Cooking with kids around is never quiet, never clean, and always a little unpredictable. But that’s what makes it fun, right? Nick and I found ourselves “combo cooking” dinner—him with the steak, me with the veggies—without a real plan but knowing that Asian-style flavors always seem to save the day. The kitchen smelled like onions and marinade and laughter.

Life with three kids and a newborn is exactly what you’d imagine—beautifully chaotic. The days are full of feedings, diaper changes, sibling squabbles, and navigating everyone’s big feelings (including our own). But through it all, we hold on to something sacred: us.