Easter Fun and Ethan turning 6

Easter is here as well as spring and we are bringing it in with style. 

This week we have gone from snow showers to windy spring days.  Those windy spring days brought about a day long power outage, which caused our refrigerator to surge, which ended up with losing tons of food but now a fridge that looks that we just got it out of Lowes because we had to throw everything out and clean it (Can we say run-on sentence here because that is what that whole episode felt like.) PIcture John using my heat gun for craft stuff at 9 o'clock one night and something burning in the freezer, which we found out later was the styrofoam but John completely fixed the fridge.  This was Monday through Wednesday. 
Then, we had the spring days where I looked outside on the trampoline and what do I find? Two boys, stripped down to their underwear with ivy-like grass hanging out of it.  Oh yes, this was so cool that they walked in the house and I sent them straight to the bathtub which had a brown color to it when I got them out of there. 

Monday Ethan turns 6.  We are having a bday party at Yayas Island tomorrow with mostly all of our family.  Therefore, all of us sisters got together today for Easter fun.  Betsy, Matt, Katie Beth, Annalee, Mom and Dad all came over today to visit before Easter fun tonight.  John took all the kids outside.  He put them to work, they were able to collect all of the sticks in the front yard and start their own bonfire.  Then, it's time to head to Mom and Dad's house.  Everyone is ready to go but where is Caleb? In the garden.  With no shoes on.  Did I mention it rained today?  Throw the boy in the tub and we're off again.  We had 6 kids lined up in my Mom and Dad's house with a cup full of dye and eggs everywhere. Can you believe it but of course the only one who ended up with completely dyed hands was Caleb?  Bless him.  He had to have another bath. 

Now, it's time for some real fun. Insert Harlem Shake:
http://harlem.shabz.co/l/8E331F30-11FC-47E3-9515-91A0372CA5CF.html

Yes, we talked our Mom and Dad into it.  Yes, it was AWESOME. 

Mom had chocolate stuffed into some of the Easter eggs.  Now having 3 kids I do things with the third I find I NEVER would have done with Ethan or probably Caleb.  Linley is like Hudini. The child finds ways to open things.  And she has good priorities.  All this Easter candy means chocolate.  This afternoon she would not pick up any Easter Eggs because she found two chocolate Hershey eggs, one in each hand. Therefore, she would not pick anything else up because she had to have her chocolate.  Everytime I turn around that girl had chocolate in her mouth or in her hand, or going through Ethan's basket.  (Yes, she knows who to mooch off of, Caleb would knock her down but Ethan won't do a thing to her).  Try to take a piece of chocolate away from that girl and let me tell you: The wrath of Linley is coming. 

Got everyone in bed tonight, time for my shower.  I now notice that there is mud all over the white  shower curtain.  I'm in the shower and it's like I'm at the beach. I am standing on pieces of mud and dirt.  Yes, I had to take leaves off of the drain in the tub so water would go down.  Multitasking and almost used germ-x instead of lotion.  John asked me how that was going to turn out. 

Observations of the week:
Caleb, when mad, yells "Booty Buttcheek!!" at you in his meanest voice.
Linley, when Caleb is taking my lap or John's lap away from her, she hits him, on the head.  He, of course, hits her back.  I think Caleb has met his match.
Ethan teaches Linley how to play things, like trains and whatever else he can think of. His goal is to make her laugh.  She has him wrapped.  
Ethan, when threatened with a spanking, prefers to be honest about it and get spanking done immediately.  Caleb prefers to put it off so he can hopefully talk his wway out of it or hope you forget.  Picture this scenario in TJ Maxx.  
Doing Resurrection Eggs with kids for Devotionals this week.  Eggs were going everywhere, pieces of the Resurrection story being tossed around.   Trying to read the Bible while LInley  is screaming because she rather read a book in my lap than Caleb in my lap reading the Bible.  Not how you would picture a quiet devotional time with the kiddos but hey, God uses everything right?

Happy Easter!!!

Our new normal

Well, life around here is taking on a new normal. Linley is now  almost 15 months and into her independence. Caleb is still three, which if anyone has a three year old boy you can empathize with me here, and Ethan is closing in on six.  Holy moly, he's turning six next week.  Rant: I have a six year old. You know how you put people in categories?  I.E." Oh look, they have a new born, sweet young family.  I.E." Oh, they have a  three year old and another kid, they're getting seasoned." I.E." Oh, they have  a six year old, and two other kids, they're getting on up there." Yep, that's us. Getting on up there.  I'm now in "that box." End rant.

The past two weeks at our house have been um, shall we say "Stressful" for mom? 



Linley is getting more and more independent yet is also turning more and more towards a Momma's girl.  I love seeing her light up when she sees me.  She waves and run towards me. OR, she's playing happily then sees me and immediately starts crying and whining so I will pick her up.  Um, hello, you were fine just three seconds ago and nothing has changed here.  Linley is very accustomed to hearing the word No.  Does that mean she likes it? Absolutely not.  But she hears it alot.   Today, at the Easter Egg hunt there was a table of food set out.  She is running towards it trying to grab stuff and of course I'm saying, No Linley.  After about five of those run-ins she gets over there and I'm not watching. Her aunt sees her and this is what happens: Linley gets to the table. Attempts to grab something off the table.  She turns and looks at me.  I'm not looking at her.  She thinks for a couple seconds, gives a look, puts her hand down, moves on.  Apparently, if I'm not telling her No about it it's not worth trying to get it.  Another example. I was at a friend's house getting my hair cut.  Linley comes to the door crying.  We stop and talk to her and then dismiss it.  She's just whining so we continue with the hair cut.  All of a sudden we stop and look at her because she quit whining.  She then realizes that we are paying attention to her so she immediately starts a fake cry.  Seriously? 

Caleb is still into this three business.  Meltdown.  All day long.   Yesterday was Bible Study day at church. It's time to go.  Oh but wait, the top button to his shirt is not buttoned.  Mom, you have to come to MY room and button it.  Oh no no no.  Please must be used here.  Button now in place.  Uh oh. My hands were just washed so now he is wet.  He then ensues to call me "Booty Buttcheek!!!!"  Mama don't play that.  Ask Caleb who his new roommate will be if he does that again.  It doesn't walk around on two legs nor does it have a bedroom in this house.
Last night we had some of our good friends over.  We're sitting at the dining room table while the boys and girls are playing.  All of a sudden Ethan appears at the table,smelling like baby powder. Tattling ensues, Caleb has poured baby powder all over the room.  I pass this one over to John, I'm done for the time being.  Then Linley appears in the room. What's in her hair?  What's all over clothes?  What's that strong smell?  Yes, Caleb decorated Linley with baby powder as well.  I then hear the vaccuum cleaner going.  I never went and checked how it looked but when I dusted today, yes please write that one down, that I dusted baby powder off of the front and sides of the dresser. 

So the new norm, Ethan babying Linley,  Caleb still being three, Linley being independent.  It's never calm here and I wouldn't have it any other way, except maybe nap time. Yeah, I could handle a calm house during nap time.