My life is perfect...

My life is perfect....and isn't....but SOOOO is. I know that's probably terrible grammar. I was happy to get C's in my college required English classes so whatever. The point is, my life isn't all roses, but damned if it isn't perfect.

I haven't had a haircut in 6 months. I haven't slept a full night REGULARLY in 10 YEARS. I don't have a regular eating schedule, I eat when I can. I clean my kitchen 15 FREAKING TIMES A DAY. My kids scream at me, HOURLY. My husband travels. I have no family in town and have only lived here 2+ years so I don't have a lot of "help" when I need it. I'm tired ALL OF THE TIME.

All of the above are just a few of the arguments to why my life is perfect. I don't have millions of dollars, the perfect house, a nanny, chef, or whatever other luxury you could think of. What I have is a loving husband and 4 healthy kids. What I have is a family, an incredibly IMPERFECT family. And what could be more perfect than that?

My husband will debate me ANY CHANCE he gets. I have someone who loves me and WANTS to "argue" with me.

I have to CONSTANTLY be the teacher in my kids lives. I have 4 kids that need to be taught everything worth teaching and then some.

My almost 2 year old wants to do EVERYTHING himself. I have a 4th child to guide when I never thought I would.

My 4 year old shows me EVERYDAY what it means to be a "girl". I never thought I would have a girl to guide.

My 7 year old CANNOT sit still. I have son that makes me want to get up and play.

My 9 year old will argue with me to NO END. I now know what it was like to raise me.

My life is Perfect.

I have 5 amazing and incredibly unique individuals in my life. And not just in my life, but part of what makes me who and I am and leave me wanting to make my life and their lives better.

I spend most of my days feeling broken, discouraged, tired, a failure, etc. Most days its not pretty. But that doesn't mean my life is broken, discouraging, tiring, failing, etc. I have a wonderful family that makes me want to get up each day and try to do better.

Every time I feel discouraged, I want to do better.

Every time I feel tired, I want to do better.

Every time I feel like I just can't do it, I want to do better.

And so, my life is perfect.

My life is filled with people that make me want to want more, do more, be more. My life is filled with incredible people that I made and made me. My life is good, my life is perfect.

We've expanded the family!

No, I'm not pregnant. If I were pregnant, every person on this planet would have heard the cry "What the F$&#?" It would take an act of god, science, or some other insanity for that to happen.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my kids and I would gladly have more if not the issues of pregnancy, money, and my love of sleep. However, I am only currently willing to expand my family in one way: kittens. Yes, kittens, plural. I know a lot of people refer to dogs as members of the family, well for me its cats, too. The furry little buggers get me every time.

When we moved here two and a half years ago (has is really been that long????) we had two cats, Stoli and Mo. I got Stoli when I lived in Arizona in 2000. I moved him across country in my jeep with my other cat Ace when I moved back to Michigan. We got Mo in 2004 a few weeks after Ace was hit by a car and died - one of the saddest days of my life, but I digress. Stoli was my "killer" cat. He wasn't much into attention or being a "pet". He looked after his territory, which we were a part of, but it was really more about his world and we just happened to be in it. Mo was a playful, crazy, please-pet-me kind of cat. They balanced each other quite nicely.

The day after we moved (YES, ONE FREAKING DAY) Stoli ran away. He was 12 years old and clearly wanted no part of our lives anymore. We asked our new neighbors to keep an eye out, but no one ever saw him. It was sad, but he was the kind of cat you might expect such an abrupt exit and at least we still had Mo.

Mo, Big Fat Mo, was great. He let the kids poke and pull at him and was always up for a good belly rub. Well, last summer Big Fat Mo became I-Can-See-Every-Rib-In-His-Body Mo. In just a short time (a month or so) he was super skinny, lethargic, and barely eating. Poor guy was sick, real sick. And one day he just never came home. It was very sad, but it's also a natural part of life and we know in our hearts he found himself a peaceful spot to rest in peace after a good 9 year run.

So for the past year or so we've been talking about getting a new cat. It just never seemed liked the right time. It was winter, we were super busy, we would be gone a lot, etc. Until a few weeks ago, and then it was time. Time to bring some more craziness to our lives in the form of a cat.

I started to research places on the internet, shelters and such. In Michigan and Arizona I always went to the humane society, but they don't have that here. They have plenty of shelters, SPCA, and such, but from what I found I needed to schedule things or go to a pet store for their animals. So...I got the family together for an outing to Pet Co nearby that had shelter cats/kittens. They didn't have much, but they had an adorable grey and white kitten that we all loved. We filled out the paperwork and eagerly waited for the screening call that we would surely pass. Except that we didn't. Apparently any thought of letting a cat outdoors of a millisecond was too much for this shelter to bear...

We were bummed. I WAS BUMMED. How could we not be the perfect family? EVERYONE wanted this cat! We have 4 kids that NEVER agree on ANYTHING until this kitten. Well, it seems the universe had different plans. I was referred by a friend to the League of Animal Welfare. I LOVE THIS PLACE. They were so nice, the facility was clean, and they let my 4 year old and 20 month old "visit" (aka terrorize) the cats for as long as we needed to find our perfect pet.

Rylan was instantly drawn to a black and white cat in the older kitten room (12 weeks or so). We spent awhile with these kittens and after a bit I began getting attached to an orange tabby, I loved him. As cute as these guys were, I wanted to make sure that Rylan saw all of the cats they had so we bounced around to the tiny kitten room (6-8 weeks) and the young adult cat room. We could have taken a cat/kitten home from any of these rooms, but Rylan and I kept going back to our original guys. We had clearly bonded and we were clearly going home with not one, but TWO kittens.

And so here we are with Jack (attack) and George (or Red or some other name we haven't come up with yet). Jack is a bit crazy, thus Jack Attack. And George is a quiet cuddly type, but has a definite I'm-the-boss-so-don't-mess-with-me attitude if you cross him. The kids are loving them and it feels good to have cats in the house again.

 Our family is complete, for now at least :)

I'm BACK!

7+ freaking months since I last posted?????? Slacker, I know. I could throw out some line of total BS about all the craziness, but really, its just been normal craziness. There have been events and milestones, but no different than other peoples lives.

Jake, Brenden, and Rylan successfully completed their year of school. If they hadn't....well, then there most CERTAINLY would have been a post before now.

Jake and Brenden tried out for Cincinnati United and both made the B squads. Again, if they hadn't made a team there would have been a post.

Chris, Jake, and Brenden got to have the ultimate boys weekend. They spent a weekend in Michigan going to Lions training camp and the Manchester United-Real Madrid soccer game at the Big House. So this one should have been a post for sure, but I was in Tennessee for 10 days coaching/judging and SUPER jealous I didn't get to go....so I'll totally give you this for slacker, there was bound to be one.

Rylan turned 4....would have been a MEGA-HUGE post if that hadn't happened. I am very happy to inform you that I MUCH prefer 4 to 3, there's something about the odd years that are quite maddening...

Miles is talking....sort of. After going through speech delay issues with Brenden there really isn't anything major to report here. Miles is ahead of Brenden, but probably has a slight delay, but the doc said to wait until he's 2 before I should be concerned or do an evaluation, so I will.

Chris and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. Ok, this was kind of huge and probably should have posted. But again, this is something that happens for lots of people. The real shock of it is that Chris hasn't left me...yet ;) You all know how crazy I am :)

Truth is, we wake, we live, we sleep, and sometimes a little something extra happens. I'll try to do better about filling you in on the something else's of our lives :)

Did you lick the bowl today?

So Tuesday night we had planned to have a nice outing to Target. I should have known it wouldn't go without at least one melt down, by me or the kids. Nonetheless, we went with high hopes and came home a little less positive than when we left. Oh well. But on the way home when we were talking (as we often do) about how we can all do a little better the next time, I decided I would try to make things up a bit and offered to make chocolate chip cookies when we got home. Obviously this was a big hit, even with Brenden who was trying his best to stay mad at me for "yelling" at him.

So we made it home and get everyone shuffled out of the car and into the house and we all start getting things ready to make some cookies. Unfortunately, we had to settle for a half-batch. I only had enough sugar for that since I had of course forgot to pick up more sugar when at Target...I always forget at least one thing I need at Target yet always manage to get 5 things I don't need....Anyway, we all helped putting in the sugar, butter, eggs, flour, etc., even Brenden helped :) And throughout the process was the constant question: Can I lick the bowl now?????NOW?????WHEN CAN I LICK THE BOWL????? Alas we finished and all got to lick the bowl. And not only did we lick it, but there was about enough dough for another 1-2 cookies that I didn't feel like baking on a separate sheet so we divided that up and had mini dough cookies.....mmm, yummy!

And when the cookies were done we all sat down and enjoyed warm homemade chocolate chip cookies and a little vanilla ice cream. Did this fix everything that had happened on our ambitious Target trek? No, of course not. Did we all end the night a little happier than we started? YES :) What really made this special for me was how we all just got to spend time together. And more importantly, time where I didn't have to constantly say no or don't do that or not now or whatever negative comments spewed from my mouth while at Target.

Not once while mixing, baking, and eating did I worry about the mess we were making. Not once did I worry about the refined sugar we loaded into the cookie dough. I knew this would make bedtime a little longer, but I didn't care. I didn't hesitate for one second to let the kids lick the bowl. This was OUR time. No worry of messes, salmonella, processed food, etc. were going to take this away from us. It didn't fix all of the things we ALL did wrong earlier in the night, but it did allow us to forget all of that and just enjoy - the cookies, each other, the moment.

There are a lot of things that we pass on to our kids, good and bad. Most days I don't get it right. But on that night I know I got the end right. And I hope on that night my kids will remember how we just enjoyed ourselves and forgot about all the rest.

If your day didn't go as planned I hope that you can find a way to lick the bowl :)

Bee-licious is 7!!

BEE....Bren.....Brenny.....Bee-licious....B-Man.....My Brenden Bear.....how can you possibly be 7!? You were the one I was supposed to soak up every moment with because you might be my last baby (don't laugh, Chris originally only wanted 2 kids). And even though we did have more, you are my baby so 7 just doesn't seem possible! You are my sweet boy that continues to amaze me with your crazy personality and imagination. You have always had the eye for observation. While people underestimate you, you take it all in and when you're ready you unleash your power and knowledge on this world and let them know that they should never underestimate you again. It's been a lot of fun this past year as your interests have broadened. And the huge amount of information you have been taking in, mainly in memorizing all the sports data you can get your hands on. You are constantly seeking more information and knowledge which has allowed you to excel at everything you try. Happy Birthday, Bren!

So Brenden's birthday landed on a Saturday so we decided he would have a birthday weekend. Friday he got to go with my dad to Toy R Us to pick out a gift. Saturday he had a Futsal game in the morning and then we spent the rest of the day preparing for his celebration with his friends. He wasn't thrilled about having an actual party so Chris came up with the idea to take him and a few friends to a Cincinnati Cyclones hockey game. He invited 4 friends to come over for cake, presents, and a chance to get some energy out before the game. Jake also was allowed to come to be game and bring along a friend. We got there right as the puck dropped and got to stay to the end. The Cyclones lost, but there was lots of action, it was super hero night, and orange leaf for the boys to keep their sugar high going :) I think Brenden really enjoyed it and it was so nice for me to see him with his friends. After the game it was back to our house with one of the boys for an overnight, Brenden's first time having a friend stay the night. The boys eventually settled down and fell asleep, but at one point it seemed like they would be up all night. Sunday would bring our family celebration. We gave him presents the day before, but with having his friends come over we didn't get to do family dinner of his choice. So Sunday we had chicken divine (Brens favorite), Oreo ice cream pie, and watching the Super Bowl all together. A great birthday weekend!

        

The J-Man turns 9!

Holy crap, my first born is 9! How can this possibly be? What's more crazy is that he seems to finally be catching up to his age. What you say? Well, from the moment he came screaming into this world it was clear Jake was an old soul. He has always seemed beyond his years in the way he thinks, acts, and the aura he emits into this world. And watching him this past year we have really been able to see this in the way he approaches school, sports, being the oldest child, and helping out in our lives. He starts his day by getting up and fed so that he can get Miles up and fed. He recognizes when I'm overwhelmed and asks if there is anything he can do to help. He puts forth every effort in his soccer games and works hard at home (when weather permits) at his skills to ensure the next game will be even better. He has read the entire Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series and is now on the Hobbit and tackling The Lord of the rings series and asked if he could start the Hunger Games series as well. Beyond. His. Years. This kid never ceases to amaze me, what a lucky mom I must be.

His birthday fell on a Thursday so it was school all day, but that evening Chris returned from a long business trip and we had a great family night with lime chicken for dinner, ice cream pie for dessert, presents from family, and watching Turbo together. An awesome night all around.

Jake decided this year instead of a bunch of presents from us he wanted a party at Scallywag Tag - a laser tag and arcade place. He invited 10 friends and Bren got to have one friend as well. They had a blast playing laser tag, getting tickets in the arcade for prizes, eating pizza, and of course chowing down on cake - one kids said it was the best cake ever, go me. There was no doubt Jake made the right choice and had a great party.