Baseball Games, Recitals, Work Stuff, Oh My!--The Busiest Time Of Year

Last week Tim and I took a deep breath and said "we can do this" while looking at each other with frightened eyes. We were preparing for one of the hardest times of year....the last two months of school. Otherwise known as the busiest, craziest time of year where everyone has an event, a party, a game, a play, a recital, a dinner thing, work events, fundraisers, practices, final exams, track meets, softball games, baseball and baseball and more baseball. Ahhhhhh!

It's a fun time of year but holy shit so busy. Trying to be everywhere and get four kids where they need to be is a challenge. Are we up for it? Not sure. Will we do our best? You better believe it.

JT's baseball season kicked off with a few (ahem, five!) scrimmages over the weekend. I saw part of one (because I was running Lucy to softball and working on work stuff that had deadlines and you know, all the stuff!) and he looked so happy.  

That's the thing, it may be hectic but I feel so grateful that my kids are active and healthy and happy. They just may be a little late to a few practices, games and events because well, there are so many! 

We can do this! And then it's summer and I cannot wait. Woot! Woot!

I took a few pics with my fancy-ish camera at the part of the scrimmage I was able to make it to. Check it out:

The younger sibs hanging in the dug out. 

Spring Break 2016- It Wasn't All Dumb

This past week we were all on spring break--the kids were off school, Tim was off work, I was off work. Even though we didn't have trip planned, it was supposed to be one of the best weeks ever because duh, no school! no work! I. could. not. wait.

But sadly, it was one of the dumbest spring breaks ever. EVER! It snowed. Tim got sick. Wade got sick. One of the dogs had some gross issues. The teenagers were grumpy and moody. It seemed like almost everyone we knew went some place with sun and fun and happiness and posted all the pictures on Facebook just to be mean (I know they weren't really trying to be mean and somewhere deep in my heart I am happy for them, truly happy, but mostly I am bitter and jealous). I danced around all week like a clown trying to get everyone in a good mood. I explained over and over that we didn't need money to have a good time (we have some big doubters in the family!).  And now I'm exhausted and crying just a little bit.

But then I looked back through some of my pictures from this week and realized it wasn't all dumb. There was some joy, there were some smiles and laughs. It wasn't all rosy and happy and goddammit 

I worked hard for those smiles and I'm going to hold onto those memories. Not the dumb ones. And next year, I'm going someplace warm.

Bowling = cheap fun. (I promise Peyton had a little fun.)

I love old school arcade games. The kids were a little confused, but I loved them.

Lucy had enough of us. Lol.

The sun was out for a minute and the kids were wrestling like animals on the trampoline. Whatever.

Awww, isn't that a sweet face? Lol. I saw this face a lot. He was SO OVER IT (most of the week).

Lucy having a little fun on the most uncolorful nature walk ever (everything is so brown).

I had to search for the green.

Too cold for baseball practice but Wade still wore his batting gloves everywhere....even when coloring.

Tim finally got out of his sick bed to do laundry. Best spring break ever. lol.

It was snowing lightly and freezing, but we really wanted to play softball/baseball.

Thanksgiving 2015

Not to brag or anything, but over the years, my sister and I have sort of figured out Thanksgiving. Yeah, we know exactly how to do it right.  Sure it took a few years (well, like 20) to figure it out, but we've got it. For so many years we had super high expectations, and kept inviting our mother. A couple of years ago however, we decided to set the bar super low, my sister would host, we would have her husband cook and my husband play with all the kids and watch football, we may or may not go shopping on Friday and we didn't invite our mother (I'm not really a jerk, it's a long story and a lesson in good boundary setting, it's really a good thing, I promise).  Boosh! Thanksgiving bliss.

But then my kid goes and breaks his leg in a super dramatic way during a football game and our amazingingly perfect Thanksgiving plan went out the window. My sister lives in Kentucky and Peyton couldn't travel with his braced leg and wheelchair and ahhhhh.

Luckily, my sister and I are used to holidays being disrupted by family members so we went to a Plan B. They came to my house, her husband still cooked (and they even brought groceries!), my husband organized the football games, there was a little shopping done and a whole lot of togetherness. 

If it's one thing we have learned over the last 40 years it's that you can't let a family member ruin Thanksgiving, you have to roll with it. And it helps to have great husbands.

I got out my fancy-ish, not-so-new camera and took a few shots of our Thanksgiving bliss...

This weekend can maybe be summed up in three words pie, electronics and football.

Pie!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!

The girls had so much fun with the app Musical.ly. Seriously so fun, but they didn't want me to post any of their videos.  Look at my sister all impressed with their skills.

Playing electronics while watching football.
 Ahhhhhmazing (to the boys.

There was a little father daughter bonding too. :)

Football outside!

Dirty elbows, a sign of a good time.

Dirty knees too.

Football again.

Time for turkey.

Almost all the kids are happy before dinner.

Pie and a random baseball...so All American right?

Black Friday

The girls loved baking and we loved eating what they baked.
It was a real win-win.

Oh my god, what is that? A puzzle and not an electronic device? Why yes it is. Happy to report the kids had fun doing a good old-fashioned puzzle.

football outside

football inside

Lots of snuggling while watching football.

And of course there was a little kitchen dancing too...

Black Friday kitchen dance. Hell yeah!!!! #grateful #holidays #dancing #kitchendance

A video posted by Angela Youngblood (@jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed) on Nov 27, 2015 at 5:17pm PST