1.  Halloween is in 8 days and we have 0 costumes.  We might just call the whole thing off even though it’s one of my most favorite holidays.  Actually, I take the 0 costumes back because I just remembered Harper has a hand-me-down witch dress.  And sadly, Hudson has moved on past the sheet ghost costume.  I really wanted that one to stick.

2.  Today we got papers which officially made Amon, well, Amon.  He’s bonafide now…Amon Henry Berhane Kelley.  He’s legit.  Only took us a little over 2 years…ha.  We celebrated with Chick-fila for dinner.

3.  Last night Amon was seriously up all night long because he was scared of…wait for it…a snake.  Some of you may remember this video.  I hated myself last night.  I’m exhausted and all night he insisted there was a snake in his bed.  At one point I went in the boys room and he had removed everything from his bed and was just standing there saying “nake, nake, nake.”  I told him there were no snakes in his bed, then started putting everything back in his bed.  Out of no where in the pitch black, Hudson leans over from the top bunk and says, “Mom, I know we can’t take candy from strangers, but what about from Mrs. Hughes?”  Wow.  This is Hudson’s little mind at 3am.  And Mrs. Hughes is his sweet teacher.  I die.

4.  I got out bid on this really awesome tin of 3 different kinds of popcorn in the auction for Jude last night.  I was seriously bummed.  Who knew a tin of popcorn could have such a powerful affect on me.

5.  I might have officially heard enough people make snide remarks about Title 1 public schools.  Our school this year is amazing…and awesome…and diverse…and full of the most special, smart and unique kiddos…and has crazy awesome teachers and staff…and it’s a Title 1 school.  I honestly could not be more happy with where are kids are going to school.  We want community.  We were created for community.  And it’s truly beautiful.  We’re honored to be apart of this school…a total privilege.

6.  Have you heard of Pura Vida bracelets?  My friend Dana passed along their site and here is yet another company giving back.  Love it..and you know I’ll support an arm party any day of the week.

7.  I want joy.  I want so much joy in Christ I just cannot keep it in.  This has been on my heart like crazy.  Being so filled up with Him.  Being so bright…so different…the world can’t help but wonder why.  And then they will see it’s all because of Jesus.  I long and desire for this…for God to absolutely consume every thought, action, word…my entire life.

8.  Finished this book and wow…that’s just about all I can say…and read it!!!!!!

9.  I’ve kind of been on this old school memory lane dessert kick lately.  Chocolate chip cookies, whoopie pies.  Now all I’ve been thinking about is Bunny’s Cake and Gooey Butter Cake.  You guys…this is going to have to happen.  Do me a favor and just pick one…either one…make it, eat it, share it, enjoy it!  You’ll thank me later.

10.  How much do I love watching them play baseball?  A lot!  How much do we all enjoy being at the ballpark?  A lot.  I think it’s just in our blood.

And 11.  I keep asking when we’re going to party?!?!?!?!

Now I really should go to bed.  I’m crossing my fingers there will be no snakes in Amon’s bed tonight.

Peace out!

How was your weekend?  Are you ready for this week?  Ours was good and fun and I’m not quite sure if I’m ready for another week to begin or not.  I’m working on breathing easier…taking deep breaths…trying not to be easily overwhelmed…trying to enjoy these busy days because they may be busy, but they are busy with good things and good people and these 5 other humans who make up our home.  It’s good.  It should be enjoyed, so I’m working on really enjoying it…all of it…the good, the bad and the random.

My cousin Amy sent Hudson and Solomon some mini archeological dig kits.  I have to admit I completely got into these.  Sol’s was a shark head that had a real shark tooth hidden in it and Hudson’s was a big spider that had a dead preserved spider.  They had to dig and brush away all the dirt to find the specimens.  Really cool.  Thank you Amy!

We usually try and do donuts for breakfast once on the weekend.  And I usually have strawberries, granola and a dab of yogurt almost everyday for a snack.  We like to keep our food balanced around here 🙂

Amon is the most intense toddler drawer I have ever seen.  He usually gets super close to the paper and pushes down so hard and he has an amazing grip.  Intense kid after my own heart.

I know you were wondering about that blog title, well here it is.  Josh Kelley recently got to come home for lunch.  It was cold in our house and I was working on emails & such on the computer wrapped up tight in my afghan.  He took one look at me and said, “Where are the cats?”

The kids have a special color day every Friday.  Last Friday it was blue day! #nailedit

I would like to briefly acknowledge two things:  #1.  Sol refuses to do something normal with his face or hands when I take his picture and #2.  Sol also has worn his Ethiopian sweat bands for approximately 9,212 consecutive days…sleeps, eats, baths, plays baseball, school…you name it…those Ethiopian sweat bands have done it.

The Noonday party at our house was awesome!!!  Crazy fun.  This was the facial aftermath…too much fun + not enough sleep = hot ladies.

And if you’d like to place an order you still can: go to www.ashleymills.noondaycollection.com then when checking out, put “Ashley Mills” in the drop down ambassador name list and “Laura Kelley” under trunk show name.

The weather in Tennessee officially feels like fall.  Signs that fall is right around the corner:  my Kismet bag, a new fallish key fob, my go-to Toms and soccer in full swing.  It’s my favorite season and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

And Josh Kelley and I had a long over due date Saturday night.  The beginning of our date started with me tagging along on one of his 1/2 marathon training runs.  During our run he looked over and said, “Didn’t realize we were both wearing Full Count shirts…isn’t that cute.”  And he couldn’t have changed quick enough.

(These are all Instagram pictures.  You can find me at pitterpatterart to follow along.)

Hope everyone gets their week kicked off good.  Try and enjoy it.

Happy Monday!

Tonight Josh Kelley and I have this thing called a date night which we haven’t been on in what seems like forever because of this other thing called life and a whole little quiver of small wild humans, so I’m pretty dang excited.  While making my to-do list for today I thought of some random things I would like to share with you.  They may seem deep and really knowledgeable and if you feel intimated by our family’s grandeur just embrace it 🙂

*I’ve decided I should get myself a new notepad.  More times than I would like to admit I awake and have my hand reminder tattooed directly on my face.  Yesterday my taxes were do.  Got it!  It’s also incredibly awkward taking such a close up selfie of yourself.  I chose not to make eye contact.

*One day this week for lunch I may have combined 3 sets of leftovers into one bowl for my meal.  And it was delicious.  Some of these were also leftovers from last week, but I feel like we really under estimate the shelf life of leftovers.  Plus I microwaved the crap out of it and feel confident that killed anything living I did not want to consume…no mold and no funky smell = you can totally still eat it.  I told Josh this last night and it kind of grossed him out.  Pansy.  I even made him guess which three leftovers I combined…like a fun game.

*This morning as Solomon put his shoes on for school we had this conversation:

Sol: Mom, you are never going to believe what this kid did at school?

Me: (thinking the worst) What?  You gotta tell me if I’m not going to believe it.

Sol:  While we were eating lunch he threw up.

Me:  That is so gross.  Poor kid.  What did you do?

Sol:  Well I didn’t even notice, but I was wondering “What’s that all over his chicken?”

I die.  Kids are gross.  Puke is even grosser.

*I want to make these Texas Sheet Cake Cupcakes like right about now.  I am a lush for some chocolate cake and these look crazy good.  Might try to pull these off this weekend.

(picture source)

*Speech therapy is the bomb.  I’ll be honest in saying I kind of hate doing it twice a week, but we love our therapists and Amon works so hard and it is paying off.  It makes me so teary how far he has come and how he’s just making these leaps and bounds.  Two nights ago I leaned into his bed and gave him his goodnight kiss and said “I love you Amon” just like I do every night, but this time he said “I yuh you” back and I absolutely cried.  Right there, my head pressed against his head, those were the words my heart has been longing to hear from this child.  He had used the potty right before bed so he got a chocolate chip and in my tears I said, “You smell like chocolate.”  And he just nodded his head “yes”.  A moment forever engraved in my mind and heart.  Early intervention and therapists of all shapes and sizes are the BEST!!!

*To follow up that sweet sappy note, next week Amon starts Mother’s Day Out and you guys it will be the first time in 7 years I will be alone…in our house…in the middle of the week…for the day.  No kids at all.  I am dying.  The possibilities are endless.

(Sometimes we eat our lunch in the kitchen floor just because we can.)

*And solely for housekeeping reasons:  If you’ve sent me an email or message using the “Contact Laura” button at the top and I did not reply please know I did not get your message.  I reply to all emails I receive…sometimes it takes me a few days, but I do reply.  I have been having some issues with the button, so please try re-sending it or just email me at pitterpatterart at gmail dot com.

You guys rock.  Thank you for stopping by.  Thank you for reading.  Hope your day is the best.

Happy Thursday!