Popcorn Mom

Dad taking the kids to their first job.

My life, these days, seems to consist of two different lives meshed together into one.

One life is the "first time mama with a new baby" life. I know I'm not a first time mama but... when I go to the grocery store or any other public place with my littlest one, I'm bound to have an "experienced mother" come up to me and say something like "oh, they grow up SO fast... enjoy her now because before you know it, she'll be going to school and you'll be busier than ever!" I smile at her and nod my head and say something like "oh yes... that is SO true". Sometimes I even feel like a first time Mom again... experiencing all the new and exciting things that go along with having a new little one. Yes, it's a wonderful half of my life!

The other half of my life it my "popcorn mom" life. I started to call myself a popcorn mom because I felt like I was always running here and there, back and forth, and hither and yon. Last year with 2 kids in all day school, one kid in half day school, helping in all three classes at different times, and Kyla and Colter's piano lessons, etc, this description really fit me. Having a nursing baby this year has slowed my popping down but I find there is still plenty to keep me going. Back and forth, back and forth. I know as they grow older this will only increase so I will continue to seek to find a balance that we can all live with. So, this is the second wonderful half of my life and what this post is all about...

The picture above shows Randy taking the kids over to the neighbor ladies house to start their very first job. She has hired them for 2 or 3 times a week to pick up the doggy poopoo in her yard. Randy and I thought this would be a great opportunity for the kids to learn a little responsibility and earn a little extra money. This dear woman in paying them well over a dollar an hour. So... now this mom has the added responsibility of getting these kids to remember their job and of trying to teach them how to save, or at least wisely spend their money. Oh Boy!

The kids started 4H this last year. Kyla is a member and Colter and Maya are Clover Buds. We decided that for now, this would be a great "family oriented" activity for all the kids to do. So far 4H hasn't been an intense, demanding thing for us to be involved in... no Sunday or Wednesday evening activities. Only once a month meetings, and scattered other activities that are never mandatory but always enjoyable to go to. It's a group of really great kids too! Here are the kids with a small group from their 4H club at the Veterans home delivering fleece blankets that they made at their last 4H meeting...
Last week we enjoyed having company! I was so disappointing that I didn't get a picture of Loren and Dustin with the kids when they were here but maybe next time they come! Then we had Dale and Kari and their 3 sweet girls, Rowena, Mari, and Katlynn, for the weekend.

Look Tyler, Boyd and Monte! Look who came to play with us!

Recently, the kids have become stargazers. Some of our friends gave us this awesome telescope! Last week we had many clear evenings so while they were getting ready for bed, Randy would set up the telescope on the back deck so they could have a before bed stargazing session. Now the cloudy October weather has moved in but hopefully, we'll get to have lots more telescope time in the months and years to come...
This is one of my favorite pictures. It's funny that the kids aren't even looking in the telescope. I think they were figuring out where they were looking. :)

Yesterday piano lessons started. We have 2 birthdays coming up this weekend. There's appointments written on the calender...

Every day I'm tremendously thankful that I'm not an "old maid". How quiet and uneventful my life would be sitting on the bottom of the popcorn bowl.

Better go get popping again.

Hope everyone is having a great week!
Alison