Want a dose of glamour and excitement? Try motherhood

Everyone knows sleep is way overrated and there is NOTHING as exhilarating as cleaning up a child's vomit at 3:30 in the morning, then to anticipate the next child the dreaded bug will strike next. When it does get the next little one, you get to clean up vomit at 11:30 p.m. and proceed to be a watch dog so as to avoid another messy clean up. The VERY BEST PART? Only 2 people have gotten it so far out of a family of 6! More fun to come! Rest assured we're stocking up on Popsicles to get us through the rough patches.

Maybe you can hear the sarcasm? Call me kooky, but I'm not a big fan of illness. I am a fan of tucking my little bubbas in their beds at night, watching a couple of episodes of Dexter with my husband and luxuriating the night away in sleep. I will concede however that these little bouts with the stomach flu are okay in the grand scheme of things, after all God seemed to hand pick each of my children out just for me (maybe Roy too). Being a mom really is a wonderful (albeit tiring and messy) job that I wouldn't trade.

Friday!

We love Friday around here. It means we can snuggle in together, watch a movie and just relax to kick off the weekend. This particular Friday we are going to hit up the library before we position ourselves on the couch and see what kind of fun they have for us to enjoy. We're also pretty glad that Grandma Bonnie and Papa Harlow are coming for a visit tomorrow, Fletch and Sawyer can't wait to introduce Papa to their new turtle, Sheldon (of course we have a turtle, Aunt Ashley and Jeff know we live in Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and I guess they saw something amphibious missing).

See I was not kidding, we even have wild birds of prey that wear party hats in residence here.

Happy weekend to you

Is it Bedtime yet?

I only ask because Roy and I have fallen under the spell of this fella:

and it would completely inappropriate to even let our kids know this show existed, it might just scar them for life. Sigh, such twisted goodness. We are hooked...every night we have watched at least 2 episodes. The story lines are insanely scrumptious. I would not recommend it to you however if you are squeamish to any kind of blood, don't like suspense or absolute craziness. Seriously riveting television. The best part is listening to Roy laugh at lines like "if I had a heart, it'd be breaking right now". What's not to love about a guy who has the urge to kill but channels it to rid the world of bad guys (I realize how that sounds, but I swear to you it's a good show)

I guess when you are five...

-You are able to literally bounce around the entire length of your house, but when Mom tells you it's time to set the table, extreme and ferocious fatigue sets in.

-You save questions like "how do you fall in love?" for your Dad, probably because you know your Mom will not stop talking.

-It is entirely possible to one moment have your gloves in your hands and the next completely lose all memory of them. Later in the day, when your Mom tells you she found them behind the bathroom door, that does not seem the least bit strange.

-Ketchup is a universal substance. This is evidenced by how much of your food you dunk in it and this over heard conversation:

child one: I hope they have ketchup at school for our hot dogs.

child two (slightly incredulous): Everybody has ketchup!

-8 a.m. is in no way too early to start a conversation with "money really is a bad master".

-Anything and everything touched by your baby brother instantly gets deemed far too slimy for real human consumption.

-Your mom knows the depths of your feelings and how sometimes you have to pretend they really aren't that deep, it just feels easier that way.

-You have your future planned out pretty well. You will live in a big, big house with your mom and dad on one side and grandmas and grandpas on the other. It will be possible to afford this sprawling mansion by being a fireman, scientist space man.

-There is no puddle that is not issuing a serious jumping invitation.

-Authority might just be made for questioning. Maybe. You'll keep checking into this.

-You love to think, the only thing you seem to love more than thinking is asking people to help decipher all of these thoughts with you.

-The best thing about snuggling is "you get to snuggle with your favorite people and love them"

-One turtle might seem like enough, until you get one and you realize you clearly need two.

-It is tough to listen for an entire day in school, but every day is a new day and you try. and try. and try.

-Your mom loves you so much some days she thinks her heart can't quite take it (and your energy sometimes makes her question her ability to keep up too:)

A few things I'm thankful for today...

:: time to spend with my little bubba today (even if he's not feeling great)

:: knowing God loves me

:: a big, puffy down comforter and a warm husband

:: coffee

:: high capacity washer and dryer

:: a job that challenges, excites and invigorates me (and provides me with my very own office:)

:: 4 of the funniest, most lively, sweet-natured, wild, curious boys in the world

:: Zicam

:: an extended family that makes me smile everyday

:: a dishwasher

:: that same warm husband who is very similar to an onion (pretty stinky and has lots and lots of layers) and he goes to work everyday and saves the world:)

:: time to watch t.v., play around on the internet and clean up all in one day

:: a (hopefully) delicious baked chicken for dinner

:: peace and smiles in my relationship with Niles right now

:: that maybe I'll only have to let my dogs out a billion times today, instead of the usual 10 billion

:: my camera


I hope your day is filled with lots to be thankful for today:)

His own little Narnia

You know what this boy loves? It's not toys and games like most kids. He likes things like cat food and toilets. I can't help it, I give birth to them and they seem to instantly turn strange.

He is also extremely, extremely fond of our pantry style cupboard. It's a veritable cornucopia of amazingisiosity (really, it's my blog, I felt that word fit best). I have seen him waltzing through the house with a box of cereal, trying to get people to open it on more than one occasion. Lately he's taken to grabbing a bowl while he's at it and bringing the loot to me. He very solemnly hands me the bowl. Once I take that, he hands me the cereal, crackers or whatever other snack item he has found and all but says to me "alright you know what to do, now that bowl ain't gonna fill itself". It's mighty hard to resist when he's that cute.

I'd like to think he just loves yummy snacks so much that he can't help himself, I mean, that'd be natural, right? Then I see stuff like this :

and that idea pretty much goes out the window.

Okay, what the heck...

I might as well post:)

I'm not trying to wax too philosophical, but I was a little stuck (obviously) here for a while.
I wasn't too sure who exactly I was blogging for.
With the big ol' facebook boom, I was getting pics out to my peeps and didn't really feel the need to keep this up. I have since realized though, that this really is a great, easy way to record all of those little moments that I want to remember from these busy, loud, rambunctious years. Heaven knows I can use all the help I can get just remembering what time I'm supposed to pick up my kids today. I'm going to work at keeping this up, I want my kids to be able to look back and laugh at their insane-o boy exploits, and know even if their mom doesn't think it's so funny right now, I have on good authority, she will someday:)