Around here.

When I look back on my blog the posts I enjoy the most are the ones that just capture our life at that moment in time. So today I'm going to do my best to capture our life right now. In no particular order...

Because every kid must have a messy spaghetti face picture as a baby. I'm pretty sure it's a babyhood requirement. However this baby is becoming less and less like a baby each day and more and more like a toddler. Minus the actual toddling! He can take a few wobbly steps at a time. His first steps were on March 29. One day before he turned 14 months. He can walk. He's just very hesitant to do so. That doesn't stop him from finding all sorts of trouble though. 

His latest trick is throwing his head back and screeching loudly when he doesn't get what he wants. Mostly in public. Four kids later and it's still embarrassing to be that mom with the tantruming toddler. I know it's normal. Doesn't make it any easier to deal with though. 

Charlotte is finally back to her normal self. The week before and after Easter she had this high fever and lethargy that felt like it was never going to end. Most of the time she would fine and then...BAM! She'd completely melt down. It was pitiful. See exhibit below.

Pitiful. 

Less pitiful. 

Hannah has started her long anticipated soccer season! I thought she was going to LOVE it. And she did. Kinda. Practice was good. However according to Hannah the game took fOr-EvEr!!!! It took some serious bribing to get her to participate during the second half. (Last quarter?!? I don't know. The last part.) 

I'm just a tad biased but she's pretty much THE CUTEST soccer player ever. Or at least the cutest on her team:) They asked me to be the assistant coach for her team. "Just to help with crowd control". Unfortunately Hannah's soccer season coincides with a long stretch of Joe working weekends so I'm a little preoccupied controlling my own personal crowd! I don't need MORE kids to watch. 

I'm not sure how I've completely forgotten to mention it but Isaiah has been running with his school's running club this year. Which means he's been participating in a few fun runs in the community. It's his "thing". Or so I overheard him telling his friend the other day. 

This was his first 5k with his dad. This past weekend he did a 'Mud Run' with muddy obstacles. He loved it! 

Even if he lost one shoe in the mud! (He was a bit tired when I took this picture. I promise he liked it. It's all he talked about the rest of the day.) His siblings on the other hand were less than thrilled to be ripped out of their cozy beds on a Saturday morning to watch him run in the "cold" and wind. (It was 65)

I have to admit I'm turning into a wimp. After being outside in that "cold" weather for a few hours I came home and put on my sweat pants, hoodie and slippers to warm up! 

What else have I been doing? Besides logging onto the NCCPA website and checking for my test score every single hour? Oh just painting like a mad woman...

I've got a lot of nervous energy built up as I wait for my test results. And my kitchen cupboards have been the perfect outlet! Plus they have been off the actual cupboards and sitting in my garage since...oh...mid January! It's about time. As I've been painting I'm laughing at myself. Last summer, shortly after we moved here another resident's wife asked when I hoped to have our house projects done. I casually answered "Oh in the first month or two". Ha! Maybe I should have said "the first year or two!"  Seems more accurate at this point. 

Slowly but surely we are making progress...

And last but certainly not least...

This guy is a complete rockstar. When he isn't mowing the lawn with the baby strapped to his chest, he's either at work or taking another ridiculously long and hard test. All without complaining or freaking out. (Unlike someone else I know...)