Who Would Have Kids Like That?

I used to wonder random things. 

Like who would allow their children to write on walls or doors?!  What the heck were those parents doing when those kids were armed with writing devices?

Can you hear me sighing?

Now I know.

Those parents are distracted by the mountains of papers brought home by the school age kids.  The incessant demands for snacks for people of all sizes.  The need to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Attempts to keep up on the washing, folding, and putting away of laundry.  Transporting people of all ages to all the places they need to go.  Trying to work, just a little.  And maybe even a few guilty vacant stares wondering if 6pm is too early for bedtime on particularly challenging days.

I know this because I have a little tagger.

There's really no question who it is.

The markings are all at her level and are very emphatic little jabs of color. 

Much like the artist herself.

I should buy stock in Mr. Clean Magic Erase.  Hmmm maybe pinterest.com has a way to make it yourself.  I bet it's on there...

Another thing I used to wonder, even when I was in a few kids deep...

Who could possibly leave a floater in the toilet without a shred of paper?!

Not only is it disgusting to drop that kid in the pool and walk away (!) but the thought that there was no clean-up involved was revolting to me.

Now it's a normal, every day occurrence.

I'm not sure if those little droppers have some sort of sensor for the clean drop and one that needs a little paperwork to accompany it or not. 

I've really only found one rather soiled pair of undies. 

So they must have some innate sense of knowing.

I don't know.

But now, in our house, it's normal. 

And I'm over it. 

I just flush and move on without giving it a second thought. 

Ok maybe a little wonderment is there still...

I wonder what else will fail to surprise me or gross me out when this parenting adventure slows down a bit...

And you want to see a close call?

As I was literally racing around the house (it must have been my 4th dash upstairs in 5 minutes) trying to get the big kids on the bus and the little ones ready to hit the gym with me when I started down the stairs and noticed that the lamp was on in the boys' room.  I was tempted (I'll admit) to leave it on and run but I went back in to turn it off to save power while we were gone.

Guess what I found?!

I know, you never know now that I've filled your head with floaters and graffiti...

Yikes!

Here's a close up

I could smell it smoking.

Oh the "what ifs"!

That was a close one.

And in closing.  Guess who finally, after a whole week of crazy-snowy-icy-power-outages, got his replacement fishy?

Here's Charlie after kissing his fishy "Reddy soft tail" good night.  Our own little St. Francis of Assisi.

My fingers are crossed that power stays on tonight.  The wind is blowing so hard that it's knocking the porch swings into the house and the lights are flickering.

Lord, I love my children more than anything in the world but I have a massage appointment tomorrow and there is no wiggle room in my schedule for late start!  A massage is well earned after the past week of snow days and craziness!