The everyday stuff...

In the middle of tearing out a bathtub and surround this week, building in closet drawers and shelving, and the dreaded rotation of summer clothes out-fall clothes in... it occurred to me that my time as a mom is often spread a bit too thin. That I make time for the big stuff, the holidays, the birthdays, the events... but sometimes I miss the little stuff. Gi's been traveling quite a bit the past few weeks and so being 7 1/2 mos pregnant I'm spread even a bit thinner (well maybe wider too), but in the midst of it all the kids and their quirks (though they drive me CRAZY) are also the reason I get through it all. And for that I am eternally greatful for them.... so grateful that this blog is about them, their everyday stuff, and their best lines, the ones that for this week have me giggling everytime I hear them.

Chance: He finishes coloring a picture the other day (and in the lines I might add) and from across the room I hear him declare out loud to himself : "I'm a genius!" no idea where he learned the word, no idea how he figured out how to use it correctly, but its been said a few times since and I get a good chuckle out if it everytime he says it. Or the look on his face when I ask if he'll be my boyfriend while Daddy's out of town. Cheese-ball grin from ear to ear, he blushes something fierce and says, sure, I'll be your boyfriend :)

Reagan: Finally at age two she decided she'd been spoken for, on top of, interrupted for the last time and now I can't get this sweet thing to stop talking.The top line of this week comes from the clip after "Car's" when they tell Mater to watch out for the Screaming Banchee... and he replies "Screamin What!" There's not much justice I can give her facial expressions or her voice when she repeats this line "Screamin' Whaaat!" but its enough to get a good laugh out of everyone who's seen her do it. My close second favorite line is when she with lots of enthusiasm declares "HOKY Cow"... unaware that K should be an L, its the cutest thing you've ever heard.

Bailey: Just too smart for her own good, little miss school-going Kindergartner declares her profound knowledge to me regularly on subjects far and wide. She's taking dance and has all the lastest moves worked out for her morning "bandstand" to the Lion King soundtrack. We've only listened to that tape (yes a tape.. that they can't scratch) about a million times. But her best shows as of late are her attempts, and a few sucesses and getting Reagan out of the crib in the morning, changing her diaper and dressing her. It usually is in a matching outfit, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but more than any of it, its the effort to be so darn big, and such a great helper that gets me. She's also pulled off breakfast for the three kids all by herself too. Toast, pop-tarts and milk all around... but I won't complain, again its her efforts that I'll never fault. And on days when I've been up too many times and 7am just comes much too fast and furious, I'll take her efforts and use them to my advantage for another 15 minutes in bed.

I just love these three, I remember thinking the night before we had Chance that I wasn't sure how I'd ever love #2 as much as the first, but now 3 1/2 kids later I realize your capacity just grows right along with the kids. And for my kids and their bean-stalk growth patterns, thats a pretty rapid rate. I can't imagine life w/out these three and while they probably wonder some days if I really do like them all that much... (we all have our moments) I'm glad that at the end of the day they're always willing to snuggle up for a good book before bedtime. Thanks kiddos for making the everyday stuff so worth it!! I love you!