Reflections From A Sick Mom

We have been truly sick here at the Carroll household. It's just gone from one person to the next and then back again. It's been a sick age that will go down in history. You know what's awesome???? Being sick yourself and getting woke up on the hour by your sick kid. Awesome. Then your sick kid wakes up the baby. So here you are not getting the sleep you need to function and get well for the next day. All in the name of love, man.

So the last two days I decided I had had it with whatever kid is sick watching cartoons all day. So I turned it off. Not to make my life any easier of course, or maybe I just thought I might actually DIE if I watched Max and Ruby ONE MORE TIME. Like. Die. And it hasn't helped that I am sick and therefore not busy busy busy and able to tune out "Max and Ruby, Ruby and Max.."

I can't believe how ridiculously hard it is to limit television. Sometimes I wish I just didn't have one, so I wouldn't have to be so disciplined. But then I watch, Gossip Girl and Kardashians.. and decide to be realistic. We live in hard times when it comes to raising children. Even with Indie I am finding it difficult to teach her that she CAN just SIT and PLAY. She doesn't need me to hold her, entertain her, feed her, constantly. I am trying to teach her to play in a playpen multiple times a day, to explore and learn and be creative, but even at 10 months old ITS HARD! The winter is especially hard, obviously, and add on top of that a household of sickies. So I ran into this today and it made me feel better about being home for a week strait now (no, more) and restricting television to the kids even though they are sick.

"Boredom is good for kids. Children are seldom truly bored, they just haven’t lately exercised that part of the brain that requires them to use their imagination. Make a rule that if your kid announces they’re bored, they’ll have to do chores. So if they truly can’t think of anything off-hand to do… eventually, they’ll think of something.

It’s a good lesson to learn that life is not always entertaining, and that they’re not the center of attention. And if you’ve got a typical home, there’s actually plenty they can do. So don’t feel like you always have to provide options and events for your children. They’ll be just fine exercising their brain."

http://simplemom.net/20-indoor-activities-for-kids-besides-tv/

Feliz Cumpleanos

Happy Birthday to my lover!

Yep my hot pants turns THIRTY today. How did we get that old, boss?
He says it best when he says he doesn't mind getting old because he has the life he wants. Happiness. I feel the same.

Today is preeeeeetty much the most important day of MY life because Jake was born today. I mean, life would suck if he wasn't born. He pretty much made my life, so.. it was imperative that today happen 30 years ago. So I celebrate the importance of today more so than he.

I would go on to tell you all the ways he is wonderful, but that is personal. And honestly, I am sort of insecure in the fact that if you knew (you, being a bunch of females for the most part) how wonderful he was, you would most definitely try to steal him from me. And you are not arguably cooler and cuter than me so he'd likely take the bait and upgrade and then you'd be celebrating today instead of myself.

So, therefore. He. Is. Awesome. More awesome than you could ever know.

I love you, boss. Hope you have a great day. You deserve it. And even though I am not one for thinking people deserve things, you DESERVE this day to be exceptional.
~ME

My Pipey

Piper deserves a post just about her today (you know, cause she reads my blog and all) because she has been one sick little munchkin. She has been sick since Thursday with one thing or another. Guess I better tell you otherwise you'll assume we have the plague.. just fever and cold and now ear infections.
Anyway, she is such a brave little soul. A good, sweet girl. I hate to see her sick because she rarely complains of anything, well, except her clothes, about every other hour. Oh, and pretty much the way I do everything...

Anyway.. Love my Piper. I really love these pictures of her cause they are just so her.

My Peanut Is Three

My Peanut turned 3 almost two weeks ago and we went to Disneyland on his birthday!

For the record, he is starting to be not too sure of being called Peanut. Don't worry, I have already ordered my antidepressants to deal with this. They will be here soon, let's hope I can get some more Peanut's in before that to tide me over.

We didn't tell any of the kids and that morning got them all packed up, met up at my house and told them we were on our way to fly to the airport to fly to Disneyland. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECK!

Naturally, they didn't really believe us.
I mean.. with all the lies we tell them on an everyday basis.

Here are the pictures from my phone. I'll get to my camera at a later date... probably.. maybe..



"You're teasing."


Here we are in our 1000 passenger van!


Steph is more enthusiastic then me, apparently..


My fabulous family.


My fabulous husband?


Proof that my Piper is kick a. Tower of Terror. Hey, me and Jake enjoyed it! No, she loved it really, this was her second time.


It's a small world is more Beckett's pace.




How many more kids can we fit on this thing????? Is that a challenge?


My cute brother.






Yep, she got that face from me. We be so cute, her and I.

9 Months

Miss Lou turned 9 months.
15 lbs, 1 oz- 3%

Man, seriously, the more kids you have the faster it goes by. It never ceases to amaze me. I am so busy running around with my head cut off I probably just don't notice time going by. I don't know about you, but three kids- woooowza! Feels like a million. Good news is, from here on out... can't get much harder. Keep piling them on!
Seriously. I don't sit down. Over achiever? Unorganized? Bad discipliner? Schizophrenic? You choose the reason for my madness.

Miss Lou- she's a silly goose as you can see. She has a fantastic sense of humor.





What a crack up.




She's got one little tooth. Soon to be two.


Her dad likes to let her practice walking. I, on the other hand, do not. Don't walk. Ever. Stay a baby. Forever. PLEEEEAAASSEEE.


When you are a teenager and you look back at this and then look in the mirror, please know with every inch of my being how SORRY I am that you inherited my nose. Soooo sorry.
But it could be worse, it could be your dads...




Definitely pulling yourself up on the furniture.




Lots of adorable fuzzy hair.

Some Jems

How adorable are these?






This is really old and cool, up close it's all green and warped.

I Resolve To Resolve.

In looking forward to a new year I am really not one in making resolutions, probably because me, like most people, don't usually keep them! I love how the new year makes you think about how to improve yourself and your family. I have resolved (once again) to be better in a couple of areas. Assuming I better be slow but sure in my self betterment. So world wide web journal here are some, with confidence that writing them for the world will hold me to them.

-WRITE, like with a pen, in my journal. Everyday. (I do still know how to write, right?)

-Eat cleaner foods and ingest as little toxins and unnatural foods, cleaners and remedies as I can.

-Think about drinking less Diet Coke.

-Continue to wish for the impossible of my children eating no sugar. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH- that's setting myself up to fail.

-Be a better wife

-Be a better mother

-Say my prayers EVERY morning to help me do the above two things. I do need heaven's help for both of them most of the time.

-Be a better friend. I think it's easy to have people admire you, harder to have people relate to you. People want to be friends with people they can relate to. People want to be acquaintances with people they admire. I want friends not acquaintances.

-Run the half marathon, or two.

- Do not follow suit of the 6 years where I am pregnant every other year, in which I would be pregnant this year. Indie and her next sibling will be further apart, or will they?

-Keep sewing. I have a couple quilts I am working on.. and working on.. and WILL finish. This. Year.

-Keep one of these resolutions so I have one less next year :)