June 6

What an awesome Saturday! We had nothing on our agenda, which was lovely. I woke to find Caleb thrilled with his outfit for the day. Honestly, I could understand why he was so excited, so I grabbed my camera for an impromptu photo shoot on the deck. (These photos are totally unedited because I'm just too tired for that today.)

Yep. The kid was Batman, with his Batman shirt and cape, utility belt, and rain boots. He was feeling pretty confident.

I asked him to show me his best Batman pose, and got this:

Doesn't that just scream "Batman" to you? 

Then I asked him for some jumps.

After a bit of coaching, we got this one:

He was pretty excited about that picture, though I wish his cape were flying in the breeze.

I'm so thankful I took the time to let Caleb be the star of his show. You can see how happy he was afterward. I love that boy. 

After a leisurely breakfast, Chris took the older three to the parking lot of our neighborhood pool (which doesn't open until noon) so that they could ride their bikes. He sent me these cell phone photos and video, which are just priceless.

I've thought about getting Lily a legit tricycle for her birthday to replace this crusty plastic thing that I bought for $2 at a yard sale when Caleb was a baby, but Chris doesn't see the need.

Someone needs to talk some sense into him, because if the girl had a real tricycle, she would be going places! Look at that serious face! Or maybe we should just switch her to the balance bike.

This was only Daisy's second big chunk of time to ride her new bike, and she was really happy about it. I love that she chose her lilac dress to match her purple bike.

And this kid is a pro! He is so ready to ditch his training wheels; it's only his fear that is holding him back.

The parking lot is a flat circle, and serves as the perfect race track for our kiddos. Want to see them in action? Of course you do!

After they were done riding, they stopped at the playground for a bit of swinging.

It doesn't matter that we have swings in our back yard; swinging never gets old for these kids. Look at the joy on Lily's face!

I love that Daisy was still wearing her helmet.

And this kid chose to ride his bike the whole way home, with Chris driving slowly beside him. When he got home, he burst through the door, sweaty and elated with his accomplishment. It was beautiful.

Meanwhile, I had nursed Eli, put him down for a nap, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, read the paper, worked on sewing, and tried out today's 30-day wrap challenge carry with Eli when he woke up. 

Eli and I rocked the torso carry, which is the wrapping equivalent of a strapless dress. Unlike a strapless dress, though, it was totally secure and awesome.

While I made lunch, Chris wore Eli.

I'm pretty sure it was Chris' first time wearing Eli in a woven wrap, instead of a stretchy one, and he was very impressed.

Soon it was nap time, and once the little ones were down, Chris took Caleb to an awesome event at the public library: Bubble Bus. It was a bus that had a million bubble machines and music and Caleb was so excited! 

After the Bubble Bus, Chris and Caleb stopped by Chris' parents house to pick up a tool. On their way, they visited a new playground. Caleb asked that Chris take this video:

Eventually, they came home and as I worked on a sewing project in the other room, I could hear Caleb reading to himself.

It was a new library book, and instead of asking Chris or me to read it to him, he read it himself. What a huge milestone! It makes my heart so happy to see Caleb gaining confidence in his reading.

We ended up going out to dinner (IHOP, Jill. I had the Quick 2-Egg Breakfast with fruit instead of toast, and gallons of coffee) and to the hardware store. We returned home just in time to get the big kids to bed a little bit late, and Eli and I headed out do to the grocery shopping.

An exciting Saturday night, right? But at least it got done, and now Eli and I are both exhausted.

June 5

Friday is adventure day, so today our big adventure was... The Butterfly House!

(OK, so it's not really that big of  an adventure for us. My broken leg is still healing, so I'm working up to the really big adventures.)

My friend Jill and her daughter Naomi were able to join us, which upped the excitement factor for the kids. 

Regular activity = meh

Activity with friends = super exciting!

This is important kid math that only took me six years and four children to learn. Even Caleb was super-excited that my friend and her 22-month-old daughter would be joining us. Weird, but I'll take it.

They had so much fun at the Butterfly House. Doesn't Naomi look like she could be one of mine?

After we finished in the Butterfly House, we played on the playground. I asked Jill to take this picture of me because today was Day 5 of my 30 day wrap challenge, and we rocked the Kangaroo Carry in my linen wrap. It won't be my go-to carry, but it was fine. (I also hate how I look in this picture, but it's a pretty fair representation of what I look like these days. That broken leg really slowed my progress when it comes to losing the baby weight, and I feel really uncomfortable in my skin right now.)

Then naptime, glorious naptime.

All four children napped today, which was lovely. I even had time to steal away and read a book for a little bit! I also paused to take this video of sleeping Eli because he is the sweetest thing ever.

Watch it. It's approximately 3 seconds long because my iPhone has decided it has no storage space for pictures or videos. But I love how his little mouth makes nursing motions, even though he's clearly not nursing. It's one of those things I want to remember forever.

And then everyone except Daisy woke up. Lily wanted to snuggle Eli, and whatever makes Lily happy, we do.

Such a big girl - she's doing great at holding him without help!

Although based on the "deer in the headlights" look on Eli's face, maybe she isn't doing too well.

Sweet, sweet, sweet.

I love the tangle of arms in this picture:

Lily's arms holding Eli (too?) tightly

Caleb's arms supporting Eli's head and Lily's elbow.

After dinner (Jill said she's always curious about what we have for dinner, so here's what we had tonight: 

beef kebabs made from grassfed sirloin marinated in red wine and olive oil, bell peppers, red onions, and pineapple

homemade sweet potato chips fried in bacon fat

grilled corn on the cob

and a big glass of red wine for this mama because you know I earned it.)

Anyway, after dinner, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a dairy free special treat (dark chocolate covered frozen bananas, Jill) and headed to a playground and overlook. It was bittersweet, because the first time we visited this place as a family was three years and two children ago, the day that Chris' Grandad died. (That was back when we still ate bread... goodness, I miss those days.) Grandad's wife, Nancy, just passed away Tuesday night after her own battle with cancer. We didn't realize the parallel until we were there.

This place at sunset is pretty spectacular. But really, it's spectacular all the time.

Don't you love Caleb's ensemble? Plaid shorts, tie-dyed t-shirt, Darth Vader muscle shirt, and hand-me-down sandals that are a size or two too small for him.

Beautiful. I love how you can see the ripples on the lake.

This girl. 

Those red shoes.

This place. 

I can't wait to come back next year and have pictures of Eli standing on the stone wall, too. Hopefully by then, we'll be back to eating dairy!

Before we left, we had to stop by the playground. Caleb made two new friends right away, and they played happily together the whole time. It's amazing the difference a year can make when it comes to things like that!

He used to be so timid and cautious. Now he's my brave, bold, almost first-grader!

June 4

After a pretty busy week, I was thrilled that today was movie day. My hope was that I would be able to accomplish things while the children vegged out in front of a film.

Not so much.

I made the mistake of letting the kids choose a PG movie at the library yesterday. (I put my foot down when Caleb desperately wanted to get the new PG-13 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, though.) I figured PG would be fine; after all, they watch Star Wars all the time with no issues.

Wrong.

Daisy spent half the time screaming and crying and needing reassurance because the cartoon bad guys in Penguins of Madagascar were too scary. Lesson learned. Next time, we'll stick to G.

I did manage to work through a few simple sewing projects and prepare dinner for a friend who just had a baby. And the kids and I spent a considerable amount of time on the front porch, watching a pretty impressive rain storm.

Blurry picture of porch time.

Eli and I tried out carry #4 of our 30-day challenge: Short Cross Carry with a ring finish. I liked it quite a bit, and it was a good carry for my new, shorter wrap.

Eli got annoyed shortly after this picture was taken. I love his bright eyes in this picture, but I'm distracted by my arm (I may need a selfie stick. Or a photo timer on my phone. Apparently newer iPhones have photo timers; mine definitely does not.) and Caleb's leg sticking out of Eli's bottom.

As soon as Chris got home from work, I handed Eli to him and began loading the van with food for Jessica and her sweet baby Margot. But Eli looked so sweet with Chris that I had to stop and take a picture.

Eli was grinning at me, until I picked the camera up. Oh well.

I returned home to a very tired and happy boy. Chris gave Eli a quick bath and handed him off to me to work my magic. 

There was no magic tonight. Evenings are hard at this age! I think I remember that we had routine for Caleb at this age and he went to bed well, but every child after that has had a rough time with late evening and bedtime. But the big ones all sleep now, so I know Eli will eventually sleep, too.

June 3

We did so many things today, and somehow I didn't take any pictures.

But here's one of Daisy mimicking me:

She sees me pump every morning, and today she decided she wanted to pump milk for her babies. Funny girl.

I know it's "Every Day with Eli", but somehow I didn't get any decent pictures of him today.

Here are some crummy cell phone pictures instead:

Today's carry in the 30 Carries 30 Days challenge was Front Cross Carry. I felt like it was not the best carry for an unsteady little guy - I don't think the cross passes in the front are very stable. Also, I felt like Eli was crooked and too high most of the time. So this carry gets a big thumbs-down from me. 

And this was right before I got Eli to sleep. He tried to fake me out by acting all wide-eyed and adorable.

I mean, look at that sweet (and blurry) face. Doesn't he look like he just wants to play?

But he didn't. He made one last valiant attempt to stay awake, and then succumbed to my special Mommy tricks. Sleep well, little man!

June 2

In the spring, Caleb was feeling sorry for himself because the little ones and I went to the Botanical Garden one day and he didn't get to go because he was in school. Rashly, I promised him that once summer came, I would take him to the Garden every Tuesday, because that is when the Children's Garden is free for members.

Then I broke my leg. At the Garden.

But promises are promises, and today - six and a half weeks after I broke my leg - we went to the Garden. I was so glad to be back! My leg is still hurting, but it was manageable. The Children's Garden with a nearly 6-year-old, a 4-year-old, a nearly 2-year-old, and an infant? Not so manageable. Caleb has become remarkably bold and independent since he started school, and I think it's going to take us a while to re-figure out how we do things like this.

Luckily, my friend Amber and her two boys, Andrew and Dean, came along with us. It was definitely nice to have a friend there to help corral my children! (Her children needed no corraling because they are fabulous. Instead, she helped me with mine.) Amber also provided me with a few pictures of our visit, because I remembered to bring everything except my phone. Go figure.

Andrew and Caleb had so much fun exploring together!

Four of our darlings (minus the babies, who aren't yet big enough to ride sheep).

I think Daisy is preparing to join the circus with her sheep-balancing trick.

And look at sweet Lily in the center. You would never even  know she had tubes put in yesterday!

We spent all morning at the Garden, and I fed the kids lunch in the van on the way home. We were all ready for naps, but Eli and Caleb had other ideas. Eli kept falling asleep, then waking up fifteen minutes later. Finally, I gave up and wrapped him up.

Yesterday I started a 30 Days 30 Carries wrap challenge, so we tried out today's wrap: Semi FWCC. It was hard to get the hang of at first, but eventually I liked it. I just need to learn how to tie a better slip knot! And I am still madly in love with our new wrap.

Eli liked it, too. He went from fussing to asleep in approximately 30 seconds. Win!

Chris came home for about 20 minutes before heading out to the Cardinals game with a prospective customer. That left me to handle dinner, kickboard practice, and bedtime by myself. Last time it was an abysmal failure, so this time I called my Mommy for help. Mom came over and took Caleb to kickboard practice while I got the little ones ready for bed. (Lily only napped for an hour and a half today, so she was definitely ready!)

While I got jammies on the girls, Eli got a little naked time.

This kid loves being naked! Look at that grin!

Really, my impetus for giving Eli naked time is that I think it's hard for babies to learn to roll when they wear bulky cloth diapers. However, rolling is easy for them when they're naked. So I like to give my little ones a chance to practice the skill. 

Also, naked babies are adorable.

Look at the chunk this kid is putting on!

Of course, once Lily and Daisy noticed that Eli was having naked time, they decided that they needed naked time, too! Off went the clothes, and fun was had by all. (Except by Eli, maybe, who looks overwhelmed by all of the attention.)

Mom brought Caleb home and rocked Lily to sleep, then held Eli while I read to the big two. I could have handled tonight by myself, but it would have been hectic. Instead, my kiddos all got quality snuggle time with their grandma, and the evening was peaceful

When I came out to get Eli after putting the big kids to bed, he was inches from sleep in Grandma's arms. I can't think of a better place to be. Thanks, Mom.

June 1

What? It's June? How did that happen?

Luckily, it was also Do-Nothing Monday today. We broke the rules a little bit by doing a few things, but I think they were justified. 

First thing: Chris woke Lily up at 5:40 this morning and took her - still in her jammies - to the hospital to have tubes put in her ears. I gave him strict instructions to take pictures for blogging (and posterity) purposes, and he brought home these photos:

This was before the surgery, and I love that Lily looks thoroughly confused and annoyed. I would, too, if you woke me up from a sound sleep and took me to an unfamiliar hospital!

More sweet Lily. Sadly, there are no "after" photos because Lily just wanted to be held afterwards. She did great, though: the surgery was quick, and Lily has been perfectly normal all day. Our ENT said he found lots of wax buildup and some fluid in her left ear, and that she should hear much better now. Hooray!

Later, we tried out new playground #4 in a neighborhood that adjoins ours. The kids had fun, and I met a new friend whose interests are shockingly similar to mine. How fun!

Daisy was having a rough day, though. Something must be going on with that girl, because she has been really challenging lately. Because of her, the kids ate early lunches and were scheduled for early naps. Happily, my mom stopped by to help defuse the Daisy situation and put Lily down for her nap. Grandma always fixes everything for my kiddos.

After naps, Lily needed a few extra snuggles, so I wrapped her up on my back.

Isn't she sweet? She was so happy to be up there, and stayed there while I made dinner.

I know. We are super cute. Also, who knew my tongue was so long? It's kind of horrifying.

After dinner, I remembered that I wanted to participate in a 30-day Wrap-a-Day challenge, where you try a new carry each day. Today's carry is actually our go-to front carry, Front Wrap Cross Carry, so I wrapped Eli up in it, paying special attention to my technique. Eli was unimpressed, and then spit up on my wrap. 

*whomp, whomp*

Luckily, it was a normal-baby spit up, not a volcano spit-up. Maybe being dairy free is working, after all!