May I please have a spoon?

This was the simple request for the gal at Chick-fil-A this morning.  Probably not such a strange one but what we were using the spoon for was pretty funny.  And she thought that was the funniest request she had ever gotten, I could hear the whole staff laughing as we rolled up the window. 

I was taking Noah to school and it had snowed a little over night.  He wanted to eat the snow.  And being the accommodating mother than I am, I got a spoon from the sweet gal at Chick-fil-A while getting our breakfast and stopped the car to get him some snow.  I know, I am a dork.  ;)

As a young mother, I asked the Lord to teach me of

Himself through my children.  He gave me eight children.

Apparently, I had a lot to learn.

~ Helen Widger Middlebrooke

I have no idea what I would do if I had eight children.  I think I would be sent to the funny farm.  Some days lately I don't know how I am going to survive the two I have.  How do you do it?  This week both of the boys have taken turns getting sick.  Noah was sick and so Cameron actually did very well the first major day of it.  BUT...now Noah is on steroids (this is always a BAD thing in our house) and Cameron is sick...the beginning of being sick.  Which means he is still very much himself (full of energy) but cranky.  Oh what lovely times around our house this week.  Grrr. 

So yes, I'll take some cheese with that whine.  Oh wait, there is enough whining around our house for an entire city full of families these days.  So maybe I will just stop my whining now and go back to taking care of my sick child.  Who of course doesn't want to snuggle so what am I doing?  Blogging.  At least for the next 15 minutes until it's time to go and get his brother.  Then the fun begins all over again.  Calgone....take me away!

Hi, ho, hi, ho, it's off to work we go...

Yep, I am officially pondering going back to work.  I guess I should say I am more than pondering.  I am starting to really look into it.  I really wanted to be a stay at home mom all my life.  That is all I really ever wanted.  Maybe I waited too long in life to have children.  I don't know.  But I have thought several times over the last 4 years that I may be a better mother if I actually went back to work.

I can list all kinds of reason why I should go back.  Then of course the main reason for not going back is my children.  It screams at me (yes, the children do too).  Should I really go back?  Should I try and stick it out another year and a half until they go to school?  The sad truth is I would rather be a stay at home mom while they are in school.  I want to be able to do things with their class and be home when they get home.  To capture all those special moments I might otherwise miss. 

So now I am stuck wondering just what I should do.  What if I get a job and then hate it?  Hate being away from my babies after all.  I just never thought I would be one of those moms who actually wants to go back to work.  Sigh.

Fontina Mac and Cheese

I have decided to get back to trying a new recipe at least once a month, once a week if I can swing it like I used to.  But I will give myself a little leeway for a while on that one.  So today I decided to make some homemade mac and cheese.  I don't ever recall making it from anything other than a box before to be honest.  I have been wanting to try this recipe for ages now (like a gazillion other recipes over at Annie's Eats).  And so today at lunch I finally did.  Can I just say yummy!  I can't believe I have waited this long to make homemade mac and cheese!  I think next time I am going to have to leave the topping off and see if the boys will eat it.  Something about the crunchy texture I think bothered them.  Not like I have kids with texture issues or anything.  No, not mine (big eye roll there)...

Bedtime seems to almost always be a struggle around our house.  I know we are not alone in this but man, some nights...  I am tired by the end of the day, the kids are tired but don't want to miss a thing, and hubby is tired and just wants a few minutes of peace and quiet.  I get it.  I understand it.  And yet it still doesn't always make me respond in the manner I would have liked.  So this is an awesome quote I may have to print and post right on the outside of each of their rooms to keep me from cracking some nights.  ;)

Parents, remember that now is your opportunity.

You may feel yourself harassed as you struggle

through the days with children,

but you are living the happiest

and the most golden years of your life.

As you tuck them into their beds at night,

please be kind to them.
Let them hear a kind voice amid all the

angry, vile voices that they will hear throughout life.

Let there be an anchor to which these little ones

can turn to when all else fails.

The Lord help you so to do...

Harold B. Lee