Moms of Many it's November

[wendybird]

Congrats Jenny!
AM, that sounds interesting, will have to try those.Except for my vegetarian everyone loves fish...

[AnnieA]

AM, what do you all do for St. Nicholas day? I just realized that the kids will be home with us that day and I think they would enjoy celebrating. Ideas please!

[annettemarie]

We used to do stockings on St. Nicholas but it got too spendy. Now they set out their shoes. We do chocolate coins (of course!) and a nice real coin or two as well, a peppermint stick--the nice thick kind-- and a new toothbrush, usually the silly character kind I won't get any other time, and maybe a smallish toy. Not much fits in a shoe, LOL!

There's a wonderful Catholic mama book called "The Year and Our Children" where she describes this big cookie making affair, and a puppet show, and lots of cookies in the shoes of the "good" children. We don't go that far! Oh, we also have a favorite book we read, but I can't remember the title offhand.

It's also my Nicholas's nameday, so he gets to choose the menu for a meal and we make a cake.

[Kidzaplenty]

Congratulations Mataji4!

I have never used tuna in anything other than tuna mac or tuna sandwhiches. I don't know how it would taste with cheese and tortillas. Although, I guess I could give it a try. We are more likely to use chicken.

[SeekingSerenity]

Congratulations Jenny!!!

[mataji4]

Aw thanks ya'll. It's my birthday today and it's been sort of a crappy day so far- son up all night crying with an earache, bad night of sleep in said son's bed, sick husband left early for a meeting, and got many busy-making calls to return.

However, I'm excited today about being pregnant!! And I managed to sit in my living room with ALL of my best girlfriends for craft night and did NOT say a word! Two people brought me alcohol so I had to make excuses about why I was going to save them- thank god it was a Wednesday! It was SOOOOOOOOO hard. I am such a blabbermouth but I'm very proud!

[AllisonK]

Congrats Jenny!

Originally Posted by phathui5

What are your kids asking for for Christmas?

DS is asking for a video game, which he will not be getting. DD is asking for a second Madama Alexander doll (18 inch doll) which I may get if they sell them at Costco this year.

Originally Posted by THANKFULFORFIVE

Welcome mom2emnbec!
1. Something you WANT
2. Something you NEED
3. Something to WEAR
4. Something to READ

i love it!

We do this too. Though the need is usually a fun item or we split a larger gift between them all. Cause what they usually need is clothes.

I am going nutty here. DD is all attitude and the baby is just a grump. My house is a mess and I cannot find space for everything. I do not know how you ladies with a really large family fit in your houses. I have decluttered and decluttered and decluttered and I cannot find space for 6 peoples worth of stuff. I want to get rid of so many of the toys and such but someone plays with everything. If the olders ones don't the little ones do and vice versa. Each kid only has a few things but it all adds up. My store stuff and the homeschool stuff is all in one room and I have an entire garage that is unusable because its full of crap. DH won't let me throw away the boxes we have not opened since we moved in over three years ago because "there might be something important in there!" Its been over three years its boxes of pens and most likely the last junk drawer from the old house. Though I am proud to say I did away with the junk drawer here and we do not have one. How do you all deal with the stuff and the storage of it all?

[rajahkat]

I throw things away when my husband is out of town. I seriously can not take clutter. He has more clothing than any man I have ever met. Most of which he does not wear. Like band shirts from when he was 18. He is now 42....argh. I too have moved junk drawer boxes house to house for this man.

As to the kids things, I am not sentimental about things, and tend to get rid of boxes of stuff at a time. They have very few toys for there being four of them. But I've found with more stuff, it all just gets lost in a toy box and they can't find anything to play with it anyway. So whatever fits in a very small toy box in the closet or on the shelves in their rooms is it. When I find it overflowing I chuck some stuff.

And congrats, Jenny! That's wonderful news, you must be so excited.

I've been Christmas shopping, and watching the black friday ads and generally just content that it's holiday time. It seems like this year we actually have a bit of a surplus as far as money goes. It's nice & doesn't happen all that often! New snow tires are in the mail, and the toyota is going in for new brakes & a bunch of work so I'm not scared to death to drive on the ice. And we're flying Grammie out for her Christmas present which the kids will love, and may even give Chris and I an opportunity to get away for an overnight new years eve. I can't even remember how long it's been since we've been away...alone.

I know Jenny is close to me, and maybe AniT...Have you been to Skamania Lodge? We stayed there last Christmas when we came home from FL and got into PDX late. It's lovely and romantic and I'd love to do New Years there, wondering if anyone else has.

And now I think the children are fighting over the candy dish.....

Kat

[Kidzaplenty]

Jenny, sorry you had such a bad birthday. Happy birthday, a little late! Hope it gets better soon.

[AnnieA]

Originally Posted by rajahkat

I throw things away when my husband is out of town. I seriously can not take clutter. He has more clothing than any man I have ever met. Most of which he does not wear. Like band shirts from when he was 18. He is now 42....argh. I too have moved junk drawer boxes house to house for this man.

As to the kids things, I am not sentimental about things, and tend to get rid of boxes of stuff at a time. They have very few toys for there being four of them. But I've found with more stuff, it all just gets lost in a toy box and they can't find anything to play with it anyway. So whatever fits in a very small toy box in the closet or on the shelves in their rooms is it. When I find it overflowing I chuck some stuff.

And congrats, Jenny! That's wonderful news, you must be so excited.

I've been Christmas shopping, and watching the black friday ads and generally just content that it's holiday time. It seems like this year we actually have a bit of a surplus as far as money goes. It's nice & doesn't happen all that often! New snow tires are in the mail, and the toyota is going in for new brakes & a bunch of work so I'm not scared to death to drive on the ice. And we're flying Grammie out for her Christmas present which the kids will love, and may even give Chris and I an opportunity to get away for an overnight new years eve. I can't even remember how long it's been since we've been away...alone.

I know Jenny is close to me, and maybe AniT...Have you been to Skamania Lodge? We stayed there last Christmas when we came home from FL and got into PDX late. It's lovely and romantic and I'd love to do New Years there, wondering if anyone else has.

And now I think the children are fighting over the candy dish.....

Kat

I do this too. My DH tends toward a packrat and I throw away things at every opportunity. I also do this in the kids' rooms. Otherwise, they keep things like the wrappers to the dove chocolates that came in their valentine boxes because it has a saying on it. I can't handle it! I'm going to sort through our storage unit out back tomorrow morning and hopefully get rid of some stuff.

[mataji4]

Never heard of that lodge, Kat. I'll look it up. We were gifted two nights at a nice hotel in town. We are going to stay together for one night over Winter break, and then I get to have a girlfriend slumber party the second night! It will be fun. We couldn't get coverage for the kids for both nights.

My mom is coming after Christmas, probably when I'm at my sickest. Not expecting much support and sympathy so I'm bracing myself for an interesting visit.

I think I'm over the shock and I'm getting excited! When I wake up in the night and in the morning, all I can think of is "baby baby baby!" I'm just loving how sweet and supportive a husband I have. Only because of him could I handle a pregnancy right now.

Re: clutter and stuff. The edges of their rooms are shelves and dollhouses and dressers, but it doesn't feel cluttered or like too much. If they acquire some new thing, space has to be made and often something else has to go. My daughter is such a slob and her room always feels messy, but when she cleans it it's great. Our room is FULL b/c we have our bookshelves in there too. I have no idea how a baby is going to fit in there. We divided our large dining room into a craft room and a room for our oldest with a wall that sits on the floor, so we could remove it someday if we want. It's been a great decision. His room is small, 7 x 11, but it's a perfect size for one person.

[AllisonK]

Originally Posted by rajahkat

I know Jenny is close to me, and maybe AniT...Have you been to Skamania Lodge? We stayed there last Christmas when we came home from FL and got into PDX late. It's lovely and romantic and I'd love to do New Years there, wondering if anyone else has.


Kat

If you are close to AniT then you are also close to me. Though across the river. I have not been inside Skamania Lodge but this summer DD's 4H group was at the Skamania County fair and I drove by the lodge every day for a week. It looked beautiful!!

[pjs]

Congrats Jenny! What a wonderful Christmas present!

AM- Weird, but I can only eat cold tuna.

For presents we've tried to stick with something to wear, something to read and something to play with, and stockings end up being practical stuff- toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, candy, etc.

Even with trying to focus on the solemnity of Advent, we still get bombarded with all of the things we could be doing. We usually skip St. Nicholas day in favor of having a fiesta for Our Lady of Guadalupe- tacos, mexican music, Our Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie dePaola, and tissue paper roses.

For Advent we do a Jesse tree- reading Bible readings each day and hanging the corresponding ornaments on our Jesse tree. Last year we read Jotham's Journey by the candlelight of our Advent wreath and this year we're looking forward to reading Bartholomew's Passage (i think that's the name). Even though we're not heading to christmas plays and parties throughout december, having this daily reading schedule makes us feel busy.

As for de-cluttering, each child is allowed one of those under the bed bins of toys (rest are kept in the basement with somewhat regular rotation), books as many as the shleves can hold, yet random trinkkets and treasures manage to find their way in- plastic mic junk from the dentist or library reading program, leaves, stick and acorns found on our walks, gum wrappers, etc. I usually weed this stuff out once a month (when they're helping clean some other part of their room) without them knowing.

In an attempt to control the size of their treasure collections, they are each getting a safe for Christmas. A cool toy with hopefully practical benefits too- treasures only as much as your safe can hold!

I need a practical solution for storing craft supplies- especially since if they're not high up, end up everywhere- sequins, flowers, buttons, ribbon, yarn all over thanks to my two year old!

[rajahkat]

Originally Posted by pjs

I need a practical solution for storing craft supplies- especially since if they're not high up, end up everywhere- sequins, flowers, buttons, ribbon, yarn all over thanks to my two year old!

I don't know how big your collection of craft supplies is, but how about fabric storage bins & felted bowls up on a high wooden shelf? I love a shelf that circles the room, and if the storage containers are pretty you won't mind them being visable. And~ depending on what crafts you do, you could sew the fabric bins yourself & knit & felt the bowls.

Kat

[aniT]

A tackle box might work well for that too.

[pixiekisses]

Congrats, Jenny!

We don't really celebrate, we're atheists.
The kids get gifts though, just because I couldn't deprive them of that when all their friends get presents, and that's all they talk about before and after december. I'd feel awfully mean then, I think.
But they don't get a lot of gifts, and no junk. My family does that, so they're used to it, and my dear's family respect our wishes.
Last year they all got iPod Nanos, loaded with audiobooks, and in the color I got out of them that they most wanted.
(Well, our oldest got money bc she wanted to buy herself a iPod Touch. And the baby that was with us then got a cool wooden Haba walker and a great wooden truck.)
Not sure what they're getting this year yet.

They all have birthdays from august to november, and most of them in november, so they usually get some toys they really want then and DVDs etc.
We don't give clothes or stuff they need for birthdays/christmas, and not books/audiobooks either bc I concider that something they need. We're a geeky family and I want them to have acces to lots of great books all the time, I think that's important.

Anywho, sweetie is still strugling with difficult complications after her critical period. It's tough and there are some hard decisions. And I'm getting Tiny checked out bc I'm a tad worried about her development. Wont be any easier to place her permanently with someone who wants to adopt her if she's sick/has some complications from her rough pregnancy with birthmom.
My dear hurt his wrist and can't lift anything with his left hand. I actually have to tie the wrap on him when he's carrying Tiny in it, a tad unpractical. But otherwise we're all well and healthy.