Wrapping packages...

The kids are *helping* me wrap for the adopt a family, cousins, daddy.. that kind of stuff.. Maddie and Andrew found some leftover scraps of paper. So they have VERY nicely folded and wrapped and taped and found scissors and cut ribbon.. Brought it to me and had me tie a knot in the ribbon...

I just realized they forgot to put anything IN the wrapping paper...LOL! But they are folding very nicely!

We can plant an apple tree..

Maddie comes up to me, out of nowhere, and says excitedly,

" We can get a pile of dirt, poke a hole in it, put the seeds in and pour water on and it will grow into an apple tree!"

I laugh and say "You want to plant an apple tree?"

She nods emphatically and says "Oh yes! I have the seeds in my pocket!" and she sticks her fingers in and brings out a few little apple seeds.

Apparently she took Bens apple core out of the trash and tore it open for the seeds...

Is she trying to tell me something?

The other morning Madeline came out all messied haired from her bedroom and climbed up on my lap for a cuddle. She looks up at me and says ( with her nasty morning breath), " I slept in my bed all night.. But I need to go practice my jump rope.. I just cannot do it all myself"

I was like WHAT? where did that come from?

So then last night I was talking to my friend Robyn when Maddie stops by me and proclaims " I need to go practice ice skating mama"

WHAT???? Robyn was like " did she just tell you she needs to practice ice skating?" I laughed and said.. that is what she said..

SO now she just tells me I need to get her into diving practice.. b/c she is still holding her nose shut. This kid is cracking me up.
The only thing they have ever used a jump rope for is a whip or a lasso, she has never seen an ice rink besides on the television and the closest she has been to a diving board was at my friend Debs house back in August.

Crazy girl.. I think she watched too much tv!

It only took 2 days....

I pulled out the tree and a pile of ornaments and the kids had a blast decorating Saturday evening. You can see the musical holidays *decorations*. The Grinch, grandma who got ran over by a reindeer, the singing snowman and the musical bears... None had even been batteried up yet. I put them ALL away yesterday. I have no idea how many times I had to tell the kids to put the ornaments BACK on the tree, stop swinging the Grinch by his hat, Stop hitting each other with the snowman pillow. All chose to ignore me( Ben was home with bi-lateral ear infections) so when I saw that someone ripped the tasseling off the decorative pillow I grabbed an empty tote and piled it all back in and put it away. I threatened them with removing the entire tree. I *think* they believe me or at least fear I might follow through with this one... So for now.. things are a little more peaceful.

Doesn't it just figure...

Michael is getting ready to leave (for way too many days) tomorrow and his ear is killing him. He was put on antibiotics on Friday for the sinus mess.. so is it an infection or just water from the shower? THEN I have Ben.. The sinusy stuff is apparently coming back.. Sounding congested again. Yesterday he complained about his ear for a while. I gave him some Motrin and a decongestant. He stopped complaining. NOW after church he is fussing that his throat is hurting him some.. I see some red in his throat but then, I am not a Dr.

I envision that my week will be starting with dropping Michael at the airport and driving to the Pediatricians.... yeah.

Well, I learned at 5:00am....

That the child who has no issue with wearing his sisters fluffy pink ballerina costumes all day long DOES have an issue with waking up to find out he was dressed in pink footed jammies for bed!

Andrew fell asleep on the way home from Target last night and despite my best efforts, refused to wake up. SO I stripped him and went to gather jammies. Maddie found her Princess jammies and dressed herself. I only had 1 clean set left in the closet. Being that I was too lazy to walk down to the dryer I grabbed those and proceeded to dress Andrew in the adorable light pink jammies with dark pink dots. He never woke enough to process the whole event so I rocked him a few minutes and laid him in bed.

Fast Forward...

Around 5am- after a few hours of tossing and turning sleep I was finally in a good dozy state- I feel a cold nose on my face and I pop open my eyes as I JUMP up in my bed. I grab Andrews hand and head to the bathroom as this is usually the issue. Not this time. Andrew stands in the hall and starts to cry LOUDLY. "Why I wearing girl jammies? I NOT wear girl jammies" WAHHHH. I grab him and drag him OUT of the hall so Ben nor Maddie get the desire to get up that early. I hug him and rock him and just tell him nothing was clean. I also told him it was his fault b/c he was asleep when I put him in them. Who cares if it is blaming the victim! I rocked him a few more minutes and tucked him in bed. When he woke later around 730am he again realized his predicament and went to work correcting it immediately. Since the closet was unlocked he got into the drawers and came out dressed in a air of BOY underwear, jeans and a pirate t-shirt.. A VERY masculine outfit for a 3 year old.

He's a hard working man.

Andrew was hard at work in his room this afternoon. He was using his Melissa and Doug wooden tools to build with. I took a peek on my was past and smiled at how busy he looked. I was laying on my bed reading when Michael came in stifling a laugh. He caught Andrew in the middle of *working*. He was watching him build when all of the sudden Andrew picks up his cell phone( one of our old Verizon phones he carries with him all the time) and goes " Hello? What do you want.. I am busy building Hedicoptors. Okay Bye"

Took cute! Michael said he was so serious he had to laugh. That boy can make us laugh some days!