My World Has Changed

my whole world has changed....
wren learned how to crawl over the weekend. crawl and pull herself up on things.
so i'll walk by and find her with a drink in her hands that she has grabbed off the coffee table. or i'll find her at my bookshelf pulling books off. she crawls to the fireplace and the stairs, so i now have to put up gates. and i have to put the gate on her crib up while she's sleeping.
sleeping.....did i say sleeping?? she is NOT sleeping- we've had 3 sleepless nights in a row, BUT she's been in her crib for those 3 nights. i think i could even put the bedside cradle away now.
......very bittersweet.

i'm so thankful for my wonderful sister-in-law katie who watched tekoa and wren last week so i could teach music at school and only be a teacher for that half hour. she's coming again today- did i mention that she's wonderful?

drake was officially initiated into the family last night by attending his first "tuesday night family night" with my family. we have dinner and a bible study together every other tuesday night. it is a fun, loud, and chaotic evening full of laughing and crying (we have 8 little girls and 3 boys- so there's someone crying pretty much at all times). but it's good. we learn from each other and grow together and work hard at just loving each other. we've supported each other through a lot of hard times and good times.
and for me, the night is made especially good by the fact that i can dvr american idol and watch it peacefully when i get home and after my kids are in bed, and that we now have 3 babies in the family so i can be holding one at any given time......

a few more items of note:

if you set a cake on top of your van while you're loading up all your kids, then forget about the cake and drive home, it is possible for that cake to remain on the top of the van during the whole drive home. it makes for a pleasant surprise when you get out and find the cake right there where you left it.

don't answer your cell phone if the caller id just says "incoming call." you might think it's your brother returning your call. and he could even play along, answering your questions and pretending to be your brother, until you realize that he in fact is not your brother, sounds nothing like your brother, and wants to know where you are and if you want to hook up later.....
creepy (but kinda funny) how did he get my cell #???
....and i said "no" in case any of you were wondering.

my kids had a snow day on monday, and i was supposed to sing at the nursing home. so i brought tyden and shaeya with me, and left tekoa and wren with my cousin. we ended up having a lot of fun, and so did the residents. they LOVED the kids. ty and shaeya both sang really well and i was proud of them. we're ready to hit the road i think.....
anyway, the home called yesterday to say thanks and to ask us back. "how about sometime in march?" sure. "how about on a day when you can bring the kids again?" sure. "how about friday, march 5th??" sure. we hang up and then i realize that's in a week and a half. so funny. they must have really liked the kids.

well, i think that's it for now. i have a million other things i should be doing so i better get moving....