It is the little things..

 Like coordinating colors for church.  It makes me happy!

 Like Henry's total and complete attatchment to Love-a-Love...and that he hides under my belly. It makes me happy.

 Like the fact that Lily needed a picture too. :) Makes me happy.

 It is things like watching your kindergartner enjoy a book,

 (every year I question the sanity of emptying out a bookshelf and replacing all the books with Christmas books... I mean, only libraries and school teachers do that right? I am all about simplicity this year, but I did it anyway...)
 And this is why. It makes me happy to see the kids sit around reading old favorites, and reading them to each oteher.
 That little Fisher Price Nativity we've had for 10 years? It makes me more than happy! It gets a lot of playtime. Perfect.

 The fact that 3 years ago I bought 5 pairs of matching plaid Christmas pj's on a killer Kohl's deal. Later that year I found another pair for 90% off that were a "middle" size... 3 years later everybody but Michael (darn that growth spurt ... and 12 year old independence.) has matching pj's. :) Boy have we got our $ out of those!

 Henry wakes up every morning and asks if it is 24 yet. This makes me smile. Even really early in the a.m.

 And last but not least, these kids, working really hard to clean up leaves, SMILING while doing it, and keeping Henry happy (do you spy him?)

No wonder I am happy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My heart is full.  Early in November I found this quote on pinterest:

This has been my personal theme this month. Truthfully, life is hard. We struggle. Pregnancy is not for wimps.  Days can be rough, kids can be grumpy, heavens-- Mommy can be grumpy! I am continually reminding myself of all the good things that we enjoy each day. The love and forgiveness of others, the beauty of the world, the warmth and safety of home. I've long loved the song "Count Your Blessings", and many nights find myself singing it to my kids, not so they fall asleep, but so I stop and remember what it is all about.  I think I like the 4th verst the best:

    So amid the conflict whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all.

Count Your Many Blessing, angels will attend,

Peace and Comfort give you till your journey's end.

I am so grateful for so many things.  For the Peace and Comfort that the gospel gives me, and for the amazing people I get to spend my time with.  (and for the wiggly guy who keeps me company and doesn't let me forget he'll be wanting to test mashed potatoes out next Thanksgiving!) :)

For Mom. And Posterity I suppose...

Here I am, in all my 28 week glory. I haven't figured out (after 6 pregnancies) how many months that makes me...  I think we'll have a baby in about 3 months... I'm due in 12 weeks... but I feel a lot more pregnant than 6 months!  I look it too...   Today, my EX favorite Walmart checker asked when I was due, then said, "OH Man! February is a LONG ways off and you are already big. You are gonna be huge!"


.
.
.
  Um, ok.

I smiled. She is right.  But not really.  12 weeks will fly... 6 weeks till Christmas? Woosh, over almost.  :)  I told her she was right, I do get big, but in the end, I get a baby, so it totally pays off.

somebody turned 4!

Oh Henry.  

4 amazing things about Henry.

He is adorable.  He is rough and tumble and has these most awesome dance/fighter/groovy moves.  He pretty much does a victory dance everytime anything remotely good happens. It is delightful.

I realized about 3 weeks ago that I have never really encouraged him to dress himself... or put on his own shoes, or a myriad of other things my older children did alone by 4.  He simply hasn't needed to!  However, he has responded beautifully to being encouraged to be independent.  My FAVORITE thing of the day is watching him pull his underwear up in the moring. Then his pants.  One of these days I'm going to video it for posterity.  It is... well, so terrific I can't stand it.

Henry likes to be right. He espeically likes to point out when others were wrong.  "You were WRONG Mommy, right? You were wrong!"  He is nice though.  Yesterday he was extolling the virtues of losing a game to Lily (who had just lost to you can guess, Henry.)  "It is GOOD to lose Lily! You like it, it is so much fun!"  I said, "Yeah, loosing is great!" and she said, very straight faced, "Yes, but it isn't fantastic."  I laughed hard!


Henry has an awesome imagination.  Some mornings he makes us all Salami Smoothies. (He LOVES the word Salami.)  Other days he has us all going on airplanes.  He has imaginary friends too.  However, his best friend (aside from siblings, whom he adores), is his Puppy Dog Love-a-Love.  Or wuvawuv.  Every morning before eating his own breakfast he draws some scribbles on a paper and sets it on the floor next to his high chair and places WuvaWuv face down to chow down.  He brings him nearly everywhere we go. He  gives him amazing hugs and reads him stories.  (If Santa had only known to bring 2 of these puppy dogs.....)  It is sweet.  At night, Henry often has bad dreams,  we hear him fussing and then saying,  "Where is Wuvawuv, I need to hug him!"  Precious.

Oh, and a few more for good measure.  Henry has decided to name his baby brother Bob Jones.  Cool. Henry is techy, he is good at i-pads and nooks, and all computery things.  Oh, and he always points with his middle finger. Always. We have all tried to convince him how awesome the other 4 fingers are. He is not convinced.... so, picture him doing that victory dance, telling Lily how awesome it is to loose, all while flipping her off with both hands. And you wonder why I was laughing so hard.... :)

Somebody is 6!

6 Glorious Lily Facts.

1. Lily is fun! She loves to play and skip. On the way into church on Sunday she was holding my hand and said, "You know Mom,  skipping is MUCH better than just plain walking."  This speaks volumes about Lily and the way she goes about life.

2.  Lily wakes up cheerful every morning.  Last weekend I heard her waking and then saying to Henry from her bed... "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  It made me laugh to hear that be the first thing out of her mouth. :)

3.  Lily is good at schoolwork. I never have to bug her to do her homework and she is good at it.

4.  Lily loves green salad.  She prefers if I send a salad in her lunch to a sandwich.

5.  Lily draws amazing pictures.

6.  Lily is a trooper. We recently went to NYC and walked our little legs off and she was not a whiner at all!  She also is super good at hand holding.  Walking next to her (well, she was skipping...) along side of Central Park, with autumn leaves blowing off the trees is a memory I will cherish.

Favorite line of October., by Lily.

"Boo! I'm freakin-einstein!"

 (or Frankenstein for those who don't speak Lily.)  I've laughed over this line for 31 days. :)

Halloween 2011

So, I miss blogging.  I miss being able to look back at my cute family and the things we do and the funny things the kids say and the thoughts that run through my head.  I'm going to try to give it a go again. Who knows,  life could get really crazy in about 3 months, but then I'll have something glorious to blog about. ;)

Halloween was fun, the kids are at great ages for dressing up, and I love answering the door to all the cute trick or treaters. I read a blog that said something like "I like the craziness of October because unlike the Craziness of December I don't feel like I'm missing out on making it "meaningful" or special for my kids".... maybe EverydayRomneys said that? (yep, and she said it better than my paraphrase.)  Anyway, the month was fun and full of decorations and silliness.

Merry Mazatlan in May

About a year ago, we began planning our trip to Mexico.  My amazing mother in law arranged for us to fly  to Mazatlan and be there with 2 of my sister in laws and their families, as well as her and Grandpa Hart.  We were so excited!  We kept the trip a secret, and while she and Grandpa Hart were tending our kids for a week last fall, they gave them one clue a night... a bottle of sunscreen, a paper airplane, "saltwater" taffy, maracas, a NYE party hat (because we were going to celebrate 2011 on the beach!).  It was so fun for the kids to figure out what these clues meant with Grandma and Grandpa! (I think they needed a lot of helping putting the puzzle pieces together.)  Anyway, we were so excited! Our  Christmas plans were filled with plans for our big trip. Then, it snowed. In an effort to make it to Mexico, we woke our children at 2 a.m. and made it to the train station for our first leg of the trip, a train from Philly to Newark, NJ.  This was the only easy part of the day! :)  (and the only functioning and on-time train!)  After a very long day of trying to figure out how or when we could make new arrangements since all flights were canceled, we returned to our home about 24 hours later, with tremendous appreciation for our kids.They were ROCKSTARS!  (Also, tremendous appreciation to our Stake President and friend who drove us in the wee hours of the morning to the train station on slippery snow covered roads, and a dear friend who picked us up from the train station in the wee hours of the next morning!)

This is a list Dave made the day we came home of some interesting stats from our 24 hour trip:

- people at the airport trying to reschedule all at the same time: over 4000
- times we attempted to board a train: over 30
- times we were unable to board, despite being 1st in line, due to aggressive/rude adults: over 15
- hours waiting in below 59F temperatures while prepared for Mazatlan Mexico temps: 12 out of 24 hours, some of it in sub-zero temps and 20+ mph winds (note that we were told by many people that the train was non-stop dropping us off within the airport - not even close to true)
- Broken-down trains: many
- time expected to get to airport (via reservation): 1 hour
- actual time to get to airport: 7.5 hours
- times escalators were used: 50+ per person
- number of "escalator mishaps": 5-6 (some involving toppling, another going up the whole way upside-down)
- Backpacks/Bags: 7
- Suitcases: 6 (5 carry-ons, one for checking)
- Snacks consumed: a weeks worth (including 14 cheese sticks)
- Clementines consumed: 14 (including 5 given away to others who were "starving")
- Train ticketing/boarding errors: many
- People heard yelling out of anger: well over 100
-Number of drug deals we watched "go down" in Penn station while trying to get a taxi to take us to the airport -- too many to count, very uncomfortable!
-one woman being hauled off by security after yelling at the Continental agent
- Foul language: of every kind, from all ages,
- Time either standing,walking, or sitting on cold floors: 12+ hours out of 24
- Acts of kindness done toward us, sometimes at considerable personal cost: many
- Observed acts of kindness done toward others: many
- Unobserved acts of kindness: countless
- Number of wonderful upbeat kids throughout the whole ordeal: 5 out of 5
- Resulting family-bonding and discovered mutual-respect: immeasurable

As we were leaving the train station in Philly, about 22 hours after we had first arrived there, I watched my children, all but Henry who was asleep in my arms (and boy howdy did they ache the next day from so much holding and carrying!), each with a backpack on their back and a suitcase in their hands, heading out into the cold cold snowy night, my heart swelled with love and pride and maybe some exhaustion. I nearly kissed the man who came to pick us up and drive us home!  I want to remember that nobody melted down, that Lily fell asleep standing up on a train at about midnight, while a man sat on the seat next to her texting somone;  that there is no place for blame or vulgarity, ever. I want to remember that a couple from Sweden risked missing a train, and their opportunity to get home, to make sure all of our children made it on a shuttle, and that a very gruff train conductor allowed us passage all the way from the airport to the station in Philly with the incorrect tickets... and oh, his train was so warm and soft and safe! .I want to remember that my Dad and Bev, brother and Mom were all trying to figure out how to help us, from Idaho and Utah! They made phone calls, Dad tried desperately to find us a hotel, a car, anything to get us out of that dang airport! Their love and support and help, even though there wasn't much to be done buoyed our spirits!  I want to remember hearing Michael say to one of his sisters, "Let me carry your bag, you are tired, and it is heavy, and I'm your big brother!"  I won't forget sweet Henry constantly grabbing my chin and putting my nose to his nose and saying "'Wet's go Home! I wanna go home now Momma!"

I can blog about all of this now because we've just returned from a fantastic week in Mexico.
Doesn't this picture just make you say ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. :)

Tomorrow, the other 347 pictures.

Weekend update

Big weekend for Michael. First temple trip, to Washington DC,  first time passing the Sacrament at church, first time giving the youth talk during Sac Meeting.  All events were awesome. He rocks. :) 

I married a rock star.  Really.  He spent a long time getting Lily's bike working, with her talking to him the whole time... like 2 hours?  She adores her Daddy and so do I.

Can you believe that grungy face? The other night I was tucking Henry into bed and he didnt' want to go. So he started crying "Ouch, Ouch!!! You are hurting me!!!"  When I asked what hurt he said "My feewings! Owwwwww, My feewings huwt!"  I laughed.

He also has been trying a new tactic to get what he wants. It starts out like this "Say YES mommy!" "Huh? Say yes to what?" louder "Say YES MOMMY!"  "What do you want Henry?"  even louder "JUST SAY YES MOMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  :)  It makes me laugh. He tries so hard.

Last of all, in the world of funny Henryisms,  he has decided when I say something he doesn't like that I'm saying "bad words". So, if you hear him saying "My mommy hurts me and she says bad words".... take him with a grain of salt. Please? 

Things that pull at your heart.

• When your 5 year old explains to you how her friends don't believe that Jesus is real, but that she does, because when she sings songs about him and hears stories about him she feels happy.
• When your 8 year old tells you that her "Goliath" is the little boy who sits next to her who repeatedly takes the name of the Lord in vain, mostly to annoy her.
• When your children pray, humbly, without reminder, that their bishop, the sweet leader of our congregation, will have courage, and that his doctors will be smart and know how to help him as he faces Pancreatic Cancer.  
• When your 3 year can't wait to show his big brother his new car seat, and when that big brother gets in the car and, in spite of a hectic day, responds first and foremost to his little brother, letting him know that new car seat is the best thing he has ever, ever seen.
• When your 10 year old daughter thinks that every thing that comes out of her Dad's mouth is the funniest thing she has ever heard... and that if he tells her to get her shoes on or put her dishes away she responds cheerfully (without rolling her eyes...) 
• When your rambunctious little guy tells you 300 times in one day that he wuvs you... and how he hugs your legs every time he is near. And, how when you hold him he rubs your back and plays with your ponytail.
• How the best pancakes a kid has ever tasted are the ones they made for themselves. Independence when it comes to helping make meals is fantastic!!!

Parenting is hard. (so is taking a good picture of 5 kids at once...) The other day I looked at my kids and felt a little bit shocked at how unlike me they can be. They aren't little robots that do exactly as I would say or do. They are assertive, sometimes they talk too much in church and are kind of obnoxious in their Sunday school groups.  They let other kids take things away from them and don't  always stand up for themselves... or they stand up a little too much for themselves. ;)  They have opinions! They think for themselves! They like things I don't like, and don't like things I do!  They are individuals!  And, what awesome individuals they are. They are kind to each other, the truly love one another and often write each other love notes. They pray for one another and ask where each other is if they aren't where they expect them to be. It is precious and makes me so thankful that they have each other.

How fun the world would be...

if we all thought like Lily.
Tonight she was lying on the dining room floor watching her reflection in the window and the rain falling on the deck. She said, very seriously, "Mommy, why are the clouds so sad?"

She suggested to Dave that we should paint our house pink and blue. White is just so boring!

She prayed tonight for Henry's breath to get better. (He's had really severe asthma this weekend.) But, the phrasing just made me chuckle.

She is learning to read and it is So Fun!  The bigger kids are loving having a chance to teach her.

Sometimes she just the way she says things makes me giggle for days. She has a funny sense of humor and LOVES to laugh. Her laugh is beautiful.

 This was Lily's Valentine, just missing the Tootsie Pop threaded through her hand. She was so excited to pass these out! Isn't she just adorable??

It must be a happy life to be Lily.

Christmas decor that made me laugh.

I'm slow on the December posts... things were busy!
So, the giant frosty on the fridge was kind of fun, especially when it warned the family of what my mood was... not sure who was sending out the red flags to the rest of the family, but they were pretty accurate.

I also appreciated some very modest person in our family who consistently turned around all the villagers each time they used the bathroom. Nobody 'fessed up to this one either, but it made me smile. :)

This is the one that makes me laugh the most.  Have you heard of that charming book "Elf on a Shelf"? It comes with a cute little elf that you move all through the house every day and it watches the children and reports back to Santa. Well, we didn't need a book because we have this dandy little elf... but then, Dave put her hanging above the dining room table.  Every time I glanced up I instantly saw the poor elf pole dancing. Is it just me?

Didn't make the cut...

On the Christmas, Valentine's Day, letter.  :)  This picture just makes me laugh!  I can be driving along and think of it and laugh till I have tears.  We had spent the day in Washington DC with some great friends doing the Smithsonian and a few monuments, then visited with some family... it was a loonnng day and when we woke Lily up to go in the house and climb in bed I couldn't resist her picture.

Here is her cheerful perky little self  early in the day... to redeem the above photo...
Hopefully I'll get our letter/cards sent before St. Patty's Day...

Heartbreaker right?

Isn't this boy adorable?  What is so heartbreaking is that he has had a spot of MRSA on his knee this week. Poor kid. It has to hurt! He is a trooper though, and we were able to avoid I.V. antibiotics, which is such a relief!  Plus, he is loving his mega-strong medicine. (Another relief, he is usually not so fond of taking meds, and that is so hard!)  His knee still looks pretty gross, but it isn't quite so swollen or hot to touch... just icky.  We feel blessed to have caught it early. Sometimes I feel like Heavenly Father makes sure that in my busy, hustle bustleness of being the mom, I stop and notice something like a pimple on a little boys knee (that isn't a pimple, but could be mistaken for one if you weren't "in tune".)  I'm so grateful that I get to parent with a husband like Dave and with a loving Father in Heaven. I couldn't do it on my own!

Such a Cool Kid.

 If you could choose a big brother, you'd choose Michael. He rocks.  I swear, the boy is so patient with the rest of these kids... Henry wanting to be big and playing with all his stuff and talking all night long... and the girls with all their fluffage and girlieness. We're so lucky to have him. He is gentle and thoughtful and always wants to do the right thing.  
There is this adorable little baby at church that only has eyes for Michael. :)  She loves him and responds sweetly to him and the feeling is mutual. He is really sweet with little kids.  I love this photo because it shows how excited he was to hear how Lily's first day of school was.

 Michael is a reader.  ha! Understatement. The boy loves reading. I love it when he reads Calvin and Hobbs because he is all alone in a chair laughing his head off! Love it! He got an e-reader for Christmas and I'm pretty sure has read more classics than me. This morning we loaded another book on there (coolest thing to be able to get library books at home on a snow day!)  He has managed to get straight A's again this marking period, school comes naturally for him, but remembering to turn things in on time and staying organized? Not as easy. He is rocking the Middle School.

Michael is picky! He has a limited number of foods that he likes, but when he likes it, he really does.  Feeding him has gotten easier though, he isn't  vocal about not liking things and is always gracious.  (Plus, he can make his own pb&j's now ;))  

A few weeks ago we had one of those days that I hope to never redo.  Amidst it all, what became so evident to me, was what an amazing boy he is.  After missing the bus (a crazy morning with Dave and I leaving the house before he did) he attempted to walk to school--  I mean, what 11 year old does that? It was freezing cold, he wasn't dressed to walk in the snow miles and miles and ended up turning around and returning home after going about 1.5 miles.  Scared, lonely, frozen, frustrated and worried.  It breaks my heart-- but also makes it swell with love and pride.  He is a good kid. (and we have a new action plan for random events!)

Michael is also an awesome trombone player! He is following in his Papa and Uncle Will's footsteps!  He had a great solo in his Winter concert,  Feliz Navidad!  I wanted to shout and holler when he finished, but I restrained myself. It was awesome though.  He is a part of the 6th grade band, the Jazz Band, and his teacher recently asked him to learn all the music so he can be in the Symphonic band (7th & 8th grade).  He is also a singer!  He was the LONE MAN in the 6th grade chorus. Bless his heart.  :)  I'm proud of him for sticking it out with those girls after the other boys all quit or were "let go".  I think a few more boys have this semester so he isn't quite so alone now.

Oh! He is also TALL!  Check him out in this video! He is totally not going to be the shortest deacon passing the sacrament by the end of this month. :)  I'm lucky to have a kid like Michael.  He teaches me new things, laughs with me, helps me out a lot and is really fun to be around. His teachers all love him and so do we!

Janey Jane Jane.

Today my sweet Jane turns 10. TEN!!!!!!!!  How did that happen? 
I love Jane. She is full of laughter and fun.  Jane is currently homeschooled so I get to enjoy her company all day! It has been fun to watch her learn, and learn about her. For example, working in handwriting books, meh. Writing poetry using handwriting techniques? Yeah! math on the computer, score! Spelling? a breeze no matter how you shake it.  One thing that makes homeschooling easier with Jane is that she is pretty self motivated. She also is super smart. :)  While I'm distracted with Lily and Henry, she keeps trucking along.  Go Jane! She is into doing her hair, adding accessories to outfits and carrying a purse. What a lady.
Jane is a peacemaker.  She is always striving to do what is right and genuinely feels bad if she comes up short. She is very very tenderhearted and feels things deeply. She is aware of how others are feeling, and does nice things for people to cheer them up.  I've realized that my feelings of frustration or disappointment about random things really effect Jane.
 (Notice how cooperative Henry was in this photo? no wonder we still haven't sent Christmas cards! )

Jane LOVES babies. Loves them.  She is good with them too. She can keep Henry happy during tough times (like long car rides or shopping trips) by taking him on imaginary adventures in pirate ships or on horses. It is fun to hear her," Let me help you put on your cowboy boots and spurs, oops, fell off, try again, now your hat, Looking good Buddy! Lets' go riding the range! oooh! See that giant cactus! Steer clear of that!"  You get the idea. She rocks. Henry really adores her.

Jane is crafty. She is always making something out of something. She's good at crocheting and makes cool beaded projects.  She loves to write letters too!  She's been on a swimteam for the past 2 years and is really doing great! She works hard and somedays I can't imagine how she can keep swimming forward! They do some tough drills.  She also plays the piano and is super good at practicing (as long as we are on our normal schedule and the kids are out the door by 8:15.)  
Jane adores penguins. I mean, LOVES them.  So much so that Henry, shouts "Jane, a Penguin!" Whenever he sees one.  (There sure were a lot of penguin themed things in the stores in December!  It is fun to have something you love.  Jane is also a fantastic giver.  At Christmas she bought thoughtful gifts for everybody in our family. She bought things she really would have liked to keep in fact! :) Watching her give, and the others too, was my favorite part of Christmas.  



( Jane and Eve about 5 years ago... Wow, they have grown up!)

I've learned a lot being Jane's mom.  She is a precious spirit.  She loves to laugh and make others laugh, and is truly learning to use the gift of her sense of humor appropriately.  Jane is honest, she is truthful and hardworking. She loves to bake with me and is willing to try almost any new food. She is probably our most adventurous child.  Jane will spend HOURS outside playing-- with a sibling or neighbor or alone.  She loves the snow and will bundle up and play for hours. Yesterday I looked outside to see her rolling from one side of our snowy yard, all the way to the other edge. :)  She delights in it (and only eats the clean snow! ;))

Jane Elizabeth is a joy. Aren't we so blessed with such an awesome family??? sigh.

Genevieve Noelle...

Can you believe Eve turned 8?  I can't. She is such a special girl. Do you know I NEVER have to even remind her to do homework. Ever. She walks in the door, hugs me, sits down and gets to work.  Amazing.  She not only does it, she does it right! She is one smart cookie. Her school teacher appreciates what a fantastic role model she is for the other kids, and the mom of one classmate has told me how much help she has been to her son. Not only does she help him, but she is a good friend. (In turn, he is a special friend to her too.)

Eve loved her birthday. She flitted all around the room as she opened gifts. I think it must be cool to get presents 2 days before Christmas! She was very sincere in her wishes for family members and in her thank-yous. With all we had going on (Baptism, Christmas Eve, Christmas, my birthday, scheduled trip to Mazaatlan...) life was really hectic and we bought cupcakes. She acted like they were the best ever. She has a sunny disposition.

Eve was so excited to be baptized. I think it was more exciting to her than her actual birthday, or even Christmas. It is so special that she has an understanding of what an important step that is. Her "snapshot" is going to be pretty much a baptism post. :)  We decided that the morning of Christmas Eve was a perfect time for a baptism-- and it was!  What a fantastic start to a day--- and I bet she won't ever forget the specialness of that day.  We sang Christmas Carols, the talks were done by 2 amazing young women,  she had support from so many loved ones who have prayed for her often over the past 8 years.  Even though we didnt' have any extended family there, the room was overflowing with people who are like family to us.  It was also filled with an amazing spirit. As she received the Gift of the Holy Ghost,  she was reminded of what a special light she has and that many people will be drawn to her.  She has been through a lot in her 8 years and we know she has a lot to accomplish in this life. Truly, it was a perfect morning and a perfect way to start Christmas Eve.We only wish we could have shared it with all the people we love.

totally un-Eve related. Can you get over how tall Michael is?  Yikes.

About 3 weeks ago we had a scary thing happen.  I was rubbing Eve's back and noticed that she had a big lump... I lined the kids up and compared spines and felt panicky.  We went to the doctors within a few days and were sent for x-rays.  I was so scared.  I had visions of tumors and cysts and things I can't even type.  I'm not generally an over-worrier. (Her infancy taught me a lot! ;))  But I was flat out scared. I can't tell you the relief we felt when the results came back normal.  Sometimes I think Eve has her own definition of "normal".

Eve is fun. She loves to dance and make crafty things. She is so precious to play with Lily and Henry and treats them really nicely.  She likes to eat most everything and is pretty neat and tidy.  Her hair grows like crazy and she is patient while I brush it out every morning.