Did I say that out loud?

After a fun filled weekend of 3 soccer games and a whole soccer team sleepover on Saturday night, I'm not sure if I came out the other end okay. Did I mention a whole team of 10 screaming 7 years-old girls at my house?

My plan was to wear them out with a scavenger hunt/hike, hot chocolate, kick ball, pizza, bonfire with smore's, a movie (it was more like two movies because they wouldn't go to sleep) with popcorn. Unfortunately, I think I wore myself out. On the good side, it was a successful sleepover. No one got hurt, sick or wanted to go home.

When Sunday came around, we had Sunday school and another soccer game. This is the part where I should have stayed home. When I'm tired, it's kind of like being drunk. I lose my social filter. Even though I know, I shouldn't be saying certain things I feel the words tumble out of my mouth in slow motion and I can't take them back. By the end of the soccer game, I'm pretty sure I offended everyone who could hear my loud mouth. I am not making excuses. I accept all accountability with my social diarrhea. These are times when I wish I could be the calm, quiet mom. Unfortunately, I like who I am so there is no hope in changing my issues. Plus I've tried to be good, but it's like a shaken can of soda. When you hold all that pressure inside and finally crack the top a little, the soda still foams up and explodes everywhere.

By Monday, you would think I would've recovered. I'm not so sure. After taking the kids to school, hitting the road with my Aasics, I come back home to find I have missed calls and text messages. The right thing to do is return calls and answer text messages, which I do. Next I have to stretch, but I hear voices. Yes I said it. I hear voices and I can't figure out where they are coming from. (Just a little background, my husband and I think our house is sometimes haunted. That will be another story for later). I walk around the kitchen trying to find out where they are coming from. It only takes me a minute to hone in on the area where I hear them.

Enough suspense. Right?

 Well it turns out I left my I-pod on. I could hear the faint sound of music coming out of the earphones. Hope you enjoyed the laugh. Have a great day!

Jiggly and Stuff

Child #1 and Child #2 continue to tag team me with temper tantrums. I almost feel like their hormone levels are more out of whack than my thirty-five year old hormones.

Today it was Child #1's turn to throw a two year old temper tantrum. While in the shower enjoying the heat and relaxation, I hear feet kicking on the ground, moaning and whining outside the door. The first thought to come to mind, "great, now what is she crying about." Ignoring everything outside the door, I continue with my routine. Then I hear something about missing her blanket (I know I can hear all the critiques now, my nine year old still has a blanket. It used to be called Buba when she was little, but now that she is nine she just calls it blanket. There are reasons we haven't taken it away, but that's a whole other story).

So the next thought that comes to mind, "Are you kidding me, what is wrong with her? A blanket. She is having a fit over a blanket right now. She's going to school in thirty minutes." As these thoughts flow through my rational mind, I can feel the irritation and anger start to build. I never had a temper tantrum at nine, maybe two (my mother will be over joyed to tell the stories about my temper tantrums at two years old), but not nine years old. What the hell is wrong with her?

So I whip the door open and tell her to "Go look for it."

Her response is more moaning, kicking, crying and she yells at me, "I did look for it. I can't find it."

Of course, I say, "Get in your room for yelling at me."

Kicking and yelling more at me, she gets up and goes in her room. Then she says crying and yelling still, "Why am I being punished? I didn't do anything wrong."

At this point envision the cartoon character that is boiling mad and you watch the red color take over his neat outline of his body from his feet to his head. Then the steam comes out the ears. This is exactly how I am feeling. I whip the bathroom door open, stomp into the Child #1's room and tell her

"This behavior is unacceptable at nine years old. You are acting like a two year old or a spoiled brat. You choose. I will not tolerate this behavior that is why you are being punished. It is not all about you, Child#1."

With this great speech, all the tears and whining stop abruptly. Maybe I'm actually getting through to her.

Child #1 says, "When you yell at me, can you please put some clothes on?"

I bust out laughing, "If my naked body is going to torture you that bad, I will have to remember that for next time."

I walk back into the bathroom. I hear a laugh and she says,  "Ewww. Mom it's so gross. It's all jiggly and stuff."

Now I have a new threat to stop unacceptable behavior.

Have a great day!

Hot Tamale

I came home the other day with a small bag full of my parents garden goodies, a few tomatoes, a few green peppers, a few red peppers, a few hot chilli peppers. All the goodies were laid out on the counter full of bright and dark reds colors. I planned on making some fresh salsa.

After the girls came home from school, I noticed Child #2 couldn't keep her hands off the merchandise. She must've been attracted to the colors. While touching and feeling the different textures of each veggie, she kept asking what was what and if they were hot. I told her some of the peppers were hot. You could almost see what was going through her head when her eyes bulged out. The peppers were just tempting her to take a bite out of it.

The next day, she couldn't keep her hands off of one of the large red peppers, continuing with her questions about how hot it would be and what it tasted like.    

Finally I said, "Take a bite."

Eyeing me up suspiciously, she replied, "It's going to be hot."

"I will give you a dollar if you take a big bite out of it."

"Really?"

"Yep."

Hesitant at first, but Child #2 went in for the big bite. She chewed it and swallowed it.

"Mmm. This is good." And she took another bite.

I knew the red pepper wasn't hot, but I wanted her to stop bugging me about the peppers.

A few hours later, I was folding clothes and a bolt of lightening streaked down the hall into the bathroom. Child #2 was holding a half eaten red hot chilli pepper in her hand.

She says with her tongue hanging out fanning the heat out of her mouth. "This one is hot, mom."

I busted out laughing. She couldn't take the suspense of not trying all the peppers.

Welcome Back...Blisters

I don't know what I was thinking when I put on my new running shoes on and went running. Man, I have the blisters to show for it. I'm not sure what was more painful running the last two miles in the half marathon I ran earlier in the spring or these blisters on my heals. Normally I would've worn the shoes a few times walking around before I put them on to go running, but apparently my lack of judgement yesterday was enticing me to a week of pain.

I was blessed with the last two pairs of shoes I purchased that never gave me blisters. Unfortunately, when I went to purchase the same shoe that style didn't have my size anymore so I had to go with same shoe, but newer version. I hate that the shoe manufacturers always have to update their styles. When I find a good shoe I usually buy 2 to 3 of the same shoe at a time (I usually have to buy new running shoes every 3 to 4 months. I know that's a lot, but I put a lot of miles on my shoes. Have to keep the joints happy.) Well I went through those pairs so now I'm back to square one. Now off to the store to buy more band aids.

Holy Terror 7

I'm not sure why the terrible 2's were such a big deal. I've discovered that the age of seven for Child #2 has become a holy terror between the back talking, teasing her sisters, yelling, fighting with her sisters and the sneaky, conniving, devious, trouble making crap she pulls. Hence I am coining the phrase Holy Terror Seven. This definitely goes back to my theory of every child is born with their personality. I'm not sure parenting has too much influence anymore.

After this summer, I'm not sure if I will be willing to take my kids on a vacation next year. I love traveling and I want my children to experience great things about the world outside of our little town that is just a spec on the map. Unfortunately, their behavior this summer was extremely disappointing. It has almost drove me back to getting a job. Interesting thought. I will sleep on that one. Thankfully school starts in a week and the life sucking world of club soccer has begun. We will be back in top notch shape. Maybe my memory of this summer will fade like the memory of pain from child birth. Who knows. Happy new school year everyone!