Things I Love Right Now

1. Ben's new phrases: "Tank oo Mommy," "Can I?" and

many many others. Also, that he calls ours chins "beards." This comes from a certain silly song we've been singing for a few years off of a Laurie Berkner Band CD. Yesterday we was kissing me and telling me where he'd kissed me. Smack "ear". Smack "two ears." Smack "nooose." Smack "eyes." Smack "beards."

2. Our new decorations: This hanging as you walk in the front door.

And this table at the end of the hall as you walk in from the garage.

I wasn't even convinced we needed a table there, but Kevin was and tasked me with finding it. We looked and I couldn't find the right thing for the amount of money I wanted to spend (read: cheap!) until I saw this. We hit a snag when we learned they didn't have any in boxes and the floor model was all scratched and gouged up on the wood. I couldn't see buying something already damaged even if it will get scratched & dinged in this house. So we drove across town (after a phone call or two) and got it and everytime I walk in through the garage I get a little giddy. Who knew a table could cause such a feeling. PS those bowls have been collected over the years when we've gone on cruises. The smallest was from our first cruise and purchased in Belize. The other two are from Guatemala. This is the first time we've been able to prominently display them in our home.

3. That Eric sneaks off to read books. And then tells me what he has learned in those books. Like did you know that lungfish can breathe on land or in water? I had no idea until my biggest boy told me. And if you need to know something about space, he's your guy. I can't tell you how many days he's gone missing and I find him reading a book. I hope his thirst for knowledge and his love of reading continues. It will take him so far.

4 Mark's poetry he brought home from school. I love them all but will share just one in the interest of brevity (ha!) Spelling errors left in tact because they are part of him at this age.

Broclee by Mark Bailey

Broclee, broclee
on my
plate. You
macke
me so sick. I do
not wot to lick.
I throe you
on the flor.
Ben eats you.
I spit you in the sink.

I actually thought he liked broccoli but I this was so creative and fun.

5. Zack is getting so much bigger and has his own thoughts and ideas and plays with words. He can buckle his own seatbelt now and asks me every day when he gets to go to his school. I get a little choked up thinking about it even though I know it will be good for both of us.

Life is full of amazingness and when I get caught up in the details and the chaos I try to remember how lucky I am.

Another Taste

Another taste... this time of how you can do every single thing your child wants to do and still have him treat you like crap. Oh the fun!

Today was another great day. The big boys went to school (yay!), the little ones and I cleaned a little, went to playgroup, came home and Ben napped while Zack played and I got a few much needed things done.

I figured Mark would come home happy. Today was their Splash Day in which they get to play on water slides and bounce houses at school, as well as other crazy water games. Should have been a good day. He did come home happy. We played with clay, and then he made a guy out of wooden skewers and when I say he made I mean he laid the guy out and then ordered me to hot glue it onto a big sheet of paper so he could cut it out. Any guesses who cut it out.

All of this was fun and I was kind of feeling like a good mommy for having my chores done so we could play when they got home from school. Then he fell asleep on the couch for about 3 minutes and when he woke up OH BOY suddenly his day sucked.

And it must have been all my fault, naturally because nothing made the child happy. Nothing. He didn't want meatballs in his spaghetti and he was NOT going to eat a VEGETABLE (the horror!) and there were tears involved and frayed nerves too.

Then somewhere through dinner Mark decided he liked meatballs (vegetables too) and then I didn't stop them when they took water & soap outside to play in bubbly water.

Somewhere along the way it all went awry and I ended up putting them to bed at 6:45. Which brings us to now and there's some unholy racket up there so I must end this post and go deal with that.

And something tells me this is what I get for having such a lovely day yesterday and thinking that might be what summer is going to be like. Me jumping through hoops only to have someone mad at me all the time. Reality check, anyone?

A Taste

I got a taste of what summer is going to be like today.

It wasn't all that bad.

I had scheduled Eric and Mark's well child doctor visits for today and got the pleasure of taking all four kids with me into the pedi's office. That's almost as fun as having a root canal. I remembered to bring snacks but there was a little more of a wait than I had planned for (not excessive, it's just they are usually lightning fast. Eric and Mark were wrestling on the exam table and I told them to knock it off or we would not be going to the playground after. To my utter disbelief they listened and we actually got to go to the playground. They must be figuring out that I mean business!

After only minor annoyances at the appointment we grabbed lunch and headed to the playground for a picnic and playtime! Unfortunately some school group was there cooking out hotdogs with some older elementary, maybe even middle school kids. Now, I have nothing at all against older kids. It's just that some of them are ANNOYING! They were sitting all over the play structures, in the way of the little kids, blocking the slides, etc. There were even some girls swinging on the baby swings! I feel like such a whiner and I'm sure I have it coming when my kids are in the tween years, but dude. Let the little kids play on the playground.

The rest of the day was uneventful. We cleaned up a little. The big boys helped. They are getting to be quite the good, hard workers! Then we went to the store and I only wanted to pull my hair out a little bit. Oh, did I mention Kevin's out of town again? But it was fine! We had a great day!

Now they are in bed talking and giggling and I sure wish they'd sleep. They are staying in bed though so I'll take it!

Goings On

The big boys have BIG plans for the summer.

They are opening a bowling alley upstairs. A REAL bowling alley, not pretend. They will charge you either five dollars or nothing. I'm not sure what the determining factor is on which you will pay. Luck of the draw I guess. This lovely establishment will open up on the 15th of Summer. Be there!

In addition to their brand spanking new bowling alley, they will be opening an Ice Cream Shop. Mark told me that you can get three scoops for $5.00. Or one scoop for $20.00. Hey, they're saving up for a Wii game! Logic? Who needs logic. I did mention that no one will pay $20.00 for one scoop of ice cream so they might want to rethink they're menu prices. Then they came downstairs and climbed onto the counter to get ice cream cones. I reminded them that this was a pretend ice cream shop. I bet you can imagine how well that went over. I am SUCH a stick in the mud.

Garden Pest

Other considered titles: This is What I Get for Opening My Big Mouth (Again), We Thought We Knew So Much, or Don't Pick the Peppers!

Day before yesterday Zack came to me. "This tomato is ready because Ben picked it. Is it big enough?" It was green. I talked with the little guys about not picking the veggies unless mom & dad are there and say it's okay. It went over sooo well.

Yesterday, only a few hours after posting how well our little garden was doing Eric came to me to tell me Ben picked some peppers and ATE THEM! They look big enough but they aren't ready yet as evidenced by the fact that despite being hot peppers, they had the flavor of a bell pepper.

That's what I get for bragging I guess. That's what we get for thinking by putting our garden in pots on the patio we could avoid certain garden pests that ate all of our tomatoes last year.

Who knew I was raising my very own garden pest?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Quite well, thanks!

Peppers

Tomatoes

and one lone lime (the baby one next to it formed at the same time but hasn't grown.) Since we didn't expect anything from this tree for a year or two this amazes me!

Okay, so the carrots have failed to form carrots and we are not sure why, but everything else is producing actual food and I am so excited!

Rain Storms

It's actually been raining here in FL the past week or so. Occasionally, we will get an actual thunderstorm. We are so happy because with all the dry weather, the Tampa Bay area is experiencing critical water shortages. So, YAY for rain!

One day last week we decided to go to the playground and a few minutes after we arrived we heard thunder. Then Ben pointed to the sky and said "Oh shoot!" It was one of those moments when I looked at my friend and asked "Did he just say...." and she confirmed that he did. I laughed hysterically and now every time he hears thunder he grins and says "Oh shoot."

Friday night there were thunderstorms and it started right as we were putting little boys to bed. It was not an easy bedtime and Ben kept trying to get in bed with Mark. Kevin went up to check it out and our littlest boy was pointing to the window whining "wight-nin." He was scared. We let him sleep with Mark. Until he fell out of bed and then I put him back in his own room. Oh how I wish I had heard him say lightning because it sounds so awfully cute!