We have been busy the last few weeks doing nothing. And we are getting good at it. Not nothing, but just playing and being schedule free and enjoying the last few weeks of summer. Mostly we have been playing and swimming with Tarin and her kids. It's so fun to see the next generation of kids together like we were.
Peter has a birthday a few weeks ago. Mom of the year here didn't remember to organize anything till like the day before, so we just had family over for cake and ice cream. But really, when you are two, what more do you need? I'm not sure he fully understood the birthday significance, but he totally understood the cake and candles.
I'd like to post pictures of him posing with his grandparents, or showing off the toys he opened, but let's be real. Peter doesn't hold still for more than 1.3 seconds unless restrained, and then you know how those pictures turn out. But I did get him holding still on the new rocking horse he got from the grandparents Bulkeley. He likes it.
Peter has also been up to his usual antics, but I feel like it's getting worse, or at least more frequent. Last week while I mopped he snuck upstairs and got into my makeup, which he's done before. But this time he opened all of my foundation containers and used them as finger paint, on himself.
If you were wondering, foundation is actually really hard to get out of hair. It took four scrubbings to get it all out. Then we've had more "art sessions" on the walls and doors. It always happens while I'm cleaning. Maybe I should stop doing that. Or I could just put all the markers out of reach. Which I've done. But he still finds things I've missed, or most likely things he's squirreled away in one of his rat holes for use later.
Sunday was an especially fun day. I went to get him out of bed and found him jumping around squealing with delight pointing to his diaper and pants which he had removed and thrown on the floor. Luckily it was just a wet diaper and he hadn't peed in the bed, but I should have taken it as an omen for the rest of the day. Before we could leave for church he had busted his lip open on the patio outside, and it bled a lot. But one fall was not enough, so he face planted in the kitchen a little while later starting the bleeding all over again. So we missed the first hour of church. I thought that once he had a nap we could start over and have a good afternoon. But he removed his diaper again at some point during the nap, and this time peed all over the crib. I'm thinking a duct tape belt might be in order.
Sammy has been his own load of fun this week. I've mentioned before that bedtime is an ordeal with Sam. He comes downstairs at least 6 times a night, and since Thad has been gone and I've really been ready for bedtime it has not been going well. So Monday night he came running downstairs:
"Mom! There was fire coming out of my lamp!"
M: "What are you talking about?"
S: "My lamp. I took the light bulb out because I can't turn it on. And I stuck a metal thing in it and I didn't know it was still plugged in, and when I stuck the metal thing in it there were two big sparks and a pop and then fire came out on to my carpet."
At which point Andi came out to tell me her noise maker turned off and she couldn't get it back on. So I ran to Sams room to make sure the carpet wasn't smoldering and investigate his story. He had in fact, shoved a small play metal whisk into the lamp and blew the circuit to all the outlets in the house. I took his lamp and nightlight and anything else I could find that might entice him to electrocute himself out. And then I flipped the circuit back on and all was well.
So the next night, having lost his light privileges, he was dinking around with the overhead light still on. I went to turn it off and get him back in bed and found that he was setting up a party for me. He took all the candles out of my room and brought them to his, and for some reason grabbed a box of tampons from my bathroom and scattered them around as decorations. I have no idea. I grabbed all the tampons, turned off his light, and locked him in for the night. It wasn't till the next day that I noticed he had drawn "decorations" on his bed. So today I painted his bed with leftover chalk paint I had sitting around, and I'm thinking I should have done that a long time ago. It looks good grey. And we've since had a long conversation about decorating rules.
S: "But Mom, I just wanted to do something nice for you."
M: "Sam, the best, nicest thing you can do for me is to LISTEN and OBEY!"
S: "Ugh! Mom, that's not fun!"
Andi hasn't been as much trouble as the boys, but she's changed this summer. All of a sudden she wants to be involved in the grown up conversations and has to know exactly what's going on. Now instead of just eavesdropping, she comes later to clarify and make sure she understood what she heard. And she would like to go see Wicked. She keeps listening to the music and asking questions trying to understand the story line and asking when she will be able to see it. I'm pretty sure 8 is too young, but maybe when she's 10 I'll consider it.
