InstaFriday

How is it that my cell phone camera ends up capturing some of my favorite images?

Because it’s always there.  In my pocket.

Our week in Instas:

Drive by our house on any weekend day and you can pretty much bet that the garage door will be open and Andy will be in it tinkering, waxing, washing, or something-ing.

My kids are usually wild haired, filthy, and gleefully playing in the cul-de-sac with a passel of neighborhood kids.

And it starts early.  Babies in bitty chairs hanging with dad.

Every kid has done this.  This is part of their childhood.  I know garage time with dad will play a huge part of their memories.

It’s simple.  I like it.

While dad’s on kid duty, I usually sneak out for some kid-free errands.

I really don’t go through Starbucks very often, mainly because I fall all over myself trying to order.

“I’ll take a…large…um, blendy ice thing that has chocolate chips in it…?”

“A venti java chip frappuccino?”

Gesundheit.

(And yes, I totally had to google that spelling.)

Tuesday night I hadn’t yet started dinner when Andy got home.

Usually, he’s a little bummed that he has to wait, but that night he lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Oh…well…since you haven’t started dinner, how about we go to Red Robin?”

Turns out that they have a Sam Adams Oktoberfest beer milkshake.

I took a sip.  It tastes like a regular milkshake.  At first.  And then your tastebuds are overwhelmed by a STRONG beer aftertaste.

I couldn’t imagine drinking a whole glass.  Andy loved it.

Boys.

We call Owen “Fat Henry”.

Because the resemblance is astonishing…except for the extra baby padding.

Henry was a skinny little guy…still is actually.

I ask my pediatrician every time if he’s okay…and every time he assures me he’s fine.

Owen does not seem to share his brother’s problem.  Even if he shares just about everything else.

It’s almost creepy.

My friend Molly watched me drop and have to retrieve Owen’s paci from the floor about 16 times in the cry room at church a couple of weeks ago.

The very next week she brought me one of her paci holders.

Such a simple little thing has made my life 100 times simpler.

And it’s cute.

Just like everything else in her shop.

The blankies?  I die.

Baby announcements finally being sent out 10+ weeks later?

Meh.  Fourth kid.

For the record, I found this template shop that had so much cuteness, it was almost impossible to choose my favorite.

You have to have Photoshop, but you just plop in your own photos (she has GREAT super short you tube tutorials to help, and I usually hate tutorials)…I had mine printed at Costco, but you can be fancy and print them at a pro lab on pretty cardstock and stuff.

I was too cheap and impatient to do that so I thought I’d fake it by adding some baker’s twine.

Seriously…browse her shop and keep her in mind for Christmas cards.  She has crazy cute stuff for just a few bucks!

(No I’m not paid to say all of that…I just really love it.)

Our hybrid homeschooling gig is going really well so far.

Henry’s least favorite is working through this book.

It’s not super fun, but it seems to be clicking.  Plus, it’s only 100 lessons.  Right?

I made a discovery of epic proportions this week.

Target has these giant, peanut butter cookies…they don’t look very amazing, but trust me.

They are warm and soft and the m&ms and big hunks of chocolate are all ooey gooey warm and…

Dude, they’re only a buck.  Try them.

Or don’t.  Because then you’ll have to get one every time you go to Target.

Which, let’s face it: is all the dang time.

Okay, so I about had a HEART ATTACK when I went to buy Henry a backpack.

$40????!!!!  WHAT the WHAT?!  Even the fake non-brand backpacks were $25.  I mean, that’s better than $40, but holy moly…that’s still a lot of money.  Especially when someday you’ll have FOUR of them to buy.

Have backpacks always been this expensive???!!!

I get paying good money for a backpack in the upper grades and high school.  But you know what Kindergarteners do with backpacks?

They throw them.  They chuck them.  They toss them in the air.  They slide them down the hallways bowling lunchboxes over with them.

I know.  I remember doing it.

You are not gonna take $25 of my dollars and play for a lunchbox strike thankyouverymuch you five year old you.

75% off clearance?  Yes please.

In fact, let’s go ahead and get one for next year too while we’re here.

$4.49 and $7.49.

Now you’re talking.

So next year, make your kid use this year’s backpack for a few weeks.  No, they won’t die of embarrassment.  No matter what they say.  They’ll make it.  I called and checked.  Totally fine.

Then shop sales after Labor Day.

And use the money you saved on peanut butter m&m cookies.

Your turn!  What did you do this week?

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jeannett

I'm a mom to four. A wife to one. I believe in story. I love telling you about mine and would love to hear yours. There's really no sense in wasting our suffering and not sharing in each other's joy. We're all in this together...even if it doesn't always feel like it.

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