I Spy!

So, I'm outside, hauling the recycling and the garbage to the curb.  We have had several talks with Emma, about going outside without asking, or going in the front yard with out supervision.  So after repeated requests that Emma go in the back yard while I'm in the back, I'm getting frustrated.  I go to the front stoop, ask her why she's not listening.  She looks at me, turning her head very, very slowly, and whispers, "Mommy, sshhh!  I'm camouflaging!"  So hard not to laugh. 

In other news, I think we are going to start a new family tradition.  I think we are going to have a semi-structured play at the end of the day.  Both kids are just a little too crazy, grumpy, shrieky to let them do self-directed play.  And we got this really cool I Spy puzzle play mat.  Alan and Emma played for a good 20 minutes tonight - and for any mom of an active 3 year old, that is 20 minutes of bliss!

The Bible, According to Emma.

"In the beginning, God created the world.  He made animals and plants and all kinds of things.  Then there was a man.  He was Old MacDonald.  He found a girl and they ate an apple.  It was a snake apple.  It made them tired.  Then Jesus went home to his family.  A man couldn't walk.  A superhero came and rescued him!  Then Jesus fixed him.  Mommy, I'm going to save the rest for night time."

Dear Lord, please never let me take these moments for granted. 

Why I stink.

So, as misleading as the title of this post sounds, I actually don't stink anymore.  But just 15 short minutes ago, I reeked of paint thinner.  And tar.  Why you might ask?  Well, I thought it was a perfectly reasonable project to tackle with two small children, one of whom loves to help, the other of whom clings.  And doesn't nap.  The project?  Sealing the driveway. 

I don't know why Mondays always bring out this crazy must do attitude.  I write out a "wish list" for the week, but I feel like I need to get it all done on Monday.  Alan just shakes his head and calls me crazy.

Anyways, I did it.  I sealed the whole driveway.  Twice.  And set up the swingset.  And did the week's worth of groceries.  So, fairly productive.  To be fair, Evan actually napped for about 4 hours today.  So that helped huge.  And Emma was my helper - and was actually helpful!  But back to the stink.

Emma "testing" the new swingset

As many of you may know - or experienced first hand - I cannot paint with out painting myself.  When we moved I had a whole suitcase of clothes for painting.  And by that, I mean, I would wear them to paint and then throw them out.  They were that dirty.  I was that dirty.  And sealing the driveway is, essentially, painting.

My beautiful driveway! 

So by the end of it all, my legs were black.  My hands were stuck to the pole - I had to peel them off.  My face had tar on it.  And worse of all, Emma was covered in it.  In her hair, on her hands, face, back.  Clothes were a write-off.  And apparently the best way to get the tar off is Paint Thinner. 

So downstairs I go, to our old, yucky, rarely used bathroom.  Bathed my feet in paint thinner.  Scrubbed.  Rinsed.  Repeat.  Dragged Emma down to scrub her down.  Screams insue.  Up two flights of stairs with a naked wet three year old to the bathroom upstairs.  Both kids and me in the tub.  Lots of soap and scrubbing.  Then comes the shower.  Both kids freak out (which is weird, because they usually get showers).  Desperately trying to rinse my hair and Emma's at the same time without stepping on Evan.  Finally get everyone de-soaped.  Out and dressed in jammies. 

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash - thanks babe!

And after all that, we come down to dinner prepared.  Ah! The wonder and joy of having a husband who enjoys cooking!  As long as he has a plan and all the ingredients there, he is more than happy to make dinner.  And today - I needed that help!

Dinosaur Hopscotch, Jam and Growing!

You know that crazy, drugged up feeling you get sometimes when you are woken up?  Yeah, go that right now.  Can't focus, don't have any energy.  Probably because I was just woken up from a nap.  So currently, Emma is playing dinosaur hopscotch, which means all the cushions and pillows are on the floor, and she is jumping from one pillow to the next.  There are some chairs involved (don't worry, I did have energy to ask her to step from the pillows to the chairs, tho!)  I guess it's not surprising why I'm so tired.  Thursday night was late and busy, Friday was insainely busy and also very late, early morning today, and lots of errands this morning. 

But on the upside: the grass is cut, the driveway is ready for sealing, the wasps only have a few short hours to live (use them well, little stingers!  The foam guy is coming!), and I currently have 4 new types of jam, about 20 jars of it.  DELISH!  I have never made jam before - well, I helped my parents when I was younger, but soon realized that things were much safer/happier/less insane if I left for that weekend.  I don't know if it's cheaper, definitely not healthier (7 cups of sugar in one batch!  Ugh!), but it was immensely satisfying to make my own jam.  I think I have some residual Hornsveld craziness that way. I was catching myself thinking, "Wow.  this is fun.  We could do another bushel!"only to realize that 20 jars of jam is probably more than enough jam for the next 5 years.  But there was this crazy sense of feeling so connected to the past, to my family (and not just my sisters who helped - well, when they finally returned.  Didn't think Burlington was that confusing), but my parents and grandparents.  Grand Tally: 6 jars of Peach Jam, 1 jar of Peach/Pear/Apple, 2 of Peach/Miexed Berry, and about 7 of a Peach/Raspberry/Lavender freezer jam.

 

Nadia's Checkerboard Design

Jam, Jam, Wonderful Jam!

And I measured my kids again.  Emma grew about an inch and a half the last 2 months.  And Evan grew about 2 and a half!  Absolutely insane.  I guess this is why we go through a lot more food.  And the clumsiness.  Hey, I wonder if I can still claim that excuse . . .

Emma fell asleep mid song - but trying to keep Little Stinker (aka Evan) away from her was next to impossible!

Okay, this is it.

So.  My first blog.  Feels a little weird, like jumping on the bandwagon, LONG after it left.  But hey, it's gotta beat playing Spider Solitaire while feeding my son.


Lately (like the last 3 or 4 months), my son has been extremely clingy.  As in: won't go to Daddy, won't stay in the nursery at church, won't go to Nana (come on!!).  And I just discovered (as in 15 minutes ago), that he has at least 2 molars erupting.  So, now I feel like a jerk, because I've been frustrated at how clingy he is.  I mean, when my daughter was this old, I was frustrated for the opposite reason - chasing her all over the place.  When the mommies got together at the splash pad, I was off chasing Emma, who wanted to go swimming in the lake.  Nice.

So now I'm trying to compensate without seeming like I'm compensating.  How is it that a child just 10 months old knows when you are feeling bad for them?  He totally milks it.  Little stinker.