Merry Messes

We did an inordinate number of projects this week, probably because the house is still in post-vacation disarray and the worse it is, the more I try to hide from it. My procrastination has led me to do a number of things, none of which includes removing the suitcases from the dining room, but does include such productivity as: 1) leaving the house as often as possible for playing, swimming and theater-going. Two kids' feature films in a week is a record around here. Wall-E sent me into the throes of depression but the kids are super-into robots so they loved it. Kung Fu Panda was amusing and cute, but as I type, the boys are kung-fuing each other and the poor dog. I don't know which is better, in the long run. 2) coercing the boys into helping me reorganize my bedroom closet which no one will ever see except me and 3) distracting the kids (and myself) with treats, crafts and activities. (Colin just stopped by to ask me if I was "uploading some new pictures?" . What do you imagine four year olds will be able to query about by the time he has his own sons?)

Crazyhorse learned how to climb on the couch. And up on the BACK of the couch. Joy. At least I generally know where to find him now.

We had fun making and sailing popsicle stick boats in the water table. That is, until Hurricane Eamon soaked their paper sails and capsized them. In my quest not to be thwarted by an evil one-year-old, I smartened up and cut the new sails from a Craisins bag that we'd just emptied and the water-proof sails proved to be much more sea-worthy!

Eater of amphibians.

I, I, I... I don't even know what to say. That's Liam.
In the water table. At least he waited until it was dry.

Here's Colin and Liam with their friend "girl Sam" as they call her who spent a day here playing, baking and trying to shake the entire contents of our sandbox out of her hair. (Thank God I only have boys. Seriously. I thought I missed the whole fun girl clothes thing. But that is more than made up for by the ease of buzz-cuts. Can you imagine me doing someone else's hair everyday? I barely do my own.)

The big boys played a game of Trouble (how fitting) with their cousin Emme last week so you can imagine their glee when I found the same game of Trouble at the swap-shed. They live for the swap-shed and all of its "cool stuff" and I try to give away as much as their old crap as I can so it evens out. At any rate, the game came minus all of its pieces so the kids woke me up bright and early the next day to beg me to find some substitute. All I could come up with was jellybeans which sent them into ecstasies (and a sugar high). It is SO easy to please these boys!

Friday was Daddy AND Uncle Mikey's birthday so we baked a lot. Daddy got a big white carrot cake and Uncle Mikey got matching cupcakes. I set the boys loose with frosting and my new cake decorating set and they went to town adding layer upon layer of dots, leaves and flowers to adorn the tops. Mostly we were just happy that we got Colin to eat one as he is not known for trying new things (especially with the dreaded carrots in them). I figure, carrot cake this week is only one (okay, several) steps away from plain carrots next week!

Eamon having fun painting just like a big boy.

Liam has been OBSESSED with butterflies lately. He chases them for hours in the yard and spends his nights trying to save all the moths that get trapped in the house. Though I think all this insectia has come at a price: he asks every night before I leave his room: "Are these two windows closed? You SURE????" Even with temps over 90 this week, he sleeps in full-length pajamas and insists we close his windows so that "bugs can't get me." He had less-anxious fun making these coffee filter butterflies. They don't flutter around your bed in the dark and you can float them down the stairs and no one gets hurt!