Excuses excuses

I could write a long list of reasons why this blog has been neglected recently.
That list would include various sicknesses roaming my house, holiday activities, winter cleaning, among other time consuming activities.
But the truth is that I have just forgotten it.
Sad, isn't it?
But I am resolving to bring it back.
I have funny things happening daily in my house and the people need to know about it.
I promise I have the time, especially now that I have established forced nap time each day for our eldest. He has needed nap time lately. When he falls asleep on the couch every day it is a sign that he is not getting enough sleep. But I promised myself I would not become the parent who has to be on a routine. I want flexible children and I think we have successfully gotten that in both our boys. Sleep has never been neglected, but I don't want to be the person who says, "I can not leave the house/make a sound/change anything in my schedule if it falls between the time of 2 and 4 pm. They are flexible children. They eat what we eat, they go where we go, and they sleep where we want them to sleep. But sleep is too important and when they need it Mommy needs to stop and let them have it. Danny will often fight it in the first few minutes of nap time, but almost always is asking me to leave and let him sleep more, long after his 1 hour is up. And 7:30pm until 6:30am is their nightly routine. What a blessing it is to have good sleepers!
Ok, so enough rambling about sleep. Why do I have this BLOG? I have always used the excuse that our family and friends in far and distant places like to hear about the Gaskill Rascals, but I am beginning to see how much of it is Mommy stress relief. It is nice to journal out the things that happen in out house and hope that people are reading and connecting with what I am writing.
So, whether you read it or not, I am going to start writing.
I need this.

And for a little teaser of what is to come, here is a photo of the recent trip to a "warm location" The passports came despite the early kinks and we had a blast.