Right Now

This conversation is going on...

Zack: Mommy I like babies. They are cute and sweet and precious.
Me: I like babies too. They ARE precious.
Mark: Mom,if you like babies you could have another baby.
Zack: Yes, Mommy, I WISH you would have another baby.
Me: Mommy is all done having babies, guys. I love our family just like it is. Plus, babies are a lot of work, and I already have a lot of kids to take care of.
Mark: Well, MOM, you remember what a good helper I was with Ben.
Me: Yes, you were a good helper.
Mark: I know! You could wait until we are teenagers and then we'd be even more help. WE could take care of the baby.
Me: (Trying really hard not to laugh) OR you could wait until you are a grown up and get married and have your own babies.
Mark: Ok,fine!

Let's just be clear... no.more.babies.

Things That Have Made Me Laugh

Ben answers me now when I say "Bennny, where ARE you?" He'll tell me 'side' when he's on the patio, 'stairs' if he's upstairs, and 'potty' if he's in the bathroom wreaking some kind of havoc. When I say "Hey Ben how are you?" He says "good" and the funniest thing recently is out of the blue he said "Go Sharks." Eric and Mark's soccer team is the Sharks. Try as I might to get it out of him at a game, he won't open his mouth, but at home, at dinner "Go Sharks." There are many, many things Ben does right now that do not make me laugh, however the things that come out of his itty tiny mouth. Hilarious!

Zack is quite the comedian. I ask him what letter his name starts with and he says "two." When I suggest that two is a number and his name starts with the letter Z he laughs hysterically as if I'm crazy. He knows the answer, he just thinks it's funny to say the wrong thing. Also, if asked how old he is, he says "big." He just beats to his own little drum. Only don't tell him he's little. Oooooh boy, no, he does not like that! Also, recently he told me he did not like his orange drink (a rare treat around here) that it tasted like wood. Mmmkay then.

Mark is so dramatic it makes me crazy when it's not hysterically funny. The other night I made French Dip sandwiches for dinner. I got the recipe from a friend of mine, and it truly is awesome! As I'm scrambling to get things ready, he says "Mom, can I have some of that famous dip?" I was at a loss. No earthly idea what he was talking about. "You know mom, that really good dip you make." Well, I certainly don't have time to make any DIP. Before I could get any words out he elaborated. "YOU KNOW, the famous dip for the sandwiches?" "Ohhhh, sure you can have some. With dinner..." Along the famous and cooking lines, the boy is destined to be a chef or something. Sunday night the boys wanted dessert and I had not planned on making it. Kevin suggested that our very big boys make muffins from the Jiffy mixes we have. They read all of the instructions and did all of it with no help, except for cracking the egg and putting them in the oven. GO BOYS! Anyway, Mark went on and on about how amazing these muffins were. "Do you think they are even better than the muffins you made us from a recipe mom? " Sure Mark, I just bet they are. (Even though those same muffins were "famous" not a few days before.)

Eric is funny in a quiet way. At soccer he is improving. He'd be even better with out his "poses." His runners pose where he gets all bent over with his arms out like he is at the starting blocks of a track race. The little skip he does as he runs after the ball, and lets not forget the celebratory pose when someone else scores a goal. Fist in the air! Other arm at a 90 degree angle by his side! And give a little leap! His enthusiasm is adorable, the physical drama tickles me! Even if he chooses his words wisely he does come out with some zingers sometimes. One night I was thawing meat for dinner and he asks me "where's the food mom? What's for dinner?" I replied that the meat was defrosting and then I'd cook it. I couldn't help but crack up when he answered "MOM you can't put frosting on MEAT! Ewww!" I still haven't decided if he thought I had lost my mind or if it was a play on words. Either is equally likely with him.

Then there is me. My thing that made me laugh, is as often is the case, strictly due to Mommy Brain. For about a week when I've tried to wash any clothes on HOT or even warm, no hot water would come out. I tried turning OFF the cold water and then NO water came out. I made a note to mention it to Kevin to see if he could work some kind of magic on it. Tonight, I went to transfer a load from the washer to the dryer and noticed the sheets from a pee incident the night before still smelled like pee. Ewwww. What the heck? So I added more detergent and started the cycle again. Later, I walked by and thought, well that was reallllly fast. It's already done. So I glanced at all the knobs and it was on it's "quick rinse" cycle. I'm actually quite horrified that all of our clothes for the past week have been quickly rinsed, rather than running through a proper wash cycle. However, the hot water now works. At least I can laugh about it, right?

More Reasons My Nerves Are Shot

1. Re Potty Training. My child is going to be four in four and a half months and we just keep having issues. I should KNOW how to get through to him. And yet...So, I'm pretending like I haven't potty trained him yet and starting over. Again.

2. Big kids fighting. That's just self explanatory. I have a pretty high tolerance level for chaos (good thing since our family tends to be a teeny bit chaotic!), but an insanely low tolerance for bickering and picking at each other. Can't.stand.it.

3. And this is the biggie. Ben learned a new thing this week. He got into the garage (without me knowing) and the first I knew of it I heard the garage door go up. I ran out there and caught him just before he got to the street. Since he figured out that trick I've been making sure to lock both the door to the garage (which he can unlock but it's difficult and thus sometimes a deterrent), and also lock up the van IN the garage (which annoys me to no end for some reason.) On Wednesday I slipped and forgot to do this. I went to the bathroom and came back and didn't see Ben. I decided to peek out in the garage just in case and the door was wide open, and no baby. I freaked out and started screaming his name. I'm sure I looked like a nut, but fortunately I don't think anyone saw me. I ran a few houses down looking for him, then turned to home to figure out what to do. I shouted his name one more time, nearing panic, ready to call 911 for help and start knocking on neighbor's doors to help me look. And there he was. Standing at the entrance to the garage, looking at me like I had lost my mind. Little does he know how close he is to being correct. I haven't forgotten to lock that damn door since.

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!

Do You Ever Wonder?

Do you ever, as a parent, sit there and say what if I'm WRONG? Last night I told Eric to quit snacking as it was almost dinner time. I took away the bag of cereal he was munching on and Kevin heard him say something smart back. We asked him several times to repeat and he would not tell us. We asked still more times and he mumbled something about chicken nuggets. Which I'm pretty sure is not what he actually said. Mind you, neither of us heard the precise words that came out of his mouth, but rather the tone and attitude with which it was said. Pretty sure it was something cranky toward me. Pretty sure. Not positive. Keeping in mind this is not the child who usually lies. Also keeping in mind that this is the child that rarely gets into trouble. So he was sent to his room until he would tell us the truth. He kept making stuff up but never came out with what we think he might have said.

SO he had to go to bed. Without dinner. Which I hate as a punishment because I knew he was HUNGRY and what if he can't sleep because he's hungry and ohhhhh the angst it causes me. I will tell you that by the look on his face and his demeanor and putting two and two together that I am 95% certain that he was lying. It's that little smidge of doubt that had me so ill at ease. What IF I was wrong. Will he be scarred for life? I'm pretty sure he won't because he's his happy go-lucky self today. But maybe?

I've said it before and I know I'll say it again. This parenting gig is hard. I feel often like I'm guessing my way through and hoping against hope that my children end up being good, successful adults and that I don't somehow mess them up along the way.

So, there's my insecure I don't really have a freaking clue what I'm doing confession for the day. Sigh.

A Day Off

Since beginning to post my to do list on this blog, I have been super productive. Things are going great! But I hit a snag this week. Monday we had Eric's award ceremony at school and then sat at my friend's house for a long while afterward. I got my daily stuff done, but none of the extra weekly stuff that really needs done. Tuesday was my class at the gym, and while I really could have done quite a bit before or after, it just didn't happen. Wednesday, daily stuff got done, but nothing off the weekly to do list. Thursday hit and I was in a funk, crabby and just plain irritated with myself and the boys. Combined with the fact that it was the first official day of having no school and I just sat there thinking about all I should have been doing and not doing it. Productive! Yesterday, I made the conscious decision to just have fun with the kids, and take a break from the list. I think it helped.

So today, I plan to get busy (right after I write about it!) and get the house picked up and try to get a few of those chores I assigned for this week done. Then I get to take Eric and Mark to a summer bowling kiddie league activity this morning.

I still struggle with the balance between getting stuff done, giving the kids the interaction and attention that they need, and not completely feeling like a nutcase in the process. The balance has to exist. I just have to find it.

I'll keep posting my to do list on my blog side bar, because it really helps. Despite this last setback, it has really helped me get things done. I mean, I can't post it online for all to see and not put that little DONE!! by at least a few things. Much more satisfying than just crossing it off a regular old to do list.

So, with no further ado, I am going to go do my dishes from last night, and then go work on that dreaded "To Do This Week" list.

Have a great Saturday everyone!!