Where to begin?

It's been more than a month since my last post! It feels like we've been crazy busy since Thanksgiving. Let me see if I can do a quick recap and post some pictures:

--We did it! We conquered the wilderness that was our backyard. I still feel like the Fire Prevention People are looking over my shoulder and ready to pounce if a stray shrub creeps too close to the house, but so far we're in the clear. We have a much neater, nicer looking backyard to show for it, and lots of time spent outdoors, keeping active. With our newly raked slope, I am seriously considering a huge Slip N Side-type contraption this summer!!

--Peter is so very close to crawling, but not quite there yet. He is getting two bottom teeth in, though! He's been enjoying lots of good food lately -- I think pears, squash, and chicken are some of his favorites. It was so cute to watch his excited expression when we picked up Jack and Thomas after a weekend at Grammy and Poppi's -- Peter definitely missed his brothers!

--Jack starts T-ball this month!! David is the manager (head coach) for Jack's team, and there are 11 other little boys playing also. Jack is the only 4-year old, and I fully expect that he'll be a "sand angel" as they call them (little kids out in outfield, scuffing up sand clouds and looking anywhere but where they're supposed to be). But he'll have so much fun playing with the other kids and with David. In 2 years, Jack and Thomas will be on the same team -- can you imagine them as 6 and 4 years old?!?

--Thomas continues to entertain us all with his antics. He sings his way through the day, making up songs from pieces of other songs, or nonsense words -- he's not too picky. He's doing excellent with potty training, and I am very pleased that we've somehow managed to graduated 2 children into potty-trained status. Woot! Thomas is a little bit impish, though, and finds his way into all sorts of mischief while covering it up with his very sweet and loving demeanor :).

-- David is doing well. He's very excited about managing Jack's baseball team, but has already had a small taste of crazy baseball parent politics (thankfully not aimed at him!). Somehow I'm not sure if managing a gaggle of 4-to-6 year olds *or* their parents will try his patience more! He will be such a good coach, though, and I can't wait to cheer him and his team on from the stands.

-- I am well, but am trying to figure out how to squeeze more time out of my day. There are a handful of things I really want to accomplish, and they just keep getting moved from this week's "To Do List" to the next without ever getting crossed off. Coffee does help :), but I probably need to organize my time more efficiently.

And Balance. That's one of my biggest goals (but very hard to achieve in reality). If the boys had their way, I'd be playing cars, trains, outside, etc. all day every day with them. I can't do that (and it wouldn't be good for the kids or me even if I could), but how much time should I devote just to playing with them? And how much time to chores? And how much time for spending with David? And "me" time? I can never quite find the right balance. Some days I feel like my entire day is one big To Do List, and everything (including playing with the kids) is a boiled down to a task that needs to be accomplished just so it can be crossed off my list. I really don't like feeling that way. But if I go all "laissez-faire" and don't really plan anything, I feel totally discombobulated and end up getting not much of anything done, and then I just make a bunch more work for myself the next day. It's a constant battle!

Well, Manic Monday arrives again tomorrow and we'll see how the battle goes this week. I'll be back to post sooner than later, hopefully. In the mean time, here are some photos:

Jack (on the move, as usual) was very excited about keeping tools in his jeans' pockets.

Thomas wouldn't hear of being left out of the fun, so he put on a Construction Hat (aka Nemo bucket) and managed to stuff some tools in his pockets, too.

Peter is good at pushing up and scooting backwards, which always puts him further away from toys that he wants. That really bothers him!

Peter has Popeye arms! For the record, he also has cankles. That's right -- the calf meets the foot directly, and there are no ankles. I have yet to encounter a baby sock that doesn't *POP* right off of his cankle within a few minutes. Of course, it doesn't help that he tugs on his socks with his hands and/or mouth :).