Poop happens...again annnnd again....

Y'all, I seriously don't even know where to start.  From the lack of posts, you can guess how my days have looked lately.  My tired brain lacks focus due to exhaustion and the fact that I'm trying to type while listening to what sounds like my dishwasher dying a slow, miserable death.  Seriously.  It's to the point where I have to flip a breaker off and on to trick the electric panel on it just to get it to cut on.  I'm scared.  Handwashin' with a family of 5 is no joke.  If you're looking for somewhere to place your extra cash for a 2015 tax write-off, just send it on over to the Slay's dishwasher fund.  I mean, that's gotta be a legit charity.

So, where to start in this epic catchup session?  Chicks?  Rabbits?  Opening a nudist colony?  Painting with poop?

Decisions, decisions.

Welllll, since it's fresh on my mind and still triggering my gag reflex, I'll start with my latest poop debacle.  Suddenly, Trek has decided he hates diapers.  Like, with a passion I've never seen out of a 23 month old.  If his diaper has fewer than three strips of masking tape on it, it spends fewer than 30 seconds on his body.  I'm baffled.  He also wants to sit on the toilet approximately 50% of the day, so I decided maybe it was time to get some awesome undies and get this potty training show on the road.  Some days have been better than others, but for the most part he gets it.

Until this morning.

I'd just made a rare, solo trip to the restroom and poured myself a large, hot cup of coffee  afterwards.  Just as I settled onto the couch in the living room, I heard a weird thump from the wall behind me, which is where the virtually unused 3rd bathroom is located.  The tub drain needs work, the toilet is fun-sized, and the uncovered window faces out into the back yard.  The kids occasionally use it, and it did make a great one night home for our new bunnies, but it's the kind of room we pretend doesn't exist for now.  Ok, so with coffee in hand, I opened the door to that bathroom and I almost lost my breakfast.  Poop errwhere.  IN the cabinet, all over the toilet, on the edge of and in the tub...you get the picture.  The kid had just relieved himself big time 30 minutes prior.

I.  Just.  Do.  Not.  Understand.

As I was swallowing my stomach, I set my coffee down on the vanity and attempted to concoct a game plan.  #1, get the kid clean and out of the crime scene.  I bent forward to retrieve him from the cabinet, and my rear just barely bumped my 16 oz. mug, which in turn tipped and bathed the backs of my legs with fresh, hot coffee.  I peeled my socks off, which was totally futile because I still tracked coffee all the way across the house to the kid's bathroom.  I scrubbed him, diapered him...yet another futile move, and grabbed cleaning supplies to tackle the oh-so disgusting poop-smeared, coffee splattered closet of a bathroom.  A bleach headache and 63 paper towels later, I had the bathroom cleaner than before.  I grabbed the mop to clean up my coffee trail to the other bathroom, and as I was progressing down the hall, a very nude toddler darted out of the bathroom.  He yelled "Pee!Pee!" so I ditched the mop and tried to intercept him before yet another incident.

Too.  Late.

I walked in to find a swirling pool of urine and Suave 2-in-1 kid's shampoo in the middle of the floor. I yelled.  I put on his diaper.  I cried.  I mopped, and mopped....and mopped some more because it's really hard to mop up a shampoo/conditioner combo.  I hope you don't have to do it any time soon.  I also hope you don't have to clean up a poop/coffee combo any time soon.  It comes right up with bleach, but it is so incredibly gross.

You may have already guessed, but this is also the reason we've apparently started a nudist colony in the back yard.  It all started with Trek shucking his underwear, then Cade decided a t-shirt and undies were acceptable daytime attire, and we're smack dab in the middle of learning about Adam and Eve, so Eve is trying to live up to her name by being nude and shameless.  Needless to say, I won't have many photos of my kids to share for a while because they're always running around with all their business out for the world to see.  Luckily, the world is shielded from this display by our large lot and privacy fence.  This is quite fortunate for me, because any nosy neighbors probably would've reported me to DHS two nights ago for bathing my kids and dog (in that order) in a cold kiddie pool full of sand and dead grass.

Country life sure has its perks.

Over the last month, I allowed, invited even, an occurrence I swore would never happen to me.  Our animal to human ration exploded, and we are now outnumbered 16:5.  Never say never, folks.

Meet the chicks...

We've been planning our chicken coop and flock since we went under contract on this house.  We are some kind of excited about fresh eggs and bug control in our yard.  Our original plan was to let them free range in the un-fenced yard and woods around the house, but I think a few of the dogs and who knows what other kind of critters living around here would likely feast on our feathered friends.  So, for now, they're confined to their coop and fenced in run.  Soon, we will let them roam the fenced yard.  The photos above are actually about a month old.  We started out with them in a large cardboard box, brooder lights, and their feeders.  Once the temps rose a bit, they graduated to a kiddie pool.  Now, they're in their coop-in-progress, which is a storage closet in the carport we decided we could live without.  The back wall of the closet faced the back yard, so we just cut an opening to the yard and fenced in a small run for them.  It saved us major $ since we went from plans to build an entire external structure to using an existing space with shelving and electricity already in place.  

These are some of the more recent ones.  Cade is definitely our chicken whisperer.  I've found him out in the coop, lounging on the hay with a chicken or two lying on him a couple of times this week.  

We have 4 Rhode Island Reds, 5 Golden Wyandottes, 2 Barred Rocks, and 2 Buffs.  They all lay large-extra large brown eggs, and will hopefully start producing sometime this summer.  

These are the other new additions.  Meet...

Dottie

and Furball.

They are sisters from a litter of lion head bunnies my mom has.  The goal is to allow them to roam the yard throughout the day and just put them in their cage at night or when we're not here.  Pepper (our Schnauzer) is very, ummmmm, curious about the whole situation.  He likes to chase them and play with them.  Furball has learned to be still for a bit so he'll lost interest in her.  Dottie, on the other hand, is a little bit of a firecracker, and she will straight up do an about face and attack Pepper when she's had enough.  They're both sweet and cuddly, but Furball, who was the runt of the litter, is more laid back and affectionate.  

We up cycled the dog house that was already here when we bought the house.  It was massive, and we knew Pepper would never use it.  Originally, we'd planned to use it for the chickens...when we planned to only have a half a dozen or so hens, but we kinda sorta doubled that number, which left the doghouse up for grabs.  We started deconstructing it soon after we moved in, so I don't have any good "before" pics, but here's what it looks like now.  

We could fit a few dozen bunnies in this mammoth cage, but luckily we won't have to.  I got two gals for a reason.  I'm NOT interested in the bunny makin' business.

So, that kinda sorta catches everyone up on the sort of shenanigans we've been up to.  Here are a few extra gems I thought I'd squeeze into this already long, jacked up, all over the place post : )

 I finally put on my big girl panties and used my machine to appliqué using a file.  Eve was begging for an Elsa shirt, and I wasn't about to attempt to free hand that!

The older two took off to my mom's for Spring Break, so Trek was my helper while constructing the bunny cage and chicken run.

The first time we let the bunnies out, I spent a total of 45 minutes chasing, waiting, darting, and nearly falling trying to catch them.  We finally resorted to the good ol' laundry basket trapping method.

At least once a day I find him in the bunny cage.  This is a conservative outfit for him these days...he's mostly covered.

 Guess who turns 2 next week?  Sniff, sniff.

A little silliness on mommy and daddy's bed one lazy morning.

During this post, I had to walk away to clean up more poopage, put Trek back in the bed no less than 20 times (he woke up two hours early this morning and cut his nap short by over an hour...it ain't pretty), and I had to remove stickers from Eve's hair since she decided it was wise to sneak a sticker book into her bed tonight.  I wish I had some profound revelation from all the craziness I've mentioned in this post, but it pretty much just boils down to these few things for me...

Parenting is hard, hard, tear jerking, sleep stealing, back-breaking, mind-blowing work.

Keeping my commitment level low keeps me from losing my evah-lovin' mind during this incredibly needy stage in my kid's lives...so, sorry if you feel like you're getting the shaft. 

The knowledge that poop is anywhere other than in a toilet or diaper triggers my gag reflex and makes my skin crawl like pretty much nothing else.

During this stage of my life, I should never, ever be without a single morsel of chocolate or at least a few ounces of wine in the house.  It's inhumane, and I don't know what on earth I was thinking when I neglected to re-stock.

Like crazy

There was no one before him.  I prayed for a one-shot deal.  Lord, just don't make me have to date around, and I'll be a happy girl.  

He gave him to me.

Nothing was/is/every will be perfect.  There's no happily ever after here.  The learning and loving curve has not dropped.  There's not a day we don't have to work for our marriage…some days tooth and nail.  

He's loved me through all of my hangups and insecurities.  We've been down the dark, curvy paths of loneliness, judgmental spirits, greed, self doubt, God doubt, debt and depression together, hand in hand.  Sometimes this was solidarity, and sometimes this was just because one was dragging the other along.  From the days of stilettos and tailored clothes to those of  an ankle brace, tennis shoes and yoga pants…he's been there.  He's been ever-present through the pounds, stretch marks, hormonal craziness and recovery birthing three kids in 5 years brings to the table.  

Heck.  He even hung in there through my short hair phases : )

He used to romance me with orange tipped yellow roses and things that cost way too much.  Nowadays, he surprises me by teaming up with his dad to make me a table out of a door, bringing me flowers that look like they could've been snatched out of a field, and a running dishwasher when I walk in from grocery shopping.  

Leadership.  Consistency.  Support.  Companionship.  Those are the things that speak to my heart these days.

It's not that our love has grown lazy or tired.  Laziness isn't really an option with the vows "till death do us part" and 3 kids.  We love every day. In every meal prepared, with every hour clocked and dollar earned,  in every joining of our hands as we halfway doze on the couch after a long day…there it is.   In the elbow jabs to the face he endures as all three kids pile onto him…there it is.  In the simple gestures and gifts that nourish my soul…there it is.  

Love.

  I love this man in a way I never knew existed.  

Like crazy.

So this is 30

Yep.  It finally arrived…the big 3-0.

And I'm excited about it!  Will I miss my 20's?  Sure.  But this next decade is going to bring me lots of things, like potty trained kids and more advanced readers that don't make me wanna gouge my eyeballs out with a hot poker when I listen to them.

The 20's were beautiful, heart-breaking, soul-searching, baby-producing, love-stretching years for me.  They're when I married my first and only love.  It's when I went from taking care of a sick husband and being the primary source of income, to being able to come home to serve my family while he provided for us.  In this time I bore and birthed three amazingly healthy, beautiful, and funny blessings.  Between college, summers and marriage, I lived in at least 8 different homes during this time of my life.  This is when I learned all about medical collections, credit scores, and financial frustration.  I've seen friendships fade away, but I've also met some incredible folks who I can't imagine not having in my life.

I've had plenty of stress and "why God?" moments in this season of my life.  So many times I felt like I was completely broken and bone dry, only to be blindsided with a new problem, bill, or sick baby.  But…and I know some of you are about to give me a big ol' eye-roll here…I'm thankful for each and every moment my 20's gave me.

You can stop rolling your eyes now.

Seriously.  They've molded me so much…to the point of being nearly unrecognizable in some areas.

I've slowed down.

I've learned that saying "no" for now is OK.

I prioritize my marriage more.

I'm more receptive to grace and give more of it.

My heart hurts for people and burns over injustice.

I could care less about what society tells me my kids should be doing academically, athletically or socially.

I've realized everyone is doing the best they know how with what they've been given.

I focus less on being religious and more on being a disciple.

I own like 5 pair of shoes and wear several items multiple times a week (my nickname used to be Imelda Marcos).

How could I not be thankful?  I've had experiences some don't see in their lifetime.  I can talk to and empathize with people I wouldn't even make eye contact with years ago.

Gifts.  Precious and priceless.

The gift of cooking for, snuggling, teaching, disciplining, discipling, and nurturing these kids every day.

A husband who knows, really knows, ME, and gives thoughtful, simple gifts.

Experience that's taught me to value relationships with my kids over perfection and schedules.

So.  If this is 30, bring it.

Breathing room

Breathing room.  It's something you don't get a whole lot of as a parent…especially as a parent to littles.  They're touching you.  Talking (and talking and talking) to you.  As in, their hot little breath is so close to your face you could detect exactly what they ate for their last meal...even if you hadn't been the one who shopped for, prepared, served, and cleaned up after it.  They NEED you…like really, really need you.  Brandon commented that feeling the "need to be needed" is not something I will struggle with for a very long time.  So true, darling.

When we looked at this house, we both said it felt like a place we could breath.  There's plenty of space inside and out for everyone to do their own thing, but not so much space that it's a huge chore to care for.  Since we knew we'd be homeschooling here, space was important.  And not just square footage, but space in all the different nooks and crannies of our lives.  In the Slay house, we operate best with a little extra space.  Tight schedules, crammed spaces, maxed out budgets…they all make us crazy.

Leeway.  Margin.  Breathing room.  Now you're speakin' my language.

So far, we've reaped mostly benefits from having a little wiggle room in our lives.  It's been lovely to be able to wake up to a sweet little voice calling "momma!" from his room instead of an alarm.  Nope.  This chick isn't afraid to admit she sleeps till 7 or 7:30 every morning.  Most mornings, we're all able to eat together.  It's been so nice to be able to prepare ONE breakfast for everyone instead of feeding folks in shifts.  Cooking a hot breakfast for my people is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world.  I'm just crazy like that.  I'm pretty sure there's not a wound a buttermilk biscuit can't heal or a trouble a pancake can't fix.  We're talkin' the answer to world peace here.

So, yeah.  We've just kinda been chillin', getting a feel for what homeschooling is going to look like for our family, and resting in our wiggle room.

Oh, and of course, I have photos of my favs : )  I think all of these were taken within the same week.  So, yes.  Within the same week my children ate barefoot on the front porch and (kinda) caught snowflakes on their tongues.  Craziness.

Time out.  Sniff.

I was super sneaky and got a few shots from the hallway.  These two have become the best playmates.  It's done my heart (and ears) good to hear giggles coming from these two instead of whining and screaming.   

Mr. Independence.  Since he IS about to be 2 and all.  

Yep.  This is all we got.  No snowcalypse in Canton.

Squint your eyes.  Now move your face about 5 inches closer to the screen.  There.  See those five white specks?  Those were the "fattest" of the flakes. 

4 days later…and no they're not freezing.  It was in the 60's, and Eve is only wearing a coat because she was in a leotard and tights.  

Who is this BOY?  My baby is gone.

No worries.  The tights came clean.  I was certainly worried about their welfare since she's worn this getup 3 days straight and starts having a panic attack when I tell her it's in the process of washing or drying.  She's been on an "Angelina Ballerina" kick here lately.  I'll take a sweet little ballerina any day over the girl who MOONED HER BROTHER BEHIND MY BACK AT THE DINNER TABLE LAST NIGHT.  How'd I know her brother was telling the truth about her offense?  In her rush to sit back down before I caught her, she forgot to pull her pants back up.  So when I turned around, there she was…"minding her own business", chewing her bite of pizza, with her booty naked as can be seated on her chair.  

I'm not really sure how I started out talking about breathing room and valuing time, and I ended with my 4 year old's bare butt, but oh well.  I'm rolling with it and calling this post "done".  Goodnight.

Just shy of 2 weeks

I've had so many people ask about the new place.  Is it crazy different living so far out?  How's homeschooling going?  Have there been any major changes so far?  Do you like it? And there's been like a zillion requests for photos.

Well, we've been here just 12 days, so my answers will likely change with time, but here goes.

So far, it hasn't really been all that different living further out.  Brandon's commute takes more time, but that was actually one of the perks for him.  He kind of missed the longer drive he had when we lived in the country a few years ago.  That's his time to mentally change gears from home to work mode and vice versa, which he really needs.  I've tried out a few different grocery stores in Canton, and all of them have been ok.  I can get pretty much anything I want with only a 10 minute drive, including carry out from Mcalister's, which actually has a drive thru window: )  Fabulousness!  A new Wal-Mart opened in Canton yesterday, and it's 10 minutes away, as well.  I don't love the place, but it's nice to have it so close by.

I have found that I feel less inclined to hop in my vehicle to run errands or to get out for a breather after Brandon gets home.  Some of that has to do with this sweet lil' happy place I finally cultivated this week.  It's not a finished product, but I can definitely get my sew on.  This spot is on one side of my laundry room.  It's on the farthest end from the kids' bedrooms, and there is a DOOR (hallelujah!)  to keep little fingers out of my stuff.

Another plus is that I'm forced to plan more before I go to the store, which I actually like.  I spent waaaaay less money on groceries when we lived further from the store.  My often mushy mommy brain needs to be challenged, and creating a weekly menu and perfectly organized grocery list in Evernote, complete with linked recipes and checkboxes is just what I need to whip that mush back into shape.  But, when that occasional week creeps up where Brandon has to close 3 nights, I could stress eat a tray of Oreos, and the thought of touching one more dirty dish gives me hives, there's always that bless'ed Mcalister's drive thru window…which I can visit...in my pajamas.  For the win.

Ok.  Enough about Oreos and sweet tea because I could really go for some, and it's 10:23 p.m.  Shame.

Back to that talk of whipping some mushy matter into shape, I've been walking more since we've been here.  We are the first house on a gravel road which loops around the lake and dead ends into a levee, which runs right along one side of our lot (clear as mud, right?).  There are some pretty mean hills on this short road, and pushing 65 lbs of kids in a double stroller on gravel  is no joke.  Today, Cade was able to bike the loop twice for the first time, so my rear is gonna be extra sore tomorrow from that second trip around.

These are a few phone shots from our walk the other day.  They don't really do it justice.  I could sit on that levee all day.

Yep, this one's crooked.  It's 10:59 p.m. , and I'm not about to edit it.  Just tilt your head 3 degrees to the left.  

There.  Fixed it.

As for homeschool, we're easing into things and slowly getting our feet wet.  I've looked at the different types of homeschooling methods, and I definitely think we fall under the "eclectic" category.  We like variety too much to follow some of the really structured curriculums or kits I've seen on the market.  Though we're newborns in this department, I think we will likely keep the loose, eclectic approach to the kids' home education.  I think I'll save my homeschool post for a later date after I have a little more to share.  I WILL say I was shocked by the tiny card I was required to fill out for Cade to be a legit homeschooler.  Seriously, it took me approximately 1 minute to complete.  

There's nothing like creating a skip-counting caterpillar in your alien pjs.  Just sayin'.

As for major changes, there's one that really sticks out.  

Laundry.

Seriously, it's tripled.  And here's why.

These two have been in the muddy ruts left as souvenirs of our move in day every. single. day.  They blow through two full sets of clothes and pairs of shoes by lunch.  They better be glad they're cute.

Oh, and if you couldn't tell, I've completely left Eve to her own devices in the wardrobe department.  It's just not even worth my energy to try and pick out something she approves of.  

Other than these things, we've just had a lot of chill time.  

There've been a few warm'ish days we spent on the porch.

Trek's been rockin' a mean bed head lately.  Wetting, brushing…doesn't do a darn bit of good.

Cade's been practicing with his new bb gun he got for Christmas.  

We're working on that form : )  We need a hunter since our yard is covered in deer tracks.  Seriously.  

This little guy has been cracking us up lately.  He's (I'm) sleeping much better now that he has his own room.  The first night was a little crazy, but I've only heard him wake up during the night once since then.  This. Is.  Huge.

He's been raiding his sister's shoes lately.  These pink ones are his favs because they make loud clickety clack noises on the floor.  

As for house pics…I royally suck at before and after photos.  The majority of the before photos I have are from the listing, and those aren't really accurate since the place was doused in builder beige after those were taken.  I'll try to get a few more things hung on the walls this weekend, and I'll post more.  Of course, I've got a looooong list of DIY projects I'm insanely excited about, and I'll try to take pics of those.  

All in all, we've really enjoyed our first 12 days in our new home.  There's just something really special about owning a home and knowing there's no pending move out date.  We anticipate being here a good, long time.