Weekend Update

In Myers-Briggs testing, my results have consistently labeled me an ISFJ...which may not mean much to you. I won't go into the shpiel...'cause I still don't understand it, but the first letter I designates me as an introvert. 

In most cases I agree...I can function socially, sometimes comfortably, most times awkwardly. I love people and I just might grill you about your experiences if you sit still long enough. On the flip side, I'll tell you just about anything you want to know about me...veering into TMI territory...yep, awkward.

There is a limit to my socializing...to fill my tank again I need to withdraw. Each day, I yearn for some me time...read a book, veg in front of a TV, go for a walk, take a power nap...whatever it is, I like to do it alone. I've been known to craftfully manipulate a schedule to fit solitude in. 

But in our travels I have learned that I prefer to vacation with others. Introversion does not apply. Our little family's trip to Florida taught me a lot. It was nice...not thrilling, but nice. We had some fun in the beautiful sunny weather. But I still really wish we had just saved our money and the travel trouble and gone camping with friends somewhere. It's really all I want to do.

So there is my vacation groove...I love the community of camping...the I'll watch your babes on the playground while you clean up your breakfast dishes...Let's chop the onions for dinner and cry together...Hey, you have s'more ooze dripping off your face...and should you really have eaten that third one? 

I don't seem to need the me time so much when we are surviving the wilderness together. 

We did more than survive this weekend...we had rub some spit on it - laugh 'til you're red or is that sunburn - stay up too late - everyone throw a proper tantrum but sleep like babies  fun.


We'll be camping a lot this summer. I wish I could live this way all the time.

I think the kids had fun, too. Be warned...there are lots of pictures to follow.

Hittin' the road

Tomorrow morning will be here soon and the babes and I will be loading up and moving out. Pulling away from this really great town of Cedar Falls/Waterloo. What a great five weeks we've had. Gonna miss the cornfields...everywhere. Gonna miss the rhythm of our Iowa days.

                            

Moving towards home. Towards family. Towards friends. Towards a fun weekend. 

Be glad these don't speak a thousand words

I have buttons...buttons that trigger emotion ie: relief, anxiety, anger. My children are beginning to discover them...my husband could draw you a schematic. He knows the spot on my thumb that helps diminish my headaches. He knows I don't like being told I'm wrong. He knows. 

My babes seem to like reminding the people closest to them that they have made mistakes. That's a button for me and became their favorite pasttime Thursday. They're just learning, so the first few times, I ignored...the next time, I reminded them their jobs are not to tell people what they've done wrong...but after about the 13th time that day, I'd had enough...so at that point, I got a little wrong.

My bubble burst and out of the rupture oozed my irritation. On the highway at 60mph, no less.

Within a half hour of that eruption, I unloaded on my husband...he hadn't even pushed any buttons...I just wasn't done spewing. Hot lava and ash fell on everyone that day.

I needed to tell him he was wrong because he spent money on something I deemed foolish. He knows now...that regardless of the hard work he does to give us all we need and more, he can't make his own decisions about spending $30. Am I right or am I right?

I really know how to make the most of the little amount of time we get to spend together, donchathink?

So, who's the fool? Who's wrong?
Don't answer that.

Anywho...I found this place near Sweet Man's office that has amazing light at sunset. I planned a little photo shoot.

I don't record videos of the kiddos very much...because instead of documenting the bickering and cajoling... with photographs, I can choose my own idyllic narration. Readers, feel free to do the same...add birdsong or giggling children to the soundtrack...actually, that is what we were hearing in addition to my shutter snapping.  So, I can look at these and delude myself:: we hadn't had a no good, horrible, very bad day...right?

Nope, doesn't work...I will probably look at these and always remember the day Mt. Momma blew her top...again.

Then I remember,

A thousand times I've failed

Still Your mercy remains,

And should I stumble again

Still I'm caught in Your grace.

Empty the brain

::My two boys are shorn. Daddy got crazy with the clippers. Bring on the summer sweat! I still am doing double takes when I see my boy. And with that, the tears from the daily morning taming of the curls decrease by half...still have to deal with Bean's.

::Swimming lessons are going well...as well as week-long free lessons can go. They are both being challenged a little, being asked to do things out of the norm with me or Sweet Daddy or Grammy...their usual swim-help-adults-people.

::      ♬ School's out for summer ♩....almost.          We'll be finished with school in 5 more days...hopefully before we head home. I love summer, you know. I may be more excited than him.

:: We've enjoyed two mornings out...Messy Morning, the weekly fave and then a reduced admission day here. Staying busy.

:: My mood is so much better now that Sweet Man and I have some flags on the horizon....plans with dates attached to them. I'm pushing the limit of metaphors:: I've felt like a marathon runner (ha...never!) who's been in the race for a while, but has no idea how long she's run or how much farther to go. Having a stake in the ground marking a destination in time shores up my motivation and joy.

So, the next flag coming into focus is for Memorial Day weekend when SM has another long weekend. Many decisions to be made about that one...stay here? go home? camp....oooo, I hope so...? Staying here makes me want to go home and going home tugs my heart to stay here. I know...I'm sick in the head. My mind reels with possibilities. Think I'll let Sweet Man make the final decision.