Ebbs and Flows

My blog has been like the ocean. It comes and goes....and for a while it has been left at bay. It hasn't be intentional per say, but I just haven't taken the time. I want to document my life, not only for myself, but for my kids. It makes me sad to know that I haven't visited here in almost a year. I hope I am ready to come back to the shore.

Hoping

I have been trying to grow out my hair for a while.  I like it long, but I always seem to get bored and then I chop it off.  Lately I have been doing this ALL.THE.TIME.

http://shortlonghairstyles.com/06/shoulder-length-hairstyles-ponytail.html

I am at the point where I want to just chop it all off.  Except I don't think it is because I am bored...it is because it is TOO.DANG.HOT!  Even on days that I take the time to 'do' my hair, it ends up in a ponytail because I can't handle it on my neck.

I have seen this many times, and just had to share

My poor kids weren't allowed outside for recess all week long due to a heat advisory.  I not only feel bad for them, but also the teachers who never seem to get a break. So not fair!

I know us Arizonians always seem to complain this time of year.  I really love Arizona.  Most of the time it is absolutely great.  Just lately it has been awful if you are outside for any amount of time.  I have no idea how pioneers lived here back in the day.  AC is my dear dear friend.

Here's to hoping it starts to cool off otherwise I may get impatient and decide to chop off all of my hair anyway. 

Switched at Birth

I love Netflix.  I know there has been alot of controversy as of late because they have raised their prices, but I still love them.  We had actually recently changed to just unlimited streaming because that was all we really used...so all their new crap hasn't affected us yet. 

Anyhoo...one of the reasons why I like it so much is the ability to watch TV series without all of the dumb commercials.  Of course they don't have every single show, but I found some really fun shows this way. Some of our favorites have been Prison Break and Veronica Mars (although Veronica Mars is no longer offered in instant play). 

They recently added the show Switched at Birth. I read the premise to the show, and was immediately intrigued... 

Switched at Birth, a one-hour scripted drama, tells the story of two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother, while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing at an early age due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a working-class neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when both families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls.

I have now watched it....and wow...I love it.  It is great on so many levels. 

As a mother, it has made me think about how I would handle things if I was put in that type of situation. Part of me would have a hard time because I could not imagine realizing that for the past 16 years I raised someone elses child (now...this is different from adoption...which I am all for!  This mother carried and gave birth to a baby, and then thought she brought home her biological child). I would hope that I would be able to tell if they brought me a different baby.

Then as a child, it is interesting to see how each girl handles the news.  It addresses the whole...what would my life had been like if?  The girls come from such diverse backgrounds, and their lives would have been totally different. 

I love how they try to work together to allow the girls to get to know their biological parent, yet still keep their relationships intact. I would like to think that I would be like Bay's mother, and feel like I gained another daughter....I mean how can you not love the daughter you raised, and the daughter that you may not know, but is your biological child. They struggle to figure things out, but it is so touching in many ways.

I am also fascinated with the deaf aspect of the show.  It is so cool to understand a little bit more the struggles that they can face.  And I love watching people sign. 

My mind has been swirling with lots of thought on the show.

Have any of you watched the show??  If you haven't, and have Netflix...add it to your queue, watch it, and then come and discuss!  I now can't wait for the next season.

Sneaky

The kids around here refer to Thomas as being 'sneaky.'  That is just a nice way of referring to the fact that Thomas is always trying to get into and/or do something he shouldn't be doing. 

Since school started, we stocked up on some fun goodies (bags of chips, cookies, etc.) to put in their lunches.  We normally don't have stuff like this on hand for numerous reasons.  I just wanted to make things a little fun, and get the kids excited about bringing their lunch.

These snacks have been designated as 'lunch food'...as in they are not to be eaten except for school lunches.  We have even resorted to packing a lunch for Thomas everyday so he can participate in getting to choose from the loot. 

Well, sometimes just packing the lunch is not sufficient for our little Thomas.  He tells me that 'they are not just for school!' (picture a furrowed brow, pouty lips, and a very stern voice.) Then he tries to take matters into his own hands. 

The other day while I was nursing Grayson, Thomas thought he would be 'sneaky', and try to pilfer from the snack stash.  Unfortunately, it didn't work out too well for him this time... 

(Ignore the unorganized mess of my pantry)

Accomplishment

This past week our little Grayson put much effort into accomplishing this...

He also is finding this wayyyy to often for my liking.  I am hoping it is just a fluke.  

I was a thumbsucker (until I was in 2nd grade!!)  

I would rather have him hooked on a pacifier...because atleast I can take that away!

Heres to hoping!