TEN Random Thoughts, TEN Cute Photos . . .

1)  Ben is obsessed with food - cooking with real food, pretend toy food, eating, cook books, cooking magazines.  We were at Chuck and Melissa's for dinner a few Sundays ago, and Benjamin was looking through her cooking magazines, which is something he does pretty often over there.  This time he asked if he could take it home.  And of course Gramma said sure.  Then Ben asked if he could get some of his own "food magazines" for Christmas.  Wow, he may be the only 3 year old boy that has ever asked for cooking magazines for Christmas!  hehe.  He likes to look at the pictures and talk about what food it is, if it looks yummy, if he'd like to make it, etc.  Funny kid.  


2)  I feel like I'm barely staying afloat as a mom some days. . . like the days Ethan doesn't get home until 7pm.  Or the days that I haven't slept much/well for various reasons.  Three kids often seems overwhelming still (but, no, not always).  There are so many opportunities when I think, "This would be so simple without a baby (naps, feeding, diapers, etc.)."  There are so many places to be, so much noise, so many needs, etc.  I feel like it will get tons better when I'm in my own home again (we're supposed to close November 21st!!).  I need to work on staying calm and keeping a peaceful countenance, big time.  No matter the noise level, or how many little people are asking me to help them/do something for them/listen to their story/etc.  Man, if it was just Anna and Ben-Ben, or just Caleb J., life would be SOOOO easy!  But, all three . . . not a moment of rest!  For the love!  :)  And I know three kids in five years is not unheard of.  It just seems like I'm still adjusting, and I didn't expect that.  Sometimes I'll look at all three kids playing on the floor, close to each other.  It's noisy, there are toys everywhere, I know dinner needs to happen soon, and then the whole bed time thing for all THREE of them, and I think, "I have too many kids.  It's so much work!"  So, just thought I'd vent for a second.  (And of course can't say all this without clarifying that of course I love them all, and am so grateful for the little babies Heavenly Father chose to send to me. . . but knowing that and feeling that doesn't always make the day-to-day go perfectly.) 

3)  I recently went to a Women's Conference in Green Bay for my Church.  I'll admit, I was mostly going to have a break from the kids (see above comment :), but I got so much out of it.  Some of it was a little "cutesy" for my taste, but mostly I felt so happy to be part of this awesome Stake filled with amazing women who taught me so much that weekend.  My mom taught one of the workshop classes at the conference (and I sang for it), and it went so well.  She did a fantastic job!  I felt uplifted and reminded of important truths that I need to focus on.

4) I love scarves, and sweaters, and cardigans . . . so I'm happy it's fall! And it has to be pretty chilly for me to wear these items, and we're finally there. I love seeing my family wearing these things too. Gram Melissa just got Caleb his first cardigan ever - gray and red thick stripes and it's super adorable. I'll take a pic next time he wears it.  (We had a little shopping day with a few other girls from the ward after the Women's Conference in Green Bay.  Fun!)

Ummm, so the pictures posted to the middle of my list, and I didn't want to take the time to move them around.  So, there you go.  The top photos are of an afternoon hike a week or so ago around Lakenen-land.  It's junkyard art made from scrap metal that a local guy (Mr. Lakenen) creates and displays for free.  Cool.  He sets them up in the woods, about 15 minutes out of town.  The kids loved it.  Benjamin has brought it up at least once a day since then, and really, really wants to go back. 

After, we stopped by Gram Melissa's (Grampa Chuck was in Vegas . . . for a work conference) for some pizza and BABY KISSES!  Caleb was on a roll with GramMelissa.  It was so cute!  (So sad the pic of Cabers giving a big, slobbery smooch to Melissa turned out fuzzy!)

5)  Okay, I guess this one goes along with #2 - so a little more venting.  :)  I thought that living for 9 months with Ethan gone so much would prepare me for longer hours when he started working his first job.  Apparently not.  Because days that he doesn't get home until 6:30/7:00pm are SUPER hard for me.  And it means that he only gets an hour or LESS with the kids before their bedtime, which is SUPER hard for him.  I am so grateful that he has such a wonderful job, that he's doing so well at it, and is in a career he loves.  He works three days a week at the Medical Center in town and is done right at 5pm or so.  Even if he has a little paper work to finish, he can go back later - after the kids are in bed.  BUT, the two days he works at the Munising hospital, sometimes appointments go a little long (He's supposed to be done at 4:30), and he has to finish all the paperwork before he leaves (which sometimes takes awhile), and THEN it's an hour drive home.  Bleh.  But, he's getting quicker with the paper work. . . and I know I should not be complaining.  Three days a week Ethan gets home at 5-ish, and two days a week he gets home around 6-ish, occasionally later.  It could be so much worse!  I know.  Moving on . . .   

6)  Anna doesn't like school that much this year.  It makes me sad.  She's really easy going, and she doesn't make a huge deal about it, but she loved going last year, and just isn't loving it this year.  But, she's been loving being at home with me.  (She goes two full days and one half day for kindergarten.)  I've been trying to do fun stuff with Anna the days she's home, and Ben's at pre-school and Caleb is napping.  We've baked some and done some crafts.  It's special.  I love having one-on-one time with my girl!

7)  I had a little lunch date with my sister, Beth, last week.  We try to get together regularly, but hadn't for awhile.  I've missed it.  I love all the conversation - frivolous, spiritual, kids, house related things.  (They just bought Stuart's parents house on the Lake, but they're re-doing all of it to make it their dream home . . . and I'm moving in to a house soon and have a few - less significant - plans of my own.  But, we both love talking about house plans.  And we both feel a bit of stress and of wishing it was all over.)   Anyway, I love my sister time.

8)  Cabers gives such sweeeeet kisses.  (See pics above. :)  I'll admit, Ethan gets them more often than I do.  It's kind of their thing.  But, sometimes I'm lucky enough to get a few slobbery, open mouthed ones for myself.  hehe.

9)  I've been volunteering in Benjamin's pre-school class on Wednesdays, and I have LOVED it!  It's been good to be back in a classroom setting (as far as my education degree is concerned . . . it's been awhile!) even if it is a preschool classroom.  And it's been especially interesting to see little Ben at school.  He is a great listener, quiet, shy, helpful, etc. at school.  And it's not like he's never those things at home, but mostly he's my little, wild man.  (Especially compared to Anna Banana. . . which isn't fair to compare, but . . . )  Anyway, I've been loving it.

10)  Hmm, final thing.  What to share, what to share.  Oh, Caleb is on some liquid steroids (prednisone?) right now.  His lungs need some help getting over a cold he had (at least it didn't turn in to pneumonia this time!).  In case you've forgotten, steroids have some pretty crappy side effects and are NO FUN!  But, today's the last day.  Woo Hoo!  After feeling pretty on top of Caleb's health issues for a while ('cause it was summer time?), I've been feeling a little stressed going in to the fall/winter season, and all the bugs that go around then.  I'll just hope for the best, and I need to remember that even if he sounds AWFUL - wheezing, congestion - he's always had good blood oxygen levels even at his sickest, and his lungs have greatly improved over the last year.  (The last two times he was sick Cabers didn't develop pneumonia.  Yay!)  So yeah, just another opportunity to keep things in perspective, and try to stay positive!   Okay, I'll cut myself off now.

       Have a Happy Halloween filled with fun!