hunting

I got as far as opening the "New Post" tab in blogger last night, and one of my babies begged me to cuddle and watch our favorite show before she went to bed.  Annika and I became Law and Order SVU addicts while I was on maternity leave and are still trying to catch up by watching old seasons on Netflix.  I had no idea that this show has been around since before Annika was born. For a family that does not watch TV (we really don't...well except Sponge Bob...but he transcends regular TV) Annika and I are super fans of the SVU, regularly yelling at the TV, worrying about the victims and Stabler, Benson, Cragon, Munch.  We also have an ongoing contest, who can solve the crime first.   Anyway, I caved,  how could I resist? Season 1 Episode 18:)


Fast forward to 3:30am and I'm wide awake.  Tossing and turning, trying to focus on one of my favorite life stories to fall back to sleep.  Lately it's been Liam's birth story and it almost always comforts me back to sleep.  But today I'm excited, not stressed.  Today my future life story trumps the past and it is not going to let me go to sleep.  So here I am at 4:30 am, giving up the fight.


We've been fairly quiet about our plans.


We've been hunting for some answers, some solutions before we make anything official.


While our kids were readying for Easter and their Egg hunt, we've been doing our own version of the Easter Egg  hunt...only our "eggs" are a little more complicated:)


Bringing you up to speed in photos:


Our month off continues and we are just floating, like you do... on a tube down the river...beer included.  Big boom box as well and at the moment it's constantly playing Adele.  Where ever life takes us, we are going without planning for it.  If they kids ask us to take them somewhere to do something, we are saying yes because that is what this month is about.  Submerged in our nuclear family, following life's leads.


Softball game in the snow.

I'm sooo excited the girls are trying sports.  I love their artistic flair, acting and musical interests...but I'm super excited I get to see them sweat a bit too:) 

So far Liam is pretty "ehh" about going to his sister's events. He's a toddler...he must toddle and resents being confined to his stroller.  But we can't let him run around while we are distracted by RBIs and Autumn's killer plays on first base.  I mean...have you seen what happens to unsupervised kids on SVU?!?!?!?!?

Helping with school projects.  We do a lot of boards around here.  These are a great excuse for friends over 3 nights a week for dinner and sleep over on weekends.  You'd think they were curing cancer.  But  it's all good.  The truth is, I love their friends and they can hang here as much as they want.  It's good to be the "cool" house to hang out at and I'll make walking tacos like it's my job if it means my kids and their friends continue to trust us and come to us for help with projects or anything else they need.


We have strict rules in our house and yet it's like the kids don't notice or don't mind.  I got that skill from my mom who had me and my friends convinced that 10pm was a "late" curfew and being at her house was more fun anyway.  Thank God I got that skill.  Or is it a gene?  It may be the same gene that allows my mom to play the cheesy 70's organ and sing "The Girl From Ipanema."  My friends and I thought that was crazy cool.  They all still think she is the coolest, funniest mom ever.  Well played mom...well played.


I won't lie, there is a part of me that feels like I'm winning when I over hear "Your parents are so cool."

Regular old playtime is always good and we've been putting in alot of time in that area.  Lots and lots of floor time with baby boy and baby Cal.  Sometimes you just gotta take a vacation from being a working professional, a stressed out, boring old adult and just play with your stink'n kids...for a month.

And get others in on the action:

Liam shows Uncle Beef it's totally okay to color on the windows at our house.

And of course Easter and our various "hunts."  Traditional:

We've been getting a lot of these lately...tantrums.  And they are escalating quickly.  

Someone busted into the food coloring.  Actually two someones, Calvin ended up with blue mouth, Liam with red. It's like they planned it together because it all happened within a minute.  Oh well.  It was the only part of the Easter Egg dying he enjoyed.

We went with Neon Eggs this year... it was a good choice.

Easter was incredibly chill.  I have no photos because we just didn't really do anything.  We spent time outside, did the basket thing, ate yummy food.  But the big family was in Webster and the girls went to see other family is SD, so we lived by our April rules and really just relaxed.  Tough to obey the rules during a holiday, as you know normally I'd be high on the vibe of a road trip to the farm.  But it was good to be still.


And our hunt...the adult one...has been wildly successful.


Brandon found an incredible new job in Sioux Falls SD.


My parents found us an incredible new house in Vermillion SD.


I'm starting an unbelievable new journey with the family business, working with my Mom, Dad and brother.


We are moving back to SD in a few months.


We will miss the city...I can't think about that yet.


We will miss our family here...won't think about that yet.


But...we are ready to start this new adventure.  

chill'n like bob dylan

We've taken the month of April off, cancelled every road trip, every outing.  It's a grand experiment to see if there really is a virus that lives in our van, that is only activated upon crossing into South Dakota.  Every time we go, we are sick for a week after.  It's an automatic 5 day weekend whether we planned it or not.  Usually it's Liam, but I get in there with my stupid back once in a while too.  I understand why people travel with their own pillows.  I hate that I understand it, but I do.  I wish I could travel with my own bed.


But I digress.


The moratorium on travel.  My family needs to heal.  Needs to just be home, each live their own lives, with their own activities.  Autumn can play softball, spend Sunday's with her friends at the coffee house.  Annika can go mud bogging in her Wellies with Liam...or without.  Brandon can work on projects, take a couple of contract jobs and know I'm not going to insist he be somewhere for days at at time.  I can book a couple of spring sessions with people I've been putting off since October.  We need to rediscover our true selves, buried beneath one million inches of snow for months now. 


Home is good.  Home is where the heart is.  I happen to have two homes, one here and one in South Dakota.  Right now, we need this home.  We need to recharge.  Our bodies and our minds.


I made a million doctor appointments.  Pediatricians, dentists, veterinarians.  I scheduled meetings with teachers, daycare providers, my boss and the groomer.


I've walked the dog every other day.  He is morbidly obese and needs to lose 27 pounds yes another victim of the raging winter.  The walks are doing wonders for both of us. The sunshine is intoxicating.  I've never loved the sunshine so much. Never. It's almost like it's the first time I'm experiencing it.


Healing my body.  The 20 vials of blood and xrays told us I am fixable.  I do not have Lupus or Lyme disease.  I have a fantastical vitamin D deficiency which dominoes into other issues.  A couple of weeks on a variety of things to boost up my D, B12, Calcium and some naproxen to take the edge off the pain and Dr. says I will be a new person.  I'm a week in.  It's 10:26pm and I'm awake typing without tears.  It may be working.


Healing my mind.  Dr. says that just because I spend all day talking doesn't mean I'm really talking about things I need to.  Who knew?  A few years ago, a Target peer bought me a shirt that said:

"I know...let me drop everything and help you with your problems."

Great HR shirt.  I don't blog about it, for a variety of reasons, but my job is very stressful.   I work in an environment that frequently leaves me unable to reach a goal.  Usually to help someone else enjoy their work. That can be alot to carry around if you are me, and you want to help them.   I wish I could not give a shit, but I do.  Healing my mind = find someone for me to talk to.  Done.


And the most effective healing of mind and body for all?  Spending time as a family.  Spending time just being the nerd herd.


Sunrise with Autumn, first morning hugs.  Quiet conversations with my 14 year old little woman.  Today we discussed books. It is such a good time for us. 


First morning laughs with Liam.  He wakes up laughing almost every morning.  He injects energy into sleepy mornings.  Somehow he knows to let Autumn and I do our thing and brings his little boy magic at just the right time. 


Late night cuddles with Annika.  We go to bed together almost every night and it ends one of two ways:
"mom...can you go into your bed?  You are making me sweaty."  or "Annika, go into your bed so your dad can come to bed."  But the going to bed is perfection, her face next to mine.


And all day with my sweet husband and his gentle push to do ...nothing.  Wicked little smile, urging me to just chill out.  But...but...but!  I protest.   His answer "there's no time."  There is time, but let's use it to plan what cutting flowers to plant in our garden.


So yeah...the pictures.  They are chill.  They are us being home.  Just being.


Ask anyone who knows him.  Heck, anyone who has ever met him.  This is the most laid back guy you will ever meet.



Like father...like son.



His favorite meal of the day is "after school snack."  I know it ruins his real dinner, but it's sooo cute I can't say no.



Someone is a super fan of Superman.

This really needs audio for you to understand how stink'n cute it is.  He loves flashcards.  LOVES them.  And he knows what all this stuff is and what sounds they make.  But, he has to yell "Whatda!" and pick each one up before he can just tell you.

"WHATDA!!!"

The BOOTS!!!

Annika's 11th Birthday was the 12th.  My little Aries heart was so easy to please.  Keylime pie and fix her computer.  We threw in a new game for her. She is such a family girl.


Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles... B is for bubbles.






First bubble he's ever made!  



And there they are folks!  The great healers of my mind, body and soul. The Monkeys.



Bath time should be relaxing for everyone involved:P







It's quiet here.  



T minus 17 days until the moratorium on travel is lifted.  And there are people waiting.  God bless them.  17 days to soak this in before life becomes hectic again.  17 days...Shhhhhh.  There's no time.