ok, so it's been one of those weeks...

 I can tell this whole school year is going to find me wondering when I'm ever going to have a normal week.  Not sure what normal looks like, I guess just one where I get everything done that I intended, but we all know when you have kids that's thrown out the window.  So,  I'll just be happy with a good week, not so much a productive one.

What I wore Wednesday:  Jeans from The Gap{after looking at this picture I think they need to be retired}, pink tank from Target, Cardigan from Francesca's, and shoes by Converse. This is unofficially my uniform.

What I wore in my heart:  On this particular day I woke up so thankful that I was headed to the Dentist without any children tagging along.  I mean the only thing worse than taking a child with me to the Dentist is taking one to the Gynecologist!  Lord help me! 

It has been an interesting week and with it being Friday, one that I have been able to reflect on a little more.  I was so thankful that day to have Sloan in a little church Preschool that we love so that I can concentrate a little bit more on the balancing act of school aged children and a little guy.  My main motivation for sending him was I wanted a chance to volunteer in  the older boy's classrooms{something you can't do very well with an active 2 year old}, the social aspect of preschool was a bonus{as we haven't done play groups since Asher was three}, and well if he learned something new, that's great too. 

Earlier in the week, at a mom's group, and then again at one of my favorite blogs, Clover Lane, I experienced what I would call absolute parenting.  Absolute parenting gets under this parent's skin. In both instances, it left me feeling really rotten for the people who were listening or reading these opinions.  Mothers. At the moms group it was a discussion on discipline, on the blog it was about sending a young child to preschool, two subjects that can get some people feeling pretty heated, both left me feeling like the stay- at- home mom has lost touch with the world.  It is easy to do, you surround yourself with people who only think about playdates and park outings{hello, I'm one of them!} and you can easily forget that outside of that group, there is a whole other world.  I mean, spend two hours with a group of stay-at-home-moms and you will never feel so judged and unsupported.  I have certainly walked away from a fellow SAHM with my kids and certainly left her feeling pretty darn good about herself.  Get your kids in school and there is a whole lot of other sizing up and inventory taking. I guess it's just a parenting epidemic, all in the name of feeling good about your personal choices, which are just that-yours.  I totally agree with Sarah at Clover Lane, her point being that kids lives are too busy at too early an age.  I have my own personal battle in this house to slow everything down.  What was said at the moms group wasn't off the wall crazy, but in both cases, it left me wondering what was their motivation for being so opinionated and forgetting that not all lives are packed up with such a pretty little bow.  Where is the thankfulness that you even have choices that others have not been able to make so freely. That the parenting worlds problems don't begin and end with preschool too early and showers{only Tisha will understand that one :)}, the list of potential screw ups is endless.

I think that remembering who your audience is when you post a blog, or try to help someone in need is pretty important{and kind}. Sarah at Clover Lane could have stated her opinion while talking about her own guilt{that she clearly has and chose not to address},as well as the fear of everyone growing up and been much more affective.  Mothers saying in a group that they know exactly what you mean and they've been there too, can really bridge relationships.  Leave your agenda at home{even if you are writing it at home}. In my personal experience there has been no absolutes with parenting.  Just when I think I've got it figured out, a curve ball from left field. And just when I think I couldn't have done worse, a new day dawns, an opportunity to try again.

I'm not so sure that "What I Wore Wednesday" is going to work out for me.  I really don't like to be so heavy{that, and the mirror with my body reflecting in it part}.  You may have noticed that I'm not very opinionated and it is nearly exhausting for me to get so worked up. I may have to re-think my plan....

On a much lighter note. I am doing the happy dance over my most recent junk yard{ok, it called itself an antique store, but I beg to differ}find. Have I ever told you how much I love junk!

Meet my new {to me}, worn out, perfectly wonderful tobacco basket  Hooray! I have big plans for this cutie, but first I need to paint some walls.

Speaking of paint, the second from the top is the winner for the kitchen{yes Becca, you were right.  We are sure we weren't separated at birth, aren't we?} And I hate to just copy so blatantly, but after seeing 320 Sycamore's post about her curtains, I was on a hunt{all the way to Joann's}.  Me is in love.  If you would like an update on the kitchen, here it is.  We have given up on IKEA counter tops, as it seems the whole entire universe is waiting for them, and we are not first in line.  I have instead ordered unfinished butcher block counter tops from a local store and while we are not excited about staining them, whatever. We are over it. We should have them next week, and I'm thinking that by mid October it should be done.  Hopefully.

So, that's it.  I love you people.  Thanks for reading.  Have a wonderful weekend and if I can get my act together I'll post my menu for the week tomorrow.