Getting Creative {with twins!}

So late Monday evening we welcomed two new little girls into our home: Twin T and Twin E. Sissy was especially excited because the girls are only a few weeks older than she is (they will turn 6 at the end of this month). Yesterday was a bit of a blur as I shopped for school uniforms and supplies, bought groceries, picked up our ground beef (from my chicken people!), and made 3 trips to the school to enroll the girls--all with 5 children 5 & under in tow! We made it through the day with surprisingly little drama, save Sissy's meltdown because the girls didn't play with her enough throughout the day. These girls have been through quite a bit, and though we've been warned to watch for anger issues, they seem very sweet. Still, I was looking forward to the calm this morning, to spending time with my 3 youngest, schooling Sissy and Bubba, and getting some much-needed housework done. But then nothing around here tends to go as planned, so I really was not surprised when I arrived at the school to find the girls were not in fact enrolled yet.

Now, when new kids come into care, usually very little is known about them. We receive a form stating they are in our care, which also serves as proof of insurance. Theoretically, we are supposed to receive insurance cards after awhile. But we have never received a birth certificate or social security card. Twice (out of 11!) have we been given shot records. This has never been an issue before, especially since our previous three older girls were transferred from other schools who had the required documentation already. Unfortunately our school was unable to get the shot records from the twins' previous school. The shot records on file with the state showed they were not up-to-date with their vaccinations. So this morning I was told the girls could not attend school until the shot records were received, and I should go home and wait for them to call me when that happened. I should have dealt with everything right then, but I had five antsy kids on my hands and I didn't have all of my wits about me. Instead, I came home, called (& emailed!) the caseworker and then called the girls' aunt, who had previous custody. She wasn't sure if she ever had shot records, but insisted that everything that she had was given to the caseworker. She did give me the phone number (from the phone book!) of the pediatrician who she thought she'd taken them to. Unsatisfied, I called my pediatrician to see if I could get in and get them shots. No well-child appointments available for six weeks.

Then it hit me: kids don't NEED to be vaccinated before they can attend school. I know from my own research that they cannot force me to vaccinate my children. Now, I understand that CPS is actually the guardian in this case, and that foster children are supposed to be vaccinated, and I fully intend to have these girls vaccinated in a reasonable manner. However, they also need to be in school.

So I called the school back and asked if they could locate the vaccination waiver form, informing them that I would be bringing the girls back shortly. I may have stretched the definition of "personal belief" a bit this morning, but I believe that it is in the best interests of the twins to be in school while we sort out all of this mess. I had to get a little creative this morning. Do you think they'll question it at all? How have you needed to use your creativity lately?


73. Twins!
74. comforting Twin T after she hurt her knee last night
75. Bubba's budding sense of humor
76. Budders' singing
77. seeing our first foster son at the Christmas party on Saturday
78. hearing encouraging stories from fostering friends
79. my supportive friends and family
80. that I have a Rock that cannot be shaken

27 Reasons

On why I love him:

1. He leads us spiritually.
2. He is a constant learner.
3. He is patient with me.
4. He is a great father.
5. He isn't afraid to look silly.
6. He values family.
7. He likes to garden.
8. He tickles and wrestles with his kids.
9. He is crazy smart.
10. He makes beautiful babies.
11. He is faithful.
12. He challenges my intellect.
13. He encourages me in my writing.
14. He still wants me (after 3 kids and breastfeeding!).
15. He makes up silly songs and stories for the kids.
16. He flirts with me.
17. He is usually right.
18. He admits when he's wrong.
19. He makes time for me.
20. He supports me (even in the birthing tub!).
21. He wants to be a farmer.
22. He loves the fatherless.
23. He doesn't complain (even when the house is a mess and he has no clean underwear!)
24. He goes to bed with me every night.
25. He lets me know he's thinking about me with phone calls and texts throughout the day.
26. He keeps us out of debt.
27. He never criticizes me.

Happy birthday to the man I love more everyday!

What do you love about your husband?

{Happy Thanksgiving!!}

57. my warm house
58. so much laundry--we are well-clothed and warm!
59. delicious food & an abundance of it!
60. my precious children-bio & foster
61. living close to family again
62. that I am able to school my children at home
63. Hubby's job
64. that Hubby's Air Force days are in the past
65. a smart baby that keeps me on my toes 
66. the calories I burn chasing after him
67. foster girls spending time with family today
68. the generosity of friends
69. that my sister-in-law is out of the hospital & recovering
70. for my niece and nephew's protection
71. living in our country
72. that I am only a pilgrim here, & this is not my true home

Philippians 3:20-21 

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

{Happy Homemaker Monday} November 21, 2011

{Happy Homemaker Monday}

The weather in my neck of the woods: Beautiful! Seems like "fall" weather is finally here!


Things that make me happy: my morning tea & blog time, kids playing nicely together, a sneak-peek of our family pics taken Saturday {thanks, Jenn!!}


Book I'm reading: God Is the Gospel by John Piper

On the menu for dinner: bean & cheese burritos


On my to do list: school with Sissy, doctor appointment for Flower Girl, cleaning out the sisters' room, and a thorough house cleaning

New recipe I tried or want to try soon: Baked Potato Soup - had this Wednesday night at life group--yum!


In the craft basket: A dress I bought on clearance that needs to be shortened & my nephew's birthday shirt {still!}--see a pattern here?!

No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days: We adjust fairly quickly to the challenges handed to us. At first, 6 kids seemed really hard, but it became normal. Just having 4 in the house seems so easy & quiet!


On my mind: my brother {Happy birthday, Paul!} and his sick wife, and looking forward to this weekend!


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

 Mark 5:24-34 

 A large crowd followed and pressed around him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Join in at Happy Homemaker Monday

50. a phone call from the sisters!

51. a quiet evening as a family of 6

52. seeing friends & family at my brother's birthday party

53. a sweet old friend coming to take our family pictures {for free!}

54. a relaxing Sunday afternoon 

55. pizza for Sunday dinner, courtesy of my parents {no cooking!}

56. family seeing Budders like he usually acts during the week, but on a Sunday

57. silly, innocent questions about anatomy from my 3 year old

58. my messy 12-passenger van (because it runs! & I can transport my whole family & then some!)

Goodbyes

We are preparing again to {possibly} say goodbye, this time to the two sisters. This has been a challenging placement, and at times their upcoming departure is a bit of a relief. I look forward to a break in the quarreling and lying, a break from needing to constantly be aware of the location of certain members of the family. Budders especially has taken quite a beating (unintentionally!) from {well-meaning} older sisters lugging him around.

Yet at the same time, my heart aches for these girls. I hurt knowing the abuses they've suffered. I've rejoiced at little victories: prayers at family worship time, a sibling play date, growing relationships, hurt hearts confiding in us. I know a little about where they will be going, and while I would not willingly send my biological children there, I rest in the knowledge that God is in control. He is good, and He cares for them more than I ever could.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31

42. good conversations with friends
43. watching my sweet hubby attempt to sew Barbie clothes!
44. siblings reuniting after weeks apart
45. lunch with Hubby mid-week
46. {free} bikes!
47. reading that I'm the "most important person" in Flower Girl's life
48. {hopefully} getting answers from the doctor for Sissy
49. friends & coworkers giving us clothes for the girls

{Happy Homemaker Monday}

Check out the AWESOME things for sale today @ The Mercy House's 2nd Benefit Day!

{Happy Homemaker Monday}

The weather in my neck of the woods: chilly! We actually had to close the house up last night to keep warm--finally!


Things that make me happy: Hubby taking a half day on Friday to take us to lunch for some much needed family (just the 5 of us!) time, and to share in the after-school chaos (which isn't really chaos when he's around)! 


Book I'm reading: Calvin's Commentaries on 1 & 2 Thessalonians

On the menu for dinner: chicken noodle soup


On my to do list: school with Sissy, haircuts for most of the family

 

New recipe I tried or want to try soon: Apple Pie Steel Cut Oats {MOPS moms, this is what you're looking for!}


In the craft basket: A dress I bought on clearance that needs to be shortened & my nephew's birthday shirt {still!}

Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you'd like to share with the readers): Loving the kitchen tips & recipes (so organized!) over at Good Life Eats!


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days: Even when everything seems crazy and like it could fall apart at any moment, I have a Rock who holds everything together!


On my mind: my nephew {HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY, JOSIAH!}, wondering if our 2 newest girls will be moving to their aunt's next week


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Join in at Happy Homemaker Monday




33. worshiping with the residents at the assisted living facility
34. watching my sister be showered with love as we prepare for the arrival of my nephew

35. sweet dreams about my nephew

36. rain in the valley

37. time as a {small} family

38. a full nursery at church

39. good talks with my older girls

40. for our health (and that small colds aren't something much worse)

41. for technology & this blog (even when it isn't cooperating!)

I'm Baaack!

So sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. We're getting used to having 6 kids in the house & 3 big girls in school. I never imagined how much work it is having children in public school! We spend almost as much time going over their homework as I do schooling Sissy! Not to mention the time spent walking them to school and picking them up again in the afternoon. Needless to say, my days have been rearranged quite a bit, which has resulted in my lack of blog posts. (Because while I love writing, I'd much rather be reading with my kiddos!) So I am trying to find a new time to blog, and I think I'm back on track. For now I'll just leave you with some of my recent "gifts":

24. 5 small prayer journals--getting used!
25. Hubby's flexible schedule (able to help out in our 2nd grader's class!)
26. cameras (to remember)
27. 3 girls thankful for their new family
28. busy case workers who communicate well
29. catching a busy case worker (who doesn't communicate so well) before she went home yesterday
30. wonderful friends who offer to photograph our family for FREE!
31. siblings reuniting by phone (hopefully in person soon!)
32. Sissy scoring 100% on a 1st grade reading test (Does anyone know of a good online reading test? I'd love to know how she's measuring up to her public school "peers")
33. God providing a great memory verse for a scared Flower Girl
32. everyone participating in family worship last night

Sanctification

On Wednesday we welcomed two sisters, ages 7 and 9, into our home, officially doubling the number of children in our house in less than a week. Sissy went from being the oldest to having 3 big sisters. Budders now has 3 girls he really doesn't know trying to lug him around (and running him to me every time he cries! Yikes!). And Bubba and Sissy are both having to adjust to older kids with different senses of humor and pet peeves. They are altogether adjusting very well, and I am proud of the love that they are showing their new sisters.

The big girls are adjusting to life in a new house, new authority figures and rules, new younger siblings who {sometimes} annoy them. They are learning new routines, attending new schools, making new friends, and missing friends and family.

I won't try to pretend that this is easy. Foster care is definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am adjusting to a {much} high noise and chaos level. I am learning trying to figure out which fights to pick. I am struggling a bit watching Sissy and Bubba get exposed to things I have tried so hard to shelter them from. I hate watching them feel left out or picked on or talked down to. I am having to draw the line regarding what words, music, et cetera we will allow in this house, resulting in disappointed girls (and losing some of my fun-mom-ness). I have had moments when I miss "just us." I have thought What are we doing? But I have also watched these girls come a long way in this short time that we have had them. And I am {learning} to love like Christ. Sanctification. It's what this is all about anyway.




16. FG's first prayer!
17. family worship on a full bed
18. a hug from my 9 yr. old {this is a BIG deal!}
19. 7 yr. old's {first} prayers
20. FG asking to be baptized!
21. my awesome mother-in-law-- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAREN!!
22. hours of giggles
23. not having to worry about dinner after school this week--thanks to my awesome MOPS friends!

Baked Chimichangas

Since I have an abundance of chicken in my freezer, I filled up our meal plan with poultry dishes! On the menu tonight: baked chimichangas. I've adapted a recipe I found awhile back at Or so she says for a little more convenience on my part. I also adapted it to feed my larger family (we've doubled the number of children in our house in less than a week!). If you have a smaller family, just half the recipe. (I will update tomorrow with pictures.)

Baked Chimichangas

2 chicken breasts

1 1/2 c. salsa 

2 t. ground cumin

1 1/2 c. shredded cheese

12 flour tortillas

olive oil

any toppings you want (we use more cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, &-if I'm lucky-guacamole)

1. Place your chicken in the crockpot and cook on low for about 8 hours.

2. About half an hour before dinnertime, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

3. Shred your chicken or let your kids go at it with kid-safe knives.

4. Add salsa, cumin, and cheese. 

5. Place about 1/2 c. of mixture on a tortilla and roll up. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet and continue with the rest of your tortillas. Brush with olive oil.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

7. Garnish with your favorite toppings & enjoy!

Linking up to Slow Cooking Thursday.

11. tough teachers

12. bonding with FG over hours of homework

13. 2 new sisters who joined our family last night

14. sharing a meal with friends

15. my sweet baby's voice

WFMW Bonus: Modest Middles {Giveaway!}

I know I already posted this morning, but I want to share this AWESOME giveaway with you. Life In a Shoe is giving away a Modest Middles nursing tank! This is a great way to discreetly nurse in public (or around your older boys!). Every nursing mom should have one. Check them out for yourselves or for the nursing mama in your life! Modest Middles nursing tanks work for me!

WFMW: Baby Wearing

Did you know that last week was International Baby Wearing Week? I have been meaning to post about wearing my babies, and thought this was a perfect opportunity. I'm not sure where I heard about baby wearing, but it was soon before Bubba was born. I had an uncomfortable Eddie Bauer front carrier with Sissy, but I do not consider that baby wearing. My first real experience was with a Moby-style wrap, and that remains my favorite. 

Baby wearing is great for getting things done when your little one wants to be connected to you 24/7, but you need your hands free. Many studies (& my experience!) have shown that babies who are worn are happier and cry less. (It can even help with colic! I wish my mom had one when I was a baby--sorry Mom!)

Baby wraps are great because one size fits most, and they are so comfortable! If I spread the fabric out over my shoulders, even with my 3 year old, I don't feel the strain on my shoulders or neck. And there are SO MANY was to wrap them, though the one in these pictures has been our favorite. A great place to go to learn about baby wearing is wearyourbaby.org. They show all kinds of baby wearing positions and techniques.

Katie over at Kitchen Stewardship posted some great videos of how to use a Moby wrap last week. I have yet to be successful at nursing in mine, but her vlog really helped me understand it better.

Of course, please take precautions when wearing your baby. Baby's head and neck should be supported by the wrap if he cannot hold it up himself, and baby should always be "close enough to kiss."

Baby wearing works for me!

{Happy Homemaker Monday}

The weather in my neck of the woods: HOT--I wish that cooler weather stayed around. And I'm hoping it comes back soon. We can't wait to get back to our tradition of family walks in the evenings. 


Things that make me happy: hearing my kids laugh & play together, cool mornings, choosing to be the fun mom 


Book I'm reading: The Connected Child by Dr. Karyn Purvis


On the menu for dinner: chicken tacos


On my to do list: enroll Flower Girl in school, portion & freeze my chicken, 2 playdates & laundry--a busy day!


New recipe I tried or want to try soon: Homemade Gummy Fruit Snacks


In the craft basket: A dress I bought on clearance that needs to be shortened & my nephew's birthday shirt


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you'd like to share with the readers): Lately I'm lovin' the tuts over at Infarrantly Creative!


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days: While we know (in our heads) that God is always working, we need to expect it, watch for it, know it with our hearts. 


On my mind: missing some dear friends this fall season, wondering how long Flower Girl will be with us, and if her sister will be able to join our family


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Romans 8:5-9 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds onthe things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you."

Join in at Happy Homemaker Monday




7. mornings with friends at the park
8. napping babies
9. cheap chicken!
10. Hubby's flexible schedule

One Thousand Gifts & Mommy Guilt

One Thousand Gifts
Have you had the pleasure of "meeting" Ann Voscamp? I was introduced to her blog last year, and was excited to get my hands on her book earlier this year. Ann has a beautiful, poetic writing style (which may or may not appeal to you for the duration of her 227-page book). She introduces us to the idea of giving thanks in all things, keeping a gratitude journal. In her experience, thanking God-for the small things and the hard things-will dramatically change how one lives. I started my own journal of the 1000 (plus!) gifts He gives me, but found I would only last a few days, and then it would get pushed aside for a week. Or a month. So I've decided to post my 1000 gifts on here for some accountability.

Mommy Guilt
I've felt my share of mommy guilt over the past 5+ years I've been a parent. From less significant things like sunburns and babies rolling off the couch to more substantial things like making my babies cry themselves to sleep and Bubba's circumcision. I wish I'd breastfed my older two. I wish I'd given birth naturally the first two times. I'm sure I could come up with an extensive list.

The most recent onset of mommy guilt came at the expense of Budders' teeth. I took him to the dentist this week, concerned about some chipping and a spot on one of his top four teeth. The mommy guilt had set in even before I booked his appointment. Does my baby have tooth decay? Did I not brush his teeth enough? The dentist confirmed my fears: Budders has two cavities and all four of his top teeth have soft enamel. Apparently this is fairly common, and is most likely a result of a fever or some other disruption while I was pregnant with him. No matter what, I carry at least some responsibility.

Mommy guilt does not feel good. Sometimes guilt is destructive. It can put us in a bad mood, and can damage relationships. It can keep us immobilized in depression or self-pity. It can even make us physically ill. This guilt is not beneficial.

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

But some guilt is good. Guilt can be a catalyst for change. Researching before Budders' birth, I felt so guilty regarding Bubba's circumcision. Although I can't go back and change my uninformed decisions, I could make a better decision for my future son(s). Likewise, it was during my last pregnancy that I discovered The Baby Sleep Book and The Baby Book, both by Dr. Sears. With my new knowledge came the guilt from letting my babies cry themselves to sleep, but now I know better.


And so I begin my blog's 1000 gifts...

1. mommy guilt
2. grace upon grace
3. the innocent forgiveness of a child
4. piles of clean laundry (we are well-dressed!)
5. a wealth of information at my fingertips
6. the sweet "Flower Girl" who entered our home and our lives yesterday

Holli Frijoles

One of my frugal family favorites is pinto beans. I make these almost every week, and we will eat them in bean and cheese burritos or on a tostada topped with cheese. Sometimes we add sour cream, tomatoes and lettuce, but usually we're purists. This is an easy and extremely inexpensive meal, and takes less than 5 minutes to prepare.

Our cast:

Pinto beans

Jalapeños

A red onion

First you'll want to sort and rinse your beans. Remove any rocks or debris and run them under some water. 

Now dump it all in a crockpot and cover with a few inches of water (don't skimp on your water).

Slice up your jalapeños. I use 3, but you can adjust according to your heat tolerance. No need to remove seeds or dice--big chunks will do. Discard the stems.

Now for the onion. I've made this with a whole onion and a half, and I didn't notice a difference in flavor, so we use half to be more economical. I've used white, yellow, and red onions; Hubby prefers the red. Again, no need to dice, just chop it up a bit.

Throw your veggies into the crock, and turn it to low.

Or turn it to high because you didn't get around to starting dinner until late morning. ;)

Now go play with your kids and enjoy your day. We went to the park and walked around the lake a couple times. At dinnertime, add some shredded cheese (& a tortilla if you're like Hubby), and enjoy your filling meal. 

And yes, I understand there aren't any veggies in our meal. Eat 'em at lunchtime. ;)

Linking up to the 4 Moms' Tip for Feeding a Large Family on a Budget and to Slow-Cooking Thursday

WFMW: Colored Hampers

One thing I have not yet mastered as a mother is assigning and following through with chores for my kids. As a result, I have created much more work for myself, when I would rather spend that time playing with my kids. Once our new girls arrive, I plan on implementing a chore chart {again}, but for now I'm taking baby steps in that direction. I know that I need to get my kids contributing to the household soon, while they still find it fun. The chores that they currently enjoy include sweeping, mopping, washing dishes (with supervision) and sorting laundry. In an effort to simplify the laundry monster, I recently purchased color-coordinated laundry hampers. 

This is an idea I got from my mom when I was growing up, and I am so glad I finally did it. Now it's easy for the kids to sort their laundry. Lights (mostly blues/greens) go in the light green hamper, darks in the dark hamper, reds, pinks & purples in the red hamper, and whites (& beige sheets!) go in the white hamper. If the clothes are not put directly into the hamper (and end up on the floor), I make a pile in front of the hampers and we have a sorting party. Learning and cleaning at the same time works for me!

How safe is your mattress?

Big-girl bed

We started our marriage in a full-size bed. Our first full day in our new home we purchased a plush pillowtop from Nebraska Furniture Mart. About two years later (earlier, really, but that was when we threw in the towel) we grew tired of rolling toward each other during the night, as the {not-so} wonderful mattress had acquired a bit of a dip. Our full mattress became Sissy's big-girl bed, and we upgraded to a queen memory foam mattress from Walmart. It is surprisingly comfortable and much more affordable than its "authentic" counterparts. While our bed is still in great condition (& it came with a 10-year warranty, I believe), we seem to have outgrown it. We officially began co-sleeping with Budders (though the other two found their way into our bed many times before!), and as he has grown, so has our desire for a larger bed! With the expansion of our family in the coming weeks, we decided it would be a great time to upgrade again. So I began researching mattresses...

Have you heard of mattresses off-gassing? Yeah, I hadn't either. And while I'm not stringent about buying all organic, my family and I spend almost half of our lives on or around these mattresses, and I'd like to avoid as many toxins as possible! I first found out about off-gassing at Eco-Novice. (She has some great resources in her post!) Unfortunately, I don't know where to find a king-size futon, so we couldn't do what she did, and we cannot justify spending thousands of dollars on an organic mattress. So I decided that the next best option would be to wrap our mattress. I purchased a queen/king-size mattress wrap from No-Chem Bed Solutions, and we ordered the cheap frugal Walmart mattress. The night we ordered the mattress, I was lamenting to Hubby that I wished we could just make our own mattress. He pulled up Google. 

Did you know people actually make their own mattresses?! I was so excited. I began planning how I could made a straw mattress out of drop cloths. We also researched making our own feather bed, and I thought maybe I'd make a smaller topper for our straw bed. Do you think I've gone completely crazy? Well, we won't be making our own mattresses any time soon (though I am not ruling it out once the kids' need replaced), as Hubby is balking at the work it would take. So we are settling for our wrapped Walmart mattress. It should be arriving at our local store for pick up on Monday. 

I think I am going to wrap our other mattresses, too. It was going to be a little-at-a-time thing, as the wraps aren't exactly cheap, but I saw a great DIY post on mattress wrapping this morning at Embracing the Season. You know I'll be visiting Home Depot soon.

What about you? How safe are your mattresses? Do you care?

Our Family Closet {with HONEST pictures!}

When we were looking at houses to buy, one of my favorite features about this house was our closet. It has nice built-in shelving, and is HUGE compared to all of our previous closets. However, I did NOT plan on filling it as full as it is now!

I also liked Sissy's closet, which was also customized, but after a few weeks with clothes at her level, I knew a change was in order. Like many little girls, Sissy would change clothes fifty several times a day, leaving me up to my ankles knees in laundry if I ever stepped foot in her room.

So we tried out the family closet. Although I still have to pick kids' clothes up off the floor once a week or so, I find it's much easier to manage than 3 separate closets. I also like the simplicity of putting clothes away.  So here you go, in all of its cluttered-glory, our family closet:

On the top shelf are Bubba's pants and shorts, as well as some of my fabric stash (in the tote). You can't see it behind the door, but we have Ikea hanging storage compartments for Bubba & Sissy's underware, pajamas, etc. This side of the closet also hold's Bubba's shirts & Hubby's dress clothes.

The shelves on the left hold Hubby's computer books, some blankets, Hubby's pants, too-big clothes for the kiddos, Hubby's shirts & Budders' shirts.

Directly as you walk in the closet are shelves holding purses, our sock basket, the iron, etc. To the right are my tops, dresses, skirts, and Sissy's dresses and skirts.

And to the right are my maternity clothes (in totes), my coats, Sissy's tops and hanging compartment, Budders' clothes in the hanging drawers, and the changing table, which houses our cloth diapers. With the exception of Sissy's undies, this is how I found the closet when I went up to take the pictures. It's not completely organized, but I love it--a family closet works for me!