Sometimes I just can't quite seem to get it right.

My attitude was off today, and that's totally my fault. I let my patience run out, and my temper is short, and the kids seem to listen even less than usual, and I feel even worse of a mother than usual.

I have a good life, and good kids, a good marriage, and nothing disastrous is looming.  I even did some things today that I needed to get checked off the list: 

-I made it one week without a single drip of chocolate (and then celebrated with chocolate cream pie today...?)
-Got our car's title registered and now have official Idaho plates (brought both kids and decided never to do that again)
-There was snow on the ground this morning (melted by noon...but it was still pretty)
-Mailed out my charms for a charm square swap I'm participating in (many thanks to the lady at the post office)
-Took the kids to the indoor play place at the mall to work off their energy (didn't really work)
-Had a healthy lunch
-Did some exercises while the kids napped (very first baby step, so here's to that)
-Bundled up and kicked the football "to the moon" with Monkey Pants outside for a while (also good exercise)

It was a pretty productive Monday, I did things I wanted and needed to do. But still, I could've done much better.  I yell too much, I am too lazy, I get frustrated too easily, and I spend too much time sitting and wishing for what I want and not being courageous enough to get up and start making it happen.  I am too hard on myself, but I do think it's good to know I can do better...as long as I actually DO better, right?

Monday's can be tough...even for no good reason...

*One morning we found this plastic alligator stuck in the shades of our front window, so we took a picture of it.  It makes me smile.  The other picture is just our lovely patient "Hobbers" as the kids call him.  He is the best dog, and I frequently wish I had his patience for my children. 

One down and vacation on the mind...

We are going to grandma's (my mom's) house on Friday! It's all the kids can talk about and it's all I can think about. It's been a busy year and it feels like we haven't had a chance to relax in a while.

I'm excited for grandparents to distract my children so I don't have to be "on" ALL day long (does that sound awful?). Also, the whole family will be there, which is particularly exciting for me as we haven't met the two newest editions to the family and most of the family hasn't met Lady Face.

We are driving from Idaho to California and might be bringing the dog. We will stop at the first In-N-Out we come to and every one after. I will eat an entire Chocolate Rum Cake from Prolific Oven in Palo Alto and delight in the familiar places I haven't seen since before Lady Face was born...not to mention friends, family, and Thanksgiving.

Maybe some shopping? Yes please.

But.....it's Tuesday. Before we leave at 4am (yeah right) Friday morning I have a long to do list. Baking, cleaning, packing, sewing and I'm about ready to just sit on the couch and let my kids watch Cars 2 over and over again and just fast forward to Friday.

On a totally different note, I finished quilting the blue Ohio Stars quilt and it's a great snuggler but not the greatest looker. I LOVE the binding. It's my favorite part.

I learned a lot making it. We will leave it at that. However it does get bonus points because Monkey pants likes it. He has a Linus type attachment to a blue blanket and is very "selective" about what blanket can keep him warm. When I finished this one he wanted to snuggle under it! WIN.

I'm also desperately behind on the drunkards path quilt along but have finally gotten some of my squares sewn and am hoping to get them all done and trimmed before we go as I'd love to finish it by the 28th to link it up with everyone else's.

Don't let them fool you, either. Sewing curves IS scary. But now, I can do it! And it's fun. I like it.