DONE!

Today was my last day of grad school.
I'm done.

I took an exit exam.

I scored a 580.

750 or above is indicative of being able to pass the licensure exam.

So, if I were to have taken my boards for my APRN license, I'd of failed today.

But this is not surprising.
I'm not naturally smart, I don't retain things very well, and I have to try hard.
REALLY hard to do smart things.
Grad school has taught me this lesson.
But if I do try really hard, I can do smart things.

I bring this up to show that,

contrary to what people think/say, I am NOT superwoman.  

I am just a woman, who attempts to be super at whatever task takes priority.

Whether that is wife, mama, RN or grad student.

Sometimes being super isn't about getting the "A" on an exam.

or making your husband/kids organic, home cooked meals every night,

or having a clean house, 

or folded laundry.

Thank goodness.

It is about prioritization.

See, that exit exam score wasn't going to affect anything, except my pride maybe.

Regardless of my score, I still passed my class.

I still earned my shiny new degree - MSN!

So, instead of focusing on that exam, I chose to be super as a mama last night.

Choosing to patiently hold, rock, nurse, & love my inconsolable, albeit sweet, (almost) 2 month old

Surviving on 3 hours of sleep, and sill going to class today.

Then taking a 110 question exit exam, 

and carelessly choosing "C" for the last 25 questions because my brain was fried.

Prioritizing the important things in life.

Accepting that sometimes being super is "Bs" and even the occasional "Cs" on exams, 

and cereal is okay for dinner sometimes (don't believe me, ask my kids),

and toys on the floor,
and clean clothes unfolded on the couch for weeks on end. 

Super isn't always perfection.

Instead, perfection is making the important things, the important things.

So tonight, I'm celebrating.

I'm snuggling a baby at midnight.

I'm dreaming of the Loprinzi's next great adventure.

and soon enough I'll start studying for that licensure exam.

I'll be an APRN.

Because…amazingly,

I can do smart things.

Normal moments when daddy is home

Paul was outside with the R, K, and J.  I was inside nursing Hartley and spying on them.  I thought it was funny to observe Jov and Kip.  Both on four wheelers, but apparently Kip wanted to be in front or something…I'm not sure why he couldn't have just told her to stop for a minutes so he could drive in front.  Instead they actually switched four wheelers and then continued driving along.  Weird preschooler logic.

I think they played hide n' seek for a while, because they kept sneaking around the bushes.

 Then they migrated to the backyard and did some racing.

 Ryk gave Kip a 10 second head start, and much to Ryk's disappointment, Kip won.  The look on Kip's little face, was absolute perfection.

 And another race took place, this time Ryk was the leader/winner.  His tongue is always out!

 Shoulder rides from daddy after little legs got too tired from the hour long back yard race-fest.

Meanwhile, inside I took some pictures of little ladybug:

 She clearly was quickly bored with the photos

The dreaded first time using finger nail clippers on a new baby moment is finally here, and I am afraid…her first face scratch :(

 She is such a mix of all my kids.  She has the same hair color Ryk had as a baby - that dark strawberry blonde.

 Her eyes are still newborn blue.  She is long in length like Kip was, but no where near the chunky monkey Kip was.  I'm curious to see how much she weighs for her 2 month appt coming up Aug 5th.  Her little cheeks are looking more squishy :).

Slip n' sliding Saturday

humidity + 94 degrees + sleeping baby = the perfect recipe for:

 Kip's got some froggy skills on the slip n' slide.

 and these little boys were on cuteness overload playing together.  Some friendly competition among brothers:

 and grins as big as can be even when big brother lost that slip n' slide race.  They raced down "a millions of times" and so there were multiple wins and losses among both boys, so a smile remained on both their faces which is a nice change of pace from the competition of running races in the backyard lately.

When they held hands and ran down together, moments like these make me so happy.  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with the reality of 4 kids - like I can't give each of them enough of me.  But when I get to see this, these moments, I know that the individual time they do get from me must be just enough.  They are learning, and they are loving each other, and sometimes brotherly love is all they need on a hot afternoon.  It is such sweetness to sit back and watch their relationship develop.

 Ryker Paul

True conversation that occurred with the next picture:
"Hey Kip, quick walk the tight rope, try to avoid the alligator coming down the slip n' slide"  - Ryk
"What is avoid?" - Kip
"It means she is cranky and stay away from her cause boys rule, girls drool" - Ryk
"MOOOOOOM, (comes fussing to me) the boys say I drool and I be cranky, UGH!" - Jovie

  As I was out slip n' sliding with these little loves, and yes I did show em' my skills as I slid down the orange row, despite Ryk telling me, per the black printed warning on the slip n' slide - "MOM, seriously you can't do it because the rules say that no one under 5 or over 12 years, or over 110lbs should use the slip n' slide."

  I assured him if age and weight happened to break this plastic wonderland that I'd buy a new one.  He said "than slide away mom."  This kid, he is hilarious.

   These summer days, they are slipping away, and just as the summer time, so is our time in our first home.  So we are savoring them, and I am holding back tears thinking that these will be some of our last memories in our first home.

Tender moment between biggest and littlest Loprinzi

I always wondered how he'd take to another sibling.  He's been through this 3 times now, so it is old business by now to him probably.  But 7 years old, is such a great age to be when welcoming a baby into the family.  He honestly adores her.

 Not that he didn't adore his other two siblings when they were little and new.  But at 7, he always wants to interact and do things for her.  He asks to hold her in the morning, and in the evening.  He reads her books, gets her a binky when she is fussing, lays on the floor right next to her when she is doing tummy time and being a "ninja baby" kicking all around.  I was gone for a few hours studying and took Hartley with me, and when I was tucking Ryker into bed later this evening, he said with disappointment,  "I didn't get to see Hartley very much today mom"

He genuinely loves her.  This little boy, he is absolutely adorable and has such a gentle heart.

 I was sitting on the couch nursing Hartley, and Ryk was being a typical 7 year old boy.  He did a ninja move and accidentally bumped Hartley.  I yelled, not because Hartley got hurt, but because it startled me, and then Hartley cried because I yelled, and Ryker's feelings were so hurt.  He felt so terrible that he bumped his sister, and even worse because I yelled at him.  I apologized, and he was quick to forgive me, but I could tell he still felt so terrible about accidentally bumping Hartley.

 Later in the day, I put Hartley down for a nap in her room.  She woke up, as we heard her crying on the baby monitor.  Ryk asked to go in and check on her, I said sure.  As I was in the kitchen, I overheard the sweetest conversation among biggest brother and littlest sister over Hartley's baby monitor - "Hartley I am sorry I bumped you earlier.  I really didn't mean to."  I started crying, this little boy with such a tender heart.  

 and this little lady is so interactive lately.  I adore her smiles and coos, but am so floored how quickly she is changing.  Slow down sister, I'm not ready for all of this to be happening so quickly!


Progression of her smile:

and finally, the real deal smile.  The smile that when she is really grinning you can barely see her beautiful eyes.

and little dimpled baby hands are adorable, as are cap sleeves on baby girl dresses.

 What a beauty this little lady, just like her other siblings.

 All his own doing.  Goofy kid.

life lately

Sleeps through the night!

I know she is super young so it is most likely a fluke for now, but…little sister rang in the start to her 7th week of life amazingly perfect - with 8 consecutive hours of sleep last night (9pm-5am!).  She nursed and then went back to sleep from 6:30am-830am.  Glorious.

 Perhaps the sleep was the reason for her nonexistent fuss-fest tonight.

 Her usual evening routine has been going on a walk with me, then taking a bath because she usually fusses like crazy from 7-11pm.  But tonight, she was all calm.

Today, our poor Kip ran into the wall and got a golf ball sized hematoma on his head :(.  Poor kid!

 So he was forced to be chill the rest of the afternoon.  He was pretty cute loving on his sister during that time.