family fun

We’re starting this spring break with the girls having a sleepover at their grandparents’ house. I’ve heard rumors that cupcakes and manicures will be involved so they will probably return to our house glittery and sugared up. (As one should return from a sleepover, in my opinion.)

Then on Tuesday my sister arrives for the week.

Hijinks may occur.

Well, actually, they probably will since we are taking Colin to the dentist for the first time. And based on how much he loves the doctor (screams the WHOLE time) and how big a fan he is of teeth brushing in general (not), this should be fun. So if you hear screaming around 3:30 on Tuesday, don’t be alarmed. Its us.

But other than plans to hit the outlet mall and hit it hard, we’re just going to see where the week takes us!

What are you up to this week?

Today we're all exhausted.

Its a rainy, cold day. Ellie just has a half day of school and Gracie doesn't have school at all. The only other thing on our list is to meet a friend for coffee this morning.

Nice.

As soon as Ellie gets home at noon, we're all going back in our jammies. Becuase today seems like the perfect day to hang out, watch movies, bake cookies, take naps, and read books.

And we'll certainly need to have some serious car races.

because after hosting a 2-hour birthday party with Ellie's classmates on Saturday, I think they all need a significant raise. Good heavens, that was crazy. I'm still exhausted.

Let me tell you, 25 kids bouncing around in a big warehouse of bouncy things is insane. INSANE. Poor Colin and his three little tiny friends. They held their own and created their own mayhem. We only had one bloody nose, three meltdowns and one fight (all from the second graders, that is. The three-year-olds were fine ;-). Children were flying in all directions. There was a battering ram. A BATTERING RAM.

Colin hid during Happy Birthday, which was so cute. I think he was intimidated by the very passionate and very LOUD rendition by Ellie's classmates. Note to future self: black icing on a 3-year-old's birthday cake is not the best idea. 

Happy birthday to two of my babies!!

One week ago, my husband and I were rudely awoken at 1:00 in the morning by a beeping. My husband's little battery-operated portable alarm clock was going off. It wasn't on his nightstand, so we stumbled around the room, but it shut back off before we could find it.

This is not the first time this has happened – Colin, being male, is fascinated by things with buttons and numbers and likes to play with this clock. He has dropped it by the nightstand several times.

But it wasn't by the nightstand. We couldn't find it. And the same thing happened the next night. And the next night. And the next night. And the next night.

FOR OVER A WEEK.

It seemed to be coming from the closet. Or maybe the bookcase. Or maybe under the bed.

We couldn't figure it out. First, because it goes off at 1:00 in the morning when we are not particularly alert and quick thinking. And second, because it would go off just long enough for us to wake up, get out of bed and start trying to follow the sound… but then it would stop before we could find it.

I've looked everywhere! Under the bed, under everything, I tore apart my closet, lifted up the mattress, EVERYWHERE. But last night I decided I was going to find this alarm clock if it killed me. I began taking everything out from under the bed, looking inside every box and bag. (Um, we have a lot of stuff under our bed.)

Finally, I took out the gorgeous oriental carpet we have rolled up and stored under the bed to keep it safe from the children. Guess what slid out?

The missing alarm clock. Set for 1:00 in the morning exactly.  

So there was yet another stink bug flying around our house. Colin is deathly afraid of stink bugs and as soon as he sees one, he's crouched on the floor with his hands over his ears screaming "TINK BUG! MAMA GET THE TINK BUG!"

What can I say. He loves worms, hates stink bugs. He's a complicated little man, my Colin.

Being the mama warrior that I am, I explained "Calm down, Colin, its just a teeny tiny bug! Calm down!" then bravely approached the Stink Bug that was perched on the shower curtain.  But as soon as I got close, it buzzed away. And vanished. I looked and looked and could not find that stupid bug anywhere.

I showed Colin it was all gone (hoping it wouldn't reappear) so he would stop crying. I put him to bed – still keeping an eye out for the mysterious disappearing bug – and went into my bathroom to brush my teeth.

Then something moving caught my eye in the mirror.

IT WAS IN MY HAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I screamed, smacked the stink bug off, caught it in a tissue and flushed it – and them commenced with the age-old "EWWWW THE BUG TOUCHED ME!!!" dance women have been performing since the beginning of time.

If you need me, I'll be washing my hair. Again.