we almost didn't make it {the day before is the worst}

this was t-minus 17 hours and 10 minutes until 2nd grade started.

we almost didn't make it.

awesome park for the win.

and 69 cent mcdonald's ice cream cones.

i don't know what was worse...

that we started school on a thursday,

or that everyone else started school on wednesday.

the day before.

:/

one dinner i won't forget

there were about 500 bees,

the kids were crying and running away from the table,

spilling their drinks,

breaking their cups,

and not wanting to eat.

also, dean cried the entire time.

yep,

that's basically how it went this year.

the back to school feast.

can't win 'em all;)

#4kidsisalotofkids

i bribed him of course

{above: orientation day. where the mommy's stay}

...

it was all fun and games until he found out i wasn't going to GO to school with him.

totally caught me off guard.

so of course i did the only logical thing. 

bribed him with his binky

and sent him off in the car with dad:) 

the baby man goes to school.

dear chase,

not sure how we got here pal.

feels like you should be at home playing cars around the coffee table forever.

i hope they make you pull up your own underwear and shorts.

'cause i just can't say no to those bright blue eyes of yours.

xoxo,

MOM

{except you call me mommy. the only one to call me that so far. 

and it's the sweetest thing i've ever heard.}

things i've been thinking about over christmas vacation

{one day the big kids decided to potty train chase. we had no where to go, and chase was so proud walking around in undies. i let them have their fun, and then the next day they forgot about it, and i pretended underwear never happened, and we went back to our regularly scheduled, and conveniently happy, diaper baby man life. phew, that was a close one.}

...

things i thought about over christmas vacation...
school life is overrated {also, it's great--i'm a woman, and i get to say things like that and have them make sense}.
i don't miss carpool, or homework, or alarm clocks at all.
and i can't believe i'm saying this,
but i actually kind of liked having all of my kids home all day long.
not to worry, this feeling passed this morning when someone pooped in their pants,
someone else slapped someone in the face, and brennan spelled out the word S-H-*-T when he dropped the toilet paper roll into the potty,
he told me that he can spell it out because i do it that way,
and my eyes got all big,
and sean was laughing at me from the top of the stairs, covering his mouth, pointing at me while leaning over his belly in hysterical silent laughter, listening to all of it transpire.
whispering that i deserve this parental humiliation by my child {i MAY have been laughing too, but mostly just turning really red in the face--glutton for punishment},
and then he gave me a really responsible adult look with his most charming smirk that he does with his beautiful big brown eyes.
maybe it was more like laughing with his eyes in a funny tone because he loves all of me, even the potty mouth part of me that spells out swear words from time to time when i forget pack n plays and taking my kids to birthday parties and stuff like that {all the while thinking i was so clever by not actually SAYING the word, only spelling it out.}
mmmhmmmm.
that's what she said.
and that's when i thought, the kids are teaching me, not the other way around,
and then i made brennan pinky promise that he would stop spelling out swear words when the toilet paper roll falls into the toilet bowl, and in return i would stop spelling out swear words when i realize i've forgotten pack n plays and birthday parties, and other stuff like that.
and we even kissed our thumbs when we did it,
so that means it's for real.
that's what the makenzie maxine old told us.
i'm dreading monday morning, and looking forward to it all at the same time.
because as much as i don't want a schedule again, i need a schedule again.
and i'd like a schedule again.
at least i think that's what the feeling i'm feeling is telling me tonight.
or maybe it's just saying "regular bedtime for the kids."
mmmm that sounds nice:)
i'd just rather that school started around 10am, so i didn't have to set an alarm clock,
and rush anybody off to school.
or really i just like it to start at the exact time that we decide to get there each day.
kind of like the world revolving around us.
and also, i wish there was no homework and nobody fighting while i try to make dinner,
and while i'm helping someone do homework.
nope, i'd rather just sleep in, lounge half awake with a toddler cuddled up on my chest,
watching a movie with a sippy full of milk,
and a 4 yr old and 6 yr old eating cheerios at the kitchen table,
and playing on my phone and on the xbox downstairs,
until the toddler finally shoves me out of bed,
demanding pancakes {which he calls eggs}.
that's the kind of alarm clock life i'd prefer:)
just if we're ordering up life like eggs.
or pancakes, if you're chase.
then later, we can make beds,
maybe get dressed and change people's underwear and stuff,
brush teeth and roll up to school right in our very own time.
then i can go somewhere in our car with the other two.
and see some fish or a children's museum,
and not have any idea what time it is, except when someone tells you they're hungry,
and it's 2pm and you think, yep, i guess it's time for lunch isn't it?
and then we'll read some books together in the big room,
just when the afternoon sun is warming up the lazy boy recliner rocking chair by the window.
and then we'll take our naps.
and kids will just magically transport themselves home from school without the use or necessity of a carpool time frame.
and then we will go to grandma's house or bajio or culver's for dinner.
and play with cousins and stuff like that.
and not have any homework:)
i think that's called summer vacation though.
yep, it is.
and then i'm all, how do the home schooling mom's do it???
because linsey's mom was all, "if i home-schooled, my kids would have either been illiterate or dead."
and i'm always all, "yep, yep they would! which is why i send my kids to school, and set alarms and do carpools and all the jazzy stuff like that."
so tomorrow, monday morning brings us back to the grind,
and i'm happy and sad about it all at the same time.
i guess i'm ready for it after all.
'cause bedtimes ARE actually kind of great,
and school life is the only thing known to man that can force me into a normal bedtime on a regular basis.
also regular showers.
i feels kind of like the end of summer vacation.
except it's finally cold and winter out.
i think january should be 28 days and february should be 31 days.
because january is nice and all to slow everything down,
but 31 days just makes it go on for too long.
how is it that i blinked and christmas vacation was over?
it was like some magical time transport where we floated away with our cousins to the land of no responsibility and no schedule, and it was lovely.
lovely, lovely, lovely.
there's nothing like not knowing what day of the week it is or what hour of the day it is.
there's nothing like vacation breaks.

christmas report to come....

later this week....

after i scrub some potties.

which haven't been cleaned since before christmas.

it's not pretty.

there's always going to be somebody that doesn't like peaches.

we laid out all of his choices.

it took him about 5 seconds to decide.

then we labeled everything but his underwear and socks,

even though he begged me to do his socks,

i would not.

don't know why i wouldn't,

just seemed excessive i guess.

plus really,

if he actually takes off his socks and loses them,

i don't really want them back. 

...

i chased little Hawaiian umbrellas around my patio for about 2 minutes

while i was trying to set the table. 

until i realized tape was really what i needed.

when i came back,

max was chasing Hawaiian umbrellas around the patio.

and i laughed.

kindred souls.

clearly.

but once i taped them down,

they were a hit.

i gave each of my kids a plastic hawaiian necklace,

and brennan was the first to suggest we cheers.

the green puffs were my favorite part.

and it was just so fun to fuss over.

inspiration here.

i've only been waiting 5 years to do it:)

and i have been counting down the days this week to enjoy it.

{even though chase threw food at me almost the entire time.}

spaghetti and meatballs, with green beans and rolls, per brennan's request.

it wasn't "if" he was going to touch the balls,

just "when."

his little world is about to explode into a thousand times bigger.

and i'm terrified and ecstatic for him all at the same time.

like we're opening a brand new book we've never read before.

and i feel like we're going to Disneyland.

with the buzz of the first day jitters all around.

so excited you can hardly sleep!

after dinner he told me that he's most excited about making new friends,

and most nervous about making new friends.

so i told him that if he's nervous about making new friends,

that maybe the other kids might be nervous too,

and he smiled at me and said "yeah," 

a little excited about thinking about it all.

and then i told him to be nice to everybody,

and always

always

always

tell the truth.

b/c i used to be a big fat liar,

and all it got me was trouble;)

and then i told him that no matter how big and juicy a peach is,

there's always going to be somebody that doesn't like peaches.

and he rolled his eyes and told me that i already told him that yesterday,

so i didn't need to tell him that again today.

i can't believe my baby is going to kindergarten tomorrow.

here we go...

"it's the most wonderful time of the year!!" -holly vick

i swore i would never let my little girl buy anything barbie.

we own a barbie scooter, helmet,

and

now

a

backpack.

awesome:)

it had her at pink ruffle 3D skirt.

i actually liked brennan's skull pack.

he picked out a ninja turtle thermos,

and avengers sneakers. 

purple sneakers and a sparkly sofia the first shirt for max.

chase got nothing.

unless you count everything brennan picked out.

hand

me

downs

are

great.

i also bought them both a box of brand new crayola crayons.

and spiral notebooks.

i just couldn't resist.

i will now torture them, 

as i was once tortured, 

by not letting them use or wear any of it 

until the first day of school.

:):):)

just as it should be.

so much more fun that way.

"it's the mooooooooooooost wonderful tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime 

of 

the 

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!!!"