Throw Back Thursday...

I write this with a tear in my eye.

I decided to look back at previous blog posts and figured out that I am beginning my seventh year of this blog. Wow!! It makes me super happy to have documented the last six years of our life!!  The boys will have all these stories! 

 But, seriously, where does the time go? When I started, Sam was six. He is now 12 and is officially taller than I. Jack was three, he's now nine and almost comes to my shoulder.

 I look back and hope that I enjoyed them as much as possible. If you have little ones, seriously, do not sweat the small stuff...it's small stuff. Enjoy your little ones, laugh with them, play with them, share with them, hang out with them because time goes by way too fast. 

I shared with my mom that I completely understand what people mean when they say "I wish I knew then what I know now." I have learned to listen to my friends that have had more life experience. I've learned some valuable parent advice...it's priceless and free!

This was my first blog post December 28, 2008.

 The Beginning...

These are the two little ones that I will be talking/posting/blogging about...they keep my life busy and interesting. The older one is 6. I asked him what he would like to be called on my blog..he thinks "Steve" might be a good name. (what??) The little one is three. We call him "Roo" because he is a busy-body. My mom just laughs and says, "Oh, he is a little you!" I always wonder why she has a little smirk on her face when she says that...

 A lot has happened since then and now and i am glad that I have lots of the highlights here on the blog! Though, looking back can make a grown girl cry at how fast her little guys have grown!!

Wordless Wednesday...

Chocolate Stains...

I came home the other day to find this on the floor were I could not possibly miss it.

 There is only one boy in the house that would go to this extent for me to wash something for him. Sam.  

I must share that one time Sam got chocolate all over a white shirt and threw it into the laundry. I don't check clothes for stains before washing them and ended up throwing the shirt into the washer, then the dryer. Stain set. I informed Sam that if he has a stain on something, he needs to give me the heads up. 

Well, as you can see, he took it our conversation to heart. He marked every little chocolate spot with a post-it note.

He also left me a note. It cracked me up!

"Sam is clutsy. Stains where sticky note pieces are. Making hot cocoa. Silly me. I may not have got them all covered. P.S. Look for them. Very small."

The "Silly Me" just made me laugh!!

I am happy to report that I was able to get out all the chocolate stains in the first wash! Even the very small ones!

Yoga..

So, in the name of trying to give myself more "me" time, I started to do some yoga. I downloaded the app "Yoga Studio" on my iPad and got to work.

 

 I love Yoga Studio. There are loads of beginner, intermediate and advanced yoga classes. Classes can be from 5 minutes to 60 minutes. You choose! You can also create your own yoga class with your favorite poses. There is also the yoga for lower back which I have done everyday for my touchy back and it does feel better!! Jason has started to do the Yoga Stretchers for Runners. It's a family thing.

Do you like my little Yoga set up? Sun coming up...cold glass of water..dreamy!!

 Didn't include a picture of my non-showered self with the dark circles under my eyes, sipping on my cup of coffee and really wanting to go back to bed, while taking these pictures. 

 Jack got into the act, but in a little different manner. He made me an iPad holder which came in handy while I was attempting yoga!

 

I couldn't possibly get it my yoga in without my handy dandy Lego iPad holder! Then I noticed that last pose...

  What have I gotten myself into???

Acoustic vs. Electric

Sam plays guitar.

I love his acoustic guitar.

It has a nice friendly tune and I can sing along.

It's very khumbyya-ish.

He now has an electric guitar.

It's not so nice and friendly.

I cannot sing along because the noise fills the entire house!

When he plays, it gets louder and louder.

"HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN, SAM?"

"When I am playing, I get into it and have to turn it up!!"

I should have know...in January 2009 I wrote this blog post about the boys jammin'.

I just look at Jason.

Jason says, "I love it!! This doesn't 't bother me at all!"

Which he has to yell and repeat three times before I realize he is not saying, "I love you and don't you love basketball!!

The things you do for your kids.

The Death of Me...

I love Valentine's Day...

Or should I say I love Valentine candy.

My absolute favorite Valentine candy are the cinnamon jelly hearts. I will eat those until I get a canker sore, wait a couple of days and start again. 

My second favorite are the tiny conversation hearts. I don't read what is on them. Who has time for that when I am shoving them in my mouth as fast as I possible can!

I also will buy bags of Cherry Jube (what the hell is Jube?) Jell Hearts and Sour Cherries. Is it bad that my mouth is actually watering as I write this post?

Every bite, pure sugar. 

And I love each and every bite.

But my butt doesn't.

Bad Blogging Slump!

Have you ever been in a slump and felt like a slug?
You have the best intentions to do things and go do things, but they just don't get done...no matter how many lists you have created?
I have been in one of those for January.

Several things have suffered...including my blog.
It's just one of those things that happens every once in a while...just no mojo or motivation.
So, what do you do?

Well, I have "rethought" my blog, while enjoying valentine candy and watching Netflix from my couch. I know...I have said I would "change" my blog before. But my goal will be to blog at least three times a week with weekends off. I try to do every day and sometimes life gets in the way...or a reality TV show I may be marathon watching. Then I get all stressed out and don't do any posting what so ever. So three new posts a week, more if life allows, will be my goal.

 The blog will still be about all the things that go on with the family, but I think it's time to include some other things, too.
Like what, you ask.
I'm still thinking that one through. 

I do know though, 
Some post will be stories, some will be a few sentences and some will be wordless. This is because that is what I want to do and how I am envisioning my blog. Some weeks will cover more stories about Jack. (you do waaayyyy too many stories about Jack. What about Sam?) Some weeks will cover more about Sam.(you do waaayyyy too many stories about Sam. What about JAck?) Some will be about Moose. Some will be about scrapbooking (even though people have told me that they shut off my blog if it has scrapbooking on it) But that is part of my life, our life and that is what I want to share on my blog. 

Life goes pretty well at our house, but don't get me wrong, there are times and days when it is plain down rough and I want to pull my hair out! Our house if not "facebook" happy 24/7. The boys are growing up and want more independence and that is becoming a learning experience! Maybe I need to share those adventures to, though, my mom warns me...do you really want to put that out there? 

Well, I am not going to share my deepest darkest secrets (even if I had any!) I have read others blogs and have come across events that I can relate to, I found myself thinking..I am not the only one. Phew!

So, with that said, I will try to blog more often and be a better blogger! Hope I haven't lost too many readers through my absence! And hope you enjoy the new and improved, but basically the same blog!

OH MY...

I am sure you have heard about all the hype over the new book "The Girl on a Train." I did and thought I would pick it up at Barnes and Noble on Tuesday when it was released. Couldn't find it! Went to the customer service counter and asked about it...SOLD OUT! It was 1:00 in the afternoon!! Luckily, another B and N had it and held one for me. Anyway, started reading Wednesday and finished it Saturday. I could have finished it earlier but I wanted to enjoy the build up and the ending.

 

 

From Amazon:

The “girl on the train” is Rachel, who commutes into London and back each day, rolling past the backyard of a happy-looking couple she names Jess and Jason. Then one day Rachel sees “Jess” kissing another man. The day after that, Jess goes missing. The story is told from three character’s not-to-be-trusted perspectives: Rachel, who mourns the loss of her former life with the help of canned gin and tonics; Megan (aka Jess); and Anna, Rachel’s ex-husband’s wife, who happens to be Jess/Megan’s neighbor. Rachel’s voyeuristic yearning for the seemingly idyllic life of Jess and Jason lures her closer and closer to the investigation into Jess/Megan’s disappearance.

Many are comparing this story to Gone Girl. I would say yea, but this one is a sloooow build, just like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. You know how Hitchcok takes a loooong time building the story and slowly  gets to the climax of the movie and then you just LOVE it!  I found this book to do the same thing! Sloooow build up and then WOW!!  I loved Gone Girl, but that ending...UGH and double UGH!! This book will not make you want to throw it out a 10 story building (or burn it in you fire pit) such as Gone Girl did for me.  I wold definitely recommend this book, but do not get frustrated with the build up...it is well worth the wait!!

 

A Friend...

Sometimes when I am getting ready in the morning (or afternoon) Jack comes in and hangs out with me. Sometimes he reads, sometimes he chats, sometimes he plays a video game...

But he always makes himself comfortable in the empty tub!

Wordless Wednesday...

Brrr.