November 9

It was a lazy, sunshiny, lovely Do-Nothing Monday today.

However, it got off to a rocky start. Perhaps it was something about the fact that Eli wanted to be awake around 6 am. Or the fact that Lily also wanted to be awake around 6:30. At any rate, my family needs me to have slept until 7 am each day. Otherwise, I am beastly. So I started today in beast mode. The next hour or so was uneventful, until it was nearly time to get Caleb to the bus stop. Just as it was time to leave, every child went into panic mode. The older three needed to try on three different pairs of gloves and shoes each, and Eli had a major poopy diaper that had to be tended to immediately. We rushed out the door at 8:25. Caleb's bus is supposed to pick him up at 8:25, but the driver has decided that's a lame idea and typically doesn't arrive until closer to 8:35. 

Except for today. We were just barely out of the house when the bus came whizzing down the street. 

"Run!" I yelled. "Run, Caleb!" 

And that boy took off. We don't take him to Running Club each week for nothing. I was wearing Eli in the ring sling, so I supported his head with one hand and went running after Caleb in my moccasins, leaving Lily trailing far behind. I had to make sure he got on that bus.

The bus driver noticed that no one was at the bus stop, then stopped a house or two past it and must have seen Caleb in his mirror. Thankfully, he waited, and the other neighbor kids came running out of their house, too.

It was a substitute bus driver. 

It was a debacle.

It was all fine in the end. Caleb got on the bus, no big deal.

We walked home, and after all that drama, we got into the house at the time Caleb is normally being picked up by the bus. Eli was ready for his nap, and once he was down the girls and I went out into the sunshine to play. For some reason, the girls wanted party hats, so I found some in the basement for them. I suppose in November, a day this lovely warrants party hats.

Daisy wanted me to take her picture, but then she refused to look at my camera. Still, there is something about this picture that I just love.

"Look, Mommy! I a parrot!"

She thought she was so funny.

I thought she was funny, too.

Daisy allowed me to take this picture. I'm not sure exactly what she's doing... her hat is on her face and her foot is touching the tip of her hat? I don't know, but she was pleased with herself.

She was also pleased with this: 

Photos like the above three remind me that this girl may be in a stinker phase right now, but she totally has my heart.

When Eli woke up, Lily was the first to run into his room. (Our door knobs are levers, and she can open them now. It opens up worlds of possibilities.) She asked me to put her in Eli's crib, and I obliged.

Happiness ensued.

It's funny to think that many children Lily's age are still sleeping in cribs. She's been in her big girl bed for about four months now? She doesn't miss her crib at all, or seem jealous that Eli sleeps in it. She probably doesn't even remember that it was once hers. Instead, it's a novelty to get to be in it with her brother.

I love his sweet little face through the slats of the crib.

And then Big Sister pounces, and Eli grins.

She is so sweet.

But this is precisely why Lily is no longer in a crib. Well, that and the fact that we had another baby who needed the crib more than she did. But whatever.

Happy naked baby!

After lunch, all three kiddos went down for naps around 1:30. Daisy and Lily each napped for 3 hours, which was glorious. Eli napped for almost two hours, which meant that I had two solid hours to prep dinner, edit photos, and enjoy the silence. 

After dinner, all the kids had baths and extra-long reading time with Daddy. I was bustling around, getting ready to put Eli to bed, when I glanced over and saw Caleb on the floor with his brother, snuggling him while he played. I stopped and told Caleb that I loved watching him play with Eli, and that he was a great big brother. Caleb responded, "You can take a picture of it!"

The boy didn't have to tell me twice!

Unfortunately, he was so distracted by the flash that he forgot to smile. At least Eli smiled for my camera!