Merry Christmas

All I want for Christmas...

are mute children.

10

1) Christmas is one week away. I am excited, as usual. It is my favorite time of year. Sadly, there is so much I wanted to do with & for the kids & even other people that I am not going to get done. For some reason it is hard for me to get going on the Christmas stuff early. Maybe I should do all of my decorations & such right after Christmas and that way they'll be done for the following year. I may just do that this time around.

2) Part of the reason I haven't gotten on the ball is that for the last month I have been sick with this and that. Thanksgiving weekend I was not feeling well. Then a week later I started having excruciating pain in my right ear and jaw. It was so bad that I couldn't even touch my face without it bringing me to my knees. After about 4 days of that, I realized that my far back tooth was really hurting. So off to the dentist. Yep. I had an abscessed tooth. So he put me on an antibiotic and five days later I got the thing pulled. It felt much better but I still was not able to eat much as I then had a gaping hole in my mouth. Then I really started to feel good until Saturday. It was that day that I just was overcome with unexplainable crabbiness. It lasted through the weekend and then yesterday afternoon I got sever aches and shakiness along with a terrible headache. I was so pathetic that I could barely carry Rhett across the room as I was so shaky and my headache would make me very dizzy. Today my aches have subsided for the most part but my head still feels terrible.

3) Rhett has his first tooth! I noticed it this morning. It may explain why he has been sleeping so much. I think the other one is about to pop through as well. It is his bottom right that came in first.

4) Rhett is also crawling. He is two months ahead of the other three in that department. He is still slow & awkward at it but he gets around. It is pretty stinkin cute I might add.

5) Rowan turns 6 on Thursday. It is so amazing how time flies and how quickly they change. I will post more about my favorite-almost-six-year-old on his birthday.

6) Avril has started expanding her vocabulary. She now uses words like "impossible" or "stupid". Ah, such positive thoughts from that one. She typically uses them when we are trying to get her to eat her food. Example: "Mommy! It is impossible for me to eat this food with this stupid fork!"

7) Is anyone else delighted with the falling snow? I am really holding out hope for a pretty, white Christmas this year. Plus it gives my kiddos fun stuff to do outside.

8) If I feel better, I plan on going stocking stuffer shopping for Jay tomorrow. The kids should have fun helping. Hopefully they don't blab! Not that stocking stuffers are a big deal but for me they are one of the highlights of the gifting part of Christmas. It's just fun to unload a big sock full of little goodies. They're my favorite kind.

9) I received my new Taste of Home Magazine today. It is one of my Christmas gifts from my grandma every year and I love it. So many yummy recipes and most of them can be adapted to be healthier. There's a couple I really want to try before the holidays are over.

10) One of the Christmas presents I wanted to do for Jay were the 12 Daytz of Christmas. It is 12 pre-planned dates for you & your husband, one occurring each month of the year. Everything is planned & paid for in advance and on the first of the month he opens the envelope & finds out when & what you are doing for your date. I love the concept but I am struggling with finding ideas that can be planned out in advance. I would love to hear your ideas. I still want to try & do it if I can but I'm running out of time! So hit me with your best ideas!

BONUS: I just can't post without reminding everyone to remember the families in Newton in your prayers. I cried & cried after my mom told me about it. Not only for the children & their families but also for this young guy who felt so desperate that he acted in such a way. We must remember that he, too, was loved by someone and was once someones baby boy. And let us not forget that his family must be deeply saddened by this event. And please pray that all of these families may come to know their Savior through this awful time. Pray it is not in vain but that God uses it for good as only He can.

Men

So little boys may be easy for me. And little girls a cinch.

But what in the world do I put in my man's stocking?

So far I have carpenter pencils & flashlights.

And we are not a family who consumes a lot of candy.Well, we try not to anyhow.

So I'm officially stumped.

Stocking stuffers for men: 1........2.......3......Go!

Updating...

Have some more ideas now.

* earplugs
* gum
* nail clippers(Jay is always asking if I have some so I think I'll get him a set for each vehicle.)
* fancy-schmancy socks
* homemade hand warmers
* super glue
* flavored toothpicks

Just to name a few.

Since I asked for stocking ideas yesterday and the only one he gave me was carpenter pencils I am tempted to completely stuff that thing chock-full of that one item. But I won't. Because then I won't have anything to put in there next year!

For Mom

Well, I admit, I have lost a lot of my ambition to blog since Facebook became the latest craze. Nobody reads or comments anymore. And I like to read people's comments and hear their reactions to the things I post. It's fun and uplifting. It makes you feel connected and people get to see an aspect of your life that they don't usually see. The life, the house, the kids that are yours every day and not just the polite & tidy version they get to see at church.(Although, my kids are pretty consistent.) It makes me feel *gasp*, social.

Yesterday I went to my grandparents' house to make Christmas candy with my girl, my sister & her girls, my brother's girls, and my grandma. My sweet mama watched the boys and when I came to pick them up she made a remark that she has nothing to read anymore because we have forsaken blogging. It made me feel sad because I knew what she meant. I feel the same way. It just ain't no fun to be one of the only ones left over here on blogger. Everybody uses Facebook now and my husband has a strong dislike for the whole idea so I remain unconnected and will probably continue to remain that way. I mean he is a Palmer. I have never known one to back down or change their mind easily, if ever. They were born stubborn and they will die that way, I'm pretty sure.

Anyway, my mom's remark got me to thinking. First, that there are still some out there that lurk around here hoping for something new to read or look at. One of them being my own mother who is very dear to me. And that while the comments and other people's posts make it more fun, they are not the reason I started this blog four-and-a-half years ago.

I started this blog to document our life with our young family. To etch the endearing little things that my children do and say into my heart and mind. To have them written down and printed into books so that they might read them one day and so that in the twilight of my earthly life I, too, might look back and remember. To simply remember.

And that is why I will continue to post as long as I am able. I will post the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want to remember our real life. Not the cleaned up, tidy version, but the real, nitty-gritty, horrible, imperfect life that is ours here. I want to remember the bad & hard times because it is those times that we are most real and in those times that God works so greatly. I will punch out the horrid comments my children make on this keyboard and upload the pictures of food covered fingers up their noses. You will hear about digging for change in their feces and how much labor sucks. I will complain about pregnancy and weight gain and crabby children. I will then later post how sorry I am for griping and that I am truly thankful for these little hellions. There is sure to be no shortage of posts about the dreadful task of homeschooling or cleaning the ever-filthy house. And don't be surprised if every now and then you read about my frustrations with marriage or my doubts about salvation. Because that is all part of this life. And without it I wouldn't get to post about how God strengthened me & my husband in the most awful time of our lives last spring. How He upheld us and pulled us through the muck & the mire to a place of security. How He renewed my relationship with my daughter to a point it's never been before. I wouldn't get to post about the fact that even though I tremble in fear quite often and struggle with pride, arrogance, self-control, bitterness, forgiveness, and faith, God never forsakes me. You wouldn't hear about how even though this life is so tainted by sin, we are redeemed and whole and clean. In spite of the crusty food and boogers on our hands and faces.

My prayer is not that I will get to look back and remember only the good, warm fuzzy times. But that I will look back and see how far God has brought us.

So expect to see a lot more of us around here. And feel free to skip the posts about bodily waste if you wish but do it knowing that as ugly as it may seem, our Savior has made it beautiful. And remember that the mission field isn't often a pretty place.

That being said, I am also changing the the name of this blog as there are now more than 3 P's around here. And since this place is buzzing with activity at any given moment I have chosen to call it The Hive. We are a busy bunch and we even bring out our stingers quite frequently, so it's fitting. Please come back and read and laugh and cry and gag. And know that even if you don't, we'll be here.

Peanut

These pictures are a little outdated but I wanted to post them anyway.

They were taken on November 16, 2012.

Rhett was six months and 1 day old.

 

 

Isn't he just about the cutest thing you ever did see?

 

We love him.

Fiercely.

Since I Don't have Facebook...

Terah asked for stocking stuffer ideas for boys. Here's what ours are getting so far:

* headlamp
* real binoculars
* wallet
* watch
* homemade playdough
* chocolate fish crackers
* light saber chapstick
* small lego set
* scentsy buddy
* roll of tape
* sunglasses
* motorized toothbrush
* tic-tacs



Other ideas are:

* tape measure
* mini flashlight
* marbles
* mini clamps (great for building forts with blankets)
* pocket knife
* character bandaids

Not the most exhaustive or original list but there it is.

Kitchen Tip

When making "spice" lattes, it is soooo much better to blend your spices into the tea or coffee grounds prior to brewing than it is to mix it into the liquid. For some reason, the spices tend to separate and give the beverage a "chunky" aspect when added after brewing. Not yummy. It's sort of like eating sand.

Tuesday

1) Sunday afternoon I made & canned 22 quarts of applesauce. Sadly, that was all the apples we got this year. It was not a great fruit year for us. Jay thinks it was do to his massive pruning last spring. Anyway, I used my victorio for the first time and it.is.awesome. There was very little waste & I did not have to core or peel the apples. Just a wash, cut out the bad spots, and either halve or quarter. Then into the pot to soften. Dump in the hopper and crank & plunge away. Much easier.

2) I wore a dress to church on Sunday. I am at a point wear I just sort of feel yuck all the time. So I thought I'd dress up a little. I got lots of complements which was nice. And highly embarrassing. It made me feel good but it sort of made me feel like a spectacle. The part that I really enjoyed was that Jay really liked it. He often sees the no makeup, hair thrown up, sweatpants version of me. He never complains but I know he prefers me to get dressed & make myself presentable. So I am trying to make more of an effort. Even when I am just staying home.

3) Speaking of dressing up, I have been looking at outfits online the last couple of days. There are some really cute things out there. But the prices are outrageous! Some of them cost more than my car! Literally. So I decided I would really waste some time and try to do my own "get the look".

This is what I came up with:

Outfit online $608.70 without the bag.





My version: $180.30 with the bag.





Of course, I already have a grey peacoat, similar handbag, & jeans. So for me it would be a lot less.

Another try.

Internet outfit: $292.00 minus the belt, bag, & earrings because they were ridiculous in price.





My version: $175.18 without the bag.






One more.

Internet version: $164.00 not including the belt, boots, hat, or mittens




My version: $242.18 including everything.



Still expensive but kinda fun to try & figure out the cheapest way.

4) While I'm still on the subject of looking beautiful I figured that I'd better work on my true beauty just as much or more than my physical self, so I am trying to get back into the habit of daily Bible study again. Anybody know of a good devotional series for wives & moms?

5) Rhett is sleeping better but still waking up once a night. Certainly better than 3 times. And he goes peacefully to sleep on his own 90% of the time now which is really nice.

6) The wood is in for the year. It looks so nice all split and stacked up on the porch and in the shed. Just another one of the perks to this time of year. Fires glowing in the living room stove. There is almost nothing that soothes me like the crackling of a fire late at night or in the wee hours of the morning.

7) Our Thanksgiving plans may be drastically changing at the last minute due to the fact that Jay's brother & his family may not be able to make it. Of course we won't know until the last minute so if they can't make it I will be crashing my family's Thanksgiving dinner.

8) Having a Scentsy party in two weeks. And my house is not even a little bit ready. Nothing like a bunch of company to motivate me to clean exceptionally well. Maybe I should have company once a week...

9) I have been trying to cut out sugar the last week or two. It is harder than I thought. I have cut waaaaay back but haven't been able to cut it completely out. I'll get it eventually. I hope.

10) Fall has suddenly turned cold and wet and we are frantically trying to get all of the outdoor projects wrapped up before it's too late. Seems like we are always scrambling to do everything. Speaking of which, time to get dinner and some more housework done.

How do you...

organize your kitchen?

This is something I have been struggling with since I've been married but more so since moving to this house. I think it's about this time every year that I get the itch to organize and purge and make our spaces more useable. You know, spring cleaning. Only it hits our house in the October/November season.

Anyhow, we don't have a lot of food storage in our kitchen. Most of our bulk items go in our "pantry" in the basement. Not the most convenient but I can't complain as few people actually have a whole room for the sole purpose of storing food and cooking items.

My plan is to do this:

I want to buy this cart, or something similar, to put in our dining room where the hutch currently resides.



Serving dishes & table linens will be stored on the shelves below. On top I was thinking I would have a beverage station. There would be a shelf on the wall above the cart with canisters containing cocoa mix, sugar, tea, coffee, honey, marshmallows, etc. (I like the top shelf.)



The actual table top would contain the coffee maker, electric tea kettle, and this mug rack with all my mugs.



There might also possibly be a silverware caddy containing stir sticks & straws. What makes this idea appealing to me is that when company comes the don't have to squeeze through the kitchen to get their drinks and it frees up an entire cabinet in my kitchen that is now filled with teas, drink mixes, & mugs. But the most exciting part to me is that when we have dinner guests the cart can easily be wheeled into the hall and then the table can be expanded & chairs added. Right now the hutch takes up a lot of room & there isn't even enough room for our family to sit comfortably around the table, let alone guests.

My other thought was to put the newly empty cabinet to use by making somewhat of a baking station there. It is relatively close to the oven & right now the baking items are kind of scattered hither & yon around the kitchen. I would like to consolidate it somewhat. Like this:



All of my most commonly used baking tools & ingredients all in one place. I utter a contended sigh at the thought of having this in my kitchen.

I would also get this to hang over the peninsula.


Here, my pots & pans would reside, freeing up another entire cabinet.

I would then have two free cabinets to store food in.

I also thought this was a good idea for the pantry downstairs.



They are those soda dispensers. I found some here for $3.95 a piece.

Well, i was just curious as to how others oragnize their kitchens.

Boot Camp

This week is the week that I have determined to get my littlest munchkin sleeping through the night. So we are going through what my sister deems "boot camp".

I am convinced, after 4 children, that training a young one to sleep through the night requires at least a little crying. For mine, it seems to require a lot. At least for the first few days. And it ain't no fun neither. In fact, I think it's harder for me than for Rhett.

It took approximately 2 hours for him to fall asleep last night. But we were determined that he would do it on his own. And he did. But it hurt me. I guess its the 5,000 push ups phase of boot camp. We are breaking down the muscles so we can build them up stronger.

Not only are we training Rhett to go to sleep on his own but I am cutting all dairy from my diet. I know he is a little sensitive but I am curious to see if it is more than I initially thought. This may be part of the reason he wakes up in the night. Digestive issues.

I am also working on his day time schedule. Not letting him sleep more than so many hours at a time, making sure he gets up the same time each morning, getting into a good bedtime routine and so on. I know a lot of people scoff at scheduling an infant but I am not talking about starving the kid because it's 30 minutes from his feeding time. However, I have found that if you get them into a good routine they tend to naturally eat & sleep around the same times every day. Give or take a few minutes. And I have noticed that the same people who scoff are generally the same people who have three kids in their bed with them every night until they are 4 or 5. Nothing wrong with that if it's what you want. But I don't. And Jay won't. So scheduling it is!

So if you think of us this week, send up a little prayer because baby boot camp can be rough.

Question

"Mommy, how does the baby just magically appear  in the mommy's tummy?" ~ Adam


oh joy.

Four Months

plus a few days.

Rhett is getting so big! He has started eating rice cereal, is almost sleeping through the night, and has quite a few new tricks up his sleeve.

He can,

 



roll onto his tummy,

play with toys,

 

blow spit bubbles,

 

suck his thumb,

 

and just be really cute in general. I mean, it's his best act. Look at this guy! Come on and try to make me believe you don't want to kiss those cheekys right off his face!