The Best Thing We Never Planned

As some of you know, and many of you don’t, I will have to change my blog title soon.  My new title should read, 1 Mom, 1 Dad, and FIVE kids.  Yep, that’s right.  There’s going to be another kiddo in the Harrington household.  Look out world, I’m pregnant again.  I'm popping another one out in July 2012!

To say that this pregnancy is a surprise would be an understatement.  But please do not read this and equate surprise with unwanted.  Some of the best moments in life are those that are unplanned and uncharted.  Jeff and I are so happy about this, knowing that this baby, like all babies, is a blessing from God.  Now, I know that some of you are scratching your heads and wondering about all sorts of things, so let's list some F.A.Q.S……..

1.       “Five kids!  Oh my Gosh, don’t you two know how this happens?  Well, yes we know exactly how it happens, and we’ve got quite good at it over the years.

2.       “Which one of you is getting fixed?”  Neither.  We’ve been down this road before and it just didn’t work.

3.       “Did you do fertility treatments?” No.  This happened naturally.

4.       “So this was your own egg?”  Yes, I’m only 41 not 50!

5.       “Aren’t you worried there’s something wrong with the baby?” Nope.  All tests show a healthy baby. 

6.       “Boy or Girl?”  Well, the baby was moving a lot, but it looks like a girl.

7.       “How will you ever be able to afford another one?”  We just will.  You make an effort to afford the things you really value in this life.  We value our children more than fancy vacations and big screen tvs.

8.       “What will you use for birth control?”  None of your stinkin’ business.

9.       “Are you planning on having more kids?”  We weren’t planning on having this one silly.

10.   “Aren’t you embarrassed to be pregnant at your age?”  Ummm, let me think, NO.  Why would I be embarrassed?  I’m not sure why some people view my pregnancy as a failure on my part, something I should be ashamed of.  This baby is in no way a mistake.  She is a child that was meant to be here.  Jeff and I were chosen as her parents, among all others, by God.  Nope, not embarrassed at all.  I’m proud to be pregnant with another child.  My ob/gyn high fived me.

And just a final note:  I am not as old as the woman on 19 Kids and Counting.  And yes, I know she lost her last baby.  But it doesn’t mean that I will lose mine, nor does it mean that I even want to think or hear about it.  My heart goes out to Michelle Dugger, as it does to all women who have suffered a loss at any stage.  But pregnant women as a whole do not want to hear horror stories, about labor and birth or about the loss of any baby or infant.  This has been my public service announcement.

Now on to the Good Stuff……

Want to see a picture of my new little blessing?  I knew you did.

There's her profile.  I wish it was clearer.  But her ultrasound was done on an archaic machine.  I picture some poor tech realizing that her machine was broken, and her supervisor telling her, "Well, go grab one of those old ones from the basement!"  And then the poor tech did as she was told, and after dusting off the ten years worth of cobwebs, she proceeded to use it on me.  I have had other ultrasounds at this facility before, and they were all clear and it was all very modern high tech equipment. Just not that day.  This was taken at 19 weeks.

Here is another that was taken earlier at 13 weeks:

Pretty cute, huh?

Ok, I know ultrasound pics are kinda grainy and not always so clear.  But we moms love them.

So, that's what's new in my life.  We are all excited, except for junior who just doesn't seem to care one way or another.  We are still thinking of names although my niece Gracie has already picked out the lovely name of Elizabeth Ella.  We'll have to think about that.  But there's lots of time to decide.

May you all have unexpected blessings in one form or another.  It's the unexpected that keeps life exciting!

Was blind, but now I see.....

As parents, we think we are the ones who teach our children, that this is our job, our mission in life to make sure they have learned what they need to know in order to become the best that they can possibly be.  Let me be honest and tell you that I firmly believe that I am not the only one doing the teaching in my household.   My children teach me on a daily basis little lessons that I either managed never to learn, or have long since forgotten.

Over the Thanksgiving break, I took the kids to the zoo.  We were having a wonderful time, the weather was beautiful and it was a lovely peaceful day.  I felt “in the moment” so to speak.  We came upon the lion exhibit.  My son asked me where the lions were, and I peered in and didn’t see even one of them.  I told him I didn’t know, when a woman, looking at me like I was an idiot, said, “He’s right there!”  And wouldn’t you know it, he really was right there, on a rock, almost literally right in front of me.

“Well, I can’t see how I missed THAT,” I said feeling rather silly.

I pointed out the lion to junior and he looked, but complained that he wanted to see him better.  I tried using the camera to make the lion look closer, but it was no use.  He was melting down, insisting that he needed to see more.  I just didn’t understand.  He ran to the viewing telescope and tried to look, and trying to appease him, I popped a quarter into the machine. 

“I can’t see anything!  I’m BLINDED!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

I looked through the telescope, and sure enough, there was nothing to see because it was out of focus.  I adjusted the focus, and found the lion in the scope.  And what I saw amazed me.  There before me was this incredible creature.  More beautiful up close than I ever would have imagined.  I could see his mane blowing in the breeze and the soft tufts of fur around his neck.  And he had eye lashes!  Wow.  Junior was right.  There was so much more to see, so many more details than I was willing to give my time to look at just moments before.

Junior watched that lion for quite a while, finally satisfied that he had seen all the lion had to offer.  He was ready to move on to the elephants.  As we walked away, I couldn’t help but think about other things that I must be missing.  After all, I didn’t even notice the lion sitting on the rock at first.  And if junior hadn’t made me stop and take a closer look, I would have missed out on seeing lion eyelashes…..

We walked a while, up the hill towards the elephants when I realized that my mantra, my prayer that I often offer up to God and the universe usually goes something like this…

“I can’t see how I will ever finish.”

“I can’t see how we will ever afford that.”

“I can’t see how it’s going to work.”

“I can’t see how that’s going to make a difference.”

“I can’t see how she feels that way.”

“I can’t see…..”

“I can’t see…..”

“I can’t see…..”

Are you starting to get the picture?  How many times in my daily life had I used such phrasing?  And what have I missed because of it?  How many things have I looked at briefly, believing that I had seen the whole picture, with all the details, when I hadn’t really scratched the surface?  What had I not focused in on? 

When I told this to Jeff, he pointed out that maybe all of my “can’t see” mantras had actually become a physical manifestation in my life.  “What are you talking about?” I said, grumpily holding the paper two inches from my nose.  And then it hit me.  I literally couldn’t see all that well.  Days spent working on the computer had weakened my eyes again and it was time to get back to wearing glasses to ease the eye strain.  You wouldn’t believe what a difference they made when I put them on.

Not but a day later, I had the chance to possibly adopt the cute little terrier that I had seen at the county animal shelter.  I was the second hold on this cute little puppy and I didn’t think I had a chance at getting him.  I told Jeff maybe it wasn’t even worth going.  When he asked why I said, “Because I can’t see why someone would miss out on such a cute dog if they had the first hold.”  But then I caught myself.  I rearranged my thinking and said, “I can see how someone might not have the time to go back to see him on the day before thanksgiving.” And then, “I can see how I have a chance to bring him home.  And if I can’t adopt him, then maybe there will be another one there to adopt.”  So, we drove to the animal shelter that day.  I repeated to myself that I could see myself adopting that puppy.  When we arrived, we found out that the people with the first hold had not shown for their appointment.  I had the chance to get the puppy I was so in love with.  I adopted him that day.  Had I let my “can’t see” attitude take over, I would have missed out on my new puppy.  And he is a wonderful puppy. Lesson learned.

So, why am I telling you this?  Because the holiday season is here, and I know that other parents like me are going to become blinded by a huge list of to-dos.  Buying presents, wrapping, cooking, decorating, parties, and a whole host of merriment that is to be made so that the holiday season is memorable.  But is it all worth it?  Do we really have to worry about how the house is decorated, or would the time be better spent making Christmas cookies with the kids?  Or if you hate to bake, would it be better to buy cookies and take the kids on a drive to see Christmas lights?  We run around with our hair on fire, trying to squeeze in all of the things we think we should do for the holiday season.  We see the big picture but miss the details, the simplicity of the miracles that we are trying to celebrate with Christmas and Hanukkah.

So this is my hope for you my family and friends…

May grace and peace be multiplied unto you.  May you not be blinded by all of the fluff of the holiday season.  And if you do feel like things are falling out of focus, just stop and readjust.  I hope that each and every one of you finds all of your blessings in plain sight, with full clarity, and with all of the little details apparent.  So, remember to kick back, drink some hot chocolate, and treat yourself to that extra piece of rugelach, or a sugar cookie.  Then, take a deep breath and really look at all the wonderful things that you have in your life.  I think you’ll like what you see.  I know I do. 

Blessings and Holiday Joy to you all!

Due to Technical Difficulties, Halloween is Delayed....

I should have posted about Halloween in a timely manner, but due to some technical difficulties, and compatibility issues between the memory card and my computer, I have been a little delayed.  I ask that those special people waiting to see Halloween pictures to please forgive me.

The puking pumpkin platter

So, Halloween went a little something like this.....

"Mom....?"

"Emily..?"

"Ok, so we asked Meg's mom and she said no, and we asked Jerry's mom and she said no, and we asked Cassie's mom and she said no, and Chris just asked his mom and she said no......"

"And?"  I asked, wondering what it was that all the other moms had said "no" to......

"Could we have a Halloween party at our house?  We have it all planned out.  Now all we need is a house."

 I don't know about how most kids approach a parent about having a party, but it's usually not with the disclaimer that every other parent said "NO".

Relieved that it was only a Halloween party they were asking for, I said yes.  And the events that followed were truly amazing.  I was told that they had it all planned out, and they weren't lying.  Each child had decided their part in the party, what they would bring, how they would share their part of the responsibility of providing both food and fun.  Jerry, Chris, and Emily created a Picachu pinata from scratch two weeks before the party.  They planned the menu, choosing food that everyone would like.  Cassie brought the entertainment of Just Dance, and Just Dance 2 along with extra Wii motes.  Chris filled the pinata with candy.  Meg brought tater tots and fudge, Jerry brought a dozen helium balloons.  They even thought to include transportation.  Jerry brought Chris, and Cassie brought Violet.  All I had to do was make the living room spooky and put out some drinks and snacks.  Pretty easy, huh?

The Girls.....

The Whole "Crew"

The Boys

Chris and Picachu

So, they danced and ate, and sang at the top of their lungs in Japanese.  If that doesn't equal a good party, I don't know what does.  Then, they annihilated the pinata, inhaled helium, ate some more, and they broke out the glow sticks.  Just good twelve year old fun.  

Now on to the other kids......

This was Jr.'s first year that he was actually interested in Halloween.  In all of the other years, he said it was, "maybe pretty scary!"  So this is the first year that he was excited about trick or treating and wearing his costume.  He was a dragon/dinosaur this year and Katie was a pink poodle.  It worked wonderfully that they were warmer costumes, since it was colder this year.  Katie was all over the idea of getting candy.  She just kept repeating CANDY CANDY CANDY!  And Jr., while excited to get candy, really didn't eat all that much.  He just liked being out with his cousins.  I think a good time was had by all.

Halloween was so much fun this year.  It was a blessing to have the house filled with fun and laughter.  I am glad that Emily has such a wonderful bunch of kids to hang out with.   I am also quite thankful for the house that had the puppet show for the kids. Junior thought it was awesome.

Hope your Halloween was "Spooktacular!"

Was there a disturbance in the Time Space Continuum?

Or was it only me????

I have to ask because the other day I had the strangest thing happen, and although I'm not a trekkie, I have seen enough sci-fi movies to come up with some crazy time/space/black hole/stargate theories.  It's either that, or I was abducted by aliens.  I swear.

Anyhow, the day was normal enough, I thought.  I heard the phone ring and I walked from the bedroom to the kitchen to find the cordless phone.

At this point, the kids were in the living room playing with Thomas the train and the track set.

Jeff was on the phone and asked me to measure something.  I walked back down the hallway, grabbed the tape measure, turned and walked back to the kitchen.  Measured the kitchen island, and relayed the measurement.  At this point the kitchen was empty and clean.

I spoke to Jeff for a couple more minutes as I walked down the hallway, and put the tape measure away.  Please bear in mind that we don't live in a gigantic house.  You can walk from the kitchen to the hallway in ten paces.

I hung up with Jeff, set the phone down on the counter in the hallway, and turned back towards the kitchen to have another cup of coffee.

It's at this point I see my children.  Both sitting at the small table we keep in the kitchen .......both covered in finger paint....the table is covered in finger paint....... and the art board is covered in finger paint.

I stood there dumbfounded.
How did this happen???
How could they have possibly had enough time to do this?
How did they get the finger paint out of the cupboard?
There were no chairs moved.
We were home alone.
Or were we?

I scooped them up, put them in the tub and began to ponder how this could have happened in a manner of minutes.  I checked the phone log.  It said the call was 3 minutes and 43 seconds.  Not long.  And there is a view from the hallway into the kitchen.

Hmmmm........

Now let me be very clear.
I wasn't drinking.
I don't take any prescription medicine.
I'm pretty darn sure that I don't suffer from occasional blackouts, or narcolepsy.
And my second personality said she would never let them paint in the clean kitchen.....Just Kidding!

And since I'm sure that I would've noticed two kids finger painting each other as I was measuring the kitchen island, this leads me to believe that something out of this world happened.  Maybe there's a black hole in my hallway that I stepped in and out of.  Or maybe, like my title suggests, it was a disturbance in the time space continuum.  I don't know.   But I was obviously not there for a few minutes.

It was long enough for Katie to paint this:

So, what's the blessing in this you ask?  Well, the blessing is that they decided to play with finger paints and not knives or matches.  That they finger painted themselves and not the entire kitchen.  Oh, and that finger paint is washable!

So, if I go missing, look for me somewhere between my hallway and kitchen.  I'm almost certain there's some weird time warp/black hole thing going on there. Or maybe, just maybe I'm slowly losing my mind.  I guess the last one is the most plausible.

Just another one of life's unexplainable mysteries.

"One bee!...One lousy little bee gets inside and you just lose it!" 

Blackouts, Birthdays and Baptism

Wow.  Look at the time fly.  I was a little sidetracked this month with the start of school and a variety of various activities.  So many wonderful blessings were happening all around me, and I didn't have the time to write about it.

Let's start with the blackout.  I think of the poor guy who was blamed for the blackout.  I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was accidental.  Maybe it was intentional, but who knows?  To be honest, I don't really care.  The blackout was a blessing in my book.  I thought it was wonderful that the blackout occurred when it did.  The kids came out of their hiding spaces, pulled away from their computers and TVs.  We had more than enough daylight to look for the things we needed to get through.  As I looked, it became very apparent that we were missing a few things to truly survive a long term blackout or disaster.  That disaster preparedness box that I was always going to put together?  Still just a thought in my mind.  Working flash lights??  If they worked we didn't have batteries for them.  The ones with the batteries were broken.  I did get an A+ on candles. It was a dry run for what we would really need in case of another disaster.  But as much as people complained, everyone seemed to notice the same thing.   The gift of slowing down and unplugging, of togetherness, and laughter.  The kids were joyful as they ran around the backyard at night, trying to keep cool.  We sat outside eating hamburgers we barbecued, marveling at the stars in the sky.  I remembered some glow bracelets we had left over from a party and cracked those open.  The little ones had never had a chance to see something so cool.

No, that is not me yelling "Weeeeee" in the video.

So, the blackout was definitely a blessing in disguise.  It was a lovely time to stop and take stock, and be grateful for the conveniences that we take for granted each day.  It was also a great time to thank God that you were not one of those few who were stuck in an elevator.  

So, on to birthdays....

Two special men in my life had a birthday this month.  My wonderful, loving little boy turned four.  He didn't ask for any presents.  He just wanted a party.  A dinosaur party to be exact.  

Here is his wish list:

Dinosaur plates

Dinosaur cups

Dinosaur cake

Dinosaur pinata, hung from a tree, filled with candy

and an Easter egg hunt.

Oh, and dinosaur balloons.

Hmmmm...... Let me see... an Easter egg hunt?  

I asked him over and over again what he wanted as a present for his birthday, but again he just kept repeating the above list.  He just wanted a party.  It's not like he hasn't had a party in the past, it's just he doesn't remember them.  And this would be a birthday he would remember.  The blackout came the day before his party, so thankfully it ended early so I could bake his cake.

He was so excited that we had all of the things he asked for.  (On a budget)

There were balloons.....

And a pinata....

And a instead of an Easter egg hunt, we had a dinosaur egg hunt with baby dinosaurs inside....

And of course cake....

And presents...

It was wonderful to have our family and friends present for his birthday.  Mother nature gave us the wonderful gift of beautiful weather, and SDGE gave us the power to bake the cake.  All in all, Jr had many blessings that day.  But it is Jeff and I who are truly blessed to have such a wonderful little boy.

The second man in my life to have a birthday was my Godson Ethan.  It was his first birthday, a small affair with his cousins and grandma.  He was so sweet and knew exactly how to open his presents.  And then came the cupcakes.......

Isn't he the cutest thing ever???  That's Grandma's video of Ethan.  I love him so much.  He is a miracle wrapped in a layer of cuteness.

Onward to the last event I'm going to talk about today and then I promise to stop typing:

Katie's Baptism!

Kaitlyn Rose started her official spiritual journey on Sept. 18th, 2011.  It was a quiet affair that took place after services on Sunday afternoon.  Katie wore the same dress that Emily wore, as it was so beautiful that it needed to be worn again.  She did really well, and her family was there to witness it.

Having faith is a blessing.  I don't think I need to expand on that at all.  It was a wonderful moment, and everyone there seemed to feel it as well.  On the way home Emily broke out in song.

I see trees of green

red roses too

I see them bloom 

for me and you

and I think to myself

What a Wonderful World!

I see skies of blue

clouds of white

bright blessed days

dark sacred nights

and I think to myself

What a Wonderful World!

Yep, it's a wonderful world alright!  Blessings to you all!

Birthday Blessings

My birthday was a couple of days ago, and that makes 41 of them for me.  That's right.  I'm not just 40, now I am IN my forties.  Does this change anything from my perspective?  Not really.  I have noticed that I don't chase the little ones as fast as I was able to chase the big ones.  But, I am healthier right now than I was ten years ago, and I am blessed to be here to say such a thing.

My birthday blessings started off with a bang when my sister called me to say that she found the illusive Red Hen on a Nest candy dish made by the Indiana Glass Company.  These were popular in the 60's and my love affair began when my grandma kept one on her coffee table filled with candy.  Good things came in those chickens.  Many years later, when my Grandma was moving she bestowed upon me the chicken I adored.  It was amber glass and it glowed in the sunlight.  I decided that I would keep my eye out for a mate, and low and behold, I found a green one.  Later came a blue iridescent one, then clear glass,  milk white, and finally a beautiful pale yellow.  But the one I longed for was the garnet red hen.  So, now I have one and I can make a rainbow across my cabinets.  What an exciting birthday surprise!

The red one is added to the flock!

The day before my birthday Jeff and I were able to sneak out for a few hours all on our own.  We went to the beach and were at a beautiful area that required hiking down the cliff.  We got down no problem and took a lovely walk and dipped our toes in the water.  I picked up a few sea shells as mementos, and we made our way back to the path up the cliff.  Let me say, that down, was of course, much easier.  So, without further details, lets say it was a blessing that we made it to the top.  

Then I can't forget all of my birthday blessings from my friends and family on facebook:

• 
  

  
  

  Michelle

  Thank you everyone for all of my birthday wishes yesterday! Each and everyone of you helped to make the day special. ♥

  Monday at 8:19am 
• 
  

  Lori

  Happy birthday! :)

  Sunday at 11:57pm 

• 
  

  Alicia

  Happy birthday mom. :)

  Sunday at 10:13am ·
• 
  

  Penny 

  Happy Birthday Michelle! Hope you have a really special day! XOXO

  Sunday at 9:57am 
• 
  

  Kerri

  ♪♫♫♪ Happy Birthday to Michelle..........Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♫♪ Hope you have a wonderful day with your sweet family!!!

  Sunday at 9:30am
• 
  

  Kristina

  May your wishes today come true. Happy Birthday!!

  Sunday at 9:06am · 
• 
  

  Sarah

  Happy Birthday Michelle!

  Sunday at 9:01am 
• 
  

  Cheryl

  Have a beautiful day! You deserve it! You are a wonderful person and I'm proud to be related :) Love you Cuz!

  Sunday at 8:56am 
• 
  

  Shane 

  Happy Birthday!

  Sunday at 8:28am 
• 
  

  Diana

  Happy, happy birthday, Michelle! Have a wonderful day!

  Sunday at 8:06am 

• 
  

  Kerri

  ♪♫♫♪ Happy Birthday to Michelle..........Happy Birthday to you ♪♫♫♪ Hope you have a wonderful day with your sweet family!!!

  Sunday at 9:34pm ·
• 
  

  Sherry

  Happy birthday cousin...hope your day was spectacular.

  
  

  Sunday at 8:12pm 
• 
  

  Kathy 

  Happy Birthday Michelle hopw you had a awesome day :o)

  Sunday at 7:27pm ·
• 
  

  Chelli

  Happy Birthday Michelle!

  Sunday at 7:08pm 
• 
  

  James

  Happy Birthday Michelle!!

  
  

  Sunday at 5:44pm 
• 
  

  Melissa

  Happy, happy birthday cousin!! Hope you're having a great day.

  
  

  Sunday at 2:59pm 
• 
  

  Carol

  Happy Birthday to my beautiful daughter. I love you so very much honey!

  Sunday at 1:38pm · 
• 
  

  Betty Jean

  Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece!!!! I hope you have a wonderful day!! Love seeing the pictures of everyone! Gorgeous family!!!!! ♥

  Sunday at 1:03pm · 
• 
  

  Marianne

  Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to my one and only sista, happy birthday to you!!!!! Love you big sis!!!!! Make today the best day ever because you deserve it.

  Sunday at 12:56pm ·
• 
  

  Teal

  Great seeing you on registration day... need to plot summer birthday escape! Have a great day somewhere doing something you want to do!

  Sunday at 12:39pm 
• 
  

  Sharon

  Happy Birthday sweeheart. I remember the day you were born. Your Dad came to our house from the hospsital and said "Sherry, I have never seen anything so beaufiful in my life!" He took me to the hospital that nigth to see you and I had to agree with him. You were a doll! I think that is why Chuck called you Doll Doll for so many years! Love you honey and am so very proud of you! Have a wonderful day with your beautiful family! XOXOXOXOXO

  Sunday at 11:14am · 

David

Happy birthday! I hope it's a terrific day for you.

Sunday at 10:52am ·

• 
  

  Karolina

  Happy birthday!

  Sunday at 10:57am · 
• 
  

  Pat

  I love being in touch with you and reading your blog. You were always my favorite substitute! Happy Birthday to you. Enjoy your special day!

  Sunday at 10:53am · 

So, that leaves me with the last, but certainly not least of my blessings.  My family.  I love and adore each and every one of them.  Each made me a special card.  I love homemade cards and notes far more than any store bought ones.  Alicia made me one with photos, Emily made me one with a pop up butterfly, Jr. drew a family portrait, and Jeff wrote me a beautiful heartfelt note.  They set me up with new nail polish and makeup, a great new book, and the worlds best lemon meringue pie.  What more could a girl want?

My mom showed up that morning with a glowing garden frog, and a beautiful pot of succulents.  She remembered how much I love succulents, and how plants really need to be drought tolerant if they are to survive my yard.  

My blessings were bountiful this year.  And truth be told, I am sure they were bountiful last year.  Many people joked about how I was turning 39.  I am not bothered by my age.  I am glad to be 41.  I am blessed to be alive, in this wonderful time, with such wonderful people in my life. 

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away"

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. --Abraham Lincoln




Boundless blessings to you all!