Hello again

So I've been M.I.A. for a while now. Sorry folks. Aside from my entire life hanging in limbo with a possible move totally up in the air, I've been suffering(ok not "suffering" per say) with a case of the winter blues. By this of course I mean eating everything in sight, not venturing far from the couch(unless it's to the fridge), and generally just looking out the window cursing at Mother Nature. I was over winter the day after Christmas. I was doing my best as a parent to suit the minis up in their 18 layers of clothes daily to send them out in the lovely white stuff to thoroughly enjoy their childhood. And then even THEY got sick of it. Our outgrown house has a severe lack of closet space on the first floor. So there are snow boots and mittens and hats and snow pants and jackets strewn about that I try to tuck into various inconspicuous places throughout the house so unexpected company wouldn't think I held up the driver of the local Good Will truck! I refuse to pack them up for good because the second I do, the minis will unanimously decide they are now snow bunnies. So I'll probably leave them down here until Memorial Day-ish. Just in case. To make myself feel better, I've been throwing things out again. :) Random "just in case" items that I've now decided(after having 3 kids and no where to store all the crap that comes along with them) that the "just in case" moment will never come. And I'm okay with that. I cleared out the kids playroom AGAIN. Boxing up toys that they barely touch except to throw on the floor for the sole purpose of stepping on. I strategically did this during Child 1's naptime. I just about had everything exactly where I wanted it.....a box full of stuff they don't touch, that takes up WAY too much room, all ready to go in the basement for storage......when he walked in and said "I STILL PLAY WITH THOSE". Sure you do kiddo. While he was picking through my stash, explaining in ridiculous detail for a 4 year old why I shouldn't pack these up, I nodded and hastily threw a bunch of other crapola into the box just to accomplish my goal. Sort of.
Then, off to Home Depot we went! You see......the weather this past weekend was Springlike. Temperatures in the high 40's maybe even low 50's. Snow was melting at a pace rapid enough to empty into our basement. The sun was shining. The kids were in heavy hoodies playing on the deck. It was bliss. Then The Hubbs opened his big mouth........"I really feel like this might be the end of winter". COME ON! You know we'll have at least one more blizzard just because Mother Nature thinks she's funny!!!! Way to jinx the weather Dude.
But, we were both feeling Springy and decided to drag the minis to "The Depot" for some much needed home improvement stuff and to search for our Spring Projects. We both get into clean out mode when the weather gets nice. We spend days at a time outside cleaning out the garage, throwing down fresh mulch, shoveling snow from the yard into the driveway so it melts faster(I kid you not), and one year just moving bushes around the yard just to create yard work for ourselves. It makes us feel good. The kids join in too! Last year the 2 older kids moved garden rocks from one "garden" area to another, and then back again a few days later. It took them HOURS! And they loved every second of it. We didn't even ask them to do it. As a matter of fact we were kind of pissed when we looked over and half the rocks were gone?! But they had a blast. And I'm a firm believer that hard work molds a person. I made sure to bring out a large pitcher of lemonade for them and plenty of snacks! Secretly I was thinking I had to make it look good for when DYFS showed up I guess. But either way, they love working outdoors just like we do and it's very memorable family time for all of us. Heaven actually.....with lots and lots of dirt!
So while perusing the garden/patio furniture area of The Depot the kids were getting  antsy so I yelled out "whoever finds a gnome first gets a treat" and watched the older two spring into action! I turned slowly to capture the priceless look The Hubbs was giving me.....a strange humored look with a "I could smack the crap out of you right now" grimace. Fun times!! You see, my dear Uncle that shares my sense of humor calls my husband a gnome because of his....stature. To clarify, my Uncle cracks himself up! Okay and most of the people in a 20' radius as well, but usually at someone else's expense. Whatever, it's funny. I would never call my husband short and he certainly isn't round like a garden gnome. I would describe him and always have, as stocky! It's the build I've always preferred in men, and wouldn't have it any other way. But where The Hubbs has the perfect build for my taste....my tall, skinny(kind of) Uncle thinks he looks like a gnome. And this has been the running joke in my family, now the Hubbs' family and all our friends too for YEARS. Our kids are gnomies and gnomettes. And life is good. Not to mention quite hysterical at times when passing through a garden department of a hardware store especially with The Hubbs in tow. HA!
Anyway, it ended up that both kids got a treat after finding quite possibly the best lawn decor EVER! It was a  statue of a black bear lifting it's foot to see the squished gnome it had stepped on. BLAH HAHAHA! We all got a good chuckle and ended up having a pretty nice weekend.
I plan to write more now that I'm kind of, sort of, maybe sneaking some sleep here and there. We bought a new mattress this weekend because our old one was trying to kill us. And now if only the kids will stop waking me up in the middle of the night, I might actually get out of the bed in the morning without feeling like a 90 year old cripple. I can't WAIT!
Off to change a stinky then pick up Child 1 from preschool!
Have a great day and be on the look out for gnomes :)