Life as we know it: RASCALS

This morning did not go as planned.  As I got into the shower, I heard the boys start talking and making noise, so I knew they were awake.  Usually, they play in their room or read together in one of their beds before I come in to get them.  Today, I heard them try to open their door (which is a usual occurrence) and then I heard more rattling . . . and, then, they pulled back the shower curtain and said “Hi, Mommy!”  Well . . . HELLO to you too!  They just hung around the bathroom until I got out, and they decided to “sleep in Mommy’s bed like a {naked} jaybird” (note:  there are never naked jaybirds sleeping in Mommy’s bed.  They just thought this was funny since they only had on their diapers} while I attempted to get dressed and ready for the day as fast as humanly possible. 

Despite my telling him not to do it, Hudson has a new habit of trying to drink all of the water out of Hatch’s cup (beside his bed) as fast as possible.  Today, I grabbed the cup just as William was screaming “NOOO, HUDSON!”  Hudson just said “Dat’s enough.  Me all done.”  Thank you, Hudson, I am glad we are in agreement.

Right before I took this picture, I told William to smile.  After taking the picture he said “I can’t smile!  My mouth not workin’!  My mouth broken!”  I assured him his mouth was not broken and that he did in fact smile for the picture!

We are in what I like to call Potty Training Purgatory.  The boys definitely have an interest in the potty, they have some success using it, but they don’t use it all the time . . . and sometimes their timing is off . . . WAY off.  So, we are not officially potty training, but we are not exclusively using diapers either.  We had decided, together, that the boys would use the potty before putting on their clothes (which, to me, seemed like a normal, human thing to do.)  I was finishing getting ready when I heard the faucet running which was my first cue that they were trying to use the potty without me.  I rushed into the bathroom to find that Hudson was filling the insert of the “tiny potty” with water and somehow dumping/sloshing it all over the bathroom floor.  William was squealing “Oh no!  Da floor wet!  Hudson getting da floor wet!”  I thought I might lose my mind.  This was far too much activity for me when, on any other given day, my children would have been securely shut in their bedrooms!  I cleaned up the floor and Hudson helped me.  Hudson used the potty, and we went to get his clothes for the day.  Meanwhile, William unraveled the entire roll of toilet paper and put it in the toilet and tried to flush it.  I walked in the bathroom, and he held up the cardboard roll and proudly said “Look!  I flushed it!  I flushed it down da potty!”  Lovely.  While I was taking care of William’s mishap, I realized that Sister had somehow woken up from her nap . . . and, then, I heard the music from her mobile . . . which to me, was not a good sign.  When I went into her room, I was horrified to find this:

Despite my audible shock and dismay, William could not resist joining in the fun . . . 

Poor sister.  Poor, poor sister.  She is loved so much.  I just hope the love doesn’t leave her trampled . . .  

It seems that Aunt Mary’s mobile was luring them into her crib . . . 

. . . after all, it does play music and spin.  (Fear not, Sugie, they now know that they are NEVER to do that again.)

After our very interesting start to the morning (all of this had happened before breakfast, mind you) we still somehow managed to make it out of the house in one piece and with all of our family members alive and well.  That is no small feat around here.  We went to the park with some friends and played with the dinosaurs, and it was lovely.  And, to the credit of the rascals, they did a pretty good job of listening to me when it was time to leave.  I am learning that while my goal is for them to listen to me and obey me the first time I say it, for now, if they listen and obey me within a minute or two of my asking, that feels like real success!  Baby steps, baby steps . . .   

I will leave you with this:  William “feeding” Hudson his water.  They think it is hysterical.  This picture was taken last night, but they were still talking about it this morning.  It is so funny to me to see what they laugh at these days!  Oh, these rascals!  They are wild, but I love them so!