Wall Ball...

I feel like I am playing a crazy game of wall ball these days.

I slap the latest and greatest picture of the boys in a frame and proudly display their little mugs on the wall and then BAM - I get a zinger shot right back at me and I have to repeat the whole process.  I mean, isn't it a crazy sign if the little "hold the photo in the frame metal tab thingies" are slowing falling out of the frames from overuse?  I think yes.  It is so painfully obvious that things should slow right on down.  Even the frames are saying so.

And... since I have not yet come across a Flux Capacitor a la RyGar's favorite tween flick, "Back to the Future" I will shut up about it already and change out Ace's pictures yet again.

Here they are - Ace's one-year-old pictures.  Be still my beating heart.  

I know what you're going to ask, and the answer is yes.  I will most certainly kiss on this little boy and his cheeks for you right now.  Consider it done.

Thanks for joining in my losing game of wall ball.  Let's play dubs and see if we can't make things happen in my favor mmmm-k?

 

XOXO to you and you and Ace.  :)

Ups and Downs...

So remember those pictures last week of the apple picking trip?  Didn't it look a little bit like a story book about fall?

Yeah... That was awesome.

What went unsaid was... well, a few things...

First, that two out of three of my boys, or all of them that can speak in full sentences, had told me, "Yay!  I'n gonna go catch a big deer wif Daddy!"  Nothin' like celebrating a departure with Mom by cheering about all the things they really want to be doing with Dad.  Little did they know, we were headed somewhere cool - but maybe not exactly what they had in mind.  Daddy-o loves to take his boys hunting and fishing, but on a serious elk hunt such as this one was, no baby boys were allowed quite yet.  In due time little men... in due time.

And then... before we hit the road to head to Grandma's house my kids were slowly unraveling right before my eyes as the clock hands ticked ever further past regularly scheduled nap time.

So much so, in fact, that my BFF came walking in unannounced whilst I was yelling into the bathroom, "If you don't sit on the toilet and go poop you won't get to go to Grandma's house!"  It wasn't pretty. And the only way I knew she had come in to witness one of my finest moments was when she busted up laughing behind me.  Sweet.

I also strapped in my middle child like, oh, twenty minutes or so prior to departure because he was insistent on unpacking all the suitcases in sight whenever I left the room.  I said to him while I was tightening the harness on his car seat, "Seriously, dude, what part of 'we're trying to leave' don't you understand?"  Geez.  I'm a total winner.

And last, but not least, shall we bring up the fact that I just dumped a couple dozen Cheetos on the floor in front of Acey and turned on Barney for the fourth time in an attempt to appease him for just ten more minutes while I fed the dog and finished loading the car?  Yep.  I did that.  Because I was in the midst of a few speed bumps on the road to Grandma's as a hunter's widow.  Whew.

Anywho, the whole reason I bring up these little anecdotes is to say that sometimes I point out the pretty parts of our day.  I write about the sweet spots, the delectable bites, and the golden sunsets because they're awesome.  They're those little glimpses that make it all worth it, right?  And because.... it goes without saying that there are a few little blips along the way every SINGLE day, right?

So, I was reading a cool blog post the other day that basically talked about not comparing your mama moments with anyone else's.  When you see some Super Mama that basically seems to be exhaling rainbows - celebrate with her and know that she is basking in a shining moment that came along her path amongst many other varied moments.  And just Be.Happy.For.Her.  And when you see a mama who is yelling at one of her toddlers while hog-tying another one into his car seat just assume that A) it is me and B) there are days when things shift in the universe and she too enjoys that shining moment when everything goes swimmingly.  Cool?  Cool.  No one needs the added pressure of figuring out someone else's life for them because our own lives take enough time and energy to figure out.  Amen.

And that is just my strange need to balance the blogging scale for some reason.  I always want this blog to be the story of our life.  And I will tell you that it fully is, but believe me, you would thank me from the bottom of your beating hearts for omitting all the stories of melt downs and messes and daily hum drum that we all experience each and every day.  You see, the monotonous details aren't really my shtick.... I like a little somethin' fancy like apple picking, or watching my boy take an apple to his preschool teacher post apple picking, or a bike ride home from preschool with two kiddos in the bike trailer and one in the baby bike seat all gnawing on a freshly picked apple while we point out colored trees on the mountainside like the circus on wheels that we really are.  Ahhhh - that's where it's at y'all.

Confessional over.

We're up.

We're down.

But mostly we're totally normal.

And lovin' it.

And my heart explodes with gratitude for all of it.

:)

We Like to Par-TEE...

I am warning you right now - I could literally post one hundred and fifty three pictures to showcase Ace's Birthday Par-TEE which was a celebration in honor of our very favorite one-year-old.  

  

But, since I am trying to exert a little more self control and I think eventually the "blog police" will tell me I've eaten up too much precious blog space, I better reign it in, eh?

The big littles literally sung Happy "Birf-Dy" all week long to our one and only Baby Ace.  I'm about ready to teach them an oldie but a goodie to replace the birthday tune around here and put it to rest until the next Birthday celebration which is far off in the distance.... but like, distant like next Friday distant based on the way my life is lapping time like Hussein Bolt.  Sheesh.

Anywho... our families came to celebrate the Anniversary of one of our favorite days... the day we all met Mister Ace a' Spades for the very first time a year ago.   

We are so blessed to have such amazing family members that without fail rally around us to cheer with us when we cheer and cry with us when we cry and love us even when we are little turds (the boys - not me and Ry, sillies... we're perfect).  And mostly to celebrate life's big moments, like someone special's very first Birthday party!  

They all "manned up" and put on their mustaches for the traditional, "Make a fool of yourself with the party favor" picture.  You gotta love a good 'stache on some of these folks.  I do declare my Dad was channeling Tom Selleck.  Ry's Dad was looking like John Wayne and Kayla was Colonel Mustard in the dining room with a wrench - for sure!

It was such a great day.  Great Indian Summer weather on a fall afternoon with one little sprinkle sesh.  Good food which of course was all "themed out" to the point of absurdity.  Great company.  Hella Cute Birthday Boy.  I mean, just look at the proof in these pictures!  Thrilled mama.  Proud Papa.  Helpers dressed as brothers who "tested out" all his new gifts and gave them the official stamp of approval. You know... everything a birthday party should be.

I really, really tried to soak it all up.  To watch little Acey's cheeks pull up with each smile.  To see him jibber to his Grandpa and toddle over to his Grandma and snuggle with his Aunts and play with his cousins.  I watched him study the frosting on his fingers.  I saw him chase down the randomly placed golf balls that were scattered all about the house.  I just enjoyed it.  

Well, until Dax Man puked out on the back porch from too much of a good thing...  for future reference food and trampoline in large doses - do not mix well.

Anyway, prior to that little moment, I kept thinking - this is one of my very favorite days.  Just like that amazing day one year ago, when I smiled through my tears as I let my eyes feat on our new baby love.

Ace Man - We love you FORE sure.  You are a total HIT.  We'll CADDY for you any day because PLAYING with you is a total BALL.  And all that other good "golf stuff" that applies.

XOXO to our ONE-YEAR-OLD Little Pro!

No He Didn't....

I swear, today came faster than any other day on the calendar, ever.  

Today is Ace's First Birthday... 

He is ONE...

Wha-WhAT?

I know, I know, I KNOW!  

Insert sniffle, tear, sniffle, smile.  

I remember exactly a year ago, meeting this little man and inspecting each tiny finger and toe and caressing his tiny head with his cornsilk hair and introducing him to his tiny big brothers.  I remember proclaiming that he was perfect.  The absolutely, perfectly perfect way to complete our trio of little men.  

He has been the best babe.  So chill and easy going and willing to be smothered with kisses and "brother hugs" also known as strangulation attempts.  He is a complete jabber walkie and he is the fastest babe of ours to pick up on walking, climbing flights of stairs, riding push toys and all manner of crazy stunts that infants should not be able to do simply because he considers himself one of the boys.

On Sunday we'll hold the official celebration with more of Ace's fan club in the form of our adoring family members.  It's going to be a huge "First Birdee Par Tee" for our thoughtful little pro.  

Ace a' Spades - or "Acey" as your brothers call you... We love you more than you will ever know.  And, yes, I promise to (somewhat) gracefully turn the page on your first year and embrace the exciting things to come for you as you become a full-fledged toddler.  But only after I shmoosh your cheeks with birthday kisses and rock you to sleep until you're a warm, evenly breathing little lump.  Then I get to wrap your perfectly perfect little hand around my finger like you did those very first days of your life and smooth your soft baby hair, because I'm your mama... and therefore, I'm the keeper of those little cheeks and hands and heads of hair...  And I need me a Mason jar full of my Baby Ace.  

  Happy Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

Peach Pits...

We are standing on the welcome mat of fall.  And, oh, do I have mixed feelings.  Summer of 2012, you've been so good to us.  And fall, I hate to short change you, because you are pretty rad in your own way, but, you are aware that you are the season that leads ominously to winter, right?
It's like you have an automatic strike against you... it ain't fair is it?

But, if we're going to look at the pages being ripped from the calendar at mach speed leading us to the Autumnal season, let's do this through our rosy colored specs, Ok?
I mean, let's do it with gusto, y'all...

I suppose I could smile if you told me to pull out my boots tomorrow.

I suppose I could deal with peaches and pears and freshly picked apples for a change.

I suppose we could jump into piles of leaves instead of pools of water.

I suppose we'll go visit our favorite spots to see family and friends and we might just pose atop a mountain aflame with leaves the color of fall.

I suppose we could celebrate little man's first birthday and then shop for Halloween costumes.

I suppose we could make some sugary popcorn and eat it at a football game.

I suppose we could sport our windbreakers and beanies to the park and slide without testing to see if it's "too hot on our bums".

I suppose we could dawn a sweater and walk to the pond to the feed the ducks and watch the sun set.

I suppose we could bake a few cinnamon things inside and make some hot soups to warm up chubby chilled hands.

I suppose we could visit the pumpkin patch and lose ourself in a corn maze or two.

I'm sure we'll go a-hunting with Daddy-o and listen to the elk whistle and "see the big deer".

I might just switch out my "Hawaiian Breeze" house scents for "Pumpkin Spice" or "Cinnamon Stick" or maybe even mud pie?

I mean, seriously... we'll probably "fall" right into a fall rhythm pretty smoothly.

We're kind of awesome like that.

Bring it on, baby.  

We're soooo ready for a good snuggle.

Nighty Night...

:)