tired

So, the old blog is falling behind. I want to blog. I have it all stored in my head. But I'm just straight up tired. And most of the time there are more "important" things that need to be done. For instance, there are 2 hampers and 1 laundry basket full of clean clothes that need put away. The clothes were folded at one point but we've resorted to digging through them for something to wear each morning. My bathroom needs a good scrub down. The Christmas lights sitting on the table on our back deck need put away. The basement walls are slowly closing in as things get taken out but not fully put away. Our sun room looks like both cars and Ben's office threw up in there. Not to mention the poop covered shoes on the back deck that need washed because Millie (the dog) doesn't have woods to poop in. So our back (and front and side) yards are literally full of landmines. Big dogs equal big piles of poop. (Come spring, this will officially be a daily chore for Ted - he just doesn't know it yet. It's the random warm days in between many cold days of non-poop-picking-up that really get ya!)

So by the time I get the kids in bed, unload the dishwasher, pack some lunches, do some more laundry that won't get put away and do some work for Young Life, I'm D.U.N. as my brother tries to get my kids to spell.

Plus, I don't spend every waking hour with my kids anymore. I don't catch every funny thing they say or have the camera in my back pocket. Our lives are very much in a different season than they've been in about 8 years. It's a very interesting place to be in life.

All that to say, here's what's been happening in our lives the past couple of weeks . . .

- Ted finished up basketball. He loved it. We're moving on to baseball in May.

- We had the most fun little basketball team. Our coach was great. The boys had a great time together. And there was a slew of little sisters that could play at practices and games. 

- Sophie chose to do soccer starting in April. This should be ha-larious!

- Clay Battelle High School (Mon Co) had it's 1st every YL Club last Monday. 27 kids showed up. In a school of 489 for 6th-12th grade, that's pretty impressive!

- Fairmont YL and WyldLife are kickin' it! Seriously, there are some amazing adults on board. Sometimes you just have to wait for the right time and the right people. It is SO encouraging.

- There were 5 YL Clubs on Monday night in the Mountaineer Area. FIVE!

- We traded in our van and our car for one new (to us) van. I LOVE it. (That's another story for another day).

- The kids are doing Awana's and Boys Brigade at CMA on Wednesday nights. They love it. Last week Ben skipped YL College and we snuck in a free date (no childcare and a gift card!)

- I have officially lost my ability to grocery shop. I am usually missing one main ingredient every night. The only good thing about that is that you can wrack up gas points at Giant Eagle really quickly.

- Ted and I went for a bike ride Saturday when it was so nice out. I was over ambitious. Lots of hills. We need to stick with the trial for now.

- I just finished up 4 weeks of Work Crew training. It's one of my favorite things I do each year.

- I have a couple of friends in such deep need and hurt right now. My heart hurts for them. I love to "do" for people. And this I just can't figure out.

- Sophie broke her 4 year, 9 month "non-barfing" streak last night. Technically she threw up one night at my in-laws from coughing so much, but I don't count that. Last night, she had her first ever middle-of-the-night puke-in-her-bed episode. She is a very teachable child. She slept with her little arms wrapped around a bowl and hit the bowl or the toilet every time.

- Why do kids ALWAYS starting throwing up in the middle of the night? Is that some sort of unwritten code for kids.

- I will take Sophie as a sick kid anytime over the other two in our house who shall remain nameless.

- I had just aid earlier this week that, unlike some of our friends, we have really weathered this winter really well. Jinxed myself if you believe in such things.

- This has definitely been our healthiest winter winter since pre-kids.

So, there you have it. Pictures and car stories coming soon.