It was really hot outside today. We just wrapped up the financial study we did with our small group this summer. Yesterday during rest time, I transformed the office in our house to make it a) more functional and b) look more inviting. I am happy with how it turned out! I framed a set of photographs of Small Fry holding MckFlurry for the first time, because after I posted them so many of you thought that I should! It was a perfect idea, and the photographs look great in the office. Thank you for the inspiration!
Do you have a question you’ve been dying to know the MckAnswer to or just want to chat live with me and a bunch of my readers? You are in luck! On Tuesday morning (That’s tomorrow!) at 11 am Central time, I will be hosting a Live Chat With MckMama! I have had these before, but we only used the comments of a blog post. It wasn’t the quickest or easiest way to do a live chat. However, the fine folks at BlogFrog (Hi, Rusty!) have developed a live chat feature that we will be trying out tomorrow! Just click right here to see where we’ll be having it and also to join in tomorrow morning!!
We’re hoping to go to the Minnesota State Fair while it’s going on this summer. My husband and I are about to start digging into the book The Hole In Our Gospel. I ate some lunchmeat in the middle of the night last night. For the second time since giving birth a few weeks ago, I have thrown away something I just bought at the store. Seriously. Tonight, my husband was asking me where the external hard drive I had picked up at WalMart was. I couldn’t remember bringing it in the house, but it was nowhere to be seen in my car. I assumed I had left it in the shopping cart in the parking lot, and I was so frustrated. Until I walked by the garbage can in our garage. There were some WalMart bags in there. I remembering tossing away some trash when we got home. Sure enough, I had also thrown away the bag with the boxed hard drive in it!! Tomorrow is our garbage day, so thank goodness we went looking for it tonight. I did the very same thing a short while ago. I do not know where my brain is, seriously. Oh and get this. After we found it and spent time rejoicing, my husband said, “It’s alright, Babe. No big deal, but I need to tell you that this is an internal hard drive. Not an external one.” Sigh. He will return it and get the correct one tomorrow, though. I think the fact that I cried when he told me that made him feel sorry for me. But we did get some ridiculously cheap school supplies while we were shopping, so there was that silver lining.
Little Flurry is doing great! This is pretty much when I was due with him, so he’s becoming a bit more of a typical newborn now. Read: Not so sleepy all the time and has a fussy/restless period in the evening. I continue to be smitten with him. So smitten! He is growing great! Our fifth babe was 6 pounds, 13 ounces at birth, left the hospital at 6 pounds, 3 ounces. By his two week checkup, he was 7 pounds even and this past weekend, at three and a half weeks, he weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces! I am proud of him (and myself!) and happy that he is growing well, but I already have felt bittersweet pangs as I realize he is not going to be little for long. It’s already passing! But I am so thankful to be focused on living these fleeting days in awe of our son. I am soaking him in, sleeping beside his warm body all night long, rejoicing in amazement at being able to have been a part of God’s creation of another human being and smelling his (MckFlurry’s, not God’s) fluffy head with extreme regularity. His dirty diapers make me grin. I haven’t seen the dimple in his left cheek I swear (But I don’t.) I saw when he sleep smiled a number of days ago. And MckFlurry certainly has our family’s nose!
If this nose looks familiar, it’s because my dad’s looks similar and so does mine. Big Mac basically his baby brother’s exact same nose; Flurry reminds us a lot of him as a newborn! There is quite a bit of Small Fry in our new baby boy, too. When I am asked who I think he looks like, I always say those two. I do see whispers of Nuggey in him from time to time, though. Just for fun, you might want to look at this post. It is a bunch of photographs of Big Mac, from newborn up until almost age two, which is when I started this blog. You can see for yourself if you think MckFlurry looks like him. For sure, both of these boys were blessed with lovely warm skin. Honestly, when Big Mac was born in the dead of winter, people asked me how he got so tan!! Oh, and Flurry is chilling on the couch in an awesome muslin blanket; he got a pack of them as a gift from my dear friend Sandy! They are so perfect, especially for the summer!
Dinner and bedtime these days are getting pretty hard. I know I will find my groove before long; I have before after each baby. But it’s hard right now. My husband works every afternoon and evening, so I am with our MSC during those times. We have great fun, but right before bedtime I am feeling quite ragged around the edges. No lie, I chant to myself quietly, “I’m gonna miss this. I’m gonna miss this.” And it helps. But tonight was exceptionally challenging.
I have caught wind of the fact that there are now Coconut M&Ms, but I have yet to get my hands on any. I had Pretzel M&Ms today and, although the concept is nice, I didn’t care for them a ton. A little on the dry side. It is probably worth noting that I don’t like pretzels to begin with, so there’s that. Big Mac is loving (and rocking!) the Kindergarten math curriculum we got him. He asked spontaneously this afternoon if he could work on it! Our recent camping trip served to whet our appetite for rustic togetherness with our family. So today we planned (No, we’re not only spontaneous!) another outdoorsy summer trip for Labor Day Weekend. I am so excited I can hardly stand it!
All three of our oldest children came running full tilt over to me this afternoon after examining MckFlurry in his bouncy seat. “He has teef! He has teef!” It was hard to break the news to them. We proceeded to have a long discussion about gums, with each of them then examining their own. Later, we all went to a state park to walk the trails. We saw a huge turkey running near us and unfortunately saw scads of mosquitos, too. We ended up having to leave early because of them as they threatened to carry us away. Bummer, but we still had fun during the short time we were there.
And finally, today MckFlurry is four weeks old.
Your blog is wonderful, and I look forward to reading it daily! I laugh. I cry. I empathize. I relate. You mentioned an office “transformation” that you did recently. My office is the biggest disaster area of the house. I’d love to see or hear how you made it more functional and your decorating ideas for some inspiration. Thanks for everything. Keep blogging!
I love that nose.
I was disappointed in pretzel M&Ms, too. Nit enough chocolate and too much salt to me. I like sweet salty but
not those. I had caramel M&Ms at an airport in Miami and they were good.
I need to send you a recipe for a great coconut cake. It’s really easy and gets better comments than the one I’ve made that has you crack open an
actual coconut. My recipe box us packed up but when we move I’ll get it to you.
Can’t wait!
And caramel M&Ms? Didn’t know about those, either! Why did you guys keep all this from me for so long!?
I haven’t commented in a while, and wanted to tell you that MckFlurry is the most precious, darling bundle of cuteness. Also, I just have to tell you that I think coconut M & M’s have changed my life. The end.
Blessings,
Sasha
Been meaning to tell you…So, so, SO thankful for your “I’m gonna miss this” post. It has revolutionized my thinking and improved my parenting immensely…thank you!!!
Would you mind sharing with me what math program/curriculum you are using? We are only a couple of weeks into home schooling (kindergarten) and my son can’t stand the math we are using, even though he’s very good at math. I’d love to switch to something else (that’s not so workbook based) early on so that he doesn’t learn to hate math like I did!
I have been reading your blog for awhile, and just commenting for the first (well second, I jsut submitted a caption for your photo of small fry) time. I have to say, of all the blogs I read, yours is my favorite! I am just starting my family (one 8 month old) but I want a big (by today’s standards) family too. Plus, I am just getting into photography, so needless to say, you are an inspiration! and your children are just beautiful!
Coconut m&m’s = awesome! Much better than the pretzel ones. And pretty colors too. Definitely a thumbs’ up!
P.S. I have never commented before — maybe it took a topic I really *know* to bring me out of my lurkerdom.
Just a thought about your dinner, bath, bed routine. A friend who has seven children under nine (two sets of twins) was finding herself in a similar situation with a newborn who was a little fussy in the early evenings. Her husband is a nurse who worked afternoon shift (3-11pm) and wasn’t around during that time.
She reorganised their routine and gave the children a main meal at lunchtime to save her the task of having to think about and prepare a meal at the “arsenic hour”. Her husband was home at that time and could help out too. They could all eat a family meal together at this time too, something that did not happen in the evenings due to shift work.
Then for the evening meal the children could have something they would usually have had for lunch – yoghurt and fruit, sandwiches, leftovers or vegie stick and dips. It is actually far better for digestion if our bodies go to sleep on less food at night too.
Their friends from school, church, community groups etc.had a “Meal Tree” gift organised for each family that has a newborn. Various families are rostered on to provide a hot meal (for the family with the new babe) every day for the first six weeks the baby is at home. For example – I used to take a meal around on each Wednesday. It was something that could be reheated or frozen and used at a later date. This was done in lieu of gifts for the baby and made life so much easier for the expanding family. I know how wonderful it was when my daughter was born for dinner to be ready and I didn’t have to even think about it.
Maybe a “Meal Tree” is something you could organise among your church small group…??
Another way she reorganised was for half of the children to have their baths in the morning, the older ones could bath themselves in the evening with minimal supervision while she was doing story time etc. with the little ones. Again, her husband was around to help out with morning baths etc.
She found that just a few small changes (which she implemented after babies 4 & 5 arrived) saved her sanity and made her a far calmer, happier, relaxed Mama. I couldn’t help but think of her when I read your post.
Good luck, you will find your groove soon I’m sure. Hope you don’t mind me sharing my friend’s days with you, your circumstances are quite similar.
Hi, wanted to mention I’ve read the Hole in the Gospel. It was honest, clear, and very overwhelming. I spent much of it feeling SO saddened by how little one can accomplish compared to how many different needs there are. Over all, it was great, and one that will help shape our ministry moving forward, but challenging still. I reviewed it for my blog also.
I saw a lot of Small Fry in Big Mac’s baby pictures! Flurry does look like Big Mac’s baby photos too. Such cute noses!
I was just remembering last night about the time I threw away my engagement ring. Not good.
I know what you mean about the mosquitoes ~ ugh!! Can’t hardly step out my door to get the mail without getting swarmed by the little buggers. I think we got spolied by the dry weather the last few summers, which lowered the mosquito population and made it much more comfortable to be outside up here in the North Woods!
Hope you have fun camping over Labor Day….and don’t get too many skeeter bites = )
I’ll have to pass on the coconut M&M’s, but I may try the pretzel ones as I do like treats that are both salty & sweet!
And I can totally relate to your forgetfulness and misplacing items. I’ve resorted to telling/showing my husband where I put things because I know that I will forget. I’m hoping that between the two of us, at least one will be able to remember ~ ha!
WHAT?!?! Coconut M&Ms?! I’ll have to look for those. I agree with you about the pretzel ones– a good concept that somehow doesn’t translate that well, too bad.
Does anyone remember the caramel ones? I swear I had some once at an airport in CA and they were terrific!! then I never ever saw them again
I have been reading your blog for sometime now, but have yet to comment. I feel I must after reading your “I’m Gonna Miss this” post with tears streaming down my face.
It really hit home with me! I have three young girls; 4, 3 and 4 months. The evenings get pretty hectic with all three… especially bathtime.
Since reading your post, Your words ring in my head.. I’m gonna miss this- Which I truly will. Time goes by way too fast… makes me sad and I try to enjoy every minute with my babies, while they are just that, my babies.
So I wanted to say Thank You! As a mother, I truly enjoy your blog!!
Oh my gosh I haven’t even read the rest of your post but had to comment as soon as I saw the coconut M&M’s mentioned. I found them in Walmart in New Jersey this morning and they are like little bites of heaven! Wish there was a way to send them in this hot, hot weather to you because you may be one of the few people I’d be willing to share them with!
Kind of off topic, but we get to see tons of photos of the kids and I was wondering if you guys are going to get any family pics done soon with all 7 of you? I will also be keeping an eye out for coconut M&M’s:)
I can’t believe he’s 4 weeks old!!! Why does time go so fast? My 2nd daughter is turning one on Thursday and I feel like I just gave birth a month ago.
Sad…
I remember when I first had her I had the same “mommy brain” issues. I couldn’t remember ANYTHING and couldn’t really concentrate or focus because I was so tired. But I’m better now that she sleeps through the night. For awhile there I was just in survival mode, though. And you have 4 other kiddies to take care of so you’ve definitely got your hands full.
Hang in there!
http://kandilandblog.blogspot.com
Well, I’m glad it isn’t just me that recognizes K’s nose on little L! It’s so, sooo cute! Every time you host a live chat, I forget all my questions that I’ve been meaning to ask you. Hopefully they return to me before 11 central today :\
Oh I have a yummy recipe for you! They are Coconut Joys (very similar to Almond Joy candy bars). No baking involved!
1 ½ cup flaked coconut
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup butter, melted
1 oz. milk chocolate or choc chips, melted
2 Tbs. chopped pecans
Combine the coconut, powdered sugar, and butter. Form into 1 inch balls.
Using the end of a wooded spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Fill with chocolate. Sprinkle with pecans. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Chill until chocolate is firm. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 20.
*I drizzle the chocolate over the top instead of just placing it into the center, I also put 1 almond in the middle of each ball, instead of using pecans! SOOO yummy & very easy!
My hubby is a huge fan of the coconut M&Ms. Not me, I don’t care for coconut. And I wasn’t a fan of the pretzel ones either. I’m a peanut butter fan though!
I love the coconut M&M’s despite the artificial flavor. I first discovered them at the checkout at a store 90 minutes from where I live and was so excited about them that after trips to 2 different grocery stores and not finding any, I went to the M&M’s website to locate a store that sells them. Rumor on the website was that they will be coming in a bigger bag soon!
I love these kinds of posts. Makes me feel like I know you better… being inside your brain and all. Figuratively of course.
Oh – pregnancy brain! I still have it almost seven months after giving birth.
Thankfully it does get better!
I have been throwing things away also…it gets a little frustrating! My husband works 2nd shift (3p-3a usually) so I totally understand….although I only have one child, but he can be a handful and I’m due in 3 weeks. I love that MckFlurry is growing. My first was 8 lbs 10 oz when he was born…haha….and this next one is predicted to be at least 9 pounds if he goes full term
I checked out the old photos of Big Mac and i can’t believe how much Lachlan looks like him as a newborn. Also I never realized that he and Small Fry favor so much too. All of your kids from time to time look alike to me though. It’s funny how that works. They are all adorable!!
i loved seeing big mac as a baby and couldn’t really see HIM until about 19 months old where i could really tell that was big mac. i agree…y’all are swimming in a pretty adorable gene pool!!
it’s funny that one little comment about coconut m&ms would generate such interest. ha!
i’ve had them… they’re good, but sorta overpowering. like a whole bag of them is a bit much.
but almond joy pieces?? i haven’t encountered them (probably a good thing) and think that anything almond joy/mounds is pureJOY in my mouth.
but then again, i’ve given up all sugar… and pasta. and potaotes. and white rice.
meh. nothing of the nature for four weeks. at some point i’ll reintroduce, but after seeing what refined products are doing to my pancreas and liver… i’m thinking i may have seen my last full package of m&ms.
excuse me while i go cry…
i once threw away fifty dollars worth of brand new cloth diapers. and didnt realize until weeks later. and that was not the first time we threw away something brand new. so dont worry, it happens to me too!
also, the coconut m&m’s are wonderful!
he is getting so big! at first i read that your other MSC said that he has FEET. then i re-read it! either way, super cute!
Wow, Lachlan DOES look so much like Big Mac as a newborn!
All your children are beautiful, though! 
I can’t imagine how hectic that dinner & bathtime & bedtime must be with 5 now by yourself–by I know you’re doing a great job. 
You’re a wonderful Mama!! 
In the pics of Big Mac slightly older in that post, I think he looks just like Stellan!
My newest was 3 weeks on Saturday. I think I am doing more to soak in this ones babyness. But, it is bittersweet to see her already growing/changing. I am praying there will be #4, but keep reminding myself, patience, it will be awhile before that is even possible!
So exciting & fun to have a live chat! Too bad it will be around 1am on Wednesday here in Japan. Not sure I can stay up that late! ha ha!
Have a wonderful time everyone!
Howdy from Texas! I don’t know if you still read evvvvvverrrry comment – if so, I swear you ARE Supermom.
But just in case you do, and in case you don’t read every tweet (much more likely), I am postjacking (comment-jacking?) to tell you about another kid and another mom that you can think of and pray for. I’m sure people are bringing them to you all the time. I’m sure you don’t have time to befriend them all. But still, here is her site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/victoriarojas and let me tell you, the photos alone are worth the click. Tori was born “fine” but at 4 months started having seizures. I know her grandma because grandma’s a cashier and I’m a crazy coupon lady; Tori’s mom and I were pregnant at the same time (mine will be 1 NEXT THURSDAY oh lord how could it have gone by already?).
In slightly more related to this post news…. have you tried those Almond Joy pieces? IMHO they are the perfect proportion of coconutty, almondy-packing punch inside a chocolate bit. Mmmmmmm.
I still read them all! Comments that is. Off to check out Tori’s page and pray!
My hubby loves the coconut m&Ms. But they have a mild and artificial flavor.. the flavor is just in the chocolate, no shreds. But we think only half or so are flavored! they are finally more common at the checkout, used to only be able to find them at the gas station. I agree about the pretzel ones!
Oh, they are just flavored?? No chunks of actual coconut? Hmmm, I wasn’t sure how that would work (with chunks) in the first place, but I think I’m less excited about the idea of a coconut flavor in the chocolate. Hmm. Well, I didn’t realize they’d been around that long. I’ve never seen them! Of course, I’ve only just heard of them, so I wasn’t looking before.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the coconut ones! Everyone around here loves the pretzel ones, but me, not so much. We have a hard time finding them too. Usually at the gas stations/convenience stores or the drug stores.
Happy 4 week birthday Flurry!
I too was very excited about coconut M&M’s but was sorely disappointing when I discovered that they are just coconut flavored chocolate, not coconut flakes. They didn’t taste right. So one bag is all I ever ate. My birthing hips are thanking me.
But you have to try them for yourself.
Our younger children have been clamoring to “do more school” as well, it’s so sweet how eager they are
Our oldest just started some PSEO classes through Northwestern College this week, so that’s pretty exciting too!
I’m hoping to get some more state park trips in yet this year as well and am looking forward to walks and hikes with fall color, did I just say that?! I wish fall lasted longer… I’m a Minnesota cold wimp, I admit it.
Enjoy these last few days of summer!!
(and 4 weeks already?! wow, time flies even when you’re watching someone else have fun!)
I do LOOOVE fall here, too! I wish it lasted longer; I’m with you. It always flies by…and then…yuck! You know what comes next.
So exciting about PSEO!! Wow! Did you know that’s where I went?
Enjoy the last days of summer yourself, friend!
I found the coconut M &M’s last fall but I haven’t seen them since. They were fantastic!
On a typical day, my hubby leaves for work around 7:30am and gets home at 6pm(ish,) so trying to prepare dinner is the “tough time” of the day for me! The kids eat earlier so they’re wild/crabby/hungry AND “fussy time” for the youngest was always starting around 4:30-5 at our house too!! AHHHH!
Bath/bedtime is also a hurdle though when my hubby is out of town on business. It’s easier on the weekends when he’s been home all day to get through that “end-of-day time” and I too tell myself over and over “I’m gonna miss this” (or on a horrendous day, that “this too shall pass!”)
I think he does look like Big Mac did as a baby!
You do make great babies, MckMama and PC! Will there be #6?
Wow, more is great, right? …. but c’mon, let her get at least one full night of sleep before starting over eh?!
Yeah, I think I’d like to at least wait until I’m sleeping through the night!
You should know…Coconut MM’s are THE BOMB.
So beware.
Addiction may occur
I was wondering if that would be the case! I love coconut! Is there like an orb of coconut in the middle? Or some loose shreds of it? I can’t imagine exactly how a Coconut M&M would work!
I find it kinda funny that you are mentally dissecting that coconut mm
Cracking me up…..maybe I need sleep….
Or, quite possibly, maybe I do. Or both!
I was disappointed in them. I envisioned them as small almond joys without the almonds, but they are just coconut FLAVORED chocolate, so they tasted kind of musty to me. Please let us know if you try them out… I’d love to know what you think!
Cant wait to chat.
And MckFlurry is looking pretty cute at 4 wks old!! =)