Back in the saddle

In more than one way. I have my camera back. I am so grateful it did not take as long as predicted. Mr. M even came home with a new filter for me.
I guess this means more blogging to. You know since I am all about documenting this year. When my camera was returned to me good as new it made me realize how much I really do document already just by what I knew I had missed. So this begins a little day in the life project for my family this year. Who cares if the image is perfectly exposed, who cares if the moment is flawed. They are mine and I want to remember them. So here goes a camera happy, blog happy year.
Speaking of saddles and cowboys. My kids love preschool and especially love the day they get to dress up like cowboys and cowgirls and shoot marshmallows at each other.The guns painted, holstered, and ready for the shoot out to begin.

When they get home I am the target. This kid must have some pent up aggression towards me, he was a little to excited to hit me with those marshmallows. Should I be worried?
Aim, Fire.....

Gotcha!!

This little man has not graduated to marshmallow guns, but hats are a different story and boy isn't he cute in one. He may have to give up the blankie habit by the time girls start coming around, but for now they are both cute.

Sweet K may not be able to conquer her need to pout and put ice packs on tiny scratches, but I think she finally got tired of waiting around for others to tie her shoes and did it herself. Two missing teeth and tying your own shoes not bad for one week. She is finally conquering some speech issues and just in time to pick up that cute toothless lisp.

The best is ending a couple of hectic weeks with a low key Saturday. No surprises, no commitments to any one but ourselves. Doesn't happen very often around here. it was eerily quiet at one point. I was so happy to see it was not mischief that had them occupied.

The T.V. stayed off for most of the day. I call that Heaven. No fighting, and all the chores were done early. If I weren't so close to heading to bed I would still be waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe my washing machine screaming some error code and not finishing a cycle is the other shoe.Hope it's an easy fix! Keep those fingers crossed.

Imagine...

Sitting down Monday morning and checking your schedule for the week. Imagine thinking to yourself,
" Wow what an easy week. How did this happen?" Imagine mentally outlining all the the things you  could get done around the house with so few things in your planner. Maybe you could finish that great book you are reading? Maybe you could wash a few delicate items you never seem to get around to washing? Imagine only needing a babysitter once in a week. How nice to not have to bug people for a change.Imagine all the extra time in the gym.......
Ok, SCRATCH all that. It is nice to dream though.......
Reality, well it goes something like this:
Had to reshedule one appt with trainer due to naughty kids.
Got the house all ready and the paperwork for my temporary licensing worker to come and fingerprint MR. M. and I. She no showed.
Bedtime fit over 5 pitsacios (WW3) what gives???
Really clingy baby
Vacuumed all that creek sand out of the car and washed it.
Major fatigue

Scrambling to find 2 babysitters last minute so I could take this child,

to urgent care for a nice cut in her upper lip that is hidden by Ariel. It required a stitch. It took two lovely shots to numb it. It took all my stength to help hold her down and to not give in to her sad cries for me to just hold her. Breaks a mommy's heart.
Got home from urgent care just in time to recieve a call from the school nurse. C-Dog has hurt his knee and it is very swollen he can not walk to well. He chooses to stay at school. Comes home needing lots of pain meds. Poor guy......Phew, no trip to ER!!
Pick Miss M up from coping skills class with a warning not to break that stress ball they gave you.
Here's to the millions of pointless warnings handed out by smart Mom's everywhrere, everday...
Yay for my coping skills, they came in very handy right at that moment!!!
Ever had a bowl of stuff resembling this

sprayed all over your children and your freshly cleaned car?
Drove straight to previous car wash and vacuumed the car and the kids (not kidding) again, only to realize I  have fifteen minutes to feed C-dog and get him ready for a Scout outing to the police station.
Little Ceasars you are my friend and always will be!
So I guess my week has not gone like I imagined. Who was I fooling?
I guess that"s why it is good to look for those not so insane moments and hold onto them for dear life.
Ones like this,

Where my kiddos and I can eat dinner outside together around my new pic nic table ( THANKS HONEY!!!)  completly forgetting it has been such a crazy week ( it's only tuesday...)  if even for a minute and for a great bonus, I have no kitchen to clean. I am pretty sure no plans I have will really be concrete for a very looooooooong time.

Armed and Grumpy

Armed with a can of this,

and grumpy because there is nothing worse than watching little kids be sick. We had three little sick ones at the beginning of this week.I felt so helpess and exhausted because our not so friendly virus did not care what time of the day or night it hit and was lasting a full 24 hours and then left as fast as he came. My sweet Husband took the first night with Little H. I got smart with the help of a friend and anti nasua medication became our best friend and our line of defense. Once I got all the nastiness under control, I stripped all the beds and cleaned every bedroom Mommy style. I sprayed every toy and bed post! I was worried my little one had it and then realized she was just sick like Poison Control said she would be after sucking on a glade air freshner. An old one I had thrown away. I guess this is a sign she finally is feeling at home. She loves trash cans and I have to be on my toes at all times. Their freshners are made with esential oils so they do not hurt you, just make you throw up if you get to much. The saddest and scarriest part is she was so used to not being cared for that she didn't even cry in her crib. She just got sick all over and slept in it. OOOOOHHHHHH, Makes me Mad!! She could have chocked......... I hope we have seen the end of this one, if not I guess it's ok, I have more medicine and more Lysol!

Scrap Happy

As far as

Days go, they don't get much better than today. A semi peaceful morning of breakfst and chores, all leading up to a outing to the D- Backs game for Foster/Adopt day at the ball park. It was amazing to look around and see how many children were there because somebody cared enough to make a difference in their life. Some one took them in when their own parents were unable to care for them for whatever reason. It was fun to see the smiles on their faces. I talked to a Mom behind me, we shared our stories of sadness and triumph. We talked about what a difference these kids have made in our lives. I am grateful for each of my kids they are truly a blessing. Today was Little H and Bubba's first trip to the ballpark. Their excitement was contagious. Miss M and Sissy opted out of the outing and stayed home with Wild thing and the babysitter. Miss M went last year and told me it was boring and she would rather stay home. Oh well, I guess my little princess is not into sports. The rest of us had a great time.....

A chance to ride on Daddy's shoulders.

A chance to get your very own Bobble head, and make funny faces to scare any possible Bobble head thieves away:)He also had his moment on the jumbo tron with his sucker and his death grip on the poor Bobble head.

A chance to spend time as brothers,

and with Dad.

I guess if it gets a little boring you can take a nap amongst a crowd of screaming people. I think you have to be really tired to accomplish that.

Here's to baseball,

and a fun filled family afternoon. Even if we were short a few.