7 Quick Takes

 

~~1~~

We have a fridge full of fajitas (free leftovers from a business lunch) and cake balls.  What else could we need?  The kids and I made the cake balls this afternoon and they turned out great!  I used this recipe.  I also got up the guts to brave the grocery store this afternoon, so we will have food in the house for all of 1.5 days.  By Saturday I'm sure I'll be staring at an empty fridge wondering what has happened!  Black hole!

~~2~~

I had 3 kids with me at the grocery store since the oldest was at ballet class.  The two middle ones have NO sense of where other people are in the store.  They are constantly hanging on and off the cart and running in someone's way.  I let Ellie hold some air filters and I thought she was going to knock someone's head off since she claimed she could only hold them above her head.  Steven Joseph stops by anything that even remotely looks like a toy item or a sweet.  He called me over to check out some kind of air fresheners for trash cans that looked like candy!  I was getting dirty looks from the manager that kept passing us.  That was probably because one of my kids was always blocking the isle, and I let Thomas dig into a box of Wheat Thins.  But hey, he behaved!  Speaking of bad food, I let them eat popcorn and ice cream for breakfast today since the cupboards were bare.  Mom of the Year!

~~3~~

It's nights like these that I'm wondering why we've chosen an "Attachment Parenting" kind of lifestyle.  It's approaching midnight and my little 19 month-old partner is at my feet playing with my tennis shoes, taking them on and off his feet and trying to tie the laces.  I know that having a baby awake at midnight doesn't fall into the "AP" guidelines, but what I'm saying is I have kids attached to me all day long.  I've spent 10 years of my life now with a child either inside me or attached to my chest 24/7.  It's getting exhausting!  I was laughing at a Facebook post that recommended a weekend away for couples who hadn't done so in the last 6 months.  It's been 10 years!  Oh but they're so worth it.  Isn't he a doll?  One day we'll get away for a weekend.  Maybe in another 10 years...

~~4~~

But see, he does sleep.  Oh I just want to eat him up!  What a little love. I was playing around with Instagram during naptime today.  That is, until the 4 year-old had several screaming fits in the room next door.  Naptime is a constant battle to get older kids to be quiet!  The only sure-fire solution is Netflix, but I have to start using that sparingly.   I wish Instagram had a filter to get rid of under-eye bags!

~~5~~

Well, it's hard to see but there's a chicken in our bushes!  Not sure what she's doing there, but one of the kids said she was pooping.  So another child was crying demanding to be shown the poop while the other refused to show him.  These are the days of my life.

 

In other animal news, I was basking in the breezy morning air and feeling thankful for the singing birds and the seagull flying overhead while taking out the garbage.  Then a German Shepherd without a collar greeted me halfway down the driveway.  Good morning!  I stayed calm and made it back inside, but didn't dare go back out to put out the recycling!

~~6~~

 Ah, the month of May.  Mary's month.  What might the atmosphere in the home of the Holy Family have been like?  How can I recreate that in my own little chaotic domestic church of 4 very rowdy children?  Now I have a place to ponder this as I moved our little prayer altar into the dining room (former schoolroom).  My glider rocker faces the altar.  It will be a nice place to pray.  It's a bit hard to ponder when there is a child playing under the altar, though. 

 ~~7~~

I think these Quick Takes are signs that I need some more beach therapy this weekend.

Visit Jen for more Quick Takes!  Happy Weekend!