The Duggar Family

There are large families present all over the world, and we know that they have as much trouble, if not more than those of us with small families. But, if any of you watch the Discovery Channel, then you are more than likely aware of the Duggar Family from Arkansas, who (last I counted) have 17 children, aged 19 and under!

I think she’s nuts for wanting that many children, and in the world with the way it is today; it’s not exactly a great place to raise children. However, she is one hell of a dedicated mother, and he is one hell of a dedicated father, to willingly have that many children, and to stay sane as she does.

However, I cannot help but wonder if these people are a little off the deep end—because after awhile, you cannot give your children the attention they need, and they seem to be somewhat cult like. I’m not downing their religious beliefs, because children are a gift from God; and to each his own…but something just seems wrong with having 17 of your own children, when there are so many children out there who need homes; and so many parents out there that cannot even take care of the one they have!

Watch the video below to see the whole family from one of their many Discovery Channel specials, and in a few weeks, I’ll be discussing the Gosselin Family (another large family with Discovery and TLC shows!) Remember, the Duggars now have two more children since this video!

So, are the Duggars raising a cult? Are they just that in love with children? Am I horrible for thinking that she should stop bearing children? Tell me what you think!

Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed

This week’s podcast Joe and I talk about Family. I really didn’t know that Joe had a misconception about what family and who is a part of his. So, this was a very interesting, short conversation between the two of us. Please send topics and questions for next week’s show, before I go crazy!

From a Child’s Eyes Episode 2

This great post found at:http://www.valmg.com/index.php/2008/a-great-fathers-day-gift-idea/ gives you a wonderful gift idea for Father’s Day!  I know Mother’s Day was only Sunday, but it is never too early to start thinking of the Fathers we love and appreciate.

 As the holiday approaches, I’ll be giving you some more extensive ideas for gifts and celebrations of the day, but this will be just enough to get you thirsty for more! 
This gift is perfect for computer and techie dads, especially those who are always on the run!  Plus, a USB portable hard drive is great to have around in the event of a system crash, so it may be worth investing in anyway!

We all know that life gets stressful, and there are times that you just cannot focus on your spouse or partner as much as he or she deserves. We know that as time goes on, the less attention that you give to, and receive from your loved one the more tension that it places on your relationship. Well, before you get to the brink of disaster, you need to take action to bring the spark back, so that the flame of desire and the flame of love does not die out.
Here are some tips to help you make sure that your relationship stays on track, and that you are doing everything you can to ensure happiness as a couple.

• Make time for each other, everyday. What matters is that you are making the time. Yes, it could only be five minutes in passing before work, or five minutes before your head hits the pillow, but you two are spending time together. My favorite way to do this is by watching a favorite show together from our TiVo, before we go to sleep for the night, but after our son is down. It’s alone time without a sitter! Then, during commercials, we talk about our day, and dreams, hopes, and goals.

• Do a weekly date night, if possible. If not, at least monthly. Okay, so depending on your children’s ages, your schedules, etc… it may be nearly impossible to go on a date every week. If you can though, make it a point to something together at home even after the kids are in bed, which simulates a date. At least once a month, go out and do something together that allows you to be a couple, without parenting, or anything else involved.

• Never close the lines of communication. Always talk to your partner, and make time to do so. Even if it’s about the daily grind, it keeps you talking. The worst blow any relationship can take is no longer talking to each other!

• Do something each day that makes the other person smile. A surprise hug, kiss, or any action that will make your partner smile is a great way to make sure the spark rekindles. It’s a great way to show you care.

• Go back to the times when you first fell for one another, and think about what it was that did it. Mimic this as often as you can. If you never lose sight of what made you fall for this person in the first place, you’ll never have trouble rekindling that fire!

There’s no magic formula to follow, of course, but any and all of these things will certainly help to keep you happy, and let each other know that you still care, even in the midst of a crazy, hectic, life that you have built together.

When you are feeling down on your luck with love, what are some of thing things you do to bring the spark back? Share your ideas below, because we all can use a little help!

Photo Credit: Flickr.com/Creative Use License

Happy Mother’s Day!  I have been a mother only four years, but in the interest of the holiday today, I thought it would be the perfect time to address my thoughts on what a Mother really is.  It’s my way of making sure that I am doing everything in my power to be a good mother, whilst attempting to thank and show appreciation to my own mother for all that she has done.

A Mother is….strong, dedicated, and one hell of a force to contend with.   To be a Mother, we have to be strong for our children, dedicated to our children, and work for our children whilst sometimes working against them.  Our children will realize this only when they become parents themselves; and until then we must keep going forward with our duties. 

Being strong for our children means protecting them from the harm and pain we can, allowing them to get (and helping them) through the pain and harm that we cannot stop or had no control of (from the simple knee scrapes, to the relationship woes, to the death in the family..etc) without letting them see our own.

Being dedicated to our children means doing what is best for them, no matter what it may cause for the others around us.  If moving away from our home is best for our children because of the opportunities it will afford them, we must do it in spite of the pain it causes both ourselves, and our children–as this will pass… and we must strive for constant betterment.

Being a force to contend with means that we must stand for our children whenenver, wherever, and against whoever is necessary.  Yet, because the very child we aim to defend and protect with our lives and everything we have may have need protection from themselves at some point we must be prepared to defend them by working against them in order to show them our dedication to their happiness, health, and safety.

A Mother is….bewildering, strange, and at times insane.  From the standpoint of our children, we will be considered anything and everything under the sun at any given point in time until they begin to understand exactly what being a parent means, and what is required of one.  As a person, we will contemplate what life was like before we ever became a Mother, how we ever lived without our children, and how we balance all the things that are on our plates at any given moment…most of the time with joyful thoughts.  However, there will be moments when we glance at our lives and scream wishing we could go back to those carefree days that our children are currently living; but we will do so secretly, and no true desire to rid the world of our children.  This is what makes us strange, and insane.

A Mother is…purely amazing.  For the lack of better phrasing, and more time (because I am a mother who must tend to my child, and other responsibilities as such) this is the only other thing I can say. 

What women do to become mothers, as mothers, for mothers, and everything in between where her children and family are concerned is nothing short of amazing!  It does not matter how long she has been a mother, how many children she has, her economic, marital,or any other status–she is amazing, because she puts herself second in her own life–for her children, forever.

It was much harder to write this without getting sappy than I thought!

I hope each and everyone of you that are mothers reading my blog right now have been celebrated and appreciated the way you deserve to be.  Now, I could read this each day and think of something to add or take away from it; so, please tell me what you think a mother is, and maybe together we can all come with something truly grand!

Am I right?  Wrong?  What is a Mother to you?

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and rather than waiting until the holiday to post about it, I thought I’d give you a few days advance notice!

Here are some gift ideas for the woman who gave you life!

Breakfast in Bed. Make Mom breakfast and give it to her in bed. Or order breakfast, pick it up, and take it to her if you can’t cook.
Day at the Spa. Treat her to a day of pampering.
Mother’s Jewelry. Get her jewelry with the birthstones of all the kids. It can be a necklace, bracelet, or a ring.
A poem, song, card, or photograph. Something from the heart, is all that matters here.
A hug, smile, and a thank you! Prehaps this is the best gift of all, because it is the most appreciated, and it is free!

And let me leave you with this video about Mothers.

What do you do to celebrate your mother? What are some of the best Mother’s Day gifts you have recieved?

To start our regular weekly podcast series, please download the mp3 below.  For more information on our weekly podcast series, please click here.

As this is episode one, and I didn’t have much to go on from readers, I just let Joe run with it, pretty much (and had to direct the conversation a bit more than I want to in future episodes); and it is very improvisational on my part, for sure!  Hang in there with me, and I am confident that I will get a routine down that Joe and I will be able to use for future shows.  We will have to try several different recording and/or editing techniques in order to determine what works best for us, while providing you with the highest quality podcasts.

Kindly remember that his attention span does not give me much time to record and work with him, so that while improv is what we want from him, you may have to get it from me occasionally, too.  It depends on my response from you!

Send in questions, topics for discussion, etc. to me via email.  Deadline for inclusion in Episode 2 is Saturday May 10th, because of the Mother’s Day holiday on Sunday.

See you next Wednesday, when Joe and I discuss family and what it means to him.

From a Child’s Eyes Episode 1

Let Joe know you heard him, and share your thoughts below.

Welcome to the May 6, 2008 edition, of the Everything Family Blog Carnival! We received many great submissions; but, a few of them were not topically correct and therefore were eliminated from this edition. We have held on to them for future use, so if you are the owner of one of those posts, you will be hearing from us soon.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Lori Jewett presents Baby Talk posted at Between Us Girls, saying, “Some parents are jumping through hoops, worried about stimulating their baby enough but not too much, trying to do everything right and driving themselves crazy in the process. Are you? Take it from me, it isn’t necessary.”

Niharika presents 50 Awesome Tools for Researching Your Family?s History posted at Bootstrapper.

Family

GP presents Hey, we shall inherit the earth posted at Innstyle Montana- Come on Inn, saying, “Spending earth day with family and horses.”

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Crazy Aunts and Other Mad Relatives posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Vacation Locations presents Florida Vacation Rentals posted at Vacation Locations.

Davexplorer presents Smart Politicians posted at laughinglemons, saying, “Thank you for hosting the carnival, and if your interested in working on a project together feel free to let me know.

Cheers,
David”

Ken presents What Are The Obvious Signs Of Infidelity? posted at The Cheating Detective, saying, “Help with identifying, confronting, and overcoming the infidelity of one’s partner.”

Life

Mother Hen presents Wholesome Christian Adventure posted at Ship Full O’ Pirates.

Moms

L King presents The Joy of Homemaking posted at FeedBulletin for: financialbullet, saying, “Great tips for mom with limited space. Organize your home in a snap!”

Parenting

Jessica Jones presents Winning at Parenting through Trust posted at Practical Nourishment, saying, “Attachment parenting and counterwill.”

Fiona Lohrenz presents Importance of Play! posted at Child Care Only.

Sara Ost presents North Star Family Matters posted at EcoSalon.

Terry Candee presents The Magic of the Tween Years posted at Bonding Moms & Daughters To Navigate Our Crazy World ……….Oh Yeah AND Crafts!!!, saying, “A tip to sneak learning into a tween”

Amanda Harris presents Reading Is Important! posted at eFamilyBlogger.

Amanda Harris presents When Your Child is the Bully posted at eFamilyBlogger.

Amanda Harris presents Can Twins Have Too Much Togetherness? posted at eFamilyBlogger.

That’s it for this month’s edition! A big thank you goes out to all the participants, and we encourage you to continue submitting for the next edition which will be posted on June 3, 2008. Details to follow at the Blog Carnival website!

Technorati tags: everything family, blog carnival.

Cinco De Mayo, or May 5^th, is celebrated as a sort of  Mexican Independence Day; otherwise the equivalent to our July 4^th celebration.  It is commerative of a battle Mexico won against France in 1862.  Many Americans, regardless of heritage celebrate this holiday too.  It is the perfect excuse for a family get together where you can have burritos and tacos in place of traditional hamburgers and hot dogs.It is also a great way to bring some educational elements into your family time.  The United States is a melting pot of culture, and we should all make efforts to understand as much as we can about them.  Learning about other cultures, heritages, and why things are done the way they are will help your children find and see the equality we strive for in America.  Considering how far we have come from the days of racism and segregation, there is still much to work through to get through the issues that are still present in our society.  Diversity is America, and teaching diversity starts in the home with things such as a Cinco De Mayo celebration.  Plus, it’s a break from the traditional reasons to get together, and to just another reason to enjoy each other.

My family and I make Chorizo burritos, and drink margaritas.  Of course, my son has a virgin drink, but Dad and I get a nice treat!  As my son ages, we will incorporate more learning into the celebration, too. Chorizo burritos are easy to make, so I’ll give you a quick rundown of the recipe.

Ingredients:

1lb chorizo (Mexican sausage, found in many grocery stores)

6-8 eggs (you can add more or less to suite your taste, depending on your love for eggs!)

1 package of burrito sized tortillas

1 large can of refried beans

Shredded cheddar and your other favorite burrito toppings

Directions:

Brown the chorizo as you would hamburger.  It’s very greasy!

Drain, and take back to heat.  Mix in beaten eggs, or beat them as your stir the meat.

When eggs are cooked, you are finished.

Heat beans and spread on tortillas.  Fill with egg and chorizo mix.  Top as desired.   Roll into burrito, serve.  You can also add rice on the side. 

This will work well for breakfast or dinner, any time of year.

I found this awesome website for Cinco de Mayo activities for kids and their families.   Check it out and see what you think, and if there is anything you think you may be interested in doing!  Let us know what you do!  Do you have any Cinco de Mayo traditions already?  Share your thoughts below. 

The picture was originally found on this website, so I’m unsure of how to credit it for copyright purposes.  Just know that I do not claim it as my own!

Have you ever thought about scheduling sleep? I never really did until I’d had a baby and at first even then the thought never occurred to me. For the first two months after my son was born neither of us got much sleep. He’d stay awake for up to fourteen hours at a time and so, of course, would I. After being awake all that time he’d go to sleep for a few hours then be up for another six or so until he’d finally pass out for seven or eight. I say pass out because he didn’t just go to sleep. You could tell that he was exhausted and he’d just drop off midscream sometimes. Getting so little sleep was making him cranky and wasn’t doing much for my disposition either. So at his two month well baby check up I asked his pediatrician if it was normal for a baby to sleep so little. He said it depended on the baby but that they usually slept a bit more. He also said because my son was growing well and seemed happy not to worry. I nodded but thought great, I’m never going to get any sleep again ever. Then I mentioned that every once in awhile he’d sleep for seven or eight hours when he was completely exhausted. POOF the pediatrician turned into my fairy godmother and Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo our sleep problems were over!

How was this magic accomplished? He said, “Have you thought about putting him on a schedule?” Well, no. I thought when babies cried you were supposed to pick them up. So when he cried I picked him up. He’d fall asleep I’d put him down then he’d cry and I’d pick him up. It was a vicious cycle. The doctor told me that after about three weeks babies learn that crying gets them attention and they’ll do it just to be picked up. The good thing about this little manipulation is that it means they can learn. If they can learn crying equals being picked up by mommy then they can learn to adapt to a sleeping schedule. What about crying? What should I do when he cried? The doctor looked at me with this look that said very clearly ‘that poor woman’ and then told me to let him cry. Hmmm. This sounded familiar and I remembered a book I’d bought but never gotten around to finishing called On Becoming Baby Wise.
Between the book the doctor and my personal experience here are a few tips on how to begin scheduling sleep for you and your little one:

• Schedule play, feeding, and sleep times
• Do not end with feeding
• Don’t let your baby fall asleep nursing or rocking because when they wake up alone (and they wake up several times a night) they don’t know how to put themselves back to sleep
• Wake him up after his nap time is over even if he is sleeping soundly (this one is hard for me but when I let him sleep the schedule gets thrown off and he gets cranky)
• If he isn’t asleep after half an hour or so rewrap him give him a snack then put him back down.

With all of this information racing through my head I went home and got to work on the sleeping schedule. We started it the very next day and aside from waking up hungry during his long stretch (yes, I feed him) everything has been going wonderfully for over a month now. We are both well rested and much happier!

Do you use a schedule for your baby? How is it working out for you?
Submitted By: Robin