"Walkin to church on a Sunday mornin"...

Little N & Little P had a sleep over party way south Saturday night. This kind of thing can be a challenge with lots of kids, ages & activities. One challenge we had with this one is how to get everyone ready, the two girls picked up and back for church. Way too much driving for a Sunday morning!!

Big families have to be flexible & creative at times. Today we fed the little ones, packed up & headed south to get Little N & Little P. We decided to attend a church that is half way back home. This is not our home church, but one we really like & my brother & some good friends attend.

The 5 girls were happy to be there. They joined hands and headed down the parking lot. They were so adorable. We just followed behind with huge smiles and beaming hearts!! This is what makes us happy...

How to Fit Fitness Into Life With A Big Family

Life managing a big family can be hectic and time consuming.  

I have found that the toys are always out, the dishes always need to be done, 

and the laundry is never ending! It's hard to find time for me...

forget a relaxing bath, time to read a book and 

don't even think about painting my nails.

It took me stressing over life and the kids, gaining weight and being tired all the time

 to realize that I needed to make some changes.  If I'm too tired, then I can't get done 

what needs to be done, let alone have the energy to be the Mommy that I need to be 

and the wife I should be.  But how do you fit in time for getting exercise? I may not have all the answers, but here are some things that have worked for me over the last year.

One Problem I have is finding a babysitter in order to get to the gym.  This is not always an option.  But I think that it's really important to have a workout routine.  It's hard to make progress and keep going.  So most of what I do, is with kids in tote!  I was a part of a "Mommy Boot camp" for a while.  This is fun and motivating. You can even do your own "boot camp" with Mommy friends you know. Even if you just do 1 day a week for 1 hour.  I have found that this is even enough to keep me motivated to eat better and get some exercise done on my own through the week.

What to do on your own, or with friends...
First off, walking or jogging is a great place to start!  You can do this with your kids.  Yes, even if you have a bunch of little ones.  I usually have 3 toddlers in my sit-n-stand that I'm pushing.  No, I'm not running, but walking while pushing 70+ pounds of kids, is good exercise. You can also, find a playground with a path close to it and do circles while the kids play. When working out in your living room, your kids can join right in. It is so good for them to see you modeling all this hard work and commitment   My toddlers love to dance and sing with the music I play while we exercise.  They have a blast and are moving right along side of me! Sometimes they are right on top of me or under me! No big deal, just go with the flow.  All of this seems so much easier, when the weather is nice, and we can be outside. The kids love to be outside, and I can exercise while they are having fun too.  But we make it work inside too.  Be creative with what your doing, and where your doing it.



 There are so many great apps and websites these days that have full workouts, or lists of exercises to do, and even ways to keep track of what you eat and how much you exercise!

Here are some free ones that I have used and like:

• ichange by Herbalife  -  keep track of calories consumed and burned and set goals.                       Sign up, but it is free.
• iphone app: Lose it  - good for keeping track of calories consumed and burned.
• iphone app: Nike Running - keeps track of distance, pace and calories burn
• iphone app: Nike Training - great workout

What has been key for me is: 

• Keeping track of calories/food consumed (getting most calories from protein & cutting back            on Dr. Pepper! Bummer)
• Drinking Green Tea every morning
• Having a group or friend to work out with, even if it is 1 time a week
• Having a routine; including group, friend and time
• Setting small goals
• Not stressing over what I'm eating when at a party or date or special event.  You need to have fun and be rewarded!  Just pay attention and don't over do it!

Good Luck - Get Fit

and

Have Fun!!

Quiet moments

Quiet moments are wonderful. However, with 5 kids in the house, we don't have too many. In fact, when it's quiet, I usually worry!

This morning I was startled by the quietness. In jumping from my chair, I found my 3 youngest all reading books on their own! Quiet, behaving & reading...couldn't ask for more.

Cherish the sweet moments!

Grocery Shopping Fun...

6 Kids & 1 Mommy at the grocery store...

An infant, a 3 yr with special needs, another 3 yr old, and 

a 4 yr old who has a hard time paying attention, a 6 yr old and a 9 yr old!  

Fun? Maybe not the word that comes to mind.  Crazy? Who would do that?  

Well, I believe that there are more of us than you think!  If you have a big family, you may be here too. 

So maybe you have 2 or 3 kids; if they are young, you know what I'm talking about.  

If you fill the cart with kids, then where do you put the groceries??  

I have also had plenty of toddlers who love to eat through the plastic or 

squeeze the bread before I have even paid for it. AGHH!!

In my attempt to bring sanity to shopping, dinner time, bed time, and all we do with a

house full of little ones, I have come up with ways to handle more toddlers than I have hands for!

 Thus, the Cart Buddy was invented!

  At the start of the Cart Buddy, most of my kids were good

about holding the shopping cart while we were moving, but they always seemed to want to hold the same spot!  My shopping trips were long and not fun!!  While watching my kids kicking each other’s heels and not able to comprehend holding the cart in

different places, I thought about how they needed

something to hold that I can place on the cart.

So I went home and threw together a rough idea of the

Cart Buddy(in different colors for each kid).  On our next

shopping trip, I hooked the handles on the cart

 (one on each front corner, and one on each back corner).

Then I told the kids, "Get your handle" and every one of them did!  Even my special needs 3 yr old held hers through the entire trip!  Success!!!  I have been amazed at how even an 18 mo old will happily hold the handle while we're shopping.

Having something that is their very own and different from the others

makes it easy for them to hang on and stay with you.  I now use Cart Buddies every time we shop.

This cuts down on the time I spend corralling the kids and moving tiny hands

 to specific places on the shopping cart.  The kids don't fight over "my spot", which means

less time for Mommy calming kids and more time for filling the basket and getting out of there!

Try one out for yourself! Make it personal for your toddler;

let him/her pick out what design they want.

Purchase Yours at Big Family Solutions
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Time To Get Digging

Spring is finally here.  OK, it's not actually here yet but if the snow would just leave it would be be.  The grass has started to turn green and the trees are budding so I'm going to go ahead and call an end to winter.

I've been in construction for the last 13 years and I still love it.  There is something about watching a piece of dirt transformed to a hole then a foundation then a wood structure then finally to a home that makes me feel like Iv'e really accomplished something.  I think that is why I love gardening so much.  I can start the season with a raised planter with the remains of last year and soon have it groomed into a planting bed ready to produce.  In only a few weeks it will be full of little sprouts and within a month I can start to see the first of the vegetables I will be harvesting.  It gives me an evening activity that lasts all summer and well into fall.  The green spinach and sprouting vines announce that spring is really here.  When the tomatoes and peppers turn red you know summer is in full swing and the orange pumpkins and squashes finally bring in the fall.

One of the greatest things about gardening is the wonderful learning experience it is for children.  Having to plan you garden with the knowledge that plants will change and effect each other and to make considerations like heat tolerance and water needs makes this a great real world lesson.  The constant care of a garden with weeding, watering and fertilizing makes it a long term task that requires dedication.  But the most important lesson of all is finally getting to harvest and eat your hard work.  A child will never enjoy a vegetable as much as when they grow and pick it themselves.

N, P, & G displaying our first full harvest of the year.

So maybe you have never had a garden and don't know where to start.  Don't let that keep you from trying.  I promise it will be worth the effort and you and your kids will get better at it every year.

Here are a few pointers to help you on your way.

• Start small:  Just a few pots on your front porch can provide a huge return with little work.  Try tomatoes, peppers, and herbs in pots.  These are all forgiving plants that yield a lot of crops in a small space.  I started on my front porch at a patio home with no yard.  My 2 pots gave us tomatoes all summer long.
• Take your time:  Don't try to grow 30 different crops your first year.  Start with 2 or 3 and get used to working with them then add a few more vegetables each year.  Within a few years you will be growing  piles of veggies.  I tried the everything approach one year and failed miserably.  I think I killed more plants by not knowing how to take care of them and by planing them in the wrong places.  I've had much better results by getting to know a few plants and focusing on them.
• Do it your way:  Don't worry about what everyone else tells you.  Everyone has a crop that they swear is the best just as they have one that they think is a waste of time.  I've been told countless times that potatoes are a waste of time because of how much space the plant takes up and considering how cheap potatoes are to buy.  But the fact is that my daughters love digging up the small purple variety that we plant and they get a kick out of a huge bush with potato roots.  So every year, we plant more.
• Learn on-line:  There are thousands of videos and blogs dedicated to gardening.  Just search for the specific plant you are interested in and your gardening situation.  Like "growing tomatoes in pots" or "growing cucumbers for pickles".
• Include the kids even at the cost of a perfect garden:  Some of you are like me- you just want it to be right.  It was very hard for me to start letting my kids help.  Seeds are never spaced right and they are always too deep or too shallow.  Tomatoes are always roughly ripped from the vines and carrot tops are puled off without the carrot coming out of the ground.  But the fact is that it does not matter.  They plants will grow and your kids will learn and best of all you will have fun.

Crayon fun?

Sometimes your children do things that catch you off guard!

We had this last weekend.

Background: Little G is 4 and a half, and has a really hard time making good decisions.

At our house, we have put up every item that can possibly be written with!

Poor Little G cannot stop herself from coloring on, well, everything except paper.

So, Saturday we had dinner at a restaurant. Apparently she brought home a crayon.

Getting home at bedtime, I went straight upstairs with the babies

& the other 3 right behind. Upon coming back downstairs,

I immediately saw a big "G" in green crayon on my desk stool! "Oh, Little G!" I said out loud.

Then walking into the kitchen, I saw a big "G" on the door of the fridge!

"Ohh", again out loud. As I turned toward the island, 

Yes, there was yet another big "G" on the cabinet!!

Then on the trash can lid, the side of the trash and the back of the island. On, and On...

My hands were on my head as I couldn't understand how she had time for this much coloring! 

In all, I found 13 "G's" through the kitchen and into the living room!!

At least she knows her name, guess I should count my blessings.

Needless to say, Little G had a lot of cleaning to do on Sunday!! It was hard, but she did do it.

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes...

Problem:  Shoes

7 people in our family, with an average of 8-10 shoes each...That adds up fast!

We're talking 50-70 pairs of shoes.
So maybe you have 2 or 3 kids (not 5!), well chances are you still have a good 30-40 pairs of shoes
in your household.  Yes, we have girls & typically, girls love shoes.
I have come to realize though, that there are plenty of boys out there that love shoes too! :)
 If you think about it...even with boys, you have sneakers, Sunday/dress up shoes,
school shoes, soccer cleats, cowboy boots,
flip flops, and slippers (& that's probably being modest!)

How do you deal with the shoes in your house?  Do you have baskets, shelves? Are they in the coat closet, or bedroom closets? Are your kids good about putting them away? That might be the question of the year!
What works for me, may or may not work for you.  What works for you may or may not work for others. We all have systems for doing things,
and we can always use new ideas too!

What once worked for you, may not work now, or for the ages your kids are at. 

I have 3 older girls (4-10yrs) that should be able to find their own shoes, 

and put them away appropriately too.  I do say should :) Easier "said" than getting them to do it!  

We've been on them lately, as I think we just got into bad habits

 of shoes anywhere and everywhere!  We do have a system, so lets use it girls. 

Right now, all the kids shoes are in the garage on stacking shelves.  The 2 older girls each have their own basket.  The 3 younger girls each have designated shelves.  Everyone's baskets & shelves have their name on them.  This works for the 3 oldest as they can read or recognize their names.  It also helps Daddy find shoes or anyone else helping on our way out the door.  I chose to put the 3 little ones shoes on shelves so that they can easily see matching shoes & get them back easily too.  My 4 yr old has done well with choosing shoes & getting them back on one of her shelves and we are responsible for the babies shoes, of course.

  However, the babies are getting close to 2yrs, & want to be like the big girls!  So, Little S tries so hard to find her shoes and put them away.  But she couldn't seem to get them on the right shelf! 

 Last week, I pulled out heart stickers and stuck them all the way down her shelf.  I told her, "Little S, put your shoes on the hearts!"  She looked, and laughed, saying, "I did it Mommy!"  So proud :)  Now several days later, she has put her own shoes away every day!  So fun finding things that help our little ones grow up.

At the moment, this is working for us.  Yeah!  

Please leave a comment on YOUR Shoe System!  I'm sure that someone 

will benefit from what you do with your house of shoes.

Problems & Solutions

Big Family Solutions...

So if we have solutions, that implies that we have problems.  But what are some problems?  If we are going to find solutions, we must first pin point the problems.  

Problems that big families may have; meals (enough said), money/budgeting, shoes (How many shoes do you currently have? Now multiply that times 7!!  Yes, this can be a problem), hair (We have girls), getting out the door (On time), car issues, 

one-on-one time (Need attention?), shopping (With...a baby, a toddler,  a preschooler, 

and thank goodness for the older 2!).  And, there's plenty more...

Well, obviously, there can be plenty of problems that any big family will have to tackle.  Some hit us at different ages and stages, but there is always something to overcome or figure out in order to survive, let alone, thrive!!  We want to thrive as a family, and we want you to thrive too!  We'll throw out some problems that we have tackled, and some of the solutions that we have tried.  Some are great, and some; well, we went back to the drawing board for some! You don't always hit the nail on the head the first time :)  But with any problem, you keep trying and you always get over the hurdle and head toward the next.

So keep checking back for our "Problems" and "Solutions".  We'll tackle them one at a time.  Give us your input, because we can all learn from each other.  What works for you may help others too.  If there is a problem you face that we haven't talked about, let us know. Thanks for joining us on this journey of parent-hood.

Made at Home Granola Bars

For a long time, I've been threatening to make granola bars.  Every time I look at the contents of a box of granola bars I think, "this can't be that hard, at that surely does't have to be that bad for you".  As i've established, I'm no health nut.  I will and have eaten just about anything.  But as time goes on I keep finding ways to remove preservitives, food coloring and fillers from my diet.  If I can save a few bucks while Im at it, then even better.

I actually made 2 different recipes so that I could get a feel for both the baked and no-baked varieties I found on the web.

Click below to print

Baked Granola Bars

No-Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Toasting the dry ingredients

Melting the wet ingredients

Bring to a light boil, but stir constantly

Dry ingredients are ready

Mix all in ingredients

Make sure it's evenly coated

Butter a pan or line with parchment paper

Use a plastic bag sprayed with cooking spray to press down

This is the No-Bake version

Finished product

Original recipes from:
Baked Granola Bars - Alton Brown and Food Network
No-Bake Granola Bars - TwoPeasAndTheirPod.com

What Health Care Reform Means to Your Family

Original Article from Daveramsey.com

Health Care Changes for 2013

OK, admitedly, this is not one of the most exciting topics in the world, but unfortunately it is an important one.  No matter where you stand on the issue or even if you don't know what the issues are, your healthcare will be effected in some way over the coming year.  It's best to take a little look at it and at least know whats coming.

The Affordable Care Act has been and still is a hot button issue.  Some of the Healthcare changes from the Affordable Care act are now in place.  Click the link above to read some of the details.

It seems that our country is split on this one.  The last election made it clear that a slight majority of the country would like to see more government intervention in our healthcare system by means of the Health Care Reform Act and we are all about to get what they asked for.  The above link  will give you a little more information on the three major effects that will be felt right away.  There are many more to come that we will all be effected by.  But now that it is taking effect, what do you do?

1. Get educated:  Do a little research and reading, and not just about the bashing or support of the bill but rather get acquainted with what it actually does an how it effects you.  You can't very well plan for it or really even have an opinion until you know what it actually does.
2. Make adjustments:  Many of us will have to adjust our lifestyles down a little more to compensate for tax increases resulting from the changes while others will be charged a little less for their healthcare.  Figure out where you stand and adjust your spending and saving accordingly.
3. Make directional changes:  Don't just make changes within your current situation but explore all your options.  You may be able to get a less expensive policy with another company or with different terms.  As things get tighter, you may find that a small monthly change in your payments allows you a little more flexibility somewhere else.
4. Get Personal:  Don't expect that every one of your medical and physical needs is going to be met by the government.  All of the good intentions in the world could never keep all of us healthy.  Make diet and exercise a normal part of your life so that you don't have to spend as much of it in the hospital.  Look into home remedies.  I've said it before, "sometimes those crazy hippies are right".  There are a number of very good natural cures and treatments for common ailments, most of which can be easily found with a quick search of the internet.

The bottom line is that you need to be in control of your life.  That includes doing a budget, planning your spending, knowing what policies you have in place and what they cover and knowing what changes are coming your way.  Spend a few less minutes on posting what you ate for breakfast on facebook or watching to see who will be the future Earl of Granthom and take a look at your life.  Your far less likely to be caught off guard if you do.  And yes, if you feel strongly about it, let your voice be heard and vote accordingly.

"Instant" Baking Mix

Pancakes made with my "Instant" Mix.
We swirled in come home made cinnamon roll filling to make these ridiculously good.  

Way back when we only had 1 daughter, I would often make pancakes for breakfast using Bisquick or some other "Instant" baking mix.  Then somewhere along the way, someone made the claim that these mixes were terrible for you and that I had to change to natural alternative.  Being the ultra-conservative and typical male that I am, I quickly dismissed the claim as "Hippy Malarkey".  It wasn't until a year of so later that I actually started caring about things like hydrogenated oils and trans-fats.  Come to find out, that crazy hippy was right!  Fooducate does a pretty simple breakdown of what is in Bisquick and why it is bad.

I then started playing with recipes for made at home "baking mixes" that used only standard baking supplies. After much trial and error, here is what I arrived at.  The recipe uses a 5 pound bag of flour as the base.  I suggest using a gallons size Tupperware container so that you can dump all of the ingredients in, shake and store in the same container.  The mix takes a little more work than Bisquick to actually use since there are no oils in it, but it really is only a few seconds to add the oil when you cook and the outcome is great.

"Instant" Baking Mix.

PRINT RECIPE

• One 5 lb. Bag of Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
• 4 Tablespoons Baking Powder
• 3 1/2 Tablespoons Table Salt
• 6 Tablespoons Sugar

Simply mix all of the ingredients together and keep sealed in a container or bag.

Here are my 3 common recipes made with this mix

Pancakes

• 2 Cups "Instant Mix"
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 2 Cups milk
• 4 Tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients and mix until just combined.  Lumps are OK.  Thin out with more milk if you like a thinner pancake or go light on the milk if you like them thick.

Notes:  You can use butter-milk for a richer cake, or add 2 T. of lemon juice to the milk and allow to set for 5 minutes before adding to the other ingredients.  I've also made this with olive oil and the results are still pretty good.  But nothing beats real butter.

Waffles

• 2 Cups "Instant Mix"
• 3 Eggs, beaten
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil or Melted Butter
• 1 3/4 Cups Milk

Combine all ingredients and cook in a lightly oiled waffle maker according to the appliances directions.

Note:  If you want to get fancy, separate your egg whites and whip them until soft peaks form. Mix all other ingredients including the egg yolks together first.  Then fold in the whites just before cooking.  This will make a very light and fluffy waffle.

Biscuits

• 2 Cups "Instant Mix"
• 1/4 Cup butter, lard or shortening slightly cooled.
• 1 Cup Milk

Cut the butter into the dry mix until only small pea sized lumps remain.

Add milk and combine until the dough comes together.

Roll out to 1/2" thickness, cut square or use a round cutter.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Two great things about this recipe.  First of all it's cheap.  At under $5.00 for a full batch, you will be spending hardly anything on breakfast.  Secondly, it can be completely customized.   You can go as healthy and organic or as cheap and simple as you want.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

The Power Of Protein

Have you ever read the book Peter Pan?  There is a scene where Tinkerbell gets incredibly angry about her situation, make some rash decisions.  The author explains it this way.  "Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because, being so small they unfortunately have room for only one feeling at a time".  This is exactly the case with our 4 year old Gennisee.  By today's standards she would probably be labeled A.D.D. or something even more dramatic if we were to have her evaluated.  The fact is, she is sometimes very happy and sometimes very angry.  There doesn't seem to be any in between.  Bi-polar?  Maybe.  Stubborn?  Yes.  Un-treatable?  Absolutely not.

You see, every morning Gennisee wakes up grumpy.  OK, she actually wakes up very happy, bun in the 3 1/2 minutes that pass between her getting out of bed and making it down-stairs, she becomes grumpy.  Not just grumpy, but down right angry about anything that happens to not be exactly what she wants.  Here you see is where the power of protein comes in.  I know there are a lot of views on the different types of protein and if you have an opinion, we can discuss it . . later.  For now you just need to know that protein works and why it works.  You see, we start most every day by breaking the case of the grumpies with a chocolate protein shake.  It's part routine, which is very important for kids like Gennisee but it's also energy that lasts.  Protein is a very level form of energy.  Your system metabolizes it slowly and burns it at an even rate.  The highly technical graph explains.  Sugar and sugar produced by starch (i.e. most cereals) give you an immediate energy boost.  Unfortunately, this energy rush ends as fast as it started, meaning a crash.  Proteins take a little longer for your body to process but stick with you much longer.  The result is a more stable body and a more stable personality.

We chose to go with a shake because it works for us, but don't feel like this is the only source of good protein.  Dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese are great sources of protein.  Eggs are fabulous and cheap.  There are also a few cereals like Kashi that have pretty decent amounts of protein if you can get your kids to eat them.  Bottom line that attitude many times means "I need energy"  We have had great results by giving our daughter a big hit with a shake in the morning and by keeping her nibbling on cheese sticks and yogurt throughout the day.  She may only have room for one feeling at a time, but that doesn't mean we can't help choose the feeling.