Weekly Update

Last week was a pretty chill week. So chill I didn't take any pictures since the last update. BUT I will take you down memory lane and show some oldies.

Baby Brooklyn Halloween 2008

3 Months

4 Months

9 Months

Baby Grant

6 Months

This time last year.

Present

All the hoopla of back to school time is definitely bringing to my consciousness that I only have these lil ones under my wing for so long. It seems like that time is slipping by each day. Trying to stay aware of this amidst the dirty diapers, random fits, and ear infections are certainly difficult.

This past weekend I had an utterly annoying moment....picture this....Eric is off at a football scrimmage with Nick (so I'm alone again). I have to take G to Urgent Care because he has a crazy high fever and mama instinct is telling me he has an ear infection. I start the car...AND all those things you put off during the week chime in at once. So my car is just dinging away at me. It was so annoying I just had to laugh! I needed gas, had a low tire, and needed an oil change. So ANNOYING. I scurry the children to the doctors and sure enough, EAR INFECTION. Poor lil man had a 104.5 temperature, so high that the doc wanted us to stick around and make sure the Motrin kicked in and his temp went down. So antibiotics picked up from pharmacy and back to business as usual. Oil change, gas station, diaper run, etc. Riveting weekend activities.

Still reading 1000 Gifts and its still changing my awareness of life. Again, SUPERB recommendation Kelly.

6. Stranger kindness

7. The smell of firewood

8. Catching a great song on the radio

9. Dryer smell from outside

10. Music

Weekly Update-Grass is not Always Greener

Not too many adventures this week, we stuck around home a lot. I purchased a bike trailer for the kids to ride in while I change up my morning walk routine to bike rides. Craiglist is the bees knees yo! First few days the kids weren't thrilled, but today was better (Baby G napped and Brooklyn looked thru a book), which means I was able to hit 8 miles today, yahoo! There's something about starting your day having exercised already that you feel accomplished even if you have a HUGE list of other things to cross of the to do list.

I started reading a book that was recommended by our cousin Kelly (1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp). So far I already know its going to change my life! With the obvious title...yes I have started my list of 1000 things I am grateful HE has gifted me. I'm really looking forward to the journey of reading this book and of acknowledging the things I am grateful for.

1. Afternoon cooking with my little girl, listening to music.
2. Sunny days, where the kids run and play in the water.
3. Random hugs from my baby boy.
4. The smell of Fall in the air.
5. Homemade cookies.

As I read and the kids played outside today I was able to take a look at my life in a sort of outer body experience, and it was good. It was calm. Everyone has those awful awkward days that never seem to bring light or pleasure, but in the end the grass is not always greener. Yes, I don't sleep much, I rarely have time to myself, the to do list is never quite done, the house is never quite as clean as I'd like it, BUT my life is good. I have food, shelter, love, air, light, and love.

 Nothing better than sleeping babies!

Afternoon bath, because mama's weird about dirt and babies.

Take stock of the good from your life, stop focusing on the negative. Find a state of contentedness. Both my husband and I are big dreamers and so WE want a life of little compromise, which in my book is fine unless the journey there is full of resentment, strain, and unhappiness.

Sorry for the deep and heavy, just that kind of day!

Weekly Update-Vacation

To say my little getaway to the other side of the state went disastrously would be the UNDERSTATEMENT of this millennium! If you've sensed a turn from my usual positive updates its because as I try and stay insanely positive about most things....THIS WEEK, scratch that, THE last few weeks have gone south. The dirty down south. Put it this way, I usually listen to music when I write, things like Ingrid Michaleson, John Mayer, maybe even add some new christian rock in the mix. Set Fire to the Rain by Adele just ended and now I feel like putting on Nine Inch Nails or Metallica!! The normal upbeat tempo just won't fly while I grasp for inspiration.

Here's my disclaimer...I am VERY blessed. I love my healthy happy babies and my over achieving husband. I'm not enduring tragic events or even struggling financially, BUT just one day I'd like to sleep in. One day I'd like to exercise without stopping 800 times to wipe a mouth, pick something up that was discarded on a passing by lawn, wipe poop, walk without one of the babes darting in front of me, do a basic house chore from start to finish in 10 minutes flat, go somewhere BY MYSELF, have my husband just say to me "I got it you go buy something pretty", have a drama free weekend with my stepson, stop sweating my life away anytime I'm outdoors or lugging a baby in and out of the car, GO ON VACATION AND RELAX AND ENJOY MY FAMILY!

GRRRRR! I need a break! I need help. I need a support system. I need girlfriends. I need wine. I need a life besides my children. I need a babysitter.Today as I hurried to get to the potty for Brooklyn to do the, ya know, to which she had already gone...I said "just once I want to not clean up after someone else" Brooklyn says and I quote "but that's your job". Is this a joke...did daddy tell you to say that (as a joke of course). Nope. Out of the mouths of babes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NO Josh Kelley(singer) on Pandora, I don't want to listen to you romantic "Home to Me" lyrics...and No Jack Johnson I don't want to hear about you easy breezy days in Hawaii! My musical anthem for tonight is Christina Perri 'Jar of Hearts'..."... I learned to live half alive, And now you want me one more time..."

So hears a big ole apology to you loyal readers and the sweet email recipients who won't judge me and who will understand, things happen in life, there are BAD times and GOOD times. And tomorrow is a NEW day, tomorrow will bring more patience, less yelling, less stress, a brighter day for me and my lovelies.

Here are some cute pics from this week. My positive happy times from the week...it looks like A LOT, but that's because lets face it, my kids are too stinking cute!

Lake Michigan....we will meet again, both kids were at home with you, but mama was too appeasing to meet the whole family's needs, and I cut our visit short. We WILL meet again. AND I know if I left grouchy number 1 and 2 at home, the kids and I would've had the time of our life!!! 

                           At home just being silly, this kid cracks me up...when she's not pooping in her Pull Ups!!