And to the leader of the pack, my best friend for nearly 12 years, the one who makes me whole & provides endless hours of laughter... I love you more every day.  

To the littlest one who makes life more fun for us all...mommy loves you.

To the one that turns each day into a musical & helps me see everything thru innocent eyes...mommy loves you. 

To the one who makes my days easier simply by being her sweet & helpful little self...mommy loves you. 

"Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day." -Winnie the Pooh 

Thankful

Thru fun days & long days my heart is always grateful for these little people! 

Balancing Act

I've decided to skip the tradition of posting something I'm thankful for everyday in November for two reasons. A) it gets receptive & I find I list the same things each year. B) I already struggle to find enough time in the day I didn't want to add one more thing. 

It's not that I'm not grateful, because I am.  I have been given MUCH this year to be thankful for.  In fact, I think this has been one of my favorite years yet! The kids are becoming more independent & fun to take out, I've found ways to incorporate excerise & me time without feeling guilty, we were able to purchase a bigger home, all the kids started school & love it, work has been steady & I'm in the beginning stages of what I hope to be a profitable new business venture- all in all things are good. Better than good, great. But despite all the wonderful things we are blessed with, life is still a balancing act.  Everyday I balance time spent reading individually with each kid, housework, playtime, cooking, disciplining, & doing it all over again the next day.  Sometimes I get off balance & need to regroup.  That's where I am at right now.  Having to let the house go a little & not let the pile of laundry on the floor keep me from having a good day.  Or sitting down with our newest reader (yep one of my kids can now read!) instead of scrubbing a tub that desperately needs a good cleaning.  You'd think that after being 'mom' for 5 years I'd have figured this out by now.  The truth is, my role is always changing.  What the kids needed one day isn't what they need the next.  No matter how many times I vacuum the dog will still drag in a pile of leaves on her fur.  Balancing isn't easy, isn't always fun but to keep a harmonious home it's a necessity. Maybe by the time they're 18 I will have figured it all out. ;-)