I have been working on my new workroom, little by little. It is amazing what can't get done while holding a nine month old. But this is the time of life I am in.

My friend called last week and asked me to help her make a scripture bag for her little girl's birthday at the end of the week. And by help, she meant me make it. It turned out to be very cute. It was fun to get sewing a little and it was the first thing created in my mish-mash of a workroom. And Emi loved it.

Joey, as I said, is wanting his Mama all the time. If I can distract him with something and leave him in the next room, he will be fine for a couple of minutes, as long as I don't let him see me. This is how I got most of dinner done tonight. We had his well child check up last week and the week before that he had been seen because of the ears. He had lost more than one pound in less than 6 days! He is in the 6th percentile in weight - I have never had a child this skinny. My kids don't get all rolie polie, but never gangly. Our doctor isn't worried, we'll keep an eye on it. He isn't the best eater, we are working on it and it seems to be getting better. I was pleased when my mom was feeding him and he was like a little bird with his mouth full. That is a good sign.

I have been trying to be better about making dinner. I purposely volunteer to take meals to friends and neighbors because then I will for sure make dinner for my family as well. I also am handing Dave a cookbook and letting him choose two meals per week (they have to be reasonably easy). Do any of you subscribe to Cooking Light? Some of my favorite recipes have come from this mag. I bought the Cooking Light 2008 book, this is our manual for the next little while. This is one of our favorite recipes (not from this cookbook) from Cooking Light 2006. Dave asks for it all the time. I always end up cooking the carrots and potatoes in the oven with some olive oil drizzled over the top while the meat, mushrooms (the best part of the whole stew) and juices are cooking, this cuts out a whole hour and doesn't make a huge difference in the over-all flavor. And, Eli will actually eat it all without any complaints. Caroline decided she wouldn't eat it, "I don't yike it!". I only put the meat into her bowl. I told her she could eat or go into her room. She just looked at me and continued to drink her water, never taking her eyes from mine - kind of like a showdown. I asked her again to eat, she said no. A few seconds later she said, "I'll be in my room, I'm not going to eat this." I went in later and asked her if she wanted to eat. "No, I have to stay in my room because I am not going to eat that food." She finally came out when she heard her brothers taking a bath. She ate three pieces of meat so she could bathe.

I am going to Juno tomorrow night, no matter what, if any one wants to go.