North Bound!

So Im heading to Boston tomorrow morning.. 6 a.m flight (ouch). I know that I will definitely be updating my birth blog (since this is a doula related adventure).. So if you don't catch me here.. you can get updates (all things birth related) there.

Can you remind me again..

Can you remind me again that the kids aren't out to get me?

WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING:

If you are a person who:

a) lives in a bubble and your kids are little drops of sunshine all day long, everyday or..

b) does not talk about the times in motherhood where you really start to question why you opted for children at all and you certainly wouldn't like to talk about that publicly..

This post WILL OFFEND you.

(Just thought you should be prepared).

Lets' start with this:

That's Eva, my 2 year old, in a cast.

Sunday (as in 5 days ago), while at a church we were visiting, she got her finger shut in the nursery door. It was a freak accident (Eva was behind the worker who was letting out another girl to her mommy). GROSS ALERT: We had to rush to the ER. I saw flesh.. and lots of blood. Eva was hysterical. Mommy was trying not to be. They had to remove her fingernail AND she got 8 stitches (thus the amount of blood I freaked about). She was a trooper. She watched the surgeon as he stitched her up and didn't even cry when they gave her the local block (shot) to numb up her hand. She was super strong. That night she did wake up every four hours for pain medication but by Tuesday, she didn't need anything.

On Tuesday we went back to Children's to get the cast put on so that the wound could heal. It looked nasty, even all stitched up. But that's just mommy. Daddy said they did a good job. He should know.

So fast forward to today, Thursday. After a few days of Alabama heat, where it's too hot to be outside longer than 15 minutes without some kind of water activity.. things in my house are starting to get crazy. And we can't do water because Eva's cast can't get wet.

Then it just started going downhill.

-I went to pick up two towels on the floor in my living room only to realize that Alex brought his cup of milk over from breakfast (I have NO idea why, never done that before) and set it under the towels. So of course the milk spilled. Thankfully towels were handy.

-Eva had a near miss on a HUGE glass of water spilling over her cast, which I was warned not to let get wet... they put the fear of God in me. Apparently my daughter has a Gremlin cast and one drop will suck her arm into a wormhole and we won't ever be able to get it out. Never mind that they make waterproof casts. But I'm seeing that a lot of doctors don't like to let you in on all the options available for your treatment plan, they only suggest the option that's easiest for them.. because you are their last patient of the day and they just want to get home. Never mind that you just spent two hours waiting in a small little room waiting for them.

-I send the kids outside to play for that 15 minutes allowable by the heat index and then Eva comes in crying with blood because she put her ONE GOOD HAND inside the fan. Yes. IN the fan. Thankfully it was only a small flesh wound. No stitches necessary.

-Mommy needs a Valium at this point.

-The boys are fighting. Normal, but at this point, I'm done.

I decide to get out of the house and give them a new view and head to visit my SIL and her new baby. I thought it would be nice for the kids to play and I can fold some laundry for my SIL while she sits and cuddles her baby.

-After 15 minutes of being there I hear Jorge "MOMMMY, you need to come here quick!" I walk in to the playroom to see Eva sitting on her cousins (Kevin, 3) potty. No biggie, right? Well, except that she has taken off her underwear and shorts, which have poop in them and all over them, poop on her shoes, poop on the carpet, poop (in the shape of a toddler rear) on the red elmo chair, poop on her leg, and so much poop on her foot I think she actually stepped in the poop.

-I have to spend 30 minutes bathing my daughter and, what seems, most of the belongings in my SIL's house.

- Oh, and how do you get poop off of a cast you aren't supposed to get wet?

-I decide that it's probably best if we just head back home. As soon I get in the driveway, Eva falls down and gashes her knee.

I promise I'm not kidding.

I know my kids aren't out to get me. None of this was done to me. But I can assure you the thought has crossed my mind: "Now, tell me again why I wanted to do this?" oh and: "can we fast forward three years?" (and don't tell me I will want that time back. I get that. But it's hard while I'm in it).

Someone said we may need a padded room for Eva. I think I am the one that needs that room.

I'm hoping that tomorrow. . will be much better. IF I can make it through tonight.

from photo to paint...

My very talented friend, Teresa, did something pretty cool. And I just want to brag on her. Because she is cool like that.

I took this picture while out on a Girls Night Out (said friend was there too). Granted I don't know any of the people in it.. but I just loved the colors and the string lights (that was my favorite).

When Teresa saw the picture I posted (on facebook) she, in all her talent, painted it.

I just think that is so amazing. I love her own take on it (she didn't want random people in it, hehe) and of course I love the string lights!

Great Job Teresa! She is also a professional photographer and you can check out her great stuff here.

Inspiration is back..

turns out that a photographer (or a novice, in my case) can gain tons of inspiration when given a new lens to try out..

so here I have a new love.. bokeh.

stunning.. (in my humble opinion). Nevermind that she put on her little brother's pj's.

I love that the subject "pops" out in front of that blurred backgroud (bokeh). It's gorgeous. (adorable nephew here).

my goofy son and his pal, cousin Asher.

Livia (niece) enjoying the zip line.

handsome Levi (nephew).

and then the lens captures the yumminess of the Pineapple-mango salsa my sister made..

and the delicious pasta I made..

and also the baby.. who was upset his daddy put him down..

all in all.. Im pretty sure I won't be using my other lens for a long time..

but she said it's okay. She likes it.

Motherhood: it's all about survival.

Sure, motherhood is about making a difference in lives. Helping little ones learn the difference between right and wrong and helping them understand life.

In between those moments.. there are the "how do I survive this?" moments.


Take for instance, laundry. What's the point, really? (Jorge at 1)

cleaning the house? What does it matter. (yes, that'd be coffee grounds). Alex @ 18 months

(isaac @ <1)

And as a mother.. you live for daily heart attacks, right? (jorge @ 2)

and then clean kids? Psh.. it's overrated.

I'm telling you friends.. it's all about survival.

The Creek is cold.. and fun.

After my last post about our 4th of July family tradition, I got to thinkin' about another "tradition" of sorts.

The creek.

We inducted Isaac this past weekend and then that meant that I needed to find old pictures of the other kids when they were first introduced to the Creek. Even in July, it is still very cold.

So we can start, as usual, with the first child to experience it.

the boots were kinda pointless at that point.. ha!

Alex as wee babe.. splashing..

Alex enjoying it from a distance..

Turns out that I don't have a picture of the diva as a baby.. in the creek. Mainly because mommy said it was too cold for the "girl" to get in. Oy.

This was this past weekend. the boys have certainly gotten older..

and now Eva enjoys the creek and is fearless.

Isaac on the other hand..

not so much..

He prefers not to have cold water on his person at all.

there was so much fretting over that water..

that it wore him "slap" out.

Yup.. that's some kinda tired right there..

a tour of July 4th.. through the years.

Welcome to a tour of our family tradition.

Back in 2002.. my (then) boyfriend proposed to me on the soccer field of an elementary school right before the fireworks exploded. It was July 4th 2002. He picked that location because two years before that is where he had invited me (with another friend of mine) to watch the fireworks with his family. Jorge and I had been friends up until that point, but it was at that family gathering that I said (in my head): this guy is amazing and I would love to marry him.

Granted, we weren't even dating.. but I knew he was high quality. So when we started dating I told him that story.. and it meant a great deal to him. So much so, that he picked that exact spot to propose.

Thus we return every year.. with an extra kid in tow just about every year. ha!

July 4th, 2005. This was our first time taking a baby.. our firstborn.. He was almost 3 weeks old. And he was less than thrilled with the fireworks.

July 4th, 2006: i was pregnant and we didn't go. We opted to watch the fireworks at home.

July 4th, 2007: Date night. Had a sitter (because we were convinced the kids would not enjoy it.. ehem.. or we wouldn't) and did a double date with some friends.

July 4th, 2008: Very pregnant with our third child (born in August).

July 4th, 2009: we celebrated with friends in Georgia. And wouldn't you know, I don't have one family picture of that. Just like me. sigh.

July 4th, 2010: Family of six. Baby Isaac is a 2 months old. I love Jorge's expression.
And finally: July 4th, 2011. Alex does not want to look at the camera and my hubby has a light on his head (all the kids had one to be able to see in the dark, duh).

I love to see these pics.. brings back great memories.

Hope you all had a great Fourth!