Grandpa's Challenge...can we prove him wrong?

I have been painting Carson and Nate's room. I made them cute quilts, had my design friend come and choose paints. We decided to go with a cute blueish/greyish color on 3 walls and then a darker version of that on the last one...not quite navy, but pretty dark. WELL, all the painting was done except that last wall.

I only needed a quart of paint (than goodness). I was half way done, when I hear a commotion. Robbie had been helping me and he turned around in time to think that maybe Carson was going to knock the paint off the table it was on. TOO LATE...about 3/4 of a quart of paint was all over my brand new carpet. This was the icing on the cake to my week...near death electricution...a mean, mouthy 4 year old that broke an egg all over his matress...now my carpet.

It was not my most shining moment as a mother when I yelled at him and told him mulitple times to get away from me, that I did not want to see his face, and that I could just kill him for what he'd done. I exploded...which now, I am not very proud of. I felt very bad when my cute little 2 year old bawled, "MOM, please don't kill Carson. Don't kill my brother."

Luckily (or maybe unluckily), my brother had a similar situation at his house. He said to get a shampooer and until then, do not let it dry. So, off Robbie went to rent a carpet shampooer. I stayed home, which probably was not a good choice. I just got more and more mad as I cleaned. I scooped up the puddles with my spatula and put it back in the paint can. Then I wiped with paper towels. Then it was the pour water and sop it up with a bath towel technique. This was pretty effective. Every towel in my house now has blue stains. By the time Robbie got back, I thought that maybe I could live with the spot. But, I was still steaming. We then used the shampooer for an hour or so and MIRACLE...it all came out.

I finished painting. I had about a tablespoon left over. I guess it was a good lesson for me...Stuff is just that...stuff. Was it worth it to lose it and yell such mean things at my 4 year old? I wish I could say whole heartedly no. I was really mad. I guess I could have toned it down a little though. Maybe I should have said that I was really mad or that he was in trouble...but kill you...that was a little drastic...not my proudest moment, for sure. When my dad built our house , he told me many times that there was nothing these boys can do that he couldn't fix. I should find comfort in that, but is seems like they are challenging him...just trying to prove him wrong.

Logan...the silent, busy one.

My sweet little baby boy just turned 9 months. It seems unbelievable that he is this old. I swear that I was pregnant with him for about 5 times this long. It has been a blink. He is so good. He doesn't get a lot of air time on our blog because he has 2 very active older brothers and our camera is still ruined. I am sure he will join the ranks with Carson and Nate, but for now I am going to cherish the things I love about him.

• He loves ME! I love that he really loves me. He reaches for me. He follows me around all day crawling. I have to be careful not to step on him.
• He loves his brothers. They can get him to laugh better than anyone.
• He likes to play peek-a-boo at nap/bed time. He has been doing this for a few months. He pulls the blanket over his head and pulls it down...then gives a BIG grin.
• He loves his teddy bear that Grandma Marsha gave him. When we put him to bed, he gives the teddy big kisses. He is usually laying on it when we check on him.
• He gives a little bite when he kisses. He has 6 teeth now and he knows to give a little love nibble.
• He likes the vacuum. If he hears the vacuum from across the house, he high tails it to where ever I am and watches with his undivided attention.
• He LOVES to turn the water on and off in our big bath tub. He of course does it standing on the outside while one of us is in it.
• He knows where the fun is. He is continually going into Carson and Nate's room and wrecking their train track, car town, what ever. They deal with this by baracading him between their beds with blankets and pillows. He is getting big enough to crawl over their baracade.
• He is VERY quiet, though he is chattering more and more each day. It is not uncommon to have him be silent and pulling all the diapers off the changing table.
• He melts me with his big brown eyes and his cute toothy smile.

I love being a mom, some days more than others, but I always am thankful for these quirky, funny, busy, loud, rowdy boys!

PS...we had a little paint fiasco on Friday...4 year olds and paint are not a good combo...that will be for another day.

Childproof, sort of...

We have these outlets in our new house that are required. They are childproof. I can barely get stuff pluged in. They are a pain. They are childproof because they have these little plastic covers that keep kids (and mommies) from plugging stuff in. Plus, you are not supposed to get shocked with only one thing stuck in them. Today I heard Carson screaming. When I went to see what happened, he was on the floor crying with 2 butter knives by his side. He had stuck both knives in the outlet...the only way to get shocked. WHAT! He said that it made his arm move by itself and that it hurt his bones. If you've ever been shocked, you know, that is a pretty good description. This is the second time he's done this. The first was over a year ago. It was so shocking that it ruined my knife and there was smoke involved. My friend, Natalie, said that she wondered how many guardian angels are assigned to boys before they came to earth... my answer...A LOT! Good thing we have Grandma Elaine to watch over us!

When ya gotta go...

Yesterday, we were coming back from a fun day in Twin Falls. We spent the day with my sister in law, Heather, then had the most expensive trip to Costco (with out buying something like a computer) EVER, then went to a small local toy store and then we were on our way home...so I thought.

We were running late. I thought that Robbie would beat us home, so we were in a hurry. When, of course, 2 minutes after leaving the toy store, Nate says, " Mom I have to go pee pee!" Then Carson says, "MOOOOOOM, POOOOOOOOP....RIGHT NOW!"

We are close to the canyon where there is a visiters center and sort of a rest area, so we stopped there. Much to out dismay, the bathrooms were closed for winter! Carson started freaking out. What is the saying? Necesity brings inventiveness (totally slaughtered it, but you get the idea). So, I found an empty water bottle...that took care of Nate. But what for Carson? Luckily, I had just spent my grocery budget for the whole month and had a box of milk. I emptied the box out and had Carson sit down... Nothing like #2 in a cardboard box. It did the trick, though.

What did I do with the box, you ask. Put it back in the car and threw it away when I got home. Robbie was astounded by this. I wasn't going to leave it there. At the end of this potty trip, I just had to shake my head and laugh...PLUS, Logan was stinky when we got home!

What is with women?

What is with women? Why are we never happy? I guess that I should really speak for myself...this morning when I weighed, I was within 5 lbs of my goal weight...like what I weighed before I got pregnant with Carson...My first thought was, "YES!" I might have even yelled that, BUT then, I immediately thought...I really should lose another 10 to 15 lbs. Why do we do this to ourselves...I just need to remind myself...IT DOES NOT MATTER! So let that be the thought for the day...beauty is not a number. It is who you are inside, not out...it is not in a magazine. It is a REAL woman, being a REAL mom and wife, living a REAL life!