Okay, kids are in bed, Baby is contentedly digesting his meal on the couch beside me, and Evan is out doing pastor duty. So we'll see how far I get here. I have written so many mental blogs over the past few weeks but alas, sitting down to write them out is not so easy.

Some of you have been wondering how things are going, what life is like in the Jones household now that we have four little urchins. Well, overall it's going surprisingly well. But it also depends on what time of day you ask me. I'm losing track of the times lately that I've had a meltdown at dinnertime (a.k.a. Arsenic Hour--for reasons you'll soon see). Usually this pleasant feeling is brought on by a feeling of utter inadequacy--there isn't enough of me to go around! Around dinnertime it seems that the whole world caves in and everybody needs a piece of Mommy--Jed needs his software turned on, Chloe just stubbed her toe and needs sympathy and a Band-Aid, Tucker desperately wants to be held (ALL THE TIME!), Jackson is screaming for HIS supper, and I haven't started on dinner yet--which has to be by a certain time so Evan won't be late for a meeting. However, I have a secret weapon--AUNT LINDSAY! Over the past few weeks she has developed an uncanny knack for coming over at just the right time. On Monday night she came in just in time to scrape me off the floor and let me cry on her shoulder about how I hated being a mom and was SICK OF MY JOB. In her wisdom she didn't try to offer platitudes, which wouldn't have done a bit of good, but just held me and let me cry and didn't judge me. When I was functional again she went to see what she could do to bring the household back to order. I am so very grateful for her and for her friendship.

Evan just got back from his meeting and we're going to watch Fellowship of the Rings, or as much of it as our exhaustion level will allow. I'm pretty tired most of the time these days, since Jackson is nowhere close to sleeping through the night (though thankfully he does fall asleep quickly after his midnight feedings). But it's a different kind of exhaustion than you feel during pregnancy. I can function quite well on the level of sleep I'm getting; my brain just doesn't function at its best and my eyes feel bleary. But this too will pass!

The other night at our young adults' Bible study Evan asked us all to open to Exodus 3, the passage about Moses and the burning bush. Silly me opened to Genesis 3, the first few verses of which are about the fall of man. So I was shocked when Evan announced that this was one of his favorite passages in the Bible. I said, "Are you serious?! I hate this part!" Everybody drew back in shock, thinking they were about to witness a marital spat right then and there. Then I realized my error and we all had a good laugh. Boy, did I feel stupid! I'll blame that one on lack of sleep. :-)

If you look closely at this picture of Chloe and Jackson, you'll notice that Chloe has one ear pierced. Yes, that's right, just one. I took her to get them pierced several weeks ago, and so low is her pain tolerance that she wouldn't have anything to do with another one once the first one was done. I tried every trick in the book to try to change her mind, and Aunt Lindsay even took her one night to try again, but no bananas. Oh, well. We'll get it done one of these days.

Jackson is a wonderful little baby. Nursing is going really well and he's pretty easy to please. The kids adore him. Gotta watch Tucker around him, though, or he'll literally love him to death.

Well, I'm off to the Shire. Talk to ya later!