The Start of Our Week...

What a busy week we have had! Fall is here and we are loving the weather. We spent a good chunk of time outside except for the one day it was raining.

Monday took a rough start this week with both kids up before the sun and overly tired because of this. I pulled myself together and took the kids outdoors which ultimately turned the whole day around for us. A little fresh air goes a long ways.

I'm a bit of a rule breaker these days and skipped a healthy lunch in lieu of an unhealthy snack like lunch. This feast included popcorn, cheese, crackers, and an apple. What can I say? Quick decisions had to be made when all 3 of us were demanding food at the same time. The kids seemed fine with my impulsive decision as I snapped these pictures right after we ate:

On Tuesday, we kicked off the day coloring and jamming out to music. I love quiet, happy starts to our day. It was so rainy out we were stuck indoors playing. The skies cleared up just as it was time for Daddy to come home so we got out for a few minutes and waited for him.

I think I'm always the most excited for my hubby to come home!

Wednesday started off with story time at the library. I feel like I really accomplished something when I can get two kids and myself ready and out the door on time. Of course, on time, rarely happens these days. We are always running late.

After the library the weather was too good to pass up so we spent most of the afternoon outside.

We have one outdoor cat and one kitty. Oh how payton loves them! They love her, too, but she is very allergic. We are trying to work with her on not touching the cats to her face. It's not going so well...

We hope the rest of our week goes just as well as the beginning did!

Lazy Day Sunday

Every once in awhile, we get a Sunday to just relax and hang out as a family. The memories from these days are some of my personal favorites. It's nice to not be go, go, go constantly. We are given a chance to really bond...

As a mother, I have learned that, for me, these days are not entirely relaxing. I was still up at 7am with my children after going to bed way too late (courtesy of football games and late night friend visits). Three meals were still made and served to my family. Two loads of laundry were done and put away. Too many diapers were changed.

This is my every day life. I wouldn't change a moment of this for the world.

A Mommy/Daughter Morning Together

Now that we are a family of four I'm working hard (and failing a lot) at trying to continue with mother/daughter one on one time daily. Newborns are very demanding and I've found getting alone time with my toddler is challenging. Many times, I start to play with my toddler only to have my newborn decide, instead of napping, he needs his diaper changed. 

So, with my husband home on Saturday wanting to lounge around, I decided to spend a morning alone with my toddler. She's a whole lot of energy in the mornings so I knew getting outside would suit her well. We hopped in our van and headed to town. I saw some garage sales (actually a whole block of sales, the best kind with a child in tow) and we decided to browse. I found a helmet for Payton and she was very excited for her new "hat."

We then headed to the park. Oh how I love all that our park offers! There are several playgrounds, a splash pad, walking trails, fishing, and ducks to feed. We shoved as much as we could into a few hours. I'm continuously in awe at how fast my child has grown. She is so independent and able to do more and more on her own.

As we loaded back up because the temps got too hot for us, I figured why not make one more stop before heading home. I pulled up to one of Payton's favorite places, the library! She was so excited!

After the library we returned home to our boys. We spent the rest of the day together. As the weather cooled, we got outside a bit before putting the kids to bed.

This is what I would call a perfect day. At this stage of life, I love my family time and days where there is no rush. We get one more quiet day before the chaos known as Monday begins!