Looking forward to Monday fer shure, you betcha

Wow! Thank y'all so much for your support on my last post about our move to Minnesota! I was really blown away by it. I guess I expected more "wtf?" comments but everyone was so positive and upbeat about it! Thank you! We are so excited and ready to get out there. Definitely going to enjoy the fall and holidays here in the northeast before we leave though!

I can't remember too many remarkable things about the past week. It was just an average week, I guess. Except for that time I was putting one of Will's diapers in the diaper pail and I stood up and my gigantic head broke the acrylic towel bar in the kids' bathroom. I thought I just popped a piece of it off and went to put it back on, only to realize it is one giant piece screwed into the wall. And here we thought the kids would be the reason we lost our security deposit on this place.

Molly had to bring in some leaves for school, so on our way in one morning, she stopped and picked up almost every leaf she found.

It was so funny to watch (unless you're Sam, and irritated about the 9,000 intermittent stops) because each one she found was so much more beautiful than the last. And the leaves are so gorgeous! When you really stop and look at individual leaves, it's such a wonder- you can't blame a kid for stopping to stare at all of them! There is an analogy in there somewhere about all the different shapes and colors of the leaves and all of them being beautiful and changing yadda yadda and all the people of the world. My brain is operating purely on the most basic settings right now though, so I can't decipher that one, but maybe something will come to you the next time you're on a walk and see pretty leaves.

Also, shorts and a tee because the high was 82* that day. The heat has since passed though, and I, for one, am grateful!

Will's shirt the day we broke the news about our MN move! It says "Choose your own path" and it shows a bike riding away from (or towards, depending on how you look at it) the city.

Sometimes Molly walks with me while the boys fish. So many sailboats just blowing around out on the water. Looks so peaceful.

My mom sent Molly some flamingo pajama pants and they perfectly matched the flamingo tee she sent over the summer. This thrills Molly to no end and she tries to wear the pants as leggings regularly. Never happy to hear that pajama pants aren't real pants. (I'll be honest- that news doesn't thrill me either.)

A before-school shot with our super festive stoop.

We had the pleasure of having Wowee and Casey over one day while the big kids were at school.They were lying on the floor next to each other and Will rolled to the side, grabbed both of her cheeks in his hands, and planted a big fat open-mouth kiss on her lips. She looked surprised and Will looked like he'd been planning it for a minute. I'm so thankful he didn't bite her or rip any hair out, as that is normally involved when he kisses me....

We normally walk to and from school each day, but it was pouring down rain all day long and, as is my theme this year, I don't have rain jackets for the kids. I am researching winter coats and boots now and if any of y'all have any suggestions (for me or the kids), please let me know. I can't be unprepared for winter. That will look bad...
Anyways, we drove to school and illegally parked and waited for Molly's class to get out. She gets released from one door at 2:10. Then Sam gets released from another door on the opposite side of the building at 2:20. So I took everyone back to the car and realized that 2 cars had double parked and blocked me in. So my plan to circle the block and illegally park closer to Sam's door was just thrown out the window. I lugged Will and Molly back out and we did a wet run towards Sam's door. We finally got him and took our wet selves back to the car. I still haven't cleaned up the napkin shred Will did in my front seat. The entire car is just a wreck at this point and it would be easier to just set it on fire than to clean every cheerio and napkin shred out of every crevice. It'll get done one day, I'm sure (the cleaning, not the fire), but it's nowhere near even the middle of my to do list.

After the rain FINALLY stopped, we had about an hour to burn outside, so we went up to Fort Totten to run.

My feet were definitely sweating by the end of the walk. So gross.

Run, Forrest, run! Exercise the crazy right outta you!

More leaf collecting...

And in case you think that I'm completely unprepared for winter, please see Exhibit A.

Exhibit A

It's a little dark, but to be fair, my photographer has only had a few years of informal training. With that being said, at least our heads are included in this picture, so this is almost award-winning in the 6yo photography arena.

Now to explain Exhibit A- This is a fleece bunting that was gifted to me when Sam was born. It's size 12 months, so it was too big for him during his first winter, and too small during his second. So it is one of the VERY FEW THINGS that I have continually lugged around with us for the past 6 years. And look who it fits!!! The hands and feet can be flipped to cover him as well, and if the gnome top hat doesn't just complete the entire look.... I'm so happy to be finally getting some use out of this thing!!

Yesterday (Saturday) was a drill day. It also rained the entire day. Will was also going on Day 5 of his poop strike. Sam and Molly had some INSANE amount of pent up energy that started at 5:30am and never. quit. Molly fell down the stairs while fetching me a diaper for Will. (She is fine.) Will bit his lip so hard that he left a mark. (He is fine.) I had a to do list a mile long, so I'm sure you can do the math and figure out that the end result of all that was me hiding in my room during lunchtime trying to force Will into a nap he had no interest in taking while trying to chug a beer as quickly as possible. I got through maybe half the beer before getting Will out of bed and giving up on the day. I managed to get a lot done (my entire to do list!) but it did a number on me and my teensy tiny bit of remaining sanity. (I am fine too.)

No matter! Tomorrow is a new day! That's what I told myself last night before I went to sleep. Then I woke up this morning and WHADDAYA KNOW. More of the same. But at least there was no rain!! Steve went to drill and I got the kids ready for church. Sam and Molly were being particularly naughty, so I told them that we'd get to church early so they could tell Jesus all about their behavior and ask for not only forgiveness but help in trying to do better. As we're sitting in the pew, Sam asked me where Jesus was. "I CAN'T HEAR HIM. WHERE IS HE? IS THAT HIM?" (points to priest) No. He's here. "WHERE" All around us. But specifically in that gold canister and red candle up front. Please be quiet and think about how you can try to behave better while I furiously pray for the patience needed to survive until 8am Monday morning.

They were both well behaved at church and Will even fell asleep on me after doing his best to tear all of the hair out of my head while also ripping my face off with his tiny little fingernails.

Then I got a little overambitious and we went to Target. And not just any Target, but a new to us Target that wasn't in our immediate area. It was about 15 minutes away. So we drove out there and our first stop was the bathroom. I had to pee so bad. Everyone else chimes in that they have to pee as well. Lovely. So we all schlep into the bathroom. Sam goes first. Sprays the entire back half of the seat. I tell him to please wipe the seat with some toilet paper. He unravels toilet paper until it all touches the floor and then starts to wipe the seat down. As he's bent over the seat, it automatically flushes and he yells "AHHHH! THE PEE WATER SHOT ME IN THE EYE! I'VE GOT PEE WATER IN MY EYE!"

GREAT. Molly's turn! She sits down after touching every disgusting inch of it that she can with not only her hands but her church clothes as well. Mentally, I am burning everything. She brought this little plastic play fan in with her. She drops it on the floor. I immediately pick it up and throw it in the tampon trash can. She looks horrified but also not terribly surprised. She gets halfway done with peeing and the toilet automatically flushed, causing some really bad bidet action to happen.

For those of you keeping score at home, Sam has pee water in his eye, Molly has it splashed all over her ass. I finally get her off the toilet and wiped up and then realize that I somehow have to get my pants off with one hand while holding Will because GOD FORBID we put some sort of baby seat in the bathrooms to help a mama out!

We eventually get out of the bathroom but we still have to do the shopping. Ugh. Like adding insult to injury. We figure our way around this new Target, all the while I'm cursing myself out for thinking this would be a good idea ON A SUNDAY aka when everyone and their entire damn family is out for a stroll at Target. We found about half of the things we needed before we hightailed it outta there. Since we don't have a garage, the trunk of my car serves as my mobile garage. It holds the kids' bikes and a double stroller and two fishing poles and usually a towel and a backpack and lots of other random crap, so when I go grocery shopping and buy more than 2 things, I open up the trunk and think, "well shit." So I carefully arranged things in the trunk so it would all fit and (hopefully) not get crushed.

I opened the door at home only to watch a bag fly out and hit the ground. Naturally it wouldn't be the bag that had a metal coffee tin in it but my precious EGGS. I literally just tied the bag and left it in the street next to my car. I have got to get inside and get these urine stained children away from me before I lose my damn mind. Luckily Steve was home for lunch so I put everything away before washing my hands (of germs? the situation? my life? you can guess) and walking straight upstairs to lie facedown on the bed and pretend that I don't have children and responsibilities for five minutes.

Steve must have heard the crazy in my voice on the phone and had gotten cannolis from my favorite bakery. So Sunday is really looking up. Also, TOMORROW IS MONDAY! SCHOOL DAY! HOLLAAAAAAA!!!!

No moss collection growing here

This is such a bizarre post to write. We are moving. Again. But this time, because we want to. This is uncharted territory for us, because when we've moved in the past, it's been because we've had to. The Army told us to. Of course we have enjoyed this nomadic lifestyle immensely- seeing new places and meeting new people, trying new food, learning new roads (grocery store layouts/doctors' offices/microwave buttons/airport terminals/shower water nozzles/insert all the new things here), adjusting to new and different ways of life- it all stretches us and helps us grow. It's not always been easy, but it's always been worth it.

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Moving to New York City was such a curve ball for us. Steve needed a job and finding one after separating from Korea proved extremely difficult. Complicating situations were renovating the house in Pennsylvania and giving birth soon after moving back to the States. So when he finally got this job and it was only located 3ish hours up the road from where we were, it was semi-appealing. Not a huge move. But it wasn't quite the direction we wanted to move in. We thought we were a bit crowded in Pennsylvania; neighbors too close, house too creaky, street too busy. This is all hilarious now, especially if you've visited our current home. We now live directly above our landlords (who we love), and are attached to two other families in our building. If I can escape Will's room after putting him to sleep at night without creaking the floor and giving my position away to the enemy, my bones inevitably crack and let Will know that his old mama is planning to make a run for it. The street we live on may as well be some sort of drag racing scene out of Fast and Furious, unless it's 1am and the trash truck is noisily collecting glass bottles. Add to this the fact that we possess not a single shred of grass for my highly energetic children to run upon and it has caused some issues.

Steve and I can both agree that we are not big city folks. Not that the area of NYC we live in is full of skyscrapers or zillions of taxis, but it is still a highly populated, VERY EXPENSIVE place to call home (as evidenced by this article). Our 12-year-old car is frequently passed on the street by Maseratis and Bentleys. We pack a picnic lunch if we go out on the weekends. If we eat a meal out, it's $2 bagels for breakfast. We Zillow homes as we drive around and veritable shacks with no yards are going for upwards of $1mil. Praise the Lord above that we have always been able to pay our bills and we have never ever gone without or felt poor (even if we were/are). Even living here I still feel like we live in complete abundance (minus the grass, of course). My children have plenty of clothes to wear (fashionable they are not), food to eat (whether they like it or not), and toys to play with (I prefer to call them "vintage" and "well loved"). We are undoubtedly blessed and so thankful for parents who taught us to save and live within our means. But the fact remains that we are not city folks. We don't really feel like we belong here. We feel like the 9-5 grind and the dream of living in NYC might be just a tiny bit (ok, a lot bit) overrated.

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So when our friends from (our time in) Korea (they are not Korean) casually mentioned/harrassed us about moving to their small town in Minnesota, we laughed. Wouldn't that be something! Hilarious for us to move to Minnesota- a place we've never been. But, hmmm, it would be nice to have some land. It would be nice to live near friends. It would be nice to have the financial freedom to not have to work 9-5 to make ends meet. It would be nice to be outdoors and spend time together as a family and live in a small town and just live more simply. So the more we laughed about it, the more we started seriously considering it. We looked at properties, we crunched numbers. We weighed pros and cons. And as Steve became more and more miserable at work and suffered more and more health problems, we started wondering why we were waiting. Are we really doing the kids any favors by letting them finish the school year if it means their parents are absolutely NUTS?! It's kindergarten and pre-K. Not senior year calculus and honors English. Our entire existence in Minnesota would cost us less per month than our rent alone here in NYC. And I understand why that is. And I'm sure it's worth it to plenty of people who desire the amenities in this area. But that isn't something we value. To us, it's a complete no-brainer. (We were seriously considering moving straight to Minnesota after getting back from Korea. We researched and planned and even went so far as to speak with a real estate agent there. But in the end, I felt that it would be more "normal" for us to live near family, get a house in the burbs, and for Steve to find that quintessential 9-5 job. "Normal" is overrated! Not for us! No thank you!)

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Steve will be in the Minnesota National Guard, along with our friend from Korea (who is a recruiter there). The situation is a little tricky in that Steve will have to resign his commission in order to enlist in the National Guard and eventually qualify for an AGR (Active Guard Reserve) position. I'm sure this would be a big deal for most folks, but Steve has actually hated being an officer (thus the separation from active duty), so this is something he is enthusiastically looking forward to. He enlisted in college and enjoyed his time serving then. I can attest that since he commissioned as a 2LT it has been nothing but pure misery and politics. Financially, it never made sense for him to resign his commission before. But now it does. (Officer AGR jobs are few and far between and likely saved for some good ol' boy that knows so-and-so from way back when. AKA Steve ain't gettin' picked up as a Captain.)

Yes, this feels crazy. Completely crazy. We are putting a lot of trust into our friends. We lived within 20ish feet of each other for a year and saw each other everyday, watching early morning college football games together, celebrating holidays as family when we had no family to spend holidays with, talking about our hopes and dreams for our post-Army life, and watching our kids (who all happen to be just about the same age) play together. We trust them. Plain and simple. We know that we both want the same things out of life and we know what we need to achieve that.

We have the option to work less and live more. Who is going to reach the end of their life and wish that they had done the opposite? Not many folks, I would imagine. I know it looks a bit unconventional. Neither of our families live in Minnesota. And while I am from Alabama, I did not grow up on a farm (contrary to popular belief- ha!). Being that our ultimate goal is to buy a house on some land, this will definitely be a learning experience for us. But then again, this isn't much different than any other move we've made. Luckily we have our friends and their family who have lived there for many years to show us the way (through the snow/tapioca/more snow). We are excited to do all of this, but I won't lie- I'm a little nervous.

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Because SNOW. SO MUCH SNOW. I love the snow. I think it's beautiful. I love watching it fall. I love watching other people shovel it. (What? I'm being honest.) But knowing how much snow they get in Minnesota has me getting cold feet at times (haaaaaaaa cold weather puns!). My desert-loving friend that married her Minnesota man assures me that if she can survive it (and enjoy it), then I can too. I'm willing to give it the old college try. Steve and I are not fixin to pick our burial plots in this town. We are all about doing something until it doesn't work or make sense anymore. And if for some reason, Minnesota doesn't work after some time, then we will reassess and figure out the best course of action for our family. But currently my big kids are ecstatic over the thought of a house of our own, a yard (!!), and seeing their Korea friends again. Sam has been telling us he will drive the boat. I guess he and Steve have been discussing their little redneck dreams together and plan to utilize a few of the 15,000 lakes in MN. Molly has been appropriately bribed with an animal or two.


We'll be rolling out of New York City over Christmas break so that the kids will have a normal break from school and then start up in January with their friends in Minnesota. We'll spend Christmas with Steve's family in Pennsylvania and celebrate Will turning one (impossible! not happening! lalalalala!) before driving 9 million hours to the winter wonderland we'll call home.

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So that's where we are! The state of our household right now. I hope this was enlightening if not slightly maddening. Sorry for all the pinterest quote photos but they really help me think that this is possible! We can do it! Following your dreams isn't crazy! It's poetic! Inspirational! Rational! Adult! And any other words and thoughts that don't conjure up thoughts of what. the. fck. HA!

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the past month-ish

This past month was such a whirlwind! It started out on a sad note when Steve's grandmother passed away.

She was such a spunky lady and her death was pretty unexpected. I didn't get to attend her service (more on that later!) so it still doesn't seem completely real to me that she is gone.

I stayed home with the three stooges since Sam brought home HFM...

Not sure how else to describe it but "fcking miserable" will do for now. Sam just had a fever one night and went to bed early. He woke up perfectly fine the next morning. Then Molly came down with a fever and when we were in PA for the funeral, she came down with the blisters and uncontrollable itching. She was up the entire night whining and itching. No amount of benadryl could touch it. I felt terrible for her but at the same time, FIVE PEOPLE IN ONE ROOM, SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP. Then Will got it. Then STEVE got it and he probably had it the worst out of everybody. Constant itching and the blistering and peeling. It was horrific. His chin actually split open from the blisters. Somehow I didn't get it. Praise the Lord. I was constantly touching all of the affected parties so it was clearly some sort of divine intercession that prevented me from being the fifth and final case.

Molly was gracious enough to leave us with this gorgeous artwork, using a nice permanent Sharpie as her medium. When I asked her who did this she looked at me with wide eyes and said, "I dunno!" Yeah ok, well, maybe next time don't sign it if you wanna have a chance at getting away with it. I couldn't even discipline her though, I was laughing too hard. It also came right off with a magic eraser (they really are magic), so no harm done.

Even though Molly was no longer contagious, I still kept her out of school for a few more days because her hands and feet were blistered, and I honestly didn't want any of the kids making fun of her or thinking she was some sort of leper. And luckily it's just preK so who cares. Outside of me, of course, because FREEDOM. Anyways, we went on plenty of fun trips to Target and the grocery store to kill the time before big brother came home from school. Apparently HFM was running rampant throughout all three kindergarten classes.

I don't even know how it's possible but this happy baby turned 9 months old. He really is just the SWEETEST thing. His laugh always makes me laugh and I definitely suffer from that annoying mom voice whenever I videotape him. He is up to a little over 21 pounds and 90-something percentile for height. I can't remember because I honestly don't think it's important but they say he's growing and healthy so that makes me happy! He still isn't crawling, but will roll all over the place with a quickness. I'm in no hurry for anyone to crawl or become mobile, ever. You stay put and stay outta trouble, kid. And I love to hear you babble random sounds but I probably won't be encouraging too much talking either, if I'm being completely honest. Molly talks enough for all of us, and maybe for a few other families as well. She's got the talking covered. You just keep flashing us with that four tooth grin, you sweet baby doll.

Sam drew his teachers a picture before school one morning. Molly joined in too of course. Sam really loves his teachers. They have such a great attitude and are really suited for working with young children (GOD BLESS THEM). I can't imagine summoning even a partial amount of the energy and enthusiasm needed to get through their day. It just blows my mind. I'm so glad he has such wonderful teachers and I wish Molly had a nice teacher too but I'll leave it at that!

Passed out after church. I love these boys in blue!!

Molly was the only one who wasn't asleep and didn't tear her clothes off the moment she walked in the house, so she was rewarded with a solo Sunday photoshoot. Ha! She had this exact dress when she was 6 months old and I found it on the Kidizen app (kind of obsessed and frequently browse it (and make purchases) while nursing Will at 2am- it's always fun to wake up and see what I sleepily thought was an awesome deal the night before). I also found a Hanna Anderrson sweater dress that she wore when she was 6 months old (and then wore it as a tunic long after that) and got that as well. I feel guilt over getting rid of her baby clothes so when I find something she used to wear, I love to make her wear it again. I'm not sure if that's a sign of illness or what, but that's what I do and how I feel.

Sam generously offered to make us all lunch after church! He told us to sit on the couch, he would do everything, thanks to this annoying stool I bought at Ikea that allows nothing to be hidden from my children. Definitely a blessing and a curse. The sandwich is a jelly sandwich (since he is allergic to peanut butter, it is literally just jelly) with a side of goldfish, granola bar, and graham crackers. Heavy on the carbs! That's my boy! It was a sweet gesture anyway, and he loves to feel so independent.

Can't get enough of this sweet baby!!!

Or this sweet man! xoxo

I'm sensing a theme here...

I finally made an appointment for Sam to see an allergist. The last time he saw one was when he was 2ish and initially diagnosed with the nut allergies. The first time I brought him to this allergist, I told him beforehand that the doctor would just touch his skin with plastic and we would see if it turned red or not. The doctor informed me that that would be a waste of time since we already know he is allergic, so they would just be skipping straight to the blood test. CUE HYSTERIA. One nurse took Molly (also hysterical because Sam was hysterical) and Will out of the room so that I could bear hug Sam into submission while another nurse helped hold him down and yet ANOTHER nurse drew the blood. After the screaming finally subsided, he asked me if he had been brave. I guess the right answer in that situation is an outright lie, so I told him yes. Super brave. We went back to do a skin test for tree nuts since the blood test showed he was no longer allergic. The skin test showed that he was no longer allergic to tree nuts either (still allergic to peanuts unfortunately) and the final appointment would be a food challenge, where he consumes tree nuts in their office so they can monitor for any adverse reactions. Steve took him to that during school one day (it's a 2 hour test) and he passed! So.... yay? He can have almonds? Pistachios? Walnuts? Pine nuts? All the nuts that we don't eat? I'm holding out hope that he tests out of the peanut allergy soon. They can retest him next year and see if his blood levels decrease. There's no way to really know if he's growing out of it now since the first blood test is kinda like the baseline.

Will's first time in a swing. He was less than enthused.

I know this is just the reality of a new eater but omgggggggg I can't stand dirty floors!! I typically try and keep it contained to his seating area, let it all harden, and then vacuum the floor with a vengeance. I used to plop Molly down on the floor after she'd thrown her food down. I tried the same with Will and he mostly just scooted around until it was thoroughly smushed into his pants, avoiding putting any food in his mouth.

These two are sooooooo SWEET sometimes!

Gotta love having friends who live in an actual house on an actual street with an actual sidewalk and actual outdoor toys.

After a nice family jog down by the bay one evening, I decided that it would be a great idea to not make dinner kick off Sam's birthday weekend with a dinner out!

My big boy!! How is he turning SIX?!

Back when Will would still eat a puree. *sob*

A little naked time to air things out. He totally peed on the rug.

The next morning we were greeted with a gorgeous sunrise! If I gotta be up with the sun, it helps that it's so pretty.

Smoothie smiles

We celebrated Sam's birthday with Casey and Wowee and a pizza dinner on Monday night, and then Tuesday Sam went to school. He took in mini cupcakes and got to wear this snazzy hat. We had a special birthday dinner that night, and more cupcakes before bed.

Definitely a fish theme this year! He will tell anyone that will listen that he is his daddy's fishing partner and Steve is just as proud. Molly has started tagging along as well and I like that they all seem to enjoy it so much.

Right before he wished he could ride on a dolphin. HA!

Exploring one of his birthday gifts- I love listening to them pick out places.

Just trying to keep everyone alive until Daddy gets home. Sometimes that involves Baby Einstein. No shame.

Casey and Wowee came out to hang one day while the big kids were at school. Magical. These two babies don't talk so we essentially get to speak to each other UNINTERRUPTED. These pictures were taken right after we WENT OUT TO LUNCH. YES, AT A RESTAURANT. Then we went to pick up the big kids from school. I never think Will is that big, but upon seeing him busting out of the stroller straps next to Riley in this photo, methinks he is a beefcake.

Obviously the entire reason we got together. ^^
This was moments before Will slugged Riley in the head and she went tumbling over into pumpkins and then the board came crashing down and general chaos ensued.

Cutie booties

At some point it was chilly, as evidenced by this photo. Right now it's 80* and I'm lying in front of a fan sweating, so I can't recall the feeling too well.

Will has lots of little adventures while I'm trying to get stuff done in the kitchen.

Running out some energy at Ft Totten after school one afternoon. It never ceases to amaze me how much energy kids have. I overheard an (older) mom at the playground comment on how "kids keep you young!" And all I could think was how they are wearing me the hell out. I feel older than ever. Gray hairs popping out in full force lately, wrinkles on my face, eye bags that seem slightly overloaded in the weight department, etc. I am literally NOT EVEN 30 YET. (One month! YIPES!!)

We took the whole fam damily to the pumpkin patch this past weekend. Will thoroughly enjoyed every time we set him down. Here he is clapping, but when he wasn't clapping in approval, he was stuffing dirt and leaves in his mouth.

HOW CUTE ARE THEY?! Even if Sam is wearing a shirt that's about two sizes too small for him. It is not my year to have folks properly dressed.

Steve had to go into work on Sunday morning, so the kids and I went to mass and then swung by to grab Steve and head over to another pumpkin patch with Casey, Riley, and Casey's mom. This was one considerably more crowded but we still managed to squeeze plenty of cute photos in the pumpkin "patch".

They kill me with their cuteness! And they are genuinely so happy to see each other every time we get together. Riley babbles and Will smiles and attempts to touch her face/hair/hands/anything.

The big kids rode ponies but the photos are on my real camera and my real camera is downstairs and I'm currently horizontal and not in a position (vertical) to be fetching a camera that's not right next to me. So maybe those will come later. Molly was very disappointed we did not visit the goats. The girl loves some farm animals and has a special affinity for goats for some reason. Maybe we can get back there again soon, without the weekend plaid-clad crowds.

We all went down to the bay that afternoon- Steve and the kids walked out on the rocks to cast and reel (no bait) and Will and I walked along the bay enjoying the nice weather. Steve called me and said he'd caught a fish! He didn't have his phone with him (shattered earlier that morning) but a nice man near him took his picture and sent it to him. I managed to hightail it back there in time to snap a picture before Steve gave the fish away.

I wish my hair looked even HALF as good blowing around like crazy in the wind.

Yesterday was a half day of school for the kids. There are so many school holidays here that it is no wonder they have to go to school until the end of JUNE. I feel like they haven't gone a full week since they started. But Casey happened to be out on Long Island at her aunt's house so we loaded up after school and headed down there to visit.

Sam and Molly mostly visited the grandmas downstairs while begging cookies and ice cream off of them and watched a massive tv. Aka they were in absolute heaven. Will mostly stared at Riley and played with her toys and pretended like he owned the place.

What coming down off a major sugar high looks like.

Thanks to the big kids getting out of school at 2pm, Will and I walked around and stared at traffic for well over an hour, trying to keep him awake, yet not screaming. He needed a nap at 1 soooo very badly. But letting him fall asleep them would only mean that I'd be waking him up at 2 to go pick up the big kids. And then there would be three long, cranky hours staring me down until Steve arrives home from work. Luckily he made it, but it resulted in a lot of sweat and tears! TV is babysitting the big kids and I'm lying in front of a fan and pretending that I have a plan for dinner tonight. Almost 5 o'clock which means I'm pouring a glass of wine and scouring the freezer for something edible to present my family as dinner. Cheers!