Out and About pt2

First, more catchup pictures: we got new sleeping bags and the kids have spent tons of time playing inside this box.

 Last s'mores of the season? We invited our friends over for an impromptu s'more roasting in our..um..garden. We had some stuff to burn, so why not break out the chocolate too?

 Mr. P is getting so big! He loves cars, trucks, airplanes...anything that makes a sound is good enough for him! He is always trying to escape out the front door in his socks.

 This is the face he makes when he hears a siren/engine

 I know it's fall when my plant (not sure what kind it is) starts to turn purple/pink. It's green all through the summer then changes as the weather cools.

 I think fall is one of my favorite time of years for family adventures. It's not too hot and more pleasant to be outside without feeling like you're going to pass out from the heat. Sunday we went on a walk along the river trail. Don't be fooled by all the smiling pictures--there were some major meltdowns along the trail. Thanfully some hot chocolate in a thermos and some trail mix back at the truck made everything all better.

Brooke was proud of her stick and wildflowers

I'm so happy to be out of the backpack!

Out & About Part1

I just realized I have some leftover pictures that I never posted. At the end of August, Blake decided to maximize the potential for storage space in our garage.

Then, we decided to purchase a decent food dehydrator. Blake likes to make his own jerky and we tried our hands at drying some fruit too. I am excited to use it to make my own fruit leather.

 Labor Day weekend, we were invited to spend the night at our friend's cabin about an hour and a half away from where we live. It was so pretty there and nice to just get away and relax.

Blake and Colby playing horseshoes

Brooke has such an active imagination. She didn't need toys or props to encourage her to go have an adventure all on her own! She loves the outdoors.

Melanie, S, and Brooke

Porter liked the outdoors, but didn't like that I kept keeping him away from the fire.

 After the kids went to bed, the couples stayed up late playing games. The next morning, our husbands left early to go fishing which meant Melanie and I were left to entertain the kids. Next time, we decided WE get to leave and the husbands have to stay with kids ;)

 I love this picture of S and Porter. They are only 3 weeks apart. And since Blake and Colby are childhood friends, these boys will most likely be seeing a lot of each other as they grow up. It will be fun to show this to them when they are older.

Keeping It Together

The past few weeks I feel like I have barely been keeping it together. It's been such a roller coaster adjusting to being back at work after the summer break and using my time wisely. I am not a wise time user. I am a huge procrastinator (mostly--sometimes I do do things right away, but not usually) and that always gets me into trouble. When will I learn? Well, I could learn now but that would go against my procrastinating personality, so I'll just wait until my head is about to explode from stress and learn it then. And that, my friends, is exactly where I am. I have finally learned that my day will go so much smoother if I can do these 3 things:
1) Know what I am going to cook for dinner after I get home so I'm not scrambling around trying to defrost meat or scrounge around in the cupboards for ingredients we've run out of.
2) Know what I am going to wear to work the next day
3)Know what the kids are going to wear the next day.

So simple, yet makes such a huge difference! And despite the craziness I feel because of our new schedule, and the nights that I think "Why do I do this to myself?" I am glad to be working. Every time I come home and I tell Blake how tired I am or that my feet hurt, he says, "then quit" (luckily we are not in a position where my income is needed). He is always telling me to quit my job. And as tempting as that sounds...I just can't bring myself to do it. The two times I've attempted to leave teaching and just stay home have not boded so well for me.  I love working. I have finally come to terms with myself and no longer feel guilty about working. I am a better mom/person when I work. I feel fulfilled--a different kind of fulfillment that for me, I can't get from being a mom. I am fulfilled being a mom, but sometimes I need more.  Maybe that sounds awful, but for me it's true. I know many people don't feel that way and that is fine. A friend at playgroup asked me if I missed my kids while I am at work and without really thinking I blurted out, "No, not really." I felt like a horrible person for saying it and maybe need to explain a little.

I love my kids. At the end of the day I am excited to see them and snuggle with them and read to them and have Brooke tell me all about her day. I am excited to kiss Porter's juicy cheeks and read him books while he laughs and points. But during the day I am happy to be where I am because I know they are in great hands with H. Brooke is learning and doing so much more than she ever would with just me. Porter is interacting with other kids and plays, takes his 3 hours naps, and is happy as can be.

I've come to a place in my life where I've realized that being a classroom teacher is my talent. Not sewing or crafting or photography (even though I wish they were!) or anything else. I have a knack for it and I enjoy it. My patriartical blessing even talks about it. It fulfills me in ways I can't find anywhere else.

I know that I am a good mom. I definitely could be better, but I would feel that way even if I stayed home. And in my case, I don't think I'm as good of a person when I stay home. When I am home I get bored, I am irritable, I waste too much time online. I know many moms who love being home and that is great--but all moms are different and moms know what is best for their family. I love this quote by M. Russell Ballard:

There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be “full-time moms,” at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part-or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else.

I don't know how long I will continue to work. It may be only another year or it may be the next 20 years. I trust that Heavenly Father will let me know when it's time.

...sorry, don't know how this post got off on such a tangent...

Other things that are making me crazy right now: Running. I love running. I love running  miles and the incredible feeling I have afterwards. I hate doing it after dinner when it is still very hot outside and I've just spent an entire day on my feet and I'm tired. I love being in shape, but hate that I won't exercise consistantly unless I have signed up for some kind of race. I hate that I have race hanging over my head that causes me to stress about training for it. See how my mind works? I can't win.

But despite all that, I fully plan to sign up for another race this spring. Not sure if it will be a running one, though. I think I need to do something else. I am thinking about a triathlon.

I am hoping once we get through the madness of September, things will settle down and I'll be more in a routine and won't have to try so hard to keep it together ;)

Mother/Daughter Date

Last spring I found an awesome deal on tickets to the Disney Jr. Live tour this fall. I bought two tickets for Brooke and I to go as a mommy/daughter date. Little did I know how perfect it would be to have an activity like this for us this time of year.

 Last school year I worked half the day and Brooke was used to me picking her up before lunch each day. Then came summer and I was home all the time. Now, I am back in school again and am teaching more classes this year and am gone longer during the day. For the most part, Brooke has done really great, but she still misses mom sometimes and it's hard to split the attention between the two kids. So having something like this, that was just for her and me was perfect.

We ate lunch at Crown Burger which Brooke thought was a big deal and then walked down to the show. I don't think Brooke really knew what to expect or really what we were doing there. She kept saying "Take me to Disney Jr!" all day, but I don't think she understood what was going to happen. 

 We don't subscribe to cable TV, but Brooke knows the Disney Jr. shows from watching them on our ipad. As soon as the Doc McStuffins song started to play, she sat up a little straighter in her seat and was interested.

 Then, Mickey and Minnie Mouse came out to introduce the two main shows and Brooke's eyes were so wide. She loves Minnie and even has a Minnie Mouse stuffed animal she got when she was a baby that she still sleeps with.

 Princess Sofia was first and Brooke loved seeing the fairy's from Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella

 Jake and the Neverland Pirates was next. Peterpan made an appearance, but by that time I was getting a headache from all the kid music, so didn't take many pictures.

We had a great day and Brooke was excited to tell everyone about her special day. She said her favorite part was all the singing and dancing. 

First Day of {pre}school!

Brooke told me a few weeks ago after "reading" (a book she has memorized): "Mom, I'm the best reader. I'm ready for kindergarten now." This girl LOVES learning and asks all sorts of questions non-stop all day long. She's going to give her teachers a run for their money for sure! Although she was disappointed to learn she doesn't get to ride the bus to kindergarten quite yet, she was plenty excited for preschool. I can't believe this is her last year of PreK before kindergarten next year! The time has flown by! We did a little photo session outside and trust me, doing the  letters on our chalkboard challenged my artistic ability big time! And since this is probably the only time all year that Brooke will let me help her get dressed, we took plenty of pictures.

showing off the backpack

she insisted on doing a silly face