NEWSFLASH!

WE HAVE AN ALL-NIGHT SLEEPER. I REPEAT: AN ALL-NIGHT SLEEPER.

Actually, we have 2 of them. But last week, we decided it was time for sleep bootcamp for Will...and he passed with flying colors. I waited several nights to write this just to make sure it wasn't a fluke, but alas, I think there is rest once again in the Chandler household. Glory. I feel like a new person. Now, if I could just get Jason to go to bed before midnight...

And Will had a haircut shortly after this was taken...I promise that he doesn't look so much like a ragamuffin now.

Have a great week!

p.s. Jack turned THREE on Sunday! More on that to come. Jason's leaving town next month for a couple of weeks, so hopefully I can update on all the summer happenings in all that spare time I'll have. :)

Signs of Life...

I have always been a list-maker, a planner, and an (occasionally OCD'ed) organizer of my time. It is how I survived high school and college. I gained satisfaction and perhaps an ounce of self-worth from seeing my neat lists and I am almost ashamed by the amount of joy I got by putting a perfect little check mark next to completed items (and an "x" next to things that got bumped to next week or needed crossing off the list all together...that's where the "OCD" might come in).

However, I learned very early on in this trip called motherhood that flexibility is the key to maintaining one's sanity (what's left of it after 4 years of running a youth ministry, anyway!). I can be cruising right through my day and "to do" list and then, out of no where, BAM...I might be headed out the door when a child "blaps" all down the front of me. And him. And his carseat. And somehow into his diaper bag. Or a bad night of baby's sleep totally throws off his nap schedule...and our fun day that I had planned for us the night before. Or he decides the car/grocery store/shirt/lunch/park/etc isn't the right temperature/store/texture/taste/location/etc. And while I am no push-over, his timing and decision to throw a tantrum can be less than, shall we say...optimal.

So, awhile back I was riding out in the county and saw this road sign. I feel that it sums up some of our days nicely...

Thank goodness for tomorrows. :) And I wouldn't trade this journey, complete with it's sinkholes, for anything else in the world.

We live, we learn...

I took Jack and Will for haircuts this afternoon (mistake 1). By myself (mistake 2). Will went first (mistake 3) and was a perfect (wiggly) angel. Then, since Jack started pitching a fit, we let him pick where he wanted to sit for his haircut (mistake 4) - he chose the stroller. To keep Will content (and to hopefully let Jack see the reward of behaving), Will got a sucker (mistake 5) AND a popsicle (mistake 6). Jack screamed so loudly, I ended up holding him. To try to appease him so she could finish up his hair, the sweet lady gave HIM a sucker and popsicle (mistakes 7, 8 and 9). Now, the stroller, me, and 2 sticky boys are completely covered in hair and stickiness.

We got in the car to come home, and as we were leaving Jack stated, "Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?!".

I'm hoping to be able to laugh about this once my blood pressure returns to normal...and their haircuts DO look good, if I may say so myself.