Another one down...

Well, May has come and gone.  We took the boys to the beach for a few days last week.  They had a ball.  I think it may have been a little more fun for us had we just relaxed from the first night when it came to bed time.  But over all it was a fun trip.  The boys got to play in the sand and go to the pool every day so they were thrilled.  I do wish I had taken a few more photos but oh well, they are at the age they really aren't thrilled about me taking photos, nor do they sit still for long.  But no one got sunburned and everyone was happy so it was a great trip in my book!

Slacker!

Oh my what a slacker I have become this whole last year on my blog!  I can't believe I didn't even make one single post in the month of March.  Shame, shame on me!!!!!

So you are probably wondering what in the world the boys look like since it has been FOREVER since I have posted any photos of them.  I guess that is one of the draw backs of having moved closer to family...not as urgent to update the good old blog, eh?

Both of them have decided they don't like having their picture taken this last year.  These are the kind of shots I get now when I say, "Let me take a picture."

But hey, these days I will take anything.  They are growing so freaking fast it is making my head spin.

So what have I been doing with all my time?  A lot of it has been spent outside these days.  Working like crazy on the yard and just being outside with the boys...who would live out there if I allowed them to.  That is the question I hear from the time they wake up until they go to bed each night, "Can we go outside?"  I am REALLY missing having a fence!  Although today I had something I HAD to get done so I let them play in the back yard while I sat right at the door finishing it.  I could hear and see them but wasn't actually out there...I felt so guilty! 

Still attempting to get this house unpacked but I am afraid it won't happen until over the summer.  Sigh.  It stresses me out but I am finally at a place where I just keep telling myself, one step at a time.  I have to keep repeating that over and over again.  It's tough being the only one doing it and trying to take care of a family and all.  So much crap stuff to go through and I just get overwhelmed.  I'll get there!

Both of the boys go to different schools and of course not even on the same schedule.  So I spend a lot of time in my car.  I don't know how people with kids that are enrolled in 50 activities do it.  I feel like we are always in the car going somewhere.  Crazy.  I don't think I would mind so much if it came together a little better but we have these chunks of time where it's too far to go home but too long to just go to the next place and wait.  Annoying.  I guess I better get used to it.  Need to take up knitting again.  :)

So that's been pretty much my last several months.  Happy to have warmer weather arriving so we can get outside.  Being couped up this last winter was NOT fun for any of us.  It was way worse here than in Indy...WAY worse.

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