I lay awake, eyes squeezed shut, hoping for sleep.  How can I be so tired and not be able to sleep?  Is it the gnawing realization that there is more to do than can possibly fit into my day?  Should I get up and get started now?  I look at the clock.  Two am.  Sigh.  Too late to stay up; too early to get up.  So I lay here…waiting for sleep to come.  I only barely dozed off, but I heard a noise and was awake again.  Really, I should sleep.  Morning will come, and then there will be noise and chaos and lots to do that I need energy for. 

Six am.  I wake to the sound of the shower running in the bathroom as Aaron gets ready for work.  I don’t remember falling asleep.  It wasn’t much sleep anyway.  And here we are, time to hit the ground running.  I pull the covers over my head, squeezing in a few more seconds of rest for my weary body.  But the door swings open and a sweet boy climbs in bed, cuddling his silky cheeks against mine.  Aaron is ready for work before I finally drag myself out of bed.  He kisses me, forages for his own breakfast in the kitchen, and is gone for the day. 

My three hungry offspring climb over me, clamoring to be fed.  Weary and groggy, I pad downstairs in my slippers.  I open the refrigerator and stare blankly at it’s empty shelves.  Great.  Not many options there.  I finally decide on tortillas, pan-toasted with butter, spread with cream cheese and honey. The breakfast of champions. The kids aren’t buying it.  I throw in chocolate chips to sweeten the deal…they melted beautifully on the tortilla and I folded it over like a warm quesadilla.  I thought it was a grand breakfast, but the kids wouldn’t touch it.  Plan B.  The only  other thing in the fridge is last night’s leftover pizza.  Yes, you heard me.  PIZZA!  So I serve up two plates of cold pizza.  It’s not organic, definitely not Vegan, and the crust is made of *gasp* white flour.  But the kids love it.  Not my best mommy moment, but there’s something to be said for the fact that the kids are full and happy…and a major crisis has been averted.  So my day is off to a great start.  Success is measured in such small terms.

 

This is Miriam, leg warmers on to cut the cold, crawling out the open back door. This is a favorite pastime of hers

Jackson, watching affectionately as ‘Teddy’ gets a bath in the washing machine.  Yes, there is a pacifier in his mouth.  My explanation is twofold:  first, because Miriam is obsessed with ‘eating’ everything- a dangerous venture- I keep trying to get her to take a pacifier, so that her mouth will be full.  In this way, I hope to keep her from chewing on everything else.  We’ve had limited success. Jackson, upon seeing his beloved pacifiers laying all about, couldn’t resist the temptation and has taken up his pacifier habit, like an old smoker who can’t kick the habit.  The only reason I allow it is because, in the abscence of a pacifier, he sucks on his bottom lip.  I’m concerned that this sucking habit will lead to serious orthodontic issues.  And so, he is 2 1/2 and still periodically sucks the pacifier. (though he will tell me, with a serious face, that it is only for bedtime

Is it Fall??!! Oh, wait…it’s Christmas. Ha! 

Caleb, and his beautiful camoflauge eyes! 

Our Christmas tree - 2011 

Our Christmas presents – the boys got one gift each, plus stocking stuffers

Caleb got a remote control car, Jackson got matching Woody and Buzz figurines. Both boys got harmonicas and peppermints puffs in their stockings 

Another pacifier…and his beloved toys! 

 

Caleb weaving melody magic on his harmonica

Miraim Claire 

Her first Christmas!   

She was 8 months old for her first Christmas! 

She got the “Mary Engelbright’s Mother Goose” book – with beautiful illustrations.  And she got diaper covers in her stocking

 

Miriam loves to help with the dishes! 

 

Crawling out the front door… 

My ‘pirate’ son.  He loves to dress up!  He frequently likes to put his pants on inside out, shirt on backwards, donn the eye patch, the pirate bandana, a pirate hat (on sideways) and only one boot (as a ‘wooden leg’)  It’s only funny if it is not your son.  Self-expression at its finest  
 

Darling Jackson and his endearing smile!  This may actually be the only picture of our house decorated for Christmas!  Look closely..

Teddy-a sweet family member

 

I had meant to take Miriam’s picture in the pumpkin, but forgot.  Fortunately, the pumpkins were still good after Christmas.  I went to take her picture in it but she was like “EWWW!!! Disgusting, slimy pumpkin!  I’m not going anywhere near that!”  So we had to just set her next to it!

  

As it turns out, December pumpkins are pretty tasty

 

We got a bird feeder.. (ahem…’squirrel’ feeder) for Christmas.  The acrobats of these squirrels have been a real source of entertainment for us!

 

Some gingerbread men we decorated 

Miriam started crawling the day she turned six months.  She crawls on her belly, army style, when she has dresses on (because she can’t get her knees up with the dress!)  And she crawls on her hands and knees all other times.  She started pulling up the day she turned 8 months…a skill that she is very proud of!  She is ahead of Jackson, he wasn’t even sitting up or crawling until 8 months.  But she is far behind Caleb, who was walking around furniture at 6 months and taking small steps by 8 months.  Amazing how different all three of them are! 

My precious boys have started sharing a bed.  We often find them like this-snuggled in cute positions.  They really love each other!  Notice that the pirate bandana doesn’t get a break, even at night.  Also note the cowboy vest and camoflouge gear….a pirate-army-cowboy.  People tell me that I should get ready for having a girl; ’she’ll want to change clothes 8 times a day and play dress up’ they warn.  So..umm…how is that different from my boy??!!