Trip to Colorado

We had such a fun time in Colorado last week. My sister Angela invited us and it was so much fun! Thanks Angela! It was so fun to be with all of my siblings and their families. It was a great week for the cousins to play and for all of us to get to hang out. The San Juan National Forest is absolutely beautiful!

Highlights of the trip:

Sitting around the campfire every night
Riding in the Jeep Willy--No seatbelts even, the kids loved it.
Hiking to Box Canyon and swimming in the river
Reading on the porch
Good music
Hiking to Williams Falls--beautiful!
Lots of games of Hearts, War, and B.S.
"I Like Big Butts!"
The little boys and all of their antics
French braids
Tie Dying shirts for all the kids
Putting together a little duathlon
Riding the four wheelers
Painting rocks
Fishing
Beautiful runs and lots of excercise
Afternoon rainstorms
The kids Magic Show
Monopoly
Lots of bug spray
Kids playing Haunted Mansion and Carnival
Great food
Building a trap and catching a chipmunk
"Take me to the River, Throw me in the water!"
Hummingbirds
Arm Wrestling--Bekah rocks!
Bocce
Going to the General Store in the Jeep
Oh and the memorable Mtn Biking adventure

Age from Miles's Perspective

Tonight, I was with my sisters and we were talking about my brother's poor dog Kenna that got old and died. My kids were wondering which one it was since my brother has two dogs, and I told them it was the mama dog. They were very sad for the poor baby (like 6 year old) dog and how sad he must be to lose his mama.

My birthday is coming up, and I was tucking Miles into bed tonight I asked him, "Do you know how old I am going to be?"

Miles: 3. I mean 6.

Me: Nope, I am going to be --(okay, now I am not going to tell the whole world how old I am since this is the internet and all). I am old!

The smile vanishes. He looks at me seriously--"No! I don't want you to be old!"

Oh, how sad! I think he was thinking of the poor mama dog that died. Poor kid. But his concern was sweet all the same.

I had to explain that I wasn't old. I am still really young.

Speaking of death and dying, to celebrate my birthday, we are going hangliding. SCARY. I've always wanted to go, but now I am having second thoughts. I never really worried about safety stuff when I didn't have children, but now anything that has a remote chance of malfunction is reminds me that I am not immortal and that my children need a mommy. However, I'll probably end up doing it, and loving it.

I'll be sure to post pictures!

Ahh, the sound of no TV

We got rid of our cable the other day. I am in heaven! The sound of the TV blaring in the background is no longer the background music of my life.

My little sweet boy turns on the TV whenever my back is turned, and I think every other phrase out of my mouth is "turn off the TV!" We unplug it, he plugs it back in. We even looked into some type of TV timer mechanism that shuts it down when the allowed time has been spent.

But getting rid of the cable has solved that problem. Nothing comes in but fuzz. I don't even want the antenna yet to get the local channels. We would probably have the same problem.

I just love hearing the sound of my kids playing. It is so nice! And the reassurance that their brains and creativity have not been damaged from years of watching the boob tube is even better.

This is a temporary situation though. ESPN is going to be hard to live without in about four more months!

Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay Race Report

Okay, this is a super long race report for a super long relay race. So just go ahead and look at the pictures if you have no interest in details. The Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay is a 180 mile relay. Each team has 12 runners. Our team was lucky enough to have three support people/drivers as well. Each runner has three legs and between 13-19 miles total. The race starts in Logan and follows the back of the Wasatch mountains to Heber, then ends in Park City. It is a breathtaking course!

Here is our team: the M.O.F.I.A. Mommas

I’ve been looking forward to this race since October. I was excited for the challenge of the crazy leg up Guardsman’s Pass, excited to spend a whole weekend with my friends, and excited to celebrate after the race. The last thing that I was really looking forward to is watching our newer runners succeed, and to do it.

There were a few things that I was unsure of with this race. First, I wasn’t sure about all the logistics of it. Kind of like my triathlon—I didn’t really get how it was all going to work until I actually did it. Second, I was worried that I’d be alone running in the woods somewhere in the middle of the night. That freaked me out—I have visions scary people or bears hiding in the woods just waiting for a solitary runner. Third, I don’t like people to watch me run. Somehow the idea of having a van follow me made me nervous. Performance anxiety maybe? I don’t know.

It was so fun to see all the girls the first night at the hotel and before the race. We have such a fun group of women! Our team was called the M.O.F.I.A. Mommas (I could tell you what MOFIA stands for, but then I'd have to kill you, he he.). Our tagline was “If You had 57 Kids, You’d Run Too!” Hard to believe that with all 15 (12 runners and 3 drivers) of us we have that many kids. The other team names were pretty funny at first. Then by the end of the weekend, I got annoyed with all the little clever potty humor puns. Me, the queen of the diarrhea song was sick of potty humor. I must have been really tired.

The night before the race we went to dinner in Logan, then checked out the start line and went to our rooms to open our gifts from some of our other friends—that was so sweet! Thanks girls!

Runner # 10 (that's me, I was runner 10)

It was a little hard to hang around and wait to start running. I am not used to that! I was starving it seemed and ate all kinds of random things before my race. I wanted to be fueled, and was just basically really hungry by lunchtime.

Leg #10

The first leg was really hot. I felt great that first mile or so. I have a hard time not starting out too fast—the adrenaline just gets me every time. But then I felt myself slowing down. We started climbing a hill, and that last part—though it wasn’t a big hill was difficult. I was hot, my feet felt like they were burning from the hot blacktop, and overall, I just wasn’t that impressed with my time. I think I averaged 9:20/mile. It was fine though, not race pace for a short distance, but okay. I was almost throwing up at the end. My lungs were burning and I was gagging.

We went to the next major exchange. It was one of my favorite parts of the race. We all got out our sleeping bags, laid them right down on the weeds and talked for awhile. It was still pretty early so it was hard to sleep. It was really fun to be there in the midst of all the excitement and energy.

Leg # 22

My second leg was at 1 or 2 am. It was so nice and cool! Before my turn to run, I got an awesome glimpse of the moon on some lake. Don't know what it was, but it was beautiful. I loved that leg. I love running in the dark, and with all the vans and runners out, there was nothing to worry about. I didn’t want to start out too fast or to use up my energy on this leg knowing that my last leg was going to be hard. So I put my country music on—my cheesy country love songs that I enjoy running to, and just enjoyed the run. It was so great to be able to run in the dark and not be alone. I absolutely loved it. I’ve always loved being out at night, but for safety reasons, I don’t run at all in the dark or on solitary roads. I loved not being able to see too far ahead, or too far behind. It makes focusing on the feeling and the experience easier. The last half, I felt like I could step it up and work harder, so I switched music and tried to go a little faster. I felt great. I wasn’t dying at the end.

After each runner in Van 2 completed our first two legs (all of us did fab--it was so nice for each of us to have a good run), we headed to the cabin for a couple of hours of sleep. It was heavenly. I was exhausted! We all felt sick when we got up and headed to the next exchange. I think no sleep and snacky food was taking its toll on our bodies.

Leg #34

The Ragnar leg was crazy. As I watched Jenn O. fight her way up the first half of that stretch of Guardsmans Pass, I realized that running wasn’t all that much faster than walking for most of the runners. I’d done a course that I thought was similar several times. It was the same average grade in the same distance. However, it wasn’t hot, and it wasn’t on gravel, it wasn’t 8500 ft elevation and it wasn’t after not sleeping more than a couple hours in the last day. Those things seemed to make a difference. I also felt like though the average grade was 7.9%, there were lots of really steep parts, then it would flatten out for a bit. After a few minutes of running, my calf muscles just burned like crazy and I knew that I couldn’t maintain it. So I did a walk/run routine. At first my Garmin didn’t work, and when I finally got it to start, I had to laugh when I’d glance down and see that my pace was 24 minute miles. Crazy. I averaged 11:30 on my last training run. But I just knew that there was no way I was going to finish that hill with even close to that pace. I don’t know what my time was overall—but it was between 18 and 20 minute miles I am guessing. So I just told myself I was on a hard hike and tried to enjoy the scenery. It was beautiful! We’d finally gotten past all the scrubby oak trees and were up in the Aspens with shade and snowy peaks. It really was a beautiful *hike* lol. I didn’t feel hot. My team was so supportive! I had a icy cold headband, and a cold cloth on my back. I look funny in the pictures, but it was sooo functional. It was great. I was tired at the finish, but it felt great. I hopped in the van and realized I was absolutely famished so I ate tons of trail mix and Ritz. Mmmmm.

We finished off the race by all running in together. I loved that part. It was nice to be done! I did feel a bit like the horse that had been teased with a carrot only to not get it after all the work was done. I’d been really looking forward to hanging out with the girls after the race and relaxing. But there were injuries, emergencies at home, and family. And truth be told, we were all so freaking tired, that we were not all that entertaining. The next morning was nice, we all hung out a bit before heading back. I’ve been thinking a lot about whether I would do this race again. I think I am so used to the format of a regular race. Wake up, run, party, bask in the satisfaction of the achievement. This one took so long to get to the party part, that I was too tired to enjoy it once I got there. I wonder if just knowing what to expect would make a difference? It was a great experience for me either way. I loved the race.

Again, running provided a metaphor for life. This one felt like childbirth to me even more than some of the other ones. As we cheered on our fellow runners during their legs, it felt like we were doulas. I have to say that one of my favorite parts of the race was watching all of our newer runners do so well. Our average pace worked out to be about 10:40/mile and our total time was 32 hours. Which isn’t bad considering the terrain. There were huge hills and mountains to climb on most of the legs. We had some huge hurdles, but overall, A LOT of training and hard work went into this, and we finished as a team and that gives me a lot of satisfaction. I loved the other girls that were in our van—I got to see them at their best, their exhausted, and through it all they were so fun to be with. I was pretty amazed! I was sad on Sunday that we were all heading back to our homes in Idaho, Utah, Texas and Arizona. I am thinking a WB race reunion weekend is in order sometime this fall!

Books are like Drugs

And I've been in a heavenly altered state for the past week or more! Ever since we got home from our trip to California, I've been reading the Twilight Series. Then I read another book--the new to paperback Mary Higgins Clark novel (I read one of hers every year since Jr. High). And now I am onto The Host. I started reading the Kite Runner, but I decided to hold off on that one since I am afraid to ruin my Twilight euphoria with something depressing. It has been so fun though. The house has gone to pieces, but it was worth it. And my kids are loving it. "SURE you can go outside and play, I'll just sit here on the porch all day and watch and read my book!"

I am still searching for some celebrity to personify Edward though. The guy who is playing him in the movie is just not nearly hot enough. Honestly, I haven't seen anyone that really fits yet. Any ideas? I hate not having an image in my head of what he looks like.

I have to admit, that the first book kinda bugged me. The "I love you more" "No, I love YOU more" thing between Bella and Edward got old. And Edward was was too moody. But after Eclipse, I think I am in love! With a character from a book. Sorry Rhett Butler, you've been replaced.

It is a little scary how books, like dreams, can completely change your mood and your feelings toward people in real life. I have to admit, I had a dream once in Junior High about a guy (I won't ever tell who it was because it is WAY too weird and embarrassing) and in the dream I loved him. I was a little bit attracted to this weirdo after that. It was so odd.

Anyway, it has been fun. What a great way to kick off the summer. Can't wait until August 2nd.

I just want to scream!

Because I am SOOO happy! Tomorrow is my last day of picking up Monet from Kindergarten. Doing the carpool 2-3 times a day at 45 minutes roundtrip was not fun, but it is almost OVER. No more lunches to pack, and I packed away the girls uniforms today.

So my summer officially begins Monday, and I am so excited. Last summer, when things weren't so busy, we started doing lots of hikes. It was so nice. The mountains were nice and cool in the evenings, and absolutely beautiful. I love living 15 minutes away from so many unique places. It really is therapeutic to be out in the fresh air. I tend to get bogged down when I am home too much. So my goal for this summer is just to explore all the fun stuff nearby and do some day trips and some camping.

Girls Trip to Phoenix

I went on such a great trip to Phoenix few weeks ago—five sisters and my mom, hiking, shopping, cooking, running and laying out together. We even had a little yoga and gymnastics mixed in.

I am so happy to have these wonderful sisters. I look up to each of them. We all are the same, and yet different in so many ways, but when we are all together, we just mix so well.

The best thing about our relationships to me is that I feel completely safe with them. I know that they understand me, and they see my intentions and my heart and they know I love them and if something arises between us, it is easily cleared up.

If one of them accomplishes something, I feel a sense of pride as if I myself have done it. I think it is the same pride parents have in their children. I love my sisters, and I want everyone to know them too—look how smart, beautiful and witty they are! I love that we can brag about our kids to each other, and we’ll all just be so excited that our nieces and nephews are so cute and smart, etc. There is no competition in that arena. There is no playing small for fear someone will be jealous or feel bad.

I feel like I have four heroes to look up to, and to try to emulate. I think of them daily in different situations and they help me to want to be a better person.

Angela is the oldest of the family, and is perfect for that position. She was awesome at pulling everyone together after my parents divorce and helping the siblings to remain close despite the friction that comes with divorces. She is a very thoughtful mom. Some of my favorite books, including my parenting bible “How to talk so your kids will listen and how to listen so your kids will talk” were her suggestions. She is great at fitting everything in, from piano lessons to preparing dinner—sometimes when I am exhausted and tired of all my carpooling, I think of her and realize that I CAN do it, and it will be worth it. Angela is incredibly generous. She has helped out her siblings on numerous occasions, from getting our business up and running, to helping her sisters with tuition when financial aid wasn’t happening. When I was a starving college student, she sent me a check for groceries. That kind of stuff is just normal for her. But I thought it was such a kind gesture!

Michelle gets along with everyone. And it is easy to see why. She once told me before an interview to describe myself as amiable—well, that certainly doesn’t fit me the way it fits her. She is thoughtful with words, and she can navigate an awkward conversation rather adeptly. I love watching her parenting style as well—she is so patient and thoughtful. She speaks so kindly. I try to remember that when my first instinct is to scream. She plans lots of fun trips and parties with her friends, and is very loyal. She is also very generous.

When Jared and I got married, we thought it would be fun to spend our first married night in our apartment to save money. My knowing older sisters Angela and Michelle got us a nice hotel room, and that was in addition to the washing machine and numerous other gifts they bought us. We were both amazed at how thoughtful they were for a 24 and 26 year old!

Michelle’s patience is pretty amazing. I stole her clothes constantly when I was a kid, and she’d write these nice notes about how I could just ask her and she’d let me borrow them—I should have thought of that instead of breaking Bekah’s nose. (sorry Bek! J)

Bekah is very creative. I love her sense of style and am always excited to see her house and how she’s put it all together. It is kind of an eclectic mix of traditional, modern and vintage, and I just love it. She can cook up a tasty little meal with just whatever is in the fridge—no recipe of course. She is fun and is such a sweet mom! And has a really bold humor. It is hilarious—I love especially all the little voices and expressions she can make. She has always been so great with kids. When we were teens, I was always the favorite babysitter—until they had Bekah come over! I am very impressed with her business and planning skills. She is also intensely loyal and a great friend.

I think the sweetest moment I’ve had with Bekah was last summer, after I found out that we weren’t going to be moving into the house I spent months on. She called me to talk to me about it and was crying out of sadness for me. I was totally moved that Bekah loved me that much, and was genuinely that sad for me!

Rachel has always been our lovable youngest sister. She has a great laugh. I love walking into a store with Rach because I instantly see all these heads turn. It is pretty fun! I love her style too. I am often the beneficiary of her cast offs. She is very calm and easygoing. One skill I’d love to learn from her is how she can disagree with someone with a laugh and a funny and innocent sounding sarcastic comment. The sarcasm isn’t biting at all, and the humor really diffuses the tension, but she gets her point across. Rachel is methodical in many ways which combined with her relaxed demeanor makes her a perfect fit for her career in nursing. She is a labor and delivery nurse which is very fun for a birth junkie like myself.



Here we all are about 17 years ago: Michelle, Rachel, Angela, Bekah and Sheree in December 1991. Love those braces I've got--not to mention the perms.
Here we are now! In Bekah's cute house: Michelle, Angela, Sheree, Rachel, Bekah

We had a "healthy trip" meaning no treats. It was kinda weird. Usually vacations are an excuse to just eat to my hearts content. I have to admit, I was really wanting some Cherry Garcia at Trader Joe's. But instead, we got some greek yogurt and frozen cherries. It was a satisfactory substitute. We had the best food!

We went shopping at a great mall, and we all especially loved the Lucy store. Cute workout stuff!

Just a little update on Simone and Miles

As I observed my kids this past week, I can't help but be completely overwhelmed. I feel so fortunate to have four sweet kids. We took a little trip to California this past week. Being away from the house really helped me to remember what little treasures they are! I enjoyed being with them so much.

It was so cute to see them all cuddled up in one big bed in the hotel. Of course Simone and Miles ended up sleeping with us, and Jared and I survived on very little sleep. But aside from the exhaustion, it was a blast!



Simone is so much fun. She is learning to say more words now. For the past few months, the only thing she really says consistently is "mama" and "nooooo". I think I like hearing her little "nooooo" even more than I do the "mama". It is so stinking cute. She can hardly talk, but she has this sassy little intonation when she says it. I love how tiny she is. Although I would feel more comfortable if she were chubby, her tinyness cracks me up. She is a great little climber. She runs, and she slithers off my bed so easily. She even jumps on the tramp with her older siblings. But she is still this little mini person. It is so fun.

She is so incredibly playful. She always wants to play peek-a-boo. She likes me to put my fingers in her mouth where she pretends to bite me. We started playing this little game when I was feeling her new teeth. Now she just thinks it is hilarious. I pretend to bite her fingers and to eat her feet. Hopefully this little routine won't be to confusing when she enters nursery! She has the most adorable laugh. It is so funny.

It is so cute to see that little smile when any of us go somewhere. Jared comes home from work everyday and has these little arms reaching up to him. She even has a big hug for Elise when she gets home from school. I love it! It is the cutest little expression of genuine happiness when she sees any of us.

She loves nursing. A few months ago I was thinking she was going to wean herself. But like my others, she started getting more attached to nursing as she gained more independence. It is like the reassurance that she is still my baby--and I have to admit I love it. She is so sweet when she crawls onto my lap and looks up at me. Then I say, "Do you want to nurse?" and she just starts laughing and is so happy. It is cute. When we are around other people, I put her off, and don't feed her right away. So she has started to bring me a blanket. Like she knows exactly what I am thinking. It is pretty cute.

From the moment she wakes up in the morning, Simone is flanked by her two older sisters. They switch off days for getting her out of her crib. They read her bedtime stories. Giggling at every little thing she does. I just love watching their laughter as they play together. She gets so much attention from them.

Simone loves her stuffed animals--or any animals for that matter. Dogs, cats, horses. She gets so excited to see them. Her favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do You See, and Good Dog Carl.



Then there is Miles. He is ever the source of comic relief. The things he comes up with just crack me up. I love hearing how his little mind works. I've especially enjoyed his recent way with words. He has started attempting more adult conversation. A few days ago, he asked my little sister Rachel when she was going to have a baby. I don't know where he comes up with this stuff! A few weeks ago, he asked me the same thing.

"When are we going to get another baby?!" he asked me.
"We are not getting anymore babies Miles, we have four kids already."
"Yeah we are! We have to have one more!"

Jared found that amusing of course and felt the need to probe him. Then he started saying something about having puppies instead of babies. Phew!

Miles has a raspy voice that is pretty low for a 3 year old. He is pretty good at articulating what he is trying to say. He has always been good that way. When he was Simone's age, he was asking me for Chocolate and avocados. Lately, he says "Actually" ALL the time.

Miles has decided that he is no longer three, he is six. And if you say he is three, he will correct you and get pretty upset. So I just say he is six half years. That way Monet doesn't feel the need to correct him when he says he is six.

He is pretty ambivalent about growing up these days. On one hand, he says over and over, "I'm big" and "I'm STRONG" and he wants to be known as a big kid.

But he is also feeling that his childhood is slipping away. It all started when he found his old pair of light up Incredibles Shoes in a box that was going to be donated. He was so upset that they don't fit him. Then, the same day we had a family home evening on missionaries and priesthood, and he got even more worked up. He keeps telling me he doesn't want to get big like daddy, doesn't want to be a missionary, and doesn't want to hold the priesthood. I told him that he has a long time to be a kid. But apparently he is still a little stressed.

In the car the other day, he was so patient with Simone. She was kinda cranky and wasn't too happy to be sitting in her car seat. So she was pinching his arm and laughing. He looks at us and says, "Simone thinks I'm a toy." I was so glad he wasn't hurting her back. He remembers to tell her in his stern voice, "No pinching Simone!"

As I write this, I am brought to tears in laughter. My poor husband was just trying to watch the Lakers in peace when Monet comes downstairs and informs us that Miles, who is upstairs watching 101 Dalmations, for some reason took off his pajamas and is wiping poop on daddy's pillow--so gross, yet so funny, thankfully it was just a little bit! I wish I had a picture of the look on Jared's face. he is very attached to his pillow and his special pillowcase he can't sleep without.

Miles's reaction is even funnier. I can hear Jared talking to him, "WHY would you do that?!" And Miles's response--"I don't know WHY I did it" (I am starting to wonder if he's overheard us talking about the poop smearing episodes from a couple of years ago) and he is so sorry and apologetic--it really is hard to be mad at him for long. He is so great at apologizing for his little messes. "I'll clean it up Mommy!" is the classic response to my exasperation. And he tries.

We hiked to the "Y" a couple of weeks ago and Miles got to pee standing up for the first time. He was hesitant at first, but I convinced him that it was okay because there was no bathroom around. He thought it was the neatest thing ever. When we got home and were doing some yardwork, the first thing he does is take a leak on the front lawn. Today at the park, he was asking again if he could pee on the grass at the park. Yikes. Hopefully the novelty will wear off soon!

Anyway, it is so fun to see all the changes our littlest ones are going through. They are so entertaining for us!

I'm In!

I finally got picked in the St. George Marathon lottery. I am so excited! It isn't until October 4th, so I've got five months to train.

I am looking forward to those long winding runs with my audiobooks and music. Checking out new areas, looking at all the houses as I pass by. Getting up with the sun, and feeling energized. I love running---it is such a high.

A few weeks ago, I ran up to Suncrest from Micron, and that route has the most incredible views and I just kept thinking how exciting it wasto be running up a mountain rather than sitting around my house and watching it get destroyed--like it always does on the weekends.

So if I can just go to bed early enough so I can actually start the run--I'll be good! Seriously, to me that is the biggest stumbling block--waking up.

I am also going to register for the Hobble Creek Half Marathon, so anyone who has thought about running a half marathon, come and do it with me! It is so much more fun with friends. I've heard it is a great race and only costs $30. It fills up though, so register early. Here is the link: http://www.srcevents.com/hobblecreek/registration.php. Half marathons are a really fun distance to run and there is plenty of time to train for it.

No really, go ahead!

A few years ago on Mother's Day, I wasn't feeling so great. We had been planning to go to Jared's mom's house for the evening. I told him to go ahead and go without me, I'd just stay home. He was thinking that there was no way that he was going to leave me home all by myself on Mother's Day, if I couldn't go, then he'd stay with me.

How nice.

But I think I turned him down. Because guess what moms of young kids REALLY love? Being home alone! Well, maybe not all of them, I imagine my mom wouldn't have liked it--she is a total extrovert and loves being with people. But for me, being home all by myself is treasured time.

I think it happens about once every few months or even more rarely. Now it is easier. Simone is older and can be away from me for longer periods of time. In fact, Jared just took the kids to the Animal Park, so here I sit--in my quiet house, just listening to the sounds of the faraway lawnmowers and airplanes. It is so cool. I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to revel in the quiet. And I promised myself I wouldn't clean and waste it. I think I may even READ!

It is interesting how you get used to having a lot of kids around. Last year, I was talking and chatting with a friend on the phone while changing a diaper, and she was concerned about the screaming baby in the background--thinking I must need to leave. My reaction? "Oh, is my baby crying?" You kinda tune all that stuff out after awhile. I think you have to in order to maintain your sanity. Especially with a fiesty little one like Simone was. She hated being in the car. Hated it. So if I was on my cell driving-which was a lot, Simone's wailing was the background noise. The moms didn't seem to mind it--but the grandparents were really hating that sound.

Poor Simone--those fourth babies really have it so different than the first. When Elise would make even a tiny peep at night (she wouldn't really cry, it was more of a bleat like a lamb) I'd jump up and feed her. No wonder she reached 15 pounds at three months. She couldn't make a sound without a boob being stuck in her mouth. But Simone--she cries and we respond--but sometimes it is after the laundry gets changed or the sandwiches are made. She's learned to wait a little longer. And maybe that is a good thing. Elise was incredibly demanding and Simone is pretty laid back--I think there might be a connection!

It is amazing how moms adapt. I used to watch my sisters kids on an occasional weekend. Two kids, no young babies--should be easy.

But nope! Everything got messy so fast. There was always a meal to cook or someone to pick up. It was crazy. Now of course, two kids is easy. Add a few more to my four little ones though, and I am feeling the anxiety.

Anyway, I better get started on my book before the chaos arrives home again!