For the Record

For the record, I do not have it all together.  In case there is anyone out there under that impression.  (Like I heard recently from a very sweet person.) 

Sunday went great - it was the kind of day that made me think I could have a dozen kids if every day was like that.  But it's only the second day in my two and half years of parenting that I've said that, so I'm pretty sure that falls under the "once in a blue moon" category.

Monday went fairly well- fun playdate with twin buddies, but no nap, so everything went downhill around 5pm.  And when I say downhill, I mean, like this:

What you don't see is that the curtain and its pole were long ago removed by my sons.  One firm tug and down it all came.  You also can't tell that the beautiful wooden blinds are lowered because the pulley is broken and can no longer be lifted.  What you DO see is the handiwork my sons did around 7:30 last night when I heard some awful racket coming from the vicinity of their window.  Yeah, two 33" kids weilding three 40" blind panels in the semi-dark, playing Star Wars, if they only knew what that was. 

I'll spare you the details, but they got a pretty decent reminder to never touch the blinds again, and I listened to their howling feeling like worst mom in the world.  However, need I remind you we don't actually own this house or these blinds?  (Because never in a million years would I have chosen such beautiful and lovely window treatments for my sons' room.) Need I remind you that I have so many of these wooden blinds in the house I can't even tell you how many there are?.....(Minutes later)......11.  I don't know what they cost, but I know they are not cheap.  Someday I'll learn because someday I'll have to replace one...or more.

I took that photo this morning in order to show you how NOT together I have it.  Then I took these just in case you were still doubting:

This is the second peace lily I've received from my wonderful in-laws as an anniversary gift.  Second because the first is no longer with us.  She knows I'm no green thumb, so I receive plants that require very little care, as in, it will still live even if you don't water it.  Wouldn't you know, it was drooping on Monday night.  It's in my dining room, so I watered it while the boys and were dining on mac n cheese and turkey sandwiches.  I told them it would be feeling better in the morning.  The first thing M said today at breakfast was, "It's awake!  The plant is awake!"  It was as if I'd raised Lazarus from the dead!  Can't wait to show him that trick again...next month.

If you know me, you know I HATE cleaning bathrooms.  I LOVE my new house, but having as many bathrooms as I do is...uh...well...a challenge.  So let's just say it's a good thing I have guests as often as I do so that the bathrooms get a swipe every once in awhile.  This one's in need today.  I just can't get those kids to clean up their bathroom.

So now that my house is all put in order (snort, snort!) it's time for me to finish the laundry so I can start packing for our annual Christmas trek to Michigan!  Christmas!  AAAGGGHHH!  I can't believe it's already here! 

It's a good thing I have it all together (snort, snort!)!

"I did it!"

That's Matthew's phrase lately. He loves to make the "D" sound: Da-da-da-da, Heidi, I did it. It's so sweet, especially when he whispers under his breath, "I did it, dada, I did it." MAYBE I'm hearing things, but of course I think my sons are absolutely brilliant in every way! Especially Nathan, who's been saying "Mama." It melts my heart.

Here's a snapshot of something they both DID this morning while I was cleaning up their breakfast trays. They're on the bottom step,

Matthew is on the second step and Nathan follows suit. I tried recording it with the digital camera but am currently failing to upload it. They both got to the second step and Nathan to the third before I carried them back down. I'm getting pretty busy here these days.

Today was storytime at the library. Our librarian, Miss J, knows them by name now! I guess me and the limo stroller filled with these little darlings ARE quite memorable. They LOVE to listen to her tell stories! When I read to them at home, I get mobbed, the book gets ripped out of my hands and eaten. Perhaps 20 or so feet would be a better distance for reading! We always have a good time at the library, but today was extra special because each family went home with a new book:

It's a bit out of our league right now, but we'll put it away and read it later. In the meantime, we checked out some new board books to read at home.

AND I just have brag a little on myself because "I did it!" I put up the room-darkening blind ALL BY MYSELF. My wonderful hubby would have done it, but after the SECOND trip to Ace to get the blind cut - and it STILL wasn't cut right - it became personal.

Kim vs. The Blind.

Matthew, Nathan, The Blind and I made yet another trip to Ace yesterday to get the blind cut for the THIRD time. Fortunately, the Ace Hardware guys were happy to see my fellas again, and even joked that they would get the boys little red vests, putting them to work. My blood pressure started falling upon hearing that, as well as upon watching The Blind be hacked in the saw again.

While daddy took over dinner duties last night, I attacked the window treatments yet again. And this time, I won! It ain't the purtiest window blind ya ever did see (hence, no photo), but it'll do the trick. The boys slept till a blissful 7 am this morning, thanks to The Blind.

And Mama's handiwork.
I did it.