October 23

I would like to take a moment to pause and acknowledge all that I accomplished today.

I put together a pot of chili and a meal for a friend.

I baked muffins for said friend.

I packed Caleb's lunch and got him ready for school.

I woke, fed, and dressed all of the other children.

I got Caleb to the bus on time.

I loaded the kids in the van and we drove the meal to my friend.

I spilled chili all over my van.

I shut my arm in my van door, creating an impressive bruise.

I delivered the meal.

I took the kids to a playground.

I took the kids to the library.

I put Eli down for a nap.

I popped popcorn on the stove for the girls.

I fed them lunch.

I put everyone down for naps again.

I cleaned the chili out of my van.

I removed the big kids' car seats, vacuumed them, and re-installed them.

I ate cake.

I got Caleb off the bus.

I made dinner.

I went grocery shopping for the week.

I did laundry.

I took a shower.

I edited photos and blogged.

And now I am exhausted.

I share this because I'm pretty impressed with myself, because lately I haven't been able to do things like this, because it's a lot.

Here's a video of the girls at the playground. This bumpy roller slide is really fun. 

It was even funnier when Lily tried to climb up the roller slide, but I don't have that on video.

Does this picture kill you? Because it kills me. People, Daisy is wearing a cape. They are reading Disney Princess magazine at the library. On a toddler sized couch. Being two and four years old is serious work.

Also serious work? Putting Eli down for a nap.

As frustrating as Eli's sleep situation is right now, I also realize that this season is so short. I'm trying to savor the snuggles. As I hold him across my body to nurse him, then to cradle him as he sleeps, I remember when he only reached halfway across my body. When he weighed 1/3 of what he weighs now. When every feeding lasted an hour and a half and was full of frustration. When just getting him to latch on one side was a struggle.

This will pass, and this will end, so I am trying to burn it into my memory.

When he wakes, the boy is busy.

I laid on my belly to take these pictures from Eli's perspective, and I snapped them all over the course of two minutes.

He's into everything now!

And this. Lily wasn't sad or mad; she was intently focused on the doll house in the foreground. I love this girl so much!

Also, I don't have a picture of it, but today was Class Colors day at school for Caleb. First graders wore red. He wore a red Spider Man t-shirt, red Cardinals shorts, his red and black running shoes, and his red satin cape from Super Hero Night at Busch Stadium last year. It was epic. He got off the bus with the cape still firmly in place, and informed me that he wore it all day, except for PE. Several of his friends really admired his cape, and he was quite happy with his choice.

That boy.