Family Fun

Well, I am proud to update that "Walls Family Fun Week" has been a success!! And, I am not tired or stressed or ready to kill my kids!! I have actually had a really great week with them. We have done almost everything on our list and the week is not even over yet. Kenzie even looked at me at one point and said, "Thanks mom, this has been awesome....I got to eat pizza, go swimming, rent a movie...." That made it all worth it....to know that my kids are actually aware that I am trying to make this week special and to get a thank you was awesome!

I am still not at all ready for school to start back up but I am at least accepting the fact....My kids are just awesome and I am so thankful for each one of them and how unique and special they each are. I hope that we will always be a super close family and my kids will always know how much their mom & dad really love them and thank God for them.

Well, I better get back to the kids....we are in the middle of that "playdate with our friends" that I promised at the beginning of the week.

Too Soon for School!!!

As you can see, our family had some fun watching the Hannah Montana 3-D movie last night. I love it when the kids get so into something and have so much fun! They have been anticipating this movie for like the last month. And, I think they really enjoyed themselves....actually, I think Matt had the most fun!!'

Anyway, I am trying to squeeze as much "fun" into the next week as possible. The movie last night was a great start. I am so totally bummed that my kids are starting back to school in a week. I actually like having my kids home with me....I know, I know....many of you moms think I am out of my mind. Trust me, I have some friends that are counting down the days and cannot wait for their kids to go back to school. I guess I am just alittle strange, but I actually get kinda sad when school starts back up. I guess I know that each new year only means that they are getting older and more mature...which is kinda hard for me to swallow sometimes.

So, I am going to try to make the last week of summer super fun...I am thinking a trip to Stevie B's pizza buffet, a trip to the local playground, a playdate or two with some friends, swimming at their grandparent's pool, playing more family soccer games, a movie night complete with popcorn and a lot of chocolate.....The list could go on but we will have to see how energized I am by mid-week. I mean, it sounds like a great idea to plan a week of fun for the kids but I have to wait and see how I hold up. Man, I sound old......

Being the Best

I think I had one of my first "proud momma" moments recently....Kenzie is playing soccer this year and she LOVES to play. She is so motivated and wants to be the best player out there. Well, she did pretty good at tryouts and I can really tell that she has improved from last year. Of course, as the first game is approaching, I can feel myself trying to push her to practice and become a really awesome player. I even got her a soccer goal for the backyard and I am headed out tomorrow to get her some cleats. We played a little family soccer game tonight in the backyard and I caught myself saying...."Keep going Kenzie....Don't give up...Push harder....Kick Micah in the shin" - (Just kidding).

But in all this soccer hype that I am creating, I seem to have forgotten one little important thing- She is only 6 years old!!!! And it does not matter at all how "awesome" she is out there or how many goals she scores (they don't even keep score in her league), all that matters is that she has the best time ever and enjoys every moment she is on the field. I NEVER want to be one of "those" moms that is on the sideline yelling and screaming at not only my kids but every other kid & parent out there. I just want to be the mom that is yelling out words of encouragement and cheering them on to be the best they can and reminding them to always have fun!! So, I am very glad that I have learned this lesson very early in my kids lives and hopefully, I will remember it with each new sport and each new endeavor they take on. I want my kids to be the best at what they do, but I want them to always be having a good time while they are doing it!!

One of "those" days

Well, Matt informed me that I have not been doing a good job of keeping my blog updated. My response to him was that I am sure the 2 people that actually read it are not that disappointed. I am sure you can tell that comment was soaked in sarcasm. I am finally back to blog because I have had one of "those" days and I need to use my blog as a way to vent - so, readers, beware!!

It is funny because my day has not actually been that bad. It started with a trip to Walmart (with 3 of my kids) - which I know sounds like a really dumb idea to most people, but the trip went suprisingly well. It was pretty uneventful, except for when Kassidy decided to grab a whole container of strawberries out of the back of the shopping cart and dump them out...I turned around to find her covered in strawberry drool, with most of a large strawberry stuffed in her mouth.

But, once I got home, it just seemed like everything (and everybody) was getting on my last nerve. I can't really pinpoint what exactly pushed me over the edge, but I am sure Brody's constant whining for a snack and Kassidy's need to pull anything and everything out of my kitchen cabinets was not helping the situation. I was trying to actually cook supper (those of you that know me are probably in shock right now) and the kids were just being kids, but for some reason, today I let it get to me. Then, when supper was finally over, everyone jetted out of the kitchen to go watch tv and play on the computer and I was left to clean up all the mess and do all the dishes. Which, on any other day, probably would not have been such a big deal, but today, it made my blood boil!!

So, I went and put my running shoes on and hit the pavement. For me, that is the absolute best thing I can do when I am at my breaking point. It always makes me feel better and I always come home feeling so refreshed and usually with a whole new perspective on the situation. I ended up running four miles, and that alone makes me feel like I accomplished something really good today. Exercise is definitely the best medicine for me!!