whatever

we had a wonderful vacation.
we love the beach.
the weather was the best.
craig was the only one with a sunburn.
our friends rock!
i get crazy around kids and a bonfire…bad queen.
the kids got along so well…with each other and their friends.
chicago is as cool as ever.
harry potter 7 is not long enough (says lauren).
my great aunt liza is 96 years young.
the ulrich hotel in the boonies was amazing!
i love jake and abby.
i miss my friends.
a baseball bat will help start your fuel pump in a restaurant parking lot.
talby beat me in bowling.
peter i am sorry we didn’t come over…you are missed!
GPS kicks butt.
the lego store is cooler than skyscrapers (say my boys)
IKEA is still awesome.
maribeth you are so dear to me.
always make friends with people who have a car as big as yours.
laughing with old friends is one of the best feelings there is.
chicago traffic is so ridiculous…kansas does it right.
maggianos…pedro…apple-tinis…good times.
paying for a new fuel pump is not fun on your vacation.
gone 9 days and not one stop at starbucks!
we have the best friends ever.
glad to be home…even though it’s a big mess.

conversations tonight at bedtime.

Talby: “Mom..who do you love the most of all?”

Me : “well…i love all of you guys and daddy…and god.”

T: do you love god the most?
M: Yes..because he made me and all of us. and he gave me you so i love him even more for that.
T: He made us?
M: Yes…he made us all different and he loves us.
T: If he didn’t make us he’d say….hmmm this is kind of boring. i wish someone was here.
M: Ha ha ha …yes that’s true.
T: Unless he wanted to go bowling. He could open the key by himself…and go in…and he’d say where is everyone?
M: Really?
T: but he couldn’t bowl without his bowling shoes.
M: kiss. goodnight talbers.

then with sean.

S: Mom…i would hate to sleep in water.
M: me too. you couldn’t…you have to give up eventually.
S: yeah…and drown and then die.
(isn’t this a nice goodnight story?)
M: yes. we can’t breathe in water.
S: Mom..what if you had to swim in the ocean all night long and couldn’t sleep and then in the morning you got out of the water and you had to go world’s of fun and after the first roller coaster ride you said OHHHHHH my stomach hurts i need some cotton candy!!….wait…do they have cotton candy there?
M: yes. okay goodnight bud.

what a couple of goofballs!

what kind of mom would i be if i didn’t let my kids have ice cream sundaes for lunch once in awhile?
they caught me at a weak moment.
it’s kind of healthy…strawberries and bananas?
and i didn’t have to share my smoothie with anyone.

we got a call on sunday evening that our dear friends (far right) from utah were only 30 minutes away for the evening. we were busy till 9:15 but then we drove over there to see them. it was of course way too short. but what a beautiful way to spend the evening. i was just so happy to be sitting there. i miss them so much! we laughed about everything but we spent a long time laughing about The Office. We all love that show so we were cracking up! i love you guys! come back soon. someday we will visit…in the family truckster with all our goofy kids…i bet you can’t wait.

we had in a snow storm . . .
the day before a four day break with these kids.
i hope it melts quickly.
except then there is mud.

i don’t have too much planned for them for Easter break.
movie on friday maybe? if i can find a sitter for annie.
bowling sometime over the four days?
we joked last week that bowling was going to be our new Easter tradition instead of egg hunting. i think we’ll still do both this year.
i bought them a new game that we will TRY to play all together – Zoo-reeka. but it rarely goes as planned.
i would like to think i would color eggs with them but to be honest the mess of dye in my white kitchen makes my stomach hurt. That is a bad mom i know but it’s DYE.
lauren still needs an Easter dress. (Need is the wrong word.) I want her to have something new because all the others have a new outfit. And she is the only one who will care that everyone has a new outfit but her. So we have to try to squeeze that in somewhere.

but my main focus to trying to keep Jesus in the front of my mind. It’s Easter and I get so busy or overwhlemed with all the kids home or planning easter baskets that i don’t think about Jesus till i sit in the pew on sunday morning. so I am trying to change my focus. be in prayer. being so thankful. I am trying. there is alot of sad stuff going on and i need to be so grateful.
thank you Lord for everyday.

have a blessed good friday.
here some pictures from the last few days that warm my heart.

after talking online with a friend today I realized how crabby i really was. I need to spend some real time with God to work this stuff out! I am feeling all a mess.
but even just acknowledging that God CAN handle my moods and feelings made me feel better. I know He can and that He wants to. He wants me to come to Him with everything. He wants me to be a great mom. He wants my children to feel loved and only He can teach me the right way to do it! He is amazing. I just have to ask Him. I have to make that time to hear what He is saying. really listen.
after she and i chatted back and forth i felt WAY better and definitely understood. thank you.
deciding that part of my bad mood was the list i have of things to do and wanting to do it all today – with 2 little kids here. it just wasn’t happening. they kept trying to play with me an i kept telling them to “go play” till finally i had hurt their feelings.
so i threw the list away.
then we played.
we painted.
we made playdoh things.
we went to Sonic.
we went to the park.
we went for a walk.
we did . . . nothing and it was good for me and them.

The chores are changing around here tomorrow.
they are all unaware of what tomorrow will bring.
for 2 years now lauren has emptied the dishwasher each load and scott has put away the silverware.
as of tomorrow . . .
talby will empty the dishes
sean will put away silverware
and the 2 of them will share the job of setting the table.
scott and lauren will share the job of clearing the table and then LOADING the dishwasher.
This is where things will be difficult.
if they cannot work together i guess they will have to switch off who does what.

basically i am feeling overworked? irritated? under appreciated? (all by the kids not by Craig – he’s super)

i buy the groceries.
put away the groceries.
plan the meals.
prepare the meals.
listen to crying and complaining all through the meals.
and then I CLEAN UP the MEALS! (with Craig’s help)
well . . . no more.

(i will have to clean up after they clean up but i am okay with that.)

so be prepared for me whining about their whining.
only the older 3. talby loves it all! she would do all of it on her own if i’d let her.
maybe i should let her!
and i always have one more helper when she needs something to keep her busy.
she kept shouting “Whoa! dat’s a BIG spoon!”

gotta go to bed – it’s midnight!

Last night was Student-lead parent conferences. The kids take you around their room showing you their work. They love to do it. It is such a cute way to hear how they doing. The teacher is there but just sits at her desk listening to be sure they have the correct information.
Sean’s handwriting has improved incredibly since September. Scott’s showed us his owl “pellet”. yuck. It’s gross to see little mouse bones all glued to paper. Look at that drawing of the white house (blue). Wow!
Then they got to pick some books at the book fair. My rule was “No TV books”. No one likes to read a Sponge Bob Squarepants book! I think I like the book fair as much as the kids do.
The weather here is amazing! I think we’ll have to hit the park again today.

Sean has found a new love. A new ball doesn’t hurt either. He won’t let anyone else touch it. He wanted me to take these pictures – not the norm for Sean.
He can dribble through his legs (slowly but he can do it). But his most impressive new skill is dribbling while squatting down into a sitting position then laying down flat and then coming all the way back up again without losing his ball or stopping the dribble. He was so proud of it. He learned at JAM basketball so lots of other kids can do it too but I am not their mom. He probably did it 20 times yesterday. Determination . . . love that.
After watching him I had to try it myself. I’ve never laid on the cement and dribbled a basketball before. (notice how there is no picture of that?) What great skill for a 6 year old to work on! It is balance and timing and strength and coordination all in one. And it ‘s FUN too.
Last week Sean said “WOW MOM! You are so good at basketball!!” (ha ha ha – go ahead I know you are laughing already)
Conversation after soccer last night –
Sean: “Mom, I could beat you at soccer easy!”
Me: “What makes you think that?”
Sean: “Because you are so old and I am fast and young.”
So much changes in a week.