time passing and struggles

Time gets away from me faster and faster these days.  

I think, for a while at least, things had started to get easier.  Lately, however, we are taking steps backwards all the time.  I am having a hard time keeping a handle on these 3 wild kids.  Twins are just *so* much harder than having one.  Sorry to say it, but it is true, coming from someone who has had both!  Then add in having a 3 year old...I feel like I get through each day by the skin of my teeth.  I used to like running or walking at night after the kids go down, but I can barely make it to the couch now.  I do have the strength to get up and get cookies, though.  Ugh.  Need to work on that.  

I feel like I'm doing everything wrong.  How am I supposed to be consistent with discipline/rules when I am so outnumbered?  I'm not being rhetorical here...if anyone knows the answer to this, tell me, please!  How am I supposed to set and enforce time-outs, when it is NEVER just one of them acting up and breaking rules.  For example:  we are not allowed to play with doors in this house.  They all know this.  Yet, when there are 3, they feed off each other, think it is hysterical.  I try to stop them by taking each one, saying, "we DO NOT play with doors," moving them to something else.  But I deal with 1, the other 2 are still going at it.  I deal with the next, then the original starts up again.  I end up screaming, getting frustrated.  

I know this is just the age, but I feel now, more than I ever have, truly outnumbered in what I like to call:  make it through each day.  

I digress.  I started with how time gets away from me and I don't get pictures on the blog!  I have been a true slacker and haven't gotten my Nikon out in longer than I remember.  Thank God for iPhone pics!

The beauty of a sleeping child is...after a trying day where I want to toss them over the fence - sneaking in their room and seeing them sleep erases all that.  We start fresh each day.  

We are in the process of updating the library here.   Paige loves all of these, but I think the favorites are Cat.In.The.Hat, The Llama.Llama book, and the Fire.Cat.

I decided our Wednesday dates for the next few weeks will be to the book store, to play and pick out a few new books each time.  Pre-Kindergarten is just around the corner and this big girl will be learning how to READ!

What is a mom/Paige date without a stop for a treat?!

We don't keep much booze in the house, gosh I need to change this...but we do have ice cream.  It does help me after these long, frustrating days.

Paige has named herself Princess Hello.Kitty.

Oh - ha - I actually forgot about this until I loaded all these pictures!  David took Jack to get his hair cut on Saturday, but didn't think they did an adequate job.  He gave him a garage touch up when he got home.

I think it looks adorable : )

I clearly never listened to anyone who said babies need to stop bottles after 1.  This big boy will be 2 in just over a month - and he still gets rocked with his bottle every night!  Braley would - but he decided himself that he was over bottles.  Not this guy!  He runs down the hall yelling, "BOTTLE!" How can I say no to that?  

Maybe this is why my children are so undisciplined?  I'm a big softy!