go go go!!!

That was our weekend!!! Non stop action filled busy days!It started with a football game!


Technically they do not keep score in flag football, but I do and we kicked those charges butts!!!And while Alex was out on the field grabbing flags and knocking kids down Zach and Addie were running around and playing in the dirt and with the other little kids there.

That's Addie...saying GO ALEX!!! And from the football game we were home for lunch, quick nap for Addie and off to the carnival by our house. You are lucky I don't have pics from that since some kid puked on Alex. And like I told Rob if you can't handle the tilt o whirl you are doomed for life!!!Saturday night Rob and I ditched the kids with my dad and headed off for the some beers and board games.
Sunday we went to Brookfield zoo with my SIL and her hubby, my bro and his gf and my dad. We were there for almost 5 hours!!! No naps for kids meant early bedtime last night! Rob got to enjoy a quiet house while I went to dinner with the fam. It was a fun fun fun weekend but exhausting. I'm glad the kids got to spend time with their uncle Matt and Linsday since we do not see them enough.(Hint hint time to move back to Illinois)Next weekend we have NOTHING planned which I am super excited about because until October we have something every.single.weekend.!!! Hope everyone else had a fun weekend!

My baby Addie

Well I guess she is not so much of a baby as a full blown toddler. But if you ask who she is she says baby, so she is still my baby!

The girl is into EVERYTHING!!! I clean one room and go to the next and she is in the last room pulling things out! She loves to "help" unload the dishwasher. Which is actually kind of cute..she goes right for the silverware, opens the drawer where they go and just puts them in. I then go back and put everything in the right slot, but hey at least she is trying. She is very verbal with what she wants. Whether it is Alex, Zach or just milk she will let you know loud and clear.
And there is no denying that she wants to be with her brothers all the time. She loves plying with the garbage trucks and the trains. And like I have said before that is fine by me. Her new favorite word is yuck. When there is something on her hand,her shoe, where ever she will say "mommy yuck!" and wait for you to remove it.
She also likes to clean. If you ask her to put something in the sink she will. If you ask her to throw something away she will. Its awesome. When she needs a diaper change(so much for my dreams of potty training...that lasted a week) she will grab a diaper and wipes for you. And she is somewhat dressing herself. She can get pants on by herself and her shoes...not to shabby for 19 months. This girl is stubborn and has her own opinions and is not afraid to let you know them loud and clear. If she wants something so lets you know. If she is not happy she lets you know.
I can not believe that in less than 5 months she will be 2. It seems like she is growing up so much faster than the boys...but no matter how old she gets she will be my baby!

Camping Part 2

So as you know a couple weeks ago I took the boys camping at Pokagon State Park with a couple of my friends. I was very excited for this since that was a HUGE part of my childhood but here's what was really cool...
You see this lake?

That is where I learned to swim. My mom taught me when I was 3 right there in that lake. Everyday it wasn't raining in the summer we would be at that lake swimming, diving, fishing etc... And now my kids were swimming in the same spot I learned to swim.
And you see the sand?

That's the sand box that I grew up building sandcastles in, burying my brother, making towers etc...and I got to watch my boys play in it. It was so surreal to think about all the years,days,hours I played in the sand or swam in that same part of our lake and now having my kids do the same. It was really cool. Alex understood that that was where I spent my summers. He saw our old house and got it, but Zach is still a little too young to understand.We will defiantly be going back for many years to come and when Addie is a little older I can not wait to take her! It will be like watching a mini me play :)

Marriage

I'm going to let you in on a secret. No marriage is perfect!!! I know big surprise huh!!! It takes work to build a good marriage. You are NOT always going to agree on things, but you might be able to find a compromise. You are NOT always going to like a decision that the other person makes, but you learn to pick your battles wisely. You are NOT going to have the same ideas on raising your kids, but you figure out the best ones and go from there. You are NOT always going to agree on how to spend your money, but you figure out what the best long term idea is.
These are just a few things that happen in a marriage. Rob and I were together for 8 years before we got married and we still have disagreements about things. But we also have open communication with each other and always have. He knew when I was 18 what my thoughts on family and kids were and vise versa. We know that he is better at fiances so he handles them. I have more experience with kids so he lets me make many decisions when it comes to the kids. It works for us. But just because our marriage works this way doesn't mean other peoples will.
I hate when people say they want to be like some couple they know. No 2 couples are alike. And yes all of them have their problems. Whether they do not know how to have adult conversations with each other about things that matter. Or they fight all the time. Or their is cheating. Or a controlling spouse. Etc... people have issues. I would love to say our marriage will last forever, but lets be honest no one can predict the future. There are couples that stay married for 60 years, couples that divorce after 40 years, couples that divorce after 3 years....you never know. But we do know that we will always fight for our relationship no matter what. We have been through so much together and had been before we got married that I can not imagine anything rattling us now, but who knows.
I look at other peoples relationships, and other peoples spouses and I think how lucky I am to have Rob and to have the relationship that we do have. We are excited to grow old together, and watch our children grow up and have their own families. But I know it wouldn't always be easy. I know their will be disagreements down the road, but I know that we can handle them and come out stronger on the other side. I just hope the same for all of our friends who are married or soon will be.

1st grade and football!!!

A lot has ben happening in the Darrow household. Alex started first grade on Wednesday. FIRST GRADE!!! How did he get so old so fast.ANd the dymnamic of our house has changed as well since he is gone from 8am-3:45 pm. Trust me when you have more than one kid and one or two of them are not around it is completly different. But in a good way.Alex is loving school. He has some freinds from last year in his class and all the kids he plays with in the neighborhood are on the bus with him. Also a lot of his football buddies go to the same school as he does.


Which also brings us to football. He has been practicing non-stop for the past couple weeks. Last Sunday they had a game adn they have another one this Sunday. Alex is quarterback( the kid could throw REALLY well since he was 2). He really likes the games more than practice but I dont blame him. I love competition as well and he is just like me. He constantly is playing catch with us or his friends when he is not at practice. And he looks so cute in his uniform.

You don't have kids..I don't want your advice!

I am so sick of these people who do not have kids but feel the need to tell me how to raise mine. I'm sorry but how do you think you know better than I do when it comes to MY kids. Or to anyones kids at that when you have NEVER had one of your own???
There is no parenting handbook. Im sure all parents wish they had done things different and the more kids we have the more we change our parenting ideas and ways.But it is not always easy. I tell all my friends who are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant to make a list of how you will parent, how your kids will act, and how you see you life. Read it over and then throw it out. Because it is not going to turn out that way. You have no idea how your child/ren will be. How their personalities will be. How easy going or uptight they will be.
Are my kids loud. UM yes they are kids! Do the whine sometime..of course. DO they "forget" to listen... more than I would like.Are the boys rough...duh they are boys...and I do not help because I love to wrestle with them. But they are my kids. They are not perfect and I am not a perfect mom. I am doing the best that I can
( although Im sure there are days I could do better)But I know that I do better than non parents. I know that I do better than anyone else for my kids. We might not have the biggest house, or a money tree in the back yard, but my kids are happy, healthy and somewhat spoiled. (I hate to admit it, but its totally true) I give my kids everything I can. They get to have me around all day which I think is a huge advantage to them and me as well.
So when you have children than maybe you will understand. You will understand why dome days are so frustrating and you constantly look at the clock until bedtime. ANd other days are so much fun you don't want the kids to have to go to bed. But you are not a parent so please dont act like you know more than I do. Or that you know what is best for my kids!

Tomorrow things will change!

As of tomorrow at 8am I will have a first grader! Can you believe it!? I can not believe how old Alex is getting. And not only that in a few more weeks I will also have a kid in preschool! That right Zach starts right after labor day. Although he will only be going twice a week, I can not believe how different things will be in this house. Alex will be gone from 8am until about 3:45, and then homework and a snack and off to football until 7:30 three times a week.
Zach will be in preschool from 9:30-11:30 every Tuesday and Thursday, then home for lunch and a nap while Addie is napping. This house is going to be very quiet on those days and I actually have a chance of keeping it somewhat clean. And by clean I mean not having toys all over the place :)
My kids are growing up so fast!!! School, preschool, all the sports and in about 5 months my baby will be 2! INSANE!!!!!

Camping

This is past weekend Kelly, Jen and I decided to take my boys and Jens son Josh camping. We went to Pokagon which is Angola Indiana. I spent every summer growing up there because we had a summer house in Coldwater Michigan which was about 15 miles away.
We arrived late Friday night and were able to use our headlights for some light to set up the tents and get everything organized. We let the kids hang out for awhile and have some roasted marshmellows and smores.
Saturday we were up early and headed into Coldwater so the boys could see my old summer house, I could see my neighbors, and we could hand at the private beach there. They loved it. My kids are definatly water babies and love to swim. They were jumping off the dock, digging in the sand, and swimming non stop.And it was really cool to see Alex and Zach having so much fun at the beach that I grew up swimming in and building sand castles at. To say the loved it would be a understatement.
After about 3 hours we headed back into Pokagon and went to one of the big beaches there. Kelly and Josh took Alex out into the deeper area to swim and Zach and I hung in the middle where he could still touch. Sadly we were only able to swim about 30 minutes because the clouds rolled in and we had to get back to the tents to make sure everything was put away.
DUring the rain(which only lasted 20 minutes) we had a pow wow in Jens tent since hers was the largest, and then when it stopped we decided to get the fire started and cook some hotdogs and smores. It was a nice fun night. Josh and Alex played some football and Zach played with his trains and trucks and everyone just chilled.
It was a great weekend. Minus our "neighbors" next to us at the campsite that complained about EVERYTHING we still had fun. I am sure we will be going back again although I think next time we will get a couple different sites next to eachother so we dont have to worry about people complaining again. The boys loved it and have already asked me when we can go camping again. Hopefully soon...

its okay...every mom has done it

You know those days when the kid/s are crabby. They are fighting. They are sassy(if your kids are 3 or older you understand)and it seems like nothing you do is right and you question yourself as a parent. Yeah its okay...all moms have been there.

Or those days when you are tired and the kid/s are just pushing your buttons all days so you yell at one for something that normally you wouldn't really care about and then you feel bad after? yeah its okay...all moms have been there.

Or those days that have been packed with errands, or playdates, or a combination of both and all you want to do is sit on your ass and not think about anything? So you count the minutes and seconds until bedtime and once the kids are in bed and the house is quiet you can not help but smile because you are so happy not to have to "deal"with them anymore? Yeah its okay...all moms have been there.

Or those days when you were suppose to do something because you had promised your kid/s the night before and then things get so crazy and busy you totally forget until they remind you right before bedtime and then you feel like shit? Its okay...all moms have been there.

Or those days when everything seems to be going so smoothly, and everyone is listening and getting along, and you just can't get enough hugs and kisses? Yeah all moms have been there and those days are the best.

SO don;t worry if you have a bad day. Or if you suddenly question every parenting choice you have made. Or if you are so stressed out all you want to do is crack a beer at noon and sit in the bathroom ALONE. Parenting is not always easy. In fact I think most days its hard. I think we all question the things we do, or say to our kids.W wonder if we are making the right decisions for our kids. If they are going to grow up and accomplish everything we want for them.We wish we could give them more while at the same time complaining that they have to much. But this is what we signed up for when we had kids. This is what we somewhat knew we were getting into. And no matter how bad the day I am having I know other moms, including mine, have been there and survived. I know that at the end of the day I will kiss my kids goodnight, tell them I love them and they will go to bed happy and wake up ready for another day. I know that a simple hug or kiss or smile from one of them makes me realize that I am doing something right and can turn the worst day into a good one.

So you want to be a SAHM???

Yes I do have the ability to be a SAHM which is awesome but it is not as glamours as people think it is. I love my kids but there are days that they DRIVE.ME.INSANE!!!!And its not like I can just leave. Yes, we go to lifetime so I can get 2 hours to myself, but that has to be well timed. I have to go early enough to make sure that we get home in time for lunch and naps, or go even earlier if we have errands to run.
My house is NEVER clean. Sure I clean it but there are always toys laying around, or dishes that need to be put away, or laundry that needs to be washed. I can literally clean my house all day and by 5 pm it will be messy again...why??? Because my kids are with me and they want to play and kids are dirty and sticky little things.
Errands...ahh theres another fun aspect of being a SAHM. We run errands all the time. Grocery shopping takes double the time because I have 3 kids with me. This also has to be timed out well. I don't want to pack up 3 kids and take them to the store for just 2 gallons of milk. Why you ask? Because for any normal person this would be a 5 minute trip into the store. For me and the kids this would be at least a 20 minute trip with at least 500 questions. SO I wait and plan out store trips when I need more than a few things.
As for laundry...well we always have some. No matter what there is always something that needs to be washed, dried or put away. It never ends. And I don't mind doing laundry but once again putting it away has to be well planned. If I don't watch Addie like a hawk she is in the fridge or freezer pulling out food...yes we have tried the lock..childed proof my ass! So to be able to put laundry away she either has to be sleeping or in her booster eating. And I have to make sure the boys are getting along otherwise I play referee during the time and instead of it taking 10-15 minutes to put laundry away it has now turned into a 45 minute task.
Cleaning isn't as bad. The boys usually help me but we also have the demolisher aka Addie who likes to just pull everything out that you are putting away. Thank god the girl loves her books so at least we can divert her a little.
As for crabby days...like I said before there is no where to hide from the kids. I never go to the bathroom without someone walking in or pounding on the door. Apparently my kids think this is a group activity. If I have to shower and I forget to lock the door Zach will be naked and in the shower before you can blink...the kid loves water.
Now I am not saying it is all bad. I love being home with the kids. I love being able to spend our days at a park, zoo, pool etc...but I just want all you moms out there who think being at SAHM means your house will always be clean, kids will be perfect, laundry put away, and errands a breeze...think again. It IS a job...just one we get paid for in hugs and kisses!

We've been busy

So its been about a week since I last wrote and we have been on the go non stop. For starters Alex started football. So he has practice m-f from 5:30-7:30! And once school starts (AUG 17) he goes down the following week to 3 times a week plus games. Its like the pre NFL!But he is LOVING it!And the kid is good, I mean really good. And I am not just saying that because he is mine...the coaches are fighting over him for their teams because of how well he throws. He can spiral that football perfect EVERY.SINGLE.TIME!I mean the boy is a natural athlete. He was able to hit a pitch by the time he was 2 and has been throwing well since about 18 months. And I think we can all agree he gets it from me...after all I was more of a athlete than rob!
Other than that we had Bosch's 125th anniversary on Saturday, which meant a trip downtown to go to the Lincoln Park Zoo. The kids have never been before there before and I haven't been there in at least 15 years so it was a good day. There was free food ( always awesome) and activities for the kids. It was HOT and there were missed naps but overall it was a pretty good day. And that night there was a pool party for Alexs football team at our community pool so Alex was all about that. He FINALLY got to go on the diving boards and dive(once again my kid for sure) and on the big waterslides. I think he is very happy to be able to swim in the really deep end of the pool this year.
Today I had a bridal shower for one of my good friends from highschool. She is marrying Robs best friend, so we will have a couple to hang with for life! Not to mention since Elle and Zach are in a arranged marriage and have been since they were born it works even better for us.
Overall even though we have been busy at least it has been with fun stuff. And next weekend the boys and I are going camping with my best friend Kelly. They are very excited and so am I because we are going to the place I use to camp as a kid. And we are also going to go up into Coldwater Michigan and see my old summer house and neighbors whom I haven't seen in 12 years! Hopefully Kelly and I survive with 2 very active boys...I think they will love it and I promise there will be lots and lots and lots of pictures!

the crazies

there they are! these days it is very hard to get a picture with all 3 looking at the camera!

See what I mean! At least Addie was looking in this one! Needless to say they keep me busy! The love eachother and love to play together but boy do they have their moments!