Hello?

I have fallen WAY behind on my blogging.  My camera is loaded with pictures that are now so overwhelming that I just lay on the couch gazing at the camera and computer wondering when I will feel like I have enough energy and time to attempt to begin.

When I wake up at 5am...my alarm goes off at 4:50 so I can snooze for 9 extra minutes..to make it to the gym for a 5:30 class three times a week I lose almost 2 hours of sleep each day.  Kind of a lot.  Fortunately, the feeling I get from going to the gym helps my mood and energy and I fall asleep way better these days.  So I guess, it all balances out. 

April was a WAY more consistent month with working out.  Feels good.

Did you know that our cloth napkins, that we use most of the time, are all different colors and prints? Did you know that some are more "powerful" than others? Well, if you plan on dining at our house you may have to argue over who has the best or more powerful one at any given meal and the powers change? The rule though is that you have take the top napkin in the bin..no digging and touching them all or disrupting the folding job.

The other afternoon the boys spent some time at the neighbors and at dinner I LOVED how Henry shared details of their time there.  I could tell Charley was nervous.  Henry explained that they went inside and played Wii AND ate candy.  I asked what kind of candy and Charley explained that the neighbor had a BIG bag of mixed Willy Wonka Candy.  I asked how many pieces they had.  They had too many to count.  Ed and I had to hide our smiles.  I also asked if the dad knew they were eating candy and they didn't think so.  They said the friend MADE them eat it.  HA!  I explained that no one makes them do anything. 

My mom and sister (and her littles) came for a visit this past weekend.  The time went WAY too fast.  There wasn't much we could say we did but yet, we enjoyed every second just hanging out and doing "nothing."  More to come on that.

Lately, if the boys both say something at the same time they say, "Jinx! You owe me a soda!" As fast as they can.  I remember doing this as a kid too.  I don't think I said they owed me a soda.  I can't remember what the consequence was.  I asked the boys if they even knew what a soda was.  They had to think pretty hard.  Then Charley said, I think it is the same as "pop."  Like Sprite?  

Henry has been helping bake and cook dinner lately.  Some people say this helps kids take ownership in the meals and they are more likely to eat different or new foods.  Not so with this kid.  The more he knows about the different items the more disturbed he is.  It's too bad, because he is a great cook and he has discovered he likes some items after MANY attempts.  Which means he misses out on things like my homemade mac and cheese a few times before he discovers he loves them. 

Both boys start soccer tonight.  Miss Syd is about to experience her first season of muddy soccer fields.  This year because both boys are playing and they are staggering the practice times, she will have almost an hour and a half on the fields.  At least tonight it isn't too muddy or wet, I hope. 

I feel slightly caught up on the house right now.  Hosting my mom and sister helped get on top of some of the cleaning.  Now, let's see if I can keep it up until Friday and Saturday when I have more people popping in. 

I really want to shut my eyes for a little nap this afternoon.  Will this happen?  Nope. 

This weekend I shared my workout playlist with my mom and sister.  My sister pointed out that the songs that motivate me to get moving might be different for her or my mom.  True.  So what song puts a hop in your step when you exercise!?  Do share!