zach n kali

I woke up this morning with a bad case of The Mondays.  I mean bad.  Monday is usually a reset day for us after busy weekends.  But this morning I was just over it.  I didn't want to unload the dishwasher.  I didn't want to change Matt's sheets (potty training is great, but exhausting).  I kind of just wanted to sit in a corner with my coffee and pout.  But if I decide to be Mrs. Crankypants, then the kids become Crankypants Jrs, and that just makes everything worse.  I just felt like life was on this 'lather, rinse, repeat, lather, rinse, repeat' cycle of monotony. Pick up the toys just so the kids can dump them out again.  Unload the dishwasher just to load it up again.  Read Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs again.  Again again again. But then by my second cup of coffee, I remembered what someone at church said a few weeks ago.  A Stay-At-Home-Mom herself, she felt caught up in the same monotony.  But she shared that ...

I have been having so much fun cooking this week!  Since removing the staples last week, I have been reminded that we eat not only for fuel, but for enjoyment, for memories, and for new experiences.  This isn't a new idea for me, but I seem to have forgotten that these things are not just for entertaining or for large gatherings of families and friends.  I had to dial myself way back when planning Matt's 3rd birthday party - we were having hot dogs and nachos (movie theater food) and I was ready to throw out brats, ciabatta rolls, and carne asada when Zach gently reminded me that we were planning a party for a three year old.  I love food!  I plan any get-together around the food.  But why should weekly dinners get any less respect?  I want my kids to grow up around the dinner table.  I want them to try new foods, to not even look at a "children's menu", and to be excited to come together as a family at night.  Tacos, spaghetti, and turkey bu...

Dear Baby Boy, I know, I know, you're not a baby anymore, but you are my Baby Boy forever.  Deal with it.  But today my heartstrings were pulled in a new way.  Today I put up your first sport's pennant.  It shouldn't have been a big deal.  But it was.  It was the first thing that I didn't "design" for your room.  It was the first thing YOU wanted on your wall.  It was the first semblance of moving from a little boy's room to... well, a big boy's room.  I love your room - the colors, the vibrancy, your growth chart - it's all warm and inviting.  It's a cool little boy's room.  But the truth is that you won't want crayon art or trucks on your walls forever.  That car rug will be gone before I know it.  And one day we'll have to figure out how to paint over that chalkboard.  But it's never felt soon.  And today it did.  It felt like I would be trying to drag you out of bed for your first day of high school t...