More craziness

So the little folks who live in this house seem to be a constant source of exasperation humor these days.  Tonight was pajama night at AWANA.  Fancy decided to wear her "foot-jams," which she NEVER actually wears to sleep in because they make her too hot and get too bunchy (you know, the zipper jammies with feet).  So she's walking around this evening looking like an over-sized 6-month-old.  Very cute.  Today was a day when I was home for no more than about an hour, so that meant Chick-fil-A for dinner.  AWANA nights are always hectic for us trying to get out the door, and while e weren't running late, we were cutting it close for being able to have a non-rushed dinner and make it to church on time.  Fancy runs upstairs to go to the bathroom just before leaving, and she came downstairs looking like said naughty little dog with her tail between her legs.  (I apologize if the remainder of the story is too much information, but it was just too ridiculous not to record.) 

Fancy, as she holds a wet wad in her hand and presents it to Geof, "Dad, I had to go potty, but I forgot to take my underwear off."  She's 5 1/2.  We were late.

Meltdown

While the rest of the east coast is thawing from all the snow this weekend, we're having our own meltdowns over here.  Two kids are in timeout as a result of the car ride home.  When I asked kid #1 a question about lunch today, he screamed at me that he didn't buy lunch.  He earned his ticket to timeout.  Then kid #2 had an absolute fall on the floor screaming fit during the 12 seconds we were in Target picking up some photos I had uploaded from home.  Several concerned shoppers looking our way, me just trying to complete the transaction and get out of there.  I turned around and asked her sweetly, "well what's wrong sweetie?" ('cause I'm always a cool, under control kind of mom when the whole store is staring at me and my darling charges)  Turns out the embarrassing fit - that required a 15 minute wait in the parking lot before she would settle so I could drive home - was over the fact that her green stretch pants don't have pockets.  Another ticket earned...

Keeping Track

For those of you keeping track:

- I did clean out the two bathroom drawers filled with the previously mentioned list of items that included a smocking guide, footies, invitations to my 5th birthday party and a tuner.  Now these drawers have been put to much better, much more practical use.  The smocking guide is safely tucked inside my medicine cabinets.  You can't expect me to completely change overnight.

- I also cleaned out my 2 silverware drawers and my casserole dish cabinets AND the pantry.

- My floor is still covered with laundry, in addition to a large pile of outgrown kids' clothing that needs to be put away.

- Timmy Thomas is doing great!

- Josh Wilson is a great up-and-coming (or maybe he's already arrived, I don't really know) Christian artist.  Go check him out on iTunes.  Hi-Hat has an autographed glossy hanging on his bedroom door.

- My fingers still retain lots of Super Mario Brothers muscle memory from when I was about 12.  Very weird.

Sledding Adventures

Well, it's snowing outside, but just flurries and probably won't stick.  So we'll just have to remember the fun we had in the snow last weekend!  Here's some sledding footage of the kids and our neighbors.  Can you perhaps see how Geof broke his finger (actual footage of finger breaking not caught on tape).  Enjoy!

Really Glad...

...that the kids have school tomorrow, because for an unsupervised craft project today, Fancy coated our bananas (unpeeled) in marshmallow fluff (you know, the spreadable, ultra-sticky substance that is the fluffer in a fluffer-nutter sandwich).  Then she covered them in chex mix.  The book-end children ate off all the chex mix, and now I'm left with perfectly good bananas that I won't throw out, but that are an unbelievable sticky mess.  I should stick (ha!) one in her lunch tomorrow, but I guess that would punish the teacher more than the kid. :) 

Yesterday, Rella (she's the 2 year old in case you've forgotten our cast of characters) was standing at the top landing of our stairs.  We have three steps, a landing that turns, and then the remaining 13 or so.  So she was standing at the top of the 3-step portion.  She did not see that I was standing at the base of the stairs, watching to see what she would do.  When she started rocking her knees (kind of 5th grade standing broad jump style), I knew what she was up to.  I then hear her whispering as she swings her fists front and back: "I can do it. come on.  let's go.  I can do it.  Let's GOOOOOO!" And then she jumped off, over the 3 steps and tumbled onto the landing.  When I called her name in a stern voice (though really laughing inside), she just about jumped high enough to clear the 3 steps again and she knew she had been caught.  Wonder how many times she's done that that I haven't caught her?  She was overheard today telling her daddy that she liked his blue cast.  Maybe she's trying to get one of her own.

Today, Rella was fussing fussing fussing about wanting a tube of chapstick on our way out the door to Fancy's ballet class this afternoon.  Just about at the point of falling on the floor whining.  We were running just-on-time, so I didn't have a minute to spare to 1) correct her behavior or 2) go find her beloved pink chapstick.  So I just reached into my purse and gave her a tube of mine.  Her response?  "CHA-CHING!"  And out she went to get into the van.  That kid and her hilarious mouth ...

Finally, for those of you keeping track, Timmy Thomas is still alive and finning, and he's even gained enough strength to hang out at the top of the bowl now and then.  He's been able to eat every day, and even though he is still scraggly looking and a little slow to respond to visitors to the bowl, he continues to make me happy.

My favorite model

I had to butter her up for this little session (promises of just 5 minutes, no bulky coat, just Fancy and Mommy, playtime afterward...), so I wasn't sure what to expect from her when I got her out there all dressed up.  She turned on the charm and had lots of fun, and I did, too. Lots of funny poses and laughing together. And now I'll have the cool photos to remember our just 5 minutes together in the snow (well, maybe it was more like 20 minutes). Now if I can just get Rella out there in her skirt before the snow melts.

 

Dashing Through the Snow

Tomorrow will mark our 4th snow day!  The kids are loving it.  The first day was filled with cries of, "my boots are too tight," and "my 3 pairs of pants make me feel bunchy," and "this hat is falling in my eyes," and "the snow is COLD."  But by today they had the routine down pat, and even Rella neglected to bat an eye when I dressed her for the cold overtop of her footed jammies.  The kids and neighbors created a sled run between our houses, and at any given time a dozen or so kids were lined up, toboggans/saucers/sleds-of-death in hand (more on that later) waiting for their turn down the slope.  The parents got smart this year and wrapped the little trees at the base of the hill in large outdoor furniture cushions, so the kids kind of bounced back once they got to the bottom of the hill.*

*This was not so effective for folks aged, say, middle school and up, and it was particularly ineffective when one's sled of choice was "The Torpedo."  We bigger people tended to fly at warp speed down the hill and blast through the cushions at a frightening clip.  Those intending to slow themselves down for fear of concussion were rewarded with a broken finger.  For the next 6-8 weeks, I am in charge of child-bathing, dishwashing and all things wet.

Here are some pictures from our past three days in the snow.