What is that Sweet Sound; Could it Possibly Be...

What is that sound;
could is possibly be...
is a very curious line.
It's very late at night,
not a child in sight
it's a scary new height...how profound!
When the children are sleeping
all snug in their beds;
Sheer delight lights up the darkest of night.
Although we love them to pieces
there's no denying how
the sweetest sound really just might...
be the one of nothing, just night.

Bath Time Blues....Oh the Anticipation

Imagine waiting for something so long that you could actually smell it. Imagine visualizing holding something so pivotal; at certain moments of the day... it flashed before you. Imagine how something that doesn't even breathe could put you in it's place. Imagine how it could define you....realize that it has more impact than most people could ever have on your internal perception. What power, to have this effect without whispering or speaking a word. How amazing, supernatural, how profound. This silent entity has filled my heart with an overflow of emotions. It has warmed my being...it has satisfied my desire...it has completed me.

Mommy Chronicles

Today has been a whirlwind of emotion. Today has been filled with complete elation and second guessing. Today has been the day that I have approved the final galley of my 1st childrens' book entitled "Bath Time Blues". One's first book is one with many surprises. There are great moment and not so good moments, moments that make you so frustrated you question why you are doing this in the first place. Then that passion that enticed the whole birth of this beautiful story quickly fills you up again and you pick up the pieces. At that moment you dust yourself off you pull it together and are just as enthusiastic as ever. There were many emotions that touched my soul today as I pierced through each page of the final galley my publisher had sent over three times today with new corrections I found each time that needed to be corrected. Getting through that mind boggling process, in this new world of flowing words...I did it. I am filled with such accomplishment as I write this, I feel as though I'll burst from the happiness seeping through my pores. It's off to the printing presses now...soon it will arrive in my hands and that will be one glorious day. I, a mother of 4 from Columbus, New Jersey would have left her everlasting mark on the world. I will be a part of the literary realm, a lulling voice in the page, a forever presence for many years to come.... Yes, I think I can say that today has been a very good day~

A Snowy Day: A Chronicle of a day in the life of the Russell Children

Waking up to more snow then I think the Russell Children have ever seen was quite a magical thing. Of course the first question of the morning was "when can we go play in it?" Now that's a tricky question to answer because children in general are not wired to wait more than a few minutes for anything and they had no idea of the task at hand. Mommy had to pull out and find all of their snow gear from last year, which would be an easy feat for someone who is organized and has put everything in it's place and had a "snow bin" that can be easily located and divvied out. In the Russell abode that is certainly not the case! Just trying to remember where all the winter boots were lurking was enough to make you break a sweat just in contemplation. Boot locating proved to be only semi-difficult, it mas the mitten finding that proved to be the most challenging this morning,for sure. Although their grandma makes them new mittens every year I put them in such a good spot that I couldn't find any of them...so mission impossible was officially on. In our house if you can't find something you improvise. Well the two oldest are sporting my crocheted mittens and are looking very stylish, the third of the bunch is actually wearing his own mittens that I found accidentally before they were ready to charge out into the snow, and the littlest man has the good old makeshift ones. His mittens consist of the old snap on feet of a snow suit that the baby wore when he was about 18 months old... I put each of the feet covers on his hands which are so hysterical because they are these puffy little balls and make him look like he has paws!!! HaHaHa...I tied each of them on his little hands and he was ready to go. Now half of them are crying, all bundled up and ready to out into the wonderland of white. While it's mommy's job to get the kids & daddy, to go out in the snow...it's his job to take them sledding. Laughing out loud I watched them try to plow down our front stairs and down the driveway, of course within moments the littlest guy had fallen face first into the snow!!! There will be many more stories when they trample back in from their sledding excursion, and more laughs to share...and mommy will have the hot chocolate & whipped cream ready for her little monkeys to warm up their bellies:)

The Gabriel Chronicles

As promised a glorious peak in my day to day world with littlest of the four, he's 3 yrs. old and his thoughts and rational go way beyond his years. Gabriel is as loving, curious,persistent and free-spirited as they come. His is a beautiful, intelligent little ball of energy that is constantly on the go. Although he is the youngest in age he believes at all times that he is running the show! His favorite response to " We don't do that" is "YES I DO"! This morning as I was trying to hold a phone conversation, which in this house is nearly impossible, as I turned and left the kitchen for a moment he had a hand full of rice in one hand and a mouth full he had already tried to eat and starting spitting out on the kitchen floor! As I was cleaning up the rice fiasco, which by the way was a good 1/2 of the bag he had also managed to retrieve two screwdrivers and thought he was going to take apart the bottom kitchen cabinets. As I took them away, while he wailed from the top of his lungs...he then professed to me his classic"I'm so Sorry" as he batted his long eye lashes and I'm telling you now it gets me every time!!! So the rice has been cleaned up, screw drivers secure in the tool box and my little man is zooming through the house right now trying to decide what he'll get into next. It's only 11:00 am and the day is still very young...and there's so much more he could manifest. Keep checking in and you'll have plenty to keep you amused, until next time...oh and by the way Gabriel has declared himself a nudist already and yes although he was dressed only moments ago..he is stark naked doing a lap around the dining room table!

Welcome To My Chronicles...the Journey Begins

I'm exciting to be here with you blogging away. My life as a mother of 4 children, mind you the oldest is only 8, is one filled with alot of chaos, laughter,tears, wild stories and so much more. I would love to share openly with you my life and my new venture being a soon to be published first time children's book author/illustrator. I would love to hear from you and all your comments and believe that us mother's need to stick together and be a great support system for one another. I hope to make you think,laugh, and want to hear more. Sometimes there will be elaborate pieces that make you wonder, sometimes there will just be random thoughts or questions, and nightly I will be posting The Chronicles which will be about one or more of my 4 children and what happened a day in the life of Elijiah, Izabella, Brylee or Gabriel on that particular day. So here begins our journey it should prove to be a definite adventure...

Calling all Mothers: Have I Lost Myself to Motherhood

Here's an age old question: Have I Lost Myself to Motherhood? What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that question? Do you stop and ponder the thought...Who am I? Do you brush it off instantaneously knowing that you are very secure in your own skin and never had nor have any inclination of ever asking yourself that question. Possibly you are a mother who shutters at that loaded question...Have I really lost myself to motherhood? All that I am, all that I do, I do for them. What have I become? This question definitely will spark an emotional nerve when asked to any woman. Whether is be good, bad or indifferent. It surely is something to give some thought to. Does putting your child's needs before your own mean that you have" lost yourself"? Well first you have define what you think the definition of losing yourself means. Is it not putting on makeup and throwing on sweats in the morning and diving right into your day as three toddlers are putting on your pant leg screaming for juice and cheerios? Is it neglecting to renew your Allure subscription, which is one of my fav's, and picking up the latest Children's Magazine a sign. In desperate hopes that this time they'll really have the answer on how to stop that tantrum because the other 31 ways that you've tried haven't worked and "I can't bare the thought that this is just the way it will be." Instead of going out on a Saturday night, staying in and watching a G rated movie, while the kids have managed to cover every square inch of the carpet with popcorn, that (by the way)will definitely not be picked up until tomorrow, a clue that this is as good as it's going to get? No matter what kind of mom you are or aspire to be...I think that answering this question will be something truly personal. I don't believe that any woman will have the same answer, I believe that each definition and every reasoning will surely be as unique as we are. I think the most important part of the question is the question itself, not the answer. In question we can get to the truth: to the core of it all. Don't worry about giving the right answer so much as to just making sure that you ask yourself the question... I know I have.