We’re going to grow some veggies.

Last year we went all out and bought the Jiffy Professional Greenhouse Kit and planted pumpkins, squash, okra, carrots, and um, something else. We got all organic seeds and the big boys and I spent an evening getting it all set up. Then we babied it, and watched it, and watered it, and followed the directions to a tee.

Then we noticed the only thing that survived and prospered to planting time was the squash and pumpkins. But that was fine – we could live with that. Then we got these nasty black caterpillars that came and ate all our poor baby plants. To put it mildly, we weren’t too happy with how our little foray into gardening went, and it just reminded us why the only plants we have are our hardy bushes and azaleas out in our front bed.

A few weeks ago Bella found some seed packets that somehow ended up in one of the drawers in the kids’ dresser and ever since she has been begging us to plant them and make a vegetable garden. It’s all the girl talked about for days and days. But we really didn’t want to spend a ton of money on it again in case those nasty caterpillars came back. We had just finished a large container of eggs and it just so happened to be a biodegradable container – so we picked up some dirt this weekend and decided to plant us some veggies.

Our life in black and white.

If you know anything about me and my photo editing preferences you know this – I’m not a fan of making my photos black and white. I can love to death someone else’s black and white photos, but when it comes to my own, eh… not so much.

Then last night while I was laying in bed, it came to me.

Just call me Eeyore.

I feel like everyday lately has just been bad, and I’m getting just so, so, so tired of it. I'm not depressed, so no worries there. It just seems sort of like life is just ganging up against us.

It seems like every time that we make a step or two into improving things in our life a few new things pop up. They might not be big things, but when they jump out all together at us it just seems like so much. And it makes staying happy and positive so hard sometimes.

I know I seem to only be posting woe-is-me stuff lately, but I’ve just been feeling all woe-is-me lately, so I can’t help it. But I promise tomorrow will just be happy. I have some mighty cute, sweet, and funny zoo pictures to share.

Lets look at it this way.

I see people *coughmomscough* constantly arguing and nitpicking each other to death about different parenting choices.

“You’re wrong! You’re wrong! And you’re a horrible person! Here facts!! (insert link) See how wrong and horrible you are!”
”No! You’re wrong! You’re not just wrong, you’re backwards and horrible and ruining your child for life! See! (insert link)”

Generally this starts when someone asks a simple question. Generally not the person who is yelling at someone else, that person has usually been scared away by this point, so really you most likely aren’t educating anyone, you’re just yelling at a brick wall.

I see other peoples parenting choices this way “It ain’t my business and it ain’t anyone else's either. I don’t agree with you, but you know what, you don’t need to know that, so I’m just going to sit here and keep my mouth shut unless someone asks about my side of it.”

Keeping on.

the following is the journaling to this page, to see what the page was made with click it

Each month I am a little more surprised, thrilled, and overjoyed to find that Mason and I are still managing to keep up with breastfeeding. Never in my deepest imaginings did I ever think that I would still be nursing a child who was already past one year old. Breastfeeding, yeah I knew I’d be doing that, but going past the age when most people stop? No... not me. I just never saw myself as that kind of mom. Zach had self-weaned around the age of one, Ryan didn’t breastfeed, and Bella had to switch to formula before she reached six months. So really I never had to think too much about extended breastfeeding. I just figured I  wouldn’t do it or that it just wouldn’t be an option.

Summary–Birthday/Father’s Day Weekend

Can you spot the baby party crasher?

The slumber party was a huge success! The boys all had a great time, and Zach proclaimed it to be the best two days of his life. We just had two boys for it (we only invited 3) and it was tight just with them. Bella and Ryan got sent away for the night, Zach really wanted Mason to go too, but well, as he still wakes to nurse 2-3 times a night that wasn’t happening. The boys went through 2 pizzas, 2 bags of popcorn, a can of pringles, and a container of ice cream. Who knew three nine year olds could eat so much!? They stayed up late watching Oz The Great and Powerful and Netflix. When I went to bed at 12:30 all three were still wide awake (though thankfully quiet) and all three were up and going when Mason and I woke at 7:30.

*big sigh*

Today is slumber party day and all I can think is “Thank God, we told him 3 kids only.”

This slumber party is kind of a big deal for us. For starters, it’s our first ever slumber party. Most importantly, we’ve never had the boys’ friends over before. No, there was one boy who just randomly showed up a few times, but that was years ago and less than a handful of times.

I keep telling Zach he better enjoy this because this may be the ONLY time this happens.

We aren’t dirty messy people, we’re cluttery people. I make piles. The boys make piles. Bella and Mason make messes. Cleaning happens, but the house is never like, company worthy. I could be just going hard on us seeing as how I was raised by a person who flipped out over cups on the counter and an un-vacuumed floor. Zach and I have been cleaning and cleaning all week, and Bella and Ryan keep going behind us and messing it all up over and over again. This stress? Yeah… thus the whole this may be the only time this happens.