How do you do it all?

We start tonight's blog with the oh-so-beautiful, Everleigh Calla.

Everleigh LOVES sucking on her hands, sticking her tongue out and for about 2 minutes today...sucking her thumb!
Her eyes are still blue! I'm not convinced that they'll stay blue, although I'm hoping they do...but whatever color they are, they are big and beautiful!
Ever's head is pretty strong now. She can handle a few minutes in the bumbo seat. And as you'll see in pictures to follow, her brothers love the bumbo seat too!! She is a happy baby, and overall, really good! She continues to make lots of noises and loves to "talk" to us while she's in her pack n play and we are trying to sleep! :)

This week, we said farewell to our summer babysitters, Carly and Haley. I'm sure we'll see more of Haley...but Carly left this weekend for college! We will really miss her! To see them off...we took the kids to watch them perform and ski in the Ski Sprites show! Ummm...I'm not so sure that the girls would want to claim that we were there to see them....to make a long story short, we had to leave before the show was over due to two 18 month olds who took it upon themselves to run through the sand, and up on to the show stage....oh, I'd say...about 20 times. And no, I'm not exaggerating. I'm pretty sure we put on our own show chasing them down. Oh, Hudson and Madden....life would be boring with out you. And that's all I'll say about that!

With school back in session-- we get LONDA!! The kids will only go a couple of days a week, but they love their Londa!
Don't let Hudson fool you. He loves Londa too. He just loves his mama a liiiiiitle bit more. :)

Paisley has been having a really hard time listening lately. We actually feel really bad for her-- she is a great helper, and neither Craig nor I have the time we use to have to play with her. Because of that, she's been spending her time antagonizing her brothers and trying to do the opposite of whatever we ask of her. BUT, luckily, this weekend...Miss P got to have a play date with her new friend, Lydia!

Hudson and Madden always making us laugh.....

Craig worked and had his fantasy football draft, so I took the kids up north to visit family and go to Booster Days. I had to explain to Paisley that life in a small (REALLY small) town is much different. You can walk down the middle of the street, and it's okay. You say hi to everyone, and even if you don't know them...they somehow know you. It's okay that people pull their vehicles up on the grass to watch the parade and that small towns throw the best candy (and have really good aim as somebody CHUCKED a piece of candy and it went straight down my shirt!! HAHA) And that nobody wanted to believe that Brenda could have a daughter old enough to have four children. :)

Nothing is off limits for the twins...they get into whatever they feel like it. And fight about it.

OH--- and after a slight mix up with leaving their nuks at day care....we are nuk free!! Madden has screamed for 30 minutes with naps for the last 3 days, but other than that...we're getting through it! It can only get better, right?!!

...and... a sneak peek at their 18 month pictures....

~The Bergs

A note from the author:

I can't tell you how many times a week someone says to me, "wow, how do you do it?" And I usually smile and nod, and say something about how it is difficult, but we're surviving. And the truth is...lots of days, I can't do it. I'm not gonna lie...there have been a couple of days that I have just broken down, cried, and thought....I seriously can't do this. And then of course, I get a few hours of sleep and the next day comes, and everything is okay. But when your house is in shambles every single day, when you literally cannot go get groceries because you cannot fit your children and groceries in one, or even two carts, or when you just can't be the type of mom you used to be...it's really, really hard. There are days that I can't remember a single thing. It's like I'm running on auto-pilot, but I don't remember a thing. I just do whatever I can to make it through the day. I miss so many things about the way I parented before I had four children....it makes me sad that I don't spend hours gazing into Everleigh's eyes...and it makes me sad that I yell at the boys more than I should because I'm in the middle of feeding Ev and can't properly discipline them. And even with all of the things I miss...I love these kids more than life itself. They ARE the reason I get up every day and the reason I work so hard. I just hope they someday understand how very hard I am trying--how I have the best intentions...and most of all, how much I love my family.

Because I have been struggling to find some balance in my life....(I just picked up a part time job.... yes, I know I am crazy...I work full time and now am teaching a course at a local college...) I picked up a book that was uber clearanced called, "Just Let Me Lie Down- Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom". And I'm pretty sure that I could consider myself a fully-insane working mom, but nonetheless, I started reading. Now...I've only had time to read two chapters, but they were two very good and very reassuring chapters. I'm not alone. Do I actually know anyone else who works two jobs, has four children 3 and under and writes this dang blog so that people don't send her threatening emails on Monday mornings??....nope, I don't. However, I have to remember that life is good. I have been blessed with so many things--and so many little people, ha ha ha!

Anyway (people didn't call me babbling Brook for no reason).... I'm excited to read, little by little, and know that this too shall pass. And if you are reading this blog, just know that there are some days, I suck. And then there are some days that I think I'm pretty good at pretty much everything. But for the most part, life would be better if you just didn't ask me how I do it all. Because then I feel like I have to. And chances are...if I do it all, it won't be done well. So...I'm going to do my best at the things I choose...and the rest, will be okay. And so will I.