Hair Cut

We (or I should say Kevin) cuts all of the boys hair. It's pretty easy with the clippers and it seems logical and frugal and time saving.

Sometimes, the tools get left out. Last haircut the clippers were still plugged in and Ben got them and I yanked them out of his little hands before any damage was done. THIS time everything was uplugged (and still on the bathroom counter.)

The Damage:

The Fix:

The Lesson:

Always put the clippers up high, out of reach, and out of sight immediately upon finishing hair cuts.

Also, Ben is still cute even when he's bald.

What Was to Be a Random Post on Many Topics Turns Into a MAJOR Rant

Let me just start off by saying that it's funny how soon I forget. For example, shortly after writing how awesome my kids were being and how summer was surprisingly not impossibly hard, I remembered something. Could be that Sue's comment on my previous post triggered the memory. In any case, a mere 3 days (I think - they are all jumbling together lately) before my smug "Yay isn't summer fun" post Mark had a complete collapse on the floor meltdown over ice cream. Rather, over not wanting ice cream for a treat for doing well at swimming lessons. Nope, he wanted twizzlers. I reminded him repeatedly that if he chose twizzlers he could not then have ice cream in any form. He agreed, only to flip out when after eating 16 (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a smidge) twizzlers. Then. His mouth was SPICY and he NEEDED something COLD to cool it off. I clenched my fists and buckled down and stay calm outwardly. Inwardly I was all eye rolls and wondering why my 6 year old was having a fit worthy of an overtired 2 yera old. Outwardly, though, I just let him throw his little bullheaded tantrum. And I never gave in. I can't quite declare victory though because it was exhausting and I feel quite the failure that he puts on these antics. What am I doing wrong? (And I know it's a personality thing that we have to go through and that he's "spirited" and "creative" and it's not really my fault but sometimes I can't help but wonder anyway.)

So, why I a few days later was all smug and confident is beyond me because it all fell apart again. I know this. I 've learned MANY times to not count my blessings outloud (even on the internet.) Because there's some little switch that tells the world that things are getting too easy over at Life With Boys and surely the heat must be turned up a little.

More of the same irrationality yesterday at the movies. I told them we could get snacks at the free movie or eat lunch at McDonalds afterward. Everyone was on board with movie snacks. Until walking out of the theater when (guess who!) asked if we could eat lunch out too. When I reminded him that they made the choice for snacks I had more of the same behavior from last week. Still, I did not relent.

Lest you think Mark is my only obnoxious child, let me assure you that Ben is the model of the two year old terror and I'm praying that Pre K will shape Zack's listening skills because Mommy is failing miserably in that regard. Even my oldest is kind of getting on my nerves because he keeps forgetting he is a KID and not the parent. I actually said today, "Leave the parenting to Mommy Eric. I've got it under control."

Maybe all of this is compounded by the fact that Kevin has been working from home for the last few days on conference calls that last until 8 PM and I didn't sleep well last night and we've been putting the kids to bed later yet they are still getting up earlier, and... well. Yeah.

At any rate, I'm trying to keep the summer fun and light and we are still going to the pool and the playground and this and that and the other thing and the kids are having FUN. I know all this is cyclical too, and I'm probably due a few good days soon. I hope. And I'll probably blog about them in spite of the consequences because I'm bound and determined to be grateful for the good days.

Almost Two

As I'm sure I've mentioned on this blog a time or twenty, Benjamin, my baby is almost two years old. He's smart and happy and cute. He's mischievous and gets into trouble. Right now he has a bruise on his cheek, another on his forehead, and yet another on his chin. The cheek and forehead came when he tried to ride his Choo Choo ride on toy down.the.stairs. (I've tried the baby gate approach, but he climbs over it.) The chin was last night when he was climbing out of his brother's bed and bumped it on the way down.

Ben climbs onto the bathroom sink and turns on the water. When I rush to go get him down he looks at me like "what???" and says "teeeeeeth" and shows me his toothbrush.

Ben is in a toddler bed far before Mommy was ready (last kid should stay in the crib til their 3 at least I figured) because he wouldn't stay in the bed anyway, so we thought at least in a big boy bed he wouldn't harm himself. Although he never got hurt climbing out of the crib, but I knew the day would come.

Ben has been escaping into the garage for quite some time now. He's been able to open doors since we moved into this house. We tried door handle locks, but he just broke through them, so we started locking the door leading to the garage. Today, he unlocked that door. This is terrifying to me.

Ben has decided it is time to go pee pee in the potty. He's not potty trained by any stretch, but at every diaper change, and other random times, he'll announce "PEE PEE" and run to the little potty chair. He actually does pee, which is pretty amazing in my book.

I know I am still that mom that gushes over every little thing her baby does. It's probably annoying. You'd think after 3 other kids going through the same stages that I would be less amazed by every little thing. Somehow, it's every bit as incredible the fourth time around.

Ben in Washington DC in May (I think) of 2007, only a few months old.

Ben on Thanksgiving entertaining everyone.

Last night "reading" when he should have been sleeping.

On My Shopping List

On my shopping list for today:

Toilet seat locks - it seems Ben has discovered what the toilet is for, however still likes to paddle in it. Ew. I've had other kids that liked to play in the potty, but I could just shut the door. He opens the door, and if I put a gate up he climbs it.

Something to make it so Ben can't turn on the water faucets. He climbs on the toilet and then on the counter and turns on the water. I have nightmares of him flooding the bathroom while I sleep. I only say this because when I woke up this morning with him on the bathroom counter and the water running. Luckily I got there before any messes were made or kids drowned, but I don't think I'll always be so lucky. Anyone know if this kind of child proof device exists? They are just the regular round handles.

Looking into getting the "Mark detector" back out and re-dubbing it the "Ben detector."

Flashback... Mark's always been an early riser. When he and Eric were 2 and 3 and Zack was just a wee little baby Mark used to like to play "camping." Unfortunately this entailed taking the contents of the fridge outside into their little play fort. We finally did get a lock for our sliding door that was way up high so they could not get out, but Mark found more mischief to get into. True to personality, Eric was happy to participate, but also happy to announce "It was Mark's idea." Finally, I decided the root of the problem was when he woke up he never came and got me, so I would wake up when the craziness escalated past an acceptable point. So Kevin made a little alarm for Mark's door. It went off as soon as he left his room, so I could get up and keep both eyes on the boys. I think it's time to revisit this technique.

I'm off to take boys to school and then to the doctor to find out what is wrong with my foot. I don't remember hurting it but it HURTS.

When We All Work Together

I've been trying to get some help around here from the bigger boys, but the other day the little ones got in on the act too.

I was a happy momma having everyone work together... although I'd prefer Ben not STAND in the dishwasher. But he hopped right in there and was handing Eric the cups and plates. Helping... as opposed to right now when he's pulling the dishwasher tray OUT of the dishwasher. Yea, I better get on that!

Methinks the Twos Might Be Terrible

Ben is an individual. He has such an opinion about everything and it's a teensy bit hard to manage sometimes. He's in an age with almost no impulse control, and it's hard to enforce the rules amongst his SHRIEKING.

He's gaining words daily, though he still does not have very many. However, NO, he has down, and uses it very often and emphatically.

Recently, we were at a friend's house and he was sitting in a chair. Zack tried to get in the chair with him and Ben put both arms out and declared "NO" with a kind of growl like I've never heard out of such a little guy. I couldn't stop laughing

Last night I was bathing him and he ripped the wash cloth out of my hand and declared "NO!" His eyes said the rest "I'll do it myself thanks so much!" Then, it was even worse when I was trying to get him out of the tub. "NONONONONO," complete with kicking and screaming. Ay yi yi.

As I was getting his diaper on it was "Go WAY, go WAY" Now, we aren't 100 % certain that he is actually saying go away but it sure does sound like it. However, he'll often walk through the house saying in a sing songy voice "goooo way, go way, go waaaay" as if he's trying out the phrase. Where on earth did he come up with that? Anyway, after the angry tirade of "go away" I got an even angrier (more angry?) chant of "No NO NO NO" as I put him in his pajamas.

If this is 20 (and a half) months I'm not sure what I'm in for when he's actually two.

Ben at 19 months

This is probably not of interest to anyone but me, but I need to document Ben's words at 19 months so I can remember later. Indulge me, please.

Momma
Dada
Ni - ni (night night)
Bye bye (and he waves)
book
ball
hi (actually it sounds kind of like ha, but he means hi)
baba (bottle)
no - this might have been his first actual word... of course. He uses it quite appropriately too.
Shoe

I think there is more, and I will add as I think of them. It makes me smile every time I hear an actual word out of his mouth. He's not ahead of where he should be, but I love it because Zack didn't talk at ALL at this age and I worried about it so much. It's nice to hear those little words come out of such a teeny mouth.