Finishing up the school year.

This has been a huge year for our family. Enrolling Bree and Mason in a charter school was a great decision for us. There were a few bumps along the way, but all in all they did really well. We are so proud of them.

Bree performed in her second concert of the year. I really enjoyed this one. Mainly because it was shorter. Also because I could actually see Bree this time. (She's wearing the white dress and red necklace; and she forgot to wear her glasses)

Then we attended Mason's Kindergarten Graduation.

They played "Pomp and Circumstance," and there was a slide show accompanied by Green Day's "Time of Your Life." Seriously. It was ridiculous and superfluous. But I wouldn't have missed it. All the kindergarteners recited the 7 Habits Pledge, and sang "We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands."

Most of it was unintelligible. I edited the video quite generously.

But we really loved Miss Carpenter. Anyone who can handle Mason and 19 other kids for that many hours is amazing.

And I'm glad I happened to walk past this display. Video Game Maker. Classic Mason.

Here's to the end of a great year. And hooray for summer!

Sometimes Awesome

Stress-paralyzed.

That's a thing, right?


"Mom, Lincoln bit me!"

"Mom, I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"Why are Lincoln's eyes so goopy?...Is it pink eye?"

"Hello, Mrs. Wallace? Your daughter is in the principal's office."

"Mom, Lincoln spilled the crackers/cereal/popcorn?"

"No!" (insert hideous three-year-old screeching)

"Mom, my leg is bleeding..."

"Mom, Lincoln is pooping on the couch!"

...

I have taken a lot of deep breaths this week. When people ask how things are going, I want to say what Kelly Kapoor from "The Office" said:

“Awesome. I mean…awful, but…sometimes awesome.”

Why am I blogging at 9:00 on a Sunday morning when I should be in church? No, really, why? Mason wants to know. He just said to me, "Mom, that's not important." He wants me to play video games with him, and Lincoln is yelling through the baby gate that acts as a barrier to the den. I really wish there were an actual door there...

This morning I woke up at 6am, showered, said goodbye to Chad as he left for work, got the kids ready for church, and made myself gorgeous. Because, by golly, I was at least going to LOOK like I had it together. So the kids and I made it to church on time, and I was looking good in my heels and red lipstick. Awesome.

And then Lincoln did what he always does to me at church. He squeals, tries to escape, drops cheerios on the floor, breaks my necklace (seriously, why do I still wear necklaces to church?), smears my lipstick, and grabs/pinches anything within reach. Awful.

Then Bree pulls my bag towards her and leans over it, clutching her stomach. "Um...Bree are you about to throw up in my bag?" "My tummy doesn't feel good." I send her running to the bathroom, while I try to glean what spiritual replenishment I can from the Sacrament. As soon as it's over, I herd the kids back out of the church, drive them home, and get there just in time for Bree to vomit in the toilet.

...so, I'm chalking this morning up as a success because I didn't have to scrub puke out of the carpet between church pews this morning. Awesome.

...

Yesterday I got to go out by myself to meet Heather and my mom for lunch and a movie. Awesome. We saw "Moms' Night Out." I laughed a lot, which I expected. I did not expect to cry. I felt like I was watching my life play out on the screen. And I felt like that mom who is stress-paralyzed because she can't handle her kids, even though she loves them to pieces, even though being a mom has always been her life's dream. I constantly feel that I am not good enough, that I have moments that I'm not proud of far too often. But the movie reminded me of something important:

"Jesus will always be loving you with His arms open wide, just for being you...I doubt the good Lord made a mistake giving your kiddos the mama he did. So you just be you...He'll take care of the rest."

I needed to hear that as much as I needed that Moms' Day Out with my mother and sister-in-law. And even though I return home to sticky floors and hungry kids, I can rely on that God-given strength to make up the difference.

So no, today did not play out the way I thought it would. But I love my family fiercely. When I take the time amid the craziness to really look at them, they are so beautiful. And being a mom is still my dream job.

Awesome.

Goodbye 'Burban

We've made a lot of memories in this Suburban. It pulled our camping trailer to Tombstone and Big Lake. It transported a fishing boat and our family to the Wallace reunion in Colorado. It splashed through roaring washes on the way home from my parents' house. It has held tremendous amounts of camping gear, luggage, and Christmas presents. It has needed some very pricey repairs.

But we don't need a huge vehicle anymore. It's impossible to find parts for. And we need to cut back on gas and insurance. So we decided to sell it.

Listed on Friday, sold on Saturday. It was much quicker and easier than I expected.

We are a one-vehicle family again, for now. Thank goodness Chad has a work car.

And our half-empty garage suddenly seems gargantuan.

Fathers and Sons, & Girls' Night

Chad's new schedule (day shift with Thursday-Saturday off) brings with it so many blessings. We love having him home in the evenings. And we are much more able to have a social life when he has Friday's and Saturdays off!

This was the first time he has been able to go to a ward Fathers and Sons campout. Mason was pretty excited to have one-on-one time with his dad. The campground was pretty full, so Chad and Mason weren't even near the rest of the men from the ward, but that didn't bother them any. The weather was great, and Mason was more than happy to eat mini donuts for breakfast.

Bree and I had a girls' night while the boys were away. We did our nails, watched "Enchanted," and made some necklaces with the bead kit Bree bought with her birthday money.

Lincoln felt a little left out, but we took him along with us to breakfast at Starbucks (we had a gift card left over from Christmas). Again, we were unimpressed with their hot chocolate and smoothies. But the lemon pound cake and chocolate-filled croissants were pretty good.

Bree is already asking when our next "Girl Time" will be.