the mom who yells in the morning

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hey there…
i’m the mom who yells in the morning.
you know, the one who gets worked up from the second she wakes up if her kids get up one. second. too. early.
for the past three weeks, since school has started, this mom has had her fair share of yelling.
and so it goes.
you see…
soleil started the third grade and salem started kindergarten and selah started getting on my nerves.
soleil started dreading school. 
salem started moving at a turtle’s pace.
selah started waking up at 5:30am and turning all the lights on. 
and i became the mom who yells in the morning.
…
soleil has had a tough time starting off this school year.
she misses home. she cries before school. she stomps her feet. she refuses to get dressed. she declares she ‘will not go to school today’.
then mom starts yelling. 
get dressed! get it together! you’re gonna have to be home-schooled! we’re gonna be late! i’m gonna have to sign you in! 
…
salem has also had a tough time starting school. 
he doesn’t want to stop playing legos. he throws a fit before getting dressed. he finally gets ready at a turtle’s pace.
then mom starts yelling.
go ahead and throw your little fit! once you’re over it, let me know! hurry up! get your shoes on! we gotta go! 
…
selah has become the kid who wakes up at 5:30am in the morning. 
are you kidding me?!? so not cool.
she wakes up. she turns on the lights. she starts to play. she wakes up her siblings.
then mom starts yelling.
go back to bed! you can’t have the light on! shhh! stop crying! shut it! 
…
lunch packed. folders signed. shoelaces tied. backpacks zipped. 
they are finally ready to go out the door.
we drive to school.
goodbye kids! have a great day! sorry… mommy… just yelled at you two seconds ago about turning on lights and moving at turtle speed and not wanting to go to school because you miss me when you are there…
the van door closes on my last whisper of sorry…
…
between clenched teeth i express raw emotion. 
with a gulp of hot air i yell out orders.
with a flick of the light on too early, i spew.
with the hint of an unbalanced morning, i ignite a fire squad of words toward my children.
…
so why have i become the mom who yells in the morning?
because yelling is one thing i can do. 
this mom has had a tough time starting school. 
she misses her kids. she wishes they didn’t have to grow up. she wants to erase their 2.5, 6 and 8 year old problems.
but…
i can’t stop them from growing up.  i can’t experience life for them.  i can’t make all their decisions for them. i can’t erase all of their problems. i can’t control the ‘body clock’ of a 2.5 year old who wakes up and turns the light on. at way-too-early in the morning.
but i can yell.  i can yell. and for that single moment i feel better. i can feel like my yelling is helping to progress things along.
…
the mom who yells in the mornings quickly crumbles into shame.
regret grasps at her throat and chokes future lashes.
humanity reminds her tomorrow is a new day.
humility quiets her voice.
the kindness of God shows her forgiveness.
this forgiveness. this grace. this love… covers a multitude of sins.
and reminds me…
let go.
talk with them. help process their feelings. guide their decisions. listen well. be patient. continuously pray over them. don’t worry about being late. 
and…
i don’t have to be the mom who yells in the morning.

Birth Story ~ Salem

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On September 2nd, 2006 our Bubs ~ Salem Charles Babcock was born.
This is his story. 

we found out we were pregnant in January 2006.  so excited is an understatement.
the pregnancy was going great. at 20 weeks, we found out Salem would be a boy. his due date was September 4th, and we couldn’t wait to meet our little man. 
life was grand with our sweet Soleil. we were pumped for her to have a little brother. P.A. was also pumped to [finally] be having a little boy. 

so the months went by and summer came.  june was a hot month and I was one hot mama. i had been through pregnancy before with soleil’s birth and was pretty much an expert. i began to think, ‘let’s just skip these last few months of ankles swelling, raging hormones and increasing crankiness’… 
and just have a baby. 
but it doesn’t work that way… still, there were some days i even managed to convince myself i would go into early labor.  i was in such a hurry to have him.  once i thought i really was in labor and we went to the hospital early, only to be sent home. finally, September rolled around on the calendar.  i was so anxious. on that Saturday, September 2nd, i woke up at 4am and couldn’t go back to sleep, so I read my Bible and wrote in my journal. 
labor had begun.
…
however, i had myself convinced it wasn’t labor. i didn’t want to go back to the hospital only to be sent home. so i talked myself out of it.  i muffled my way through contractions that day and we went on our merry way.  my mom had just come into town the week before. we went to run errands: Sam’s club, Marshalls, Kohls. and for lunch we ate mexican food [a big mistake] i would find out later. and as we were sitting at the mexican restaurant, i hesitantly began to believe i was really in labor. we started timing my contractions only because my mom made me. 
yes, did you realize that even at age 29 your mom can make you do something?  
it’s true. 
my mother knows best. thanks mom. 
otherwise, he might have been born under the table. 
playing with daddy’s hand at the restaurant while i’m in labor
 after lunch, we walked around the mall at Easton and went to Barnes and Noble where Soleil played with the “chu-chu” for a little while. i figured lots of walking and activity could only help progress this lil’ labor to move along, so i was all for never going back home. and procrastinating going to the hospital for as long as possible.  at Barnes and Noble, we timed my contractions, as they increased in strength and intensity, until *again* my mom made me strongly suggested we prepare to head to the hospital.  and she was right *again*. here we are waiting for our friend Stacy to pick up Soleil, before we went to the hospital. 

3 generations 🙂
the next few hours were a whirlwind of activity and waiting.  we arrived at the hospital around 7:30pm, and my friend Amy met us there.  i had my support posse in place, and found out i was dilated btwn a 3-4. things were moving along, but not really fast enough for me, so we took a little walk around the maternity ward.  that was fun until i threw up my mexican lunch from earlier all. over. the. carpet.
  “Clean up in the maternity hallway!”   
i continued laboring in the room and was barraged with a bunch of labor questions from one of the nurses.  she had impeccable timing *during* each contraction.  i had answered so many questions prior to labor and filled out a laundry load of paper work, so i didn’t understand why she was asking me again the same questions. i was growing irritable. i was waiting for her to ask me, “do you prefer Dr. Pepper or Coca Cola?” “Is your favorite color blue?”  etc… Adam & my mom fielded most of the questions and Amy made jokes to keep me distracted. jokes are one of her spiritual gifts. 

finally…
a few hours, a few strong contractions and a few pushes later at 11:27pm ~ 8 lbs 3 oz of awesomeness entered the world.

Big Sissy!
Our Bubs ~ now he’s a big six year old! Salem is an amazing boy full of energy, compassion, love and laughter.  we are so grateful to have him as our son.  he brings us joy every. single. day.
Birthday Boy~loves his homemade Super Mario characters from Soleil 🙂
Happy Birthday Bubs! We love you and are so excited to share your birth story today!

The Original Playstation

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I love fall.
Fall time is outstanding in central Ohio. The weather is perfect. The colors are vibrant. The pumpkin spice latte is baaaack at all the coffee shops.  
Yes. Fall is lovely. 
My favorite part about fall *besides all things pumpkin* is the time we spend outdoors… 
The original playstation.
Nothing beats the great outdoors. No “konkey kong”, Mario video game or anything on T.V. or the Wii can even. come. close.    
As summer comes to an end and fall is just around the corner, I can’t wait for all of the fun we are going to have in the great outdoors of Ohio.  
I’m also feeling nostalgic for the wonderful times we had this summer. Especially all the fun we had exploring the original playstation ~ the great outdoors of Oregon. 
*Here are some more snapshots*
Silver Falls State Park 

Monkeys
looking out from the top of the falls

silly & serious faces

Me & my sister in law Amber

our family with cousin Micah

Sisters, OR

I love that Oregon has a little town called “Sisters” & the capital of Oregon is “Salem”
Salem & his sisters playing at a park in Sisters, OR

The High Desert Museum ~ Bend, OR
Exploring the pioneer ranch

Smith Rock ~ Terrebonne, OR
During this hike we used the rapid shooting feature on Adam’s camera phone. It was fun to capture lots of facial expressions and background beauty of Smith Rock.

the slippery rocky trail

Exploring
Aunt Amber!
Selah with cousin Noelle

the hike back up and out of the canyon

We ended the outdoor festivities with a campfire. Right next to a pile of wood chips.

So this fall we will be exploring the outdoors of central Ohio.
Wherever you live across the globe ~ get outdoors and enjoy 
the Original Playstation!

Top 10 Travel Tips

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For the past 30 some years, Adam and I have both had the opportunity to travel many places, all over the world. 
We are almost travel pros.   
For some, traveling can be extremely stressful… especially with kids.  The thought of traveling with small children is close to having a root canal. 
BUT. You should GO!
Kids shouldn’t hold you back from traveling…Even as we were backpacking in Europe before we had our wee babs, we spent much of our time dreaming about one day traveling with our children.


Now, it is time to share our “Top 10 Travel Tips” for successful travel with children and adults, taken from our trip to Oregon last month.

1. Be prepared to wear a diaper.  
Ladies – sometimes you won’t know when “aunt flow” is gonna visit… if it happens at 10:30pm in a small Oregonian town with every store closed and no 24-hour Walmart handy, you’re gonna need an alternative… thankfully, I had a diaper handy when ‘flow’ visited me…and a wonderful husband who went out the next morning to buy me some necessities. Until then, the diaper worked brilliantly. and… they were pretty much the same size as the pads my hubby came home with. 
2. Be prepared for temper tantrums. from your children. and from yourselves. be prepared to handle them creatively.

Travel isn’t always easy.  Sometimes children and adults can get irritable.  Selah was throwing a fit on our way to Portland and nothing was settling her down…until she discovered mommy’s vaseline tube. she squirted it all over herself. I let her go with it. my brilliant idea worked.

3. Be prepared to take a nap. whenever. wherever. 
Sometimes tantrums break out as a result of being tired.  and when your child finally falls asleep, don’t move them.  even if they look uncomfortable.  it will be better for everyone involved, especially the old lady squished up next to you like a sardine on the airplane… trust me. let them sleep in whatever position they fall asleep in. and *bonus* if you get a nap in too. 

4. Be prepared to eat the same thing almost every day.
it’s easier. it’s cheaper. it takes up less brain space not thinking about what you’re going to eat. if you have a refrigerator handy, buy your food at the local market and pack it. 
we packed lunches nearly every day. sandwiches. fruit. veggies. chips. water.
it’s better for your body and for your kids if you have homemade food handy that everyone enjoys.  some restaurants can be nasty.
and don’t spend your whole travel experience at restaurants. be adventurous. 
discover an unexpected picnic spot.
Silver Falls State Park
Sitting outside of Whole Foods

5. Be prepared to find restaurants with toys.
When you do need to eat out, be prepared to find restaurants with toys. or places that are family friendly.  we prefer non-fast-food places which takes a little extra work on our part. with the help of the app Yelp it usually works out just fine.

We had a nice time when Grandma took the girls out to lunch at a tea shop, complete with gummy worms for the kids.
We also went to The Laughing Planet cafe. complete with dinosaurs on every table to enjoy.
lots of laughter at the Laughing Planet Cafe
After we finished eating, we used Yelp to help us find a nearby park
6. Be Prepared to embrace both the similarities and differences of each traveller. 
Our family enjoys most of the same things. playing. being outdoors. being silly. being together. eating the same things…
our kids are not picky about what they eat. they are pretty good at sharing too – a chicken salad with chips & salsa.
We are also very unique personalities. we need a break from one another. all of us need space at some point during travel. space while traveling with others can be hard to find – sometimes that “alone” time is available during a car ride… 
Salem asleep. Soleil “talking” to her friend on a toy cell phone.  Selah getting over a tantrum. 
7. Be prepared to embrace other cultures. and their ice cream. 
We went to Woodburn, Oregon and ate at a well known family owned Mexican restaurant one evening.  Woodburn has a large Hispanic population and is a very family friendly area.  We enjoyed and embraced every moment at the restaurant and the ice cream shop.

We also enjoyed the smiles we got from the window shopping we did.  In all my life and travels and shopping, I have never seen boots such as these… these boots were definitely made for walkin’.
8. Be prepared to wear the same thing during your travels and live out of your suitcase.
I don’t have any specific pictures to capture this point.  But if you look back at the pictures from the last few [Oregon travel] blog posts, you will see we pretty much wore the same outfits on our trip.
it’s easier to pack. it’s very freeing. just bring your 5 fav outfits. and a scarf! just do laundry.
it’s totally worth the less crap you have to cart around. especially when you also are carting 3 small children around.
9. Be prepared for all things random.
Life is too short to not. have. fun. Sometimes the random things you end up doing while traveling, end up making some of the most precious memories. 
You let your kids play on Grandpa’s treadmill with their cousins.

You take lots of pictures…of random things you find hilarious.
we told the kids these were “marsh-mellow farms”

You give your kids the extra leg room… they deserve it.
10. Be prepared to be thankful… in all circumstances. 
even in an hour of traffic because of the beauty around you.

even in the difficult moments flying home… remain thankful. 
home sweet home. with a monkey in the background.
Don’t expect perfection. just be prepared to be Thankful. 
Take your kids [or just yourselves] and Go.

We have taken our kids pretty much everywhere we go.  Here we are on our mission trip to India in 2007.  Since having the wee babs, we have been on the road, in airplanes, biking, boating, running, and walking everywhere with Soleil, Salem & Selah.  Soleil (8) has been flying since she was 6 weeks old.  She has flown several times and been on countless road trips in her short life.
This picture is from their first nap in India-Soleil (3) & Salem 9 mos).

Live out of your suitcase. 
Eat the same thing everyday. 
Let yourself have a tantrum. and a nap. and be prepared…




Be prepared to Embrace. Experience. and Enjoy. every. crazy. pointless. ridiculous. random. silly. moment.

God’s Sandbox

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Ahhh…the Beach!
God’s sandbox.
Get there if you can. Really.

The Northwest Pacific Ocean…
It’s sandy, rocky, windy, sometimes cold, sometimes sunny and always beautiful.
The waves crashing against the shore is the most somber sound.
The openness of the ocean is overwhelming.
The vastness of the view is incredible.
The sands by the seashore are innumerable.
Here are some pictures from our trip to Oregon… 
where we had some really great times playing in God’s sandbox.

we thought the flying nun was chasing us, but it was just Grandma 🙂

Soleil & cousin Noelle

Selah and Noelle

Adam and the three wee Babs with cousin Micah
Salem wore daddy’s sweatshirt when it started turning chilly
Soleil kept warm with her sand blanket

Grandma had to take drastic measures to stay warm

Then the sun came out again on our way home

It didn’t matter that we were caught in traffic for an hour; I was driving and couldn’t stop smiling, after a beautiful beach day in God’s sandbox!
The Pacific northwest coast is more often a sweatshirt beach, than a swimsuit beach.
And there is always the option of wearing a wet suit.
If you’re okay with this, and you prepare by bringing different layers of clothing, you will LOVE it!
On our last trip to the beach, the last day of our trip, we had the chance to go boogie boarding.
Adam jumped at the opportunity and ran to rent his wet suit and board as soon as we got there. 
But I was more hesitant.
I debated for about 30 minutes, worrying about the kids…would they get bored, tired or cranky sitting on the sand with Grandma & Grandpa?  Worrying about myself…would I have enough energy to withstand the ocean waves tossing me around?  I’m not a good swimmer, what if I drowned?  Worrying about the money…was it worth the $35 cost of renting the wet suit and board for 24 hours, knowing I might only use it for 30 minutes if I hated it???
Then, God slapped me upside the head and said, 
“You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
So, I ran over to the surf shop to rent my wet suit.
Have you ever worn a wet suit? 
They are extremely difficult to put on… and get out of.
But it was worth it. Every penny of the $35. Every ounce of energy it took for me to get in. and out. of that wet suit. so worth it!
We boogie boarded for about 3.5 hours and still weren’t ready to go.
The breakdown of the cost ended up at $10/hour… so worth it.
I could spend $35 on so many other things, but nothing can replace that experience.
And of course, the kids were never bored hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa, playing in God’s sandbox.

Any chance you get, get to a beach, any beach!
For your kids, for yourselves, for your friends, get there!

Who wants store bought sand shoved into a plastic turtle which ends up being used for cat litter box when the lid is left off accidentally??
We need the Beach…
We need to spend time in God’s Sandbox.