Super Mom

I have the best mom in the WORLD!!!

She is sweet, kind, selfless, giving, fun, servant hearted, beautiful, wisdom-filled, God fearing, smart...the list is endless. I have always admired and looked up to her. She sacrificed a lot for me, and I have always been grateful. But now, now I realize she really is a Super Hero.

And I can prove it.

Yesterday after school, I took my three fighting wonderful children and headed up north to an appointment we had. We were running late thanks to the insane school loop of doom, and I was already flustered. I called my mom, who was planning on meeting us at the appointment to take two of my kids and do something fun with them... Mom, I'm running late. Shocking I know! She assured me that she'd meet me there, and I could just go on in, leaving her to deal with the chaos of flung snacks, and pile of backpacks, and she'd figure it out. Awesome, right? Just that right there shows how great she is. But oh wait, there's more!

On the way my youngest got sick in the car. Of course.

I sent a text... Austin threw up.

She texted back...I'll take care of it.

And she did. As Ellie and I rushed into the office, she switched keys with me, and proceeded to take my kids, and my nasty car to her house.

45 minutes later, Ellie and I arrived at her house to a clean car, clean and happy kids, and her washing machine running to clean the messy clothes.

Mom, you are a SUPER HERO!!!

You have rescued me time and time again, through years of raising me, and now helping me raise my own.

And you saved the day, again. And today... IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!

You are such a wonderful example of what a mother and grandmother should be. I know we are truly blessed by you, and I hope someday I can live up to the example you have set.

I am so excited to hang out with my sweet mom today, as we celebrate her! I know nothing can make up for all the years of sacrifice she's made, nasty things she's cleaned up, teenage tantrums I threw, or all the objects my kids have broken .... but buying her dessert might help.

Especially if it's chocolate.

I love you mom! Happy Birthday!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day has never worked out well for me.

It's a scramble to do church, wrangle kids, honor my own mother and grandmother, and my mother-in law, deal with insane restaurants, all while supposedly enjoying a special day all about me. (And yes, I realize that being a mother is supposed to be the only gift I should ever need. And that my children are blessings, and that I should want to spend all day just reveling in the wonderousness of them, while doing crafts and making cookies, and birds sing all around us.)

Yeah.

Then there's been our families track record of major illnesses on Mother's Day. On my first Mother's Day, my dad collapsed at church. He's ok, but it was very scary, and we spent the day at the hospital with our sweet 3 month old baby Ellie. Jason's dad went to the hospital last year on Mother's Day weekend, and so Mother's Day for me was watching the kids fight, while Jason spent the day with his mom at the hospital.

Then there was the year I got a Meat Marinator for my Mother's Day present.

And it was three weeks late.

See what I mean? Not so fun.

There have been a few okay Mother's day's in between. But none have ever lived up to the amazing expectations I had when I first found out I was expecting a precious child of my own.

Hmmm...that's interesting. Yet another thing I glamorized in my mind about parenthood. The pattern continues...

So by now, 9 years into motherhood, I've lowered my expectations A LOT. The kids WILL fight, and won't care that it's Mother's Day. They will make messes. My husband will not read my mind. The restaurants will be insane.

(right now my kids are fighting)

Which brings me to this year. So far Mother's Day this year has been...perfect.

Yes, they are fighting, but Jason is handling it. First thing this morning, Austin walked in sweetly and said..."Happy Mother's Day mommy." Then he opened his sweet little hand to reveal a Pandora bead. Precious! A little while later Ellie walked in..."Happy Mother's Day mommy." I looked up and smiled and hugged her, and then finally realized (after she stood there grinning for 2 full minutes) that she had a beautiful silver necklace around her neck. So sweet! Then Jason gave me a box with this...


An original Lisa Leonord necklace! My friend has one that I've loved for a long time. I heard about her through a blogger friend, and awhile back I was window shopping on her website. Then I saw a cool option where you can create your perfect piece, and then send an email to a loved one as a "suggestion". So I did. But honestly I figured that Jason wouldn't give it the time of day. I assumed it went directly into his spam folder, or he'd think he'd rather find something on his own. Then I promptly forgot all about it, which is pretty typical of my tired mommy brain.

Back to this morning, when my sweet Annie woke up, she also came to me and said sleepily..."Happy Mother's day mommy", and in her hand was another Pandora bead!

Yay me!!!

Don't judge. Remember...Meat Marinator.

Now Ellie has made me breakfast, and I'm sitting at my computer with my coffee. Ahhh...

Honestly the whole weekend has been good.

Yesterday was Super Soccer Saturday. Annie had two games, Austin had two games, and both kids had soccer pictures. Jason had to work, but he blessedly took Ellie with him, while I wrangled the two soccer players at the soccer field for 6 1/2 hours. Whew! We made it though, and overall I was THRILLED with how well Annie and Austin handled the day. It did help tremendously when Aunt Michelle showed up at the perfect time to lend a hand and watch a soccer game for awhile.

Soccer Cousins! Annie, Elaina, and Austin!

Then last night our favorite babysitter came, and we had dinner with Chris and Michelle and Jason's parents. We had a beautifully peaceful dinner after a crazy long day. So nice!

This afternoon I am spending some time with my sweet mother. Where I assume there will be some shopping involved. Yay! :)

For now I sit here and wonder...how did everything go so well this year? What has changed?

A lot.

After 9 years, Jason has come to read my mind a little. Or maybe he's learned from a few "off" years, a few shed tears, a few selfish rants, a few interesting gifts...and this year, this year he made up for it all. It means the world to me that he helped the kids honor me. I love you sweetheart!

After 9 years, my expectations have lowered. I live in reality, not in fantasy, and it's amazing what a difference that makes.

After 9 years, my kids have grown up a lot. They have moments where they actually appreciate me sometimes, and they mean it when they say, "Happy Mother's Day".

So, this year? Best Mother's Day ever!

So for you mommies of 3 years, or 5 years, who are frustrated today at your kids and your husband for not flippin' GETTING IT...there's hope! Hang in there!

Or you mommies of 0 years, with your precious babies in your bellies still (Lane, Lauren), remember this...

Mother's Day will not be perfect. This year you may have expected your sweet husbands to lovingly give you a gift, as you are a mother already! (And if they did you can stop reading now. But if they're anything like Jason, the thought never even crossed their minds.) And they won't. Next year they may not either, since "You're not MY mother". Yes, you may hear those words. (I did.) The next year your kids will disappoint you. And on, and on... My prayer is that at least you won't get a Meat Marinator. But again, hang in there. After 9 years your kids, and your husband may finally get it right.

And then you will truly appreciate it.

Happy Mother's Day!

In the meantime...

Yes, I am way behind and have a lot of catching up to do here on my little blog! I have some posts almost done though! I promise!

In the meantime though, I'd like to interrupt the bloggy silence with a snippet from today...

There are moments that are perfect in my otherwise hectic life. I need to remember those moments in the harder times. Like this morning...

It's day 1 of 9 of Spring Break. It started out rough, but smoothed out after the first hour. It is an incredibly beautiful day, sunny, 60 degrees. Annie is still asleep, (it's 10:45!) bless that girl! Austin and I played outside for awhile, then I sat and watched him play. Ellie is enjoying her own quiet time. Hanging out in her room, watching tv, crafting who knows what...

My children are wonderful. I adore each of them so, so much. They are each so unique, so perfectly made by God. This morning is a perfect example of their uniqueness.

Ellie is growing up. She enjoys being in charge of herself. She wants to be helpful and is always asking me what she can do to help me around the house. Awesome! She is extremely creative, and amazes me with some of the things she comes up with. She'll craft things for hours, and loves making things for people. She's been spending more and more time in her room, with the door locked. (like this morning) I think it's good for her, my girl who gets overwhelmed, and I think it's helped her be a lot calmer lately.

Annie is still my little girl. She needs more downtime than the other two kids. She loves to sleep in, and when she gets up, she'll stay in her room and play quietly for a long time. She's a lot of fun too though, and when she is ready, she is a great playmate for her brother. She is sweet and smart and sensitive.

Austin is my wild and crazy, full of life and energy boy. Our backyard was made for him. If he hasn't climbed something yet, don't worry, he will soon. Yesterday he figured out how to scale the outside of the play/swing set. Mercy. He has the most active imagination I have ever seen. He loves to "talk" with his cars and trucks. He is gradually getting a bit calmer and more manageable, and he absolutely adores positive attention from his sisters.

And right now he is dismantling the hall closet, so I'd better go...

;-)

When you're a parent, it's Always something.

That's the tag line of one of my current favorite shows, "Parenthood".

And it is so, so true.

I didn't expect that. I didn't expect a lot of what parenthood, for me at least, would be like.

I didn't expect the exhaustion.

I didn't expect the joy.

I didn't expect to have a daughter with SPD.

I didn't expect to design my life around what that daughter can, and can't handle.

I didn't expect to spend hours of my life in therapy with Ellie, learning how her brain works, and how to help her.

I didn't expect to have a son with early hearing loss.

I didn't expect that my son would take so much work, just to help him learn to speak.

I didn't expect that my son would be 9 months behind in his social development at this age, and I didn't expect to be happy with that, considering how quickly he's catching up.

I didn't expect the mama feathers.

I didn't expect to feel such love for my children, that any word against them makes me crazy.

I didn't expect the feelings of protection. To want to hole up in my house and never let anyone hurt them.

I didn't expect the intensity of feelings my children evoke in me.

I didn't expect the judgment from others.

I didn't expect the friendships that the hard times have made stronger.

I didn't expect, that even though this job is way harder than I ever thought it would be, that I would think my life, and my sweet little family, is so Awesome.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dear Me...

Dear 21 year old Shelley,

How are you? Pretty good if I remember right. You're working at Silver Dollar City, painting away on those parasols. You're engaged to Jason, and planning your brilliant wedding. Your mom is still doing your laundry and cleaning the house you live in. Your biggest concern right now is remembering not to overdraw your checking account, but even if you do, Jason will put money in it for you. Oh and making important decisions about which bridesmaids dresses to pick, and do you or do you not go with the dyed shoes?

Girl, your life is GOOD.

I know today you got annoyed by those kids whose parents MUST not care about discipline. I mean really? They totally gave in when that girl named Brittany threw a fit. Don't those adults know that they are just ENABLING her? I know you thought...I will be a MUCH better parent than that!

Yes, yes you said that. I remember.

I remember what you were like. Young. Smart. Sure of yourself and who you were becoming. Planning your life with Jason and your 3 perfect children. Maybe even 4 kids if you can convince him! You were going to be a FUN mom! You planned on scheduled craft times, teaching them piano yourself, teaching them to read by the age of 3...You were going to be a Rock Star Mom!

Yeah...

Sorry to disappoint you, but...yeah.

Don't get me wrong, you still have it pretty good. You are a stay-at-home mom. Jason is a wonderful husband and daddy to your 3 great kids. You do your own laundry and dishes, plus everyone elses, and it Never Stops. Jason still puts money in your checking account, and you know NEVER to go with dyed shoes.

Your almost 34 now, a far cry from 21. You used to be smart, before the mundaneness of life sucked your brain cells away. Now you are "kid smart". You know that if you say They're being so good! That in 10 seconds they'll be fighting. You know as soon as you let your tired body sit down with your semi-warm cup of coffee, that someone will need something RIGHT NOW! Yes, those "kid smarts" come in handy.

You are no longer sure of yourself, and you have no idea what you want to be when you grow up. Your 3 kids are far from perfect, and the thought of a 4th kid sends you into cackles of laughter interspersed with terror in your eyes. You are not a fun mom. Sorry to break it to you, but you yell at your kids, and need at least 3 cups of coffee to make it through your morning. There are no crafts, your 4 year old can't read, and no one cares a hoot about learning to play the piano.

Yep, that is your life.

And that mom of Brittany? No, that's not you.

You are behind her, with your 3 screaming kids. You are about to give in and buy them all whatever they want just to get them to be quiet. You have let them eat sugar all day, and are now paying the price. You are totally an enabler, and you don't give a mouses patootie what that girl painting parasols thinks of you. All you want to say to her is...

Just wait.

The conundrums of motherhood...

I have sick kids today. Well, one sick kid, and one that was sick, but is apparently better, since he's had the energy of 10 wild animals today.

Poor Ellie. She really is sick. She's spent 1/2 the day in the bathroom, and the other half on a couch or in bed. (She's gonna love me for writing that someday.) I did see her walking a little just a few minutes ago, so she may be on the upswing...And that's good...right?

You see, I have a bit of a conundrum. A dilemma, if you will. I want my children to be healthy. But when they're sick, well, they're much easier! For instance, last week Austin had an ear infections in both ears, and for four glorious hours, he laid still. He snuggled with me, he was calm, he was sweet. As soon as the meds kicked in, he was back to his normal crazy mischief. Today with Ellie has been calm and quiet. No fights, no arguments, just a sweet girl needing her mama.

So I do want her well...just maybe not until tomorrow. :)

Austin on the other hand, stayed home "sick" because he was sick last night. Today, however, has been an entirely different story. Today Austin...

Put a hole in the wall with a screwdriver, dumped a box of tiny nerds candies in the playroom, climbed on the counters approximately 214 times in an hour, dumped a box of crayons on the floor, colored on his sisters nightgown (which she retaliated and colored on his pj's..fun.), tried to swing from the chandelier in the dining room, and dumped a large pitcher of freshly, perfectly made iced tea, all over the kitchen counter and floor.

So, can you see where I am coming from?

Yeah, I think you do!

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!

Blessings

Well, Austin turned two. (more on that later)

And then I got sick.

Really sick.

Monday morning I woke up feeling a little nauseous. Assuming the feeling would pass, I got up and helped Ellie get ready for school. Soon after she and daddy walked out the door, I realized I was actually feeling a little worse. So I layed back down, again assuming the sick feeling would pass. I definitely didn't have time to be sick that day. Besides putting my house back together from the previous days festivities, and taking Annie to gymnastics, I was also set to volunteer at Ellie's school for the book fair that afternoon.

Annie woke up, and I gave up on straightening up the house, in hopes that a little more rest would make the sick feeling go away. Not so much. I began to realize that it was turning into some sort of stomach flu type thing. And then I remembered how Austin had thrown up all over me, two nights before, and it dawned on me that I might have been blessed by some of those germs. By the time Austin woke up I was in pretty rough shape, and I finally decided to call for help.

This is where I have to say that I am a very blessed person. When I decided to call for help, I knew I had a list, a long list, of family and friends who would help me in any way they could. I have the best family and friends in the world. Really and Truly.

My mom was the first call. I cried on the phone to her. (How come I can always hold in together until I talk to my mom?) The thought of Ellie showing up to the book fair that I had promised her I'd be at, only to find me not there was just ripping me apart. I knew if I couldn't be there, that Grammie would be a great substitute. Or even better than me, as it turned out. :) She dropped her plans and immediately came to rescue me. When she walked in the door, I knew everything would be okay. She went into action, cleaning up the messes Austin had already made that morning. Doing dishes. Feeding my children. Austin literally ran to her when she arrived, just melting into her, which isn't really like him. It's as if he knew mommy wasn't able to take care of him, and that Grammie could. And after all that, she went to the book fair in my place, so that Ellie wouldn't be disappointed.

My second call was to my mom-in-law. She was already planning to come over that afternoon, to watch Annie and Austin while I went to the book fair. I called to let her know I was sick, and that mom was taking my place at school that afternoon. But that I still needed her help, Tremendously. She came shortly after my mom, and also went into action. When mom left, Nana stayed. By that time I was so out of it, I could barely talk or think. At some point I realized Nana had taken the kids outside. Then she fed them. She put Austin down for a nap. She watched a movie with Annie. She folded my laundry.

Because of these two incredible women, I was able to sleep and rest all day.

My sweet mom-in-law stayed until Jason came home. By that time I was starting to feel a little human again. Jason was also Wonderful to me that night. He fed the kids dinner, and readied them for bed. I barely moved from my recliner all evening.

And Tuesday morning, I felt Fantastic.

Seriously.

You know how usually it takes a couple of days to really feel normal again, after you've had the stomach flu? At least it usually takes me a few days. But not this time. I felt incredible. Energetic in fact. It was the weirdest thing! But this is what I think, I got to rest. Really rest and sleep, and let my body heal, all day long. That's an incredible thing for a mom of young ones. An incredibly rare thing! And I think it's because of all that rest that I was so much better so fast.

So, all that to say...

THANK YOU!

Thank You to my mom and mom-in-law. Without you two, I don't know what I would have done!!! Well, I probably would have started calling my friends...so I guess I should thank you for them too! :)

And Thank You to my sweet husband. You were great at taking care of me and the kids that night. You've come a long way baby!

And one more Thank You to God. For giving me such a wonderful support network of family and friends to call on when I'm in need.

I am very, very blessed.

You should have been there.

If you would have been at our local Wal-Mart Super Center today from 4:10-4:40pm, this is what you would have seen...

Me, a bit tired from not a lot of sleep, with my 3 kids in tow.

Ellie, a lot tired from not a lot of sleep, and a busy day at school.

Annie, a bit tired from a busy morning.

Austin, a lot tired from missing a nap today.

You would have heard my girls begging me for a "treat" aka: a new toy, if they would be good for me while we got the 5 things on my list.

Obviously I'm not above bribery.

You would have seen my girls have their first fight just inside the first set of doors, over who would sit where in the "big" cart.

You would have heard their screams when I informed them they had just lost any hope of a "treat."

You would have heard Ellie start begging for "JUST ONE MORE CHANCE!!!"

You would have watched me drag myself through the store with a crying six and half year old, THE ENTIRE TIME.

You would have seen at least one more of my kids crying along with her. Which one it was varied.

At times it was all three.

You would have seen MANY dirty looks from strangers.

You would have seen my very tired, very stern face.

You would have seen my son wiggle out of the restraint straps, and climb out of the moving cart.

More than once.

You would have seen the check-out lady move VERY quickly to get us out of her line.

Especially after Austin tried to climb onto the conveyor belt.

And you would have seen the look of relief on the store managers face as we exited his store.

Okay, so I made that last one up. But it's entirely probable.

And WHY did I do this to myself?

Hangers and Safety Pins.

That's it.

I needed them tonight, for a children's clothing sale I'm participating in, and yes, I've waited until the last minute to get ready for this thing.

And I knew it.

I knew what I was in for as soon as I got the kids out of the car at Wal-Mart.

But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

And now I need to apologize to anyone who was in Wal-Mart today.

I'm sorry. I'd say it won't happen again, but there's a good chance that it will.

The Good, the Bad, and the Very Very UGLY!

Did that title get your attention?

I'll give you the good news first...We did not have the Chicken Pox. Hallelujah, praise God! I was SO dreading dealing with three kids itching and scratching, which by the way, I did NOT think of my ironic blog title until a couple of you clever readers pointed it out! The children's spots turned out to be a good old-fashioned case of ringworm. They each have two to four spots that are under control, and are not causing us any pain or itching. That is the good.

The bad...I am not fairing so well. I have something...but we don't know exactly what I have. It isn't the Chicken Pox, and it isn't a classic case of ringworm. That much we do know. We also know that none of our pets brought this on, since we had them all checked for the bargain price of $185. That price included medicine for our healthy pets, so they don't get ringworm from US! Ironic, don't you think? We had just been to the vet last week, for our new kitten to be declawed and spayed, which was another bargain at $175. I feel good in knowing that we've done our part in sending our veterinarian on a nice vacation this year. Really. And since money grows on trees at our house, I decided to pay a little visit to our local ER on Monday night. Which brings me to...

The Ugly... My spots have turned into some sort of nasty lesions. They've spread up and down both arms and legs. I stopped counting at 40. I will spare you the actual sight of them, as I can barely look at my own arms right now. Trust me, they are UGLY!

They itched at first, but Monday evening the itching turned into burning and stinging, which is what landed me in the ER. The ER put me on several different medicines, basically a "we don't know what you have but hopefully one of these medicines will work" approach. The most plausible possibility is that I may be having some sort of allergic reaction to something, possibly the ringworm my kids have. The allergic reaction may be causing these lesions, which also seem to be infected, and therefore causing the pain.

Only me.

However, this is a "guess" on my doctor's part. Since he isn't certain of what exactly we're dealing with, I went in for a biopsy this morning. Hopefully by next Tuesday we'll know more. I will say that I am feeling better today. Something seems to be working, the spots don't look as infected as they did yesterday and they also aren't hurting as badly. It's just such a weird feeling to look down at my own arms and see all those nasty spots. It's like it's not even my body.

Anyway, thanks to all of you for your prayers and well wishes. We're on the mend, and hopefully we'll be back to our "normal" lives soon!

It's the Simple Things...

You know how sometimes it's the simple pleasures that just make your day.

I went to Kohl's today.

With a 3 year old and a 1 year old.

So fun.

Not.

Anyway, half way through the store, Annie needed to go potty.

Of course.

And the potty...waaaay in the back corner of the store.

Of course.

So we hiked through the store, and fiiiinally made it to the bathroom. I see a sign marked "Family Restroom" and head for that.

I am a Big Fan of the Family Bathroom.

Why?

Well, first, I can usually fit my cart filled with kids through the door. Second, I don't have to deal with anyone trying to crawl under the door of my stall while I'm going potty. Third, they're usually cleaner.

Anyway, I opened the door of the "Family Restroom", and Annie squealed.

It had a little potty!!!

Like the pre-school ones.

Oh, she was just Thrilled!

And...it had one of those little seats for your toddler! (not the potty, the bathroom!) I didn't need it, since my cart fit through the door, and Austin was contained in that, but still! It was there if I needed it!

Oh the Joy that the Kohl's Family Restroom provided for us today!

Like I said, Simple Pleasures.

your only newlywed's once. . .

A couple of years ago I heard the phrase. . .

"You're only newlyweds once, but once you have kids, you're parents for the rest of your life."

I don't remember where I heard it, but it stuck with me, probably because I had just had my second baby!

Shortly after I heard this phrase I was with a group of friends, all mommies, at a restaurant. Our waiter was a sweet young man who commented that he was getting married soon. Now, if you want a good tip from a bunch of sentimental mommies, just look young and sweet and mention how much you love your fiancee. . .we melt! My dear, sweet friend Janelle decided to give him another kind of tip, and sweetly started to try and explain to this young man why he should wait to start a family. After several attempts at wording, she blurted out. . .

"Kids can just suck the life right out of you!"

The rest of the mommie's gasped, not because we didn't agree mind you, (we DO live in the reality of motherhood!) but because Janelle is usually very sweet spoken and eloquent and I have never seen her lose her cool with her kids. I spoke up, remembering the phrase I had recently heard and said something like "what she means is. . .You're only a newlywed once. . ." The nice young man then quoted the Bible back to us about "children are a quiver in your heart " or something like that, and then moved on to his next table. I wonder where he is now, and if he has children, and if MAYBE, just MAYBE now he knows what we meant!

I mean, kids are wonderful! I adore mine and I thank God for giving them to me. But Mercy they are a LOT of work! That got me thinking on some of the differences in our lives since we became parents. I already posted on the differences between having 1, 2, and 3 kids, (read that here) I suppose I should have done this post first, but oh well!

BK (before kids) : We would go on weekend getaways at the drop of a hat.

AK (after kids) : We go on about one getaway a year without kids, and one with kids (you can read about that here!)

BK: We drove a small car that was kinda sporty.

AK: We drive a SUV and we are shopping for a Suburban!

BK: When I dropped something in the small sporty car, I reached for it with my hand.

AK: When the kids drop something in the SUV, I reach for it with "The Claw." It's a device that allows me to have "Super Hero Mom Arms" and reach into the depths of the SUV to retrieve lost items, all from the driver's seat!

BK: We would have quiet evenings at home where I didn't hesitate to spend an hour or more cooking something yummy I saw on the Food Network.

AK: Our evenings are punctuated by screams and giggles, and if it can't be cooked in 30 minutes or less, i don't even try!

BK: We would go see a movie at least once a week and I watched whatever I wanted on TV.

AK: "Movie Night" is a special event now, and I watch a lot of "Dora the Explorer" and "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody"- while nursing a baby.

I thought about the bodily changes from BK to AK, but let's just say pregnancy and nursing have taken their toll!

BK: I exercised an hour a day.

AK: I constantly exercise by chasing kids and picking up toys! (and yet i'm not skinny!)

BK: I stayed up late and slept in.

AK: I stay up late and wake up with the kids.

BK: During the night I would dream about my future children.

AK: During the night my children wake me up from my dreams!

BK: It was just me and hubby, and sometimes it was boring.

AK: It's me and hubby + 3, and it's NEVER boring!

BK: I thought I had a great hubby.

AK: I KNOW I have a great hubby!

BK: I got about 3 hugs a day.

AK: I get about 23 hugs a day.

There are many more, but you get the idea!

My (late!) Thursday 13.

yes, i realize it's friday, but since my dear friends did not leave my house until after midnight last night, i decided to wait until daylight to fulfill my obligatory thursday 13! so, here is another 13 things that happened, yesterday.

1. Met our Awesome friends for lunch!

2. Took the 5 year old and the 2 year old potty. Now, you must understand that the 2 year old is NOT potty training.

3. Realized AFTER i threw the diaper away, that i did not have another one inside with me.

4. Meant to go get another diaper out of the car, immeadiately upon leaving the bathroom.

5. Immeadiately upon leaving the bathroom, completely forgot.

6. Played lots of fun games with the kids!

7. Spent $5+ on said games, to recieve 2o cents worth of junk for our tickets.

8. Watched the 2 year old bouncing in the bouncy house, and then watched her stop and look down.

9. Realized too late that she was peeing in the bouncy house, and that i never got her that diaper.

10. Cleaned up the bouncy house, and quickly hauled my 3 kids out the door and to the car.

11. Got everyone cleaned up, diapered, and into their car seats, including me!

12. Sat in car and talked with friends after everyone was back out of their car seats.

13. Got spit up on by the baby, looked for something to clean up with, found it! Used the half- way peed on skirt to clean up the spit up with. (i used the dry side!)

oh the glamerous world of motherhood!