November 12

I started the day feeling frazzled and annoyed - something about babies who wake at the crack of dawn, toddlers who join them, and brother and sister who were already awake any. Plus they were all hungry. And they didn't like any of the breakfast options. And they all wanted my attention. All I wanted was to sit, drink coffee, and pump, and it took me a full hour from the time I got out of bed until I was able to do that.

That kind of morning.

But after all the chaos, I got Caleb to school and Daisy to school and Eli down for a nap, and Lily and I had a few quiet hours together. We baked my favorite Paleo Breakfast Bread and some grain-free pumpkin muffins, and it was lovely.

When Eli woke up, Lily was desperate to be in the crib with him again. She loves her baby!

I love peeking at my baby through the crib rails.

Happy boy!

Happy girl!

Seriously, she is such a goof. 

She has also been a bit of a stinker lately. 

"Hey Mom! Don't forget about me!"

And that is what our morning looked like.

Then it was time to go get Daisy, and when the girls were finished with their lunch, we all went outside to play. Daisy and I swept the leaves off our deck, and created a big leaf-pile that was just the right size for Eli.

I plopped him right in the middle of it.

He loved it!

Happy baby!

The leaves distracted us, and I got the kids down for naps much too late. Eli required to be held and nursed for a solid thirty minutes, possibly forty-five, before he would go down in his crib. Still, I had a glorious hour and a half of silence, during which I could...

make dinner.

Boo. 

I picked up my copy of my Book Club's book this month from the library, and I'm desperate to start reading it. (Jill, it's this one.)  Instead, it seems as if my children are conspiring together to prevent me from ever reading a book again. I finished my dinner prep right when it was time to get Caleb from the bus, and then Chris had a late work meeting so we had dinner without him. I was thankful that tonight's meal is a universal favorite, but then only one child was actually eager to eat the food:

Eli gleefully attempted to eat his kale chips, sweet potato fries, and pork chops. The whole not having any teeth thing always presents a challenge for him, but he gummed everything the best he could. He definitely ate more dinner than Lily did tonight, but then she seems to be existing on almond milk and air lately. I suppose that's just how it is.