Chaos. I love it. I only discovered that I love it because when it is gone I always miss it so. How could I not miss it when it exists in everything we do?
If you could hear us in the mornings you would hear: "How many times do I have to ask you to get dressed?" "Do I have to shut off the TV?" "No! We do not throw our breakfast on the floor!" "Please stop screaming and let me brush your teeth!" "Stop running away from me and let me put this sunscreen on you!" "Let's get in the car guys... wait, did you poop Clark?! Back in the house everyone!"
In the evenings it's a bit like this... At daycare: "Who wants to come home and eat dinner!?" "Hey, stop running away from me. We are going home now!" "Come on guys, the car is just across the street. Clark, stop screaming and trying to run away, we're in the street!" "OK guys wait here while I put the bags in the car" "Come back here right now or I'll open ALL the windows on the way home!"
In the car on the way home (8 blocks): "Norah, we are not doing 'something extra super special' tonight. Special things are only special because they don't happen very often." "Stop whining because you don't have something to play with, we will be home in exactly 2 minutes" "I know you said all the other kids are going out to dinner. How can that be true every day?" "What did you do today?" "You did Nothing? Did you play outside?" "You did too! You were playing outside when I picked you up!"
At home while trying to make dinner: "Clark, stop eating markers" "Norah, don't swipe toys from your brother" "No Hitting!" "Clark stop eating markers!" "Norah, if you want your brother to share with you, then you share with him!" "No Biting!" "Clark, if you eat one more marker they are mine!" "No jumping on the couch" "No pinching!" "Do you want a time out?" "OK Clark, those markers are mine!" "Dinner's ready!!!"
You can imagine what bath time, story time and bed time sound like with Clark who likes to run away and get into precarious situations, makes messes and eat things he shouldn't and Norah who only wants to play with what her brother has and is so dramatic that I swear she should win the next Oscar.
On hot days we like to eat in the playroom on the kids table. In the A/C.
Cheese!!!
Elmo SMASH baby! RAHH!!!.
OK Baby, Do Monkey Cheeks.... Zoooom!.
Kiss Elmo's Owie?
Oh, and did you know Elmo LOVES to drink salad dressing?
Miiiiiiiine!
Just for ME. On my Birthday :)
What is IN there?
Crazy at Grandma's House!
Good thing Grandma's such a good sport :)
Retaliation!
Love ~ Renee
