My Kids Hate Me this Week!

Here we go again... BACK TO SCHOOL PREP WEEK!!! If I seem excited, it's because I am! We have had a long summer, I kept the kids as busy and as entertained as I could this year. Although, the texts to their friends will say otherwise. It really doesn't matter now though, because this is the week they will undoubtedly hate me. Every single year, this is the week they will hate me.

Taking a Coffee Break

I'm starting to realize that there's a big difference between having some coffee and taking a coffee break. Every morning I stumble to the Keurig, pop in a cup of my choice, tell my kids to just give me a minute to wake up. I get the day started, make more coffee and power through. By the end of the day I know I've had my fair share of caffeine but I never actually remember taking a break, getting that moment to take it all in. It's so important to take an actual coffee break. Tea, diet coke, water- whatever you enjoy, break. I'm learning to make time for that again, and it's harder than I thought.

Ready, Set, Goal!

I have been so busy with the family lately, I haven't taken much time for myself. I started noticing my frustration increasing and I decided it's time to get organized and set some goals. I wanted to start with things that would have the greatest reward, making me feel the most accomplished and refreshed.

Where does the time go?

This weekend we celebrated our youngest son's birthday, Myles. He turned 3 and as it turns out that's a pretty big deal! He woke us up telling us it was his day and we needed to go look at toys and play with his friends. So after a quick trip to the store we came home and waited for his pals. This was the first time he had both of his little buddies over at the same time and he handled it pretty well!

It's funny how little things make us emotional about our kids growing up. I started thinking about all the things I have to do this week, and honestly dreading a lot of it. That's when it hit me...big things are happening! It's not about the fact that I feel like I'm running wild trying to get to everything on time, fitting in haircuts, manicures, pedicures and pictures for the kids. I'm doing all of these things to prepare them for the exciting, sometimes stressful things they are about to face. So while I'm losing any last bit of free time the school day gives me, I'm going to try and appreciate the moments I will never get back.

Let's start with my oldest, Thomas. His big moment this week is when he's leaving the school district that he's been in since preschool. He attends a school program for kids with special needs and they are making changes that just won't accommodate his needs in the next year so it makes sense to move him to our home district now. I need to go see his new room in this giant school and prepare for the anxiety that will come with this transition. The question is, who will handle it best? Probably Thomas, He's better at handling change than I am! I have been with this young man through quite a few big changes so I know we can manage this too! He's very opinionated and determined when he wants to let you know something. His smile is pretty contagious too and I'm sure his new teachers will have fun with him!

Next up, is probably the hardest for me to handle. My oldest daughter is heading to high school next year! Ciera is technically my first born, we are a blended family so Thomas became my oldest child when I married Kevin. When I had this little girl almost 14 years ago I knew this day would come, just not this fast. She's such an amazing young lady, and a big help here at home. I am proud of how caring, smart and wonderful she is, I'd like to think I helped her with that! I feel like yesterday we were taking kindergarten pictures with her hair in pig tails. Now she's asking me which lipstick to wear to her dance tomorrow! So when I wake up extra early to do her hair and help with her make up, I will fight the mushy tears and enjoy the butterflies in her stomach with her.

Logan is also having his own moment this week, tonight actually. He's preparing for a celebration and performance later to mark the last year of elementary school. I need to get his hair cut and pick some clothes. He actually asked for help! Logan only likes to wear athletic style clothes, which makes sense because he's always been on the active side...hyper, active side! This is the child that will always challenge my patience with doing things his way, on his own time. I really need him to work on time management! I also look forward to watching him grow into a young man that learns how to making Logan's way work for him. He's full of random facts and energy, and tonight I get to see a side of him that he doesn't always show. I am pretty happy to see him shine on stage, I think he will be proud of himself too!

The fact that Myles is already 3 is crazy to me. I remember planning life to include this new baby. Kevin and I were so excited, the kids couldn't wait to meet this little man. Myles just fit right in, it felt like he was always meant to be in our family. He really brought our blended family together in a whole new way. This boy is full of energy, his own opinions and so much love. He's a little bit of all of us in one little blonde haired, blue eyed, curious toddler. I love watching him grow and learn. With Myles I started my stay at home journey and I've enjoyed every minute. Even those moments that make you wish it was bedtime when it's barely lunch! I can't wait to see who he is as he gets older, I just wish it wasn't happening over night!

Last but not least, we have Ava. She brings me so much peace in my life, and in this house. She just turned 7 months old and is having some big moments too! Her first tooth popped up, she's on the move in her own way and almost ready to crawl. Ava loves to try new foods that I make her and her lovable personality is already showing. She's a mama's girl too, so I can't complain about the cuddles I get! I never thought I'd be talking about baby #5 after swearing I was done after Logan (kid #3). Here I am though, another sweet baby. Ava is even named after me, Nicole is her middle name. It was Kevin's request, he thought it was important that she be named after the most important woman in her life- his words exactly. My Dad got a bit choked up when I told him her name and the reason for it, he loved how much I am loved. She is actually pretty much a mini-me, so it worked nicely!

I really wanted to share these big moments with you. I know other parents are experiencing some pretty exciting times and wondering why it goes by so fast. Take a moment to look around, I know I will do a lot of that this week. I am sad about my babies growing up so soon, but I'm pretty excited about the people they are becoming. I get to be a part of these moments with my husband and prepare for the day when I get to experience my kids wondering the same thing. Where does the time go?

Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see the pictures of these, and more big moments!

What's a weekend for?

It's funny how weekends change as you get older or your life moves in a new direction. Kevin and I often make jokes about the before and after of our weekends, and honestly a lot of week nights too. It seems like life changed over night! Where did the time go? Are we spending the weekends the right way?

A good cup of coffee is obviously the right way to start a weekend morning, but what about the rest of your free time? A weekend should packed full of all the things you enjoy doing before heading back to work. I thought I knew how I liked to spend a day off...

I am not sure how I managed to get through a Monday at work on so little sleep so many years ago! We loved meeting for a drink and dancing the night away every weekend! For me, I loved getting dressed up and doing a full face of make up. It was exciting when you first start dating someone to plan out your Saturday night. I knew that he was a guy the guy that I could spend my life with right away. I'm pretty sure he felt the same way about me. What I don't think we fully understood was how much different our weekends would look once we started this life. We still tried to keep up on date night fun, but it was getting harder. Once you start a new chapter in your life a lot things you thought would remain the same suddenly take a back seat.

We obviously still look forward to the weekends, but for different reasons. Our idea of fun is surprising the kids with a night out or a shopping trip to Costco. When we are feeling really wild we make use of that unexpected Kohl's coupon, you don't just waste 30% off when everybody needs new socks! Don't get me wrong, we still love to get dressed up and go out for date night. I have traded my heels in for ultra comfy slip on shoes from Payless, and I'm not even sorry. I still put on lipstick, it's called balance. It's just that date night feels different now, in a good way. A night out feels earned, it's appreciated much more these days. I feel like I've actually worked for that glass or 2 of wine, I deserve to eat my meal without sharing and while it's still hot.

Weekend days are no longer spent recovering from staying up too late and having drinks with friends. Weekends are now for recovering from a long week of being responsible, which is exhausting on a whole new level. We spend our Saturdays and Sundays running errands, catching up on house and yard work. We have gotten pretty good at grocery shopping with all 5 kids, we even manage to stay on budget (sometimes). I'm not complaining though. It was a lot fun being younger, dating Kevin and going out on the town. Our life is even more exciting now... I'm serious! There's something to be said about raising a family with the person you love. Especially after knowing what it's like to be a single Mom. I appreciate my husband and my life more than I could've ever imagined. I actually find it pretty refreshing knowing that my life is predictable, I'm not big on change anyway.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that weekends are for enjoying whatever stage of life you are in. As much as fun as it was to live in the moment all those weekends ago, I'm happy those days are gone. I do joke quite often about reliving the fun times, but I definitely wouldn't go back. I am thankful and excited that I get to be in this new stage, making memories with my family. I will look forward to date nights with my husband, joking about how we've changed as we pass out by 10 pm. One day our kids will be off spending Saturday night their way too, and we will start a new stage of weekends again.

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