Currently

So, like, what is going on in the Wells house? I laugh at my charts down below from a previous post. We definitely don't use those. Life is still chaotic, but easing up now. Mallory is in kindergarten (not liking it) and Madeline is in preschool and ballet (liking it and not liking it, respectively) and Meredith stays home with me. Mallory is really okay, but her teacher is serious and stressed out and there are some difficult kids in the class. And since Mallory is so sensitive she often thinks nobody likes her at school. But she's doing a good job and has begun to read and write. She is picky about how I dress her now and wants to look "fashion." She still loves to come home and play with Madeline, and she and Meredith get along well.

Madeline whines in the mornings about going to school, but she has a great time. She never wants to go to dance, but seems happy once she's finished and is very much a natural ballerina. I'm hoping to live my dream through her. She is definitely my most willing and helpful child, but she is stressed when her sisters are around and tries to reason with Meredith (okay, fights) like they're the same age. Oh and she recently went to the dentist and now loves to brush her teeth and "sloth."

Meredith is a big shot. She thinks she runs this place, and even has a little swagger. She's definitely the least self-conscious of us all, and I can already tell she's not going to second guess herself. Confidence. I like it. Plus, she's two, so she wants what she wants when she wants it, and subsequently destroys everything. Her favorite thing to do, besides play in hand soap, clog the sink with toilet paper and run the water, write on the leather couch with marker, or steal candy from her sisters and shove it in her face behind her closed bedroom door, is to get into my "lips" and smear it all over her mouth and her baby dolls.

Jared and I attended a brain skills workshop taught by a family friend and genius, and I have learned so much about brain health and function, plus learning and memorization. I've been able to LEARN things again! Like, retain information! I thought the kids had ruined me. Jared is working hard and is dabbling in some new ventures in addition to construction. I've been very proud of his work ethic and am excited to see what he accomplishes in the next couple years. He also teaches the youth at church and does really well with them. I've been busying myself learning about gardening during the last couple weeks. I'm hoping to be ready to plant next week. We've got a large bed in preparation, as well as some newly planted fruit trees. We bought two apples, a peach, a pink navel, a satsuma, a kumquat, avocado, and lemon. I love my fruit trees. Even though I guess it'll be 3-5 years before they come to... fruition (har!). Seriously, I swear, if we move for any reason in the next ten years, I'm taking my trees. Also, I learned how to make bread last month and since then have been doing that regularly. Oh, and I got a Blendtec blender that I would marry if I could, because I can pulverize anything and EVERYTHING into a healthy green smoothie. We have greens everyday thanks to that monster.

I found out my ankle is still messed up because I have two tendons that are all torn up. And there is something inside the ball of my ankle bone again. Interesting how observant and successful my last doctor was. I'm going to have to do a surgery all over again, with a 6 week recovery, cash pay. Dr. O'Neill bad doctor. Bad doctor.

We had a new addition to the fam five months ago. Besides the poodle Brady, we now have an english bull terrier ("Jared's dog"). She's a great dog. Really smart and sweet. And destructive. But that will fade. Unless it doesn't. Then I will hate her. Hmmm.... I can't think of anything else right now. That's why dwindled down to the dog.

So we're alive. Things are good. We are well. Ta-da, and the end.