We Help Each Other, Part 2

Tonight, Nick was working late so I was flying solo for dinner, bath and bedtime.  Over the last several months, I have been trying to come up with the best way to streamline this routine by myself.  With MUCH trial-and-error, I have made strides, but it's still an exhausting, grueling process, that is emotionally-charged with over-tired children and, who are we kidding, mama, too.  I decided that tonight, I'd try bathing the babies while the girls' were finishing their show and their dinner was cooling.  The poor babies would go down for the night an hour earlier than they do, if I could manage it, but dinner prep and pumping fill the hour before dinner, so my hands are tied.  Anything to get them down earlier...As I was wrapping up bath time, round two with Juju, I could hear the show ending (19 minutes goes fast!)  I ran downstairs to find the girls sitting together at the dinner table eating their now-cool meal.  They had moved their dinner plates from the counter to their place settings (well, Emmy's, Hannah seated herself in my chair) and were eating their dinner quietly.  I felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me...Tears, once again, stung my eyes as I witnessed my "bigs," who, to me, are still so little, pitch in to carry some of the load.  My heart may well burst from love and gratitude.

Before they saw me.

They both exuded a special new confidence.   Feeling very grown up. ;)