My crazy boys!!

My kids (ages 6(f), 4(m), 2.9999(m)) and I where having a boring afternoon. I was suppose to take them to my in-laws house to play w/ their cousins, but the two cousins were napping. Being it was a hot day, I didn't want to take them to the park. So I peeked into our backyard to see about playing in the water. We had weeds as high as my shoulders and our grass was (no joke) knee level. With all the rain we've been getting here in Texas for the past month the grass has been growing fast. And the rain didn't let up long enough to cut the grass until earlier this week. There would be no water play until this yard was mowed!

Instructing my beautiful children to play on the half painted porch while NOT touching the gallons of paint or the painting supples, NOT playing in the grass (those kids have no fear), and to please yell loud if I am needed, I headed around the corner to plug in our electric lawn mower. I gotta tell you, this was scary! We have seen several snakes in our yard, along w/ snake skins. In all likely hood we have at least one snake living under our porch. And while I can recognize a harmless grass snakes, the big black snake looks like it could be dangerous. Walking through knee level grass had me wigged out.

For the first 20 minutes everything was going well. I could see my kids playing on the porch and they had only called me once to ask for a drink. Sure it was hot, but I was enjoying plowing down the weeds w/ my little electric mower. Some of those weeds were tough to plow! I had to throw all of my weight into forcing the mower forward and then pull it back over the same spot a couple of times to get the grass to cut. I also discovered 4 giant ant pills. About 30 minutes into the job I looked up to see no kids on the porch. Being a young, foolish mom, I continue mowing for another 5 or 10 before heading in to check on the kids. I have spent over half an our mowing my small backyard and I'm not half way done! Bummer!

As soon as I open the back door, my 4 year old son, Everett, comes running. "Mommy! Caedmon (2 almost 3 year old son) is painting our bedroom!" And that is exactly what Caedmon was doing. There were 2 gallons of Beher outdoor paint opened up on the floor, and Caed had a paint brush. The walls were green, the oak bunk bed was green, the wood floor was green, Caed's bedding was green. And Caedmon? He was looking pretty green him self.

I was peeved! Those boys knew not to touch the paint! What were they thinking? And I was pretty sure Caedmon had an accomplice. Carrying 2 gallons of paint from the back porch to his bed room, along w/ a paint brush and even the paint can opener was more then my brilliant and mischievous 2 year old would do on his own. Everett is always the brains behind their little operations. Everett, being 16 months older then Caed, has the good since to not follow through with his schemes himself. But he is awfully good at getting Caedmon to follow through for him.

So often I wonder how anyone can raise more the 2 little boys in one house. I love my boys and they are really good kids. They are usually obedient (this has been taught) and enjoy being helpful. But when they think they might get away with something (meaning any time I am preoccupied).......they will try. You would think I would have learned my lesson the time Seren (big sis) came to me in the kitchen and said, "Everett is pooping off his bed!" I thought I could do something fun and make pizza dough for the kids to each make their own pizza. But dividing all that dough into little pizzas took too long for the boys. Sure enough, Seren was true to her word. Everett, little butt hanging off the top bunk, was pooping, and Caed was driving through it on his riding train. This is why they have wood floors now. Why would anyone even think to do something like that? When they were younger it was even harder. Oh the stories I have about my crazy boys! Thank God those two are teachable!