Who pees on a dog?!

Our Beagle, Montana

My four year old boy has been potty trained for almost two years now with no major incidents - that is until a couple months ago...

I was sitting in our living room when I observed the family dog come running into the room and begin furiously rubbing his face and back on the rug.  "What on earth?" I thought.  As I knelt down to check him, I observed that his fur was wet.  Immediately, I went on the hunt for the cause of such wetness.  That's when I saw him, my son, standing half-naked in the bathroom.  "Josiah!  Do you know why the dog is wet?" I exclaimed.  He replied, quite matter-of-factly, "Yes, I peed on him."  Then he broke into a huge grin.  I immediately informed him of how mean that was and made him wash and dry the dog.  However, I couldn't help thinking the rest of the day. "WHO PEES ON A DOG?!"

Arrr...Matey! There be Pirates in the Backyard!

Pirate ship playground

What do you do with an old Dodge Neon with 300,000+ miles on it that no one wants to buy?  You trade it with someone for a "project" ski boat.

What do you do when the motor on that "project" ski boat doesn't actually work like you were told?  You sell the motor for parts.

What do you do with the remaining boat that has already been gutted and sitting in your yard for months?  TURN IT INTO A PIRATE SHIP, of course!

At least, that's the way we opted to spend a weekend together.  It was "all hands on deck" as the whole family pitched in digging, sanding and painting.  20 hours and $30 later, we had our new pirate ship - a perfect fit for our 3 little pirates!

There's a bug in my coffee!

With a nursing 6 month old and a 19 month old, a full night of sleep is simply "once upon a dream."  Between the two of them, I find myself awakened not just multiple times a night, but sometimes multiple times an hour!  Crying for hunger, crying for a diaper, lost a pacifier, wet the bed, the list goes on and on - and that's just for the babies, we're not even talking about bathroom runs and bad dreams for the older two!  Needless to say, I have operated on an intense sleep deficit for years now.  The question is merely: Is it a two cup day, or a 3 cup day?

It was definitely in the "3 cup day" realm a few days ago when I had to put my mug down to deal with crying children (did I mention I also judge busyness by the number of times I have to re-warm my cup of coffee?).  When I came back to my now lukewarm coffee, I began to drink in the fabulous caffeine when I saw something move in my peripheral vision.  I startled, heart-racing, as I looked into my coffee cup trying to withhold the scream building in my throat - was that a bug I just saw in my cup?  Did I just drink coffee with bug juice in it?!  As I stirred the possibly poisoned drink with my spoon I suddenly saw it........a toy!  A child had dropped a toy in my cup!  With a huge sigh of relief, I sat back down and began to drink my coffee - toy and all.  I mean, hey, at least it wasn't a bug.

"I have four kids and I like it!"

With 4 kids in 4 years, I have definitely been privy to many a curious, complimentary, or condemning comment (depending on a person's personal view on family planning, of course).  Perfect strangers think nothing of stopping me in the grocery store to marvel at my walking circus.  Sometimes they make me smile and well up with pride in my little brood, other times I have cried for hours at their harsh words, but most often I simply find amusement in their comments and body language: 

"You know what causes that don't you?" (a perceived witty comment by many)

"Why yes, I do, and I happen to like it." (a favorite response of mine - I love to watch their reactions)

Another favorite question of friends and strangers alike is "Are you having any more?"  Although none of their business, I don't mind this question (when asked without the disapproving tone, of course) - I would want to ask the same thing!  So, for all of you readers wondering as well: no, we are not planning on having anymore.  I definitely feel that this Princess' castle is full at the moment! :)