Parenting Archives - Page 21 of 43

Just another Tuesday in the Rothacher house…

January 30, 2013 by Jules 2 Comments

This morning Matt headed out to yet another couple meetings out of town. I thought about showering but then remember the chaos that was my day and chose to get started & trudge through with a greasy head. So, with a grungy preschooler in my bed watching Cat in the Hat, I put on a bra {sorry, TMI for some but you mamma's know this is only prep for visitors 😉 } and hustled downstairs. You see, we've been non-stop traveling and I failed to do any of my child's preschool work last week...our "HIPPY lady" was coming today...10 O'Clock to be precise...it was 7:30.

I grabbed our new favorite cereal, Berry Berry Kix {thank you WIC}, a handful of bowls, and our HIPPY backpack full of supplies and work. I know, know. My class factor here is on the rise! I dealt the bowls like a deck of cards, chucking piles of cereal in each one Knowing at least one child would decide they didn't like this kind of cereal today. Next, I quickly reading through the entire weeks worth of school work, highlighted directions for quick labor, ready the necessary supplies, and decide what really has to be fill out/done. Don't judge... HIPPY parents, you know you've done this at least once- determine the possible pull sheets and do those first!

I ran back upstairs just in time to her The Cat and his lil friends say they'd see us next time and I click off the TV. Thank you PBS for entertaining my 4 {and now in the bed 3} year old! Like the fancy people we are, I march my kids downstairs still in their PJs after grabbing lil brother out of his crib. Going straight to the table, the excitement and grouching begins. Mags is ecstatic about finally getting to "do school" and guess who complains about the Berry Berry Kix? Iz the Biz! Two of the 3 eat their cereal dry while the particular one selects multigrain Cheerios and asks for milk. Settled now, I began swiftly moving through each day's lesson, markers marking, crayon's coloring, scissors...scissoring. Even with reading silly detailed directions in a couple of places we owned that homework in like 30 minutes! For Real! New personal record 😉 {Sorry Heather...I promise we do the lessons more vigorously ~~every other week~~ I mean... ~~on weeks we're not traveling~~ naw, just some times. We get bored with repetition}

Now that breakfast and school were done, the kids marched happily to the playroom and I began checking email and texts {yeah...I'm bad about keeping up with my phone}. All while doing this my kids started playing a new game they created all by themselves! It was called: How many bad choices can we make in less than 2 hours {bonus points for including as many screaming siblings as possible}. Sounds fun huh! This included but was definitely not limited to slapping, pushing, stealing, running someone else's extremities over with a power wheel scooter, drawing on the table with marker right next to the paper provided, using glue as chapstick, screaming {both fun and out of anger or pain}, as well as getting everyone naked {"suPize" -says Jamin} for pretend "mud" play. I probably missed something fun. I'll find evidence of it somewhere near the pile of hair I ripped out of my head later.

This day only got better with a little

rushed lunch of leftovers in order to be ready for HIPPY & baby-watching
bribery with stickers for napping {mainly for the 4-year-old}
finally did the postponed HIPPY meeting I panicked to get ready for about 2 hours later
babysitting an adorable 9-month-old {its been a while...} who was so snuggly but I felt awful because he
- was overstimulated by my abundance of littles
- needed to poop
- is teething
- was wicked sleepy {but that just made for more snuggles 😉 }
- and didn't like my mistaken combination of his juice cup & formula {told ya its been a while...}
amped up kids who apparently need to
- get out more OR
- stay home more... that's a tough one
hubs who's meeting went longer than I thought
amped even more with energy when daddy got home
make-shift of THIS using leftovers
more playing their new-found game
10 minute time out with a tantrum throwing 3-year-old
waiting out the tornado in a pantry
- after pulling kids from their bath
- staying up past their bed time
- while enjoying a last night snack & extra movie
aaaaand now I'm ~~talking~~ typing to you about to head to bed {9:45} because the crazy of this week hasn't even begun.

See ya lay-ta! What did your Tuesday look like?

Filed Under: Homemaker, Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

How-to Consignment Shop withOUT Kids {Thoughtful Thursday}

January 24, 2013 by Jules 1 Comment

I have to remind myself, "It is coming. It Is coming. Spring time is coming!"

I am so ready for some color sprinkled all over the ground, warmer {not hot} days, and the general cheeriness of the spring season. Another thing I love about season change is consignment shopping. Eek! My fave? Duck Duck Goose, the "BIG Sale" in Little Rock, AR!

Don't get me wrong, I don't really like spending money on clothes I just LOVE a great deal. We haven't had to spend much over the past few years due to God's blessing of hand-me-downs from friends and family as well as within our own closely born babes! This year though...this year, the year of limbo and growth, has brought us to the place where Every child needs nearly an entire spring/summer wardrobe. My kids are eating like there's a famine coming and sleeping like its going out of style- that's coming, too. The Growth Spurts! This year I plan to be proactive in this inevitable circumstance.

I need to be able to shop in a reasonable amount of time, thinking through purchases, as well as get all the things I need for the season without duplicates. Soooo, I'm fixing all of that. How am I going to get the right sizes without taking the kids, you ask? THAT is what I want to share with you today. I think this could work for consignment shopping or clothes shopping in general.

Check list for prepping to go
Children's Clothes Shopping:

{note: I'm not a genius, these tips come from years of watching the experts 😛 }

Purge
- Set aside all clothes for that current season {for me right now Winter}. The kids will still need these a bit longer.
- Then pull out all clothes that are the next season that will not fit {spring/summer for me}. I'm talking, if you have to, do a fashion show, try on all clothes that may be on the line of not fitting {if and When they have that next growth spurt}.
- Next, identify all clothes that you haven't been putting on your child due to them being stained, shrunk, stretched out, holey, whatever.
- Finally, depending on if it just doesn't fit or if it's really used: Consign, pass down to the next child, or pass along all those clothes to a friend, family member, clothes closet, etc. Don't allow them back in the closet or dresser. It will only be misguiding when you go to dress you child.
Take inventory of each child's closets and dressers.
- For real, write down exactly how many of each item they have, their size, and even the color.
- When you go shopping you will know you don't need a pair of pink shorts, black tennis shoes in size 6, or 2 more green sun dresses.
Make a shopping list
Measure each child. They will think this is fun.
- Feet
  1. Use a piece of paper {card stock or constructions paper holds up the best} and trace one foot of each child.
  2. If your kids have feet that are different sized, fit differently in shoes, etc you might want to do both.
  3. I just did one foot for each child because I have three kids I'm shopping for at once and the things you have to carry around add up quickly.
  4. I also cut out each foot for more convenience.
- Body
  Bottom {largest circumference around toosh}

{I punched a hole in each foot as well as the ribbon so I could hook them on a big ring for easier carrying.}

That sounds like a lot of stuff to think through but it's really not. I just tried to be very detailed for anyone who had never done this AND this is helping me think through what I need for next week's undertaking. If you're like me, you don't get too many chances to go shopping. And on top of that, these consignment sales don't come around but maybe twice a year. 😉

Next Thursday, I'll be back with a check list for taking with you to a Consignment Event! {link live next Thursday}

Share your tips & tricks for consignment shopping! We love to hear your favorite finds as well 🙂

UPDATE:

I know I shared my favorite consignment event above but just in case you don't have one in your area, here is an online consignment shop: "ThredUp". And you can get $10 off your first order using the code: GIMME10! Have fun!!! {valid thru 2-22-13 midnight}

contains affiliate links

Filed Under: Being a Help-Meet, Organizing, Parenting, The Ones about Link-Ups, The ones about the Rothacher Home, Thoughtful Thursdays

Find a Way to Play Together!

January 18, 2013 by Jules 2 Comments

Matt and I are so thankful to PBS's Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and this awesome song we use almost daily with our kids to resolve fights:

Watch Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Find a Way to Play Together on PBS. See more from pbs.

Filed Under: Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

“I wanna learn how to be a mommy”

January 16, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

Today I'm guest posting over at the Mommy Blogging Director. I'm sharing about a family trip to everyone's favorite crafty store and an eye-opening encounter with my little girl. Go read how the statement, "But I wanna learn how to be a mommy; so I'm watching you..." has changed my view of the day-to-day.

Filed Under: Parenting, The ones about the Rothacher Home

“Are we there yet?”

January 15, 2013 by Jules 3 Comments

In our years as youth ministers one of the most memorable annoyances
{for us as well as the students I'm sure} were trips. LONG trips.

It wasn't really the trip itself that was annoying it was being cramped in a vehicle for the long ride. The inevitable questions were always, "Are we there yet?" and "What are we doing next?" Those were the skin crawling questions for the adults. Why can't they just get in the van, sit back, and enjoy the ride?

These are the same questions that I have trouble hearing from my kids. I just think, does it matter? I get so frustrated; don't you trust me? I have their best interest in mind because I love them. Ugg

The answer for the students in our ministry, I've learned recently, was just as irritating, "Nun-ya". Well maybe not that exact phrase, or at least not all the time. Some form of "We'll tell ya what you need to know when you need to know it", "Be patient", and "Be Flexible".

Yep, same phrases I use with my children. I bet my kids hear the phrase, "Be Patient." 800 times a day. The other one is "Listen 1st time!" We demand obedience. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. We use these so often that my kids use the phrases. Our definition for the vocabulary-love'n-4-year-old is, obey means listen 1st time and patience means wait. Wait without questions.Wait with out grumbles or whining. Wait without dancing around like a crazy. Wait quietly. Wait peacefully.

Sounds all good and well, right!?!

Yeah, until I'm in the backseat asking, "Are the THERE yet!?!?!?!?!"

I ask all those same things of God on this crazy fun journey. We're truck'n along and he tells me the ultimate destination but I can't handle the bathroom breaks, gas-ups, and stops for meals. I'm just ready to be there. I wanna know when, why, and what time each stop is gonna be along the way. I squirm and whine in a giant tantrum all in the name of praying. but what to do next or right now, or how I should do ____."

I don't know why it's taken me so long to figure this one out but in Genesis 22, God tells Abraham to do something. Now, let ignore the fact that it was nuts-o. God tells him something kind of generic: Go sacrifice you son. on a mountain (I'll tell ya which one later). What the crap? No, that's not what Ab says. No, he gets up early the very next day to go do it. He doesn't sit around going, Well, I think God ask me to do this but I'm not sure if it was really God or the chili I ate for lunch. I think I'll pray about it a little longer. If it's what He wants me to do, it will all fall into place. He'll tell me where, how, why, etc.

That's what we do! That's what I do.

Abraham packs up is junk, servant dudes, and his only son. The one that's supposed to fulfill the promise God gave him years ago of being the father of many nations. Then they hike it 3 days. Some where along the way God tells Ab which mountain but that's about as specific as it gets. God didn't explain to him why He would ask this of him.

We I would be kicking and screaming if I'd even gotten myself on the road to obedience.

Abraham lives out his faith in front of his son {as he'd obviously done for 30+ years} as they trudged up the mountain to follow through with what God had asked. He wasn't crying out to God the entire way up, YO! You said I would be a father of many. You gonna bring this joker back after I kill him? Are you gonna give me something else to take his place? How in the world do you expect me to do this???

Abraham "listened 1st time". Abraham waited without questions. He waited with out grumbles or whining. Abraham waited without dancing around like a crazy. He waited quietly. Abraham waited in the peace that God was God. He would come through even if it wasn't how he wanted. Yeah, we can look at it now and peacefully think he of course should obey. God's gonna take care of him. But although Abraham didn't know exactly how God was going to work things out but he still obeyed immediately and without grumbling.

I'm learning to listen 1st time and to wait patiently amidst obeying what God is asking of me Now. If I wait to obey until God gives me the entire story, all the details, or the point of what He's asking of me...I'll never obey. Step by step, just like we ask of our children, I'll obey without questioning God's motive. Learning trust His perfect character and joyfully await the perfect end result.