Winter Drag

I don't let anyone use the word "bored" in our house. But, this isn't really my house, it is the web, and if you know me I don't ever get "bored," however, the only word that can sum up this week is boring! The reason....It is April 20th and still Winter in Nebraska. I'm not exaggerating....it is still winter!!!

With 4 kids in our house, boring doesn't mean uneventful! A few things that our boring week churned out....

Potty Training Take 2 was a success! Austin is potty trained! 3 down and 1 to go! When you wait until your kiddo is ready it is pretty amazing how much simpler the training process goes! Remember...toddlers like to be in control!!!! Even if you have to do some pretending that they control the process, when maybe it is the Skittles, Ring Pops, Soda,  and new Train Apps on Ipad, that is calling the shots!

Molly and Grant got a lecture in respect. Now we have laid out the rule of answering us with a "yes mom" "yes Dad" response. This will be very challenging as every response up until this week has been a, "can Grant do it?" "I don't want to" "that's not fair" or something similar!  When we had them practice answering this way with some role playing it was rather funny!

Molly's room is filled with list!
This one is a list of all stuffed animals, names, and date of birth!!!

She loves baby dolls!

The kids built a fort everyday after School with the couch cushions.
I joined these two in there...it was hot, but worth the smiles I got from their excitement in me being in there!

Bribery works wonders when Potty Training.
When I handed the spare pants/undies to his Sunday School teacher Austin said, "Potty Training?!"

Heidi pulled herself to a standing position!!!! This is HUGE, cause the 11 month old has done nothing with her legs in regards to standing. She is a beautiful crawler, so we ruled out anything serious being an issue. As a mom who had 3 kids walking before they were 1, it has caused me a little worry. My firstborn didn't say an actual word until she was Austin's age (28 months), and now she doesn't stop talking. So, hopefully Heidi waits to join the track/field club until she is 12 and not at 2!

Spring brings a very busy calendar. I would be a little embarrassed to share my calendar for April and May. I know Families are busy and everyone's "I'm so busy" looks different. I  just feel that as Moms we are harshly judging other Families "busy." So, I would hesitate to share it. 

I have School aged kiddos. The good ole days of participating in 1 sport for 1 season and then moving onto the next sport in the next season is gone.  My bf's and I talk about how annoying this is...they shouldn't have to decide at 7 years old what sport they want to play. If you don't pick one then you end up playing two and this puts a whole kink on the quality family time. This has all just begun for us. I'm not ready to give my kids up every night of the week for a couple hours. It is more the rushing of getting them where they need to go that is the challenge. Not the hour they spend practicing. Everything lands between 5:30 and 6:30pm. When do we eat?! Most nights it is around 4:45/5pm!!! Right now my kids are learning the game of Soccer! First time trying this sport...well, 2nd time for Molly. She was 5years old and didn't like "running" for 45 minutes. I didn't blame her!

He is enjoying Soccer!
I was hoping this wouldn't be the case...it is an intense sport in
 the town of Gretna!!!

Zoe and Jayna
Dance BFF's

 My kids will read this someday and wonder why I wrote I am frustrated with being forced to choose a sport, yet I have Molly in competitive dance! This is a good question! I don't have a good answer...maybe because dance is a gradual progression of growth, and it always changes, and she is less likely to get burned out or bored with it, it is indoors, being on stage is where Molly shines! and the big part...she loves it. Never complains, goes into dance studio with a smile and leaves with an even bigger one. She is at a studio that fosters fun and positivity and embraces that everyone has different things they do well, she gets a totally different group of friends outside of School to spend time with...I could keep going. If or When Grant finds something like that then I will probably do the same thing! Then maybe when Heidi wants to do it I will have a firm No!!! Our firstborns are the ones we practice on!!!! It is why they are statistically the ones who end up in Therapy!!!!!!

Please God....bring us Spring!

15 Year Anniversary

I got married 15 years ago today! I still remember many of the small details of the day. I was so excited. I was so eager to share every day and night with Don. It was as if the there were only a few weeks left in our lives and we had to be together. I recall thinking that two years was an eternity. Why would I go through an eternity to do then what I want to do now...be with Don. He was my best friend, the person I wanted to share all the details of my day with and spend all my time with and plan my future with, and everything and everyone else wasn't as important as him. It wasn't that they weren't important, it just wasn't even a thought that life outside of him was happening. We had bought a little house together on 60th and L Street. He was working during the day and taking plumbing classes at night. I was struggling to find my place in college and what I wanted to major in. My family was falling apart and the future at home uncertain. Nothing at the time seemed clear except the fact I wanted to be with Don. 
We were babies on our wedding day. I had just turned 20 and Don was two weeks shy of 20 years old. It is true that getting married that young presents itself with a set of challenges that otherwise wouldn't occur. I would be lying if I said the word divorce hadn't been brought up, more than once. A wise therapist was a gift for our marriage. I am thankful we are past the 3 year "reality sets in" and the 7 year "itch" didn't get scratched. I'm glad we hit the 10 year milestone, which I also mark as memorable as my wedding day. My husband out did himself that anniversary! I'm sad we are done making babies, but overwhelmed with gratitude that we have four of them together. I don't take for granted that we are in the "best" years of our lives right now. I have hope that the best years of our marriage are ahead, because right now we are in the throes of needy children and businesses. Exhaustion gets the best of us most days. He is here, but I miss him. I have to share him with lots of little people and the stress of life that consumes his and my minds. Someday I will write about all the time we have to sip coffee, take a road trip just for fun, and talk about the days when all the kids were little!!!!
Today, we celebrate 15 years married! I would still choose him. I think that is a good sign!

 

Grand Canyon

Believe it or not I needed a break from these little people!

I went to Cave Creek, Arizona and hung out in my Dad's second home. The best thing to being alone is being with my brother. I say that, because we expect very little from one another. I feel no need to watch my mouth or my attitude when I'm with him. We don't exactly bring out the best in each other, but at the same time he is the easiest relationship in my life. We are 13 months apart in age. We live very different lives, but have always been friends.

I took a picture of myself all alone with my coffee.
I'm never allowed this luxury at home!

 Arizona weather is hard to describe unless you've experienced it. Nebraska weather is NEVER consistent. It is obsessed over and talked about and then what you worried about happening at the end of the week ends up not even occurring then it all gets talked about again. I guess a good word for NE weather...dramatic! Arizona weather is the complete opposite. It is sunny like 363 days a year, it has an actual "breeze" (which never happens in NE), it is warm all day and then this perfect cool "cardigan" weather at night. It is a dry heat, so when the Flight Attendant tells you it is 90 degrees outside you need not worry about sweating the minute you walk outside. That is right, you don't sweat! The only people that wouldn't think AZ is super crazy hot in the summer is NE people. We experience a heat wave in July that causes moisture beads to start the minute you step outside, and the hot wind blows your hair all out of place, and you can only do something outside if it is by water. Not much different then AZ, except no moisture and no wind!

Completely flat except for the mountains that just pop out of the ground in random places

Did I mention you have to watch your every step for a rattlesnake?! The warthogs rome freely in the neighborhood, and you don't want to lean on a tree for support!

The Grand Canyon is only 3 hours and 11 minutes away (according to the GPS).  If you ride with myself or my brother in my Dad's aaamaaazzing Mercedes it will take about 2 hours 45 minutes!

Something else that is hard to put into words or do justice with pictures....The Grand Canyon!

The North Rim
Don't quote me, but pretty sure this side can't be reached by car

CO River and some other River connect here!!!

The Canyon was worth the drive-up

I saw the Grand Canyon and visited Sedona 10 years ago with Don. It always makes me feel old when I realize how long it has been since I've been somewhere. When Don and I went there was no gift shop or railing around the "visiting area" around the South Rim of the Canyon. Now, it is pretty fancy. There is even a shuttle! I wouldn't be paralyzed with fear taking Austin up there, although I would still put him on one of those backpack leashes!!!
The drive home had us taking a scenic highway that took us through Sedona. We walked around downtown Sedona and enjoyed some fried Rattlesnake! Yep, I did 2 things in one day that I had never done before...helicopter ride and ate some rattlesnake.

Sedona is breathtaking

He looks bored! This is before we ate fried Rattlesnake!

Mike,
             Thanks for agreeing to "escape" the grind of our daily lives with me! Our relationship is why I value the sibling bond so strongly with my own kids. I want them to have what I have with you. That unfailing trust that you will always have my back, tell me when I'm being a b*^#*, or point out that my butt has gotten smaller! Whether we go 3 months without talking or 1 year without seeing each other, I know you will always be my brother...and my friend! An added perk, your the only one who remembers how Mom and Dad fought over a map on vacation! The apple didn't fall far from the tree on that one! (for the record: I didn't cry!)
  Happy Birthday!
 
My brother had never seen the 7th Wonder of the World. What is the best way to celebrate your 34th Birthday!?! Marking off your bucket list... Helicopter ride over Grand Canyon.