My Mom to the Rescue....

Ya'll are going to think I'm a little either OCD or maybe a little slow. But when it comes to organization "behind the scenes" I falter big time. When Pete and I got married I was a "stuffer". I would stuff my socks(not matched), my underwear, bras whatever underneath necessity I wore all together in drawers. It was such a rat's nest. Pete gave me the suggestion that he would help. All he did was cut two pieces of a box off and divided my drawers for me. 8 years later that "process" is still working. I still have my little dividers that give me a side for socks (that are still not matched up), but a lot easier to find, an underwear side etc. I say "process" because that's what it is to me. It's an extra step for me to take.
This brings me to our pantry. Oh how I wish I had a before picture. I just didn't think it was that bad and that it wasn't going to look that different. My mom has been helping me to get organized before baby #3 comes. I get overwhelmed easily especially when it gets closer to delivery time. I love things to be orderly I just have a hard time getting there and sticking to it. My mom helped me rearrange all my cabinets. Wow, I didn't realize I was such a stuffer there too. I had casserole dishes with lids that matched other pots that were across the kitchen. You can imagine underwear and socks thrown together X 10.
I explained that as far as the pantry we needed to be real elementary. I wanted bins that were labeled. We have those nice white shelving organizing things that are in every newer home that is built. However, it has been my nemesis, everything falls over and won't stand up. It was like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I kind of had a baking area and pasta area. But Pete could never find anything and so yet another source of frustration. Especially when people or I should say our family keeps the boys I want them to be able to find the snacks etc. So see below. Here it is and I LOVE it. I know it seems a little sparse because I am due to go grocery shopping. I realized this was the best time to organize when I didn't have a lot to pull out. As you can see my mom was way on board with this, her background is teaching kindergarten. Her handwriting and all. I have all of my cleaning supplies up top, along with activities for the boys to do(coloring, play dough etc) and then everything else below is our food. I think another plus to this way for categorizing, I will know what we are are in need of when I am making my list for the week to go to the store.
PS: (I spent $15.00 at the dollar store for all of my bins, I wanted white but I refused to go somewhere else and spend $3.99 each)

Mother of the Year Award

Yes, I most deserve this award. However, it would not be for being the "Best Mother", it would be more of an opposite of the "best mother of the year". Here goes my story...

Marschall hurt his foot, we think on Sat. He woke up Sunday limping. I'm thinking he's being a little dramatic, we tell him it will work itself out during the day etc. Monday we go to the Dairy Farm, he's still limping and it's starting to get a little worse. He is like hanging on me and complaining. I tell him at one point to "pull it together". To my defense there were no real signs of swelling.
I was suppose to take him on a little trip with just he and I to the mountains on Wed. to visit my best friend from college and her kids. I thought I may should take him to the doctor just to clear my conscious. So Tuesday, we go to the doctor and sure enough he had sprained his foot and strained one of his growth plates (whatever that means) it just didn't sound good. I felt terrible and am usually the mother that calls the nurse line anytime there is a fever or a weird bowel movement. This time, I wait it out, tell my child to pull it together and to basically be tough. Oh well, I kept thinking I was thankful it was not broken. If that had been the case I would not have probably shared any of this.

Our Trip to the Dairy Farm

My parents and I went out on Monday (when the weather was 100 degrees) and went to a local dairy farm. I love taking the boys on little mini field trips and exposing them to all sorts of things. Trees for instance, my oldest has asked me before why we only have one tree in our yard. Since then we now have four. I digress.. I thought a dairy farm would be very interesting and the best part we got to taste their homemade ice cream. Which indeed was the best part. Here are some pics. You will notice that you don't see any adult cows, they are shading themselves in the woods because it was so dang hot outside.

We Made It Back!

We had an awesome time. Better than I had anticipated! The boys were such good ages this year for the beach, next year will be a different story but I relished as much as I could with our family of 4 this year. I actually got to read two books, Pete and I didn't have to share a room with a pack n play and a little one and there were no injuries. Usually, within a week's time at home we have some sort of wound to care for. My sweet husband offered me to sneak away for a prenatal massage, which I had that thing booked as soon as I could. Below are some pics of our view and our family.

Beachbound

Talk about my Pocketful of Sunshine(the song that I have playing first), I know I am not 16 anymore, but if I was, I would really like to karaoke to this song. (not that I can sing, but I may have had enough gumption at 16 to pull it off)
The song seems "beachy" to me. We are headed to the beach for a week. We have gone with Pete's cousin and his wife and their 3 kids for the past 4 years. Since we are not just couples anymore and we have 5 kids between all of us, we make the most of it. We basically hole up in our beautiful rented home for the week, play hard all day, get the kids to bed and then comes the real maxin and relaxin. Which for us means, good grilled food, drinks (minus me this go round) and lots of cards and ocean watching. We use to go out to eat, but now with 5 kids, that would just not be a vacation or fun.
The kids are beside themselves, excited, which has made for a real long week. But we are getting there....I will need a vacation just from getting us all packed up and out the door. Pete and I are really going to try and not not have one packing up argument. I don't know if it's just us and our dominant personalities but when we try and load up the car for vacation and keep the kids at bay all heck seems to break loose? You can pray for Sat. am. Good times.

My Three Sons

Yes, it's true another boy for us! I really am excited and a little relieved in a sense. I get to do what I know how to do, raise another boy.
72% of you should not go to Vegas and bet! (See poll ratings)
All of his measurements are good, which I am extremely thankful. I am almost to the half way point. I was trying to get the theme song to the old TV show My Three Sons, but I couldn't find it. Imagine that. Am I the only one that would watch that show on TV Land? I guess I have been destined all along to have 3 boys :)