My Sweet Boys. Literally.

My 4 year old was "helping" me vacuum today and it was a lovely mother-and-son moment. Then the twins came out from the back room, hands dripping with...something. Something that gave them the overwhelming desire to stick their whole hand in their mouths in order to lick it off. I ran to the back room.
Honey.

Not only did they spill the honey, they stepped in the honey and ran through the house. Not only was there honey on their shoes, they had honey on their hands... and what do small children do with their hands? That's right...they touch everything.

At least the ants will be able to tell me which spots I missed. And, thankfully for you, all the ants in town will be in my house this season.

You're welcome.

Boys 1, Mom 0

I have been outnumbered and out-energied.

The twins didn't nap today so it has already been a rough day plus J is at school tonight so I am extra done with the day. I gave the kids snacks, put on their pjs, put the twins in bed, and played a game with Pax as promised before he got into bed. They all went peacefully as they have been lately, enjoying reading books before falling asleep.

But they never fell asleep.

I was downstairs doing my exercises with the 0 energy I had left and was interrupted by a disobedient Paxton multiple times and had to calm screaming toddlers a few times (they hit the point where they can't calm themselves down, I know that sound as opposed to the winding down cry that will lead them to sleep). After almost 45 minutes of this up and down nonsense I hear a familiar breathing noise accompanied by what sounded like my toddler shutting the basement door like he does. So I went up to investigate.

3 cute little faces were staring at me with big bright blue eyes.

Welp, I guess the twins can get out of their cribs now.

So retreated to the basement. They are upstairs playing. I have nothing left to give and they have all the energy in the world. I'll try again later.

Boys 1, Mom 0.

Making My Kids Into Hotdogs

I have become a pro at getting my kids to sleep (age 3 and twin 1 1/2 yr olds). I was reading up on sensory processing disorder and something triggered a memory of my childhood: my mom used to make us into hotdogs.
We would lay on the couch and we were the hotdog. She would "put toppings on us", like ketchup and mustard and whatever else came to mind. As she would say what she was doing she would rub our arms and legs and even our faces like she was putting ketchup on us. We thought it was hilarious.
I always thought it was a good move to get important physical contact in for the day. So I started making our 3 year old into a hotdog at least once a day and he loves it. Then, in order to get him to lay in bed instead of jump around like a wild man, I make him into a hotdog. Afterwards, he settles right in and calms down. It's like it takes the pressure off of him to get into the sleeping position on his own. Saving face or whatever you want to call it, it works. So I put all the toppings on him, even silly things like worms and marshmallows, then I lay on him as the top of the bun. Then I eat him (kisses all over his face, and pretend to eat his toes). Giggles all around.
As for the twins, they don't understand what it means to be made into a hotdog, but I do the same with them. If they're bouncing around in their cribs or just not mentally ready to go to sleep, I lay them on their backs and gently put pressure on their bodies from head to toes. I do it a few times, even on their eyes and cheeks and squeeze their heads slightly, and they lay there and relax (and giggle). When I'm done and leave the room they typically don't get up again and they fall asleep without yelling.
Amazing.
I don't remember what it said on the sensory processing disorder website I was reading that made me think of this... it was something about using a heavy blanket for younger kids with sensory difficulties. Our kids haven't officially had sensory processing issues that I know of but this sure worked and I wanted to pass it along. It would have been nice to know when our oldest was a baby and had a hard time calming down before bed.
Happy hotdogging.

Even toddlers need alone time

We got home a bit ago; I ran some stuff inside and James took the kids across the street to watch football and I came over shortly after. We were sitting watching football for about 20 min when Joyce asks, "Is Chaz here?" I aprehensively said yes. James said "I brought one baby over, did you bring one baby over?" ..."NO!".. I ran outside and across the street wondering what shape my sweet abandoned Chaz would be in. I opened the door and Chaz looked up and said, "choo choo!", excited to hear the train blowing in the distance. He wiggled his legs as he anticipated being taken from his car seat and had no idea he had been forgotten for the past 20 min. 

I laughed so hard as I returned across the street. I guess even toddlers need some time alone. 

I always have what I never need

I couldn't find my book when I looked through the house so I went outside to look for it in one of the disasters, also known as "a vehicle". I came back in with my arms full and James asked, without looking up, "Did you find it?"

"No," I replied, "but I found 4 beach balls". 

(This is JANUARY). 

Today

Today I have been:

A mom

A nurse

A chef

A baker

A ref

A coach

A horse

A rescue bot

A cleaning lady

A toy fixer

And a therapist

How much do I get paid for this?

Today I have had conversations about:

Eating a worm and a spider

Why my kid can't have more than 3 servings of applesauce

Why, if our pet bugs are to be in the house, they must stay in their jars

What blood is and how skin heals

Whose poop is on the floor and how did it get there

Where the poop goes after it is flushed

Why it's not ok to throw dirt on a brother's head

Why it's not ok to put dish soap on a brother's head

Why our toothbrushes are not bath toys

Do mothers of girls talk about these things?

Today I:

Vacuumed the play room, stairs, kitchen, and dining room

Steam mopped the kitchen, dining room, bathroom

Cleaned the bathroom

Swept the front porch and steps

Did 2 loads of dishes

Reorganized the boys' stuff in their room

...and my house is still a wreck 

Remind me why I thought I was being productive? 

God Will Be Your Comfort

Paxton, who is 3 1/2, has been waking up at night worried that I will leave him. I'm not sure if this is a typical stage or residual effects from when I left and didn't come back for 6 weeks (when I was at the hospital on bed rest while pregnant with the twins in 2012). Either way, it's easier to have him sleep on a mattress in our room so the midnight drama will stay minimal and he won't wake up his brothers.

The other night he woke up crying out for me so I went to his bed and rubbed his back to comfort him. I am concerned that a deep sense of fear in him will last forever but if I just have the right words to say and can direct him to receive comfort from The Lord it will save him countless nights of terrors. My presence with him during these difficult times is so important so I am prepared to walk through this with him at this pivotal moment in his spiritual life. So as I comforted him during this traumatic time, I poured out my words to assure him "I am here all night and I will not be leaving. Most importantly, God's spirit is here with you and he will never leave you. Know that..."
"Mom?" he interrupted, "Can you just stop talking and let me go back to sleep?".

Oh.
Yes.
Goodnight, Son.