It's Okay Thursday {#1}

As a parent and a person, we often try sooo hard to have our crap together. Many of us fake it, hide it, put up a facade from time to time. But really, deep down, I think we all know that sometimes we have to just be okay with certain, uh...shortcomings, shall we say. Because, in the grand scheme of life, it really is OKAY.....

....that I let the kids eat about 10 ritz crackers and a cup full of popcorn and called it dinner because I have lots of homework to do and the husband just got called out....

...that Hunter peed her bed about 4 days ago and I haven't washed the sheets yet because I smelled them and they didn't smell "THAT" bad yet.

...that my kids rode their bikes in the neighborhood, in their underwear, because they're 4.  And frankly I was too tired to put clothes on them.

...that I let Ethan wear his underwear backwards because again, he's 4. And I think his baby thong is kinda funny.

...that I told the kids we were out of fruit snacks. Because I really wanted the last 2.

...that I enjoyed watching Hunter and Ethan sit knee to knee, staring at one another as punishment until they agreed to say sorry and I love you.  :)

....that I just washed the same load of laundry AGAIN so I wouldn't have to fold the laundry in the dryer. Yet.

...that I skipped a few pages in the middle of the book we read tonight because I really needed to get other stuff done.  :) 

And that's a wrap for this edition of "It's Okay Thursday!" 

Brought to you by....

Colton

 Ethan

 Brian & Hunter

Happy Thursday!  

B.A.D in May!

Somedays, as I sit here, it feels as if I've forgotten how to write. I struggle to find a clever "hook" or topic about which to write and as such, I write some cheesy one liner , hit a roadblock, hit 'SAVE' and never return to it. Don't believe me? Look. Just look at all the "DRAFTS" I left for dead.

Furthermore, please note some of the titles..."Random", "Sometimes there isn't a theme," "Yes, we're still here.."      Anyone else detect a theme?

Well anyway, it's May. And for the past 3 years I've done a Blog-a-Day in May. Why May? Oh, I don't know...perhaps it's because I like the challenge of trying to accomplish 31 EXTRA somethings in what is already one of the BUSIEST months OF.MY.LIFE.

Or maybe it's just because "Blog-a-Day-in-May" rolls off the tongue a whole lot nicer than "Blog-a-day-in-October."

Either way. Here I am.  :)

I'm 36 now, you know.

See?

And if I may say so, I'm lovin' 36.  I'm excited for the year ahead, but mostly I'm excited about (attempting to) spend the next 31 days with YOU!  

Anyhoo, I always like to set up my Blog-a-day Marathons with disclaimers. The kind that say, 'I'm going to do a blog a day every day in May. UNLESS something happens. Something really drastic. So drastic that I couldn't possibly hit Publish in time.

What types of things qualify, you ask? Well let's take a look.

Top 10 Reasons I Might Fail my Blog-a-Day. 

10. My husband will slice the tip of his finger on sharp metal requiring a trip to Urgent Care for Stitches. (This is literally happening as we speak.) I asked him if he was trying to sabotage my mission. He assures me he was not.  :) But whatever.

9. I'll likely forget to charge my laptop, not realizing it until 11:59 pm., making it too late to post.

8. I'll be so tired on the evening of Kindergarten Graduation that I'll forget all about it. With 11 days to spare.

7. I will. fall. asleep mid senttttttttttttt.t.    ji;;;;;;siiii. (You get the idea).

6. Hunter will hit Ethan. This will cause Ethan to become infuriated. He will then bite Colton (because he's into that again.) I, subsequently, will be too exhausted from refereeing, to post.

5. I might actually just forget.

4. I'll probably stay out late partying and dancing. Bwahhhahaha!! That is SO not even close to what might possibly be the truth.

3. I'll probably get so engrossed with The Voice that I just forget.

2. Truthfully, I'll probably be doing laundry.

and....

1. I'll sit down to start typing, and someone will call for me. I'll go to where they are only to learn that they just needed me to pull down the bin of play food in the playroom. So I'll grab the bin of food which will consequently make me think of real food. So I'll go into the kitchen to find something for dinner. I'll open a cupboard to look for spaghetti sauce and will then decide that it needs to be reorganized. So I'll start pulling things out and setting them on the counter, which will make me want to wipe the counters down with my Shaklee Basic H spray. (Right, Nicole?) So I'll wipe them down, then throw away the paper towel. This will make me think to take the trash out. So I'll take the trash outside and will then need to straighten up all the tricycles. By the time I come back in, I will have totally forgotten that I ever even started a blog.  :)

True Story. Every single day of my life.

Welcome to May, everyone!

Get some rest...it's gonna be an exhausting month.  

(Yes, Hunter had a bloody nose, which I oddly didn't notice until I saw it through the camera lens!) 

Anyhoodle....8 days left to vote. :) We've been ping-ponging through the top 5, and are currently sitting at Number 2. Thank you all for the love. You make this contest fun and exciting, and like they say at the Oscar's, it's an honor just to be nominated!  hee hee...

Pictures, pictures, pictures...and a pity vote.

My name is Ami and it's been 37 days since I last blogged.

Incidentally, almost no day passes that I don't think, "I'll want to remember this....I should blog about it." But  by the time I leave work, pick up the kids, get home, make dinner (okay fine, pour cereal) eat, clean up the house, clean up the house again, get the kids in bed, pick up the house one more time, etc. I am just too tired. Brian was recently gone for 6 weeks, then home, then gone again for another 4 days, so to say 'I've been busy' is quite possibly the biggest understatement I've made this year .

And in the moments I find to even GO to my blog, I always leave wanting to yell to my kids, "Hey kids, did you know we had Christmas this year? There was an elf and cookies...And Easter? Did you know the giant bunny came to our house? And did you know you turned 4? I promise I took pictures...I did. I really, really......did.

So anyway, April is almost over and I have all intentions of doing a Blog-a-Day in May. (Mostly so that I can record holidays and special events from the past 6 months or so.

 But since I'm asking people to vote for my blog right now, I thought it only fair that I actually DO a blog. Right now.  So since it requires little thought to write about, I thought I'd share some photos from our recent family photo shoot with my friend and former Kinder Parent, Meridy, of Simply Snapshots.

Brian's family had been wanting to have photos done and we finally arranged it! Thank GOD the kids, who had been in a CRAPPY mood, and all sitting in time out when I picked them up, cooperated and were totally pleasant by the time their cheesy smiles were needed! (It helps that they love Meridy.)

So here, a few of our photos.

L to R: Kristen (Brian's sister), Hunter, Brian, Ethan, Me, Brian's mom, Colton, Brian's Dad

My little family

I love this series because it captures the essence of my every day life.

Something about these particular photos makes me think, HOLY CRAP, I grew these people! At the same time!

Again, story of my life. All in the name of a photo.

A jet flew overhead...

Aunt Kristen and the crazies!

No really, look at their faces. 

Daddy and his little girl

and his biggest boy...

and his baby.

Me and my littlest dinosaur.

and my biggest guy..

And itty bitty.

Brian and Kristen

Typical Siblings.  ;)

Please note that Colton keeps his brother in line by holding on to his ears!

 My hubs and me.

And now, in return for my return,
care to give us a little vote?

Just click the link below and scroll down to find The Best Things in Life are THREE. (We've been in 5th place for a while). I'd just be happy to stay in the top 10! I don't have the energy to go into full competitive mode like we did a few years ago! (Which, by doing so, you helped us win, by the way!)
Anyhoo, you're awesome and I appreciate your vote! You can vote once a day until May 8th.
Thanks a BUNCH!