They're Killing Me! (It's a Dang Good Thing They're Cute!)

When I taught school, occasionally I would walk into my friend Cindy's classroom and say, "They're killing me!" which meant my whole class was "squirrelly" or had spring fever or seemed to have one brain that registered,  "Look, she stopped talking to take a breath--I think we'd all better start talking!"  Basically it meant that I couldn't stay on top of all of them.

Well, that's how I sometimes feel being the mom of 3 very active little ones.  There are some days where by the end of the day I am just mentally and physically exhausted and bedtime can't come soon enough!  Those are the days when I tell Darrell, "They're killing me!"

If I have to be honest, motherhood is not a picnic 24/7.  (Surprise!  Surprise!  Hee!  Hee!)  So, you take the good with the bad.  And sometimes the bad is when not one, not two, but THREE kids decide to be naughty all together.  (I didn't get a picture of the WHOLE bowl of popcorn scattered all over the family room floor.)  And I've learned that Tyler's cute little laugh usually means cute stuff is NOT happening when all 3 of them are together (I don't have a picture of all 3 of them standing/dancing on the kitchen table.) 

So basically, three "smarty pants" kids + one old mom = exhaustion!  (There's a reason people are supposed have kids when they're young.)

Lest you think I'm getting cynical about motherhood, let me offer one more equation:  3 "smarty pants" kids + one "experienced" mom =  a much more patient, appreciative mom.  I may not have the energy of a 20-something mom, but I bring a lot more experience and patience to the table.  The same school kids who "killed me" when I taught school are also the same kids who taught me patience and understanding.  And I'm grateful for that.

So here's a little look at what motherhood is like these days.


Megan, Emily and Tyler at the piano



Tyler trying on the girls' Dora jacket



Tyler making a "van" with 3 strollers, a lawn mower, a table, 4 chairs, 3 stuffed animals, and an assortment of kitchen utensils that the animals are holding (you can get a better idea by clicking on the 2nd picture.)






Emily hiding under the sink.  (She knows how to completely shut herself in.)



Emily crawling in the toy box.



Tyler, Emily and Megan playing "van"



A "hat" for Emily and Megan




Tyler with his bear and puppy

 

Emily trying to take her shirt off



Emily successfully taking her pajamas off in her crib and then climbing up in the high chair when the tray is off



Emily wearing my boots



Megan and Emily using the stool to get wipes, diaper cream, and lotion down off of the changing table (The stool has since been put away.)




Emily finding "treasures" under the sink (Dishwasher tablets and Clorox wipes.  I didn't a picture, but she tore the label off the Clorox wipes container, broke the lid off and took the wipes out.  Sigh!  Both items no longer reside under the kitchen sink.)



Megan and Emily climbing up on the booster/chair blockade to reach things on the upper shelves.  (Both of the boosters and chairs have been moved to the basement, which now means the bottom shelves of the bookshelf are exposed and fair game!  Double sigh!)



Emily painting herself with barbecue sauce



Tyler and Emily crawling down the stairs like spiders (Tyler came up with the idea and Emily followed right along.)



New hairdos from Pinterest

Emily



Megan



Megan and Emily "mastering" ice cream cones



Tyler making his bunny and chick Peeps dance



Megan and Emily learning to drink from cups (Not 5 minutes after I took Emily's picture she put her whole cookie in the water and then dumped it all out on the high chair tray.)




Tyler LOVING Thomas & Friends on Netflix.  (After we used some of our tax refund money to get a few more items to add to our emergency preparedness, we decided to splurge and get a new flat screen TV.  I found a new hairdresser who charges WAY less than my old one, so we are using the difference to get Netflix for $8/month.  That way we don't have to go to the library to check out chipped and dented movies anymore.  Let's just say that a visit to the library with 3 little ones is kind of like a bull in a china shop experience.  The less I have to go there, the better!)