To the people: Their names are, indeed, Dragonlance characters, which is an epic saga.
On with the show! "So, erm, Margaret, I was wondering if you might maybe want to go with me to the P-p-p-Prom?"
Margaret Hemlock smiled at her best friend's shyness and answered him the old-fashioned way.
"It certainly took you long enough."
Yes, yes,
awwww, but big things were happening at home, too! This is truly the Golden Age of the Moonstones, with everything good in the world happening at once and the perfect and entire lack of sleep.
When he's not out gallivanting with his girlfriend, Peder is a wonderful help around the house--which is good, because we're all at the end of our sanity! The triplets are adorable, but once you reach the Hallucination stage of Sleep Deprivation adorableness starts to look like waffles.
We aged them up as quickly as we could, of course, and I have the feeling that there will be much more
awwwing in the remainder of this chapter! Here's Usha, who has Breandan's hair and my mother's beautiful eyes.
Alhana has Breandan's eyes and black hair. She's a lovely, silvery color which very much suits her namesake.
Palin is obviously just a little cutie! He has my hair and eyes, the same silvery skin as Alhana, and Breandan's features. He's a perfect mix of Breandan and myself.
As a tiny break from all the toddler cuteness, over to the child cuteness: Now that Margaret is a teenager, Coral spends every day playing with Jarod MacAnna-O'Shea. His father is Breandan's brother, which doesn't make them blood relations, so I'm very hopeful!
Peder, on the other hand, still spends lots of time with Margaret.
Lots of time. Don't worry, we've set very strict rules with constant supervision, so they can't get up to anything.
Breandan and I aren't trying anymore, but we certainly aren't
stopping, either! Hint hint, hint hint . . .
All day, every day, is spent frantically training the toddlers. I'm still on maternity leave, and Breandan only has work every other day, so we're getting a lot accomplished. Aren't they simply lovely?
Every day is exhausting, and it takes at least three hours to track all three down and get them changed into their nightclothes and put into bed, but it's all worth it when we peek into the nursery an hour later and see three little angels sleeping peacefully. Wait a minute . . .
Okay,
three little angels! (Usha was playing with her older sister's broomstick in the backyard. She's very adventurous.)
Oh, and I'm pregnant. Again. Fingers crossed for another set of triplets! Hahaha . . . seriously though, please no more triplets. I beg of thee.
Is it especially surprising that Breandan and I aren't worried or sad at the coming of another child? We're better off than when I first landed here, but a long way from being comfortable. It takes every penny to put food on the table, and we saved up for years to have nice presents for the kids for Snowflake Day. But who needs money when you can have five beautiful children, with another on the way?
"I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life," I told Breandan that evening, just after I announced the news.
"That means I'm doing my job," he answered jokingly, but I could see myself reflected in his eyes.
At least we have enough money to have four bathrooms. Bathrooms are excellent.
My pregnancy was a joyful one. The children had practically every school day off, so we spent afternoons playing video games while the toddlers napped.
Breandan took on loads of overtime work in preparation for the new baby, but, even with new wrinkles and lines around our eyes, we still played at being newlyweds every night.
Aaaaaand more pictures of toddlers! No caption required.