Archives for January 2015

Surviving the Doctors Office with Lots of Littles

January 29, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

Most of the time I am very blessed to have a hubby with a flexible work schedule who can help me TONS with our kids. {If he couldn't, I don't think I would survive our little blessings}

Over the past few weeks, he's been able to stay with 3 of the kids 2 separate times while I took a mere 1 child to the doctor. This week however, he already had a conference to go to when our middle daughter needed to take her turn. I preped myself as much as possible and then headed out DURING NAP TIME to face impending death during what was guaranteed to be an eternal trip.

5 Things that Help Survive the Doctors Office with Lots of Littles:

includes helpful links as well as some affiliate links

Snack Cups and Water Bottles

Planning an appointment for nap time a terrible but sometimes inevitable move BUT making sure you have adequate snackage can help curb the sleepy-induced grouchies. The crazy cool snack cups that we've had for years are a life-saver. Holds a healthy serving size and keeps the messes to a minimum.

Thumb War Temporary Tattoos

These were a fun little thing I found on sale after Christmas. Sadly it took this packaging to give me the idea to also use temporary tattoos we already had for the same idea. Easy, apply tats, teach kids "1, 2 3, 4, I declare a thumb war" and watch their lil thumbs stay busy for quite a while.
note: temp tats on fingers wear off a lot faster and look gross quickly

Spot It!

This simple card game keeps kids busy and kinda quiet for a long time as well. You can play with tons of kids or just 2. You pass out cards, flip, and who ever IDs the most matching pics gets the cards that round. Who ever gets the most cards wins. I have played with the same cards and one child by making them look for the pictures on the card in the room, kinda like a guided "I Spy" game.

iPad Learning Apps

To be honest, I have in the past been very proud that I don't let the kids use our "game phone" {old iPhone used just for kids apps} or the iPad but I know I'm not supermom and didn't want to push it. I caved, charged and packed our school iPad in the kid-friendly, foam case, and let the kids watch something together once we'd been moved to the exam room.

"Special Treat" aka Bribery

Another thing that we don't normally do after a doctors appointment are "special treats" but we all {ah hem, Mamma} earned a bribe after not snapping during the entire ordeal. We hit up the Sonic Drive-In around the corner even though Happy Hour {half price drinks} was over. Like I said, we really earned those tiny slushes and giant Dr Pepper!

How do YOU and your littles survive the doctor's office during these season of sickness?

Filed Under: Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Seasons of Sickness

January 27, 2015 by Jules 1 Comment

Some seasons I thrive on having lots to do. I remember in high school feeling like I was way more productive and managed my time better when I had more going on, more responsibilities, and less free time. As an adult, some days that's still true. If I have my list of things I know need accomplished that day, I set to it and get lots wrapped up before the day is done.

Other days. Days like today. The things on my list seem overwhelmingly mounting leaving me feeling like a failure before I've even attempted to begin climbing it all and sitting on a couch at the end of the day not wanting to touch the normal list of things that need to be done before bed.

These seasons of sickness among my friends, extended family, and in my household seem to arise as soon as I think we've found our rhythm. I know they're coming and try to be proactive but never feel ahead of the game when they turn.

Trying to wrap up paper work and training for foster care has been a dozy. I don't like paper work but like check lists. We're moving right a long tackling everything but then, in comes the sickness. Long days of training, juggling childcare for our littles, striving to help friends in crisis behind the scenes, holiday/birthday season dragging on and one, regular port-a-church stuff, and now everyone deciding to take turns running low-grade fevers, snot'n up everything, while being crabby and clinging.

We've been to our pediatrician {40 minutes away btw} 3 times in the past 2 and 1/2 weeks. They're not real keen on large families attempting to be seen at the same time but today, I was THAT mom and drug all my kids in the 1 appointment time they had available.

The conclusion? 2 and 1/2 HOURS in the doctor's office, no diagnosis other than "she has nothing really...prolly just a random virus.", three flu mists, and a flu shot, and all the signed medical paper work we needed for DHS.

Are you in a season of sickness you want to be DONE with but don't want to wish away the few days you have with your littles? How do you handle it?

I'd love to share a few things that helped me not loose my mind on this eternal day at the doctor on this week's Thoughtful Thursday. 🙂

Filed Under: Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

#mommied Monday: Invisible Friends

January 26, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

In honor of Mother's Day {in 4 months}, I'm going to be sharing stories {possibly weekly} that makes ya wanna say, "BOOM! You just got Mommied!" because it is a super power 😉 Often we feel like we just got owned by our children in the small battles so we need some encouragement when we don't loose!

I would LUUUUUUVE if you would share your #mommied stories with us on the as Jules is going facebook page or find me on Instagram to share awesome documentation of your #mommied moment! Don't forget to use the hashtag so we can all find it. Maybe by the time Mother's Day gets here we will all feel the true power God has given us as mommies to train up His lil blessings.

My 3-year-old daughter was supposed to be napping in her room upstairs but kept talking loudly. I went out to her room multiple times and every time she told me she was playing. She finally confessed to playing with her imaginary friends. I told her they weren’t allowed to play during nap time. When it continued, I went in I grounded her from the imaginary friends. I stuck out my hand and told her she was not allowed to play with them during nap and ask her to hand them to me. She looked at me funny then slowly placed one handful of nothing into my hand. I ask her how many she had to which she giggled and said 3 and then she placed two more in my hands. I told her she could have them back after nap; they’d be in the hall waiting. She went to sleep smiling and never played with them again during nap. #mommied

Share your #mommied stories with us!!! Side note: if and when I ever finish my book...YOUR #mommied quote may or may not be used in it 😉

Filed Under: #mommied, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Hospitality Set {Making Hospitality THAT Much Easier}

January 22, 2015 by Jules 2 Comments

Some of us LOVE having people into our home and others...not so much.

Whether you do or don't like it, many of us just don't do it. I think most of the time we aren't hospitable for one or more of the following reasons.

We don't feel like our house is big, clean, nice, host-able {for whatever reason} enough.
We are too busy and aren't home enough to have others over.
We feel like its going to be a lot of work that we don't have the energy for.

I can't solve all these issues but I have found something that helps with a little of all of them. Creating a hospitality set will allow you to

have a set of dishes clean for just the occasion
to grab fast when last-minute hospitality opportunities arise
and it's ready with little to no effort.

This is how I created my hospitality set {based on my most common hospitality needs}:

purchased 16 bowls and 16 plates at the Dollar tree for $1 for a set of 4,
silverware from a local open-to-the-public restaurant store
used containers also from the Dollar tree to store them in. hospitable

This set stays under the counter in these containers and are ONLY used for sudden {and main large} hospitality. This keeps me from freaking out about not having enough dishes clean to feed everyone, it's so easy to get ready, my kids can snatch these items and lay them out, and I don't feel overwhelmed cleaning up afterwards because these are dishwasher save but the kids also think its fun to hand-wash them and I'm not scared to let them.

***Another really cool thing about this set that I just realized, they're Dry-Erasable! Marking friends and family's drinks/plates/bowls are easily marked. Very important right now during flu season! ***

We also have a mini-fridge to set up a drink/snack station this summer for neighborhood friends! What common hospitality needs do you have that might need to be considered for a set you're building?

Filed Under: Homemaker, Organizing, Parties, The ones about the Rothacher Home

TMNT Share the Gospel {finding truth in the secular}

January 19, 2015 by Jules Leave a Comment

I was recently watching the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie with my hubs and a friend. Well, lets be honest, I was 'mom watching' it meaning I was going something else at the same time. I was catching the bulk of things and the main plot of the movie. That's when I realized that TMNT were sharing the Gospel.

Everything under the sun is groaning for the day when all will be set right again so I don't know why I was surprised at yet again finding truth in the secular. April Oneal is chasing Jesus {or at least a shadow of Jesus}.

You see, we're all on the hunt for the grand plan we're made to be apart of. For April, she runs toward things that seem to be meaningful. She knows there's more and she needs to know what it is. We can learn a lot from her in this movie and apply it to how we should be digging into the bigger picture we're apart of.

{{possible spoiler alert!!!}}}

How to Chase Jesus Like April Oneal

In the mist of her hunt she is taken hostage momentarily and rather than focus on how she is going to be affected she turns immediately to how she can use the situation. She thinks of how she can learn and expose the bad by growing through the situations. Doesn't fear but looks for opportunity. She's not sure how but is sure that there is a way to heal the hurts occurring.

After the "vigilante" saved the day {as she trusted would happen}, April chases the "vigilante" down in hopes of exposure to those in need. When she finds out it is in fact 4 "vigilantes" she begins a relationship with them. Though there are obvious reasons to question what is happening, she trust those who have saved her {and so many others} with few questions.

As a natural reaction to salvation and meeting the one whom loves unconditionally, April runs back into her world to tell as many people as she can about story unfolding behind the scene.

The vigilante(s) makes a plan to capture April, bring her into his custody, and protect her from harm. Once in his care, he wants to train her the best way to live as well as how to protect others.

April realizing the war she's in the middle of is way bigger than she had once seen but decides to join the adventure she's been seeking knowing she'll be taken care of and can't wait to share the awesomeness she's discovered with others.

¹⁹For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 8:19-24

Our "vigilante" is Jesus Christ. He comes to rescue us as no one else can. We along with the rest of our world are seeking that salvation. Just like April, the natural reaction to salvation and meeting the one whom loves unconditionally is to begin an intimate relationship with that person as well as run back into our world to tell as many people as we can about story unfolding behind the scene. Christ has a plan to bring us under His protection and wants to train us the best way to live as well as how to lead others to His life-changing salvation.

God is in everything. Nothing is inherently bad because He made it all. Therefor it isn't hard to find truth even in the seemingly secular.