Real Life

Here are some of my Facebook status updates mixed with a few explanations and other goings on (or is it 'going ons? ...or on-goings? ...going crazy's more like it.) It's definitely been busy around here as we are getting back into our old routines, but trying to make room for some new ones, too.

January 5th
I made the mistake of asking Maddie if she wanted her hair cut short because I'm tired of it getting in her food. She is excitedly telling everyone she's getting it cut like Granddad's!! ... yeah? Granddad ran out of hair on the top, but she can't be swayed...YET!!!

January 5th
Will came inside one afternoon when he and the other three were playing in the backyard. "Mama....I need to go outside to the front yard." Why? "There are six older boys out there and I need to go give them a piece of me because they are being mean." I had to excuse myself with the excuse of needing to potty, just to get away from him to laugh about it .... "a piece of me?"

January 5th
Remember back when I said my focus word for the year is "peace?" Well, I figured something out, and we had a PEACEFUL evening!! ...even though Daddy didn't get home until after dinner. It had gotten too loud and I'd had enough, so we had dinner and bedtime prep in silence. Thankfully the kids still remember little bits of sign language, but we need to brush up on that a bit so we can do this every night.  Somehow, silently, I was able to direct all of them to clean up their dinner plates, Will to put the dishes in the dishwasher, all to wash hands and faces, all to brush teeth then sit down and read silently. After the kids got in bed, I looked up a few signed words so we could do it again... SOON!

January 6th
The little kids had an assignment to take a baby picture to school. It was interesting looking through all the computer files to find the appropriate photos. I didn't want it to be a hospital photo, so that wiped out the first three months of options. As we looked through them together, I found it interesting that they can tell who each photo is even though they looked similar. I guess even 4-yr olds know what to look for -- Maddie always had a red spot on her forehead, Ben's eyes are a particular shape, Jon's hairline was lower on the sides.
January 7
It's cooling off in Texas, and I CAN'T (shiver shiver) GET (shiver shiver) WARM!!! (shiver shiver)

January 8
We took all the kids (and Daddy) for haircuts today. This was the first time I let someone else cut Maddie's hair (other than her bangs once or twice.) She begged and begged for me to let the lady cut her hair and she was overjoyed when I said, "yes." She was so excited to have her hair cut, that as soon as she was done, she jumped out of the chair, flipped her hair and asked if she could do it again. We settled for an above-the-shoulder bob and it really changed the way she looks. When we bathed the kids, she was so disappointed that we messed up her hair (by washing it) that she said we had to go back for another haircut. (Yes, she asked for 3 cuts in one day.)

January 10 
Today was full of fun surprises starting with the kids noticing that snow fell overnight. They were SO excited that there was enough for a snowball fight. When we went to get Will from school, Ben took his shoes and socks off in the backseat. We got home and I told him he should put them back on because it was cold (and wet, and snowy) outside and his feet would get cold. He refused, and I decided the 15 feet from the car to the door would be just enough for him to learn a lesson, but not far enough that I needed to worry about hypothermia setting in. Charlie and Will took off through the front yard scooping and throwing snow, and seconds later Jon and Maddie joined in the fun. Ben hesitated for just a moment, then threw his shoes to the porch and took off running through the two inches of white coldness barefooted! The kids shook off their feet, went in for a snack, and ran out the backdoor with their mouths still full. Sure enough, Ben raced after the big boys. After ten minutes or so, he came it and said matter-of-factly, "Mama, did you know it's cold out there? My feet are getting icy." I suggested he dry his feet and put on socks and shoes, and he commented, "That's a great idea, Mama!" He put on the biggest socks he could find and pulled them over his pant legs up to his knees. It looked quite silly, but he was proud that he figured out how to warm his tootsies.

As it got dark, I called the kids inside. The little ones played upstairs while I made dinner. After about thirty minutes of no whining, complaining, pinching, screaming, crying, and tantruming, the peace came to an abrubt stop when Maddie came to tell me they made a mess. I went up to see what she was talking about and Ben, Maddie, and Jon were SO proud to have figured out how to have what they called a "warm snowball fight." Note to self -- when the kids beg for a snowball fight, let them go OUTside and get cold. Otherwise, the 4-foot tall stuffed panda bear will be disemboweled as the 4-year olds think they are having the world's warmest snowball fight. At bedtime, we discovered that half of Jon's sleeping pillow was also part of the fight.