Leprechans Beware

There are some kids at this house with a plan and if you aren't careful, you may have to grant them some wishes.

The design.

The finished product complete with ladder, slide, and giant tupperware tub trap.

Bait.

Serious bait. These kids aren't messing around. They know that no Leprechan can refuse a custom combo dance mat and shiny quarters.




They even turned on some irish music. We've learned from Darby O'Gill that leprechans can't resist 3 things: Whiskey, dancing, and hunting. We don't have whiskey, and we don't have anything for them to hunt, so we had to appeal to their musical interests.

Sure enough an hour or so after the trap was completed, an unfortunate Leprechan must have been captured and escaped because the money was gone, and the custom-made combo dance mat was gone and in their place was a whole slew of chocolate gold coins. Delicious. So now friends of Spencer, what'll we wish for?

The Book Club

On Saturday I really needed to spend some extra time with the kids. After a game of Operation they wanted to build a fort. Fort building is a perfect example of synergism. Everyone pitches in their ideas and eventually we come up with a supersweet place to hide that would otherwise not exist. That's just what it ended up being. A supersweet place to hide. Without any input from me, the kids took books inside and enjoyed reading in the dark. They decided that everytime they went back into the fort they'd need to bring a book. Quite a stack developed. They called it "The Book CLub." I was amazed because they let Mia come in and out of the fort without a single complaint. So, welcome to the book club.

No. It really is.

Life is good. We each are changing, learning, and growing so much. Alfonso and I usually start the day reluctant to end our minute or two together. Bracing ourselves for what lies ahead, I say,"Let's go make everybody mad." Then we're off, waking up the troops, becoming everyone's FAVORITE PERSON. We have a goal to eat breakfast together and read together every morning. It is a tradition that is saving us.

Alfonso's job is great, he's such a hard worker, but he also knows how to play. Ben is almost as tall as me, he helps a lot around at home and makes us laugh. Spencer is doing well in school, I love his insights and his unwavering willingness to help (regardless of the task and no, I'm not exaggerating). Will is a little jokester, natural reader and keeps things exciting with his remarkably short fuse. Mia isn't learning many words, we are signing our way through. For a a baby learning spanish and english, I don't understand why she's speaking chinese. Her jibberish is amazing. She LOVES to dance and sing. She loves to explore. And me? I'm good too. I get to stay home with Mia, the hours we spend together are quite peaceful. She's a good napper. My inner debate is whether or not I am entitled to a nap too.

I also get to stay home with our boys. In the afternoon when they rush through the door, I go into octopus mode. This is a time to keep everything together (my patience and myself included). It's a time for homework assessment, making sure everyone is on task. It's a time for signing a form with one hand and holding a baby with the other. It's a time for "Yes you can have a snack." "No, you cannot play Wii." "Please stop freaking out." "No, I don't know what veracious means." "Why are you wearing a bowl on your head?" Thankfully I can still help them with math although the time soon cometh where their skill will far surpass mine. Somewhere in all this a meal is prepared. That is the miracle. The days that friends come to play just add to the glorious chaos. I always breathe a sigh of relief when Alfonso walks in the door. My favorite time of day (sorry kids) is when the you are all taken care of, in your beds, and I have a few minutes to myself. It takes a minute to switch gears, to take a deep breath and realize I made it. I survived another day! It also takes a minute to count my blessings including the man next to me, and say, "Hey babe, I love you." Then we close our eyes and do it all over again.
Like I said, Life is good.

Ursula Upper

So thankfully Debbie Downer day is over. Thank goodness they don't last too long. The kids are still farting, I'm still having horrible dreams, but on the upside, the kids aren't sick anymore (knock on wood) an the laundry is done (turning a blind eye to the heap that's growing.) I'm Ursula Upper today and after everything I say theres a laugh track playing. ha ha ha

I hope you have a good day too.