How come no one ever told me?

That motherhood would be sooooo exhausting. Mentally, physically, spiritually, utterly exhausting. Sure, they tell you about the sleepless nights, and the worrying.

But they somehow forget to mention, the minute by minute, nonstop going all day. From the repeated wake ups,
"Yes you have to wake up today. Yes, you have to get out of bed. Yes you have to get up right NOW," to the arguing over clothes,
"No you can't wear shorts, its 21 degrees outside, no you can't wear brown dress shoes with black running pants, just because I bought the sweatshirt from the boys department does NOT mean it's a boy's shirt....just put it on NOW!"

Then the lunch box arguments, "oreos are not a fruit, pick a fruit!"
and the "I brushed my hair yesterday, I hate this toothpaste, why is he looking at me in the mirror like that" whining.

And that is just the first 30 minutes of the day.

From there we argue about who's turn it is to sit in the blue booster, and who has to shut the car door. Until we get to the drivethru (yes, we hit the drive thru), and when asked what they want, they respond, "I already told you." SERIOUSLY????? Obviously if I heard you, I would NOT be asking! AAAGGGGHHHH!

Only to pull up at the bus stop and hear, "Mom...where's my backpack?"
Ummm.....it's not mine. I have my bags. He has his bag. Where is yours???
"I thought you would get it, mom"
HAVE I EVER?

Fast forward to seven hours later, and the drama starts right where it left off.

"I forgot my homework"
"I don't want to sit there while she dances"
"I hate his soccer practices"
"I don't like rice, can't I just eat bologna"
"I'm not hungry, I only want a snack"
" My seatbelt is stuck"
"I can't walk"
"my foot is stuck in the door"
"I'm not tired"


STOP! STOP! STOP!!


"Why are you yelling, mom?"

How come no one ever tells you this stuff?

Because there are some moments that make you love these little monsters. Handfuls of dandelions, presented like a priceless bouquet. Fingerprints and poems, telling you how "speshal" you are. Magnetic necklaces, that when placed just so, make a beautiful heart proclaiming for the world that you are mother and daughter. There are dance competitions and soccer games, where they work so hard and are so proud of themselves, you can't help but be proud of them as well!

And so, in those moments, you forget about the craziness, the whining. You forget just how tired you are, and remember,

"I'm their mom."

And that's the most rewarding job there could ever be!
And makes you appreciate your own mom that much more!

After the rain....

It's been rainging FOREVER and after the extremely long winter and all the snow....we are all getting a little antsy to get out of the house and into the sunshine.


So after a much needed after school nap, the rain let up for a few minutes and we went out to play some basketball.

And were greeted with this.......

So I attempted to take some pictures of the kids AND the rainbow.....

And this is what I got!

5 dinners 1 hour??? Can it be done?

After some seriously unhealthy food choices for months and some major unmotivation to fix that, I stumbled upon a blog called 5dinners1hour.blogspot.com . The claim is that I can spend one hour each week prepping 5 dinners and have them ready and waiting each night. Sounds too good to be true? I agree!

BUT....I'm willing to try anything to get out of this rut. So I shopped and I spent $65.00 (more than I'd prefer to spend, but less than my fast food budget!). I came home, unloaded the bags on the table and got to work.

I started with a sink full of soapy water. I put chicken in a pot on the stove to cook (probably not the "right" way, but hey, it got the job done). And I followed the plan. 45 minutes later, I was done. Dishes washed (although not put away....baby steps, people!), food stocked in the fridge, and I even called the sitter to see if she would pop the meals in the oven for us (yes, we are THAT busy!) so we can eat before dance and soccer and church. She agreed and tomorrow we'll find out if the kids will be on board.

As for the meals....here's what on the menu:

Monday- Mini Honey Mustard Meat Loaves with mashed potatoes and green beans(The kids really liked these and I did as well....so these will definitely be made again!)

Tuesday: Crispy Pork Chops w/ steamed veggies and applesauce (These were amazing and we had steamed cauliflour/broccoli/carrots and applesauce! They were a hit!)

Wednesday- Chicken and Broccoli bake served w/ rice and a salad (This was eaten, but Delaney picked out the stems and Braden wouldn't touch the rice. Next time I'll cut the rice smaller and mix the rice in better!)

Thursday- Chicken Caesar Salad Pitas w/ carrots and ranch dip (easy, fast and well received...another keeper!)

Friday- Slow Cooked Shredded Beef Tacos (YUM!!!! I should have made them Thursday for Cinco de Mayo, but everyone enjoyed making their own tacos!)

I'll update and let you know how it goes!
So...five dinners, prepped in an hour, can be done and will be done again! I'll let you know when we prep next weeks menu!