Frances + 4 McPherson boys!

Nice Pajamas...

The McPherson boys: Devon (age 3), Aidan (5), and Austin (8)

Frances tackles Austin

Playing cars with the boys

I have had a very crazy week. Our house has been over run by three boys for the past five days, with two more to go. Our good friends are off cavorting in sunny Mexico enjoying their first real vacation with out kids. It felt really good to be able to do this for them and Frances loves the boys. Four kids is sooooo much work.

I was doing great at first, but am starting to tire. Today I took the kids to the park and noticed half way through playing that their youngest was wearing slippers! I ran out of PJ's for Frances, see the P-jamy 'get-up' above. So far I have remembered to feed everyone.

A full house has been so much fun. I want another...ONE. Family of four sounds nice. Frances is having an absolute ball with these little guys. I don't know what she will do when they go home. I will have to schedule a busy week to ease her back into her life as an only child.

smooshed daisies

Frances' new thing is picking daisies. I keep finding dried up little flowers throughout the house. It is hard to get anywhere on a walk, as she has to stop and pick daisies and dandelions. This is always followed by an, "uh-oh" as she drops one from her handful.

Frances runs...cooks...and washes dishes!

I am ending my first month as a Mom who no longer works another job for 40hrs. a week(Hate that other title. (SAHM)) I must confess I was a little worried I was going to he to ask for my job back! I was definitely missing people, and feeling successful at the end of a work day. But I am warming up to this challenge and enjoying all of our close time together. I definitely see myself working part time after the summer, even if just a few days a month.

Frances is wonderful. At 20months she is doing and saying a whole lot. She is running and climbing. Frank is enrolled with her in a parent-tot swim class. She smiles the whole time. Her language has really taken off. She says new words every day it seems, and is starting to link them in a sentence with prompts. We ordered half a dozen parenting books as she has discovered she is her own self and sometimes does not want her diaper changed...or wants a snack,"nak, nak, nak" right now. Toddler parenting is definitely a challenge. I miss what little bit of baby time I had, but am loving this little person emerging. I love her humor, dramatics, craziness and sweetness.

I love it all.