If I Let Them Go Outside Barefoot . . .

For those of you who don't know me, I hate cleaning but love a clean house!  I would pretty much rather do anything.  (Maybe not skydiving, or flying, or bungee jumping, anyways you get the idea.)  The problem is our tub.  Anytime I give my children a bath, it gets filthy.  I think it is because it is old and not coated with teflon or whatever they put on fancy new tubs that keeps the dirt from adhering.  I always have to scrub it soon after or else it looks like I haven't cleaned it in years.  I find this very unfortunate and therefore my children are not as clean as they should be!

I decided to write a little story to help me work through my hatred of cleaning the tub.  Here is my version of the popular book "If You Give a Mouse A Cookie".  I hope you enjoy!  I have to go clean the tub again but at least my kids are clean.

"If I Let Them Go Outside Barefoot"

If I let them go outside barefoot, they will want to dig for worms.

If they dig for worms, they will want to stand in the dirt.

If they stand in the dirt, they will get dirty toes.

If they get dirty toes, they will need to have a bath.

If they need a bath, I will have to give it to them.

If I give them a bath, the tub will get dirty.

If the tub gets dirty, I will have to scrub it.

When I scrub the tub, I will notice that the rest of the bathroom is dirty.

I will clean all of it.

After I finish cleaning the bathroom, I will want the rest of the house to be clean too.

When the rest of the house is clean, I won't want anyone to mess it up so I will send them outside.  

It is a warm day, they want to go outside barefoot.

If I let them go outside barefoot, chances are they will want to dig for worms!

One down, nineteen to go!

          (Before)                                            (After)

Today was cause for a big celebration in our house.  Carter lost his first tooth!  

We had been anticipating it for quite a while now.  I even did a "Before the Tooth Falls Out" photo shoot.  The second it could move just the slightest bit, he started wiggling it.  Each day I would get the update on how loose it had become.  It was all I could do to watch it.  The thought and/or sight of a loose tooth sends a wave of nausea throughout my body.  I'm not sure how I made it through three years of teaching 2nd grade!

Today when I arrived home, Carter informed me that his tooth could now bend backwards. Missy, one of our friends who was babysitting at the time, said that he had been messing with it all day and that it was probably ready to fall out. Carter waited until Nick got home so that he could show him.  Then in the midst of a game of Princess Memory for the kids and Nick (Nick finally beat the kids!) and a brief rest on the couch for me,  I was greeted with a bloody mouth, the tiniest tooth, and the proudest six year old you've ever seen.  Apparently when Nick went to answer the phone, Carter wiggled that little tooth right out.  

He was so proud of himself!  He was the big man in the house.  He was enjoying his moment in the spotlight.  He was surrounded by his sister and brother.  They were both in awe of this amazing feat that Carter had accomplished.  After the initial admiration wore off, Emilee went running through the house yelling that Carter had lost his tooth and Kaden kept telling Carter that he was going to die because there was blood.  I'm pleased to say that he is just fine and the bleeding has subsided.

As I sit here writing this for you to enjoy with us, I can't help but feel that this is a bittersweet memory.  It means that he is growing up.  I know that it seems silly but soon his mouth will no longer be filled with those tiny little baby teeth.  Weird, oversized, and, unfortunately for our wallets, probably crooked teeth will soon fill that sweet little boy smile of his.  With that comes all of the other inevitable and sometimes awkward changes that will come his way.  For now I will cherish the little boy who still likes to cuddle up close with me, who tells me how beautiful I am, and who lets me give him one kiss at night that he promises not to wipe off.  I might not be able to stop him from growing up but at least I have 19 more baby teeth to enjoy!

Oh and for those of you who know how we feel about Santa and the Easter Bunny, there will be no visit from the Tooth Fairy tonight.  I did promise to take Carter to the store and let him pick out whichever toothbrush that he wanted and his favorite toothpaste.  This is a big deal in our house because I refuse to buy special toothbrushes and they have to take turns choosing the toothpaste.  (currently it is Disney Princesses)  Apparently not big enough though because as I left his room he asked me if he could get $5.00 too!

When You Gotta Go

Disclaimer:  The picture has nothing to do with this post.  It was just cute and a picture related to the content seemed inappropriate.

We were playing a little baseball tonight.  Yes, it was well within my tolerable range of outside temperatures.  Not so hot that I would break a sweat while breathing and not so cold that it would justify my craving for a Starbucks hot chocolate.  Anyways, I spotted a small pile of suspicious brown stuff very close to our carport entry.  It seemed like an odd spot for an animal, which we don't own and rarely see in our yard, to leave us a present.  Hence the following conversation. . .

Mommy:  Carter, Emilee, Kaden does anyone know about this?

Carter:  Yeah, Kaden pooped.

Mommy:  Kaden, really, you pooped right here?

Kaden:  Yeah, that poop came out of my butt.

(You can laugh here too.  Emilee and Carter thought it was hilarious!)

Nick:  At least it wasn't in your pants buddy!

Thanks for the perspective Nick!  And for those who were wondering, it didn't smell like roses!