While the kids are napping

The phone rings. Who will it be?
Dad
When done shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
Yes
A really great salad must have this ingredient: Pecans, peaches
Do you take compliments well? Umm, I say thank you.
What is something that people are currently “into” that you just don’t get or appreciate?
The vampire thing. I am with you on that one Lawanda
What is something that really hoists your sail that other people might feel “ho-hum” about?
With a few exceptions, homeschooling
Do you play Sudoku? YES!
If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? I like to think so.
Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Lakeside Bible Camp!
What was your favorite game as a kid? Hide and go seek
Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you? Not even a little bit
Use three words to describe yourself. Loving, faithful, boring
Do any songs make you cry? It is well with my soul
Do you know how to shoot a gun? Sharpshooter
What is the first thing you do when you get home? Take off my shoes
Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth? Long time ago
How often do you read books? Every day
Which of the seven deadly sins are you guilty of (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride)? envy
Do you think more about the past, present or future? Try not to think about the past, I only think about the near future enough to plan out what we are going to do and how we are going to do it.
Share a fun memory you made with a roommate. Does living on a boat in berthing with 30 other women count as a roomate? It would have to be the toilet that fell over every time we hit a wave. Even funnier is Cat sitting on that toilet when it fell over.
What is your favorite children’s book? Anne of Green Gables
What are your most common nicknames? Riss
What color are your eyes? Beautiful Hazel
How tall are you? 5′9"
Do you like mustard? Yuck yuck yuck

Challenges

I knew this was not going to be an easy job when I signed up for it. I knew there would be moments when I would wonder if these little people would make it to their next birthday. I just did not take into consideration that these moments all might happen on the same day.
Please keep in mind that all of this followed a night where he did not pass out until after 11pm after 3 hours of crying arguing, begging, wall pounding, and every excuse in the book as to why he should not be in bed. I finally fell asleep to be awakened by her at 2am. I can only guess that her teeth were bothering her because she cried for an hour. And then was kind of enough to let me sleep in until 6 this morning.

-Decided to do laundry this morning. I took a load down to put in the washer and fed and watered Tela while I was down there. When I got back upstairs I was greeted with a full laundry basket that I could of sworn was empty upon my departure. After a closer viewing of this basket that seemed to fill itself magically, I found clothes that I could of sworn I folded the day before. I then saw two of her dresser drawers open and very very empty. My darling daughter had decided to help mommy and with a quickness I did not know she possessed had filled a tall laundry basket with perfectly clean clothes. Not only did she empty her drawers she had managed to throw them in a fashion that they had unfolded themselves along the way. She stood there with the most proud "I helped mommy" smile on her face. I wanted to cry.

-As I was cleaning the bathroom later this morning, I left them in his room to play quietly. They were both sitting in their chairs reading books. I knew the quiet would not last long before the leg-pulling-mommy-don't-leave-my-bubble-crying that has been my life the last two weeks while she has tried like the dickens to break through two molars and an eye tooth. But I digress. So after five minutes I decided to go check on them. I walk in the room and they were both up on his bed. Now after she had figured out how to climb the slide with socks on, I just took it off until a later date when she understands the significance of free falling four feet to a carpeted yet still hard ground. She had started to climb up the rungs but kept getting stumped on that last bit where the mattress meets the bed. Well I can now say she has it figured out. I tried putting things in front of the ladder, she just uses those to climb on. And if it is too high for her to get her leg on, she brings a car over to give her a little boost. I am afraid I am just going to have to take the ladder off now.

-And the Coup-De-grace: I was downstairs making lunch for them. I really put love into it too. I mashed up bananas and spread it with some peanut butter and then cut them into star shapes. I took cherry tomato's and string cheese and made them each a smiley face. Well while I was downstairs with this labor of love, they decided they would decorate themselves and the carpet and the wall and his bed with finger paint. I know I know at least it was not Desitin this time right? It was only washable finger paint. But still. They were both looked like some sort of living abstract art gone wrong. She was smeared with red and blue. He had gone ahead and mixed it in on himself creating a poopy brown color. Very quietly I took them to the bathroom to strip them down and hosed them off. He kept asking me, "Are you happy mommy?" "Aren't I pretty mommy?" I could not say a word.
I did not even take pictures of it like I did with the Desitin. I guess the novelty of having a son that views himself as a budding artist that must share his talent with the world has worn off.
I gave them their lunch and went to work scrubbing. It came up a little easier than I thought it would. But I still would rather been eating lunch with them than bent over under his bed scrubbing.

So now he is grounded to his bed for an undetermined amount of time. Maybe he will be let loose in time to enjoy the Christmas festivities. Next year.