Resolutions

I normally don't do resolutions at the New Year... they're made to be broken, yada yada yada... like my cookbook resolution (the last one I made... and broke).

For whatever reason I've decided on a few resolutions (goals) for this upcoming year...

1. I'd like to waste less food.  When I was doing my cookbook resolution, I was doing an AWESOME job with meal planning - it was flexible, well thought out, and utilized the small kitchen space we had in our old house.  When we discovered Avery's food allergies, the meal plan went out the window, and so did my resolution.  Now, almost three years later I'm just barely getting back to a meal plan (it's really spotty) - but I feel like if I can plan it out better, I won't find food spoiling before I get to it.  I just feel so wasteful when I throw out perfectly good food.

2.  Blog more - I'm sure my family agrees...  If you look at the 'blog archive' on the right side of the page, you can see how my blogging has dwindled...

3.  Read more - I have always loved reading, but as any parent knows, it's not always easy to find QUIET time to read other than the books I read to the kids - I need to make a conscious effort to read for myself!

4.  I want to spend more time working on my OWN pictures.  I feel like such a picture hoard.  Friends and family think it's great that I take so many pictures, but they NEVER see any of them because they get lost in the abyss that is my time warp... and I always feel like my pictures have to be edited and 'perfect' before I show them to anyone.  So, I either need to suck it up and not worry about them being 'perfect' when I send them out, or I need to do a better job of allocating time to edit them.  (I chose the latter)

Here is an example:  I took this picture of Evan in February 2012...  I hadn't even looked at it until last week...

5.  Print my stinkin' pictures and put them in any kind of album... I was so good at that before the girls were born... and then they were born.  Avery and I were looking through Evan's photo album from his 1st year and she kept asking which picture was of her... when my answer continued to be that's not you, that's Evan, she started to cry.  Then I started to cry.  I need to print some stinkin' pictures of the girls and put them in any kind of album.  (see #4, these work hand-in-hand)

I miss blogging...

I really and truly miss blogging... I can't believe it's been (well) over 3 months since my last post... with good reason, it's been a slightly busy around here, and once I got out of the rhythm of blogging, it sure has been hard to get back into it.

In a very quick re-cap of the past few months; we found a house we loved, we put our house for sale, sold it, bought the new one, moved in, moved out, and here we are!  The timing was perfect, and luckily for us everything just fell into place like it was meant to be!

I keep debating whether or not I should try to catch up on all the months of pictures that I have never posted, but it seems like I may never get caught up on my personal pictures... but I do want to share this one of the kids.  I attempted a photo shoot with them, which has never left me happy - but I did manage to get one image I love:

I still can't manage to get a picture of all three of them looking AND smiling, so I will have to settle for this one - I love it because the girls had just given Evan a kiss on the cheek, and this was the reaction.  I think it's so representative of his relationship with his sisters.  I've thought it and said it out loud several times, that he is so wonderful with them.  He really puts up with a lot of grief from them (and of course, he has his limits), but he really truly loves them, and so far this summer I have really enjoyed watching him play with his sisters and including them in his games; playing make-believe, running in circles, playing duck-duck-goose, letting them watch him on the playstation... ;)

I sure hope I can get back in a routine of blogging consistently... here's hoping, right?

Evan's news for the week...

... plus this:  Amen to the author of this post... I totally get it!

Evan had tubes put in his ears shortly after he turned one year old, and last summer was supposed to have surgery to have them removed!!  He ended up with an ear infection after swim lessons which postponed his surgery... but thankfully, one of the tubes came out on its own.  We had decided to hold off on the surgery to remove the other tube (don't want Evan to miss out on school if he doesn't have to), so we just had our follow up appointment yesterday.  Well, the doctor suggested he try to pull it out and see if Evan would let him.  (There are a few reasons they would have scheduled surgery to take it out; 1. kids that age don't hold still very well, 2. if he has a bad experience (ie: pain) with a doctor sticking something in his ear, he may never let another doctor near his ear again, and 3. the tubes have been in his ear for so long, it's possible the hole left in its place won't heal - so there are things with surgery they can do that will help speed the healing process.)

Evan let him, but was beside himself with discomfort after the first failed attempt.  That sucker was in there good.  Decision time for me.  I let Evan know what his choices were; sit there as still as possible and let the doctor try again, or schedule surgery which would involve needles.  Needles.  Possibly his least favorite thing in the ENTIRE WORLD.  He sat there and let the doctor try again, to which the doctor commented that he typically is NEVER given a second chance by a child.  He got that bad boy out.  I asked if I could keep it, and Evan wanted nothing to do with it.

Evan was still beside himself with the discomfort of the whole thing (I can understand the discomfort, amidst all my ear-ringing issues I've had tubes put in and taken out, and it's not fun), but we sat in the office for a few minutes looking at the diagram of the ear, including the tube, and we talked about it and why it was important to have the tube in there in the first place, and why it was important to have it taken out after nearly 5 years of being in his ear.  Then I showed him the tube that just got pulled out, and all the sudden it clicked.  This was awesome!  He was the bravest boy in the whole wide world, and this was the coolest thing that had ever happened!  He told everyone he came in contact with for the rest of the day what had happened. 

Sweet relief for me.  I no longer have a surgery to schedule for the summer, don't have to worry about how to fit it in with all the fun we have planned.  I do have to worry about whether or not it will heal on its own, though.  We'll go back in a few weeks and check the progress, but for now everything seems fine and Evan now has an awesome show-and-tell for next week!

just a post...

No 10 on 2sday.  Just a regular post.  And just 'cause it seems like I should be posting something.  The truth is, I've been feeling rather blah about my blog.  If you visit the blog-site you'll notice I made a few changes.  It looks 'cleaner' to me.  I like clean.

So since I'm feeling blah, I'll just leave you with a few pictures...

I need a nap.......

The little dude.

I realized I haven't posted too many pics of Evan in recent months (not many pictures of anything, for that matter)... so here I am to remedy that.  This is one of my favorites of him lately, and this was taken sometime in mid-December.  tells you how far behind on life I am...

Evan has some lines in his Kindergarten music program tomorrow, and we're all excited to cheer him on! 

Evan's letter

I've been waiting for this moment for quite some time...

Evan has written his letter to santa... all. by. him. self.

Translation:
Dear Santa,
Would you like to bring me an Iron Man suit for Christmas.


Consider my heart melted.... and most likely his wish granted...  :)

The 1st day...

In lieu of a 10 on 2sday post, I am finally getting around to posting Evan's 1st day of Kindergarten pictures!! 

He has been having a great time at school so far and has come home excited and ready for the next day!  I think he is loving the freedom and 'responsibility' he gets now.

It's definitely been an adjustment for us.  Mornings are certainly more chaotic getting everyone out of the house in time, and having him gone is just weird right now.  The first day the girls kept asking where Evan was, and I think we were all watching the clock that day.  They still ask for him.

The best quote I've seen in a while was from a friends' facebook status last week as all the kiddos were starting back to school: 
A Mother's job is to teach her children to not need her anymore. The hardest part of that job is accepting success!

 

 

 

10 on 2sday

1.  Last night we took Evan to his Kindergarten open house.

2.  I only almost cried twice.

3.  Today Evan and I went on our last lunch date before school starts... tomorrow.

4.  I savored every quirky thing he had to say...

5.  I took him to get his hair cut today.

6.  I did get tears in my eyes at one point as I thought about his very first hair cut, and how quickly the years passed by.  But I held them in.

7.  We laid out his clothes and backpack.

8.  I thought about how much he has matured over this summer.

9.  He is SO ready for Kindergarten tomorrow.

10.  And all I could think of as I kissed him goodnight, was wondering if I am ready for tomorrow...

just a picture...

...one of my favorites from 4th of July... just as the sun was setting before we watched the fireworks...

He's in my heart

I'm not sure why I never posted this, but last month I had a super sweet conversation with Evan and typed it into a blog post that I never posted...



Evan:  Jesus is really in my heart

Me: how do you know?

Evan: I asked him

Me: when did you do that?

Evan: I don't really know, but I love him very much

Me: well, I am glad he is in your heart

Evan: Tomorrow, when I wake up in the morning, I am going to ask God too, I want them both in my heart.


My sweet, sweet little man...

10 on 2sday

A little more catch up...

1.  The last several weeks Brynn has decided she likes her bed enough to sleep in it now!  No more shoving a body out of the way when I open the door to check on the girls at night!

2.  Avery and Brynn love practicing their ABC's and 123's.  Brynn counted from 1 - 13, occasionally skipping 4 & 5, skipping 14 & 15 and hitting a random 16.  Avery's V's sound more like B's...

3.  I haven't taken the girls to get their hair cut yet.  As you can see, their hair can be a little unruly at times... but I'm ok with that for now...

4.  Avery has been such a little helper and a sweetheart.  She saw 2 skittles on the table, and asked for a special treat.  When I gave her one, she walked around, grabbed the other one and said "this one is for Brynnie".  And she actually gave it to her!!  Every time we have a snack, or do just about anything, she always wants to be the one that gives whatever it is to Brynn!

5.  Evan started t-ball a couple weeks ago, and had his first game tonight.  We had some nasty weather moving in, but we were able to get each team through a round of batting and field play.  I tell ya, getting a bunch of 5 year olds to focus on what they have no idea how to do is interesting... glad it's not me that has to do it!  Notice in the last picture where the bat is as Evan is running to home plate...

6.  We had our first smores grill out of the season last weekend...

7.  We've even been able to get the water play going...

8.  I've been working on clearing this out:

9.  To look like this:

(I have 1/2 a garden planted, but no picture of it yet...)  EXCITING!!  :)

10.  And this little man is getting ready to graduate from preschool...  watch out world!!  

 

The birthday boy...

This little boy...

...isn't so little anymore

...is smart

...is funny

...is the best big brother ever

...loves his sisters and his entire family more than you'd think possible

...loves to read

...has such a strong desire to learn

...wants to be an astronaut

...can do math

...had grown an inch in the last month

...has the memory of a champ

...loves all things Toy Story

...loves all things Cars

...likes writing his alphabet

...has a particular fondness for playing the Wii

...has been asking to go to Chuck-e-cheese for his birthday for MONTHS

...has just turned 5

Happy Birthday, to the bestest, most funnest, awesome-est little man... ever!

Our lives would be nowhere near as cool without you in it.

10 on 2sday

1.  We are finally getting some decent weather around here... and we are hoping this is the last we see of this stuff...

 and this stuff...

so we can do more of this stuff...

and this stuff...

...except, without the coats on!

2.  Brynn figured out how to open the refrigerator.  Then she showed Avery.  For some reason they only open it when I'm around... which is totally the opposite of what they normally do... which is to wait.  until I'm not around.  then get into trouble.  weird.

3.  Let me tell you something about this girl... her hair is going crAYzay...

4.  Let me tell you something about this girl... she's an AWESOME bubble blower...

5.  Let me tell you something about this boy... when he puts his mind to something... he does it... even if it's as 'little' as the tight rope game on our wii fit...

6.  Last week I met up with a couple photographer friends to play around with our cameras and learn from each other... and while we were there I asked if I could get some head shots for my website while we all had our cameras out... and one of the shots is posted here!!  Let me just say... I do NOT make a good subject... it was hard not to go into dork mode with the camera pointed at me...  :)

7. While playing hide-and-seek Evan says to me... "Mommy, hide someplace special... where I can find you."

8.  Recently the girls have been very interested in numbers... letters a little bit, but mostly numbers.  Brynn started counting one day... 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8... and Avery comes up and chimes in... 9!  Another speechless moment...

9.  Sometimes I take random pictures of the girls hair, just because.  I thought about doing a post with the progression from birth to now (which I may still do)... but for now, A little more of Avery's crazy hair:

10.  The recent tragedy in Japan has had me glued to the news these days... and I realized just how impressionable kids can be when Evan asked me... "what if I die?"  Ugh.  I was not prepared for that.  Fortunately he accepted and moved on when I told him he doesn't need to worry about that right now.