October 7

Today was a seriously jam-packed day. It started at 7:45, when a home builder Chris knows came by to measure our front door for replacement. That's been on our to-do list for at least three years, and it looks like it may actually happen this fall. Hooray!

As soon as Roy left, Chris headed to work. It was a late start day for Caleb. so we had the whole morning to fill. It also happens to be International Babywearing Week, and our local babywearing group had a zoo day planned. I have not been up for major activities lately, but at the last minute I decided I could handle a short trip to the zoo. So I loaded all four kids into the van, and off we went!

Except that I forgot Caleb's backpack and lunch bag, so I had to turn around and get that. But then we were off!

It was actually really freeing to know that we only had an hour for our zoo trip. It meant that I felt no pressure to see all - or even most - of the animals, and I didn't need to worry about packing lunches for everyone.

We arrived at the zoo at 9:15, just in time to enjoy the free hour. First up: carousel.

Lily chose to ride on the bench. Don't mind her solemn expression; she was actually very happy. Also, I love the polar bear photo bomb!

Caleb and Daisy both felt brave and chose to ride animals that moved up and down. They are really growing up!

Eli, meanwhile, was happy on my back. 

They really wanted to do this. Lily didn't get what was supposed to be happening.

Then we went on to the Children's Zoo. Daisy was desperate to meet up with her old friend, Goaty the Goat Who Loves All Goats.

Found him! Lily gave Goaty a good brush.

Then she and Goaty had a good laugh. Perhaps they were laughing about Goaty's second head? Weird.

And that was pretty much all we had time for. We passed a wooded trail on our way in to the zoo, and Caleb really wanted to explore it. The kids chose to leave the zoo a few minutes early to make that happen.

But first, we stopped by the elephant fountain.

I was really close to unwrapping Eli and letting him be in the picture, too, but I didn't have a spotter and I don't entirely trust any of the kids to hold him quite yet.

At the top of the trail, the kids found this "tree fort", and they were very, very happy.

And Eli was out cold. That looks pretty uncomfortable, but he only stayed that way for about five minutes. We loaded into the van, and got Caleb to school right on time. In fact, his school bus pulled up just ahead of us, unloading all of our neighbors. Awesome!

The little ones and I headed home for lunch and naps, and then Chris' mom came over. She played with Daisy while Lily napped, and Chris, Eli, and I went to a door wholesaler to pick out a new front door.

Eli slept the whole time.

After the door-picking, Chris and I headed separate ways. He took Eli home, while I headed to my doctor. I've been dealing with some postpartum depression lately, and I finally decided it was time to see my doctor about it. She was very helpful, and I think we have a good plan of attack in place.

The appointment ran late, though, and I got home just in time to take over so that Chris and Caleb could go up to the Lego Store for a free mini-build. While the boys were gone, I went through Caleb's backpack and found this:

School pictures are back! Is he handsome, or what? Goodness, I love that boy.

And now they are all asleep, and I am beat.

October 6

Eli did not sleep well last night, which meant I didn't sleep well. 

Most mornings, Chris wakes me when he leaves for work at 7, and I sneak out of bed while Eli sleeps until 8 or 8:15. Lily usually sleeps until 7:30 or 7:45, which means that I get at least half an hour with just Caleb and Daisy. They know enough to leave Mama Bear alone until she's had her coffee, so really I get a solid thirty minutes to wake up, enjoy my coffee, and pump.

This morning, not so much. Not only was Eli a jerk about sleeping during the night, but he also decided he didn't want that extra hour of sleep. And as I carried him down the hall, I heard Lily crying in her room.

*darn*

All four to contend with, and no coffee in my system.

It was that kind of morning, and everything was slow and awful. Caleb had school, Daisy had preschool, and the little ones and I were supposed to meet friends at a park right after I dropped Daisy off. But five minutes before we needed to leave to get Caleb on the bus, I was still in my jammies, neither Lily nor I had eaten breakfast, and Caleb's lunch wasn't even packed. 

That kind of morning.

I made the executive decision to drive Caleb to school, which bought me an extra 30 minutes, and it was just enough. We dropped Caleb off, dropped Daisy off, ran back to the house so I could swap my sweater for a t-shirt, and were ready to head to our playdate when I got a text from my friend: her car battery was dead, and she couldn't meet us.

I suppose it was just as well; Lily has a cold, and early-riser Eli was ready for his morning nap. So we headed inside, where I put Lily in front of Sesame Street and got to work putting Eli down for his nap. Once he was asleep, Lily and I were free to play. We spent the whole morning outside, and it was lovely.

I happened to have my phone when I put Eli down, so I snapped a picture. My sweet boy prefers to roll over onto his tummy or side to sleep.

Since Caleb and Daisy were at school, Lily got to try out their swings. She was so excited!

*sigh*

My sweet girl. I am thankful for the morning we spent together.

Soon enough, Eli woke up and it was time to get Daisy from school. It was so nice out that we chose to eat lunch outside.

Even Eli enjoyed lunch outside! He really liked the ham. See some of it still on his face?

Mmm. Applesauce.

Ham.

HAM.

Lily took this picture of me. I was holding/supporting the camera while she snapped away, so I suppose I helped. What is with that vein down the middle of my forehead? So weird.

While the little ones napped, Daisy and I decided to have a cup of afternoon tea. But tea without cookies is pointless, so we made some snickerdoodles.

This was definitely the best part of my day. Daisy really enjoyed her lemon zinger tea, too.

Tonight was McTeacher night at McDonald's, so we planned to go there for dinner. I know. McDonald's. Ugh. But I am so thankful that we have reached the point where Daisy can tolerate it. And Caleb was beyond excited, so it was worth it to me.

Four little duckies!

Chris met us there on his way home from work. They're all saying, "Cheeseburger!"

And then I hopped in Chris' car and drove off for a massage and chiropractor appointment. I came home just as the kids were ready for bed, and it was lovely.

October 5

Today was a much-needed Do-Nothing Monday. My goal was to scrub my kitchen floor, which was also much-needed. I got it done, but I was reminded why I do it so rarely. I put Eli down for his morning nap, and seized my opportunity to get to work. But right after I started... Eli started screaming. It's like he knew. So I went and got him, and he sat there and cried while I scrubbed the floor on my hands and knees. Daisy and Lily, meanwhile, spent the whole time screaming and fighting. It would appear that my options are either to tend to my children or accomplish tasks around the house, and I can't manage to do both.

What I need is a housekeeper. 

And maybe a nanny.

But my floors are clean now! While I finished the job, I tried to distract Eli by giving him a cup of water to play with.

It worked, at first. He was pretty excited!

Yum! Water!

Only he couldn't manage to bring it to his mouth and drink from it at the same time. I had to hold it for him. When I wasn't holding it to his mouth, he looked like this:

That, my friends, is one unhappy baby.

Trying again...

Nope. Cups are awful.

It's hard being 8 months old.

When it was time to get Caleb off the bus, both girls were still napping. I peeked in on Daisy, who was sound asleep, but Lily doesn't normally nap that long. I tiptoed down to her door, and heard her talking to herself. When I opened the door, I found this:

That, my friends, is one happy girl with some impressive bed head. She had pulled a book off her shelf, and was reading to herself. My heart nearly exploded with joy.

She was reading a story about the color kittens, but when I asked her about it, she replied, "Trying find Baby Dear." It's her favorite story in this book, and I thought it was so cute that she was flipping through the book, searching for it. What a sweetheart!

October 4

Lily and Eli have runny noses, and Chris and I were out late last night after a busy day yesterday, so we made the decision to skip church to stay home and rest.

Even better, when it was time for Eli's morning nap, my fabulous husband decided to let me climb into bed and nap with Eli while he took the big three kids to do all of the grocery shopping.

People, that is HUGE.

I usually do the shopping with no kids, or maybe with one.

I never do all three stores at once.

I shop every week, and it's fast.

Chris had none of those advantages, and he spent a solid three hours doing all of the shopping. It was such a lovely gift, and I appreciated it so much.

Eli and I snuggled and slept for at least two hours, and then we ate lunch and played.

We are working on catch. 

It is not going well.

However, he is starting to make hand and arm movements that look like clapping and like waving. He's almost there!

And he is so, so curious. He really is the sweetest little baby.

I just need someone else to handle him from 7 pm on.

October 3

Today was supposed to be an easy day. The only thing on the calendar was Caleb's soccer practice at 8:30 am, and a date night with friends at 8 pm. We would have the rest of the day to relax and do all of those little tasks that pile up during the week, plus the bigger ones that we've been putting off for a while. (Like the lawn that hasn't been mowed since mid-August...)

But it was not to be. We realized late Friday night that Chris had signed Caleb and Daisy up for a family day at the Boy Scout reservation; the event was from 8-3. So I spent the day with the little two, while Chris played and explored with the older two.

 He texted me these pictures:

You know how our boy has always loved sticks!

And Miss Daisy has never been one to be bested by her brother.

They had so much fun! 

Nothing there...

This was after exploring "Mud Cave", which seemed to be their favorite part. They came home with lots of stories!

Meanwhile, we just hung out at home. So it goes.

Since Chris and I had a dinner date night planned with our friends Chris and Amber, I decided to surprise the kids by making pizza for their dinner.

Lily was excited to help me make the crust using the little rolling pin from Grandma.

When Caleb and Daisy came home, they were shocked to see the pizza fixings out. Since I've been dairy-free for the past 4 or 5 months, we haven't had pizza for dinner. If I can't eat it, then no one can. But I assured them that it wasn't a trick, and they got to work decorating their own personal pizzas.

Those were two happy - and focused - kiddos!

After everyone but Eli was in bed, Chris' wonderful mother came over so that we could go out. 

It was a wine restaurant. Yum.

We had so much fun with Chris and Amber that we lost track of time. Finally, Chris' mom texted around 10:30 that Eli had been crying since 8:15. Whoops. We rushed home as quickly as we could, more concerned about poor Gayle than about our stinker of a baby.

Gayle is a trooper, though. She loves her grandbabies, even if they are uncooperative about sleeping. We are thankful for her!

October 2

Oh, Friday. 

I love you.

Caleb bought his lunch at school today. It was a turkey sandwich, and he was disappointed. He prefers ham.

The girls and I went to the library this morning to pick a movie for Family Movie Night. Daisy was adamant that we get Sleeping Beauty, even though I warned her it would be too scary. The kids have never seen the movie, but they have read the story enough times to know what would happen. All day long, Daisy talked excitedly of Maleficent.

For lunch, Daisy wanted a bell pepper. Not some bell pepper; a whole bell pepper. Since tomorrow is grocery day and the girl could use some extra vitamin C anyway, I said  yes. As I got the pepper out and washed it for her, she was practically vibrating with excitement. When I handed her the pepper, Daisy told me very seriously: "Mommy, you need to take a picture."

Girlfriend, you don't have to tell me that twice!

Eli was skeptical.

"Ma, are you really going to give her that whole thing? There's no way she'll eat it all. Meanwhile, I'm going to much on Lily's leftover discarded quesadilla. I might drop it several times, but I'm sure you'll pick it up for me until it's such a soggy mess that there's nothing left for me to gnaw on."

Look at her. It's almost like she was daring me to take it away from her. See that fierce determination in her eyes? She is totally my daughter.

Eli is still baffled.

Let the munching begin! Watch and learn, little one.

And you know what? The girl ate nearly all of it! Way to go, Daisy!

Then it was naptime, and I busted out this funny little fleece sleep sack that was a hand-me-down from my sister:

You know, because naptime is always a formal affair around here.

While the little ones napped, Daisy and I snuggled in my big bed. 

Eventually, Daisy realized that I was boring and only wanted to sleep, so she left me to nap on my own while she played quietly in her room. A mama could get used to that!

Everyone woke up before it was time to get Caleb from the bus, though. When we got home, Caleb and Daisy wanted to draw on the driveway with chalk. I tried watching them from the porch swing while I wore Eli in my ring sling, but he would have none of it. The boy wanted to be with his siblings! 

So I set him down right in the middle of the action, and he was so, so happy.

Happy baby!

Eventually, though, I had to go in to make dinner. I took a risk and let the big kids play out front on their own, but eventually I heard Daisy shrieking for one reason or another, and so I made them all come in. Then it was time for grilled cheese sandwiches and Sleeping Beauty. Daisy did great, but Caleb thought it was too scary. I left halfway through to go hear some of my favorite bloggers talk about their new book, and Chris stayed home to tend to all of our children. He is a very, very good man. I definitely enjoyed my time away.

October 1

As the kids got ready for school this morning, I gave them a pep talk about their wardrobes.

I warned them that it is now officially fall, and the weather is getting cooler, so it may no longer be appropriate for shorts and tanks. I told them that soon I would be putting away their summer clothes and pulling all of their winter clothes out. I suggested that they might like cardigans/hoodies/pants.

They didn't listen.

Then we walked Caleb to the bus stop, and I admit that I giggled to myself a little bit. Not that I like watching my children suffer, but they do need the occasional reminder that Mama Is Always Right.

Then Caleb got on the bus, we went home, Daisy put on tights and Lily got a hoodie, we took Daisy to preschool, and the younger two went with me to MOPS.

Eli was off his routine a bit this morning, and he woke up for the morning at 6:45, instead of 8:00. That meant that he was yawning on the way to MOPS, but I knew there was no way he'd nap in childcare. So instead of getting that precious time away from him, I wrapped him on my back and let him snooze there during the meeting. He actually did quite well!

Then it was home and time for lunch and more naps. Eli and Lily both took good naps, and while they slept, Daisy asked if we could bake something. I agreed, and she decided it should be a chocolate pie.

My mom picked up this little wooden rolling pin for the kids a few weeks ago, and Daisy was so excited to use it for our crust! She was also excited to surprise Caleb with a pie when he got home from school.

We got home from the bus stop right as the oven timer was going off, so I quickly set Eli on the ground so that I could pull the pie out of the oven.

When I turned around to scoop him back up, I found Caleb right there, singing a little song to his brother. My heart literally melted out of my chest. It was a mess.

Okay, maybe not. But it could have.

Look at the love and joy on Caleb's face. It makes this mama's heart so very happy.

Meanwhile, Eli's thinking, "Do you see this, Ma? He's playing with me! And singing to me! THIS IS AWESOME!!!"

I love these boys.

Later, my mom came over to stay with the kiddos so that Chris and I could go to Caleb's parent/teacher conference together. Caleb is doing well in school; excelling in reading and behavior, doing well in math and spelling, and still struggling a bit with the writing. We have a few concerns to look into, but overall it was a really great meeting. 

Then we went home and ate chocolate pie.