Day 14 & 15, and a BLOG tour!

What a busy week!  Clearly, I'm not hitting the nail on the head with a blog post every day... and I'm ok with that.  At this point in the year, to get to the end of each day with my wits still (mostly) about me, takes a boatload of work.  This challenge inspires me to MOVE every day, to think about what I did and find the positive, the sweet, in the midst of the crazy.  

my baby love has been up all hours of the night, and trying her best to catch up during the day.  Someone is always willing to snuggle up with her! 

Summer time is feeling hard right now.  Summer is for friends, for playing and laughing and enjoying each other.  We're going to make it amazing.... we will.   I'm grieving the loss of childhood playmates for my 2 special loves.  Bo, we call him the mayor.  He knows everyone and plays with everyone- sometimes multiple friends in multiple spots each evening!  and I LOVE this for him... it's not so much the case for

my other two. 

playing with friends in the back yard

do you see my little one?  

We have strong support. crazy strong support.  Amazing family.  Peers that take an interest in our kiddos... but its not the same. and I have to move past this hole that I can so easily trip and fall into, this hole of guilt and grief, and figure out a way to have playdates that are truly fun for my babies.  

Abe and Aur are involved in every gathering here, children or adult, and Bo and his buddies do include them- or mom and dad weave them in to the storyline of whatever adventure is taking place... still not the same. 

So.  this leads me nicely to  the book that my sweet friend, Cindi Rogers, has written.  

Click HERE to go to Amazon!  

I first met Cindi in real life at Advocacy day 2012

And we've been birches ever since <3  

together in Miami

We visited them in their 'Rocket' and shared some delicious cupcakes- here's Jake, Bo, and Aurelia getting ready to eat! 

Abe loved Joe!!

and Abe loved Jake :-)  

One of the most important lessons I've learned from Cindi is to get my 'Poop in a group', her kind way of saying that, as parents, we need to 'Get our Sh*t together!!'  This is the only life our babies have ever known... they don't know their life is different, and they certainly don't know it's 'hard', it's up to us to figure out how to make it the very best it can be! 

I'm so thankful that I have the privilege of knowing and learning from Cindi, and I can't wait to see her again in California at the International Fragile X Conference.  

Thank you, amazing momma, for putting into words this heartache and struggle.  For encouraging us to find and use the resources around us to have a happy, wonderful life. Thank you for reminding us that we have the power to change any situation we find ourselves in- bit by bit, we can make this crazy life sweet.  

xo 

Day 10, 11, 12, 13 of 35

It was a downhill slide.  No sleep for Abe 1 night, no sleep for peanut the next, Bo not feeling well and not sleeping well the night after that = 1 tired momma.  

I had a student start with me, a short placement- just 4 weeks, which is always fun, but a LOT more prep and planning than normal.  I love having students- it's so cool to see the ' I GET it!' look flash in their eyes :-)  I truly do love the work that I do, and feel pretty lucky to work with the next generation of SLPs!  

So.  I've been walking.  this tired business makes me feel like anything else is simply more than I can handle right now- my feet hurt, my legs ache, hands, blah blah blah. And i have no pictures of sweaty tomato red faces <--- you're welcome ;-)  

Abe had a wonderful Miracle League game- BJ was his buddy for the day, so sweet these boys of mine!  

Aurelia had t-ball practice... where she played with rocks and zebras etc :-) 

Bo is mine craft obsessed!!! He's usually running around outside, spraying me with water guns and generally being 7.  The only time he's still enough for a photo is when he has a 10 minute iPad break!  

So, Today I came home and took a nap. I'm hoping to be in bed by 10 for a solid 6-7 hours of sleep!  

Tomorrow, back to exercise!  

Day 9- did I JINX myself??

oy, ug, blah- so I went to bed last night at 12, Abe woke up at 1230... and he didn't go back to sleep until 9pm tonight.  So I'm running on 30 minutes of sleep out of the last 42 hours. not so much a good thing. 

planted flowers, played water, visited friends and family- 45 minutes of serious digging, I'm calling that my exercise for today. 

source

I'm completely fixated on red converse shoreline sneakers.  

yep, instead of going to SLEEP, i'm looking at shoes and watching the women's softball college world series.  what's wrong with me?!?  

oy, but I'm fading fast.  here's to Sunday!

see you then

Day 7 & 8 of 35

Fireman Rescue Patrol Aurelia--- ready to roll! 

sweetest baby girl! so proud of her on this tricycle!! we just have to figure out how to steer :-) 

I had the morning off, so not only did i get to take my big boys to school, I was able to chill with my sweet lovey after pre-school!  

she's so sweet!!

I think i must hold their face in my hands, every single one of my babies kisses me like this.  

summer time for sure!  outside! with hats on :-)

oh man- I'm looking tired, folks! Today I walked 4 miles,  yesterday I went to the replex and rode the stinkin stair climber... rode?  climbed?  struggled on ??? any who, it was tricky and i remember my love/hate relationship with that business!! it's hard!!!!!!

Here's to a busy, busy weekend ahead!  I'm going to try and sleep a little bit more... um, you know, yeah, that's most likely not going to happen, but it's a sweet dream!  

Moving forward to week 2!! I've got some plans, some thoughts, some hopes and dreams for the next 7 days ;-) see you there

Day 6 of 35

so my big kid woke up late last night, early this morning with a fever- hoping it was a 24 hour bug, he seems to be much better tonight but will stay home 1 more day to make sure he's kicked the germs! 

this is what happens when he's ill (picture from a few months ago) ... the boy who never sleeps, falls asleep on his green rocker.  look at that ear.  his body was over done!  

Gearing up for game #2 tomorrow!! look at that slugger :-)

serious sweat tonight- it was my run day, so run i did... sloooooowly. with lots of little bugs flying up my nose.  and sweat dripping off my chin. yep.  

a shot of the crazy clouds on the edge of town. 

looks like rain, but it was the Sun shining down.  

here's to day 7!!

Day 5 of 35

It was a walk for my exercise today- that and chasing my baby girl all over flipping creation.  oy!!!

no time for pics, ma!! I gotta get this cherry popsicle all over EVERYTHING!! i swear we'll be cleaning popsicle out of his cleats!  this boy. loved watching him play tonight- he whacks that ball like he's swinging for the bleachers every single time!  

running out of time and out of sleep.  Awake by 4 this am with my girl- just when I think we've totally got her sleep cycle figured out, turns out we don't. 

sometimes 1 headband just WON'T do!! 6 is better ;-)

look at that smile!  love, love, love these babies!  

and there you go- ye olde Pinterest coming through again.  find something you do that's amazing. now another... and another.  

xo

Day 4 of 35

what a gorgeous day!  It started off with anywhere from 2-6 rainbows (depending on who you believe- the coffee drinkers at Casey's or the crazies on FB ;-))
 I saw two- this is the one that was right in front of me as I pulled out of the driveway on my way to work

a wonderful reminder of God's promise.

After a full day of work, I came home to my sweet babies and we played and played and played outside!  I need to get my good camera  and snap some shots- the light is amazing and our backyard is my favorite place to be in the spring/summer!  

Can you spot my little woodland fairy? 

our sweet neighbor girl walking back with Tru- she an Aurelia went up and down the yellow slide at LEAST 100 times!  

Someone brought mint meltaways to work!!! curses!!! CURSES!!! but they were really delicious ;-)

P90X/Insanity combo workout tonight with my favorite group of exercise peeps!  Our instructor called it the 'Sorry, I'm not sorry' workout.  I'm happy I didn't vomit. 

my Abraham fascination. 

source

I love the bowed head, the glasses- is he reading? is he sleeping in his chair?  the wrinkles in his forehead and by his mouth. Too long nose and ears that could surely flap. 

every storm.  Tonight I found another callus on Abe's hands. one more on the tip of a toe.  life is so so  hard for our son.  hard enough to wear a blister and then keep on, keep on rubbing and wearing in that same soft spot. his skin is so soft- there's a medical explanation for it, as a person with Fragile X  his body carries something that keeps that sweet baby smooth even as he ages.  He's still so close to God.  and this world, this storm is changing us.  rubbing and wearing and changing us. 

xo

Day 3 of 35

Today was graduation day!  So many happy, excited kids and families- beautiful sunshine to move them on their way. I remember high school graduation, college graduation, graduate school graduation... a feeling like nothing else.  The word is out there, just waiting for you to have a grand adventure- and I think we have.  

Exercise for today- I look a lot less red than I actually was!  60 min 3-2-1 shred class at the replex- one of my very favorites! 

Bo is  'star of the week' at school- We made some fun collages of pictures and information all about him.  Oh how I LOVE this boy!  

first day home- look at that dark hair! 

first birthday!! He has the most gorgeous eyes and  the best sweet baby cheeks! 

first set of golf clubs- he's 2 + a few months here :-)  always, always, always on the go! 

new glasses! 

every single day. 

xo