perfectly imperfect

Lately it has been just a game of planning and preparing for the next day.  As much as I hate it, I know that this too shall pass.  I can never seem to stay caught up - on laundry, grocery shopping, or house work...but I'd rather it be that way than miss out on a moment to spend with my family (which is hard to come by lately). 
 
I have been working a 5 day work week lately, I am on orientation for my new job.  It is a hard adjustment.  It seems like every time I work 2 or 3 days in a row (6:45am-7:15pm), my kids change so much.  I leave for work when they are sleeping, and come home with they are sleeping, so I don't see them at all...and I don't like it.  I am hoping orientation doesn't last very long.  We are all ready for me to be working a 3 day work week!

Jovie is just 1 week shy of 7 months old.  She does this smile, it starts in her eyes, and finally lands on her lips...and it makes me melt.  Here is the photographic progression of her eye smile...

As you can see from her messy bib, she is finally getting into eating other things than just breastmilk. 

She rolls around the floor everywhere, and has recently started to army crawl her way into all sorts of trouble.  She is a mover, our Jovie.  She just moves so much I can't seem to fatten her up, it is so strange to see someone so petite move around the way she does. 

She loves to try and play with her big brothers toys.

Girlfriend has a car in those sneaky little hands, Sarge if you were wondering.  Ryk would tell you that it is specifically Sarge from Lightning McQueen's racing team from Cars 2.  You know, cause he has more than one Sarge - ashamed to admit it, though I can say his embarrassing collection comes from a variety of people.

and these 3, well it is just a treasure to be home with them.  I look forward to each day I get to spend with them.  Being a working mom is tough.

Kip loves life.  He is just always so very excited about everything.  He loves to share with Jovie, "here a go Jojie"  I will always tell Kip that he is so nice to share, so now he will share and then turn around and excitedly say "NICE!" with the hugest grin. 

These two little guys, they are crazy rowdy.  They feed off of each other, and well lets just say that having Ryk in preschool Mon, Wed, and Fri and soccer games Sat and Sun helps to minimize some of the crazy energy he has. 

A tiny Jovie foot.  She finally fits into her size 0-3 months size shoes.

Girlfriend sits up now, but only for moments at a time because she is just too busy to sit still.  Her hair is getting long and thick, and has a cute curl at the end...her brothers desperately need their hair cut, Kip has some crazy side burns going on!

Kip is a talking toddler.  His vocab has just exploded.  Today at lunch while eating strawberries - "ah-licious stawberries mommy, mmmmhhmmm!"  My least favorite phrase of his "ida want to!" (I don't want to) spoken with the appropriate high pitch fussy voice. 

Ryk loves school and soccer.  Our fridge is covered in his school work, and he is just so proud of himself.  Watching him on the soccer field was just so, amazing.  Such a reality check though, I cannot believe that he is old enough for recreational sports already.  Growing up too quick.

Paul goes to work everyday dressed in shirts that I manage to iron more wrinkles into.  I even bought the wrinkle-less shirts, but that would require actually getting them promptly out of the dryer and hanging them, and well, if you read my first paragraph you'd know that I am struggling with all things laundry related.  He continues to amaze me every day.  He never once complains about having to take care of the kids after his work day - getting them dinner, giving them baths, and putting them to bed - while I am at work.  He is superdad, and well I couldn't have a better guy!

I am just hanging on for dear life, awaiting my orientation at work to come to an end.  September 27th I start my normal night shift schedule (3 nights - 6:45pm-7:15am - a week), which will be super interesting to see how/if it is going to work for our family...