Put It On a High Shelf

     Those words are said in our house, sometimes audibly, sometimes not, for a variety of reasons. As I gaze around at all of the "high shelves" in our home, I see a myriad of things: medication that we don't want the children to have access to; cleaning products that could be dangerous; scissors and Sharpies, both of which could do untold damage.  We say those words to the "big kids" to keep prized drawings and Lego creations safe from destruction, to place small objects out of reach from the "baby girls," and to protect favorite toys from puppy drool.
     I thought about this today as I looked around at the bookcases containing a random assortment of the aforementioned items. Does that belong there? Is that the best place for that? What is THAT doing THERE?!? As I pondered this and attempted to prevent my anal retentive tendencies from kicking into overdrive, I thought about the metaphorical appropriateness of the "high shelf." 
     Our children are growing, day by day, little by little, being exposed to harmful and potentially damaging tantalizing "things." We are trying to shelter Sophia from exclusive "friends" she encounters at school; we are encouraging Asher to be obedient even when it is difficult; we protect Frankie and Eva from influences that they are too young to comprehend. Oh to have a "higher shelf." Life is becoming more complicated than keeping scissors out of our youngsters hands and toxic chemicals beyond their reach, more complex than dealing with the heartache that follows the demolition of a perfect Lego spacecraft or creative drawing of our family.
     Today, and everyday, I am thankful for a supportive family that helps us raise our children "in the way that they should go." (Proverbs 22:6) I am thankful for positive friends that find the honesty,purity, and beauty in life and encourage our children to "think on these things." (Phillippians 4:8)  What a challenge it is, and will become even more, to shield our kids from the hardships, trials and struggles this life will bring, and to equip them with the appropriate skills when they must tackle them head on.I am thankful today, for my Savior, that, through His grace, has redeemed us from it all and promises that He "will not give us more than we can bear." (1 Corinithians  10:13) Thankful today for the "high shelves" in my life and the perseverance to be faithful to the "The Highest Shelf."

Partners in Crime

Francesca and Evangeline, more commonly known as Frankie D. and Eva B. can melt my heart then raise my blood pressure all in the span of 2 minutes.  I have the joy of spending my days at home with these two beauties.  They are my shopping buddies, little helpers, and play mates.  And together, they can create a mess more quickly than anything I have ever witnessed in my life.  (Although, if truth be told, most times, I do not witness them making the mess, simply the aftermath.)  Fortunately, they have never been hurt (badly) in their mess-making frenzies or broken anything (too valuable).  And, while I am usually annoyed or frustrated by their messes and the subsequent expenditure of time to clean up said mess that is then afforded to me, my laughter usually overrides the frustration.

Last week, I got the "baby girls" (as we often refer to them as), all set with a snack, juice, and a show- a titilating compilation of Little Einsteins episdoes to buy myself 10-15 minutes to shower.  Surprisingly, I had no visitors inquiring as to what I was doing or offering to help while I showered.  Neither one wandered into my bathroom to go through the cabinets and drawers or sit on the potty and ask one question after the other.  Fearing that silence was not a good sign, I quickly dressed and came downstairs.  A little part of me naively thought I would find them still seated on the sofa, watching their show enjoying their snack.  But, I knew better.  I descended the stairs and heard giggles coming from behind the closed door of the 1/2 bathroom. I opened the door to find the girls sitting amongst an entire roll of unrolled toilet paper playing with decorative stones that had been emptied from a container on the corner cabinet.  So, "we" picked everything up, and moved on with our day.

Later that same day, I was upstairs putting folded laundry away.  I came downstairs and thought, "That's weird; it smells like strawberries in here."  I walked into the kitchen to find Eva on her hands and knees, lapping spilled juice up off the floor.  Her pajamas were soaked along with the kitchen rug.  Her pigtails were literally dripping with strawberry/banana V8 Fusion, a bottle I had just opened that morning.  The juice had apparently been taken from the refrigerator by Frankie, because Eva is too weak to open the refrigerator door, and dropped, causing the cap the break into three pieces.  The entire contents of the bottle spilled onto the floor.  Not having a sippy cup, Eva helped herself in the only way she knew how. I bathed Eva, washed the rug, wiped the mess and mopped the floor.  Frankie enjoyed some time in the frequently-visited time-out chair.

Today, I was helping Asher practice his piano lessons and asked Sophia to stay in the nursery with the baby girls so they would not be a distraction to him.  Approximately 3 minutes into practicing, Sophia said, "Mom, I have good news and bad news.  The good news is Frankie is doing a poopy on the potty.  The bad news is that she had the pacifier to the Cabbage Patch doll in her mouth, and it dropped in the toilet.  Now I don't know what to do.  I don't want to reach in and get it and I don't want to flush because I am afraid it may break the toilet."  Hmmm.  What a predicament.  While I was looking in the garage for something to use to retrieve said play pacifier out of the toilet, Asher apparently had to go potty.  He used the same toilet.  I re-entered the bathroom to find him just finishing.  I said, "Asher!  Don't flush!  Frankie dropped a play pacifier in the toilet!"  He replied, "I know Mom, I got it out."  So, that problem was solved and we used A LOT of soap before returning to the piano. (I opted not to include a photo of this incident for obvious reasons.)

When the practice session was over, I informed the girls that they could come downstairs to play.  Frankie, who had been dressed in a skirt and shirt, descended the stairs wearing only a swimsuit bikini bottom holding a sling shot.  I didn't even ask why or where she found those items.  Any "weird" situation that does not create some sort of mess, usually goes unquestioned by me. Typically, it isn't long before a new one that does, happens.

These instances are just a small sampling of the variety of chaos these little girls create on a regular basis.  For those of you that are parents,  especially moms, you can likely relate to the amount of time you spend cleaning up messes that are peculiar in nature and typically undesirable to deal with.  They almost always happen at inconvenient times, and somehow, you find the patience to just roll with it.  They happen so regularly, that they actually become the norm, and it seems odd if you have two consecutive days void of any crazy "situations." Despite the wasted hours cleaning up after these two little ladies and the number of gross situations they have thrust me into without my permission, no amount of any inconvenience would convince me to want it any other way.  They bring me indescribable joy and unexpected laughs every. single. day.  I can only imagine the trouble these two partners in crime will get themselves into in the days, weeks, months, and years to come.

The tooth hurts!

Teeth are causing many problems lately in our home.  Who knew that teeth of all things would be such a focal point?!  Eva is working on getting her first tooth.  This has caused low grade fevers, inconsistent sleeping at night, and gallons of drool which equals loads of laundry for me.  Francesca is also working on a couple of pearly whites.  She gets an uncontrollable diaper rash with every tooth which bring its own problems.  She also has the low fevers, restless slumber, but rather than drool on everything, she opts to bite everything.  So, her crib, once a dark espresso finish, now looks like untreated pine.  Great.  Last but not least, we have Miss Sophia who is losing her first tooth!  Can you believe it?!  How did my baby get to be this big?  The permanent tooth is emerging behind said loose tooth.  I don't want the "baby tooth" to negatively influence or impede the growth of the permanent tooth and my mom, who worked as a dental assistant at a pediatric dentist office for 30+ years, says I need to get it out of there.  I have been trying to work on it each day to get it a bit more loose, but I have to tell you, it kind of grosses me out.  I start out wiggling gently and then try to end with a more firm tug at which point I usually begin to gag, Soph begins to panic, and collectively we decide to end the madness.  I have offered her apples and corn on the cob, but that little sucker is still hanging on. We have dental appointments tomorrow (our normal, six month check ups) and I have a feeling the dentist might do us both a favor and yank that baby out.  If not, Grandma arrives tomorrow evening, so I will pass the figurative torch, which really looks more like a tissue, and let her finish the job I think.  Wonder if she will also step in as the tooth fairy?  It seems only fitting, right?! You break it; you buy it.  Isn't that how the saying goes? :)

UPDATE:
The dentist wiggled out the tooth before Grandma could arrive and get her hands on it.  Poppy and Grandma did, however, help the tooth fairy out. ;)

If Cleanliness is Next To Godliness, Then My Kids Must Be Devils!

Frankie caught in the cupboard*

Was it the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes that used to spin vigorously around and leave a wake of destruction in his path?  If not, perhaps it was my children.  The latest contributor to upset my perfectly- organized, anal-retentive world with clutter is my precious little one year old, Frankie.  Her efforts to create a mess know no bounds.  She opens cupboards and empties their contents before I even realize where she is. She does the same with drawers, be them full of clothing, toiletries, hair accessories or otherwise.  I put the toys in the toy box, and she is there within minutes to empty it again, never even pausing to play with a single toy, merely lifting them out to discard them to the floor.  I laugh out loud as I watch this display.  Sometimes because it is funny; sometimes because if I don't laugh, I will cry.

Gnawed corners of books*

Another destructive, but rather odd practice that Frankie has recently acquired is that of sucking on her cardboard books until they become soggy enough to bite off tiny pieces for consumption.  I mean, what is that all about?!  I know she is teething, but I have not ever had a child who seemingly prefers to gnaw on wood"ish" products: her highchair, her crib, Asher's bed, you name it; she will attempt to devour it.  I have swallowed the jagged little pill that I won't likely own anything for many years that doesn't become marred by my kiddos if it isn't already.

She shredded styrofoam packaging
materials while I used the bathroom.*

Frankie destroyed the family room while
I switched out the laundry.*

I understand that with children come messes, lots of them. But, boy oh boy does it exhaust me to pick them up day in and day out.  They are worth it, don't get me wrong, and I can't believe we are adding #4 to the list of soon-to-be "violators of tidiness."  Sometimes I look forward to the day when they will all be big enough to pick up after themselves.  However, I remind myself that these times are fleeting, and that it won't be long until I will sit at my computer in my tidy house wishing I had someone to pick up after.  Thank goodness I'll always have Zach to fill that void.  :)

*All photos are evidence of one day's destruction, i.e. today!