Cookies,Chaos, and Potato Skins!

One would think since I have a bunch of children around all day I do pretty good with chaos and craziness. I really do not. I am pretty controlled over where kids are allowed throughout the day. I do well with up to say four or five children in a room with me at a time unless it is meal time,chore time,schooling time,or another specific time I planned. At the other times throughout the day the kids do not really have free reign over the house. They can not go into the basement to play and ten minutes later decide they would rather color in their rooms and then back into the basement to play after that.No,I can not have that. So I made a 'no wandering around the house wherever you want' rule.

I have other silly rules like only three kids are allowed up in their bedrooms to play at a time. The rest play in the basement. I set a buzzer and the kids rotate.

Another rule is they have to ask to use the bathroom or get a drink throughout the day. Why...well,if there is not some sort of bathroom asking rule I end up having half my children all in the bathroom at once (boys and girls) needing to wash their hands or get a drink but in reality they hang out in there playing with the sink,dancing,chatting,like there is a little party going on.

I have been thinking that I really need to grow more in the area of letting go of the need for order. Order is good but too much can cause me to miss out on growing my relationships with the kids and the impromptu fun I envision every other mom but me has with their children.

That being said,I though I would practice letting loose a little and called Joel and Grace up for an unexpected cookie baking time.



After a bit Anya ventured in to see what was going on.I thought that is ok she can be my helper.




Soon Lily and Nolan wandered in. Just out of the picture Elena,Josh, and I think Grant were hanging around. I was doing good but then both Joyce and Naomi came up from the basement to check out what was going on...I had this struggle in my head should I send them back in the basement or let them stay up...I decided I needed to send them back in the basement because I was starting to get stressed out with all the chaos. They were a little disapointed to be missing the fun..

I will keep working on it...



Just an added cute picture of Grace helping Lily make some cookies



After the table cleared Elena sat down to finish up the last of the cookies.



What good looking cookies!



Here is a frugal large family meal thing we do. Whenever we make mashed potatoes we save all the peels and freeze them. Jeff's idea,isn't it a great one! When we are peeling 20 pounds of potatoes and my hands start to go numb, knowing that the skins will be a part of a cheap tasty future meal makes the potato peeling task worth it.

Sometimes, I use the potato skins as a base for an egg bake but tonight I just put them in a baking pan,added oil,salt,pepper,and garlic salt and baked them awhile.



Tasty!