A Perfect Patch!

When I read my friend Alana's post this morning, I realized I'd forgotten something...my Pumpkin Patch Post! I really meant to get this up sooner, although I guess it took my friend awhile too, so that makes me feel a little better. :)

For the last several years my friends and I have made a trip together to the Pumpkin Patch. Which Patch has varied, but the friends have stayed the same! This year we missed Jen, who was on bed rest getting ready for her twins; and Michelle and Ami, who had gone a different day. Four of us made it together, and I mean TOGETHER. 15 people in 2 suburbans! These girls are my best friends, I adore them, and they bring incredible blessings to my life...

Dixie, Janelle, Alana, and Me!

We painted pumpkins, chased kids, and rode on hay bales out to the pumpkin patch. We lovingly asked our children to take pictures...or we yelled at them to SMILE AND LOOK AT MOMMY...I can't remember which now.

This was the best I could do with all three of mine...

Sweet Ellie...

Sweet Annie...

Funny Austin...this is his "say cheese" face.

The boy holds everything like a football...

Janelle took this picture of my kids and I walking...see, I'm not yelling at them.

We had a great time. We turned the outing into an all day event, and there is not another group of people I'd rather spend the whole day with! My kids even had a good time! Well, Annie did say she liked everything except having to take pictures. :) Oh well, maybe she'll be over that part by next year. As a mommy though, I MUST take pictures! Or steal my friends camera and use it to take pictures. Or beg my friends to take pictures of me and my kids. And it's all worth it when I get a picture like this...


Another year of a great tradition. I loved it. I was exhausted by it. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

I apologize in advance for the negativeness of this post...

Okay, so this has to be fast because I'm supposed to be on the treadmill. I just have to get something off my chest...


I HATE PLAY*DOH.

I know I've mentioned that before, and if I had more time, I'd find it and link to it, but I don't, so just trust me.

I had just recently begun to think that the Play*Doh was actually okay. It's provided some quiet entertainment for Annie this school year, while her sister is at school, and her brother is napping. No, I don't let Austin play with it yet. Yes, I know it's good for his motor development or something like that. But you and I both know what he would do with it. He would eat it. And even I draw the line at Play*Doh for lunch. Anyway, like I said, Annie does okay with the stuff. She's not too messy with it. She tends to get out just a tub or two and that's about it. So the Play*Doh with just Annie, not too bad.

HOWEVER.

Today the girls BOTH wanted to play with it. Naively I thought, "Well SURE! Why not!"

People. I just walked into the room where they were, and I swear....the Play*Doh EXPLODED. Along with some paint that they found in the Play*Doh box. WHICH I have no idea where THAT came from! I seriously don't know how two girls made that big of a mess is that short of a time.

So today, my hate for the Play*Doh came rushing back. I'm sorry, I know it's not nice to hate. And I realize some of you love the Play*Doh, and are shocked that someone as nice as me could harbor such resentment towards something so innocent.

But you'd understand if you could see the mess.

Now I need to go do some running to work out the rage.

Just bloggin...

A day at home.

It can go either way. It can be a great day, with fun projects and happy kids. Or it can be awful. With battles and whines and grumpy kids. Today has been somewhere in the middle. So far I've...

Been up with Annie since 7:30am. On a Saturday.
Fixed breakfast for three kids.
Spent twice as long cleaning up after breakfast, than I did making it.
Listened to sisters playing sweetly.
Broken up a screaming match between sisters.
Rescued sisters from a broom wielding brother.
Sent the broom wielding brother outside.
Listened to sisters playing sweetly.
Sent Annie outside after Ellie was mean.
Had a heart-to-heart with Ellie.
Helped the girls make paper flowers.
Made lunch.

There's been a few more things sprinkled throughout all that. Laundry, dishes, cleaning up as we go, but you get the picture.

A day at home isn't relaxing for me, but it is good. For all of us. It gives us time to reconnect. It helps me get to know my kids better.

Annie needs to work on her skills with scissors. Ellie needs to have some downtime. Austin needs...well, he just needs room to run! And we all need some extra PJ time!

So it hasn't been relaxing, or even a wonderfully happy day. Just a good day at home. One we needed.

Now I need to find two girls that have built a pillow fort in my living room, but have since deserted said pillow fort, and seem to have forgotten to put all my pillows back where they came from.

Oh look! Annie just found my missing measuring cup! It was under a cabinet in the office. I'm guessing Austin might have had something to do with that. Now if only we could find Ellie's missing library book.

Fun times!

Happy Saturday everyone. I hope you have a good day.

There are some things I just don't understand.

Our housekeeper came and cleaned on Friday.

I know this because I left her a check and a note. And when I arrived home, the check was gone and I had a note in return. I know this because my husband, who was home for 3 hours before we were that day, commented on how great the house looked.

But I never got to see it clean.

We walked in the door Friday night, from a day at the Pumpkin Patch, exhausted and filthy. I didn't have time to notice the clean floors or the spotless countertops before dirty feet and hands covered them in film. The truckload of stuff we brought in with us quickly covered the floor. And dirty pumpkins lined my counters.

This weekend was a busy one. Lots of happenings, lots of dishes to prepare, lots of dishes, lots of laundry. Not a lot of time to keep up at home.

So this morning as I surveyed the damage, I thought, Was it ever clean?

Like I said, I know it was.

I just didn't get to see it.

I don't understand.

How, HOW, can they do that?

How do they walk through a room, and leave it dirty in a matter of seconds?

I just don't get it.

Just blessed.

Well, I'm feeling abundantly blessed today.

But it didn't start out that way.

It started with more of a "blah" attitude. Just another morning at home, when I couldn't keep up with the messes the kids were making. Which highly frustrates me. So I sent them outside, and got on the treadmill. Even though I didn't want to.

Our treadmill is positioned so as I walk/run, I can watch them play. As I bumped my walk up to a jog, my legs felt like lead.

Ugh. This is going to be hard today. I thought. Just like my morning so far.

Not the best attitude, huh?

But I ran anyway. And kept running. And as I ran and watched the kids, I noticed something. They were truly playing together. Big sister was teaching little brother. Leading him. Showing him things. He was following, watching, learning from her. It was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes.


Suddenly my running became easier and my attitude made a drastic turn for the better. As music pumped into my ears and I watched my babies playing together, I was suddenly very very grateful.

Grateful to God for this life he has given me. Grateful for beautiful, healthy children. Grateful for a nice day, a nice house, a nice yard, a nice playset, and lots of fall leaves.

Just blessed.

Every womans dream...

He cleans.

He's cute.

And he gives great kisses.


I'll be taking future wife applications Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm.

Applicants must be between the ages of birth-4 years.

Thank you.

Are you doing anything exciting today?

Yesterday as I was exercising at Curves, a lady asked me a question.

"Are you doing anything exciting today?"

I thought for a minute, did I have an answer to that? I mean, there was nothing out of the ordinary about my schedule yesterday. So I answered "No", and went on working out.

For some reason though, her question has stayed on my mind.

I suppose it depends on what she meant by exciting. I assumed she meant something unusual, or out of the ordinary, and she probably did. However, from my perspective, things are a little bit different.

I came home from exercising to find my husband doing the dishes, which I hadn't asked him to do...That was exciting!

I gave Austin a bath. Water, water everywhere! That's exciting!

I fed my children lunch, and they didn't make a huge mess! Exciting!

I layed Austin down for a nap, and he stayed in his bed and slept for 2 hours. Very Exciting!

I got to scrapbook for an hour in total peace and quiet while Austin napped and Annie watched a movie. Definitely Exciting!

I went to watch my littlest girl play soccer. Always Exciting!

Perspective. It's an interesting thing. Because from my point of view, I lead a pretty exciting life.

Always!

5 minutes.

In 5 minutes, one two year old boy...

gets out of his bed,

pours out the toy boxes in his room,

opens his door,

runs down the hall to mommy at the computer,

steals a dvd from the desk,

runs,

to the family room,

pulls all the throw pillows off the couches,

swipes the magazines off the ottoman,

opens the tv cabinet,

breaks the dvd in half,

runs,

wiggles out of his dirty diaper which lodges in the bottom of his footie pj's,

leaves a puddle on the floor,

and several wet foot prints behind him as he runs,

before mommy catches him.

Good Morning.