my daily morning routine

It’s 6:30am…I can’t seem to peel my eyes open in order to enter the land of the living…I hear the “MOMMMMMMYYYYYY……ah done nigh nigh…Mommmmmmyyyyy”. But, I just can’t seem to make my body yank itself out of bed. Fortunately for me, I have a darling husband who happens to be a morning person…he just skips out of bed in the morning, greeting it with a smile (Gag me!!) Anyway, he lovingly cuddles little Munchkin and sets her in bed with me. As she pokes her fingers into my closed eyelids and incessantly yells into my face, “Mommy…Mommy…Mommy” I am thinking, “Oh, the morning has just come too quickly.”

I manage to roll out of bed eventually and stumble my way downstairs…being sure to not carry Munchkin down the stairs myself because I can barely balance my own body (WHY do I stay up so late???UGH) I get her set up with round ONE of Blue’s Clues (all the while listening to her banter on about the doggie and outside and eating and when are sissies waking up) and by round two, Honey Bunch (switching from Nipper…trying to find blog names that fit my 3 girlie girls…more on that later) and Peanut have awoken and I begin the “breakfast routine”…

Cereal for Honey Bunch, French toast for Peanut and cheesy eggs for Munchkin…along with apple juice for HB, orange juice for P and milk for M….I get them completely set up…I’ve dragged my feet throughout the entire process, willing my body to please wake up and smell the coffee!!! It takes a good amount of time for us NIGHT people to function in the morning and I am not exempt…

I ask them all…”are you all set? Do you have everything you need?” I can tell by the blank stares that they agree…they all have their food, their drink, and their TV (yes, I do allow my children to watch a full hour of TV in the morning these days…some parents are just better than others…oh well)

Not once during this entire hour process have I heard a peep…they obviously do not need a thing…they are content…quietly welcoming the morning…giddy with their breakfast, ecstatic that mom has finally relaxed on the whole TV watching thing…nope, not a word…I ask again, “sweeties, do you need anything else? Mommy REALLY has to use the potty (and I think I’m about stable enough to do it now!)”
SILENCE…okay…good…it’s the green light…I can now have 5 minutes to myself to really “awaken”

I climb the stairs to our bedroom and enter the master bathroom…check my eyes in the mirror, think about possibly weighing myself…change my mind…see the throne and shuffle toward it…just a few precious moments to myself…it’s not until I sit down that the yelling begins …”Mommy….I need your help!!! Moooommmmyyyyy!” It’s the tone of voice that scares every mother…has someone gotten hurt? Is there blood? Someone is breaking into the house? A fire has started somewhere?

I quickly get off and am yanking up my sleep pants as I franticly run down the stairs to see what has caused such havoc in the mere 2 minutes that I’ve been away… “Darlings, whatever is the matter…what do you need??”

“Mom, could you get me another spoon?”

Seriously? Come on now…seriously?

And the day has only just begun….

The Blog where I just blah, blah, blah my way to some sort of conclusion...and some other stuff...

My brother and his family came to visit this weekend...
They brought the whole crew of course...we had such a good time...didn't really go anywhere, just kinda hung out and I took a bunch of pictures...of which I thought I'd share, because, well, it's my blog and since I'm crazy about photography, I want to share some of the good shots that I get (mind you, "good" shots are a dime a dozen...I took over 100 pictures in a 24 hour period of time...about 12 turned out...I'll share a few)

Next, I've been obsessing again...it seems like I choose one thing to obsess about every once in awhile...this weekend it was "high fructose corn syrup"...what in the world? I've changed our bread, jam, crackers, cereal, (can't give up pop yet)...but goodness, it's in a lot of stuff...I love that commercial where the 2 people are sitting down to eat something and one says, "you're not gonna eat that are you? Don't you know it has high fructose corn syrup in it? You know what they say about that?" and the other person spouts off some thing about moderation and it's all okay...yeah, well, I'm all for moderation, but for heaven's sake, it's in EVERYTHING...how I can be moderate, if it's IN everything I eat...and regular stuff like bread, cereal, crackers...

Anyway, I'm trying to get a reality check, because I'm NOT going all organic and I'm not taking popcicles and ice cream away from the kiddos and start feeding them twigs and bark...but I am trying to be healthy, for my kids sake...we do a lot of talking about healthy choices...I"m not worried about their weight (they are skinny as rails) but, I worry about the health of their hearts and other organs in the future...

Okay, next on my list of blah blah blah...my husband got me a digital frame for mother's day (only $34, regularly $145...I was impressed!) If you know me, you know I love pictures...every picture in my house is of something I have taken...this is what leads me to my dilemma. That same awesome husband shared with me his ideas for our anniversary this year and I just can't doggone decide...here are my 4 choices:

1- JEWELRY: again, ifyou know me, I don't wear a ton of jewelry...I wear my wedding bands, a solid gold band he bought me on our cruise and my watch...I just started wearing earrings again (I own 2 pair) after a 6 year hiatus. BUT, I am starting to like it...I like things that stand the test of time...that I can pass down to my girls some day...so this has some value to it...

2- a new NIKON D90: I flipped out on this one...Italian Stallion has bought me 2 of my 3 SLR cameras since we've been together...they are used almost daily. However, I think I am going away from this option, because I want them to get the kinks out before I purchase a new one and I haven't necessarily "outgrown" my D70 just yet.

3- MERA KOH PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP PLUS AIRFARE: I totally flipped on this one...Me Ra Koh is a photographer, a high end one, celebrities, etc...I visit her blog often, because she is really good at explaining camera stuff to women and especially moms. However, this is an EXPENSIVE workshop...the plus side is that I've looked for photography classes before, but none of them teach the way I learn, nor really teach what I want to know...she would...UGH, it's just so hard...

4- an AMISH HUTCH to match our other amish furniture in the kitchen/dining area, especially against our newly painted red wall!!! I love this idea too...I've always wanted a hutch (more places to put picture frames) and to display my grandmother's crystal and our china (which is now ever so lovely packed back in a cupboard somewhere where I can't reach them)

I've already listed out pros and cons to each of these, so I won't bore you with MORE of my reasons why or why not to go with each of these ideas...although I will say that my husband is just the most thoughtful...oh my goodness, he is just my bestest friend in the world and I sometimes can't understand how I got so lucky!

Okay...so I think I'll just end now because my eyes are tired and if yours aren't BLEEDING at this point out of the pure insanity of this post, then you probably just "skimmed" it...have a great day!!!

It's Going by So Fast

Our "staycation" is coming to a close...I'm sure most of you are as tired of listening to me say "staycation" as I am of saying it myself...but I'm continuing to the end...and sad for us, that end is already in sight. It's been wonderful having Daddy home everyday. We've gotten lots done on the house i.e. the red wall, the front flower bed is finally complete (after living here for 3 years, we figured the anonymous home owners association would be happy), the garden is planted, the inside of the house is clean, windows are all washed, and the trim around the garage is painted.

We've done lots of fun stuff too: like...going to the park, bike rides, camping out, movie nights, family hikes, and lots more...(wish I would have brought my camera to more of them, but it was fun to just live in the moment!)

Which brings me to tonight...we went out to my fav restaurant, Molly Woo's, to celebrate. Loaded all 3 girls into the van and headed on our way. Anthony had a wave of sleepiness hit him as we started out, so we just sat and listened to the girls "talk" in the back. It was nice to just hold hands and listen to our children for awhile...and boy the giggles that came from the rear of the car were joyous...

The unending laughter continued all the way into the restaurant, where it "leaked" over to Mommy and Daddy...our girls make us so happy. (please do not read that they are perfect, because they are 1/2 of me and we all know you ain't gettin' perfect from that!!!) But, on these special occasions when life sorta slows down...you get to appreciate the simpler things.

In the middle of Woodles of Noodles and Lettuce Cups, while the snickers and smiles were still plentiful, I looked at Anthony and just said, "If I could capture that "feeling" in a bottle and save it forever...those smiles, that laugh, the twinkle in their eyes...it's all going so fast!"

I can't believe that my Sweetpea is heading to 2nd grade next year, and how is Peanut old enough to be in Kindergarten already? And Little Munchkin, holy cow...she'll be two so soon...it's going by so fast...I know why I take so many pictures and record endless video footage, but it still goes by...sometimes I wish I could stop time...but then, I think, if I did that, I'd miss out on the "next" stage of fun...

but anyway...that was my evening...a great way to celebrate the ending...Uncle Don, Aunt Laurie and the 4 Js are coming tomorrow and the my girls are ECSTATIC!!!

I'll end with a picture of Peanut...and seriously, couldn't you just eat her up? Want to just put her in your pocket and save her forever???

Murphy's Law for Moms

#1 Sippy cups that guarantee NOT to leak…WILL LEAK and will leak while you are in the car on your way someplace special and it WILL leak all over your child’s clothes and if not, then she will definitely be sure to POUR it on herself anyway.

#2 Noone will have to use the bathroom before they get out of the house, even with the constant reminders and “tries”…BUT, as soon as everyone is buckled up and you are pulling OUT of the driveway…THEN, they will need to pee!

#3 After everyone has gotten up before 7am on a beautiful day, and after you’ve all been rushing around for the past 2 HOURS getting ready to get out the door to enjoy the sunshine at the zoo, not until everyone is IN the car, buckled up, will they THEN remind you that noone has eaten breakfast and by golly they are STARVED!

#4 You will have every coupon imaginable in your purse or wallet, EXCEPT the very one that you need, that you realize was left on the counter right before you walked out the door.

#5 states that when your phone hasn’t rung all morning, the children are playing quietly in another room and you are just settling down to get some laundry done, the phone WILL ring, someone WILL ring the doorbell, one child WILL start crying, and the other two WILL start arguing at the top of their lungs AND just to throw in some “extra fun”, you’ll also get call waiting and someone will need a bandaid.

#6 once you have laundered all the bed sheets for all the children, put them all warm and snuggly on the beds…that very night will be the first night that your 4 year old wets the bed for the very first time in her life and your littlest Munchkin’s diaper will have fallen off in the middle of the night…therefore soaking all the before said sheets, with pee!

#7 The amount and timing of markers being drawn all over the walls, is directly proportional to when the walls had been painted (which will be the day before)

#8 Your name (MOMMY) being called throughout the day is equal to the number of stars in the sky.

#9 states that noone will “need” you UNTIL you get on the phone…then all craziness WILL break loose…however, the minute you hang up, normalcy will return. (this will all happen in a matter of 5 minutes)

#10 Not until you have sent your middle child upstairs to use the bathroom, and your baby is finally asleep, will that middle child (who has now already gone to the bathroom) yell at the top of their lungs that there is no toilet paper in the bathroom and could you please come and help her. (this will then ensure the crying of the baby who has now awoken)

please feel free to join the fun...list some murphy laws that you have so I don't feel alone:) These all happened within the past month, or actually, the past week...so I'm sure I'll get some more "doozies" in the near future!

A Few Stay-cation pics and a birthday

Today was hubby's birthday! Can't tell you how incredibly thankful I am for this day 34 years ago!

So here are some AWESOME things about my "Italian stallion" :)

HE IS:

my best friend, my husband, a father, a son, a brother, a friend and an uncle

incredibly patient...probably more of a super human quality that he posesses

tall, handsome, an awesome hug-giver

a playful, thoughtful, insightful and FUN daddy to our girls

a morning person to the Nth degree and breakfast waffle lover

a hard worker, full of integrity and humble

a spread-sheet maker and video game lover

a "behind the scenes" sort of person, anonymous giver, generous beyond imagination

a quiet, contemplative person who can turn around and be hilariously crazy

a John Deere tractor loving, lawn mowin' fool

not afraid to say, "I'm sorry" or even "I'm wrong"

a Birkenstock sandal, with white socks wearer

confident in who God made him to be

insightful and inspiring and the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me...

Life is not always a piece of cake, but he never gives up, works hard, sacrifices much and I'm so very thankful for him! Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

Yes and No

Yes, today is the official start to my hubby’s Stay-Cation.

No, I do not wish we were in Hawaii or some other tropical place.

Yes, okay I may have lied a little bit there…

No, really, I’m looking forward to having him home all week with us!

Yes, I will be getting a Starbucks sometime this week…perhaps a couple!

No, I do not feel guilty about spending $4 on a silly cup of coffee…it’s VACATION!

Yes, I painted my wall red yesterday and YES , I’m STILL giddy about it!

No, I will not paint the rest of the house red because of said giddiness.

Yes, Anthony did some all of the prep work and all I did was pick up the roller.

No, he’s not upset about it, he just likes to rub it in that I’ll get the credit even though HE did most of the work.

And NO, I don’t feel sorry for him.

Yes, I am almost finished planting the entire garden and am sooooooo excited for summer to start.

Yes, we are trying corn again, along with pumpkins, peppers, peas, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, zucchini, strawberries, herbs, potatoes, garlic, onions and asparagus…

No, my hubby is not all that happy about the corn again…he doesn’t really see why we need to FEED THE DEER (which is what happens to those crops)

Yes, my Middle Peanut turned 5 and purchased her very first set of Bendaroos with her birthday money.

Yes, I will admit that they are fun and the girls have had a great time in imagination with them…

No, I am not thrilled with the bendaroos that now “decorate” every inch of my house, their bedrooms and leave a pleasant residue on all my windows!

Yes, I’ll continue to let them play with them…because I am such a cool mom!

AND YES, I am totally looking forward to an AWESOME week!!! Happy Monday!

oh and YES, this is the 2nd post in just 12 hours...got a lot to say I guess:)

Red Wall

I have a red wall in my house now…

I never thought I’d be the type of girl to HAVE a red wall in her house…you see, I always envision “those” women as confident, daring, and stylish…and since I don’t tend to exemplify those qualities all that much, I am quite amazed that: I HAVE A RED WALL in my house…

I know it sounds trivial…perhaps just plain dumb…come on girl, it’s a wall…so, it happens to be red…so what?

Yeah, I know…it’s just a wall…but, (and please bare with my “deeper meaning” here) to me it also shows me that God’s doin’ a work in me…funny how He teaches me…I’m SUCH a visual learner!

I’m not the most confident of people…I know that I come off that way to some…but it’s mostly because I’m one of those people who “talks their way to a conclusion”…the type that says what they WANT to believe, even though they “may not” believe it just yet…if you know me well enough, you know that you have to stick around awhile to actually GET what I’m saying…it takes me awhile to get to the POINT (thus my endless blogs!) But, I’m learning to KNOW what the truth is and MAKE myself hang on to, regardless of the other voices that tell me otherwise.

I’m not the most daring of people…I’m more cautious and want to know what’s ahead before I take the next step…but God has allowed me some baby steps along the way here and I am learning to let it go (thus Little Munchkin going down the MASSIVE slide with her hands up in the air…ALONE)

And I’m NOT stylish…yeah, this is the area where He’s not focusing all that much attention…I still have clothes from high school and college in my closet. Oh I long for the days when my roommate would say to me, “So, can I iron that for you before you go out in public?” I just don’t always “put it together” right either…but, c’est la vie.

So…I have a red wall…what does that tell me? It tells me that God is making me focus more on what HE thinks rather than what I think…so I’m free to be ME! I’m such a “comparison” freak! And I’m ALWAYS on the loosing end…He’s been trying to teach me this for so long, but, frankly, I just tune it out! Not as thin as, not as pretty as, not as intelligent as, on and on and on…

But, today…I painted my whole wall red! It’s a cool reminder…or a “hot” reminder (as red is more of a warmer color)
And, I think I may just blow up THIS picture that I took that is another “visual” reminder for me as a mom! And I might just hang it there on my RED WALL!

Enjoy!