Just a Thursday.

So, it's Tuesday afternoon and the kids are resting. In fact, both boys fell asleep. And Bethany is utilizing sesamestreet.org. Which creates the perfect time for me to put my head down and get something done!
So, like usual, I sat here staring at my notebooks scribbled full of notes on started projects and ambitions, the computer screen on which I can access half a dozen spreadsheets detailing everything from food storage plans to chore charts in the making for the kids, my phone on which lies unanswered texts, my iPod on which lies thousands of apps waiting to be browsed and evaluated in terms of usefulness, chosen, purchased, established, put into use, and kept current.

I think I have too many outlets for my ambition.

Now I have my "ambition" headache.

I already lost my "clarity" high.

BUT, hopefully it's a temporary setback and I can ponder later on how to un-clutter this part of my day. Maybe I'll make a spreadsheet about it.
For now, I have decided to work on catching up on the blog. May not be the most important thing but we're going for something.

We got back from Huntington Beach on Wednesday (almost a week ago! Feels like yesterday we were there!). JC had purposely taken the rest of the week off so that we could come back in town and spend some extra time with the kids. Thursday we used as a mostly around-the-house day, getting some stuff done and just hanging out.
After a morning spent cleaning out the kids' drawers of summer clothes, pulling winter stuff out of bins, and working on laundry, (I did our vacation laundry the day after we got back. The DAY AFTER!!! I think by anybody's standard, that is pretty good. By my usual standard, downright unheard of) we took the kids to eat at Barro's Pizza by our house. Nothing fancy, but they have this awesome kids area with a play kitchen, little tables, etc. The kids could eat, walk around, play...and JC and I could get their awesome salads. So, it was a great lunch.

Bethany, Ben, and the blurry version of James at their table.

Blurry Ben trying to fandangle the candy machine.
No, sorry, my dear.
If we go through the trouble of getting your pizza made without cheese on it, there's no way we're caving for candy.

James gave it a try too.

Bethany found this old school (at least to me) arcade game and I think she thought she was really playing. It was cute.

After lunch and a rest time spent continuing on our work in the kids' rooms, we decided to take the kids for their first Ikea trip.
We needed to get dressers for the boys. They share a room now. Have I yet to relay that information? Is there a reason I think it's relevant to anyone other than us? I don't know...this is a big deal in my mind! Reason being, we moved Ben from his baby-blue-painted room into James' green jungle-y room so the boys could be together and hopefully benefit from the room-sharing. And they really have. It's been awesome. But...he's not in his baby room anymore. And there's not a rocking chair in his room anymore. And he's sharing the big boy room.
And he's the baby.
It's weird and sad.
And really cute and fun. They really do like sharing a room.
So, anyway, between the two of them, they just had a lot of baby furniture that just...didn't work anymore. And didn't fit. So, Ikea it is.

James fell asleep on the way over, since on that day rest time meant only rest time for him and no sleep time. JC and I took turns carrying him through the store because he was NOT interested in waking up.

But Bethany and Ben had fun occupying the cart before we got the goods.
I like this picture a lot because even though he clearly looks like his daddy, especially in pictures, I think Ben looks like me in this one. :)
And they both look happy!

Then, after we got the goods, they still weren't willing to completely give up their ride.
You really have to love camera phones.

After dinner, we settled back downstairs for project completion. The boys' winter clothes were everywhere and ready for their new homes! It is rare we can get around to finishing one whole project...or one whole piece of a project...in one day, so having the end in sight was exciting. And we were willing to postpone bedtime just for that!

Bethany helped JC.
He gave me a turn with the hammer too.
But apparently it's only cool enough for a picture when you're four.
She did awesome.

And then the kids settled into ballpit play for a while.
This version of ballpit play is the boys running around in the little cove area while Bethany chucks balls at them.
Sounds like a party, huh? All I know is they were laughing SO hard.

And JC was working SO hard.

I took pictures and folded clothes.

I got this picture of the kids playing inside the dresser while it was still being assembled and laying on its side.

But then I forgot they were in there and while sitting next to it, you know, folding clothes, I happened to glance down and nearly had a heart attack when I found two eyes peering at me.
Look closely.
For some reason it was a lot creepier and a lot funnier then.
But this is so much like James and I love it.

It was fun to have a day to kind of work around the house but also feel laid back and unrushed. Not a word.
Anyway, by the end of the day, we were tired and happy and looking forward to the long weekend ahead of us!

As long as we are talking about Ben's move into The Boys' Room (as it is now called), I feel to mention that we no longer have ANY of his baby furniture after this weekend. Someone JC works with is having a baby and, let's be honest, we have more baby stuff around here than we need anymore.
So. Sold.
Sad.
Okay, it's just baby furniture and, again, not that big of a deal. Better to be used somewhere than not here! I think it just reminds me that we, as a family unit, are growing up a bit! I mean, at this time two years ago, we had three cribs, three changing tables, three rocking chairs, three baby swings in the backyard, etc.
Now we are down to one crib...and it's seeing its last few months! Ditto for the rocking chair that's left. And the last baby swing.
Weird.
Sad.

I love my kids at the age they are now, I will love them at the age they are in ten years, twenty, fifty...
but oh how I love babies!
So, my kids...the most wonderful, perfectly scrumptious kids on the face of the earth...as babies?
It was like chocolate-dipped pineapple.
Or this combination yoga/bellydance DVD I found on amazon.com.
Two of the best things you can imagine fused into one.

And we won't ever be there again.
But we still have so many phases to go through! And considering this is my first go at this thing called parenthood, probably lots of surprises.
Maybe one of those surprises will be that I love all the phases just as much, if in their own way, as the baby phase.
I'd be willing to bet.