USAUSAUSA

Like every other person, I have been watching the Olympics every night. I know some people have complained about the whole prime time set up, but I love it. I have kids. I have limited time. We tried the whole,” It’s the OLYMPICS kids! Let’s leave the TV on all day and be patriotic and support our team!” It lasted about 3 hours and ended with me getting mad because people NEEDED STUFF while I was trying to focus. The nerve. And Scott running through the house shirtless with a machine gun firing in the air chant screaming, “USA USA USA.” If  we showed you a video of it, you would swear we were raising a terrorist.

Back to my point. As I have watched the incredible awesomeness of the competitors while eating my nightly dessert, I always inevitably turn to Mike and say, “I just… I can’t believe it. How do they work so hard for so many years for one thing?” It is truly amazing. I mean just the abs alone are feat. And I noticed in every interview the athletes always say, ” (insert sport) makes me happy. I LOVE it. I am so happy.” (the exception might be the Russian gymnasts that constantly look like they are about to cry.) It makes me happy that they are happy. To sacrifice so much you would hope you would sacrifice for something that enriches your life and truly brings happiness. Which made me think. Why do we so often make choices that lead us to an end result that will not make us happy? That won’t bring us joy or enrich our lives? Why do I have days that I make little choices that add up and at the end of the day I look back and go UGH? I know I am not perfect. I know I will always have those days. But it just has made me think about what does make me happy. What choices do I need to make everyday to achieve my personal “happiness”? What choices am I making that are pulling me away from where I want to be instead of bringing me closer? I have the same hours in a day as everyone else. We all get to choose how we use those hours.

 

These people make me pretty happy.

The PP

It has taken us forever to get to the pumpkin patch this year or as Mike calls it, “The PP.” Which cracks the kids up every time and gets an obligatory eye roll from me (I laughed the first time). Of course I forgot my “real” camera… iPhone you have enriched my life in so many ways… Where were you in high-school when I got lost driving home…every. other. day?
PS Siri… I can’t wait to meet you. I think we will have a special bond.

The opening “sit by the creepy scarecrow and pretend your not itchy shot”.

The kids picking their pumpkins and me in no way what-so-ever being bossy and trying to “guide” the decision process.

Cutie booty Nate. (Scott was to cool for school)

Scott’s side. (We are carving the night before Halloween… Last year our pumpkin was rotted out before Halloween rolled around… Sometimes you have to learn the hard way… Sometimes.)

Nate’s side.

This pic has nothing to do with the PP but Mike was super excited my parents brought him AQ Chicken from Arkansas. (and I felt bad he didn’t get in on any of the patch pics)

A Perfect 10

Okay, so it hasn’t been perfect but there is no one else I would have rather spent it with.
I love that you set your out of office response as this:

I love that you make me laugh every day. I know our family is your first priority. And I appreciate all the ways that you show me. I am thankful that you ask for and respect my opinion. I feel lucky that date night is just as much fun now as it was 10 years ago.

You have the most generous and caring heart I have ever known.You are slow to judge and quick to forgive. And I love doing all the boring stuff with you. All that stuff that makes up life. You make it worth it.

I love you. Thank you for marrying me 10 years ago.

Happy Anniversary.

Home Sweet Home

Crazyville

I had my first kindergarten panic attack last night. Okay, panic attack is a strong word (or two). I had my first kindergarten stress out.

As the the school year is getting closer to beginning, I am feeling overwhelmed with what needs to be done or ordered or picked up or attended or signed up for. I was lying in bed stressing out that I didn’t know if they started soccer in kindergarten or not and if so, how do I sign up and did I miss the sign up and why haven’t I received any info about it and I ordered uniform shirts last week, why aren’t they here yet, what if they get here and don’t fit and I don’t have time to order more before school, and what about tennis shoes, are they allowed and if so, does it matter the color? AND why even after I unsubscribe, do people keep spamming me?! 

And then Nate woke up with fever at 1 am as I was finally falling asleep. As I have mentioned previously, Nate being sick is so so so not fun. Like really not fun. (I am really mad at myself for letting the nurse talk me into 3 vaccinations instead of my usual limit of 2. I blame her. Okay, I blame me. Holy Nuts, I really want to blame someone else.) Tack on to that, through a series of unfortunate events between myself, Scott and Nate, we have had 6 doctor visits in the last two weeks. With 2 more scheduled for next week, put that in your co-pay pipe and smoke it. This entire paragraph is has nothing to do with my story, I just felt like whining and now I will never mention it again. Mike has been out of town all week so I haven’t had anyone around to tell me to TACP (oh yea, I am bringing back Take A Chill Pill). Since he is out of town, I attended my first official new school event solo. I am convinced that is where my freak out began. New school, new people, walking in… alone (well, with a five year old that immediately ditched me to play with kids… some wing man ;)) I spiraled from there.

Mike comes home tonight. I miss my real wingman and I really need someone that loves me to talk me down. I hope he reads this so he can mentally prepare himself to walk into Crazyville.

Fried Egg and Boy Mom

We tried to fry an egg on the street this week. It didn’t work, but we had fun watching it and discussing how IF it does fry, how will we peel it off the ground and eat it with out eating gravel. 

I “learned” how to sew. For my birthday, I asked for a sewing machine and a weekly sewing lesson from my mom. My mom is letting me use her old machine and after my first lesson I decided to attempt my first project. Project Sundress. I sewed the armholes shut. TWICE. I will embrace my seam ripper and forge ahead. 

 We also had this gem of a convo in the car:

(we had been talking about job’s and working and why I don’t go to work and Mike said, “Your mom is a very hard worker. Staying at home and taking care of our family is the hardest job around.”)

Nate: When I get to be a grown up and I have babies, I want to be a mom at home too. Because mom’s at home work really hard.

Scott: You can’t be a mom. You’re a boy. 

Nate: When I grow up I want to be a mom.

Scott: You are always a boy. When you grow you will be a dad.

Me (attempting to be pc): Well, maybe when Nate grows up he will be a dad that stays at home with his kids.

Scott: If Nate stays at home instead of working, his family won’t have any money. And then they won’t have food and clothes (and a million other things)

Me: Wellll, maybe Nate will stay at home and be a dad and Nate’s wife will go to work.

Stunned Silence (we obviously have a super diverse group of friends that embrace all sorts of different lifestyles)

Mike: NO NO NO… The boys in our family go to work. Boys, do you hear me? Lyon boys go to work. There is nothing wrong with other dads staying at home, but you will work. 

Scott and Nate: YEA!

Mike: Repeat after me…. WHEN I GROW UP, I WILL GO TO WORK. I WILL WORK HARD. I AM A LYON AND I WILL WORK.

Scott and Nate from the back seat: I WILL WORK! WOOHOO! I AM A LYON BOY! 

Let the brain washing begin.

PS I also figured out how to use my instagram app. I am obsessed.

Keener Beener Birthday Boy

Nate Keener Lyon-

YOU ARE 3! In your two’s…. You started talking up a storm and haven’t slowed down…one bit. You broke your leg. You mastered riding a scooter. Your favorite things to do are wrestling with your brother (your dad, friends, anyone), playing play doh, painting, helping me make breakfast shakes, jumping on the trampoline, and following Scott around. You love costumes and pretending. When you talk to yourself, it is the most adorable thing. You love running, reading, and getting dirty.

You are funny. Spazzy and really truly funny. When you get excited you crazy dance. You get excited several times a day. Your eyes are happy eyes and you can open your mouth almost as big as your dad. When you smile it takes up 80 % of your face.

Your favorite color is blue, your favorite food is still pizza, your favorite dessert is icing off a cupcake and ice cream.

You have a kind heart and an infectious smile. You can always find the moon during the day. You always wait until after we brush your teeth at night to ask for a snack. You are perfect just the way you are and we love you. We love you so much. We love you higher than the heavens and deeper than the seas.

PS Your favorite word is poop. And you are scared of fireworks.

I blogged from my phone!

Happy 4th! (yes, we actually had some one take a family picture at the fire works stand… It might be my Christmas card.)

Lately

So far, this summer has been (as Scott would say…) AWESOME! A perfect combo of busy and lazy. We have been hiking, swimming, going to the weekly free movie at Riverwalk, sleeping in, splash park with friends and taking each week as it comes.

Because I am crazy, I have no pictures of swimming so far, but this year with the kids has been so fun. Scott is swimming completely on his own. ON HIS OWN. My future life as a pool mom in the shade reading is so close I can taste it. He is going off the HIGH DIVE  and swimming to the edge ALONE. That is big stuff people. Nate is faux swimming/almost drowning like a pro also. Pictures will be captured and posted soon.

Here is the other stuff we have been up to…

Hanging out at Mimi and Poppy's house.

Philbrook Family Fun Day. The kids LOVED it. We did a scavenger hunt and two art projects. Mike and I loved it too. We will definitely be making it a monthly outing.

I forced my children to give me birthday kisses.

The Kiddie Park in Bartlesville.

Mimi and Poppy with the kids.... What kind of mom lets her kids eat sno cones at 9 pm? A super smart kind.

Even the great grandparents can't resist the Kiddie Park.

Since our children are gifted they completed the summer reading program at the library on the first official day of summer. (PS Nate is really into picking out his own shoes right now. So don't judge me.)

Have I mentioned that I love summer? Well, I do. I am plotting ways to enjoy winter more. Yes, it is only June and I am trying to pep myself up for the winter months.

Happy Face Sad Face

Well, I failed for the first time last week on my New Year’s Resolution (actually I might have already been failing because I totally forgot about my “be less bossy” one. ). I jolted awake at 4 am on Sunday thinking, “I FORGOT MY WEEKLY BLOG”. I briefly considered getting up and posting a pic but then I realized that it was already the next week and so I missed my deadline no matter what, so I fell back asleep. To make up for it… I am going to try post twice this week.

Nate has perfected the angry pout face. It is hilarious. But if you laugh at him he rages. Scott on the other hand, couldn’t even make an angry face and kept cracking up. Sometimes technology really bugs me, but I have to say, some of my favorite pics and definitely some of my most favorite videos have been captured on an iPhone.