Ramblings...

Life has been marching on. The kids are bigger and into more stuff, I seem to maintain a constant level of business without ever getting crazy amount accomplished. Mr. Workin' is stressed, that seems to also be a constant. Life never seems to get less complicated, that's for sure. If I am honest, I would say I struggle to appreciate this station in life. Marriage is tough with a houseful of little people, and the house full of little people make me crazy. So, that being said, I depend largely on my volunteerism and friends to help me sustain a feeling of worth. Ugh, as I read back over that last part it sounds sad. I don't want to sounds sad. I am not, I really just think it's the station I am in. I love, love, love my life. I love being able to give myself to my kids and their school. It's just that I am a lot of things to a lot of people and it's feels like too much sometimes. The shitty part of that… I’m not parenting to the best of my ability. I just was to get by. I want them to learn the hard lessons in life without sucking me dry emotionally. Life is life. I think I need to shift into a more gratitude centric way of thinking and I can shift what I am calling in.

Poor blog...

I am not sure why, I haven't posted more regularly. Those of you that blog, know that it's typical to compose posts in your head that never make it to the computer.
Maybe for lack of direction, I will go ahead and do a highlighted version of the last couple of months.
January is generally a dark and cold month around these parts, but this has been such a mind winter, Amy and I were able to walk on the reg, and had very little snow or ice to deal with.
February was equally warm and we walked our little hearts out. And so far March hasn't been great. I am wanting to keep things going, but for some reason I am not feeling it. A change of routine is probably in store, but what... With Mr. Workin' not here half the mornings, it's hard to get away.

My 7 year old...

We had a rough start to the school year this year with the Wy-guy. I have always known he is quite bright and willing to work to learn. But at the beginning of first grade we weren't seeing either quality. He was getting in trouble for laughing and talking during class time. There were days when he was missing a good portion of his recess as a punishment for acting out. We talked to him and grounded him and at one point, I even spanked him. Nothing seemed to be getting the message across. Then, nearly as mysteriously as these naughty behaviors appeared...they vanished, leaving a typical seven boy's behavior in their place. Whew~what a relief.
His personality is bursting from his little self lately. And really, he's not little either, I think he is pushing 70ish lbs. It's fun to hear him exploring with sarcasm and his sense of humor. He has begun to appreciate the feeling of making others happy or laugh.
He makes me nearly burst with pride.
Thanks to Amy for capturing this goofy moment. :)

Happy New Year!

I haven't written in FOREVER! Perhaps a month by month recap of 2011 would make me feel for caught up, if that is even possible at thsi stage of the game. As it turns out, four kids is a lot.
January~ The great wait. I spent the whole month on my bed, thikning the baby was going to come at any moment.
February~ Coldest month in MT history, and the month we met our baby Mac!
March~ Another cold month. We had sleepless nights and countless snuggles via Mac! Wrestling tournament as a family to cheer on Wy-guy.
April~ I was crabby looking back on it, having a new baby was weighing on me. We had a fun Easter in Wyoming, but I was brabby then too.
May~ An awesome family vacation in Kuaui.
June~ It took a couple of weeks, but we settled into a fun summer routine.
July~ We had a summer fun and good family time.
August~ Swimming lessons! and a trip to Wyoming.
September~ Back to school and the routine of school days.
October~ Amy and I started walking! Football, and dance, and the Gala.
November~ Busy times! Mac growing and changing so fast.
December~ Feeling better about stuff. Nice Holiday season.

That is just the nitty gritty, of course.

Long Summer Afternoon MEME

Have you hung out with anyone today? Who? My chics. Wyeth, Ella, Fara, and Mac.
Are you hiding anything? Yes, a skinny girl.
What's your status on Facebook? Something about what a horrible teacher I would be.
What's your favorite kind of gum? Peppermint...
When's the last time you've had sex? No Comment.
What sites are you on? Blogger. FB.
If your kids searched your room, what's the worst thing they'd find? Gifts and sex toys.
Ever thought about suicide? Don't do it. No, not really.
What are you looking forward to? Seeing friends at a wedding next weekend.
Does the door to your room have a lock? Nope.
What type of skin do you have? ?? Um, I don't know.
Ever gotten beer poured all over yourself? Yes, when I worked at Eaton's a girl "spilled" her beer on me.
How many hours of sleep do you get at night? 7ish.
Who's the last person you had a sleepover with? My hubby count? If not...Sara.
What are you listening to? My Little Pony on the HUB.
Who's the last person you wanted to kiss? Mac.
Can you keep a secret? Not very well.
How many people do you trust? A handful.
When's the last time you went on a walk? Yesterday.
Who was your last phone call with? My mom.
Who have you all texted today? Yes, with another school mom about an event.
Do you miss anyone? Yes, my grandmother.
Do you smoke? Nope.
Have you ever had a breathalyzer test? Did you pass? Nope.
Is there anyone that you wish you were hanging out with right now? My hubby. Parenting is a two person job.
What do you hate the most? Not a hater.
Would you be pissed if someone labeled you a 'prep'? I don't really get into lables.
What's the most illegal thing you've ever done? Plead the 5th.
When's the last time you jumped on a trampoline? Hmmmm, probably about five years ago.
What are you gonna rate this survey? Silly.

Goofy girl!

Oh My Heck!

Summer vacation with my little people hasn't been awesome thus far. It's not like anything has really gone wrong, it's just that there has been mucho bickering and in-fighting, and I don't have the energy to re-direct, so I just end up crabby and snappy instead.
It isn't often I feel overwhelmed by the group of the kids. I feel like four is a good number and they are different people, that need different things at different times, so I can keep most balls in the air. However, I have to admit I am completely broken-down by whining or tattling. And appearantly I am feeding into it just enough to keep things border-line miserable.
Mr. Workin' feels like I am crabby too often, but I find he short and snappy after a few hours behind the parenting wheel as well.
Just a quick vent. This too shall pass. I am working at bringing in a little "mama-helper" help to get some breaks.
Just, pray for me. Pray for the kiddos. I will pray to be able to let myself be helped.