The cover of this week’s Life & Style Weekly magazine features Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and their six (and counting) children. The headline reads: “New home for the kids”.

This refers to the family’s new home in Lloyd Neck, NY, a tiny hamlet on Long Island. The home, called Sassafrass, is an English Tudor style 22,000 square foot house that’s worth $60 million.

The estate includes 48 acres with horse stables, two helicopter landing pads, woods with hiking paths, a formal garden to play in and its own barber shop. The house has eight bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. The guest house has six bedrooms and there is a house for staff, such as nannies and housekeepers, with 11 bedrooms.

The area looks quaint, with many nice parks and playgrounds as well as a cute town with nice little shops.

I understand that a couple in the limelight like Brad and Angelina need their privacy but certainly this can be obtained on fewer than 48 acres and with fewer than 22,000 square feet. The pair claims that the new home is “for the kids”. That’s great but I really don’t think that a large home is what children need in order to be happy. As long as a place feels like home; as long as it is where children feel safe, cared for and loved, they will thrive.

When I was a kid, we lived in a small house in Shorewood, Illinois for about five years. I remember this house fairly well. I didn’t think of it as being small or large…it was my home, which I shared with my family, ate my meals, slept at night and shared a bedroom with my two sisters. Several years ago, my sister returned to our former little cottage. She told me she couldn’t believe that we had lived there as kids; it was a tiny shack.

Sure, maybe the place got run down and even abandoned over the years, but she couldn’t get over how tiny it was. This hadn’t mattered to us when we lived there. I don’t even remember comparing the house to others.

Kids can be happy as long as they have a stable, loving home, be it an apartment in the city or house in the country. Pax, Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh and the baby twins could certainly be just as happy in a more modest home. It kind of makes me ill, thinking about their lavish lives in contrast to the many families facing foreclosures in our country right now. I just count myself and my family lucky to have a home, whatever the size.

Just about everyone is finding it harder to make ends meet these days. The cost of groceries, for example, has skyrocketed. With such a high unemployment rate, those of us who are able to earn much needed income are feeling fortunate.

Those of us who write or blog part time for a bit of extra cash and those of us who write as a more essential means of income, are just some of the moms who are juggling full time motherhood with part time work.

My younger sister has a small ballet studio where she teaches several classes a week. She is also mom to 5 and 9 year old girls and an 8 month old baby boy. Her husband works in computer programming and has a busy political career, as well—at 37, he is president of borough council, in the town where they live. It’s amazing to see them juggling it all. My sister teaches ballet with the baby on her hip. My mom sits the girls one night per week but the baby is extremely clingy and goes wherever his mommy goes (even to teach dance lessons!).

My other sister, the youngest of the three of us is mom to a 17 month old son. She loves to sew and bake and is quite good at both. A few years back she had her own baking business; she sold her cakes to several restaurants and at farmer’s markets. She took a break to be full time mom, until recently, when she started to sew little girls’ tu-tus to sell at our other sister’s studio.

I’ve always written on and off but a few years ago, I also had my own little greeting card business. I guess you can say I’m a bit crafty; I used collage techniques, paper-punching and cutting, stamping and some free-hand drawing to create unique cards which I sold at two local businesses. If it weren’t for the baby taking up so much of my time, I’d still be doing this. I may slowly ease my way back into it soon.

A mom in our neighborhood who is a former teacher tutors children in her home. Another woman I know who happens to be an amazing cook started her own catering business.

I am impressed with women who turn their talents into a means of income, and juggle this work with the 24/7 job of motherhood. I’m pretty sure that all of the women writing for this blog are busy balancing their writing with the demands of parenting young children, running a household and more.

I don’t think I’m the only mom who has needed to take a “time out” for myself during stressful moments or days. I’ve found that it’s a good idea to find calming mantras to repeat and even use imagery to “escape” from life’s daily hassles.

I’ve always used the saying “Let go, Let God”, when I feel overwhelmed and particularly when I feel myself tensing up when it’s time to go to bed. Sometimes that’s when all the stresses of your day hit you: when you’re finally free to relax and let your mind wander. And more than anything, of course, we moms need our sleep!

Recently, I’ve become fond of a new phrase (well, new for me, I mean). I’ve seen the words “Bloom where you’re planted” on cards and artwork by one of my favorite whimsical artists, Mary Engelbreit. This puts me back in the moment and reminds me not to focus on what I wish I had or where I wish I lived. It reminds that I should enjoy life right now, at this very time, in this very place. I have so much to be thankful for: a nice home, great kids and husband, etc. I think this saying might come in handy for other moms when they’re feeling frustrated or having a bad day.

A visualization technique I’ve always remembered was shared with me by an old friend. Some stranger had blabbed all sorts of unpleasant words at me in a parking lot over a near accident which was absolutely not my fault. Things like this used to really get to me. My friend told me of a similar encounter he’d had. He told me that when someone was really bugging him, instead of letting him/her get larger than life, or blown out of proportion, he’d “frame” him. This means to picture a frame around the yelling/complaining person, then picture a smaller frame, then smaller…until the person becomes very tiny. He also said that he’d imagine the person yelling in some unusual language like Chinese or singing opera-style. This turns an unpleasant experience into one that you can actually laugh at. It puts you—not the other party—in charge and in control.

I have found these techniques to be very helpful as a mom and in life in general. I’d love to hear other “Mommy Mantras” and tips for coping with stress from the rest of you!

I was fortunate to be able to easily conceive each time I wanted a baby. I did have a miscarriage in between pregnancies, which was, needless to say, very difficult. Going through this common but painful experience gave me a taste of what it must feel like to want a child but be unable to conceive or successfully carry a baby to term. I know people with fertility issues and see the struggles they go through, and often, the huge sums of money they spend on fertility treatments in attempts to get pregnant.

A piece of odd news I came across today made me think of such people. If I had fertility problems and wanted desperately to have a baby, I might just travel to the Ripley’s Believe it or Not museum in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Last Thursday, a collection of fertility statues went on display there. The statues are voluptuous, five-foot tall wooden female figures. They were acquired by a US company on the Ivory Coast of West Africa in 1993. The company says they were first placed in its corporate headquarters in Orlando, Florida, and that within months, 13 women who touched them became pregnant.

The display of statues has been all over the world and according to their owner, more than 2,000 women have become pregnant since touching them. The statues will be in Myrtle Beach until March 1st. Couples wanting to get pregnant can touch them for free during business hours.

If this piques your interest, you might also want to look into bringing some fertility frogs into your home, burning a fertility candle while trying to conceive, or wearing a fertility crystal necklace. I read about these superstitions while doing a search online, after being intrigued with the news of the fertility statues.

I hope to hear plenty of pregnancy reports related to the Ripley’s Believe it or Not exhibit!

While many studies have shown that breastfeeding reduces the chances of children developing asthma, a new study led by a University of Alberta professor has found that eating fast food more than once or twice a week negated the benefits of breastfeeding.

Several different findings led researchers to make links between fast food and asthma, breastfeeding and asthma and all three together.

According to Dr. Anita Kozyrski, the senior author of a related article published in an international journal based in London, England, breastfeeding for too short a time was linked to a higher risk of asthma, or conversely children breastfed exclusively for 12 weeks or longer as infants had a lower risk.

This benefit, however, was seen only in children who did not eat fast food, or who only ate it occasionally.

The study suggests that the prevalence of fast food in today’s society may explain why asthma rates keep rising even though more mothers are breastfeeding. While there is no clear-cut reason for the link, researchers suggest that high fat content and salt levels may be to blame.

Kozyrskyi was recruited to the University of Alberta from the University of Manitoba to assume the position of Research Chair, Maternal Health and the Environment. Her study was conducted while at Manitoba with Dr. Allen Becker. Together, they examined 700 Manitoba children, about 250 of whom had asthma and 475 of whom did not. They noted that nutrition is only one of the many factors involved in asthma. They do, however, hope that the study will stimulate other researchers to follow up with related, more in depth research.

Other interesting research conducted by Kozyryski in the past year suggested that girls who do not drink enough milk and are overweight may be at greater risk for asthma.

She was also part of the team whose research found a link between antibiotics administered in a child’s first 12 months and an increased risk of asthma.

Our baby is almost nine months old. A few weeks ago, he picked up and tasted his first Cheerio. Since then, it’s been nearly impossible to get him to eat baby cereal and jarred baby food. He’s decided that he much prefers tiny pieces of food that he can eat with his bottom two teeth (the top two are coming in, too) and gums. He prefers any texture but mushy.

I was concerned at first but after speaking with the nurse at our pediatrician’s office, felt better. I told her that he’d rather eat itty bitty pieces of cooked carrot than pureed carrots, like most babies his age. She said that’s just fine and even chuckled a bit, saying, “He wants real food! That’s great!”

So now we’ve quickly moved on from the mushy baby foods to soft foods which can be chewed by an eight month old. If you’re trying to come up with healthy foods for baby during this transitional stage, there are lots of options.

Our little guy likes cooked carrots, cooked sweet potato, tid-bits of banana, mango and peas. This week we will try avocado. He also likes grains of cooked oatmeal (which takes the place of baby cereal), rice and tiny pieces of pasta.

He really enjoys Gerber Graduates Table Time foods, which are conveniently packaged in microwavable cups.  He’s tried the chicken and veggie dinner and this week will try the turkey and rice dinner. I prefer to alternate these meals with the whole foods, as I believe that whole and freshly prepared foods are healthier.

Baby and I also recommend Healthy Times’ organic teething biscuits. They come in maple and vanilla and are really quite tasty (I tried one!). Earth’s Best wheat teething biscuits are good, too. Our baby probably likes Gerber Graduates’ Biter biscuits best because they are the only one of the three he’s tried which contain sugar. I didn’t realize this until I’d bought them and brought them home but figured I’m not going to go nuts and eliminate sugar entirely from his diet.

He also likes Gerber Graduate Puffs, little snacks which look like cereal and contain lots of important vitamins and minerals. He’s had three flavors: sweet potato, apple and banana.

Have any of your babies snubbed the jarred baby food early on? Any recommendations for baby finger foods?

1990’s supermodel Niki Taylor and husband, Nascar driver Burney Lamar are expecting their first child together, a baby girl due in early March. The pair were married in 2006 and currently live in Tennessee. Taylor, 33, is already mom to 13-year old twin boys, Jake and Hunter, with ex-husband Matt Martinez.

Taylor hosts the series Make me a Supermodel, which premiered in January, 2008 and is due to air again on Bravo sometime in 2009.

The model has been through a lot in her life, including the asthma-related death of her younger sister, Krissy, at age 17, an early marriage, divorce and motherhood at age 20, and a life-threatening car accident she experienced in 2001.

Because of complications from severe liver damage which resulted from this accident, Taylor is unable to receive an epidural during child birth. She is quoted as saying that in light of all she has endured in her life time, she could certainly handle natural child birth as well.

The new little bundle on the way must have particularly deep meaning to the model and her husband, in light of the fact that Taylor lost a sister at such a young age and nearly lost her own life as a young woman.

Having twin boys at the age of twenty is quite a different experience from expecting a baby girl at the age of 33. It is truly a chance for renewed happiness and a new beginning for Taylor and Lamar. Jake and Hunter will likely be proud and protective older brothers.

After all she has been through, Taylor will surely savor every moment with her new baby girl.

Suri Cruise is an adorable little girl. I find myself stopping to read captions about her unbelievable wardrobe, her activities, and recently, her favorite play things, when skimming through magazines or visiting celeb websites.

Each photo I have seen so far has featured her with very classic, non-commercial plush characters in tow. There was one with a large plush giraffe, several of her carrying the British bear, Paddington, a few with Curious George and a few with one of my favorites, Olivia the Pig.

I have seen the Olivia books at my nieces’ house and in bookstores and plan to get them for our baby boy. We do have several Curious George books but I don’t recall ever buying our boys a stuffed Curious George.

It’s interesting to me that I have yet to see Suri with a Barbie (okay, maybe she’s a bit young for them), anything in the Disney princess theme, or any character from popular TV shows or movies, like Dora the Explorer. Upon thinking about this, I started to wonder if this reflects any of the values of Scientology, the religion/philosophy followed by parents Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

I heard a bit of a recent Tom Cruise interview, in which he said that they tend to deemphasize the material aspect of Christmas in their home. That’s very nice but please-a two year old dressed in Juicy Couture is not lacking in material things!

Based on her favorite characters, I gather that Suri is not exposed to a lot of television but instead exposed more to books. I like this. I like that she totes around Curious George and Paddington the bear, characters which were around when I was a kid. These characters have withstood the test of time. Our kids read about them, love them and we can relate. I’m on a mission to introduce our new little guy to the classics, including Pooh Bear and the Cat in the Hat.

I’ll be looking out for more of Suri’s favorite tag-along pals and playthings.

I found a wonderful little book for my baby today: Haiku Baby by Betsy Snyder. Each poem is short (haikus have 3 lines, 5 syllables each) and is about nature. Each one inspires emotion and even action when you read to your little one. When I read rain to my eight month old, he loved my exaggerated voice and gestures.

It reads:

“Splish splash, puddle bath!
Raindrops march in spring parade.
Wake up, sleepy earth”

For the first line, I “splashed around”, during the second I marched and during the third I yawned and stretched like I was trying to wake up.

Each haiku is equally engaging. It’s amazing how there can be so much in three short verses! The colorful pictures caught my baby’s attention and the big tabs on the sides encourage baby to turn the pages.

I found this little treasure at my local bookshop, an absolutely amazing place located in the oldest building in town. I can spend hours in there, hunting for unusual and interesting books, journals and other gift items. I’m so glad I went in and found this book for my little one. The kids’ section is full of books which I have never seen at larger chain bookstores.

Another thing that came from this trip is that I was reminded that even during tough economic times (and maybe especially then), small, local businesses need our support, even if it is just to buy a little book for baby.

There is also a haiku baby website which has some very cute nature sounds and other cute features. (I looked it up as soon as I finished reading the book.) You can order the book from Amazon. I recommend it!

I bumped into another mom yesterday whom I hadn’t seen for quite a while. Our now 9- year old sons were friends a couple of years ago, when they were in the same class, which meant that she and I were the hosts of several playdates.

One thing that I always remember about her is that she is very much into being a full-time mom, driving her kids around like a chicken without a head, throwing great at-home birthday parties, practically camping out on the baseball field during baseball season…you get the picture.

When our boys were buddies and I was first inside her house, I instantly loved her taste and decorating style. I asked about a couple of unique paintings hanging on the walls. She had a story for each of them and seemed to be a bit of a connoisseur of art. When she gave me the house tour, we went down to the finished basement last, where she explained that this was the place for her children’s artwork (in other words, it wasn’t worthy of the main floor). She had some of her boys’ paintings and drawings framed, hanging on the basement walls.

While it was nice to see her boys’ work hanging on the walls, I thought it was interesting that someone so “kid-centric” had none of her kids’ art on the main floor. I thought about a relative of mine whose kitchen was plastered with kids’ drawings from the time they could scribble with a crayon. That, of course, was to the other extreme.

That same relative referred to her house as being her children’s house as much as it was her and her husband’s house.

Then, there’s a neighbor of mine who has taught her children that their house belongs to the parents; the children simply live there until they are old enough to have homes of their own. This is a very clear way of showing that Mom and Dad make up the rules—they’re in charge.

I think my husband and I fall somewhere between these two “types” of parents. I love to hang up my boys’ artwork in the kitchen, yet I have my own sense of decorating and would never plaster kids’ artwork all over the walls, as my relative did. I look forward to displaying that wonderful “first art” made by our 8 month old, when he’s big enough to color.

Our house belongs to all of us. Mom and Dad make up the rules, but we aren’t too strict. When I cook dinner, sometimes the kids get what they get and sometimes I’ll give them a choice, if it’s a laid back kind of night when I haven’t planned a big meal. They can decorate their rooms pretty much as they like, as long as they’re not destructive in any way. (I get to do whatever I like in baby’s room, since he doesn’t know the difference!).

How do you handle the decision-making in your house? Will you or do you ban children’s artwork from certain rooms or the nicely decorated first floor?

When we decided to build our house in a new neighborhood, I was naturally excited. I was thrilled to bust out of our two-bedroom townhouse and finally have some space. It was fun to pick out bathroom tile, cabinets and countertops. It was great to finally have a backyard for the kids.

But there’s a lot more to living in a neighborhood than I’d realized. I loved the idea of living someplace with built-in friends for our kids, and for me, too. Neighborhoods are random, though. You never know who might be living next door or across the street.

Like most people in neighborhoods, we’ve had our differences with other people who happen to live on our block. Sometimes our kids get along with the other kids and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes our parenting style clashes with those of other parents, and at times I have been insulted and kept my distance from one particular mom down the street.

As our kids get older, they require less interference, but when we first moved in almost seven years ago, there were days when I asked myself why I’d chosen to live in a neighborhood instead of on a secluded acre somewhere. I am, by nature, a private person but didn’t consider this much before moving into our current home.

The mom down the street frequently reprimanded my children when they were younger. I certainly try to teach my kids right from wrong and everyday courtesy and kindness. But there were certainly times when they misbehaved and I’d expect another parent to intervene at such times. This woman, however, took it on herself to apply her quirky rules to my children. The example that I will always remember is when she told my boys not to wear their baseball caps sideways because this, in her view, made them act rough and talk slang. A cap causing a child to change his behavior was way over the top for me. What right did she have telling my kids what and what not to wear?

I’ll likely be dealing with more of these neighborhood “issues” as our baby gets older and starts to interact with other kids on the block. Our older boys still have disagreements with the neighborhood kids but tend to pick and choose who they spend their time with more carefully.

I don’t think I’m the only one who has found that being plopped in a neighborhood with a random sampling of people certainly has its pros and cons. If we ever move again, I think I’d like a bit more seclusion and privacy. I won’t miss the doorbell ringing at inopportune times. Instead, the kids can invite friends over so we’ll know when to expect them.

The worst possible thing that could happen to a parent has happened to actor John Travolta. His son, Jett, age 16, lost his life after having a seizure and falling and hitting his head late Friday morning.

Travolta, his wife Kelly Preston, son Jett and eight year old daughter had been vacationing at their Bahamas home since Tuesday.

Jett’s body was discovered by a caretaker and soon after was taken to Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport, where he was pronounced dead. He had a history of seizures.

I find it hard to comprehend how a person is able to go on after the untimely loss of a child. There will be huge spaces in the hearts of Travolta, Preston and their daughter, as well as in those of other family members and friends. I’m sure that my heart is one of many that go out to them in this incredibly difficult time.

Winter time means it’s time to nest and make some comfort food. My mom used to refer to this hearty food as “sticking to your bones”. I guess she meant that it has substance and really fills you up (unlike some of the lighter meals we tend to eat more often in summer).

Homemade mac & cheese is always a winner and now that I have my new little “Slow cooker recipes” book, I’ll try a new mac & cheese recipe, using my crock pot.

If you have a crock pot somewhere in your cabinet (or stored away in the basement. maybe?), I recommend taking it out and using it. Most crocks come with their own recipe books. Mine includes a recipe for roasted chicken and veggies, pot roast and beef stew that are delicious. It’s great to throw the ingredients in the pot in the morning and smell the aromas of food cooking all day long, until it’s time for dinner. You get your food  preparation out of the way before facing the rest of the day.

My new little recipe book: Gooseberry Patch: Favorite Slow-cooker Recipes, includes a recipe for cranberry tea and overnight oatmeal with walnuts and raisins. I’ll bet the tea is yummy after brewing for so long in the crock pot and love the idea of waking up to a warm breakfast in the morning after it’s cooked all night long.

This week, I plan to make the barbequed chicken and taco soup from my new little book.

I also got out my bread maker and plan to make some homemade bread this winter. This is another kitchen appliance that I highly recommend buying and using. There’s nothing like the smell of homemade bread baking, it tastes fresh and delicious, and bread makers are super easy to use—they knead the dough and do all the hard work for you! The bread maker will pay for itself if you really use it. The cost of store-bought bread seems to have tripled lately.

The recipe book which came with my bread maker also has recipes for desserts, something I’ve never tried, but plan to.

What are some of your winter-time favorites from the kitchen?

There may be nothing quite as thoughtful as a handmade gift. My mom and youngest sister are sewing many Christmas gifts this year. Last year, my mom made me the cutest flannel nightshirt; it was red with little cups of steaming hot cocoa on it, and extra-roomy for my then pregnant belly.

Another year, my sister created the most amazing velvet Christmas tree skirt for us and my mom made us an adorable angel tree-topper. This year, when it was time to take out the decorations, baby got a hold of the angel and pulled off much of her curly, blonde hair and halo. Fortunately, I was able to fix her!

Most years, the boys and I make handmade ornaments for family members. With such a tight budget this year, handmade ornaments would be perfect, but things are much busier with baby in the picture and we haven’t gotten around to it. Last year, we made beaded candy cane ornaments, which are very easy to make:

bend craft wire in the shape of a cane
thread beads, alternating red and white (be sure to tie a knot at the bottom so your beads don’t slip right off)
then tie a festive ribbon around the middle.
You can add a standard wire hanger or a simple loop of wire for hanging.

We made similar wreath-shaped ornaments, using wire shaped in a circle, green beads in alternating light and dark green, and a bow.

We also made a couple of different ornaments from inexpensive Martha Stewart kits I bought from Michael’s. Her line of craft supplies and kits are great—I highly recommend them for any holiday, birthday or just for fun.

There’s still time for making simple projects such as these; people always appreciate the thoughtfulness and time spent, especially when little kids’ fingers did the work!

I’m looking forward to seeing the amazing things my mom and sis are crafting this year. I also love the handmade gifts the kids make in school.

Gifts made with love, “especially for you” are always the ones I treasure most. Do you have any handmade treasures you’ve received over the years? Are you making any gifts by hand this year?

I took the baby to see my sister’s production of The Nutcracker over the weekend. It is always amazing to see how my sister pulls this show together each year.This year she has three kids of her own to care for, ages 9, 5 and 6 months.

Unfortunately, I screwed up our family calendar, so my husband and older boys were busy at various sports events. We usually all go as a family and plan to do so again next year.

What struck me was the fact that the baby watched, mesmerized, for the entire performance. Okay…after the intermission, he squirmed a bit in his grandmother’s arms, so my mom carried him over to me. He watched the rest of the show from my arms.

This little guy seems to love music and the other day he even enjoyed watching a ballet performance. I’m sure it was the whole thing that held his attention: the colorful props, costumes, lively music as well as the dancing. Maybe 7 months is a little young to instill a love for the arts in a child but it just so happens that my sister is an accomplished dancer and now, teacher. We have always tried to maintain a balance with our kids. We are O.D.’d on sporting events but as my husband and I always enjoyed art, music and live theatre on occasion, we want to instill some appreciation of all of this in our children.

Once or twice a year, we take our boys to the Philadelphia Art Museum. Special exhibits include headsets which  give  you a narrated tour, sharing insights into the paintings (or other art forms) as well as into the artist’s life and history. There are two options to choose from: the adult version and the children’s version. Our kids enjoy it. We’ll do the same with our new little guy.

The kids especially like taking a trip to Chinatown for lunch, afterwards! I want to be sure that my kids are cultured and allowed to explore the exciting world outside the tiny bubble of our neighborhood, school and everyday lives. They learn a lot in school but it is also our job, as parents, to expose them to new things, educate them and be sure that they are well-rounded.

During the busy holiday season, I’ve found that when you need to order specific gifts for kids, like board games, video games, and sports jerseys, it’s best to save yourself the hassle of running around. Instead, place an order online. With these gifts, it’s not the thought that counts—the kids have already done the thinking.

Save your precious time for more interesting things—that is, of course if you’re a shopper, like me. I rummaged through toys at a discount store and found a couple of quality gifts for our baby and my baby nephews. Babies don’t have Christmas lists, so we get to have fun picking out things that will make them laugh, smile or squeal on Christmas morning (and, hopefully interest them for a long time afterwards).

Despite a tight budget this year, Santa is still coming to our house. We’ve decided to skip some gift exchanges between adults. I just have to give something to my sisters, though. I’m spending less on them than usual but putting a little extra thought into their gifts. I bought them soft, snuggly slipper socks, small Yankee candles in a jar and plan on buying them each a box of yummy tea, maybe a holiday flavor or something to help them relax and unwind (they’re busy moms, too). I’ll put it all in a little basket with a tag reading: “Have a warm and cozy winter!” Smaller, thoughtful gifts can have a big impact.

Also, instead of filling the kids’ stockings with a bunch of junky toys, I’m trying to fill them with useful things, for the most part, like Chapstick for my older son who’s always complaining about his chapped lips and sticky notes.

Does anyone else have any tips for smart shopping on a budget this holiday season?

Earlier today, our cat threw up and soon after, the baby rode across the kitchen and into the throw-up, in his walker. Yuck.

When you’ve got kids, you’ve got messes. At times, my husband goes with the flow and accepts this fact pretty well. Occasionally, though, he’ll get into his uptight, neat-freak mode and be very bothered by it. During these times, he dwells on things like fingerprints on the walls and cabinets.

I like a clean house, too but I refuse to drive myself crazy about it. I tell my husband to relax when he gets irritable about fingerprints, spills and other messy situations. The good part about his neat-freak mode is that he notices dirt and helps with the cleaning. I just can’t get to a lot of the housework, now that we have a baby again.

Chasing after a baby on the go, reminds me of when our older boys were babies and all the things they got into and messes they made. I walked into the kitchen when our oldest son was a toddler and found him sliding around the tile floor on a bunch of smashed raw eggs. He had opened the refrigerator and dumped one dozen eggs from their carton.

On another occasion, our middle son, then age 2, decided to get artistic on our brand new cream-colored carpet. He drew different colored lines from one side of the room to the other. Who knew that crayons showed up so well on carpet? Then, not long after that he decided to pee from the open stairway on the second floor onto the first floor.

These times made me want to scream but soon afterward I was able to laugh. I’ve got to give the kids credit for being creative. I couldn’t make up anything funnier than some of the crazy things they do. Yes, life is messy but life without kids would be something I dread much more: it would be lonely and boring.

Does your partner help with the housework? What memorable messes have your little ones made?

I know I’m not the only one with a big age difference between kids. My older boys are 2 ½ years apart but our little guy is 8 and 11 years younger than his big brothers. Last night, at a soccer function for our older boys, I spoke with 2 other moms with kids of similar ages. One, however, has 12 children, spanning between the ages of 7 months to 18 years! Crazy, I know. Our entire community does not know how a family of this size manages in this day and age.

There’s the good and then there’s the not so good. I was thrilled when my 11 year old carefully put the baby in his car seat, strapped him in and proceeded to snap the seat correctly into its base in the car. (His future wife will be impressed!). I love that the boys can keep an eye on the baby while I shower or cook, hold his bottle for him and read to him. There has been little trouble with their transition to becoming good siblings.

I love how excited the little guy gets when his brothers come home from school—he already looks up to them. This puts expectations on the older boys, though. They will be treated as role models or examples for a much younger brother. I already “shush” them when something unsavory comes out of their mouths. I tell my almost 12-year old that I do not want the baby’s first words to be some naughty phrase that a bunch of middle schoolers spew at each other when the teacher’s not listening. I don’t want to hear any foul language in the house at all, but with the baby in the picture, I’m much more concerned about it.

The boys are nice kids (well, most of the time) and do well in school and sports. So for the most part, I think they are already decent role models. On the downside of the age gap, we used to be able to hike and take long bike rides on our beach vacations. Now, at least for awhile, these things are no longer possible with baby on board. Occasionally, we used to go to live shows and concerts. These events now require getting a sitter for the baby for several hours (and babysitters around here are paid well!).

My husband I used to be able to sleep in, while the boys played, watched tv, or even slept in, too. Now we’re on the baby’s sleep schedule, and he’s always up early. I must say, though, that my husband is pretty good about letting me sleep in on weekends, when our schedules allow it.

We’ll be dealing with potty-training again in a couple of years, which could make trips to the store or movies trickier…On the bright side, my oldest son will then be almost 14 and capable of taking the little guy to the potty for me.

There are pros and there are cons. But I’ve always tried to see the cup as being “half full”. While my oldest son no longer believes in Santa and my middle son is teetering in the middle of belief and disbelief, we have many exciting years ahead of us to enjoy the magic of Santa Claus through our third child’s eyes. I’ll keep trying to focus on the positive. Before I know it, our little boy will be a big boy, too.

When you’ve got kids, you’ve got toys. With the holidays, come more toys. While this is a busy time of year, it’s worth setting aside a few hours to sort through some of that stuff that has accumulated to make room for… more stuff!

I have given away many toys over the years, as my older boys have outgrown or lost interest in them. It feels good to recycle and give less fortunate families a brighter Christmas. For several years, I thought our family of four was complete. Fortunately for our recent addition, baby #3, I did save some of our nice, classic toys (to pass on someday to our grandchildren, or so I thought!).

We still have our train table and huge container full of Thomas and Brio trains, tracks, buildings and more. Wooden trains are classic, something to pass down to the next generation. I recommend hanging on to them even when you’re kids have outgrown them, to give to your grandkids someday. Giving or loaning them to family members is another option but if lending is what you intend to do, be clear about your intentions.

Other classic toys worth storing away include wooden blocks, shape sorters, building sets such as Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys, certain dolls, books and wood puzzles. These toys stimulate creativity and things like hand/eye coordination.

Toys with sentimental value are also worth saving. Some classics change over the years but it can be fun to store away your or your children’s editions for grandkids or future guests to enjoy. I have the Fisher Price schoolhouse that I played with as a little girl, which was fun for my older kids to inherit and play with (and will be enjoyed by our 7 month old, I hope!). I wish my mom had held onto more Fisher Price classics, like the school-bus, dollhouse and farm. Fortunately, I saved the ones we bought for our older boys, so our little guy can play with them someday, too.

Classic games like checkers, Candyland, and Chutes and Ladders are nice to keep around (their look may change but the games cross the generations).

So what do I recommend tossing or giving away? Usually the toys that quickly lose their appeal for kids, particularly the trendy things that are “in” one year and “out” the next are safe to give away. Trendy things like character-themed toys and dolls usually won’t be missed.

Of course, the really junky, “no-name” plastic stuff that was made in China can be tossed (you may have tossed them already, due to health or safety concerns).

There are definitely some toys I wish I’d held onto but didn’t, like our older boys’ elaborate Playmobil sets. We were never organized enough to keep all the pieces together. Our youngest child would definitely have enjoyed these. If we do buy him well-made, expensive toys such as these, I will try to keep them in tact for future grandkids.

As my kids have grown older, it’s become clearer just which toys stand the test of time and which are best donated to someplace, or someone, else. I’ll be steering clear of the low-quality stuff with our new baby, if he’ll let me.

Reflecting on what we are thankful for is a tradition for many of us on Thanksgiving, but this year, it may carry more meaning than usual. The number of people losing their jobs and struggling to pay their bills and feed their families, is so much greater than usual.

My mom just told me that her husband (of three years, so not exactly my “step-dad” but a great addition to the family!) won’t be able to retire when he was planning to because of his diminished retirement account. I?ve heard other similar stories.

I know a few other moms who have recently taken on full-time jobs outside the home for the first time in years, due to necessity. One, the mom of my oldest son?s friend, told me that her oldest son was “set” for college until recently, when they lost a lot of money due to the current financial mess.

My own husband is an Investment Officer, or Financial Advisor. I swear that the number of gray hairs on his head have doubled in the past month…He is particularly drained from having to be the sounding board for many of his worried clients. He needs to be reassuring to them, all the while dealing with the reality of just how tough things are with the current economy.

All of this is depressing, but true. I’m sure everyone has his/her own story to tell. I hope, though, that this Thanksgiving will give us all the chance to put our worries aside-at least for a day. To appreciate our children and what a joy it is to watch them grow and do amazing, new things just about every day. To appreciate a delicious meal and be thankful that we are able to have it, while more people than ever before will be turning to soup kitchens and counting on donations for theirs.

My family has to dig deeper into their pockets than usual to put together this year’s big feast, as do so many others. I will take the time to enjoy every bite (if my kids will let me) and the company of family and friends. I will miss my grandfather, as usual, and be thankful for the memories I have of him. I will be thankful for the chance to spend yet another Thanksgiving with my grandmother, now 86 years old.? I hope we can all take the time to reflect on what we do have during this time of hardship and find the faith to believe that it will get better.