Crazy In Love

Shane is crazy in love with soccer. 

It probably helps that his best friend Brody is on the team too. 

Nothing's better than hanging out with your bestie twice a week doin' what you love. 

They even assist each other in scoring goals. 

Perfection.

Life has been a whirlwind lately. Soccer has been a great escape for all of us. 

You know, getting outdoors, running around, playing on the playground. 

It's like magic. Suddenly, we are all so much happier.

Makenzie hit an all-time high with tantrums over the last couple of months. 

The terrible 2s had NOTHING on this. 

If you know anything about Makenzie, that is saying something. 

I think I finally figured out how to deal with them.

It involves a lot of snuggling and patience, which I don't always have. 

Each day is getting better though.

I feel like a rockstar mom when my tricks work. Adam always gives me a smile and a high-five.

It's not a promotion or a raise, but I like it :) 

My patience level is not improved when I am waking up 2-4 times every night. 

It's not all for Tessa. My other kids just innately know when too push me farther.

Adam would help if any of the kids let him. They don't. 

Well, Tessa would if it were physically possible.

I don't envy Adam in this. I'd much rather be the dead tired one that all the kids want rather than the parent that makes the kids scream louder because you're not the RIGHT parent. 

I love him. He keeps trying anyway.

The last few days I've been a bit numb mentally. 

I can't bring myself to do much, but I go crazy when I don't do anything. 

I think part of it is my sleepless nights. 

I'm sure you can imagine what my house looks like.

While making dinner tonight, which only happened because Adam helped, I told the kids to stay out of the kitchen because they were being wild and I just couldn't handle wild at that moment.

Well, they listened and never stepped foot in the kitchen, but they'd get right in the doorway and chuck all their toys into the kitchen one at a time and run away laughing when I scowled at them.

Here's hoping all of us will soon get back to sleeping through the night.

Fortunately, even though we all get crabby with each other, we also make each other smile.

Raising kids is hard, but oh so beautiful. Like one of my favorite bloggers says, "brutiful". 

That is brutal and beautiful combined, in case you were wondering. 

I'll take the "brutiful" any day, because I'd be awfully lonely without my kids. 

That's all.