Will spring ever come?

I have the winter blahs so bad........we're getting more snow today and supposed to get snow all day and tonight and then tomorrow. Will Spring ever come? Will we ever be able to play outside again? Will I have to put coats, hats, mittens and boots on my clan forever??? I miss the sun!

Family

I can't imagine what life would be like without family! And we are SOO blessed to be surrounded by so much family. We are like the Waltons, we have to do everything as a mass of humanity. Take yesterday for example.......my mom's sister, Carol, just moved here from New York. She bought a house that is right around the corner from mom and dad. Her back yard butts up to Mom and Dad's alley. So now with two blocks there are my parents, my grandparents and my Aunt Carol!!! We went over to see her new house (she hasn't closed yet). There we were, the Waltons.....Me and my kids, Aunt Carol, her daughter Holly, my grandma and grandpa and my Uncle Tommy. This mass amount of people........it's so awesome!!!! And now, today, all 12 of us will troop to Noah's school for his band concert. Man I love family!

Potty training

There comes a time in the life of a child where potty training becomes necessary. However, there are times when you completely wish they would either wear diapers forever or just train themselves. Emma has proved to be another challenge in the whole potty training exercise. We've rounded a corner though, she now tells me she has to go as opposed to last week when she would just go in her underwear and I would discover it! To me, there is nothing more frustrating than potty training. There are good days and bad days.......can't we please just have some consistency?!?!?!?!?! I know, I know, there is light at the end of the tunnel.............I hope it's a short tunnel.

Aren't they cute???? Nothing like a good kiss from your sister!
kisses

Six years ago tonight, this was Jonah and I. I held my little son for the very first time. I looked into his little red face and fell madly in love with him. There was unexplainable joy (and pain of course!) I can hardly believe that it has been six years since that moment. He has grown up so much. And where did the time go??? I'll blink again and he will be 12! So to you, my little man.....I love you more than words can say and I am so proud and honored to be your mommy. Happy Birthday buddy!
Baby Jonah

Help!

OK, so I need some input here.....I jsut received a call from the lady who is in charge of the nursery at our church. Well let me back up a bit. Before we got to this church, there were a grand total of three babies. Of course, we showed up and quadrupled the population!! then we got a sudden influx of new, young families with young children. That is a HUGE praise, especially for Matt and I since we were praying for this. So we started having nursery issues. There are 15 children now between the ages of newborn and 4. It was decided that there should be three nurseries to adequately provide for these kids. Well staffing is a HUGE issue and there just aren't workers. So I received this call where I was informed that I would be serving in the 2-3 year old class for two months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so upset right now.....

My whole life right now is based around this age group. I eat, sleep, drink and breathe toddlers. I look forward to Sunday mornings all week because it's my interrupted time with the Lord and other grown-ups. So to have someone tell me that I will miss two months worth of church has me in tears. Am I just being silly?? Is it worth burning out moms to keep the children out of the service? Should I just suck it up and serve because they need me too? Do I run the risk of complete "mommy burnout"?? Please tell me what you think!!!!!

soooo tired

Ever have one of those days where no matter what you do you're tired? I've tried to kick myself into gear all day and I just can't! Wednesdays are hard too because I clean at church and I have to take the girls with me which means it takes me three times as long. And it's been a long potty training day as well. Man, I wish I could take a nap!

Valentine's Day

Ok, so I know that Valentine's Day is just a Hallmark holiday. But there will always be a little expectation of something special on this romantic day. Alas, my day has been awful. Matt never breathed one word to me this morning and the kids have tried me in every way possible. Emma has ruined every pair of underwear she put on, Molli has broken things and whined incessantly, and Sydney is climbing on everything and, subsequently, falling off. So as the girls are devouring their macaroni and cheese at lunch time, I have a break down. I am convinced that I am the world's worst mother, that a truly loving mother would never break down; she's always in control. Then I think my husband doesn't love me or he would have at least said "Happy Valentine's Day". Next, I realize that I am PMSing which of course makes me cry harder. I call my mother in desperation. She reassures me that everything is ok; I just start crying harder. Just when I am comtemplating why life is so bleak, the back door opens and in sweeps my husband with a dozen lavender roses and a card. My reaction? Hysterical tears. Which confuses him of course. He cleans up the girls and sweeps them all upstairs for a nap and sets me in front of my favorite movie with chocolate. SO thank you God for Valentine's Day which has helped me to realize my dependence on You for strength and how much I love the man I married.

Scary

So today I got my first taste of having a public profile. There was a comment left on one of my posts by some woman I've never met. When I entered her profile, it was pornographic!!!!!!!!!!!! AAHHHHH! I guess one of the downfalls of having a public profile is that anyone can see it. Guess I never really thought about it before. Has this happened to anyone else?????

Climber

I am in the attic, folding laundry on the bed. Molli and Emma are dressing up and going to the ball. Sydney is wandering, chewing on most everything. The next thing I know, Sydeny is on the bed in the midst of all the laundry. How did she get up here, I wonder. I walk around the bed, looking for something that she could have climbed onto to get onto the bed. There is nothing. Must have been a fluke, I think to myself. So I place her back on the floor and continue on. I look up a few moments later and she is on the computer chair. By this point, I am very confused. So I ask Molli if she put Sydney on the chair. She says no. I get Syd down once again and pretend like I'm folding laundry. Instead I watch her. She circles the computer chair, looking up at it and then proceeds to scale the chair. Remember now that she is 11 months old!!!! I swear she is Spiderbaby, I've never seen anything like it! So now we have one more thning to watch for!

Josh took this picture this past summer. I thought it was cute and all. He has it in his portfolio for school. So he comes home yesterday with a permission slip for me to sign so that his teacher can submit this picture to the county. They want to use it for a brochure they are creating. I was so proud and so I asked Josh, "Well what's the pamphlet for?" In my heart, I'm thinking cutest kids in the county or maybe for beautiful kids are us. He mumbles something and so I ask him to repeat it. He looks at me and says, "It's for abandoned children." Now, you know and i know that my children are not abandoned. However, it was a swift quick to my ego! Ah well, let's hear it for the Kurtz children, the poster kids for abandoned kids!
hmmm

I really love this picture!
Matt and Mandi

*Groan*

I know that doctors are good things, that they help keep our children healthy. But some days, I just wish that we didn't have to go.....again. Sydney has her checkup this morning, complete with shots. Then we go back this afternoon for Molli's checkup complete with, yes, more shots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This promises to be a fantastic day.....

Ok, so why do they call it pink eye anyway?? I mean, their eyes are slightly glompy, but not pink in anyway. And people freak out when you even mention the phrase. I swear that everyone standing near me at the prescription counter took a step back when they were confirming what it was for. why don't we just make a tent outside where the children have to stay until they are better, like the lepers in the bible; they knew what they were talking about! And of course, if one has it, they ALL have it. My favorite part is chasing them down and laying on top of them while they shriek and cry as you put drops in their eyes. I am going to invent a way to do medicine without the drama. There has got to be a better way to do this!!!!

So she found the scissors. She had cut it once and we fixed it, she had no bangs but from the back she looked like Dorothy Hamill. Then she found the scissors again (oddly they were right where her father left them!) THis time the damage was so extensive that I had to take the buzzers to her head. I wept and wept as I buzzed. She cried too and clung to me afterward saying, "Mommy, now I'm a boy!!!!" So I think it sunk in and we will not attempt to use the scissors again. But never say never!
The after

So here is my darling Molli....a wonderful girl with a wonderful sense of humor and timing. Her hair was just gorgeous, then..........disaster! (See previous blog!)
the before picture

Saddness

Ok, so here I am sitting at the computer crying. Sometimes life is just....sooo hard. Last night, my mom and I really fought. Things that had bubbled below the surface came to a head and it was awful. Even more awful than that, was I overheard a conversation between my mom and dad about me. I feel angry, sad, confused.......living here was a life saving thing for us. And most days everything is fine. But I feel there are unrealistic expectations and feelings of deep down disappointment which just breaks my heart. So what is God doing here?!?!??! What is He trying to teach me? And what's next?

Somedays you just have to scrunch up your face and smile :)
lol