Challenge.

This week has been a Challenge.
Mike is really busy at work, the boys and I are desperately missing him, it's been cold with the exception of a few days, I pulled a muscle keeping me from the gym and slowing me down, and the boys well... I'm pretty sure they never slow down.

I've had a few of those moment where you are beside yourself and you just cry. Yup, I admit it. It's been one of those weeks. Nothing tragic, life changing, or huge has happened, it's just been a challenge. I'd like to think I'm independent and to an extent I am, but missing my best friend and talking with him for a total of 5 minutes for the entire week wore me down.

So what have I been doing with my lonely nights. Crafting. Getting little projects done and started, and making little steps of progress on my to do lists. A to do list, that does not include some much needed de-clutter and cleaning, but has included tons of laundry, Seriously, WAY too much laundry for five people. Tangent, I know, so back to the crafting, I've completed three quiet activity folders for the boys, working on some baby wipe travel cases, if you have a white one can I have it, or trade you a green one for it? , I'm also working on some headbands and hair accessories. I need to tackle organizing my pantry, but can't seem to wrap my head around where things should go and how to best utilize the space, if you're good at these sorts of things this is my plea for help.

Hopefully by the end of next week things will have slowed down a bit and the boys will get to see their dad again. The bad thing about Mike working so much is that my form of therapy is retail. So I kinda blew the budget this week and have decided that during busy season I will need a bigger budget. I did practice some self control, but AE and AT Loft got the best of me with their additional 40% off clearance. New clothes make me happy. The color mustard makes me happy Flower hair accessories make me happy. Sharing a cinnabon with my good friend and our kids makes me happy. Girls nights make me happy. Watching my boys laugh makes me happy.

This post is a bit random, pieced together, and really more of a reflection of how I seem to be this week... all over the place.

Here are a few cute things from the kids this week.

Owen decided at playgroup this week to be an escape artist and make a run for it out the door to the soft play park. I finally had to park myself in the entrance to keep him contained. After several times of catching him and turning him back around and telling him "no you have to stay inside" he started to work the system. At one point he turned and started giving me kisses, like that was all he needed to do to get by me. Endearing yes, worked nope. One of the last times I grabbed him, faced him towards me, he looked at me and growled "NO." Hilarious. First time I had heard that word and I can still see his face, eyebrows crunched and lips pursed together.

Carter is his own man. He's starting to make little jokes and laughs at himself. He's continuing to give me the play by play of our days. Daddy working, grandma working, mommy home, carter and owe home. He usually does this when we pull into the driveway and laughs.

Before school one morning he told me he didn't want to go to school he wanted to go to the gym. I told him sorry dude, you're going to school, you like school. He looked at me, thought for a moment and said "hmm, no, I go gym." He also puts himself to "nite nite" on the couch with a blanket and pillow, only to be moved upstairs by mommy.

Carter has started saying prayers this past week as well and loves it. He folds his arms, kneels down, bows his head and places it on his folded arms and repeats after us. He's even started to say his own things. Last night we were thanking Heavenly Father for our family, and he named himself, and then he thanked him for his friend Conner. After prayers we sing a few songs and he's starting to really sing along to those as well. He's like a new little man this past month and we are so proud.