Why My Children are Driving Me Crazy and Other Pointless Rants: Steve's 43rd Birthday

Life honestly has never been busier. Steve and I discussed the other night if things were going to slow down. We guessed not at least until cross country and high school swim team are over. But I'm sure something will come up to fill those spaces.

In the mean time I want to breathe. I don't want to miss the little things that matter while I'm in the midst of the whirlwind that is life.

For instance…we really wanted to go take a certain picture for our Christmas cards. (Our minds are already turning on a fun idea.) We looked at our week and realized the ONLY time we are all together to go get this certain picture is at 7am. Yeah…like that's going to happen. Sigh.

But here are some breathing moments...

Steve turned 43 on Monday.

We celebrated by getting BBQ take out and eating chocolate cake.

That's as fancy as we can get around here.

Happy Birthday Steve! We sure do adore you around here.

And Grady adores blowing out your candles.

Carter had a really fun appointment this week. (sarcasm sarcasm)

Carter had his consult, x-rays and impressions to prepare him for BRACES.

Sorry Dude.

It's not going to be a comfy two years but your smile is going to ROCK when we are done.

I apologize right now for family pictures being less than a week after you get your brace face. Its cruel and I know it.

Had to include this boy's resemblance to me.

He is the only one that looks like me so I need to relish it.

(But there is still a ton of Dixon in this boy. Cute cute kid.)

This is how my house looked last Sunday.

The back too.

I'm in love with my covered porch. We are going to enjoy it oh so much!

Sunday afternoons are for back rubs I guess.

These two traded off...

and then spent some "quality" screen time together.

I love love love their fun relationship.

Last week Saylor was (not so) patiently waiting for her window seat.

She may have called out to the framers one day in frustration, "Where is my window seat?!" Not my best parenting moment.

The other night we showed up and surprise…window seat.

Her dreams are coming true.

Now only if she had Rapunzel hair so she could let it out the window.

Speaking of windows…we have some.

They sadly put the wrong grid in them, so the glass will have to be replaced. Grateful my builder is willing to fix mistakes.

This is my dining room.

I'm having some anxiety. I ordered as little windows that opened on the main floor as possible…mostly because picture windows are so much easier to clean. I'm worried now that having two different kinds of windows next to each other is going to drive me batty. I think I may have made a mistake that I can't fix now. Bummer.

I'm just hoping every time I wash these picture ones I will be grateful I made that choice.

And I'll just put some blinds on the other windows.

(I keep repeating…no house is perfect…no house is perfect.)

I do love these windows though.

Our family room is bathed in north light.

Grady is becoming my house buddy and loves to get out of the car and get dirty.

I'll be grateful when the walls are sheet rocked so I don't worry about him falling through the wrong wall and ending up on the first floor. Yikes.

And today he found his window. Saylor might object as its in her room…but what happens when she is at school wont kill her.

(yes I am holding onto his pants with my finger as I take this picture)

Andrew had a long lunch today so I picked him up and took him out.

He is so blasted fun lately.

I love spending time with him and love when he spills his guts and talks.

…I also love teasing him about girls.

This is where I drop him off at school everyday and watch him walk away. Honestly…it was yesterday and he was in kindergarten getting on the bus in Virginia. (sniff sniff)