Help Wanted?

I have the best little helpers (when they want to be). But I had to share this moment that I thought was pretty telling as to how much our little ones watch their elders.

This last Friday I made my bi-monthly trip to the grocery store. You know the one where after you get everything put away the shelves and fridge are full and the kids think life is good again because they have their favorite cold cereal and snacks to choose from.

Taking the babies to the grocery store is always an adventure. I usually end up being the mother that everyone is looking at because my child is screaming at me or the mother who can't wait to get out of the store so that we can all have a change of scenery. Between the babies pulling each others hair, hitting each other with items they find in the cart, or screeching at me because I refuse to open the box of crackers until we pay for it we usually don't make it out with everything. But this time we did and it only took an hour to do it!! We did have some wailing and gnashing of teeth because even after he figured out how to open the cardboard box and pull out the bag of crackers, I refused to open them for him until we paid for them.

But here's where the story really begins..... We get home and usually Spencer wants to help carry bags in from the car. He wanted to just sit in his carseat while I unloaded this time. But Miss B. (Hannah) followed me back and forth between the house and the car making sure the door was always open wide enough for me. We unloaded the car (including Spencer) and I proceeded to put the groceries away. While I was putting things away in the pantry, Hannah started dragging grocery bags over to me so I didn't have to come out of the pantry to get things. But then I noticed that Spencer was picking up all the empty bags and was placing them in the recycle bin in the laundry room. I finished the pantry things and then they both helped me drag bags outside to put things in the freezer. And once again, as I unloaded bags the 2 of them took them and put them in the recycle. Who could ask for better help?

Oh, and just for an update on the whole big boy bed.... I was right on the money. Spencer spent his first night in his own bed for the entire night but that was the ONLY night that he's slept through in his own bed. Daddy & I split time putting him back to sleep in his own bed.

This morning it was 4am when I heard the pittar-patter of his little feet. But that was the only thing quiet about it after that.

At least he still takes a nap!!!

I've done it!

I've finally done it!! After reading others blogs and feeling a bit like a stalker doing it I have finally created my own. I still have mixed emotions about it. Does that sound funny?

My husband wanted me to just take over the blog that he created but I wanted my own outlet and my own name. So here goes nothing, right?.

The sun came out today and it actually felt a bit like spring after the rain went away. But to my utter dismay, tomorrow will bring back the startling reality that it's still February and it's still winter even in the South. I'll have to send my kids to school in hats and coats and scarves where as last week they were in short and capris for a few days. (The rule at our house is that if the weatherman says it will be 70 degrees then you are allowed to wear shorts, capris, etc. My kids would love it if I allowed it to be dropped to 60 degrees but much to their dismay this mother believes that 60 is still spring temps and a jacket and long pants are required. Here is one point for me toward winning the "meanest mom in the world" award.

Today also marked a milestone for our youngest. We had to put him in a "big boy" bed as he has figured out how to get out of his crib. Yesterday, one of my older girls went in to get the babies out of their cribs. A few seconds later she hollered to me to "come and see". Those words at our house usually means that somebody is either doing something cute or wrong. I'm not sure what category this would fit under but child #7 was trying to climb into his twin sister's crib since he had successfully gotten out of his. At naptime I snuck a peek from the door to see how he did it but never saw anything. Until today.

Once again I snuck a peek before I barged in to get the babies out of bed to see if I could discover how he had done it yesterday. I saw him lift his left leg over the railing and then bring the other leg over to sit on the side of the crib but he never went out. He always fell back into the crib. So I walked in and sat on the floor and asked him to show me how he got out. It was one of those moments I don't think I'll ever forget. He threw both legs over and I had seen him to before, sitting a bit vicariously on the side of the crib and then like the daredevil that I now know him to be..... he let go and fell to the floor on his bum. I think my reaction scared him more than the fall because he came over to give his momma a reassuring hug that he was okay. But I wasn't.

My babies are growing up way to fast for me. I know they are my last and I can't believe that in a month's time they will be turning 2!!! They are mobile, agile and sometimes a bit hostile but I love them!! So today one crib came down and a "big boy" mattress was placed on the floor until we can go to the store to find mattresses for both babies. He fell asleep great tonight without once trying to sneak out. I had to check on him to make sure he was still asleep in the bed. His sister may be a little more sneakier when it comes time for her "big girl" bed experience.

There goes my full night's sleep again.