Having a life!

Sometimes as a mom of four I forget that yes I can actually have a life that doesn't include my children at all times. Sometimes it's really a lot more fun if it's adults only. Well this weekend promises to be more of an adult only weekend than a mom weekend for me. Granted the children will be with us but since I will only be with them sporadically it's kind of like they aren't there. I am really looking forward to both parties that are going on this weekend. Normally we will go months without an actual invite for a "real" party. But as it usually happens when you finally do have something to do there will be another "something" come up that you want to do as well.

Saturday is our big going away party we are having for our friend and boy has it snowballed. We now have over 40 people coming to our home. Granted our home isn't small but it's really not big enough to have that many people indoors. So I'm sure we will be popping at the seams. I can't wait. Then Sunday is the girls only afternoon. I am even more excited about this one and know I will probably enjoy it more knowing my sweet husband is minding our four children with what I know will be a heck of a hangover. Is that a little mean of me? I really don't intend for it to be that way but normally it's me that deals with the children all day after a late night. But for his sake I will talk to them about being good for daddy.

Yes, as you can see I am excited. I have a life again, if only for a weekend.

A few ironies of late...

1. It seems like it never fails that once we finally start to get to some nice weather where we can all be outside someone gets sick.

2. The minute we decide to have an outdoor activity or party during a drought we get rain in the forecast.

3. The neighbor I do work for finally told me the CORRECT way to spell his last name. Sheesh!

4. We are fixing the air conditioner during winter. Although technically Texan winters aren't all that cold and it's almost 80 today.

5. The kids never want naps but mommy would give anything to have one some days.

Life with kids

Life with children is never really what you expect it to be is it. They drive you completely crazy one minute then the next they are declaring their undying love to you. And for what, absolutely nothing. They just feel like sharing that one emotion they are feeling that moment with you and doing it in a sweet and open way that we lose as we mature. I often wonder why my children are so good at always telling me and my husband how much they love us and they tell each other that as well. I'm sure other children tell their siblings as well I have just never noticed it before. I know we always tell our children how much we love and cherish them and if we are proud of an accomplishment then we tell them that as well. But is it our actions towards our children that are coming through in their current behaviour. I know I have been out of patience with the littlest things lately and have been showing my frustration more than I should. So maybe I should take a lesson from my children and just be a bit more easy going and not so quick to get upset over the proverbial glass of spilt milk. And for those wonderful gifts that drive me to insanity and back I hope I can show my appreciation to you today for the small gift you have given me because "yes, I do love you to sweetheart."

Farewell Party to good Friend

We are planning a party for our good friend who is leaving at the end of the month. He is a co-worker for my husband that has been living here far from his own country for the last 2 1/2 years. He was such a good friend to us when we lived in his native Finland that we were so excited to have him with us here in Tx. Now he is so much a part of the family that it will be strange not to have him up here on a regular basis. Hopefully he will be back in the fall if we are lucky. But until then we are planning a heck of a party to send him off with. All the neighbors who have become friends with him as well as other co workers are coming. So it should be a long long weekend of friends, food, fun and of course beer. I hope the livers of all that come are healthy and in full functioning order. So I am excited at the fun of this weekend but also a little sad at the reason for the party. But not to worry because I know we will still get many phone calls from him in the middle of the night after he gets back home to keep us updated on how he's doing. So here's to big "KIPPIS" to our friend.

Girl Scout cookies

What is it about Girl Scout cookies? Every year I buy my usual assortment of cookies and every year the boxes seem to contain less cookies but cost more money. Don't get me wrong, I know that they go for a good cause and all but really $3.50 for 15 cookies. That's 23 cents a cookie, I could almost buy a small pack of gum for that one cookie. Meanwhile I'm sure the cookies are just as good as they always have been but for some reason they just don't seem to do it for me anymore. And with the exception of the Thin Mints they don't seem to impress anyone else in the family that much either. So I guess that this year will probably be the last year we buy cookies from the little girls that come knocking on the door. I'm sure we will still buy the one obligatory box from the neighbor's girls but that's really no biggie there. So unless we know the little girl selling the cookies (or their parents) really well I am now going to hang out a sign that says "No girl scout cookies please".