My Little Life

I'm struggling. Really, truly, having a hard time with my baby going to kindergarten. I knew it was coming soon, I knew it was going to be difficult, but tonight, when I walked in the door from work and saw her Kindergarten stuff from Open House? Well, the tears started. And the tightness in my heart is breaking me. At this moment, I'm sort of wishing I was one of those moms that looks forward to school starting. One that gets excited about kids going off to school and eager for changes like this. But I'm not. And I'm struggling. You'll probably hear a lot from me over the next couple of weeks about this subject...cuz I'm just not ready.  I just can't believe that my Baby Girl is starting school. That my nest in one step closer to being empty. That my first baby is a senior and I'm taking his senior pictures tomorrow. Where is the time going?????? Ugh. Please pass the tissues.

It's official. I finally broke. After my hot, sweaty, sleepless night Sunday night, I threw in the proverbial white towel. I couldn't take it anymore. Called up my mama and declared..."I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!! WE'RE SLEEPING THERE TONIGHT!" And she was all, "Yes. Of course. Calm down." And I was all, "Can't...hear...you...dying. Of heat stroke." *croak* Thankfully I lived. And so, after going dress shopping with my bestie and her wedding crew (eeeeeek!!!) (she said "Yes!!" To the dress!!!!) (eeeeeeek!!!!! again!) I joined up with my children and slept in the cool comfort of my parent's basement. Sorta brought the whole "grown up and living in your parent's basement" thing to life. Gah. Thankful I can go back to my sweltering house today and that this basement living thing was just temporary. In other weather related news, it turns out Georgia stole our weather. So, if you see Georgi...

Been awhile since I've done a "real time" post, so here goes! Currently, laying beside me is a soon to be Kindergartner (sob, cry, wail) telling me she loves me "in the whole wide world" and singing to herself...trying to stay awake, I presume. I, am laying here, ice pack beneath my bum shoulder, lamenting the end of summer. The end of 8:30 pm suppers and 10:30 pm bedtimes. Also of note, I am not one of those moms who tries to get my kids to bed early in anticipation if the new school routine. No way, nuh uh. The school year takes my kids away from me enough the way it is, they aren't gonna get my last of summer, too!! I look at the first week of school as our transition time. My kids' teachers probably hate me.  My skin is wet. Like, clammy...the AIR is clammy, for that matter! So hot and humid here, even the rainforests are laughing at us and it doesn't look like its gonna get any better anytime soon. Which makes me somewhat...

It's always this time of year that makes me realize how stinking fast our kids grow up. One day you're changing diapers and wiping boogers and the next you're sending them off to Kindergarten...(or paying for college application fees...gah.). You all know how I feel about about sending my kids to school and that I'd jump all over a half-day/part-time option...but something else has been nagging at me. I feel like I'm being cheated out of 6 months with my baby girl. The three middles have birthdays that allowed me to send them to school closer to (or just over, in Hambone's case, what with his August birthday) 6 years old. With Pal, I didn't yet have the experience I do now to realize the luxury of keeping a kiddo home until they're almost 6...the three middles gave me the opportunity to experience that extra time. And I'm not going to get that with my baby. It kind of breaks my heart a little...knowing that, when I send her out th...

I believe that I am one of those women that will never, ever (ever, ever, never) get rid of baby fever. Did I mention ever? I absolutely love babies. They way they smell (ahem...that is, the way they smell with a FRESH diaper on), the way they sound, the way they feel, the way they look...ugh. It kills me. Which is why, my job is perfect...I get to snuggle babies fresh out of the chute! Well, not "snuggle", really, but hold. And secretly, in my heart, I snuggle them. I'm pretty sure my patients would think I'm wackadoo crazy if I snuggled their baby and boldly sniffed their little heads, so I'm always all ninja about it..."Oh, you need my help with breastfeeding? Yes, let me take the baby while you get positioned..." and then I hold that baby close and get a tiny little baby fix. Shhhhh...don't tell my secret. ;) Lately, there are newborns EVERYWHERE...which really shouldn't be surprising since approximately 4 weeks ago there were pr...

Edited to add:  I thought this post had published last night...clearly, I was wrong. (Sheesh, that NEVER happens...you know, ME being WRONG.) ;) So, without further ado, last night's post: 8 years ago, at approximately this very minute, I was pelting my sound asleep and snoring husband with anything I could reach from my hospital bed. The baby boy I had given birth to not quite 24 hours ago, super speedy like, in the middle of the night, was finally asleep...but the radiator in my room was clinging and clanging and hissing and sputtering and I JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. So, I chucked a bottle of lotion at him and pleaded with him to please wake up and fetch the nurse cuz MAMA WAS GONNA LOSE IT. And soon. I was exhausted. Elated, overjoyed, madly in love with the tiny bundle in my arms, but exhausted. I pulled the "difficult patient" card and we scored a great new room. That baby...that sweet, tiny, wise old soul of a newborn, was my Hambone...

Raise your hand if you remember floppy disks. *raises hand* And, now, I'm talking the REAL floppy disks...the thin, black, floppy, papery square things that we used to use in computer s before the smaller, black, sturdy square things that were the predecessor to the itty bitty SD cards we have now. How about that green turtle that served as the cursor arrow on those archaic old computers? Remember those? Or, or...OR!! How about when the school...the WHOLE DANG SCHOOL owned like 5 computers. TOTAL. Remember that? Our current household now houses more computers than the first computer lab I ever sat in. How old am I!?! Sheesh...here's another little tidbit that'll date me. Once upon a time, I believe somewhere in the Kriss Kross "Jump Jump" era, jean bib overalls were HOT. The bigger and baggier the better, and when you wore one of your straps off your shoulder? Well HOT DAMN! You were something else. So, someone I know *ahem* had a $100 school...

Seems like my photography goes in spurts. I'll do a bunch, then none for awhile...currently, I'm on the "doing a bunch" swing, and having fun! A few little peeks for your Wednesday morning enjoyment...

Or, is it began? Anyway...school shopping...'tis upon us. Completed 2 of 5 "Kid and Mom Day" outings so far. Baby Girl yesterday, Hambone today and wowza. That is exhausting. Mostly because: "No, you don't need another skull and crossbone shirt. Oh, LOOK! A button up! Oh, no button ups? Just one. Oh, you don't like that one?" *facepalm* Hambone had long ago decided he wanted to eat at Ciatti's. For those of you unfamiliar with Ciatti's, it is a fabulous Italian restaurant. Soooooo yummy. Needless to say, I was quite pleased with his choice and was looking forward to it. As we were driving there this evening, he suddenly says, "I don't wanna go to Ciatti's. I want to go to Noodles and Co. NO!! PANDA EXPRESS." SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!? Chinese fast food instead of yummy Italian sit-down in a nice atmosphere food? Panda Express it was. Also of note: I need to start eating salads instead of big, heavy, fat and calorie laden meals...

You know that when you haven't logged onto your computer in 5 days that life's been busy. Whoa nelly, it's been busy...but fun!! After working Wednesday and Thursday, I rushed home, finished packing up for our family reunion weekend, and rushed right back out the door...for 4 days of fun with family! Crazy thing is about my family, is that I actually enjoy spending time with them. They're funny and goofy and everyone gets along so well...it's a weekend we look forward to all year! This year was even more special...we celebrated the marriage of one one of my cousins AND the upcoming marriage of another cousin!  We ate, we laughed, we fished and swam and played "Around the World Badminton" (did y'all know that it was "badminton" and not "badmitton", I did not know this, and now I feel silly) and cutthroat croquet games and some participated in the annual "Them vs. Us" softball game. And we ate. A LOT. A...

Once upon a time, a few (several? a bunch? Less than a handful, more than a couple, that's all I know) years ago, I started this fun little blog party that we know as "Five Question Friday", affectionately known as #5QF. Soon, it grew before my very own eyes into a popular weekly link up, at one point, garnering *almost* 200 linker uppers! (I almost crapped my pants.) I like to think people came to read my witty, nonsensical answers, when really they probably just needed something to blog about that day and happened upon my little corner of the blogosphere. Over the last several weeks, Five Question Friday has been dying a slow death..."question suggestions" coming in painstakingly slow (and after much begging and groveling on my part), participation dwindling, and my attitude toward 5QF turning from excitement to tolerance to "do I have to?". Through the years I've had some regulars, some "one timers" and some now and then...

Yesterday was our annual trip to Valleyfair...Minnesota's version of an amusement park! My kids look forward to this day ALL. YEAR. LONG. Seriously. The day after our Valleyfair trip, at least one of the kids will pipe up with, "Mom, when do we get to go to Valleyfair next?" As time has evolved, I came to realize just HOW MUCH my husband loathes rides, and I stopped hounding him to go on the giant roller coasters...it might've been the year he was adamantly refusing to go (because he didn't want to be "forced" on any rides) that made me realize NOT everyone enjoys rides, even after they "try it just once and see!!". He does not share my love for big roller coasters. Or free fall drops. Or extreme swings. BUT ours is the perfect match because he DOES enjoy the "spinny" rides that my brain (and stomach) can't handle! (Tilt-a-Whirl, Scrambler, Octopus type rides...you know, the ones that spin you so much your eyeballs can't keep ...

So, forget last night's "how is it Thursday already" remark...HOW IS IT AUGUST?!?!?!? Holy man. I'm not ready. I still have a lot of summer that I want to experience! Rivers to jump in! Bon fires to sit around! Mosquitos to swat! I'm not ready for cool nights and jeans and sweatshirts and (ugh) SCHOOL SHOPPING. Boo. Sooooooo not ready. In any event, guess I better enjoy what's left of summer! Welcome to Five Question Friday!! You've come to the right place if you discovered your muses are all caught up with time moving too quickly.  Rules for 5QF:  Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then watch for the linky post to appear Friday morning and LINK UP!  Oh, and remember (pay close attention...this is the important one)...HAVE FUN! Questions for Friday, August 2nd:  (Special thanks to Harmony Song ( @harmonysong ) from Harmony Song ,   Pam ( @trooppetrie ) from  Troop Petrie  (for two!), Cate ( @RndmCrftyGA...

Well, look at that! Here it is, not even bedtime yet, and I'm getting the sneak peek done! That's gotta be a new record, or something! In other news, how on earth is it Thursday already?! I mean, I get the whole "the sun rises and sets" thing, but GAH. Time moves too quickly. Anyway, let's not chit chat all this extra time away! Straight to the questions! Welcome to Five Question Friday!! You've come to the right place if you discovered your muses are all caught up with time moving too quickly.  Rules for 5QF:  Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then watch for the linky post to appear Friday morning and LINK UP!  Oh, and remember (pay close attention...this is the important one)...HAVE FUN! Questions for Friday, August 2nd:  (Special thanks to  Harmony Song ( @harmonysong ) from Harmony Song ,   Pam ( @trooppetrie ) from  Troop Petrie  (for two!), Cate ( @RndmCrftyGAGrl ) from  Random Crafty Geor...