set off at the TEENIEST thing!

  We have a method we use for these Trying Three’s called:

“You Have 2 Choices”. 

(Brilliant name, I know.)

   This allows our 3 year olds to feel like they have a bit of say in their out of control worlds, while still allowing us, ultimate control.    {Muahaha MUAHAHAHA!}

   No really, all laughing aside, I am dead serious about this, every single blessed one of our kids has gone through this stage and it’s tough people.  It makes me weary just writing about it. 

“Avery Lyn! You have 2 choices…..”

“(Pointing to index finger) You may stop crying and play with us.  OR (pointing to middle finger) you may continue this crying fit in your room alone. Which do you choose?”

This is a tough decision…….

  But, they tend to pick number one and then proceed to shut it off. 

  On the occasion that they cannot get it under control, they are then removed to their room where they sit on their “Boo-Hoo Bed” until they are ready to turn off the water works and be happy.

  This has worked very, very well for us!  And hey, it works for clothing too!
“Avery, do you want to wear your black leggings or pink leggings with your sweatshirt today?” 

  She thinks she is choosing for herself, but she is just safely choosing within the boundaries we have set up for her.   It’s worked like a charm around here!

Now someone, PLEASE tell me what to do about FOUR:

Freaking
Out
Unnecessarily under
Routine circumstances.

So many tears.  And sniffles.  And the blubbering {sigh}, oh the blubbering.  (This too, is something big sis went through at age 4……)  

  Well, that’s it from here! Happy day to you and yours, I’m off to go see what the caterwauling is about this time………

  I’ve got a 3 and 4 year old, at this point, it could be ANYTHING!!!!  🙂

~T

“God heard me, Mom! He really DID!”

   Remember Saprina?  (pronounced Sa-prEna)  She’s our new kitty and an important member of the Ferguson household.

  She went missing over a week ago, in the midst of all the chaos of life at the time…think tractors working after midnight and sewage filled yard.  When we realized she was gone, our kids were DEVASTATED!!!!  There were days of sad, quiet sobs, and many sleep interrupted nights as happy dreams became sad realities upon waking…. Poor lovies!

   We posted pictures up on 2 stop signs, in hopes that someone, somewhere had seen a little kitty with a yellow ribbon on her neck.

I truly thought, by a week, and not one phone single call later…….that she was long gone. 😦   I just didn’t have the heart to discourage the children’s wishful thoughts and tearful prayers each night.

  Oh to have faith like a child.  Destiny just knew God was going to answer “Yes”, despite my lecture on God’s different answers:

No.

Yes.

Not right now.

  Well, it was a BIG YES this time! Praise His name! 

  We received a phone call that a family had been driving to Buhler and noticed our sign.  They found a kitty over a week ago with a dingy, dirty, frayed yellow “rope” on her neck, which they immediately cut off.  The mom right away thought it was a ribbon, not a rope.  The kitty they found was so tame and sweet, that they knew right away, she was someone’s pet.  They put out the word that they had found a kitty, but heard nothing.  Oh, thank the Lord they saw our sign! 

  It was too late that night to go get her, and we didn’t DARE say anything to the kids, just in case it wasn’t her.  8 am could NOT come fast enough!  Early the next morning, Dale headed out and called with great news: Yes, it was her.  Get the kids lined up because he’s almost home.

  The reunion went as follows:

“Sit down and DO NOT OPEN your eyes!”

 

Sweet Pax came rushing right over, grunting and pointing “Ooo, Ooo”. He knew something exciting was going on!

“Ok, now open your eyes!”

“SAPRINA!  Is it really you?!”

 Even Sophie was excited her friend was back home. She tried all sorts of plans, trying her hardest to get those short little weiner dog legs up high enough to see her friend, waaaaaay up there, in the kids’ arms.

Avery:  “OH Mommy! I am so gwad dat Sapwena is home!”

{Squeals! Then runs to me and throws her arms around my legs for a TIGHT squeeze.}

 

Happy kids…….

Thank you Lord, for bringing our special Furry friend back to us safe & sound!  We are all SO thankful!  Even Sophie…..

Praise the Lord for answered prayers!

~T

P.S.  Bonus recipe post coming right up:  “Raspberry Sweeties”.  Darling AND delicious!

Whose Bright Idea Was This, Anyhow?!

  Today’s project was “Toy Closet Clean Up”. I thought it’d be a great idea to involve the kids, assigning a few baskets to each child, to be gutted, sorted and put back on the shelf.  It seemed so simple really.

 

How is it that stuff like this always seems like such a good idea at the time, but then turns south reallyreally quickly?

  I do believe at this point, he had discovered Mommy’s Trash Bag of broken toys:  “But they’re SPECIAL, Momma!”

  {Or, quite possibly, I snapped at him to quit playing and get his baskets done before lunch!}  (Sorry, Ty!)

  I explained to him that in our family, we like to stay organized and keep things neat and tidy.  This means we don’t keep broken toys that just take up space.  This was a great way to make sure his UN-broken cars had room in their basket home.  Well, he thought that made some sense.  He dried his tears and got back at it, even working with Destiny to surprise me by organizing the Train Table.

  It wasn’t long before Avery turned on the waterworks, although I cannot for the life of me remember why right now.  It was so close to lunch and nap time, who knows!!!!!

Tylan, sweet boy, grabbed her by the hands and said something vaguely like what I had just said to him, about being tidy and working together to get the job done.

  Phew. Disaster averted.  Time to make lunch!

When it was all said and done, the closet looked MUUUUCH better, and we had actually cleared enough space for 3 additional baskets! Yay!   🙂

  My next project? The one I’ve been putting off for 5 months now…..

See that HUGE stack of white paper on top? 

All new recipes to try. 

  I need to gut and re-do my existing recipe folders, then place these new print offs in sleeves and add them as well.  Ugh.

As you can see, I currently have them shoved in my desk, so I don’t have to look at them each day.  How overwhelming!

Maybe I’ll get to it while the kids are outside playing and Pax is napping?

“What’s that kids? You want me to come play in the Tee-pee with you?”

Shoot, guess I am TOO busy right now to start such a large project.

Darn.  Maybe tomorrow.

Or the next day.

Or next year……

~T

Just For This Morning…..

Just for this morning, I am going to smile when your whining at my feet, & laugh when I feel like crying.
Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.
Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.
Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles. Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble.  Even when you scream and fuss, I will keep my cool and deal with it in a calm manner.
Just for this afternoon, I won’t worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

 Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won’t stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.
Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.
Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.
Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows or computer time.
Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.
I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mommy’s and daddy’s who are kneeling beside their children’s graves rather than beside their beds, and the couples who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can’t handle it anymore.
And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer……it is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day…………..

   As a weary mother of 4 little Fergusons, this moved me to tears!  How many times do I rush through lunch, so we can stay on schedule?  Or shove them out the door as fast as their little feet can move, so we get somewhere close to “on time”?  How many times have they asked me to stop and read them a book, or color with them, and I say, “Not now, mommy’s busy” and then never get around to it again? 

How many times do we show them that their work “isn’t quite good enough” by re-doing the bed they worked so hard to make? Or fixing the dinner table settings just an inch to the left?  How many times did they walk away with slumped shoulders and sad hearts because mommy didn’t take the time to listen to what they were REALLY saying?  

  Oh, how we stumble and fall as mothers.  Oh, how we break those little hearts without meaning to, and crush their spirits, rather than the wrong behavior, by our reactions. 

  As mom’s, we do our best to balance life, and these unrealistic expectations we put on ourselves, to be a certain way, have our house look just so, or enroll our kids in certain activities to give them “opportunities”, that maybe we never had.  But, somewhere along the way, somewhere in this hustle and bustle we call life, we’re missing out. 

We miss out on playing with our kids because we are never home, or when we are, we’re catching up from a busy weekend.  We miss those teachable moments in the car, because we turned on the dvd player, or are talking on our cell phones.  What happened to just singing songs and talking to our kids without media-based interruptions?  What happened to sitting on the front porch each evening, talking to your spouse after a hard days work, with kids crawling all over vying for your attention?  Does anyone DO that anymore?? We should!  Heck, it seems like people can barely manage family dinner, let alone a whole evening together! 

   Our kids are missing out on even BEING kids, because they have too many activities that rob them of the layed-back life they should be enjoying now.  Don’t the stresses of being an over-worked, under-slept adult come quick enough?  Our kids should be outside playing until we call them for supper, coming in flush cheeked and eyes sparkling, ready to chow some dinner before homework and bedtime.  What happened to that?  Where along the way, did we as the adults, decide to pass down our overly busy social schedules to our children, and at such an early age too!?  Do our 4 year olds really need to be in tap, jazz, piano, softball, knitting, ceramics and a spinning class at the local Y? No! 

 “Outside” activities, meaning those that take you from your home, need to be viewed as a privilege, not the norm.  Family time is sacred time, and anything that takes away from that, needs to be evaluated as to its worth.  Will this further the kingdom of God?  Is this building our family up? Is this time well spent?  Will it bring our family together or send us in different directions?  

    Is it morally wrong to allow your kids to experience these different activities?  Of course not.  It’s just that satan likes to use them to steal from your children….he steals their time!  Family time is gone. How about running around free and just being a kid?  Gone, because we are in the car eating fast food, rushing to the next event, or practice.  

  Remember the good ol’ days?  Playing with siblings and neighbor kids until the neighborhood moms would come out on their porches one by one, and call their kids in for dinner? How comforting it was to join my family for a delicious hot meal to end our day.  If felt peaceful, relaxed, low stress.

Did you know in the 1940’s, your average size home was 700 sq ft, and the average family had 7 kids?

Did you know in 2000, the average home being built was 2000 sq ft and the average family had 2 kids?

Our families are getting smaller and our homes are getting bigger…..and we all are going our separate ways. We are losing a precious gift called Family Time.  We are missing out on a living room so small that we HAVE to be together because there is no where else to go.  No where else to be, except together.

 When your kids are grown and gone, you won’t wish you had enrolled them in that cooking class, or ballet class, or soccer league.  You’ll wish for one more moment of family dinner time, with those sticky little hands tugging your arm to get your attention and say thanks for dinner.  Those teachable moments of learning to clear your own dishes and load them in the dishwasher.  You’ll wish for one more family game night, or Bible story time with all the kids lined up at your feet, listening intently.  One more moment to watch them wrestle on the floor with daddy before bed.  One more moment, lingering on the edge of the bed, with a footy jammed toddler’s sweet little head tucked under your chin….

Dale and I are super committed to keeping Family a priority.  In fact, we are in a war to protect it. It’s a sacred gift to be treasured and enjoyed.  We value the precious moments spent around the family table too much to share that with anything else! 

Go hug your babies extra tight today…..and really take a look at you and your family’s social calendars.  Cut some things out, commit to sitting down at least 4 days a week for family dinner and watch (AND FEEL) the changes occurring in your home! 

God will honor your “God first, family second, work (and activities) third” mentality. 

I’m off to bed, good night!

~T

 

Hello world!

  I am a midwest mom of 4, 3 of those munchkins arriving in the last 3 years. The words spoken most often at my house: “Hello”, “Goodbye” and “I’m Pregnant.”  I guess if I was being truthful, you’d also hear the words:  ”I said No!” and “I need FIRST time obedience” as well. All this, set to the backdrop of , “It’s MIIIIINE“.   I have a 2 and 3 year old, what do you expect?  🙂               

 Being a stay at home mom is wonderful, but really, does the phone have to ring the same time the baby is crying, the toddlers are fighting, I am changing the 2nd poopy diaper in 10 minutes (deja’ poo), the pot on the stove is boiling over, someone is knocking on the door,  AND the dog is barking?!

  This blog is a peek into my life….. I am addicted to photos of my kids, new recipes and I love to “talk shop” with other momma’s.  I am into natural remedies, limiting TV time to promote reading, “Slow obedience is NO obedience”, and making all those little moments count. 

 So here I am, is anyone out there listening to me??????