Saturday

Well, we did it. We are back on the road with two cars instead of one. I forgot how much has to be coordinated when you have a full house with one car. I get it, we are spoiled here and many people around the world don't have one car let alone two. I do feel especially spoiled today.

The Traverse was not to be; however. We went seeking one, had every intention of buying one, but it didn't want to come home with us evidently. We got lucky with an Acadia that was a "demo" on the lot and it had 5100 miles on it so we got a nice little discount. I was aiming for some other color, besides the routine Ganson black...but as fate would have it, the demo is black. The kids are thoroughly enjoying the new ride. There is even a little table that folds out of the console between the two bucket seats on the second row. Fancy, shmancy. I know.

We are in store for more baseball today. Last night's game was tough. Every one of our players were in another zone or something. It was HOT and HUMID. Their little faces were so red and they just kept getting so frustrated with themselves. The game ended and we headed out to this fun new restaurant in Flower Mound called "Mooyah". It is one of 13 here in the area so you may have had this experience already, but it was a first for our crew. It was great! Shakes, burgers, fries...awesome! Came home after a very long, but productive day, and showered away the heat of the day and crawled into bed for some much needed rest.

The sun is out and the pool passes have been collected. A bathing suit search is on the menu for my day. (oh joy!) And baseball and brisket! Should be a fun day. Hope you have as much fun as possible today!

To do

Wake up
Wake up Heather!
Oh I don't want to wake up.
Ok, I'm up!
Get kids up. Kyra is a little hesitant. She reminds me that there is only one more Friday morning that I have to wake her up for school. Good times.
Kids up. Dressed. Eat breakfast. Make lunch. (one of my least favorite choices of the morning) Get them out the door.
Can't I just go back to sleep now?
Nope. Kimball is next. In the meantime Kierstin has woken up and wants her usual tv, chocolate milk, pooh bear and for everyone to leave her alone. I'm with her.
Kimball is up. Dressed. Breakfast. Bouncing around for a few minutes. "Mom can I play xbox before school?" No is always the answer, but he asks anyway.
Ok, now can I sleep?
Well, no.
Birthday party for RJ.
Buy a car. (Chevy Traverse seems to be in my immediate future)
Car process...............................................
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Kids home. Snacks. Catch up with day.
Kimball is back. He will inevitably torture the children. (and me at the same time-2 for 1)
Baseball game tonight.
FNL for the elementary school group tonight.
It's hot! Humid!!! The baseball games are always fun though, so this should be a fun night.
Everyone back home around 11 for showers and snacks and catching up again.
Can I sleep now????
Not just yet.
Wow, this is going to be a long, full, wonderful day! Better get started if I am actually going to pull all of this off.

Sickness has crept in...again.

Ok.  It's been a lovely weekend.  Truly.  Busy, fun, exciting...and then...Kimball is sick.  Yep, the throwing up kind of sick.  Slight fever, tummy ache, headache, sleep most of the day kind of sick.  I have stood firm on the notion that I would not get sick.  I mean it.  I won't.  I seriously mean it.

Crap.

I got sick.  Sitting in church, in a lovely meeting I might add, I start feeling really warm.  I am thinking it's just the room.  Then my stomach starts to hurt a little.  I AM NOT GOING TO GET SICK!  Then, as I sit there centering little Kierstin as our meeting goes just a little long, I start to feel nauseous.  Now, I am feverish, tummy ache, headache, lay in bed kind of sick...but I will not throw up!  I hate it.  So, I am here, scouting around on the internet for fun blogs and cute ideas.  It has been awhile since I did that actually so there is a great deal of information to cover.   I am drinking my yummy cream soda and that is making me feel just a bit better.

So, word to the wise, stay away from my house for a couple of days.  You don't want to get sick, right?

Summer is a comin'

So much happening these days.  Birthday parties, school ending, pools opening.  So much!  I happened upon this site today and I have a feeling that you may like it too.  Take a gander and see what you might do with your kids for the summer.  We have talked about this before.  We have come up with ideas.  Now, I know that we all just want to be at the beach.  I got that part.  But, just pretend for a moment that we can't get to the beach this summer...pretend being the operative word because I fully intend on getting there somehow...anyway...pretend and let's see what fun we can have right here at home.  That whole "staycation" concept is hanging on.  Thoughts?

30days: Summer "{home}School"

I particularly like this idea.  I imagine this would be a great family project.  What else?

I have found these websites very helpful for our area.  Check your local area for sites like these.

FAMILY E GUIDE - Calendar
BurbMom.net
Playin' Around Town - Home

Know of anymore sites we should be visiting?  Share please!
And for crying out loud, post something on your blogs people!  Seriously.

And for the love of everything holy, does anyone know how to get rid of that "read more" button?  It drives me crazy!

I want to go to there

Seagrove Beach, Florida vacation rental by owner: 4 bedroom Cottage rental that sleeps 14. "Luckie Days" - Beach Cottage South of Scenic 30A

Food Women God and Oprah

Anybody else catch that episode?  Oprah declares that she is never going to diet again.  See if you follow this:

"Diets are based on the unspoken fear that you are a madwoman, a food terrorist, a lunatic. The promise of a diet is not only that you will have a different body; it is that in having a different body, you will have a different life. If you hate yourself enough, you will love yourself. If you torture yourself enough, you will become a peaceful, relaxed human being."

Women Food and God by Geneen Roth


(I am trying to make use of these silly "read more" things...so really, read more.)

Torture!  I get that.  I have long been annoyed with the idea that I have to constantly think about, obsess about, talk about losing weight.  In an ideal world I would have a dancer's body and really high metabolism.  I don't.  Some of the ideas in this book center on treating yourself with kindness.  Think of it this way: if we loved ourselves more, if we treated ourselves with the kindness that we treat our daughters...we would not feed ourselves or treat ourselves or overwork our tired bodies the way we do.  Now, I know that there are loopholes to that theory.  I am a mom and with that comes full days and late nights.  The highs far outweigh the lows and the thing is, the bottom line is that if I liked myself more....well, I think you get it.  Well, I like myself fine.  I do.  I just don't give myself enough credit. Another theory in this book is that we "diet" by way of obsession which leaves us no time to really focus on the things we truly want.  Imagine how  much time and energy and passion you would have if you could just not think about that anymore.  Ever.  I don't mean giving up on yourself either.  To truly look at your day, your menu, your meals and see on the plate how you feel about yourself.  What did you have for dinner?  Was it because it was easy?  There?  So good that you were willing to deal with the stomach ache later?  I am still in the beginning of this book but I have to say that I think I get it.  

My confession:  I am too afraid of accomplishment that I just don't try.  I hide from my own "greatness".  Before you laugh, you do it too!  You know you do.  I hide my colors for many reasons: fear of failure, ridicule, mockery...and even success.  If I succeed at something else, where will that take me?  A road not yet traveled with five other people along for the ride.  What if they don't want that ride?  

I challenge you to take a minute and read this book.  Give that to yourself.  Read for ten minutes here and there until you find something that resonates with you.  If nothing resonates, well you're in the cool crowd for having read a book Oprah suggested.  If it does; however, take that minute to think about how truly amazing you are and how you deserve to be treated.  The idea that we are to treat others the way we want to be treated only works if we don't beat the crap out of ourselves every day.  Be kind to yourself.  Be grateful for your moments of clarity, quiet, joy as well as the moments when you want to run away from it all.  That's just my two cents for the day.

Enjoy and if you do read it, come back and share.  I would love to know your thoughts.

Girlfriends

How can you not just love this photo?  The woman on the far right is Larry's Great Aunt Lily Rosenberg and this photo was recently sent to me by a cousin doing similar family research.  I love this picture for so many reasons.  Girlfriends are amazing and life would simply not be the same without them.

Four

I do not believe that there is a creature on the planet who is more loved than this child.  She came to us a miracle and has blessed us every day since.  We are so grateful to have this sweet, funny, loving girl in our family.  It is a little hard to let go of the "baby", but also such a joy to watch her grow.  She is amazing.  Happy Birthday Kierstin.

Catching up to do: Part One: Noah

I have been sifting through photos that I have not shared yet and remembered my brief but wonderful visit with our little Noah.  That little man...he is hilarious.  In the time that he was here he managed to get each of us wrapped right around his little finger.  He took a particular liking to Kyra.  Here are some photos that I think you will enjoy that will show you why.

She had him in an apron, cracking eggs, baking brownies!  He was hilarious.  Take a look at what came next!

He didn't know what to make of that.  He persevered though...

(yes, she is a goofball!)

SUCCESS!  He scores!

And then he was ready to get comfy...

He was so much fun to have here and frankly, were it not for his silly parents, I would have kept that little guy forever.  I mean, I can see why they would want to keep him, but I just think that's selfish.  Well, okay, selfish isn't the word necessarily, but he sure was fun to have around.  Even Kimball was sad to see him go.  He went back to Austin with Maiya and he doesn't even call me anymore.  Hmmph!

May Day

So.  May?  Really?  I feel as if I keep saying the same thing here, but how has another month slipped by?  It was a busy, productive, happy month...though you would not know that by my lack of updates or photos.  Or perhaps, the lack indicates just how busy and productive we have been.  Either way, I can't believe it is May.  In the month of May our littlest will turn 4 years old.  That one is a little...much.  I love this age she is and continue to feel such gratitude for her.  I am seeing some big changes in all of the children actually.  We are a mere 6 weeks to the end of this school year which closes out 3rd grade, 4th grade and 7th grade.  That means: a 4th grader, a 5th grader and an 8th grader.  There is something so, so strange about that.
We have some busy days ahead of us with birthdays and Mother's day and the always important last day of school.  The children are all a little disgusted that they ONLY get 70 days off.  I know.  I am thinking...they get 70 days?!?!?!  What will do to fill up those days?  Hopefully there will be a little travel, a little beach time a lot of family fun and even some relaxation.  These last 6 weeks of school will fly by and they will be thrilled to be home.  (at least for the first few days)  I foresee time swimming, dance classes, baseball, scouting and crafting.  Larry is set to be home at this point, but we never know.  He is in New York this week for Oprah, after that?  You never can tell.  The kids keep asking me if he will do the London Olympics and if he does will we move there because they don't want to be away from him again...they are nervous evidently.  There is no talk of London at this point, so we will just shelve that one for now.

I should surely have more stories to share and updates to give, but it is too beautiful out to sit here at this computer.  I have new window screens going in as we speak and then the windows will sit open for the remainder of this gorgeous day.  (my jasmine smells divine right now)  So, enjoy your day!  More soon!