Life Lately

Guys! It's been so long since I've updated my little old blog. I often have ideas for posts but they end up just staying in my head because its tough for  me to find time to sit down and just write. Instead, I do things like spend 30 minutes attempting to get a fly of out of the room my baby is sleeping in because I don't want it landing on him and waking him up. True story. This exact scenario just occurred like ten minutes ago. 

Seriously though, the lack of posting has a lot to do with how go-go-go our last year has been. I mean, is life every really not go-go-go when you have a basketball team of kids? I was just thinking the other day and ya'll, I have a child in college, one in high school, one in middle school, my toddler goes to an elementary school half the day for Pre-K, and then there's the baby. All five kids in five different ages and stages of life. We've got it all covered. Wanna hear about how London Bridge is Falling Down? I got you covered. Want to help try to find an elusive college textbook that no store has in stock and costs $4.7 million dollars per page? Got it covered. Ready watch the door at curfew to make sure the 16 year old walks through on time? I'm your girl. Wanna get a tutorial on Fortnite from your middle-schooler? I. got. chu.
Like everything is happening. At once. All the time. Then my hubby, the pilot, was in some super intense training for the last year so while he was physically present, he really needed to focus on studying so his mind was being pulled elsewhere. This left me to zip and zoom all over town and do so much without relying on him since his schedule was...well...unreliable due to no fault of his own. When my oldest was still living at home he helped with pick ups and drop offs but he's gone to college out of state now. Luckily, the pilot finished training and he's home so much now. Like, so much. Its heaven really. Granted, he'll be back in the books in a few months but until then I'm loving the brunch dates, the help with pick ups and drop offs, the late nights where the kids are in bed and we pop open a bottle of wine and hang out, the bedtime routine he's now able to be a part of, watching our toddler follow him around like a lost puppy because he's the current favorite and she's a daddy's girl through and through. So yeah, maybe in a few months when things get kicked back into high gear for my other half I won't get to sit down like this and make updates anymore, I don't know. But for now I'm taking full advantage of it. 

I have so many posts I'm excited to share with you guys, and so many topics to cover. A few of my friends will say "you should write a post about *insert the subject*" so I plan to. And I've also received a few DMs on Instagram about some topics I'd love to cover as well. So I will and I hope you'll pop in every now and then to see what's new. 

Later, friends!

Life Lately

How is January almost over? No clue. No. Clue. But a new year means we are back to reality and it has seriously smacked me straight in the face. 

First, my littlest boo is almost two. She's funny, sassy, independent and yet doesn't want to let go of the boob. I was hoping she'd self-wean by two but its not looking like that's going to happen, so my plan is to sloooooowly wean her myself. I know it'll take months but I'm already feeling guilty about the process...but its time. I love nursing, I know its best for her nutritionally, I know its amazing for her immunity, I know its mother nature at work, but I also know that while nursing her has luckily been very easy, and natural, and an amazing bonding experience its also been almost TWO YEARS and we plan to have one final kiddo within the next year or two and I'd really like to give my body a break (and have it be MINE again haha) before getting pregnant and then starting this nursing experience with our next kiddo. 

Ari is kicking ass in gymnastics, but then again she kicks ass in everything she chooses to do. She's so happy and bubbly each time I pick her up from gym and that just makes my heart so happy. Also, the kid has researched the housing market in various parts of the United States, selected which University she'd like to attend, and has a 10 year plan. So when she asked when she's getting her driving permit i really shouldn't have been shocked. Its coming and I'm terrified and elated all at once. Avery loves swim class and anytime we do back floats she thinks its time to nap and nurse. Seriously, she's a squealing ball of energy when we are doing jumps off the edge into the pool and then in the next minute when its time to back-float she gets heavy-eyed then asks for "milkies". Like, no baby-boo, we are in the middle of swim class. Ethan is turning 17 in a few weeks. I don't want to talk about it. Moving on. Owen continues to be "the little professor", he loves learning, has an insane memory, and is so witty and funny and I just can never get over it. 

I've got a lot of big things in the works as well and they should all be in full effect within the next few weeks. I've been wanting to do these things for a while but kept putting them off, waiting for "life to slow down" but guess what? Its not gonna slow down; my husband's office is a multi-million dollar fighter jet, I have a toddler, a tween, a teen, and an older teen that will be heading off to college in like 18 months, a house to keep clean, bellies to keep filled, brains to develop, souls to nurture, and my own personal goals and needs so now's as good a time as any, right? I'm so excited for where this New Year takes us, 2016 was pretty awesome, 2017 has a hard act to follow. Much love, friends. Have a happy week.

Life Lately

Oh, ya'll. Can we just talk about how its almost 2017?! Why? Like where did the year go? Seriously, this year zoomed by. And I feel like with every passing year our family has so many huuuuuge life changes that come with it and 2017 is no different. First and foremost my oldest is going to be a senior. Guys, its my LAST year with him living at home. And now I'm about to cry just typing that out. I'm sad, and happy, and downright pissed because I'm like 'DUDE! I just gave birth to you a few months ago and now we are headed to go visit colleges?! Don't leave me!'. All the emotions, man.

Then there's a slew of other things on the docket that could (and will likely) change because that's what happens right? We make plans and then life happens and flips it all around and things work out differently but so far, despite any flips and turns, ups and downs, life has brought me here, to today, and I'm more at peace and happier then I've ever felt in my entire life. 2016 was so, so good to us.

Let's cooly segue to Sammy, shall we? Bitch has been trippin', ya'll! Like, she is the best dog ever, don't get me wrong, but she's been sooooooo BAD. She has started this thing where she digs in the trash when we aren't home. So I've started moving the trash into the laundry room as I leave the house and now she finds other stuff to eat. Like, I left a plate IN...INSIDE OF...not beside...but IN the sink and she licked the sucker clean, I probably wouldn't have noticed but the fork was on the kitchen floor when I arrived home. And last weekend Seth went to get us doughnuts, we ate a few then went about our Saturday, left the closed box on the counter and yep, you guessed it, she pulled the box off the counter and when we arrived home the empty doughnut box was on the floor. THEN! Yesterday I ensure every.little.ounce.of edibleness was out of her reach. I leave the house for the morning, get back a few hours later and she greets me at the garage door with her ears pulled back (usually a sign she did something wrong) I'm like 'what could you have possibly eaten?!' Well, between me and Ari we constantly have something baked and those baked goods typically go in the cake dish on our kitchen island. I scan the kitchen and don't notice anything straight away, as I walk closer I see that the GLASS cake stand is on its side, the heavy glass lid to the cake stand is balancing on the edge of the countertop, and the cake is gone. How she managed to not knock the cake stand to the ground, I don't know, but she knew she was in trouble. I opened the back door and without saying a word she walked outside, turned around to look at me, then laid down on the deck and sadly stared into the house with the saddest eyes. But I'm not fooled by her but face so she sat out there for a good ten minutes. Which to her is like 73 days and nights because she's a diva. 

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My (and probably three-fourths of the Earth's populations) favorite holiday season is right around the corner and I'm totally digging it. Christmas itself I don't so much care about (simmer down) but its the coziness I feel in my house during this time of year that I adore. The chilly weather, the warm food, the house lit mainly by twinkle lights, the baking, the time with family and friends, I just absolutely love it. I think next year will be the first Christmas where the baby truly understands what all is going on but this year she understand bits and pieces. While she was taking a nap the other week I hung garland, lights, and our stockings from our staircase and when she woke to it she stopped halfway down the stairs, put one hand to her cheek, and gasped, "Piiiiiitty!" (pretty) and now each time she walks down the stairs she stops to gasp. It is thee cutest thing. The first few days we had the tree up she squealed, "BALL!" referring to the ornaments and proceeded to rip off as many as she could juggle in her arms. But after a few days of "Can you go put those back on the tree for me?" she stopped taking them off all together. Needless to say, after all the rearranging she did our tree does not look like it belongs in a magazine, but I could care less about that and can't be bothered to rearrange ornaments each time she messed with them. I think she's gonna lose it when it comes to opening gifts.

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We shall see.

Seth's sticking around for a while, at least through the holidays, thank you baby Jesus. In our five-ish months since we've lived in America he's been gone at least half of that due to work. I know its the nature of his work but its still not the ideal arrangement if we're being honest. And I'm not not one to burden him while he's out of town or at work, instead, if pure chaos is going down he'd never know about it and I'd suck it up and put out the fire. So its nice when he's home and can help assist with my Fire Chief duties. 

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Okay, I'm off to bake banana bread because I'm pretty sure today is my last day to use these bananas before we'll all die of some sort of over-ripened banana disease. I'll be back this afternoon with a giveaway with Nuby! So check back in. xx

Life Lately

Avery is in a sleep regression. Meaning she is napping terribly. It takes her so long to go to sleep that when she finally does pass out I need to be waking her up if u want her in bed at a decent time. It's annoying and makes me wanna pound mimosas double-fisted with brunch each day. The nap struggles are all too real. 

We practically live at the pool this summer. Like, my nose and cheeks are covered in (even more) freckles now and I've had to start wearing a longsleeve rash guard because I'd get this God-awful heat rash on the bend of my arms. Now I sport a hat for my face too and when I mentioned that I didn't like the sun on my neck Ariana suggested I find a water-proof scarf. Straight-faced. Smart ass. Then I told her I may as well purchase a full-on body suit of some sort so naturally she suggested a wetsuit. It should ship in 5-7 days. Kidding. Or am I? 

I'm like 90% done getting the house setup. I mean, Ill probably keep tweaking things up until the moment we move again because that's just me but at least the big things are done and it feels like home. Our washing machine (which we haven't used in three years because we stored it when we moved to England) squeaks like an SOB and as much as a new one would be nice I'm like, it works. Plus, I'd rather spend my money on things like champagne and wetsuits. Just call me Champage Mami. No, don't do that. That'd be awkward. 

A member of my brood wants to be homeschooled this year and I'm like dude, I barely passed pre-Algebra in high school, I don't think that'd be legal. But it is. Oh it is. So now I'm trying to find a curriculum that looks ideal and I'm thinking of having my Bachelor's degree dipped in 14Kt gold just to give me a little confidence boost. I'm telling y'all, Champagne Mami. 

Some ladies invited me to a book club and I was like sign me up!!! But then I learned a little more about this book club...it was, in fact, a book club and I was beyond disappointed. Like, where's the $14 cheese and bottles and bottles of wine, bitches? In the past, 'book club' was code for we get to drink in a house rid of our spouses and children. Don't get me wrong, I love to read but reading only happens when I get to take a peaceful bath...also known as never. 

Welp, my non-napping baby is awake from not taking a nap so I'll be on my way. Hope this quick little update finds you well.

Xx,

Lor