Life right now

We are creatures of habit, which means Monday through Thursday looks the same for us. Yes, even in the summer. We just love a good structure. Without one we are not good humans. None of us. Well, except Bob. He has an uncanny ability to thrive in chaos, which is what happens when us Giblers don't know what to expect for the day.

Let it be known, though. If we are homebound for any reason, and Brooks won't stop crying, I shut down from life and our schedule goes out the window. Like, I watch Netflix all day, don't brush my teeth, and, at some point, will lay in the fetal position sobbing. Thankfully, we don't have many days like this anymore. But they do still exist.

Here's what a typical day looks like:

I get up between 4:30 am- 4:45 am to work. I actually love getting up before the kids. This also means I enjoy an entire cup of hot coffee. Hot. Glory.

When the kids wake, Bob gets them dressed and gives them their breakfast before leaving for work. Yup. My husband is that capable. 

The kids watch a show (or 3) while I wrap up work and around 8:30 am or 9:00 am we hit the gym for a few hours. Not before at least two kids whine for a snack, though. Who cares that they just had breakfast twenty minutes ago.

When we get home they have a snack (of course), play (fight), we eat lunch, put Brooks to bed, and while Brooks sleeps the kids watch shows and I finish work.  Oh and there are approximately 15 requests for snacks. Sometimes they even ask for a snack while eating lunch. There's no logic in them, I swear it.

Often Brooks wakes up grumpy (surprise) which means 2:30-4:00 pm is not. my. favorite. I need to do a better job structuring these post-nap afternoon hours, because it's our worst time of the day. We tried going to the zoo, as Brooks does better outside the house, but apparently that's the animals indoor rest time. How dare they.

Around 4:00 p.m. the kids clean up their toys and bedrooms while I begin dinner. This too is difficult and requires wine, because cooking with a screaming, giant, toddler is no bueno. Sometimes Brooks gets distracted upstairs while the kids clean and when that happens I'm sure there's a God who loves me. I enjoy cooking, but it's not the same when there's an almost 40 lb man-child clinging to my legs. There's no joy in that. None. So lately, like the last year and a half, our meals have been simple, quick, and the same menu cycles every week. Sorry family. At least you're getting food.

Now, some of you awesome parents may cringe at how much TV I allow in our day. To that I say, good for you. Seriously. I think it's great you can make it through the day without turning on the tube. I cannot. And I don't feel bad about it. I used to, but then I realized that's silly. So I set my own screen time standards and most days we stick to it because I set those standards according to my family and our needs. It works for us. So if you find yourself feeling guilty in your parenting/family life, evaluate what you're feeling and see if you're trying to achieve standards you don't actually believe in. Sometimes we should alter our habits, we all have areas we can improve on, but more times than not we're stressing for no reason. Or is that just me?

Gah. No matter how difficult you are, son. You're totally worth it.

Playing paper-rock-scissor with himself.

We have some of the best people in our lives. From old friends, to our closest friends, to our neighbors, to family, to our church family. Despite my desire to deepen many of these relationships, Bob and I decided to make time for a few people and really invest in them. For us, that looks like connecting once a week through a playdate, dinner, or lengthly this-is-where-I'm-at text message. Which may not sound like much, but if I'm honest it's difficult to make a text message happen most weeks. Lame? yes. Which is why I'm praising God for friends with similar personalities who get it and get me.

Gosh, friends are so important and I don't want to be done with this parenting thing (not that we're ever really done) and find I don't know my husband and I have no friends. I'm confident I can't be who I need to be without these two relationships, marriage and friendship, and I don't want to lose sight of that, even if there isn't much time for it right now.

Well, that was a fun night.

Happy Birthday, Tracy! We love you!!

Brooks makes the best faces.
Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

I could eat these two dishes all summer long.

Boiled potatoes and green beans with loads of butter, salt, and pepper.
Tomato, cucumber, onion, basil salad. 

Hands down the biggest eater in our house

A friend took me to her favorite vendors at the farmer's market. I'm in love.

Drink of the summer.
One shot gin. One shot simple syrup. One shot lime juice. A few basil leaves. Taste. And alter according to your heart's desire. ( I typically add more gin and simple syrup)

Jami Nato, this drink forever revolutionized my drinking habits. 

Oh man, this was a hard day. We had so many battles, me and this one, that when it came time to leave for brother's baseball game I didn't have it in me to fight a wardrobe battle. So to the ball park we went, mismatched shoes and all. 

I suppose it's a rite of passage, preparing team snacks for the first time. Because this means you have a kid old enough to play organized sports and well, you feel like you yourself should be playing instead. But alas your leaky bladder and bum knee remind you this is, in fact, your time to be the adult