I'm glad I still have SOME leverage.

The other morning I woke up to the sound of rustling paper and then the quiet click of our bedroom door closing. I looked over at the door and saw this message waiting for me. I giggled, for three reasons, ONE; the cleverness of the note itself. TWO; the fact that it is signed "Love, Conner and Lewis" and THREE; out of pure relief that I still have some leverage with those boys. Lately I have been feeling a little ignored by them, like requests, orders or things I ask them to do come across as mere "suggestions" to them. When did this start? I can't remember, but I DO remember, not so long ago, when anything I said WENT. I didn't have to ask thirty times for the toys to get picked up. I didn't have to ask thirty times for them to come inside. I didn't have to use the line, "Just wait until your dad gets home. . ." I was able to HANDLE them, keep them under control, get RESULTS! So, the other night when I was in their room and looking, once again, at the endless sea of toys and clothes and paper and JUNK that they accumulate, I lost it! I said, "Boys, I am going to throw ALL of this stuff away tomorrow while you are at school. I have HAD it! I have bought you bins, totes, boxes, shelves, caddies, drawers etc. and they are ALLL empty and everything is right here on the floor!" Oh, I went on and on and stated my case. Reminding them of the dozens of times I have asked them to keep the UNDERNEATH part of their bed completely empty (I hate random stuff under the bed) and also reminding them of all the places we set up for all their things. It really isn't that hard to keep their room clean, there is a legitimate place for everything, they have just been so lazy. So, I gave them the ultimatum. Right before bed, I told them about my house cleaning plans for the next day and this cute little note was their plea to give them ONE MORE CHANCE! So funny.

So, I went downstairs that morning and LO and BEHOLD, their room was clean! They had spent the morning refilling their totes and shelves and drawers. They hadn't FORGOTTEN where everything went! I couldn't believe it! Did it take LOSING my cool to get these results? I guess it had been awhile since I showed them my limits. Now they know. Hopefully they won't take my pleas for cleanliness as a mere suggestion anymore! I love it when they hold up their end of the bargain and it makes life so much easier (and better) when everything (for the most part-I am not Hitler or anything) is in its place and nobody is being ignored. Ahhhhh.

Summer Survival Kit

This summer was quite laid back in comparison to our past few summers. Chalk it up to 'bringing home baby'. We really did do our share of relaxing and LAZING around the house getting used to our new boss:



Since today is our official LAST DAY Of SUMMER, I have been glancing back at our fleeting days and I thought I'd compile a list of things that made this summer manageable, bearable and even FUN!

Let's start with. . .
Survival Stategy #1- THE FOOD: This summer has been a HUGE "CRAVING" summer for me. Forget about pregnancy cravings. I guess these are "Postpartum Cravings". I literally could not get enough of:



Strawberries and Cool Whip on anything! Waffles, pancakes, angel food cake or just solo. Strawberries made my day this summer!



Indoor S'Mores! I went through BOXES of graham crackers this summer. Could NOT cure my s'more craving. I was always wanting s'more!



Chocolate Chip Cookies!

You know it's bad when your kids say, "Mom, you are making cookies AGAIN???" What kids complain about their mom making homemade cookies? Obviously this is my craziest craving. They started later on in the summer and have FINALLY dissipated. I went for a good two weeks straight baking cookies practically every day! I only made enough to fill one cookie sheet, never an entire batch (I was too scared I would eat them all). I never measured anything, just poured in the ingredients until the dough was the right consistency. I would eat like four or five, make the boys eat some and save the rest for Steve. One time, when the boys were gone and I got the urge to make the cookies, I took some to the neighbors so I wouldn't eat the entire dozen. I KNOW, this is wrong on so many levels!!! I tried to counter act the bad cookie craving with really healthy meals throughout the day to lessen the guilt.

Survival Stategy #2- DAILY SUMMER JOBS:

Okay, this Summer Survival tactic is one I wish I would have thought of sooner. It has made getting the boys to do their work so much easier. During the first part of the summer, I tried to continue with the usual things we did to get the boys to help out around the house (begging, pleading, reminding, bribing etc.) but I found these strategies were not working too well with me being tied up nursing Brayden so much. I felt like the kids were getting kind of lazy and I had a hard time keeping track of what they were doing for allowances (during the school year they each get $2 on Saturday if they keep up on their chores)



So, one night I typed up a list of all the things I wanted the boys to get done each day before Steve gets home. The boy who finishes all items on the list first gets to choose a reward from their jar. The rewards are things like "pick a treat at the store" or "one free hour of computer time" or "one special shoe shopping date with mom," I basically made the rewards things we already needed to get for school or things that were inexpensive/free and fun.

I cannot tell you how much this has helped my summer! Finally, the kids are motivated to get up and work without me having to bite their heads off! Plus, they have learned that doing all these jobs really isn't that hard and can be done pretty quickly. Conner has been SUPER cute about trying to "tie" with Lewis each day. He wants it to be fair and wants Lewis to earn a prize too. Lewis tends to be more distracted when it comes to getting jobs done than Conner. Conner is more like me. Once he gets going, he can't stop and actually really enjoys cleaning and organizing. Most days, both boys have been able to earn a prize from their jars.

I gotta say, I will definitely be doing this again next summer. I loved that I could actually walk into the boys' room and SEE the floor! And their extra help made my jobs a whole lot easier too!



Survival Stategy #3- BIG BROTHERS:



Before we had Brayden, people would always comment on how lucky I was going to be to have two great big brother helpers. I always agreed with their comments and looked forward to the fun Lewis and Conner would have attending to their new baby, but I had NO IDEA how truly HELPFUL and AMAZING they would be! I honestly don't know what I am going to do without them when they go off to school tomorrow? I don't know what BRAYDEN will do?!? He really loves those big brothers of his and lights up the moment they come into the room and begin to play with him. There have been several times I have left the room to attend to other things around the house and when I go back in to check on them, all three of them will be "chillin'" or hanging out in such a cute little way!





It makes me smile every time and I grab the camera to try and capture the moment! When I see these pictures, I think back to the day we found out that we were not going to get our baby girl through adoption. We went to the family services center and talked to our case worker about how to break the news to our boys. They were SOOOO excited to have TWO new babies coming to their house and we weren't sure how to tell them that it wasn't going to work out that way. We told them as we were walking out of the family services building and getting into our car. Of course, they were sad and so was Steve and I. We decided to go to Wendy's for dinner since it was just down the street and it was too late to go home and cook something. As we were eating, Steve said, "I guess it will just be the 'Three Musketeers' after all" (we had mentioned that term to the boys back in December when we found out that we were expecting another little boy). The boys seemed happier to be thinking about that idea again. Lewis piped up and said, "or we could be the Three Amigos!" and then Conner said, "or how about The Three Blind Mice?" Well, that was just about the best thing he could have said. Just the comic relief we needed after hearing our sad news, and really, since that moment-we haven't looked back. We have enjoyed every second of thinking about, preparing for, and enjoying our three sons. It has made this summer soooo special and I couldn't have survived without those two big brothers and all their help.

Survival Stategy #4- SUNNIE!!!


Thank heavens for super awesome sister-in-laws like Sunnie! She has been a LIFE SAVER this summer! Not only has she been instrumental in helping with all of our children's birthday parties this summer, but she has also volunteered to come and get the boys on almost a DAILY basis to take them swimming or to the park or whatever. In fact, she has them right now! They went down to play in the river for their last day of summer water fun! She has a boy a few months younger than Conner and she also brings along Wyatt, another cousin the same age as Lewis. If it hadn't been for Sunnie's willingness to get the boys out in the summer sun, I don't know what I would have done. I tried taking Brayden to the pool this summer and it was a nightmare. He is too little to get in the water and it is just wayyyyy too hot to not get in. So, if it weren't for Sunnie, my boys would have missed out on some serious fun in the sun! I wish I would have sent her with the camera at least once. I have no documentation that the kids actually swam this year!



I just found this one photo! This is of the boys and their friend Andrew from Beaver Dam. They got to hang out with him and another Beaver Dam friend, Jaiden, a few times this summer. It sure is great to have such awesome friends who love my kids and want to have them over to play! These play dates added to our summer survival as well.

Survival Strategy #5- GOOD T.V.


Okay. Look close at this photo. Yes. That is Bill Cosby (being held by the baby in the car!!!) and he is one fun thing that made this summer unique. It started pretty randomly. I was feeding the baby and the boys just sort of came in to my room and started watching T.V. with me while I nursed. Since we have the most basic Dish Network package available, we get like 13 T.V. stations, not a lot of variety. The only shows on PBS that day were "baby" shows according to the boys, so I scanned the channels and found The Cosby Show. I was so excited and I convinced the boys they would like it if they just gave it a chance. We watched for a little while, but I was bugged by one thing. The commercials in between the snippets of wholesome, family, 80's entertainment were horrible! Girls dressed scantily clad and previews of shows with people between the sheets etc. Up until this summer, we rarely watched t.v. We were never around it and it usually came on after the kids were in bed, so all these "commercials" were so upsetting to me! I decided, I loved the little life lesson the boys learned from the Cosby Show that day, but could do without the more PG-13 rated commercials in between. That is when it dawned on me that I could Netflix the Cosby Show! What a fun idea! We started with the first season and watched all those episodes throughout the week when I was nursing or when I needed the boys to quiet down for the baby's nap. We even took it along on our trip to Fish Lake. Such great entertainment. The boys LOVED getting to know all the Huxtables and it has been fun revisiting the episodes with Steve. We totally grew up with this show and it is fun to share it with our boys.
Now that summer is over, we probably won't have time to finish watching the Cosby Show. There are like eight seasons! We have made it through two. Maybe next summer we will pick up where we left off. They just don't make T.V. like they used to!

Survival Strategy #6- ENJOYING THE LITTLE THINGS:


This summer, it has been about the little, every day moments that add up to one great summer! We have never been so relaxed, so content and SOOOOO sad that it is over! Here's to summer!

Burrito Baby

Well, this has been a new experience for me. I have never had a TRUE burrito baby before! Lewis and Conner enjoyed the "swaddle" for the first couple weeks of life if I recall correctly, but after that, I never really thought about it much. Brayden has been a whole different story! He definitely knows how to fuss a little and we realized from the get go, that we needed to do something to help the little guy out! I read the book, "The Happiest Baby on the Block", by Harvey Karp, because I remember watching him on Oprah a few years back. I thought to myself, "I am going to buy that book the next time I have a baby." And I am so glad I did! It ended up having the "secret" to Brayden's happiness. The author talks about swaddling and why it is so comforting and beneficial for babies ages 0-3 months old. We noticed a difference right away. When Brayden isn't completely bundled like a little burrito, he is "Mr. Fussy Gussy." He immediately pipes down as soon as we swaddle him and just seems so much more comfortable that way. We have had some issues with this funny little fetish of his. HE is EXTREMELY strong, has been since before birth actually (he moved and flipped so much he tied three strong knots in his umbilical cord)! His arms kept coming out of the swaddle and he kept scratching himself or hitting himself in the face and waking up from his naps. No matter how tight or precise we would wrap him, he would break free and he never was happy about it (like you would assume he would be!)! The fact is, he loves to be wrapped up tight! So, one night out of desperation, I found a terry cloth headband in a drawer and it held the swaddle together perfectly! Now, we use the headband every night and before his long naps. I also found some commercial swaddling blankets with built in Velcro straps, but he is growing SOOOOOOOO fast, he has already outgrown them! My favorite was the brown one with the feet sewn into it so he could be strapped into his car seat appropriately. I am sad that he is too big for that one now. I might have to break out the sewing machine and make a few of my own! I keep trying to "ween" him from this swaddling business, but he doesn't seem quite ready to let it go altogether. He is getting longer stretches of time between needing to be swaddled, so I am sure he will not go off to kindergarten swaddled up, but it has crossed my mind! He really does LOVE being my burrito baby!

The Sun'l Come Out. . .

So, the week started pretty rocky, but ended up being pretty O.K. Tuesday morning, Conner woke up sicker than sick. I got my substitute plans ready and prepared to stay home with him (how convenient that this would occur the day after the chipped tooth and broken dryer?!? I guess someone is looking out for me:)) I mean, NO fun at all for poor Conner, but I was able to get my tooth fixed and, at least, get started on figuring out what to do with the dryer thanks to this day off. Well, we had a guy come and look at it and as I was walking by the room, I noticed him pulling out layer after layer of lint. I asked, "Is that normal?" he said, "Well it is and it isn't." He proceeded to explain the whole process of what a dryer does and where the lint goes etc. etc. and then he showed me the BURNED pieces of lint and my dryer!


Apparently, there was a small FIRE in my dryer!!! Yikes! He said he has seen much worse damage but that it's a good thing it stopped working. Some people's dryers will keep on working, even when things start smoldering and that is when house fires occur. Anyway, we priced new dryers and decided getting this one fixed was the best deal. He changed some coil thingys, re-lubricated some other thingy and ordered a new seal (since the old one melted a little bit). He also cleaned out all the nasty lint build up and vents and assured me that it won't happen again, especially if I get my duct work cleaned in the next three years as is recommended (every 8-10 years you should have this done-just F.Y.I.). Anyway, crazy, craziness! But, my dryer is now functioning and it feels sooooo great to not have twenty gazillion piles all over the place!

Also, people have been asking me about that chipped tooth. I am embarrassed to say that it happened because I was trying to remove a staple out of some paper with my teeth. Now, I have done this a million times in my life. I guess it was time that fate stepped in to teach me a lesson. It really wasn't that noticeable to the onlooker, the chip was tiny off the front bottom part of the tooth. It was really just buggin' me. I couldn't stop messing with it. Anyway, fifteen minutes in the dentist chair (and $50 dollars) later, it is fixed! Take a look:

















Ha! Just Kidding! Those are some funny teeth Lewis won at his Pack meeting this week! Of course I have to be the cool mom who tries them on and lets her kid take a picture of it! Seriously though, here is the results of the dental visit. Good as new:


Also, Tuesday was the day Steve left for his monthly meetings out of town, so DENNY'S DAY for us (who can resist free food for the kids???)! Conner was still not feeling that great, but much better than he was earlier in the day. He ate applesauce and French fries. Lewis ate his entire meal (French toast sticks and fruit, the rest of Conner's (mini hot dogs) and even some of mine: Cinnamon-Apple French toast! He must be growing.

Hey-standing invitation to whoever wants to join us on our monthly visit to Denny's! Let me know and I'll keep you posted when we go next. There are always a ton of moms there with their kids (I'm thinking their husbands must be out of town or at meetings too)! Anyway, we always have a lot of fun!

Take Me Back Tuesday!

Today I have been missing my little sidekick Conner. Last year, he was permanently attached to my hip! This year, when I see him in the halls, he tries to pretend he doesn't see me and acts all BIG and TOUGH! I have to sneak up behind him and grab him up for a quick snuggle! He tries to break away (but secretly, I know he loves it. . at least I hope he does)! He is too big this year and I miss having him in my class to look at and talk to all the time. Last year, he was my little lunch buddy. He would eat his lunch with me before he headed out to recess with his friends. I miss my lunch dates with my little Conner. I am so glad I have this full time Kindergarten job this year to keep me busy and occupied so I don't have to be home eating my P.B. and J. by myself. At least I know that I can sneak a few glances and even some sneaky hugs, when the opportunity arises. But, if I could, I'd like to go back to the days when my little Conner boy was with me all the time and he still acted like he loved it as much as me!

Balancing Act

Well, it has been officially 16 days of school and I am still trying to find an equal balance in my life. Obviously, my blogging fun has suffered. I have missed checking in on everyone! I am also surprised that some people have actually sent me a little hate mail for not updating in over two weeks. Funny to see that I have some "regulars". So, I am taking the initiative right now and forgoing my plans to do a little light reading and getting this new post up. It is all about the balancing act! Trying to find a way to work hard, see results with my students at school, keep up on daily chores, and spend time with loved ones doing things I love! I am actually proud of myself today for taking the time to visit with neighbors instead of hurrying inside to get dishes put away. I'm also proud that I spent time watching my boys and reveling in them and the joy they bring. I remember when they were littler and Steve would suggest that our family should go to the park. I would just cringe at the thought! They were still little and needed help on the monkey bars, being pushed on the swings and being reminded not to eat the sand etc. I know it sounds terrible that I wouldn't want to go, but I was always taking the boys to the park on my own and I looked at that time that Steve was with us as a family to do more relaxing or productive things. I had a really hard time just relaxing and enjoying family moments because I was always thinking about the next thing I needed to get done. On one particular trip, I told Steve I'd go if I could bring a "project" to work on so he could hang with the kids. I look back now and realize how silly I was. Why couldn't I have just enjoyed the moment as well as my husband and just revel in our boys? Life is so fleeting and these are the moments I am already regretting. So, lately I have been trying to be less "project driven" and more "quality of life driven"! I am also learning when to say 'when' and, not bite off more than I can chew. I'm trying harder this year to not please everyone because you can NEVER please everyone! My motto, "do my best" that's all I can do! So, here is a little sneak peek at some of the ways we have tried to fit fun and enjoyment in to the mix of endless, busy, back to school work and not feel guilty about the enjoyment of them.

Broadway in the Desert!

This was an AMAZING play! The music was mesmerizing and could not have been done any better! I think the Tuacahn plays just get better and better every time I go. Steve and I were so appreciative of our neighbor Carolyn for letting the boys sleep over so we could see this play (we didn't get home until 12:30) but it was worth it. We needed this date night and how can you get any better than Broadway in the Desert?

Fishing on Monroe Mountain-

This ended up being a "father's and sons" escape with Steve's parents and Aunt Pam, Uncle Dale and Grandpa Staples. I felt a LITTLE bit guilty about not going, but it did not last very long! Steve was very aware that I was exhausted and needed some time to decompress. This break away from all worries and strife was just what I needed and to know that the boys were having the time of their lives made it even better!

Girls Only Brunch!

While the boys were out fishing, I had some "girl time!" This was supposed to be breakfast, but since the Bear Paw (the most fabulous breakfast food around) was so stinkin' crowded, by the time we ate, it was brunch! These are some of my favorite people whom I work with and we all decided to live it up and meet for this yummy and relaxing meal. The fun did not stop there though! We saw Mama Mia later that day and now I can FINALLY know what everyone has been raving about! It was awesome and fun and I can't wait to see it again (mom)! Also, Pearce Brosnon (spelling?) wasn't as bad as everyone made him out to be.
I thought it was a perfect movie, Pearce and all!:)

Two (TOO) Cute Boys!

Top three reasons I love this picture:
1. His smile!
2. The fact that he's loving his new chore!
3. The little towel tucked into his shorts, just like dad:)

Okay. Picture four crazy kids, in a tiny room, with the lights off, the piano keyboard cranked with some jazzy ditty and the Lite Brite holding its own as the disco ball! A sight to behold for sure! Too bad this was the only picture that turned out of Lewis, Conner and their friends Courtney and Makenzie!
(I think the disco Lite Brite was pretty genius!)

Hangin' with Old Friends!

Everyone should have friends like these guys! They are the salt of the earth and we were so lucky to be in the same ward with them back in the day. Steve and Jeremy became fast friends and it turns out, I've known Wendy since she was a little girl (she was in my home ward growing up)! The point is, these guys would go to the ends of the earth for you and they are so fun to be with too! Their cute kids add a lot of fun to the house when they come over. I realize it is important to make time to be with friends, even if your house is a total disaster, it doesn't matter, invite those friends inside! They fill your cup every time:)

Snuggling. . .Need I Say More?

How adorable are these two boys? Kirk, my twelve year old bro is the coolest kid I know!
And Little Grant, they don't come much sweeter than this!

How adorable are these two boys? Kirk, my twelve year old bro is the coolest kid I know!

And Little Grant, they don't come much sweeter than this!

Ya know what? This post took me less time then I thought! I think I might actually be able to squeeze in that little bit of light reading! I am re-reading the book "Simple Abundance" as mentioned by my cute neighbor Nancy. She's got me all excited about doing my gratitude lists and finding the positives out of life rather than dwelling on the inevitable negatives. So, let's all go out there and have a wonderful week! Here's to the balancing act! Good Luck and hopefully I can check in on your blogs soon. Thankfully, life is beginning to balance out!

LAST Week's Five

I usually try to have my "week in review" (a.k.a. fave five) list up and posted by Sunday but it didn't happen this week. Instead of blogging, I found myself hunched over the royal throne for the worst half of an hour of my life and then the next couple hours laying around to recover. That's what I get for trying to cook a real dinner (not just meat and potatoes, I actually followed a recipe)! I don't know why I got sick? Steve ate the same thing and was fine. I've only had food poisoning one other time in my life (Cheesecake Factory on a girl's weekend) and last night was almost identical. Anyway-I've already thrown out the chicken enchiladas. What a waste of time that was! Okay, so back to the post at hand. Here are LAST week's top FIVE!!!!

FIVE: This is going to oust me as the worst launderer ever, but oh well! Seriously, one of my favorite things that happened this week was making it to the bottom of the laundry pile! I kind of dropped the ball on the laundry last week (just so tired of load after load-especially emptying out suitcases). So, we spent the week searching for clean clothes from piles of laundry baskets instead of folded neatly in drawers (actually, who am I kidding, there is always at least one basket like this in my bedroom). This week certainly took the cake though. I think I was in denial. School is starting again, right around the corner! I just want a FEW completely LAZY summer days! Well, finally on Friday, I snapped out of it and decided to take charge. The sad thing is, at this point, my only motivation for getting the laundry put away, was to have a few new items to hang up with the old. I took the boys to JC Penny's to buy their backpacks and a few shirts and pants. Laura also filled my trunk with some clothes for the boys and me. This was great motivation! I am happy to say, that by Saturday, all the clothes were carefully folded and put away. The old haggered and too small clothes were packaged up and sent to the D.I. and all the world smells of Downy freshness! Ahhhh. (side note: I just finished burning Conner's breakfast-dang blogging-so the Downy freshenss is now replaced with charred breakfast burrito).

FOUR: One of the WORST things that happened this week was tuning in to SYTYCD and seeing COMFORT IS BACK!!! I was so glad to say bye bye to her. For some reason, she was just bugging me! I was especially tired of seeing her solo routines (she was always in the bottom) so two weeks ago when she finally left, I was a little relieved! THEN, this past week, I see that she is back in the running (Jessica broke some ribs or something)! Ughhhh! But then, outta nowhere, Comfort actually did something I didn't think she'd ever do. She entertained me! She paired up with Twitch and they really danced their socks off with this number! It was awesome. Actually there were SO many fabulous dances this week. At least four that come to mind (not to mention Gev's solos). It was a relief because the last couple of weeks, SYTYCD wasn't WOWING me like it had done in the past. I actually resorted to looking up some of my favorite dances from season two (this and this) reminiscing about the good ol' days! But, last week's shows revived me! It is just wayyy good T.V.! Okay, one more favorite: THIS ONE!

THREE: We survived an ALMOST car accident this week! I can honestly say I am so grateful for anti-lock brakes and seat belts! I was just driving along, minding my own business driving straight through a green light at a four way intersection. There had to have been at least two or three cars that went through ahead of me, it was just a NORMAL green light situation!!! So, what explanation does the crazy lady who almost rammed us have for herself? She was trying to make a left hand turn right in the middle of the green light! There was no arrow for her! It was not her turn by any means! Was she just trying to sneak by? Are you kidding me? Well, luckily I slammed on the brakes pretty hard and she sneaked on by mouthing the words 'I'm Sorry!' as she floated past in slow motion (ya know how it all happens SO fast while you're living it, but it replays in slow motion as you think back on it?). Anyway, my kids tried to blame it on me at first. They were like, "Mom! What was that for?" and blah blah blah. I said, "Are you kidding me boys? I just saved all our lives! You should be thanking me!" All I can say is, maybe it is good to have near misses like that. Makes you realize how fragile life really is and how unimportant some things are. I think my boys have a greater appreciation for seat belts now too. They really felt them hard at work this time! Phew!

TWO: Our ward primary did a cute little service project on Saturday morning. We met at the church and walked to the nearby rest home and sang songs to the elderly people. It was very sweet and a great way to start off the morning. But, I had a hard time convincing the boys that it would be. I had an especially hard time getting Conner to cooperate. Actually, I practically had to drag him out the door, kicking and screaming (well, not literally, but he was being a brat about going). He was saying things like, "You're the meanest mom ever!" and, "Why do I EVEN have to go, it's not fair!" To these statements, I was calmly replying (trying hard not to giggle actually), "Conner, yes I am the meanest mom and life isn't always fair." Flash forward to about fifteen minutes later and that boy was lined up next to his buddies singing these words,

"If the Savior stood beside me
Would I say the things I say?
Would my words be true and kind
If He were never far away?

Would I try to share the gospel?
Would I speak more reverently?
If I could see the Savior standing nigh
Watching over me?"

It was pretty precious to get a glimpse of him singing this song with his coy little smile, looking at me as if to say, 'mom, quit looking at me having fun. I'm still trying to be mad at you.'

ONE: The best part of LAST week was simply being home! No real agenda, not much to do besides summer camp and shopping for school clothes and watching the laundry pile up! It was so relaxing to just sit next to Steve and watch our boys play and play, or hang out in the basement and watch movies as we all worked on little projects. Indeed, it was a pure and true summer week! Not many of them left, so enjoy them while you can!

Take Me Back Tuesday

Ahhhh! The good ol' days when both boys were young enough to appreciate a good old fashioned "family" party minus the "friends", invitations, party bags, gift requests and general-all the way around-hoopla. Take me back to this party, staged at grandma's house, with a few cousins and a cake for both boys to share! This was the year Lewis turned three and Conner turned one. I remember how scared Conner was of the candle and how uninterested he was in his presents (so totally opposite of today)! I remember how cute and grown up Lewis seemed in that cowboy hat given to him by Aunt Kristin, but compared to now he still had plenty of "baby" left in him! Oh this seems like so long ago! Yeah, if I had to choose one birthday to go back to, this would be a good pick. It was fun, low maintenance and low stress! I mean both boys having ONE party, talk about killing two birds with one stone. How smart were we as parents, to take advantage of that?! I wonder if I could talk them into sharing their birthday party again? I doubt Conner would go for it. Well, ya never know. Maybe one year he'll surprise me!

The Little Things

It's the little things that make life so great isn't it!?! I have been slacking on my blogging lately (I am completely immersed in an online class right now) and I have not been keeping track of my favorite things of the week. So, thinking back today and looking through my camera for pictures, I realized, the things I am most grateful for lately are the little things. The little things that I am able to squeeze into (or out of) the craziness of life. Whoever said teachers get the summer off has never been a teacher! Yea, you don't have the classroom full of kids to TEACH, but you can't stop being a teacher! I have already been to curriculum mapping, reading conference, an online class, and tomorrow I am starting another class! Not to mention summer school that I promised some friends I would do and then, by the time that is over, I will get to go set up my classroom and prepare for the new school year! YEP, I better start appreciating the little things! The things that have been making this summer so sweet! With so much going on this month, it would be easy to get caught up in the big things and forget that it's really the little things that make life worth living. Here's my list of little things so far this summer:

Relaxing with Steve on one of our "away" trips.

Seeing Conner walk around the house with this t-shirt on (it says kiss me). Umm, he wrote it himself with an orange highlighter! Oh, and he did it while looking in the mirror so it is completely reversed! LOVE IT!

Lewis willingly offering to help put away groceries and clean out the fridge.

Hearing the boys giggle through the door as they try to go to sleep.

Staying in a NICE hotel with all the little extras!

 

Conner snuggling up to me during a movie and covering us with a blanket. He is such a cuddle bug! Hope he never outgrows it!

Having friends to "hang" with at any given moment!

Knowing my boys have good friends too!

 

The new fish bowl for our fish, Finny Von Finnegan! He races around that thing like nobody's business, and it looks good on our console table.

Knowing that Grandpa is out of the hospital and on the mend!

 

Catching up with old friends while Steve took the boys to the fathers and sons camp out.

Seeing Lewis so excited to be in scouts!

Recently hearing Conner say, "Mom, I will make a good big brother."

 

Finding little things like this around the house, proof that I have a funny little boy in my life!

Seeing the kids home safe and sound after being away from us for an entire week!

Listening to Lewis read behind me as I wrote a paper for my class. I love that he wanted to be with me!

Partaking in yummy food prepared by loved ones who actually know how to cook with LOVE!

Watching (and re watching) clips like this from "So You Think You Can Dance"

Finding pictures like this on my camera!

Yep! Summer has been good to me so far. I just need to focus on these little things and not worry so much about the drudgeries of the inevitable! Time goes by too fast!