back to real life

late sunday night we returned from our week-long trip to utah.
we were able to see both jank's and my family and some good friends.
it was wonderful.

thank heavens for time away.

it gave jank and i time to reconnect,

something we both desperately needed.

we were able to take a step back from everyday life and reprioritize 

[spell check says reprioritize is not a word. it's a word isn't it???]

my goal this week is to get all the vacation pictures uploaded and edited
because try as i might, i'm still not a very good photog so editing is a must.
we shall see how productive i can be.

productivity. what an elusive beast.


::thought tangent::
i'm sure i'm not the only one who feels like i can never get anything done.
it's sad how quickly i disregard playing with my kids as 'productive time'.
i have to remind myself when i'm squished into a kid-size chair, coloring and cutting with my katers, that those moments are my most productive and they need to be cherished.
i need to remember these wise words:

amen.

from may 31st. when it was only 100 degrees.

kate:

remember this day eons ago?

we went to one of yuma's splash pad's

[according to my coworkers we went to the wrong one. there's two splash 

pads in town and somehow we chose the old, decrepit one] 

 and we tried to have a great outing with our friends.

remember how you whined almost the entire time?

and refused to eat your lunch?

and sucked on someone's discarded batman pez dispenser?

and got hepatitis C from said dispenser?

[ok, so maybe that last one was an exaggeration but seriously kid, 

don't pick up discarded toys and put them in your mouth!!!]

soooo much fun.

at least life isn't dull.

love you despite your hep C.

another iphone update

i recently had a nice little chat with my manager.

i requested a decrease in my hours so i could spend more time with my little family.

luckily, she complied with my wishes.

starting in august i will work 3 nights one week,

and 2 shifts the next week.

yay for not being a walking zombie.

working these hours is still considered full-time so i am able to retain benefits. 

we looked into decreasing my hours even more and enrolling in private insurance, but it's not really worth it right now. 

plus, as much as i dislike yuma's chaotic ED, it's forcing me to become a much better RN. 

and i do enjoy seeing the professional growth 

[even if it kills me]

onwards to the photos!

some of these date back to june 14th.

i'm such a mommyblogger/instagraming slacker.

tsk. tsk.

kate loves dressing herself which means i've become quite a good liar as of late: 'you look super rad!' just rolls off my tongue with little effort.....and, the last day with floaties. i'll post a video soon of her [uncoordinated but effective] swimming capabilities.

what's cuter than a fat baby squished into a swim suit?? nothing, i tell you.

kate is obsessed with ants. ants she likes. but crickets and spiders and flies are a cause for instant tears and hysterics [i have absolutely no idea where she gets that from.... i was most definitely not paralyzed with fear the other night when i saw a cricket in the ED]..... and, lil evie had a virus for a couple of days that gave her a low-grade temp and a silly rash. oh, those sad eyes kill me.

the only time we can do tummy-time is right away in the morning when her stomach is empty. otherwise miss ev regurgitates every drop of milk even if it's been 4 hours since a feeding. did i mention we LOVE spitty babies?! soooo awesome.

these are cinnamon roll waffles. just pop them out of the tube they come in, squish 'em in the waffle iron for a few minutes and presto! breakfast of the healthiest kind..... and, nakey time. see also: ev spit up on her last clean onesie and mommie despises doing the laundry.

evie sleeping in the 100+ degree heat at kate's swim lessons.... and, i finally got around to hanging my favorite art projects from kate. pretty sure i'm going to save that hand-flower for the rest of my life.

snuggling with this babe is one of my two favorite things to do..... and, dance parties with this kiddo is my other favorite thing. 

hope everyone has a great independence day!

swim lessons

miss mary:

when kate started swim lessons 2 weeks ago,
you told me that she would be swimming without assistance by the end of your classes.
'i'll believe it when i see it', i said.

well, i believe it now.
thanks for all your hard work.

grow up if you must, but don't ever lose your quirkiness. it's awesome.

miss kate:

you've developed some new habits lately.


you've become quite attach to certain items that are a bit strange.
for instance, you happen to adore your hairbrush.
you even cuddle in bed with it.

every friday you have show-and-tell at school.
normally you take a toy or a book to share and discuss.
today you took your hairbrush.



you don't like wearing shorts.
every day you proclaim 'i want to wear a dress or a skirt'.
fine by me sister, it's a vast improvement from the naked phase and the underwear-only phase.


you talk to evelyn in the highest, squeekiest voice imaginable
[and she loves it. big ole gummy grin every time].
'hi sweetie! did you wake up?' is the phrase we hear you constantly saying to her.
obviously you're watching and listening all we do and playing it back on repeat.
[guess it's time to stop using all those cuss words...]


this phase you're in is one of my favorites.
you've adjusted to having a sister and as long as i'm careful about dividing my time fairly,
you're typically a sweetheart.
most days you're cracking me up with your funny observations and silly questions.
i would like to request that the universe slows down time [just for a bit] so i can properly soak up your childlike wonder.
i love seeing the world through your eyes, it makes me feel like a kid again.

.

more from the iphone.

i spent last night working the triage desk. this allows me some time to sit and reflect [when i'm not  checking people in for the flu [i mean, really people?? vomiting for 6 hours does not require an ER visit. sheez.] i really enjoy the break triaging gives me. i still get to educate and help people but i'm not caught up in the hustle and bustle of carrying a team of 6 patients. and there's nothing quite like an empty waiting room. it's a thing of beauty. 

while i stared at the rows of empty chairs, i thought about how good life has been to me lately... or maybe i've finally learned to be a little more like a willow tree and less like an oak- bending with the wind, instead of resisting it. i'm not one to question the good fortunes of the universe so i'll just shut up and be content that my girls are rad, my husband is kind and that my soul is calm. 

in summary: life is good. i eat way too much sugar. and instagram still rocks.

the end.

morning walks with the girlies.... and afternoon tea parties.

a blankie on ev's face will calm her down if she's fussy [and it makes the RN inside me cringe but hey, it works]..... and just another 'mild' yuma day. crazy weatherman.

swim lessons for our little fish start monday- the goal is to be floatie-free [maybe that's a bit ambitious but you never know until you try... or drown]

baby smiles.... and a chocolate cake all for me since jank's on a diet [ahem, 'lifestyle change'. he's already lost inches from his waist. go janky!]

evie has perfected the kick and scoot technique and it's only a matter of time until she's too active for the swing [noooooooooo!].... and aden and anais burp clothes/bibs are amazing. especially when you have a kid that urps up 56,932 times a day. 

friday lunch date at ah-so sushi and steak. sushi is gross unto me so my meal was a bit boring.... but i fixed that with a gigantic ice cream concoction involving cake batter ice cream, brownies, sprinkles and hot fudge. love our day-dates.

ps. thanks mom for encouraging me all these years to be more willow-like. sorry it took me 29 years to figure out that you know what you're talking about. and sorry for all those times i rolled my eyes at you when i was a bratty kid. 

pps. and i know everyone is thinking it... that cake DOES look like a boob. 

.