Please return...

If anyone finds my brain lying around somewhere, will you please get it back to me?  Clearly it isn't with me anymore.

Now that Elise is eight, she meets with the other girls her age at the church for activities a couple of times a month.  At her last meeting she brought home a flyer announcing a talent show coming up.  It was only a few hours before time for her activity to start this week, when we suddenly wondered if it was the talent show night.  I looked at the flyer and realized it was, indeed, that night.  In reading over the flyer I realized it was for families and that we were supposed to bring refreshments.  So my already hectic night just got a little more hectic.  I threw some cupcakes in the oven and told Elise to practice her piano number for the talent show.  I glanced back over at the flyer again and realized I'd misread at least one part.  It said, "Bring Your Family.  Refreshments will be Served."  Ah ha.  So, (too late) I realized that we'd have 24 extra cupcakes hanging around the house, since they were providing the refreshments.  The only thing I had to bring was my family.  I glanced at the flyer at least once more, double checking the information.  When we arrived at the church, I found out the talent show was actually going to be at the end of May, as was clearly stated on the flyer I had looked at no less than 5 times.  Good grief.  I'd made my night more hectic for nothing.

When Elise came back home after the activity, she asked if I was embarrassed at having gotten so much of the information wrong about the activity.  I thought for a minute.  "No," I told her, "I'm not embarrassed.  Exasperated, maybe, but not embarrassed."  She admitted that she thought it was a little embarrassing. :)  I thought how lucky she is to be such a sweet, innocent child, that getting a few (or all) the details wrong about something was a big enough deal to get embarrassed about.  And then I thought how lucky I am, to have wizened up and already experienced enough of life to realize that getting the information wrong about an activity is really not a big deal at all.  Lucky us.

But seriously.  I really do need my brain back.

Sometimes

Elise takes dance one afternoon a week.  Her class is only 30 minutes long, but it falls after school when I have all the kids with me.  So while thirty minutes isn't long at all, its an impossible amount of time for Ian to not run in the dance studio or Paige to start climbing the walls.  So usually, we just hang out in the car while Elise does her thing.  Ian can work on homework, or sometimes I'll even let him run along the sidewalk in front of the building.  I have much more peace this way, they don't have to kick us out of the dance studio for misbehaving, and my sanity is preserved another week without having to wrangle the three little munchkins in the waiting room.  So it seems like a win-win for everyone.  Except that Elise really likes for us to watch her dance.  So each week she asks us to come in and watch her dance and each week I have to tell her, "I'm sorry.  Not today, honey."  And she looks sad and my heart aches.  Someday she'll understand where I'm coming from.  But that someday seems like a really long time from now.  Someday she'll be hauling a passel  of kids around and she'll realize that it isn't always as easy as she thinks it is now.  But some days, she still just needs to know that we love her and love watching her dance, and she especially needs to know that she's worth the sacrifice it takes to do it.  So this week that's just what we did.  We all watched her dance.  And it was wonderful.  And we're all still sane.  Mission accomplished. :)

Butt Out

I'm not exactly sure where my kids heard this, but the phrase "Butt Out" has caught their attention.  I think there was a show one time where someone said, "B-u-t-t out", spelling the first word and saying the second.  That also has been a source of much interest amongst the small fry at our house.  One day this week while riding in the car with Merry Grace, she was asking me about whether saying "butt" was a bad word and whether it was okay to say, "b-u-t-t out".  I told her it was probably not a nice thing to say.  She agreed that it wasn't really nice.  But then she came back at me with this logic.  "Well, if there was a butt in your room, you know, like an actual butt, then you could tell the butt to get out.  You know, like 'Butt!!! Out!!!"  I told her that if that ever happened, she was more than welcome to say "Butt out!"  Of course, I had to say it between giggles.  Really, sometimes kids just have impeccable logic. :)

The Truth of the Matter

I wish I could remember 1/10 of all the funny and cute things the kids do each day.  Even when I try to write down little reminders about what they do, I still only catch a minuscule part of the things they are up to.

The other night at dinner we got treated to an episode of "I bet you don't remember that we used to..."  One such story was how they (meaning Elise and Ian) used to take the salt shaker and hide under one of their beds and sprinkle salt out to eat.  I actually did have some idea about this one.  See this and this.  I found the evidence of one of their salty escapades in the form of quite a bit of salt sprinkled under the kids bed.  (Thank goodness for hardwood floors, or that one could have been much worse...)  About that time is when I retired the salt shakers.  Maybe when my kids are older we can bring them out again.  I said we must be the only house in America where you can leave a Reese's cup out on the cabinet and no one will touch it, but you have to hide the salt shakers. :)

I also found out about a time Ian snuck a packet of cherry kool-aid to his room and ate it under the bed.  You know, that stuff is unsweetened.  I can't imagine that was good.  But he seemed awfully proud of his sneakiness.

And they told me how they used to take my small travel baby-wipe containers and put them in the slats under their beds and then get them out to use when they wanted to.  Hmmm...this would probably explain why I can never find baby wipes when I need them. :)

I really wonder sometimes what makes them think of these things.  I remember how my brothers used to go downstairs and take a belt and hit one of the chairs down there and one of the boys would scream like crazy. They do this until my mama would lose it and holler at them to cut it out.

I got a kick out of hearing their tales.  I'm just glad it was nothing more dangerous or destructive than salt, koolaid and baby wipes.

Flashback

Its been over six years since we moved to the area.  Our family and Cory's brother's family moved here about the same time and we all lived together in one of the big houses they had for sale in their real estate business.  It was a fun year and for Elise and Emmy, who were just over 2, it was one of the favorite times of their young lives.  I was looking through my scrapbooks from when Elise was little and it brought back so many cute memories.  This was one I knew I needed to share.

One night the girls were playing a little too quietly and when we found them, they had painted their fingernails on the windowsill in our bathroom.  You can imagine how well 2-year olds would paint their nails, so there was red and blue nail polish all over it.

So Cory gave them a stern lecture while he repainted the windowsill.  A lecture that surely convinced them never to do something like that again.

They were clearly humbled and repentant for the trouble (i.e. mischief) they had caused.

But it is a little hard to feel sorry when your nails look so beautiful. :)

A few months later, Neal and Amanda were in their room working on laundry and Cory and I were in the computer room doing some work in there.  Each of us thought the girls were with the other ones, and since it was a big house it was hard to tell otherwise.  At some point we both went to check on things and found the those two little imps in our bathtub with Carolina Blue nail polish tracked from one end of the tub to the other.    There was evidence of where they had painted the tub and then there were little light blue hand prints and foot prints covering most of the surface area of the tub and the tile walls.  I would never have believed that so much paint could come from one of those tiny bottle of Bon Bon nail polish.

Ian was just a tiny baby and needed attention and Amanda was pregnant with Charles Allen and not feeling her best.  So Cory and Neal spent what seemed like hours with nail polish remover, cleaners, bleach and a lot of elbow grease to get that tub back to mint condition.  Sometimes I think Ian is my one to get into messes, but then I look back and remember that even those sweet little girls have caused their share of trouble.  :)

Comfort

I love those little comfort habits that kids sometimes have.  When Elise was a baby, she would rub her ear while she drank her bottle.  Sometimes she would even rub someone else's ear, if they were close by. :)

Paige started sucking her thumb when she was just a tiny thing and then added rubbing her belly button to the mix.  So she'll have that thumb popped into her mouth and be rubbing her tummy with her other hand.  Apparently she'll rub some else's tummy if they are close by too. :)

Elise looks a little bewildered and disturbed by what is going on here and I don't blame her.  It was just too funny not to document. :)

Nothing is Private Anymore

I think I'm seeing a trend here...

Do you remember this?

This was Ian in March of 2005.

And here was Merry Grace one day this week. 

 I might be embarrassed if they weren't so cute. 

T-Ball Antics

Ian is loving baseball this season and he's really pretty good.  He loves practicing in the yard or at the park or anywhere else we find some time and space.  But sometimes he just doesn't have his "head in the game".  Like the last game....

While he did manage to get a couple of hits and even field a ball or two, he also found time for quite a few other unrelated activities.  

Like...

Waving at his adoring fans...

Playing in his giant "sandbox"...

And slinging dirt around...

And stomping in the sand...

And pouring sand into his glove...

And checking out his handiwork...

And kicking the sand...

And scooping up handfuls of sand...

And looking a little sheepish when he's caught in the act...

And filling his glove full of sand...

And spitting in his sandy glove...

So I think he may be learning some skills this year, I think he's still having plenty of time to just "play."  I love having time to just watch him enjoy being a kid. :)

We still need some work...

He may be able to hit the ball...

...And make it to first base...

...And field the ball...

But he still needs a little help getting dressed!!!

Yes, his pants are on backwards.

Actually, if the truth be known, his socks were on backwards too. :)

I'm glad to know he hasn't gotten everything figured out just yet.  Looks like I'm still needed for a while. *Whew!!!*

The Plan Didn't Work

Yesterday morning as we were getting ready for school, we realized we couldn't find Ian's backpack.  We scoured the house from top to bottom and inside out, but to no avail.  Finally, when time ran out, we sent him to school with a note and without a backpack.

When I got to the school to pick up the kids, Ian got in the car and said, "Mommy, did you find my backpack today?"  "No," I told him, "I only found your daily folder, but no backpack."  He sat down and buckled up and then piped up from the backseat, "Mommy, I know where my backpack is."  I wondered how this could be and asked him so.  "Well, I know where it is because I hid it this morning.  I didn't want to go to school, so when I went to get dressed I hid my backpack."  That little stinker!!!  My next question, of course, was where he had hidden it, since we had looked everywhere and spent at least 45 minutes doing so.  It turns out he had wrapped it in a afghan, and shoved it under his bed behind the comforter that was already under his bed.  Cory and I had both pulled out the comforter and seen the froggy blanket, but never thought to get it out and look inside it.  And why would we?  But seeing as how he'd ended up at school anyway, I asked him how he thought things had worked out. "The plan did not actually work," he said.  And that is the truth.

I think we may have to keep our eyes on this one. :)

"Easter" Pictures

One of the perks of being a mom is dressing up the family for Easter.  This means I have complete and total control over what everyone wears and very likely there is matching or coordinating involved.  And we have to take lots of pictures. :)  Since General Conference fell on Easter Sunday, we weren't able to wear our cute Easter outfits last week, so this Sunday was our dress-up day.

It takes a lot of effort and planning to get everyone up, dressed, fed, and geared up for pictures.  I thought we had managed the morning pretty well and had everyone lined up just so for pictures.  I happened to take a closer look at Ian's shirt and saw some yellowish patches across the front.  "What happened to your shirt, buddy?" I asked him.  He glanced down and shrugged, "Oh.  That's butter."  Of course.  What Easter picture would be complete without butter?

At best, Paige was disinterested in taking pictures.  At worst, she was utterly rebelling against them.   I was able to catch a few pictures before she attacked the camera, ran away from it, or wandered off towards the house. 

Ian struggled to get his "camera" face on.  He much preferred sticking his tongue out or crossing his eyes to giving me a sweet smile.  First he was slouching down, so I asked him to sit up straight.  So he did.  So straight his chest was out so far and his chin up so high, I was afraid it would take a chiropractor to get him back down to size.  Poor kid.  A boy was not meant to have to endure the torture of so many pictures. :)

Merry Grace would much rather look at Paige than at the camera.  In this picture, she's hanging onto Paige's hand for dear life, so that sweet baby Paige wouldn't escape.  I snapped the picture a millisecond before Paige screamed, broke the death grip and ran away. 

Oh yes...she finally got away.  That little mess. :)  Elise, of course, was as good as gold.  Her trial was trying to be patient while I called the other kids to order.  Its so hard being the grown-up, responsible sibling. :)

It took about 1/2 a second's pause for the kids to escape and run over to the crepe myrtle in the front yard and start climbing.

Somehow, Elise and Merry Grace remained spotless while Ian ended up with dirt all over his formerly white shirt.  He had to change and ended up with a shirt that didn't match his pants.  But he looked nice for the pictures, so I cut my losses and counted my blessings.

Even with all the work it takes to pull it off, I wouldn't trade anything for that one shining moment where my freshly scrubbed, smiling, adorably perfect kids are lined up and smiling back at me.  It may take us 'til next Easter to recover from the ordeal, but rest assured, we will do it again next year! :)

Softball and T-ball

It's what we've waited all winter for...the start of baseball and softball season!!!  This is Elise's 4th season and Ian's second and we love it more with each year.  We are so lucky this year to have Elise's cousins (Emmy, Kyleigh and Marleigh) all on the same team with her.  That means a bigger cheering section and more fun for the girls.  Ian and his cousin Charles Allen are also on the same team.  Watching these kids play is just about the funnest thing ever.  Today was opening day and the start of games.  It made for a long day, but so worth it.

Why is it that these girls thought this was the pose I was looking for when I came over with the camera?  And why is Uncle Jacob's little girl the only one not making this pose?!  :)

While the girls were playing ball, Charles Allen and Ian practiced some fielding moves.  They actually played so hard that by the time their game started they were just about worn out. :)

Merry Grace is so excited about her brother and sister playing ball and she can't wait until she's old enough to play too.  We're going to have to teach her a few things before she starts--like the name of the sport.  For weeks she's been talking about the kids playing "football".   But trust me, when she starts, she'll be the cutest "football" player ever. :)

Paige was on a rampage once she got out of the stroller.  She was a handful to keep up with!  But her Daddy was good to spoil her.  Here she was checking out her hands that were covered in cheese from the cheese doodles he was sharing with her.

Here was Elise waiting for the game to start.  Every year it gets more and more fun to watch her play.  And I think she gets cuter every year too. :)

I think this was when Cory got tired of chasing Paige around.  This way, she can't run off.  :)  She thought the sunglasses her Daddy was wearing were pretty neat.   Maybe it was the UNC logo that made them that way. ;)

Elise and Kyleigh--could they get any cuter?!  I don't see how! :)

Our four girls lined up in the dugout.  I know I only gave birth to one, but I feel like they're all mine, in a way.  I love being part of this fun family. :)

It took a couple of time at bat before the coaching staff got the pitching just right.  But once they did, our girls took off.  They won the game by scoring four runs in the last inning.  Elise scored the first run off this hit.  

Ian's game started before Elise's ended, so I missed his first at-bat.  Cory was there and said he hit the first pitch off the pitching machine!!!  Yay, Ian!! :)  His team special ordered his uniform and  think he looks so handsome.

Paige was a trooper, so after a long day of games, we got her an order of chicken nuggets on the way home.  That's pretty much all it took to make her day!  I love that fluffy-haired, blue-eyed baby. :)

We had a fun day of watching the kids play ball.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect for a day outdoors at the ball park.  Now we can't wait for the next game! :) 

Oh-So-Brave

There are several drainage grates going in to the kids school.  Every time we go in for anything, Merry Grace has to step on each one and say, "Look at me!  I am brave!"  The other day we were going in for Ian's award ceremony, so I had my camera handy and took these cute pictures of my brave little girl.

Elise used to be terrified of these when she was a little girl.  And the hanging bridges at the park.  I couldn't get her to walk over those at all.  I don't remember Ian being afraid of the grates.  He saw them as something cool to pee down.  If that's not a boy for you, I don't know what is.   I guess Merry Grace has decided not being afraid of the drainage grates is a rite of passage on the way to being a big kid.  She's passed this test with flying colors!

Editor in Chief

Elise used a huge notepad to make her own magazine.  I thought it was so cute and funny.  I wrote out what she wrote below each picture.

 The Cover:  “Written by Elisabeth Smith.  Teen Pop Magazine.”

 “Hillary.  Teen Pop magazine says, ‘Hillary Duff has a totally new style.’ Hillary said, ‘I’m trying to impress the boys.’”

 “Taylor Swift sings Miley Cyrus off the stage.  Miley got scared and passed out on the stage for 3 minutes.  When she awoke, she quit.  She no longer has singing competitions with anyone. (Not even her dad.)”

 Abstract artwork by Ian.

 “UNC Go Heels Go!  Ian Barnett (a famous UNC Basketball player) helped UNC score 100 more points. (and win.)

Abstract artwork by Merry Grace.

 “Merry Grace had a dance off and was so good that she won $999,999,999.  Now she has a blue sparkled limo.”

I think its the cutest thing ever.  I love seeing her imagination at work!