Saturday Rain

I am sitting in the bathroom with my littlest at the end of the laziest day that we have had in over a year.  The boys made a last minute trip to Greg's since their game was canceled this weekend so we unexpectedly found ourselves with one child.  It has been pouring ALL. DAY. LONG. so we were not having fun running errands or doing much of anything.  Instead, for most of the day, we just sat around, played with Jack, and actually had adult conversations with each other.  It has been lazy and it has been wonderful.  Tonight we plan on watching a movie, making nachos and I am sure a bowl of ice cream will be in our future.

As I sit here making sure the littlest is safe -- I decided to update a 5 for the day.

1.  Yoga

This morning I took Jack to childcare right as a yoga class was starting.  It was exactly what my body needed.  My muscles have been extremely sore and tight all week long.  I left feeling relaxed and stretched.  I must note -- my favorite part of yoga is the last 10 minutes were you just lay there.  

2. Jack has been great

Today Jack actually woke up and just sat and played in his bed.  This meant that I got 9 hours of COMPLETE sleep.  Yes -- you read that correctly -- I went to bed at 9am last night!!  Ok, back to Jack, he has been the best today.  Full of smiles, laughter and don't worry -- plenty PLENTY of attitude.

3. The mirror

I finally purchased a mirror for the bathroom.  I have been stalking Pottery Barn for the past 2 weeks waiting for a coupon code or sale and today was the day.  

It was still expensive BUT now it is purchased.  Yay!!

4.  Candy

I have an obsession.  Even my kids think that it is hilarious (sometimes) that I can eat all of the candy in the house.  When we were returning light bulbs at Walmart today we decided to pick up candy for the movie tonight.  One box is already gone.  Issues--I have lots of them.

5.  Bath time

Jack is just sitting here enjoying himself.  It makes life easy.

Waiting for Mike today as he was making returns at Home Depot.

trips

1. No paper in the hallway

This is a pretty exciting thing.  First -- the paper has only been down for a week and a half but for some reason that can feel like a life time.  This morning I didn't have to creep by Jack's room on my way to the gym praying I didn't wake him up on my way out the door at 4am.  The paper being up ALSO means that our house is not a construction site.  We are almost done with the bathroom.  We are still waiting on the bullnose tile (yes...I have learned a lot of new vocabulary) and then the shower door will be installed and we can fully use the bathroom.  Right now we have a working toilet and sink and it is all pretty wonderful.  We are thrilled.

2. First baseball game was successful

Mike is the coach again this year for little league.  We decided to go with the same little league so that during the month of June the boys will be able to spend more weeks with their dad in Chicago.  We are still working with them on fundamentals at home during the afternoon and next year I think we will switch to a different league.  ANYWAYS -- tonight was the first game and it went smoothly.  Mike did great, the twins did great, Jack did great, and my parents did great.  All of the moving parts worked well.  

Sorry -- I have no pictures.  My phone was dying AND I had rain boots on because I was trying to dress cute and walking in them is for the birds.

3. 100%

Cameron's teacher gives updates throughout the day that we can view using an app called Class Dojo.  If the kids get better than a 90% she sends home a good note.  Almost every single day Cameron gets 100%.  He is the best.

4. Vacation planning

I have a great job.  I actually help people in during the deepest despair of their lives.  That being said -- there are days that my job is slow.  So for example, today, I was only originally assigned 8 patients, even after picking up more it was insanely slow.  During my free time today I decided to research our next vacation.  We plan on doing a big trip next March but as I sat there I decided that March was too far away soo now we are going somewhere in October.  We will have to pinch our pennies (which we already do) and save save save BUT I am super excited to plan our next trip.

5. Our next trip...

while I am on the topic of trips.....In less than a month we are all going to San Diego and I am PUMPED.  It will be an adventure on the plane with 3 young boys but it will still be pretty awesome.

6. The craziness
I am grateful for the craziness because it usually means that our lives are full but this week we forgot to go to swimming lessons!!!!! what??!!! This isn't that big of deal but we are already missing a week for San Diego.  This means we are only doing 4 weeks and that is a lot of money for 4 weeks of lessons.  I am still in shock that we forgot to go.  Instead we had pizza at the Harris house.  Holy moly -- this makes me feel the need to slow down.

day drinking

1. My parents

Last week Mike had an insane week at work.  Almost everyday we needed to call my parents and have them get the boys off of the bus.  So grateful that they said yes day after day.  It makes things insanely easy.  

On Friday the boys had the day off of school for a make-up snow day and my parents took them on for the day.  These pictures were snapped when my mom came over bright and early. ...Clearly...the boys are obsessed

2. New books & good behavior
On Saturday we finally made a trip to the library to exchange our books.  Owen had a Minecraft book on hold -- holy that is another story in itself -- but the hold made us finally make it back and do an exchange.  This time since the boys were enthralled with the new book I was able to pick out the rest of the books myself.  This means NO super hero books.  As you can imagine, on a beautiful Saturday morning in the spring, there were not many people at the library.  As I was scanning out all of the books the boys met a friend and chit chatted it up with her mom.  I could over hear most of their conversation (which probably isn't the best thing in the library).  The twins were well behaved, polite, and able to have an articulate, 6 year old conversation with another adult. This is a small thing -- I get that -- but it's those small things that help me to see the fruits of my labor.  It makes me smile and it makes me unbelievably proud.    

3. Rouzer Cleaning Services
For the past year Mike has been working extremely hard to start building a business.  It has been hard--emotionally AND physically.  He is working his ass off and it's super impressive.  Last week I think that he had a bit of a break through and the company is starting to grow like he had hoped.  I am super grateful for all of his hard work.

 5. Date night
My sexy husband and I were able to get out Saturday night and enjoy some sunshine.  The kids stayed with Josh and Laurie and we made our way promptly to Broad Ripple.  We did a short food/bar crawl before hitting up the Paula Poundstone show with my family.  I had such a good time spending a few hours with just Mike.

 5. Some more random photos.....

This was right before we left Veda's birthday party on Sunday.  Cameron and Owen are BOTH crying.  Not because they are having to leave...but because they are exhausted and being insane.  I made them stand and take a picture with sweet Veda before they left.  They were both asleep by 640 last night. 

SBJ has started giving us kisses.  So. Sweet. 

The tree house is almost complete!  It looks awesome.  The boys are in heaven and I am insanely impressed with my husband.  

Owen received this award last week for good behavior.  I have the best kids. 

The bathroom is starting to come together and we are pretty happy about the whole thing.  I could not imagine doing a huge remodel because I feel like this small master bath has turned our house upside down and we are at Home Depot every other day.

just something to add

I also want to add that when I was talking to Owen today about his lunch choices he asked for, "the meat that smells like bacon."  --That would be ham.  He makes me smile.

I'm in the front

1. The steam room

It has been waaayyyy too long since I have enjoyed the steam room.  To clairfy -- I am referring to a steam room...not sauna.  Since our house is ripped apart and I have no personal bathroom I decided to shower at the gym this morning.  I was able to spend 3 minutes in the steam room before the shower and I was in heaven.  This use to be such a normal part of my routine. I hope I can figure out ways to build it back into my days.

This has nothing to do with anything....just value my honesty.  It's a pretty big deal. 

2. Shelby is my new trainer
Shelby has started giving me the workouts from her gym.  I did one on Monday evening and it KICKED. MY. ASS.  I am going to try these two workouts the next two days.  Just looking at the list makes me tired.

3. Luke is our neighbor and our contractor and our friend.
It is pretty freaking convenient that Luke is our neighbor. Not only that but this man spends 80% of his time outside.  I am able to talk to him every day about the craziness of our old house.  I have lived in this house for almost 9 years and this year we am finally doing some MUCH needed updates.  We have done a few things in the past like updated all the flooring, an update to the hallway bath, new windows, better landscaping -- but this year my sights are on a more big ticket items. It has been hitting the bank account pretty hard but I have been able to pick up a lot of extra hours at work to keep up. And per usual -- Mike works his butt off. My personal plan (though I must note that it is not Mike's plan) is to eventually pay the house off and spend the extra money traveling the world.

Anyways, grateful that Luke is in charge of this project.  I came home on Monday and here is the disaster that I walked in to.  I couldn't imagine living through a kitchen remodel!!!  Yikes!

Yes...one sole frame was left up in the hallway. 

4. Food

I have a clear obsession with food.  I think about food ALL. THE. TIME.  Literally.  

When I am at North I use jabber and ask my coworkers at East what they are having for lunch. Obsessed.  

I am also a FIRM believer in eating healthy food makes you feel better.  **This is why I pack the boys lunch every. single. day. **  Don't get me wrong -- we have a looooonnnggg way to go in the eating healthy category.  A LONG LONG way.  I am just saying it is something that I truly believe.  

That's it.  Obsessed with food.

5.  My coworkers

Goodness -- these ladies put up with me.  AND they usually do it while smiling and laughing.  Unless they talk major shit behind my back -- I think that they are pretty wonderful.  

The last dance. At least for now.

Warning *** LOTS of pictures *** It has been a full few days with lots of documentation.  

1. Ballet Recital

As I walked away from ballet tonight, tears were streaming down my face.  You see, about two years ago Eloise started ballet.  My sister enrolled her in a mommy and me class.  Erin was only able to attend a few times before the accident and after the funeral my mom and I started taking Eloise to ballet.  It was gut wrenching.  It was hard and devastating.  Eloise was 2 and a half.  As time went on -- we made it our routine.  Thoughout chemo, surgeries, babies -- the works --- my mom and I brought Eloise to ballet.  It was not easy.  It was really hard.  It was hard emotionally and extremely taxing on the soul.  I drug my feet while at the same time feeling honor and privilege to be able to share this little part of her life.  Today was my last time with Eloise and ballet for awhile.  Soon Jess and the kids are moving to Denver and I won't have my Tuesday evenings with this crazy girl. 

Erin would of LOVED the show tonight.  Eloise fell during her performance but stood up and kept dancing.  She did absolutely fabulous and I was a proud proud aunt with a huge smile ear to ear.  

I feel so grateful that I could help these past two years and so sad to see something else regarding my sister coming to an end.  

After the recital Eloise and I took a selfie.  She is wearing her new necklace that I gave her and proudly holding her trophy

Volunteering with the little ones during the performance

2.  Camping
It was all very thrown together at the last minute but we finally made it camping!  And by we I mean Mike and the boys.  I drove up separately with Jack so that way he could come home and sleep in his crib.  I did spend the afternoon at the campgrounds playing and enjoying the weather.

The Abels and Gurchieks also came for the night.  All three boys had an absolute blast.  We don't have many pictures because most of the time was spent hiking, fishing and playing.  They got home at noon today and everyone was exhausted.  It was a beautiful weekend AND we might actually buy our own tent for the next trip!

This is a picture that Mike sent me since I had left before John and Kara got there.  Mike borrowed a tent from Jess -- it's the one in the center.  In the far back is a 10 person tent (Josh and Laurie) and then on the left is the Gurchiek tent.  They crack me up.  I think that this was the first time that they used it.

Brushing their teeth at the car.  The twins were in heaven.

Playing ALL. DAY. LONG.

 3. Fiesta
Since I have been going backwards throughout the weekend...I will just keep it up.

On Friday night the twins and I went to their school event, Fiesta.  It didn't start until 6 and we didn't get home until past 9pm so Mike and Jack decided to stay home.  It was great to see my kids be wild and fun and wonderful with other kids.

4. The Thursday BEFORE fiesta.
Thursday I took the morning and volunteered in the classroom, ate lunch with the boys and then hung signs in the hallways for the Fiesta. It was another full day at Forest Glen.  This time my mom joined us for lunch.

I need to document my new favorite classmate of Cameron's -- Katie.

Katie and I always interact when I volunteer (she wanted me to take this picture during art).  During the Fiesta we ran into Katie and we were with her almost the entire night.  She is a ball of fire and absolutely FULL OF LIFE.  I got talking to her dad and she sounds like an true handful and has no care in the world.  At. All.  This would be insanely difficult as a parent.  BUT since I am not her parent--I think her wild ways are inspiring.

Anyways -- I don't know why I felt the need to document this but I did.  She always makes me smile when I am in the classroom and she did all night on Friday. 

5. The normal days

Now that I have reviewed small tidbits of Sunday, Saturday, Friday and even Thursday....here are some pictures of our moments in between.  .....at least moments in between that involve Jack.  (Since he is only one he has to be at my side ALL. THE. TIME.)

He chooses to be on my hip most of the time but for the rare moments that he wants freedom I am always in sight.  

6. The bathroom starts tomorrow
I needed to add some of the before pictures of our master bath.  Be forewarned....it is a bit scary.  We haven't cleaned it in a long time knowing that it will be ripped apart tomorrow.  Yikes--and the burned out light bulb -- we are pretty ghetto.

I must note** Mike can't see himself in the mirror.  Oops. 

7. Dried Mango
I have an obsession with these little sugary gems and today at SAMS Club I could not resist.  I have eaten almost half the bag.  A.MAZ.ING.  ....and yes....this is why I don't lose any weight.