This is real life, people. Read it and weep...or laugh, it's your choice.

 Well, let me start with Carter. He says that when he grows up he wants to be a pwincess. He also LOVES watching the show on Qubo, "Mighty Machines". There is no tractor, semi-truck, garbage truck, train, or bus that goes unnoticed by this kid during driving trips in the car. He often chooses things that are the color pink. He only likes to use the toothpaste that is watermelon flavored. He often asks for unhealthy foods for breakfast...well...he often asks for unhealthy foods for lunch and dinner too. It's a crisis in our home, it really is.

 It seems that this crisis leads to major tantrums. There, I said it. My three year old throws major MAJOR tantrums. And sometimes I don't know what to do with him! He has thrown terrible tantrums in the store, at preschool, in primary once, in the car, at home on the kitchen floor. Sometimes he screams so loud and won't stop, kicking his feet and flailing around on the floor, it is crazy! Any good discipline tactics you use, please send my way.  I don't expect my kids to be perfect, and I don't pretend like they are. Real is soooo much better, wearing mismatched clothes, with chocolate pudding dried on their little chins and dirt under their fingernails from all the playing done, with snarly hair, toe jam, and two day old underwear cuz all the rest is in the washing machine. At least everyone knows that they are busy, busy, busy all day long (except on the days when we decide to stay in our jammies and watch movies all afternoon eating junk food and drinking strawberry milk).

 Lil Kya Lyn likes to be held way too much, especially when she is sleeping. Anyone heard of "sleep training"? Yeah...we are in the process of trying to figure that one out. It is, though, incredibly fulfilling to have nothing to do but sit and hold a sleeping baby...meaning that you just neglect all the other duties...and just hold the lil babe for hours, examining each little perfect finger and going to pieces over the tiniest facial expressions, smiles, and the sweet little lips parting slightly in an "o" as the cute thing breathes out a contented sigh.

 Many evenings, the kids can get more than a little "hyper-active" with dad and grandpa chasing them, swinging them so fast I, myself, could throw-up! The screaming and hollering, the running and jumping can get a little overwhelming, but hey....that's just how our nights go. Usually when the fun has to stop, we come across some whining, crying, stomping off to the bedroom kinda behavior. It's normal.

 One word: cousins. Yeah....they are the best! We kinda like em...a lot. We are all doomed for drama when all the cousins are older and together. It's gonna be great!

 Remember how we like to wear pajamas a lot? This particular night Carter chose Anna's Sponge Bob pj's because they are pink. But don't worry, I don't let the kids watch the cartoon because I think it is stupid. And we don't allowing anyone to say "stupid" because it is a mean word. And who said boys look stupid in pink? I think they look handsome...honest.

 Cousins. Yeah, did I say we love em? Well, we do.

 Painting. I would be crazy to not allow my kids the luxury of learning to paint because, hello? I am an amazing painter and must mentor my children to channel their wonderfully creative imaginations and put it onto a crisp, clean white piece of paper. You should try it if you haven't...it is a great feeling.

 Throwing a tantrum, him? Naw....he wouldn't dare...This guy here, he's a perfect angel.

 And this gal, well, she has amazing style. She practices often in front of the mirror, talking and singing and posing. She even likes to look at herself in the mirror when she is crying. As the crying proceeds, the faces get more and more contorted. It is quite interesting to watch.

 Doing some Pilates. Go kids, go! They did awesome. It killed me, however.

 Now, this is the kind of face that makes you think, "Wow, I want 20 kids!"

 And then they get older and life turns to chaos somedays, and you wonder how you are going to survive the few kids you have. And then you watch the Duggar family at five in the morning and see that they do it so well, and make it look so easy, but that's just because they've had 19 kids, and it probably takes having that many to finally figure it all out! But since I am NOT having 19 kids, I will just keep on staring at this cute little face and think to myself, "Oh, man, I sure want more!"

So kissable too!!!

 Most days I want to do this.

 And my brain feels like this.

But, hey, this is what real life is all about, eh? At least, I think so.

Gotta get....Anna is whining and wants to play the Wii, Kya is fussing in the bouncy chair, and Carter is begging me, now that the baby is fed, to make some cookies, pleeeeeease!

Sigh. It's never ending. I might read it and weep, or laugh, but hey, it's all part of the plan.

And I think someday, in the eternities, I am really going to miss all of this. Really, really.

Yours truly.