There will be mud

My two youngest (ages 3 and 4) went out to play in the backyard today. After a while, my four year old came in and said, "Mom, I have a recipe for mud. You just mix dirt and water!" Then they found the dogs' water dishes, filled them up at the outside spigot, and proceeded to make large quantities of mud. The four year old returned after a while, "Mom, I"m all muddy!" I directed him to my bathroom that was beautifully clean yesterday to hose himself down. As he did that, I remember the last time I cleaned the bathroom. They made a big muddy mess in there the day after as well. So I've decided I should no longer bother cleaning the bathroom because it's just going to be muddy the next day. Sigh.

There will be blood

I have long since accepted that "nurse" is part of the job description of "mommy," especially being the mommy of active and accident-prone little boys (yes, they inherited accident-prone from me). On our way to the grocery store this morning, I heard my three year old say, "Mommy, I see blood!" I looked back to see a glorious bloody nose in process. Fortunately, I had a roll of paper towels in my van and quickly threw one back at him to absorb the flow. By the time we arrived at the store, the bleeding stopped and I got him in the bathroom (thank goodness it was at the front of the store) to clean up the gore before I got snarky comments from other shoppers about child abuse. At a different point this morning, my nine-year old was getting ready to take out the kitchen trash and managed to drop the trash can on his big toe. It started to bleed a little under the nail, but he insisted it wasn't too terribly bad and carried on through the day. Tonight, after our doctor's walk-in clinic hours were over and the Instacare was closed, he was crying like a little girl about how bad it hurt. I pulled out my trusty home medical care and read up on how to burn a hole through the nail to release the blood. I wasn't keen on the idea, but it killed me to hear him in so much pain so I decided to put on my big girl panties and deal with it. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, a call to a woman at my church who is a nurse, and a quick trip to the store down the street for hydrogen peroxide, we managed to release enough of the blood to make him comfortable and (hopefully) clean it out enough to prevent infection. Through all this, I remembered why I changed my major from nursing to education after one semester of college. I'm not a big fan of blood.

They're not getting any smaller. . .

I've been lazy lately and have just been throwing all of the outgrown kid clothes on my sewing table. I've been getting the urge to sew again so I spent a couple of hours today sorting through all of my boys' clothes. It's always a trip down memory lane, especially with the clothes that all three boys have worn (yes, some of the clothes have survived). I love seeing the little tiny baby clothes, remembering when they were so tiny, and wondering how they got so big so fast. It's fun looking over years of Christmas pajamas that I made and thinking of those magical Christmas mornings. As I was sorting, my four year old found the box of size 5 clothes that I was getting ready to put in his drawers. Instead of choosing for him, I let him "shop" in the box. He was so excited to get "new" (to him) clothes! After that, the three year old was all over the 3T box and decked himself out in a cute dinosaur outfit. When it was all sorted, the boxes went back down to the basement to await the day when they are needed again.

Mmmmmm. . . Krispy Kremes

My oldest finally found his report card (under the couch, of all places) and asked me to take him to Krispy Kreme for some free doughnuts. I grudgingly accepted his request and dragged my wild things to Doughnut Mecca. We got there just when they were starting a new batch and the boys were mesmerized watching the doughnuts ride the doughnut elevator, swim in the doughnut pond, and shower under the frosting waterfall. I was only able to drag them away from watching with the promise of being able to eat doughnuts. I love how my little boys help me slow down sometimes to admire the little wonders in life, like fresh made Krispy Kremes.

Conference with little boys. . .

Yesterday and today were General Conference days for my church. (For my non-LDS friends, this is a time when our prophet and other church leaders speak to the church and anyone else who wants to listen. It is broadcast via satellite and over the Internet.) These are days I love but have to plan ahead for. I love hearing the words of my prophet but struggle to hear those words over the noise of my little bedlamites. I prepared by having a bag of "Conference treats" to bribe my kids into being somewhat quiet. I was amazed at how much peace a couple of little bags of M&M's, mini Oreos, and mini Chips Ahoy bought me! The treats were handed out at random intervals to reward those who were playing nicely and not disturbing Mommy. Getting out lots of Legos and craft supplies helped keep all the boys (little and big) appropriately occupied. It was wonderful to hear the words of the Lord today. I like to think we all learned at least a little today and it's always nice to enjoy church in my jeans from the comfort of my couch instead of getting everyone dressed up.

Sam's Club fun

Our trip to Sam's Club today was both amusing and amazing. After getting a five pound block of cheese, my 9 year old proceeded to "cheese ray" everyone and the 4 year old started singing, "With my cheese ray I will cheese the world!" Those kids are always good for a laugh! Now here's the amazing part- our full cart cost less than $100! I honestly can't remember the last time we spent less than $200 there. If you are amazed that you spent only $96 at Sam's Club, you might be the mom of hungry little boys.

Top 10

People sometimes ask me, "Are you going to keep trying until you get a little girl?' or "Aren't you sad that you only have boys?" I have come up with a variety of snappy rejoinders and today compile them into my top 10 reasons why it is awesome to be the mother of only little boys. 10. When I go clothes shopping, I don't have to steer my children away from clothing choices that are more suitable for a strumpet than my darling child. 9. I get to plan birthday parties with games featuring both close combat and ranged weapons skills. 8. If nature calls while we're outdoors and nowhere close to a bathroom, it's quite convenient to have them go behind a tree. 7. I get to read awesome series of books such as Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Ranger's Apprentice, and Artemis Fowl and share them with my enraptured sons. 6. I don't have to deal with anyone's PMS but my own. 5. I know a great deal about the geography and inhabitants of the Island of Sodor. 4. The people at Sears regret ever offering me membership in their KidVantage club. 3. When one of the younger ones outgrow their clothes, I just grab the box of the next size of clothes out of the basement. 2. Crew cuts= minimal time spent doing hair on a daily basis. and. . . . . 1. I am the undisputed Queen of my castle, with no princess trying to usurp my position.