Here and There

True story: Friday night as I was coming home with all kids (while J slept in preparation for his weekend 3rd shift job), the daunting task of the bedtime routine for three kids in addition to a possibly nursing/crying/clingy 3 month old, overwhelmed me. AJ is a really good baby. The other three really go to bed quite easily---all things considered. But I was tired and just wanted it to be magically done.

So, I said to them, "Tomorrow is Saturday. Saturday can be a fun and lazy day for you of playing, jumping on the trampoline, playing on the computer, watching movies OR it can be a day full of chores while we clean the house and get everything put back in the fun room. You get to decide. If you go straight inside, brush your teeth and go to bed, it will be a fun day. If you dilly-dally, whine, don't go to bed, come downstairs 5 times each, it will be a chore day."

I didn't see one single kid for the rest of the night within 6 minutes of being home. It was beautiful. I have a trick up my sleeve for future reference and I'm SO using it.

We have been having quite a bit of work done on our house. We're excited about what's being done, but the mess, and the shifting, and the pounding on the outside, and the work men coming and going and milling about---it gets old really fast. I can't imagine being very pleasant if this were more long term. We had to empty out our sunroom "fun room" completely, two book shelves, a queen bed, a toy shelf, a file cabinet and a couple of rubbermaids, so they could scrape all the paint (lead) and repaint it. Only, the painter didn't show for two days after it was emptied. Then it was the weekend, then he came and looked briefly and left again. Then he started working, worked a couple of hours and left. A one day job turned into over a week a for us, with all that stuff all over our house. It was annoying. But now it's done, and I had it painted a light turquoise (I didn't realize I'd get to pick a new color!) and it gets lots of mixed reactions. It's bright and fun, and kind of loud and doesn't match the rest of the house. Sort of like me! :)

Since we spent most of yesterday putting things back and reorganizing, and I decided to paint Avee's room for her birthday present, yesterday the kids snacked all day and I suddenly realized they needed food at about 7:15 pm. I ran to Little Caesar's and got them a pizza.

This morning I got this gem from Bo: "Mom, do you think Little Caesar's is closed on the Ides of March?"

I looked at him funny and said, "Uhh, no, it's not." I was about to add, "Nobody is closed on that day, it's not a holiday or even a day people really think about as different from other days...." when he said, "Well, it would be funny if they were closed---wouldn't it?"

I believe that's one of the first times his humor has been over my head, initially. I couldn't be more proud.

Well, AJ is sitting happily on my lap, drooling and trying to get her gums on my space bar, sitting in her own...well, she needs a diaper change. So I better get to it.

If you live nearby and need a baby fix, you should come visit. This girl is to die for. Plus, she laughed for me for the first time yesterday. Avee and I were like drug-crazed lunatics trying to get more out of her. She doesn't really know she can do it yet, it was kind of an accident and it was the BEST SOUND EVER.

Since I wasn't blogging much, I should document---she's been smiling since she was 7 weeks. Beautiful, enchanting, one little dimple smile....ahhhh. But the laugh. Oh the laugh!