Even the two year old knows that the way to avoid bedtime is to say "Mom, I want to clean the house."
Sorry, Baby Bear. Points for creativity, but you were up with the sun and it's time for you to go to bed.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
This is why I'm going to have 50 gazillion kids, Father's Day Edition 2011
There is a saying that "if momma's not happy, nobody's happy." I've been trying to think about what expression would really do justice to what Gil brings to the life of our family, and haven't been able to come to one. None of them really explain how exceptional a father Gil is.
Gil is simply a remarkable man, husband and father. He's one of the most intelligent, most principled, and funniest people I know, and he only seems to be getting better with age. The ten years we've spent as a couple and 8 1/2 we've spent tending to our brood of barbarians have been better than anything I could have ever hoped for. There aren't words to describe what it's like to watch my husband's eyes light up when our 5th child starts to play her toddler games, or to see a father giving batting advice to a 2nd grader with a two year old on his shoulders.
My children are so lucky to have such an excellent man for their Dad. Because my husband is strong, our children are strong. Because my husband is gentle, our children are kind to each other. Because my husband is steadfast, our children know peace.
If every father were one quarter of the man that my husband is, the world would be a better place. I am a better mother for being his wife, and I love him more than words can express. I am so blessed, and my children are so blessed, to have an engaged and loving Dad leading and caring for our family, and surreptitiously pricing 12 seater vans even before we've outgrown our current vehicles.
Happy Father's Day, Gil! I love you more than I'll ever be able to say, which is probably another reason as to why we're going to have 50 gazillion kids.
Gil is simply a remarkable man, husband and father. He's one of the most intelligent, most principled, and funniest people I know, and he only seems to be getting better with age. The ten years we've spent as a couple and 8 1/2 we've spent tending to our brood of barbarians have been better than anything I could have ever hoped for. There aren't words to describe what it's like to watch my husband's eyes light up when our 5th child starts to play her toddler games, or to see a father giving batting advice to a 2nd grader with a two year old on his shoulders.
My children are so lucky to have such an excellent man for their Dad. Because my husband is strong, our children are strong. Because my husband is gentle, our children are kind to each other. Because my husband is steadfast, our children know peace.
If every father were one quarter of the man that my husband is, the world would be a better place. I am a better mother for being his wife, and I love him more than words can express. I am so blessed, and my children are so blessed, to have an engaged and loving Dad leading and caring for our family, and surreptitiously pricing 12 seater vans even before we've outgrown our current vehicles.
Happy Father's Day, Gil! I love you more than I'll ever be able to say, which is probably another reason as to why we're going to have 50 gazillion kids.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
You know you have a large number of small children when...
You find yourself telling a 2 year old "YOU CANNOT RIDE ON PEOPLE SMALLER THAN YOU! IF YOU WANT A RIDE, FIND SOMEONE BIGGER THAN YOU TO RIDE ON!" and the 2 year old has his pick of 3 bigger siblings before even asking his mom or dad for a horseback ride.
This post brought to you by the 15th time today telling Baby Bear that Thumbelina is not for him to ride on...
This post brought to you by the 15th time today telling Baby Bear that Thumbelina is not for him to ride on...
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Clean up, aisle 7!
You know you have boys when you bandage and ice two heads, and both victims claim to have been calmly walking while the other boy was "running, like, really fast!" One kid has a decent sized bump, the other has a pretty small gash, but as far as we can tell both of them will survive.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Putting those critical thinking skills to work!
This week I made a batch of brownies. It's been pretty hot around here lately, so once the weather cooled off I took the opportunity to *finally* catch up on some baking. You might be thinking "ummm... you have 5 kids! How on earth do you have the time to bake anything!?!" However, I submit that it's less a question of whether I have the time to bake and more a question of whether I have enough energy to NOT bake.
4 little children (Thumbelina not included) saw a tray of brownies and as their eyes lit up, the negotiations began. After a couple rounds of bidding, it was decided that to earn the brownies studded with chocolate chips and reese's pieces, the children had to scale Mount Laundry, sort it by child, and put it all away. However, there was an obstacle to the completion of this task: Thumbelina has started to "help" whenever she sees laundry, except that her "help" largely consists of picking out every single item of clothing in reach, trying to wrap it around her neck and then discarding it with impressive speed.
The horde was aware of this problem. Very aware of it. This is their solution.
Yes, that is Thumbelina in a basket full of toys piled so high that she can't get out. And yet, everybody won! Thumbelina got to sit in a basket full of toys, laundry got sorted without TODDLER SABOTAGE, and there was peace, clean clothing and peanut butter studded brownies throughout the land.
So, the question, dear readers, is not so much what baked goods will do for you as what your children will do for themselves to get the baked goods that you are offering.
Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone!
4 little children (Thumbelina not included) saw a tray of brownies and as their eyes lit up, the negotiations began. After a couple rounds of bidding, it was decided that to earn the brownies studded with chocolate chips and reese's pieces, the children had to scale Mount Laundry, sort it by child, and put it all away. However, there was an obstacle to the completion of this task: Thumbelina has started to "help" whenever she sees laundry, except that her "help" largely consists of picking out every single item of clothing in reach, trying to wrap it around her neck and then discarding it with impressive speed.
The horde was aware of this problem. Very aware of it. This is their solution.
Yes, that is Thumbelina in a basket full of toys piled so high that she can't get out. And yet, everybody won! Thumbelina got to sit in a basket full of toys, laundry got sorted without TODDLER SABOTAGE, and there was peace, clean clothing and peanut butter studded brownies throughout the land.
So, the question, dear readers, is not so much what baked goods will do for you as what your children will do for themselves to get the baked goods that you are offering.
Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone!
Friday, June 3, 2011
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