Mess of the Day #31: Oh, Rats!

Sorry I don't have a pic for you, but you'll have fun imagining this one. We have been staying with a friend, helping her recover from knee replacement surgery. Pete came to me, saying that Screech was using Windex on the family's rat cage. It was actually worse; she had sprayed the Windex on the poor rats! Their fur was blue and soaked. I asked her why she did that, and she replied earnestly, "I was trying to make them go to sleep!"

Screech is Not Amused

I don't know who I feel sorrier for. Screech, because Pete sprayed Silly String in her hair? Or Pete, because he got blamed for it when actually, DADDY was the culprit?

Mess of the Day # 30: Crib Sheet Art

We're Alive!!!!

"Finally!" you're saying, "I don't have to look at a picture of that kitten anymore!!!!" I am SO sorry I haven't posted in ages. It's been so long that I forgot my Blogger password and it took me several tries to login! Here, in a nutshell, is what has been going on with us:

- I have discovered Facebook. 'Nuff said!

- This past summer, I went through a bad bout of clinical depression. Nothing brought it on, but life was a daily struggle for awhile. I truly didn't care about anyone or anything. After some medication and lifestyle changes, I am finally back to 100%!

- As if that weren't bad enough, soon after my depression set in Hubby lost his job due to the economy. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as he was there to help me cope everyday and took over all the major household duties. I don't know what I'd have done without him! Please pray for him, though, as he hasn't found work yet. He is looking for a management position in Health/Safety/Environmental or in Quality. We would prefer to live in the southeast if at all possible. If you know of any such openings, please let us know!

- Drama Queen and Pete will be in a play soon, "Hansel and Gretel". They will be playing a brother and sister who get lost in the forest. I am proud of both of them: Drama Queen for being so expressive, and Pete for having his first major role and memorizing his lines so quickly. I am in charge of costumes, which is SO much fun!


- We're still homeschooling and loving it! Drama Queen is especially loving math, thanks to Teaching Textbooks. Wonderful program! Here the kids are modeling the Egyptian costumes I made for them:


- Pete is thriving in Taekwondo. He recently earned his purple belt.

- Pete tried to scam the Tooth Fairy and received this note (created by a most clever fairy), which was later found wadded in a tight ball in the outside trashcan. (It was MIGHTY unusual that he offered to take the trash out by himself for the first time ever!) Any fairy communication was vehemently denied.



(You can download a blank copy here!)

- As you can see, Screech is still Screech! Yes, she's eating with her feet.


She is cracking us up lately with her affinity for bugs, dead or alive. She lets the live ones crawl all over her, then she plays with them for hours until they die. Here she is holding a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach. The people at the nature center had to beg her to get it back!


The only reason she is petting this LARGE tarantula so delicately is because we bribed her. She'd have grabbed it out of the man's hand otherwise!


Here she is playing with dead beetles in lieu of dolls:


Last but not least, Sylvester the cat is growing like a weed! He's no longer that tiny kitten, but he's as sweet and cuddly as ever!


That's it for now. I promise, I'll update regularly now that my love affair with Facebook has begun to wane!

Happy $%&@#*$ Day!

(If you have little ones looking over your shoulder who know how to read, you may want to shoo them away or read this later!)

March 26 is Create Your Own Holiday Day. Pete declared that it was Stay Up All Day and Night Day, which I promptly nixed. (Aren't I a meanie?) He decided to join Drama Queen in her celebration of Backwards Day.

When Screech inquired as to why Drama Queen's clothes were on backward, her sister patiently explained that it was Backwards Day. Screech "corrected" her, saying, "No! It's B*st*rds Day!"

Alright then. Let me be the first to wish you a very happy B*st*rds Day!

It's right up there with Festivus.

Mess of the Day # 28: Cat Door

The cat door is just too tempting not to play with.

Mess of the Day # 27: A Sad Day

I have dreaded this day.

I knew it was coming.

Drama Queen never did this.

Pete never did this.

But of course, we knew Screech would do this eventually.

Here's a "before" picture. Note the length. See the beautiful, golden curls.


Okay, enough suspense.

It really could have been worse.

There's enough length left in the back to put it in ponytails and no one will notice the difference.

If I leave it down, though, she definitely has that redneck look. Sort of a modified mullet:

Next thing you know, she'll be wearing nothing but a diaper everywhere we go, and I'll start calling her "Sissy" and her brother "Bubba" . . .

Mullet Girl was really proud of herself . . .

. . . until she realized I wasn't.



You just keep talkin', Mamma! I'll get into something bigger! Bigger than Wite-Out! Bigger than cereal! You just wait!!!!!

My Doomed Career

Today I put the "Wiggly Wiggly Christmas" movie on for Screech in order to get some Christmas baking done. I was inspired to dance along during the first number, which prompted a full-blown-screaming-tearing-Mommy's-clothes hissy fit from Screech. Funny, I would have expected her to laugh.

This reminds me of the time that Hubby was talking to our then-six-year-old niece about an upcoming Christmas concert that his musical family was planning. She asked worriedly, "Aunt Laura's not going to sing, is she?"

~sniff~ I guess I have no hope of making it in the performing arts!

The Stealth Sickness

We've had some kind of stomach bug go through the house. I've nicknamed it "The Stealth Sickness" because a child will be fine and playing happily one minute, then will suddenly throw up without warning. This is followed by diarrhea. Lovely. Pete had it first a few weeks ago, and it lasted a few days. Then he got it again a few days ago, and then Drama Queen got it. This morning Screech told me that her tummy hurts. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At least Pete and Drama Queen have the bowl technique down pat, so this minimizes cleanup. I have them keep a gigantic plastic bowl nearby at all times. A few days ago, Bunny watched as Pete, um, utilized his bowl. I would have expected her to be frightened or even disgusted, but instead she asked earnestly, "Is that cat food? Is that chocolate milk? What is it, Mommy?"

My son - the magical fountain of food. At least Screech didn't try to sample any!

We have had a few messes to clean up due to the stealthy nature of this illness. (They're better! Wait, they're not! It's all over now! Uh oh, here they go again . . . ) Early this morning, as I slept peacefully in my cozy bed, Hubby dealt with the aftermath of one of Pete's episodes. Pete had been bowl-less because we THOUGHT he was better. And this was after having had a huge dinner of a curried chicken and broccoli casserole. Emphasis on the broccoli, Pete's fave vegetable.

My hubby, he is a saint.

I didn't get halfway through typing this post when Screech started throwing up. Poor thing, it scared her to death. It freaked her out and there was a huge mess. The second episode (15 minutes later), she did her thing right in the bowl. I heaved a huge sigh of relief as she heaved in the proper place. Then she proceeded to wipe her mouth on a decorative Christmas pillow.

Mess of the Day: None!

You're not going to believe this one. I could hardly believe it myself.

This display has been on our kitchen table since mid-October and Screech has yet to touch it. I told her not to, and she actually obeyed! Can you believe it? Not a single bite mark on anything!

I never thought I'd see an entire day of obedience, much less a month and a half!

Crisis Averted!

The Sharpie has been found! All is well with our little world. I had actually put it hidden and out of reach to begin with; it just wasn't where I normally put it. WHEW!!!!!!!

Oh no . . .

In our haste to finish a project for Master's Academy this morning we lost a black Sharpie. As in, one of those permanent type markers.

I am afraid. Very, very afraid.

Mess of the Day # 26: Just Guess!

What is Screech into now? (To get a better look, click on the pic to see it full size!)

Three guesses . . .

. . . and the first two don't count . . .

You're right. Wite-Out. Again. Emptied the entire bottle into her hands.

Big sigh. At least I don't have expensive furniture.

By the way, I have decided that Oops! brand remover is the way to go. It was very quick to clean up and didn't have strong fumes.

And my little trick for using baby oil to get Wite-Out off skin? Doesn't work for this amount. (It was crusted on THICKLY.) I used plain old soap and water (Dove unscented to be easier on her skin), and it all with flaked off a little scrubbing.

All clean and back to her sweet self!

Kids Say the Darndest Things 2

I am so sorry I haven't been posting! I have been struggling with some sleep issues and have been a walking zombie for weeks as a result, but I'm trying to get back in the swing of things!

Mommy: Pete, what do you call an animal that hunts its food?

Pete: Ummmm . . .

Mommy: Starts with a "p" . . .

Pete: (thinking hard) Ummmmm . . .

Mommy: Pre- . . .

Pete: (brightly) Pregnant!!!!

(Hmmmm . . . judging by the extreme hunger I had during my three pregnancies, I'd say he's not too far off!)

One more . . .

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!!!!!" Screech heard me growl in frustration at the microwave.

She asks sweetly, "You crazy, Mommy?"

I hope to have some pics up for you soon. My hard drive is full and I need to purchase another before I can download any more!

Mess of the Day # 25 Artificial Sweetener

While we were chatting with friends at a fine restaurant, Screech did this. (For the record, Daddy was watching her!)




Kinda gives fresh meaning to the old Def Leppard song: "Poooour some suuugar on meeeee . . . "

I'm a Rebel!

I was raised to be ultra-frugal. It's in my genes. I had a great aunt who washed and reused plastic wrap. When we cleaned out her apartment after she passed away, we found a vintage box of Glad Wrap (likely an original from 1966). I think it's the only box she ever bought.

It used to be extremely hard for me to throw things away. Everything - toilet paper tubes, Crystal Light containers, the stiff piece of white cardboard that comes inside a new pair of pantyhose - could have a potential use when you're crafty and you have kids. The mere thought of throwing away a new strip of twist ties, even when I have a drawer full of hundreds thousands of them, causes me to twitch.

So, why don't I feel guilty for throwing out a handful of markers just because they're not washable?

Hmmmmm . . why, indeed . . .

Scary, Scary, Scary!

Screech's thing to say lately is, "That's scary, scary, scary!" (I think we have another Drama Queen on our hands!)

We had a moment that was "scary, scary scary" this morning. Hubby woke me at 6:00 AM and said, "I don't want to alarm you, but do you know where Pete is?"

I'm wide awake.

The last time we saw him was when we tucked him in bed. (Of course, my mind is racing, thinking of JonBenet Ramsey, Elizabeth Smart, and Polly Klaas.)

I asked if he checked between the wall and his bed, as he is always falling out of bed and sleeps so deeply that he usually continues sleeping wherever he falls. Of course, he had already checked all over his room and closet. We ran all over the house checking every room and closet.

Bathrooms - no Pete.

Kitchen - no Pete.

Living room - no Pete.

Screech's room - no Pete.

Drama Queen's room - no Pete.

Closets - no Pete.

Homeschool and computer rooms - no Pete.

Laundry room - no Pete.

Attic - no Pete.

Garage - no Pete.

All the doors are still locked. We are trying not to freak out, but we cannot figure out where he could have gone. Just when we were getting ready to call 911, Drama Queen comes out of her room.

"Are you looking for Pete?" she asks.

Um, YEAH!!!!!!!!!

She proceeded to show us a little pallet she had made under her desk - which was hidden by a toy box - where Pete lay sleeping soundly with not a care in the world. She told us that he came to her room during the night and told her that his room made him have bad dreams. Little mother that she is, she took him in.

"He just went right to sleep," she said.

WHEW!!!!!

What a sweet, caring sister! What a precious brother-sister bond they have!

What a couple of stinkers they are.

The story unraveled a little while later when I went in to get them up. That's when I saw a large, homemade banner that said:

SLEEPOVER!

I asked Pete, "Did you really have bad dreams?"

He thought for a moment, then replied sheepishly, "Drama Queen planned it."

Of course, we missed every sign there was:

- Pete's bed was neatly made (he always does this as soon as he gets out of bed);

- Pete never, ever has nightmares. In nearly six years, I can recall his having only one; and

- What kid goes to his sister when he has a nightmare, anyway?

I'm telling you, I need to get my mommy radar fixed.

Mess of the Day # 23 & # 24: Peaches and Underwear

Our model is sporting the newest line from Fruit of the Loom. I hear that Spiderman will be red hot this fall . . .


I would have had # 25 to post as well, but the evidence was gone before I could get the camera. She had stuck Band-Aids all over her legs and around each toe. I couldn't believe I missed the photo op, because she has always been good about keeping Band-Aids on!

Peach update: The one in the picture isn't the only one she nibbled on! I have just found 2 peach pits under the table (her favorite hideout when she's sneaking food!). What a little toot!

Mess of the Day # 21 and #22 : Art Supplies

I am so sorry that I haven't posted since I got back from my vacation. I have been having some health issues that started while I was on vacation, and it has been incredibly hard for me to get caught up on everything. (To give you an inkling of how it's been going, I still have not completely unpacked and cleaned out the van and we've been home since July 15!) I'd rather not go into detail on what's been going on with me, but I promise, it's nothing serious! The issues are not resolved 100%, but I'm feeling MUCH better. Actually, the side effects of some medications I was on were worse than anything, and thankfully I'm done with all of those!

I will post about my vacation - which was WONDERFUL, BTW! - another time, because I haven't felt like uploading all the pictures, etc. (I have so many that I need to find a website where I can share entire photo albums.) In the meantime, I want to share some sweet and funny things that the kids have done and said recently.

At one point, while I was on several medications and felt SO bad because I had been unable to sleep for several nights in a row, I got really depressed. (This was also partly due to a side effect of one of the medications.) Everything was getting to me: I was laying around all day and watching the house get trashed while I did nothing about it; the laundry was piling higher and higher; I didn't feel like playing with the kids; and everything was falling further and further behind. I was also bummed because I had huge plans to complete several projects around the house after we got back and before we started school, and of course they haven't been touched. I felt like I had been robbed of my summer. I told myself that I was a horrible mother because my kids were stuck at home all day with a slug of a mom who laid in bed 24/7. I commented to Drama Queen, "Honey, I'm so sorry that I haven't felt like playing. I wish I could do something special with you, but I just don't feel like it. I will as soon as I'm feeling better." She replied, "Oh, Mommy, we're already doing something special. We're together everyday!"

I bawled my eyes out. What a blessing she is!

Pete has been so helpful. When I was feeling my worst, I tried not to rely too much on Drama Queen. It would be so easy to do that because she is so responsible, but I have to remind myself that she got that way partly because she has been given so much responsibility. So, I try hard to give Pete the same opportunities. He felt like such a big shot the day I let him fix lunch all by himself! He has also been great about entertaining Screech.

Screech was actually pretty good on my worst days. It was simply a matter of slogging through until lunchtime, after which I could put her to bed and enjoy a 2-3 hour respite. (God has showered me with blessings in this regard; all of my kids have been excellent sleepers and nappers!) She did manage to get into a few things, though. There was more to get into because Drama Queen and Pete weren't putting things away (and I wasn't up to making sure that they did). Here is her latest handiwork:



I would like to personally thank the people who invented Magic Erasers, as well as the people who invented washable paint, crayons and markers! I don't even allow non-washable art supplies in the house anymore. I have a few Sharpies and permanent markers, but they are well hidden. Even Hubby, Drama Queen and Pete don't know where they are!

I'm going to try to get back into the blogging groove this week. Talk to you again soon!