Too-Tired-for-Words Wednesday

I'm sure most of you have heard of Wordless Wednesday. I'm taking that at face value today because I'm just too tired for being witty anyways. It's been a great week so far, but for some reason today the tired has just caught up with me. So here are some iphone shots of what our week has looked like so far

He's such a great daddy to them...

A short lived moment of peace involving all three kiddos...

The youngest sibling...it's a dangerous occupation. You never know what the others will do to you.

Tirzah reminds me of The Joker whenever she eats PB&J...

Some family softball shenanigans on Memorial Day...

Enjoying the warm evenings, but not the mosquitoes that come with it. I have approximately 925 bites already.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Check out more shots at Wordless Wednesday. 

The last shot is for Give Me Your Best Shot, This or That,  Show Off, 

and  Texture Thursday.

Real Life GI-Joe

This time of year has such a festive, relaxed atmosphere. Memorial Day kind of kicks off the summer we all look forward to and love so much. It's without a doubt my favorite time of the year. I can't imagine any better way to spend it than with family, and especially with my sister and her husband (a soldier himself) who were here over the weekend.

I'm so grateful for the family that I have, and the chance to spend time with them. My kiddos already look up to their soldier uncle (literally and figuratively...dude is huge) and anything that needs to be described and admired for being big is compared to "Uncle Jon-Jin". Thankful today for this bro-in-law (and the many like him) who are real life superheros.

I can't drive 55.

Merrick recently got a bike on loan from my aunt. He loves to drive to the top of our sidewalk and fly down and crash into the grass at the other end. As fast as possible. Sometimes he whips around the bend in the sidewalk towards our townhouse and I have to close my eyes to resist the urge to squelch the adventurer in him. I recently heard a song that I think applies here. Goes something like this:

One foot on the brake and one on the gas. Well, there's too much traffic, I can't pass. So I tried my best illegal move, and a big black and white come and crushed my groove. Again.

Go on and write me up for 125. Post my face, wanted dead or alive. Take my license and all that jive. I can't drive 55. - Sammy Hagar

As the woman who will be writing the checks when he's on our car insurance policy...I hope this song does not also apply to when he's driving something with an actual engine.

Check out more shots at Oh Snap, Photo Friday, Fabulous Friday.

 Simple as That, and Sunday Snapshot.

The third shot is for The Paper Mama

Boy Meets Cereal

J-Hawk just started eating rice cereal last week. He is no small child, as I've said in the past (almost 19 pounds at his 4 month checkup) and formula doesn't keep him satisfied for long. I was glad the doctor gave us the go-ahead to get started on the baby grits. (Although I was gonna do it anyways.)

My other two kind of played with it at first. Couldn't quite figure out what to do with the spoon, couldn't quite figure out how to swallow the thicker food, which is typical I think. Not Jericho. He pretty much inhaled it. The only issue we had was him getting angry that I wasn't feeding him fast enough. Pardon me.

He has been eating it like a champ ever since. I'm hoping maybe this new-found love of solid foods will lead him to a new-found love of sleeping through the night. (He still enjoys a little 4 am meeting with a bottle. I do not enjoy this meeting and would like it be put to a stop.) I know that since becoming a mom I gave up "what I want", however, so I'm not gonna hold rice too responsible for what will probably be a longstanding lack of sleep on my part.

 

The first shot is for Tones on Tuesday, Communal Global, Sweet Shot, and Happiness Project

Check out more shots at Wild Wonderful Wednesday, and Wordless Wednesday.

Friends and Family

I have had a lot of great opportunities for family sessions in the last couple of weeks. I haven't had a lot of time to post about each of them, but wanted to thank each of these great families for trusting me with their mug shots. It was fun working with each of them. I love the friendships that come out of people letting you take their family photos...and hope to do it again in the future as all these cute kiddos keep growing up.

Check out more shots at Simple as That, and Sunday Snapshot.

The fifth shot is for The Paper Mama

Time to Make the Doughnuts

...Or just eat the ones my mom sent our way. I rarely buy Krispy Kreme doughnuts, because I don't want that kind of sin in my house. No really...I'd do what I did with these and pretend I'm not sneaking a bite of dougnut every time I go to the kitchen. (And then I have the nerve to wonder how I ate three doughnuts before lunch...) They are sugary evil in a cute little box. The kids had their first experience with them...and are still making a habit of asking me for a doughnut for every meal of the day. What have I done? ;)

Check out more shots at Wild Wonderful Wednesday, and Wordless Wednesday.

The last shot is for Give Me Your Best Shot, This or That,  Show Off, 

and  Texture Thursday.

Mama's Day

I love holidays that involve presents. I also love holidays that involve family time and getting to sleep till 10am. My hubby is so good about being thoughtful. He let me sleep in, and when I did wake up it was to 3 freshly bathed hooligans bringing me a present and a really funny card. They of course wanted to confiscate the card, they love cards, but I have managed to retain possession so far.

We also spent some time with my mom, and then some time at church...and then some much appreciated time just sitting around the house. We have been so busy lately there isn't much time to just sit. Our couch is feeling kind of unappreciated. But we didn't even make it to the couch yesterday. I ended up in the floor by the stairs with the kiddos sitting on me, just talking and playing. It's always nice to know you are appreciated on Mother's day.

It's always interesting to see what your kids really think of you, too. They did a little craft in church where they had to fill out an interview about their mom. (I was in Merrick's class and we kind of dropped the ball on that...but we filled his out at home. Oops.) I was pleased to learn that they think I'm a few years younger than I actually am...but would like to take a moment to point out that I do not laugh when they say "poopy". It annoys me to tears and I beg them to stop. But at least they seem to think I can cook a few things, too. Even if it's only smoothies and cake. ;)

Check out more shots at Monday Rewind, and And Then She Snapped

The first shot is for Tones on Tuesday, Communal Global, Sweet Shot, and Happiness Project

Pigsty Authority

My mother was an authority on pig sties. "This is the worst looking pigsty I have ever seen in my life, and I want it cleaned up right now." - Bill Cosby

For some reason (maybe it's the late hour that I'm writing this, or the fact that I dropped my iPhone in the bathtub) this struck me as hilarious. I do believe I, too, am an authority on pigsties. Today, my house was a pigsty...and it probably (ok, definitely) still is. I have decided, as a mother of two boys...this is probably going to be my lot in life. *sob* The neat freak in me is dying a slow painful death.

I love my boys, and at this point they are still "babies". I guess they probably always will be to me. But they can already make a huge mess. Merrick's room is an explosion of toys, dirty socks, blankets, and boogers most of the time...no matter how religiously I clean it. Jericho somehow seems to contribute to the mess, just by all the stuff he needs, and that he loves to scrounge around in his own drool at this point, which I suppose is typical when you're a baby. His newest habit is to spit said drool all over himself and any friends within several feet of him. It IS cute, though. He is so proud of himself. (Tirzah, FYI, is meticulous about cleaning up...so she's kinda left out here.)

I was always the kid who cleaned up my desk before I started working on something. I used to try to be messy, cuz my friends were messy. (But mom, all the kids are doing it...) I'd throw clothes all over my room and not make my bed, and it drove me insane and never lasted more than a day or so. I need a clean organized space to think and relax. Which I guess is why I can't think straight most of the time since having children...my clean organized space is pretty much relegated to my bathroom cabinet under the sink, which I can't fit in at this time. Not that I tried.

As messy as my life (and brain) have become, I know I was tempted to end this with the obligatory "I'll miss it when they're gone" phrase. And yes, I will miss them, desperately, when they are grown up and moved out. But I'm not 100% convinced in this moment that I'll miss scraping boogers off the wall in Merrick's room. But I could be wrong I suppose...maybe it's just the pigsty talking. ;) 

Check out more shots at Simple as That, and Sunday Snapshot.

Hi, my name is...I can't remember.

Today, I'm tired. I'm grumpy, irritable, and feel like I'm in a brain fog and just wishing that I could have a vacation. Yeah, I think I'm having a full blown pity party. Kids are a blessing, but they're exhausting. I love them so much, but they are relentless. Jericho won't sleep through the night, I haven't seen REM sleep in months I don't think, and I'm kind of like a grizzly bear who needs to hibernate...BAD.

Yeah, I know I'll miss it when they're gone one day. But right now, I'm having a moment of mom-of-3 overload. It'll pass...I'll be ok...I'll remember that it's not about me and a little lack of sleep, but for now I guess I just needed to say "for Pete's sake...I'm tired." If anyone needs me, I'll be doing a face plant in my coffee and trying to adjust my attitude.

The first shot is for Give Me Your Best Shot, This or That,  Show Off, 

and  Texture Thursday.

Antioxidant Quota

Last Friday we took the hooligans to pick strawberries. It was kind of more like taking them to lunch though, since they ate strawberries the entire time we were there and had the mustaches and beards of sticky red stuff to prove it. I used to always go with my mom as a kid and was excited to take the kids and see how they liked it.

I'm not sure they were as big of fans as we were. It was hot, but they made sure to point it out every five seconds. Tirzah thought it was pretty dumb that there was hay everywhere that got in her shoes. She finally decided it was smarter to sit on my mom's legs (mind you my mom is squatting picking strawberries) so her feet didn't touch the ground and have mom pick the "yucky green things" off the strawberries and feed them to her. What a life huh?

Merrick did a little better with actually picking some berries. He carried around a little green basket and picked some here and there. The basket never actually filled up however since he kept eating out of it. By the time he got off the hay ride on the way back to the van what WAS left was thoroughly bruised and mashed in classic Merrick style. I discreetly left those berries behind and managed to keep that hidden from the child who misses nothing.

The kids decided they were done after a little bit, even though the adults didn't listen and kept picking. Merrick pointed out every time a tractor came by the field that we were going to miss it and had better get out of the field. He's so helpful. He finally just sat on the edge of the field and yelled at us. Also classic Merrick.

We ended up with a good amount of strawberries. I'm glad they only weigh what's in your basket and not your children, since they both probably left the farm with several pounds each in their bellies and on their clothes. At least they got my money's worth I guess.

Check out more shots at Monday Rewind, and And Then She Snapped

The last shot is for Tones on Tuesday, Communal Global, Sweet Shot, and Happiness Project

Still Here...I think.

Been busy this week...a good busy, but I haven't made any time to blog about any of it. Or even take pictures of it for that matter. It's flown by. I can't believe it's already May, I have a 4 month old baby, and my 30th birthday is in less than a month! Ohmuhword...how did I get to be 30? I'm not scared of 30...I'm mostly just scared of the aches and pains that apparently come with it. ;) Things hurt for no apparent reason other than they can. Awesome.

Anyway...going strawberry picking with the kids today which I am ridiculously excited about (such fun memories of that as a kid...I hope they love it too!) and will blog/post pics about it asap...so I'll leave you with these shots to show you that we are still alive and kicking (and messy as ever, as you can tell from the older two's ice cream mustaches). Happy Friday everybody! :)

Check out more shots at Oh Snap, Photo Friday, Fabulous Friday.