Johnny Boys.

This weekend Eric and I took our three boys, along with their Nana, out to the local apple farm for a beautiful Fall day. It was perfect apple picking weather... Warm sun, cool breeze, a perfect blend of the things I love. We started off with a tractor pulled wagon ride for a tour of 'our' farm and got to hear the rundown on the history of it all. I actually found that part pretty interesting as I didn't realize we sort of own the farm. Out city bought the orchards a few years back to save it from being turned into 178 houses and now it's community owned and run.  How cool is that?? It's run strictly by volunteers with the exception of the apple growing guy, because without him, there'd be no apples! In all my years visiting the place the past tours usually just point out which apples were where so I liked the new found information this other guy shared. Thanks, volunteer Bob! He even sparked interest with the kiddos and afterwards we spoke to someone about volunteering as a family to come help out sometime! Can't you see my little munchkins scooping up those seconds under the trees? We can't wait!

After our wagon ride we headed out to the orchards to get to pickin'! And who knew my boys were such serious pickers? They had those bags filled in a second. Luckily Eric took the time to dump them out and sort through the yucky ones so we could refill and teach them how to check the apple first. And one volunteer explained how to 'twist and pull' which we tried to remember too. Throughout all the picking I think it's safe to say that everyone's favorite part was climbing the apple trees. Which you're probably not supposed to do, so don't tell anyone that part! But it's true, nonetheless. The boys were sneaking under the branches and shimmying up through as we heard little apples falling to the ground. Then out of nowhere we'd see a little face pop through somewhere in the middle and they were so proud they'd made it up there. Even Gavin got up there with a little help from his Daddy! Because of all this apple talk and being that we were in an apple orchard and all, I had to mention our good friend, Johnny Appleseed. Who's not really our good friend but a neighborhood legend I suppose. As I continued to cheer on my boys I began telling them I should have brought pots for them to wear on their heads just like Johnny did! Of course they wanted to run with the idea and every time they climbed a tree following that they'd yell, "Look Mom, were the Johnny boys!!" And so they were and we finished our day with lots of memories, laughs and thanks to my mother the hoarder, lots of apples. Here's some photos from our day in the orchard if you'd like to see...

2026.

You're off to great places,

today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting,

so...get on your way!

And will you succeed?

YES! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

~Dr. Seuss (and Mom)

xo

A Distracted Life.

"Hurry up!!"

Seriously, I'm beginning to think they should write that on my headstone some day. Having kids makes this phrase a bit of a staple if you ask me. Do you have kids? Do you say that all the time? No really, like all the time and with almost every task your child takes on. Because I'm starting to think that maybe I do and I didn't even realize it. "Hurry up and brush your teeth!" ... "Get your shoes on, hurry up!" ... "We're gonna be late, please hurry!" ... "Dinner's getting cold, hurry up and eat!" ... "Hurry up and get to bed, Mama has things to do!" See, the list could go on forever! When you lay it all out like that its a bit sad, don't you think? I mean, do I let my kids actually try anything without rushing them through it?? Maybe I'm overreacting but I can't help but feel a bit guilty after thinking it through. And what's all the rush about anyways? What ever happened to 'stop and smell the roses'? Apparently I don't have time for roses because in case you didn't notice, I'm in a hurry. 

Last week I read a great post about the truth written in the article, 'The Day I Stopped Saying Hurry Up'. I could definitely relate to her story of rushing her kids around, but I didn't quite realize how much it would resonate with me until today. I had just finished tucking my two smaller guys down for a nap when my three year old decided he needed to get up a handful of times for the sole purpose of driving me crazy. Or because he needed to get a pirate ship to sleep with, his extra blankie and one more kiss. With each appearance from my munchkin I brushed him off and hurried him back to nap. The last time he stopped what he was doing and looked over at me with his sleepy big blue eyes and asked, "Mama, why I gotta hurry?" ... "Because it's nap time now hurry up and go!" And off he went and didn't get up again. Now here I sit flooded with thoughts of guilt and disappointment as I recall those words I had read in that article. Would it have killed me to take two minutes to grab a pirate ship and tuck my guy in with that extra kiss? Not at all. But I wasn't thinking about that moment in the least bit. It wasn't even about the time or the fact that he should be asleep. All I was focused on was getting to the next thing I had to do. Lunch, dishes, laundry, food network...don't judge. But really, it's true. I am too worried about what else is going on or has to be done to pay attention to what's happening right now. Can you relate? 

Now my problems don't all lie in that I rush my kids to sleep because let's be honest, I'll probably always try my hardest to get them to nap as soon as possible. But it was however, an awakening to the fact that I need to focus more on living in the moment with my children instead of rushing them through life and then complaining that it goes too quickly. The article began with some lines that reeled me in from the start, "When you’re living a distracted  life, every minute must be accounted for. You feel like you must be checking something off the list, staring at a screen, or rushing off to the next destination. And no matter how many ways you divide your time and attention, no matter how many duties you try and multi-task, there’s never enough time in a day to ever catch up." A distracted life, she writes. And that's exactly what it is. I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure most people I know, with kids or without, can probably relate to the point here. Why are we so distracted? Maybe we'd all be a little bit happier if we learned to appreciate the moment, to enjoy life instead of rushing through it, to stop and smell the roses. Maybe if we realized how great those little moments could be then we wouldn't be in such a hurry after all.

...except for when it's nap time.

Not Bad, Good Pancakes.

Today I wanted a good breakfast. Good as in bad. Bad as in I wanted some big 'ol pancakes smothered in butter and syrup. Sounds good, right? The only problem is that I'm trying not to have things that are so bad. Still with me? As I got ready to pass on the idea of something so good that it's bad, I remembered a recipe my friend shared a while back, Banana Pancakes. Healthy ones! So I pulled up her blog, Sex + Grand and checked out the ingredients. Just 4 ingredients and about five minutes. Really, does it get any easier? I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and maybe these healthy little pancakes wouldn't be so bad. (bad as in not good) Being the rebel that I am, I tweaked the recipe a bit. Not that it needed it and I'm sure the outcome tasted pretty much the same, but I get a little lazy about cracking two eggs just for the whites and decided to add a little more flavor to the pancake itself rather than just on top. How did it taste, you ask? Ahhhhmaaaazzzzzinnnnggggg. Seriously friends, you need to make these right now. If you're trying to eat clean, definitely make them. If you prefer junk, make them anyways because they're just that good. (good as in good) And honestly, they really couldn't be any easier. So, a huge thanks to my friend Krista and also the busy girls who eat clean that came up with the original recipe Krista snagged. This will surely be my new go-to breakfast! And for all you parents out there, my two year old who can't let me enjoy a meal alone shared this dish with me and kept yelling, "More! Big one!!" so it's also kid approved. Upon finishing I couldn't decide if I was sad it was gone or happy I felt full and satisfied. Not a bad way to end breakfast! Now go stock up on bananas and have yourself some not bad, good pancakes!! 

            

            

Banana Pancakes

1 banana

1/2 cup oats

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

dash cinammon

Break the banana into a bowl with other ingredients. Use fork to mash banana up. (I thought for sure it wouldn't get smooth enough with a fork but after a minute it was perfect!) Pour onto hot, sprayed pan forming two big or three small pancakes. Flip once you see it starting to cook through and finish the other side. Plate and serve with a drizzle of honey or if you're like me and still sorta crave those 'big 'ol bad pancakes', top with syrup. So so so good. Enjoy!!

PS. Krista's tip: Throw it in the blender for a smoother, less 'oaty' texture! Both will be delish!! ;)

Loving Leeches.

Happy Friday! 

If you're all caught up on the blog front, you'll recall that I've sort of been freaking out about My Man getting ready for kindergarten. It's a big deal, right? You don't blame me, I'm sure... BUT, what you don't know is that somewhere deep down inside, I'm a little bit excited too. Are you a parent? If so, you know what I mean. If not, I'm sure you can just imagine what it's like to have a little leech stuck on your leg for five years sucking every last ounce of your blood while you desperately try to regain your own body, mind and spirit. I mean, that's not what having children is like it all....forget I used that analogy. But who am I kidding, really? Some days, it actually does feel that way! Now don't get me wrong, I love my kids as much as the next Mama but I'd be lying if I said I never had days where I locked myself in the bathroom pretending to 'go potty' for about ten minutes or so while I cried, ate a brownie or took a minute to remind myself that I do actually like these monsters. Being a parent is TOUGH! There's no manual, no right or wrong way, no easy way, it's just plain tough. But the best part about it is that while there may be those days where I've done those ridiculous things that get me through, I have just as many days where I'm beaming with pride and joy because being a parent is AMAZING. Just the other night Eric and I were laughing about some funny things our munchkins had done that day. We ended our conversation talking about how being a parent is like nothing else...the feeling you get from having this little person you created and watching them turn into someone so incredible is incomparable. So all in all, the good outweigh the bad and kind of make you forget about those bathroom breakdowns in between. 

That being said, I think I've earned my right to send my little leech off to kindergarten. I mean child. Did I say leech? Oh... Well, you know. So when September comes and my little man is off to start his first day in the real world that is school, I'll surely be sad. I'll miss him like something awful... But, I think a part of me will learn to love it too. Umm, one less kiddo for a while? I think I'll adjust. Until then I'll continue to soak up the love and savor every moment with my guy before the big day comes! (Except for the ones where I'm crying in the bathroom, of course.)

Have a good weekend!! I'll be busy loving leeches...