Take 5

Band: Twenty One Pilots
Album: Blurryface
Song Title: Lane Boy

Timer Set For Five Minutes: GO!

"Moooom, I just pee-peed on the floor!"

The words Jude just yelled from the bathroom.

Yet, here I am, typing away to my song of choice, ready to get some words out.

The pee will just have to wait.

I was blessed with 2.3 minute of sunshine this afternoon.  It was as if it were screaming through the windows, beckoning me.  I ran outside and just stood in it until the clouds came flooding back in and the rain began falling again.  I'm not one to pass up a good rainy day in front of the TV, throwing in the towel of motivation, but a week in and I'm done.  Ready for the sunshine of motivation that drives me forward.  I would have a really hard time living in Seattle.

I had a realization.  I really enjoy cooking healthy recipes for my family.  I just need the right atmosphere...you know, behaving children, all the ingredients, and unlimited time...one day...

It's already...

Timer OFF.

PUBLISH

Take 5

Band: Daughter

Song Title: Youth

Timer set on five minutes.

Go!

It has been so hard for me to find time to write lately.  I can't for the life of me figure out why.  I mean, I only have 1 kid at home!  ONE!  But he's a pretty demanding little tyke and if I don't stay on top of him he tends to think he rules the roost.  So, I spend much of the day loving, and correcting, and teaching, and correcting, and chasing, and correcting, and playing...

My mom had her first round of chemo yesterday.  I cannot stop thinking about her.  I texted with her today and she said she isn't feeling all that hot today:(  I hate that she has to go through this, but so proud of her fight!

I have a timer on my phone to pray for my quad at 1pm every day.  It is becoming one of the sweetest times with the Lord as I reflect on how far we have all come and praying for the future choices we make and seasons we will be in...

Jude is in full swing of potty training.  He wears "big boy undies" during the day and has only had 1 accident so far!  OK, it's only been 2 days, but hey, I rejoice in the little things around here.

This spring has been my favorite one to date!  It has been absolutely PERFECT!  Cool mornings and evenings, a gentle breeze in the sunny afternoons...sigh...we haven't been inside much.

My chickens make me happy.  I think that every depressed retired person looking to find purpose and fulfillment should plant a little garden and raise a few chickens.  I know that chickens can't solve the worlds problems, but they sure come close:)

Timer off.

PUBLISH

Take 5

Band:  Radiohead

Song Title: Separator

Timer set on five minutes.

Go!

Yes, we started school again this week, but it has been anything but the routine and structure that school usually brings.  We've been out and about getting a lot of necessary things done that we haven't had much of home time, but today...today has been nice and relaxing.  I am still in my jammies and Jude is decorating me with stickers as I type.  All is well in the Colony home.

Josh had his week intensive in school this week so that has added to the un-structured week, but he is done with the class today.  Even though I know papers and more reading are always to follow it'll be nice to have his class time over.

I got the Young Living essential oils starter kit as a Christmas gift a few weeks ago and I am now able to sell it.  Crazy.  I don't even know how to do it yet, but just FYI, if you need YL oils I can be your go-to girl:)

I am about to be knee deep in a 50-item order for the ColonyShop.  It is my largest order to date!  Pretty excited to see the finished product!

I also just wrote a promo for KITW about my book because Holy Week is right around the corner.  How in the world?!

I wouldn't mind if time just decided to stand still for a few minutes today...

Timer off.

PUBLISH

Take Five ~ Fire, Sniffles, Tunes and Meltdowns

Band: Young Oceans

Song Title: Vidi Aquam

Timer set for 5 min.

GO!

I feel like crap today.  It's a good thing that I had an appointment to get my hair trimmed this morning (my hair thanks you Danielle!) or else I think I'd still be in my jammies, surrounded by waded up tissues from a runny nose and too many sneezes to count.  Yes I've been taking honey and loading up on Thieves oil and the allergy trilogy as well (lemon, lavender and peppermint).  But I still feel like crap.  CRAP.

But on a happy note I get to listen to some new tunes (thank you for the recommendation, Andy Cherry!).  Young Oceans is excellent.  A new favorite for me for sure.

Our chimney/fireplace is FINALLY getting fixed!  It's only been 5 years, ha!  By the end of the afternoon we will be able to "safely" burn a fire in our fireplace again.  (Thank you insurance!)

Could the weather be more beautiful?  I think not.

I had a major mommy meltdown this weekend.  It was so bad that when Josh got back from jogging Zeke ran up to him and said "it was bad dad. Mommy threw a temper tantrum, but we wrote her notes to help her."  (there is a post brewing on this one later this...

Timer off.

PUBLISH

Take Five

Band: Jan Vayne

Song Title:  Fruits and Passion

Timer set on 5 minutes.

GO!

The sun keeps going in and out behind the stormy looking clouds.  I wouldn't mind some thunder rumbling today:)

Jude is in time out and he's only been up for a little over an hour.  He is FULL of angst lately and quickly turning into quite the emo child.  I bet he'll grow up to be an artist/musician.  We tend to be like that, ha!

Zeke only has one more baseball game this season.  I can't believe how quickly this fall is coming and going!  It is already the middle of october.  OCTOBER, people!

I started a new book today called, "For Women Only".  I can tell it is going to be a GREAT read!

Jude and I went to the library again (which is where I got this book) and I think we are going to make it a weekly endeavor.  I love seeing his eyes light up at the sight of all the books piled high as he sifts through the new books he want to bring home.  I love seeing these kinds of things as I do life with one child.  It has been so long since I've been able to soak in all these sweet little joys that get overlooked while trying to keep a watchful eye on all the kids at one time.  I'm learning to take in these moments with each of them as...

Timer off.

PUBLISH

Take 5

Band:  Dvorak

Song Title:  Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22 (2)

Timer on 5 minutes

and...GO!

Going in a totally different genre direction today.

I miss making this kind of music.  Did you know that I began playing the violin when I was 4.  Did you know that I broke my violin bow in elementary school when my brother tripped over it as I threw a temper tantrum about HIM being able to empty the trash instead of me, ha!  Did you know that I NEVER liked practicing?  Nope, still don't.  Did you know that I fought my mom tooth and nail in high school about music, but man am I glad she made me stick with it! (thanks mom)  I have played in orchestras my whole life and traveled with the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra where I got to play concert mistress with my little brother leading the cello section?  Then I went on to major in music in college.  Don't ask me to teach, though.  I hated that, and I was never really good at it.  I played in the Raleigh symphony for a couple of seasons, but it conflicted with my co-ed soccer team and soccer eventually won out.  Josh and I met playing music together in college and we've been making music together ever since (take that as you will;).

Rainy is home with a weird stomach thing.  She's been watching this mermaid show on Netflix.  I think I would have liked it at her age.

I got my first order in several weeks for the ColonyShop and it's nice to be back at it again.

I'll finally be writing my blog on how to reorganize your home.  I know you can hardly wait, ha!

Josh and I watched the movie about Rich Mullins last night and I can't get it out of my mind today.

Timer off.

PUBLISH

Friday Five

Band: Radiohead

Song Title: Little By Little

Timer set on 5 min.

GO!

It's 10am and I've already been up to the kids school 3 times.  The teachers in the hallway joke around about getting me my own badge so I can come and go as needed without having to waste their "visitor" stickers and having to constantly sign in and out!

The first visit began at 7:45am for Rainy's teacher conference.  She is doing EXCELLENT!  So good to hear.  In fact, my conference lasted all of 9 min, ha!  I'm used to Zeke's teachers needed to allow 3X's the allotted conference time for his evaluation:)  Although, Zeke's conference was so very encouraging earlier this week as well.  Two more conferences on Monday and I get to track myself out of Sanford creek for 3 lovely weeks!

After my morning conference I came home, did the breakfast thing with the kids and then loaded them up and took them to school.

The last stop was for Zeke's "Writing Celebration".  He had been planning on his friend joining us his parents wouldn't be able to make it.  How sweet is he?!  We actually ended up having 3 extras in our group.  One girl wrote about the first tooth she lost and get this, her mom gave her $10 for losing her tooth!  That's not even inflation, that's CRAZY!  I'm sticking with $.25 a tooth.  We have a cheap tooth fairy;)

Rainy is a sleep walker.  It is quite comical to hear her wandering around in the middle of the night in the dark.  Even if nobody hears her, there is always evidence.  This morning the kids bathroom had undies and jammy pants strewn on the floor and she woke up with a living room throw blanket and different jammies on, heehee.

I can't wait for...

Timer off.

PUBLISH

Take Five

Band: Praise Baby
Song Title: one of the millions that we have

Timer set for 5 minutes...

GO!

Jude asks for "babababa" all the time.  That would be Praise Baby.  And Praise Baby has literally saved my life.  Rainy and Zeke grew up with Praise Baby, Album Leaf and Sigur Ros on the same playlist.  We must have gotten a little tired of it by the time Cai came along and so the only time it played was to help the littles fall asleep.

But now, we have reopened the world of the Praise Baby videos and Jude is a HUGE fan.

I had forgotten how magical it is in calming and settling the most "energetic" of kids.

So, now that I have about 30 consecutive minutes to accomplish things again I naturally thought blogging would be the best to start my day:)

All the kids have finally settled into the normal school routine.  Just in time to track out next week, ha!
But that's ok, because we have the Via Family Vacation to attend and then it can officially become FALL!

When I was at the beach last weekend we walked into a Bath and Body Works.  They had FALL candles ya'll!  I opened one, breathed it deep and literally got chills as my body jolted forward a month into the crisp fall morning air, walks in the fall through the crunchy orange leaves and cold nights cuddled up by the firepit with tea or wassail.  I.CANNOT.WAIT.

BUT, we aren't there yet and that's ok.

I have been shocked by the goings on in social media lately.  I feel like everyone, Christians included, are taking way too much joy in the fall of others and it honestly hurts my heart.  It seems as though everyone just wants to have a fight to fight, and they will do it at the expense of others.

All my kids have had a shoe basket by the front door...except for Jude.  He had one pair of shoes so we just kept them in his diaper bag for easy access.  But a couple of weeks ago when I was going through our clothes bins for some shoes that would fit Cai and Laithy I ran across Cai's old rain boots.  And wouldn't you know, they fit JUDE!  So of course I had to get a basket to put his shoes in, and for some reason he is my only child that actually puts his shoes AWAY when he gets home...if I can actually get them off of his feet:)

TIMER OFF.

PUBLISH!

Take Five

Band: Jonsi and Alex

Song Title: Happiness

Robbie Robot set for 5 min.

Go!

What a beautiful day.  Not a sunny, birds chirping kind of day, but a dark, heavy rain, relaxing kind of day.  Sometimes a nice heavy rain and distant thunder are just what my soul needs.

Alethia and Cai just finished preschool.  I won't be doing school with Jude for at least a year so I get to hang up my homeschool hat for a short season.  It's kind of nice not to have school hanging over my head every day.

We have added some nice touches around the house.  I found an old crate in my parents barn and Josh hung it on the front porch for me as a swing for Mother's day.  I LOVE it!  Now I just need to figure out how to make a cushion for it...that's going to be my weekend project I think.

Rainy and Zeke have been battling poison ivy all week long!  I'm ready for that to be out of their systems.

Our friend John, finished our shed yesterday.  It is the NICEST thing we own right now!  That man knows how to build!  It is BEAUTIFUL and SPACIOUS!

Our fire pit area is coming along rather nicely.  Our hammock came yesterday so we'll get to hang that this weekend too, along with some Christmas lights.  We have LOTS of spaces to get away and reflect or "cozy couch" the crazies out.

Josh made me go to the eye Dr. for Mother's Day.  I hadn't had an eye exam in YEARS and my eye glasses were inflicting pain on my face.  No more my friends!  I now have a working pair of glasses for my nightlife activities.  It really is the little things...

Done.

PUBLISH

Take 5

Band: Hammock

Song Title: My Mind Was A Fog...My Heart Became A Bomb

Robbie Robot set for 5 min.

Go!

It's FRIDAY!  Which means that daddy gets to stay home!  Which means that we get to tag-team Jude, which means I can breathe a little bit today, woohoo!

I went to an informational meeting for Alethia and Cai yesterday and met their Kindergarten teachers...the principal asked if any of the parents needed any tissues because it was so emotional...I kinda wanted to pass out party whistles and hats.  It's emotional, sure, but I'm so excited for them!  AND I'm excited about having 1 Colony member to keep up with during the day;)

I have decided that I get to calculate extra calories on MyFitnessPal when I have to keep up with discipline issues WHILE doing my Insanity workouts...THAT, my friends, is no joke, ha!

7-10. That's the number of tank tops that I go through on average a week!  I don't know where I would be in this world without my Mossimo, extra long tank tops from Target.  They were on sale at Target for $6 the other day and I had to bounce my eyes and keep walking...

It is gorgeous outside today.  After a week of stormy weather, this is the perfect end to the week.  Rainy and Zeke have field day today

Timer off.

PUBLISH

Take 5 ~ "Holy Hangover" edition

Band: Sigur Ros
Song Title: Varoeldur

Robbie Robot set for 5 min.

GO!

I can't, for the life of me get myself together this morning.

The things that are coming out of my mouth are things like:
"Jude, just a minute, I HAVE to get the floor ready."
and
"I feel like I'm in an alternate university"

What?!

Josh and I woke up at 4am yesterday and the kids were up by 5:20...sheesh!

We walked in from a L-O-N-G day last night to a kitchen FULL of dirty dishes, as we had forgotten to start the dishwasher, ants all in the honey and spice cabinet, clean laundry piled high and an equally messy disaster in every other room of the house, so it's not that I lack things to get done today, I just can't figure out where to start.

I'm just sitting here laughing, and sitting in the mess:)

It's just something that's seems permissible after a wonderful Easter Sunday with the extreme "holy hangover" that has overshadowed me.

All this while Josh forces himself out of the same demise to get motivated and work out, pick up his clothes and straighten the kitchen for me.

I was THAT mom today.  I took my kids to school in my jammies...and my glasses that are currently being held together by tape and fishing wire, ha!  It's a good thing my kids aren't at the "easily embarrassed" stage.

Timer off.

*PUBLISH*

Take 5

Band:  Metaform

Song Title:  Letters To The Void

Robbie Robot set for 5 min...

Go!

Five minutes. It's all mine.  But then again, when you have kids, NOTHING is all yours.

Our shed practically got blown over a few weeks ago in one of those crazy wind storms.  I decided to call insurance about it and they are covering the removal AND replacement of it.  WHAT?!  How awesome is that!

I was a little giddy as I set my timer for 3:30am to get up and watch the blood moon last night.  I knew it was going to be overcast but I was hoping to see something.  In fact, Zeke learned about it in school and wanted to get up and see it too.  So when the time came around we crawled out of bed and saw the most beautifully deep red tinted sky.  The moon was tucked far into the clouds so we couldn't see it but the sky proclaimed its brilliance anyway:-)

This is Holy Week.  This year has been a little different.  Usually we do little activities throughout the week to signify different events, but this year we are watching the book of John.  We are spreading it out to finish on Saturday.  The kids have been enthralled by the real-life picture of those actual events!  Their faces...

Timer off...

PUBLISH

Take 5

Band: London Grammar
Song Title: Strong

Timer on 5 minutes... GO!

I decided that sometimes I'm just going to write. Unedited. I'm not going to go back over it and read and reread it to make sure it is grammatically correct.  Or even if it makes sense. and of course no pictures or links.

It's just me, my music and 5 minutes of time:)

I just reminded my kids, again, to take their food outside.  I could care less if they carry around bags of crumbs and pretend like they are on their trip across the world to Uganda, but let's keep the little crumbs outside.

I went to Once Upon A Child today to see if I could get some money for Jude's old stroller.  It's a super nice one and in excellent condition, except for a little dime sized dirt spot, that I accidentally forgot to wipe off.  So of course, by the time I trek 3 of the colony members with me inside the store, first thing in the morning they decide that they "stain" made it unsellable.  I guess it's to Craigslist it will go.

Rainy was so keyed up after gymnastics last night, and the excitement of her field trip today, that she didn't pass out until Josh and I were snuggly in our own bed for the night.  That girl would talk all night long if I allowed it.

I've decided...

*Timer OFF*

Done.

~PUBLISH~