Instagram photo April 1, 2012 Day 1 Reflection

Well, I'm back to the blog!

It's been nearly two years since I've actually posted...but I miss it...and have thought of returning SO many times. 
I've decided to dive right in with this very revealing Instagram photo in the hopes that it will motivate me to get crackin!

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"#photoadayapril Day 1 Reflection: in my hovel of an office...so many unfinished projects "

Sheesh, what a mess!  I'm now just a teensy bit embarrassed, but today's title was reflection and this pretty much sums it up.

Bloodied Legs

"umm, ugh, well, the boys got my legs all bloody."

Seriously?  This is the story my son tells me, as though I would believe it was blood. 

I did check in with the big boys to see if they had anything to do with Rett's "current state?"  They had no idea what he had done. 

So this is all self inflicted.

February 11, 2010

Berries, Berries, Everywhere Berries

So one of my rules is "no food upstairs." Not complicated, very straight forward, should be easy enough to follow.


Last night at bedtime I go into Rett's room and find that he has taken his Home Depot plastic hammer to several dozen frozen berries.


They are in his new firehouse, on the DVDs, CDs, and toys scattered on this floor, and the CARPET. There is a tipped over white garbage can and the empty mixed-berries bag laying on the ground. As soon I walked in the room he stammers "I...I....I was.... hammering berries" as though he can't understand the angry look on my face.


My brow furrows and the first words out of my mouth were "LIAM!!!!" Because the only person who eats mixed frozen berries from the bag is Liam. Rett wouldn't even be able to find them in the freezer if he tried. Rett gets marched into my room where Daddy is watching the football game. I made no attempt to explain to Tim what is going on. I just rolled my eyes and made Rett sit in the bathtub, which he did without question.... that just tells you how terrifying I must have looked at that moment...he always questions.


Liam meets me at the scene of the crime. I say, very tersely, "I know this isn't your fault, but I hope you can see how your actions contributed to this???.....there is NO food upstairs." he says "yeah… sorry about that Mom....he must have gotten them from the garbage can in my room."


It isn't until Liam begins to look around the room that I see the TV, Playstation 2, light blue wall and 2 large Veggie Tales posters have been "hit" by flying berries! Liam's mouth opens in horror.


I walk down the hall, past my room, where I give Tim the angry look and go to get cleaning supplies from the garage.


When I come back up, Tim follows me into Rett's room to find out what’s up. His mouth also drops open in surprise, then he begins to laugh, as I'm telling him, with curse words at this point, about the all the potential staining that I might not be able to get out. We cleaned for about 20 straight minutes.


Luckily the carpet is a darker brown, so you can't totally see it. The splatter on the sheets aren’t that bad. The new play Fire station is light wood, and stained beyond repair...it now looks like a bloody massacre happened there. The wall and posters came clean. The TV was a bit difficult to clean as it was on and thus cooked the berries on the screen, it's fine and has since been removed as part of the punishment. His clothes, ivory colored pjs, have been oxy cleaned several times, but may never recover.


When I went back to get him from the bathtub, he cringed a little in preparation for what I might say. I very calmly had him wash his purple stained hands, change into new pjs and brush his teeth for bed. We read stories, listened to his music cd and when the lights were out he said "Momma.....I'm sorry...I love you....you're the best"


The worst part is I was SO mad I forgot to take a picture! ugh!  I did at least snap this one of the offending trash can, berry bag, and cleaning clothes used.

 

January 10, 2010

TP and Sprinkles

We woke up this morning to TP art, yet again. 

Don't these girls know Liam is out of town! 

ugh! 

Though, I have to say standing in your front yard on a Sunday morning cleaning up TP is a great way to meet the neighborhood. 

Tons of people stopped by and give us their condolences. 

What can I say, we are nothing if not fodder for our neighbors amusement.

Today Rett got to eat his special cupcake from Sprinkles, the chic-chic cupcake shop in LA. 

Thanks Uncle Bill and family for the treat!

August 2, 2009

The 1st TP in the New House

Is that really considered a milestone?

July 26, 2009

Trouble Down Under

I had to reschedule everything today because our escrow is taking longer to close than anticipated. 

During the 15 minutes of phone calls Rett shampooed his hair, fully clothed. 

I didn't find out until later on in the day that he used the blue shampoo under his brother's bed as well...apparently he decided to take cleaning the dirty carpets into his own hands.

June 2, 2009

The Ultimate TP

So, last weekend the boys decided they wanted to TP, again, they hit 5 houses. 

(I think it's not so much a dis anymore as it is an I-like-you-enough-to notice-you-by-destroying-your-front-yard-with-toilet-paper, from what I've gathered.) 

Apparently, the 5 girls collected ALL last weekend's toilet paper in bags and then deposited it on our front yard tonight. 

"A" for originality! 

Liam had gotten wind of their impending arrival and sprayed them with the hose, but that pretty much just wet down the TP.

March 21, 2009

T.P.ed Again

It's 10:30 at night and our doorbell rings. 

I look through the peephole to see white TP everywhere. 

This is Liam cleaning it up right after. 

While he was out there the TPers stopped back by to check their handy work and then got out to chat!

 February 28, 2009

White-Out

The people at 3M will be happy to know that Rett has found yet another use for their all-purpose "Post-It Label and Correction Tape". 

With over 700 inches on each roll the possibilities are endless. 

Today's application: crime scene, do not cross tape. (the sandal and the empty plant containers acting as clues?)

February 25, 2009

Valentine's Day

This is the gift from Liam's Valentine!

February 14, 2009

A Late Night Ride

Just when I thought I wasn't going to have a picture of the day, Liam and his sleepover friends asked for a late night ride.

January 30, 2009

Sharpie on My Sofa

Did you know rubbing alcohol takes permanent marker out of microfiber? This is information I wish I didn't need to know.
So while I'm making dinner and playing referee to my boys this is what happens: Rett is trying to get Liam's attention, he subtly does this by throwing Jenga blocks at him while Liam is typing on the laptop in the living room. Liam knows better than to engage his brother in "inappropriate behavior" as this just escalates the situation. However, he can't resist and it quickly becomes a war of blocks.
After four days with a low-grade fever, stressed from the past weeks of looking for and bidding on houses and the anticipation of the even busier coming weeks of inspections and moving, I loose it. I yell at Liam for not handling his 3 year old brother properly, throwing in the house and insist that he pick up every block. I go back to the kitchen to check and see if dinner is burning yet.
Meanwhile, Liam is solemnly picking up the block disaster and then he yells out "Mom he's got a Sharpie!" We both lunge for Rett, who quickly uncaps the top and proceeds to run backwards on the sofa all the while wielding the pen as a sword and hitting THREE sofa cushions in the process!
In that moment I felt as though I had no other option than to take the child by the shoulders, rip the pen out of his hand, open the front door, put him on the front porch (yes, it's dark out) and insist that he not move a muscle until I tell him otherwise. I begin frantically scrubbing the microfiber sofa and not 30 seconds later Tim comes home, through the front door and wants to know why Rett is sitting out on the front porch. Then he sees the sofa. Welcome home, Honey!

January 16, 2009