Batman Shoes

It happened innocently enough...after registering the boys for daycare today (actually, technically Deacon is starting daycare and Manning is starting pre-school GULP) me and my three amigos trotted off to the mall tonight for some new tennis shoes. The boys have lived in native shoes and flip-flops all summer, but daycare/preschool requires tennis shoes, so off we went.

We found some sweet little white and red adidas velcro shoes...it wasn't "tricky" at all ;), and we stopped at the food court for some tacos after a quick spin on the carousel. Manning quickly finished his dinner, which is easy to do when you only eat three bites a meal, and chow hound Deacon wasn't anywhere close to being done, so I walked with Manning down to Journeys to eyeball the Dr. Marten selection.

sidebar: Are these things really back in style? Because by the time I finally saved enough money for a pair of Dr. Martens in high school I got them off of the clearance rack at JC Penney and the trend had blown me by. This time, I do NOT want to miss the boat, so someone please tell me, combat boots on a church secretary mom of 2?

Anyway, we stepped into Journeys and Manning's eyes bugged out of his head. He said, and I quote, "Oh my gosh, mom. Look at those Batman shoes. They are so awesome. I want to buy them." I responded by asking him when he turned 13, then I asked the sales clerk to bring me a size 9 please. "We are out of 9 ma'am. Would you like to try an 8 and a 10?" Sure, why not. Size 8 too small. Size 10 too big.

Next thing I know I'm standing at the sales counter paying an extra $5 on top of the original $35 to order these:

Next time I think I'll cut to the chase and just get "Sucker" tattooed across my forehead. These ought to look really nice with the preppy Boden winter wardrobe I just gave my left arm for. In all seriousness, I can't be the only mom that's given up my anti-character ways for the sake of making my child pee his pants in excitement right?

Monday Miscellaneous

I have several things to share today, some of which are SUPER exciting for our little family!

• Nathan got a job on Friday! It's a really great job through our state and he'll be working in a position where he can really help people that he cares a lot about, so I think it will be fantastic.
• Friday afternoon Nathan also got a letter in the mail with is disability rating from the government. God really blessed us with his rating, and he will start receiving a portion of his previous pay every month. 
• We have an interview today for daycare for the boys, and I'm really excited about it. I'm praying for peace as we transition to this new phase of life. I love my boys so much, and I know daycare can be amazing for them.
• Manning's vocabulary has taken off recently. He has always been well-spoken for his age, but in the last few weeks he has really started talking like a miniature adult. I heard him walk into his bedroom last week and say, "What a mess, Deacon! This is ridiculous!" I can't imagine where he would've heard something like that before.
• Another exciting thing about Nathan's new job- after seven years of marriage- this is the first time Nathan and I both have Monday-Friday normal work schedules. Can you believe it? Yes, I'll still be doing thirty-one and he will be in seminary, but we will work at the same time, and be home at the same time!
• Seminary starts today for Nathan. I know he will do great, but I think he is a little nervous about all of the writing requirements.
• Deacon's vocabulary has really taken off too. With a big brother who does a LOT of talking, Deacon just hasn't been in a hurry to say much, but he's finally starting to repeat most things we say to him and using more words to express himself.
• Mostly, we are just feeling so blessed and thankful for our lives right now. Have a great week everyone!

Boots

I've desperately needed a new pair of tan or light brown riding boots since last fall. I wear my riding boots almost everyday in the winter, and mine are WORN OUT. Last year, I must have missed the window for ordering because when I started looking they were sold out everywhere. I was determined that this year would be different, so I've begun to browse online, but it seems like a lot of places don't have their stock available yet. I have found a few pairs I like & I'm wondering if any of you have these boots or know about them.

First is the Engineered Boot from American Eagle for $79.95

The Kasia from Merona at Target for $69.99

I really like that these look a lot like Frye boots that are out of my price range, but doesn't $70 seem awfully high for faux leather from Target?

The Manette from Merona at Target for $39.99

Right now these are showing sold out on Target's site, but it looks like they were last available in 2011 so maybe they'll repost them soon? Hopefully?

Now that you know the look I'm going for, have you seen any great, affordable riding boots around? Do you think the tall boots over leggings/jeans trend is going to last long enough for me to invest in a pricier pair of boots? Because, really, I'd give my left arm* for these beauties---

The Amelia Logo from Frye for $348

*I wouldn't really sacrifice my left arm for a pair of boots. I'm much less superficial than that. ;)

Giving Up On Balance

I write blog posts in my head all the time, but I rarely find myself putting the words onto paper, or ya know, the internet, as it were. I've been struggling with how to balance it all. Believe it or not, this blonde has some deep thoughts that I love to write about, but I've struggled with what and when to write. I've struggled with knowing that more and more people I know in real life read my blog (hello, insecurity), but mostly I've struggled with balance. Can I really pour my heart out about my passion for adoption or my gut ache for my Compassion kids but bookend it with a post about my kids at the zoo or a new skirt I want?

Last week I had the privilege of attending the thirty-one National Convention, and while I heard many things that were so great for me to hear, the one thing that I think will change my life this most is something one of the girls on my team said offhandedly. She said something like, "Women are always struggling and trying to find balance. You might as well give it up. No matter how hard you try, you're always going to feel like you're short-changing something. Balance doesn't ever happen." and while that might be sad or scary to hear, the truth of it really lifted a burden from me. No matter how hard I try, when my kids are older I'll wish I had more time with them while they were young. No matter how hard I work, I'll wish I could do more.

So, this is me, giving up on balance. While I'll still have priorities, I am done beating myself up for not being able to be everything to everyone. I'm ready to just be the best me I can be. And if I'm blogging one day about cute boots for fall and the next day about orphan's rights, that is okay. That's just something that makes me who I am.