March 21st - March 27th
Monday, March 28, 2016
365.2: WEEK 12
I have an Easter post in the works but, in the mean time, here are my photos from last week. Drawing with chalk. Painting with watercolors. Playing with toys. Picnicking at the zoo. Sleeping in a tent. Dyeing Easter eggs. Discovering Easter baskets. So much more in between but no time to capture everything. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to sneak out back to play with my fam...
Sunday, March 20, 2016
365.2: WEEK 11
Spring Break. I hate you. Such high hopes. Such failed dreams. Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic (and my pictures will tell a completely different story than what I'm telling you), but Spring Break was mostly just a let down. I probably had unrealistic expectations. But we survived, just as we always do. And memories were made, just as they always are. Playing. Crafting. Doctoring. Camping. Splashing. Swinging. Reading. I think I'm just emotionally ready to move on.
March 14th - March 20th
Friday, March 18, 2016
CAMP FAIL
Six months ago, I decided that October Break called for a trip to the Rim. A day in the forest, just playing and picnicking. I invited a friend (and her three girls) and, the night before our day trip, we thought, "why not bring a tent and make it an over-night camping trip?!". So we did just that. Ran to Walmart and loaded up on food, packed a tent and sleeping bags, and headed out the next morning for an awesome adventure. Though there was stress - because camping with 9 kids eight and under would be nothing less than stressful - the only REAL issue came from when my youngest boy accidentally locked my friend's keys in her car and we had to bust a window with a hammer to retrieve them. Otherwise, fabulous.
A couple of week ago, she and I decided that a repeat was necessary for Spring Break. And since one night was easy enough, we planned on two for this go around. Though we had more time to plan, things started falling apart well before we even left. Still, she and I were both too stubborn to cancel or change plans. So - despite her MIL being life-flighted to the hospital and put on life support, her glass door shattering the day before, and my youngest boy having a fever and being lethargic - we proceeded with our trip. After a late start, we finally made it to the turn-off to our favorite spot on the Rim only to find that the road was closed. In fact, EVERY road north of Payson was closed. For the next 2 hours, we desperately searched for any available campsite. The sun was was low in the sky, so we needed to find something fast. The mr. got in touch with his sister and directed us to a location about 20 mi away. It was open. 4 mi in, we found a spot that was as good as any, so we quickly set up camp as the sun was setting. I put up the 8 man tent while she worked on fire and food. One little mishap after another. Babies tripping over. Kids playing in the fire. Someone being stabbed with a tent pole. Food falling into the fire. One of my littles tipping over while using the bucket potty. Nothing major, but enough to make my stress levels rise. Then both of my two little babes started to cry. Then to scream. Both were inconsolable and refused to eat. An hour passed and I could not get either one to calm down, so I called the mr. and told him that he had to come get them. Though he was disgruntled, he left home for our campsite right away. I brought the babies into the tent and tried to soothe them. After a while, they snuggled into blankets and stopped crying. I couldn't leave, though, or else the screaming would start up again. As the temperature dipped lower and the babies became more dependent upon my close proximity, I felt the full force of a panic attack set in. I couldn't calm MYSELF, let alone any my kids. Even if the little ones went home with my husband, I knew that my nerves were beyond shot. It was too cold. It was too chaotic. I was too worn. I decided that we needed to break camp and go home for the sake of sanity. So at 9pm we began packing up. I instantly felt relief. The mr. arrived right as we were down to just the tent and the canopy. Before too long, we were on our way out. Which, of course, is when my car dinged and a light popped on on the dashboard. Tire pressure. I ran through the readings, thinking one would be down a couple of PSI. Nope. It had dropped from about 38 PSI to 10 PSI. I had a flat before even getting to the highway. The mr. was able to change it (in the freezing cold), but that tacked on another hour and a half; the spare was up underneath my car and he had a difficult time getting it out. Seriously, the icing on the cake. Before he had finished, though, all six kids had passed out from exhaustion. Once the new tire was on, it was a quiet - yet nerve wracking - drive home on a spare. The mr. and I pulled into the drive shortly after midnight. I cried tears of relief. But maybe they were really just tears of exhaustion...
A couple of week ago, she and I decided that a repeat was necessary for Spring Break. And since one night was easy enough, we planned on two for this go around. Though we had more time to plan, things started falling apart well before we even left. Still, she and I were both too stubborn to cancel or change plans. So - despite her MIL being life-flighted to the hospital and put on life support, her glass door shattering the day before, and my youngest boy having a fever and being lethargic - we proceeded with our trip. After a late start, we finally made it to the turn-off to our favorite spot on the Rim only to find that the road was closed. In fact, EVERY road north of Payson was closed. For the next 2 hours, we desperately searched for any available campsite. The sun was was low in the sky, so we needed to find something fast. The mr. got in touch with his sister and directed us to a location about 20 mi away. It was open. 4 mi in, we found a spot that was as good as any, so we quickly set up camp as the sun was setting. I put up the 8 man tent while she worked on fire and food. One little mishap after another. Babies tripping over. Kids playing in the fire. Someone being stabbed with a tent pole. Food falling into the fire. One of my littles tipping over while using the bucket potty. Nothing major, but enough to make my stress levels rise. Then both of my two little babes started to cry. Then to scream. Both were inconsolable and refused to eat. An hour passed and I could not get either one to calm down, so I called the mr. and told him that he had to come get them. Though he was disgruntled, he left home for our campsite right away. I brought the babies into the tent and tried to soothe them. After a while, they snuggled into blankets and stopped crying. I couldn't leave, though, or else the screaming would start up again. As the temperature dipped lower and the babies became more dependent upon my close proximity, I felt the full force of a panic attack set in. I couldn't calm MYSELF, let alone any my kids. Even if the little ones went home with my husband, I knew that my nerves were beyond shot. It was too cold. It was too chaotic. I was too worn. I decided that we needed to break camp and go home for the sake of sanity. So at 9pm we began packing up. I instantly felt relief. The mr. arrived right as we were down to just the tent and the canopy. Before too long, we were on our way out. Which, of course, is when my car dinged and a light popped on on the dashboard. Tire pressure. I ran through the readings, thinking one would be down a couple of PSI. Nope. It had dropped from about 38 PSI to 10 PSI. I had a flat before even getting to the highway. The mr. was able to change it (in the freezing cold), but that tacked on another hour and a half; the spare was up underneath my car and he had a difficult time getting it out. Seriously, the icing on the cake. Before he had finished, though, all six kids had passed out from exhaustion. Once the new tire was on, it was a quiet - yet nerve wracking - drive home on a spare. The mr. and I pulled into the drive shortly after midnight. I cried tears of relief. But maybe they were really just tears of exhaustion...
A BIT OF GREEN
Remember my LOVE PARTY a few weeks back for Valentine's Day? My friend and I decided that a similar get-together was necessary for St. Patrick's Day. So, a couple of days ago, we got together for a green-themed good time. Shamrocks, leprechauns, rainbows, and pots of gold galore. I am beginning to think this might become a holiday standard...
How awesome are these little pots of gold? I can't even claim them - these were all on my friend (her husband's creation, TBH).
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
365.2: WEEK 10
Have you ever made a mistake that put you out a chunk of $? Yeah, me too. On more than one occasion... Most recently, I decided to use photography funds to paint the interior of our house. After several days of paint chips on various walls, I found the PERFECT shade of grey. Silver Drop. A trip to Home Depot for a 5-gallon bucket of paint and a full day of painting later, I discovered that I absolutely hated the color. It pulled out the wrong undertones and clashed with my furniture. I was a hot mess. I convinced the mr. that it MUST be corrected, so within 24 hours our walls were adorned with various samples in a handful of colors - which, in hindsight, I should have done from the beginning. The RIGHT color was quickly found. Coconut Ice. Hands down, Coconut Ice. SO, amidst our regularly hectic life, PAINTING has become a new norm in our home. Our week has consisted of: backyard play, painting, enjoying nature, painting, park play date, painting, lab tests, painting, school fun run, painting, and me being viciously wiped out by gluten. Luckily, we are ALMOST DONE with the painting. And frankly, I can't wait.
March 7th - March 13th
Sunday, March 6, 2016
365.2: WEEK 9
Another "slow" week. Maybe it was that extra day in February... Side note: trying to get a picture of four kids simultaneously jumping for a Leap Day photo is a ridiculous expectation. The main highlights of the week were our weekly-standing play date at the park, my 4 year old having a couple of warts taken care of, photographing a family of 50+ plus people for a 50th wedding anniversary (not pictured), and celebrating my mom's & uncle's birthdays. The remainder of the week consisted of playing, crashing, and lounging.
February 29th - March 6th
