Mommy? Me, no...

My days are filled with children.  Children, children.  And dishes.  Lots of those.  It's like an internship, practically job training.

What makes my dishes different from most of my friends' dishes is that they are filled things like bottles, and binkies, and bowls where the yogurt was only half eaten.

I am almost convinced that I am currently becoming just about as prepared for physically taking care of children (only the Lord can judge the spiritual side of things) as anyone who doesn't have their own could possibly be.  My life right now is as close as it comes to the real thing without, um...the real thing.  I mean, for real?  How can you get closer without the real thing?

Last night I went grocery shopping.  At 9:30 PM.  Because, we were desperate...and you can't have kids wake up without milk for cereal...so I did all the grocery shopping (+newborn diapers...I think the checkout ladies thought they were for some newborn of mine...) last night, making it out of Target four minutes after they closed last night.

Sometimes, it's one little one.  Like right now, Judah is running around playing with his cars while I write this.  His little overalls and brown long-sleeved polo along with this dimple-smile and Brooklyn accent make my heart MELT.  Sometimes, it's holding Samuel...I changed his diaper last night while he screamed and screamed because he just doesn't like it.  :(  Sometimes, it's just two or all three...taking care of Glorie and the others...when's one's nap...when do naps need to be over in order to do what we have to in the afternoon...  Feed them, clean them, don't let them take their juice in the living room.  

Diapers?  Nothing...  Let's talk about breakfast and lunch, malt-o-meal, mac & cheese and dino nuggets.  How about bath for them, both dressed, then Little-Einsteined so that I can take a shower and dress...all in one hour, ten minutes.  How about car seats and waterbottles...ice when they want it, bubble juice when Pellegrino is added.  Kisses on the hurt toe that somehow magically make it feel all better.  Singing to them at nap time.  Knowing that Glorie doesn't want me to hold her while she drinks her milk...so I put her in the crib to let her finish it.  When she says "B Dress!" that means she wants the soft side of the blanket against her and the silky side on top.  Judah loves Z-bars...but don't spring too much new food on him without Daddy being around.  Ariel loves to play ballerina and adores having one-on-one time with you.  Movies: The McD's prefer Little Einsteins, no matter what the other choices are.  "Beeb" is the movie Babe in Glorie language.  If you hear Ariel or Judah singing about arpeggios, they got it from Aristocats.  Oh, and don't forget how the word "erroniously" got into Ariel's vocabulary.

I'm just saying...all this experience is quite thrilling.  I am getting so much good knowledge, and I am getting to know these amazing kiddos.  I am thankful that Jesus put me here, helping my sisters with their kids.  Love them to pieces!!