Juggling, Celebrating, Enjoy the Day

I got up at 6:30am this morning. We had a busy day and I needed to prepare. I made the kids oatmeal for breakfast and gave them all baths. I packed tons of snacks and drinks, the cameras, jackets, toys, diapers, and football and gymnastics gear. I got everyone dressed and fixed Brenna’s hair for her meet. I printed off directions to the gym and the football field. I loaded the van. 

Between Brenna’s gymnastics meet and Joshua’s football game, we had some juggling to do today. The two events didn’t actually overlap, but the gym and the football field were separated by a 50 minute drive so I couldn’t get Josh to the football field in time for team warm ups. Normally Rick would have just taken him, but he’d worked a 12-hour night shift and was working another 12-hour shift on Saturday night and he really needed to sleep. So Rick slept for five hours in the morning and I arranged for Joshua to play at a friend’s house from 9:00 until noon.

I dropped Joshua off at 9am and then drove with the other kids up to Brenna’s gymnastics meet. I was emotional on the drive because I hadn’t kissed Joshy good-bye. As I analyzed my feelings, I realized Joshua was fine. He was safe and happy and having a great time with his buddy and I was sure that he wasn’t sad that I hadn’t kissed him. Obviously, I was the only one upset. Realizing that helped me feel better right away. I still missed Josh a lot though. I actually felt lonely without him there, even though I had four other small children to keep me company. When strangers gave me the familiar “you sure have your hands full” comment, it just made me miss Josh more. My hands felt empty without him there. Melodramatic? Maybe. The product of raging pregnancy hormones? Probably. But it was how I felt.

I still had a great time at the meet. It is so fun to watch Brenna compete. It’s incredible to see her so poised and confident, and I love how happy gymnastics obviously makes her. Brenna did wonderfully at her meet (more on that in another post), and the other kids were well-behaved while we watched and waited.

At noon, I gave Rick his wake up call so that he could pick Josh up. Half an hour later, I got a call from Mindy telling me that Josh was still at her house. She said it was fine if he stayed, but that Josh was watching the clock and was getting concerned about missing his game. (How like Joshua!) I called Rick again and he picked him up. Josh had a great time playing with Alex and is already asking when they can play again. I was so glad that my friend Mindy was willing to give up her Saturday morning so that Joshua had a safe and fun place to play.

The meet ended and awards were given and we had just enough time to make the 50 minute drive south for the football game. We were a little late, but still made it during the first quarter. The weather was gorgeous and I loved being outside in the fresh air. The kids had fun cheering and playing with their friends, and the game was very exciting. It was fun to be there as a family and I enjoyed cheering for my darling little football player. (More about Joshua’s game in coming in another post.)

It was 3:30 when the game ended. There was something about the warm weather, a great gymnastics meet, and an exciting football game that created a very enthusiastic energy in our family as we left the football field. In the parking lot, we turned up the music on Rick’s iPhone and sang along as a family. Wanting to celebrate the great day and the  football season and Celiac Disease (we celebrate Celiac every October because it was the month Joshy was diagnosed), we decided to go out to eat together. The kids were thrilled and I was really looking forward to yummy food. 

The Olive Garden has a gluten-free menu now! We haven’t eaten there in years and considering that we were celebrating Celiac, it seemed like the perfect place to go. We talked about all the things that we were celebrating, Celiac Disease in particular. We want Joshua to have a healthy understand of his disease, to know that he is blessed to have something so easy to control, and to be thankful for the gluten-free foods that keep him healthy. It was a nice talk and then we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Olive Garden. I got really sick at the end of the meal, but oh well- it’s all just a part of pregnancy sometimes. At least I made it to the bathroom in time.

Rick went to work when we got home. I put the kids into pajamas. Brenna helped out with Asher while Joshua helped put away all the stuff that we’d pulled out of the van. I was still not feeling well so I put Asher to bed and put on a movie for the other kids to watch. It was so much easier than putting everyone to bed. Brenna didn’t want to watch the movie so we had “girl time” in my room. We talked while Brenna fixed my hair, painted my nails, and put make-up on me. It was nice to spend time with her. 

Last night I started getting symptoms of a yeast infection, probably due to the antibiotics I took recently. Tonight I put in a call to my OB, who recommended getting an OTC treatment. Rick was a sweetie and took an early lunch break around 9pm to bring medicine home. I was so glad that I didn’t have to go out with all the kids to pick it up myself. 

We had a fabulous day. It was so fun to attend the gymnastics meet and the football game. It was great to cheer the kids on and to watch them both do something they love. I was so glad that we were able to juggle everything and that I was able to be at both the gymnastics meet and the football game. It was a busy day and lots of fun. The weather was beautiful and perfect. Dinner was nice, even though it did not sit well on my tummy afterwards. A yeast infection is never fun, but at least I have medication to take care of it and at least it’s not dangerous to the baby. So it really has been a great day!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

This is the best peanut butter cookie recipe ever, whether you are gluten-free or not! I don’t remember where I found it, but it was one of the very first things I ever baked when Joshua was diagnosed with Celiac Disease nearly 5 years ago. The recipe is quick and easy to make, the ingredients (just three of them) are always on hand, and the cookies are truly delicious! This recipe can be made with smooth or chunky peanut butter, and with powdered sugar or regular sugar. It is easy to double or triple or cut in half. These cookies are extra delicious with peanut butter chips or chocolate chips or both mixed in. Make a lot because they will get eaten quickly! Oh, and fair warning: you will be very tempted to eat half of these cookies yourself. They are so yummy that I highly recommend that you do!

Ingredients:
1 cup of peanut butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs

Directions:
Beat eggs, mix in peanut butter and sugar. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Another Gluten-Free Bread Recipe

I’ve made gluten-free ”chocolate bread” for years. It has a great texture to it- fluffy, not too heavy, and holds together well. But the chocolate flavoring makes it more of a treat and not really suitable for sandwiches. This morning before homeschool I decided to try and modify the recipe, omitting the cocoa powder, just to see how this recipe would fare as sandwich “everyday” bread.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
1 Tbs yeast
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup oil
1 cup potato starch
1 1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup cocoa powder (to make “regular” bread, I simply substituted tapioca flour)
1 Tbs baking powder
2 tsp xanthan gum

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine milk, yeast, and molasses. Stir to dissolve year. Add remaining ingredients and mix well to remove all lumps.

Place dough in a greased bread pan. Smooth the top with wet hands. Bake 30 minutes. Test for doneness with a long toothpick as you would for a cake.

My Verdict:
I love the texture of this bread. I think the molasses is what gives it the perfect texture and consistency. It slices beautifully and holds its shape without crumbling at all, even when it is sliced very thinly. However, I am still not pleased with the taste. I think I need to add in a bit of honey or sugar to sweeten the loaf just a bit.

The Kids’ Verdict:
The kids all loved the new recipe. Joshua rated this bread an 8 on a scale of 1-10 and his opinion is really all that matters. So even though I plan to tweak this recipe a bit more to achieve a better flavor, I’d say this first attempt was a success.

Pizza!

I was tired all day and didn’t get nearly enough accomplished. When Rick got home at 7pm I still hadn’t even started on dinner. We talked and decided pretty quickly that- in honor of his major raise at work- we’d splurge and buy pizza. We just found out that a pizza place near our home serves gluten-free pizza. We used to drive 45 minutes north for GF pizza, but this restaurant is 15 minutes away instead.

Rick and the kids did chores will Asher and I picked up the pizza, plus ice cream and root beer. I enjoyed one on one time with my littlest baby (who will be my second-littlest very soon). The pizza was expensive and so delicious! We let the kids watch a TV show on DVD, and Rick’s brother and his son stopped in for the night. I even ate ice cream with oreo cookies in it. It was a great end to a tired day.

Day Four

Day four of our 2009-2010 homeschooling year began well. I got up at 6am and Asher woke up just a few minutes after I did. He was up just before 5am yesterday so I was very thankful that he slept in until 6:00 this morning.

I got dressed while he played in my room and then we went downstairs to make pancakes for breakfast. Asher sat in his high chair, babbling and pounding on the tray while I made two large batches of pancakes. I wanted to have plenty to freeze after breakfast. Gluten-free foods are expensive so I like to bake everything from scratch. By freezing extra pancakes, I get the convenience of a gluten-free eggo-type breakfast without the price. It’s nice to have frozen pancakes ready to go when we have to leave the house at 7am for a football game or wrestling tournament.

Our morning went smoothly once again and I was glad. There is just a peaceful feeling in our home as we all get up early, study the scriptures, eat breakfast, and prepare for the day.

We began school early with our usual routine. We reviewed our Greek root words from the week and they remembered them all. Their scripture mastery memorization is coming along nicely as well. The kids took their spelling tests. Both Brenna and Joshua scored very well. Brenna didn’t miss a single word and of her bonus words (additional words that she didn’t study during the week) she only missed two. Joshua missed one spelling word and two bonus words. Brenna also had a math test, which covered the concepts she learned last spring and over the summer. She got 100% in every section of the test except for one. I was happy to see how well she scored and to know the area that she needs to work on (beginning algebraic equations like 6 + Y = 31).

Our other core subjects went well. Madalyn is getting so confident in her reading, writing, and math skills. The things we do are too easy for her, but I also don’t want to push her too hard either. Brenna and Joshua continue to do well in their studies and to enjoy them as well. Even little Braden is enjoying school. He is doing a simplified version of Madalyn’s studies and it benefits them both- she loves to teach him (which cements concepts in her own mind) and he loves to work along side his idolized big sister.

History was enjoyable today. We studied nomads and the earliest people from our history book The Story of the World. We had great discussions on what life was like so long ago. The kids made “cave paintings” on crinkled brown paper, using only colors that could have been made with plants, rocks, and so on. Applying Greek once again, the kids observed that the rock graphite comes from the Greek word “graph,” which means “to draw or write” so it must be a rock that can be used for writing. We did some mapping exercises as well, looking at the Fertile Crescent and the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. We discussed early farming techniques that began as nomads settled in the Fertile Crescent and colored pictures of shadufs, ancient farming “machines” used to move water.

We began geography by discussing north, south, east, and west. The kids did some mapping exercises to reinforce these concepts and we played a fun game in which they followed the directions that were given to them, such as “move three spaces to the east” and ”move two spaces to the north.” 

We talked about Washington, DC today as well. We had fun looking at pictures and learning all sorts of facts about our nations capital. We are making individual geography books of the USA, which will be laminated and bound after we’ve covered all the states. The kids made their first pages today with pictures of and facts about Washington, DC. They are excited about their books. They worked so diligently and carefully and they had a good time as well.

We made Senate Bean Soup for dinner tonight, using the recipe that is used in the Senate kitchen. We spent about 5.5 hours on school today, with a lunch break in there as well.

After school, I quickly baked a loaf of applesauce bread. We needed a yummy, portable gluten-free snack for tomorrow’s 10:30 football game. A delicious, warm, spicy aroma filled the house quickly. It was so reminiscent of autumn that it made me long for cooler days, darker evenings, cozy sweaters, and yummy treats made with pumpkin and spice. I am ready for fall.

The boys took afternoon naps, but Asher wouldn’t go down. While my bread baked in the oven, I ended up snuggling my precious baby boy. I haven’t rocked him to sleep in several months. It was nice to snuggle in the rocking chair with that sweet little child; he felt so heavy and relaxed and warm in my arms. I never did get him to sleep. That was the reason I had to stop rocking him in the first place- no matter how long we rocked Asher would never fall asleep in my arms (he did as a tiny baby, but outgrew that as he got older). Finally, I brought Asher downstairs with me. He was extra cheerful and I think that even as a 13-month-old he knew he’d won that battle. 

I had a brief time to finish my chores. There is always an endless parade of chores to be done. I didn’t finish everything, but I got enough done to feel satisfied (all the dishes done, house spotless, laundry etc)

At 2:30 we left for Brenna’s gymnastics. I got her settled in class with strict instructions not to leave the gym under any circumstances, and then I took the other kids to Walmart for diapers. I hate leaving Brenna alone at gymnastics (all the other parents leave their girls so maybe I am just overprotective?), but we really needed diapers. We got back quickly.

Gymnastics was over a little after 5pm. We made the mad dash home, stopped for $10 in gas, and got home around 5:20. The kids quickly changed (Joshua into his football pads and Brenna out of her gymnastics leotard) and made a quick trip around the house looking for anything that was out of place or untidy. We ate our Senate Bean Soup with homemade rolls and the kids declared it delicious.

Forty minutes after arriving home, we were in the car again and on our way to football practice. The field is close to our house so we were there by 6pm. Rick came after work, arriving at about 6:45pm (the field is only about two minutes from is company), but the kids were having such a good time playing on the playground with their friends that we stayed at practice even though Rick was there. We were home by 8:30 and the kids were in bed before 9pm.

Joshy got a bloody nose and we had difficulty stopping it. He sat with me in my bed for a while, pinching his nose with a rag. We talked during that time and I was grateful for the one on one time with my boy. Our conversation was sweet and engaging, in spite of Joshua’s very nasal voice at the time. Very thoughtfully, he asked if Adam and Eve had belly buttons. He’s always full of questions. When the bleeding stopped, Joshua went back to bed.

I had things I wanted to finish tonight, but I am going to put them off until tomorrow. I am tired and my belly hurts with horrid round ligament pain. Tomorrow we have a football game in the morning, a trip to the library in the afternoon, and then playdates and baking afterwards. I should have time to finish my list tomorrow as well. But tonight I am just going to relax. I do wish I had another M&M milkshake. Milkshakes in any flavor always make end-of-the-day relaxation even better!

Gluten-Free Apple Muffins

I made gluten-free apple muffins yesterday morning for breakfast. They were quick and easy to make (obviously or I probably would not have made them at six o’clock in the morning while a hyper, giggly baby tugged at my pants). They turned out yummy as well. They were moist and light, with just the right amount of cinnamon and apple flavor. They were a huge hit with the kids. This is the first time I have ever tried this recipe. Next time I will make a double batch and see how they freeze. I got this recipe from The Gluten-Free Kitchenby Roben Ryburg.

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup potato starch
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp (scant) xanthan gum
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and grated (about 1/2 cup packed)
1 Tbs sugar (for topping on the muffins)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar and shortening and mix well. Add egg and mix well. Add all other ingredients except for the apple and mix well. Remove all lumps from batter. Fold in apple.

Fill greased muffin tins about 2/3 full. Sprinkle each muffin with sugar.

Bake 18-20 minutes, until toothpick tests clean.

ENJOY!

Open House Fun

Today was the open house for Rick’s company. We had a blast. They served a yummy lunch catered by a great little barbecue joint. It was all gluten-free too (other than the buns, of course), which was such a plus for us! I always love it when Joshua can eat what everyone else is eating! There was a carnival area and bounce house for the kids, plus snow cones and cotton candy.

I have craved cotton candy all summer long, but it is hard to come by. Now that it was free in endless quantities, I seriously gorged myself on spun-sugar goodness. I think I must have eaten my own weight in cotton candy… which is impressive considering that cotton candy is mostly air! Rick just chuckled while I ate one cotton candy after another. I did wish that I had a pregnant belly so that everyone would understand why I was so obsessed with the cotton candy stand!

Inside the facility, there were tons of games and prizes for the kids, along with lots of hands-on-activities that explained the work that is done at Rick’s company. It was really fun for the kids and grown-ups alike. We had a great time exploring and learning. The kids even got to make ID badges with their pictures and names on them, similar to the one that Daddy wears to work each day.

I don’t look seven months pregnant yet (or pregnant AT ALL, according to most people), but today I sure FELT seven months pregnant! All that walking (and all that sugar too!) really did a number on me. By the end of the day I was so out of breathe, dizzy, and shaky. I was having contractions also, and just in general not feeling well. But it was still a really, really fun day for all of us. The kids are already looking forward to next year!

When we arrived home, I was so excited to find several boxes on our front porch. Yay! More homeschool books! I looked through them all and was pleased with my purchases. I am still waiting on a few more books and I really hope they arrive soon! Our school year starts on September 1st, but I need time beforehand to look over my materials, get organized, and make final plans for the year. With a family reunion the week before school starts, I am really hoping that everything arrives this week so that I can be ready before we leave for the reunion!

We are all resting now after our long, busy day in the sun. The little boys are napping and Daddy fell asleep too even though he said he wasn’t going to. The older kids are watching a movie. I am resting and feeling much better already! I need to grocery shop today and there is always cleaning and laundry to be done. I’m just glad to be feeling better now. Hmm. Maybe there really is such thing as TOO MUCH cotton candy!

Baking Day

Once school starts, my baking days are going to be on Saturdays again, but right now school is not in session and I can bake on any day I decide to. Joshua just ran out of gluten-free bread so this morning I decided it was time to bake some more. I used my newest bread recipe. It’s more labor-intensive and it takes three hours or more, but it tastes great! I made two loaves for him- one to eat this week and one to freeze.

While the dough was rising, I asked Joshua to pick something else from one of my cookbooks. He thumbed through the book for a while before selecting an apple bundt cake. I modified the recipe a bit because I had different gluten-free flours than the ones it called for. I also added fresh peaches in addition to the apples because I had both peaches and apples in my fridge. Yum!

While I was busy baking and cleaning, several of the kids’ friends came over to play. Between friends and my own children, we have 8 kids here, all of them under 8 years old. I love having a houseful of children! What do 8 small kids need on a summer afternoon? Cookies of course! I whipped up 3 dozen of my favorite gluten-free peanut butter cookies and even added chocolate and peanut butter chips that were left over from a different baking day. Oh, they are good cookies (I’ve eaten too many already) and the kids were thrilled!

When I made my grocery list this week, I forgot to add the things that I would need to make and freeze a large batch of gluten-free blueberry muffins and gluten-free chicken nuggets so those things will have to wait until next week. Oh well. Josh and the other kids are still very excited about the apple/peach bundt cake and the cookies, and fresh homemade bread is always a necessity so at least those things got done.

The loaves of bread are rising again and are almost ready to go in the oven. The cookies are cooling on the counter and they are delicious! The apple/peach bundt cake just came out of the oven and it smells wonderful! Too bad I decided to save it for tonight because I am so tempted to slice into it right now!

It has been a busy, productive day. We’ve had 8 kids here all afternoon. I’ve baked two loaves of bread, a cake, and 3 dozen cookies. I also finished folding the laundry that I washed this morning (ten loads total between yesterday and today), vacuumed my house, tidied everything, emptied garbage cans, organized a few cupboards in my kitchen that really needed some straightening, and did several dishwasher loads of dishes (with help from the older kids). My house is spotless, my laundry is clean, my dishes are mostly done, and my kitchen smells wonderful!

It’s time to make dinner- taco salad with homemade corn chips (they are the best and so easy to make). Joshua has football practice as usual tonight. I also have a meeting for all the parents of kids who are on the gymnastics competition team. I am hoping to be home by 9 or 9:30 tonight and be able to put my feet up after the kids are in bed!

But, in spite of tired feet, I do LOVE a good, productive day!

A Happy Fourth

We had a marvelous Fourth of July, as we do every year. We woke the kids up early, dressed them all in their festive, coordinating Fourth of July clothes and drove south to the big, annual parade, grabbing breakfast on our way. We took our dog, Sophie, along. She did so well in the crowds and was like a tiny, four-legged celebrity and strangers tried constantly to pet her. As we waited for the parade to start, rain began to fall in great, big, icy cold drops. It was surprising and cold, but we toughed it out. Once the sun came out, it got very hot and we ended up wet and sticky and hot.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch. We’d planned to make grilled kabobs, but Rick got a last-minute craving for BLT sandwiches so we had that instead. Along with our yummy BLT’s, we enjoyed strawberry jello with strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallows mixed in, potato salad, lots of fresh fruit, chips, drinks, and other appropriate picnic fare.

Rick played patriotics songs on the piano and we took time to discuss the birth of our great nation. The kids were attentive and sweet and curious as we talked, and I found myself quite emotional as I explained it all. I told the kids about how Heavenly  Father made this country possible and the people who died as they fought for freedom. We talked about each line in the National Anthem and imagined how it would feel to live those words. We spent some time singing patriotic songs as Rick played them on the piano.

I made a batch of chocolate gluten-free cupcakes. While they baked and cooled, the kids and I worked together to make festive rice krispie treats… pink with blue sprinkles and cut out in the shape of stars. I filled the kitchen table with three colors of frosting (red, white, and blue of course), lots of sprinkles, whipped cream, fresh fruit, and tubes of icing to write with. The kids had a blast decorating lots and lots of cupcakes, and I loved- as I always do- seeing their creativity shine!

We spent several hours at the park, enjoying the coolness and the magic of a summer evening. We played in the grass, chased our adventurous Asher, and enjoyed a picnic dinner. Asher loved the soccer ball that Brenna brought and, when the older kids weren’t using it, he spent a lot of time pushing it forward in the grass and then crawling rapidly after it. Baby Soccer. It kept him quite entertained. After several hours of waiting, the sun disappeared and the sky grew dark and it was time for fireworks.

The show was spectacular this year, with lots of big, beautiful fireworks and great music. It seemed longer than usual. Our kids were delighted. Braden giggled and clapped with delight. Asher was fascinated. However, being small and still going sans nap that day, Asher fell asleep on Daddy’s chest before the show was over. We left late, fought traffic, and got home after midnight. We skipped street fireworks and put most of our sleeping kids to bed in their pajamas.

It was a wonderful day, filled with memories. I enjoyed my time with my family. I reflected a lot upon the freedoms that we enjoy. I thought a lot about Asher, and about how last year I was big and pregnant and having contractions and wondering when this baby boy would arrive. It was sentimental for me to recall that day, just one year ago and a few days before Asher was born. I also felt grateful to pregnant again, to be carrying another sweet son within me. Rick and I also speculated about future Fourth of July celebrations, imagining how it will be when we share this holiday with 8 kids, 10 kids, 13 kids, and so on. It was fun to imagine the future.

I hope to add pictures soon, but I also need to finish lots of other entries. Finding time to do that will be difficult amid all the unpacking, cleaning, errands, activities, and doctor appointments that need to be done today and tomorrow. So we’ll see if pictures get added…

Today I…

Today I…

… got up early to nurse Asher and enjoyed that quiet, cozy time with him.

… took my five kids on a major grocery shopping run. Two hours and $116 dollars later we were finished, having bought food for the weekend, everything we needed for the Fourth of July festivities tomorrow (including fireworks), stuff for Asher’s birthday, and stuff for our upcoming trip.

… tried a new gluten-free bread recipe. It was rather labor intensive and took about three and a half hours to make, but the results were delicious! It was a huge hit with Joshua and all of our “gluten eaters” as well, who each got to sample one small bite and declared it delicious. In fact, a few kids were jealous of Joshua and his yummy GF bread.

… homeschooled the older kids, but just reading, writing, math, spelling, and grammar because we are on our summer schedule.

… walked two brisk miles on the treadmill while the little boys napped and the older kids had quiet time.

… cleaned my house: vacuumed, gathered garbage, scoured bathrooms, and got every room spotlessly tidy. I did not touch the kitchen, but left it for my dear husband.

… washed, folded, and put away three loads of laundry.

… listened to Joshua read Harold and the Purple Crayon outloud and complimented him on his wonderful, expressive reading.

… packed everything we need (including dress clothes) for our family of seven (plus a puppy) for our nine day trip. The only things that I left unpacked were the pillows, tooth brushes, and anything else that we will need between now and when we leave on Sunday morning.

… hugged my sweet Madalyn all day long it seemed; every 20 minutes or so she’d appear by my side and request, “Hug? Hug? Hug?” I loved it.

… made dinner with a little help from the family (steak, green beans, mashed potatoes, bread, and milk) and ate together when Rick got home from work at 7pm.

… gave Brenna a big hug and thanked her for all of her great help during the day. She helped with chores, helped with babies, helped with anything I asked.

… chuckled when Braden marched into my room with his safety goggles on and his drill already spinning and asked, “Where do you need me to fix something?”

… studied the scriptures as a family before bedtime and got all five kids into bed early in preparation for our early Fourth of July morning tomorrow.

… thanked my sweet husband when he cleaned the kitchen for me, just as I knew he would! It’s mostly done now.

… kissed that same husband goodnight when he got a headache and went to bed early.

… stayed up until 11pm finishing the tasks from the day (a little more laundry and a little more packing), but now everything is finally completely done.

… snuck into my kids’ bedrooms to make sure they were all breathing, tuck them in again, and give them each one last kiss on the forehead. They are so precious!

… sat in bed at the end of a long day, eating blueberries with whipped cream and Cool Ranch Doritos, while updating my blog, and cherishing the kicks and wiggles of my sweet, unborn baby, and feeling very grateful for my life and my fun, busy, productive day.