Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Swimming and Movie Poolside Party

Wow, I can't believe how fast Reese's birthday {party} snuck up on me!  We literally picked the date two weeks before, even handed out invitations to her school friends two days before party!  How terrible is that?!

She, of course, requested a pool party again!  Can't thank Grandma and Grandpa enough for letting us host this crazy bunch of kids year after year!

Her and I do our best to incorporate a different theme each year with the swimming....this year included an outdoor movie!

It was a tad chilly for swimming...kids didn't seem to mind!  But the cool August evening was perfect for an outdoor movie!

I didn't take as many pictures this year, but here are the highlights....




























































































































































I have learned that it is not worth it for me to make my kids' birthday cakes!  I don't have the time, talent, or PATIENCE!

But because I waited until the last minute with everything, I really had no choice.  So, I went to Pinterest for some inspiration...popcorn cupcakes.  Seemed easy enough...cupcakes, frosting, marshmallows, and a little food coloring.



Holy crap!  I wanted to shoot myself!  I spent over two hours cutting marshmallows to look like popcorn....NEVER.AGAIN.



My assistant felt the same!









The kids watched Sandlot 3.  They were wrapped in blankets eating way too much popcorn and candy...it was perfect!





Thankful Reese has such great friends in her life!  They all made her party so special!







Reese doesn't officially turn nine until the 31st.  I'm in denial...and holding onto this last week of her being 8.  And she's already counting down until she turns ten....

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Sporting KC

I haven't had the time to share as much as I'd like about Cru's love for soccer. 

So, long story short, he loves the game!

Something I have shared, Chet and I {still} know nothing about it.

But if he loves it, we love it.  I guess ;)

This summer, every night he would have tv time after his shower, he would ask if soccer, baseball, or football was on.  In that order.  Needless to say, we watched quite a few Sporting KC {the MLS team in Kansas City} games!

Chet and I talked several times about taking Cru to a game, but it just never worked out.

And then Chet texted me Monday {as in three days ago Monday} showing me that he won tickets to a game!

2nd row!

On a school night.

The first week of school.

He followed with...keep or give away.

Flippin' keep!!!

There were only four tickets, so Ev stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa.

We took off for KC right after school was out, telling the kids to nap on the way because it would be a late night, and I couldn't help but think, "What are we doing?  It's a school night...dumb dumb!"



What was dumb was thinking that we shouldn't have went!

Yes, it was late {rolled into town at 12:45am}! Yes, Sporting KC lost.  And yes, the soccer action from the second row was amazing to watch, but our boy....


to see him so in awe and so into it ♥  #thebest #andsoworthit


Cru's favorite player in above pic...far left with long hair.  A defender like himself. No clue what his name is!


He just kept saying the same words over and over, "How did he do that?!!!"




I want to know how their feet move that fast?!  And stay under control!

Cru was not the only one "in awe"....


































No, not me!

Reese!

Zusi....her fav!

I think he's kind of a big deal.  I mean his name was on the back of EVERYONE'S shirt!  And he spent the whole second half warming up ten feet in front of us.

Hollahhh!


Thank you, Chet, for this memorable experience!  Can't wait to do it again!

I did get a warm fuzzy feeling {or maybe just a feeling that wow, this is so much easier with only two kids!} thinking it was fun doing something with just the big kids.  Then, as Reese and I walked out of the bathroom, Cru was so serious and asked, "Where's Ev?"  Like we left her in the bathroom because she's been tagging along everywhere since birth.

She'll be included next time.

We brought her home a scarf.



































With all the soccer we've watched this summer, I noticed fans wear scarves.  WTH???  I asked several people why, but no one could answer, except google.

Apparently, soccer started in Europe, and it's colder there, so you wear a scarf to keep warm...and support your team.  Also, Europeans believe Americans should figure out their own way to show team spirit and quit wearing scarves.

You're welcome :)

Monday, August 17, 2015

Back to the Grind....3rd, 1st, and Pre-K

When you're a stay at home mom, you become accustomed to chaos...all around you...all the time!

Until your kids are old enough to go to school.  Then, you get a small break.  Kind of.

But then, just when you get used to that break, the kids get their {summer} break.

And all hell breaks loose.  Again.

Only one day in and I honestly wasn't sure we'd survive the whole summer.

Constant fighting, sh*t strung out all over, someone always hungry, another one always bored.

I complained.  A lot.

When you are a stay at home mom, you never leave your "office".  It's hard.

But it's also the job I chose to do.  The job my husband works so hard for me to do.

And I wouldn't change a thing.

Because just as I'm thinking about strangling those little loves {kidding!  kind of.}, summer is over and school starts all over again.



How does time pass so quickly?!

Evee has taken a liking to Blake Shelton's song, Sangria.  She sings her own lyrics, of course.

"...lipstick saaannnnd-greeee-diaaaaa"

The older kids laugh at her, but have adopted her lyrics.

And since our dvd AND cd player are out of commish in the van, the radio is our only choice, and the first song they ask for is Sangria.  All the time.

Yes, they think I control the songs the radio plays.

I wish.

Radio stations suck!

Anyways, after walking into school with three kids....




































































































then walking out with zero, I was lost.

And as I drove my van out of the school parking lot....

"lips taste like sangria" played on the radio.

Tears.

The days are long, but the years are short.

I never want to take this opportunity staying at home for granted.

The Y and Dillons consumed every minute of my alone time.

I'll take that!

Favorite snippets from kids' first day....

Evee - "I asked Miss Becky if she knew dehrrrrr dehrrr dehrrr dehrrr dehr {dancing motions included}.  She did." {Come and get Your Love dance sequence from Guardians of the Galaxy}.





































































Reese - LOVED every minute of her day!  LOVED her teachers!  And then proceeded to tell me that boy #1 and boy #2 "were so funny at lunch! Boy #1 kept saying that boy #2 likes me!  And boy #2 kept saying that boy #1 likes me!"  Oh. dear.
























































Cru - He was the most nervous, like last year.  But he LOVED staying all day!  LOVED eating lunch...."I ate and talked with girl #1".  Geez!  He also got "four recesses!"  Oh..."and I feel asleep in class."  Saaay whaaaat?!!!  Yep, on the carpet while his teacher was reading a book after lunch.  Apparently, boy #1 feel asleep too.  OHHH-EMMM-GEEEEE!!!!

























































































I think they're off to a good start :)

And they're all in bed at 7:45!

And I want more kids!

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Back to Reality

We just returned from a wonderful vacation in Florida.

 
I plan to blog about it.  I think.  The reality is, we all know how that goes ;)

Speaking of reality, I got a hard dose of it today. 

Reality does not understand that parents need a vacation from vacation!

We were all up (with no alarms set!) by 7:30am.

Yuck!

Everlee had gymnastics.  The bigs wanted to go to Grandma's instead of watching, so I did what every good mom would do whose children ate donuts every day of vacation....got donuts and dropped them off at Grandma's!

After gymnastics, Ev and I headed to pick them up.  And ate donuts too.  Because what's one more pound when I've already gained 10 in 10 days.

Everlee never sits still while eating.  Half way through her donut and two outfit changes later, she walks into the kitchen saying she choked.  She's coughs a bit, and my mom and I run her into the bathroom.  She keeps saying she choked.  Then spews! 

In the toilet, praise God!

In the meantime, as I'm receiving this slap to the face dose of reality, a friend, whom also just arrived home from vacation, is texting me asking where I got my last pedicure because she's taking time for herself today.

Really???

I mean, good for her.

Moving on....school supplies.  Shopping for school supplies is the best....when you're a kid!  And all we bought today was paper, pencils, and some glue sticks!

This all happened before noon.

We spent the rest of the day delivering seashells to our neighbors (which turned into hours of playing)....



Never mind the laundry.

And I may or may not have stared at vacation photos....



And to think, while on vacation, I was only worried about the reality of school starting in 11 days.