DPPDay1 - Let's Get It Started In Here

Note:  On Day 5, I decided to attempt to title all of my posts with a song title.  I have gone back to update Days 1-4.

Here we go again!  It is December.  The one month a year that I come back to this blog and write a few things down.  Earlier today, I reread last year's posts.  It is fun to see how the kiddos and life has changed over the course of the year.

I start this adventure with a lot of excitement and a bit of trepidation.  I love the time it gives me to focus on documenting life, taking candid photos, and thinking about each day.  I worry about the time it takes to do the posting but not enough to skip it!  For those of you who join me on this venture each year, welcome back.  I am flattered you come to see my musings.  For those of you who may be new, bear with me.

I am hoping that December 1st is not setting a tone for how December will go.  I choose to focus on the positive today so here is a quick version of my complete mom fail that explains the above sentence.  Thursdays are our craziest night with all three kids with basketball overlapping and Elizabeth's is 30 minutes across town.  Rich had plans with friends, I failed to hustle to get back to this side of town, stopped to get Elizabeth and Katie dinner (big mistake), and I picked up both boys SUPER late from practice.  Didn't have the coaches cell phone numbers - so couldn't even call.  It was just a dumb, mindless move on my part.  Mom of the Year, yet again!  Alas - I took the kids out for ice cream and all was forgiven.  Now to figure out how to make it up to their coaches. . . . stay tuned.

I had planned to grab a few more photos when we got home but after the above, I was a bit frazzled.  So everyone was pj'd and in bed quickly.  I had a productive day today snuggled in comfy clothes, drinking coffee, and tackling the to do list.  It was a great day for a day at home working on checking off that to do list but not so much for taking interesting pictures.  Fortunately, this afternoon when the kids got home from school, the sun was pouring into our kitchen.  It had been behind the clouds all day and it was nice to have some natural light finally coming in.  I picked up the camera just to see what kind of shots I could get.  I am so glad I did or I would have missed this facial expression that Elizabeth made when she discovered moldy bread for the first time in her life.  (NOTE:  while the moldy bread is Rotella's bread, the mold is all our fault.  We haven't been making as many sandwiches lately.  We love Rotella's!)  The irony of my spoiled day and my pick for the first DPPDay1 picture is not lost on me.

It comes with a series of pictures.  Making the PBandJ, discovering something is wrong (you can see the mold on the bread!), making the above face and then washing hands.

She is getting so grown up and independent.  This was a good reminder that there are simple things yet for her to experience, discover and learn.  I totally should have taught her about penicillin.  Rats, missed opportunity.









During this same time of sunshine pouring in, Brandon came down on a mission to set up a "shop" in his room.  My kids like to do this every so often.  The sell their toys to their brothers and sisters as a way to get some change. It always, and I mean ALWAYS, results in fights.  No surprise.  Shop owner is done with the game, would like their toys back, but has no interest in refunding the money.  I stay out of it most of the time.  Necessary life lessons to learn how to negotiate, explain fairness, argue your case, and persuade.  Once in awhile, the littles are out matched and we have to step in to even the playing field but never to settle the dispute.  In the end, everything ends up as it was before the shop came to be.






He came down to get some paper and scissors to make his price tags.  We have a no climbing on chairs and a no getting into Mommy's cupboard rule.  Nice to know both are being followed - right in front of my nose.  I took some incriminating pictures before correcting him.  It cracks me up that he is standing right next to our Manners list.  No shortage of irony today.

You can tell he is really upset about being caught in the act.  :)  But this is Brandon.  Such a happy kid most of the time.  Walks around with a spring in his step and a smile on his face.








Finally, you might be asking yourself where the other two were.  Well, their stories will have to wait for another day.   They weren't in the kitchen when the sun was shining in.  I will have to see what I can capture of them tomorrow.