#the52project Week6

post by casey.

does it look as if my flight was delayed and we rolled into the driveway at 330AM - coming from 82 degrees/sunshine and the ocean to 6 degrees/darkness and ice - and the kids woke up just before 7AM and then I realized I was actually 2 weeks behind on this little project and instead of unpacking, I lined the kids up in the same chair at the same time and took their photo?

if so...duh;)

all caught-up! Here's 6/52:)

a portrait of my children, once a week(ish), every week(ish), in 2017

starting Kindergarten in 7MO. spending an obscene amount of time in time-out for a sassy mouth/face/attitude.

HOMER.

speaking so much clearer lately...being the biggest girl!:) also spending an obscene amount of time in time-out, right next to her bro, for many of the same reasons and more;)

THEO.

spending an obscene amount of time perfecting the art of being perfect;) #thankgawdforrockyp

ROCKY.

love is...a taco holder, your dad makes, for your husband.

post by casey.

what says "let's make a 4th baby" more than gifting your husband a Valentine's Day Taco Holder that your dad made - hey, I did send him a photo and I diddddd offer to come out and help throw some staples in it;).

so yeah. I didn't have a very big hand in this years Valentine's gift but it's the thought that counts. And all my thoughts are still, obviously, on Tulum! Hence the taco holder;)

Remember this guy?!

it's a holder...of tacos...um?! HEART.EYES.

we didn't quite capture exactly what I was hoping for but I'm absolutely not complaining - because I can't...because I didn't lift a finger in helping create it;). But my dad whipped up a pretty useful taco holder in just a few minutes:)

also, an extensive search for "Wooden Taco Holders" on Pinterest and Etsy brought me to dead-ends. Is there a market for wooden taco holders!? Are you thinking, what I'm thinking? Casey's Taco Holder - wow...that sounds Rated R;). Wood You Like Me to Hold Your Taco HOLDERS. Shop name, to be determined;)

a few days ago, the kids and I did some painting/crafting and made some pretty adorable little hearts. We didn't actually put them to any use, I was hoping to have Homer pass them out to random people today while we were at Rocky's well-child doc visit...but we didn't quite have the time to wrap up that idea:/ Maybe next year!

but setting-up these little projects for them is ridiculously satisfying and productive! There was a lot of drawing and coloring and painting...for at least 40, GLORIOUS, minutes:) After that...Rocky over-turned every paintbrush water cup - yup, took me all 3 to finally figure out how far his reach was;).

valentines really isn't too big of a deal for us and my husband is very thankful for that;) I actually woke up this morning having forgotten that it was Valentine's Day! Oops;) Obviously, I (my dad - THANKS DADDDDD!!!;) still cranked out a little gift. But I have no expectation of receiving anything from Jacob and I actually have encouraged him not to go get flowers and such. That guy...I've told him a million times to just pick some flowers from the ditch on the way home, if he felt the need, but he'll still run into the store and that target on his back has him walking out with a $40 bouquet of Gerber Daisies and yeahhhhhh. I appreciate the gesture but at this point in my life...I'd take $40 in cash and 30MIN alone in the bath;)

happy LOVE day to everyone! Whether you choose to celebrate this day, specifically, or rebel against it, entirely...I hope you're showing your loved ones - and they're showing you right back - daily/constantly an overwhelming amount of love:)

xo

6 of 52

post by Courtney

Dave and I ventured to the cities (St Paul/Minneapolis) Friday night/Saturday morning for an engagement shoot so I'm going to blame the timely fashion of this post on our little getaway.

reality: 5/9 photos were taken yesterday. ha!

a portrait of my children, once a week(ish), every week(ish), in 2017

I haven't told him yet, but he'll be giving me hugs until we both die. you're welcome.

our mother hen. she's better with our babies than most adults.

girl writes and writes and writes.

over did it with the chocolate. he could also use a trim.

found him playing alone quietly.

while creeping on Drew and Will playing, I had to laugh out loud when I got this shot. 

Drew and her many silly faces.

daytime ice cream treat. 

if you're curious, ice cream and milk by the gallon last for only a day in this house :)

he's just too much sometimes

oh man, they just keep getting cuter!

a ring + a beach + a one in a million chance.

on our second day in Tulum, Mexico, we were sitting in our now, 'usual spot'. While staring at the ocean and staring at each other with goofy grins and staring at the ladies walking by topless (it was a topless beach - which I partook in on the last day - When In Rome...aimirightttttttt?! - more to come on that;). Oh and we also stared at some ladies making their significant other take photos of them prancing/posing/jumping on the beach - which I alsoooooo partook in, so lucky to have such an agreeable husband, who doesn't take a bad shot either;). 

photo by Jacob:)

so Jacob's digging his feet way down in the sand - must have been the ONE minute on this trip that he wasn't wearing his water shoes (EYE ROLL!!!!;) - and all of a sudden he kicks up a ring! For the next little while we just sat there looking over this ring and wondering what its story was and questioning whether it would ever find its way back to its owner after we turned it in. Or maybe they hadn't even realized it was gone. Or maybe they were mean people and didn't deserve such a beautiful ring back. Or maybe it meant a great deal and someone out there was missing this very ring, very much.

it was a gorgeous ring. Thick gold band. It had some sort of mold of people and the tree of life all around it. In hindsight, I wish I'd taken a photo of it but then I'd be left questioning whether it was appropriate to post it...Jacob even commented that it looked like something I would love - I loved it!:). We agreed that this ring, that was so beautiful and unique, must be something really special to someone. 

we turned the ring in and were told that someone had lost a ring just 2 weeks ago and everyone had been out on the beach desperately looking for this ring, to no avail! Daniella, of Nest Tulum - who was so kind:) - got in touch with the owner of the ring immediately. The ring had been extremely missed and the owner requested our email address to get in touch. 

since then I've exchanged several emails with a woman from NYC. A woman who was heart broken to lose a ring she had received from her husband over 25 years ago. He had given her that ring for her first Mother's Day, after their daughter was born:)

jacob and I talked a lot about how we've been in a position of doing something 'nice' or turning something in to Lost and Found and when you do those things, you pay-it-forward or participate in an act of kindness, you must do so with no expectation that you'll ever be thanked. Of course, that's not the point at all. But I suppose the selfish part of me wants to know how maybe that cup of coffee I bought, for the women behind me, may have changed her day for the better! Or that ring that I turned in on the beach, belonged to a woman who had cried over it for several nights and prayed that it would somehow make its way back to her.
And in this very rare case, we got validation that discovering that ring, had really made a positive impact on someone:) It makes us both so incredibly happy to know that somehow, we lucked out, and Jacob forgot his ugly-ass water shoes in our room...and we found a ring on the beach:)

do something good today, you guys! Buy someones coffee! Hold the door! Pay someone a genuine compliment! You just never know how it could make someones day:)

xo

#the52project Week5

i'm going to have to play catch-up a bit in the next few days! With our quick family trip to WI Dells and then Jacob and I spending 3 nights in Mexico...I'm a bit behind and also anxious so share all the fun photos from a really great week!:)

also: quick recap on my 'break from electronics' - see post HERE. I took a brief step-back from my phone and it went well and was a nice little detox! I still have the apps on my phone but in one folder a few pages back from my home-screen, with the notifications turned off. And I'm trying to be aware of how often I'm checking it and not to check it at all when the kids are up. I did find that it was hard at first but got easier. And even though I checked it much less and used it only during designated times (before the kids woke-up and during nap time, etc) I still wasn't much more engaged with them...mostly, I was just more productive around the house. Soooo, we're working on it:)

okay...so Week5 coming at ya!

a portrait of my children, once a week(ish), every week(ish), in 2017

alphabet bingo with Homer:)

*pre-haircut

pre-haircut for Rocky!

theo and her Yoda sweater...which it seems she never takes off, seeing as she was photographed in it last week as well;)

5 of 52

post by Courtney

We were gone for the weekend, but I managed to get this done... and only missed one child. I won't tell you which one...that wouldn't be right ;) had to use a photo from last week instead. at the end of this project, I'll never know :)

a portrait of my children, once a week(ish), every week(ish), in 2017

cheating a bit here, but he really is the best big brother

she's not so into the photo taking

our artist

focusing on football is way easier than homework

 we're trying to read more around here. 

and this may or may not have been the last time he read.

Miss Independent making her own breakfast

Aunt Pigg got a new puppy

first one awake, per usual

getting chubbier and chubbier and looking a bit grown up

me-time, sleep and other things my children don't allow.

post by casey.

photos from an afternoon sledding a week ago...after a night of not sleeping and a morning catering to them;)

morning!! I got up early to try and meditate. I feel like this would be beneficial for me...I tend to get in my own head a lot, on the verge of feeling depressed - for what reason, I have no clue, because I'm acutely aware of how fortunate my life is. 

i used to sleep. Not only at night but naps during the day. I sure did love sleep. I sure do miss sleep. I hear it helps to get sleep...it helps you to feel rested and more patient and more productive. Not only does my body now reject sleep...but the kids' bodies also reject me sleeping. If I go to bed at 9PM, they will commence in being insane at 930PM and then again at 12AM and at 330AM.
IF I go to bed at 1230AM...they will SLEEP until 1237AM and then the shit-show will begin. And then 230AM and 440AM and then wake-up at 7AM. 

last night I went to bed at 930AM. That didn't go well. I set my alarm for 510AM and was able to get out of bed at 6AM but both the elder children were in my bed since 330AM and not really sleeping. Mostly fighting over who slept next to who and who's leg was on what. 
Where was Jacob in all this?!...sawing logs. The kid can sleep through ANY.THING.
And so 3MIN into my meditation at 617AM, they both came in to interrupt and demand milk and bagels.
The kicker is that they seriously NEVER get up before 730AM. UNLESS I get up early. 

being a mom is hard sometimes. I love it. I love them more than I've ever loved anything - outside of Jacob, because let's be honest...that kid keeps me sane!:). 
Being a mom can be defeating and all-consuming. 

i needed that time for myself this morning. I struggle to get out of bed early in the mornings because I'm not getting any sleep at night. But this morning I got up and I was excited to meditate while the coffee was brewing and do my 20MIN workout...and maybe get 30MIN of reading in before the kids woke-up. And if I was really lucky, Jacob would be getting ready for work and we'd be able to have a quick conversation over a cup of coffee before he heads out the door.

homer just interrupted me to ask me "when will the food be ready???"

so now my morning is a glass of water while writing up this boring mom-complaint blog post;/

it's hard to ask for help. That's the big thing. I want Jacob to get rest. But I think after a while, I need to demand my time as well. And Jacob is more than willing to help me. But what is it about us moms feeling like we MUST.DO.IT.ALL?! 

ah, this is obviously PRE-Coffee blogging...the COFFEE blog post would have been WAY more awesome;)

i know this season will pass too quickly and eventually, I will be sleeping again and wishing for those interrupted nights and early mornings with my babies. 

man, it's hard. Hard not to lose yourself in the demands of what can sometimes be the mundane life of a mom. Whether you stay home with your babies or you have to kiss them goodbye on your way to work every day...I'm sure it can all feel overwhelmingly...the same most days?!. And most days I have it in me to move through that and today...I don't. 

homer just interrupted me again to say "Everyone loves you mom. We love you so much. I just want to kiss you until you cry."

how do they know?! That's real. That actually just freaking happened - wahhhhhhh;(
They have NO compassion for me getting any god-damn sleep but they are entirely too in-tune with my heart:)

as Homer would say - because I've said/yelled/repeated it a million and 5 times....
"let's turn it around." :)

we do have a fun day planned and we're packing for a weekend away with the family and then Jacob and I are headed to Tulum, Mexico for 3 nights!! I think it's a classic case of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and shutting down days before we reach it;) I'm beyond lucky to have that light to look towards! Jacob and I are SO so excited for this time away and for sleep and for sun and uninterrupted conversations and hand-holding:) Although, we haven't even left yet...we look forward to getting back to our babies and having more to give them because of that much needed break:)

thanks for listening guys. I have to have this family out the door by 8AM...so skipping the workout and the reading andddddd the shower (come-on, you know how I roll - and we areeeee going to a water park over the weekend...so that counts, right?;) and going straight for coffee:)

happy Thursday, friends:)