our reality

Today was a big day. We finished the kindergarten reading curriculum. Nevermind that it's not comprehensive, we've been supplementing. It was just really fun to get to the end of the sticker path and earn the "I DID IT" sticker. Bonus, Aaron is super excited to start the first grade HOP curriculum.

Here's how we'd like to think homeschooling goes - the photo to the left. Sunlight streams through the window, the table is wiped clean, and all is blissful as the boys soak in the wisdom and knowledge I have to share with them.

And here is how it actually goes:

well....you'll have to add me on google+ to watch the video.

I'm so (un)impressed.

Mitt Romney left a voice mail at my house last night. No, really. It was his voice, telling me how sorry he was to have missed me and that he would "be in touch" I am soooooooooo bummed that I missed him.

*end sarcasm*

Dear people who use auto-dial services,
Please don't pretend to be a real person calling me. In fact, please stop using auto dial services. Especially please don't use auto-dial to smear someone else in politics. Send a letter or run your ads on TV like usual. Just don't call me. And for you companies that use auto-dial to advertise your services or worse yet, ask me to hold for the next available operator? Same thing. Don't call me. That is all.

Me.

PS, I am equally annoyed by recordings answering the phone and telling me "I didn't understand that response"

fleeting.

The days slip by. They do. And before I know it, I'm looking at pictures from what seems like last week, and hair has grown, and leaves have fallen, and somehow we all kept going, and growing, and learning. Somehow things that need to be put away stay NOT put away, and somehow we find time to plan date nights, craft a Pinterest pin, dig out schoolbooks semi regularly, dust occasionally, update Facebook, make dinner, make beds, change diapers, and love my family. I do love capturing moments like this one. I want to pause the days. They move, they slip through my fingers, and will soon be gone.

Colorado Family Time

Michael's sister Sarah called a few months ago to let us know about some great deals from Southwest. We were able to spend a week in Colorado and had a great time with the family - all but one of the siblings were able to come. Eleven cousins and five siblings together in one place = a crazy good time! Here are a couple pictures of Michael's side of the family! (more on Facebook soon!) We went to the zoo, hung out at the house, ate a LOT of Mexican food, laughed and talked. It was great to catch up with everyone in person!

four months

Cadence is four months old. I can't believe it! Here are some of the things she's been doing lately:

1. grabbing toys and passing them from hand to hand
2. watching all the action all around her
3. sleeping a lot
4. grinning at us all and giggling a lot
5. eating her toes
6. sitting up almost all by herself
7. getting kissed and hugged by her brothers (almost to excess)
8. rolling over
9. making us all smile
10. helping reality set in - that we do, indeed, have a girl child in our home.

Cadence, my dear - you are a joy! We love you!!

blah diddy blah blah blah

Ever feel like you're talking, and all that your kids hear is noise? Or that you've said the same thing a kajillion times and they just can't seem to remember.

I do.

And I don't have any answers. So, if you have some suggestions on how to motivate kids to listen, really listen - I'm all ears.

I've been learning a lot about how selfish I am lately - how much I want approval and love and cooperation from those three little people I serve, how much it bothers me when I don't get it. (and How stupid that sounds to say out loud.) How thankless it is to be a mom at this stage. It makes me a lot more thankful for my own mom. A lot.

It also gives me a perspective on my relationship with my own Heavenly Father that I wasn't expecting - especially when it comes to trivial thank you's. We've been having our kids say thank you before they can be excused at a meal. It's kind of ironic that the way they thank me after a meal is often the same way I thank God FOR my meal. And let me tell you, there are days that the thank you is heartfelt and sweet, and there are days that thank you is as careless as can be. I prefer the first.

Yep, motherhood is so much more than I expected, and in some ways, so much less. I DO love my kids, so much, and I'm grateful that God has seen fit to have me be the one to teach them about Him, about life, and about what it means to love others. What a heavy, heavy responsibility. What a loving God, and what a vast storehouse of His grace is there for me. Every day.

One of many

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