There are many reasons I don't get things done,

and these two seem to be the biggest....

This little episode with the permanent marker occurred during dinner prep.  A certain older brother had supposedly put away this marker, so either our budding artist climbed up and got it, or someone didn't really put it away.  I have scrubbed with a washcloth during bathtime, used some baby oil to lighten it up and rubbed their skin off and on, but I'm not as motivated to go to the grocery store now.  Can I please put it off another day so no one assumes these children have had a tattoo artist attack them? :)

It's that time of year...

No, not my very favorite time of year yet, but exciting nonetheless.  The kids are back in school.  They have excellent teachers and friends in their classes, but we all miss having our summer play time.  We're adjusting, and we'll be loving it soon, it's just an adjustment time. I like having my big kids around, and the younger two get a little lonely.  Next year will be super quiet with four big kids in elementary school.

At least this girl likes her mama, and she has friends and cousins who will still be around in the middle of the day. I'm sure she'll be excited to see everyone after school as she often is now (she especially adores her big sis, much to the brothers' dismay)! 

Right now, I'm blogging when I was planning to clean up the tornado that cycloned through my house. It's much easier to type one-handed than to clean with a feverish cling-on dozing in your arms.  My poor baby is on ear infection #6 and my have to see an ENT specialist along with the GI doc we're already seeing.  I spend too much of my life at offices waiting for my two little ones to have someone else help them.  I guess they knew to wait to be a part of this family or they might not have made it here.  My older three had their share of challenges, but didn't seem to be as helpless or in need of constant visits to specialists, therapists and doctors.

Overall, it's a great thing to be Mom to these five energetic, bright, motivated little people.  We have  moments everyday that show us we're supposed to be a family, and that we are being watched over and taken care of. It just takes everything we have to get through the days sometimes!