In between

My beautiful snow angels.  My kids are pretty fantastic and as I struggle through this wife and mother thing I need reminders like these photos to reset my priorities.  

Clean counters are not my priority...although they're important to me, they're not my priority.

  Following rules and schedules are not my priority.  Although SO important to me, not my priority.  

A family that gets along, encourages, and forgives is my priority.  So I need to get there.  With more effort.  

7.52

Lucy: has been sick since last Sunday morning.  She has moaned and complained and decided that Valentines is the worst day to get sick...and the week off of school is the worst time to get sick...and a holiday in Edmonton is the worst time to get sick.  Because her symptoms are so nondescript it's almost hard to believe her.  Laying on the couch, sleeping in and reading aren't really that unusual for this girl...except that when we were at the hotel pool she spent most of her time in the hot tub...which tells me it's for reals.

Max: would love to spend his week off school playing video games...and I would almost love to let him, if it didn't have magical mood altering powers...in all of my boys.  (All of them).

Logan: celebrated the big 6 this week.  With a trip to Edmonton - lots of swimming, Ketchup t-shirts from Janeen and Coleton, and Ninja turtle stuff.  He chanted to us at dinner: 'all hail me cuz I'm six!  All hail me cuz I'm six!"  and we did...for one day.

Seth: did pretty well in a hotel although he didn't like being confined to the room.  He enjoyed swimming and playing, but got sick on day two and things kind of went downhill from there.  Poor guy.  Sick...again.

6.16

Lucy: went on a field trip this week to Fort Calgary.  And she got the added bonus of having her dad with her.  She loves field trips.  There have been many complaints about the lack of grade 5 field trips in comparison to grade 3 and kindergarten field trips.  Sad reality, big girl.  Field trips are becoming a thing of the past as you get older.  But I knew this one would be right up her alley, as she loves all things historic.

Max: and I are at odds...again.  I feel like it happens a lot.  We ebb and flow.  But this one is a doozy.
I can't stand his bad attitude, and he can't stand...me.  Nagging, speaking, asking, reminding...all of it.  Lucy and I were in the same boat when she was 9.  It was a hard year.  How do I get through this?

Logan: is my spunk-ster.  I'm happy to report that the hulk-outs are dying off.  He's getting a lot better at controlling himself.  Not alway...but I've noticed marked improvement.  I got the boys a slingshot for valentines day (to only be used under the direct supervision of dad).  Well, dad fired a soother at logan and didn't expect it to work so hard.  Hence the welt.  Apparently dad can only use under direct supervision from mom!  Fortunately, Logan was angry, upset, and then forgiving and even laughed.  He made the transition between those feelings much quicker than he would have previously.

Seth: is proving to be difficult.  In that I can't pick just one picture a week of him.  he's learning so many new things so often that the changes are lightening fast.  He figured out dad's headphones this week and loves to dance around wearing them.  And where it has been painfully difficult to teach him reverence, this week, he seems to have mastered it.  In the most adorable way ever.

5.16

Lucy: enjoyed our special afternoon of bowling this week.  She's mostly uncoordinated when it comes to things like this, but bowling seems to be her thing.  

Max & Logan: These two can't decide how they feel about each other.  Most of the time I think it's love.  But they often have moments of pure angst.  They will fight the entire time they are in the shower, but then the fight will switch into giggles.  And if there is nudity and a towel involved...it's usually loads of fun.  

Seth: is never more than a few inches away from dad whenever he is home.  No matter what is happening.  In this case it's a stinky diaper and slicing bananas.