Half Done, with love

So many things in my life are half-done.  I'm not normally half-assed about anything, but the demands of a 9-month-old and almost-3-year-old, coupled with the requests of my 5 and 7-year olds, who still need a lot of help in the kitchen and bathroom, result in me being halfway through all kinds of things.  There is the half-folded laundry, for instance.  If I ever am able to make it through the whole basket, something doesn't quite feel right.  The laundry is always half-folded and sometimes I leave a half-ironed shirt on the ironing board for a few days because I was interrupted.  The kitchen is constantly half-way full of dishes from one meal and the next meal is halfway prepared.

Several times in the last few weeks I have done half of a 30-day shred workout...and felt good about getting that much in!  It's only 20 minutes to begin with...sheesh.  Today, I did half, then Bridget lost it, hanging on my leg, which did not work well for jumping jacks, so I paused it, nursed her to sleep, made lunch for the other girls and then finished it - yes, I really came back to it!  Usually I would pat myself on the back for doing 10 minutes, but today I finished it all the way to the cool down.  I'm well on my way to being shredded.

Then there are books.  I am halfway through about 8 different books right now.  So are lots of people, probably, but to me it illustrates yet again the "putting on hold" we do for our kids.  My wedding album is half-done.  And it probably will not get done for years yet.  I stopped putting it on my monthly TO DO list about a year ago.  It was giving me too much guilt.  I will get a thank you note written, but it remains half-done for a week because I don't get to the "find the address and stamp" steps.

On the positive side of halves...I am thrilled when half of the kids are napping, and when I get half an hour's nap myself.   Each day I give Bridget half a graham cracker while I have my half hour prayer time in bed, and then I vacuum all the crumbs from the carpet and it gives me the satisfaction that I have cleaned our room.  If I remember half the things I need when I am at the grocery store, we're doing pretty well...then I make up the difference by grabbing twice as many "impulse buys."

I'm thrilled we have all the girls we have, and not half of them.  Just when I think Bridget can't get any cuter, she grins at me with those two little teeth showing and those enormous cheeks and bright blue eyes.  Half done is OK, little one.  Your mother needs to have her perfectionism perfected out of her.

What I'll miss about Kentucky

Kentucky Easter Sunday

DOGWOOD FLOWERS!  Oh, I love them!

I'll miss our proximity to my amazing in-laws!

I'll miss hanging out on our back porch.

I'll miss the horse culture!  Here we are at the Kentucky Horse Park on Easter Tuesday.  What a treat!  Even in the rain, we  learned a lot and we saw horses up close!

Can't get over Jane's expression in the background!

Last month in the Bluegrass

We plan to move in a month, and we don't have an address in the Denver area.  Pray for us!  The Lord comes through just in time for us, and I am sure he will again.  I never am completely "ready" for anything He sends my way, and it's OK!

I have managed to pack three boxes.  Ahem...three down, and about 289 to go, I'm sure!  But life does not stop because we are moving!  On campus, we need to finish strong with our students.  Matt was on a cabin trip this weekend with 14 of them.  I spoke Thursday night at a ladies' night hosted by one of the awesome UK students.  At home, we are keeping up with our reading, writing and math, and our hours of make believe play.  The babies need to nurse, dinner still needs to be made, and someone has a 34th birthday to celebrate.  Those who hear me complain about my back and neck (especially Matt) will be happy to hear I have a massage scheduled for 11am tomorrow!

Yes, it's been four months...

FOCUS conference in Nashville in January, Uncle Jimmy's passing and funeral in February, Uncle Tony (Brother Anthony) came to visit in February, Spring Break in Toledo, OH...and here we are in late March!  We are eagerly planning Cate's 7th birthday party in just twelve days! It's countdown time around here, folks!  It's a countdown of another sort, too - last week Matt accepted a new position in FOCUS which will send us back West and will necessitate changing the name of my blog, I just noticed.  (Add that to the checklist.  "Change Blog name." Also add, "Don't forget I have a blog."  People actually read it.  I found this out from Aunt Pattie McCartney and Brother Anthony in Rome.)  Eight weeks until the end of school at UK and ten weeks until Matt starts his new position.  Eight weeks to find a new place to live and pack and move - pray for me!  St. Joseph, find us the perfect place to homeschool and live!

This is homeschool!

Ann caught picking.  She is still seriously cute in that tutu.

At the Explorium for our Wednesday outing.  I love this glitter table in their open art studio!  They can have all the fun they want and I don't have to deal with the mess!  I try to get us out of the house one morning a week.  It could be to the library, the park, the Arboretum, the zoo or the Explorium (thank you again Real Life 1380 for our free family membership for a year!) 

Add Jane gave Bridget her first bottle the other day.  Jane was WAAAY more excited about it than Bridget.  She did swallow an ounce or two.caption

Look at those jowls starting to grow!  I kiss those cheeks a hundred times in a day.

This was school today.  Cate and Jane decided to play "Sarah Morton" - after reading the book Sarah Morton's Day, a wonderful book about a day in the life of a girl in Plymouth Colony.  They acted out her life (Jane was Sarah's friend, Elizabeth) for (I am not exaggerating) FOUR HOURS.  Two hours before lunch and two hours after.  When do you have a 6 and 4 year old concentrate on one thing for that long???  No fights or whining (which have become more common between Cate and Jane).  I let my worksheets go and let them be.  They were so quiet, intent and into it.  "Sarah, are you polishing the kettle?" I heard Jane's voice once.   OK, there is Bridget squawking, so signing off for now...

Pumpkin Farm

Four daughters is not much harder than three, or two...

I'm typing over Bridget Clare, sleeping on the Boppy (nursing pillow) on my lap.  Ann is asleep upstairs and Cate and Jane are across the street at a friend's house.  Life IS crazy and hard, but also, it is a little easier with each child.  I wake up at night several times now.  Bridget nurses every 2-3 hours (but sometimes she sleeps 4 hours at a time) and Ann wakes up once or twice a night to nurse.  (We had her almost sleeping all night, and then...my milk came in with this new baby and she is all about the "bobos!")  On the nights when Matt and I have a date with the laptop in bed to watch The Office until midnight, I am not getting much sleep at all!  But, the good news is that Cate and Jane, ages six and four, sleep all night, and I have not had a solid night's sleep in six years, so I'm used to it.  I've read that motherhood is a time of light sleep - even when they are all sleeping, you wake up wondering if they are all ok!  I try to catch a nap with the babies in the afternoon, which brings me to another point - the fact that at ages 6 and 4, Cate and Jane can play in another part of the house, watch a video, or even be outside with friends on our cul-de-sac, and it's OK.  They are good girls, and they can do much for themselves.  I also have wonderful neighbors who are stay at home moms, so that is a huge blessing.  I have not yet gone to the store with all four kids by myself.  I think I will put that off as long as I can.  I run out with just the baby when Matt is home or now that my mom is here for little errands and grocery store trips.

Honestly, I don't know what I would do if Cate were in school and we were trying to get her out the door by 7 in the morning, and to bed by 8pm.  Bedtime takes hours to get everyone taken care of and settled down.  And breakfast/getting ready to go anywhere, or getting ready for homeschool take another few hours in and of themselves.  But we are happy!  Cate can hold Bridget (and wants to!) for a long time.  Jane can wipe Ann's bottom.  And if I can just keep a sense of humor and remember to enjoy how little and sweet they are, this parenting and schooling of four daughters won't wipe me out.  It will make me holier and better.