4:45 Bedtime (and the rest of the week)

So, before I get to the topic of my title, I'll share a few other pictures of my kiddos this past week!

Smaug played at my chair a few times during school this week :)

See, Nana, we've been working on the dinosaur puzzle, TW has all the bus pieces spread out!!!

I've decided to start having one helper for each meal... so far, it worked for one meal (this one).  Every time I call the selected person in, the rest (esp. the one pictured) come running in to help too.  Most of them exit the room when told, but this one (see below) gets very mad and throws a fit... it's a work in progress... J has suggested I send them all to their rooms to play and then just bring out "the chosen one"... I'll try that tomorrow :)

Uncle MJC's Christmas gift came in the mail... TW was soooo excited and tried to listen to them all at once :)

Found the girls snuggled together Wednesday night :)

Okay... so Thursday morning Smaug had a 4 month check up (he's peachy)... Daddy didn't have any flights, so I got to go with just the appointment kid.  We got home a few hours later because we had to pick up meds.  Once I got back home, TW and I began to do some math.  TW was not in math mode (Daddy was home) and threw a fit or two over not getting the problems (which he had done a gazillion times before).  Finally, he was in the zone!  Then he stood up on the chair (why didn't I say something), and I asked, "so, what is 5 + 3?"... he fell out of the zone... "I don't know"... cry, whine, complain.. "oh, wait, it's 8"... and then he does a happy jig, misses the edge of the chair with his foot, and cracks his chin on the table in the fall.  So, we packed everyone up (he wanted us all to go), grabbed an apple and PB crackers, the camera, and headed to the ER.

While waiting, the small guys ate lunch... and went potty (several times) and generally ran amok (a controlled amok, of course)!

TW bravely waited in the back... here he is with numby goo on his chin...

Pulling out his bravery reserve even more :(

Feeling great, if not a bit numb around the chin :)

Survived!!!

Needless to say, no one had a great nap that day (Smaug included, he's teething).  The girls finally fell asleep around 3:45.  I woke them at 4... which is murder to Pretty Girl.  By 4:45, everyone was crying or whining or in some other state of unhappiness (except for TW, who was okay except for a sore chin).  We left the house for somewhere, and every little bump we hit on the road was a travesty.  I tell you, some evenings are just rough.  We made it through dinner, quick baths (yes, they look cheerful now, but they were easily crashing) and had everyone in bed by 7:30 (except for Smaug, who still had a feeding to go).  It was a long night.  Thank God, though, both J and I were braced for the grumbly's and took it in stride... as for today... the kids are still awake... so it might just be another long night :)

In Other News:  Umm... TW caught a house gecko today, and brought it inside.  As he took it outside it dropped it's tail.  He dropped it.  J caught it, I accidentally saw the still twitching appendage (I think I'm going to ralph just remembering it)... I can handle dead animals and guts, but not twitching tails, ugh.