problem solved

I was driving the boys to school today and Alex started asking me about our cars.  Which one cost more money?  (Andy's)  Why? (Because mine was used, Andy's is new and is a different kind of car).  This led to a discussion of the differences in the cars.  Which one had more seating, which one was noisier, which one had the adapter to play Alex's iPod, etc.  Alex finally concluded that he likes Andy's car more than mine.  His reasoning was that Andy's car is cleaner.  I asked him who he thought made the mess in my car, and he completely fessed up that it was him and his siblings. 

Problem solved.

Among the Chaos

It was a crazy day.  It started with a particularly loud carpool of five kids and lots of drama and attitude and requests for different music, turn it up, put on a show. "He won't give my book back.  It's mine!".  There were items forgotten at school.  There were tears.  We got home and there were kids who needed a snack, who couldn't find their soccer socks, who needed help with homework, who couldn't unzip their coats.  All of it, right now!! Right Now!! 
After a brief forty-five minutes at home, we had to leave.  "Let's move!  We are going to be late for Devin's last soccer game of the indoor season!"  Find the socks, fill the water bottles, zip the coat, bring the homework for the car trip...  Then the team lost, and Devin was done playing with the team that he played with since August.  He was a little sad. 
On the way home, I decided that we all needed to mellow out a bit, and switched the radio to the Grateful Dead station.  As we were pulling into the neighborhood, China - Rider came on (a two song combo that happens to be one of my favorites).  I pulled into the garage and just sat there for a minute to listen. 
Andy came out of the house and got the kids.  He brought them and the noise and chaos into the house with him and closed the door.  He started dinner and brought me a glass of wine, handing it to me through the open car window. 
I love this man.  He gets me.

Shades of Beauty

Isabel and I were at the mall yesterday and after she "helped" me shop (where "help" means that she selects a every article of pink clothing for me before trying to sit in the mannequins lap), we went to the makeup counter so she could look at lip gloss.  Yes, I did use the lip gloss as incentive for Isabel to behave.  This is not bribery, but merely insurance.  We went to the makeup counter where the nice lady lip gloss on Isabel while I checked out the free bonus gift with purchase.  Isabel's lips looked like this.

Fantastic, right?  I mean, not for a three year old, but the lip color is great.  Then I remembered that I am running low on mascara.  The mascara didn't cost enough to get the bonus, but with that gorgeous lip gloss, I can get the bonus.  This is what I call a win-win.  We made our purchase and headed to the car, where I tried out my new lip gloss.  It looked like this.

Yes, that is the same lip gloss in both pictures.  Clearly Isabel and I have different coloring.  I guess this just goes to show that the lip gloss is not what makes Isabel beautiful.  What a lucky little girl!

Things you shouldn't have to say...

As a parent, we all find ourselves saying things that we never really thought we would have to say.   Like when Alex was having "tummy time" as a baby and I had to tell Devin not to roll him around the room.  Or when Isabel got into my makeup bag, in the car, and decided to put the 'black lipstick' on her lips.  But the black lipstick was mascara and suddenly my goth daughter and my back seat were one huge slimy black mess.  I told her that little girls never wear black makeup and she shouldn't put anything black on her lips.
This morning Alex was packing up for school and I told him he probably needed a sweatshirt because it was cold.  He grabbed one and immediately used it to wipe his nose.  He was standing next to the desk where the tissue box sits.  I said, "Do you want to wear your boogers to school today?"  The answer was no.  So I suggested that he put that sweatshirt in the hamper and find a clean one.