The Balancing Act

Ah, Friday. Only a wee bit of Friday left but I welcome the weekend. I'm just returning home from the grocery store actually. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance it all. The evenings go by so quickly between trying to get time with the kids, prepare and clean up the meals, get everyone bathed and tucked in and still have time to get some things done around the house. Let alone throw in some evening activities here and there. We're five weeks into the school year and I feel like I manage everything a little worse each week. The house is a wreck by Wednesday and with each day the daily tasks grow more daunting. Heck, my only convenient time to grocery shop is 11pm on Friday?! I know you've been there. Maybe you are there. I know I'm preaching to the choir here and that everyone battles these same things. Right? If not, at least let me believe that everyone has these feelings.

Reese turned six months old today. I'm in shock and disbelief. Half of a year! Holy cow. (Insert guilt for forgetting to take her monthly pic here!)

We're finishing up the life skills unit in my classes at school. These lessons are more lecture and discussion based as opposed to the activities of the sewing and food prep units. I know the kids find these the most boring but they are actually my favorite. Believe it or not I did not become a FACS teacher to sew. Man I hate that part. It makes me want to poke my own eyes out. But the nutrition and consumer skills lessons, the things that impact everyone in some form or another...things that really matter in life...that's what I love talking about with them. Although I wonder what qualifies me to teach anyone about managing "real life" --we did have some great class discussions. Now I'm sure these discussions would be a little less one-sided if I was having them with people like you who understand and face these challenges daily and not 15 years from now--they actually had a lot of insight. The sixth-graders had so many questions about nutrition. Great questions. Questions all consumers probably have. Diet or regular soda? Margarine or butter? What's the big deal about high fructose corn syrup? The seventh-graders were baffled by all the different types of insurance (aren't we all?) and the eighth-graders were pissed that the government was taking so much in deductions from their paychecks. Real life. Fun stuff.

And as I reflect on this past week and my many weaknesses, I am thankful. I love my job and the silly interactions I get to have with middle school minds. I, of course, love my husband and sweet kids and am so grateful that we have a wonderful sitter where I know the kids are well taken care of and having a blast. I'll get the hang of this balancing act someday. Maybe not next week (especially since we have PT conferences--I've sufficiently stocked the freezer with chicken nuggets and frozen pizzas in my absence). But someday...

Juicy Dilemma

It really is a vicious cycle once you start giving your kid juice. Cade would drink it all day everyday if I'd let him and he never wants to drink water or milk now. We go through it quickly around here even though I dilute it 1/4 juice 3/4 water (I'm betting Matt doesn't dilute it that much--dads are pushovers you know).
We held out for a long time before giving him any juice at all, and while I know we are more than likely not going to necessarily be battling childhood obesity (have you seen my tiny kid?) I do find myself wishing i'd never given him juice still.

So my question is, what kind of juice do you give your kids? I know I want 100% juice so it can actually count as a serving of fruit and something that's not overly sugary. But I feel like the juice market can be tricky.

Take V8 Splash for instance. I purchased this with a coupon awhile back and pulled it from the pantry the other day. Main ingredients: water and high fructose corn syrup. Also it contains red dye 40 and is only 10% juice. Really? This stuff is awful! Not necessarily the taste but the ingredients. Not to mention that it makes Cade's poop a crazy bright orange. TMI...I know. I just was expecting it to be better for you than that. V8...you are a diet myth.

So there you have it. I'm in a juicy conundrum right now and V8 Splash actually sucks. Help me out here. You've got knowledge to share. I just know it.

And here...for what you really came to the blog to see. These cuties.

Stamp Of Approval

I'm so thankful for all of our friends who keep us on the up'n'up with things to do and see around KC. For example, we recently ventured to Blackhoof Park with the Utz's and we all gave it a big fat stamp of approval. Very cool and well worth the drive (which is halfway to my school--which I commute to daily--but that does seem far for a park visit).
Reasons Mommy likes:
1. The play area has a variety of toys suitable for many different ages.
2. It's on Lake Lenexa so there are walking trails around the lake and allegedly a cool dam but I must have missed that.
3. It has clean indoor restrooms.

Check it. Soon.

Nordstrom Cafe

Hate to admit it...but I've never really purchased anything from Nordstrom. I do frequent the store, every time I go to the mall in fact. I park very close to the door in their always-nearly-empty-upper parking lot. Oh and anytime I need to potty at the mall I'm sure to choose the sparkling clean spacious restrooms at Nordstrom. But if I need to buy something...I head across the street to Nordstrom Rack. But as of last Wednesday I can now say I'm actually a real Nordstrom customer. Well kinda. The G-Phi dinner made a stop at Nordstrom cafe this month!

Always fun to dine with these gals, and especially fun to play a little game of "how much does this dress cost?" Followed by a game of "where the heck do you wear that dress to?" Good times.

On The Move!

It's been a big week for Reesie! She's taking off and becoming more mobile each day. She rolls around, pushes herself up to the sitting position and can kinda army crawl around to get to whatever it is she's after. We're on the move! Also this week a tiny tooth poked through on bottom. It doesn't seem to bother her...she's a tough little one. She has been very drooly and has had a runny nose however. She has not seemed as interested in eating lately or it might just seem that way to me since I'm going back and forth between pumping at school and feeding her at home. The pump always gets my milk supply up quite a bit so then when she nurses I still feel quite full. Okay, you're getting more than you bargained for with this little update so I'll quickly wrap it up. We're loving our journey through Sweet Reese's milestones but of course we'd be fine if next week wasn't quite as eventful.

Sunday Funday

I really should get in the habit of checking the weather forecast more. That would have prevented Cade's disappointment over our many postponed zoo visits due to the rain the last two weekends.
We headed out today after church and it made for the perfect Sunday Funday! It was a little warm but that's better than getting rained on any day!
As always my zoo pics leave quite a bit to be desired but I figure that several mediocre pics in collage-form equals one good pic? You get the idea. We went to the zoo. My kids are cute.

And sometimes this happens...

I tried to capture a sweet moment between Cade and Reese on my phone. Cade is such a good big brother and it's pretty much the cutest thing ever when he interacts with her...but sometimes this happens. Oh my.