Soccer Season!

Annie loved playing soccer again this season! She was SO cute in her little white soccer skirt! She loves playing, and loves being on the cutest team ever with her friends!

Just One.

Today I remembered what it's like to have Just One.

My mom, bless her fabulous heart, took the girls for TWO nights this weekend. This came just after she'd taken all THREE for a night, just a couple of days ago! Like I said, she is Fabulous!

So this morning I woke up with just one. All day I've had just one, and now I am about to go to bed, with just one baby in my house. And yes, he is a baby, he is my baby, who just so happens to be 2 and a half, as of today.

Sigh

Anyway. I often think things like, Why in the WORLD did I think just one kid was hard?! I mean, I have THREE now, THREE is hard! One? One is a piece of cake!

Right?

But today I remembered that, One? One can be hard. One was hard. Granted, not as hard as three, but still hard.

Today Austin and I played. We shopped, or rather, I chased/wrestled/entertained/bribed Austin, while I shopped. We missed nap time, so he napped in the car while I put things away at home, and hopped online for a few quick minutes. Then we played some more. Then we cuddled and watched one of his favorite cartoons. Then it was dinnertime. Then more playtime. And finally, BEDTIME!

I have teased, maybe not always in such a nice way, about people who think Just One child is hard. HA! I've said, They have NO idea what hard is!

Today I was reminded what life used to be like. And I was reminded to be a kinder, gentler person to those who have just one. While I did accomplish much more than I would have been able to with all three at home, it was still a long and exhausting, albeit FUN, day.

I enjoyed this day so much though. Having just Austin on his half birthday was fun. He was a sweetheart today, I got lots of hugs and kisses...when I could catch him. :)

And tomorrow I will get the girls back, and I will have three again. So I better go to bed, because I'm going to need all the energy I can get!

First Grade Music Show!

Circus!

I often say my life is a circus, and after actually seeing the circus, I stand by that statement! :)  We had fun watching all the excitement, watching the kids ride the elephant (just like mommy when she was a little girl!), and just enjoying the day!

A moment in time.

There was a moment in time when Annie was a preschooler, that she and her friends would take their mommies to eat lunch about once a week. :)  It seems like forever ago, as I type this in the Summer of 2012, but I do remember.  The mommies would camp out at one end of the long table, usually at Chili's, and the preschoolers would camp out at the other end.  This sweet group was usually pretty well behaved without their older siblings around to stir things up. Austin was usually a handful, but somehow I managed. :) It was a sweet, sweet time! (picture from 2009)

A letter of concen.

Dear People who are in charge of Daylight savings time,

I would like to express a concern I have over the time change. I understand that an extra hour of daylight is a very good thing for many reasons. Less traffic accidents, lower heating bills, more time to get things done...all good things. HOWEVER, there is just one small problem that I don't think you've considered.

Her name is Ellie.

It seems that the time change has completely thrown our girl "out of whack" and has really messed with her head.

So, if you'd like to continue this whole time change thing, would you please take my girl off my hands for a couple of weeks, and then bring her back to me after she's acclimated to the new time? That would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Mom of screaming seven year old.

It's my birthday, and I'll sit in the Starbucks parking lot if I want to!

Yes, here I am again, in my favorite place, the Starbucks parking lot!

Since I discovered that Austin will happily sit and watch a movie in his car seat, while I happily sit and enjoy the free WIFI with my laptop, life has unleashed never before seen possibilities!

Okay, maybe that's the caffeine talking.

But it is GOOD!

Anyway, so today is my Birthday!

And I put an exclamation point on that, because it is a beautiful day!

My grumpiness is gone. It's amazing what a great haircut, an hour yesterday afternoon ALONE in my house, a fun little shopping trip with my oldest daughter, a dance party with my kids in my kitchen, a decent nights sleep, Starbucks, and some free WIFI time, will do to my mood! :)

I mean, what more could a girl ask for?

Well, since you asked...

Lunch today with my Mom, Dinner tonight with my Husband, and Lunch tomorrow with my Friends! Not to mention another lunch next week, and a girls night out in a couple of weeks. All for me.

What in the world was I thinking, being all grumpy? I am blessed, truly blessed. Remind me of that when I get grumpy again, okay?

So, I'm off to shop a little more, with my sweet boy by my side.

Or running 15 steps ahead of me.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

:)

For Lauren.

So, I was just talking to my cousin Lauren, who kindly asked me when the heck I was going to put something new up on the ole blog. She nicely pointed out that it's been WEEKS since Ellie turned seven.

So...What to blog about.

........?

And that's why I haven't been blogging!

I guess I have bloggy block or something.

The only thing I can come up with is randomness...

Like...Here I sit, in my car, in the parking lot of my daughter's swimming lessons place, with Austin strapped in his car seat (that's always a good thing) drinking a coke, and watching the clock so I'm not late to pick them up. I was thrilled when I discovered this place had free WIFI!

Or...I turn 32 on Thursday. I'm totally fine with that age, there's actually been times lately that I've thought I was already 32, which in itself shows acceptance I think. HOWEVER, I think I have a problem with my birthday in general. I'm not sure why, but the last few years, I get really cranky right around my birthday. I think it might have something to do with feeling like everything should be all about me, and then it's not, and then I get all whiny in my head. Sad, but true. This year I get to work the book fair for Ellie's school on my bday, and take Austin to the ENT. Yay. Okay, pitty party over.

Facebook...has sucked the bloggy life right out of me. It's just so EASY to come up with a line or two or three about the crazy happenings in my daily life. Much easier than a whole blog post!

I have 7 minutes left.

Seriously, I am sorry Lauren, but that's about all I've got right now. Larry the Cucumber is singing about a great big squash that sat upon his hat, and that's all that my brain can comprehend right now!

I'll leave you with my facebook update for the day...

Shelley is on a beach, somewhere sunny and warm, with just my husband, and a good book, and a nice drink...at least in my dreams!

Oh, and I already lost those 30 pounds.