Out of It

When the kids and I got home Friday after running around I walked up to our front door to find it slightly opened. My veins filled with adrenaline as I remembered I definitely locked the door and that our neighbors house was robbed a few weeks ago. Did our house get broken into? I looked back at the car, thankful the kids were still buckled in their seats. Trying not to make a sound, I pushed the door open slowly. The living room was dark with toys scattered here and there. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. I creeped inside, all of my senses on full alert.

Then I saw something on the floor to my left. Isn't that the diaper bag we just had with us while we ran errands? Confusion filled my brain. Followed by clarity. Oh yeah, I already made one trip in with our stuff and I left the door open so I could carry in the kids.

After slapping myself repeatedly I brought the kids in and put them down for their naps. I sat down on the couch with my lunch and chuckled to myself over the incident. In the back of my mind I kept thinking this sandwich tastes funny. When there were two bites left I saw that I forgot to put meat in my sandwich. Just lettuce mustard and cheese.

Anyone know where I can get some ginkgo biloba?

Best Bed Head Ever

This is what Mash's mullet looks like in the mornings.

Isn't it great?

Proud Parenting

Last Saturday we went to a surprise dinner. Everyone in our church was assigned to a group and you showed up to someone's home not knowing who was going to be there. Our group was a hit. We reconnected with some, met others for the first time, and ate delicious barbecue. Brian and I left saying that was really fun!

But let's rewind to the middle of the dinner. We were outside eating, visiting, laughing. Kids were running around the yard entertaining themselves. Then we heard a commotion amongst the children, a few sounds of disgust coming from the older girls. Out of the corner of my eye I found the cause. I sat shocked for a millisecond as my brain processed that my son's pants were down, his little pot belly stuck out as he leaned back, and an impressively large arc of pee was spraying out into the middle of the yard.

I jumped up from the table and ran to him but my intervening did nothing to salvage our dignity.

Oh, um Silas! Sweetie, we don't pee outside. I see confusion in his face. Well, we only pee outside at our house. He feels the need to clarify. Mommy, we pee pee and poo poo outside at my house. Yes, that's right. Clearing my throat, so thankful for his thoroughness. But, Silas, when we are at someone else's house we only go potty in the toilet. Everyone graciously laughed and I informed our host that her lawn had been christened.

But yeah that's right people. Our potty training son pees outside and on particularly constipated occasions is allowed to poop outside. Something about being out in nature gets his bowels moving. And when he hasn't pooped in six days, desperate times call for desperate measures. I just hope the neighbors understand that when they look over and see our naked son walking around dropping baby ruths.

Double Rainbow Week

I just had one.

It all started with Brian taking a week off from work. It was really nice to have him home. We think he might go ahead and retire.

Then two of my favorite people in the world  (Nikki and Emily) brought their kids and came to stay with us for the weekend. These gals are my dear friends. Brian is quite fond of their husbands as well. I'm sure those are the words he would use. We met in a life group almost 9 years ago and over the years they have become like family. When we're together we laugh off about 10,000 calories and I leave the presence of these women feeling understood and encouraged. Here's the fun we had:

 Painting with chocolate pudding. Silas got a tummy ache when he tried to finish off the entire bowl. The boy loves chocolate more than a 40 year old woman after a stressful day.

The kids enjoyed rafting with Mr. Brian.

The older ones swam for at least 16 hours over the weekend.

Look at this handsome group. Mollie decided to show her best side.

We ended Brian's staycation week with a bang by taking the kids to a waterpark. They liked it. We liked it. We got there when it opened and stayed until they closed. It was one of those times when you sit back watching your children laugh in excitement and think, I absolutely love having kids. I think I want 16 more. But then it would cost $600 to go to a waterpark so that wouldn't really work. Darn those waterparks. They ruin everything.

Mash splashed, stomped and explored.

And napped in the heat.

Silas found some slides and played there all day.
He only took a break to try the wave pool.

 This is what happened as we drove out of the parking lot.

Brian does it bother you when I photograph you driving?

Yes.

 Is it still bothering you?

 Yes Angie.

Ok just checking. 

Today we had a "lay around" day at the house to recuperate. I asked Silas what he was thinking about as he quietly ate his lunch. Oh, juss thinkin about da wadapawk. Da owange swide and yewow swide and da bwue swide and da waves. I was doing the same thing.
Feeling blessed.

Monkeys are Scary

During the dead silence of last night a screaming Silas burst into our room. Unfortunately this is not unusual but I must have been in a deep sleep stage because I woke up startled not knowing where I was or who was screaming. When I came to I quickly became focused on comforting my child. His chest was heaving as he clung to his daddy. This wasn't the typical night waking. He was reeheeheeheeally scared. I could see that Brian was in "Brian-sleepy-zombie" mode because he was actually still asleep while he sat up holding Silas. I stepped in.

Did you have a bad dream sweetie? (rubbing his head)
Yes!
What was your dream about?
A big monkey! (interesting I thought)
What did the monkey do?
The monkey tickled me then the monkeys got me. The monkeys were big and had lots of eyes and were HAIRY! They were big and they bumped their heads (he points to the ceiling). They were mean monkeys.  
They came in my room and got me mommeeeeee!
I turned on the lights and rubbed his back saying, look Silas, you're in our room, there are no monkeys, you're ok (bringing him back to reality).
After I got him calmed down I slapped Brian on the back of the head and said wake up chump! He did and carried Silas back to his bed to help him go back to sleep.

But suddenly I wanted to be there with them and not alone in our bed. Silas was a little too thorough in his description of the monkeys. If you stop to picture a big hairy monkey with lots of eyes all up in your face and you have a problem like me where you tend to slip into scary fantasy worlds and think they're reality you would get scared too. I have to get soap in my eyes when I wash my face because if I close them I know a scary man will be standing behind me when I look up. My plan is to grow out of this when I turn thirty because you can't be thirty and still be scared of these shenanigans.

In the meantime let's pray that we get no more nightly visits from this guy.

Silas These Days

Wears a baseball cap because the sun is too bwight.
Loves his giraffe.
Plays with his hands (right hand is "Big Hand" and has a deep voice, left hand is "Little Hand" and has squeaky voice)
Is fascinated with manly vehicles (semi-trucks, anything with a trailer, trucks with campers, car haulers, dump trucks, cement trucks, tractors, you get the picture.)
Asks, "Can I watch you go away?" when people leave.
Has stinky feet.
Eats a "peanut honey" every day for lunch (almond butter/raw honey sandwich.)
Says I love you in sign language by giving a peace sign.
Scratches my back for 1.9 seconds when I ask him to.
Says "you make me funny" instead of "you make me laugh."
Watches Mr. Rogers. Alot. 
Say's goo goo ga ga and crawls whenever we give Mash attention. 
Is very in touch with his and others' emotions.
Refuses to use toothpaste with fluoride (iss too hot mommy!)
Calls my purse a person.
Loves music (almost always singing, playing piano, dancing, and/or drumming.)
Asks every night at 8:30 if it's morning time (wishful thinking.)
Always always wants to help. 
Likes to play karate chops, chase, and hide and seek.
Keeps me on my toes.