What does 'Busy' really mean anyway?

 Michael and Jackson kick'in it!

 Tyler just being goofy!  Kudos to Tyler because this week he fixed my washing machine.  He wasn't told to do it he thought he would just look at it and see what he could do and he fixed it!  Love you Ty!

 A famous Jenae self-portrait!

 This is the fourth of July.  I couldn't remember if I posted these pics or not but this one is really good of Vitaliy.  He is starting to like the camera.

 The boys went on their Entrada Scout camp.  They rock climbed, biked, shot guns, white water rafted...you name it, they did it.  Vitaliy was getting back into the boat after jumping into the water.  He said the water was VERY cold!

 This is a group of them on the boat.  Tyler is on the left and Vitaliy sort-of in the middle.

 Still at camp, setting up I think.

 Vitaliy was able to shoot a real gun for the first time.  He had brought a little money with him so he was able to shoot a 357.  He loved it!

 Andy finally got his permanent teeth!  He looks great!  I keep telling him how great he looks with his new teeth.  He is so glad he finally got them!

 We took the kids hiking on the G.  This is not my favorite picture of myself but we don't get too many where we are together in the picture so I let vanity go and posted it anyway.

 Jenae and Vitaliy enjoying the view.

 These two look like twins... it's hard to believe that they are two years apart.

 This is Cali on the Fourth with my niece, Celeste....Two beauties I'd say!

As the summer rolls on I have found that parenting can be a tiring job.  It’s a good job…and I like it, but I feel pretty exhausted at the end of the night.  You know…I was just rolling along in life.  Things seemed rather simple.  Everyone knew the routine and what was expected of them.  Yes…there was always fighting and a somewhat semi-organized chaos about the house, but it was so routine that it really didn’t faze me.  Just picture dinner time…kind of like the kitchen at Denny’s as everyone’s meal was being prepared.  It is just easier to dish out each plate and hand them out…youngest to older.  Occasionally, oldest to youngest…just to shake things up.  Then, someone starts crying or screaming about something…still very normal for our house.  Here comes our favorite private joke…Andy and I would just simple look at each other and very calmly say….”Do you hear someone crying?”  Answer:  “No, do you?”

Then, we thought, hey, two more….really…what’s two more when you already have eight.  Well….let me tell you…..two more is exactly that….TWO more! 

Okay…I am not complaining.  I love my two more!  I get all choked up when I go into Sasha’s room at night to check on him while he is sleeping.  Why?  Because, guess what?   He has a mom who thinks about him before he falls asleep and wants to make sure he is alright.  He doesn’t know I’m there doing that…but I am and it chokes me up…silly, but that’s the way I am.  I love more than anything watching them settle into family life.  They are truly happy and content and I love having them here.

Now, the tiring part.  It really is tiring training or re-training someone to all of a sudden be in a family that has routine and daily practices…does that make sense.  There seems to be a need for constant monitoring to guide and direct these boys.  Again….I am soooo not complaining, it is amazing and wonderful and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.  I am just saying that it is definitely challenging and enlightening.

I am very pleased with my other children who have done such a wonderful job of being patient and loving with their new brothers.  And, I am grateful to all my children for being patient with a mom who one minute is kind and loving and calm and the next minute is bug-eyed and a little less than relaxed.  It really is amazing how resilient children can be….yet another thing to be grateful for.

Update on activities…. Lots of scouting, hiking, biking, scootering, movie watching, eating, video game playing, eating, backpacking and yet more eating.  By the way…thanks to Wendy for her comment on buying frozen burritos (or not buying them anymore).  I never knew about them and I bought them.  The kids love them and it makes for a great and quick lunch!  Thanks, Wendy for the tip from your blog!

Sometimes I really feel like I don’t have anything to keep me busy.  People say to me all the time…in fact it is probably the comment I get more than anything…that, wow, you must be busy.  But, I really don’t feel that way as the day goes on.  Because, I could be cleaning, doing laundry or washing baseboards (do people really do that on a regular basis?) Or, I could clean my stove top instead of just wishing that I could buy a new one so I don’t have to scrub it like crazy.  But no, all this stuff still needs to be done so how can I possible be busy?  What am I doing all day?  Well, when I figure that out I will let you know…but, what I do know is when I hit the pillow at night, I am sooooo done!  I guess I must be busy.

I love my life, I love my kids, I am crazy about my amazing husband and….I look forward to the start of the new school year….what about you?