A Day In the Life of a Mom.........It's Not For Sissies!

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Sick boys!

This has been a day.........it has been one of those days where you really see what you are made of. I need to document it because I tend to remember everything through rose tinted glasses. Gracie and I started our day off well. Jake kicked us out early because he knew I was going stir crazy after a long week and Will has been sick. We made a trip to Huntsville to check out my our favorite places (hancocks & hobby lobby). We left about 9:45, made our rounds, ate at Ruby Tuesday's, and headed back home around 2:15. Perfect. So far so good. When we got back John David was up from nap so he and Gracie played together for a while. I setteled in to watch my favorite channel (TLC). Of course, all three kids (Will is up by now) pile on top of me, on our little love seat, to watch TV too. (I'm not sure why they actually need to sit on me to watch TV.....it was ummmm...........cozy) All of the sudden I feel something warm on my leg. I thought our newly potty trained son had an accident. Well, I was half right, but it was not the kind of accident I was thinking.........apparently he has the stomach virus. Ewwwwww! So then Gracie says, "I'm going to throw up." What?!?! you have to be kidding me! She starts gagging because John David is gagging. I'm thinking, "OK, this could be bad, really bad." Frantically, I'm running John David to the tub because he is obviously going to need a bath and I want to get him there before any other accident occurs. I left him standing in the tub (no water) while I cleaned the mess in the den. Gracie has stabilized. Great. She is happily watching TV once more. I run back to the tub where poor little John David is waiting on me and I start running the water. While I'm bathing John David, Will reaches into the tub and takes a cup of dirty bath water and dumps it all over himself and the floor. Great, I will bathe him in a minute, I really had nothing else to do anyway. Have I mentioned Jake has gone on an outing, that has been planned for weeks, with the youth? I'm letting the yuck water drain, and am getting John David dressed when Will starts climbing into the tub (which still has about 3 inches of water in it) fully dressed with my iphone in hand. NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!. Don't worry, I saved it just in time. Long story, even longer, I bathe Will, get him dressed, put all the dirty clothes in the washer on HOT and head for the kitchen to make dinner. The Chili I had planned to have is out. How about Cream of Wheat, Applesauce and Chicken Noodle Soup? No objections. There we were finishing dinner and here it comes again. I'll spare the gory details but let's just say "it" was everywhere. Gracie takes one sight of it and starts gagging again. I send her to the den with her supper. I leave Will in his chair strapped in with a handful of crackers and go back to bathe John David again. He is squeaky clean once more with new clothes on. I clean up the mess, put another load of clothes in on HOT, make jello and get Will down for bed. Jake calls......................
I fill him in and he asks, (this is really good) "Do you think he has a virus?" I have no words, truly, no words. Poor Jake, I'm LOL as I type this now but I was not LOL then. I have no applejuice, gatorade or banannas left and what is better, I have no way to go and get them with a throwing up three year old and a baby who is now asleep in his crib.

And then an answer to prayer..............One of our youth, who could not go on the trip tonight, calls. She says she is bringing over juice, gatorade and asks if I need anything else. Overjoyed to the point of tears, I ask her to bring banannas too. What a wonderful church we have with people who are bringing up wonderfully caring youth. Little does she know, she was my little angel tonight. Thank you God.

Now things are looking up, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, which I'm running for full speed ahead. I feed John David and Gracie a bananna, which John David keeps down with a jello drink. Halleluia! I get John David and Gracie in bed by 8:30 and now I sit here in the peace and quiet, looking forward to what tomorrow will bring. Whew!

25 Things I am Thankful For This Week

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John David obsessively picking up pecans for Papa


After coming up with 25 random things about myself on FB, for some reason, I got to thinking about what things I am most thankful for this week. One has absolutely nothing to do with the other but those who know me well, know my mind is random. So, here goes my top 25 (in no particular order, although #10 is close to number 1 in my head)

1. Woo Hoo!!! We finally got to play outside this week!!

2. We had wonderful potatoe soup with cheese, bacon and onions last night, made by yours truly!

3. My children are healthy and so are jake and I!

4. I have a nice warm bed to sleep in and, I might add, with clean sheets! (does it get better than that, really?)

5. My house is clean which is fleeting, but never-the-less heavenly

6. My husband is finishing up the dinner dishes as I type

7. I wore my PJ's all day long, and so did John David.

8. Will and Jake danced around the kitchen to Zac Brown's "Chicken Fried" as I was making dinner and it was adorable.

9. John David told me that I am his best Mommy ever

10. I didn't have to clean up any poop off the floor today, nuff said. (that should really be number one on any list)

11. My fireplace is working! Yay!!!!

12. I have a fireplace!

13. I blew a fuse today with the vacuum cleaner and (this is the best part) fixed it myself

14. I read my bible tonight with no fear of persecution

15. I chatted with three dear friends today on the phone.

16. Gracie and John David started making plans to "camp out" in the sun room Fri. night. So cute! I love it when they actually get along

17. Gracie made me a Valentines Day card

18. I saw the begining of a work ethic in John David as he diligently picked up pecans for 45 min. (only 6000 more to go, lol) or maybe he is just obsessive like me.

19. Will didn't hurt himself when he fell off the top of the slide

20. I have a God who loves me is providing for me even when I don't deserve it.

21. My husband has a job

22. I have a great mom and dad

23. I have a wonderful extended family also

24. I got to start sewing something for myself today. even though it would have fit Andre the giant.........(note to self, take better measurements next time)

25. Jake and I got to watch a movie together and he even let me pick it out.

So there you have it. My list for the week.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Col 2:6-7

Gracie's Valentine's Outfit

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I have been a really busy bee this week. I have finished Gracie's valentine duds and painted my kitchen table. Now all I have left to do is cover the kitchen chairs. I have found the perfect oilcloth to match the table, I can't wait to get my hands on it. More about that later. Back to the outfit, I love the way it turned out. It's sweet, colorful and bright just like she is. I'm hopeing since I didn't pick traditional valentines colors, she can wear it after Feb. and on into the spring. She was so sweet and thankful when she saw it too. I just love this girl! My next project is going to be stepping into new territory. I'm going to try sewing something for myself. I've only sewn for children in the past so this should be interesting.....I'm pretty excited about giving it a go. This could open a whole new world of possibilities!

New Haircuts for the Barrett Girls!!

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Gracie and I had some mother daughter bonding time today. Turns out, she is more like me than I thought. She gets bored and fed up with her hair and she loves getting new shoes just like her mama! We didn't have the time or the money to go shoe shopping so we decided to go for a different look! Being in a new town I had no clue where to start. We lucked up on a great little place in Guntersville called Darlene's Day Spa. I really love Kates hair on John and Kate plus 8. So, I was kind of going for that style, except my sides are not long enough from my last haircut, which you can tell in the side view pic. (please ignore the fact that I have no makeup left) Gracie and I are both really happy with the way things turned out! We are planning to get manicures together next. I just love this age! Now, if I can just get her to love fabric shopping as much as I do, we'll be set.




First Sewing Project of 2009!

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With all of the chaos, I have been dying to get my sewing machine out! I have a one track mind I guess. I resisted, trying to do the responsible thing of unpacking boxes first, playing later, when the perfect opportunity jumped right into my lap and gave me an excuse to get it out of the box. I got to break in the new sewing room. This is a custom order for someone I have come to know on etsy. I love the way this little project turned out! I am planning to make a similar outfit for Gracie next week. I can't wait!

2009 Here We Come!

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And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1Corinithians 13:13
That's what we are starting the new year with, Faith that God will continue to provide, Hope that the future will continue to be bright and the greatest of these, Love for one another.
The Barrett's have started 2009 running! Thanks to our wonderful friends and family, we moved over the course of Christmas Holiday's and spent New Year's Day unpacking. Jake started a new job, we have a new church, Gracie, our daughter, started a new school and in the midst of all of the craziness, our son, John David, learned to use the potty. Wonders never cease! While times of transition are usually stressful, everything has fallen into place beautifully! God is good!