you.are.my.sunshine: the groove

dare i say it?

i think that after 7 weeks of being a family of five, we're starting to get into a groove.

i know enough about babies by now to say that with a bit of reserve.

because the thing about babies is, just when you think you have these little mystery people figured out...they go right on ahead change. (how dare they!?!?!)

a growth spurt

a trip to grandma and grandpas

a night with a babysitter

and all of a sudden, this lovely little rhythm that you had going for you is upset and we're back at square one.

so, it is with great trepidation that i make the following statement:

i think we're getting the hang of three kids

we've got a few little routines that seem to help

and as with any journey, putting one foot in front of the other, pressing on and moving forward...i've learned a few things:

#1: oldest children are invaluable helpers

#2: middle children will stop at nothing to remind you of their presence...pulling on pant legs, intentionally spilling cups of chocolate milk or biting you square in the butt, as happened to me yesterday :)

#3: getting a picture of three children all looking at the camera, happy and adorable at the same time is a battle that is not worth fighting

#4: i can survive on very, very little sleep and do it quite cheerfully if i really try

#5: my husband is my ally - they outnumber us now....we've got to be a team or this whole thing falls apart

#6: telling my children that i'm sorry is both humbling and powerful

#7: when number three comes along, number one and number two become much closer friends and, as a result, more intense fighters

#8: a glass of wine once everyone is tucked into bed makes the heart glad

#9: this cup of overflowing craziness is both a great blessing and a grand sacrifice...choosing to do it joyfully has to be done on a regular (sometimes minute by minute) basis

#10: adding another human being to a home causes the amount of laundry to increase exponentially. this is a fact. complaining about it does not make it go away.

#11: when we're running late and sparkle is screaming, i can't find a pacifier, tulip just had an accident, a headache is mounting and peach is telling me for the 76th time about the chapstick that was her favorite, you know, the one with the green stripe and yellow dot, that is now lost and do i know where she put it??....a deep breath is my very best friend

#12: making fabulous plans is much easier than carrying them out. sometimes you just gotta' roll with whatever the day brings...digging in the dirt for worms while wearing a dress is actually the exactly perfect thing to do on a semi-sunny saturday. did you have something else in mind, momma?

#13: when you don't have time or energy for the library, park, zoo or other adventures, giving pushes while singing "chantilly lace" is always an adequate substitute.