Welcome To My Sty!

Jake and I had a row this week. (Watch for my cool new British slang! I've been reading a lot of British chick lit and it is seeping into my vocabulary, lol.)

At work, we've phased back into our 26 hour a week schedule. That means I'm working 6.5 hours, 4 days a week. It may not sound like a lot to those of you who work a full 40 hour week, but it is a relatively demanding job. I'm solely responsible for 4 babies and it is hard work! By the end of most days, I'm sweating and have gotten a pretty fair leg workout b/c I've been swaying and bouncing so much of the day.

Then I come home to more responsibilities, namely caring for Jack and Spencer, cooking dinner, and doing any housework that needs to be done.

Jake is really good help when it comes to the boys and dinner, but the housework is a point of contention. (Hi honey! I love you!)

He maintains that if the house isn't going to look like a showroom, like a picture in a magazine, all the time, that there is no point in cleaning it. The house is either clean (like spotlessly clean) or it is dirty. There is no middle ground.

I'm of the mind that a house can be dirty, messy, or clean. And clean doesn't necessarily mean magazine clean. A house can be clean but still have a bit of clutter. That doesn't make it dirty per se, just messy. I guess I feel there is a whole spectrum of house cleanliness options while Jake sees that there are only two.

So this weekend, I'm going to do my best to get the house in better shape. It'll probably be difficult, Jake has already told me he is going to work tomorrow, but I'm going to give it a fair shot. Hopefully I can get Jake on board to help. ;-)

I leave you with a pic of my sweet boys. I tried to get a picture of them together and this is the best I got. If one was looking at the camera and smiling, it was inevitable that the other was looking away, blinking, or just generally looked goofy.

Oh what a beautiful morning!

I am feeling really blessed by this weather today! The people in north central Arkansas are sure getting a treat; I don't think we typically see such cool weather until late September!

Jake and Spencer were up and out early this morning to go visit Ama (that would be Jake's mother), so Jack and I went to the farmer's market. As soon as I set foot outside, I thought I should've put Jack in some pants.

The goods at the market seemed kind of scarce today. Probably a byproduct of both the late time we arrived (after 10) and the lateness of the season. Seems like there are fewer and fewer vegetables every time we go. But I've really gotten quite fond of buying baked goods there; Spencer frequently gets a muffin or cookie when we go, I've gotten Jake a pie before, and I picked up some delicious zucchini bread today.

Also on the agenda for the day is a trip to the library (I've got a book that is overdue by at least 6 months) and a voyage to the bookstore. I'm pretty sure I'm single-handedly keeping Hastings in business at this point. I've taken to reading while nursing Jack, so I'm going through quite a few books. Since he's been born, I've read the Twilight series twice (4 books in the series), books 6 and 7 in the Harry Potter series, books 1 and 2 in the Wicked series, and all 5 books in the Shopaholic series. I don't know what I'm going to get at the bookstore today.

Happy Birthday, Jake!

Jake is 27 today. Check out his cake. What a fire hazard! LOL

Things I Love

Here is the much more positive sequel to the "Things I Hate" posting some days ago. I went to Branson yesterday and bought both the boy's clothes for fall and winter and, to top it off, Jack is taking a (much needed) PHENOMENAL nap. Those things put me in a very positive mood. ;-)

1. My Boys
Yes, both these pictures are old, but I didn't have anything better! I don't think I need to elaborate on this point.

2. Coconut Anything
Cakes, pies, drinks, anything coconut smelling....you name it, odds are I'll love it! I make a cake with cream of coconut poured down in it and it is freaking awesome.

3. A Clean House
I sure love the feeling of walking into a clean house. However, this is something I almost never have. Between playing with, feeding, and generally chasing the boys around all day, in addition to having a dog that seems to blow his coat year round, there just isn't enough time in the day. One day, I'll have at least a housekeeper to come scrub my toilets. *wistful sigh*

4. Mowing the Lawn
Jake is absolutely convinced that I am lying through my teeth every single time I say I love mowing the grass. Yet, he can't figure out WHY I lie about it. That's because I don't. I, seriously, love mowing the grass. It makes me feel like I've really accomplished something and I feel like I get some exercise while doing it. Love it.

5. Animals
You name it, I probably love it. Just ask Jake about the time Catch, our fierce hunter cat, brought in a bunny. I couldn't stand to see the bunny hurt, bleeding, or dead, so I called him home to deal with it while I hid in our bonus room. (The bunny managed to find and hide out in a cup and ended up being just fine, btw.) And I've hauled many a caught bird to the vet's office (but they all seem to expire before I can get there :-( ). I am an animal lover through and through.

6. Target
Known to some as the "hundred dollar store," it is probably my favorite place to shop. Need some clothes for the boys? Breastfeeding supplies? Cat litter? Dog food? Target's got you covered. And with better quality than other big box stores.

Of course, those aren't all the things I love, but a pretty fair representation I'd say. :-)

A Little Rock Kind of Day

Today is one of those days when I wish we still lived in North Little Rock.

In the city of Mountain Home, if it is raining, blisteringly hot, or cold, you are SOL for things to do. Unless, of course, you are rich enough to own a boat. Then you can go out on the lake in the heat. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people.

Today, it is raining. I can think of about a million things we could be doing in Little Rock. We could cruise Target or the mall. We could go to The Wonder Place for the boys to play. Heck, we could even go to the McDonald's Play Place for them to play! We could go to the Children's Museum or the Clinton Presidential Center. We have no such places here. We are pretty much stuck inside. And if you know Spencer, you know being stuck inside is not a good way to be.

(And, yes, I've tried to convince him to go play in the rain, but we can't find his other rain boot and he's refusing to go without them. *sigh*)

It is days like these that I yearn for the city. Or at least, the bigger city. I think Jake would be content to stay here for the rest of his life. I think I would go crazy if I had to.