He’s at it again!

Shout and Bissell need to team up. 

Seriously.

Together, they’re a force to be reckoned with.  I’ve combined the power of Shout with my Bissell carpet cleaning machine a number of times.  But today it REALLY saved me.

Today I was working on chore charts for my kids.  CamCam was in the room with me.  I finally finished one of my charts and stood up to bring the laptop over to the printer.  I was about to walk over when I was distracted by a “click, click, click” noise.  I turned and that’s when I saw him.

CamCam

Standing in front of my couch. 

With a pen.

Clicking it open and shut.

Not by pushing the button.  Nope. By slamming it on my couch. 

You know that feeling when you’re aware something horrible is happening, and you know you must go over to see what it is, but you walk in slow motion as if the act of walking in slow motion will make time go backwards and undo what you’re about to see.  That’s how I walked over to my couch.  You see, my couch isn’t even a year old.  The Dada and I timidly replaced our old couch with these new ones we love.  We did so timidly because we knew we still had preschoolers in our house, and they were the ones who ruined our old couch. 

It was drawn on.  Jumped on until the springs gave out.  Ripped.  Vomited on.  Peed on.  The final straw was when my 3rd child pulled the cushions off of the couch, sat down on it to watch TV, and then peed on the couch.  Urine dripping down the inner springs, no way I could get in there. 

We actually went for quite some time without any couch whatsoever, just because we KNEW bad things would happen to our new couch.  But finally we made the plunge. 

I’ve been stressed about that couch ever since. 

And today I see this:

And this

Also this

Finally this

“No!  No no no no no no no!” I said.  Like that was going to do anything.  I froze.  I knew I needed to get to it quickly if I had any chance of getting it off.  But I didn’t know what to use.  I didn’t want to smear the ink and make it a big blue spot.  I didn’t want to use something that would ruin the color on the couch. 

I had one shot.

I tried to use just water, but that did nothing.  So I took the plunge, went and got my Shout.  I have the spray bottle kind and the gel kind with the brush in the cap.  That’s the one I went for.  Then I went and got my Bissel handheld machine. 

Just a little shout, used the brush to work it in, sprayed water on it, used the machine to work it together and then suck out the excess- that combination was removing all that ink!  I was so happy!

My couch was pretty wet, and  so I put a towel on it to suck up some more water.  I figured the least CamCam could do was provide the weight on the towel.

 

Now it was done, and I just hoped with everything I had that when it was dry, the couch would be one color. 

Please no permanent cleaning spots. 

Voila!

Back to new.  I just hope the next “accident” is as easy to fix.

I spy with my little eye . . . .

Whenever we’re in the car, CamCam and “Mr. Trouble” love to play the game I Spy.  Their version is a little different- they first were introduced to this game on the Disney Channel.  Two monkey’s on there (Ooh and Ahh) play the game, but their version starts out with “I spy with my monkey eye…”   So this is how my boys play. 

Here’s how our car ride goes:

CamCam:  I pye my monkeys, ahhh, sumpin, ummmm, white!
Mr. Trouble:  Is it the clouds?
C: Nope!
Mr. T: Is it the line on the road?
C: Nope!
Mr. T:  I give up.
C: Trees!
Mr. T:  CamCam, trees aren’t white, they’re green.
C: No, not green.  They yellow.
Mr. T: Ugh!  Ok, my turn.  I spy with my monkey eyes something green.
C: Ahhh, trees?
Mr. T: Nope.
C:  Da bushes?
Mr. T: Na-ah
C: Da clouds?
Mr. T:  Nope! It’s the grass!
C: Ok, my turn.  Ok, I pye my monkeys, sumpin, ahhh, green!
Mr. T: Is it the trees?
C: Nope!
Mr. T: The grass?
C: Nope!
Mr. T: Bushes?
C: Nope!
Mr. T: Ok, I give up.  What is it?
C: Ummm, actually…….yes!  It’s da bushes!  My turn- I pye my monkeys, ummm, sumpin, Cars!
Mr. T: Is it the cars?
C: Yes!
Mr. T: Ok, my turn.  I spy with my monkey eye something blue.
C: Ahhh, trees?
Mr. T: Trees aren’t blue.
C:  Da bushes?
Mr. T: Nope
C: Da clouds?
Mr. T:  No CamCam, clouds are white.  It’s the sky!
C: Ok, I pye my monkeys, sumpin, umm… house!
Mr. T: Is it the houses?
C:  Um, which one?
Mr. T: That one?
C: Yup!

So CamCam doesn’t quite get this game yet, but it sure is entertaining to listen to!

It’s Summer, Cut Me Some Slack Part 2

Here we go again, seeing how much an early two year old changes from an almost three year old.  This time? 

Makeup

CamCam has always LOVED getting into things.  But especially my makeup.  He is fascinated with it all.  He loves to open the little containers, see what’s inside.  Color with what’s inside.

I’m really hoping this is just a phase and not a way-of-life.

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

HAHA, I Told You!

I think our house may just be a little bit too small. I really like my house, but it's becoming a bit tight. The biggest issue is that we all are sharing one bathroom. It wasn't such a big deal when we first built our home. The "Leader of the FabFive" and "Little Miss" were just little kids at the time. Preschoolers. It was convenient to have us all right next to each other and sharing the same bathroom.

But now they are older and need privacy. And then there's also the fact that there are a lot more kids. The Dada and I are now outnumbered. The drawers are being taken over by kids toothbrushes. "Little Miss" has an entire drawer devoted to her hair stuff. All the adult stuff is being pushed aside to make room.

And of course there's also THIS problem. The problem where I will walk into the bathroom and find this:

(To continue reading this post, click here )

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The other day I tried to put CamCam in for a nap.  He still needs naps, but he still is fighting them.  I thought this time we succeeded, as he had been in his room for quite a while and I hadn’t heard anything from him. 

I was in the hallway outside his room, when this little face peeks out at me:

Here we go again.

 

CamCam shares a room with “Little Miss”, and instead of napping he had been playing in her makeup. 

Specifically, a tube of rather dark lipstick.  To a two year old, lipstick is the BEST tube of finger-paint imaginable.  Every time CamCam’s played with makeup, I am surprised at how difficult it is to remove.  This time I had to remove it from CamCam, his clothing, Little Miss’ bedding, a wool rug and CamCam’s bed. 

This toddler bed was bought for our oldest son.  After him, I gave it to my cousin who used it for two of her sons.  My cousin leant it out to a friend of hers.  It found it’s way back to me for CamCam.  This bed survived 4 boys and none of them did anything to this bed that couldn’t be undone.  It took CamCam to paint it pink with lipstick and leave his mark on this bed forever.   I was able to remove most of the lipstick, but it’s pink hue remains all over the side of the bed.

    

The part in all this that made me really chuckle occurred when I was scrubbing the rug.  I looked over and saw the baby Mickey Mouse that “Mr. Trouble” and CamCam carry all over my house and take care of as if it was their own baby.  CamCam had smeared chunks of lipstick all over baby Mickey’s mouth. 

So, once again, for the official tally:
Getting into makeup a year ago
vs. Getting into makeup today:
No Change

It’s Summer, Cut Me Some Slack

In just under a month, I will be having my little blog will be having it’s 1 year anniversary.  It’s been almost a year since I was driven by frustration to start this thing.  And in just over a month, CamCam will be turning 3.  Yup, I will have survived a two year old.  Again.  I thought, over the next month, it would be interesting to see how much has changed in the past year.  I’m going to find some old posts from the early days, back when I had only like 2 people reading my blog, and repost them now that I have oodles and oodles of people visiting me daily.  Well, not quite oodles, but 10 at least. 

Yeah, reposting- how lazy can I get right?  But, ^^^ahem, read the title. 

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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Considering a Ban on Markers

Today "Little Miss Chatterbox" broke her eyeglasses, so I had to take her and the three little guys to the eye doctor to get her prescription. Somehow we ended up there without CamCam's shoes, so I had to carry him the whole time. He was sitting in my lap, and I looked down at his legs and saw they were covered in red and green marker.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Boo-Boos," CamCam replied.

"How did he get at markers?" I asked noone in particular. "And if they're all over his legs, where else did he write?!?!?!" …………….(Click here to continue reading)

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One of my biggest frustrations a year ago were writing utensils.  CamCam LOVES to draw, and wrote on everything.  He ruined our couch by drawing all over it, he wrote on the kitchen cabinets, walls, floors, furniture, toys- if it was less then 2 1/2 feet from the ground, you better believe he drew his fabulous scribbles all over it. 

Here’s an excerpt of a post I wrote back on August 23, 2009, CamCam’s 2nd birthday as a matter of fact. 

Ages Three And Up
#5- Writing Utensils!!!- This is the worst! Nothing is safe from CamCam wielding a marker. There's always the tell-tale sign of him coming to me with his legs or arms covered in marker. Then I have to go on a hunt throughout the house to figure out what he drew on. He's draw on my couch, the hardwood floor in 3 separate rooms, the majority of the stairs, our dining room table, the exposed side of our kitchen pantry, the kitchen cabinets, carpet, windowsills, countless walls and I'm certain many other places and things I have yet to discover. I have no idea how he is getting at all these markers and pens and pencils. I keep them ALL very well put away. He must have a secret stash I have yet to discover.

I tried hiding all our writing utensils, but no matter how many I gathered, CamCam always found more.  Over the past year, I’ve slowly started throwing them away.  First went all the markers.  Then the crayons.  Now we are down to just a small amount of pens and 1 pencil that I keep in the kitchen. 

Problem solved, right?

Wrong.

The other day I was in the kitchen cooking and looked over at our dining room table to see CamCam sitting at it with a pen, scribbling ALL over it ferociously.  Big wide circles, around and around and around. 

So for the official tally: 
Drawing on things 1 year ago vs. Drawing on things now: 
No Improvement

Here’s What Happens While I’m Blogging

It’s really hard when your a mommy blogger to find the time to blog.  Most of my posts are written with a little one crying or whining or screaming at my feet.  Generally there is sibling fighting going on in the room with me.  Kids will start asking me for stuff I’ve said no to all day because they know there’s a good chance I’ll absentmindedly say yes.  Honestly, it’s a wonder I’m able to form a complete thought, much less a complete sentence. 

Sometimes, though, REALLY special stuff happens while I’m blogging. 

For example, take the last blog post I wrote.  While I was up here typing that post, unbeknownst to me, a little painting party was going on in my basement.  I was enlightened to the fact that this was occurring when “Mr. Trouble” came up the stairs saying he needed to wash his feet.  I looked up at him, and he was covered in paint- his hands up to his elbows, all over his shirt, all over his feet up to his knees, and his shorts- all covered in paint.  “Leader of the Fab-Five” saw him and yelled at him to stop walking, which of course just made “Mr. Trouble” walk very slowly up my stairs while sliding his body against the wall. 

I got him into the shower, and then went downstairs to investigate.  Not surprisingly, CamCam was also an attendee at this fun painting party.  I discovered that he and his brother had attempted to clean themselves in the bathroom down there.  So my walls in the bathroom all around the sink were covered in paint, the sink itself was completely covered, and the floor had painty water splattered everywhere. 

The absolute worst area was, obviously, the room in which they were painting.  It hasn’t even been a month since I repainted this room.  It needed repainting since CamCam had written all over the walls with marker.  Well, apparently someone needed to catch their balance while exiting the room, and used my freshly painted walls to break their fall. 

My white carpet now has fabulous brown footprints all over it.

 

Yeah, I know.  Choosing white carpet was definitely NOT one of my better choices in life. 

Here’s the guilty party, not looking very guilty at all.  Actually looking like they had quite a bit of fun.

And here is the masterpiece that caused all this chaos.

Quite the work of art.  People buy all sorts of weird art, I wonder if I could sell it and make enough to have my carpets cleaned.

Potty Training 101

Step 1:  Purchase large quantities of candy.

Step 2:  Gather the older children in your home

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and tell them that every time their little brother

(or sister) uses the potty, THEY (the big-kids) get a piece of candy.

Step 3:  Sit back and watch the magic happen.

***Note- If no older children are available, may substitute 1 husband.  Should still work.

 

Note to self. . . .

Never again send your 2 year old  unsupervised to brush his teeth. 

Unless you again want to find him sitting on the bathroom counter, sucking down a tube of toothpaste.