Social interaction/Out and about

Winter is the worst.

When it's stinking cold out, germs are running rampant, and there's not snow to play in, cabin fever gets the worst of you and all I want to do is scream.

I WANT MY FRIENDS BACK! I WANT TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! I WANT TO BE HOT AND SWEATY AGAIN. And lots of internal yelling like that. It doesn't help that somehow the dads always get to get out of the house with basketball, bowling, school, callings, etc. Not complaining or anything...

Well in the past week or so I've finally gotten to get out a little more (lots of help because my mom is here to relieve some of the pressure of child watching)

I invited a bunch of friends over for craft night last week. That night was so rejuvenating: talking and laughing with friends, doing a fun activity with your hands, it was just what was needed. I made mini cookies for it and poor Max had to exercise his self control to the core to stop from eating those cookies, poor guy. (I did let him have a couple).

Crafting. Most of us made these easy banners.

Mid banner sewing.

Mini cookies. The perfect bite size (and child size serving amount)

From left to right: Renetta, myself, Katie, Suzanne, Tasha, Sarah.

Thanks girls for coming!

Another night I got to go to bowling with Casey! The babies stayed home with my mom and we took Max, holy cow Max was a HANDFUL (as seen from this first picture) but he had a lot of fun there too.

There was some high energy going on there (I'm talking about your hubby, Jessie! Ha, he was a hoot) and it was actually really fun. So many strikes and spares, ridiculous. I talked with a couple of the wives in the back and it felt like a vacation.

This is (to Max) Maxson's best friend Zack. Literally, he's one of the two adults Max is most obsessed with because he has the coolest toys: remote control helicopters and cars, Max loves Zack. Zack brought his helicopter to the bowling place to fly around a little and Max was thoroughly happy about it.

a. Random picture Max took: normal life is changing baby's diapers.
b. Casey and I got to go out for a quick lunch date (thanks mom!) to our favorite Honest Abe's Burger. We always split the fries and both burgers. This time we got their classic burger and another one with chili, cream cheese sauce, and jalepenos and it was superb. Our lunch date gave us a great time to regroup as parenting. (Max has entered this new REALLY awful stage of these really awful terrible screaming yelling tantrums and throwing stuff and it's really hard on all of us. We've no idea how to help him.) We also just laughed at silly things and it felt good to be childless for an hour.

My good looking guy even without a beard.

Lastly we took a trip to Target with my mom while she was here and Max was, surprise, awful. He has become *that* screaming, yelling, fighting, limp noodle, unconsolable child you see/hear about at the store, it's real fun. While we all had previously planned on going to the dollar store next, Max and I waited in the car for my mom because I was not about to deal with him again in public. You guys, it literally gives me anxiety now thinking about taking him places. HELP!

My 3 cute sons, melt my heart.

And my last part of social interaction: my mummy!!!!!! She was such an angel to come to town and rescue us for a week. The Lord was so very kind and knew to send her that week when we'd be needing the most amount of extra sleep since we were getting little to none at night. She cuddled and fed babies, cooked and cleaned constantly, tried helping with the terrible two year old, and gave me someone to talk and laugh to. Oh how I owe that woman so much of my time and energy.

And that there is the end (and height) of my social interaction and out and about happenings in pretty much the whole last month it seems like. Now come back spring/summer, I'm rooting for ya!