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!!!!