• Adding 1/2 cup white vinegar to your washing machine's rinse cycle is a natural fabric softener, helping you avoid the health hazards of dryer sheets

• There are more reasons to avoid buying from China all the time. Makes me so glad that we get our vitamins from superfoods such as blueberries and cod liver oil, and that I try to get local, organic produce and meat as much as possible--but makes me think twice about the fish from China in my freezer. Also, I think I have to return one of Noah's birthday presents.

• That when you run your dryer at least once a day with a super-sized load, and your ducting travels over twenty feet to the outside of the house, it gets plugged. Then your dryer won't work anymore. Apparently, you are supposed to clean your ducting once every year or three. Makes it tricky when you can't reach more than 20% of it. (Someone was thinking!)

• That our local fire hall gives free tours. I found this out when the fire commissioner came (at my request) to inspect our unused fireplace this afternoon. With three boys, you can bet I'm going to take advantage of the tour!

• That having two twelve-month-old baby girls is more exhausting than I would have thought imaginable. I am so. glad. I got to send them home at 5. And I volunteered to babysit them all winter? Am I crazy?!

• That Jabin really, really likes ice cream cones.

• That Jude is a super-duper helper. I've known this for a while, but it's become quite obvious the last couple of days with the babies here. I'm going to miss him in the mornings when he starts kindergarten on Friday. (For more reasons than just that, but I'll miss his helping, too!)

• Also, the contrast with the babies has shown me how grown-up Jabin really is. Just being able to talk helps. And walk. And feed himself. Okay, he's just really grown-up. Definitely not a baby anymore.

• That it's pretty easy to be asleep by 10:30 or 11:00 when you're getting up at 7 and running off your feet all day. Think I'll go hit the hay.

How was your Wednesday, friends?