Empty Tanks and Boys I Love

After finally feeling so much better last week, I managed to cram WAY too many things into our schedule and ended up burning myself out. By Sunday night I was a mess and things unraveled. Elijah had a major meltdown, the dish I was supposed to bring to Life Group tasted horribly and I felt like screaming at everyone. On our way to Life Group Sunday night, we made the decision to turn around and go back home. WHY do I do this to myself? When I'm feeling good I try to do it all and then suddenly my tank is way past empty. Then I either get sick or need to sleep it off. Then I feel better and it starts all over. HELP! :)

And then I walk in on moments like this and feel so happy..

Buddy and I had a rough day. I kept thinking about all of the work I could be doing but can't because of his chewing and his need to get out so much. I was frustrated and I know he senses that. When the boys got off the bus I saw that Elijah was wearing different, foreign pants and I knew that meant there had been a significant accident at school. My heart sank. This has been an issue again recently and it makes my mama heart so sad. I know this has to be affecting his relationships at school (I had to witness some teasing firsthand) and I just want him to WANT to take control of this. I know that he does everything in his own time and that we will get there, but in the meantime it is very, very frustrating.

Since it was Elijah's last OT visit for a while (more on this in a bit!), I decided it wouldn't hurt to bring Buddy on our journey and let him chill in the car. Thirty seconds down the road, Buddy was crawling BEHIND me as I was trying to drive. Then he was digging in my purse for an old cracker that he smelled. I turned the car around and drove like an angry maniac back home and put him in his kennel. I was frustrated and both boys sensed it and turned on the good behavior and sweetness. The rest of the day was a breeze with them.

Elijah graduated from Occupational Therapy today! His OT felt like he has been doing so well with everything that we can take a significant break. We are planning to take the rest of the spring and entire summer off and re-evaluate in the fall. This is great! It means he has made tons of progress and it also means we free up an extra night every week.

With Elijah in his last OT session for a while and Buddy at home, I thought Sammy and I needed a mini-date. We went to the nearest coffee shop and enjoyed some one-on-one time together. We played the question game and I told him how VERY special he is to me, even when things are crazy. Our time together was so special!

Once Dan got home tonight I was able to put the dishes AND laundry away! Wooo! Exciting! :) Tomorrow will certainly bring new adventures! Thanks for peeking in.

Cool dudes, a field trip and a fun weekend!

Look at my cool dudes! Once the weather finally swayed toward the WARM end of the spectrum, Elijah and Sammy were excited to wear tank tops, shorts, sunglasses and Crocs! We are EXCITED for summer!

On Friday I went on a field trip with Elijah's class to the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It was fun! E's bff was in our group and it was so much fun hanging out with them. I love this picture of them snuggling as they looked up at the art on the ceiling of the atrium.

There were a handful of moments when these two got upset with each other, but it was all in love. They act so much like brother and sister. We are SO GRATEFUL for A and the patience she has for Elijah! She is a good friend.

Both boys started swim lessons this week and both of them did GREAT! Sammy was braver than I've ever seen him in the water. Kindergarten has given him confidence and courage that gets him through things like this. A year ago he never would have willingly dunked his head and attempted everything the instructor asked of him without tears. I'm so proud! Elijah did great, too. He dunked his head underwater at least six times and followed along better than ever before. I'm hoping both boys can graduate from their swim classes at the end of this eight weeks!

Buddy is learning SO quickly and we are all still getting to know each other. He has attended two puppy kindergarten classes and he is getting so much better with walks and leash training. He hasn't had an accident in our house in almost a week! He is still wanting to chew on everything, but we are getting wiser. At peak chewing times, we give him bones and raw hides that keep him occupied and also keep him from chewing our shoes and rugs to pieces. He really is such a good puppy! He isn't even four months old and he sits on command, stays on command, hardly ever barks (we've only heard him bark maybe 5 or 6 times in 3 weeks) and he loves his new pack. He loves to lick Elijah's face (E LOVES this!). When he is excited to see one of us, he wags his tail so hard that his butt wiggles and waggles back and forth. :) He is SO friendly with people and dogs. He found a new pup friend in the neighborhood that he loves named Carter. This morning he saw Carter and his owner walk by and he looked longingly down the street at them and whimpered (we missed saying hello) until they were out of sight.

Today we brought the boys to Lake Ann for some sun and play time. It felt great! Elijah had an allergic reaction to something floating through the air, but we managed it with allergy meds. It feels so good to be able to get out and enjoy the outdoors again. We love spring!

Sammy lost a tooth last week and Elijah lost one tonight. The Tooth Fairy has to get things together! This week we are praying for health, as well as further progress in the puppy realm so I can actually get some work done during the day. Thanks for peeking in!

Warm weather = smiles

I thought I'd do something I rarely do and write two posts in two days! WHAT?! Buddy and I had a rough morning. There was a lot of chewing on rugs, pillows and blankets. We have a crate downstairs now, so every time he started chewing on things he's not supposed to I put him in his crate until he calmed down. By 1:00 I just needed a break, so I crated him for two glorious hours. He really is such a good pup. I keep reminding myself that he's not even 4 months old. He's just a babe! Grace!

Elijah had another GREAT day at school, yay! I stopped by this morning to spend time in both boys' classrooms and they were both happy and working hard.

I took a few cute pics tonight of the boys and the Budster (Sammy's favorite name for him).

We have some big things in the works right now as far as getting even more help for Elijah. He is doing SO WELL, but we always want to stay way on top of things. After many months of waiting, he is finally "in the system" with the state and is eligible for PCA care. We are getting all of that sorted out and will hopefully have things in place within a few weeks.

Tonight Sammy called me back into his room as he often does after bedtime. He said, "Mommy! Do you know how many percent I love you? Like 5 quadrillion percent. Times INFINITY!" :) He then requested "as many smooches and hugs" as I could deliver. That boy. I love him!

The weather was GORGEOUS today! I walked outside around lunchtime with a coat and quickly shed it. We so enjoyed being outside tonight. It lifted our spirits so much!

Isn't this pup adorable?!

I'm off to relax on the couch for a bed before an early bedtime. Thanks for peeking in!

Blessed!

We are listening to a series at church on being blessed, so I will continue with that theme for our family. We are so super blessed! Not every mom is able to get their kiddos off the bus every day and spend a majority of her day with a new puppy. Not every person is able to work from home doing her DREAM job. Not everyone can spend all of spring break with her cute boys. We are blessed and grateful beyond words! 

Spring break was packed with fun things and I mean PACKED. We loved every minute of it! One night we had the boys' second cousin over for a sleepover. She is the sweetest, cutest little thing and the kids all had a blast together. We can't wait to do it again! 

Another day I took the boys and Elijah's bff to see Zootopia. It was such a cute movie and the kids all had a fun time. Look at these happy faces! I love it!

We gave Buddy tons of love and attention. He has been chewing on things less, but still a lot. He gets into moods throughout the day when he seems to NEED to chew and rebel. Today he started chewing toilet paper off of the rolls in the bathroom. Seriously. When I try to remove something from his mouth, he refuses to drop said object unless there is a treat staring him in the face. He is a lot of work, but he is so worth it. The boys adore him. We can tell that he is going to be a very good doggy. He went to his first puppy kindergarten class on Saturday and we learned so much about how to train him. We love our Bud who likes to chew on everything....including broccoli and kale! :)

My dad and stepmom were in town for a few days and we were so happy to spend time with them. We did some fun things while they were here, including BOWLING followed by McDonald's! They were able to spend some time in school with each boy and that was so special for everyone.

The boys have had a few great days in school this week. Elijah has received two GREAT reports from his teachers. Yay!

I am still trying to figure out a routine with work and puppy during the day. It is challenging! Productivity for Pip and Ebby is an an all-time low, but we will get there. Like I said, we are BLESSED!

Thanks for checking in!!

Spring Break 2016!

Dan and I agreed tonight that it has been a WEIRD past couple of weeks for our family. We went from debilitating sickness (me) to vacation to NEW PUPPY WHO LIKES TO CHEW ON EVERYTHING to more sickness and strange leg infection (Dan) and then spring break. It's been a lot, but we are doing just fine. Our laundry is piled high. A few stacks of unsorted papers sit atop our counter. I can't seem to keep up with the dishes. I haven't cooked a meal in nearly two weeks. Our bathrooms all need a serious cleaning. But we are alive and happy! I have spent the majority of my energy on: 1. boys, 2. hubby (when he was ill) and 3. dog. And that is just about it!

Elijah loves when Buddy licks his face. These two are so cute together and I know that one day they are going to be a huge source of comfort for one another. Sammy loves when Buddy snuggles his little head into his lap. He writes Buddy notes and draws him pictures and tapes them directly above his kennel. This pup is loved! Car rides are a source of comfort for ALL of my boys.

The boys and I had a great Spring Break Monday today! We brought Buddy down to my sister's house for a puppy play date with her pup Tate. Buddy wanted to PLAY-PLAY-PLAY and Tate wanted nothing to do with it. :) Yesterday Buddy played with Dan's sister's dog Oreo and they basically mauled each other (freaked me out!). He was so tired after hours of play that he could literally barely keep his eyes open when we got home.

We are all looking forward to warmer spring weather! We are going to get another bike for the boys soon and I'm determined to get them riding this spring. Swim lessons start soon and so does soccer for Sammy.

Thanks for checking in! More puppy and boy tales certainly coming soon. :)