woman on the verge

I've been stumbling around in a state of utter overwhelmedness.  Mr Renn is still in Navajo country until Thanksgiving, my parents and sister are gone every evening this week from 5-11 for Nutcracker, and our Gentleman has not slept for a substantial stretch in 2 days.  I'm headed into 72 hours of nearly uninterrupted alone time with my kids.  Not even interrupted by sleep, I'm afraid.  It's funny how essential things like sleep and water are so easy to take for granted until there's a shortage.  It doesn't take much of a shortage to bring to your vivid remembrance how vital they are for life as we prefer to know it.

Yet here I am typing with one hand while the other hand holds on to this baby who will not shut his eyes.  He doesn't even blink much.  Thanksgiving is feeling awfully far away. (Not that Mr Renn with his inability to stay up past 10 pm for anything other than a boys-night-out of video gaming would be much help as I head into the promise of a 3rd sleepless night, ahem).

I'm getting better at having more kids than hands.  Today I managed to make salt dough, a paper-bag-town, and dinner (these enchiladas - I'm a fan).  I also vacuumed up after breakfast, lunch, and the first round of salt-dough play.  Unfortunately I was burned out by the time the 2nd and 3rd rounds of salt-dough play occurred, so my mom still came home to a mess under her kitchen table.

On the bright side (there is always a bright side) I've come to the realization/appreciation that Sir O is capable of being genuinely helpful.  I have to approach him in just the right way, but the intrinsic desire to be helpful is most definitely present.  These boys adore each other.

And God gave me a reminder today that life is good and that my problems are good problems to have.  It looked something like this: