Picture of the Week - 4/28/2016

I've seen a couple of articles this week about the importance of playtime.  I wholeheartedly agree with this concept.  I think the boys have all learned some very valuable lessons through playing.  

Most of the "playtime" the big guys have these days is organized.  It's kind of rare, at least through the busy school year schedule, for them to have unstructured time with their friends that doesn't have some kind of requirement tied to it.  Summer is coming though...  and with it will come some more lazy days (or at least hours) for them to let their interests and imaginations guide their activities.*

*I do struggle a little bit with finding a good balance between how much to schedule them through the summer and how much to just let them be.  I don't want them spending days on end with their heads stuck in their phones.  So we are shooting for a nice mix of camps, chores, football prep, and unscheduled time.

The little boys are right in the middle of their prime "play" years.  And they really don't disappoint.  They spend more time in the toyroom with their TV turned OFF than the big brothers ever did.  They create elaborate stories and act out sophisticated plots with a random set of toys.  Check out this picture.  The other night they had the dinos and the purple octopus battling the ogre and dragon, who were fervently protecting their castle.  Adorable.  And creative.  I will miss little moments like this.  I will miss them a great deal!

Don't forget to take some playtime for yourselves!  As I drug myself out of bed this morning at 4:45, I told Bob that I was going to schedule a day off work sometime in May just so I can play - and recharge my own batteries.  I need to sit in front of my sewing machine or behind a book or even curled up with the TV going and just play for a while.  I knew spring would be a rough season and I am so pleased that we have *almost* beat it!  We have to get through about 3 more tough weeks.  Next week I'm off to Scotland and then when I get back we go into back to back lacrosse playoff/tournament weekends and the fun of 2 weeks of football tryouts AND lacrosse practice.  I think those weeks are likely harder on the boys than me, but they will be a slog for sure.  On the other side is the last day of school, a long weekend, and a quickly approaching beach vacation - where we can ALL play together.  We can make it!

Picture of the Week - 4/21/2016

Tired this week!  Can't seem to catch up from an exhausting weekend.  Living on caffeine and sugar.  That'll probably be a long-term mistake as we near bathing suit season...

Anyhoo...  I'm tired because last weekend was the Dan Anderson Classic Lacrosse tournament in Birmingham, AL.  I got to take Spence since Bob was home coaching Quinn's team.  It was a very long weekend!  Very fun, but exhausting.  I worried the whole time about logistics and making sure Spencer had what he needed.  Between sharing a too soft bed with my very floppy 13 year old and the time change and the stress of being there solo (that's a personal/personality issue on me...) I slept very little.  And we were outside, which was mostly very beautiful although windy, for 2 straight days.  The boys played 9 games and two Bravehearts.  We went 7-2 and 1-1 and made it to the semi-finals.  We were beaten, by one goal, by a team about 5 miles from our house.  Interestingly, there were 16 teams in our division and all 4 of the semi-finalists were from the Atlanta area.  

Since we are knee deep (maybe even neck deep...) in lacrosse stuff for the next 3 weekends, it seems appropriate that this week I share all of our spring lacrosse pictures.  I love them.

Picture of the Week - 4/14/2016

I sure do miss this little face when I'm away!  

I got home today from another trip (St. Louis this time and I didn't even get to see the Arch from the plane...) and when Beck walked in the door his immediately joined me in the kitchen to finish up dinner.  Then he jabbered at me for a good 30 minutes.  It's good to know they miss me too!

Tomorrow I head over to Birmingham with Spencer for a lacrosse tournament.  We're leaving the rest of the crew here to cover Quinn's games.  Should be a fun - and potentially exhausting - weekend!  We will play something like 6+ games and a couple of Bravehearts.  For anyone not familiar, a Braveheart is a 2 on 2.  Each team gets a goalie and a one other player to do a face-off and try to score.  As a mom of a goalie, I'm a little terrified of Bravehearts!  

Have a great weekend everyone!! 

Picture of the Week - 4/7/2016

In the last 7 days I've spent about 40 hours in a car.  As Quinn would say, "I'm tired, Yo!"

We had a really nice visit to Ohio last weekend.  We got to see family and the boys all got to play with their cousins.  They had a great time!  We also got to squeeze in a short visit with some friends.  (Hi Greg and Chrissy!)  Here are some pictures from the trip.  Good times!

I think Beckett's favorite things were Braden and Riley's nerf gun collection and taking showers in the hotels.  The boys REALLY love hotels.  LOL  

The day after we got back, I took off for a business trip to Pinehurst, NC.  What a long, boring, lonely drive!  But what a nice place!  Pinehurst is gorgeous in the spring with all the azaleas in bloom.  Very pretty.  

This weekend we have no sports and hardly any plans!  Any guesses what we will get into?  

Thanks to everyone who took a minute to send back a response after last week.  If you haven't responded yet and wanted to, do it this week!  Distribution list clean up will happen soon!