it's true. having your fourth is simply like having three all over again. although now that i think of it, having my third is about the time i contemplated committing myself. the exhaustion is typically enough to kill a person, but the messes... ah, the messes... are everywhere. i really do feel like i'm running all day long cleaning up one disaster after another. and it's typically G, with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes, that has started the problem. exhibit A:

yes, that would be me my toiletries FLOATING in a drawer. which leads to exhibit B:

the perp

i still have no idea how this even happened. all i know is that when i woke up this morning my SIL said that G had plugged up the bathroom sink and she had tried to mop up the mess but there was water flowing from everywhere. who knows?

all of the kids are still greatly in love with lil H, which is wondeful. i was so nervous that G would be taking out some serious aggression on our newborn. but she can't stop loving her. when H cries it's usually G that sticks her binkie on her finger and plugs it into H's mouth. and all of the kids know that saying SSSHHHHHH makes H start sucking. so when we're driving somewhere and she starts to cry it's like a choir of shushers. you'd think that the air was escaping from between our ears.

In other G news, she's potty-training, on her own. and i am of the opinion that she'll be fully potty-trained before F is, despite his 4th birthday coming next week. i had her nekked all day long yesterday and i only found 2 puddles and a turd (frankly, i would have still found that many messes regardless of her nekkedness), the rest all made it into the toilet.

(when i put this outfit on her she immediately says, "I pretttty")

it is SO nice to have a child that wants to do this all on her own. E helps her to get into the bathroom when i'm busy nursing the baby, so i really do just sit back and watch as my 22 month old *baby* potty trains herself.

F's latest thing, as in what he's been doing for 2 years now, is being Spider-boy. the latest change to this game though is that he puts on E's stretchy winter gloves and runs after his sisters casting imaginary webs into there hair. only it's one of the most effeminate super-hero moves: my boy *prancing* after his sisters, tip-toeing, knees high, with his fingers spread out wide for maximum web-casting ability... wearing pink and purple gloves. soooo not spiderman approved. i'm sorry that i don't have any pics to prove the goofiness of this, but the hub's does not want it remembered.

E had her Kindey-garten testing and orientation yesterday. i listened as her teacher quizzed her for about 20 minutes about letters, numbers, shapes, and the like. i was proud and excited that she only missed 4 questions. frankly, i was a little surprised by how much she did know. and with each section they completed her teacher would ask her, "wow, you're so smart! where did you learn all of these things?" and she would humbly reply, "i just know it! i didn't learn it anywhere!" um, thanks for the props kid! all of the time and effort i've spent with her, out the window when she's got a chance to toot her own horn.

but actually, the truly disheartening thing about it was that the test she was giving is the same test that they give the kids at the end of the year. she only missed 4 questions. so we have nine months to learn what sound the word *pliers* starts with. i have always planned on homeschooling my kids. but this summer after some serious prayer i felt SO strongly that she did in fact need to go to school. she has wanted to go to school since she was 2 years old. she talks about it constantly. and even when we've done homeschool co-ops here, plus our daily work, she refused to call it school. even when i got her a back-pack and her own school supplies, she still wanted to go with the other kids. so that's that. she can have her fun with the other kids for now and i'll still continue to teach her here. because apparently she doesn't even know that's what i'm doing, teaching her myself. and for the record i do NOT think that school offers a normal or healthy way of socializing, i think that social skills are best learned in the home. but don't get me started on this rant. not today at least.

i finally got to spend some of my baby money yesterday, as in the money gifted to me for squeezing a human out of my body, and i went to a great store called the lactation station. fab store! not only did they have all sorts of cool boho mommy stuff, they were so accomodating to people like me. you know the type: too many loud and messy kids, a newborn in constant need of *nilk,* and having no idea what i really want at the store. but they had a little playground and tv for the older kids, a mother's lounge with comfy chairs, plus each dressing room had a chair and bouncer to help mama's and babies stay comfy. so i got three nursing camisoles, the miracle blanket, and a maya wrap. what a yummy store. i was there for about 90 minutes and they didn't even act put out. plus the owner is a lactation consultant/RN. i luffed this place. made my whole week to go in there.

totally makes up for the fact that H has had a sore throat, i'm assuming, all week long. and has been nursing every um, 20 minutes, while she's awake. she's also refused to sleep unless she's in my arms. she seriously does keep one eye open while she sleeps to make sure i don't ditch her. i still think it's cute though to have a baby who loves me so much. all i have to do is start talking and she calms down. oh, the awwness!