This week’s trip of J’s has been especially hard on me. I don’t know if it is because he is halfway around the world (Switzerland & Germany) and it is harder to talk to him, or if I’m just feeling mopey, or what. But I had a very rough time on Sunday when he left. And I’m never one to get freaked out about airplane travel. I just figure “eh, if God thinks it is my time – then so be it.” But for some reason this plane ride of J’s has had me very antsy.

And then?

I open up my email yesterday morning and he had sent me this…

I kid you not, I have just stopped getting teary eyed about it and feel composed enough to put it up for you all to see, too. But fair warning, it will make you CRY, and quite possibly sob like I did. But it is so well done, and so very beautiful.

Leave Me from Daros Films on Vimeo.

I’m sitting here this evening filled with a whole lot of gratitude.
I’m grateful for good mommy friends and kid-free nights out that are full of laughs.
I’m grateful for friends who invite us into their home to share good food and conversations.
I’m grateful for my husband who works so very hard for our family, even traveling on holidays.
(I’m grateful – for his sake – that he at least gets a first class seat on his 14-hour plane ride tonight.)
I’m grateful for the men and women who fight for us and allow me to spend time
with my three favorite monkeys in a country that is safe and free.

Happy Memorial Day. I hope you take a moment to count your blessings, too.

Can’t you just hear the laughs this week? Although we could have also used the theme Daddy, which was completely not planned. (Maybe we should have saved this dipy for Father’s Day, Kimberly.)

What is it about Dads? Do they hand out some sort of handbook that states “Daddy’s job is to be the entertainment in the family, the go-to guy for laughs and fun?” And I have a sneaky suspicion (I mean, just look at Bryce’s sweet face!) that it isn’t only true in our house…but our Daddy is the funniest and most fun guy around. And always good for a laugh.

See what is making everyone else happy over at ~

Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma

My mad little scientists hard at work.

I tease J. about being the poster child for “all things Apple” all of the time, so I’m a little surprised to realize that this is the first glimpse you have all seen of the newest member of our techie-loving family.

I give you –  J.’s iPad.

There she is, in all her glory. Well, her “backside” at least.

Em and Daddy are probably farming here. They are a little obsessed with the You Rule app and are always busy building their kingdom. I think they are constructing a tavern right now, which will be very useful for Mama to visit since Emma has also discovered the Glee app. Where you sing. Loudly. And off-key. And, hey! You can plug in headphones so the iPad can record you singing! Which doesn’t even give the rest of us the added benefit of hearing the music, you know, the real song. You can totally see where I’m going here…

Addie pretty much likes watching cats, dogs, hamsters…any sort of featured animal video of the day on YouTube. Our favorite around here right now is the Standing Cat. And if you like that one you have to see the Standing Cat (Now in Boots!). Why can’t our dumb cat ever do anything funny like that?

But, back to the iPad. She has even replaced J.’s plain ol’ boring book in our Sunday-reading-in-the-hammock routine. Hmmm…note how I instinctively called it a “she”? Designating gender to a piece of technology isn’t very odd at all. I guess that just proves that she has found a very happy place in our family. And doesn’t fear getting kicked out or disowned any time soon. She has become “one of the girls.”

Spring is here! It is making a lovely appearance on both sides of the United States and whether you you are looking at it from afar (like Kimberly’s gorgeous shot) or up close (like my buzzy bee), you can just hear the buzzing hum of Spring.

Hosted by Megan and Hip Momma

Our bunnies are wishing you and yours a very happy and blessed Easter!

Motivation is waning over here. I’m not sure if it is just the sick kids (and now sick husband) or the whirlwind of our crazy chaos but I’m really tired today. I think I’m so relieved that Spring Break starts at 3:30 today that my body is just finally just slowing down.

But I’m most definitely NOT getting sick. Let’s just clear that up right now. No. I am not getting the creeping crud that everyone else seems to have around here.

I took Addie in for all her k-garten checkups (dentist and doctor) on Monday and squeezed Em in with her. I mean as long as I’m going to be there anyhow, right?

Dentist was fine. All looks good. Still cavity-free thankfully. And we get to the doctor and I asked if they could just do quick check of Em’s lungs since both girls have done nothing but cough All.Night.Long. For several weeks it seems like.

So the nurse asks if she has had a fever, loss of appetite, etc. All the normal questions. “No she has seemed fine it is just at night the wracking coughs are keeping them (and us!) up.”

“Hmmm…well she has a fever right now.”

“Uh…..really?” (Bad mother award for the week…right here.)

“And…she has a really bad ear infection.”

Fantastic. So she is on meds, but both the girls’ lungs sound great. It might just be allergies, drippy noses making them cough at night. Double fantastic.

So we have been medicining them, humidifying them and babying them. I think they are finally on the mend. And then J. comes home last night and can’t talk. Not a great way to start off our Spring Break here.

But we have a nice weekend of nothing really needing to be done and we can recuperate.

And all of Em’s diorama stuff is done, Open House is done, Jog-a-thon is done.

And I almost have the website done for my friend.

And I have some fun projects to sew.

And I think (if he is feeling better) that I may have talked J. into doing a co-ed adult soccer team with me on Sundays.

And we have booked a few days at a resort in Santa Barbara for next week.

So as long as we can get everyone healthy, I am excited for a very fun week ahead.

Hope you all have a restful, healthy weekend, too!

Not that we needed anyone to tell us that Spring is here,
for the flip flops have been out of the closet for about a week now.
But this little ladybug is a sure sign that Spring is here to stay.

For all my big talk about how amazing it was (is) going to be to have some “all alone” time this weekend, it is just…well, weird. It doesn’t feel right. It has been a mere 12 hours since the girls were dropped at their respective best friend’s homes, but instead of living it up and taking advantage of my freedom, I’m left feeling very unsettled. I think being “Mom” must truly be ingrained in me, and being “off-duty” just kinda leaves me feeling a little lost.

My big weekend so far? We’ll start at last night…

Just dropped Em off at Audrey’s. She could not get rid of me fast enough. I think she actually said, “Ok, Mama. Time to go.” I run between the raindrops back to the car and as I turn the key, I catch myself starting to say, “All buckled?” Then I glance into the mirror and see the empty backseat. Not even a carseat. Nothing but a few (well, quite a few actually) crumbs and a cast-off hairband. Weird.

Walk into the very quiet house and am greeted by the lonely meow of Tiger. I call to check on Addie and Brandi assures me that Addikins is being “very, very good” and happily playing with the kids. Addie agrees to take a breather and say good night over the phone to me.

“Hi Mama. We are just playing. I’m being very good and using my good manners. Goodnight. Bye. Love you.”

I struggle to hold back my tears, I have rarely talked to the girls on the phone. She sounds so little. That sweet, baby voice doesn’t fit the confident four-year old I left just an hour or so ago.

I wander upstairs and begin to pack since I’ll need to be getting to the airport in ten hours or so.

I wander back downstairs, packing didn’t take nearly as long as I had anticipated. It is too early to head to bed and too late to try to watch a movie, but I desperately need some sort of noise. It is so quiet I can hear the pat-pat-pat of Tiger’s paws as she moves across the floor, even over the sound of the rain pounding our courtyard outside.

I turn on Project Runway. Mmmm…how gaudy and tacky is that dress? Oh, but how much would Em adore it? I can almost hear her exclaiming, “Look how pretty that one is, Mama! I like the sparkly straps. Isn’t it pretty, Mama?”

Tacky dress gets voted off. Should I delete the show? Well, maybe I’ll keep it and play it for Em and see if my theory is correct.

I head upstairs, I guess I should try to get a little sleep. Without thinking, I turn left at the top of the stairs to go in and tuck the girls in. Stop at Addie’s door when I see her neatly made bed and remember there is nobody to cover up, no sweet cheeks to kiss tonight.

I wander through her room and pick up a stray stuffed cat and throw it back on her bed. I can almost hear her raspy little snores, and then I catch a whiff of her sleepy smell – a mix of baby shampoo, lavender bath soap and toothpaste.

Em’s room gives more of the same – familiar smells, but an empty bed. I add water to her fishtank, Katherine, (Em’s poor, somewhat neglected fish) gives me a thankful wag of the fin for the pinch of food I also throw in.

Feeling lonely, I coax Tiger to sleep with me. My tossing and turning all night must have driven her away in the night though, when I woke up this morning even she was gone.

I just realized that I’ve been up for six hours already, one-quarter of a day, and other than a quick call to J. at the airport and a “Could I have a venti non-fat, no whip mocha, please” at the Starbucks, I haven’t said a word to anyone, or had any sort of conversations or demands to tend to. I’ve read the entire newspaper, found a craft for Em’s class to do next week (thank you, Family Fun magazine), and written this post. Now what do I do with myself?

I think this just proves that you can might be able to take the girl out of the Mom, but you can’t take the Mom out of the girl.

I miss my girls. I think by the time I can shake my Mom-mode and start to relax, it will be about the time I’m heading back home. And right now I’m really looking forward to that trip back.