Happy Mother's Day!

I have so many reasons to be grateful to be a mother.  I decided to list 8 reason I am grateful to be the mother of 8.  

1.  It keeps me focused.  When you are the mother of eight you have to be "all in" and "always focused".  There isn't time for half focused mothering!  

2. It is always a party!  We have so much fun with our own group I forget that my younger kids rarely invite friends over and their Birthday parties often consist of their siblings!  

3. Many hands make light work!  As they get older I am realizing that when we work together on a mountain of clean laundry it doesn't take long for it to all get folded and put away quickly! 

4. Personality Plus.  When I talk with other moms and they say they have a child that is messy or a child who regularly forgets needed items for school or a child who is very emotional.  I can always relate because we have a whole variety of different personalities between the eight kids!  

5. 8 x the Joy.  It is so true, I honestly feel so lucky because every single child brings so much joy and happiness to our family we really do have 8 times the joy!  

6. Time to learn.  As parents we make mistakes and we learn as we go.  At least I can get a lot of practice!  I have consistently been in the preschool years for the past 12 years (and will continue for the foreseeable future)!  …and yes, that means we will have teenagers for a long long time.  

7. Support.  Life is tough, we all have challenges.  It is awesome to see the support our kids give to each other.  When one has a challenge and they know 7 other siblings are praying for them, that is awesome support!  

8. Kids at Christmas.  Kids are what make holidays so much fun!  I am grateful that I will always have kids to celebrate with!  (I am assuming at some point I will get grandkids.)

On my to-do list…

I love to-do lists, I love to check things off my list, and I love the feeling of projects that are complete.  Motherhood isn't something that you can check off, but I do have daily scheduled moments to focus on my kids that I can check off.  The moments when I stop and focus or really take time to teach are always the biggest highlights of my days as a mother.  #motherhood

Mom Conference

I just finished day 1 of the free Online Conference for Moms.  It isn't too late to join and it is amazing!  

October 13, 14, & 15

http://conferenceformoms.com/

Due Date

Today is August 8th.  This is the day that I am due to have baby #8.  Last week I was having contractions and sure that she would be born very soon.  I had swollen feet and was very tired because in addition busy summer activities such as swim team for three kids and swimming lessons for three kids I have been to 21 doctors appointments in the last month!  Some appointments were routine pregnancy appointments, some were well child checkups that I scheduled for my school age children months in advance, an orthodontic appointment, and the vast majority of appointments were for Hyrum.  He has been suffering with health problems that started over a year ago, but have dramatically escalated since April of 2015.  He suffers from daily headaches, stomachaches, and sores on his legs and arms.  I had high hopes that we would have his health concerns all resolved before the baby is born and he starts school, but it hasn't happened.  We are just trying to hang on until August 26th when he has a scope on his stomach.

Thankfully my mom came this week to be here incase I went into labor.  I didn't end up going into labor, but it has been such a blessing to have her here.  Sometimes you just need to spend time with your mom and this is one of my favorite times we have had together.  I would have missed it if I had ended up having the baby early and been in the hospital:)

My mom was ready to entertain kids with an awesome art project.  She taught the kids how to color on thin plastic and then cook it in the oven and it shrinks in size and thickens to make either key chains or charms for a necklace!

She had a fun little grab bag of prizes for the kids.

We went to the park and the library.  It was fun to just do simple everyday activities together.

We went to the mall to get school shoes and enjoyed having another adult to take kids to separate stores.

She read Secret Garden to the kids, I also listened in.  Even though I am 33 I still love hearing my mom read to me.  It brought back many fond memories of childhood.

We also spent a couple of afternoons cooking together so that next Monday when my in-laws have to leave and Justin is back to work I will be able to easily fix dinner!  

Most of all she helped me to relax and enjoy the last week of summer and not worry about the fact that I hadn't gone into labor!  

 We went and got Hawaiian Ice.

While my mom was here Tanner set a goal to earn $62 dollars for a Lego set.  He worked so harding doing dishes and anything else that I asked so he could earn enough for the Lego set that he wanted.  I paid him all of his hard earned money and he was ready to order his set from Amazon.  After spending sometime in his room he came down and told us he had changed his mind.  He wanted to save all of his money for his mission!  We were so proud of him!  

 The kids played outside with Grandma and made fun videos of them jumping.

 We took plenty of walks.  (It didn't help me go into labor!)

 The kids love playing games with Grandma!

I was also able to accomplish some projects to help us be organized for back to school!  

The Big Picture

May 19, 2015

Today I went to a routine O.B. doctor visit.  The nurse I usually see wasn't there so a new nurse showed me to my room.  I had my two little girls with me and seeing my daughters, the nurse asked if our new baby would be a girl or boy?

I responded that we are having a girl!  She commented on how fun it will be to have 3 daughters.

I smiled and said, "Actually this will be our fifth!  We also have three sons!" 

-- at this point in conversations there is usually silence because whoever has just figured out that we are having our 8th child usually thinks we are amazing or crazy!  

Trying to be nice the nurse said something about how I must like being pregnant or I must at least have great pregnancies.  

I responded by saying, "It's not that I love being pregnant, it is just that I really like my kids!"  

I reflected on that conversation throughout the day.  Why have I chosen to spend so many of the last 13+ years pregnant?  It is not because I love wearing maternity clothes, I don't enjoy gaining and then trying to loose large amounts of weight.  I definitely don't look forward to feeling nauseous for weeks on end.  I do it because I focus on the big picture.  I love that Heavenly Father has a plan for us as a whole human family, but he also has a plan for me.  I know that his plan for me was to be a mother of many children.  It is a job I am so thankful for every day (even on the hard days).  I know pregnancy isn't always pleasant, but creating life and having an eternal family is well worth the price!  

I just have to keep focusing on the big picture!  

Being a mom is the top job!

One thing I learned at Power of Moms is:  

A pearl of wisdom from Linda Eyre, she said something to the effect of, "Write down three things on your calendar that don't relate to mothering and figure out how to delegate or delete."

I sat down with my crazy long list of things to do and places to be before school is out on May 22nd.  I was overwhelmed and I was taking it all out on my husband and kids.  In the back of my mind was that thought from the Power of Moms retreat.  I looked again at my long list and asked myself what do I really have to have done by this week.  What do I have to have done by next week?  What can wait until summer.  How can I put more focus on being the mom and less on being the To-Do lady?  I decided to try to seize the small moments.  

After school I put the to-do list aside and we made an after school snack from the cookbook my 4th grader made me for Mothers Day.  My older boys were gone and it was a rare occasion to spend time with my four youngest kids.  

Later, I spent time talking to my oldest daughter and then I enjoyed watching my little girls do a dance they made up using my Mother's Day roses as props.  I loved it and despite the fact that not everything on my list is complete, I feel complete because I put the focus back where it should be, on being a mom.  

I guess you could say, I took time to "smell the roses." (Even the very smashed rose that my little one used as her dance prop!)

Full Tank. . . What I gained from attending the Power of Moms Retreat

One Mundane task we regularly have to do is gas up our car.  We don't actually "have to" stop and gas up, but the consequences for not gassing up are pretty unpleasant!  How much less effective would we be in life with a car that is out of gas?

I have been fortunate over the years to "gas up" my knowledge tank in little bits day by day as I read, listen to, or interact with others.  Sometimes I get a lot of gas when I am able to watch General Conference, attend Time Out for Women, or attend a local conference for mothers.  My husband has been well aware of my desire for many years to attend a Power of Moms retreat at the Eyre's Home in Utah.  This year we decided to make it happen!  Despite the fact that his load at work seemed extra demanding and our schedule at home seemed particularly impossible to manage without two parents to run kids around.  He graciously bought me  a plane ticket, helped me prepare, and dropped me at the airport.

Not only was I able to attend the Power of Moms retreat, I was able to attend BYU women's Conference, spend hours talking with some of my dearest friends, visit with my parents and brother and sister-in-law, run into dear friends that I have collected over the years, meet many virtual friends that I enjoy through internet associations, and rest from daily house keeping duties.

I have learned so much and feel so refreshed and ready to maintain my most important role of wife and mother.

Not only is my "Tank Full," it is overflowing!  I really believe it is essential as mother to take time for each of us to "gas up."  We need to remember who we are as a person, what we want to focus on in our family, and what our goals are.  

I will tell you that I had high expectations for this retreat.  I expected it to be amazing.  It far exceeded my expectations!  It was worth any and all effort to attend!  Our speakers were Linda and Richard Eyre, Saren Eyre Loosli and April Perry (Co-Founders of Power of Moms), Saydi Eyre Shumway, as well as some amazing board members of Power of Moms.  All the speakers were filled with ideas and inspiration, but even better was that they were genuine because they are also busy in the trenches of motherhood!  The structure for the day was perfect.  We had the opportunity to listen and learn, discuss with other mothers, ponder on how were are doing as mothers, and of course eat together.  It was small enough to feel connected with everyone although it was also too short,  there were many mothers I would have like to talk to more.  It was an amazing day and it was so powerful to consider the effect that it would have as all of the amazing mothers, about 85, would take this knowledge and power home to bless their families and communities.  I thoroughly enjoyed the experience!  

Now for the pictures!-  

I had the opportunity to attend with these amazing women!  I love love love them!  Years ago we all lived in Rochester, Minnesota together and we had a preschool group for our boys.  I will forever be grateful for their friendship and inspiration!  (we missed Lyndsee and Natalie who also taught preschool with us).

Ann Aney, Elise Sykes, Tasha Bradshaw, and Angela McKellar

Saren and April run an amazing website.  I told them that I feel like they are some of my best friends because I listen to their Radio Show while doing laundry and cleaning everyday :)

Linda and Richard Eyre have written about 50 amazing books.  They are also the authors of Joy School.  I have read many of their books and always admired them.  They are parents of 9, well educated, wonderful children and I look up to them for inspiration on how to successfully raise a large family.  

Linda and Richard opened their home to us and made us feel so comfortable and at welcome.  

We enjoyed discussing with other mothers the daily realities of motherhood.  

Discussion Groups.

Their house is amazing.  

Every mother in attendance was simply inspirational.  

I was excited to meet Allyson Reynold's.  She his heavily involved in Power of Moms.  She does a lot of writing for the website, Deseret News articles, and regularly appears on Studio 5.  She was down to earth and wonderful to meet in person.  

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of lunch until it was nearly gone!  It was wonderful, and we commented that the best part was that we didn't have to make it!  

I loved meeting wonderful board members Rachel Neilson and Lacy Anderson and attending with Angela McKellar was a wonderful treat!  

Saren, Linda, and Saydi

Candi Kidd has been my virtual friend, it was nice to meet her in real life!  

Angela and Saydi Eyre Shumway knew each other in high school!

This mother, Amy Price, just had her 9th baby.  It was wonderful to visit with her.  Not only did she just have a new baby, she also just wrote a book!  

The retreat was in the beautiful mountains of Park City.  

I loved meeting other moms!  Jodi happens to live near my brother and sister and is married to one of my high school friends!  It is a small world!  

Opportunities to Learn. . .

I hope that it isn't a secret to those around me, especially my family, that I am passionate about motherhood.  I know there is nothing more important in this world that I could be doing with my time.  

Motherhood is hard!  As soon as I think I have got a good handle on what I am doing as a mother we have a new baby join our family and the older kids enter a new stage and I seem to start figuring life out all over again.  Throughout my mothering years I have felt so privileged to learn from so many amazing mothers in all different parts of the country as we have lived in several different states.  

I love to learn, I am constantly looking for new ideas and inspiration to do a better job in my role as wife, mother, and homemaker.  That is one reason that I love Power of Moms.  It gives me an opportunity to learn from other mothers and share my thoughts and ideas.  

For many years I have dreamed of being able to attend a retreat that they hold in Park City, UT each year at the Eyre's home.  The last couple of years it hasn't worked out for one reason or another and I am so excited that I am going to be able to attend this year!

This is a big year for our family, we will have a teenager this year, our oldest son will get the Priesthood, right now more than 1/2 of our kids have been baptized, and we will have our 8th child (5th daughter) in August!  

With all these exciting milestones I look forward to gleaning some of the inspiration that Linda and Richard Eyre have gained as they have raised 9 amazing kids, written many books, and had opportunities to speak all over the world!  I love the co-founders of Power of Moms, Saren Eyre Loosli and April Perry.  Both are so full of inspiration.  I appreciate their approach with Power of Moms, here is part of their purpose:

"Just as members of other “professions” have their professional organizations and websites, we see Power of Moms as the “professional organization” for mothers everywhere who take their “job” as a mother very seriously and desire a network of other mothers that can provide ideas, inspiration and empowerment."

I am also looking forward to attending BYU Women's Conference while I am in Utah.  My heros are the amazing women who so selflessly serve in leadership roles to guide and direct our Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society organizations for the church.  Just last weekend when we heard the LDS Women's Broadcast I felt so uplifted.  Sister Oscarson's talk will always be a favorite in my book.  I have re-listened to it at least 3 times since Saturday.  I look forward to hearing many inspiring talks at Women's Conference.  

Another perk of this adventure is that I will be able to see a few of my favorite mothers from our good old Rochester days.  I am so looking forward to visiting with and learning from them!  

If you are available please join us at these amazing events!  I would love to catch up with some of the wonderful mothers that I have know throughout the years!  

(I am only attending 1 day of BYU Women's Conference, May 1.  The Power of Mom's retreat is on May 2)

Chores!

Chores Part 1 from Tasha Bradshaw on Vimeo.




Chores Part 2 from Tasha Bradshaw on Vimeo.

*I said in the video that the first chore we give our kids is to unload the dishwasher, I meant to say help with the unloading the silverware!  :)

A friend of mine asked me what we do about chores.  We have done a variety of different ideas over the years and ages.  Overall the ideas that really work are:

Daily Chores

1.  Be Consistent!

2.  Make sure they know what you expect and how you want it done!

3.  Start Young.  Our kids officially get chores when they are 3.  They help pick up their toys and rooms before that.  Their first chore is usually to help unload the silverware.

I have a list of what needs to be done each day at home.  (It is taken from Daryl Hoole's book, "The Art of Homemaking Today") It is my favorite book.

Daily
make beds
prepare and serve meals
clean up and sweep kitchen
spot-clean bath fixtures, mirrors, and floors
pick up throughout house
empty wastebaskets
wash and fold clothes
remove snow in season

I look at the list and ask myself what the kids are capable of helping with on the list and what would help us to get a great start on the day.  

Here are some of the chores at our house:

Unload the dishwasher (I start it every night so that it is ready in the morning)
Unload the silverware
Get snacks and water bottles (the school kids have to take a snack everyday)
Empty trash cans from bathrooms and office into the large kitchen trash
Bathroom wipe down (using clorox cleaning wipes clean bathrooms sinks and toilets)
Help the 4 year old make her bed 

We don't rotate chores, because I assign chores based on ability.  Every several months we  re-evaluate and change things up.  (in the summer we don't need a daily snack person, so we think of a new needed chore)

The rule at our house is that you have to do chores and make your bed before school or you  get 3 extra chores after school.  They are usually really good at getting it done in the morning!  

Saturday Work

I again use the weekly list from Daryl Hoole's book to evaluate what the kids can help with on Saturday jobs:

Weekly
clean bathrooms
change bed and bath linens
remove fingerprints
damp-mop hard floors
dust furniture
vacuum floors
carry out trash
iron and mend
plan weekly menu and grocery shop
water indoor plants
mow and edge lawn in season
tend garden in season
rake leaves in season
sweep porches and steps

I will send a link with examples of our Saturday work. http://www.organizeddinner.blogspot.com/2012/06/saturday-work.html

 It talks about "treasure boxes" on the Saturday work list.  Treasure boxes are rubbermaid containers that each child has for their personal treasures (i.e. junk mom would probably throw away!)  That is their special place for anything they want.  Some kids keep McDonald's toys and tons of art projects that they have made.  The only rule is that the lid must fit on!  It is a great solution to giving them space to do what they want and keeping their rooms uncluttered and organized like I want!  

Chore Motivation and Charts

Right now we are in a pretty good grove and the kids are all quick to get done what they need to.  In the past we have used fake dollar bills and they get "paid" for doing their chores.  They used their fake money to buy screen time or special dates with mom and dad. We have used charts to mark.  We have also used the online App called  My Job Chart to mark of their responsibilities.  

Out of Balance

Have you ever said "yes" to too many things?  Have you ever felt sightly out of control?  

*This post was originally written in the fall of 2014.  I love this experience because it caused me to step back and see that sometimes I am like that little mouse in the book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,"  one things leads to the next and before you know it you are back to the mess that you started with!  I think it is necessary to slow down and focus to achieve the best results!

My house ended up being a mess, my kids were crying, and I was stressed out, but my pantry was clean.  Is that really the most important priority?  

Yesterday was one of those days.  One of those days when I said "YES" to too many things.  It started out ok, but I just kept adding events, projects and problems!  After doing the school drop offs I came home to a kitchen cluttered with breakfast dishes and lunch preparation mess (I should have made the lunches the night before, not right before we ran out the door).  It was while I was cleaning up the mess that I decided that I couldn't wait one more day to reorganize the pantry that had been neglected over the summer.  I also needed to go to Sam's Club and restock our fridge, snack supply, toilet paper, and paper towel supply.  Before leaving for the store I had several things that I needed to do around the house like:

Start the laundry. . . again. . . it had been in the washer since yesterday and I forgot was too tired to move it to the dryer before I went to bed.

I picked up the house, looked over my shopping list, and planned my menu.

Then the phone rang. . .and rang.  I said some more "Yes" answers even though I knew I was starting to be stretched thin.

I went to the store after stopping by a friends house to help her with a project.

I will mention that I am always a little embarrassed to see people I know while shopping at Sam's Club.  We eat a lot, therefore I buy a lot!  With two kids in the cart, toilet paper, and paper towels, and diapers the cart is full, so I decided to check out and come back in and start another shopping trip with an empty cart.  I will also mention my good fortune in the fact that the containers that I wanted for the pantry reorganization project happened to be on sale!  Once the second cart was paid for we went to the doors of the store with the intent to leave, but it was pouring rain!  I waited for a minute but could clearly see that the rain was not going to let up so I did what any mother without an umbrella (or patients to "wait it out") would do.  I pulled the nursing cover out of my purse and put it over my two little girls heads and I ran pushing a loaded cart to my big van.  I ran until my flip flops were so slippery I knew I had better slow down before I fell.  By the time the girls and I were in the car we were completely soak as were all of the things we had bought.

Once we go home I carried in a few basics like grapes and chips to feed the girls a late lunch before getting them into bed.

At this point I should have had the wisdom to see that pantry reorganization was not a top priority for the day.  I should have put the groceries away and straightened the house before the kids came home from school, but I didn't.  I used the fabulous new containers and reorganized the pantry while putting the groceries away.  The clock kept ticking closer and closer to school pick up time and I was far from finished.  It was at this point I knocked a gallon of milk down the garage steps and it promptly broke open on a rug at the bottom of the steps and ran across the entire garage floor- which is apparently slightly sloped!  Despite the whirlwind inside and the apparent garage fiasco it was time for pick up.  I pick up a few neighborhood families and it was raining so making the kids wait didn't seem like a good option.  I promptly woke the baby from her nap and went to pick up the kids.

After school I told the kids to wait outside while I grabbed a snack for them to eat while they watched me hose down the garage.  I also told them it seemed like a great day to quickly get their homework done so that they could all go to the basement and watch a movie because - I really needed more clean up time!

The 3 year old didn't like the idea and she began crying and begging to play with friends.  I tried to console her and explain that I wasn't in the position of playing with friends at this point.

I did mange to get everything mostly clean and rearranged before my husband came home and we did have a lovely meal for dinner: salmon and rice.  The kids even said it was the best Salmon I had ever made!  Then I ran out the door to pick up for Young Women's.  Did I mention that I was in charge of the activity?  I was, and I wouldn't have been ready if my oldest daughter hadn't gotten everything I told her I needed while I was sitting at the dinner table nursing the baby and making sure the other kids were getting fed.

Needless to say, when I got home that night I wasn't a loving and comforting wife, I was exhausted and overwork, tired, and out of balance.

I woke up today resolved to slow down, say "NO" when needed, and focus on my priorities.

I took time just after lunch to make dinner and set the table because my family deserves to come home from their busy days to a home that is peaceful and a refuge from their daily stresses.

As I have looked back at how I could have handle the day differently I know that I should try to do less.  Say "No" to unnecessary things and complete projects after I have completed the basic things that need to be done.

I chose to include pictures from the next day when I set my priorities in order and we found balance :) My family came home to peace not chaos!

Real Life and Exciting News

I love the quick easiness of Instagram, it is a great way to see snippets of friend's lives.  

I think that there is a lot of real life that doesn't usually show on social media.  Just so you know that we are really human, here is what doesn't appear in my Instagram pictures:

1.  I didn't post a picture of what we had for dessert on Christmas Eve.  This is what we had:

It says, "Number 8 Will be Great!  We Can't Wait! Due August 9, 2015!

We are super excited!  The kids were surprised.  Our current baby will be just under 2 years old when the new baby is born.  I like the 2 year spacing. 

2.  I haven't posted any pictures of me miserably nauseated!  

3.  I haven't posted any pictures of the stack of papers on my counter or my kitchen floor that wasn't swept.  I have been in survival mode, just basics. . . feed kids, basic house pick up, and clean laundry in the basket but not folded.

4.  Despite feeling sick I did muster enough energy to help plan a very special baptism for our daughter and we invited friends, neighbors, teachers, and family from Utah.  She was baptized on January 23. 

5.  I didn't post any pictures of what I looked like last weekend on the day of her baptism.  I woke up and was shocked when I looked in the mirror because my jaw and sides of my face were super swollen!  While our parents and my grandparents were here  I spend the day in the doctor's office doing blood tests to find out if I had the Mumps!  (Yes, my immunizations are up to date).  

I was placed in "Quarantine." Until the results from the blood work came back.  I attended the baptism, but stayed away from everyone.  I stood by the font to listen to the speakers.  It was sad, really sad.  

I stayed home while the family watched my boys play soccer and went to dinner.  The whole weekend I was home.  

It wasn't until the next Tuesday that the results came back and said that I did not have the Mumps! 

I simply had clogged parotid glands or saliva glands (it isn't contagious at all).  

6.  I had been so nauseated that in December the doctor gave me a prescription medication for nausea.  Because of my "mumps scare" they took me off of the medicine and I was so sick the whole weekend that our families were here. 

7.  For memory sake we took this picture after her baptism:

The doctor said that if I wanted to sit by people I could just wear the mask.  I opted to stay away.  

Needless to say, life is always an adventure!  On a positive note I am feeling so great this week!!  I finished the first trimester of this pregnancy and I am hopeful that I will keep feeling great!  I know I am feeling better because I have been tackling organizing projects this week!