Let's go nudist

While I dread the idea of being naked all the time, I am seriously considering a move to a nudist colony.  1) It would cut down, significantly, on the amount of laundry I do (think increased time for fun family activities or *gasp* mommy alone time), and 2) It may actually keep me sane.

God help me, my two lovely children are clothes horses and shoe divas.  The number of outfits they try on each day and the number of outfits they go through each day is astounding.  And Henni - at least a couple times I week I kiss her goodnight in one pair of jammies and find her in another pair in the morning.

And shoes...shoes are worse than clothes.  There are morning where it takes 30 minutes to determine the "right" pair of shoes to leave the house.

If it weren't for some time spent in Beverly Hospital, I would wonder where these kids came from.  Davis and I are not clothes horses or shoe divas (by any definition).  And, I have to admit, there are times I can not handle the attention to detail.

Last Friday we were close to disaster.   To avoid the approaching disaster I suggested heading to the playground.  Both agreed that would be fantastic.  Then we hit a stumbling block...shoes. 35 minutes later we were in the car, each kid had a pair of shoes on - and a bag of shoes in case they needed to change their shoes at the playground.  While they were agonizing about which shoes to put on their feet and into said bag I, rather than scream in frustration, I texted Davis.  

I believe my texts went something like this: "I am gathering all the kid's shoes and putting them in the backyard.  I am going to cover them in lighter fluid.  Throw a match.  Poof!"  Ok, there may have been expletives thrown in - liberally (very liberally).

Luckily I have a very wonderful husband.  He recognized I was on the verge of moving us a to nudist colony (and going to jail for starting a fire downtown), so he left work, met us at the playground, and sent me to Crossfit.  Did I say he is wonderful?

And I was so close to gaining all that free time by going laundry-free...

Thanks to Mrs. Legee for the wonderful hats!

Fall

Fall and I are not best of friends.  My issue with fall is that it takes away my most-loved season (summer) and hurls me towards freezing temperatures.  I am trying to embrace fall for itself and not what it is not (or what will become).  And really and truly there is a lot that fall offers.

There is peach and nectarine picking which is oh so fun and tasty.

So wonderful that even Bulldozer gets in on the action.

There are corn mazes to explore.

And, of course, cider donuts to eat.

Note how Henni eats donuts.

There are afternoons at the beach with the beautiful fall light.

And more corn mazes.

And apple picking - with Lucky (Bulldozer couldn't make it)!

Parenting is an extreme sport

When you get right down to it, parenting is an extreme sport.  Why?  Because parenting has the components of an extreme sport: endurance, love, challenge, achievement, survival, getting dirty, and fun.   

With most new things one can take the time to master it and then, well, it is mastered.  With parenting everything is always changing.  Just when you master it and get in a groove, things change, and then you are back to square one.  Getting discouraged is not the way to go, rather one needs to dig in and beg, buy, steal, barter, and invent anything that can help you survive and endure.  And, perhaps more importantly, the ever changing life of a parent needs to be embraced and relished - just as those climbing Mount Everest or swimming across the English Channel embrace their adventure and identify the tools they need to survive - and enjoy it.

In the extreme sport of parenting laughter is essential.   Last week I picked Oliver up from school and was pulled aside by his wonderful teacher who wanted to share with me "one of the most wonderful moments" she has had as a teacher.  Right now you are probably thinking Oliver stood up and shared the secrets of gravity with his friends.  Au contraire.  The friends were going around the circle and sharing their favorite songs - one child shared the "Itsy Bitsy Spider," another shared "The Wheels on the Bus."  My cherubic child?  He got up and - totally unabashed - belted out: "Whatcha gonna do with all that junk - all that junk inside your trunk."  Juliet said she almost wet her pants.  I am processing this news when Oliver stands up on the bench in the cubby room and belts out: "I'm on a role and it's time to go solo.  Rollin' in my 5.0 with my ragtop down so my hair can blow."  Really?! When your child is belting out Vanilla Ice (as an encoure performance to the Black Eyed Peas) the only thing that can be done is laugh.

And then there is the love.  After a day of challenges and feeling defeated, Oliver turned to me - half asleep and said: "Mommy, you have no idea how much you mean to me.  I love you more than anyone has ever loved anything."  Immediately nothing else matters.

Love and Friendship

Last weekend was an oh so special weekend.  For my birthday I got to watch one of my dearest friends get married, and then spend the evening celebrating with some of my closest friends - friends I never get to see.

Many of the guests were kids - most around the same ages as Oliver and Henni.  The kids had an incredible time together. 

Henni started the evening by saying she didn't want to party she wanted to "freak out" - she ended the evening with snuggles from Papa, LeLe and Quinn.

The weather was incredible the entire weekend and we managed to get in some time on the lake and the ocean.