Final Grades....

All of my homework and assignments are turned in for my classes, while I don't think official final grades are posted, here is where I am sitting at the end of the semester.

 

 

My Marriage and Family class.... that rounds up to a 97% folks!

And my Composition 1 class, going into my final I knew my paper had to be at least a 75% to keep my A, and if I didn't turn it in at all, it was still going to be a B paper.  I received a 90% on my final paper and it dropped my percentage from 95% to 94%.  I will take it!!!!

 

I am pretty proud of these babies!  Next semester I am taking 3 classes, so wish me luck!!!

 

 

A late night chat with Luke and Max.

Kisses, hand holding and saying Cheese!  These little boys melt my heart!

Luke has been acting pretty stinky at his speech therapy sessions. As in, he flat out refuses to make a single peep while she is working with him.  His therapist is super patient and super friendly, she has just met her match with one stubborn little boy, my Luke. It is working though, he is talking so much around home, he just puts the mute button on when she walks in the door. 

So What Wednesday

 

 

So what if I am blogging right this second to avoid cleaning for the 15 people I have coming to my house tomorrow.

 

So what if I am kinda sorta regretting offering to host Thanksgiving.

 

So what if I have had it up to my eyeballs with this nap strike that Luke and Max are in.  They spend nap time rearranging the furniture in their room instead of resting their little bodies. The other day I walked in to two poop Picassos after nap time. I will leave that up to your imagination, but one thing is for certain: they are making me crazy.

 

So what if Max can now scale the extra tall baby gate that keeps the twinados away from dangerous things like ovens, and knives, and mommy's chocolate stash. He can get over the top in less then 10 seconds without making ANY noise.  No good... no...good.

 

So what if  the other day I was getting the dirty laundry from the big boys' room and while I was putting it in the washer, Max gone into their room, climbed up to the top bunk and started to pee off the side..... I got him down, put his clothes back on, cleaned up the mess, and called Scott to tell him I was 98% sure these things wouldn't happen if we had had girls. 

 

So what if he also thinks it is funny to fill a cup with water from the sink, and then find Gavin and dump it on him.

 

So what if I am going to attempt a giant potty training session over Christmas break.  I am arming myself with stickers, matchbox cars, booze, and maybe some Xanax, and I am going to get it done. One thing for sure, 2013 is the last year I buy diapers.

 

So what if I finished my final in my marriage and family class and have a 96.997% in the class.  That is a 97% baby!!!!!

 

So what if I am excited to go black Friday (on Thursday) shopping this year, even though I don't really need much.

 

So what if I have 0 ideas for Mr Gavin this Christmas.  His list for Santa includes an xbox and a dirt bike.  Neither of which he is getting.  I am looking for something awesome for him STAT.

 

 

 

 

So what wednesday

So what if I have cried more in the last 3 days than I have in quite some time.  I am tired, I am physically exhausted, I am emotionally spent I feel broken and defeated, and it is only Wednesday. 

So what if almost all of that ^^ is because I am functioning as a single parent while Scott is in the middle of his busy season.  Those amazing people who have husbands overseas, or are single parents I tip my hat to you, because I am unraveling like a ball of yarn.

So what if that sweet hard working husband f mine was on overtime at 8am this morning?

So what if as I write this SWW out, Max is sobbing alone in his room, you see, tonight is his first night in his toddler bed.  After becoming quite nimble at jumping ship yesterday, and after staying up until 12:30am this morning, we are having a battle of the wills.  My will is pooped out, so we will see who wins. Until then, I am sitting on my bed, crying my eyes out, self coaching myself that I really am not a terrible mother for making my baby cry alone in his room in the dark.

So what if after Max's stint last night, I finally let Luke crawl in bed with Karter? He was so tired and Max would not stop climbing into his bed and messing with him that I stuck him in with his big bro.  Tonight he wanted nothing to do with sleeping in his crib and is currently snuggled up with Super K again.

So what if I have been thinking all day about writing a PSA on my blog about how to help a mom with small children.  I don't care if you are a perfect stranger or a best friend, there are so many ways that just anybody could help relieve the burden of moms with youngins.  For starters when you see that somehow she has just unloaded her bundle of crap from Costco, and she is struggling to get her sweet darling children who are currently screaming as if the devil himself is spewing out of their cute little mouths,  when she is desperately trying to get them out of their coats so they can ride properly in a car seat, can you holler at her and ask if it is okay if you take her cart in for her?  I promise she will always say yes.  Please don't however, roll your eyes at her  as she shamefully sticks the cart on the grass island, and mutter under your breath shunning her for not walking the extra 32 steps to take it back into the building.  She is tired, she has just been 30 different places looking for a pair of 2.5 shoes and a Styrofoam pumpkin with 2 children, one of which is somehow functioning on 5 hours of sleep.  She is exhausted, worn down and just crazy enough to run you over with her car and not even bat an eye.

So what if I have a first draft of my paper due Friday, and I haven't started.  I planned to do it last night, and well, that didn't happen.

So what if Max's room just got really quiet...

So what if he is actually asleep, in his bed, covered up.  Swiss cheese on a bicycle it worked!

So that's my cue, I am off to bed!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT!

Lets be honest, you totally sang my blog post title didn't you????


Let me just start by saying that I am one big ball of PMS tonight who has been in a minivan with four kids and $2000 worth of popcorn since 10am this morning.  My face is broke out, I am feeling just a little irritable, and I may snap on the next person who looks in my general direction.  Having said all that, I have a few other things I would have liked to stick on facebook but didn't, and wont, because I don't want people to think I traded my van in for a broomstick.  So here we go...

I would never survive as a single mom.  I am just not cut out for it.  I don't have any patience, I swear I look more and more like Cruella DeVille each and every second of the day.  I haven't even let the boys watch that movie because I know they are smart enough to figure it out, when I am running after them in the hallway after saying (nicely) 100 times, and not-so-nicely another 400 to get their clothes off and get in the shower. I know if I let them watch that movie, one day, they are going to turn around and look at me, with my skanky pulled back hair, crazy eye balls and gritted teeth, and they are going to say  "Mom, you look just like that mad women on that movie who was about to stroke out while trying to drive the truckload of puppies off the road." 

 And that, my dear friends, is why my kids wont ever watch 101 Dalmatians, and why I would never survive as a single parent...


It's probably a good thing I am not a better bartender... I really don't know how to make many drinks aside from margaritas, and we are all out of the stuff for those. And if I could make something good with whiskey, Captain Morgan, bloody Mary mix and milk, I would probably be in a drunk in a hot second.

I am so sick and tired of hearing people say "I need to buy the most expensive car seat because it is the safest."  Listen, when you buy the expensive car seat, you are paying for more options not more safety.  You are paying for a higher quality fabric, or thicker padding in the seat, every single seat has to pass the exact same safety ratings or they don't get to go on the market. Period, the end.  They (the car seat companies) pay people lots of money to word their advertising to make you think they are safer, but they are not, you are just paying that person too. Go ahead and buy what you want, but keep this in mind....  A car seat that isn't installed properly, or is used with a winter coat, cant keep anyone safe.

I am avoiding talking to my husband tonight because at 48 hours into this crazy work schedule, I miss him and since I am super emotional, I just start crying when I think about it, #1 because I am teetering on the brink of a breakdown and #2 because he is so much better at this parenting thing than I am. 

I got a 94% on my essay for my class.  I stood straight up and did a touchdown dance in my living room when I saw my posted grade.  This mama, is getting A's this semester!!!

I got a great deal on some fisher price toys for the boy's Christmas gifts tonight at walmart!  I was super stoked!

The boys got a cd from the dr's office with Elmo Farm music on it, we have been trying to listen to it so the boys learn more songs than those sung by Luke Bryan.  However today I turned on  "the old grey mare" and told the boys it was "mommy's song."  My sister just laughed because she totally gets me.


That is all she wrote folks.

Thankful Thursdays; 30 days of Thanks!

I have been contemplating changing up 30 days of Thanks this year- I have thought about posting a picture of something I am thankful for each day, and I thought about posting the number of things I am thankful for on the number of day... whoa, did that even make sense?  What I mean is, because its day 2, I am going to be thankful for 2 things, and when it is day 27, I am going to list 27 things I am thankful for.  But I thought that might be a little daunting to read towards the end of the month....

 

 

day TWO: On this day I am thankful for this man, who works really hard for our family, I know his job isn't fun, and I know he pulls into our driveway every night dead dog tired, but he manages to burst into our door with a smile on his face ready for the 4 hugs that are running to greet him.

So today, I am thankful for Mr Smead, the love of my life, my very best friend, my lover, my confidant, and my everything.

 

day THREE:  On this day I am thankful for my healthy pregnancy.  It has become far to clear to me just how many things could have gone wrong with a high risk twin pregnancy, but the 35 weeks and 4 days I carried them inside me was relatively uneventful and I gave birth to two perfectly healthy babies.  I know how lucky we were, I know that there are many out there who don't get that opportunity.  So today I am thankful for a healthy pregnancy.

 

day FOUR: I am thankful for baby wipes.  I think that is enough said.

 

day FIVE: I am thankful for the opportunity to babysit for one of my best friends.  I love being able to snuggle with her a few times a week and love on her as though she was my own.  The boys enjoy having her here and I am so thankful she is part of our chosen  family.

 

day SIX; I am thankful today for the chance to go back to school.  After years of talking about it, and encouragement from friends, I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to complete my education and begin a career (which I haven't determined yet)

 

 day SEVEN:  I am thankful for our kitchen table, we just got one this past year and it makes me happy every time we eat around it (which is nearly every meal)  I am so thankful for our kitchen table.

 

So what Wednesday

 

 

 

 

So what if I stood in front of the tv like a moron when Luke Bryan was singing on the tv during the CMA's tonight.  Oh boy that man is so pretty.

 

So what if I am working on adding to my Christmas list because my mom is a crazy early shopper.

 

So what if I secretly love deleting people from my facebook friends list.

 

So what if we bought a dog bed for Jay Jay a few weeks ago and it is still in our house.  Turns out the boys LOVE the thing, and lay on it to watch tv and read books.

 

So what if no matter how bad my kid's eating habits are, there is always going to be that one person who brings their kid a to daycare at 6:45 in the morning with a 24oz Pepsi.

 

So what if I got a little crazy and signed up for 3 classes next semester.  I am taking Intro to Psychology as an 8 week class, Women's Studies and Composition 2.  Hold me.

 

So what if Scott's busy season official is kicking off this weekend and I am trying to paste a happy face on.  I hate this part of his job.

 

So what if I want to hibernate to keep the kids healthy.  There are SO MANY sick kids on my facebook page and I know how hard it is when your kids are sick.  I just want the Smead boys to stay healthy!  Time to bust out the Echinacea vitamins!

 

So what if I hate waiting for my grades to post.  And then when they do post, I hold my breath and cross my fingers and toes while I wait for them to load like I am 8 years old.

 

So what if I need to get us a family picture taken so I can put it on our Christmas card.   I should have put us in fall colors for our summer photos so I felt better about using them.

 

So what if Peg plus Cat is my new favorite show on IPTV these days.

 

\

 

30 days of thanks kick off!

 

 

It's my favorite time of year around here!  November is the time for giving thanks and boy do I sure have a heck of a lot to be thankful for.  Because of my crazy busy schedule I am going to try to do my 30 days of thanks as a weekly post because it is totally unreasonable to try to do it every single day.

 

Join me won't you?  Copy and save the picture above and stick it on your blog too!

 

Here is my day ONE:

I am thankful for our home.  I often joke about it being 3 hours away from looking like a meth lab because it is in constant disarray.  But, it keeps us warm and together and shelters us from life's storms.  So today I am thankful for our home.

 

Your turn!

Be thankful!

 

So What Wednesday...

So what if before 8:30 this morning, Max had managed to slather his body with diaper rash cream he looked like a ghost, and that crap doesn't come off with just water.

So what if before 9:30 I had already called Poison control because while I was getting Luke out of the tub and dressed from the diaper cream disaster of 2013, Max had used his scooter as a step stool and gotten on the counter and grabbed Karter's seizure medicine, opened the lid and drank it.  How much he drank, we still aren't sure but after a panicked call to my awesome cousin (who just happens to be a pharmacist,) and a call to poison control, we are just hanging out keeping an eye on him this afternoon. I really don't think he actually drank that much, because there were 2 puddles on the floor, but I just couldn't know for sure.  Better safe than sorry I guess.

So what if I am just so ready for a nap this afternoon.


So what if I decided that I have a completely random urge to start photographing road kill. In the last few weeks I have come upon 1 raccoon and one 1 squirrel that made me want to drop my van in park and take a picture. Last week it was a squirrel who was completely smooshed flat, except for it's tail that was straight up in the air all bushy.  2 weeks ago it was a dead raccoon in the middle of the road with just one arm straight up in the air.  To my sick sense of humor, its was funny.  It still is when I think about it.  I might start a weekly thread on this blog for my road kill art....  or maybe not.


So what if I am thinking about transferring the boys to a different school district.

So what if my heart is so overwhelmed with people who are hurting lately.  It seems so many of my friends and loved ones are hurting, and not just little things but big, gigantic, astronomical, only-God-can-orchestrate things.  I just find myself in constant prayer for these people.  So if you read this blog, please stop right here and say a quick prayer for these people....
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Thank you.


So what if I am so bogged down with homework I feel as though there is no way I can catch up.  I know I just need to make a list and check things off, but there is no shortage of distractions around here lately.

So what if I keep repeating "only 8 more weeks of class, only 8more weeks of class" over and over again.  That "I can do this" high is gone, it has been replaced with a common cold and cub scouts fundraisers.

Speaking of cub scouts, so what if the boys are only $200 away from their popcorn selling goal.  Anybody need any popcorn??

So what if I chose to do my research paper about separating twins in classrooms and I really have no clue where to start... where oh where did I stick my creativity?


So what if I am so thankful to be able to put away all of our summer clothes. Bring on the jeans and sweaters!

 

10 years.

Dear Tony,

The song they played at your funeral still causes me to have to pull over my van to sit and sob.  It's been 10 years since the day my world was completely rocked off its axis, and yet just the first few notes nearly stop me in my tracks. It is hard to believe that you left so long ago, and yet I can close my eyes and replay that day without missing a single detail.

So much has happened in that time, and you have missed all of it.  I just know in my heart of hearts you and I would still be great friends.  I would have pictures of you at my wedding on my wall, and you most likely would have been the only guy at my baby showers. You would have helped us with the house, and helped us move in.  We would still have our breakfast dates where we discuss things that still probably don't really matter.  You would probably make it to a few bonfires and chased my boys around the yard. They would have loved you. 

Speaking of my boys. Countless times I have told them about you.  We visit your grave on our walks through the cemetery.  I watched this spring as Gavin reached down to brush the grass clippings from the mower off of your picture.  Without even knowing you, he cared.  They would have had so much fun with you.  I remember all those carefree days we had, driving in the car to UNI, hanging out and just being young.  I can only imagine all of the crazy antics you would have taught them by now.  Wanna know what the most annoying sound in the world is?    
 
The look of grief still plagues your mom.  I can see it in her face at each of our baby showers and every birthday party she attends.  The giant elephant in her room screams that she should be stitching baby blankets and buying gifts for her grandchildren not for ours.  But she comes, with a smile on her face and a lump in her throat.  I watch as she pleads with her eyes for us not to ever forget you, which we couldn't even imagine doing.

I pray my children never have to feel the loss of a dear friend.  I pray they never have to experience the pain that never dulls, the hole that will forever remain open in their hearts, and the pain that comes with loosing someone who had so much to live for.  As an adult, the pain can still be so paralyzing it causes me to gasp in air as though it could be my last breath. As a young person, it nearly became my breaking point.  It was an event of such significance, my entire world was changed. I pray my kids never have their worlds changed in such a way as I did.

I look at everything differently since you left us.  Your death taught me that people are always more than they put off to be.  That struggles are buried inside them and brushed over with makeup and a smile on the outside.  I think often about that last time we had had breakfast together.  I can't remember what we had talked about but I always kick myself for not checking in on you.  Not asking you if things were okay, not pleading with you to just lighten your load on my ears. I don't blame myself for what happened, I can look back now and know it was all far to big for that.  But I do regret not stopping to ask you about you.  I think I cling to that regret as if it would have made a difference.

I grieve for you today, on this ten year mark of the day you ended your life. I grieve for your parents, who have done what they could to pick up the pieces since you left.  I grieve for your wife, who you never met, never fell in love with, and never married. I grieve for your children who never came into existence because of your passing too soon, and who will never know what an awesome dad you would have been. I grieve for you today and I hold my breath and say a prayer today for comfort for those who miss you most. 

I would really like to do something to honor you.  For you were someone who made a huge difference in my life, and I like to think you wouldn't want all of us sitting around crying about missing you today.  We would be getting ready to celebrate our 30th birthday next year, and so I think I will find a way to celebrate on that day a life, which just by being here, completely changed mine.

 

"In my dreams I'll always see you soar above the sky.
In my heart there always be a place for you, for all my life.
I'll keep a part of you with me, and everywhere I am there you'll be"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So What Wednesday!!!

My blog has been feeling a little neglected lately so I decided to carve a little time today to do a So What Wednesday post... so without further ado...

 

 

So what if I have been struggling with some serious perfectionism demons lately.  I am having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that I don't have to have perfect grades, and that it is still cool that I am going to back to school even if I don't get 100% all the time .  "I am good enough, I am strong enough, I can do this" is playing in my head like a broken record.

 

So what if I turned in a very well written (my mom told me it was) paper about breastfeeding into my Composition teacher despite the fact that he told me he wasn't crazy about me using that topic and him strongly suggesting I choose another topic.

 

So what if I probably could have written a new paper but I was crazy busy that week doing flowers for a wedding and going to see Luke Bryan at a concert with Hollie.

 

So what if I screamed like a 7 year old girl at a Justin Beiber contest while sitting in the 8th row of the Luke Bryan concert.  Seriously y'all it was like Make a Wish for moms.  I even started to cry at one point.  That man was gorgeous.  I also got to see Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Rodney Adkins, and Toby Keith.  It was amazing and I had the best girls only weekend with my bestie!

 

So what if I still scored 90/100 on that paper.  Losing those 10 points was completely worth every minute.

 

So what if I am about to throw in the boy scouts towel.  The boys seem to be liking it, but the regulations are enough to drive me over the edge.  My kid can still be respectful despite what pants he is wearing.  All of this might stem when I got offended on sign up night because they wanted me to check that I am unemployed. Instead I wrote CEO (because taxi driver, chef, cheerleader, coach, maid and domestic engineer didn't fit) and flipped them the bird in my head.

 

 

So what if the weather has been AMAZING lately.   I love having my windows (the two of them that open) open and the fresh fall air in the house.  I also love that the trees are starting to change.

 

So what if I just know of a whole heck of a lot of people who need some prayers for some big things lately.  Can you say a prayer for all of these people?

 

So what if I think the babies are trying to revolt against naptime as of late.  They can't. I need every second of those two and a half hours for my own sanity.

 

So what if I JUST remembered that two hours ago when I laid Max and Luke down for a nap, that I didn't put a diaper on Max.  I just jumped up and ran in there and he was COMPLETELY dry!  Phew!  I was sure I was going to have to deal with a code brown in the bedroom!

 

Also, So what if I haven't really posted since September 11th, but I wanted to share this with y'all.

I cant get blogger to download it, but you can use the link here to see. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it occured to me....

This morning it occurred to me that my little space on the internet has been neglected as of lately.  Several other things have occurred to me recently too, and I thought I would share them with you...



It occurred to me recently that instead of trying to hold important family meetings on the couch in our living room, that perhaps I should move them to the bathroom.  After all, the bathrooms is the one place I can go that I seem to suddenly have every member of this household's attention while I soak in the tub or sit on the toilet.  I wonder if I should share my secret with President Obama.

It also occurred to me that I fail miserably at being a housewife 8 out of 7 days a week.  Like laundry, dishes, sweeping, dusting, and cleaning, I am not very good at math either.

Last night it occurred to me that I have some pretty cool kids.  They are smart, and funny, and the right amount of naughty, and pretty well rounded, and when I say well rounded, I mean, they play rockband and sing praise and worship music as well as country songs about jacked up tailgates in the same set list. 

It has also recently occurred to me that I should have taken advantage of dressing our family up in coordinating costumes when the boys were little before they had minds of their own and wanted to be such uncool things like ninjas, sonic and power rangers instead of totally awesome things like a family of pirates or a superhero family, a giant bag of M&M's, or all the people from the Wizard of Oz... Don't worry, we found a compromise.

It occurs to me quite often, just how lucky I am.  I am blessed beyond measure with good friends, a great family, an amazing husband, a marvelous church family, 4 beautiful babies, and one ornery old coonhound.

Friday five....

I think the reason this family goes through so much toilet paper is because at least one roll (always nearly full) from the package falls in the toilet.

Turkey bacon is most definitely not bacon bacon.  Gag!  I thought I would be making a wise, budget and waistline friendly decision, but its so so gross, I cant hardly swallow it... which is saying something because I love me some bacon...

I have a giant 8 point question left on my assignment that I just cant get my head wrapped up around to do... I don't feel smart enough for school.

Scott has been off work all week this week.  I spent today trying to figure out a way to become independently wealthy so we can both be stay at home parents.  I love having days home with him and really wish the next few days go by really slowly so we can savor our last few days together.  He really is my best friend.  I am so thankful for him and we make a great team!  Our house has never been cleaner!

So what if Scott and I have been sleeping with Karter and Gavin's pillow pets each night.  It's more like fighting over who gets to sleep with the puppy and who will be stuck with the panda.

Why I must stop watching dateline...

Scott told me to grab my cell phone when I went to look for Jay Jay the other night.  I could hear a dog barking down the road and I wanted to see if it was him.  I rolled my eyes and said "I am just going down the road, I will be right back, I don't need my phone."

As I was driving I found I was in a secluded area, where no was close enough to hear me scream, nor would it matter since if they could hear me scream, then they had heard me yelling the dog's name over and over- and that was all they would be able to tell the authorities.  I saw an old beat up truck pulled off the side of the road near the bridge that goes over the creek.  The creak that would be a perfect place to dump a body... great. Where was my damn phone?

I locked my doors as I drove by and I cursed myself for watching too much Dateline.  I was sure the driver was probably smoking pot or stirring his meth pot (do you even stir meth?), or dumping his latest victim. As I drove by, I saw a figure coming out of the timber with a bright light coming from his head.  Even more proof he must be hiding a body, and I tried to pick my brain to remember if there had been any missing people on the news lately.  Then I cursed my crazy imagination again. I mean why does everyone coming out of a forest with a miners light on his forehead have to be a serial killer?

I could hear Keith Morrison's creepy voice from the Dateline mystery episode featuring a mom of four who disappeared just a mile away from her home while out looking for her missing dog. 

I drove by and turned around in the next driveway and headed back towards home. He was loading his dog into the back of his truck when I drove by. I felt a little better, because people seldom take their dog with them to bury a body.  I took a deep breath and locked my van doors (just in case). I leaned out my window, that was nearly all the way rolled up so he couldn't get in, and then I thought, "wait does he have a gun?" And then I thought, "of course he has a gun, what is this window going to do if he has a gun." 

I leaned out a little and said "Is that your dog" Of course it is you moron, it surely isn't YOUR dog. 

He said "Yes, are you looking for yours?"

and I stared and said, "yes."

and he said "I saw you drive by and I thought you might be going to nag at me for hunting here, but I have permission."

and I was like "I thought you might be a serial killer."


He laughed, I nervously laughed.  And he went on and chatted all about coon dogs. I was thinking in the back of my head how ridiculous I was just moments prior, how I probably should have put a bra on before I left the house, and how coon hunting is a really stupid sport.  I finally excused myself from the conversation and drove home.  Jay Jay was home when I got there, and I vowed to stop watching so much Dateline.

God in the shower.

I have always done my best thinking in the shower.  Something about the hot water running down my body helps me to forget the kid screaming and knocking on the other side of the door, or the other one of my offspring who had to poop in the only bathroom that I am in. Sometimes I do get a quiet shower, one without tiny fingers reaching into the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor.  I do my best talking to God in the shower. I like to think of it as my own private Adam and Eve moment.  I don't know if I would even call it praying, but more like just chatting with God.  It is in there that I tend to hear his voice clear as day.  He puts people who I haven't thought of in years on my heart, He tells me things I need to hear, or things that people have told me that I need to share with someone else.

The morning before my grandma's surgery I was pleading with God to let her survive, and to keep her alive for many more years, and clear as day, I felt him say, "I can take her, (or you, or your husband or your kids) any time I want, Don't you know that I am God?" And just like that I had peace. Because you know what?  He was right (duh.) He is so much bigger than I am, He has more power then I can even imagine, He holds me up, not the other way around.

Another example of this happened just the other day.  I had been messaging a new friend, who was struggling with the in's and out's of having two small babies.  Just like that God laid on my heart to remember what my friend had told me after a struggle of nearly the same magnitude. I was concerned that I was constantly putting someone/something on the back burner.  And she, ever so wisely told me, "Yes but even on the back burner, they are still getting heat." I needed to hear it then, and I just knew that God wanted me to share the same thing with my new friend.

I stopped telling people I was in the shower and was thinking of you.  It's weird, and moderately inappropriate. Instead I say things like "oh you popped in my head today."  Which really does happen sometimes too.  But I think that is because I probably don't shower as often as I should. 

W-E-D-N-E-S-D-A-Y!

 

 Its that time of the week again! 

 

So what if I had the boys try on all the clothes in their room and got rid of a heaping clothes basket of stuff that doesn't fit anymore.

 

So what if in that clothes basket are all of Karter's jeans.  I bought 12's and they are too long, and his 10's are too small around the waste.  Fall weather is fast approaching and this child has a bunch of gym shorts!  Thank goodness for Old Navy's back to school sales.

 

So what if I am overly excited for date night this weekend at the Iowa State Fair.

 

So what if I am also so excited for fall to get here.

 

So what if the REAL reason I am excited for fall is so I can stop having to shave my legs.

 

So what if I had to pick a superpower I would pick being in two places at once.

 

So what if one more person tells me that "things will be so much easier when the big boys are at school" I might scream... seriously, they at least aren't dumping Captain Crunch all over my floor.

 

So what if there is indeed Captain Crunch from one end of my house to the other.. and so what if I am waiting until tonight to clean it all up.

 

So what if I still haven't finished buying all of the boys' school supplies.

 

So what if sometimes I think my friend and I share a brain.

 

So what if I have the worst crop of tomatoes I have ever had.  They are rotting on the vines without ever becoming ripe.  I don't know what is wrong with them but I don't think I am going to have enough for salsa or sauce.

 

 

Parenting Epiphany

As a parent, there are times I just have moments of clear understanding why my parents were the way they were.  A perfect example is tonight.  The boys have been awful all day, mostly because they are just too tired and need some rest from their busy weekend this weekend but regardless, I have simply had enough of them and sent them to bed for a 7pm bedtime. 
The CMA music festival and we are watching it on tv tonight.  Scott is snoring on the couch mostly because his wife made him work like a horse all weekend. I can hear the boys in the hallway watching the tv, but I don't care.  Why, you ask?  Because they aren't in my hair, they aren't fighting because the yearning to watch Jason Aldean or Blake Shelton binds them together.  They wouldn't dare start a fight and blow their cover. 

I remember sitting on the steps when I was their age, hiding and listening to the music award shows.  I thought we were so sneaky, but the truth was, they didn't care if we were in bed, they just cared, like I do tonight, that they are away, and quiet and NOT FIGHTING!!!

$13.97 kitchen makeover.

They say, "When the cats away, the mice will play." Well, when the kids are away the parents will-- well the parents will take on an entire kitchen remodel project and attempt to finish before the cats...well the children return.

The big boys went away for the weekend with Scott's mom and we attempted to tackle a small project in our kitchen.  Money is tight right now, with school starting, and all the stuff that goes along with.  So can you believe we accomplished this makeover with only $13.97.  Yes you read that right, we spent $13.97 on a package of paint trays, bushes and rollers.  Add some cabinets we had laying around, an old table, and some leftover paint and you have this:

 

 

 

 

 

Let me share how we got it done so inexpensively. 

• The paint:  The Hazardous Waste Recycling plant is a great place to get FREE paint.  Yes FREE.  My mom and I stop by every few weeks and always leave with a few cans.  I try to just pick up colors I like and I don't worry too much about them matching.   For this project I dumped 1/2 of a gallon of my "Grecian Sea" (dark teal) paint that I painted our bedroom 2 years ago, 1 almost full gallon of obnoxious electric blue, and 1/2 gallon of a dark sage green into a large bucket and came up with  about 2 gallons of this gorgeous peacock teal color.

 

• The demo: Thanks be to that handsome husband of mine, he ripped out the old walls that once housed a wall oven and a closet. Then he repaired the drywall so it was ready to paint. His skillz saved us a LOT of money.



• The cabinets:  We got these cabinets from the Salvation Army when we first moved in, they have been sitting in our basement ever since.  Scott pulled out 2 of them and installed them in the corner where the make shift closet used to be.  We also ditched the refridgerator cabinet that we used to use.  It was bulky and annoying because no matter what I did I couldn't access it without a step ladder, and given that I am 5'10, that was a problem. We also added a tall cabinet that came from my friend Melissa's kitchen remodel.  The plan is to eventually paint and distress the cabinets on this wall.



 

• The countertop:  The countertop is actually an old table from my grandmother's house.  She used it as a work bench and so it is perfectly distressed already and looks beautiful.  It is probably my favorite piece.

 

• The Accents:  I got these cute kitchen towels a few months ago and they were my inspiration.  They match the chicken on my microwave.



So Wha-Wha-What it's WEDNESDAY!

Happy Wednesday dear sweet darlings!


So what if I happened to mention a secret blog a few weeks ago.  Indeed there is one, and while I am still working on getting things exactly the way I want them, its good enough to share.  You can find it here.  I am working on getting a little portfolio made of all of my floral experiences. 


So what if one of my favorite parts of living at 6SmeadAcres is my garden.  My produce we planted early this spring, is coming ripe.  So far we have enjoyed fresh salsa, chimchurri sauce, cucumbers and today I am making applesauce.

So what if I have career ADHD.  I am all over the map when it comes to what I want to be when I grow up... every day, I come up with something new that might trip my trigger.  From business to nursing, I am no closer to figuring it out.  It shouldn't be that hard right?  I mean, all I want is a job that:

• Makes good enough money to help support our family
• I love, enjoy &; that I am pretty good at.
• Doesn't require me to commute every day.
• Has flexible hours that my children don't ever realize that I actually have a job, basically that I am still 90% available to be at their talent shows, attend class field trips, and plan class parties.

So what if after writing all of the above, I realize it probably is too much to ask.

So what if the big boys are going away for the whole weekend and Scott and I are going to attempt DIY marriage counseling a home improvement project...

So what if this crazy lady on the news who had 11 boys, and still kept trying for a girl and just gave birth to a beautiful baby BOY.... AGAIN!   I think I need to pitch her my theory about how certain men like my husband, and hers, obviously only have Y sperm.  Maybe that should be my next career option...

So what if I need a vacation...

So what if I also need a hair cut, and color.

So what if my applesauce is done and that is all the time I have for blogging today!

love you lovies!!
 

TWO babies turning TWO on August TWO!

Can you even believe it was 2 years ago that these sweet little babes came into the world?

Luke (a) & Max(b)- a few hours old

Max is on the left, Luke is on the right

But here they are, my TWO babies turning TWO on August TWO... If you know me, you know I love numbers that are cool so this completely blows my mind- just a little.


Oh boys!  I remember those first few weeks you were home and how exhausting it was.  Everything seemed hard then, but boy oh boy, there are days I wish I could go back to the days when you just held STILL!  You boys are the dynamic duo and can get into a whole lot of trouble with just a few minutes without supervision (think long enough to go to the bathroom, take a shower, switch the laundry)  Just yesterday you managed to get the ketchup out of the fridge and pour it ALL over the kitchen floor.

<--- ---="" and="" luke="" max="" nbsp="">

You are both napping from 12:30 to 3 and sleeping 8pm-7am every night.  My favorite time of the day (besides nap time) is listening to the two of you talking to each other when you wake up in the morning and then coming into your room in the morning to happy smiling babies.

The two of you really gave me a run for my money this baseball season.  It was hard to watch your big brother's play and keep an eye on the two of you.  I will be grateful for next year when they should be on the same team and therefore we will have less games to go to.

I am so thankful for healthy babies, you really haven't been sick this year except for a few days of stomach flu. At your well baby appointment your doctor was glad to see you growing and developing so well.  We know that others don't always get the same report, so we are thankful.


5 days old (Luke is on top)



6 months old

1 year old

Not quite 2

There really isn't a good way to get a picture of the both of you, you are far to busy and mobile to post together.  I have lots of individual shots but a pose of just the two of you is hard to come by.

I would also give my right arm for you to call me "mommy" instead you yell "Ma!" like a guido from the Jersey Shore. I always correct you and you repeat "ma"

Lucas Dannen Smead

 

 

At 1:08 today you made your entrance into this world.  We constantly laugh that since they pulled you out butt first (you were breech remember) that it set your outlook on life from the very second.  You are the very definition of type A personality.  You prefer order, especially if it is your order, and you thrive on a schedule. You like to have control over everything already at a young age and rule the household with a shrill scream.  You don't like having anyone come over to our house. But you eventually do warm up to people.  You seem to enjoy trying to boss Max around which he does not appreciate, and then feels the need to remind you how much bigger he is then you.
  You are so funny- and you know it too!  The other day you put on a pair of Karter's shorts and were walking around with them.  You knew it was funny and you loved that you made your brothers giggle. Don't worry, you are still the king of stink eye. 

  You are still a biter, and although sometimes I think it comes from frustration being able to communicate, most of it is just being mad.  Speaking of communication, you are in speech therapy with the AEA every two weeks.  You tend to sit and play very quietly and you don't say much of anything until she is walking down the sidewalk to her car, then you start yelling "Bye! Bye!" go figure.  That being said your vocabulary includes: "Ma" (spoken like you are on Jersey Shore) "Maa" (Max) "Dad" "eat" "diink" (drink) "cheese" (spoken like a packer fan CHEEEse) "No," "Stop" "Don't" "Oh No" "whoops" "moo" "two" "ball" "bobo"(bubble) "blow" "jay jay" "woof- woof"

  Here are a few more things I know about Luke:

• He weighs 25lbs and is 32 inches long.
• He wears 12-18 month shorts and 18month-2t shirts and size 5 diapers.
• He is a great little eater and almost always out eats Max.  He doesn't like meats, and could probably be a vegetarian if we let him.
• Karter is one of his favorite people, he wants Karter to push him in the stroller, and to carry him around.
• Nickames include: Lew, Lewy, Luker, Lukie,
• Luke loves to help, he helps pick up trash, and dirty clothes, he loves to help clean.

 

Max Hoffert Smead

 

 

 

 

Oh Max!  You my dear sweet boy keep me on my toes every day.  You came rip roaring into the world with barely enough time for the clock to change.  At 1:09 our Max rushed on to the scene.  You are still my bigger of the two and can use your muscles to push around furniture or what ever other obstacle is in your way.  You are so much taller and bigger then Luke I really don't mind when people ask "How far apart are they?" and love the look on their face when I tell them "barely 60 seconds."

Luke does a pretty good job of keeping you in line but you can hold your own too, I have watched you pull his hair or just push him out of the way. 

Your vocabulary includes:  Ma (again, like an Italian in Jersey) Dad, Why? Whats that? Who that? I-oh-u (I love you) two, eat, drink, more, ball, meow, moo, oink, blow, monkey sounds, dig, nigh-night, help, woof woof, jay jay, owie.

 

You are full of questions and are always asking "whats that?" and "why?" I don't remember either of your older brothers ever asking why so soon, but something tells me its just the beginning of a lot more questions from you!

 

You also love to play with trucks and tractors.  We have a set that has a trailer with a hook and you love having us hook up the trailer to the tractor.  You will play for hours an extended period of time with them.  You also love to play rock band with your older brothers and jam on the guitar when they sing.

 

You do the sweetest thing, when you are tired, or bored, or just spacing out, you rub your lip with your finger.   Today when I was going through pictures for this post I found quite a few pictures with you doing it. 

 

 

Here are a few other things I know about Max...

• Nicknames include: Mac, Maxer, Mackie, Macaroni, Macadoodle, Macaroon,
• He weighs 34lbs and is 35 inches tall.
• He wears size 2T clothing and size 6 diapers
• You recently started hugging my leg when you don't want to go where someone is trying to get you to go... for example, you hold on to my leg when your dad is trying to get you out of the kitchen so I can cook dinner.
• You love to eat meat!  You will often eat your portion and then eat Luke's.

Because all of you boys have summer birthdays within 6 weeks of each other, to celebrate your birthdays we had one great big giant Smead Birthday Party Extravaganza. We rented the city pool and invited all of our friends and family to celebrate.  Instead of gifts we asked for donations to the local Animal Rescue League and the Ronald McDonald house.  We got so much stuff I was amazed.  To celebrate your birthday we plan to go to the Omaha Zoo tomorrow to meet up with some of my MoM friends and hopefully your friends too someday. 

Dear Luke and Max,
I am so thankful every day that we saw those two little beans on the ultrasound machine. The two of you have completed our family and we are so blessed by you each and every day.  Although the days are sometimes hard, I know that the years are short and it will just be a blink of an eye and you will be starting kindergarten.  I hope that you always remain independent yet close to each other.  I love being your mommy and watching you grow.
Love,
Mommy