The Little Gangsta's Guide to Driving His Mom Nuts.

Are you familiar with this book?

We are.  Too familiar.
My sons love this book.  I think Miles wrote it in his past life.  Basically, it's about this boy (named David) who does naughty things and the entire book is his mother scolding him.  Things like climbing on counters to steal cookies, splashing water outside of the bathtub, and shoving too much food into his mouth.  In my world....amateur stuff.
But my boys love it.  Now when I'm reading it they make me say "No Liam!" or "No Miles!"  because they're so thrilled that an entire book was written almost entirely about their lives of crime.  In fact, we've started role-playing the parts that before now, weren't applicable to our lives. 
Let me give you an example.
Liam now insists on at least 10 good minutes after his bath when he can be "a little bit naked".  This involves him running and jumping around the house yelling "Come back here Liam!".  In his mind it looks like this....

 

 In reality it looks more like this...

 

And I, the mature adult in this situation, giggle the entire time.

Wordless Wednesday

Ten Things I Know to Be True on Tuesday

1. My kids can be using two pieces of cutlery to eat and cut their food at breakfast while saying "please" and "no thank you" during the entire meal, impressing everyone within earshot.  No more than 5 minutes later they will go back to the hotel room and start pretending to pee on one another.  There is no happy medium.
2. Ice cream bars make a great snack...just not in the car when it is dark out and you have no form of napkin to clean up with.
3. I miss Miracle Whip. If you have a jar in your fridge, give it a nice hug for me.
4. Laundry won't do itself.  Even if you stare at it really hard and will it to get up and walk itself to the washing machine.
5. There is no way to tell your dog and cat that you are coming home in two years, but you can find them really lovely homes and hope they still like you enough to come with you when you return.  You can also wish everyday that you would have been nicer to them so that they would actually miss you rather than have the times of their lives in their new homes. 
6. Jealousy is a terrible houseguest.
7. People will surprise you.
8. Preschool teachers are too nice to tell you what your child really did and how it really screwed up their day.
9. The best conversations happen well after your bedtime.  It's a small price to pay.
10. There is no greater sound than when your kids are in the other room playing happily together and pretending.  Nothing in the world is better.

For the evolution of 10 Truth Tuesday click here.

Dublin

Last weekend for my birthday we decided to take a small adventurous trip to Dublin.  If I'm honest, I would admit that I wasn't really looking forward to it.  We've been so busy that I thought a weekend at home relaxing sounded fun, but Dustin talked me into the trip and I ended up having a little a lot of fun exploring the city and other things on the way.

 

Our first stop was an old Celtic burial mound in Newgrange, Ireland that dates back before the pyramids - something like 3200 B.C.  It's hard to comprehend something that old.  It was pretty cool as far as old things go, and luckily we had the weather for it.  This was one place listed in Fromers 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before They Leave Home.  So we did.  However, our kids will probably just be upset that we did it before they'll ever be old enough to remember.  Trust me kids...you liked it.

The front entrance.  All of the stone is the original stone.

Waiting for the bus back.

After Newgrange we headed on to Dublin where we had a good time exploring the city....and the culinary experiences it had to offer.  First stop, Thai food, which was a big hit with the boys.

Then the next day... crepes for a mid-morning snack

 

And Queen of Tarts for a post-mid-morning snack.

 

Next we went on to Dublin castle which had a huge courtyard that we could run around and explore.  The boys were having a great time following the brick trails on the ground.  We of course had no idea what the significance of the place was, but something important happened there because there were a lot of people talking in hushed voices and looking at guidebooks.  

Some church...an important one I'm sure.  I'm a terrible tourist.

On Sunday before heading home we went to see The Book of Kells.  The boys loved it.  Just kidding.  Wouldn't that be great if they did though?  What they did love was running around the dark room and chasing each other down the long corridor of the library.  Now that was more their cup of tea.

Waiting in line to see The Book of Kells.

Survival of the Fittest

Last night I had my bed to myself.  I used every pillow in our house to cocoon myself into a nest of heaven and then stretched myself out diagonally in our double bed.  Just before falling asleep I stretched each toe individually and reminded myself how heavenly the night ahead of me was going to be.  And it was.
Fast forward to 3 a.m.
My slumber is interrupted by the sound of tiny feet pitter pattering down the hall and to my room.  A sound I haven't heard for months.  A sound I deep-down miss.  My oldest child gently taps my face and whispers "I sleep with you mommy."  Okay sweet child.  Plenty of room.
2 minutes later....more pitter pattering.  Followed by a giant teddy bear being tossed gently on my face from the other direction.  "Mommy I sleep too." says my youngest.  Okay sweet baby.  Plenty of room.
Three slumbering bodies intertwined together.  A mother with her two dear children, all peacefully blissful in their dreamless sleep.
Try again.
This time picture this mother wedged between two seemingly giant children.  Feet kneading in my back constantly, being kicked in the gut.  I sleep with my arms over my head because it is the only place I can think to put them.  Finally I've had enough, so I start shoving bodies away from me and close to the edge of the bed.  Everyone sleeps through the ordeal, except for me.  I wonder why I'm not enjoying this more.  It could be Liam's fist in my mouth, or Miles hot breath on my face.  It could be the fact that I can't change positions because that would mean rolling on top of one of my children.  For a brief moment I consider sleeping horizontally at the foot of the bed.  I consider going to their beds.  But I stand my ground.  This is my bed.  My territory.  I will not be overthrown.  I'm so hot, I have to get my sweatshirt off.  But by now it's dangerously close to morning.  One false move could lead to having to get out of bed completely.  I decide to sweat through it. 
I finally fall back asleep just in time to be awoken by the giggling going on around me.  So young, and they're already planning and enjoying my demise...my first thoughts.  I open one eye, and then the other.  Two boys.  Wide awake.  Waiting for their mama.
"Good morning mommy.  I wake up!"
"I wake up too!"
Me = Lucky.  And in love.

Channeling Betty Crocker

I'm suddenly really into baking since I've been here.  I think it's a combination of many factors.

1.  I never have to cook for myself or my family.

2.  I don't have to go to the grocery store to buy most of the ingredients - they're just available for me to use in the Main House kitchen.

3.  I never have to eat the whole thing.  I can try one bite/slice/roll and then ship it off to the volunteer house where it will be gone in approximately 3.5 minutes.

4.  AND the volunteers as so used to a certain way of eating and being fed, that they act like I'm the most amazing baker on the face of the planet.  If it is just a ploy to get more naughty baked goods their way, then it totally works.  

Last Sunday I was inspired by my friend and her blog.  She made these AMAZING looking cinnamon rolls for her kids, and at about 7:30 on Sunday morning I decided that I NEEDED THOSE ROLLS.  The problem was that if I made them, it would be lunch time before I got them finished.  So I followed the DELICIOUS cream cheese frosting recipe she posted in the above link, and then made these 90 minute rolls. 

 

So there you go.  If I come back 90 pounds heavier, you now know why.

Wordless Wednesday