Good things

You guys are really incredible, and it would have made you proud to see me today. I ate, we all ate, so much better. I really love grains and vegetables and fruit and milk and water, so this switch is only good for me. I expected to see my kids turning up their noses at the oat bran muffins I made this morning, but instead they called them cupcakes and couldn't get enough. They were really good. They gobbled down their snack of whole wheat toast spread with natural peanut butter and honey.

For lunch I had a sandwich on whole multi-grain bread, stacked with turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, and avocado. I made the boys each a white bread sandwich, because we have two loaves in the freezer that we have to use sometime, but they only ate a half each. They were still full from breakfast and the snack. I must say, it was satisfying to throw out the halves that they didn't eat. We each had an apple.

Mid-afternoon we snacked on green beans and they were loving them, even Austin was eating them like crazy. For dinner I made chicken soft tacos and we put our kids to bed with stomachs full. This day was like a trial run of our new eating habits, and I'm hooked. The boys never even asked for cookies or candy. I know this will not always be so, but these changes feel great and I don't think we'll ever eat the same way again. We'd decided not to stress too much about it, just do a little better here and there. But today was anything but stressful (when it came to food) and I am excited to let these changes trickle into our lives. I'm so excited about all of your comments! Send me suggestions, recipes, tips any time! I'd love some great recipes. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Don't worry, though, that doesn't mean I'll chronicle our menu every day=)

Other good thoughts in my head right now:

I love my boys. There are moments in my day, every day, when I'll mentally step back and just appreciate the 4 little humans that cluster around me. These 4 little boys who are mine to care for. I am astounded at the blessings of the last 5 and a half years of my life and feel unable to capture that feeling with words. My Jack, my Tays, my Noah, my Austy. Do you know how much I love you?

Yesterday while Austin slept I climbed into bed with Jack in an effort to get the older 3 to all go to sleep. Taylor drifted off and Noah had his binky. In the dimness, I turned to Jack and looked right in his eyes. I loved him and he could tell. He just looked back at me with a sweet smile for a long time then he started scratching my back, something he often does when he's feeling especially loving. I love that kid.

I've been reading to the boys at lunch, just as my mom did with us. At this phase in our lives we read picture books or I show them pictures of scripture stories and we talk about them. It's so sweet to have that captive, happy little audience. I look forward to reading them the classics my mom read to us. Today at lunch, Jack blessed the food and it went something like this:

"Dear heaven and father, bless that we can have this yummy food and sandwiches, bless that dad can go to work, bless that Noah can not be cranky, bless that Taylor can't drink his milk in prayers and he can take a good nap, bless that we can make Austin happy and that he can't climb up the stairs, bless dad that he can be a good basketball player..."  I wish I could remember everything.  And no, we don't believe in praying to heaven and father.  He just has trouble with the word heavenly for some reason.

I love observing Taylor play with his dinosaurs. He is so so cute. He likes when Jack or Noah play along, but he's just fine playing on his own. Kev and I love to listen in to the dialogues he creates. He really is in his own little world when he plays, and what a sweet world it is.

Sleep is getting easier to come by. Thanks Ky, for letting me borrow that book. I'll post more about what I got out of it and how it's changed things for us. I'm excited about what I've learned.

All in all, I'd say we've managed to find plenty of happiness in February, and I think we just might survive until Spring.

PS. Thanks again, Elizabeth, for the valentine package!  We loved it!!

You made us all so happy=)