It’s that time of year in Texas when you are caught between recent memories of the last time the temperature dropped below freezing and the first 90 degree day. You go to work with a jacket and rarely need it in the afternoon. And a couple days this week it was shorts and flip flop weather from the moment we woke up!
Spring is here and with that comes the traditional Spring Break in the education world. Much to everyone’s surprise, just because the students are gone at UTA, the university is still alive and OPEN for business. We work through Spring Break enjoying the peace and quiet as we try and prepare for the second half of the semester.
My kids’ preschool was closed for the week and the older b’s got to spend a their days at Ms. Linda’s house (one of their teachers from preschool). Bree loved her time there as Ms. Linda kept them all super busy and even worked with Bauer on potty training. We are well on our way to getting him out of diapers (fingers crossed). We are currently rewarding his actions in the bathroom with a “black cookie” aka Oreo. Potty training a boy may provide me with more laughs than my last go around with Bree. Girls and boys are sooooo different.
Bennett spent some time with my friend Esther and with me throughout the week. We ran errands, went to work, and had some lazy afternoons with friends. I love having just the baby during the day. I am still trying to figure out what I thought was so “hard” about just having just Bree way back when. I guess that whole hindsight thing comes into play…arghhh. I just wish I had appreciated those early parenthood days more.
All the Murphys worked and played hard this week. Sean put in some serious extra work hours as he has a deadline this week on his major project. The idea of a spring “break” was a bit misleading for all of us. It was a break from the normal schedule we have week in and week out, but a break in terms of relaxing away from reality…not so much.
I’m tired.
Really tired.
But am still loving the kids and life that make me this tired. I know one day I’ll wake up and wonder why I don’t feel like I’ve been hit by a mac-truck. And then I’ll remember that all the B’s are in college….
And I’ll go back to sleep….or find a hobby….or have a conversation with Sean…
Or go look through all the scrapbooks I made for those kids and be sad that all the kid times are gone…
Because regardless of how tired these kids make me, my life would definitely be incomplete without the cuteness and laughs they provide me.
Bennett continues to be a rolly polly. It is so fun to watch him get stronger by the day!
I got to see some of my sweet Theta friends and babies during “baby playgroup”: Allison, Stephanie and I all met in the Arlington Alumni Theta Group!
Olivia and Bennett!
Anderson and Bennett! Such a ladies’ man!
Just when we thought we had enough baby stuff in our house, IT’S EXERSAUCER TIME…my last baby in this exersaucer. Sean and I are determined to watch videos of the other two at this same age…ASAP.
Bauer also keeps me laughing. He was trying to drink out of the hose yesterday and ended up spraying himself with the tool on the end. He was VERY unhappy about this turn of events!
And this shirt makes motherhood completely worth it!
One of my favorite times over spring break was getting Team Mur-kamp together at Grapevine Mills. What a crew we were!
We also found some time for a good ole game of Candyland amongst the busyness. Bennett seems to be a quick learner!
Some of my favorite non pictured moments this week included: lunch with one of my mentors in Student Affairs, seeing my mom for an afternoon and having lunch with my friend Esther. Those moments, my runs with Mary Kathryn each morning, and date night on Friday with Sean (we went to play Bingo with my coworker) really were such special moments during a rather crazy week. I loved being able to finally slow down amongst all the craziness and enjoy a conversation.
I also dusted off my “green” thumb and decided to plant some bulbs and flower seeds in some of our empty flower beds. It was not easy work and I’m not sure I even did it right, but there is something about planting all those seeds and bulbs and being able to water them and watch for growth that is so comforting to me. Bree helped me plant a bunch of wildflower seeds for her portion of the garden. I told her once they grow she can pick them to her heart’s content. She is in LOVE with that idea. And I’m in love with her not picking the more expensive flowers! Don’t you love how I think that this will really work 
Reflecting back on this week shows me that despite it not being my preconceived idea of a spring “break”, it was full of moments that refreshed my soul. And I’ll take that kind of break any ole day! God has certainly blessed me with some amazing people in all parts of my life. I continue to learn from all of them and see Him in each one of them.
Happy Spring everyone!
