Sorry Mommy!

Once again, Kenzie spawned this post.

Yesterday, I worked in the office during nap time. As inconvenient as it was, I walked up the stairs and listened outside Kenzie's door every ten minutes. On about my third trip up the stairs, I met her coming out of the bathroom. She immediately said, "Sorry Mommy," and held up her hands -- completely covered in blue.

I knew immediately that it was the brand new tube of toothpaste -- purchased two days earlier.

I instructed her to wash her hands and proceeded to go into her bedroom to survey the damage. (It was a given that there would be damage.) Amazingly, the carpet was spared - - she had just made a 'beautiful' design of blue all over Brynnley's bed (easy enough to wash up) and Brynnley's blankets. (Notice, she doesn't 'decorate' her own things.)

I walked back into the bathroom and said, "Kenzie, what are we going to do with you?"

Looking rather remorseful and holding one hand behind her back, she replied, "I just want to spank my own bottom."

And she did.

She walked back into her room, smacking herself on the bum the entire way.

And then, she napped.

Right or Wrong?

I just wasn't in the mood for a battle today.
Perhaps you know the type of battle to which I am referring?
The battle that ensues when you try to teach your children the value of work.

(Sidenote: if getting your kids to do their chores does not result in a battle for you more often than not...please don't comment. :) I'm not in the mood to hear that right now. Perhaps tomorrow, but not today.)

The decision was made sometime around 9:00am - just after I discovered that one of our tenant's rent check's had bounced (not the tenant that I was concerned about either) - -and just after Kenzie climbed Brynnley's dresser - subsequently pulling the entire thing over and trapping herself underneath it.

Sure, I could have gone through the usual routine, but I just wasn't in the mood. The usual routine takes forever and ends up with argument after argument. It entails a lot of, "but it's not MY job, and I didn't make the mess!"
Today, it was just easier to do the sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, sink/bathroom cleaning and laundry myself. Not only was it easier, but things are cleaner than they would otherwise be.

Am I short-changing my kids? Was it a good decision to let them play outside and make a mess downstairs while I worked? Will it cause irreversible damage to their little "entitled" selves? Do I value the importance of teaching kids to work any less? Do I no longer subscribe to the theory, "you-do-it-because-you-live-in-this-house-and-that-is-what-families-do--work together-philosophy?"

I still believe all those things.
But I also believe that for us, today, I made the right decision.

This is who we are

Generally happy, somewhat messy, not always centered, partially cheesy, occasionally dazed and confused...but (almost) always trying our best.

Stages

Cleaning up the bag balm that she smeared all over the carpet -- during naptime.

In "A Mother's Book of Secrets," I recently read, "Shakespeare's Jacques in As You Like It proclaimed: "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players." I'd like to add that every child who ever lived is going through some sort of "stage" on that stage as they progress through childhood."

Fair enough. Kenzie's "stage" is easily summed up in one word: DESTRUCTIVE. (Ok, ok...maybe I should use CURIOUS instead. Perhaps she'll major in chemistry and all of her 'explorations' in her youth will turn into a cure for cancer or something.)

I hesitated to post this...on the off-chance that my parents read our blog. After all, we are going to visit them in less than two weeks. They might not welcome us with open arms after reading about Kenzie's recent activities. Seriously. If she wasn't three, I would swear she is simply out to get me.

Brynnley's lemonade-enhanced dinner that Kenzie was forced to eat since she thought it would be funny to pour the lemonade onto the hamburger in the first place. She had a pretty intense gag-reflex going on after being spoon-fed the soggy bun. Will she think twice before doing something like that again? Not likely.

My attempt to keep her inside her room during naptime. Yes, I am at war with a three-year-old. And yes, I am losing. As is the carpet. You can't really blame me for trying though. I'm pretty close to super-human, but even I have to go to the bathroom every once in a while. And forgive me for thinking Cambrie should be allowed to eat in the quiet of my bedroom - without the distractions that 4 other children offer on a regular basis.

Marker that is a new addition to the carpet in Cannon's bedroom.

Nail polish that is a new addition to Brynnley and Kenzie's carpet.

Kenzie was so excited about her first trip to the dentist, and the ensuing "treasure" of her own toothpaste. She promptly came home and redecorated the hall, the railings and of course, the carpet.

Make-up that Kenzie decided would look better on the floor -- rather than on Addysen's face. (Not sure why 4th-graders give each other make-up for birthday gifts anyway.)

Fish food -- for the second time.
There is a carpet store going out of business down the street. I briefly contemplated stopping in to see if we could get any good deals. But then reality hit. Why replace the carpet while in this "stage?" And then another reality hit...Cambrie will be mobile all too soon. Heaven help me.

*********
Sidenote: while in the midst of typing this post, I was summoned to the kitchen with, "MOOOOOMMM! Kenzie and Brynnley are coloring each other with marker." SIGH.

Let me just stop you right there - because I know what you are thinking. I would have thought the same thing before I had 5 children...NO...it's not that easy to just remove ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING from the entire house. I've eaten a lot of words and judgments since having children and you can bet they go down just as smoothly as that soggy hamburger bun!

Some days are just like that

Discovery