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

6 Smead Birthday Party Extravaganza

What a great birthday party for the boys!  This year instead of having 3 different birthday parties for 4 different boys, we decided to combine all the boys (and mine) into one big birthday party extravaganza and that is exactly what we did.  We invited all of our friends and family for a giant birthday party extravaganza..

 

 

 

A ton of fun was had by everyone and this will most likely become the Annual Smead Birthday Extravaganza tradition . 

 

The birthday boys....

 

 

the guests...

 

 

 
 

 

The food....

 

For food we had cupcakes and cookies and ice cream sundaes.  What a hit!

 

 

Instead of messing with gifts, and by messing I mean, the opening, the finding a place for, the stepping on 2 weeks later, the picking up, and the storing, we asked for donations to two charities that the boys picked out.  I gave them the option of:  Toys for Tots, School Supplies, Ronald McDonald House, Blank Children's Hospital and Animal Rescue League.  They chose Ronald McDonald and the ARL. The boys had so much stuff to take and thought it was cool to take all of the donations in to the ARL and RMDH.

The donations.....

 

 

 

A huge thank you to everyone who came, and to everyone who brought something to help to a great cause.  I have said it countless times, but we are so blessed with such generous friends and family.