Shoe Check

I really don't understand. We have had the same routine for going on 2 years now. Get up, eat breakfast, get your clothes on, brush your teeth, make sure your book bag is packed and ready to go, bring me something to fix your hair with. OK, we are talking about the kids here. Still I have to tell them every morning what to do. I get them up, make their breakfast (you know they can't eat the same thing that would be too easy - they each want something different), then I have to tell them what to do next.

It's a never ending battle. The other morning we were going through our normal routine with the kids acting like they've never gone anywhere before and me not controlling my emotions very well. I'm getting better about that. I have started picking out their clothes the night before and I make sure A1 has everything packed and ready to go the night before also. This does make the morning go a lot easier. But it's when I have to tell them common sense things like put your clothes on you are going to school, or brush your teeth you just ate breakfast, that really makes me steam. To make matters worse someone always miss places something important or can't find a shoe that's right in front of them. Or spills something on their clean clothes and you have to find something else for them to wear. This all should be very simple. Should be. It's not.

Hubby goes to work really early so I can't ask him for help. It's all me. I have to be at work at a certain time. Everyday. I have to take the kids to school. Everyday. Different schools at opposite sides of the county. I may be exaggerating a little here but they are in different towns. So you see, we are on a time schedule (time crunch is more like it). I really don't know why it takes 15 minutes to eat a pop tart. Of course the kids have no concept of time. I think this is where the problem comes in.

Oh well, that's a different story. Maybe one day I can report that my kids finally understand that in order for me to keep my job so they have somewhere to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear, we have to leave the house by a certain time so I can get to work on time. We are far from this I'm afraid. Most every morning I have to check and make sure A2 isn't wearing the same socks she wore yesterday. I have to inspect A1's mouth to make sure she brushed her teeth (for longer than 30 seconds). When it comes time for me to fix their hair, there is always a fight . . . "she's got the hair bow I want to wear" . . . "I want pig tails" . . . "you're pulling my hair" . . . and my favorite from A2 . . . "ME FIRST".

You can imagine that I am not surprised that as of Wednesday of this week I now have to inspect my children to make sure they have their shoes on before they get in the car. Yes, you read me right, we have to make a shoe inspection. As we were walking out the door Wednesday morning, already late mind you, the kids had their jackets and book bags on and I was pulling the door closed and A1 frantically yells "My shoes!" What? I said "What about them?" I may have yelled that. "I forgot to put my shoes on!" Uuugghhh!! Are you kidding me!? How do you forget your shoes? Just ask A1.

So everyone, if you can't remember to put your shoes on before you leave the house, don't feel bad . . . my kids can't either.

A la mode

Well, here I am again "catching up" on blogging.  I have been really busy lately.  So the time that I do have when I could be blogging, I'm being lazy or reading something.  So, I don't have too much to say.  

Of course my kids are always doing something funny so I guess I could write about that.  Here's something . . . last night we had a pastor from our church over.  I didn't give my kids the whole "you better be on your best behavior or else" speech.  It wouldn't have done any good any, plus kids will be kids no matter what.  Well, apparently hubby did.  Wasted breath - all I can say. However, it go really well!  We had fun, enjoyed our company and the girls were pretty good. We had a few moments.  A2 talked all evening.  After every bite she took, she said something. You can imagine that was lovely.  Plus she sat right beside the pastor.  I was going to sit beside her but she really wanted him to sit beside her.  We warned him that drinks are most likely to spontaneously tip over.  In your lap or plate.  He was up to the challenge and we made it through the entire night with out a spill.  Praise the Lord. 

There was one incident later in the evening that shocked us.  Suprise, suprise.  After we had our dessert and the girls went to brush their teeth, I told them to go to their rooms and put their jammies on.  That's really no biggie.  All was going well, teeth were brushed and the girls were in their rooms, when A2 popped out from the hallway stark naked.  Yep.  Not a stich of clothing on her 3 year old body.  As soon as I saw her - mommy radar was on so I saw her before anyone else, I jumped up and screched "What are you doing?".  "I need a pull up" she replied in a sweet little voice.  This was completely my fault.  We had the pull ups stashed in a canvas bin under an end table in the living room.  I failed to get one out and take it to her room to avoid such incident.  So, she was going to get one.  Oh well.  Guess that really shouldn't have been a suprise.  Actually earlir that day I said a little prayer to myself that my children would keep their clothes on in front of our company.  Well, it wasn't really a prayer, more like a fleeting thought.  I guess that's God's humor!

Our evening ended well and the kids asked if he was going to come to dinner every night.  Oh, I almost forgot.  A1 said something funny, too.  I got up to serve the brownies (from a mix) and I asked if anyone wanted their brownie a la mode.  A1 got really excited and said "I do!  I do!"  I said "you don't even know what a la mode means do you?"  Very seriuosly she replied "Yes I do! It means a lot."  Ha, she wishes!