A Dwyer Diaper Date Night

Last night we had a long overdue date night. It was great to get out! Besides our amazing dinner at P.F. Changs that lasted over 2 hours, I have to say my favorite memory of the night was running out of Target and through the rain, arms full of Pampers under our arms...are you picturing this? (don't worry..we paid for them first!) I thought to myself and said out loud to Tim as we were running across the parking lot in the rain, "is this not funny to you, on our date night, we are loading up on diapers? It's a Dwyer Diaper Date Night..."

A Post for my Man

how often does the man of the house get a posting? It's all about the kids and their funny adventures and new things, new things to post about. Just got to thinking...if it weren't for the number one love of my life, none of this would be here to write about anyway, right? So here's to you doll, you are my life sized "doll"...my Andy to my Raggedy Anne..my com padre, my companion...

you make me smile, you provide me with confidence, assurance & trust. I will never be a sprinter, such as you. I will never have the stamina to do the things you seem to accomplish in a day! I will never have that strength in my hands and wrists to fling open a jar of pickles that I count on you for oh so often! I will never have that skill to watch CSI or worse, the 10pm news and them fall asleep not fearing murderers, robbers or any of the like out to get me afterwards! I will never have that zest for life, love for numbers and ability to think mathematically in any given situation! Or sit down to a round of cards and not go into hyperventilation over remember the rules of the hand and competing out of my element!

For all these reasons and more, you are my better half...you amaze me!

Dabbling in a Housewife's world..

A vision of the future........ interesting to me to watch these little guys..what they pick up, put on and play with. I am watching little Jack now sitting on the fireplace, gently kissing a hard, plastic Shrek doll on the lips....as I'm thinking about how he imaginary plays! Back to the vacuum and the necklaces..it's funny to see your little boys parading around the house in your high heels, jewelry around their necks. It's charming..innocent. What is very real and very true is their imitation of household chores. They may have pearls on but there is nothing dainty the way they both drive those vacuums around..they are vigorous house cleaners, all man about it. They show that little Dirt Devil who's boss! I think there is nothing more worth having a man (or 2 or 3:) around the house who isn't afraid to do a little housework and who vacuums! That's one thing I love about my husband, he has always vacuumed around here. I mean after all, he is much more efficient at it..he is stronger and can fling that thing around faster that I can! Funny though how I empty a lot of trash and I'm OK with that! So long 1950's and sexist house cleaning "ideals." I got me some men who vacuum in this house and a woman who takes out the trash!...

Boys and their antics

Jack and his "necklaces"..we always find him running around with drapery around his neck..he did this one all on his own!

mmmmmmm..bubbles! he gagged shortly after...

how cute! watching Wacky Races together....

Brothers...

50's day at Pre school...my little greaser!

Missing Vegas a little...but love my warm memories:)

in the process of moving to St. Louis, Parker would climb on our boxes

one of the best 4th of July's...with a good friend, a really neat house she was house sitting, we watched fireworks from the rooftop balcony!

the outdoor courtyard of our church, it was beautiful. Easter morning together...

blast from the past! Yup, Parker hit the Las Vegas trip with us at 3 months old? Notice the Starbucks in hand:)

Valentines and Winter Olympics...

A few winter olympic sports I found my youngest indulging in spontaneously....

Weightlifting...

curling!!!

priceless...big brother reading to little brother- actually sitting on his lap..

not an Olympic event. but should be..my husband would score a gold for this creative Valentine's surprise! Mapping out my exact steps in the morning of February 14th, I found little valentine notes all over, the cupboard, my coffee machine, and this, my favorite location- on the creamer!

A promise of a jeweled crown on days like these

~Only the START to my day

Mr. Spaghetti artist~

A day like many days, another frantic day of stay at home Mommyhood that seems to tear me in a million different directions. I find comfort in a promise I can't seem to find the exact words, but words close enough. In all these deeds I do from day to day that can be unnoticed by the human eye, someone is keeping track, someone knows. It's a day that I must drive both kids to school for preschool drop off, and reload crabby baby to pick him up again..oh and run to the bank, car wash (screaming baby does not like big scary car wash..), rummage through Walmart to get supplies to make a snack for Dad's night at preschool tonight..all while throwing m & m's at baby to keep him quiet and seated in stroller through store..A day when I melt my gooey concoction to create a "nice treat" to bring in for Dad's night, the kind that is sticky and I spill corn syrup all over myself and the floor. I toss marshmallows down at baby to keep him at bay, away from my hot, sticky, chocolaty mess. The floor is so sticky, I clean my foot and parts of it with a Clorox wipe..that's right I gave myself a partial sponge bath with a Clorox wipe! Oh..and baby has gotten stool and is standing at my sink playing in my chocolaty gooey mixing bowl filled with water..he is now all wet and it's time to reload into car to get 4 year old brother! Quick change shirts and throw in the car..and he throws up on me- guessing a result of too many m & m's in Walmart and the marshmallows? A day when I've shuffled kids from here to there, the baby has smeared spaghetti all in his hair and all over himself. I've been barfed on while rushing back into the car again, been screamed at in the car by an overly tired baby, hurried, spilled all kinds of substances on myself and my just cleaned house. A day I've been putting in 'overtime', the only adult in the house (who's patient enough to handle all of this coming unraveled at once), HE is watching, HE is smiling down, HE is crafting that crown or jewels or whatever the promise is my Mother claims is to be true! I know I've heard it before too..earning your crown in Heaven. I have combed my concordance for 20 min. now looking for that exact verse, frankly because I know I don't have more time allotted to keep looking before it..screaming baby will emerge...and he's awake now before I'm even done. I will find that verse! But until then, I found this, and this makes me smile when my tears of frustration and feelings of under appreciated-ness seem to surpass any other thought....

Matt 6:18b

"but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will REWARD you."

6:19

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth (hiring a Nanny on days like this!!!;)

20 "But store up for yourselves TREASURES in Heaven...21 "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."