by admin -

Williamsburg

I am so thankful for the opportunity to visit Williamsburg last week. We had such a great time. The best part about our trip (other than the fact that I ate at my favorite restaurant) was that we met up with two different families that we don’t get to see very often.

The first family was a family we met when we moved to Virgina Beach. We became friends at a very difficult time because my husbands injuries were most severe during our winter in Virginia Beach. Our friends drove my husband around and even took him to work almost every day for about 6 months. This was a huge blessing to our family. We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with them two years ago and have so many wonderful memories of our time together. I am sad we do not see them now that we moved away, but am hopeful we can make time to see each other more in the future. It was fun spending part of our day in Williamsburg with them and catching up.

The second family is a family we see more frequently, but not enough in our opinion. They are friends who live in West Virginia. It was hard when we first met them because the dad worked for my husband and in the military that means no friendship. The wife and I became great friends though, and our kids grew very close. Last year the dad retired from the Navy so we have enjoyed family time together over the past year. These friends have been a wonderful example of servanthood to our family and I love spending time together. We will be spending this Thanksgiving with them in WV and I can’t wait! They surprised us in Williamsburg last week and we had a great time!

While it is hard moving so frequently, I love having friends that I can visit in so many different states. I realize that if the Navy hadn’t moved us to West Virginia and then to Virginia Beach, we would have never met these families and many others. I am thankful we have friends around the world!

Fun in Williamsburg

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

For more Gratituesday visit Heavenly Homemakers.

by admin -

Getting Ahead

I finally feel like I am getting ahead of the lice game. We still have a steady stream of laundry because I don’t want to take any chances of the lice spreading. In the past 5 days I have only found one live bug, so I consider that a step in the right direction. We still spending our mornings going through everyone’s hair and checking, but things are looking up.

The good news is that because we had to cancel all of our plans I got a lot accomplished this week. First I conquered Mt. Laundry. The before picture was actually taken before things got really bad. At its worst point I actually had to climb over it to get to the washer.
Before

Photobucket

After

Photobucket

I cleaned off one of my desks.
Before

Photobucket

After

Photobucket

I was also behind in organizing the Coupons for Troops mailing. The coupons were sorted and repackaged this weekend and mailed out today.
Before

Photobucket

After

Photobucket

My kids had quite a laugh when they opened the Sunday paper. The topic of the kid’s section, lice!

Photobucket

Since we couldn’t go to church yesterday I baked most of my breads for the week. I will post about that later, but I’ll leave you with two pictures, any guesses what I new recipes I tried this week?

Photobucket

Photobucket

For more tackles visit 5MFM.

by admin -

Changing Course

This week didn’t really go as I had intended. We made two unexpected trips to the doctor’s office, canceled the orthodontist appointment and didn’t really get to the cleaning and organizing jobs I had planned.

We did however give haircuts to all the boys in our house, vacuum all upholstered surfaces, vacuum all floors, and vacuumed all mattresses. We washed every towel, sheet, blanket, comforter, and pillow in the house, and then started all over again. We also packed away all of the stuffed toys. So much for going through the kids’ toys this week!

I decided this would not be a good time to go through our winter clothes. I am sure that can wait until next week until we are lice free.

Sometimes it is discouraging to have a plan and then get derailed. When I realized my week was going to change dramatically on Tuesday it was hard not to get into a funk and want to withdrawal. The thought of decontaminating my house was overwhelming. All I could think about was six kids, I have six kids and they are all going to pass it to each other, and pass it to each other, and pass it to each other. We will have lice until Christmas!

As each additional person was found to have lice, instead of being overwhelmed, I was relieved. I began to realize my task was completely overwhelming and that I couldn’t do it all. Over the past few days I have received numerous emails and calls from people letting me know they would be praying for our family.

I think sometimes as moms and wives we set a high standard for ourselves. As I have read many other bloggers’ goals this week I have been impressed with all the things they want to accomplish. I just hope we all remember to keep our eyes on the main goal, which is to do all things to His glory, not our own.

I hate the fact that most of my family has lice, but I love the fact that we have all worked together to solve this problem. It has been nice to have to stay home and hang out with each other. Although I am sad most of our plans were canceled, I know we can schedule them for another time. I have even enjoyed the quality “talk time” I have had with my kids as I picked through their hair each morning.

Even though we are all sleeping with one sheet and one blanket (less laundry to decontaminate), I truly feel like my home as become our haven this week.

For more havens visit The Homespun Heart. <!–

by admin -

Natural Cure for Lice

Photobucket
It is totally unfair, because he took the easy way out…
Here is girl #2, she is doing the olive oil treatment.

Photobucket

In a previous post I threatened to shave my head, but I don’t think I look good in a hat. My mother-in-law believes otherwise and sent me this picture.
Photobucket

This might become a permanent look for me if things don’t improve soon!

I promise I am not going to change the name of this blog to
The Happy Lousewife, I will write about other things soon.

For more Friday Show and Tell visit Mary.

by admin -

Infestation

The bugs have spread to girl #2 and possibly girl #1. We are taking no chances and cleaning/washing everything in the house. During our washing frenzy a crayon went through the dryer… because it is not as if we don’t have enough to do right now. This has happened to us before, the crayons not the lice, so if you would like a tutorial on how to get crayon out of your dryer you can find it here.

So far the boys do not have it, but we are checking several times a day. Since we were all in a hotel together for a few days there is a good chance that we could all be infected. Not from the hotel, we have determined that girl #3 had it before the hotel, but from the close quarters.

Girl #3 has the prescription treatment, which I absolutely do not like and do not want to use on anyone else. We are trying olive oil on girls #1, and #2. We have canceled several planned family outings as we don’t want the kids to infect anyone. I took a picture of girl #2 with her olive oil head and shower cap. She gave me a big smile, and seemed excited to be getting some special treatment. After I took the picture she asked me to post it on the blog. I’ll post it tomorrow.

All the stuffed toys are being bagged up and we are attempting to wash bedding from 8 beds as well as towels, jackets, hats, and our regular dirty clothes.

The boys have been warned, if I find anything on them the clippers are coming out. I cannot have the kids passing this to each other for weeks. They are not happy with the thought of that kind of haircut so hopefully they will comply with all my other requests.

Meanwhile, I continue to scratch all over. I don’t think I have lice because I haven’t seen any evidence and weird places like my back, legs, and feet itch. I think it is all in my mind. My husband has already told me he wanted to shave his head because just the thought of it grossed him out. I might try an olive oil treatment on myself tomorrow, as a precautionary measure. I figure the chances of me getting it rise with each kid. I’d consider shaving my head too, if I looked good in a hat.

by admin -

Delouse the House

The Homespun Heart is having a week long challenge to help get your house in order. I was excited to read about this challenge because I have started my fall cleaning. Usually every year around this time we clean out the clutter at our house. This started many years ago when I realized that Christmas was quickly approaching and the thought of more stuff (toys, decorations, games, books, etc…) coming into my home was overwhelming. I also use this time to switch out our summer and winter clothes and make a list of all the winter items we need this year. You would think that with six kids I wouldn’t have to buy anything, but those pesky older kids keep growing and need new coats and boots!

We had a fun few days in Williamsburg (more on that in another post) and I was planning on returning and jumping right into my fall cleaning. But, my plans have been derailed. On Saturday my two year old was scratching her head, I looked at her head to see what was bothering her and found a little bug in her hair. I picked it out and threw it away, thinking nothing of it.

Then on Sunday, after we had arrived in Williamsburg and were eating dinner I saw another black bug in her hair. I picked it out, threw it away, and forgot about it.

On Monday I picked several black bugs out of her hair and started to panic. When we returned to the hotel room I googled “black bugs in hair” and was surprised to find out they were lice! I thought lice were white! Of course, I had to figure this out while we were at a hotel 120 miles from our house and we are all sharing beds! My husband washed her hair and combed out more little bugs while I went through everyone else’s hair to see if they also had little friends. Thankfully they did not, but it only added to my confusion as to why my two year old would have them.

She does not go to daycare, play group, mom’s day out, and even missed Sunday school last week because we were camping. The only people she has had contact with are us, and no one else seems to have them. I spent most of Monday night in a dark hotel room, while everyone else slept, trying to educate myself on lice. I also started scratching my head compulsively, not because I had anything in my hair, but because her constant scratching and seeing all those bugs freaked me out. Yesterday my husband and oldest daughter joined my in the compulsive scratching. We do not have lice, but now all of a sudden everything itches! Last night in bed my legs even started to itch!

So today instead of continuing with my fall cleaning I will head to the doctor’s office and hopefully begin the process of killing these little suckers. Then I need to sterilize my home so that no one else gets them. We also need to unpack from our trip, do school, and eventually continue our fall cleaning.

Update: I took the before pictures and there were so many I put them in a separate post. You can view them here.

Have a great day and try not to scratch!

Photobucket

by admin -

Having Fun in Williamsburg

We are having a great time in Williamsburg. Unfortunately my camera cord is at home so you will have to wait for pictures.

I went to CVS last night, ( I am addicted again, I can’t believe I went while on vacation) and got a few good deals. I forgot my coupons so I had to work from what was in the paper. Still not too bad, I earned $9 in ECB’s.

I am pleasantly surprised with our hotel. We decided to go the cheap route and I was worried it might be really, really gross. It is clean, though dated, and seems very safe. The breakfast was good too. The kids stuffed themselves silly! For $39 a night, I can’t complain!

by admin -

Military Shipping Deadlines

Christmas Card Design , c.1956-1962 by Andy Warhol

Christmas is coming… here are the shipping deadlines for shipping mail to overseas military bases.
Military Mail Addressed To Express Mail® Military Service (EMMS)1 First-Class Mail® Letters and Cards Priority Mail® Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL)2 Space Available Mail (SAM)3 Parcel Post®
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 090-092 Dec-18 Dec-11 Dec-11 Dec-4 Nov-28 Nov-13
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 093 N/A Dec-4 Dec-4 Dec-1 Nov-21 Nov-13
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 094-098 Dec-18 Dec-11 Dec-11 Dec-4 Nov-28 Nov-13
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 340 Dec-18 Dec-11 Dec-11 Dec-4 Nov-28 Nov-13
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 962-966 Dec-18 Dec-11 Dec-11 Dec-4 Nov-28 Nov-13

by admin -

Christmas Toy List

Shannon is hosting a fun themed WFMW this week. She has asked for readers to recommend their favorite, time tested toys. With six kids we have had a lot of toys come and go through the years, and we have found some tried and true, loved by everyone favorites.

Plastic Army Men Military Playset

I bought a box of army men on clearance for $2.50 after Christmas one year. We take them when we travel and the kids always have something to play with. If we lose a few or they break I don’t care because they were so cheap.
Playing with the Army men during our recent camping trip.
Photobucket

Playmobil

My only regret with Playmobil is that I didn’t find out about it sooner. My kids love this stuff and there are so many products in different price ranges it is a perfect gift for anyone to give to the kids.

Fractiles

My kids love pattern blocks of all kinds. I particularly like this kind because it is magnetic, and I like all things magnetic. You can take them anywhere and kids of all ages (except those that still put things in their mouths) love them.

Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100

If you can only afford to buy one toy this year, buy snap circuits. We purchased this for my son when he was 9 years old. He loved it, his younger brothers loved it, his sisters loved it and three years later he still plays with it. It is also educational, which is a big plus!

Sculpey

Sculpey clay hardens so kids can make items to keep. My girls like to make dolls and beads (which can be used for necklaces), while the boys make boy stuff, snakes, dragons, and guns.

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Dress-Up

I have several versions of this toy and they are all well loved in our house. My 2 and 4 year old girl will play with this for 30 to 45 minutes without getting up. I like this one because, once again it is a great toy to take on a trip as well as play with at the table.

Toy Food

We still have toy food from when my 14 year old was a toddler. These toys (even the cheap ones) last forever and are enjoyed by my children starting with the time they can walk.

Knifty Knitter

I bought this for my 13 year old daughter last Christmas. She has learned how to knit using the knifty knitter and has made several hats, scarves and other items. It is a great beginner step into the world of crafting.

We don’t give a lot of toys for Christmas. I feel like we have too many already and with all the moving we do, it is hard to find space for everything in each house. I like to give consumable gifts to my kids such as paper, markers, crayons, paints, and other craft items that they can use up and eventually throw away.

Several months ago I wrote a few posts recommending toys and books for specific age groups. You can click on the links to get more ideas.

Toys and Books for Preschoolers

Terrific Book Series for Kids

Favorite Books for Little Girls

Favorite Books for Little Boys

by admin -

Veterans Day Discount at Home Depot and Lowes

The Home Depot and Lowe’s, the world’s largest home improvement retailers, once again are offering a 10 percent Veterans Day discount to active-duty service members, reservists, retirees, veterans and their immediate family members.

The Lowe’s discount is available Nov. 6 through Nov. 11 on purchases of up to $5,000 in U.S. stores from merchandise in stock and special order. The maximum discount would be $500.

The Home Depot discount is available Nov. 6 through Nov. 12 on purchases up to $2,000, for a maximum discount of $200. The discount is offered at The Home Depot stores, The Home Depot Design Center locations, Yardbirds and EXPO Design Center locations. To get the discount, you must provide proof of military service when checking out, and the discount will be applied at the register.

I know that some Lowe’s offer military discounts year round, but not all of them do. I am sure there are many other Veterans Day discounts so if you know of any email me and I will spread the word.

Thanks!