fall activities

We spent a busy week, with a party at head-start..trick-or-treating at the tribal offices all over the world with Christian, Lola and bus loads full of little ones..it was insane...

Nicole had 2 scrimmages this week, Connor had his final foot-ball game, and Jon is full-swing in basketball..

Every time i tell myself, i have to simplify and just not do something, i do something...it is so crazy...Sean had a party on fri, but i stayed home...

We went to a wedding on Sat. and then to the fall-fest at a church in Wewoka...we do this instead of trick-or-treating..the whole door to door thing gives me a head-ache..the kids enjoy the games and they get candy too...

Monday, i am chaperoning with 2 other adults the gifted and talented kids as they attend the Phantom of the Opera Ballet...i am looking forward to this trip, i am on the g&t committee, and have 3 kids in the program..

Wed. , i am going to the pumpkin patch with Christians class, and then i will probably check myself into the funny farm for a good long rest..for all my good intentions, it always seems all their special activities fall at the same time, and who do i say no too...i feel like i miss so many of their activities..

I battle the flare-ups and exhaustion that go with auto-immune diseases, some days, my body will just not go, and i can't sit on bleachers, and keep up with the demands of a large family, and then in between i push myself too hard, and then the cycle repeats..

Simplify, balance, sanity....i need to just remind myself over and over, that no one wins, when i am down..

Autumn has arrived

The weather here is finally turning, and it is about stinking time..we had a blistering hot summer, and I am so ready for the cool mornings of Fall.

Our leaves are gradually changing colors and starting to drop all over the property..which makes a beautiful backdrop, and a great thing to throw at your brothers and sisters..

I didn't get any of my fall decorations out yet, fall break was so hectic with the kids going here and there, and Ben completely down with gout, I couldn't get up into the closet to wrestle with things..

We do have some pumpkins and squash on the porch, on a tablecloth..maybe i should just throw some leaves over the whole scene , and call it decorated..

Tomorrow Christian has a halloween party at pre-k, and goes trick or treating at the tribal offices thurs. no school on friday for him..

Sean and Jon, have a party at school on Friday.. tonight is the weenie roast in Spaulding, but, i am not sure i will be back from my Dr. appt. in Okc in time to attend...I would cancel, but i have had such a flare up lately, it probably would be a bad idea..

Connors' last football game is tonight in Maud, which I will miss, and Nicoles' 1st basketball scrimmage is at 4:00..Andrew and Tiff are going to stand in for me..and bring Nicole home..

I really don't feel very motivated right now..yes, i would like to see the decorations up, but no i don't want to do it..i almost killed myself last week repairing my kitchen after my boys had been in charge for a short time...6 hours of scrubbing saints in heaven preserve me..and then there was the hall closet that had become impassible or is it impossible, i am not sure which...that was an all day job...especially with Sean, Christian and Alexandra rolling in the blankets, coats and costumes...and now if i was an exceptionally clever and witty person, i would tie this all up in a neat little package..However, I have dogs barking, a little girl perched on my leg, socks and towels all over my living room..and who knows what lurking in the hiding places of my home..

It is time to be off this thing and back to work..because there are 2 rules of housekeeping..1 a mothers' work is never done...2..when in doubt refer back to rule number 1..

grown-ups

Sometimes, I just hate being a grown-up, I hate acting like a grown-up, I frankly don't want to be the grown-up...

Take last night for example, I was at the schools large fundraiser...the fall carnival...I absolutely hate going...It doesn't really sound like it should be up there with a root canal, but trust me..i find it agony..

Why, it is really pretty simple and straightforward..most of the events take place in the elementary building and "little gym"...a one corridor school wing with 90% of the occupants of our town packed in there..unattended children of all ages..behaving as unattended children do..pushing, line cutting, strollers, hot, and lots of people..

I do this every year, and smile while i do it..then there are the extrem people..the ones my husband can never figure out who they are, and they smile, wave and talk to us like old friends...and he says under his breath, who the hell is that?????

I guess i just reach my saturation point...too many people, too tight an area, money actually evaporating out of my pocket..It is the elementary schools primary fund-raiser, and 1 of many for the upper grades...so i go, and i support..

How many people actually know you, my husband asks, as I smile, nod and wave my way through the crowd..know me..i mean actually none..but, I am the infamous Tucker Mother, the mother of 9, and they all know who I am...Either, they were teen-agers when ours were younger, and I knew them then, or they have children in the same class as some of ours..or, I have just pointed out as the crazy women with so many children..

How does she do it? Why does she do it? What makes her do it? When 2 are more than anyone can handle...I guess the answer is she wants to, and more importantly she is called to ...

No wonder they all know who I am...with so many children circling around me, I tend to stand out...even in a crowd...

Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I say rejoice.

It isn't everyday, that we are actually, physically able to see the answer to a prayer.

Last Spring I began praying for a young, teenage girl in our area...she was pregnant, and her mother was insisting on an abortion...I prayed daily for the safety of this unborn child, and the child that was carrying her, and for the grandmother..

This week, a little miracle was born..she is healthy, she is beautiful, she is loved and welcomed by her entire family.

Thank you Lord, for allowing me to see this blessing come to life.

This little blessing has a name, they call her Abigail.

dreaming

It was really one of those pinch me, I am dreaming moments, when Ben purchased me a ticket to visit Laura in Fla.

I hadn't seen her in 18 years...would time and distance change our friendship...would we still be so connected after all these years..would she still love me, and see me as I am...

I walked off the plane and she was waiting for me as I left security...I ran into her arms and we both cried..instead of 2 45 year old women...that have been through so many challenges, we were actually still those teen-age girls...

We spent an entire week laughing...we laughed about everything, and everybody...we laughed at ourselves, we laughed at people we hadn't seen in years, we laughed until we cried...and when it came time for me to go home, we cried...

While time has definitely changed us...it was really remarkable that in that grown womans body..my pre-teen friend was still lurking...the girl i dressed like, danced with, laughed with...grew up together...some things never change..I am so grateful my Laura is one of them...