So…yeah. Baby #4 is on his or her way sometime at the end of next March. We’re SO excited! And prayers for a safe & healthy baby would be much appreciated!

Wow. It’s been like 3 weeks since my last post. How did that even happen?

Being unplugged for this long has been pretty darn nice. No self-imposed pressure to publish posts. No kids begging me to close up my computer. And, aside from the occasional moment of guilt over neglecting my blog, I’ve been quite relaxed.

But, no blogging means I didn’t get to tell you all about my recent crazy trip to Wendy’s where the manager told me it was normal for my milkshake to taste like “sour vomit” (True Story. And I’m publishing it tomorrow. I promise.) and I also didn’t get to relate the traumatic tale of the first time Kai accidentally walked into our bedroom without knocking after her dad had gotten out of the shower and hadn’t grabbed his towel yet. (My eyes! My eyes!) That was funny stuff.

Lest you think I’ve spent the last 3 weeks eating bonbons on the couch I’ll let you know what I’ve been up to. It’s been a productive few weeks. While I wasn’t blogging I was:

- getting Kai ready to start 1st grade in a few weeks and figuring out our preschool curriculum plans for Ivy.

- watching lots of cartoons on the couch with two cuddly little girls while their little brother napped.

- sewing 3 adorable little girl dresses and several baby gifts for friends who are adding little ones to their families.

- learning to crochet.

- making 27 pints of freezer pickles and bagging & freezing 20 quarts of Zucchini.

- planting okra & squash and getting really excited about what we’re planting in our fall/winter garden.

- adding bunnies to the homestead as pets and poop machines for our compost bins.

- eating bonbons and watching soap operas. (Not really! Just checking to see if you were still reading. Where do people even get bonbons BTW?)

So, that’s it. I guess the short answer to what I’ve been doing while I wasn’t blogging is simple. I’ve been enjoying life with my kids. Not too shabby, I’d say…

We have this yearly tradition around the Loving house. Each July we find ourself faced with a dilemma. We’re presented with a choice. A.) Accept the new ridiculously expensive premium from our insurance company. or B.) Don’t and brave the world of the uninsured.

Nice choices, huh?

While there are lots and lots of fun benefits to being self-employed there is one very important negative: Private Insurance.

Can I tell you how much it sucks to have to pursue health insurance on your own?

A. Lot.

This year we got a letter from our insurance letting us know that our premium would be increasing again. And how much would it be increasing? $200. So, for a little less than $800 we would have the most bare bones coverage in the world.

Let me tell you what we get for $800 a month:

NOTHING.

We have a $5700 deductible that we NEVER actually meet which basically means our insurance covers nothing. No prescriptions. No doctor’s office visits. No ER visits. Nothing.

And, of course, because I once had a kidney stone we have a rider attached that says it will never cover any future UTIs or kidney stones of any kind. Also, because I’ve had a C-section in the past it I have a another rider that says it will never cover any maternity expenses whatsoever. Not even prenatal care. Which means the $12,000 in medical bills from Trav’s delivery were 100% our responsibility and didn’t even count toward our deductible.

See what I mean about what gets covered?

Nothing.

Just last month we got a letter from our insurance addressing new health care reform. They wanted to put our mind at ease about how the reform would be affecting our health insurance policy. Don’t worry, they wrote, nothing at all will be changing in your coverage. Gee, that’s a relief.

And so we’re trying to decide what to do. Because this just isn’t going to work anymore. We’ve been looking at trying Samaritan Ministries‘ health sharing plan because it seems like a good option for us. As a family of 5 our share would be $320 a month and medical bills over $300 would be covered by our participation. Each month instead of sending a payment to the company you send your payment to a designated family’s published medical need. As a result, each medical bill is covered by the other members and you receive encouraging notes with each check. It isn’t insurance but it is an interesting health sharing concept. One that seems to be working for thousands of people.

I can’t turn my back on traditional insurance lightly, but we have to look at the benefits we’re receiving for the expenses we’re incurring. And if Samaritan Ministry works like it sounds then it sounds like a really interesting option. I’ve read tons of independent reviews from bloggers and families who have been with Samaritan for a decade or more and love it. I can’t recall the last time I heard someone say the same thing about their health insurance company.

We’re wading through our choices and trying to make the right one for everyone in our family. In the meantime, I’d love to know if any of you have heard of Samaritan’s or other similar plans and what your experience has been with them?

When I started this blog I did it to keep my mother-in-law apprised of  happenings in our world. And also to complain about people who are terrible at parking their cars in the parking lot of Joann’s fabric. You know, for important reasons.

And then it satisfied an itch inside of me. An itch for attention. (Yeah, yeah, I admitted it.) And it scratched my itch to write. And then I met Twitter. And got the chance to review exciting products (Pistachios! Credit Monitoring Services!) And got a little caught up in the mommy blogosphere. I made great online friends who became real life friends. I even went to a conference. And it was all fun.

Until it wasn’t. Because at some point the blogging started to feel a bit arduous. Like I needed to come up with something to blog about even when I didn’t have anything. And I stressed about getting posts finished to the extent that I would frustratingly snap at my kids if they interrupted me. Because, I am a mommy blogger thankyouverymuch. Didn’t they understand how important it was?

But, since I’m not getting paid and I’m not seeking fame it turns out I was basically just putting this virtual world of free pistachios ahead of my kids.

One day, Kai asked me if we were going to Disney World someday soon.  (I’d be lying if I said I didn’t immediately wish I’d get a chance to review that.) I said I hoped so. And she asked if we go could I promise-promise her that I would leave my computer at home. Because, she said, sometimes all I care about is my computer.

And then I felt like whatever the opposite of mom of the year is. Worst mom of the year, I guess.

Say what you will about kids, but they’re smart cookies. They know that the thing you spend the most time with is the most important thing to you. And so they assumed the most important thing in my life was the thing that really meant the least in the long run.

So, all that is just to say that the reason I didn’t blog last week is because I was busy spending the days with my kids. Talking to them. Teaching them. And taking care of the things they needed most. It’ been hard homeschooling, blogging, taking care of a toddler and being the mom my kids need me to be. I’m generally pretty good at multi-tasking but I think I’ve reached my limit.

Does that mean I’m not blogging anymore? Definitely not. Does it mean I’m going to feel less envious when mommy-bloggers I know get more and more amazing opportunities? I wish. But, it does mean that I am planning to blog when I have something fun to say. And review things that I actually care about (be it compensated or not). And that I’m planning to remember that the mommy part of the mommy-blogger title is one I have only because of the three little ones who mean more to me than anything.

It’s hard for a former super competitive, Type-A personality to say they’re dialing it back a bit. It’s hard for me to admit that I’m okay with not conquering the online world by blogging about my adventures with 3 crazy kids and a backyard full of poultry. But I am. Okay with not conquering the world, that is.

So, while I’m still planning to blog and review and enjoy all the fun that social media has to offer, I’m planning to do it when my kids are sleeping or otherwise engaged. I don’t want them to see me grab my laptop every chance I get. I want them to know that I’d rather spend my days with them than with my computer. And I’m planning on not stressing over coming up with a post every day. And if I go another week without posting, well, that will be okay, too…

As with so many crazy hi-jinks around here, it all started with a scene from a favorite movie. You know the one. The scene  in Annie when Annie sneaks out of the orphanage in Mr. Bundle’s laundry basket? Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. But, if it had been a good idea I wouldn’t be blogging about it now would I? No, I thought not.

Here’s how it the whole scene took a turn for the ugly. Land of Lovings style.

My mom graciously agreed to help me out with a desperate need to catch up on laundry. Kai and Ivy decided they wanted to try and sneak into her house in laundry baskets a la Annie. And so a scheme was born.

Thomas and I thought it would be funny to indulge them because, well, it was a Wednesday night with nothing else going on. So we got to my mom & dad’s house and I went in to distract them while Thomas hid the girls in their respective laundry baskets. The plan was to leave them just inside the house by the door, have the girls count quietly to ten after we said goodbye, and then have them jump out and surprise their grandparents.

Let me restate for the record: This was their idea. 100%. I promise.

Things took a disastrous turn when my mom told Thomas to just leave the baskets in the garage. But since the girls were already wiggling and seemingly very obvious in their baskets we thought they’d be discovered before we even made it out the door. Apparently they’re better at staying quiet than we thought. Because we left and they stayed hidden in their baskets. And then came the point where they realized they were in a pitch black garage.

And, oh Holy Moses, did they freak out.

Since they’re not big fans of the dark they were too terrified to move and so they stayed, screaming, in their laundry baskets. Which would have been enough to summon my parents except for the fact that they were in the garage. So, what was actually terrified screaming from the girls sounded like the muffled noises of ghost-children to my mother. And she became significantly freaked out. She, of course, called me to see if we had Kai and Ivy in the car and thinking that we were still playing a big joke on my parents we said yes. Because we were thinking, “Ha, Ha, Ha! Aren’t we funny?” But the thing is? We aren’t.

Now here is where my mom starts thinking she’s kind of losing it and can’t figure out where the screams are coming from. My mom and dad make their way to the garage and open the door. At this point they know there are children screaming in the garage, but the problem is the lightbulb is out and they can hear the screams but can’t see the kids. Why you ask? Because my children were too terrified to come out from under the clothes in their laundry baskets. So my parents were forced to go from basket to basket feeling for the frightened screaming child that may or may not be hiding within it.

They finally found them, but not before my girls had worked themselves into an inconsolable tizzy. Of course, the girls totally threw us under the bus for the whole thing so they could spend the night at their Nina & Baba’s house and soak up the pity my parents felt for them being stuck with such cruel parents. Note to self: Never trust a 3-year-old and 5-year-old to “get your back.” It’s just not gonna happen.

Ah, the permanent scars of childhood memories. Someday, somewhere a therapist will be building their beach house courtesy of Loving family memories like these…

I loved this party. I think it was my favorite of all of our parties. I liked it better than the Luau. Better than the Pop-Art Party. Better even than the Faerie party and the Pow-wow.

If there is one thing I love to plan it is birthday parties. We decide on our theme for the party by January usually. And we concoct all kinds of crazy ideas for it. Then we execute said crazy ideas 24-48 hours before the party. Because we like it a bit manic around here.

The Circus theme was so much fun to plan! If you are looking to plan a Circus party there are a wealth of ideas on the internet. My friend, Mama the Reader, had some great links to a Circus parties that I found inspiration from. We also found so much inspiration from The Winding Road.

So, without further ado, here’s our take on the Circus theme!

The Invite -

Thomas designed a Circus poster style invitation for the party and it really set the tone for everything that was coming! As much as I prefer printed invitations I just don’t have it in me to sit down and address and mail 40 invites. So, we did this as an email invite.

The Costumes-

What would a party be without costumes? And thanks to my amazing sewing teacher I was able to make these great little costumes for the kids! Kai and Ivy were the tightrope walkers. Traveler was a clown.

The Food -

We tried to keep it simple with the food. Actually, that’s a lie. We had a huge menu planned. And out of necessity (and lack of time) we simplified it. In the end we went with hot dogs, apples with caramel dip, cupcakes, cakes, candy, candy and…what else? Oh yeah, candy. We actually had a Candy Bar for the goody bags. We bought TONS of old fashioned candy and put them out in glass containers and let the kids fill up old-fashioned popcorn boxes with as much candy as their little hands could carry. I also made a couple of little cakes and decorated them like Circus tents.

The Decorations -

This was my absolute favorite part. If someone would pay me money to come up with funky homemade/old-fashioned decorations for their parties I would be a happy woman. Because this is such fun. Okay, so we wanted the feel to be colorful and so our goal was to transform the carport into a circus tent. We used canvas drop cloths and painted red stripes on them to create the look of a tent. I picked up some fun colorful curtains at a thrift store and a couple of bright colored crib sheets (I’m all about repurposing. And being cheap.) and I used them to create a pennant flag thingy. I never can remember what those things are called. We also made a crazy fun “CIRCUS” sign out of letters from the craft store, rhinestones, and a cheapo mirror from Walmart (Yes, I know I said I was never going there again. But, I did. *sigh*)

Last, but not least, we had an awesome magician (Thank you Tommy Johns!) He was so engaging for the kids and grown-ups and made the whole event spectacular! If you’re looking for a magician in the Atlanta area I highly recommend him! (And, no, I’m not being compensated to say this!)

So, there you have it. The Loving family Circus party. We felt so blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family come and celebrate the kids’ birthdays. It was a fantastic day!

Oh yeah, and here is my favorite picture of the day. Thomas dressed as the Bearded Lady and a friend who shall remain nameless got their picture taken in the photo booth. Is it wrong that my husband felt so at home in a dress and wig? Or that I thought he was totally adorable as the Bearded Lady? I sure hope not…

10 days without a post? That is a long time for me. The pipeline of crazy stories to blog about is officially full. But, last week I just didn’t have it in me. On top of the septic tank issue we’re now having trouble with our heating and air. BIG trouble. Like the “OMG we can’t run heat or air because of an apparent leak of Carbon Monoxide when the heat is on and a mold problem in our ducts when the air is on and so all the windows are open all the time and the house is 100 degrees inside and a new HVAC costs $8500 and holy crap what are we gonna do” kind of problems.  And I needed a break from reality.

We took a little trip and got away as a family and I’m feeling much more prepared to face the problems in this money pit of a house. And I think I’ll be a much more cheerful blogger now.

In the meantime, here’s a taste of the funny that happened when we were out of town.

On an elevator at the place we were staying an older lady started guessing the ages of the kids. She couldn’t have been more than 70 and she clearly had grandkids about the same age as my kids because she got all their ages perfectly right. After she guessed them all correctly, Ivy looked at her ever so sweetly and said, “And you’re a hundred aren’t you? I just know it!”

It was hilarious painful. She should have just asked her if she had a baby in her tummy and made it really awkward. New Loving family rule: Never try to guess someone’s age. Or gender. Because, really, what good can come of that?

We’re escaping from reality at the moment. It’s been a rough week. I’ll be back to the blog world after this weekend. In the meantime…

Have a wonderful weekend! : )

A friend of ours once told us that we are the reason people invented Home Owners Associations. Here is how I know he’s right.

Yesterday my children decided to play “homeless orphan” thanks to the musical Annie. And the girls dressed accordingly. To give you an idea, there were night gowns, tweed blazers, boots and socks for mittens. It also means there were two pitiful children wandering through the yard begging imaginary people for food. Since no one else knew they were begging imaginary people for food it just looked like they were in the yard begging anyone who could hear them for food. So, that was awesome. And they made their home in our backyard shed/chicken coop. The contents of that shed were strewn about our yard because yesterday we were converting the shed into a chicken coop and everything inside it was in, well, a bit of transition.

But, I let the girls play outside despite the state of our yard. And since I had a million things to get done and needed to finish a sewing project I brought the sewing machine outside and finished it on the back deck. Since I like to multitask I also thought I’d hang the cloth diapers to dry on our newly installed clothes line.

The thing is that part of playing “homeless orphan” means living among the chickens (apparently) and so the girls went into the chicken run unbeknownst to me. And they left the door open. Which let out all 12 chickens and one very ornery rooster. Have you ever seen a Kindergartner and a preschooler attempt to herd chickens? My neighbors have. And they’ll tell you it is not graceful or quiet. It was a wreck.

All this was going on in plain sight of our lovely elderly neighbor who was mowing his perfect yard for the 3rd time this week. I am not exaggerating. You would never catch his yard in the same state ours is in.

So, to recap. We are the neighbors who have runaway chickens in their trash strewn yard being chased by children pretending to be homeless while their mother sews clothes on the back porch and waits for diapers to dry on the clothes line. I honestly considered walking over and apologizing for being his neighbor. I think yesterday he at least deserved that.

So, yeah, our friend was probably right. We are the reason people invented HOAs. I’m sure I can expect the neighbors to try and establish one in our neighborhood any day now…

I feel like it has been forever since I blogged. But things around here have been crazy. Which is just par for the course. But I have this hilarious story about how I have scarred my children forever because of a practical joke gone wrong. And I swear I’ll tell it later this week. You won’t want to miss out on it because, honestly? It is even funnier than the time I terrified a whole class of preschoolers with a runaway hen. No kidding.

In the meantime, let me tell you about Easter. And my quest to sew the kids’ Easter outfits.

I’m taking private sewing lessons from the nicest & most talented seamstress ever. She puts up with my incessant babbling & teaches me how to make cool things while I’m at it. And it was her idea for me to sew the kids’ Easter outfits which turned out to be brilliant because they were adorable. (I only sewed Trav’s tie, but still? So cute!)

Here’s proof:

Doesn’t Traveler totally look like a mini version of Orville Redenbacher? I think so. And I love it.

We spent Easter day going to church, hanging out with family, planting in our garden, & hunting for chocolate filled eggs. Doesn’t get much better than that. It was wonderful.

We’re back to real life now and though I think life is so much better when it is a four day weekend, I’m ready for reality again.

How about you? How was your Easter?