Time for Mom

Grant after helping me dig a new vegetable garden.

 I have been trying do things that I enjoy, even if it requires keeping the kids distracted while doing it!  One day last week I felt extremely energetic and decided to prepare a fall vegetable garden.  We all love broccoli, so I think I will plant as much as I can, see how much actually is produced and have fun with it.  That day's weather was amazing and the boys got FILTHY.  (The pictures were actually taken after we had bathed and napped.  I promise they were not this clean.)  The next thing on my "mom list" is to spend an afternoon painting...ah.

The boys after a great day spent in the yard, playing and digging.

 In the time it took me to post so far, Grant has already woken up from his nap, eaten a highlighter, colored on two books and torn another.  I need to find better things for him to do while typing.  Sleeping would be preferred, but I think he can hear the keyboard and when I start typing, especially to blog, he always manages to wake up!  Oh well.  A little highlighter never hurt, right?

Grant stealing a kiss from dad before he mows the grass.

 Shannon has been working so hard and we appreciate his dedication to our family.  The boy LOVE to watch, or in their eyes "help", him mow the grass with their Gator and lawnmower.  They actually baled hay in our backyard Sunday and that was the highlight of the day for Grant I think.

He was actually posing for me.  Sun is in his eyes here.

My baby is growing up!  3 years old and such a little man.

Other than normal everyday things, like James actually mastering "pottying" for now, Grant getting a big boy haircut, Childrens' Museum trips, time with family, and of course, football season starting, life has been extra busy in a good way.

I have really been pursuing more involvement with the newspaper I write for, Community Chronicles, and have landed a monthly article titled "Delish" that will highlight an area restaurant and tell you a little bit about how the owners got it started.  The coolest part will be to get to eat at all these great places!!  I will post my articles as they are published for sure. Link to my current Kids Korral article in Community Chronicles. Also look at Down the Road and What's for Dessert?

My tutoring/home school classes have taken off too!  I now have 10 kids coming in at some part of the week for homework help or my class I am teaching.  I love it, keeps me busy and focused.

I noticed lately that I have been so at peace with things and just happier in my day to day and it really seems to be rubbing off on the boys.  My oldest was in a funk for a few weeks and it was so hard to be fighting with him all day and constantly getting frustrated, overwhelmed and not seeing the fruit of anything I have done with him.  But something has changed in the past 2 two weeks, I don't know if it is because I am happier and that is affecting them but whatever it is I want it to continue!

I have some really inspirational mom quotes I read from a book called, "Mothering- Becoming the Heart of the Home" by Rosalie McPhee.  I will do a whole post on them soon because they were worth sharing and meditating on a bit for you other moms out there.

BTW, I love feedback from my readers!  If you want to leave comments please do!   What is your life like right now?  Do you feel balance in your life or is something out of wack?