3 Year Olds

The most important thing to remember about 3 year olds is that they are out to get you. You think that you are safe sleeping in your bed at night? Think again! Sleeping is a luxury afforded only to those without 3 yr olds. You might be sleeping soundly dreaming of fluffy bunny rabbits or white unicorns, when BAM! You are awoken by the horrible screams coming from another room. So disoriented that you flop and twitch sideways out of bed. You end up on your floor with your bottom still halfway in the air, and still the screams continue on and on. There really is no escape from the feeling in the pit of your stomach as you lay there. You will have to get up. It’s inevitable. There is no quieting down or going back to sleep without you.

Another night you might be sleeping soundly, once again, when you hear a slight crinkling noise from the end of your bed. Your first thought, BURGULAR! You bolt upright in your bed only to see strangely enlarged eyes staring back at you. A faint suckling noise reaches your ears and you realize that your 3 yr old has once more gotten the better of you. They are standing at the end of your bed, sucking their thumb, watching you as you sleep.

Let’s face it. They are always watching you. They wait, they stare, they are constantly following you with their eyes. If you slip up and yell a swear word as you burn yourself making dinner, rest assured you will hear that same word come out of their mouth the next day, almost always in some embarassingly public place. There is no escape for the parent of a 3 yr old. 3 yr olds are the most sophisticated form of torture ever invented and they will break you. It may take a little longer than it does the other parents, but know this: YOU WILL BREAK.

 

Don’t let this thought discourage you though. When you do break, you are just letting in all the love that only the parent of a 3 yr old can understand.

 

Tired Mom Catch Up Post!

Tired Mom has been very busy since Danger Boy and Kid Catastrophe started school a few months ago. Less sleep comes when school starts and Tired Mom does very poorly with less sleep. Miss Mayhem and Captain Midnight have been their usual rambunctious selves as well. Tired Mom found some work online about 10 hours a week. Plus......

Making a star wars lamp. Plus....

refurbishing an old dresser for Captain Midnight's nursery. Plus....

burning herself horribly on her stomach! This picture was actually before skin chunks started coming off and it got really gross. It took two weeks to heal properly and there is a still a pretty scar to remember it by. Don't try to catch crock pots full of boiling chicken broth! Wait, you already knew that? I guess Tired Mom needed the lesson before she learned it. Plus....

Did I mention the cute handful of a baby?

and the always keeps you on your toes Miss Mayhem?

Tired Mom also did her usual junking in a neighboring town on big trash pick up week and picked up this lovely kiddy pool. Too fun!

Captain Midnight is also learning to pull himself up on things (play ominous music now). Crawling babies are the most fun though!

Introducing Flash Digger and Red Carnitore!

Our newest adventure was learning how to ride bikes! Just in time too, since Kid Catastrophe and Danger Boy are starting school this week. Kid Catastrophe named her bike Flash Digger (because it's fast and it digs into the soft dirt when she goes off the road).

Danger Boy named his Red Carnitore because he loves dinosaurs and the bike is red.

In the beginning, there was much weeping and wailing and whining. There were many cries of "I hate learning to ride bikes! It hurts! I'm hot!" and many other decrees of blatant whinyness that grated on Tired Mom's nerves.

 That was the first day.

The second day was almost a complete turn around as they BOTH started to really get the hang of it. Kid Catastrophe's main problem was that she was trying to learn on Danger Boy's bike, which was just too big for her. The bike chain would not stay on her bike for any length of time no matter what Tired mom tried. Paranoid Dad came home after being out of town and put together a new bike for Kid Catastrophe and saved the day! He used the tires from Kid Catastrophe's bike and put them on Danger Boy's old bike (and also took the training wheels off Vance's old bike).

Danger Boy only needed help for about 30 minutes of the second day, and then he was doing fine practicing on his own. Kid Catastrophe took about an hour, but then she got it down great! She even declared that she LOVED riding bikes now! All Tired Mom's hard work finally paid off, and now both kids are practicing on their own. They are still stopping with their feet, but learning brakes is a skill that I'm confident they can learn on their own.

Library Reading Program!

 The theme for this year was:  HAVE BOOK WILL TRAVEL

Here's Miss Mayhem trying to sign up for the prizes that you could win in a drawing. Alas, we did not win any of the prizes from a drawing. There were still TWO prizes for each kids besides the drawing prizes though.

Miss Mayhem spent a lot of time making Tired Mom chasing her around the library during the shows (with Captain Midnight in the sling).

Kid Catastrophe and Danger Boy definitely are at an age where they can sit quietly and watch a show. Yay!

Miss Mayhem likes the stuffed critters they have at the library too.

KC and DB posing in front of the themed display.

Miss Mayhem sort of posing and sort of planning her next escapade.

And for my next trick!

Captain Midnight mostly mellowed out in the sling. (wassup? says CM)

END OF PROGRAM PRIZES!!!

PRIZES!!!

PRIZES!!!

AND PIZZA PARTY!!!

SWING SET!!!!

The Destructive Four have finally gotten themselves a swing set, thanks to friendly neighbors who no longer need it for their grown grandchildren. Also- we finally found something to hook up the wooden baby swing that Super Aunt Weesie gave to us 6-7 years ago. I'm glad I held on to that. Thanks Aunt Weesie! We have specifically designated it as Captain Midnight's swing to avoid confusion for Miss Mayhem. The lowest green swing has been designated as hers.

I was thinking as all the kids were playing together on the swing set that I was extending the childhood of my older kids by having younger kids. Stay with me now on this logic. I think by having younger kids who are interesting in running around and playing outdoors that it encourages the older kids to do the same. Being an example works both ways for younger and older kids after all.  Danger Boy (now 9 years old) enjoys playing with Miss Mayhem (3 years old) and chasing her around the yard. Kid Catastrophe (7 years old) joins in sometimes too. MM is hilarious and fun to chase because she has all the enthusiasm and energy of a 3 year old little girl. I don't think the older kids would be as prone to running around and playing simple games if they did not have a younger sibling to do these things with. Miss Mayhem has also discovered sticks, which Danger Boy stopped playing with a few years ago, but now plays again with MM. I could cite more examples, but my tired mommy brain won't let me.

Alright, enough philosophy, on to the swing set pics!

"PUSH! PUSH!" cries Miss Mayhem.

Um, this is ok, I guess, grumbles Captain Midnight (I'm sure he'll enjoy it more when he's older). Danger Boy did get him to smile on the swing, but I did not get a pic of course.

A little something for everyone.

Danger Boy rides his might steed to greater and greater heights! (as Tired Mom yells "stop making the swing set hop!!!)

Danger Boy wanted to designate this as his swing, but was told he had to share.

I've stopped moving! Hello! Minions!

Kid Catastrophe's play clothes of choice are a dress and heels. I have no idea where she gets her super girliness from, but I always get a kick out of it.

Sitting pretty on the see-saw given to us by the same neighbor.

Yes, my little brother, soon we will both wear masks and take over the world! Bwahahaha!

A Day in the Life of Tired Mom.....

It's been awhile since Tired Mom has had a chance to climb out of the newborn fog and write a blog post. Captain Midnight is 4 months old and still wakes up several times every night. This makes Tired Mom even more tired. It's hard to keep up with the little things when sleep deprivation takes its toll day after day. I thought I would update the blog and just walk you through a typical Super Mom day.

Tired Mom product tests. Many mornings are spent writing surveys and giving feedback on various products that get sent to my home.

Miss Mayhem wakes up cranky most days and Tired Mom spends at least an hour trying to make her happy in the morning....while also.....

taking care of Captain Midnight! He wakes up happy, but rarely lets Tired Mom set him down for more than 5 minutes. Mama's boy!

I spend some time each day watching Captain Midnight take naps on my lap. He either wants to nap on me, or with me laying next to him. With Miss Mayhem running amok, there is only one time of day I can lay down with him- her naptime!

Each day I like to take the little ones outside to get some much needed fresh air and sunshine. My goal is one hour a day, sometimes we spend 3-4 hours outside. Tired Mom tries to find various outdoor projects to do while keeping two little ones happy and safe at the same time. Gardening season is harder with little ones.

Tired Mom spends lots of time trying to make Captain Midnight giggle lately. It's hard to resist a baby laugh.

Tired Mom also enjoys making Teague put his hands together like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons. "Eeeeeeexxxccellent."

Some days it is all I can do to keep Miss Mayhem from finding new ways to injure/maim herself. I've been trying to make her take a nap right before the older kids get home, but she is becoming more and more resistant to naps. Darn her!

If you're bored watching the baby sleep, you can always make their hands flash baby gang signs.

Tired mom loves shopping for cloth diapers now that Captain Midnight has switched to cloth!

I also put eyebrows on the baby just for fun one day. Liquid eyeliner!

And then the older kids get home from school, and add their own brand of chaos to the mix. Shark hat!

This was when we went outside one day to get pics taken for Mother's Day. Did I mention we finally got a mini van! Introducing- SECRET AGENT VAN!!!!

 And then, it's time for dinner to be made, and all the fun trying to do that with Captain Midnight still wanting to be held. Paranoid Dad comes home and either holds CM while I eat, or eats while I hold/nurse CM. It will be nice in a few months when the Super Baby can eat with us, or at least does not need to held ALL. THE. TIME. Tired Mom is only writing this blog post because Captain Midnight and Paranoid Dad are passed out on the couch.

I left out nursing the baby about ONE MILLION times a day in that mix. I don't have any pics of that. Sorry perverts! I also left out facebook, checking my e-mail, and various other things that are too boring to mention, but all of which are fun to try to do while holding Captain Midnight all day. At the end of the day, Tired Mom tries to get a few small things done after the kids are in bed, but mostly ends up vegging out with the Roku (sweet Roku, how I love thee!).