Survival

Definition: putting all your kids, including your six month old, on bean bags in front of the TV so that you can try to fold the 17 loads of laundry in the background. At least they are all clothed (even if it's in pajamas) and fed. 

Funny conversations...

Me: Esther why is your jacket in a plastic bag in your backpack? 

Esther: Because Mommy, I went poopoo at school and I was wiping and I got it on my hands and so I wiped them on my jacket. 

Of course you did. 

Noah: Daddy, I know about everything on the whole world.

Brian: I don't think so buddy. I don't even know everything in the whole world.

Noah : Yes I do Daddy.

Sometime later...

Noah: Actually Daddy, I know everything about the whole world except one thing.

Brian: What's that? 

Noah: Construction sites.

Brian: How come?

Noah: Because I don't know where they put the cranes or the bulldozers. But I know everything else about everything in the whole world. 

Noah: Daddy, is the Eiffel Tower a long way away? 

Brian: Yes. Do you know where it is? 

Noah: Yeah Daddy. Parich Ranch!

Oh Esther...

The other night I told the kids to clean up their toys. Noah promptly jumps up and starts working. Esther just dawdles and finds everything else that she needs to do other than clean. Finally after getting on to her multiple times and putting her in time out, she starts cleaning and really kicks it into gear. This is our conversation that followed. 

Me: Esther, Thank you for cleaning up and having such a good attitude.

Esther (in her sassiest most bossy voice): Mommy do you remember when I was sick and threw up and had to lay on the couch? 

Me: Yes

Esther: Do you want me to do that again?

Me: No

Esther: Then you better stop being mean to me.

Wow. Think we may have to invest in boarding school during the teenage years. Oh Esther, I already know it is going to be a rough few (or ten) years in there, but my prayer is that someday, years down the road, we can be friends again. :) I love you baby. 

The day Thomas became stubborn...

A couple Saturdays ago, we were eating breakfast like any other Saturday. Everyone was finishing up and getting up from the table. I can't really remember how it all started. I think maybe Thomas was throwing a fit about wanting to get down, and we told him to say 'please' just like every other morning. But for some reason, this time he refused to do it. We told him he couldn't get down until he said 'please' and he still refused. Sometimes I hate it when we make statements like that because that inevitably means a battle is about to ensue. The line has been drawn in he sand and Thomas must decide if he will cross over or stubbornly hold his ground. I remember reaching that moment with Noah and Esther, but it wasn't too surprising to me that they held their ground and a war began (one that has definitely not stopped ever since). 

But Thomas is a different story. He is so sweet and so mild mannered that I kind of allowed myself to believe that we may never have conflict. He was sure to let me know otherwise that morning. He sat in that chair from around 8:00 until around 11:00!!! Noah and Esthher were begging him to say it. We sat with him, we left him, we came back. He didn't budge. He cried, he screamed, he laughed, he started disrobing. Still nothing. And then, all of a sudden, after three long hours, we told one final time to say 'please' and he did it. Lots of cheering followed and he finally got down shortly before we put him back in his chair for lunch. :) 

Feliz Navidad!

Noah: Hey Mom, what's that song that goes, "Boogy snoggydog. I want to wish you a merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart?"
Haha!

Merry Christmas!

We went this past weekend to get pictures taken with Santa. Noah wanted to dress like Santa. Esther originally wanted to wear her full Tinkerbell costume, but substituted in the reindeer pajama shirt that she found. I love their creativity and independence. I think it tends to make our job as parents a little more difficult at times, but I think life any other way would almost be boring. Merry Christmas!

Pride comes before the fall...

I have always prided myself on my children not ever having cut their hair. I mean how hard is it anyway? Just keep the scissors out of their reach people. It's not that difficult. God must have decided I needed some humbling because today I definitely had to eat my words.
I have been meaning to cut Noah's hair for a while now and just haven't made the time for it. He has a Christmas program at school tomorrow so I decided I should finally get around to it. I set the kit on the table, pulled out the clippers, and began. Things were going really well (he is not the easiest haircut in the world), and then from behind I heard the scissors snip. I jerked around only to see that Esther had cut a huge chunk of hair off the back of her head. I screamed and almost started crying which I think may have scared her because she immediately started cleaning all the hair up (as if that was what I was upset about). She had been mad at me for not cutting her hair and I guess she just decided to take matters into her own hands. Noah asked her why she cut her hair, and she very proudly said, "I was taking my haircut!"
People have told me this morning that it will grow back, which it will, but it has taken three years to get where it is now. So maybe by the time she is halfway through kindergarten, it will be back to normal. Awesome. I pray that someday her strongwilledness and determination will be used for good and that all the struggles she puts us through will be worth it. And I truly pity the man who falls for her. He is in for a ride. Haha! :)