Easter Wrap Up

Easter weekend was pretty busy and thankfully, incredibly beautiful. There is nothing like getting the kids outside to just play.

We dyed a few eggs, had a big egg hunt, played some baseball and blew some bubbles and by the end of the weekend had three very tired kids. I'd like to tell you that this morning was an easy transition back to our routine, but I am pretty sure you know my kids better than that.

Some pics. . . 

Because, why wouldn't you do this?

Modeling.

Cheese face

QT

Getting the eggs ready. . .

The Muttz

The Little Lady

Not sure how much worse we could get for a group shot. . .

Bubbles, bubbles everywhere. . .

The joy of being 3 (and almost 3!)

Kindergarten, Crazy Hair and QT's Cuteness!

The Little Lady and her dad.

The Lady and her crazy hair.

Wednesday the Little Lady had kindergarten orientation. While, I realize that this is my second time through now, it is equally as emotional. Is it possible that I will have two kids in elementary school next year?

Now, the Little Lady was a little hesitant to join her other future Class of 2020 cohorts when they left the cafeteria with the "specials" teachers. After a few tears and about five minutes of the kindergarten teacher's PowerPoint presentation she changed her mind. I dropped her off in the art room and hoped for the best. She returned about a half hour later with a lovely little drawing ready to take the tour of the school. The tour was given by a group of 5th grade girls decked out in their Wacky Wednesday apparel (it is Spirit Week at the school) and we got a chance to peek in on the Lady in her classroom.

Speaking of Spirit Week and the Lady, we are on day 4. Today is Crazy Hair/Hat Day. Luckily, I still have purple sparkle hairspray and purple and pink hair chalk from last year to run through the Lady's hair. She was excited to get ready this morning, although not as excited as she was on Monday when it was pajama day. Looks like we will be joining the Ninja Turtles in the tub tonight. Tomorrow wraps up the week and it is Gator Green day. Let's hope she wears the green school hoodie I ordered!

Finally, here is just a cute picture of QT from last night. He should have been in bed at this point, but decided he needed to stay up a bit with his parents to watch the Yankees and try on sunglasses. Yes, we are still rocking Halloween glow in the dark skeleton pjs.

Cutie.

The One With the Ninja Turtle in the Sewer

This weekend was glorious. Glorious!

Finally, two days where the kids could get out and run. I tried to take advantage of the nice weather and we had a great day on Saturday running at the park and hanging out with the cutest little cousin in the world.

Sunday was even nicer and after bribing the Lady with two donuts from Dunkies, I got her complain-free to CCD and took the other two on a quick Walgreen's run. QT was owed a few things for his exemplary potty work over the past few days. (More on the pants-less Friday night diner dinner later. I am still recovering.)

So the Little Lady, QT and I headed into the drugstore and purchased the remaining three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Water Squirters for the tub. Raphael made it to our house last week, but he was lonely in the tub for his buddies. The Little Lady decided that QT could have Leonardo, Michelangelo would belong to her and the Lady could have Donatello. We left there feeling pretty good.

After picking up the Lady and spending some time painting the bucket of rocks the Ladies collected at the park on Saturday, we all headed outside. QT wanted to bring the Ninja Turtles. Fine. Why not? I mean they are bath toys, why shouldn't we bring them outside to play?

Rock painting. QT had so much water on his brush that they basically dried devoid of paint!

So we spent the next hour or so riding bikes, drawing with chalk, finding all the things my husband and I had banished to the garage in an attempt to declutter the house, and tossing around Ninja Turtle heads.

QT has quite an arm and took great pleasure in chucking those things around. Of course it landed in the storm drain. Immediate tears from the Little Lady as she drove by on her bike, immediate panic by me when I realized that I might not be able to recover poor Michelangelo from the depths of the drain.

Now the irony is not lost on me that we lost a TMNT in a storm drain. Perhaps Mikey just wanted to go home? Maybe he was just being his typical jokster self? Regardless, we were a man down and I was going to do everything I could to recover that turtle from the sewer.

After I calmed down the Little Lady, I had a supermommy/McGuyver moment. I am going to get that turtle head out of the drain. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I am going to do it. 

Now the storm drain in the driveway is pretty typical with the grate and the open area QT clearly didn't miss.

We could see Michelangelo grinning up at us, nestled in a pile of wet leaves. So I headed to the garage to see what I could do. I found a long pole that I think someone might have used at one point for painting. It wasn't me, not sure where it came from but it seemed long enough to reach the bottom. My other thought was to attach a bucket to some rope and then try to scoop it up. While I was looking for some rope, I came across a roll of duct tape. We all know how versatile that is so I unrolled some, stuck it to the bottom of the pole and shoved it through the grate until it hit Mikey on the head. To my great relief, he stuck to it and I started the slow and careful climb to the top of the grate. The kids were gathered around and the Lady kept saying that we could buy a new one if we couldn't recover this one.

I wanted to give her a teachable moment in this toss away society that we live in. I wanted to show her that everything isn't just replaceable. I also didn't want to have to go back to the drug store with the three of them and attempt to navigate the Easter aisle.

So there was Mikey, his little green head affixed to some serious duct tape as I carefully tried to raise him from the underground. We were pretty close to the top before he fell off. Ugh.

Now what? I tried another piece of tape, but Michelangelo was now wet and the tape didn't stick to him. I thought about trying to lower down a towel to dry him off (I know that sounds really stupid, but I was now desperate!). So we headed back into the garage, where I came back to my original idea of scooping this thing up in some sort of bucket. All the beach buckets were too big to fit through the opening, but the blue Solo cup looked like it might do.

I duct taped that Solo cup to the end of that pole and stuck it in the opening of the grate. I then took a broom and stuck it through the grate and was able to push Mikey into the cup and once again start that slow and steady climb up. This time we were ready and I had the Lady reach her hand into the grate to grab the cup as it made its way to the top.

Success. Mother of the year. Heroes in a half shell! Turtle Power!

After the rescue.

Needless to say Mikey got a thorough bath before he joined anyone in the bath later last night. 

Shredder be warned, this mama isn't going to let anything get in the way of some TMNT tub time.

The Three Beans Have Emerged From Hibernation. . .

Here is what is happening at our house. . .

The Lady is the proud new owner of a pair of Jessica Simpson, white, patent leather shoes with a bit of a heel. She couldn't be happier and while I debated whether or not it was a good parenting decision to buy them for her (really what is she going to wear those with?), I was soon convinced that they would get used when she decided to pair them with a flannel nightgown, blue ice cream cone pajama pants, and purple ankle socks for an 8 p.m. excursion to Walgreen's for some new toothpaste. She rocked the look and owned the aisles.

I have been trying to pay special attention to the Little Lady. She has a tendency to feel a bit put out when things don't go her way or when she feels like she isn't getting the attention she deserves. And she does deserve attention. She is fun loving and adorable and funny and incredibly sweet until she isn't. I am trying to make sure we toe the line between indulging her every whim and making sure she knows that she is an important and integral part of our family. Plus it is hard to ignore this cute face.

Please note she it was pajama day/costume/crazy hair day at school. Her class made it up the coconut tree. Normally, I don't dress my kids like this, unless we are going to Walgreen's at 8 p.m.

QT is in full on potty-training mode. Well, at least when he is at home all day with the nanny. He is going with no problems and no accidents during the day with her. He is even napping sans diaper. The problem seems to be when he is home with us. The peeing hasn't been too much of an issue, but there have been a few poo incidents. I will not post the photo my husband sent me a few nights ago while I was at a meeting, but needless to say there wasn't any poo in the potty. Last night on my late-night Walgreen's excursion, I bought a few things to bribe that boy. And it worked. Here is to hoping that we are out of diapers for the first time since 2007! And here is a pic of him after his latest haircut.

QT is getting to be such a big boy!

 Sunday, this happened:

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

Oh, Old Navy I know you know how much those girls wanted some jellies. They tried them on and whined and complained, but I won't fall into that trap again, we will just leave with three teal dresses and a couple of straw hats, thank you very much!