Too many?

Can you ever have too many pairs of your brothers' underwear on?

Avery's answer: No. No you cannot. 

Sunday Highlights

I must have said it at least ten times today: "Today is the best day I've had in so long." 

This weekend was General Conference.  I look forward to this semiannual event because the talks that are given are inspired and so uplifting.  During the conference addresses, I find myself nodding, taking mental notes, and the Spirit confirms to me over and over again that the Lord is mindful of us.  Of me.

Also, I DON'T HAVE TO DO THREE HOURS OF CHURCH WITH MY CHILDREN.  THIS IS A KEY REASON I LOVE CONFERENCE SO MUCH! I also have a greater appreciation now for Jamie having the day off from his usual 8+ hours of meetings.  I can't remember the last time all 6 of us were all home for an entire day.  We are so fortunate to be able to view all 5 sessions of Conference online, so we can stay home in our pajamas all day.

I can't even express how wonderful today was for my soul.  As much as I try to be selective and safeguard our time outside the home, having a family this size with all of the responsibilities and commitments we do just makes for some long, full days. I don't actually think of myself as a busy person!  I don't like being "busy," as in feeling hectic and rushed.  I don't want my children to feel like we are always in a hurry to get somewhere or do the next thing on my list.  I cherish moments of just being present in the moment, especially spending time together as a family.

Also I don't want people to perceive me as being too busy to be called upon to help.  Recently a friend called me and needed a favor--a ride home from work since she was sick and couldn't drive.  She apologized over and over, saying she knew I was busy with the kids and she didn't want to ask but didn't know who else to call.  I was so glad she called! For heaven's sake...if I'm too busy to help a friend in need, then I've really got a problem.

Anyway, back to today: so refreshing, so many words that touched my heart, so many sweet moments with my five favorite people. I think the contrast between our typical days, which are filled with school, baseball, work, church service, dinners, household chores...and wonderfully low-key days like today made it all the more enjoyable!

Highlights:
Avie girl got an early birthday present from my parents: a new bed! She's been sleeping in the pack-and-play, which did the job just fine, but now she has a real bed of her own that is bright and cheery--just like her!

All during the setting-up process, Hudson corrected us repeatedly, telling us it was his new bed, not Avery's. He ran and got his blanket and a toy and spent about a half an hour playing in it.  Luckily he agreed to let Avery try it out after he was done breaking it in.  

And the boys enjoyed the mega-fort that Jamie constructed using the boxes from the crib!

As a reward for cleaning their room, which was frighteningly messy from several days of neglect, the boys requested a family jump.  Now that the weather is cooling off, the trampoline is a favorite outdoor activity for all of us.  Generally I sit with Avery and protect her from the mayhem, but she's getting pretty fearless and wants to be in the mix with her brothers!

Avery was not on the bottom of this dog-pile, don't worry.

Although a long afternoon nap came in at a close second, this was my favorite moment of the day:

Ready or not, it's back to the grind tomorrow.  But it's days like today that fill my cup, reminding me just how blessed I am to have a devoted husband, four wonderful/crazy kids, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.  What else could a girl ask for?

School Days

We are finally settling into the new school year, I'd say.  Just like with any big change, it has taken a while to get used to the new routine. 

First Day of Second Grade August 26, 2013

So far second grade is great! Boston has a great teacher, Mrs. LeBlanc.  His kindergarten and 1st grade teachers were more quiet, while Mrs. LeBlanc seems very outgoing.  He is happy to have many friends in his class, although Boston is pretty much friends with everyone so I'm sure he'd be just as happy with a different group of kids!

I am so proud of him and excited for him to be starting this new grade.  I just hope is kind and a good friend, and a blessing to his class.  I have a feeling he will be!

Now that Boston is spending his days learning and having a blast with friends, I spend my day with these crazies!

The playground across the street from the school is amazing.  Once the weather cools down we may spend more time there after drop off.  

It's usually too hot to play outside much, but the boys do love doing sidewalk chalk.  Cade writes everyone's names and likes for me to give him words to sound out.

This is a common scene at our house: Everyone likes to do their "homework" while Boston is doing his.

Thirty minutes of required reading a night means extra bedtime stories for Cade! I often hear him asking Boston to read him more books after they go to bed.

We haven't been going to the library much the last few months, partly because I was avoiding it like the plague until the Summer Reading Program was over.  Also because I lost my library card for a month and I was too lazy to go get another one! After finding my card, I ventured out again with the little ones  to get some new books and movies.  We mostly just played in the kid area the whole time.  Instant entertainment.

Approximately 9/10 of my pictures of Cade look like this.  We're working on the genuine smile.

I found some ideas for fun after school snacks...the hillbilly teeth were a big hit!

I hate this picture is blurry, but it shows a typical day around here.  Hudson loves his Avie! He wanted to hold Avery, who only weighs a few pounds less than him!

I actually enrolled Cade and Hudson in classes at the Hurst Rec Center on Mondays.  I don't have a first day of school picture for them because...wait for it...I got the time wrong and we missed the first class! Oops! Guess I don't have it all together after all!

Race Cars

4:15 pm looked like this in my house today:

Three boys being cars, racing around the living room track. Boston insisted I be the announcer. 

Off to an early lead is the #4 orange car, driven by rookie Cade Walker. Right on his heels is the wild card, the #1 car, Hudson Walker. And ready to lap them both is veteran driver Boston Walker in the #6 blue car. Going into lap 200 Hudson seems distracted and now--what's this? he's left the track entirely folks! Now it's neck and neck between Boston and Cade and, coming around the bend, oh no! Cade takes an elbow to the chest and skids into the couch! But he's back on his wheels in no time, and catching up quick.  He seems to have picked up a passenger along the way, his trusty side kick, "Tri" the Triceratops! Boston stops to gas up and pick up "Furs" the Lion, while Cade takes advantage of the pit stop to take the lead again. On the home stretch now, and oh my! In a bold move, Boston has ejected Furs from his car towards Cade and Tri.  It's complete mayhem, people. There's debris on the track and Boston wipes out, sending him into a fit of laughter. But you can't keep a good car down, and they are both on their feet and at it again...

And so it continued for 45 minutes until they were both sweaty and panting, begging for gatorade.

I love my boys.

Things I don't understand, part II

A general rant about a few more things I don't understand:

1. Long hashtags.  I don't understand what's so catchy about them.  Why not just say what you want to say with normal spaces and without the # in front?  Is the # supposed to make it more meaningful? More entertaining? When people use them appropriately, I get it--to link pictures or messages together that have a common theme.  When people use them on Facebook, which is only for effect rather than function, I find it silly and mildly annoying.  But when someone posts a hashtag with a super long sentence after it...FORGET ABOUT IT! Sometimes what they write can be funny, but it ruins it for me if I have to struggle to decipher what it says.  I feel offended that I have had to spend extra time figuring out what it says when you could have saved me time by writing it the normal way.   #sorrytomyfriendswholovelonghashtags #carryonusingthemifyoulovethem #toeachhisown #actuallyitsstartingtogrowonmethemoreidoit  #itgivesmythumbsabreak #nospacebar

2. People who are rude to nurses.  I could understand if your loved one is not getting good care, and you feel like you need to speak up or voice your concern.  But when they are getting good care and it's just an unfortunate circumstance that they are sick, it's not the nurses fault. Asking questions is also totally understandable.  I go out of my way to educate family members and visitors about what's going on if they want to know, and explain things in a way they can understand.  But if you fire off question after question looking to find fault and all your questions start with "Why aren't you ____" or "When's the last time you checked _____" or "Shouldn't you do ____" (possibly something they saw on ER) then you are taking my time and attention away from the sick patients who need it more. {Side note: Can I just say that after having the situation above happen, I had a patient who could barely speak he was so weak.  I was helping him eat and he whispered to me "Now I know why they say 'Hug a Nurse.' You guys are like angels" and I cried and thanked him for telling me that just when I needed it.}

3.  People who leave rude comments on blogs or social media threads.  Actually I do understand this:  there is a feeling of anonymity on the internet.  People say things they would probably not say in real life.  I can appreciate if it's someone you know and something you feel strongly about, and you just really want to debate it.  But if it's someone you don't know and you don't agree with them or you just don't like what they have to say...just move along! I have stopped reading certain blogs, stopped following people on Instagram, hidden people's status updates on Facebook because I don't care to hear what they have to say/see their latest self-portrait.  I don't feel the need to say something ugly; just move along. (Or blog about it in a passive-aggressive way.  See #1)

4. The term "yoga" pants. I'm guessing 90% of the time, people don't wear them to do yoga anyway.  They wear them around their house because they are so incredibly comfortable and a step up from pajama pants.  Why not call them "mom" pants or "errand running" pants or "you haven't left the house in four days because your child is sick so what's the point of wearing jeans when you could wear these comfy pants" pants?  True story: I discovered this morning my "yoga pants" were on backwards.  I wore them all day yesterday and slept in them that way.  THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF THESE PANTS: IT DOESN'T MATTER!

July 28

7:45: That mug always cheers me up after a long day at work

 And I can always count on Cade to grab my phone and say, "Mom, let's take silly pictures of ourselves now!"

Boston never wants in on the self-photoshoots.  Maybe he's embarrassed by our faces, although I can't imagine why?!

Weekend Highlights

Hudson was pretty quiet on the way home from school on Friday. When I went to get him out, I found out why! Cade was feeling generous and shared his bag of popcorn with little brother! Hudson was in salty heaven. He had a piece in his fist and was going to town! He was pretty mad when I took it away.

After a long week without Daddy home in the evenings, the boys were glad to have him back this weekend.

Haircuts

I cut the older boys' hair last night for the first time. Jamie usually does it, but he has been really busy with work lately. I let my impatience get the best of me, like the first time I cut my own bangs.

Except that experience ended with me with one inch long bangs in tears at a Regis salon at 8:00 at night telling the stylist I let my friend in beauty school practice on my hair and she botched it because I was too embarrassed to tell her that I, in a moment of pure impulsivity and stupidity, had chopped my own bangs off with no clue what I was doing.

Luckily this time was nothing like that.

I just opened the clippers, looked for the longest attachment, chuckled a little as I thought, "well, if this turns out horribly at least they're boys and they don't care about their hair and it will grow back!"

I did learn a valuable lesson, which is this: there is a big difference between a "one inch" and a "no. 1." Luckily it was not through a haircutting disaster that I discovered this, but in Jamie's reaction to my text saying:

"I cut the boys' hair to a one."

"Seriously??" he replied. "Send me a picture."

Later I realized he thought I had done a No. 1 (meaning 1/8th inch). I told him to give me a little credit; I can read what the guards say. (Although I don't really blame him for his lack of faith in me...he was there for the bang disaster of '06.)

All's well that ends well:

Sometimes

Sometimes I lock my keys in the car. Like today. I was leaving a play date with friends because Hudson was getting hungry and I forgot to grab a bottle. Thank goodness for roadside assistance!

Sometimes I eat frosting straight from the container. With my finger. (I find it's best not to waste time getting a spoon and risk talking myself out of doing it. Just go for it.)

Sometimes bathing at Mawmaw's house with her shower cap and glasses is way more fun than a regular old bath.

Sometimes I cut my own bangs. (And sometimes my bathroom is littered with little boys' toys!)

Sometimes Hudson wakes up at 10 or 11pm wide-eyed and ready to party! So sometimes I just embrace it and enjoy the snuggling time.

Sometimes he likes eating real food! (Literally one day he wouldn't eat anything I offered, and the next he would.) Bananas, yogurt, applesauce, carrots, green beans, avocado, kiwi, crackers, ice cream (don't tell the pediatrician I fed him icecream)...you name it, he'll eat it.

(and sometimes I have fun photographing his funny faces while he's eating!)

Sometimes it's better just to not ask questions.

Sometimes wearing "magic reading glasses" makes doing homework waaaay more fun.
Sometimes we draw on the sliding glass door with dry erase markers. Actually, it has art work on it more often than it is clean! (This day Cade drew the pool--see the scribble??-- and I supplied the other details as he directed.)

Sometimes we eat hot dogs for dinner and then have a movie night complete with popcorn and soda.

Sometimes we lay out a blanket in the driveway and enjoy these mild winter days outside eating Frosty's rather than inside doing laundry or dishes.



Sometimes Boston prays, "Please bless Cade that he will stop talking during prayers..." and sometimes Cade interrupts by whispering to himself, "I do NOT talk during prayers..."

Sometimes I look forward to Wednesdays because I get to spend my mornings with some adorable kindergartners. (This week they celebrated being 100 days smarter!)
Sometimes it makes my heart happy to see my boy--who is "big" in many other ways--is not too big to wear a 100th-day-of-school hat in all its construction paper and 100 sticker glory.

Sometimes I smile watching Cade select the perfect birthday card that plays music and then break it down a little right in the middle of the aisle at Target. And I love that he wants to share his find with his best friend.

Sometimes I forget how important it is not to compare myself with others.

Sometimes I don't appreciate my husband enough for the incredible man he is.

Sometimes I can't wait to see the men my boys will become, and sometimes I wish they could stay little forever.

Sometimes I feel the immense burden of teaching my children to love and follow Jesus Christ, and protecting them from all the bad in this world. Then I feel peace, knowing we are not left alone in this journey. And I know I just have to do my best everyday to strengthen my own testimony and instill in my boys a love of God and a desire to serve Him.

And sometimes I just have to not think about that uncertain future, worrying about what choices they will make and where they will go in life.

I just thank Him for today, enjoy today.

Pjs and Paintbrushes

3 and 1/2 months old, so content and smiley and cuddly!

Today was one of those stay in your pjs all day kind of days. It was hard to get up and get moving this morning after a 4 day weekend packed with cousins and friends and late nights. Just getting Boston ready and dropped off at school on time was an accomplishment. So the little boys and I enjoyed a quiet day at home playing, reading books, and catching up on housework. And definitely staying in our pjs.

I took these pictures of the boys on the counter while I was making lunch. Cade found a paintbrush and decided to paint...his little brother! Hudson was a willing participant, although the paintbrush near his mouth confused him a little I think!