My baby's not a baby anymore and other happenings...

You'd think I'd realize by child #4 that when a child hits 17 months old that they are officially a toddler. Ellie's always been 'the baby'.

"Pick up your toys or the baby will eat them"
"As soon as the baby wakes up we'll go and do so and so.."

Today, I officially declare that Ellie is no longer a baby, she is a toddler and a BUSY one!

This past week she had done the following:

• Climbed to the top of the boys' bunk beds several times and tried to launch herself off the top bunk
• Taken several showers by herself, just happy as a clam playing with toys
• Climbed onto the toilet and tried to shimmy on to the sink
• Climbs the outside of the stairs -(no doubt learned from older siblings who climb the outside of the stairs and hang off the stair spindles)
• Climbs from the chair onto the table and proceeds to THROW everything off the counter - bananas, beverages, tomatoes
• Loves to put on lip gloss - on the floor, her face, anything in front of her
  
• Gets a cup and lid out of the designated drawer and hands it to me (and my cue to get her a drink)
  
• Can open any drawer and throws the entire contents onto the ground with a squeal of delight
  

This, is her new thing...she can be found going into the pantry at any time during the day and doing this...


Notice the OREO cookies that she will open herself..and her blue eyes...Grandpa Ryder, you should be proud.

In other happenings this past week...

Wonder dog has terrorized several people - apparently she's wanting to test her shock collar limits outside. The low point was when the dry cleaning man called me from his van outside our house yesterday asking to put the dog away.

Lots of sick people with the flu. Always a fun weekend when each evening another person bites the dust with throw up. My personal favorite, when McKell was sitting next to me and tells me her tummy hurts and then does the gross burp where you know something bad will happen, as I'm telling Randy to throw me a towel, she throws up in my lap.

Wondering why on earth I fix any sort of meal. I HATE that the kids try to snack all day, and that my pantry door is a revolving one - I can't lock it - and are at this moment coming in the house with orange soda (and subsequently yelling at wonder dog to stay outside or "I shock you really hard" says McKell...such violent words, surely not learned from her mother) and telling me they want to eat something and then say they have stomach aches...hmm.. crackers, beef jerky, stale sandwiches from lunch...I wonder. Maybe you should wonder about my mothering skills because sometimes I just don't care and let them eat because at least they aren't fighting or arguing with me about doing homework, picking up, etc. Let's face it, I'm a broken lady by 4:45 pm. A frazzled, broken lady.

On another note, I just made a very fabulous brownie pudding - like a big, yummy chocolate molten lava cake that we will have for dessert (and my breakfast tomorrow) with ice cream and a mixed berry sauce - yum.

Time to roll up the sleeves and rally the troops. We must focus for the next two hours.

Reality...and why I don't love dogs

I'm recording my day, since this is my journal, I want to remember all the good, bad and ugly times so that I will always remember how I survived it all.

Today:

8:30 am - Late dropping Austin off at school (not really late, but late for my next carpool pick-up)

8:55 am - Pick up all little girls in preschool carpool

9:05 am - Take girls' to preschool. McKell slips on ice, crying in the driveway. Me - rush to help her in my cute red shoes (flats, not heels) slip on the ice and do a body slam on top of her. She's crying, I want to cry - partly because I hurt myself and partly b/c three other little preschoolers are looking at me and I'm humiliated because I don't have time to change before I rush off to other appointments and I'm soaked from the bum down.

9:15am - Take McKell with me to errands and appointments because she doesn't want to leave me because she apparently is traumatized because I fell on her. After much dissuasion, I give up and have her come with me. Me, frustrated that my 'free' two hours will be complicated now.

9:45am - Late for an appointment, which means we'll have to re-schedule because the timing won't work with having to get back for preschool pick up and Kindergarten pick up

10:00 am - Frustrated from my plans being totally thrown off and the fact that I will now have to wear nothing but ugly, clunky boots the rest of the winter, order a Large Coke at McDonald's and suck it down.

10:30am - Decide I must visit a cupcake store because: a. it sounds yummy and b. I have a playgroup over soon and little girls eat dainty, cute cupcakes. I buy a dozen (remember, they are small and totally overpriced) and a few extra for me!

11:00am and 11:10 am - Respective pick-ups for Preschool and Kindergarten

12:45 pm - Corral kids to car after not eating lunches and only eating the frosting off my dainty, cute, overpriced cupcakes.

1:00pm - Drop girls off at houses

1:30 pm - Well-kid visits for Ellie and Tyler. After taking off Ellie's clothes and looking at her in her diaper I ask myself when the last time I changed her was and what she actually ate for food today. I rummage through my purse hoping I have another diaper because it is REALLY full...no such luck. I'm hoping even more the doctor won't notice.

2:00 pm - Doctor comments on Ellie's really full diaper saying, "Wow, she's really hydrated". I laugh a nervous laugh. Doctor asks what Ellie usually eats, "For instance, what did she have today?" I didn't have the heart to tell her two McDonald's chocolate chip cookies, some sips of my Coke, a dum-dum sucker, and a bottle.

2:30 pm - Leave the doctor's office with Ellie screaming from getting shots, McKell screaming because she slammed her fingers in the door, and Tyler asking me why he got a shot. Diversion: Tyler was very nervous to get his shot. He kept sitting up right before she gave it to him and said, "Wait, wait wait". He did this a few times and the last time, he started crying instantly as soon as she stuck in the needle. He stopped mid-cry and said, "actually, that doesn't hurt" and was totally fine.

3:30pm - Come home to a total mess. Realize the dog has jumped on the table (apparently she's over getting shocked when she gets near it) and spilled everything on the ground - making the strawberry milk in the cups shoot across the kitchen, all over the floor. Tyler, while lying on the floor near the strawberry milk mess says, "Mom, the milk's all over the floor. " Thank you Captain Obvious. I ask him to get me a diaper to change Ellie's overloaded one. He brings me a pull-up. I worry about the reasoning ability in that boy...

Honestly, after all the hiccups in my day, the thing that bugs me the most is the dog. Can you really not think of anything else besides food?! Get a grip, dog...

I really am not a dog person. Don't ask me why I don't' sell her...it's a fruitless argument.

And, if you are still reading this then you are either a mother, have been a mother, or a family member of mine and are therefore obligated to read my entries.

The day's not over - we still have homework, wrestling carpool and a shower to re-caulk.

Light bulbs, the Joker, angry grunts and burning eyes...

Scenario: Me, putting on lip gloss before going to church and Tyler watching. It's a new color (a bit darker than my normal nude color) and I'm thinking it looks pretty darn good.

Tyler: "Mom, you look like the Joker with that lipstick on your face"

Thank you, Tyler...this is the comparison you chose?! A deranged, scary, psychotic man who's entire being spews darkness? I knew which Joker he meant because he'd seen the preview picture for the Dark Knight - don't try to make me feel better.




********************
McKell asked me if she could do something the other night, I don't remember what but she was standing at the bottom of the stairs and once I said "Yes" she clapped her hands and ran over and said, "You a nice mommy, thank you" and showers my legs with kisses. I then said, "I'm so happy that I'm such a nice mommy". She then said, "No, sometimes you do this" and proceeds to put her hands on her hips and grunts an angry grunt and has a scowl on her face.

**********************
Mom of the Year Award...


"Mother who has her boys sleep on top of burnt out light bulbs". Yes, that would be the title for this award. Last night I forgot to take the used bulbs off of the top bunk, where both boys love to sleep. I had a vague recollection this morning that I didn't take them off the bed and I asked Austin this morning if he saw light bulbs in his bed. He said, "Yep, I didn't know what they were for, so I threw them off the bed. They're probably behind the bed or on the ground". Ok, I've always prided myself on my son being bright and very logical - why would he not put them on the dresser or tell me? Throw them on the ground?!


"Mother who burns her child's eyes out" . This particular award would be for my scarring experience of putting ear numbing drops in Ellie's eyes. I was totally traumatized, the entire time I was washing out her eyes thinking she'd have one eye and she'd have to wear an eye patch or a glass eye, which really doesn't 'fake' any one out and that she'd have horrible wedding pictures with an eye patch.

She was fine - just screaming from the shocking cold water and the stinging of the numbing drops.

Just keeping it real people, just keeping it real.