What's Up

We've been living quietly and close to home, lately. I feel like we've been pretty durn happy, especially considering that we've been a little boring and extremely messy.

Jim's recovering well. He was released, this week, to drive and eat mush (tuna, mashed beans, etc.), and--since he's sleeping better--he's returned to work: for now, from home.

I'm waiting for the results of a one-hour glucose test. I tolerated it better with Cade and Charleigh and much worse with Clementine. Times have changed: I was permitted to take the test in the afternoon after eating a couple hotdogs, so I may well have passed. Regardless, as I enter my third trimester, I've learned the hard way: eggs and water (or a sugar-free drink) are pretty much my only safe bets for breakfast.

Temptation got the better of me, the other morning, and I ate a Toast'em Pop Up with purple icing. It took me six hours to recover. Let's just say: I think there's something not quite right about a non-drinker getting so up close and personal with the porcelain goddess, also about a grown woman having pee pants.

The girls had a summer cold (courtesy of Cade) last week. It slowed our roll, a little, and they got bored. Clementine snuck off with my camera, again. Here are some of her latest shots:

Cade's dad. The girls LOVE him.

Charleigh will turn two later this month. She's in the middle of one of those fascinating phases of development; seems like, every day, she's knocking me down with a feather. She sings her ABC's (minus only the "K") and rolls her shoulders when she runs. When I ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, she says: "Firefighter."

Here's a photo of the girls' new chore and behavior chart:

Today, each girl earned stars for picking up all the toys in the living room; putting dirty clothes in a laundry basket; and going down, easily, for nap. In addition, Clementine earned stars for feeding the cats; putting trash in the trash can and dirty dishes in the sink; and being mommy's helper (by emptying and cleaning Charleigh's potty). Charleigh earned extra stars for putting shoes in the wooden box where we keep them; peeing in the potty; and not biting, hitting, kicking, or pulling hair all day.

So today went extremely well, but I'll be honest: I could use a little bit of prayer for sticktoitiveness. I've started things like this several times, with Cade, only to drop the ball. It didn't seem like such a big deal when I had only one child; now, it seems like a very big deal.

All these years of my being a slacker, and I find it challenging to get Cade to do his part. He's super sweet, but he's back and forth between houses, and he's simply accustomed to being a disorganized mess like his mom. I really want to do a better job of training the girls from young ages, and I need their help around the house. I've floundered, my entire adult life, in the housekeeping department. I know I'll never be Martha Stewart, and I'm ok with that because, well, I don't want to be.

But here's to controlled chaos, also to a potty-trained Charleigh before Baby Chip comes along.