Parenting Tip of the Day

Caleb: Mommy, I have a big surprise for you.
Me: [Half listening because I'm painting.] You do? What?
Caleb: I clean the toilet for you!
Me: [Paying attention now.] You what??
Caleb: [Beaming.] I clean the toilet for you! Come see!
Me: [Quickly putting down roller and following him up the stairs.] Why was the toilet dirty?
Caleb: [Leading me into our bathroom.] Ta-da!!

My first observation was that there was a very strong scent in the air and some soggy toilet paper shredded all over the toilet tank. Also, there were TWO bottles of air freshener instead of one.

Parenting Tip of the Day:
Do not leave bottles of Febreeze around where your five-year-old might find them and mistake them for scrubbing bubbles. Or you could just supervise your kids. That would work too.

Looking up!

Today the doors were installed and Scott installed the towel racks and light in the guest bathroom. Tomorrow our kitchen cabinets come, they break ground on the patio, and the drywall is supposed to go up in the future kitchen. In the meantime, I will be painting, painting, painting.

Tomorrow is also a bonfire/reunion with the Peer Helpers, sort of a last hurrah before the '09 kids start college. I'm looking forward to seeing them and hearing all about their summers.

Caleb is excited to be back at school in the mornings. Both kids spent the morning at the zoo with Scott's mom today and had a great time.

Our new principal is AWESOME! He has taken on this HUGE mess that was handed to him and is running with it. I have complete confidence in his ability to lead our school. What a great thing!!

My parents are off having a grand time on an Alaskan cruise and Devon is thoroughly enjoying his new independence and work.

Yep, life is good. :)

Moving On

Devon will be moving out today. He's been with us for three months now. He has a job and a place to live that he can afford just a few blocks from where he works. He's excited about getting a pet corn snake, as are his roomies.

It's up to him now. I am praying very hard that he is able to continue his forward progress once he is on his own.

Congratulations, Dev. We love you!

Conflicted

I had to go re-enroll Caleb in preschool today. This was the conversation on the way there:

Caleb: I don't want to go to school.
Me: We're just going for a visit. I'm not going to leave you there.
Caleb: I don't want to visit. I want to go home.
Me: I have to sign some papers. We'll just go for a little bit.
Caleb: But I don't want to go to school.
(Repeat fifteen or so times.)

When we got to school, nobody was there. They were still on their way back from a field trip.

Me: Your teacher's not here. We'll have to come back.
Caleb: But I want my school! I want to see my teacher.
Me: We'll just go to the bank and then we'll come back.
Caleb: We can't leave! I want my friends! I want my teacher!
(Repeat fifteen times or so.)

After the bank (and many more complaints), we went back. Caleb had a great reunion with his friends and most of his teachers. The boys all ran up and hugged him when they saw him. He loved every minute of it. I was inspired to sign him up for three half-days a week until his school starts up again (we need to get some work done in the house before going back to work).

On the way home:

Caleb: I can't leave. I have to go to school. I'm very upset. I can't go home.
Me: I'm sorry you're upset. You're not going to school today, but guess what? I signed you up for summer preschool, so you get to go next Monday!
Caleb: But I don't want to go to school.
Me: Well then it's a good thing we're going home.
Caleb: But I have to go to school.
Me: Yes, when I go back to work you have to go to school again.
Caleb: But it's not your school. It's just for children.
Me: No, I'll go to my school and you go to your school.
Caleb: But I want to go to school. I'm very upset.

So I have no idea whether or not he'll be excited on Monday, but at least we'll get our molding painted.

*sigh*

It's too hard!

Caleb is napping sporadically these days. On the days where nobody is pounding on the house, we like to at least give him the opportunity to take a nap. Today, WE really wanted to take a nap and he desperately needed the rest. Here's how it all went down.

• 1:00 Read a story after lunch, give kisses, say goodnight.
• 1:30 Listen to Nikki putting Caleb back in his room. Crying ensues.
• 1:45 Listen to Nikki telling Caleb to go back in his room. Scott goes downstairs and tucks him back in. Crying ensues.
• 2:00 Caleb appears at the top of the stairs (apparently, Nikki is done with her prison guard duty). I take him back to his room. He cries and tells me, "It's too hard to take a rest." We sing a song, he settles, I go back to bed.
• 2:30 Caleb is up again. Scott takes him back to his room. Again, "It's too hard!!!"
• 3:00 Repeat above scenario.
• 3:30 We hear Caleb playing downstairs.

At this point, we gave up and decided to head to my mom's for dinner. About five minutes into the car ride, Caleb fell asleep. He didn't wake up when we got there. But it's too hard to take a nap.

*sigh*

Waiting for the other shoe to drop...

Our house is still destroyed. Our master bedroom is the only untouched room. Thanks to air conditioning adjustments, we now have to repaint Caleb's ceiling and at least one wall. Painting is at a standstill until they texture the patches. Tomorrow, we pack up our kitchen in preparation for its demolition on Saturday.

We had a good time with our niece. We went to Hollywood, Universal Studios, the beach, had a shopping day, and today the girls did a photo shoot in the new closet. Now we get to catch up on all the things we didn't do while she was here, like buy lights for the outside of the house and a faucet for our tub.

Don't be surprised if we turn up on your doorstep around breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

It's going to be REALLY NICE WHEN IT'S DONE!!! :P