The Glass Half FULL...

Okay, okay, many of you are laughing at the title, because you know full well that I could probably find something to complain about in any situation, regardless of how perfect it is (winter: too cold, spring: too muddy, summer: too muggy, fall: too many leaves to rake... need I go on??!)...

... But there ARE, indeed, moments where I can also look on the 'fuller half' of life...

Exhibit #1

Notice Benjamin's nice facial 'burns'.  In person, they actually go all the way from his hairline to the lips.  Now, most people would see this as a negative.  He got these 'marks' when he was out making his spring debut on his scooter, got a little wobbly, and had a close encounter with the pavement.  Instead of thinking, "oh great, now we are into the scraped-skin season...," I actually got happy and thought, "Wow, the first skin burn of the spring - definitely a sign that the snow is on its way out for good!!"

Exhibit #2...

... so we were driving in the car a while back...

From the back, Seth says, "Mommy, yesterday I had to turn my card over" (the first step in their discipline action)

Me, "Did you hit anyone?"

Seth, "No!"

Me, "Did you bite anyone?"

Seth, "No!"

Me, "What did you do to turn your card over?"

Seth, "I was talking too much"

... now, if you know my sons in public situations, you know that they do the perfect mime interpretations.  Seth especially is extremely quite when he is around people he doesn't know very well, trying more to sink into the wall than engage in any of the activities.

... so the fact that he was not only talking in school, but talking too much in school brought so much happiness to my heart.  Ah yes, my son, the 'talk-too-mucher"... Love it!! 

WARNING....

Placing this...

Next to this...

and then turning around, could result in this...

Consider yourself warned...

Tundra land activities...

When you're in America's version of iceland... you can complain about the ice... or you can become "one" with the ice...  (or in my case, do some of both!!)

Sarah had gone on a couple of dates with daddy before, so she offered to give us all lessons when we got there... (on a side note, she was practicing reading, which is really hard for her lately, and she was complaining that she didn't want to do it, that she wasn't very good, etc.  I told her that nobody starts out good, we all have to practice and practice so that  we can learn and become good... "just like when you were learning to ice skate, you had to practice to be able to get good."  She sat there thoughtfully for a moment, and then replied, "naw, mom, I was good at ice skating from the very beginning..."  well, at least she doesn't lack for self esteem in some departments, right?!)

Seth giving his "look mom, no hands!" pose... which lasted for about .2 seconds before he grabbed onto his "life boat" balance contraption...

Josh pretty much screamed bloody murder and did a perfect rendition of uncle Brians 'noodle' body move until I finally relented and just let him go for it in his shoes... which made him ecstatic... until he did a full on face plant... and then was back to screaming bloody murder again...

Jerry did the brunt of the 'going around and around' with the kiddos all night... what a man!

Ben had a love/hate relationship, half the time loving it... half the time not so much...

Blah Blah-Blah Blah Blah

... that about sums up life right now.  Nothing new.  Nothing exciting.  Just going through the daily ins and outs.  Oh, except for the fact that 3 out of the 4 kiddos have all thrown up in the past 24 hours.  Now, that's excitement, right?!  (Especially given the fact that 2 of those kids did it simultaneously... on top of me... first thing in the morning... [i.e. that is how I woke up]  Hey, now that takes some real coordination!)

   ... just one of those moments in life where things just seem pretty bleak.  No real rhyme or reason to it.  There's nothing desperately wrong.  By all accounts I should be out of my mind happy - we are through the worst of winter, spring is coming, we are rounding the homestretch of the final phase of training.  Really, life is pretty good overall.  Yet, there's something inside me that I just can't put my finger on... just feeling ... well... blah.

... and that's about it.  Hope energy is a little bit higher in your neck of the woods!