For My Boys

Today was really hard. Leif was sick all weekend, which meant I had the pleasure of tending to a clingy, whiny baby who was only able to sleep for half hour stretches before he would wake up screaming. I love my boy, but man, it was rough! Luckily, he woke up this morning without a fever, but for some reason, and perhaps it was simply due to the fact that he was so excited to be feeling better, he refused to nap. Every time I would put him down to sleep, he would wake up fifteen minutes later. Then, because he is no longer content to just sit or be held, he was on the move and his mama needed to keep an eye on him:

Look at me, mom! I'm walking around the furniture!

Look at me, mom! I'm playing in the dog's dish!

Look at me, mom! I'm playing in the cornstarch that I just dumped out all over the floor!

Look at me, mom! I'm pooping on the floor!

Look at me, mom! I'm eating pieces of peaches that I threw on the floor last night!

Look at me, mom! I'm eating your pink stick-it notes!

He was just oozing with mischievousness today!

I think you get the picture. Needless to say, I was done. Oh, and to top it all off, our basement bathroom backed up. Yep, that was my day in a nutshell. Fun!

But, it was also tough because two weeks ago, Derrick and I decided that this fall we will be sending our bigger boys back to school, and today was the day I posted all of our homeschool curriculum up for sale. Don't get me wrong, I know with all my heart that this is the right decision for everyone, but seeing our beloved books, the ones we have pored over together, being sold made it very real to me. Our homeschooling days are over. But, like I said I know this is the best decision. Avery has been missing his friends, and he is keen to learn languages, so he is going to start the half year french program and eventually go onto french immersion (hello! Wasn't this the very program I removed Elliot from school to avoid? Yep. And all I can say is they are different kids with different needs and different strengths) Elliot, who always intended to go back for high school, wanted to ease back into public school amongst friends and in a smaller school community. And my other boy, the one who demands constant supervision to ensure not only his own safety but Scout's as well, is no longer homeschooling friendly. I know many amazing moms out there who have homeschooled and are currently homeschooling with infants and my hat goes off to each and every one of them. They have my deepest respect, and I really hoped I could be like them, but I'm not. We all need to know our limitations and homeschooling the boys with Leif was definitely pushing my limits. And so, this fall, I will be sending my boys back on the big, yellow bus. I am sure there will be a tear shed, but I also think there will be some singing and dancing going on as well:

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Let's be honest; I will be dancing all week long! Seriously, though, I have loved teaching my boys for the past three years. We had a lot of laughs, we made some wonderful friends, we learned a ton, and we created a lot of memories, but I am ready to close the book on this chapter of our relationship. I am eager to see how they do in school and see what directions they take. I know they are both ready! But, I guess the real question is . . . is MCS ready?! . . . tee hee!

Yep, it was a rough one here at Shenanigans Inc., but it doesn't change the fact that I love what I do and I love the boys I do it for.

awwwwww . . . I've got some pretty handsome boys.

Oh, and don't fret, Baby Girl is staying home again next year, so I won't be completely bored. 

A Few Laughs

I am so grateful for the utterly ridiculous moments in our life because they break up the monotony of  my day: let the dog out, make a meal, wash the dishes, change a diaper, nurse the baby, let the dog in, teach a lesson, wash some laundry, mark a few lessons, let the dog out, make another meal, wash some more dishes, change another diaper, nurse the baby, dry some laundry . . . you get the picture. Luckily for me, spending my days with four kids and a dog means there are plenty of ridiculous moments, and I am still laughing about one that happened yesterday:

Leif was sleeping in his crib. Avery was downstairs playing Lego, Zoe was lying on the couch working on her math lesson, and Elliot was sitting at the kitchen table finishing up his grammar exercise for the day. I was standing at the kitchen counter, mixing up a new chicken recipe for supper. As I stared out the window, happy to see the sun shining and all the slushy puddles of ice melting in the driveway, I marveled at how quiet and peaceful the house was, and I thought to myself:

Wow! It is so peaceful. This has to be the best moment of the day.

Then all of a sudden, Elliot jumped out of his seat and screamed:

How is a man supposed to work in these conditions!

and he stormed off into his room.

. . .  what!?

Okay, so maybe you had to be here to truly appreciate the hilarity of the situation, or spend your days all by your lonesome with four kids and a dog, but for me, this was priceless and made my Monday just that much more tolerable.

Here are some other notable moments from the past few weeks:

Bowling:

(at first Leif found the lights and sounds too much)

But, then he decided it was all good.

Playing outside:

Waiting in the car for Elliot to finish up his gym class:

Potty training:

Singing a little Guns n' Roses:

Playing dress-up to the tune of "I Like Big Butts"

 and channeling our inner nerd and wearing sweater vests to church:

Yep, I really like our kind of monotony.