Reminding myself that it wasn't such a terrible week!

This week has been a bit stressful with Chris back to the College full time and still carrying a heavy workload at the grocery store, but also because for some reason Sean and Eleanor have been testing me to about my limit! They have not napped for three days, even that wouldn't have been so bad, but they get too whiny when they don't get enough sleep and then I get headaches because I am not getting enough rest either. Then coupled with their sneaky naughtiness I think I might lose my head! There have been various clothes and toys in the toilet, thankfully I got them out before they flushed! They have been being mean to each other and Eleanor has been getting books and bending and tearing them. All of the things that they have been doing are things that they know are wrong, and they were all things that happened while I was in the bathroom or taking care of Chloe. It is not like I was on the phone or on the computer or just not paying attention to them! Not only that, but I would discipline/punish them and then they would go right back and do the same things again and laugh about it!

Anyway, all that being said, it was not a horrible week! I do love my children dearly and I love taking them to the park and playing with them and taking care of them and making sure that they have everything they need. We like to read books before bed and dance and be silly. I just don't know why some days and weeks can be so long and agonizing and others go so smooth you almost fool yourself into thinking that they really are perfect little saints! Maybe that's why we have bad days to shake us back into reality and to remind us to stand firm and keep consistent.

Here are some highlights of the week, or at least today! Just to prove that it wasn't all bad.

On our walk at the park this evening Sean found some pretty little purple flowers and picked some for Eleanor and himself.

We enjoyed the fountain and lights. It occurred to me while we were there that in just a few short months this fountain just may be filled with snow and ice! Then I realize that my babies are growing too fast I need to cherish these moments!

We also saw Luna (the moon) up in the sky!

I loved the way the light shined through the tree leaves and Sean asked if I was going to take a picture of it. He knows his mama so well! I love taking pictures!

This airplane was green and looked so pretty against the pinkish purplish sky

Spiderman

We went and walked around Target the other day and I got some Spiderman stickers for Sean and Hello Kitty for Eleanor in the dollar section, or so I thought! Come to find out, the Spiderman stickers were actually tattoos. I was worried this would bother Sean since it has in the past, but he actually was very happy once he realized that it wouldn't hurt. He just doesn't like that he can't take it off. Thankfully since they were so cheap they don't last for much more than a day.

A park outing

We've been taking our much needed walks at the park again. We got a little lazy for a while, but now I am trying to get back into it. I know I need it and the kids do too. I usually try to make them take turns riding in the stroller and walking beside me. If we go to the other park Sean will ride his bike and Eleanor will ride in the stroller or walk depending on how she feels. Her legs are so small she has such a hard time keeping up, even when I feel like I am walking snail speed!  On this particular outing Sean and Eleanor both pooped out on me on the last leg of the walk. We were so close to the car, but they were both ready to have a hissy fit! I tried to talk Sean into holding Chloe in the back seat of the stroller so Eleanor could sit in the front seat and everyone would be happy and not have to walk (except me of course who would be pushing approximately 75? pounds of child, not to mention the stroller also weighs about 20 pounds!), but he would not have it! He said her hair would get in his face, which I am sure is true and I know how tickly that can be. After some "discussion" Eleanor finally chimed in and said she wanted to sit in the basket underneath! I decided to just go with it, so I said OK let's just do it so we can get home! I am not planning on making a habit of this because quite frankly it is a LOT of heavy pushing to do with a double stroller and I doubt the basket is meant to hold quite so much. Anyway, the funny thing to me about this picture is that Eleanor is the happiest looking child and she is probably the least comfortable all scrunched up under there!

Well, it's a start!

Before Chris could get around to painting the dresser yellow he wanted to sand it down a bit first. So we went to the school and behind the stage where the "magic" happens! We all watched daddy work for a while. Eleanor did not like the noise so much, but Sean and Chloe didn't seem to mind.

After the kids got quite bored just standing there watching daddy work, we went out into a bigger room off the stage where Chris is trying to pull together a "Black Box" theatre. His office is also off of this room. They have some of the props and furniture that they use in the plays stored out there, so the kids had some couches and chairs, and even a fireplace to check out!

8 months!

My sweet baby is 8 months old! Oh I just love her! I cannot believe how fast she is growing!

7 months

There's no use crying over...red carpet stains?

My sweet little two year old Eleanor got a red permanent marker off the desk in my room today. Chris was getting ready for work and I was on the phone with my mom at the time, I believe it was about 8 minutes, but it only takes a minute for those little blessings to be out of eyesight! Anyway, she colored on the carpet in my room and on Chloe and a little on herself. I think Sean tried to spank her because she came crying to me. The first thing I saw was red on her top lip. I thought she'd cut herself and was bleeding! Sean set me straight and showed me just exactly what had happened. I wish I would've gotten a before picture of the carpet. All I can say is it was RED! There were two lines that were probably at least a foot and a half in length.

The guilty one

After the mess was cleaned up

Baths last night

There were never such devoted sisters!

Yesterday after supper

Chloe fell asleep in her highchair,

Chris did the dishes,

and the rest of us enjoyed some yummy triple chocolate chip muffins!