Emilie... is a mom of three boys. She is the founder of both Jackson County Parent to Parent and Families For Community, non-profits that exist to equip parents who have children who experience disability to be the very best advocates for their kiddos that they can be. She began her advocacy work both locally and at a state level in 2007, when her youngest, Parker, was diagnosed with autism. She is immensely passionate about empowering and equipping families experiencing disabilities. She is also a consultant for thirty-one, a company that sells super cute purses, and organizing accessories.

I hate the rain. I hate to drive in the rain. I hate that my butt gets wet while I am frantically trying to buckle my youngest into his car seat. And I don’t like the smell of wet boys OR wet dog. Rain means the kids unable to run outside and play, and a houseful of boys for days on end usually equals in tears for all of us. But I have a secret weapon. I am crafty. I have Construction Junction.



Construction Junction was something that my mom used to have in her elementary program and she introduced it to my boys this past summer. I am all about providing opportunities for craftiness (I am kind of a craft-whore, don’t judge), and ALL of my boys go nuts when I bring out the Construction Junction box.

Construction Junction is recycling meets adhesive. It is low-temp glue guns, rolls of colored tape, scissors (optional) and whatever you choose to save. Favorites in our house are toilet paper tubes, washed out applesauce cups, corks, egg cartons, frozen juice lids, etc. Occasionally, I will purchase pom-poms, pipe cleaners, or googley eyes; but we try to keep Construction Junction about giving the boys opportunities to be creative with things that we would normally throw away. My house ranges from an almost 11-year-old down to a 5 year old that experiences autism. EVERYONE loves Construction Junction and it can mean HOURS of entertainment and creative play.

Some of you are sweating right now at the idea of setting your child loose with a glue gun. Never fear!! Today, low-temp glue guns are easy to find at any craft store and while the glue is hot, it will not burn. Just as we take the time to teach our kids that we use a fork to eat with, and not to shank your brother with (What?! Only in my house?!), we should also teach our kids that glue guns are for gluing stuff (paper, tubes, pipe cleaners), not siblings, the dog, or furniture.



Construction Junction is not a new concept, but sometimes as a mom I need to be reminded that certain activities are a great idea. This is one of those great ideas! Construction Junction is the ultimate cold/wet weather indoor activity in our house, and hopefully soon it will be in yours!

Yesterday I stayed in my PJ's and scummy bathrobe until noon... I wouldn't have gotten dressed so early, but my hubby texted and said he was coming home for lunch... and I didn't want him to think I hadn't gotten anything done... although the mountain of dirty dishes in the sink and pile of laundry on the couch may have clued him in.



Do you ever just get to that point when you're so worn out all you can do is wander around with a blank look on your face and try not to drool? Hmmm, just me then?? I feel like I should be smoking the Santa crack my kids are on... it's Christmas! I should be giddy and happy and pooping jingle bells or something... shouldn't I?



Tonight I went on a date with my man, (well technically we packed up his office and went out for dessert, but my teeth were brushed and I had a bra on so we'll call it a date:) Anyway, the entire time he was saying, "Open your eyes... we're on a date".... then we got home and I still had to write my post and I had nothin. When I asked him what he thought of my first draft he said (after about 3 minutes of silence), "Welllll, if your goal is to cause controversy and make people angry at you I think it's great." Needless to say I deleted that draft.



Where's this going??? Nowhere, I'm brain dead remember??? I feel empty, and tired and blank and guilty that I feel empty and tired and blank at Christmas.... I just can't snap out of it. I'm not a grinch, I don't hate santa and I love Jesus... so why in the heck can't I get my butt in gear???  I'll tell you why... I'm tired... not just sleepy ... I'm exhausted to the core. I'm tired of unending laundry, I'm tired of cleaning all day just to have someone let the dog in with muddy feet, I'm tired of feeling like what I do all day doesn't really matter, because it just gets undone for me to redo the next day. Honestly, I do love my job... I know that I am blessed to get to stay home with my boys... I am excited to watch our little company grow and I am sooo soo proud of my hubby and how hard he works to provide for our family... but there's nothing in life that's just for me... and I today I realized that my weekly alone time consists of me running to the grocery store on a Saturday morning. I told my husband the other day that even if I had all of the time and money in the world... I have no clue what I would do that was just for me. I asked moms on our facebook page what they do for themselves, just to try to relate to something... but I realized this isn't something that's going to be solved overnight. I do know however, that I have to start taking back some "Mommy Time"even if it's a minute at a time... I HAVE TO!!! It's not selfish, it's not self serving... it's survival... I have to figure out who I am again, apart from being the chief butt wiper and maid (yes, a crappy maid, but still a maid)... maybe I'm alone in this... but if I'm not, somebody give me an Amen... and then let's start taking back "mommy time" together, one minute to ourselves at a time. Merry Christmas to us!



***I've been feeling like this for a while, but actually  Delores' post on getting lost in "mommy-land" and a great article on "white space" at mandythompson.com really inspired this ...  ***

     I am pretty sure that my dad could be the greatest man on the planet...I can only say this because it's safe to say that my husband would agree (and he's right up there himself) and my son is too young to be in the running...yet.

     I could easily write a book on all of my great childhood memories and I could just as effortlessly fill a book with everything he taught me.  The funny thing is, that book would not be loaded with  a lot of HIS words, to be honest, I don't really remember many deep conversations; but what I learned from him is a "ya, I can do that" mentality.  My dad never sat me aside when he worked on anything...cars, toasters, swing sets, lawn mowers...whatever!  I was always invited to join in on painting projects, building wood thingy doos, yard work or really anything he did, he taught me how to do it.  It's funny because now that I am a parent, I am fully aware that I was NO help to him, but I never felt like anything less than the best assistant he could possibly ask for.   Growing up like this made me brave!  I will take on just about any project, any where, any time...a little honesty moment; I have messed up just as much as I have brilliantly created!  And uh, just a side note; sometimes it's smart to hold off on building entertainment centers if you are not a pro (just sayin!)  I refuse to pay someone when I can get-r-done myself, or at least ask my dad to "help"...he works for free and most of my projects he now gets dragged into, so I'm not usually in it alone!



(excuse me why my daughter and I go hang the "towel rack" that we made in the freshly painted bathroom that I did...)



Lesson...don't try to teach your daughter how to use a drill when she is "starving"  apparently they are "loud"!!!  Eat first.



I'm going to take a little rabbit trail; If your new to our blog, stick around and you will get used to my lack of focus!  Um...where was I?



     Oh ya...Writing this blog scares the poop out of me!  It hit me today when our pastor quoted me from the last blog post that I did where I quoted him...make sense???  I realized that people are reading this (hundreds of people actually), and specifically reading my words...excuse me but AAAHHHHH!  I am NOT a writer (surprise surprise) and I feel panicked every Monday morning when my post goes up.  I don't feel like my words are worthy of anyone to learn from,  laugh at or spend any time reading...and this leads me to the ta-da...deep part of my post...



     I dont know what you know, or what you don't.  I don't know what scares the ?@$&% out of you and what you are a pro at, but I think that we all could use a little of a "ya, I can do that" pep talk.  Hey lady, if you can be a mom, you can paint room, you could paint the moon!  You can be as unstoppable as you want.  You may mess up, or feel inadequate, or you make knock one out of the park baby!!!!  But if you don't try, it is a guarantee that you will not accomplish it!

     So here is the deal, if you are scared, start by hanging a picture (I'm a pro if you want to know how :)  then plant a pot full of flowers (maybe wait till spring for that one) get out your got glue gun and go for it!  youtube some easy projects, or put yourself out there and start a blog, or paint your bedroom (just don't ask the hubbie for his opinion, shhhhh).  Whatever it is, don't sell yourself short and wait for someone else to do it...git-r-done!!!



I would love to know what you are inspired to take on because of this...then let us know how it turns out!



please, please, please, tell your friends about us...we need each other!!!

[A Note From the Earth Monkey Moms...]

I've known Kim since high school... and let me tell you, she's always been saucy:) We were so excited when she agreed to be an EMM contributor, partially because she's an awesome mom and friend and I knew she would do a great job... and selfishly because I am addicted to her sauces and any excuse I can get to consume said sauces I will take.



I tend to be a little gun shy of fancy sounding recipes... and as the self proclaimed "Anti-Marthas" Gena and I had to psych ourselves up to take on the daunting task of (dah dah dah) following a recipe. In true monkey fashion, we thought we could set the 5 kids up with glitter glue and markers and they would decorate their ornaments angelically while we made the bruschetta. Let me just say, Bwahahahahahahahah.  HmmHmm excuse me, anyway that didn't quite work so after an hour of hardcore crafting and 5 kids covered in glitter, we started cooking. And here's the thing... it was sooo easy, and SUPER yummy!! If the Anti-Marthas can do it, you can do it too. So, just in time for party season, here is the bruschetta recipe that will make you look like a gourmet chef and possibly add 5 pounds of junk to your trunk if you down 14 pieces like yours truly...





Saucy Sister's Easy Bruschetta Recipe...

You will need:

1 tub of Saucy Sister's Pesto

4 good size tomatoes 

I small can of black olives

Shredded parmesan

1 baguette



First slice your baguette in half inch slices, place on a cookie sheet and put in a 350 degree oven until lightly toasted

Dice your tomatoes and olives, put in bowl and toss together

Add 4-6 heaping spoons of pesto and a 1/4 of your shredded parmesan

Mix up well

Spread  a little Pesto on each bread slice, spoon topping on, and wa-la, you have an Easy, Super Delicious Appetizer!





Want to win one of the four AMAZING sauces Saucy Sister's makes? All you have to do is "like" them AND Earth Monkeys on Facebook... then comment on the post ON facebook.. We'll announce the winners at 7 pm tonight... Obviously only Southern Oregon residents will be eligible to win since the sauces have to be refrigerated... 





You can find Saucy Sisters on facebook and at Red Rock Italian Eatery in Downtown Medford.

Picture by Maria Alexandra Photography

Ahhh, Christmas time in the McPhail household... brace yourselves people, this could get ugly. Last year was the first time I had attempted to do advent activities with the boys. It was a nightmarish debacle on an on all accounts (I wrote about some of the nightmare here if you need something to make you feel like mother of the year), and I'm pretty sure I swore off ever doing another craft with my children again... or maybe I just swore... or maybe both, I can't remember.



You would think since last year's activities were filled with tears, shanking attemps, f-bombs and pooping on the floor, I would rethink repeating the same offenses this year... but I am bound and determined to make my kids remember Christmas time as being amazingly special, and magical if it kills me darn-it! Luckily my kids are easily pleased and somehow block out the crazy... and that's just enough to give me hope that this year can be better.



Every year growing up Christmas was magical. My mom just has this way of making everything fun and festive... it seemed so effortless at the time, but now I know with 5 kids and bucket loads of crazy, it was all hard work on her end, and apparently she didn't enjoy a lot of it:):) Anyway, being the "Anti-Martha"that I am makes me  the black-sheep of the family in the domestic department. The genetic code that was given to my mom and sisters that makes them naturally wonderful and June Cleavery (well, sometimes June Cleaver on Crack, but still June-Flippen-Cleavery) was not deposited in the Lindsay Bank... it seems like the harder I try to make things special, the worse it gets. Either he kids don't want to join in, or they're fighting or I didn't read the directions (shocker) and put the head where the butt's supposed to be.

Oh what a lovely night...I just got both kids down (in their own beds...miracle) and I'm sitting here in the silence (except for the t.v., the drier, and the dishwasher) just me (and the dog, and the husband) typing.   O.K. so it's only a little glamorous.  The beautiful part is the shimmery Christmas tree beside me, not to mention the chuga chuga choo choo train (named by my 2 year old) lying in pieces underneath the for-mentioned shimmery Christmas tree.   None the less, it's pretty.  What makes it even better is that I can gaze at it through my peripheral vision (fancy word), (O.K. I'll stop using parenthesis now, I know its annoying!!!) and completely ignore the massive pile of boxes, stockings, wreathes, lights, snowmen, and other decor behind me...you get the picture right?  You see, my decorating has just begun...2 days ago!  I have had time to accomplish nothing other than the tree and the mess!  I am not complaining.  I love Christmas and all most of what it brings, but sometimes, it's all just a bit too much.  Here are just a few things I am trying to accomplish (along with my normal job, kids, house, company, volunteer work, nose and butt wiping, driving, etc, etc, etc...)

I did not wrap this!

Christmas cards

Decorating

Baking

Christmas parties

This is NOT my house!

Shopping (No I was NOT out there with you crazies on black friday, or I guess it's thursday now!)

Wrapping presents like Martha

Making the perfect Christmas CD

Lights outside that could rival Clark Griswold!

Lights inside

  putting out Christmas dishes...and on, and on...

I know that a lot of you could fill in about a dozen more things you are wanting to do in the next month, but here is my thought for all of us.  First of all if you love the chaos, you go girl, but if you are like me and you don't, I think you will appreciate the words that our pastor gave us today.

He said (I may not be getting this exactly right but here goes)



"I want to make MORE of Christmas, by making LESS of Christmas".



Read that again...

"I want to make MORE of Christmas, by making LESS of Christmas".



I LOVE THIS!!!!  Because I love Christmas, I am going to make LESS of it this year.  What I love, is that for every one of us that chooses to do this, it will mean something different.  For me, here is what it means.



I will not buy every toy that my kids say they need.

I will not make my own bows for each package.

I will not bake.  Nope not even once!  I hate baking people, and I'm the only one that will eat it any way!

I will not host a party, or shop for a new outfit for any that I go to.

I will not care if I don't get wreaths put up just so, or if the stupid train spends more time on the floor than it does on the track.









And I will go back to what Christmas means to me and my family.  We will celebrate Jesus birthday.  We will remember why celebrate, and focus on the magnitude of what He did for us.







So thats it.  Simple.  I am making more of Christmas this year by making less of Christmas this year!





MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Delores with daughters Sarah and Heather

More of Delores' Clan...