Another Superwoman Kind of a Day

I am having one of those days I feel like demanding that everyone address me as Superwoman, . . . or Super Mom. I may have to settle for Mommy Dearest, though. I have no headache today, and I think that has made a big difference in yesterday and today (compared to the last week.)


So what has Superwoman done today? After the kids had breakfast, I cut Jon's hair, then bathed him. In my opinion, it wasn't perfect, but it wasn't any worse than the $10 cut he had a few months ago. Jon's hair grows strangely around his head and I never know where to part it, but now his hair is cute again. That went so well, that I cut Ben's hair, too. Now, those of you who have met Ben probably think I was drinking spirits in my morning coffee to attempt to hold Ben still when I am here by myself. Let me assure you, we survived. I plopped him on a bunch of beach towels on the kitchen counter, gave him three small bowls of water, a hanger, and a clip, AND had Will put a Baby Einstein video on. Thirty minutes later, he had an adorable new do. Yes, we were wet, but let's just say, I know what he likes. He never fussed, and neither did I, and then he got a bath, too. I trimmed Maddie's bangs to get them out of her eyes since she never lets me put any clips in her hair. I got them a bit shorter than I meant to, but all she has to do is smile at you and you'd not notice. She got her bath last night after her very messy, all-over-the place, popsicle. After the babies laid down for a nap, Will and I went outside so the wind could blow all his hair away as I cut it boot-camp short again. This has been a great summer haircut for him since we don't have to worry about finding a comb or towel when he swims or bathes. After his cut, I filled MY big bathtub with lots of bubbles and warm water and put him in it to play with his pirate ship. He kept talking about searching for a lost treasure, so I threw ten pennies in for him to find through all the bubbles. That kept him entertained for a long while. Usually he has to take fairly quick baths with some (but not a lot) of playtime. This time, I threw him for a loop when I said he could stay as long as he wanted to. I stayed there and folded laundry while he played till he was cold and pruny.


After the kiddos had lunch, I took some of the left over Kool-Aid mix and mixed a few colors with some vanilla yogurt. I put paper in front of everyone and splats of orange, blue, and green yogurt and showed them how to fingerpaint. All four enjoyed painting a little, but eating a lot. If you are rolling your eyes it is for one of two reasons:

1. You can't believe 20 month old toddlers have to be shown how to fingerpaint.

2. You can't believe I'd spend all morning getting toddlers clean and pretty just to make a mess so soon.



My responses:

1. I don't fingerpaint with three babies. Why? Come try and you'll know why.

2. Um, . . . yeah, . . . well. . . "I forgot they were clean" just doesn't sound like something Superwoman would say. I'll think of something better in my spare time.


After painting, we read on the floor for awhile, then just played. They all had a good time pretending I was a bridge and climbing over and under me. I convinced them to rest for at least 30 seconds while we pretended to snore. I got lots of kisses and hugs and cuddles, then I was ready for naptime again. They all laid down, I got my photos off my camera and whipped out another digital page. Now it's 4. I need a snack and then I'll think about dinner. Tomorrow will be busy, too. Hopefully I can get all the clean clothes loaded into the right suitcases as we prepare for a long weekend at my parents'.

So Far, So Good

I thought I'd better write down that I have accomplished something today. Mostly for my morale when I feel like I can't get much done. . .

Dressed kids - check

Fed kids healthy breakfast - check

Took kids to park - check

Cleaned kids - check

Read to kids - check

Fed kids healthy lunch (hot -- well, hot, then cooled) - check

Built an entire city and rail system with kids - check

Calmed kids down when city was wrecked - check

Washed and dried two loads of laundry - check

Put away four loads of laundry - check (it had been sitting in a basket since before I went to Waco, um three weeks?)

Assembled a digital scrapbook page about the kids reading to themselves this morning - check

Make dinner with Allen - check

Sink-bathe kids after daring to give the babies their first popsicles - check

Get something blogged - check

Take 2 & Keep Out of Reach of Children

Take 2 & Keep Out of Reach of Children -- That's how my yesterday turned out. NOT because the kids were out of sorts, but I had a huge headache that controlled my day. Yesterday after breakfast, it was still cool enough to play outside, so I stripped the babies to their diapers and let them do what they wanted in the yard. Will was still clothed, but he is pretty good about staying out of the mud. The little ones spent a lot of the outside time on the porch and had a blast when I filled the sink of the play kitchen with water. They spashed and splashed, and then I caught Ben on his tip toes leaning in to blow bubbles in the quickly muddying water. They loved it. Jon was upset that Maddie and Ben were monopolizing the sink water, so he got Shadow's water dish and dumped it on himself.

It wasn't long before Maddie and Ben joined Will in the sandbox. Jon, still a little timid on uneven terrain, stayed on the porch and stared longingly at his siblings. Will came and gently coaxed Jon off the porch by offering a helping hand. Jon eagerly grabbed the lifeline, and I was mesmerized as my oldest helped my youngest across the sun-dappled grass. The kids came and went for about and hour and a half and I alternated watching them and reading a magazine on the porch. I drank as much water as I could just to try to get the headache to go away.

When it started to get hot and I was considering calling the kids in, I saw Ben trying to climb the playset ladder. He managed to get the motions down: hook a leg on the rung, reach up and pull, stand on other foot, push up, hook the leg behind a rung, repeat. The daredevil climbed the ladder, but I got to him before he got to the top. With four exits to fall out of the playhouse and me on the ground, I asked Will to hurry up the playhouse and help me get Ben to the slide. Somehow, Will and I got Ben to the slide and I still made it to the bottom in time to catch Ben on the slide. I let Ben climb and slide two more times, but I was quickly worn out from the maneuvering and the stress of wondering when he might fall. I took Ben and Maddie to the hose and rinsed all the sand off them, wrapped them in towels, and took them to the kitchen for a clean diaper and clothes. Jon was quietly playing in the sand, and I wasn't too worried about him trying something scary. From the kitchen I kept my eye on Jon and Will. I got Ben dressed and looked up and saw Jon at the bottom of the curly slide. Still not worried, but paying close attention because I was afraid Will might slide and knock Jon over. Maddie was undiapered when I looked and saw Jon quickly ascending the slide. In a wild fury, I put Maddie down and quickly prayed that Jon would stop climbing and Maddie would not pee on the carpet. I ran outside faster than I knew possible and got to the playset just as Jon proudly sat at the top -- of course his butt was on the edge of the ladder, and he has a tendency to topple off of things. Will said, "Look at what Jon did all by himself!" I told Will, "that can be dangerous, you shouldn't have called him up here." Will said, "Well, he did it by himself so he should be fine, Mama." Yes, I saw it all, and Will was cheering him on the entire climb. My heart raced, but I got him down, and realized I'd better run back in the house to diaper Maddie. She was so giddy to be running around the living room naked, and luck for me, dry.

I got all the kids cleaned and dressed and and the little three down for naps. Will got cleaned up and he and I played with a new set of stamps and paint that Nanna got him. That kept him busy most of the rest of the morning and I alternated helping him and lying on the couch next to him as he worked at the table.

That's it. I slept the rest of the day and woke up to dix dinner. Allen was a sweetie and took care of the kids for the afternoon. My headache dulled a little with the nap, but I was so glad to wake up today without the headache. After dinner, Will asked if he could play a Wii game (we got Wii for Allen for Father's Day.) Allen asked what game, and Will said the swimming game. Oops. Allen repeated the word "swimming" and the tirades started. . .

Jon from his chair: "Wimmy?! Wimmy?! Yay-yay!"
Ben from his: "Ouoot? Ouoot! Bye-Bye!?"
Maddie from hers: "Bye-bye!"
Allen from his: "Oops. Wrong word. No, not tonight, guys. We can swim tomorrow. It's night-night time now."
Jon: "Wimmy! (boo-hoo-hoo sob sniff) Wimmy!"
Allen: "It's night-night time."
All the babies were having sob-sessions and/or pounding on the windows that look over the back yard. "Wimmy!" "Wimmy!" "Out!" "Buh-bye!"

Allen set up Endless Ocean for Will and we got the little ones in bed for the night. The hadn't had an afternoon nap, so they were exhausted and soon off to dreamland.

We went WIMMY!

This morning I braved the zoo with the four kids & we survived the two hours we were there. I met a friend there so I had help if I needed it. It went so well, I may try it without help sometime, but first a certain four-year old has to master the art of minding Mama (it's been a challenge lately). Everyone had fun, we came home and ate lunch with Allen, and he stayed home the rest of the day. I got a long nap this afternoon then woke up to make dinner. After dinner, we went "wimmy." Jon was excited and kept saying "wimmy! wimmy!" when he saw the pool set up in the backyard. Now he has a word for swimming that sounds similar enough we know what he means. Ben calls it "bye-bye" or "out". Maddie just nods with a huge grin. Will starts bouncing off the walls. Our kids are loving the water -- 'nuff said.

Monday Monday

The Mamas and The Papas had a few verses in their song that describe my feelings of Mondays, but overall today has been fine -- so far. I decided to escape the laundry and mail piles that grew in my absence, so after the kids finished breakfast I loaded the babies into the wagon, got Will's shoes on the correct feet, donned the sun hats, and we took off for the park before it got too hot to move. Will set the pace as we meandered down the path, stopping to look at poison ivy, poke at a roly-poly bug, and fill his Ziplock baggie with various sizes of rocks, leaves and stubs of sticks. When we got to the park, I let the little ones out to roam while Will climbed the playground obstacles. Since I didn't put shoes on the babies, they didn't go to far -- they enjoyed playing with the pebbles on the playground, but they didn't like walking on them.

Oh Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be

Ben kept me hopping since he likes to put things in his mouth. Although he didn't seem to enjoy the flavor of the rocks, he appeared to enjoy my reaction when he put the choking hazards in his mouth. He'd put a rock in his mouth, look to me for my expression of frustration, spit it out, then giggle. When he got tired of that game, he dug in the rocks to the dirt and then rubbed the mud on his clothes, legs, arms, and unfortunately, his tongue. He giggled a lot, but he spit even more.

Maddie played little Mama and had a good time walking to the wagon for a hat or sippy cup and delivering one or the other to one of her womb-mates. She kept hats on the boys most of the time, but Ben, being Ben, took it off repeatedly just to get her to pout and say "nay-nay" while she shook her little fingers. Between her errands, indicated by a kiss and a "buh-bah," Maddie dug her toes into the piles of pebbles.

Jon stayed busy the entire time. After watching the reaction Ben was getting from me, Jon picked up a rock, showed it to me with a sparkle in his eye, then proceded to place it on the tip of his tongue while he tried to hide an impish grin. All it took was "the look" I gave him, and he promptly removed the stone, shook his head, smiled and said "no-no." He piled lots of little stones onto the flagstone patio by the bench. He just kept shoveling and pushing the pebbles with his hands. I did see him drop a few fistfuls of the gravel down his onesie, but they all tumbled out when he stood up.

Will climbed to the top of the treehouse tower, collected rocks and leaves, scooped stones and dirt with a cup, and tried to pile as much as possible on the rungs of the ladder. He was entertained for a while, but when I tired of Ben's grime-dining and the sippy cups had been drained, we came home.

Monday Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way

The babies had a long, long late morning nap, so they won't sleep anymore until bedtime. Will and I read our new magazines, then he began creating a construction site. Before and after the babies woke up, Will created a pirate ship, a playground, and a refinery out of three couch cushions, 6 pillows, a pop-up tunnel, and other assorted components found in the living room. He was particularly proud of the "refinery" and pointed out that the candle on the mantle should be lit so it would look like the "fire tower" (I told him it is called a "flare".) He was so happy to be like Daddy working at a refinery, but in my adult UNimagination I couldn't see any resemblance to the refineries where I've been employed.

The day has been laid back, but I did manage to wash and dry two loads of laundry and get the junk mail to the round file. The kids have all been fed mostly nutritious food and dirt, and I still have some energy left. My Oil of Olay Antioxidant Facial Cleanser claims to "energize you for the day," and I have discovered that if I use it, then drink three cups of coffee, and take a short afternoon nap, it works as advertised.

Monday Monday, so good to me,
Monday Monday, it was all I hoped it would be.

The Last Day of Camp Grandparents

Today is Saturday. Last night, when I talked to Allen he told me I needed to catch up on blogging so he could see the kids and hear about what they are doing. I just finished posting an entry for yesterday, but today, I got a video of Jon's newest trick. In the week we've been here he has turned into a walker -- now he walks more than he crawls, and through the week he has grown more confident in his steps. He is still very focused, but he is more comfortable, too.

I filmed him walking across the kitchen. In typical fashion, he joined the trouble on the other side of the room. Ben had taken all the cookbooks off the shelf while Mom and I were distracted by Jon. After Ben got a good sized pile, he used them as a stool to climb up to reach more. Maddie is right next to him (usually joining the mischief, but sitting back when adults show up so it looks like Ben is the sole trouble-maker.) Jon joins the crew and throws in a few finger-shaking "No-no"s just for the show. I wanted to show Allen what they were up to.

Mom and I just returned from the mall with all the kids. The babies were doing fine most of the time, but I had forgotten to pack cups and they all got thirsty after bribing them with animal crackers to let us shop a little more. Will was cranky and pulled on us or tried to run off. At one point, I threatened to take him to a restroom for a spanking if he didn't act right. He threatened me back with a sassy, "If you do, I'll just lick the toilet seat." I had to walk away to chuckle and gag while I tried to understand why he thought that would teach me a lesson. We got frustrated, got the kids water, and packed them in the car for the trip home. Most of them fell asleep on the way.

The evening went a bit smoother. After naps, we all went out to eat and ended the day cleaning watermelon off the kids' chins by taking them back to the sprinkler park. Now all the kids are snoozing and I am about to go pack up for the trip home in the morning. They can't wait to see Daddy, and I really miss my Honey.

Boo-Doo-Goo!

Tuesday afternoon brought visitors from San Antonio. After hearing that my brood and I were visiting, my dad's uncle decided to stop in for a quick visit. Uncle Icky was joined by his grandson, Ben, and his daughter, Tina. I had met Uncle Icky twice before (at my grandmother's funeral and at my brother's wedding) but I had grown up seeing lots of pictures of him in my granddad's photo albums. It was a bit chaotic having so many people in one place while trying to keep my four little ones well-behaved, but we managed. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and Will was thrilled to have adults around who were letting him talk a lot.

Wednesday and Thursday I've already forgotten. I know sometime in there Dad worked on the easels more while I tended to the kids and Mom worked. We had a day in the sprinklers in the yard, and were impressed by Maddie's balance as she held one foot up over the water and stood on the other foot for awhile. Jon decided to spend sprinkler time in my lap, perfectly content to stay dry. We took all four kids swimming one evening. Mom sat in the grass holding the towels and Dad and I took turns holding the little ones while Will splashed and jumped nearby. All three babies enjoyed the water and the one-on-one time, but they were ready for bed after the relaxing swishes. Dad and I played with Will for a bit longer trying to get him comfortable with the water, and with laying on it to float and kick. I got a couple of hours without kids one day and decided to do some shopping -- mostly for father's day gifts, but when I was frustrated that I couldn't find what I wanted for Allen, I went and got a haircut. I cut off 6-8 inches, but no one noticed since I always wear a ponytail anyway. One day we found Ben had taken the pack-n-play apart before he fell asleep. When we found him, he was in a cozy little ball cuddling his favorite fuzzy blue blanket in the gap between the bars. We didn't wake him, but I had to get a picture.

Today we had a laid-back morning, but Dad and I took the kids out in the afternoon. We went to a bookstore for awhile -- Dad dragged the circus train while I dragged Will and tried so hard to keep his hands off of the little things. I tried to get Will to pick a book, but he kept choosing the ones that need batteries, and I promised myself we would not get one like that this time. We ended up with two for Will -- a children's atlas and a short-vowel sound reader. Then we traipsed across the hot asphalt to the pet store. Jon was so excited about the rats and bunnies, turtles and fish, that he stood up on the seat of his wagon to peer in the terrariums. This is my son who is usually very timid about standing near siblings who mught knock him over, so we were shocked that he chose to stand on a moving object (but, when we saw him, we did stop the wagon.) We left the stores around naptime, but decided to make sure they were all as tired as possible, so we revisited the sprinkler park. Just like before, they all had a blast, but we didn't have to stay as long to wear them all out. They stayed awake until we got back to the house and then they all napped for an hour.

Dinnertime proved to be fun after dad tried to startle everyone with a loud "BOO!" The babies and Will giggled about it, then decided to join the fun. Ben was the first to shout "Doo!" and Will, my parents, and I all "jumped" pretending to be startled. That brought lots of laughter, so he did it again. "Doo!" "Doo!" "Doo!" after lots of belly laughs, Jon and Maddie joined in and everyone kept up the game. I tried correcting Ben, but then he kept saying "Goo!" instead. It was just as silly, so he had no reason to change his consonants. At one point Dad said, "Ben, it's BOO!" and Jon pretended to jump. Everyone had a lot more fun than words can describe. Just know that if Ben says, "Goo!" you are supposed to act scared. All of the kids played till they were rubbing their eyes and ready for bed. It turned out to be a pretty fun day.

In my world with four small kids, the details often get forgotten or lost in the shuffle. Who said what when? How many teeth does he have? Did everyone get clean clothes before we left? Did we change all the diapers and did everyone else go potty? Whose shirt is this? Are these Will's shorts or the babies'? I try to stay focused on the big picture, but sometimes I enjoy the details too. In the last few days, Ben and Jon got a few more teeth, Maddie learned a bit more about balancing. Ben tried to get Maddie to join him in the sprinklers, some or all of the babies now say "Cup", "no-no" (it had been nee-nee for the same meaning), and thanks to lots of reading of a Sesame Street book about meals, I think all of them can say something that sounds like "Cookie." Ben's version is my favorite as he has adopted the Cookie Monster way of growling "cookiecookiecookiecookie" as one big word.

Another day -- survived

Yesterday was another fun one, but I was too exhausted to write about it at the end of the day. Quick summary: Dad and I spent two hours at Lowe's getting supplies for the easels, after lunch he and I took the kids to a sprinkler park. When we pulled up to the water playground, Will insisted it would be no fun. I think he promised NOT to have fun, and was just grumpy. They had a wonderful time. Ben got soaked faster than Will did, Maddie loved playing with the fountains, and Jon was very interested in the drains. He loved hearing the water fall into them and he kept trying to catch the water before it fell into the tiny holes. Maddie and Ben never stopped running and for the most part they stayed where they were supposed to. Will joined in the play with other kids -- some around his age, some a little older. Dad kept saying the babies were easier to keep an eye on since they were shorter, we could just squat and look for three heads about waist high on the the other kids. Dad thought they had all been to a similar park since they were so comfortable with the other kids and the water, but this was a first for all four. I was worn out after about an hour -- mostly because we did have to chase Ben and Maddie some, but we all had a great time. Just as I figured, Will had a blast and is asking to go back. After dinner last night, Will "helped" Dad and me work on the easels. He counted a lot of screws and even handed me some when I needed them. He helped screw some of them in, but then he was off fighting Captain Hook (the trash can) with his mighty sword (a scrap of wood). We wore all the kids out, but I was exhausted, too.

Today has been pretty easy so far. Will helped my Dad get sticks out of the lake. I think he enjoyed being out in the canoe with Granddad. The biggest problem was that Ben wanted to go, too. As soon as Will and Dad went out the door, Ben was screaming "bye-bye!" and "out" and having tantrums when I didn't oblige. Maddie and Jon joined in just for the dramatic effect. The screaming worked. I wiggled out the door to get the train wagon and took them on a ride around the lake. The babies love being outside and relaxed as soon as I put them in the train. They enjoyed the horse, the birds, the puppies, and the canoe with Granddad and Will. Then all six of us went for a walk around the neighborhood. It is almost lunchtime and the natives are getting restless. . .

Mudpies and Lullabies

Day 2 at Granddad's and Gramma's started with Granddad getting the kiddos up and fed while I took my time waking up (yes, again -- that's why I love my parents.) When I came down and asked him how things went, he chuckled and said Maddie made a big mess that I needed to clean up. I was a little confused but went in the babies room and saw the disaster. Maddie's pack-n-play and the floor was covered with clothes: 4 onesies, 2 pairs of shorts, 11 socks, 4 shoes, 4 bell-ties for the shoes, a bag, 3 shirts, and a skirt. Dad came and asked how it happened; the suitcase had apparently been dumped, but her bed was the farthest from it. When I put the kids to bed last night I made sure no one was near the suitcase, but I was fooled.

Jon rocks to put himself to sleep, and he rocks while he sleeps. He evidently rocks enough to move a pack-n-play several feet across a slick wooden floor. Jon pulled everything out of the suitcase and threw it in Maddie's bed. Yup -- that's my Jon, causing trouble but making it look like someone else did it. There was a sock in Ben's bed that Maddie must have handed him. I told Jon to clean up the mess, and he picked up everything he could reach, puttin all the clothes in a small trash can, stopping after each piece, clapping and saying "Yay! Yay!"

Later, Granddad and Will went and worked on yard tasks while I read a book and the little ones napped. Gramma came home just as we were making lunch and got lots of hugs to greet her.

Granddad made a big puddle of mud with the excuse that he was transplanting grass. I have my doubts that it was the real reason, but I am sure the grass will grow, nonetheless. Will got in and sloshed around, and then Maddie dove in and squirmed a lot. Ben splashed in the watery parts, but Jon got his feet in the mud and decided to sit back and watch. Maddie got pretty upset all of a sudden -- whether it was the mud in her mouth or a bug bite we still don't know. Dad and I took Ben and Maddie to wash them off in the lake and Mom said Jon started having fun in the mud when Will joined us at the lake.


We got all the little kids rinsed, dried, and dressed and then Granddad went swimming with Will while Mom and I went inside with the babies. Maddie, Ben and Jon got so excited when Gramma brought them a "big-person" cup of water with straws. It was adorable watching all of them drink at the same time -- yes, from the same cup. Maddie had to try all the straws to make sure they all tasted the same.
Then another round of naps. Dad and I took Ben and Jon swimming while Maddie and Will finished their siestas. It took a little coaxing, but Ben and Jon finally relaxed and enjoyed themselves in the water. The lake water is about 90 degrees and fairly comfortable, but they weren't so sure about not having a floor beneath their feet. When we handed them rocks to drop in the water they were happy. They had fun trading the rocks saying "pees" and "tant-oo" to each other each time (for the thoroughly confused reader: "please" and "thank you".) The dogs next door started yapping and both of the boys got really excited and barked back. When we took the little boys in, Will was ready to come swim, too. By the end of the day, everyone was worn out and ready for rest. The kids all grabbed books while Mom, Dad, and I read to them. Maddie got frustrated and wanted to read by herself, as this is her new hobby. As I filmed her "reading" the story all the boys were chattering to themselves. Ben fell off the stool next to me and I prepared for him to yell, but he sat up and said "Uh-ooo." If you listen as the camera moves, you'll hear him say it several times. Just like his sister, Ben gets pretty clumsy when he gets sleepy.

I am ready for bed, but I know Allen will want to see pictures of the kids when he reads this in the morning. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Will has already put in a request for more mud and making a cake: "My cake is very tasty, Mama. First we cut a really big onion into a LOT of little bitty pieces, then you chop up the banana and get all the juice out. Then you crack the eggs -- 3 eggs -- into a bowl and mix it a lot. You stir everything and add two raisins and stir for an hour. Then it only takes two hours in the microwave until you cool it on the table. It will be SO TASTY. I can't wait!"

I kissed him goodnight, hugged him tight, and told him Gramma didn't have any raisins. . .

Day 1 with Granddad

Yesterday, the kids and I came to my parents for awhile. Allen is still working unpredictable and long hours, and this is one way to have a little help with the kids. I also feel like it relieves Allen of the extra pressure to rush home to help with the kids. This way, he can have the stress of his job and a little lonliness, but that's limited too since he still has three cats and a dog to deal with. Dad was excited to have us, and Mom is still at my brother's helping with baby Julianne while Angel has been out of town. Today was the first full day with Granddad.

I got a few extra minutes of my much-needed beauty rest since Dad got the kids up and fed. I did have diapers to deal with when I got up, but at least they weren't screaming at me like most days. We got everyone in the car and ran to a few stores to check out some ideas on a project Dad and I are working up -- we are planning to make some easels for the kids this week. We came back for lunch and then all six of us took naps. Yes, I slept hard, and it was a challenge to roll out of bed when the little ones woke up. Then everyone went out to the sandpile and had fun. Dad seems to be teaching them all about the things we can't do in our little box at home: how to make big bucket castles to crash, and especially how to bury a big brother and then tickle the little piggies that stick up from the sand. All of the kids had their feet buried, and Jon was the only one who whined about it. When the kids got tired of that, Dad put them all in his brand new wheel barrow (the one Mom said he wanted specifically because it would hold all five grandkids at the same time.) Dad pushed them around and we looked at flowers and grapes, we checked out a pile where we saw a soft-turtle shell trying to nest, we walked across the dam and came back to the hose to play in the sprinkler. When we tried getting the little ones in the sprinkler at our house, they screamed and ran away from it. At Granddads, the water was from the lake and very warm. Maddie and Ben seemed to enjoy playing it, Will has always loved sprinklers, and Jon was happier in my lap.

Speaking of Jon, he got his first pair of shoes Thursday. It was a little early since he isn't walking all the time, but it was my last chance to go to a shoe store with only three kids instead of four. The shoes are great, and he seems to be getting more comfortable on his feet. Today, he walked and stood most of the time (rather than crawling). His walk is very careful, and very slow. His tongue sticks out of his cheek and his brow is furrowed as he concentrates so hard. That's my Jon -- always concentrating on his task.

At one point, Will came to help Jon walk to the sprinklers. Jon walks better holding someone's hand. Will walked at Jon's pace to the edge of the water, and Jon didn't want to go further, but he really wanted to get the the animal crackers that Granddad had on the other side of the water. Big brother Will went to get a cracker for Jon, and Granddad said it was the last one. Will made it clear he wanted another one and was upset it was the last, and I expected him to eat it. Instead, he took it right over and smiled and handed it to Jon. My heart overflowed. I was so proud of big brother being so kind to little brother. Yes, I told him so.

After the sprinklers washed off the sand, we came in to make dinner. While Dad and I cleaned off the kitchen table, Ben was playing on the floor, Will was finishing his milk, and Jon and Maddie were taking their sweet time counting the last few kernels of corn on their highchair trays. I went to get a washcloth to clean the last two babies up, and Will screamed to come quick. I rushed around the corner to catch Ben with one foot on Jon's highchair tray, but the rest of him was on the table. I don't know how he climbed up the highchair, but he did. Jon didn't seem to mind that Ben was standing on his dinner, but I put Ben in his crib until I could watch him more closely. That's my Ben -- always moving quickly to get into things he shouldn't.

Tomorrow will be another adventure and we are all anxious to see what it will bring.

Fruity Marshmallow Krispies!!!

Ah, I can hear it now, . . . the commercial where Snap, Crackle, and Pop are dancing in the congo line with the fruit. When I need a congo line tune, I start humming and end with "Fruity Marshmallow Krispies!" So, that is what I was singing to myself right after I booked our flight to New Hampshire for our anniversary.

(congo song tune, sort of)
Fruity Marshmallow Krispies!
I get to go on vaca-TION!
Fruity Marshmallow Krispies!
I will do re-lax-ING!
Fruity Marshmallow Krispies!
I can't stand the cere-AL!
But I like the stu-uu-pid song.
We'll be snap-crackle-poppin'
In a New E-england B&B.

I was thrilled to find a rendition on you-tube for those of you who missed Saturday morning cartoons in the 80s. Check it out here.

A snow cone's chance?

Will was happy to pose with Mrs. Crystal and Mrs. Renee while I took this picture. The other kids wanted to be in the picture, too. I love the smile on Will's face in the one with all the other kids. . .

You know that music in movies that is played to indicate impending doom? Dum-da-dum-dum. . . That is what I heard the orchestra playing as we were on the way home and Will excitedly told me about his last day of school today. No, no, no, I wasn't worried about the books or songs, or even the fingerpainting. What worried me was that he was talking non-stop:" we-had-snowy-snow-cones-today-mama-I-want-to-get-a-snowcone-machine-for-our-house-and-syrup-eeek-lots-of-syrup-since-it-is-so-tasty-the-snow-cones-look-like-snow-balls-and-then-we-have-to-get-snow-cone-cups-that-are-round-on-the-top-but-if-you-turn-it-upside-down-it-is-pointy-like-a-triangle-I-had-red-syrup-that-tasted-like-cherry-but-other-kids-got-green-blue-or-purple-and-they-said-those-were-yummy-too-can-we-get-a-snow-cone-machine-and-syrup-mama-huh?" I started hyperventilating desparately trying to take in enough oxygen to supply Will some if he passed out from talking, but he was fine. I, on the other hand, grasped the steering wheel tight enough that the veins on my knuckles stood out. I took deep breaths and finally convinced myself it would probably be okay in the end.

When was it decided that sugar is the best way to celebrate and reward preschoolers? I seem to remember graham crackers and popcorn being the big treats when I was that age. Now, I find out he had a snow-cone. I know, I know, a little sugar isn't that bad. But I leave the school feeling a little guilty. When he has had a good day, he gets to pick a prize from the teachers' box. He will hold up a piece of gum and I quietly suggest he choose something else. "But I want the gum, Mama." "Will, you may take the gum, but you won't get to chew it until you turn five and that's a long time." "Fine, I'll take the lollipop." The lollipop will be added to the pumpkin in the pantry. That is where his trick-or-treat/Christmas/Valentine/Easter/school candy stays and when he gets dessert, he sometimes picks from the pumpkin. There is no way I will let him have it on the way home. I have been nice in the past or stopped for a smoothie in the afternoon, and there is something about the sugar that turns him scary. Sure enough, we got home and he started kicking walls, smacking his siblings, slamming doors, screaming, and crying when he was . . .um, disciplined. I am a control freak, I guess. I want complete control of his sugar intake if I am going to be the one to have to deal with the consequences.

Later, Will asked again, "Can we please get a snowcone machine?" I answered that I didn't know, but what I really meant was "It is as unlikely as a snowcone in H-E-double hockey sticks," but I knew that comment would require more of an explanation that I was in the mood to give.

Wonka Paints

You know that scene in the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when the kids are licking the fruit pictures on the wallpaper? That is kind of what this project reminded me of. I read somewhere that it could be done, and I decided we'd try it. Here are the directions:

Step 1: Find several different colors of unsweetened KoolAid. They come in envelopes around 10-cents a pack. I used cherry, orange, lemonade, lemon-lime, berry blue, and grape.

Step 2: Sprinkle a little of each color in separate containers. I love ice-cube trays because there are many small compartments, and paintbrushes fit in the grooves.

Step 3: Add a little water to each of the powders. I mixed enough in that the paint was about the consistency of fingerpaint.

Step 4: On a protected surface, let your little one paint to his heart's content. This stuff is the same thing high school kids use to dye their hair dramatic colors, so protect what needs to be protected. I gave him a cup of water to rinse the brush between colors, but he had a lot of fun creating new colors, too.

Don't get discouraged if the colors don't paint well, they will change as they dry. The grape was black until it dried to a pretty violet. On construction paper, the yellow didn't have any color, it just looked like wet paper. When it dried it was yellow. Will wanted to make a handprint, and I told him he could. When we washed his hands, the color didn't all come off. After a bath with plenty of playtime, most of it was off, but they were still funny colors. Yes, he tasted it. It was pretty nasty since there is no sweetener, so he only tasted two colors then decided he didn't want it anymore. The colors were much more vivid than I thought they'd be. The fun part is the pictures smelled really fruity. The lemon smelled like a lemon, the cherries smelled like cherries, and the schnozberries. . .

Picasso in the works?

I have had most of a day and all of a night to calm down a little, but I am still completely grossed out, so. . . .now I get to gross you out by rehashing all the grisly details.

Whaaa, Whaaa. Mama. Mama. The morning melodies got louder as time passed. I rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes that I sniff-tested to determine wearability then tossed my long brown locks into a ponytail. Will was watching cartoons in his pajamas, so I asked him to follow me upstairs to get dressed. I helped Will choose some summer-appropriate clothing and left him to don his t-shirt and jeans while I meandered toward the nursery, kicking train tracks and a doll out of my path. I opened the door and was overwhelmed by an intensly nasty odor. Yes, someone pooped, but that is a fairly common thing around here. What I knew I smelled though, was war-paint, but I had to figure out who was wearing it. There was not enough light streaming through the window to identify the culprit without approaching the crime scene. Half my gut was stuggling to keep from retching, and the other half was telling me to check the oldest one first; not just because he was the one who enjoys such art, but because he was beaming and bouncing with joy. The other two had looks of disgust on their faces that quickly changed to hope at the possibility of escaping their padded cells. Yes, it was Ben. He was still clothed, but I could tell he found the poopy-paint: his new hair-style was secured by brown, caked gel. The smears across his forehead and cheek were dry enough they were cracking. Wow, my son, the artist. If only I could express to him how proud I am ---- NOT. I held my breath and stripped his blue-turned-brown onesie and grabbed all his sheets. I am really getting good at doing all this with one hand while I hold him away from me with the other. . . all with one breath (I am still not breathing voluntarily.) I rushed Ben to the bathtub and gave him a quick scrub until he smelled sweet again. All the while, Jon and Maddie are wailing because they feel forgotten. After I got all the kids dressed we went down for breakfast and started the rest of the day.

I think I am ready to cut all fiber out of Picasso's diet, it is just too inspiring for him. A few hours later I finally got the kids quiet enough I could sit down for three minutes to eat some lunch. Will soon told me Ben was really stinky. I rolled my eyes, forcingly stuffed half a sandwich in my mouth, wiped my mouth and went to get Ben. Well, "Crap!" was an appropriate response, but Will told me otherwise. The little stinker was painting again. This time he was fingerpainting his legs and giggling. Off for another bath. Don't ever tell me to make time for myself to eat again. . .this is why I don't take lunch breaks more often. That was Sunday. Allen worked all weekend: leaving at dark thirty in the morning and arriving home in time for a late dinner. I think when he came home last night I was laying next to the refrigerator on the floor while two kids were chasing each other around the couch, one was sitting on me and jumping, and the fourth? Where did number four go??!! "Get back in here, NOW!"

I am at wits end. Worn out. I have run out of energy, and patience ran out soon after. I hate when the refinery expects these hours out of Allen. And then I feel guilty that he has to work so hard and then come home and work harder. I try to get the house to be welcoming for him, and since cleaning isn't getting done, the best I can do is to have a kid pep-rally, "Daddy is coming home!! Yay!! Everyone go watch for him!! Yay!!" That way when he gets home, he can be attacked by little cherubs excited to see him and he won't notice we are having left-overs since I forgot to get meat out of the freezer. And he won't notice the eight piles of laundry he trips over on the way down the hall. And he won't notice that we have a second puppy that is actually Jon after a snotty tantrum of crying and rolling on the unvacuumed carpet. And if I am really lucky, he will smile and wink at me, so happy to be home, come give me a kiss and a huge hug and tenderly say "Thanks for all you do. You are awesome and I love you." Oh yeah, I am a very lucky woman!

Later, the kids were in bed and I was cleaning up the kitchen. Allen was cleaning up the living room and brought me Noah's Ark. "What do you want me to do with that?" I asked. His response. "Clean it." He found Picasso's masterpiece, it wasn't just his legs Ben painted. I guess the Bible stories we read are making some sense -- everyone knows that Noah's Ark had to have been muddy, and with all those animals, it must have smelled like crap.