{contract}

Ryan presented this to me this afternoon, for my review before he typed up the final copy. He also wanted it to be reviewed by an attorney.

In case you can't read it, here's what it says:

CONTRACT

Subject: Allowance

This contract states that the parents of Ryan __________ will agree to give $5 every 1 1/2 weeks. The payment will be given to if jobs are done and room is clean. It can only be payed in checks or cash.

Mom_________________________________________

Dad_________________________________________

Forget being an architect or doctor (his current plans), I think he needs to seriously consider law school.

{the storm before the calm}

I think they got it wrong. In our house, it is not the calm before the storm, it's the other way around.

Once 4pm hits, the storm starts building, and by 4:45pm it's in full swing. We're talking torrential rains, 50 foot waves, 200mph winds, and fierce thunder and lightning. It hits its peak at around 5:45pm, and by 6:30pm it has finally started to reach calm status.

I can see why it happens. That time of day provides the exact ingredients for that perfect storm...tired, hungry, and grumpy kids, a mom trying to make dinner (and having it be nutritious to boot), homework and cello practice needing to be completed, and babies who need to be fed and require attention. Add in those nights where someone in the family needs to be somewhere, and the whole thing intensifies.

I have done what I can to prepare--steps I take to reduce the intensity of the storm, and that helps some. But in the end, as the captain of the shipt, I need to hunker down and realize it's all part of the job. That keeping the ship afloat is what's most important, and remembering that this life at sea is exactly where I want to be.

{the single life}

The other day I took Henry into the doctor, and by chance it happened to be a day that Rick was off work. So, it ended up just being him and me.

It felt a little strange to be taking just one baby out of the car, and to be able to carry him in without a stroller. When you have two babies, that never happens, and it's never that easy.

Afterward, I really needed to get to the grocery store, and suddenly had the thought---what do I do? I can do two babies, but one? He wasn't sitting up yet, could I actually still put him in the front of the cart? Would the buckle work, and keep him upright? Did he need a blanket? With those questions racing through my mind, I called my good friend for help. I know, it sounds funny, but I honestly couldn't remember. She assured me it would be fine, and off we went.

As we walked through the aisles together, and even as I dealt with all the normal struggles involved with taking a baby grocery shopping, I realized how much I was enjoying myself. It was just so fun to have that one-on-one time with him--where he had my complete and full attention (which is almost impossible at home). I sang and laughed, and we had a great time.

We have always made a strong effort to have separate time with each of our children. We recognized from the beginning that these special times on their own would be important--especially with multiples that share pretty much every aspect of their lives. After this experience with Henry, I realize that it needs to start much younger than I thought.

I have struggled a bit with the fact that my babies get held half the time. I can't hold them both at the same time very often, and with two 3 year old girls running around, it's not nearly as much as I want to, or have the ability to. I feel like they grow up twice as fast as Ryan ever did--maybe because I don't get to experience it in quite the same way. Would I change it? Absolutely not. I could never wish for it to be any different.

Like everything in life, there is a learning process, and sometimes the greatest lessons are learned by accident.

I think I will be making a grocery store date with Jack...very soon.

{a little bit of this, a little bit of that}

This week has been one of those where a lot has been going on--but not really. Does that even make sense? I have a few minutes before the babies go down for their nap, and I'm taking a small break in between loads of laundry. Perfect timing for blogging, right?

-Ever since I started blogging (I can't believe it's been 2 years!), I intended it to be my journal--a way to document our daily life through words and pictures--and so that my family and friends that live far away had a way to keep connected to us. It has kind of morphed since then, including "meeting" people I would never have met any other way, and sharing and gaining thoughts and ideas on a variety of subjects. I have loved every minute of it.
About a year ago, when I realized that I was just not going to have time to do digital scrapbooking (or any other kind--even though I really enjoyed it) I started thinking about publishing my blog into a book, so that my children would be able to look at and read about their life through my eyes, and also to know me--what I was thinking and feeling as I raised them. Now that I have finally decided to go ahead and do it, I have found myself wanting to blog about the very basic things in my life--those true day-to-day items that may seem insignificant now, but will someday give my children a glimpse into their childhood, and fill out their memories. So, if you are a reader, I hope you will understand when I talk about seemingly mundane and trivial items, because one day, they will be treasured.

-Can I TELL YOU HOW MUCH I CANNOT WAIT FOR SPRING? The weather has been teasing us unmercifully the last week, with record high temperatures, a light breeze, birds chirping, and that ever-lovely smell. You know...the one that's so yummy, but you can't quite explain? It doesn't seem to do it justice to call it an "outside smell", because it's fresh, and clean, and wonderful! My windows are open, the heat is turned off, and I'm reveling in the beautiful weather. Even laundry doesn't seem so bad today!

-I'm gearing up for a big weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it. Our church is having a women's retreat tomorrow night through Saturday morning, and it's being held at my house (hence all the laundry--gotta wash all the sheets and towels!). Rick is taking the kids to a hotel, and they will be able to live it up swimming and walking across the street to the pizza place to eat dinner. I just can't wait to have an evening with good friends, good food, and pure relaxation...while wearing my pajamas. I really can't think of anything better than that!

And just because...

{seven months}

Is it true? Can my babies be seven months old? I just want to squish them all the time...and I do.