Sometimes life just isn't what you expected it to be.

Wow, that's quite the title of this blog post. But after quite the whirlwind of a weekend and some funny things the boys have done lately that's just what came to mind.

So what is up with this weather?! (That sounds like a really bad start to a stand up routine, huh?!) So it's been really cold here in FL the last month or so-setting record breaking low temperatures. Crazy! And then the DC area gets hit with an all time historic snow storm. I wasn't too worried because really any snow storm could be cleared in a week, right?! But the snow kept coming and by this last weekend it had snowed in all 50 stinkin' states! Booo!!!!! Tj had been planning on coming home this last weekend to spend the long weekend with us but due to the crappy weather was stuck in DC. I was bummed, Tj was disappointed and the boys were disinterested (the joys of being 2 and 3 is they have no concept of time and would have loved to see him but didn't really "get" it). Then as if that weren't bad enough Saturday night I get hit with the flu. Yuck! Luckily Tj's Grandma was in town and was able to come and watch the boys on Sunday while I laid in bed, and the boys hung out with my dear friend and neighbor until Pa came and got them to spend the day on Monday (while I again laid in bed) with him and Nama and the great- grandparents. Not exactly the weekend I had expected. But in hindsight I'm glad Tj wasn't here when I had the flu (because he would have gotten it too and then would be sick and at work and that would not be fun), I'm glad that he didn't get stuck here (because flights returning to DC were delayed and/or canceled), and I'm glad that I had people I could count on to watch the kids so I could lay in bed and feel sorry for myself (because I know I'm extremely lucky to have that!!!). In other unexpected news I'm going to get to go to DC (for the first time in my ENTIRE life) this weekend and HOPEFULLY get to spend some time with Tj. It won't be the family reunion that I had hoped for last weekend but it will still be nice and honestly will be a nice break for me. I'm grateful for my friends and my in-laws who will be watching the kids and making this trip possible. :)

Now for the good part. The kids! I don't know if all parents feel this way or if it's just a generational thing or what (meaning a Manda psychosis thing). But sometimes I feel so bad that my kids won't always have "the good stuff". I mean lets be honest between the recession and what we know about childhood obesity and spoiling children in general I think most parents are trying to be responsible. But there is a part of me that feels like I should be spending the money to send my boys to "the best" preschool I can (even though they are 2 and 3). Or that pull when they ask for "just one thing" at the store even though our budget is pretty strict. Or feeling a little guilty buying the knock off cereal or pasta or whatever it is. I know it's dumb and that it's more about me than it is about them. And so it's nice when you have a moment where you feel validated in your "cheapskate tendencies".

In The Republic (which I actually did read parts of for my college philosophy class at the UofA) Plato stated, "Necessity, who is the mother of invention" or as we commonly say "Necessity is the mother of invention". This is why we don't run out and buy our children every new toy that is asked for, every new whim fulfilled because in doing so we'd stifle the very creativity we love to see in our children.

Exhibit A:

Joel wearing one "cowboy boot" aka rain boot.
Said rain boot was purchased last year by Nama
no less than one size too large. Has been a favorite
footwear accessory for the last year.
(PS. Love the face Joel is making in the picture!)

Exhibit B:

Vance wearing similar "cowboy boots" purchased
under the same circumstances as Joel's except
about 2-3 sizes too large as they were the closest
to his size and if Joel had rain boots Vance needed them too.

Now for anyone who knows Joel and Vance or has read this blog very often these boys LOVE 2 things (well a lot more than that but you get the idea). They love their Pa and they love Jim and Jessica (aka Man from Snowy River). Ever since Pa introduced them to Jim and Jessica they have loved watching the same 3 scenes with him over and over and over and over........ And when they are not watching Jim and Jessica they are playing Jim and Jessica (although why they call it that I have no idea because one is always Jim and the other is Curly the bad guy). Many times the last year I have eyed little cowboy hats and cowboy costumes. I've looked at little cowboy boots and thought how much the boys would love these things when they play Jim and Jessica. But as the boys put on their rain boots and asked if they could go outside to play Jim and Jessica I realized that they are just fine without the frivolous cowboys boots, hats and costumes, because regardless of what they're wearing; in their minds they're decked out and playing just like Jim and Curly on the movie. And sometimes it takes a little reminder from my two and three year old to remember that sometimes life just isn't what you expect it to be- it's better!