11.16.18 Thankful

When the big kids go back to school I spend the day holding kids almost all day. Sometimes they fall asleep and I'm trapped under kiddos. 

But mostly they are constantly touching me asking to watch youtube videos and wanting to be held. for the first 6 hours I usually hold it together if I got a mostly full night sleep or they aren't too aggressive with Alia. I will take quick breaks for bathroom, sometimes I even get the dishwasher loaded or a load of laundry in the washer and some days I don't. Those are hard days.

Check out the double chin on Alia pretty proud of that development. Which also means she's sleeping a bit longer if not interrupted by eager arms wanting to hold her. Which means I get a little more done like maybe the meat part of dinner. I'm thankful for a pressure cooker and a slow cooker!

THis day I did get the eggs boiled and then the kids took it from there. Pouring water off, peeling, mixing and devouring deviled eggs. They are so resourceful and bored. Sometimes we read stories, sometimes they build or throw blocks, sometimes they disappear to the wonderland of the older kids rooms and hunt for their secret stashes of stuff- toys, chips and candy, make-up whatever can be found.

Alia has been a precious baby. Sweet and not a crying wreck. Sometimes I feel like being the crying wreck. The kids have survived. As we head into Thanksgiving week I'm thankful for resilience, for the long run, and for family. I'm thankful Alia has not succumbed to the nasty long cold we've had here for weeks. I'm thankful to be a mom of such healthy creative children. I'm thankful to be home with them. I'm thankful I have the pleasure of sitting all day and complaining that I'm going crazy in my warm home complete with comfy chair and lots of hallmark movies  with a few good books thrown in to help pass the time. I'm thankful to be here now, even if I feel like my mind and prime have passed long ago. Life is good and we are living it from nap to nap and mess to mess we are teaming with life here. And I'm thankful for that.