Anyone who knows Toph and I will know, we’re suckers for books. We love ’em. Currently we have 5 Big Tall bookshelves in our house all crammed with books.
So off to our Elementary Book Fair we went, and I know it will be shocking…the boys choose STAR WARS books. I tell you, it’s like an epidemic…they can’t get enough of it.
Truman a Star Wars Lego Sticker Book
And Tucker a Star Wars Vs. Book.
When I find music I love, I listen to it over adn over and over.
I find it energizing.
Here are my two favs right now:
American Honey
Jenny Phillips: We Believe (based on the YW theme this year, I LOVE it!)
(this is kind of a cheesy video, but I LOVE this song!)
She doesn’t have a chance.
When awake, she’s constantly surrounded and mauled and loved.
Surrounded from Emily Phillips on Vimeo.
How lucky she is to have brothers who love her so much.
Whilst Truman was down sick (AGAIN!) he missed the assembly where he was given this award:
For being a good leader and being responsible.
Tuck came home from school that day to tell him. And Truman was beyond excited!
The next day, Tucker went to his class to get his award for him…because he knew Truman was dying to see it!
We are so proud of Tru, and the wonderful boy and student and leader that he is!
The big kids put to bed, Toph putting Lorelei down, I am finishing cleaning the kitchen, enjoying a moment of silence. Wait…did I just hear the Wii turn on? I think I hear Mario Kart starting.. How did the kids sneak past me and turn on the wii when they are supposed to be in bed?
I head to the office, to reprimand, when I see this:
Some daddy daughter time. 🙂 Apparently Toph’s practicing up his wii skills, on Mario Kart, so MAYBE he can someday win the little boys! 🙂 He can easily win me, I ALWAYS fall off the road and edges. I can’t drive straight!
And I’m not sure, but I think Lorelei enjoyed it just as much as her papa.
One thing I have learned as a mother and homemaker, is that if I can keep central areas of my home clean throughout the day (like the kitchen) it is easier to keep up on the other little spaces. (I know it seems basic, but for some reason it really helps–and is a huge eye opener for me to really realize this!)
I am also learning with my home, that life is not slowing down, {and isn’t going to be in the near future.} And if I want something done in my house, I shouldn’t wait for a ‘slow day’ or a ‘calm weekend’, because they don’t exist! I am learning that if I want something done, I need to work on them a little at a time, bit by bit. Even if it feels like it is going to take me forever, I am at least progressing.
Currently, I am working on repainting the baseboards, that are nasty and banged up! So occasionally whilst the youngest two nap in the afternoon (their naps sometimes overlap for a few minutes), Truman and I have been trying to conquer a few of these little tasks…We haven’t gotten to far yet, just the playroom and the hallway, but it is progress. And it will get done … eventually.
And because I don’t like to do a post without a picture –here’s something I am horrible at keeping up at: Laundry.
This is what happens when it gets ignored for 2 days. (it’s amazing…6 people makes for alot of laundry!)
As my mom says, ‘Laundry, you need to stay on top of it, or else it just multiplies’ (or something like that!)
But it true.
And did you see a cute baby in the laundry? I hope so, because she’s the best part of that picture.
🙂
Since the poor girl can barely fit in there! ( I hadn’t even noticed, until Toph pointed it out!)
The girl does love herself a good tub! (Maybe she gets that from me! 🙂 )
And on a side note…
Someone doesn’t like others being the center of pictures, here he is saying ‘take a picture of Elliot!’
And, he may have repeated ‘i got my duckies, put me in the chub (tub)’, over and over and over and over.
We all have ’em. The days where you want to pull the covers over your head, stay in bed, and just ignore life! 🙂
(WARNING: This may be a post you may want to skip, there’s alot of ‘complaining’! But I write this blog to remember my life, the good and the bad. I want to keep it realistic.)
I had ‘one of those days’ like that this last week.
It had been a doozy of a couple days leading up to this particular day…I’d been up multiple times with every member of my family for quite a few nights (read: strep throat and kidney stones, and ruptured ear drum, and a bad cold all at our house–everyone was on the mend by this point)-getting to bed late, read 12:00pm and rising early for the day-read 4:30am with the babe {I was exhausted! and felt like saying, just five more minutes, five more minutes!}, my house was a mess {EVERY single room looked like a tornado had been through it, the kitchen had 2 days of dishes, food on the floor — you get the picture.}, and I had a full day of things I NEEDED to do in front of me {I was going to be running around, busy, busy that day doing many extra things, plus all that comes with the care of 4 kids, and trying to ‘recover’ the house}. I was trying to think of something happy to look forward to that day, and all I could see was all the work it is to be a mom. It felt it was going to be a rough day, I was starting out the day with my patience worn…
I finished feeding Lorelei, and looked at my clock..6:35. Past time to get going….I rolled over, I was in a bad mood, grouchy, and wanting to go back to sleep.
I could hear Elliot was awake downstairs in his crib, so as much as I wanted to go back to sleep, and pretend I didn’t know it was morning, I knew he’d be screaming soon, so I’d better get moving…
Out of bed I rolled, grabbing my robe, and heading to Elliot..
Toph had put him to bed the night before, whilst I put the others to bed, so I was surprised when I saw this:
Undies ontop of the jammies…(we’re potty training and Elliot can’t get enough of big boy undies) And yes, I forgot to mention that, add Potty Training to the list of things I was not looking forward to doing. Potty training is one of the most dreaded parental duties !
But when I saw him, I thought, How can you not smile about that?
And little things like that continued throughout the day, instead of being grouchy, the little things that could have just ‘thrown me over the edge’, instead brought gratitude to me..
Lots of spit ups and dirty leaking diapers means I get to dress this cutie in lots of cute outfits.
A change of plans in the day, unexpectedly led to a few extra minutes at home, where these two cuddled on the couch and watched a quick episode of Shawn the Sheep.
And with the changing of outfits, came the changing of hair accessories, I mean, really? I’m so lucky to have such a beautiful daughter, with so much hair…
And the day continued on and on like that…
Ending with my kids laughing and smiling at the end of the day with me in the kitchen.
What a difference Gratitude can make. Don’t get me wrong, the day was still bumpy, but not as ‘miserable’ as it could have been.
And that night I had another realization and gratitude…although these days are hard, they are still MY DAYS. I GET TO stay at home. It is my choice, my sweetheart works very hard to give that gift to me and my family. I HAVE children who make these days hard, but I HAVE THEM. Being a mom is HARD, but I GET to do it. I have been giving that blessing of being a mom.
And still more gratitude washed over me.
“Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”
Ten years since this:
(for some reason the volume isn’t very loud, so turn it up 🙂 )
Oh, the memories, Happy Anniversary to my Sweets.
It’s been an AMAZING ten years…how could it not be with such an AMAZING MAN? Can’t wait for another ten with you….