Why is it that my children think 6 AM is a perfectly reasonable time to wake up on a Saturday, yet can't wake up for anything on a school day?

Just a question for the universe...

This past Saturday morning I heard little voices and stumbled into the living room to see this:

Apparently there is nothing like a reading lesson at 6:02 AM on a Saturday.  And as long as I am not the one teaching it, I couldn't agree more.

Top of the morning to you.

I've already been up for several hours with this sweet boy.  He can't.  Quit.  Coughing.  All the cough medicine, breathing treatments, allergy meds and humidifiers in the western hemisphere won't slow this cough down. 

It's laughable how naive I was as a new mother.  I really believed that if I could just get through those first couple of months, just get this little infant to sleep through the night, then I could go back to my normal sleeping patters and all would be right with the world.

The joke is on me.  I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but all you new or soon-to-be mommas out there I'm just going to shoot straight with you:  You will never sleep again.  I'll give you a moment to let that sink in, and if you are like me you may have to go ahead and have a good cry about it.  The truth is sometimes difficult to accept.

I have had a rough month.  Well, maybe I should just go ahead and say a rough fall.  Sometimes life can just be a bit overwhelming.  Nothing earth shattering has happened.  I am still blessed beyond anything I deserve.  But nonetheless it has been rough and I have felt stressed and sad and exhausted.

Thankfully, though, I have learned a tough but needed lesson this fall and this is it:  It is possible to be content amongst chaos, to have peace in the valley.  It's not easy, and I don't have that concept mastered - I'm not even close.  But it is possible, and that gives me a little bit more strength and a whole lot more hope.

Another day another afternoon stroll with a half-naked child.

Sometimes you've just got to shed the pants and get comfortable.

Mia's dream/My nightmare

All Mia wanted for her 7th birthday was a zoo party and some new colored pencils.

 I was completely fine with the colored pencils part.

 Boa constrictors and baby dragon thingies aren't my idea of a good time, but then again it wasn't my party.

 In Erick's next life he is going to be a snake charmer.

 Even the Great-grands had a good time.

 Ok fine, I'll admit that the chinchilla was pretty cute,

 but this ferret just screamed "disease-ridden" to me.

 At one point Gena looked over and said, "I am really proud of you."  

She knew all of this was way out of my comfort zone.  I assumed 7-year-old girl birthday parties consisted of painting some nails and curling hair. 

And then I had Mia. 

 That lemur looked like it wanted to destroy every kid at the party.

 Num num num...

 But the hipster Daddies got a kick out of him.

 I really can't explain what is going on with this hair, so please quit asking me.  I can't control this man.

 Nine-thousand children all in a row - a birthday miracle.

 As with most things that don't include violence, Bode was less than impressed.

 And the only thing cuter than a 5-month old on top of a giant tortoise is

a 5-month-old not on top of a giant tortoise.

My sweet, marching-to-the-beat-or-her-own-drum daughter is seven.  

This marks the seventh year I have loved something more than I could ever love myself.

And it feels awesome.

Advice from a 4-year-old

I never said it was good advice...

Lesson Learned: Never give me a microphone.

Last night was the Mother Daughter banquet.  The banquet where I forgot to say anything I planned to say and instead just vomited a bunch of stuff out of my mouth.

I am much more comfortable behind the safety of a computer screen.  (Notice I didn't say better).  Anyway, I got up there and my mind went haywire and nothing was natural and I forgot to be myself and instead turned into this awkward talking head.

There were funny slides that weren't funny at all because I was so panicked about I don't know what that I forgot to mention them.  And all of your lovely comments - forgot.

(Yaya made this gorgeous dress.  I want one in my size.)

Thankfully Mia and my mother-in-law saved me (and there was this big hook).  They were both at ease and mostly made up for my weirdness.

Mia had quite the support system.  She was on cloud nine and when we got home said, "I want to do that again."  Translation, "Next time just let me handle this, Mom."

I told Andy I was never talking again.  He got so excited until I clarified, "into a microphone."  Then his face fell.

But I have to do this again.  In less than two weeks.  Unless someone from the Stillwater church of Christ was there and wants to go ahead and cancel.
Either I'll remember the slides and the wonderful comments or I'll run out of there screaming.

I've been trying to find a silver lining and this is it:  My family still loves me and most everyone will forget all about this in a day or two.  Except me.  So I guess this is more like a bronze lining...
However I did get to go shopping for a new outfit so, yah, silver it is.

Answer me this.

This was the moment she realized she was becoming her mother.

Mia, my mother-in-law Judi, and I are speaking Monday night at a Mother Daughter Banquet at OC.  We are talking about expectations.  Basically I plan to share some thoughts on what I imagined motherhood to be like vs. what it actually is.

Mia's just going to stand there and look really cute.  And tell a funny story or two.

So, here is my question:  What was the biggest surprise to you?  Did you want a kid because the ones at church always look so cute (I did)?  Which expectations were met and which one's weren't.

And......go!

Can I just say...

This awesome little girl makes me so proud.  

A couple of weeks ago Mia decided that she wanted an attitude chart (her bff has one so she can't be left out).  She made it herself and hung it on the wall of her room.  On her "good attitude" days I am supposed to give her a mark on the good side and on her bad days, well, you know.  

Yesterday she was being so sweet to her brother.  She tried for an hour to get him to sound out the word "can".  To no avail.

  

Mia:  KKKK - AAANNNN, KKKK-AAANNN, put it together Bode, C-AN.  You can say it, Bode.  Just try it, Bode.  I know you can do it, Bode.

Bode:  Andy?

Even I wanted to pull my hair out.

So after hours of this and other sweet things, I said, "Mia, you have been wonderful today.  I'm going to go put a mark on the good side of your attitude chart."

To which she relied, "You don't have to, Mom, I already did."

You know, she may be on to something here.  I think I'll make myself an Awesome Mom Chart.  It's going to have some amazing rewards tied to it, and here's the clincher: I'm the only one that gets to decide if I'm awesome or not.

Consider it done.

You just can't learn this in Sunday School.

I can't think of a better way to teach my kids about Jesus 

 then to spend a day alongside our best friends 

 in a stranger's yard

getting our hands dirty.

Two awesome things in one post.

First, and perhaps most important, would be my discovery of this lovely new thing I can't live without.  I assume I am the last one to know about dry shampoo, but in case I'm not I feel the obligation to share this most blessed of inventions with all of you.

My lovely hairdresser told me this was better than the salon stuff (she'll probably get fired now.  Sorry, Katie.  If you do get fired for recommending a cheap grocery store hair product please know that I still expect you to cut my hair ;).  

This product may be to blame for my rapid decline in hygiene habits, or maybe that's because I have way overcommitted myself this fall and literally have no time to shower.  

I digress...

Anywho, this stuff is awesome and I hardly ever wash my hair now.  I don't think I am supposed to be proud of that. 

And then there is this adorable little boy and his latest masterpiece:

 I don't know about you but those eyes are terrifying.  Come to think of it, this entire drawing is terrifying.

I give this a B- C+ ok fine a D-.

Bless this child's heart, he'll do anything to please her...

Case in point:

 Learning the choreography to "Hard Knock Life." 

His life pretty much revolves around taking orders from strong-willed women.

If nothing else, he will make an awesome husband someday.

Picture Day

This may be the last year Mia allows me to put her in a little smocked bishop dress for picture day.  That's not to say I won't continue to try every year until she's 18.

And being that it was picture day I Chied (if that's not a word then it totally should be) the devil out of her hair.  And, of course, it curled up the second she walked outside. Oh well.

 We had our first Annie cast meeting this week.  Life for this little girl is about to change drastically.  The scariest quote so far, "You must buy knee pads for the Hard Knock Life number or your child's knees will bleed!"  Sounds like a blast!

What are you eating for breakfast?

Probably not spinach and carrots with cold queso dressing garnished with corn chips, a side of cantaloupe and raisins, and chunky chocolate milk.  

Yet this is what my sweet children decided to surprise Andy and me with one very early Saturday morning.  I never knew I had the ability to control my gag reflexes quite like that.

I was proud and totally grossed out all at the same time.

The Woman With The Most Unfortunate Nose

Mia drew this today in church (I dug it out of the trash this morning, thus the wrinkles).

I can't seem to put my finger on it but that nose reminds me of something...

 at least her heart is alive and well.

And in other news:

I really hope that cloud watching

 and reading a National Geographic is still her idea of a good time in about five years.

For some reason, I kinda doubt it.

Back in Black {Tooth}

Bode started Sonshine School yesterday.

 I'm so over first days of SSS that I didn't even go.  Andy dropped him off like any other day.  Poor second child.

He carried this lunch box around all day like it was an academy award.  I guess in his world it kinda is.

I promise when he starts kindergarten I will cry and post the sappiest blog post ever.  

Fake it till ya feel it, right?

Of course Janky went along for the ride.  He has become part of the family now. 
I might actually miss him when he's gone, mostly because of the jokes.

And as soon as he got home it was right back to where he left off,

just being a little boy.