Why and How I can

Crazy title I know. I just wasn't sure how to title this one. I have had some negative and some psoitive questions about my housekeeper and my Mother's help and baby sitter. With all you have and don't have finanically how can you afford this? And other questions. So I am going to post about this. Also about letting my kids watch televison. So here goes. One mail reasonI keep the house so clean is the health factor. My boys were a little more than 2 months early and their lungs were very under developed and still are. There lungs are the size of a 14 month olds. They are almost 23 months old. They cannot filter things out as well as adults or even children their age.

My bestfriend C.T. cleans my house every other week. I pay her the average amount for this area. She works a full time job as well. It usually takes her 6 hours or so to do general cleaning from one end to the other, (our house is a little over 2200 sq. ft. and has 14 rooms. She does an excellent job. I pay her with money I have made from Ebay, our semi-annual yard sales and/or consignment shop sales. This is my gift to me. My husband agrees fully and he wants me to do this. Having multiples does not allow for a lot of deep cleaning. She also does my spring cleaning. She has been helping me for about 5 or 6 years. We have been friends for about 10 or 11 years. She is so sweet and I know I can always count on her. She knows all of my secrets inside and out and I hers.

C.T.'s daughter, J.T., who is a college student also helps us out with the boys. She helps in crunches, since she also works another job. She is also a sweet heart. I can always depend on her as well. She gets paid a flat sum, per day.

My Mother's helper is a sweet young lady (K.J.) we have attended church with all of her life. Her grandfather was my husband's preacher for 25 of his 31 years of life. Her Mom and I are friends and she is very well loved by all. She just has that gift with children. She will be helping a lot this summer, if the Lord decides to supply us with a crop this year (as was NOT the case last year). She also gets paid a flat sum per day. She knows and is certified in cpr as well as infant cpr. She is wonderful with our kids and I have no problem leaving her and going about my business or a date with my husband. She can cook and clean up after my children and if I need help while they are napping she is more than willing to help. Keep in mind my parents and other family live right her on this large farm and could be here in an instant say if the tv caught on fire or something! She also comes once or twice a month on Saturday's to help out or so hubby and I can go out. She also helps on various days when she is out of school (say President's Day). My hubby is all for me having a helper and it makes it much easier. She also works with them on signinh as well as whatever letters and numbers we are doing that week or anything else that needs to be incorporated.

My parents watch the kiddos in a crunch as well. My Mom keeps them a couple three hours once a weeks (usually) so I can get our groceries, their groceries and run errands. They also watch one if I need to take the other to an appointment, etc. They love my kids as if they were their very own. We spend a lot of time with them. We pay them with hugs and kisses! ;)

As for televison. My kids have hardly ever seen a tv on. When we go on a long trip to the dr or something of that nature we let them watch Barney or Veggie Tales or something on those lines on dvd. There is almost nothing on these days other than rubbish and I would like my children not to see such. They watch a Braves game or maybe a Packer's game or say an Auburn game with their Daddy ever once in again. We are going to let them start watching a little more of Educational and Christian based cartoons when we get another televion. I am very hands on with them and I personally feel that God gave them to me to teach not for me to sit in front of a tv for a babysitter. We do a lot of finger painting, puzzles, play dough, coloring, drawing, etc. I feel good about this and I love to see my child's minds growing through creative play and art.

So, this is where we are and I am happy about it. I love my life and I am so blessed!!! God is so good.......all of the time, that includes fires, crop loss, health crisis, premmie babies and job losses!

Blessings!!!