Summer

So far this summer has been pretty wild. We're dealing with how to keep the two boys happy and entertained, harmonious and stimulated, without killing each other. To use a cliche, it is like riding a roller coaster for me; sometimes so smooth and enjoyable I find myself sitting back with a warm smile filled with love, but other times ready to run far, far, away. The boys can happily for hours, and if I'm willing to avoid the mess, I can have peace and get things done. However, the smallest disagreement can very quickly escalate into a war, complete with physical violance, property loss, and bruised egos. I have to keep a close watch and intercept those moments with potential to implode. Its been fun, very rewarding, but I'm sorta ready for summer to be over.... kinda.

We do have the boys in t-ball and baseball. We have discovered sending one parent with the kids to the game, and leaving one home has gievn them much needed break time from one another, not to mention alone time at home to read, relax uninterrupted.

The true test will be upcoming, when Theo is gone for 3 weeks. Send prayers of patience! I will have to take them to every single game with  non-playing kid, and they won't get any breaks from one another (and my only breaks will be after bedtime).

This week the boys filled these two hunting tents with both their bean bags and a million stuffed animals. I think there may have been books in there, too.

I don't know if I'll get Hunter to wear a shirt all summer, and I'm pretty sure you can count on nemo necklace tan lines.

 Who knew fazoodles could be so much fun? They laughed for a really long time about the little characters they made. Love their faces here!

 Hunter loves this mirror in the hallway. I catch him dancing in it, making faces. I have joked we should install a hidden camera here. This Scooby costume is way too small (see the legs?) but he still squishes in it and crawls around like a dog for hours. The boys have a closet dedicated to dress up, and it gets a TON of mileage.

 So much spunk!

How is your summer?

From the mouths of little boys...

Ben, as he's wiping down the table in their playroom per my instructions: I don't want to get married when I grow up.
Hunter: I want to marry a hot babe.
Me: Why don't you want to get married, Ben?
Ben:  Because I don't want to have to do work.
Me: You'll still have work to do.  You'll have laundry, cleaning your home. Your wife won't do all that for you.
Hunter mutters something about how his mom will do it.
Ben: Hunter likes to mix up the words wife and mom. He thinks you can call your wife, 'Mom'.
Me, to Hunter: I stop cleaning up after you at 18, whether you're married or not. And you can't marry your mom, or call your wife, mom. Trust me, she won't like it.
Ben and Hunter grumble.


Yikes.

EDIT: Upon reading this to my husband on the phone he says, "Atleast he's starting to listen to my advice. I feel like I'm succeeding as a father."

Sassy 7 Year Old Boy

Two hysterical things Ben has said this week.

Tonight I heard him arguing with Theo. Dad told him to do something regarding cleaning up, and Ben tarted back with, "I don't wanna!" Dad followed with something like, well, you're a kid, and I'm the grown up and you'll do what you're told... to which I heard Ben say, very seriously, "No, I'm not a kid. I'm a grown man."

A couple days ago he told me, in response to my choosing to let him watch Harry Potter 1-6, but not yet 7. "Mom, if we were a normal family that followed the law you would not let me watch any PG-13 movies."

Organization, Go!

I shared with you that we were set to use Christmas gift money to buy something other than more toys. This year, we are getting some excellent storage for all those legos that comprise over half the toy collection in his house with all their tiny wonder.

Theo put the shelves together a few nights ago, and the boys began trasferring the legos from large tubs to these efficient little drawers from IKEA trofast system. We still have a long way to go as far as getting the rest of the room organized, and I will share pictures of it as we go.

Day in the Life

Hunter and I woke up to Theo cooking pumpkin pancakes and bacon. Ben was already playing. Coffee was already done, so after Hunter and I fought over who got to use the bathroom first, we went almost straight to the dining room table for breakfast. Wonderful.
I picked out church clothes for the kids.
We went to the early church service, and had our 'new member' family picture taken. I brought our camera, because it is rare we have someone to take a picture of all of us.

Pastor asked Ben to help with the children's' sermon. He had the kids line up and follow the leader, who was blindfolded- he asked Ben to walk in a different direction- and then asked all the kids what they thought about the person who didn't follow the leader.
After we drove to get coffee while I knit and the kids were in Sunday School.
We talked about deer hunting.
I used nearly a whole box of tissue blowing my nose all day.
We ran into Walmart for a few groceries. Hunter and I held hands and walked through the Christmas decorations excitedly talking about everything. He started up every single singing toy, and they danced right off the shelves. He lingered on the lego aisle for awhile. While Theo paid, both kids were mesmerized by a kinex toy set up in the front seasonal department. I snatched up 6 Halloween scrapbook items on clearance for $.24 each!
We all changed out of church clothes.
I put away a load of laundry. Theo cleaned up the kitchen and started prepping for dinner.
I folded and stacked the extra winter blankets the kids used to need at the old house, but so far- don't need here. Gosh, it used to get so cold in that old house.
The kids cleaned up the costume closet. We need new storage so bad. I tried not to stress about it.
I photographed an Etsy item I finished this weekend. Created a Treasury List of some of my recent favorites. I spent an hour or more clicking and browsing and learning from Etsy. I knit some more scarves for a couple that has hired me to help them and families they know raise money for adoptions.
We made out when the kids weren't looking.
We said "I love you," a million times.
Theo likened himself to Lotso. Later said I sneeze like a man. We laugh all day.
We watched our DVR'd episode of Blue Bloods.
I filled up all the bird feeders. Moved one of the bird baths in the backyard to the front yard. Threw out remaining pumpkins, took down the autumn wreaths, and put an evergreen swag on the front door. We've never been this ready for winter before winter arrives.
We watched the Bears game.

We complained about not having any snow. Last year they had 10-15 inches here. No snow in sight in the long term forecast.

I fixed some lingering back pain with my physical therapy tricks. Smiles.

The kids played legos, made a pirate ship, a dog house, a jail, and came to find us and tell us all about each and every detail. They used construction paper to make Harry Potter and Perry the Platypus drawings. Hunter practiced letters.

We have thanksgiving colored lights in our dining room window and in a basket of pinecones on top of the armoire lit all day.

Theo put together a delicious homemade baked potato soup from a recipe I got this week from my friend Melissa. We had it for a late lunch and dinner.
We burned an Oatmeal Raisin Gold Canyon Candle all afternoon, long enough to make the whole house smell like it.
All in all- a great day.

Me. Right now.

I love gingerbread lotion. coco madamemoiselle perfume. apple crumble air freshner. pizza. archer farms peanut butter chocolate ice cream. salad with cranberries, walnuts, goat cheese, and blush wine vinagrette. apples. apple crisp. roaming target alone. doing the elliptical at the gym. cuddling my cats. drinking more coffee than I should. I am loving my fair isle knit mukluks slipper boots, and I live in them. Am obsessed with finding the perfect mid-tone brown moccassins.

Can't live without my Old Navy fleece pants. I'd buy more if I could ever find them in stock. If I liked laundry more, I'd wear them nearly everyday. I am also loving this jumbo infinity scarf I made.

Am bored with the weather. 50 and sunny. 50 and sunny. blah blah blah. I am ready for some snow. I bought snowpants. My very first pair! Like in my whole life. I grew up So Cal- we didn't need them there. I didn't snow fall until I was 15!

I can't manage my time. I get too easily distracted. I am really struggling to work from home, and have way too much I want to do.

I am reaching a boiling point in regards to my silent illnesses. I have wanted to post that cheesey cliche little blurb on facebook about, "If you've ever known someone with a silent illness like depression, etc." So not me to post something like that, but you know what? Fibromyalgia might be the worst of them all! Sometimes, yes, I feel good enough to do a strenuous things. Somedays I go at my own pace all day and somedays I can't. That doesn't mean I'm better- I'm not healed. It doesn't mean my illness is fake. Or imagined. It isn't going anywhere, but I am striving to control it. I am so sick of the people in my life not getting this. I'm tired of explaining myself. So I am trying to just not do the things I can't- hoping everyone will come to expect less of me. I also have raynauds, si dysfunction, a bum knee, bad feet, anxiety and that-weird-named-thing where the muscles in my throat contract instead of expand. A whole slew of things you can't see. And you know what? They all suck. And my life has changed because of them. Phew, I got a little pissy there for a second, but I feel better now.

I pee too often. Is my bladder shrinking? If I was a man I would think I had prostate issues.

I am...

Addicted to pinterest.

So in love with Etsy.

Planning on learning to shoot a gun, so I can hunt with Theo next year.
Sweater obsessed.

Disliking driving.

Loving Autumn Leaves candles.

Missing having friends in my neighborhood. I miss my old house, too, but I love the one I am in as well. I guess I miss the idea of my old house. This one has the most wonderful high ceilings, big yard, porch-like front room, cool storage, and great old hard wood floors. I can't wait to have our Christmas tree in here!

Really missing having more places to shop close by! If you would have told me I would come to view Janesville, Wisconsin a mecca for shopping I probably would have hit you. Now, I have so much less to choose from. Puts a damper on my retail therapy and clearance deal thrill hunts.

Buffalo has these sweet monthly sale shops, but so far our shedule hasn't allowed me to visit them as much as I would like. The best part of town for me is the antique store. Open everyday. Reminds me of the old one in the Milton College gym.

My normal neutral is brown, but it is shifting to gray which is really causing an uproar in my closet. Think I may be having a mid life crisis. I can barely listen to country music, which for the last 7 years has been all I could listen to. I find myself drawn to folk, coffee shop music, singer songwriter stuff and anything with a great beat. Mumford and Sons, Coldplay, and oddly enough, Rihanna. I think that little guy Pitbull is hot-when my type is more Toby Keith? And my favorite right now: I love Adele. Except for the smoking, I think I'd like to be her. Am I clinging to mainstream pop culture to feel younger? Theo makes so much fun of me. He says I have terrible taste in music lately.

For some reason I am also getting into TV? I have been very anti-television for some years now. Finding the ability to sit still long enough for a tv show was just not in me, but now with knitting, I watch a lot of tv. So weird. Theo loves this!

Journals. Lists. Notepads. They litter my coffee table- which is like my office desk.

Haven't dusted since May, when we moved in. It's getting 'grody' in here.

So over cleaning.

I love chartruese. Or acid green. I am hunting for treasures made with dark yellow vintage velvet.

Knitting 8-10 hours a day, not including the time I make networking and learning and seeking inspiration. I have about 10 projects on the backburner, and about a 150 skeins of yarn waiting to be molded into the next thing. But I am so glad I took the time to knit all summer so my shop is well stocked. I have been making consistent sales, and it brings me so much joy. I am also finding all those years working in customer service have made me a pretty good little saleswoman.

After a long while of bumps in the road of life, I'm learning I'm pretty good at shrugging things off. Letting go and letting God. Trusting in a power higher than myself and my needs and my wants.

Trying to fall back in love with myself. I believe that makes me better at loving God, my family, my work, my kids, my home.

This one's a real turkey.

He is "hive," (five). He is the reason I understand parenting is not about making your kids not only what you want them to be, but also who they are. He loves wii. Plays with more animation than I do most things-narrating and talking to the characters in the game the whole time. He is loud. Noisy. Sticky. Stubborn. Wickedly funny. Adorable.





He almost never remembers to flush the toilet. He misses about 40% of the time. He doesn't like taking the time to lift the seat, so I sit in his sprinkles more often than I'd like to share. He wipes only when we reminded, but I think this is because of his perfect little butt he almost always has a clean break type-of-poop, and so he doesn't totally get the necessity of wiping. He's insanely picky about socks, and shoes- they can't be the least bit "wiggly" or he'll freak... and sit there doing it over and over until he gets it right. He would live in his cowboy boots if I let him. I think he'd sleep in them. As he sits on the floor in the entry hall of school switching into his classroom shoes I have told him, "If I wanted a teenage girl, I would have had one." This is our dynamic.






See the temporary tatoos? He applies those himself, from his secret stash. Uses my good kitchen towels, and gets the bathroom floor soaking wet every time. Hands full of marker stains-match the ones I scrubbed of the hard wood floors this week. He could color all day. Sometimes does. Picks out his own clothes- and don't try and fight him if he wants to wear his neon orange basketball shorts that have not really fit for 2 years-even if it's 40 outside. He loves to eat. He likes, "Muh-in-ez," (muffins), "kee trips," (cheese strips), "hear-ee-uhl," (cereal), and, "host with pray butter," (toast with spray butter). Has to have mustard with everything. He eats spicy white queso (kee) and tortilla chips (tor-tee-uh hip-ez) every single day. Never finishes a whole apple, and hides the rest from me in random places- like behind furniture. You would not believe the places I have found banana peels.

He is a comedian. He's telling dad in the car, "Hee dat pink trash can? Ben would like dat. Cuh it is pink." He's singing, "Ben ih a gurl, Ben ih a gurl. Oh yeah. Oh yeah."





He'll tell you off- with attitude. And most of the time, only we know what he's saying for sure. He struggles with the last sounds we typically learn- s-f-ch-sh-th-l and a few others. When he's done fighting you on the issue (and mom and dad have usually won) he'll end it with "Hine!" and stomp off. He makes deals with dad, and holds dad super-accountable. Most recently, the bad word deal. Stemmed from us constantly telling Hunter not to use bad words, but his argument that dad "u-ez dem all the hime." If dad doesn't use bad words, Hunter won't. If dad does, Hunter repeats him. Nothing is off limits, if he's heard it, he'll say it- doesn't help we both laughed the first time we heard him say, "muh-der hucker." We're terrible parents. Not really, but in terms of convention- we are not. Not conventional. I mean, after we leaughd we lectured him on how swearing is sin, and in some places it is even against the law and he could go to "hail." Hunter? Didn't really care.



Hunter fears nothing.


Well, okay, he does fear some things. He is afraid of the dark- so he sleeps with the light of his fish tank and a nightlight grandma bought him that projects the solar system on the ceiling. He is afraid to be alone. He won't go upstairs to get something without someone with him- most of the time. On a really bright sunny quiet day, and there's something he really wants, he'll go up. But he hurries. And forget coming downstairs in the middle of the night to pee. We hear him wake up his "bruder," and make him go with. Sometimes when he is watching a movie with Ben he runs in the other room and tells Ben to tell him when the scary part is over. And the one time we had a snake in the basement, he would not go down there and see it. In the yard- he loves them. In the basement- not so much.

He loves to cuddle. He has the squishiest cheeks and I swear they have healing powers. He makes these adorable little squeeky sounds when he cuddles. He has to sleep right up against his brother, usually wraps his arms around him. Up until this summer he climbed in bed with me every night and slept face to face, with his arms wrapped around my neck. He dances all the time. Rocks out, and makes up songs. He knows the words to many commericals, radio songs, etc. and will sing all day long with serious rythym and 'tude. He's passionate about his clothing choices. He is very random. And extremely inquisitive. He is adorable. Charms the 'hit outta every one he meets. He loves baseball and has a ton of "raw talent," dad says. He's boundless energy, creativity, entertainment, love.

He's our Hunter Joe. And I am so glad.

Super Theo

My husband is some kind of superhero, I swear. He was off Monday and woke up, unloaded the car from our weekend trip, clipped coupons, fed the kids, got Ben off to school, grocery shopped, raked, mowed half the yard, took a load of donations to a local thrift store that funds schools associated with our church, mailed an order for me, hallowed out pumpkins for carving, searched the house for costume gloves and ran around town looking for last minute replacement gloves, did a load of laundry, and trick or treated with us for a couple hours. All on a foot that was reconstructed this spring- complete with screws, plates, and cadaver bone. He's only been walking for a month now, and still experiences great fatique.

I coughed on the couch. Washed my hands. Knit. Drank Coffee.

Yesterday he worked a full day, and did & folded about 6 loads of laundry. He also put away three loads left out from last week's laundry, did homework with Ben, organized some of his hunting stuff for the upcoming opening of gun deer season, and took the trash out. I had the nerve to call and make a special request for dinner- he even ran to the store on the way home to get what we did not have. Later, he rubbed my back for a few minutes, laughed with me about our kids, listened to me rant, and saved time to cuddle. Super. Hero. I am sure I missing even more.

I am also sure he will say I made him look like a sissy, or something.

Truth is, he is more of a man than any man I've ever known.

He always calls to tell me he loves me. Or he misses me. Even when he is 3 minutes away.

He leaves every one of us satisfied, loved, warm, happy. Even the dog, and his favorite cat, Fat Toby, were fulfilled.

Sometimes I feel so undeserving. Then I remember some of the loser men I've dealt with in my life, and I am so thankful that Theo has restored my faith in man, and brought me the greatest love possible. I try and remind myself I deserve him. We deserve each other. I will avoid trying to list what exactly it is that I did to match his greatness. There is no comparison.

Here are a few shots of our family from this last weekend at a wedding in Illinois.

-Happy Fall!

Busy Winter Things

We took a little one day trip up to Minnesota so Theo could meet with the gentleman he is replacing and have him show him around his new unit. Theo loved the facility- it's much newer than his current one, and isn't shared with the Navy and Marines. We took the visit as a chance to familiarize ourselves with the area.

In order to spike the boys' interest we thought we'd venture to the Mall of America's Lego store. Theo quickly looked up travel channel food ideas in the area for lunch and decided he wanted to try a Juicy Lucy at the 5-8 Club.


Mine had chunk of bacon- because if I'm eating a burger, it's gotta have bacon.

The Lego store did not dissappoint. These murals of a Moose and Lake Scene were comprised entirely of legos.

Legos of every color size and shape you can purchase by the bucket.

The boys were pretty excited about this giant Lego Woody. Ben was trying to take it apart, of course.

The outisde of the store was museum worthy.

Here is the town we will be moving to. The lake was obviously frozen over, and hundreds of ice fishermen, hockey players, and ice skaters were taking part in a beautiful winter Sunday.

The park had hockey rinks at the ready- and they were packed.

Driving along the lake.

A neighboring town, possibly where we will send the kids to school.

Bridge over the river.

The residential streets caked in snow.

Another neighboring town's lake, scenic Catholic church in the distance.

Driving between towns.

We barely made it home in time for a huge blizzard to come through, dumping a total of about 16 inches of snow on top of our existing impressive snowfall amounts. Our power went out about 10pm, and we quickly added blankets to the kids' beds, and pulled the curtains shut, even padding some windows with pillows to trap in heat. 6 hours later, when the power kicked back on, the whole house was well below 50F.

The kicker with this storm were the drifts, and resulting sculptures, some 6 feet tall.
Here is the view out our dining room window.

The back porch. Silliest looking drift- about shoulder height! We could barely get Laura outside to go potty.

Trying to get the door open.

And worst of all, my rose arbor shred to bits-- the wood actually ripped. The winds were fierce!
Before I get back to my morning duties, I have to share my latest scarf. It's a beauty! And a steal at $22- the yarn nearly cost that much. This picture is taken at sunset.

Same scarf in the midday sun.

Hope winter is treating you all well!

Resolutions!

I always try to make a few New Year's Resolutions. Avoiding silly things, and focusing more on the directions I would like to take my life next. I find they help me focus, and give me things to work toward. With our pending move, I really feel like I can make some good goals this year.

1. Lose at least the next 44 lbs, if not more.
2. Declutter. Process already in progress.
3. Learn to crochet.
4. Make an afghan.
5. Finish the quilt I started.
6. Learn to knit socks.
7. Print 3 years worth of pictures, and get reasonably caught up on scrapbooking.
8. Walk regularly.
9. Track my food and...
10. ...wear my pedometer, everyday, starting tomorrow! Keep steps above 8,000 everyday!
11. Start a savings account.
12. Successfully transplant my garden favorites to our new location.
13. Grow my business on Etsy.

Happy New Year!

Seriously.

I'm not the only one who wrestles with the kids around here. Here Hunter and Ben try and take down Alyssa and Uncle. I think Ben's mid-air in both of these pictures.

Alyssa wins.

Tough Mom Play

The same evening of the birthday party the kids tackled me. They don't this very often b/c truly, Ben's getting way too strong for me. He spends his time wrestling with Uncle Jason and Dad, who out-strong mom by a thousand. But, on this particular night I was feeling up to it:

Notice Ben diving in from the other side.

Where's Ben? Hiding behind my ass.

Trying to escape.