Tumbling Tuesday

My brain is full.... to full.  Things are beginning to bump around in there.  It's time for me to unload some of it...... here goes.....

L will be one soon. ONE! Where has the last year gone? How in earth is my little baby already turning ONE?  He crawls, pulls up on things and is starting to use a few words!  What?  How?  *sigh*

I'm in the midst of preparing for his birthday, schedule one year pics (and an updated family pic, can we all hear the collective groan), buying party favors and..... and....and.  *double sigh*

The weekend before L's birthday We are having a family reunion on my dad's side of the family.   I've been working on meal planning with my mom.  We were going to keep it simple.  Somehow, that's not happening!  With the two of us at the helm of this project, that's not surprising!

The weekend after L's birthday is our family picture.  My sister-in-law and family are also moving. We are planning to take them a meal that weekend.  So coordinating schedules and what to bring during that already chaotic time for them could prove challenging!

The weekend after that is a girls only birthday party on my  mom's side of the family.  Only adult woman are invited.  It's a lot of fun to be able to catch up with everyone, but at this point I'm beginning to feel like it's one more thing. I know,  I'm a party pooper.

I'm not sure we can cram anything else in to  September!

I'm not sure October is going to be any slower though.  J turns 12, hubby and I will be celebrating 15 years of wedded bliss plus.... there's Halloween. ? Has ALREADY started planning his costume.

Surely we'll get to rest somewhere in there???

Friday Fragments

I just love the opportunity to write down all of the things rattling around in my head before the weekend comes.  It's also a great time for me to catch-up on what everyone in the blogging community has been up to.  So, without further delay....

• We adopted a new dog over the weekend.  The foster family that we adopted her from isn't sure exactly what type of dog she is.  If I had to guess, I'd say she's part German Shepard and part Husky.  She's about 1 year old, weighs about 28 pounds, has one brown eye and one white eye and is as smart as they come! 
• J and M couldn't be any more thrilled to have a new dog! 
• I stayed home Monday and Tuesday with L.  He was on an antibiotic for a double ear infection and it is tearing his tummy up!  It's so worrisome when a baby refuses to eat; it takes nothing for those little guys to lose weight!
• M has been going through a rotten phase.  He can't make a good decision for anything!  I'm not sure if he's just testing boundaries, if he's been hanging out with older kids too much or if there's some underlying thing that hasn't surfaced yet.  Whatever it is, I'm ready to be done with it!
• J is learning that with a new dog, comes additional responsibility.  Sometimes that means friends have to wait until you're done with your chores....MAN THAT STINKS!
• I challenged J, M and two of their buddies to a Farkle competition.  I lost miserably to those boys!!  How could that have happened??
• We've not been able to go camping in weeks!  It seems that EVERYONE in the city is wanting to camp so all of the spots are reserved! What a drag!
• Father's Day is this weekend.  We have two Father's Day celebrations...and hopefully a lot of R&R for hubby.  I hope all of the Father's out there have a great day!

Going through the motions

Life has been so busy, but with nothing in particular.
The boys have been playing outside EVERY opportunity they have, which is great because they were made for outdoors, M in particular.  L keeps me busy by just being small.  His demands aren't great or even frequent, but when he's hungry LOOK OUT!
I haven't posted anything in a few weeks, and I miss it.  I really do.  This blog gives me an outlet to unload, to share happy moments, upsetting moments or just things that are on my mind. 
Truth is, I haven't had a lot to say lately or maybe I feel like the things that have been happening aren't worth sharing.  It seems silly to continue to report on the day in and day out cooking, cleaning, working, repeat cycle that tends to become everyday life.  Although, I feel like if I stay away too long it will be difficult to get back, and on some level I really need this outlet.
So, here I am spending a few moments to report that I've really nothing to report.  Oh sure, there have been a few things that have happened.  J got a splinter stuck in his foot which provided an evening's worth of entertainment.  M tries to sneak out of his room nightly to watch TV for a few minutes before he goes to bed.  The idea of offering part-time at my office has come up and while this is really exciting for me, there haven't been any definite decisions made on what this will look like so there's really nothing to report on that front.  I'm in a bit of a holding pattern trying to figure out if and when I may be able to go part-time.  We are trying to plan a road trip. Trying to figure out where our halfway point is and loosely what our plans will be is an adventure in and of itself.  Really though, aside from the day to day norm, there hasn't been any earth shattering news (thankfully), no big excitements, just the nice quiet droning of normal!  Honestly, I'm ok with that because you never know what the day holds in store!

A little of this and a little of that........

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that we took our trailer out for our maiden camping trip (of this year anyway...).   It's always a good idea to give it a trial run to get all of the kinks worked out and to discover what you're missing, what needs to be restocked, etc....
While that camping trip was HUGELY successful (at 7 months old L was a total dream), there were a few things that were missing or that we were low on and need to be replaced.
Saturday we brought our trailer back to our house cleaned it out, and took stock.  Literally made a list of things we need to make sure our camping trips go as smoothly as possible.  The trailer is 28 feet long, so it gets attention sitting on the street in front of the house.  Lots of neighbors stroll by to see what's happening.  Thankfully, we only had it there for a few hours not long enough for someone to get to upset by the ghastly scene of a trailer on the street and get the HOA involved!  I mean the nerve!!  HA!
After that, we got together with my Dad's side of the family for about an hour or so.  We rarely see them (in fact none of them had even met L before), so it was nice to reconnect for a little while.  I'm pleased to say that all three of my boys were very well behaved.
We made our way back home, puttered around and tried our hands at laundering the linens that belong in the trailer.  We were unsuccessful in really accomplishing much of anything the rest of the evening. 
I did however make it to Aldi to do my 'BIG' grocery shopping.  Since I've taken a big interest in seeing where we can cut back, I thought I'd see what Aldi has to offer. I was very surprised!  I can't say that I'm 100% sold, and I can't say that I can shop only at Aldi but I was able to do the bulk of my shopping there and I spent significantly less (like less than half) than what I normally spend.  I think I had 9 things left on my list.....not bad!
Sunday was a chores day too.  I helped M clean and organize his room.  WHAT has been happening in that boy's room?  I took out all of the clothes that he's out grown, I swear he's grown a foot since the beginning of the school year!  Washed bed linens and did other bits of laundry. 
We scoped out some new camping spots that are close to home. I went back to the store to pick up my remaining 9 things on my grocery list as well as the items we'd put on our camping list.  I spent more than I wanted to, but I think we're good as far as supplies go for the camper.  It should only need minimal restocking the rest of the season. 
I was busy from the time I got up until the time I went to bed Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  How come my house looked like a tornado hit it when I left this morning?  Something about that doesn't seem right!

Friday Fragments

There's so much happening this week my brain is on overload!  It's great to have an opportunity to dump what's rattling around in there, so that I can relax and enjoy the weekend!!

The first half of the week we fought rain.  Yes, Monday through Wednesday rain all day....around the clock.....RAIN.  It's great for the grass, and with the drought that we had last year we definitely need the rain.  It's not so great for kids that want to get outside and play!!

Yesterday was hubby's birthday!  How come men become more charming and distinguished looking with age and women....not so much!  The boys and I got him an arrangement from Edible Arrangements and a sign for our camper.  He said the arrangement was yummy and he was nice enough to share it with his coworkers.  The sign for our camper is great and let's other campers or visitors know who's staying there.

Today is a full day of work and then we're escaping reality to go camping for the weekend!  I have some serious germ issues, but when I'm camping all of that seems to fade a little bit.  God made dirt, so dirt don't hurt...right??

This will be L's first camping trip.  He's almost 7 months old, so I'm a bit nervous on how this will play out with his sleeping.  He's a terrific baby so I'm sure it will be fine. 

J and M were bouncing off the walls last night helping me prepare for our mini vacation. 

M said 'Don't worry Mom.  I've got my suitcase packed for camping.  I've got some clothes, my DS and LOTS of books'.  Lots of books??  I can barely drag that kid into our camper for sleeping.  When does he think he's going to slow down enough to read a book??  Alas, at 9:30 he was rummaging through our clean clothes looking for pants and socks.  Maybe I should look through his bag before we head out to make sure he has all of the essentials?

That's all I've got for today.  Now I can kick back and become ONE with nature.  Well, maybe just kick back and relax a little bit...becoming one with nature may be a little much.

One Foot in Front of the Other

I feel like I've been in a daze all week.  Sunday night L woke up at 4:30 and wouldn't go back to sleep without a bottle.  He's been sleeping through the night for a few months now so this was exceptionally unusual for him.  By the time I got up, warmed his bottle, fed him and put him back to bed it was 5am.  My alarm goes off at 5:30.  I slugged my way through Monday.

Tuesday I felt like something was just off all day.  I couldn't quite put my finger on what.  Maybe it was just leftover sleepiness from Monday??

Last night M woke up having had a nightmare. I sent him to go to the bathroom (thinking maybe he just wasn't firing on all pistons and that was really what work him up).  Of course he needed a little snuggle for a few minutes to get settled back in.  I love to snuggle up with all of my boys; 1:30am is not favorite time to do that though!

So, here we are on Wednesday and I'm fighting to stay awake. 

I work about 45 minutes from home.  I can hear my bed calling me....my poor, comfy bed covered in great big pillows and super soft blankets laying there all alone with no one to crawl under the covers and take advantage of a nice nap!  I shall see you this evening my great big comfortable friend!

April Fool's!!

I believe that honesty is one of the best character traits a person can have.  I believe that no matter the situation, you should be honest.  Be honest with yourself and be honest with any others that may be involved.  Yes, there is a tactful way to provide unwanted news but you shouldn't soften the blow so much that the truth gets hidden.

That said I took FULL advantage of April Fool's Day yesterday.  It was a great opportunity to be a little ornery and have some fun with J and M!

First thing in the morning I told them that school had been cancelled because they were expecting very low wind-chills and they didn't want children waiting at bus stops.  APRIL FOOL'S!!

When I picked them up I told them that I'd heard on Good Morning America that scientists had been studying gorillas and the way that they communicate with each other.  After years of study they were able to decipher the intricacies of their grunts and these scientists have actually been able to communicate with the gorillas! APRIL FOOL'S!!

At dinner J was having grape Crush for dinner and M was having 7-Up.  While they weren't looking, I switched J's grape pop out for plain water with food coloring and M's 7-Up out with plain water with salt mixed in.  APRIL FOOL'S!!

At bedtime they were brushing their teeth and I'd added one drop of food coloring to their tooth brushes.  When they were brushing M was really surprised.  He said 'What is on my teeth? Is it paint??' It looked like he had mustard all over his mouth.  It was a little anti-climactic for J he just thought there was an unusual amount of blood (how much blood does he normally see, yikes!), but he rinsed and carried on with his life. APRIL FOOL'S!!

That was it...that was all of the orneriness I pulled on them, but it was GREAT fun!

Proud Mommy Moments

One of my favorite blogs is The Daily Dribbles.  The author of that blog is really good about being real and honest about what it's like to raise a family.  I find myself checking in on her blog every day to see if there are any updates.  Weekly she posts her Proud Mommy Moments...I think this is a fabulous idea!  So here goes....

We go to dinner with family friends every Friday.  They have children the same ages as ours, everyone gets along and we all look forward to Friday Family Dinner.  It's just great conversation with great people that we enjoy spending time with.  This Friday, said family is out of town.  They are in sunny Las Vegas (while it's 30 degrees and snowing here) so I hate at them just a little bit.  Needless to say, this means no Friday Family Dinner, bummer.  M has been itching to color Easter eggs, to the extent that he's asked me EVERY SINGLE NIGHT THIS WEEK if we could color Easter eggs.  I've managed to get the eggs cooked, but we've not gotten around to coloring them yet.  It's just too chaotic during the week!

We've got plans all weekend, except for tonight (because our friends are in Las Vegas working on their tans....ehem), so I thought this would be a terrific night to stay home and color Easter eggs!  If we're going to color these eggs dinner needs to be ready and waiting when we walk through the door.  I'd planned to make crockpot chicken tacos, but I just plain ran out of time this morning!

As I was driving to work I called J and asked him if he was up for whipping up dinner.  I told him it would take 5 minutes.  I walked him through step by step what to do (8 minutes later...rather than the promised 5 minutes) he had dinner going for us!  I'm super proud of him for being willing to give it a try.  Now when we get home we will be able to feast on his yummy chicken tacos and then color our Easter eggs!  HOORAY!!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

Baby crocs....OH MY!  A pair of these may or may not have made their way into my home for L's Easter basket.

**Thanks Target for letting me snag a pic for croc props**

 
Possibly the best blankets EVER!  They are super stretchy and cuddly, and best of all they are breathable.  L is now 6 months old...and he's only just now gotten too wild that he can't be swaddled anymore.  He still LOVES to cuddle up with these blankets though.
**Thanks aden and anais for letting me snag a pic for props on your awesome blankets.**

**disclaimer.....all opinions expressed above are my own.  I've not been paid or reimbursed for use of either of these products. 

Easter baskets....check!

I'm a list maker, even if it's just a list that I'm keeping track of it in my head....the list exists!  I like to have a plan, and I like to be able to check things off of that list.  It gives me a feeling of accomplishment or at the very least some idea that SOMETHING is getting done!

Easter crept up on me this year, and I've become all but consumed with the idea that I'd done NOTHING to prepare.  Granted I still have a little bit of time before it's actually Easter Sunday, but still NOTHING!?!?! Pathetic.

So, yesterday I hauled myself to the store and took care of Easter baskets.  It is VERY easy to get carried away and spend oodles of money at Easter buying loads of things that my kids don't need, or particularly want for that matter.  I tried to be practical on what I purchased as we're going on vacation in a few months, and summer is just around the corner.  I racked my brain thinking about what I could fill their baskets with that they could actually use.

J, M and L are all getting swimming themed baskets.  Two birds.....one stone, right?  Swim trunks, towels, flip flops and pool toys.  I figured they all need stuff to go swimming both at home and when we go on vacation.  Why go to the expense of filling their Easter baskets with expensive junk cheap toys things they don't really need.  I'll fill them with swimming things, they'll be thrilled and I've just filled two needs!  Plus J and M are getting candy too....I mean what's Easter without candy?

Easter....check!
Summer preparedness....check!

Tumbling Tuesday.....

It's been a long time since I've posted anything.  That's not to say that there hasn't been anything going on, it's more that things happened, I got busy then it seemed like I was too far removed from the thing that happened so I went on with my life.  Now, I'm overloaded with many things in my head and need to dump some of what's bouncing around so I can free up some coveted real estate in there!  This seems like a FINE place to do just that!

I continue to feel like even through I'm running on all cylinders from 5:30am to 8:30pm every night, I'm failing miserably as a parent.  J (aka oldest) never has homework, he's very smart and never has to study which is great but I don't want him thinking that schoolwork will always come this easy for him. M (aka middle) needs to hone his reading skills, when is there time for that?  I'm sure his teacher thinks we are just awful parents that have taken no interest at all in our child's education.  L (aka youngest) gets nearly all of my attention.  He's a baby, and he screams the loudest.  God made mommies so that they would tend to their babies needs....I cannot just let that baby cry!

Easter is two weeks away....WHAT!?!?!  How did that Happen?  I'm usually ahead of the game and have bought Easter stuff and MAYBE even started thinking about filling the eggs.  I've not even bought a single piece of candy yet.  How did it sneak up on me so fast?

I've got to start thinking about what on earth I'm going to put in Easter baskets for my kiddos!  J knows the deal, M sort of believes (this may be his last year) and L hasn't a clue what's happening, he's more concerned with who will be giving him his next bottle. 

I have two Easter activities that I do with my kids every year (a Christian Easter egg hunt and making Resurrection cookies). Neither activity is difficult, but I do need to do a little prep beforehand.

We're in the design phase of putting together a family vacation.  The logistics of planning a trip that will keep an 11 year old, a 6 year old and an 8 month entertained or at least content is somewhat of an undertaking.

We have turned to bribing J and M with money for vacation.  They're each starting with $50.  Money can be earned and money can be lost.  If they are asked to do something more than once they lose money.  If they do something without having to be asked, they earn money.  So far they've both earned extra money, but there's more than two months until vacation I'm a little fearful.

My house has taken on a life of its own, and not in a good way!  I got mostly caught up on laundry this past weekend, but there are still two baskets that need to be folded and put away.  The kitchen is in a non-stop state of needing tidying, the bathrooms are.....never mind about the bathrooms, my room looks like 5 people LIVE in there.  What is happening??

I've got to get a cleaning schedule that I can actually stick to!

OK, now that I've gotten all of that all of my chest I can move on.....maybe.

Resurfacing....

After succumbing to a cold that took over, I'm finally starting to feel better.  I missed three and a half days of work, went to urgent care to discover a double ear infection and a nasty sinus infection.  I've been on meds for a few days and can say that I'm about 80% better.  My resistance is still really low, I tire very easily but I'm on the road to recovery.

....and it's a sunshiny day to boot!

Gray on the inside....

This cold has a hold of me in such a way that I can't see around it.  All I can do is sit and and try to not be suffocated by it.  I do not feel the warm yellow sunshine that I should feel when smiling and wishing well of others, there is only gray.
Then, for a moment I can breathe. The coughing and sneezing are gone.  The inability to breathe has passed and I feel a tiny sliver of light blue.  A hope that the sunshine will return soon.  And then as quickly as it came.......it is gone.
Soon enough, this will pass.  But for now, there is only gray.

Monday Musings

Truth is....

Truth is....I'm beat!  Getting adjusted to the sleep cycles of an infant is not something that is easily done!

Truth is....babies don't mind coughing and sneezing right in your face.  I've got the cold that Youngest has had for a few days.

Truth is.....I wish I could just succumb to the cold for a couple of days, crawling into the darkness of my bedroom and the comfort of my bed.  Unfortunately, Mom doesn't ever get the luxury of being sick.

Truth is....I LOVE having 3 boys!  They are all 3 so different. 

Truth is....it continues to amaze me how much your heart grows with love for another baby!  It seems like at some point there would be a limit.  Alas, there is not!

Truth is.....the worry grows too!

Truth is....as much as I would LOVE to stay home with #3, be home when Oldest and Middle get on and off the bus, that is probably not the best idea. 

Truth is....I really hate to say that out loud, because it makes me so sad to think about.

Truth is.....*sigh*  *sniff*

Truth is....Oldest only has a couple of weeks of his basketball season left. He's turning into such a good player.  His games are so fun to watch, I'm going to be a little sad to see the season end.

Truth is....I won't miss rushing home from work to take him to his 6:30 practice on Wednesday and Friday evenings.  Whew!

Truth is....we're gearing up to host a Super Bowl Pajama Party!

Truth is....I can hardly wait.  I really love being around good people.  Surrounding yourself with good people brings out the good in you. 

Truth is....I'm glad I have a week to clean and tidy the house! 

Truth is....why do I worry over what the house looks like?  There will be 7 little boys (ages 11 and under) running wild.  When it's all said and done, the house will be a mess....but the boys will have had fun and that's what matters!

Truth is....when I visit friends I couldn't care less how their homes look, I'm there to see THEM!  Why do I think they will judge me on the appearance of mine?  They won't.....it's just that's how things live in my head.

Truth is....I feel better now that I've unloaded some of my stress!