They Play Hard

So, Corey and the kids left this morning for Youth Conference. They have an "Amazing Race" type thing all day today and then boating tomorrow with more gospel related activities, then back home on Saturday. I didn't get a whole lot done yesterday or today. I tried to clear clutter in the basement, but with the older kids gone it's hard cause I'm on constant kid duty. And it's also been frustrating to clean down there cause I'm discovering all sorts of things that the kids have done or things they have been into that I wish they weren't, like acrylic paints and spray paint... So I've been trying to locate the spray paint and all their lids and see how many might be missing and I've put them in our bedroom closet, since we have a lock on our door. I feel like I should know better than to think anything will be safe if I put it on any shelf unattended. If it's within reach, they will find it. I just need to lock everything up, ugh. I've been feeling pretty smh (shaking my head) (...and I know that's not proper English, but you get my point). An opposite end of the messy life spectrum was presented to me today - My little sister sent a polo offering to give us a nice black desk that they don't need anymore and toy kitchen that her youngest has outgrown. I can't go get them yet cause Corey has the van, but I've been clearing things out to prepare a space for them both. The little kitchen looks so cute and looks like it's practically new!

After the skunk was euthanized on Friday, Abi took out her sadness by taking our current ugly little tikes kitchen outside and hosing it off. She wanted to fix it. She tried to soften up the paint and scrub it off. Paint that I think mostly Lily had put all over it over the past few years (she had signed her name in several places). So after Abi scrubbed it and it mostly dried, she started to try and repaint it using spray paint.

The kids had spray paint out cause I keep it downstairs, which I fully recognize was my bad. But it has been down there for years and was never on their radar until Wes started using it last week, with my permission, to paint some masks and swords and such when they were playing dress up games. But then it wasn't put away and everyone started using it. So I found places outside and in the window wells (which they think it outside enough) where they had painted and without cardboard underneath it and they got it on the window and rocks. It seems it got out of control, which I wasn't aware of until today when I'm the only big kid here watching. I couldn't find some of the paint... I found several lids without cans and cans without lids. I happily found most of the missing paint outside the basement door where Abi was working on this making out old kitchen new. But it looks like a mess (no offense Abs) ...or maybe she wasn't finished? Only mid way through this DIY?

But she's not here for a few days, so sorry Abi if you had more you wanted to do here, but I'm gonna scrap this project and donate this to the thrift store for someone else to tackle, if anyone does.

So that first pic on this post is how a playset looks when my niece is done with it and this is how it looks when my kids are done with it. My kids play HARD.  And this is the second play kitchen that we've had! I guess that is a good thing, but yeah, we have a consistent turn around on toys. Except Legos, those seem to be able to hack it here alright.

So that is one example of our messy life. Here is another one - I was clearing out a drawer today and found a bunch of old books from when I was attempting to do Family MTC 5 years ago...

I looked through and read Ethan's book. I kinda laughed at all the doodles and I could see myself in my minds eye being frustrated as I imagined that he was probably not paying attention back then during this missionary training... He wrote under bullet point #2 that "successful study requires action and desire" - I think therein lies the problem for most things around here - the kids do not have the desire!

So, yeah. Busy day, I'm thinking of how to try out some new approaches to life and living. Around 7pm, I went over to Iveth's house. They left a little money jar here last night - a jar she needed for Diego the dad's birthday party tonight. The little boys hadn't had naps and I didn't think I could make it over there by myself with tired toddlers and kids around 10, so I went at 7 to deliver the jar and decline the later party gathering, but then I ended up staying until past 10 anyway. We had a nice visit, she gave the kids some dinner, then we realized it was time to pick up Diego from work, so I stayed there with her kids and mine while she went to get him. She came back, cake and popsicles for everyone, and we counted the money.

There was $54 dollars in coins in the jar. They had everyone guess the amount to see who would win it - They are renting a basement apartment, and I think one of the kids won it in the family that they rent from.

Iveth makes everything fun. Then Corey and Ethan came over (they decided to not sleep over at camping tonight) and they helped me get the kids home for bed. Busy day - we all worked hard and played hard, time for bed!