spring break - day four(?)

Took the kids to the park for the afternoon. 

 

Pictured:

My two youngest swinging

 Not pictured: Larry standing on the jungle gym with one finger waving in the air yelling, "Party rockin' in the hooouuuuse toniiiiight...everybody just have a good time!"

 

Pictured:

 

Lux waving at older kids and semi-flirting with an athletic toddler nearby.

 Not pictured:

 

Me leaving for a run this morning while Tod dresses kids. Came home and dragged all three to the gym where I couldn't figure out that smell (???)...me coming home to put her down for a nap and discovering throw up in her crib from the night before.  Is my Mom of the Year award in the mail or should I pick it up somewhere?  Or is this one on Tod?

 

Pictured:

 

Lennon, who likes to retell the story of every wound obtained.  Today there were three.

 Not pictured:

 

The anti-abduction talk I had with the boys this week.

Me: A six year old girl was almost kidnapped at the park the other day (this is true).  She got away because she screamed as loud as she could.  If anyone ever grabs you, scream and kick and bite.

Lennon: Soooooo...if there's a stranger trying to get us we can break all the rules?

Me: Yes. And fight.  Sometimes bad guys look just like good guys so if you don't know them, don't go with them.  Even if they say they need help or have candy.

Lennon: They use the candy to get us into their cars!

Me: Exactly. Okay so Larry, if a stranger tries to get you into their car, do you go?

Larry: NO!

Me: What if they give you candy?

Larry: Then, yes.

Pictured:

 

The timeout halfway home because IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHO GETS TO RIDE THEIR BIKE IN THE FRONT.  WE'LL ALL GET HOME AND NO ONE IS BETTER THAN ANYONE AND YOU'RE BOTH THE FASTEST AND BEST FOREVER AND EVER.

 

 

Not pictured:

 

Fancy girl at the park wearing a Guess denim jumpsuit with suede boots and a helmet that also had a tiara on top.  She was probably 7.

 

Pictured:

 

My park outfit today.  Hamburglar shirt with hole, pink pirate pants, and my slippers from Target ALTHOUGH the tag did say Outdoor/Indoor Use. 

 

Because who am I trying to impress.  I was the most comfortable mom there.  Ryan Smart, I already know what you're going to say.

Oh, and no yelling - day four.

spring break - day three

 BIGGEST EVENT OF THE DAY: Larry casually ate an entire apple for the first time in his life.  If you know Larry, you realize this is a big deal.  I silently celebrated but pretended not to notice. 

This picture was taken secretly.

[Socks on hands are pretty common around here.  He wears them when he and Lennon play "Pet Cat" and he's on all fours because he always has to be the pet.  Always.  It's not easy being the cat.]

 

 Legos.  I make them play outside because HOW DO PARENTS KEEP THEIR ONE YEAR OLDS SAFE FROM THESE THINGS.

 Lennon created a new game - Zombies.  Can he hear us watching Walking Dead as he sleeps?  I really hope not.

And...didn't do any laundry again.  But...didn't yell today, either.  Day three.

spring break -- day two

And day two -- no yelling. 

spring break - day one

Did you know there's a NEW Children's Museum downtown?

And not downtown where it used to be where you had to climb over homeless men just to get to the ticket desk.

Downtown like next to the Smith Center and the Symphony Garden.  It's really cool.

I braved it today with three kids and a friend and we made it out alive.  Sometimes having three kids feels fine and then other times I don't know where any of them are.

However, in other news: I think our turtle is in depression.  Maybe because he lives in a crap box and maybe because we forget to feed him.  He just looks bummed out.  Plus we put him in the garage because Ruby kept trying to eat him.

Also, it's important to know that this is what she wore to church on Sunday:

And she's turning one in 10 days.  She looks like a six month old but has the sass of a 12 year old.  The dance moves of a 15 year old.  And she is getting cocky on her feet.  Doesn't think she needs to hold onto anything.  Her gold sandals finally fit her (they're for a 3 month old) and so do all her 9 month old clothes.

It's like having a living doll.

And last but not least: I've taken the no yelling at my kids for a year/forever challenge.  Mostly because I firmly believe nothing is accomplished when you yell at a child.  I truly try to avoid yelling but it happens.  But like she says -- it's rarely about them, it's about me.  No more.  Today is day one.  And while things got a little shaky around bedtime when Lennon cried and cried and cried because my story wasn't long enough...no yelling.  Even at the museum when Larry ran away from me for the millionth time...no yelling.  No yelling when Larry took Lennon's light saber on the trampoline and no yelling when Lennon took Larry's seat in the car but acted like he didn't know it was Larry's favorite seat.  Nope.  Just deep breaths, whispers and a few prayers ("Dear God...please help me.").

Join me?

a few things

First: This poor girl is surrounded by boys and Viking hats.  She was also sick/teething last week and I thought to myself -- THERE IS NO WAY I CAN EVER HAVE ANOTHER KID, EVER.  EVER.

 

Because when your baby is on day four of fussiness so you give her a bottle to settle her down while you fold a mountain of laundry and you can hear the boys fighting in the backyard then you look over and she is puking all over your carpet so you clean her up, clean the carpet up, then put her to bed and she does it again...you feel pretty tired.  And sort of sorry for yourself.

 

But she's better now and calling me Mama and her dad DaDa and eating buttered toast everyday.  So maybe another one is possible.  POSSIBLE.  And one more thing.  If my kids didn't fight, being a mom wouldn't be half as hard.  I'll do the laundry, I'll buy the food, I'll make the meals, I'll sweep under the bar 10,000 times per day, I'll carpool and I'll help with homework and bathtime and teeth brushing and everything else.  But the fighting? 

 

Someone stop the fighting.  I'll paint your entire house.

Speaking of painting...my walls were covered in scuff marks so I did the unthinkable -- I taped and painted without Tod's help for the first time and no huge disasters.  I am horrible at details.  I am not creative or careful.  But I did it.

 

People are right; painting is therapeutic.  And my walls look fabulous and our house feels a little less trashy.

 All week long.  I'm getting old. 

And: I couldn't stop laughing when these two walked down the stairs dressed like these two:

As pictured, Larry is still styling his hair like a pedophile and Lennon is really into tucking in shirts.  They were on their way into the backyard to find "predators in the African Savana."  These boys are really funny.

Finally: My favorite Tod quote this week:

Tod: You have the longest arms.  What's your wing span?

Me: -----

last week

 Spring started to show...

 Freddy Krueger rode to the park on his bike.  He dressed himself and p.s. both pants and shirt are on backwards.  See if I care.

 Wrestling ended and Lennon was crowned TakeDown King. 

 Ruby crawled all over the place and ate dirty scraps off the floor.

 Larry...continuing to style his own hair.  All he needs is a comb and a gallon of water.  Then a new shirt to change into afterwards.

 

Last night I talked the boys into watching Jem with me.  Those Misfits really were troublemakers...

Mesmerized.  TV was better in 1985.

 

Three monkeys in the tub

and finally sick little Ruby all weekend and today.  You can tell just by looking at her.  So today I let her eat Pirate Booty for all three meals and Capri Suns in between.