In Case You Wonder...

...why I can't seem to be on time anywhere I go. I would just like to present to you, exhibit A)

I am incredibly grateful that they all want to be this close to me, don't get me wrong. I am also incredibly grateful for the bathroom in my bedroom, even though it's tiny. (We have 3 bathrooms in this house. It's really nice compared to the 1 we had in a previous house.) But the two of those facts combined make it really hard to get ready to leave to go anywhere in a timely fashion. (I mean, on top of the diapers that need to be changed and people who have psychological problems with putting on shoes and that someone keeps getting undressed instead of getting in the van and then someone always spills something right as I'm walking out the door) I feel like my bathroom is a clown car...how many people can you fit in there at one time? At least clowns are funny, right? 

The Blob

I have recently mentioned how Tirzah is my kiddo who will lay around like a blob...on the couch, watching TV, snuggled up with her blankie, for hours and hours on end. If she was left undisturbed I think she would lay there until she became a part of the furniture like a fossil. I am sometimes not sure how to handle her lack of energy in contrast to the other three's excessive amounts of energy.

Don't get me wrong, she has a ferocious personality, and can run wild with the rest of them, but most of her energy comes out of her mouth and her tear ducts. She doesnt particularly like an over abundance of physical exercise, and while her brothers would stay outside for hours she gets too hot and always seems to have a "cramp" in her side. We often take walks at night, and she has been known to negotiate with Jericho until somehow she is riding in the stroller while he is walking. She recently asked me could she have a wheelchair, simply because she was tired of walking.

I joke a lot about this particular aspect of her personality...but she is also my only kiddo who will sit for hours drawing pictures for me. She will often make me cards, and things to put on the fridge. If she hears it's your birthday you can expect she will sit at the table for hours making a card, or 50, so you feel properly celebrated. She may like to lay on the couch for 75% of the day, but I guess at least someone in this house sits down.

Homeschooligan '15

We officially started back to school today! (That exclamation point is serving to try and convince me that I'm excited. I love homeschooling my kids, don't get me wrong. It's just overwhelming to say the least especially in the first few days before you find that routine again, and I do so enjoy the summers where we don't have much we HAVE to do.) I'm kind of brain-fried at the moment and still need to take 4 kids to the library and to buy school supplies...so this blog might mostly be pictures of what the hooligans look like on this first day of school. Trust me, there's no fancy chalkboard signs or people with their hair actually brushed in this blog post. I mean, in theory I see myself actually doing those things, but let's be real here. Making sure everyone is still alive and smiling at the end of the day is key.

We had a good start...the hooligans were excited and eager to see what we would be doing. (I know this will wear off, but I'll take it.) Tirzah was up and dressed at 7am, and had already fixed everyone breakfast in anticipation of starting school as soon as possible. She's my little nerd, and I'm really proud of it. Merrick was even excited today, and Jericho wanted some school as well. I'll probably try and do a little informal preschool with him and see how he likes it. He really has two more years before Kindergarten starts...but if he's asking I wont say no. Caveman is his first language, so we might need two years to get ready for Kindergarten. ;)

We are now off to the library (which I should have done last week, but ya know, I was in denial and just didnt want to prepare and spend my last week of official "summer" inside reading over curriculum) to collect some books that Amaryllis will hopefully not lose or eat. At this point we will probably try to do school whenever she naps, cuz we all know she runs this place and when she is awake her subjects (the older hooligans) can't really do much else besides laugh at her and tell me everything she needs and wants. (Mom, Amaryllis needs a snack. Mom, Amaryllis needs her diaper changed. Mom, Amaryllis wants to eat these crayons. Mom, can Amaryllis use your iPhone? -Um negative on that last one. Oh, and the crayons, of course.)

Hope that everyone else had a great day back to school as well, and no crayons or library books were ingested.

Bora Barron '15

What can you say about finally taking your dream trip? I really don't have a lot of words to describe how grateful I am that I actually got to spend a week in Bora Bora. It was always just that...a dream. One that I figured would maybe happen when we were old, when I'd have to make sure Billy packed his hearing aid and didn't throw his back out. Oh, wait...I have to do that now. hehe. For real though, I thought this trip was going to be something that happened when the kids were all grown and out of the house, not now. We aren't well off by any means, but thanks to tax returns (have 4 kids...it does wonders for your tax refund) we were able to pay for most of this trip. We decided there were way more responsible and adultish things to do with our money, for sure, but was there ever going to be a "perfect" and more responsible time to take this trip? Nah. #yolo

I'm so glad we decided to go for it. I'm so glad that I have these memories to enjoy for the rest of my life, and to get me through the looooong cold school year ahead of me. (Oh gosh. I'm so not ready. Say it's not already September.) The trip really was everything I imagined it would be and more. The resort was amazing...and the staff was above-and-beyond friendly and happy. They waited on us hand and foot and made everything simple and easy for us. I said to many people that the pictures don't really do it justice, and it's true. It was more gorgeous than I even expected, and for all the hundreds of pictures I took it still just has to be seen to really capture it. The water is fluorescent blue and a million different shades, and the island is a gorgeous green velvety contrast to the white sand and blue water. There are flowers everywhere, and all kinds of birds and fish. I kind of felt like I was walking around in a painting all day.

We snorkled and swam and laid around. We shopped on the island, and slept long hours and just soaked up as much as we could. Neither one of us wanted to leave, even though we both talked everyday about how much we missed the hooligans. It was a much needed break for both of us, and we couldn't have ended up in a more beautiful spot to enjoy that break. I am missing Bora Bora kind of like a limb right now...I keep wishing we were back there for just one more day. I cried when we left, and we both agreed that we need to go back one day. Yolo, right? ;) But really, I am so grateful that we were able to live this dream of ours out. Thanks for the many of you guys who encouraged my oversharing and enjoyed it right along with us!

Today is the greatest...

Anyone who was born in the 80s probably gets the shameless smashing pumpkins reference in my title. But… Today is the day that Billy and I leave for Bora-Bora. We started planning this trip way back in January of this year, and that the time it seems like it would never actually get here. Well it's finally here, and I'm just hoping that I haven't forgotten anything important in my suitcase. Billy says all you need is a swimsuit, but as a serial over packer I'm always afraid I'll leave that one thing at home that I needed desperately. I'm looking forward to the traveling, as well as actually getting to the island and enjoying the scenery. Traveling is always something that I have really enjoyed, but we don't get to do much of with four hooligans running around.


I feel like I have taken lots of blog breaks this summer, but I'm sure you can all understand, since I'll be in another country, that you're just going to have to hear all about this trip when I get back. (Or just follow along on Facebook, because I'm sure I'm not to be able to resist posting lots of pictures!) I'm sure the time that we're there is going to fly by, and we'll be back snuggling those crazy hooligans before we know it, and telling them all about the trip. I'll hopefully be telling them about how their father survived swimming with sharks, and not explaining why the goofball didn't come back from Bora Bora. (Me and sharks don't mix. I've already decided I'll just make myself comfy at the hotel spa while he attempts to get a limb removed by what he calls "tame" sharks. #nosuchthing) Anyway...I'm ridiculously excited about everything but sharks.


We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to take this trip. It's always been our dream vacation, and we figured the fact that we managed to put up with each other's shenanigans for 10 years was reason enough to celebrate and actually make it happen. Now here's hoping we make it to Tahiti, together, and with no mishaps. I'm definitely anxious that things go smoothly, but so excited to get there and relax. Prayers appreciated! ;)


I will be sure to post pics here once we get back. If we come back, I mean. I am not making any promises that I won't just decide to stay there and have the hooligans shipped to me.