Well hello there!

Tap tap tap.....is this thing on?

You waited for me.  After weeks and weeks without a single post, you (you faithful reader, you) waited. 

Bless you.

It may seem as though I've fallen off the edge of the earth, but here I sit....alive and well...and ready to blog with a vengeance.

I've spent the last few weeks preparing for the end of summer.  School has begun and the kids are off to a great start. The 2011/2012 school year lineup is as follows:

One fifth grader.

One second grader.

One kindergartner.

One preschooler.

And the one who's still 100% at home with mom.

Aside from doing my best to reprogram my 'summer mind' into something more productive, I'm spending my days doing what I do best.

Like fishing flashlights out of the potty.

See?  You really haven't missed that much.

When the dog bites...

When the bee stings,

when I'm feeling sad.

(or confused, bewildered, sad, despondent, defeated and discouraged)

I simply take note of the wonders around me,

Like boys feeding chickens...

and the beauty of an impending thunderstorm...

And then I don't feel....

so bad!

Bogalish

Four years ago today, a sweet baby boy with a dimple in each cheek, and extra-long fingers and toes came into our world.  He's a happy, goofy, curious, mischievous, super duper smart, caring and loving boy who wears his heart on his sleeve. 

Logan James.

You've taught me more these past four years than most people learn in a lifetime.  Because of you, I know that ants and roly poly's are cute, and that I shouldn't step on them, because they're just twyin' to get back to their mamas.  Because of you, we frequently eat dinner with your daily 'creature catch' as our kitchen table centerpiece.  These are the things make me smile.

Since you've been potty-trained, the bushes and trees in our yard (and at the park, and various other public places) have miraculously doubled in size.  We thank you for sharing your organic materials with the world.

You leave no stone unturned, and you search around each and every corner.  I often find you in sticky (and sometimes always dangerous) situations, but your dimples act as your 'get out of jail free' card, and come to the rescue each and every time.  (Disciplining a naughty boy with double dimples is an impossible task, and one that I choose to avoid.) Despite being given a free pass since birth, and having never been punished, you're a very well-rounded young man.

Logan James
Logie Bogie
Bogie
Bogie Boy
Bogalish
Lishy
Lishy Lou

WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday, my boy.
Love,

Mommy

If only things were that simple

This may just be the busiest and most stressful week of my life.School is winding down for the boys, making them a bit nutty.  And the rainy days we've received this month have created a huge outbreak of cabin fever, making me a bit nutty.

Finals for me.

Preschool graduations and end of year wrap-ups for the boys.

Computer trouble.

Laundry overflow.

Neglected housework.

Sleepless nights and draining days.

Each night, I find myself running on empty.  However, I do my best to have a bedside chat with each boy as they make their way to dreamland.  We talk about school, upcoming plans for the weekend, and dreams for the future.  There's always at least one boy who tries to con me into receiving one last cup of chocolate milk, or one more cookie. Everyone has a light they prefer, and the little ones need extra reassurance that zombies aren't for real. 

My goal is to make the rounds before someone falls asleep.

Imagine my sadness when I come across a bed with a sleeping boy.  Will they remember that I didn't tuck them in?  Will they hold it against me and pay me back with naughty behavior for days to come? 

They always do.

So the other night when I approached a particular bed with a slumbering boy, guilt began to swallow me whole.

Until I climbed his ladder to cover him up and saw this-

Rubber rain boots might be the one thing that could make everyone on earth smile.  They're bright and colorful, they're squeaky, and no matter how old they are (or how many brothers wore them before you), they never lose that infectious rubbery smell. 

And who'd have thought that they would also help you sleep at night?  This boy wears them every night, and sleeps like an angel, so he must be on to something spectacular.

There's only one way to find out.

This girl's saving her pennies for her own pair of rubber rain boot therapy.

Do You See What I See?

Some days are rough.  I'm on the go from sunup to sundown, without even a moment to to stop and think...or a second to sit.

Scratch that, I lied.  All days are rough.

There are days that are better than others, and times where I'm not sure whether or not I'll make it until my husband walks through the door.  It's part of motherhood, and I accept and love the task.

But it's not the coffee my husband brings me each morning, the bits of chocolate I am able to sneak every now and then, or the nightly glass of wine that fuels my tired self.

It's my staircase sprinkled with cowboy boots,

the toilet paper roll that prefers to lie on the floor,

the alligator who graciously greets me at the top of the stairs,

the crocodile who sleeps in my bed,

the creative way my boys recycle old pickle jars,

the candy wrappers that do their best to cover up for the culprit who consumed them,

the little gifts I'm given when it's not even a holiday,

and my walls checkered with the most brilliant artwork known to man.

(Lady Liberty.  Isn't she lovely?)

This is MY fuel.  The little glimpses that catch my eye throughout the day and remind me to pause, smile, and laugh.

These unexpected treasures that appear on a daily basis are the reasons why motherhood isn't as hard as it sometimes may seem.

What's YOUR fuel?

Mother's Day

Mom and me 1975

Every year is better than the last.  This year was no exception.  I had the BEST mother's day a girl could ask for.

The boys brought me coffee in bed and began by telling me they wouldn't fight, and that they'd listen the first time I asked them to do something.  If you're jealous, you should be, because they did not fight all day long, and the most I had to ask someone to do something was only 6 times, which is far less than the normal average around here.

They went on to tell me that the day was my day, and that they would happily do whatever activity I chose. Then they began to chime in with clarifications-

"Like if you want to go to the skate park, mom, we'll go with you.....even if we don't wanna."

"Yeah, mom....and if you want to eat at Casa Bonita for lunch, we can take you there!"

Aren't they sweet?

Much to their dismay, all I really wanted to do was spend time doing things around the house that had been neglected, and to work on getting the coop ready for the hens.  Their eyes glared at me like daggers after I shared my intentions with them.  If we had taken a vote, I'm pretty sure that at least 4 out of 5 boys would have opted to revoke my mother's day flowers.  Lucky for me, we don't allow voting on mother's day.  It's my way or the highway.

We had a wonderful time together.  We worked in the backyard and took breaks in between for water fights with friends, popsicles in the shade, and backyard baseball games.  We ordered pizza for dinner and the boys treated me like a queen all the way until bedtime.  I'm already looking forward to next year when I get to be in charge all over again.

Being mom to 5 wonderful boys is something I will never take for granted.  I love their little quirks. I love that they refer to 'Sunny Delight' as church juice.  I love that they call themselves (the band of brothers) The Battybooboo's.  I love that they are loving, caring, respectful, polite and well-mannered 8 out of 10 times we go into public.  I love that they come to my side of the bed when they have a bad dream.  I love that they're still young enough to believe that mommies know everything.  I love when they tell me I'm pretty. I love playing Lego's with them.  I love reading stories to them and watching them sleep.  I think it's cute when they color on the walls (or their faces) with permanent markers.  I laugh when they throw little fits (but I try hard not to let them see me).  I let them stay in their PJ's whenever we're home.  I think they're the cutest, smartest, nicest, and most silly boys on the planet.  I cherish every moment we spend together and look forward to whatever adventure they have in store for me each and every day.

If you ask me, I'll tell you.  I'm the luckiest mom in the world. 

Happy 40th!

40 years ago today, the most amazing man in the world was born.

The only man I know who can still smile when one of our children screams inside a public establishment.

A man who spends every second he can with his boys.

A man who laughs more than anyone I know.

(Excuse my expression...I just saw someone pee on a public sidewalk.  I'm a country girl.  This confirmed my belief that public transit (and it's surroundings) is dirty and scary)

My husband.

My rock.

My best friend.

To the man who is not only a wonderful husband, but an unbelievable father, to the man who has the best smile, to the man who brings me coffee every morning, to the man who shares my dreams, to the man who buys me flowers for no reason (but hasn't done so in a long time...yes, I'm waiting), to the man who volunteers at our boys' school whenever he can, to the man who helps with the dishes and laundry on a daily basis, to the man who will never wear skinny jeans like my brother, to the man who drives me to local farms to buy chickens, to the man who is passionate about life, to the man who spends his free time running, chasing, wrestling, throwing, laughing and exploring, and to the man who protects, loves and cares -

HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY!

I love you for so many reasons.

Love,
Me

My Perfect Saturday

I normally don't blog on the weekends, but I can't help but scream with excitement when I think about where I get to go today.

As soon as the hubby gets back from his morning run (I'm pacing at the front window watching for him), I'm going here-

The Elizabeth Country Corner to pick up my last two baby chicks.  It's not so much the chicks that excite me, but driving away from suburbia, and entering a land, that to me, is magical.  Leaving streets named Broadway, and trading them for roads named County Rd. 86, refreshes my soul. 

There aren't too many people who understand my burning desire to to make a break for the country.  I think of looking out my kitchen window and being able to see the snow-topped points of Pikes Peak.  I envision a barn, a front porch, a long driveway, trees with tire swings, and 5 boys - who each day discover something they didn't notice the day before. 

Almost every morning, I check the real estate ads to see which houses are up for grabs in my dream land.  Here's what I found this morning.

I imagine driving up this long driveway to our home.  I imagine loud boys and farm animals alike.  I imagine lots of exploring, learning, and wondering.

I imagine our home with Christmas lights.

Farming in the Suburbs.

Despite the fact that we live in smack dab in the middle of Highlands Ranch (a place that was once a real working ranch, but now takes the shape of a large city with a Walgreen's on every corner) I am bound and determined to live my farm dream to the fullest....until we can afford to break out of here.

Farm life or bust.

Have I told you about our chickens?  Last week we received the long-awaited call from the post office that our baby chicks had arrived, and were ready for pick up.  Fast as I could, I raced to retrieve them.  Logan held the 'peeping' box on his lap for the car ride home.  Sadly, only 3 out of 4 made the stressful trip from the hatchery in Texas, to our ranch in the suburbs.  Try as he might, Logan did his best to revive the fluffy (but stiff) chick who lay in the box. 

WARNING-It gets worse....

Over the next three hours, the 3 remaining chicks also died.  Medicine droppers of warm water, heat lamps, electrolytes (think chicky Gatorade), and hand feeding wasn't enough.  We tearfully told them 'goodbye' and added ordering livestock through the USPS to our list of things we shall never do again.

Friday night we did things the old fashioned way and traveled 45 minutes from our home to a real-life farm and feed store in Elizabeth, CO.  The 4 oldest boys each took their time and picked their own day-old chicks straight from the brooder.  We are happy to report that we are now proud owners of 4 little pullets who will one day (roughly 4 months from now) supply us with yummy, organic eggs.

Shifting gears now.....

What is it with the 'stick figure' decals/stickers EVERYONE IN AMERICA is plastering all over their cars?  Am I the only one who thinks they are ridiculous?  Here's what pushed me over the edge - driving behind a woman the other day who had 8 stick figure cats stuck to her back window.  Apparently, she wants the world to know that she's the proud owner of 8 cats.  Are you kidding me?  Why not just print a bumper sticker that reads My house is full of fur and reeks of cat urine!...???

I'll take a chance at making an educated guess and say that 75% of the population could give a rip if your son is a hockey player, your daughter is a ballerina, you are a PTA mom, your husband carries a briefcase, and you own 2 dogs and one turtle.  Your perfect stick figure family portrait is nauseating.

Maybe I'm just jealous that I have yet to find stick figure family stickers that honestly represent my family.  Here's what I would need -

*Two stick figure boys completely tangled by a brotherly brawl.  The big brother is performing his best wrestling move, while the little brother repeatedly whips him with a stuffed bunny.
*One stick figure boy who only wears underwear
*Make that TWO stick figure boys in their undies, hiding under the kitchen table with the chocolate they just stole from the pantry.
*One stick figure boy who is chewing 14 pieces of gum while coloring on my walls (and his face) with a Sharpie.
*One overworked, underpaid & exhausted husband.
*One apron-wearing mom who has 'dream clouds' above her head that hold a farm house, a barn & a picket fence.  She's got a toilet plunger in one hand (she plunges multiple times a day) and a glass of wine in the other....extra emphasis must be placed on the bags under her eyes.
*One parrot
*One fish
*One bearded dragon
*Two dogs who eat their own poo
*Four chickens



There you have it.  My perfect stick figure family.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have a toilet to plunge.

We Survived.

Road Tripping with 5 boys is a lot like childbirth.  You forget how painful it was the last time you did it, and you become dumb (or forgetful) enough to do it again.  The road trip we did over spring break was no short jaunt.  We traveled 2800 miles (round trip) to visit family in not-so-sunny California.

The first day, we drove non-stop to Vegas, where we spent the night at Circus Circus.  Being Vegas virgins, we thought staying at a kid-oriented an establishment with Circus in it's name would be a real treat for the kids. 

This is the part where I give a shout out to family members who knew of our intentions, thought they were a bad idea, and neglected to chime in and warn us.  (To DECLAN and LORIE, we sincerely THANK YOU!)

If you're a fan of cigarette smoke, drunk parents who are more worried about losing the humongous bear they just won at the balloon pop game than they are their own offspring, bathtubs with ring around the tub and bodily hair that DID NOT fall off anyone in your family, police officers detaining people 3 doors down from your room at 8:00 AM, and smells that cannot be identified, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU!

Lesson learned-Not all things with the word 'Circus' in their titles will be fun....or suitable for children.

Our second stop, was Pa John & Annette's house in Clovis, CA and was a much more enjoyable experience.  After a long day of driving, we were happily greeted with a huge meal and warm (and clean!) beds to sleep in.  Our visit was much too short, but was filled with bug-hunting, fish-feeding, karaoke, walks with Pa John, and Annette's famous oatmeal (which I will spend my life trying to perfect).

The rest of our trip was spent in Brentwood, CA with Dec and Lorie, and in San Francisco, CA with Uncle Mark and Auntie Sheiwa.  We visited fabulous places, like the California Academy of Science, several 'factories', including Jelly Belly, Spaghetti & Fortune Cookie, and even went hiking up Mt. Davidson in search of the shimmering rock.

This boy turned 7 during our trip and told us that "Turning 7 in California was the bestest birthday ever!"
Happy birthday to the bestest 7 year old we know!

The rest of our time was filled by loving on the cutest baby in all the land...

From backyard fire pits (complete with marshmallow roasting), to crab dinners, to light saber fights with Darth Maul, let the record show that 2011 holds the record for the BEST spring break adventure our family has even seen.

We're already counting the days until we can do it all again next year!

PS-Let the record also show that Darth Maul wears jeggings.  Only in California.