Yesterday...Wordful Wednesday

Yesterday, my plumber asked if my boys were triplets.  I thought that was funny.  Because while yes, they have very similar features, and similar colored hair, they are all almost two years apart...6,4,and 2.

Yesterday was my husband's birthday.  We went to the Olive Garden for dinner. My mother-in-law came along, so I let her have the front seat.  I sat between my two youngest boys in the middle row of our Honda Pilot.  When I got out, I had a blue balloon, three Dora stickers, and a flourescent-green piece of gum stuck to my butt.  It was so absurd, I started laughing. And then, because I was laughing so hard, I slightly peed my pants.  You'll have to take my word for it, because I didn't take any pictures.  But here is the family enjoying dinner while I was in the bathroom using paper towels, trying to remove the gum.  There was a junior high girl in the bathroom who also found it rather funny.

Yesterday, my husband turned 37.  The only thing he asked for was a scooter.  I'm not talking mini-motorcycle, I'm talking Razor.  So I bought him one.  I'm a little scared.  My four-year-old is jealous.

Okay, so they are not my best pictures...but yesterday was a very interesting day. :)

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Paint Yourself Happy

It started out quite sweetly. 

"Can we go paint outside so we don't get the house messy?" 
"We will take off our shirts so you don't have extra laundry."

See the nice paper?  The new paints?

I think this is where it may have started to spin out of control...

But they managed to re-frame it:  "Let's make some nice handprints for Mommy."

See how pretty? 

"We are making memories."

Or maybe this is where I let them be a little too free in their self expression?

with the Jackson Pollock technique?

But regardless of the starting point, THIS is where the wheels came off...

And pretty soon, everyone looked like this:

It was a crazy, painting-in-the-grass kind of day. 

And "memories" were definitely made.

Just not on paper.

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                                                         Hosted by Cecily and Momma

Spring "Break"

Ah, Spring Break.  No school.  Read some books, take it easy, relax, have fun....

if you are a teacher or a child. 

If you are a parent however....well it is a bit more complicated. 

The scene above is deceiving.  This was yesterday in the yard.  

 I read one page before I was decorated with grass and begged for fudgesicles.

(the dog can hardly stand it!)

And then the fun began...

It is almost like he is sitting there thinking....

hmmm, what can I get into...?

and the answer is...

and this...

that was yesterday.

Today we went to the zoo...

Cute, huh?

Only, I once again confirmed that taking three children out in public, by myself, is a BAD idea. 

 It makes me feel like an inadequate shepherd to a flock of deaf sheep.

But I can't say that I'm not learning anything. 

This Spring "Break" is turning out to be quite educational.

Lesson #1  If you don't add milk or water to oatmeal before you put it in the microwave,

IT CATCHES ON FIRE. 

My four-year-old taught me this one.

Lesson #2:  If you hang out with the muddy, 

it is only a matter of time

Before you join them.

(My two-year-old taught me this one).

So much for reading my book in the grass...*sigh*

:)

Rainy Day Schedule

Rainy days don't come very often in Arizona. When they do come, you must take advantage. 

Who can resist a good mud puddle?

(He really likes his helmet....)

While we were out, we noticed the first signs of spring.  It comes early around here.

(My boys picked all of my daffodils to "give me flowers." Sweet...but now they are all gone... sniff.)

And then it was bathtime!

It was a good day.

Oh %&@!!! continued...

Well, it was worse today.  If that is possible. Yes. More poop.  He made one mess, I went in and cleaned it.  Put him back to bed.  He made another.  This time he ruined 10 diapers and almost a whole container of wet-wipes. Perhaps he was trying to change himself and kept getting it wrong? 

Thankfully I had enought foresight to remove the lotions and potions from his changing table, otherwise, there would have been Aveeno Lavender soothing lotion and a little 2% hydrocortisone cream thrown into the mess.  I guess I need to strip his drawers completely bare of all supplies.

And did he sleep?  NO. Since when does a child poop twice in two hours?  I'm thinking maybe ducktape around the diaper?  Maybe suspenders during nap-time? I'm desperate!

Oh %&@!!!

Lately, my life has revolved around, well...poop.   This post is not for the faint of heart or easily disgusted, I will warn you right now.  This is not a post which would be benefited by the use of photography.

Last night, just as I was envisioning the end of the bedtime routine tunnel, I sat down in Andrew's rocking chair, pulled him up on my lap, and..."There's poop there," he said, pointing. 

And yes, yes there was. Poop. There. And apparently EVERYWHERE.  Hiding under a piece of cardboard there was poop; dried, crusted poop stuck all over the arm of the rocking chair.  I got out my Clorox and scrubbed.  Then I followed Andrew around his room as he pointed out the poop trail.  "Here, Mommy," he said, pointing to his crib railings.  Wipe, scrub, wipe, scrub.  "And here," pointing to his mattress.  I removed the blankies, toys, random diapers, and finally the sheets and threw them in the laundry. I remade his bed.   "Over here," he says pointing to the carpet. Scrub, scrub, scrub.  "Here Mommy" he says, pointing to the cushion I was JUST SITTING ON.  Change MY pants. Scrub, scrub, scrub. SIGH.

I sat back down in the rocking chair, pulled Andrew up on my lap, and got ready to read Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon for the 50th time, and..."There's poop there." "WHAT??!" I said.  "There's poop there," he casually repeated, pointing to the crusted brown stuff stuck on the first page, right next to Daddy's dedication to Aaron from three years ago.  SCRUB WIPE SCRUB. Disgusting.

So I finish reading to him, kiss him goodnight, and leave the room with a very firm and frusrated, "YOU HAD BETTER KEEP YOUR PANTS ON."   I leave the room and close the door.  A half an hour later, I still heard rumbling around so I went in to investigate (with fear and trembling). Sitting on his train table, he was half-naked, NO PANTS, with clean diaper next to him.  No sign of poop, at least for now.  I put his pants back on, and once again leave the room with a warning, equally firm and even more frustrated, "KEEP YOUR PANTS ON!!!"  No more episodes for the evening as I think he finally fell asleep.

This was just the end of my very poopy day.

Earlier, he had taken off his diaper and made his way out the doggie door.  As I walked in the playroom, I saw an empty diaper on the floor and a poopy butt making its way back into the house.  Then he says, "I pooped in the grass, Mama."  And yes, yes he did.  And on the sidewalk next to the grass.  I am becoming paranoid about hidden poop in my house.

Time to potty train.  So far, he has yet to poop in the potty. I need to find a way to keep his pants on until that happens.  Do they make chastity belts for toddlers? SIGH.

Missing

I was missing my sunglasses
so I looked
on the tank of the toilet,
on the kitchen counter
on my bedroom dresser
on the bathroom counter
on the living room end table
at my computer desk,
and couldn't find them.


After almost giving up
and wearing my cheap, cheesy pair,
I checked my sunglass case,
and there they were!


After a night out
I was missing my beautiful ruby necklace,
So I looked
in the end table drawer
in my nightstand drawer,
in my jumbled up jewelry box
on my bedroom dresser,
and in my car.


I thought perhaps it fell off while I was wearing it.
I thought perhaps some lucky girl in Tempe, Arizona
had found herself a nice surprise.
I had a pit in my stomach for about a week,
feeling terrible that I lost such a nice gift.


But then I checked my "nicely kept" jewelry box.
And it was there!


I once went a whole week without my keys,
thinking they were lost.
I took back the extra key I gave my mom,
I used the spare key to the back gate,
I couldn't get the mail.

And then I found them...
In my purse!!! 
They had been there all week
in the center, zippered compartment.


I have three young boys.
My life is typically chaos.
I usually put things in chaotic places.

My brief episodes of organization cause me
confusion,
 dismay,
 and stress!

Footwear Fashionista

I threw them on this morning because they were comfy and my feet were cold.  They were a stocking stuffer gift from long ago.  They were never supposed to leave the house. 

But then, in my rush to get out the door and bring my children to school, I just slipped on my shoes and went out the door.  Which was fine.   Dropped off the kids and went home. 
But then I decided to go shoe shopping... forgetting what I had on my feet:

Yes, that is a smiling cow sock.  And I wore them to the shoe store... 

Which pair of shoes do you like better?

or

  I know, neither pair looks great in these pics.  The white "horns" on the black furry socks are a bit distracting, huh? Not to mention I am wearing my exercise pants.  (Yes, I was a fashion disaster.)  But my shopping companion didn't mind:

I bought both pair. (They look better in person (and with a different outfit) I promise.)

And I got some of these :

Socks, without cow horns. :)

Glass Houses and First Stones

It drives me crazy! This morning, I went into Sammy’s room and all of his clothes were (once again) hanging out of each drawer, and every drawer was open. This is their standard location so I’m not sure why I am consistently shocked and dismayed by it. I’m also a glutton for punishment.  Knowing where his clothes would inevitably end up, I stilI spent the day organizing the boys’ drawers.  I put pants here, shirts there, shorts there, sweatshirts here... you know, trying to make it easier for them to get dressed without the typical screaming that comes with the “I can’t find it!” dilemma. But once again, there they are. His dresser is like a multi-leveled clothing waterfall. There have been time outs, rewards (bribes), removal of TV, frustrated threats of “you are going to stay in this room all day until this mess is cleaned up!!” But so far, none of it has helped. Perhaps I am not consistent enough. Perhaps this boy really needs to wear five shirts each day to reflect the mood of the moment. But it drives me crazy!!




So, I go through my day. I drop the boys off at school and put Andrew down for his nap. I go into my own bedroom. And there it is. That same multi-layered clothing waterfall. Why have I never noticed before? Probably because I know why my mess is there. I, of course, was looking for those comfy workout shorts and nice-fitting top to go with it. I was in a hurry to get dressed before Andrew found the Halloween basket on the counter and decided to raid it. I had good reasons for my disastrous pile of clothes on top of and hanging down the sides of my dresser. Slowly however, glass houses, first stones, and eye planks came to mind. I spent the next half hour cleaning up my dresser, and trying to think of a new way for both of us to be motivated to keep our clothing IN our drawers.