I could have gone to Hawaii

So the scorpion problem is evidently not going away if I ignore it long enough. Just kidding, I wasn't ignoring it - but we are definitely hitting it with the "big guns" now that we have found so many in such a short amount of time. That involves cutting any branches off trees overhanging the house, eradicating any dead leaves/foliage, more frequent pest control (doing this whole song and dance), and so on. I won't bore you with the details, but it hasn't really made me appreciate Arizona more. 

Then last week, our air conditioning went out. In August. In Arizona. Thanks to nothing short of a miracle, the entire two nights and one day that we were without it, the temperature outside never rose above 90 degrees. The humidity, on the other hand, was hovering just below 50% the entire time thanks to insane monsoon rains this summer. We camped out at stores and the church building during the day. At night, I lay awake melting, while my kids were huddled under blankets because they swore they were freezing cold in the house (it was 87 degrees inside, super humid, and zero air flow).

Sometimes I hate Arizona

The kids were out in the front yard this morning, riding bikes and playing. Stephen was kicking back in the bouncy chair on the front porch next to me, while I was sitting next to him with my laptop, putting the finishing touches on this year's lesson plans.

One month birthday

Baby Stephen is one month old today - wow, time sure flies! He has been a very easy and mellow baby, and is taking our busy household in stride. If only he will start liking the car seat, the last major hurdle, the adjustment from six to seven kids will be complete.

Spoiled

There are many benefits to having a large family. Such as: people with few children will stop giving their unsolicited advice, assuming I must know at least as much about how to deal with a child as they do. This is not always true (because our oldest is only 10, so that's as far up as my experience goes) - but I am glad nonetheless that I don't have to listen to wrong advice all the time.

Advice, such as: if you hold that baby all day, he will get spoiled. 

Taking the monkeys to the zoo

Today, I finally managed to take all seven kids out by myself - to the zoo of all places. 

The morning was unseasonably cool (cough, cough... 88 degrees... we consider that almost winter here), though muggy from all the rain we have been having. Seriously, the entire nation is in a drought, and Arizona has had more rain than I have ever seen it have? It's been nice for us.

Three is enough!

Or: I almost had her fooled into thinking my baby was cute.

So far, I have yet to take all seven kids out of the house, by myself. I think the most I have manged to go out with at one time is four, while my husband wrangles the ones staying home.

Of course, Stephen being so tiny, he is always with me. Invariably, people at the store ooh and aah all over him, especially if I am carrying him all snug in the sling. I like to make a point to tell random strangers that I have SEVEN children, even though they are not all with me, just for the sake of pushing the "pro large family" button again and again, and pushing back on the societal pressure to have few children.

Today, as I was checking out at the store with just Isaac and Stephen, the woman behind me in line was coming undone about how cute the baby was, all curled up against my chest and fast asleep, oblivious to the world around him. I'm guessing she was about 65 or 70 years old, and based on the bitter lines on her face, she hadn't exactly spent the majority of that time smiling (or even looking indifferent, for that matter). Yet here she was, happy about Stephen. 

Summer Journal, part 3

Thursday, July19

Had a prenatal appointment early in the morning - baby is posterior - ugh!

The kids and I baked cookies and brownies to make the "Vermonster" as a birthday treat for a friend, plus also made corn dogs and fries for her birthday dinner, and went swimming in the afternoon.

 

 That's 20 scoops of ice-cream in five flavors!

Went for a chiropractic adjustment in the evening in hopes of making baby turn.

Stephen's Birth Story

or: Why does it take a grand multipara three days to give birth??!?

Here it is, at long last! :) 

Please note: This being about BIRTH, as much as I will try to keep my wording absolutely appropriate, you may find some of the content to be TMI, gross, offensive, or all of the above. If you are that type, please stop reading now. You have been warned! 

Wow, what a shock - NOT!

The big news in independent fundamental Baptist (IFB) circles this week is the dismissal of Jack Schaap, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, for an alleged affair with a 16-year old. Church leaders contacted authorities after finding images of Schaap and the victim in compromising situations on a cell phone he left lying around. The FBI and sherriff's department are also investigating, since this case involves a minor, as well as crossing state lines with the underage victim for the alleged interludes. 

All I can say, is: How is anyone surprised by this?