Mischievous Monday, Remind Me Not to Buy Cereal with Toys in the Bottom Anymore.

Another week has passed, and I almost made it through without a topic to post. We did some errands in the morning and then headed to the grocery store before heading home about 12:30. Today was Alex's last day at home before he goes back to school tomorrow, and with our groceries in tow, I get an epiphany.

"Who wants to go on a PICNIC?"

"MEEEEEEEEE!" pipes two voices from the depths of the minivan.

"But Mommy, we need a basket with two openings.. Do we have a basket?"

"I think we can find something."

We head home and unpack the groceries, make sandwiches, pack some tostitos, and cookies, juice, cups, and plates in a shopping bag, and start basket hunting. I know I have baskets, several to be exact, but none have an opening like a picnic basket, none except....

"I FOUND A PERFECT PICNIC BASKET, MOMMY!" as all of the sporadic toys that find their way into the living room bounce onto the tiled floor, fleeing from the bottom of the toy basket that rescued them from the vacuum or toss pile.

We quickly clean them up, and throw our food, blanket, and miscellaneous picnic stuff into this basket and head to the park. We set up the blanket, and enjoyed the best bologna and cheese sandwiches ever. The kids had a blast listening to Nature, and discovering all of the new and different sounds we could hear if we really listened. We cleaned up, threw the basket back into the car, and then played at the park for awhile.

We come home, and notice that the mailman dropped off a late Christmas present from my Aunt that lives in upstate NY. The kids dove into the presents and within seconds were both occupied cooking with a new pot and pan set and serving it on princess plates, and playing with this year's Hess truck.

I knew they were sitting on the couch, and playing in the living room, so I figured I'd jump online for 5 minutes and look for an email from an old friend. The computer is within eye and earshot of the living room, and in order to leave the living room, they'd have to either walk past me, climb over the back of the couch, or fly. Not even three minutes after I sat down, I hear some crinkling and laughter from my son's bedroom. What?! How'd they get in there?! Why do they find mischief in the bedrooms?!?

I open the door, thinking I've caught them before all havoc broke loose and discover this:

Yeah, that's Rice Krispies.. EVERYWHERE.

Why, you ask, would a child do that?
"I just wanted to get the toy out of the bottom for me and Abbigaile to play with."

This was the first- AND LAST- box of cereal I will buy with a toy in it.

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Mischievous Monday

What kind of trouble happens when it's quiet? You know, that way-too-quiet-they-must-be-getting-into-something, quiet? My kids are the best at finding unusual things to tear into, and it's usually within seconds!

This long weekend was great, Brian and I were able to reorganize the kids rooms, and rearrange their furniture to make it more functional. We set up Abbie's new kitchen set, and put the teeny tiny fake food in little rubbermaid containers, and called it a day. In Alex's room, we took all his broken or missing toys and laid them to rest, and organized his closet. *That* made a huge difference! Brian moved his toy box next to his bed, (which I didn't think I was going to like), but it's perfect there. His train table is accessible in the middle-ish of his room, and I cleaned the bathroom. Phew.

Today, Bri had to go back to work, and I think he laced the milk.. lol. The kids were bouncing off the walls more than they have EVER before! I didn't know what to do. We played 'Trouble', watched movies, colored on the side walk, went to an appointment that I thought was today, that was really next week (oops!) and delivered a Christmas gift to my best friend, Jenn. Then we came home and played more games, colored more on the driveway, and watched some more cartoons. I couldn't get into a groove today, if you paid me! Finally, when things are winding down, and dinner is in the oven, the buzz from Brian's car approaches... Alex hears it, and bolts to the door the fastest I've ever seen him run, leaping over a stuffed animal in the hallway and SCREAMS, "YAAAAY, DADDY'S HOME!!!!" To which Abbigaile comes tearing around the corner like her bum is on fire, screaming, "Daddy home, Daddy home! MA-MA, DAD-E HOME!" Oy!

They tackle him before he's over the threshold, and I warn him that they've been purely bonkers all day long, and he assures me it can't be that bad. After about 10 minutes, he's changed his mind indefinitely. I head back into the kitchen and Bri goes to clean up from work, I send the children into Alex's room to play with his trains. In the time it took Bri to wash up, and me to mix instant mashed potatoes, I realize it's WAY too quiet, so as Bri kisses me hello, I ask him to check on the kids. We all know that when kids of any age are amazingly quiet, one of two things happen. They are either sound asleep, or into something they're not supposed to be.

I'll give you one lucky guess which one my two monkeys are doing.. And it's not sleeping! ;o)

The Joys of Moon Sand.

Pro's: Can be vacuumed right up after children play with it without permission.

Con's: Blue sand smushed into carpet is much more difficult to vacuum up.

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