When Exactly Can I

Chet was out of town this weekend (in Minot, ND cleaning up flooded homes again. I so love that man and all that he does for everyone!) and Carter and Carson wanted to sleep with me. I told them that they could not start out in my bed, but if they woke up and all the lights were off and I was in bed, then they could climb into bed with me (they always have to sleep on the bed on the floor when Chet is home so this was BIG time!) Carson gets this puzzled look on his face and then says, "What if you are kneeling down beside your bed saying your prayers, but your body is leaning on your bed? Does that count as you being in bed?" What do you say to that? We have to know EXACTLY where the line is. That is Carson in every way. If he knows the line...and the consequence, he will way it out and see if the consequence is worth the risk of getting caught, because, "I only get into trouble if you catch me mom!" (As a side note, I have realized almost every post is about Carson. The kid is so animated and smart. He really will be a wonderful man someday if he uses all his natural abilities for good!) Second thought on this occurance. I was so happy that Carson knew that I would, at some point that night, be kneeling next to my bed saying prayers, no matter if Chet was there or not. I love to know that THEY know that about me! So happy for that!!!

Fun Ride

In the house that Chet built, we wanted a LARGE garage. So we made it about 1400 sq ft. Typically the wife keeps the house, and the man gets the garage for all of their treasures, at least in my family. Well, Chet likes LOTS of stuff in his, and I like NOTHING (I am the same way in the house, I hate clutter. It makes me anxious and crazy)! I HATE trying to get a kid out of his car seat while dodging all of Chet's treasures (we"ll call them that). So, on my two car stall, I had a fridge and mini deep freezer, and that was it! Well, it made a great place to play for the kids we learned really fast. I liked to keep it swept and fairly clean, so the boys used it like a playground. It was fabulous!!! One day I was in the kitchen doing dishes and I heard all the boys laughing. I went to the door to see what was going on, but I was having a hard time turning the handle. Someone was holding it. I rip it open to find one boy standing watch and holding the handle so I couldn't open it, one standing watching, and one boy almost to the very top of the garage "taking a ride" on the garage door. By this point he is too high to drop, but I am freaking out. What does he do??? He just drops and says, "What? That is a really fun ride!" No clue that he should NOT be able to drop like that.

Shoveling Snow

(Dec 2009)My boys have always been early risers. I have no idea where they come from though, WE.ARE.NOT early risers, Chet and I that is. So we trade off who gets to sleep in, and reluctantly drag ourselves out of bed every morning to get these growing boys some food. We had to tell them that if it is still dark outside, it is NOT time to get up. Lay back down! One morning I pop my eyes open because I think the garage door is opening. It is still dark outside, but the clock says 5:10 am. Sure enough, it was the garage. I jump out of bed and run to the door as the last boy is walking out the door. All four boys, even Cael (who is 14 mo at this time) with the help of his brothers, are dressed in their footie jammies, snow boots, coats, gloves, and hats out snoveling snow. (Carter & Cars would be almost 6 and Caden 4) Can you imagine being a neighbor and seeing this!!! hmmm... Which law do I turn the Parkers in for? Child labor, neglect, not fit to be parents, etc. I could not believe it. When I say that I have an alarm to keep my kids in...I am not kidding!!! At barely 0 degrees outside, that could have been really scary had I not heard the garage open!

Skinny Jeans

We just got a box full of school clothes. We are pulling everything out and trying on things. Carter is trying on his jeans and this is our conversation:
Carter: These are skinny jeans
Mom: NO they are not! Skinny jeans are for girls
Carson: Why don't you have any skinny jeans?
Carter: Because mom is fat. Skinny jeans are for skinny girls Carson.
Mom: Thanks Carter
Carter: your welcome mom (like he has no idea what he said. He really thought I was complimenting him!)

Soaking Wet

My boys are master manipulators, as any young kid would be. They are just too smart for their own good, but also so dumb it is funny. Chet always says that when there is silence, you know they're up to NO good. It's a funny thing kids do. Well, one day after I dropped the older boys off at school, I was busy cleaning the kitchen when Caden comes running up the stairs to his room. He comes out with a different top than the one he wore to bed. He quickly says he was too hot and wanted a short sleeve and was gone again. A little later I call him to the stairs to check on him, and he has no shirt on and is SOAKING WET. When I say wet, he looked like he had just stepped out of the shower and put on some pants. His hair was dripping and sweat was rolling down his chest. I asked him what happened, and he tells me that the basement is really hot (the basement in the middle of the winter, he really thinks we are that stupid!) Upon some investigation I learned that he was down playing the Wii, something he is not allowed to play in the middle of the week. I was shocked at how wet he was and asked what he was playing. After watching him play the Wii, ANY game on the Wii, it was crystal clear why he was wet. That is entertainment alone. He jumps and swings and jumps and jumps and laughs and grunts. It is hillarious. Chet and I love to watch him play. He is ALL over the room. As long as he plays that Wii, we will never have to worry about him and child obesity. We love our Cada-Babe!

Perception of Time

There are alot of things that kids say that you know they don't know what they are really talking about. Every kid does, right. I did, and do, because when you have not ever really been there before, you don't really know what you are talking about. Make any sense? Well, Carter made the comment to me that I do nothing but play on the computer all day. True, I do things on the computer. Check my e-mail, bank acct, update my blog when they do or say something, watch an episode of something once a week (because we don't have cable so I watch it online the next day), check facebook briefly, and other little things if I need. That totals I would say about one hour a day total that I am on the computer. So, I told Carter that he had to shadow me for the day and when I am "playing" on the computer, he could play. After about 2 hours of normal day stuff: laundry, sorting laundry, dishes, cleaning babies rooms, cleaning the living room up for the 10th time, folding, cleaning the bathroom, etc he said, "I am exhausted mom. I need to lay down. I cannot bend over and pick up one more thing. You are making me do everything." I just looked at him and said, "No, but you can now." He instantly starts saying, "No, no I take it back. I didn't mean that! You do way more than I can! I need to have a break, I take it back!" I smiled and asked him if he needed to take anything else back, and he smiled really big and said, "YES! You don't play on the computer all day! You have a really boring job!" I reminded him what the house looked like a few days earlier when I hadn't made it out of bed for 2 days because I was sick and had a bad back, and he said it looked like we threw a grenade at it (which was a funny word choice because I have never said that, I always say it looks like a bomb went off) I think it was a good learning moment. Even Chet said it's hard to imagine everything we both do all day. He was running like crazy from the time he got home from work trying to get things half normal. We really need both of us doing our part, as well as the kids doing theirs to make it all work! I am so thankful that I have Chet that does his part and more, so that I can do mine and have a HAPPY family in the end. I also think that I do have a boring job...if I let it be that way! If I work at not letting it be that way, I can have the best job in the whole world! Chet once reminded me that I chose this job, and it changed my perspective forever! I did choose to be a mom, and I don't feel one ounce bad for taking one hour on the computer while my baby sleeps! I think Carter is ok with it too!!!

Potty Training!

I HATE potty training. I hated it with a passion with my twins, (then Caden potty trained himself, that was amazing!) and I'm hating it with Cael. Had I not learned with Carter that if they are NOT ready, you cannot train them, I would be forcing Cael to right now. With Carter I went two months of washing out underwear everyday. I tried everything, but he was NOT interested. I would put him on the toilet for 10 min, and within 1 of getting off, he would poop his pants. Well, Cael is the same way. I made him run around naked for 2 days, so he didn't poop for 2 days. The second I put something on, boom! So today Cael comes up stairs and says, "Mom, I stink. My brothers won't let me play with them." I say then go on the potty and that won't be a problem!!! So, knowing that changing his butt is not going to be my priority while I'm fixing lunch and feeding Colby, he says, "My butt is burning! We have to change it now!" The little terd. Master manipulator! They are so smart at such a young age! Did I mention that I HATE potty training!

Wet Blanket

One day a while ago, I was in the laundry room doing laundry. I had a wet blanket draped over a bin. Carson comes through the room and steps on the blanket. He is instantly bugged and with all the drama he has (which is more than you can probably imagine, DRAMA king!) he says, "Who peed on this blanket???" I was bugged but also nervous, because you never know with them, and ask why he would think someone peed on it? He says, "Because the blanket it wet. (Talking to me like I'm an idiot that he is having to explain this me!) That means someone peed on it or spit on it! So which one is it?" I just shook my head and said get out of here! Only a boy, and probably mine at that, would think those were the only logical reasons for a blanket, in a laundry room, draped over something drying, to be wet. You never know what you're going to find with them...or smell!

Held Hostage

Carson comes in the door looking like he could literally tear someones head off, dripping wet. Half laughing, I say what happened to you. He didn't know if he wanted to cry or scream or just go crazy. Barely understandable because his teeth were clenched so tight, he says, "Carter soaked me!!!" Come to find out, Carson and Caden and Cael were all on the tramp. We have the net around it, so there is only one way to get out of it. Carter took the hose and was just squirting everyone, and there was nothing that they could do about it! Finally, Carson, with the hose being squirted in his face, jumps off the tramp to come for help. The funny thing is, we have been trying to get them to understand the difference between tattling (just to be a punk) and telling (if someone is hurt or doing something VERY wrong), and also working things out between themselves without violence. Also, if they get hurt doing something that was wrong, we ask them how bad they think we feel for them, in which they reply, "None at all!" If Carson would have beat the crap out of Carter, and I think he could have while the inner Hulk was out, I probably would have told Carter that he deserved it, the little punk. All I could do was laugh, and tell him to go get his swimsuit on then. He looks at me, all anger now gone... OK! And the water fight with all joy was on!

The Bathroom

I was just telling the boys that when school starts we will be getting back into a routine, and they will be responsible to do all their chores everyday. I said that they would have to do homework, snack, chores, and then they could go play. Carson said, "No!" (while lowering one eyebrow and all kinds of attitude) He said I will do: homework, snack, chores, bathroom, and then play. (so matter of fact now) I said because you have to poop everyday after school. He, as serious as ever, says "Yeah! I DO NOT poop in random (which I thought was a funny word for him to use here) toilets. Only in Nana's, Randi's, and my own...oh yeah and yours too." So funny, those are the only people's houses that he has ever had a sleepover at without me. I guess that's where he feels safe and in the mood to poop! Haha, love ya Randi and Nana (enough to poop there)!!!

Chicken

So tonight while I was preparing my chicken for dinner, Carson asks if he can help me. I NEVER say yes to that, so when I did tonight he was REALLY excited. He rushed to wash his hands, (without a reminder, I was proud of that!) and then grabbed a perry knife and his own cutting board. He sits down next to me and I tell him to cut off all the white. I had already cut off most of it, and was just leaving him VERY little to do himself...I wanted to have dinner cooked within a reasonable time. He starts cutting away and being very meticulous. Then he asks me if I was leaving the hardest part for him, because this was hard work. I told him no, look at what they start like, and I procede to turn the breast over and show him the red and white "chubbles" on it. He gets instantly disgusted and says, "what is that red (stressing ea word)!" I told him that's where they cut it from the chicken and I just like to make it cleaner. He gets this disgusted look on his face and says, "We are actually eating a chicken!?! This is from a real chicken!?!" I stop and look at him thinking he is kidding, and it becomes very clear he is not. We eat chicken for about half of our meals, for his entire life! I started laughing, and he tells me, "Don't laugh. That is disgusting. I cannot believe we are really eating a chicken." Oh my, I have alot to teach this week. Where does our food come from 101. I hope we can get them to eat next week. I might have just produced some vegetarians!!!