This & That

I have no idea how we are to mid June already!

Time is flying by!

We tried like heck to convince Kadence to drop the training wheels last year and she resisted with every fiber of her spunky being.

Anticipating a big  resistance again this year, I asked and she said "Sure"

I took them off and well....

she took off.

She said "Look I just taught myself!"

If only everything in life worked that way huh!?

She is mighty proud of herself!

Speaking of teaching yourself,

Benson taught himself to climb the ladder on the swing set.

we're so excited *dripping with sarcasm*

The kid has an internal need to climb.

Constantly

It seems as if we live life on the fly most days...

and for the most part, 

its true.

Kadence and Cohen both had tournaments this weekend.

A girl's softball tourney brought fun things we don't see at baseball..

glitter hairspray

streamers

blue glitter "black eye"

It was great!

The boys were on fire this weekend and made it to the championship game, 

there were some proud dad's for Father's Day today.

Such an outstanding group of men

shaping the lives of our boys...

 ....and the moms

well...

they're a bit unpredictable.

They are growing up so quickly.

Notice what's left of Kadence's 1st black eye....last week she looked in the mirror and said "I cannot go to softball looking like this!"  

I know I stated  that it feels like life is flying by

and indeed it is.

When I go back and look at random pictures....

it reminds me that although the days are flying by for me...

the perspective is different for the kids.

These are the moments they will tell stories about some day....

We are always concocting something to add to the swing set.

This year Cohen worked up a pulley system for a bucket, 

all on his own....

I was impressed.

Until he dumped a bucket of water on his sister's head

and all hell broke lose.

*I never claimed every day was beautiful*

sigh

We attempted a little pinterest activity the other weekend

and it worked fabulously!

.

..however maybe I should have written: 

Dance in the chaos!

....just don't forget to dance.

laugh.

Live.

Go.

Paper plates are sooo yesterday...

I just took paper plate mom to a whole different level.

Hats off to Hy-Vee for my big score!

'aint to proud to post! 

.....and their travel-ability is far superior to that of a meager paper plate. 

I"m not sure this is what George Washington Carver had in mind...

but 

whatever. 

Bitches get shit done (it feels awkward to post profanity)

Mother's day

Over and over again it was posted.

"Happy Mother's day to the greatest mom."

Not to distract from that but it got me reflecting.

There can't be that many "great moms" 

Can there?

Maybe not in the way that we tend to think or define "great," 

but that's kinda the problem.

We've put "great"  in this untouchable category. 

I think that being a "great" mom is not equal to being a "perfect" mom.

However in our minds we sometimes make them interchangeable. 

...and that's not fair.

We aren't perfect.

Our mom's weren't perfect.

...but they were great,

.......and so are we. 

Bitches Get Shit Done

by Annie Flavin

It’s 4pm, also known as

Mama’s So Tired and Kids Are Crazy o’clock.

I want nothing more than to hide on my couch

with the covers pulled tightly around me.

I want to close my eyes

and drift off

with no other human body

touching my own.

There will be none of that, though.

They are heckling me

with arguments over scraps of paper,

or garbage,

if you were the judge,

and complaining of

hunger and

weather and

clothes that are not just so.

Where is their mother?

Oh, that's right.

I rise up

even though I am

bedraggled,

befuddled and

so, so weary.

He won’t be home soon enough that I can coast.

The TV isn’t cutting it.

I channel

women who are not me;

wise, strong, capable, creative, nurturing

mothers

who push through difficult times and

get shit done.

I channel them,

I become them,

I am them.

I march into the kitchen,

I turn on music and

I find something, anything,

that looks suitable enough

to be called dinner.

They flock to me now:

do I sense a bewilderment in their eyes?

Mom is moving. Mom is happy.

“Mom, I’m a super hero! I save people from pirates!”

he yells as he zooms

around our tiny kitchen.

I am, too, I think to myself.

I get shit done.

To all you mom's out there that get shit done...

You rock.

Maybe your family doesn't see everything you do behind the scenes,

but I do.

Other mom's do.

So from one mom to another....

Happiest of Mother's days. 

Thanks for not being perfect.

Thanks for getting shit done.

Thanks for being honest.

Always keep trying.

Find ways to channel your inner super power....

and remember;

You 

are 

doing 

great