Freak Out Friday

We leave for vacation in less than 18 hours.  Family time, unplugged time, outdoors time.  Sounds wonderful, huh?

Well, it sounds great except for the next 18 hours of finishing work projects, laundry, planning, packing, trying to peel the kids off the walls.  That sounds pretty painful. 

But don't worry.  I have already purchased the booze.

WTF Wednesday

Things are a little hectic around here.  And sometimes, I start to wonder if I am losing my mind.  Just a few WTF's from the past few days -

I bought a fishing license and fishing gear.  This is pretty WTF - remember?  I am the outdoors type in that I like to get drunk on patios.  That is pretty much it.  I must love those little demon children if I am willing to sink to such levels.

Speaking of demon children, this morning at 5:45 am Luke wanted to watch Shark Week.  I explained that it was too early to watch Shark Week (I also think it is always too something to watch Shark Week, but I digress) Dottie pipes up "Its too early to buy Beer, Luke." I don't know if I should be WTF or Proud.  Its a Sconnie dilemma.

My children love one kind of pizza in particular - Pepperoni and Green Olives.  This has been their favorite for some time.  Last night?  Dottie - I don't like this pizza.  WTF!

My husband is traveling for work.  He seems to have lost his good manners.  He answers the phone barking questions at me.  No good morning, no I miss you sweetums, just questions questions questions.  WTF.

That is just a few.  Mostly, life is good but man, those little WTF moments sneak up on you!

hello monday...

hello mike out of town.  I am running solo with the kids Sunday through Thursday.  Thankfully we do not have too much scheduled in the evenings so we can have some down time.

hello constant barrage of sleep issues. as is the way for parents, I get one kid sleeping good and they others start to fall apart.  We are trying to wean Luke off his nap (yes, he is five and still naps) and learning to re-orient ourselves to this new change.  Dottie is looking like naps are not long for this world either so it is a big change.  poor Charlie is still a crappy sleeper.  Last night, he (and me!) got maybe 3 hours of sleep.  aaaahhhh this is the bliss of momma-hood we dreamt about, right?

hello family time.  we leave for vacation on Saturday.  I have done NOTHING to prepare.  I have been bitching for like a month (sorry Barb and Stephanie) about my need to plan.  still haven't done it.  probably won't now til Mike gets home.  I hate feeling scattered and without a strategy!

hello princess  engineer.   Dottie has a devotion to lego duplos.  We have a great mix of gender neutral legos and some princess legos.  She LLLLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUURRRRVES the princess castle sets and her imagination is quite elaborate.  The last castle creation had three gardens, a splash pad (with slide) a tea party room and a secret napping room (all the dancing makes you tired, but I guess that is a secret).  She was telling me last night that she wants to be a princess builder when she grows up and make castles.  I told her that was an engineer or an architect.  She corrected me, princess engineer momma.  I'll take it.  I don't care if the legos are all pink and glitter and she is building castles - she is using her brain, building, and problem solving and it is awesome.  and lets face it, I wish I was a princess lawyer most days too.

hello wardrobe.  I love my summer wardrobe and am getting cranky just thinking about fall clothes.  Despite my love of jewel tones and jeans, I am not looking forward to packing away the summer dresses.

Hometown

Going home.  Sometimes a bit of a challenge even though the distance isn't far.  Home is lots of things

The wedding was beautiful as was Amy.  It was a celebration of grown up imperfect love and it was wonderful.  

It was also, for me, a weekend of imperfect love for a hometown.  

It included lots of this beverage from the waters of the Chippewa - 

Maybe not the greatest craft beer of all time, but still one of my nostalgic favorites.  I will always be a Leinies girl as long as there is no fruit involved.  

These girls made me laugh so hard that my stomach hurt.  

I loved their old habits that I remember and their new lives and loves that were awesome to hear about.  Mostly? it was great being with friends who knew you when so they don't spend a lot of time thinking about how you could be better because they spend their time thinking about how far you have come.

There was dancing.  Mike discovered that dancing in front of a mirror is awesome.  He was channeling his inner stripper I think.  No, we are not installing a mirror in our bedroom, thank you very much.  

We went to a dive bar.  A bar where it is NECESSARY to drink something that came out of a can or bottle and not something mixed or off the gun. Where karaoke is king and you better be damn sure to not tap the microphone.  Where the mix of SirMixALot, Bon Jovi, Kenny Rogers, and Maroon 5 just seemed right.  Kinda like the soundtrack of our lives.

There were bars where the smell of pinesol (industrial) and sweat and (lets face it) pee was just part of the background, bars where a history of dancing on the bar was not unheard of, bars I may have historically been kicked out of, bars where NO LIGHT BEER is sold.

Seems like a lot of bars, right?  Yeah, that is my hometown.  Full of my yesterdays - lots of not so great choices combined with some really effing great memories.

This guy?  Rockstar husband this weekend.  Indulged my bad behavior, drove us around, danced and sang and got his EC freak on.  Even though we were very juvenile, he never let on.  

Then Sunday?  Man, reentry is tough.  Especially with these cuties waiting for us:  

It may have been a long ride home with five very cranky family members.  But I would do it all again in a heart beat!

Friday Quick Hits

Things have been a little nuts here.

Work is crazy.  I have gone all high school locker style with the cabinet above my desk.  It keeps me motivated that I can continue to be a creative and interesting person and keep doing my work.  Only time will tell.

I grew up in a very large family.  I have over 50 first cousins.  Charlie is playing with my cousin Tina's little guy, Daniel in this picture.  I am lonesome (if that is the right word) for those connections and wish my kids lived closer to their extended family and that they could grow up with a large family.  Not in the cards though, and it makes me sad even if they don't know what they are missing.  (and arent they cute?)

My parents.  Man, they pretty much rock.  You know why?  Their life long quest to help my brother and I be independent.  To not need them.  I hope I can do that for my kids.  Give them roots/wings and all that junk.  (and isn't my mom cute - she was not a fan of the selfie but I love it, even with the crappy lighting).

Speaking of selfies - 

Here are a few of my Aug 1 Selfie outtakes.  Aug 1 was a CRAPPY day.  I don't thin the no makeup and bad hair and sloppy clothes helped but guess what interwebs?  My life is not like a commercial and I have no interest in pretending that it does.  

Parenting books are crap.  Even if there is a nugget of goodness in there, I find them full of these irritating platitudes - I WISH MY KIDS WERE NAUGHTY SO I COULD DEMONSTRATE MY SUPERIOR PARENTING SKILLS.

Eff you self help book.  I will continue to blindly stumble along this parenting journey because if I read any more of this stuff, I will probably have to kill someone.

and this.  The reason I can still laugh?  Still see the beauty in everything, still try and be positive.  Because for goodness sakes, look at this beautiful life I am privileged by God to glimpse every day.  

Have a great weekend friends.