I have a camera full of cuteness to share, but it doesn't appear that either of my computers are going to allow me to do that this morning. They're uploading in technicolor-- and not in a good way. So until I figure out the cause of that little surprise, I guess we'll be pictureless.
We have had a great week around here. As we're getting more and more comfortable with navigating our larger family, I can honestly say we are beginning to settle in to a bit of a groove. I am not so confident as to suggest that we still aren't a hot mess from time to time, but I have surprised myself at how often we aren't. Unfortunately for me, the messy times usually tend to be when there are witnesses, which is unfortunate, but I accept the reality of our life at this point. The funniest "messy" story came early last week when someone from our church had called to tell us that she would be bringing supper for us that evening, but that she would be coming around 4:00. It was one of those days that I had no schedule pushing my "getting ready" time in the morning, and as one thing led to another, I found myself just getting my hair done and putting on my makeup around 2. The big kids were a disaster- running all over the place in costumes, Lauren naked for most of the afternoon. I was sitting on the couch with one of my eyes mostly done and still in my sweats when a naked Lauren came running to tell me there was a car in the driveway. And so, our church meal deliverer got the distinct pleasure of seeing my scantily clad 2 year old and my half done makeup. I'm pretty sure she prayed for me all the way home and probably thought, "Oh Lord, please help that poor girl. She is a mess." And on that day, I was. We were. Some days, it's quite the opposite.
I had some cute pictures of a little Batman parade we had at our house last week when the Casners came for a visit. Ridge and Lauren shared the costume- Ridge had the mask while Lauren donned the rest of the getup. They were so cute. With only a little more than 2 weeks age difference between them, I love to watch them play. Mara quite enjoyed their visit- sleeping through the entirety of it while Cory and Shannon held her. I think she really liked them!
This past weekend we braved our first ever trip to Target with all 3 children. All things considered, I'd say we did great. Mara slept (surprise surprise) and Joshua and Lauren both walked right beside the cart with only minimal reminder that they had to stay right with me. We managed to get our whole list (minus a lightbulb, but I was in the checkout when I remembered that and I promise you I wasn't about to go back in the store at that point). This trip had two purposes- most importantly, to give Daddy some quiet study time at the house, but also to prove to myself that I really could manage the three of them without total chaos. I was relieved to have that maiden voyage under my belt.
Sunday was a fun day for the kids and I. Daddy needed some serious cram time for his exam on Monday morning, so he had planned an overnight in Harrisburg for Sunday night. After church, he took off for cram-ville, while we settled in here for our first alone overnight. I was nervous. We passed the time in the afternoon with a special visit with Aunt Libby and Brooke, and a quick pass through from Nana and Pap. It was loud, crazy, giggly and super fun. We were lucky because they were able to stay through supper time, so we enjoyed all the time we had to play with them. Brooke continues to be smitten with Mara and is such a great cousin to her. She loved holding her and talking to her. It was so sweet to watch. We tackled the solo night time routine and managed pretty well. The big kids were good helpers and went to bed without a fight. Mara, on the other hand, in her newest phase, has decided that 12 am- 1 am is an appropriate bed time for a 3 week old. She cluster nurses from about 6:30-11:00 wanting to eat about every hour for at least a half hour. (This complicates the bath/story/pajama routine with Joshua and Lauren for sure.) And then she is wide awake from 11-1 when she finally gives in to my tight swaddle and dark room and closes her eyes. The good news is that once she goes to sleep, she has been sleeping soundly for 4-5 hours. So now we just have to work on getting that bed time worked out. Mommy needs a little more than 3-4 hours of sleep a night.
Monday morning was our biggest challenge yet. Getting out the door on time has been difficult. Let's just say my Business Logistics class at PSU comes in handy- not for moving freight from point A to point B, but figuring out the timing and all potential obstacles to getting out the door. Since Daddy was away, it was my job to do preschool drop off for Josh at 8:00. We needed to leave by 7:40. Luckily, it was an office work day for me, so Grandma was here to stay with Lauren. By the grace of God, Mara's feedings were timed right and we were out the door at 7:44, and pulled in to Meadowbrook at 7:56. I felt as though I had climbed Mt. Everest after having been up since 4 am when Mara woke to eat until 5, which is shower time for me. But everything got done. I may or may not have been struggling to keep my eyes open on the couch at 9:00, but something has to give I guess.
This is a busy week, and I hope to straighten out this picture situation. Trust me- the kids are as cute as ever!
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