More daily pix...

Just a few more pictures from my picture a day album... Indoor s'mores. Mmmm, good!
My view from the front seat, looking back.

On the way out the door for our Valentine's Day (or Saturday night) date.

Happy Valentine's Day!

My Word for 2011

Commit: to carry into action deliberately; to obligate or pledge oneself. [paraphrased, taken from Miriam-Webster's online dictionary].

Let's ignore that two of the other definitions involve crimes and mental institutions and just run with it, shall we?

I love the idea of having one word that defines and shapes your year. Here is the best explanation that I've found for this concept. [Disclaimer: I've not read anything else on this website yet, just the one page to which I linked.]

So, to what do I want to commit? A lot. Some being more important than others. First, I want to commit to being here for my kids. I'm here physically, for sure. But I feel like we waste a lot of time when we're together. And maybe that's it - maybe I just need to realize that I am here and that, hopefully, that's what they will remember and that that's okay. But, I feel like I spend a lot of my day looking forward to naptime or to when Dave comes home. I think I got really off track when I was pregnant with Max and just never got things back to where I want them to be. I know there are ways to be more efficient with my time so I can get things done and still spend time with them doing fun mommy things. I just need to regroup and figure all that out.

Along those same lines I feel like I spend a lot of time thinking, "I'll do that in just a little while." But really, I just need to do it! Commit. If it needs to get done, do it now if it's at all feasible.

I am committed to doing my picture a day album for 2011. It's going really well so far. I want to try to take some pictures of the finished pages and share those. But I am committed to seeing it through. The Christmas album is only partly done and I don't want that to be the case with this one! It's easy and fun and I plan to keep it up. I'm committed.

I also want to commit to a very specific exercise goal. Me and two of my favorite people have been trying go to the gym 2 nights a week and walk/jog on the treadmill. The holidays, and then the weather, have deterred us to be sure, but those were temporary setbacks and we're back at it. I'm looking forward to the weather improving too so we can get outside. We started this in October (?) and it's been a rough winter (in terms of weather) but I'm ready to get out there and see if it's not a bit easier when there is a whole world of outdoors to explore! Plus, I'm hoping it happens much more often if I don't have to drive to the gym at 8 or 9pm. Scratch that, I'm committing to it happening more often when I can be outside.

Anyway, my exercise goal is to do this. I've wanted to do the 500 mini marathon for a long time but it always fills up or, for the last 5 years I've either been pregnant or pregnant too recently to really train. But not this year! I would love to lose some weight, but more importantly I would love to get healthy. I am worried about some hip pain. I think I have a bit of arthritis maybe(?) and my hip hurts pretty much all of the time. That or I've injured myself (you know, what with my gazelle-like form on the treadmill and all). Anyway, once I'm done breastfeeding Max I'll head to the doctor and see if there are some meds, etc. that would help with this. I just find that I'm in pain a lot of the time, and not the good "wow, that was some good exercise and I can feel it pain" but more the "it hurts to roll over on my hip even in my sleep and I'm not resting well" kind of pain. But it hurts whether I exercise or not so it seems silly not to go ahead and exercise.

And finally, I need to commit to a church and do something. Anything. I'll leave that one at that.

So, there you have it. My word - commit! My goal - not to end up being committed (re: the mental institution definition), but rather to 'deliberately carry' the above into action!

Loving me some Lukey...

This post falls into the category of "just because I want to remember." It might be boring to the rest of you, but I just don't want to forget...

One night recently I was reading some books to the boys. One of the books had a leopard in it. I read about the leopard. Luke got all 'pitiful Luke' and said, "What about the cheetah?" I explained it was a leopard and that we'd just read about him. He looked at me and said, "Let me see if it's a cheetah." Then he got up closer to the book and said, "Umm, let's see. Yes, it's a cheetah."

He loves sto state the obvious. I think this is pretty normal at almost three, but it makes me laugh. Usually. Most recently, "If he's cold then he is cold." Thank you for that insight!

One night recently he kept getting out of bed. This was a first for Luke and was my biggest fear about him sleeping in a big bed. The problem with Luke is that he's just so funny. He kept coming out of his room acting like he was sneaking and then he'd bust out laughing as soon as he saw us. He has a cold though and is all sniffly snotty icky - just "off." But the second time he got up he informed us, "I can't sleep because my nose smells like boogers."

I dropped him off at for an hour or so at childcare a few weeks ago. I went to pick him up and the person working in his room told me it's like everything he says is magical. I tried to explain to her that while that's nice for him, I'm pretty sure he gets away with way too much because of it. But I think I just came off sounding like a bad mom.

And, finally, he's really bad about calling us back into his bedroom at night. When I go in and ask what he needs his answer is, "Hugs and keeeses." Who can resist that?

**On a little side note, sweet Luke's little cold progressed into bronchitis. It has made for many a sleepless night, many fights over taking his medicine (not because it's so yucky, but because he thinks it's cute to run from me), and many many meltdowns over pretty much nothing. I couldn't help but capture this look as one of my daily pictures!

8 months old...

My sweet little baby is getting big (Well, not really. He's actually about to fall off the weight chart. But, he is getting older.). I know, I know, that's how it's supposed to work. He can sit up for a few seconds if I put him in that position. He is trying to get himself into that position. And he has recently discovered that he can pull himself across the floor much faster than he can roll. He can get up on all fours but he doesn't go anywhere just yet. He has started eating puffs, and is quite good at actually getting them to his mouth. He likes nearly all of the veggies he's tried, with the exception of green beans. He eats whatever fruit comes his way. He likes to watch his brothers play. He babbles like crazy - often mimicking the sounds of 'hi' when we say it to him. And his smile still lights up the room. So, without further adieu, a few shots from our 8 month photo shoot...

In my never ending quest to document our life (lives? maybe singular as we're living it altogether?), I'm working on a new and simpler version of a scrapbook this year. It's this concept, only I'm cheap and I didn't LOVE either of the designs available for purchase so I bought a scrapbook, on sale of course, and some divided page protectors and I am SURE I have nearly all of the other supplies I could need already here in my still too messy office.

Anyway, it's a simple concept - take one picture everyday (or lots of pictures everyday but choose just one picture) and journal about that picture. So far I'm mostly keeping up and I love to see the book coming together so quickly.

Here are a some pictures from the first few weeks of 2011:

Happy Max, first thing in the morning.

We gathered up all of the books from both bookcases (and various other places around the house) and attempted to organize them. Wow, my life is exciting! But that's what the scrapbook is about - documenting your own life, whether it's crazy exciting or just book organizing.

One day we had a picnic lunch upstairs in my bedroom. Why? Because it's at least 10 degrees warmer upstairs. And because I get a little bored with lunch. The boys almost always want the same thing. But this day I cut their sandwiches into little shapes and served it to them on a blanket upstairs and it felt less boring.

I know I've mentioned it before but Luke LOVES the moon. We went to some friends' house to watch a football game. Dave stayed for the whole game and I brought the kids home for bed. Seth was crying because he wanted to stay and play and because Daddy wasn't coming with us. Max was crying because Seth was crying. Luke was sitting in his seat saying, "Look, it's my moon!" He seemed so oblivious to all the other screaming! So, I might love the moon too because I think if the third child had started in I might have lost it!

Max's first "finger food".

These things I know...

-The older boys seem to love Max's new Christmas toys as much as their own (age appropriate ones). Max loves his socks. Off of his feet. And in his mouth.


-Every chocolate chip cookie I have ever made is flat flat flat. They taste yummy but look hideous. Thoughts?


-Cooking with Luke is hysterical. Conversation: L: If the sugar is good, the sugar is good. Me: Sugar is good, but this is flour. L: Oh, let me smell. Me: Umm, not that kind of flour/flower. L: OH, then I'll smell this one. [leans into cactus thing on the windowsill]. *A few minutes later...* L: I'll carry the eggs. Me: No, I think I'll carry the eggs. L: I LOVE eggs. [Interesting as he won't eat them scrambled or hard boiled.] Eventually, he went to dump flower into the mixer and dumped it backwards (I have NO idea how) but covered me and him and the countertop. Finally, he ended up eating "sprinkles," aka brown sugar, off the counter.


-The difference between puke and spit-up. Thanks, Max, for that clarification!


-Seth uses all of his "good" up at school and is crazy once he arrives home.


-Cleaning the office takes roughly a week (I'm hoping to complete it in the next few days anyway), when you must stop roughly every 4 minutes to referee a fight or start another movie or help find a lost toy.


-Clothes do not turn themselves right side out - not in the washer or the dryer.


-"Away in a Manger" is apparently a seasonless song that we will be listening to all year long.

Wrapping up 2010

As 2010 draws to a close I find myself wanting to wrap it all up. I want to have every 2010 crumb swept off the kitchen floor. I want to have all the 2010 laundry spotted, washed, dried, and put away. I want to have every 2010 dish clean and put away. But, alas, it's not possible (it's already after 11pm on the 31st) to accomplish all of this. So, I'll get up tomorrow morning and sweep some more crumbs and do some more laundry and put away some dishes, and that will be that.

David has been on vacation from work this week and we have accomplished some good things. Most of the Christmas decorations are down and put away. It always makes me a little sad to put all the twinkly lights and glittery decorations away. This is (maybe?) a little known fact which I had to share with Seth. He was mid-tantrum while Dave was packing away the beloved Christmas train so I had to share with him that it wouldn't be special if it was out all year. And, truth be told, I think it helped me a little to say the words out loud to someone else. Plus, I really do like when it's all put away and the house looks less cluttered.

And today we hung shelves and pictures in our bathroom and bedroom. We got new bedroom furniture. Eleven months ago. So, today we finally unpacked the box that has been hiding behind the door and hung those shelves. Okay, it hasn't been there the whole 11 months. I spray painted the shelves to match the new comforter and I know I didn't do that last January, as I remember doing it outside.

But, blogging hasn't been much of a priority this week, so I never shared our Christmas pictures. So, here's a very brief recap: Christmas Eve at my parents' house with my sister and her family. Christmas morning at home with just the five of us, then my parents came by so the boys could show them their gifts. Christmas evening back at my parents' house with extended family. Seth, opening a new truck - love his expression!

Luke REALLY wanted a miguitar. I have no idea what the "mi" is about. I thought for awhile it was his way of saying "my guitar." But, he refers to other things as "my" this or that (the moon, specifically, is "my moon"), but the guitar is more of one word - miguitar. Odd, but too cute to be corrected really.

And Max, checking out a new sippy cup, Colts burp cloths (he loves his burp cloths) and a loud spinning top toy that Seth picked out for him.

And, finally, I'm not a resolutions type of person. It's just one more thing for me to fall short of finishing or accomplishing. But, I've been hearing about picking one word to be your theme for the next year. I've been thinking about this and I narrowed it down to two words. One seemed like too much of a stretch for me (that sounds wimpy but it's really just funny). The other I think I like, but I'm going to try it out for a few days before I share it. Knowing the word, I am cracking up as I type this. Of course, it's also almost midnight and I'm exhausted (no, 'exhausted' is not the word!), but exhaustion does make things funnier. On that note, Happy New Year!