This... And that... And this... Oh yeah, and that too!

Go figure, I did it again. I had planned to go to sleep an hour (or less) after I put my kids in bed, but did I?

Of course not. Though my kids are all at the stage where they sleep through the night, apparently having them so close together has made me sleep as full of a night as a 4-month-old. Every time I headed for bed, I found something new to take care of. Clothes, toys, a random piece of paper... A million little things that seemed to be there just to keep me awake. By the time I was done, I realized... I'm only going to get 5 hours of sleep.

And that's what I got. 

So once again, caffeine is my best friend.

As I mention my kids, I realize that I haven't said anything about them other than the fact that we have 4. I guess I should take this time to introduce them.

(Please excuse the bad quality of this picture... I am hinting for a better camera for my birthday.)

First, we have Jimmy. He is the oldest of our kids (6 years old), and is a kind-hearted and very responsible little boy. He loves doing anything that Daddy does, and gets frustrated very quickly if he doesn't do something perfectly (he gets that from me). He's always there to lend a helping hand, especially when it comes to helping his younger sister (the oldest of our 3 girls) with her schooling. He is excellent with math (he has been able to do addition problems in his head since he was 5).

Next, we have Ashley. She is the oldest of our girls (5 years old). She is a very, very sweet kiss-hug-and-cuddle type of girl. She won't go more than 10 minutes without loving on one of us. She wants to help Mommy in the kitchen and with anything that has to do with housework or taking care of the little ones. She's a very girly girl... Her favorite color is pink, and she doesn't like to wear anything but dresses and skirts. She is excellent with Language Arts (she is doing the same work in that subject as my son, and actually jumps ahead on her own, simply by hearing something once).

Third, we have Beth. She is our middle girl (3 years old). She is very independent. Anything she can do by herself she wants to, and if you try to help her, she will clearly let you know that she doesn't want any help. She is quick to pick up on things... Just from being with our older kids when they are being taught, she has learned most of her colors, can count to 13, and knows how to write and recognize a few letters and numbers. She is always looking to help... Whether it is throwing something away, getting something for me, or giving hugs and kisses when someone gets hurt, she willingly and excitedly does it all.

Lastly, we have Lilly. She is the youngest of them all (1 year old). She is very silly, just like her dad. Anything she does, she does with a smile. She has an amazing ability to make people smile when they are down. She is learning quickly, and amazes me at times (yesterday the kids were playing with my dustpan, and when I couldn't find it, I asked where my blue dustpan was... She immediately went and got it). She wants to do everything her siblings do, but still shows her baby side sometimes (mainly by refusing to take a nap, then falling asleep sitting up). She likes to cuddle, but only when she feels like it... Other than that, she wants to run and play.

To describe each of them in one word, I would say:

Jimmy - Helper

Ashley - Loving

Beth - Independent

Lilly - Cheer-giver 

(Yes, that last one was two words, but I smushed them into one, lol.)

Well, there's my family in a nutshell... I'll get to my husband later. For now, I'll just say that I couldn't have asked for anyone better to be with me through life.