The Man's Dilemma

Men have forever had a difficult, nigh-impossible decision to make. A Catch 22. A lose-lose. An inescapable enigma. A vicious circle of circumstance. I call it, The Dilemma.

Women may brush off The Dilemma as merely a superficial choice, like the hairstyle they choose or what shoes they wear. This is, putting it mildly, a felonious understatement. Rarely will your hairstyle, shoes, dress, or other raiment-related decision require weeks approaching months of a sunk time investment only to leave you with a more or less binary choice.

To beard, or not to beard?

I've only entered the ranks of the Blessedly Bearded within the last year. Less than one orbit of Spaceship Earth around our nearest star, and yet I've come to understand in the most intimate of ways the true depth and breadth of The Dilemma.

To Beard:

Manly. Gruff. Commanding. These are a few of the hundreds of wonderful adjectives associated with the Beard-havers among us. Unfortunately, along with endowing your head with its own testosterone-born facial fortress, you're also turning yourself into an unassailable citadel of abstinence and loneliness. The women-folk will be understandably mesmerized and enthralled by your astonishing display of manliness, only to realize that every rose has its thorn. A thorn we call BEARD.

Not To Beard:

"So," you may think. "I certainly don't want to repel those of the fairer sex. My proximity to females is important and I value it above my epic jaw warmer." So you shave, attributing to yourself a whole new set of descriptors. Approachable. Relatable. Sweet. Then, out of nowhere, a mirror. You burst into tears, the waves of guilt and anguish washing over you like a tsunami over a fishing boat. You sacrificed your manly visage and left it shorn clean in the interest of human contact considering it an even trade. But now you know. You see yourself for what you now are without that herculean chin cover: a pasty, lust-repulsing babyface.

Attractive but unattainable, or approachable but undesirable? Thus, the man suffers and has for centuries.

And now a collection of images for your consideration:

Twin Problems

Sometimes when you are a twin and you drink too much water in the bathtub....

Your brother gets puked on. 

Luckily, he doesn't even seem to notice! 

And the puking one was better quickly enough for a blanket-cape to run around the circle with following bath time. 

Circle of Love

This is our new favorite pastime. 

Walking laps around the circle in our apartment.

Sometimes while hugging which makes me die from the cuteness!

Dallas Arboretum

Last week we were invited to the Dallas Arboretum with a few friends. 

More like, the Mormons overtook the Arboretum. 

There were probably 10 double strollers in our "little" group. It was funny.

But we had a blast!

We walked through a little hay maze.

And Briggs found this adorable little pumpkin. 

And Ian loved walking up on the little hay bales.  

I could not believe how many pumpkins were at this place! It was mind blowing. And they were all shapes, colors, and textures. Ah-mazing. 

Oh yeah, and my kids still don't like to look at the camera. 

They absolutely loved roaming around looking at everything! 

We also got star tattoos which the boys thought were pretty spectacular.  

Also not pictured, because my hands were full, was the 100 trips up and down this steep hill while all the other kids sang and danced during singing time! Not to mention the mile long walk down a never ending path we took after the hill climb. And at the end of that we were back at the bottom of the hill so I had to scoop up those two hooligans who didn't want to to walk in the same direction and hike back up to the top of the long hill. Silly kids. Gave me a workout!

Binky Detox | Update

I feel that we need an obligatory Binky Detox update. 

It's like I mentioned in the original post, they were champs at going to sleep sans Binkies. (Really haven't had any problems going to sleep at nap time or bedtime since the detox began.) And I slept great that first night. Jesse claims he was up a few times, but I don't know if I trust that. :)

Since that first night it's been a roller coaster. Some nights they are great, and other nights (like the last three or four in particular) it's a nightmare. But I'm not so sure it is lack of binkies or just that we are probably getting teeth, or they need a diaper change (because hello, these kids drink their weight in water every day), or they are thirsty. Who knows. But I can't just let them scream without me at least checking on them!

 Ian has been seriously struggling lately which has made for a very tired mama. But once again I don't know if it is necessarily due to not having a binky or just that he turned into an insomniac. One night (of course the night after I worked all day) he was up from 9:30 until about midnight! I was dying! He screamed every time I tried to lay him in his bed which is so not like him and instead he just wanted to walk circles around our apartment. And not just that, but hold my hand and bring me around the circle with him. I finally got out the pack-n-play and made him sleep there, crazy kid. The next night, same story. Screamed when I tried to lay him down and just wanted me to stand up and hold him or walk the circle. By night three of this routine I was starting to think he had insomnia or was having nightmares about his bed or something. Who knows. But on that third night he came out in the front room and just laid down. I decided that was fine and laid down on the floor with him and of course panicked when I woke up and remembered that my child was not in his bed and he wasn't where I left him! Luckily I turned around and he was still snuggled up on the floor in a different spot fast asleep. So we had yet another slumber party spent alternating between the floor and the couch.

At this point they still find binkies and sneak them here and there and I'm so tired that I don't even mind giving them binkies when they scream if that's what will calm them down! haha. How about that for a good binky detox?! I guess we'll get there eventually. Honestly I'm not too worried about them now that I know they can at least go to sleep without them. We've made good strides and they fall asleep without any problems, it's just that whole staying asleep part! It's pretty much like having a newborn again... except this time I don't have to pump/nurse and I don't currently have the super strength God gives to new parents to somehow cope on no sleep! Oh do I miss that super power right now!

Noah's Widow

My husband works hard. And often times late. Sometimes he is gone for a few days at a time. 

I have been referred to as a Noah's Widow. 

And that is how I feel some days.

On those days I take pictures with the depressing clock in the background.

This is what time my love finally made it home on Saturday. 

And the saddest part is that it has been much later than that some nights!

Good thing I love him. And that he has a job. And that he is good at his job. 

But I sure do miss him at night.

When Mama's Away....

I've been working a little more lately and always know that my boys are in good hands with their dad. 

And while I am away, I always have to check in and see how my three boys are doing. 

When I'm lucky, I get pictures. It's pretty much the best part of my day.

A couple of days ago, I got this one while I was at work.

Jesse said Ian was feeling a little warm, being snuggly, and had been holding a phone up to his ear for about an hour. I thought they looked adorable.

And then I looked closer at the picture.

Do you notice anything unusual?

Like the greatest photo bomb ever there in the top left corner??

I immediately texted Jesse back asking what on Earth was going on in the background.... and if Briggs had fallen on his head!

Apparently that little monkey crawled up his high chair and was heading over the other chair in the middle of this picture. By the time he actually made some noise he was on the table squatting on the laptop! Haha!

I guess while mama's away, the boys will play. And be sneaky little monkeys while dad is busy snuggling...