chase has been in bed for the last 3 hours.  i thought he was asleep.  i suppose he heard colton come in from basketball practice a little bit ago and decided that it would be his best shot at getting downstairs.  he obviously needed a worthy excuse, though.  i’m not sure how long it took him to come up with this one…but he walked into the kitchen, where i was talking to my dad and colt and said,

“mommy…my growing pains are hurting.”

that got him a laugh…and a trip to my bed for the remainder of the night.

i reward the use of the imagination; ingenuity; and humor.

however, before he skedaddled…

he looked at me real serious, showed me his face, and said,

“any whiskers i got?”

i rubbed his soft, smooth face and said,

“not yet.”

****

speaking of whiskers…

where’s waldo?

this is how he fell asleep next to me the other night.

yesterday morning…i was a woman on a mission.

i decided that i needed to turn the playroom closet into a book nook.

i got the idea from a little antique shop that i like to go to that has one for children and then saw some examples of closets turned into book nooks on pinterest.  i still need to paint the walls…but for using what we already had and not spending a penny on it…i’m pretty satisfied.

i started clearing out the jam packed closet as soon as i got the kids off to school yesterday…and had it finished by the time i picked them up.  annslee totally helped.

all of them were really excited about it…but aiden has spent nearly every minute that she has been home over the last 2 days tucked in there with a book.

the only problem was surveying the damage after i had cleared out the closet.  we had toy boxes…costumes…games…musical instruments…swords…balls…dress up shoes…wigs…boxing gloves…hats…feather boas…purses…and countless other articles of clothing and accessories needed to turn a little boy or girl into just about anything that their hearts could ever think about desiring.

all i can say is…

never underestimate the power of a woman with a vision.

i finished just in time to head to the victory lakes jr. high school parent meeting last night.

we have pretty much landed on homeschooling colton through the jr. high years, which i am both excited for and also have a complete peace about.  but…i thought that i should still go…

i nearly had a panic attack just walking into a jr. high.

not my best memories.

****

i like to call this…

“hey annslee.  did you eat some chocolate?”

we wrapped up tonight with books and grandparents.

my dad came to take colt to basketball practice and honey is spending a couple of days with us.

and i just love that.

honey is going to be 91 on tuesday.

i think she deserves a celebration.

don’t you?

this weekend didn’t let us down…it was an over achiever.

we celebrated two birthdays.  one was my mother’s.  we went to a fancy shmancy restaurant with white table cloths and formal waiters and multiple glasses and lots of “oh wows”  on the menu. you know the kind when the waiter tells you the specials and you have never heard of any of the food he’s talking about?  he could have been talking about weaponry for all i knew. annslee got to drink out of her very first fancy glass.  and it even matched her fancy dress.  i’ve never seen sister friend drink so much water before.  who knew that a fancy glass could make one so thirsty.  at one point…the water re-filler (and yes…there was a separate person for that job) said, “i think you’ve had enough.”  i wanted to say, “hey mister.  this is her first fancy glass.  fill her up as many times as humanly possible.  the first fancy glass deserves another toast.”

it’s not like it was wine.  good golly.

chad left on a jet plane for ukraine on sunday morning.  we made the best of it with a dance party in aiden’s room.

chase made a johnny cash lego…which let’s just go ahead and face it…was pretty damn cool.

saturday night, the night before chad left…we got to attend a friend’s birthday party.  and i forgot to take my camera…which means that our killer dance central moves could not be captured on film.  it’s just as well, really.  no one needs to see mature adults making fools of themselves anyways.  and as luck would have it…we got included on the birthday outing to galveston for the next day.

it was cold…so we had to dress appropriately, which meant that i had a perfectly good reason to wear my new hat that i got from a friend for christmas.

i love the beach in the winter.

it’s like it’s whispering.  it’s not all “hey look at me all sunshiny and warm and beautiful”…

no.

it’s more sure of itself than that.

it’s sure of it’s natural beauty.

and it doesn’t really care if you see the beauty or not.

it’s just glad you’ve come to pay it a visit.

chase should have been playing poker too, because he got super lucky with the choice for birthday lunch.  last year, he actually told me that when he got married…he was going to take his wife to the rain forest cafe for their honeymoon.”

lucky lady.

this is a kid who decided that his favorite animal was a red eyed tree frog when most kids his age were just discovering that there were animals other than dogs and cats.

as i said last time…always marching to the beat of a different tuba.

(you guessed it…

the tuba…

his favorite instrument.)

that’s the birthday boy.  he said he was turning 21 and they believed him.  let’s see…that put him having his first child at 10.

impressive.

as is this.

there is something about twirling girls that make me so content.

it’s as if they don’t have a care in the world and the twirling gives them the power to transfer that feeling to the rest of the world.

and so they twirl.

they twirl with all their might.  because goodness knows…we could all use more of that.

i found this particular 15 minutes of our weekend my favorite.  it was a simple stroll down the strand to the malt shoppe.  that’s where there was twirling.  and horses.

late last week, i told chad that if i got my way…we would have 2 more kids.  and horses.

and right there…

as a result of the twirling…i’m sure…

were…

“and horses.”

i like to think it was God whispering…

“you stick with me girl.

i’ll see your horses…

and i’ll raise you plans and dreams that you can’t even imagine.”

once they tore me away from the horse…we made it to the old fashioned malt shoppe.

we shared salt water taffy and malts for dinner, which is a perfectly acceptable way of finishing the weekend, i think.

i think i would have better fit in the late 50’s, early 60’s.

dates were at the drive in and soda fountains.  boys were respectful.  girls wore full skirts with petticoats and sweater sets and don’t even get me started on the party dresses.  the music was amazing and things like fireflies were still amusing.  i would have said “yes ma’am” and “no sir” and “please” and “thank you.”  i would have had dinner with my parents before my date rang the door bell to pick me up and my dad would have answered the door ahead of me and shook the boy’s hand.

sometimes i feel like i am out of my element.  not that i question God’s timing or anything.  but maybe…i’m supposed to bring a little of that back.

maybe.

so…

last night.

i did.

today, i had 2 sickies at home with me.  annslee had a rough go of it.  she was especially whiny and needy and it was all i could do to get her in her pj’s tonight.  she insisted on picking them out herself.  typically, i don’t do the mismatched thing.  i need the top to go with the bottoms.  i don’t know why?

but tonight…she insisted on last year’s easter pj top and this year’s christmas bottoms.

whatever floats your fussy boat, darlin.

while i was fixing dinner…i got a wild hair to pull chase’s loose tooth.

i had to work at it for a little bit.  it wasn’t totally ready…

but he had been asking for like 2 weeks.

and whatever thing 1, 2, or 3 does…

thing 4 has to do too.

he wrote a note to the tooth fairy…explaining why he is sleeping in mommy’s bed.

whenever daddy goes out of town, they get to take turns sleeping with me.

currently, annslee is in there with him watching sprout.  she tantrumed her way in there.

and then tantrumed the tv on.

chase was fine with it.

and i’m just too tired to fight it.

at some point…i know i will have to fight her back into her own bed.  she won’t go to sleep when she is anywhere but her bed.  she just wallers all over the place.  up…down…over…under…on top of you…beside you…face to face…back to back…poking your eye…squeezing your nose.

it really is something to behold.

she’s a firecracker, that one.

during her nap today, i actually cracked the door, peaked in, and listened to her talk to her pappy (pacifier) for about 5 minutes.  it was a full conversation between them.  there was nodding, laughing, and whispered sweet nothings.

again.

something to behold.

many of you may not know that i have a fear of balloons.  this fear stems back to childhood when i was at a birthday party where we played an unfortunate game where we tied balloons around our ankles and then tried to stomp on everyone else’s balloons.  the last one standing with an unpopped balloon was the winner.  all i know is that i was terrified then…and the idea terrifies me now. 

so…you can imagine my terror when my woman’s bible study group waltzed into pappasito’s last night for our “celebrate the end of the beth moore study with half price fajitas and margaritas” night and there were balloons on every table.

i asked “collin”…our waiter…”what’s up with the balloons?”

he said that he would remove them for me…but let’s not get all crazy, having people “remove” harmless balloons.”

i’ll deal.

and furthermore…

since when are waiters named “collin?”  that’s what i wanted to name colton.  obviously he lied on his application and was not old enough to be a waiter.

damn kids.

needless to say…

i needed the margarita to offset the fear that the balloons set into effect.

at least, that’s what my facebook status says.

today…i re-arranged aiden’s room.

let’s just call it like it is.

a room needed to be arranged,  and aiden’s was the best choice.

this activity lead to lip gloss.

and lots of it.

what can i say?

they take after their momma.

the last two days have been a “target clearance heaven” of sorts.

flip flops for $2????

need i really say more?

i will say more…but only because it involves $12 shabby chic curtains for aiden’s room.

and “cabiny” animal fur pillows for $12.48.

****

so…all that aside,

i’ve been meaning to tell you that we have been seriously contemplating homeschooling all of our kids through the jr. high years.

one of the many benefits to this would include them being able to travel with chad on missions trips during those formidable years.  i am a firm believer that they, or you for that matter, will never fully comprehend what people in other cultures are dealing with unless they/you actually “GO.”  and i’m not talking about italy or greece.  i’m talking about poverty.  i’m talking about unclean drinking water.  i’m talking about children that are happy playing with my gum wrappers all day because they are shiny.  i’m talking about kids who’s joy for a happy meal toy matches the joys of our children on christmas morning upon finding an xbox under the tree.

here’s the thing.

for colt…

that’s next year.

whoa.  whoa.   whoa.

when did he become a jr. higher????

so, i have been praying and praying and thinking and thinking and wondering and wondering and feeling intimidated, ill prepared, skeptacle, scared, nervous, and crazy for even considering it.

colton is smart.

every year he is invited to participate in the enrichment program for the kids that perform above and beyond the norm and is commended on every state test he takes.  just the other day, we received a letter stating that he has qualified to participate in a program that is sponsored by duke university that is aimed at students who possess high academic ability.

ummmm…

ok…

so…

how am i supposed to adequately “teach” him????

i never got no letter from duke!

anyhow…i’ve been feeling “lead” to take this on.  and i’ve been praying for guidance.

and then, out of nowhere…this morning…i got a text from someone who homeschools, and is starting a co-op and has information about a new university model school that is starting next year.

we are getting together saturday morning to talk.

thank you, sweet Jesus.

that is just what i need.

it looks like slim shady is one step closer to being schooled by his mother.

i like the way that translates.  🙂

****

just for practice…

i did a little “school” with my 2nd born tonight.

he checked out a book about jim henson from the library and, boy, was this exciting.

this is my kid that marches to the beat of a different tuba.

he loves harry houdini, frogs, actors, and jim henson.

fine by me.

it takes people like him to make the world go round…

…and muppets talk on sesame street…

and things of that nature.

****

enjoy your thursday evening, friends.

you will never get it back.

once again, pinterest made itself useful.  this time…with a simple hair idea.

the thing that i love about pinterest is that usually i can just look at the picture and figure it out.  i’m not one to do a lot of research.  i’m more of a “show me the picture and i’ll figure it out myself” kind of girl.

i love having her long hair to play with.

yesterday was a good parenting day.  there are random times that i feel like i am wasting my days away…the precious moments with my children…the time that i could have spent cleaning the bathrooms or clearing out the closet while the babe was napping…or the minutes that i could have spent folding the laundry instead of lounging on the couch, watching ellen.  (ok.  well…ellen is never a waste of time because she makes me laugh…but you get the idea.)

there are some days that end up being mediocre, at best, because i just didn’t fully take advantage of them.

instead…i stay in my pj’s instead of taking a few extra minutes to get ready, or i let my mind wander to unimportant things or i waste minutes that i could be playing dolls with annslee or reading with aiden or talking to colt or examining frogs with chase by spending time on something that doesn’t matter at all…like seeing how other people are spending their moments on the facebook homepage.  and often times, seeing how they are spending their moments make me feel bad about the way i am NOT  spending mine.

i’ve also learned that if i don’t get ready…i don’t accomplish near as much.

not that i’m suggesting that every day has to be jam packed and that i can’t ever lay down and take a nap if i’m tired…but it shouldn’t become the norm.  balance is always a good thing.  and i can get in a lazy rut like nobody’s business.  like “who really cares if i don’t sweep up the crumbs in the kitchen or if we are all stepping on litter in the bathroom today.  I’M TIRED OF THE SWEEPING AND I’M NOT DOING IT.”  or…”i don’t feel like playing with trout in the backyard after i put annslee down for a nap.  I WANT TO SLEEP.”

ok.  i’m rambling.

the point is…the ebb flowed yesterday and i didn’t just love my job…but i loved that i did a good job at it.  i didn’t run out of steam, or drive, or passion.  and that felt good.

after all…no one can do their best work ALL the time.  but when we do…

it’s freaking amazing, baby.

“A +”

“terrific work”

“here’s a bonus with your paycheck”

i played football with the boys.

i made up chants…like

“orange and blue…

kick em with your shoe…

don’t mind if i do…

score a touchdown or a few…”

and kept them laughing until it hurt.

i played spider monkey on the swing with her…

and lifted annslee to the slide more times than i can count.

and by the time it was math homework time…

i had hit my stride.

not every day is like this one.

but when these “home run,” “A+,” “YOU DESERVE A PROMOTION” days roll around…

it puts wind behind your parenting sails to last a couple of days.

****

and even though i won’t get raises or bonus’ for jobs well done…

i did receive payment of sorts.

last night…a friend knocked on the door and said, “i read your blog and i love it and i was at the store and these reminded me of you and i wanted you to have them.”

and then she gave me these lovelies.

i’m thinking chocolate malts are in our near future.

it was the cherry on the sunday.

****

and last night…you can imagine, when i walked into my room at the end of the evening…knowing that my head was going to hit my pillow feeling good about my day as a mom…and i saw this sight…

all i could do was smile.

yep.

the days aren’t all going to be great.  there will be days that i stay in my sweats and get nothing accomplished.  there will be the days that there are way more tantrums than bouts of belly laughs but there is comfort in knowing that the sun will rise again tomorrow, and our ebb will start to flow again…and balance is inevitably restored.

and that, sunshine…is worth celebrating.

under no circumstances can i divulge the information that was shared at the slumber party…i mean…sleep over friday night.  all i can say is that i had absolutely no idea that the whole “guy/girl” thing had started up already.

where was i????

i will say that 3 out of the 4 boys wanted nothing to do with all the “girl” talk and wanted to stick to the video games.

however…the idea of a good “ding dong ditch” did sound appealing to them…even if it was a girl.

****

poor sisters had to watch the football action from inside.

these boys felt the need to start the night with some football.  now…the idea of this was very foreign to me.  a.  it’s dark.  b.  they’ve already played football at recess.  c.  it’s time for dinner.  d.  it’s muggy.  e.  now they are going to smell.

the list could go on and on.

but apparently…they needed to mark their “everything boy” territory or something before we even really got started.

did you know that when boys drink root beer out of the bottle…it automatically ups their cool points?

and…furthermore…i actually had to explain to one of them that root beer would NOT, in fact, get them drunk and that he was just excited.

sister was not happy that she was not allowed to sit with the boys.

she perched her little self at the table in chase’s place and clasped her hands together and i swear i heard her say,

“sup, boys?”

****

my red solo cup…

i fill you up.

it was over pizza that i found out waaaaay more than i ever thought i might.  like i said…two of the boys had some serious crushes.  now…i’m completely aware that i began behaving somewhat immaturely at this turn of events and may or may not have given them the idea of taking the girl some chocolate.

my intentions were pure.

i swear.

after all…she lived around the corner and we could easily walk to her house…drop off the candy…and be back before chad knew we were gone.

(he’s not the parent you want to go to if you have any sort of plan that deviates from the norm.  if shenanigans are in order…

i’m your girl.)

so…

somehow…it ended in dropping the candy on the doorstep and ringing the doorbell and running,

with me being the get away car.

yeah…

so what if i tied the bow for him?

****

i saw how the male brain works and finally feel like i have a handle on some things.

the guy with the crush was super excited to ring his girl…and just because he wanted to get a little “just dance 3” on…didn’t mean that he cared any less about her.

something to think about.

i decided to let the girls play this time.  annslee never has to know that her remote might as well be for the ceiling fan.  it totally wasn’t hooked up.

****

moving on.

i tell you the truth when i say that colton was only excited about the ding dong ditch and he didn’t care who was on the other end of it.

and this is fine by me.  i’m not ready for my little guy to have another girl in his life.  i mean…he already has 3.  what more does he need at the tender age of 11?

****

the movie lasted about 20 minutes before chad, colton and i got left by ourselves to watch the “miracle” that is the us hockey team beating the russians in the winter olympics.

colt joined his friends in his room for the remainder of the night.

i overheard comments like, “this is the best night of my life” and i know, for certain, that one kid texted his mom that he was having the “best time ever.”

so…i’m gonna chalk it up as a win.

****

not that boys really care whether they drink their milk out of a cute bottle or the carton…

but the extra touch of these old, frappachino bottles made me happy.

this morning, we learned that our dear friends had to put their dog to sleep yesterday.

so…naturally we went with the whole “sugar makes everything better” plan.

****

there are some living beings that have their designated spots in our home.  i always know that i can look to that spot…and there they will be…my sedentary friends.

it’s a comfort, really.

and just to keep things real.

the basket looked like this…

before it looked like this.

i’ll leave you with a little just dance 3…

which i promise gets your heart pumpin in a really fun way.

i’ve mastered the zombie people song…

which happens to be her favorite.

thank you very much.

i’ve been thinking about some things.  one of which is, am i ever going to break away from the top knot???  and do people think i look like a messy, unorganized, grungy librarian??

the second thing that i’ve been thinking about is colt’s 11th birthday sleepover.  it’s tonight and it is our very first slumber party.  (although it is very important that i not call it a “slumber party” in front of his friends.  i’ve been adamantly told this.)

we are having pizza; bottled root beer; brownies and ice cream; the movies miracle and we are marshall complete with popcorn and m&m’s.

whose excited??

****

the other thing that i have been thinking a lot about lately is becoming more conscience about the amount of trash that we are producing.  we have a large trash can in the kitchen and we fill that thing full, at least 1 time a day.  sometimes 2.  plus…we have trash cans in every bedroom and bathroom that are filled to the brim each week.  trash comes in the form of mail, every day…in the form of bulletins and announcements from school every day…in the form of plastic bags housing all of our bread, chips, snacks, hygiene products, etc…and countless other ways.  it’s getting out of hand.

i’m all about easy. 

and if we start this challenge…my life won’t be as easy.

but maybe…

it will be worth it.

in order to become more “trash free”…

i would have to take my own jars to the store to fill them with lunch meats, chicken from the butcher, cheeses, and dried goods sold in bulk.  i would also need to take a pillow case to fill it with bread from the bakery.  i would have to radically change the way we buy and use hygiene products…doing things like making my own toothpaste and laundry detergent and hair care.

and what about toys…and the packaging around movies, games, etc?

and don’t even get me started on composting.

yuck.

it’s overwhelming to think about.

but…

i am feeling the nudge to make a few changes that could add up to a lot less trash over time.

i can’t imagine how this will go.  after all…we don’t even recycle!

i’ll keep you posted.

****

in the meantime…

i will try my best to entertain 5 eleven year olds, 1 nine year old, 1 six year old, 1 two year old, 1 thirty-nine year old, 1 puppy, and 1 kitten for the night.

and while i’m at it…

i’ll try to figure out what i would do with this popsicle stick if we were a trash free family.

how can you eliminate popsicles??  they are like the best thing ever.

pinterest is proving it’s worth in countless ways…and i’ve only been a member for, like, a month.

i checked out some photography pointers for bringing out the eyes in a photo.

and who better to practice on than the sweet pea.  she is really the only one who has the patience for my camera being shoved in her face at every turn.  plus…i promised her a reward if she would traipse around the yard with me…experimenting with shadow and sunlight.

technically…you are supposed to use a light reflector shade and also be able to do some touching up with photo shop…but i don’t have either of those.  so these babies are all natural. 

she has really unique eyes.  they are not really a specific color…which makes them hard to highlight.  the outsides of her iris are dark blue and then as you get closer to the pupil…they turn from blue to hazel.  and…one is lighter than the other.  in order to fully appreciate the color…she has to be looking at the sun…which makes for a squinty photo.  i used to turn her highchair toward the window when i would feed her when she was a baby…just so i could study her eyes.

i just love those eyes.

this particular night…we went to top water grill.  chad…nor i had ever been there before, so we didn’t know what to expect.  all we knew was that the restaurant had been featured in southern living magazine.  so it had to be good.

and it was.

the highlight of mine and annslee’s meal were the hush puppies.  she kept saying,

“uuuuppiiiiieeees.”

the highlight of chase’s and aiden’s was the ginormous fishing poles.

the girl could catch some serious fish with this baby.

it is always a little uncomfortable when strangers go out of their way to talk to my children.  and that just makes me so sad.  this man had been sitting at the bar with friends…and got off his stool to come and talk to annslee.  he was so kind and complimentary and it’s a shame that…as a parent…i constantly find myself questioning people’s motives.

it’s just not the way our world was supposed to be.

they played a serious game of air ping pong.

and then we hit yogurt bear.  who doesn’t love yogurt?

chad’s dad and his wife got the meal.  my parent’s got the yogurt.

generosity is a thread that weaves deeply in and out of both sides of our families.  and that example pays off in tangible ways.

like when you witness your 11 year old give some of his birthday money to a “feed the poor” table outside of walmart on his birthday.  i had to tell him that it was ok to not give it all away.

sister was hungry and decided to take things into her own hands.

and…she enlisted a helper.

yesterday, the kids had a holiday from school…so i tried to come up with something fun for us to do that didn’t involve spending any money.

picnic in the backyard it is.

i layed out the blanket…prepared the lunches…and announced to meet me in the backyard.

that’s where i instantly became majorly irritated due to the wind blowing everything everywhere…making it nearly impossible to eat.

the blanket blew in the food…the soda cans blew over on the blanket…our hair was in our mouths.  it was a mess.

i started getting all irrational about how everything i try to do ends up a hot mess…

and then i looked at the kids.

they didn’t care that the blanket now had food all over it.

they didn’t care that the soda cans had tipped…or that their hair was in their faces.

because, you see…

superman can really get some good flying done in weather like that.

and that’s what really mattered to him.

eleven.  he’s eleven.  and that just sounds old.

but he is.

and there is nothing i can do to make him ten again.  i was used to ten.  i was comfortable with ten.

yesterday…january 14th…at 10:28 am…he turned the big one one.

and i made sure hot chocolate greeted him.

with whipped cream and sprinkles, of course.

after all…

a celebration was in order.

and i am slowly getting used to having an eleven year old.

while he stayed in our bed…watching tv and enjoying his hot chocolate, sister and i busted out some basketball cupcakes.

and then…we busted out big brother’s pancake, egg, and bacon birthday brunch.

ever since the hair cut…i’ve been calling him slim shady.  he reminds me of a certain, white rapper.

just the hair…of course.

that evening, he had a basketball game.

people came far and wide to watch him.

it was a “fan club” of sorts.

just look at that cheering section!  i mean, paleeeease…

we might as well have busted out my old pom poms.  (and don’t think i wouldn’t do it.)

after big birthday brother tore it up on the court…

we went to mooyah burger to celebrate him…

and the big win.

(but mostly him.)

look at uk…lurking in the background.

i just love a good lurker.

and uk came through too.

he brought it…with the new basketball.

colt’s old one had become a little “slick” from all the wear and tear of the driveway dribble and bucket play.

because chad’s dad and his wife were here from iowa…we had to put the real partying off until next weekend.

a 5th grade boy sleep over is in order for friday night.

i better start preparing now.

i’m thinking some shenanigans are in my near future.

and everyone knows…

i just can’t turn down a good double dog dare.

oh yeah…

those boys will have met their match.

you are the candy to my land.

today i got to take trout and annslee for a walk.  and let me tell you…to try to take pictures while holding the leash with a 50+ pound dog on the other end…leaves something to be desired.

but.

i did get some good ones.  if i do say so myself.

but then again…when you are working with subjects such as this…

what does one expect?

this coat was mine, when i was a little girl.  and it may just be my most favorite thing to see her in right now.

today…

it was cold enough for her to wear.

she walked slightly behind me with her baby buckled safely in her stroller…as all good mothers do.

****

we took chad’s dad and his wife to shops in the “old town” area of where we live that were quaint and unique…making you feel warmth as soon as you opened the antique door and stepped foot over the threshold of what used to be houses.  when i meander through the shops, i admire the hand stitched aprons and the smocked children’s dresses and the smell of the specialty candles that burn at the entrance and marvel at the quality of someone’s work.  while walking through the old shops…i can’t help but wonder about the people who lived there once.  i just know they were happy.  i just know it.

there is a tea room that stands in the corner of the shops that used to be houses.  it was there that we ate lunch.  it was really too bad that aiden was in school…because this place is her favorite.  it was this place that she chose for me to take her to for her “start kindergarten” celebration.  there is a picture of us at this place that is framed in her room.

i’m convinced.

no one can be unhappy in a tea room.

****

later tonight…the girls donned their aprons and helped me make homemade salsa and guacamole to go with our taco dinner.  we thought that the iowa folk should have some traditional tex-mex..

sister can seriously crank out some salsa.

and here is proof of a successful hobby lobby mission:

i’ve instructed chad that when he makes his coffee in the morning…he can pour the creamer into that little jug there…by the sugar…where it will wait for me to get up.

and that’s where it will make my day.

this is what happened after i made a point to tell the kids to make sure they drank their milk with their breakfast yesterday morning…validating the fact that i am, indeed, talking to the wall.

and this was annslee’s tray after specifically telling her to keep her breakfast on her plate.

hello wall. my name is mindy. after talking to you on a regular basis for years now…it’s nice to finally, officially meet you. i thought it was high-time that i formally introduced myself.

****

annslee wore her very, first piggy tails ever yesterday.  this is a very important time in a girl’s life.

while getting her ready for our hobby lobby outing…she began insisting upon wearing her elmo t-shirt.  it was cold outside…so i talked her into putting it on under her comfy cozies.  however…just one elmo shirt was not good enough.  she wanted to wear two.  after much protesting in the form of screaming at me…i talked her into just one.  but she was never fully satisfied with the outfit.

i, on the other hand, impressed myself with jeans, a tank, a shirt, a scarf, and boots.  this is the most “dressed” i’ve been in a good, hot minute.

she finally talked (screamed) me into a wardrobe change half-way through the day.  i realized that i needed to chose my battles wisely…and on this particular day…the clothes was not one of them.  i had bigger fish to fry…like sitting in the highchair for meals instead of ON TOP of the table and allowing ME to carry the glass, apothecary bottles through the store instead of her balancing them on her head.

****

last night…i went for my second run of the week.  be impressed.  i have not run anywhere since i was pregnant with colton.  except for that time during the last winter olympics, when i had convinced myself that if i could just get into shape…curling would be an option for me come next winter olympics…so i ran around the block once and then decided that curling really didn’t take that much cardio strength anyways…so i could just practice my shuffleboard skills with the broom and a cookie on the kitchen floor and call it a day.

anyways…i laced up the running shoes two nights ago and set out to run around the 2-block loop in our neighborhood.  i told myself, “just make it to the mailboxes at the end of the street…and then you can walk.”  and when i got there…i told myself, “just get to the next street and then you can walk.”  i did that until i got all the way around and didn’t stop until i hit our front walk.  i was pretty proud of myself but was secretly a little scared that it would turn out just like my “training for the winter olympics” stint.  i told myself, as i was nursing a wicked, side cramp, “just lace up the shoes again.”

so…last night…for the second night in a row, i did.  before i left, chad told me what route would be a full mile.  i told myself not to worry about that and to just run the same loop i did the night before and to be proud of that.  but last night turned out a little different.  instead of listening to myself gasping for air…i put the earphones in and ran to eminem instead.  and instead of looking at the ground in front of me…i kept my focus on the light of the full moon in front of me.  it’s amazing how much easier it is to stay on track when you drown out the superfluous noise and keep your gaze focused on the light.

i’m well aware of the life metaphor is so neatly layed out here that it might as well be wrapped in brown paper and tied up with a bow…but the only problem is…

i don’t really think that i want to equate eminem with the noise that i should be blaring into my ears.  BUT…the light thing…

well that’s genius.

the point is…instead of going straight and staying on the easier and quicker route, i turned left and ran the actual mile.  without stopping.  i listened to the music and i focused on the moon instead of my racing heart, my staggered breaths, and my aching muscles.

today…as the sore muscles in my legs send mixed messages of  “thatta girl” and “please…for the love of all the sand on the beach…don’t do that to us again”…i’m telling myself to just “lace up the shoes again.”

****

after my run…i came home to this. 

chad let her pick out her own pajamas, which included 3 pairs of pants.  (that’s why she looks a little puffy.)

and they were all running around the house in winter hats, gloves, and scarves as annslee chased them with the gun.

and chad just looked at me like it was totally normal.

i leave for 10 minutes and they all go out of their minds.

today…chad’s dad and his wife get here from iowa for a visit so i was going to get my entertaining on and bust out dinner in the crock pot.  i set annslee up at the kitchen table with a coloring book and some colors…although that was no match for the entertainment that i provided while trying to get dinner assembled.

first, i went for the milk and somehow lost control of the eggs.  that resulted in eggs splattering all over the floor and under the fridge.

that was fun.

brucshetta.  it hit my foot before hitting the floor…causing a flash memory of the jug-o-wine incident of 2011 and a nasty cut.

i couldn’t find any bandaids, (due to the girls’ fascination with wearing them even if they don’t have a reason to) so i was dripping blood everywhere until i finally found a piece of tape.

after cleaning that mess up and contemplating ordering pizza for dinner…i got er’ done.

and sister found this whole fiasco so entertaining that she needed a closer seat.

front row for the show, baby.