SimplistiKate

It was like the Lord was saying, "slow down!" and then threw a ton of bricks smack in front of me. That's how I felt this morning when I woke up with a sore scratchy throat and a throbbing head and an aching body. I was sick. I rolled back over in bed keeping my eyes closed as long as I could in hopes to fall back asleep. My world was already awake around me. I could hear the pitter patter of Lane's bare feet downstairs and Leo was crying because he wanted his bottle. Luke had woken before me at the first call of Leo in hopes he could get him settled down so he wouldn't wake Lane. No luck. I slowly sat up checking my phone for the time, 7:15 am. My head is pounding, my stomach is growling, all I want is to go back to sleep. I slowly make my way down stairs to get a familiar "hi mommy!" greeting from Lane as she whizzes by. Luke is sprawled on the couch with Leo who just finished his bottle. "How are you feeling?" I ask Luke. "My throat ...

"Mommy, where'd your coffee go?" Lane said half serious. We were sitting at the table eating breakfast, Lane was munching on a mango and a granola bar and I was enjoying a strawberry granola bar myself, a banana, and enjoying a fresh cup of coffee. Leo sat perched in his bumbo while I fed him rice cereal in between my own bites. Leo pooped, as usual, so I went to change him. We returned, I slid Leo back into his bumbo and sat down. That's when Lane rather innocently said, "Mommy, where'd your coffee go?" I looked into my cup which was sitting exactly where I had left it, but found no more of my morning goodness. I looked at Laney and smiled, "Did you drink my coffee?" She smiled back "Nooooo." she trolled. We both giggled. This isn't the first time she has tried/tasted/sipped my coffee, but this is the first time she drank my whole cup. I had to laugh to myself. I am enjoying some quiet time during nap time. Usually I am scurryi...

I have just plopped down on my couch with a bottle of water to quench my parched mouth. I also sit next to two heaping baskets of laundry that need to be folded. I just straightened up my house enough that I can live in it "semi-sane" (is that a word?!). Two more loads are going in the dryer downstairs, the dishes are drying, the counters are picked up and clean, but...my house is not spick and span clean. I love being able to sit down after a long day and revel in the assurance that I can keep the whole house in order (spick and span clean!) and know that I also gave my 100% attention and love and patience to my kids. Ummm, this never happens. But in my fairy tale motherly brain I think that it should, and I constantly beat myself up and strive at it! Honestly, I have tried and tried and tried and by the end of the day I am so stinking exhausted that I just want to grab a drink and some m&m's and veg, f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Then I think to myself, I never want to do that aga...

Last night was exhausting. The little man went to bed around 7:30, but woke up 5 other times after that very upset. The first time I gave him a little extra to eat hoping with a nice full belly he would sleep through the night. In a couple hours he woke not so happy and it took a good while to calm the screaming man. After he was nice and calmly sleeping in my arms I lay him back in his crib and he immediately wakes up unhappy again. So I take him and lay him next to me in bed and we fall asleep for awhile. He wakes up again not so happy, this time Luke gently settles him down and swaddles him up nice and tight and lays him in the bassinet in our room. He sleeps, but wakes up again fussing. So I feed him again, it is about 4:30 this time and my sisters and I are scheduled to run at 6:00 so I figured if I feed him again it will zonk him out so I can go running and Leo will fall asleep until I get back. I fed him and we both fell asleep until my alarm went off at 5:30. I got up and got c...

Dear Leo, I love you. I love when you zonk out during your feeding and you nuzzle yourself so close I wonder how you breathe. I love how you look oh so peaceful and you don't care that milk is dripping from you mouth. You breathe nice and easy, so peaceful. I want 5 of you. Over and over again. It is times like this that I cherish and think, I can do this again. Baby's are so precious. Dear Lane, I told you yesterday that I wanted 5 of you too. Yesterday after you ate two bowls of chili to then be off playing hide and go seek at Papa's house. You are such a pleasant bundle of energy. You make me want to pick you up and kiss you over and over again because I am so in love with you! Today I tried to make you dance by playing fun music, but you just wanted me to hold you and watch me dance with you in the mirror. You would giggle and giggle, but get mad when I would try to put you down. That's ok, I love holding you. You saw that I had painted my toe nails, so you wa...

I am frustrated, discouraged, and exhausted. Lane is 21 months old and she is in her prime of exploring this wonderful world, but she is also in her prime in saying, "no" and throwing tantrums over the littlest things. It frustrates me, and exhausts me, and then I get discouraged and think, "dear Lord, when will this end!?! I just want to enjoy my little girl and look forward to our time spent together!!" Instead it's like pulling teeth to get her to do anything you want her to do. Like, sitting in her chair to eat, putting on her coat or shoes, changing her diaper, etc. etc. etc. My words to her are "Laney, NO." or "Laney, stop." I know that the word "no" is not the most effective word said over and over again, I know that, but I don't know what else to say if she is doing something she should not be doing. Then I wonder, why say "no" to every little thing? What's wrong with letting her be? She is not hurting an...

"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all." Ephesians 4:2-6