Madi & Drew

Its always a special treat at our house when Madi and Andrew actually get along. The norm is one of them chasing down the other at "rocket-speed" (as Andrew calls it) to beat the other one up. This is quite entertaining, as Madi can usually outrun her brother and she is much bigger.  Lately, Andrew has gotten really smart! If he does something to set Madisen off, he will run as fast as he can to our bedroom and lock the door. Madisen then pounds on the door so hard you think she will break through at any minute. It's quite comical.

Although Madi claims that she doesn't like her brother, there are always rare moments like these:

She is giving Andrew a piggyback through the house, and she is doing a cartwheel over him while giving him a kiss on the forehead. It was so cute to hear Andrew just laugh and laugh because Madi's hair was tickling his nose. I love these moments with my children, and take pictures to prove to them that they love each other! Sometimes that is hard to believe, and a picture is a great reminder!

I remember growing up in a house with sibling rivalry; one kid was always trying to prove dominance over the rest. It is interesting to watch this same dynamic play out between my children. I keep telling them that this will pass and to remember how much they love each other!  Madi just keeps telling us she doesn't want anymore brothers! To late Madi, our new baby is a boy!! ;) I love these two monkeys!

Mother's Day

I know of few of you mothers out there can sympathize with me when I give you my Mother's Day rant. I mean, come on, do we really have to label a day "Mother's Day" so that we can be appreciated? It ranks right up there with Valentines Day for me...an over commercialized holiday to celebrate  something we should be celebrate and appreciate every day of our lives! It is such a struggle for me to walk through any store the week of Mother's Day and see all the cards, flowers, balloons, and gifts for mothers that may only be shown appreciation because of this one day. What about the countless dinners, loads of laundry, help with homework, kissing away the scrapes and bruises, etc. that we do everyday? Shouldn't we always be appreciated for the menial yet so important things that we do for our families?

Okay, enough with that! Alas, my Mother's Day was wonderful. Know why? Because it did not consist of a bunch of "stuff" bought from a store, but instead included sleeping in, breakfast in bed made by my amazing kiddos, my husband telling me just how much I mean to him and our family, and a visit with my own mother who means so much to me. Those are the things that make me feel appreciated, not gifts. Yes, gifts are nice. I did get flowers and my favorite kind of licorice from my kids, as well as an amazingly cute blanket my mom made for our "coming soon" baby. These things are great. But what made my day is the heartfelt love and appreciation from my husband and kids. They make every day worth living! Without them, I would not be the person I am. 

I know there is the big argument swirling around about defining our lives outside of motherhood; being our own individual person outside of our everyday roles. My thoughts on this? That me being the greatest mother I can be is what I want to define me! Nothing else I do, in my entire lifetime, will ever compare to what I can do for my children. They, as well as my husband, are the greatest things in my life. I count my blessings everyday for the joy, sorrow, frustration, laughter, and just amazing things they add to my life. So remember, that today of all days, when you are angry about the flowers you didn't get or feel validated and appreciated for all that you did, you matter. This world would not be the same without loving mothers leading the way, teaching and nurturing our up-and-coming leaders! Way to go moms!! 

Where to Begin...

I guess we will start from right now. That's a beginning of sorts...isn't it?

I am currently a crazy working mom, who is attempting to do a graduate degree at the University of Illinois, raise four amazingly active kids, pregnant with the fifth, better than average wife, and the list goes on and on. I love life and family, and wouldn't trade any of it for the world!

David, is a school-o-holic, trying to finish a BS in Business, Marketing, and Economics (overachiever? I would say so!) He is an awesome stay-at-home dad in between classes and homework. We traded a very normal lifestyle for the one we are currently adventuring through and are loving (okay, maybe that's a little strong) every minute of it!

KayDee (13) is our teenage drama queen, who is more emotional than I would have ever expected. She will be a freshmen in the fall and cannot wait for driving, boys, friends, dances, you know all the normal teenage girl stuff. She is a fabulous reader and a typical student who gets the "once-a-week" talking to about her grades!

Jenna (12) is our child that excels at everything she touches. She is currently whizzing through 6th grade to be a big "Jr Higher" next year. She is so fun to be around and attracts all kinds of interesting friends. She loves to sing, especially in the shower at high pitches (YIKES!), and is a spunky kid. She is definitely the family entertainer!

Madisen (7) is our extremely temperamental first grader who always keeps us on our toes! Just this morning, she awoke happy and friendly to turn around and have a total meltdown that required David shoving her into her classroom 20 minutes after the bell had rung! Never a dull moment with this one! She loves to do gymnastics, play with cousins, and boss around anyone or anything that she can! People say she is just like me, to which I comment "I know, isn't she perfect?!"

Andrew (5) is our little man who is quickly turning into an "all boy." He used to be cuddles and kisses, but now he has traded that for picking on his sisters, sword fights with sticks, and little pecks on the cheek. Boy do they change! He loves Transformers, cars, and playing outside. He is an absolute joy after ALL THOSE GIRLS! ;)

Our newest little guy is currently cooking away, in my stomach no less, and will make his first appearance three months from now. Very unplanned, VERY, but we are excited nonetheless. He will be a great addition to our brood of characters, and we can't wait! No name as of yet, his dad is quite difficult in this area. 

Well, that's us! I am hoping to keep this blog frequently updated with all the crazy and exciting things happening in our family. I hope you enjoy our stories as much as I do!