Life. November 6, 2015. Pumpkins, costumes, candy, and tiredness.

This post probably won't be the most encouraging, nor will it be the most organized.

I just realized I'm 4 units behind blogging about kids school stuff.  I'm not sure I can keep up the detail of work they're all into ... it takes a couple hours to go through everything!  I'll give a recap...probably a different day.  Perhaps I'll sit down tonight.  Right now it is time to get supper going.

I've just been incredibly busy and I am having a hard time squeezing out time in life for anybody else than my "main 5" in the house.  Laundry is taking me 4 days to cycle through...and by the time everything is put away, the dirty baskets are full again.

Cooking a healthy and fresh dinner is a rarity these days.  Need to figure out a way to change this.  Shopping for food is like being an escape artist...have to sneak away by myself when Dave is available to keep kids at a decent hour is a challenge.  When I do go shopping, I just "get stuff" with no plan...that in it self is a source of anxiety.  Cupboards are full...what to make?  I have no idea.  Who wants oatmeal again.

Kids have been waking me up SO early and fighting so much that it puts a sour taste in my mouth from the beginning of the day.  Eli is awake until 10 most nights in bed and then gets out saying he needs to use the bathroom.  He wakes me up at 6:30 and says he's so, so hungry.

Eli drops his fork and cup every single meal.

I stopped doing school once this week and the kids helped me clean.  De-clutter, organize, vacuum, toss things they didn't want to keep, deep clean their rooms, wash floors, put toys away.  I couldn't work in the disaster zone, it stressed me out too much.  I am not one to demand perfection but I also expect them to help clean their own messes, and they just don't.

Eli said something funny to Vanessa that only Dave heard so I need to ask him what it was.  Something about Eli recalling a time when he fell down the stairs.  Vanessa asked him what he wanted to do, and he described the time he fell down the stairs, then said, "let's not do that" to her.

There are high points in raising kids.  We've had plenty of those!  This week, however, has been a "downer", which means it can only get better. :D

I read a friend's facebook post this morning and it encouraged me.

"Before you give an inward sigh, groan or eyeroll,
Set the mood of your day right now: gratitude.
[I will thank You forever,
because You have done it.]"

I like ending that way, because it is what He did for us that we always have the opportunity to thank Him for.  No matter what!

tooth fairy and tooth

Anna and Olaf

Um. An angry bird (is that ME!?) and Dave's disturbing face.

the candy mash

he calls this his spider trap.  Red lines.

Legos are everywhere.  I love how creative the kids are with these.  But they are everywhere.

thankful for Mama Row taking the kids to the library and getting them excited about books.  It has really helped.

OH yeah. Halloween happened.  Rachel came to the rescue with some costumes.

that kitty mermaid took me way too long!

Violet carved her own this year.  Calvin wanted Dave to carve him a classic pumpkin face.