Whack A Mole

Do you remember that game where you have to hit the moles when they pop up? And before you finish hitting one, another has popped up. You never get a break because they just keep popping up, needing you to smash them back down. I read the other day that this is what life is like with 4 or more kids. And I couldn't agree more. Just when I finish doing something I turn around and someone needs a snack, or someone has dumped out all the markers, someone needs help with homework, the rice is boiling over, someone needs a bath, someone is asking to play catch with me outside, the kitchen sink is full of dirty dishes again....and on and on and on.

Oh and someone is always sick. Have I mentioned how anxious I get when my kids are sick? It's the worst. Andrew is on day 12 of a cough and now Lucas has a fever/cough/cold thing. This was my view this morning of my bed: 3 boys sound asleep after a night of being wide awake.

Of course there are lots of joyful moments sprinkled in. Like this girl, who almost always seems to be happy.

 Birthday celebrations and cupcakes.

 Mother's Day at preschool.

 And sweet babies.

My parents recently moved up here and having them nearby has been a huge blessing to our family!

Lucas has been going through a rough patch lately. His behavior seems to improve and then gets dramatically worse, and we are in the valley right now with him. I am taking him back to a child psychologist tomorrow to rule out any sort of a diagnosis and hopefully get some new ideas for how to manage his aggression. His temper is so intense and we are struggling to calm him down when he experiences a tantrum. He goes on a rampage through the house, hurting us and destroying things.

It certainly makes life stressful and I'm afraid it is negatively affecting his siblings. This is the face of a boy about to hurt his little sister. As soon as I snapped the picture I recognized that look and all you-know-what broke loose.

So it's probably no surprise that my healthy eating habits have taken a back seat this week. When I saw I had gained weight after the weekend, Adam and I decided to start eating based on the 21 Day Fix containers for a couple weeks. It's only day 3 and I already feel less bloated and more energetic. I've got this cooking in the crockpot right now: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/recipe-best-pulled-pork-crock-pot/
This sure was a yummy Mother's Day treat, though!

Let's see, what else is new? I'm still trying to decide what to do with my hair. I started contemplating bangs the other day, and sent Adam this photo. I asked him if I would look good with short bangs and he said NO.

Have I mentioned how sweet this little girl is? She calls me her "Mommy Girl" and I just love her to pieces. Even when she's being sassy.

I have a free trial of Amazon Prime right now and my sister suggested I watch the series Poldark. Oh my gosh I am hooked!

My brain is a bit foggy and my thoughts are all over the place, but that's a general life update for you.

Now I'm off to go whack some little moles.