This and That

I have finally reached the point in my life when I can say, unequivocally, that there are not enough minutes in the day, days in the week, to get all the things done that demand my time and energy.  I am going from the moment the first kid is awake at in the morning, and usually end my night practicing the piano or preparing a church lesson.  The 3 youngest kids are long asleep, but Lauren is sitting in my bedroom behind me watching Junie B. Jones via Netflix on the iPad...she is our constant companion at night, for better or worse.  The girl doesn't require a lot of sleep--she's always the last child awake at night, and can wake up early and ready to go with no problem.  Things around here are busy, but good...these photos are just random moments from the past few months...

Before Church one Sunday morning...are all 4 of my kids looking at the camera at the same time, and even maybe, possibly, sort of smiling? That might be a first...

 These two sisters like each for most parts of most days...(although they're just plain nasty to each other the other parts of the day)...I loved this Valentine heart that Lauren made with the 2 pieces that fit together...she hung each one around the neck with a piece of dental floss...

 Is that 3 kids looking at the camera at the same time, with smiles on each face?  Wow...guess it was chilly in the house cause Charlie was wearing his mittens...

 Pulling the wagon with the tractor--as "country" as we get...

 I just plain like this baby--I really have never met a better behaved child.  So patient, so quiet.  Sleeps through the night since 3 months (which for me means 8 PM-6 AM, then eats and goes back to sleep for 2 more hours).  She very rarely cries.  Will sit in her car seat for hours...Yesterday we drove to Lauren's softball game, and 2+ hours later we went home--I never took her out once.  She just sat there and looked around.  Not sure what I ever did to deserve this baby.  My one and only complaint is that she seems to prefer nursing to every other form of food.  The only thing that doesn't elicit a sour face and clenched teeth is banana.  She appears to be allergic, or highly highly intolerant to rice--as evidenced by 2 scary episodes of intense vomiting/dry heaving after eating rice cereal.  She just loves her mama's milk, but the milk train has to end at some point, and I'm getting nervous that it won't be easy.  At this point, it seems that she'd rather starve than eat anything other than milk.

Charlie has forgotten how to smile naturally...example #1...

Example #2...

 We decorated Valentine cookies at the park with some friends one morning...

Andy's sister and her family came to Disneyland for a few days, and came to see us one night for dinner...my kids love playing with their cousins (they aren't technically cousins, but kids of their cousins, but whatever)...it was fun to have visitors!

Not sure what Lauren is doing--she is 7 though, and this is what we get these days...

So glad I caught this moment...