Hip Hip Hooray! It's Harrison's first day!!

Yup, the day finally came.

The day where Harrison traded in his old, worn and dirty flip flops for a pair of Mickey Mouse tying shoes. The day where he was able to pack a lunch, sling his backpack onto his back and actually go into the school. (Anyone who knows Harrison knows he's dying to go into the gate at school with brothers. At the beginning of the year, we had a few meltdowns right at the entrance. Tragic.)

We found a school for Harrison where one day a week was just fine. A school where he could go and paint, where he could play with the play kitchen and where he could eat his lunch at school, just like brothers.

What do to once you've found a place so warm and perfect? Have your first day, of course!

{The traditional before school shots at home}

{walking into school. you know we ONLY do mickey mouse, right? official mandate from management, of course}

We look forward to many more Friday's to come!

Friday afternoon is reason enough to celebrate!

Quite frankly, by the time Friday rolls around I'm ready to SING! I'm ready to kick off my shoes and pat myself on another week done well. Okay, I don't really want to pat myself on the back. I really just want to rejoice we've made it through another week happy and healthy, that is really a feat in itself.

This past Friday was no different. We'd practiced, learned, and volunteered all week...we were ready to kick our heels up. So after an Oreo shake we flipped a U-turn and headed to the park. Friday afternoon is reason enough to celebrate!

The big boys decided to do what they usually do, play baseball. They have a favorite plastic bat and numerous wiffle balls that are up to the challenge. The employ ghost runners and their own bat twirling and big hits to make it around the bases.

{wait for it...}

{there it is...}

Harrison and I choose to celebrate in other ways. We kick our heels up and rock...we lean back and ride.

{This was taken prior to the trip to the car for the potty break. The money invested in that portable potty is some of the best money ever spent. However, I will say, keep some Target bags near the potty if you decide to invest in this device. Pee in ziplock bags+trip to trash can=walk of shame. even worse? poo in ziplock bag!}

Anyway. We swang. We chased. We bounced. Then, we broke out the big guns. The most prized possession. The bike!

{We beg and we plead to take this bad boy with us every where we go. and I do mean everywhere. and if we get somewhere that we've laid down the law and said no...then, we see another kid on wheels. watch out, boy.}

So in ode to Fridays, and Friday afternoons in particular...you slay me Friday afternoons. Your cool breeze and your sunny skies promise immeasureable amounts of fun for the coming days. We love you and we look forward to you every.single.week. Hurry back, we anxiously await your return. ♥

Birthday

It's always incredibly fun to celebrate a birthday, especially when you're turning nine. It's even more fun to relive the birthday, say, a month later. (hint, hint!) Nonetheless, birthdays are a big deal!

{blowing out the candles surrounded by friends}

Happy 9th birthday (a month late!) to my wonderful boy. You provide me with fun, laughter, pride and INNUMERABLE parenting challenges. You are brilliant and kind, a wonderful athlete. You will grow and change but you will always be my amazing boy!

'nastics

There is a problem with being the third child. Specifically, the third boy in the family. You are forever the baby and you have a lack of activities geared towards you. I guess that was two problems.

Really though, in most families, (or is it just mine?) the third child doesn't get Music Together, playdates or leisurely mornings in the park. Instead they are often shuttled to be babysat while mom volunteers (again, personal experience), they spend hours at soccer/baseball/dance/swimming lessons and they sit in long pick up lines at school.

Because of the injustice, I decided to see if Harrison would like an activity of his own. Something that would keep him happy and active, plus maybe make him a friend. (Independant of his brothers!) Enter, gymnastics at the Little Gym.

{this is how he starts. refusal to do the warm up circle time activities. instead he sits with me by the wall}

{or often, he'll play on the equipment when he's not supposed to, when the other kids are singing and warming up}


{finally the real activities begin and harrison will participate}

{serious love for jumping}

See, here's the thing. Most of the parents, they sit out in the parent waiting area. Behind the glass and the door. They watch the kids but they mostly chat with one another. I have to sit in the room. I have to have the boy pressed up to my side while the other kids sit in the circle. I have to encourage him (read: threaten) to participate in the jumping and forward rolls.

While I might prefer to sit behind that smudged glass wall, watching him clap and jump...watching him break into a huge grin after a particularly huge landing makes it okay. It makes me appreciate the last bits of my preschooler joy.

excuses

I'm full of 'em. I was sick. There's a lot of activities. Soccer consumes my life. I would rather be shopping. And so on and so forth. However, I'm going to make it up to you. Big time.

You know why? Because we went to Iowa! And you know what happens when we go Iowa, don't you? We hop on an airplane (adventure), let our hair down (relax at home) and see and do as much as we can in the time allotted. This trip, my friends, did NOT disappoint. We had 3 days there, roughly 72 hours and we made the very most of those moments.

{the old capitol. the best landmark in the state, if you ask me. might just be because I know it so well. that one building sums up the word home to me}

So, what did we do, you ask? I'm so glad you're interested because I would love to tell you.

After a lazy Saturday moring with ma and papa (we're good at lazy, just ask anyone!) the boys headed north for the IOWA STATE football game. Who did they play?! It so happens that I.HAVE.NO.IDEA. Really. I don't know if they won or lost. I suppose I did at one time.

And, while they rooted for the 'Clones, I shopped. Shopped at central Iowa's best scrapbook stores. I did that very, very well. And, I was victorious!

We were not early to bed nor early to rise but we headed to Iowa City on Sunday all the same. We dined with granny

{the vine yum yum}

wandered downtown iowa city and visited great grandma and grandpa. and, as usual. there wasn't enough time. there never is. we wanted to camp out in prairie lights and enjoy a slice at the airliner. we would have loved to see friends (kelli and missie!) and driven around and around and around. next time. next time.

we drove back to the dsm past barns and cornfields

{taken from a moving car along i-80}

we pulled over along the side to threaten spankings, and walking. and finally, there was blissful silence when all 3 cashed out for a few peaceful moments.

this is right before we decided to make that right turn onto 35 north and head for ames, the mecca of all iowa state...and home to our very favorite, great plains sauce and dough. nosh we did.

there they are crabby and waiting for a piece with thick crust and a cold drink in a take home cup. every.single.time.

monday meant fun and monday also meant home. but not before we played with cousins and tore around ma and papas house. one.last.time.

iowa, our home. we love you and we can't wait to return. you will always be our favorite. ♥

McG family rules

Well, a friend of mine made a family rules canvas for her home. I was so smitten with the idea, I wanted to make one of my very own!

Ours, which hangs above our bed, isn't perfect but doesn't look as bad in person as it appears in these photos. I guess you'll have to take my word for it since most folks aren't allowed into the inner sanctum commonly referred to as the master bedroom.

1. Always be kind

2. Encourage your brothers and share in their joy

3. Use nice words and ignore bad ones

4. Eat together and clean up after yourself

5. Be thankful for what you have

6. Always tell the truth

7. Use your manners...yes, please and no, thank you

8. Think of others first

9. Have fun, be good, ask first, no fussing, no whining

10. Be optimistic at all times

11. Always be grateful for this family

12. LOVE ONE ANOTHER

We have some trouble with a few, the bad words one comes to mind (for Harry!) but mostly, these are already how we try to live our lives. We might whine a bit and not always look on the bright side - but we're working on it. In the mean time, we will continue loving one another as fiercely as we can!

Not always sunshine and roses

You know, it can't always be rainbows and lollipops, right? There have to be some bad times sprinkled in too.

While I'm usually out there scoping out the sunshine and writing notes of what I'm thankful for on scraps of paper - days creep up that don't look so good. Sometimes, those days turn into the better part of a week.

I'm here to say, that I fully think it's okay. And, even better than that, it helps me embrace the good. The life, the blue skies and the laughter...oh yes, the laughter.

Last week I was having a string of craptastic days. The ones where all I want to do is grumble under my breath and call people names. The ones where I feel like all I do all day long is scream and I finally breathe a sigh of relief when the boys are in bed. There were so many contributing factors to my string of LOOONG days, but the biggest ones? 4 people under the age of 10 who lives in this house.

{Campbell enjoys dawdling while doing homework, arguing, antagonizing his brothers and whining}

{Sawyer whines. And whines. And complains.}

{Oh harrison. What DON'T you do? You say bad words. SO many times you say hate, poopy and all kinds of other insults. You make more messes, you get more things out, you NEVER listen. }

{Holly Golightly, you chew. Inappropriate things. Loveys and handlebars to scooters. You run around and run away. You refuse to go to bed. All kinds of puppy things}

Seriously look at those cute faces though and tell me this could go on for more than a day or two? Right, I didn't think so. Because at the end of a few days of torment and figurative grey skies there are rainbows and rejoicing. All because of this life we get to live together. I will try and make the most of what I've got to work with, most of the time!

Fabulous Friday

It's great day. It's a fabulous Friday! You know why? Simply because IT IS. I'm alive, it's sunny and I've got a million and one things to be grateful for. Like...

...a whole extra day off this weekend. We get Andy all to ourselves for one whole extra day. Amazing.

...Harry Potter legos. I was just disappointed the other day that we'd never collected these and now the prices are sky high. Alas, they are being reintroduced. I can't wait to get my hands on the castle and hogwarts express!

...Harrison James enjoying his first ever gymnastics class. It took some coaxing (read, threatening) to get him to participate but I knew the jumping would be just his thing. BONUS! There are 2 kids in the class and he's one of them!

...lots of crafts that my hands have been completing lately. I've scrapped about a million pages (okay, maybe around 40), made a mini album and am in the process of completing a large decoupaged canvas. Hooray! THIS is the stuff that makes my heart feel alive!

...it's September. September means all kinds of GREAT things, but mostly Campbell's birthday. It'll be his *9th*. That's halfway there, baby. But, I insist we're going to suck the marrow out of every moment we've got. We're good like that.

...naptime. Those quiet moments sandwiched into every day are just bliss.

...MOCKINGJAY! I've still got loads of pages ahead of me and a compelling story to see through to the end. I love having a good book in my grasp waiting to spin me a tale.

...our health. Sometimes it's taken for granted but we are all completely healthy and have nothing that is threatening those we love. It's probably the thing we should recognize and be thankful for most, but it's often overlooked. So happy to have so many people in our hearts that are living life - hopefully - to the fullest.

Now, I've got to go out there and experience and create more! Adventure is out there...

Hold on for the ride

Because Harrison's the youngest of three (boys!), I try and be mindful that he needs his own life, activities, friends, etc. It's not all about tagging along to brothers events and momma's errands. (Though, I think he enjoys the errands. Lollipops at Michaels, popcorn at Target and bouncy balls at various other establishments -- he's hooked!)


In this mindset, we venture out to activities with other children. Today was a park day.


We met several old and new friends at the lower park and enjoyed giving each other rides on the back of bikes, mixing pretend ice cream sundaes and boarding rocking airplanes. This boy knows how to throw his arms around a couple of hours of fun.

{borrowing Aidan's wheels}

{harry and jessenia. jessenia and harry. they are two peas in a pod. harry calls her his number one girl.}

{harry and his harem of women}

Flashback

Just an old image, since I'm behind. Way behind. 5 days without air conditioning (with over 100* temps!) will do that to you.

Harrison, August 2009

But, the kid is cute, so it'll do!