Poop in a Bag in the Fridge (True Story)

Last week, I got a chocolate craving. Bad. We only had chocolate chip cookies and dark chocolate frosting in the house. So, at 9:58 p.m., I'm standing in the kitchen making chocolate frosted cookies.

After eating my delicious chocolate goodness, I got tired. So I put the frosting in a bag to make it easier to frost the rest of the cookies the next day.

Well, that didn't happen. So, that bag of frosting sat in the fridge for a couple days.

I don't know how the kids didn't notice it sitting there for so long, considering they stand in front of the fridge with the door open scrounging for food all. the. time. But, anyway... they found it a few days later.

Now, that day was one of those days where I had said "No" more often than I care to remember and the kids had tuned me out hours earlier. So, when they found the frosting just before dinner, the last thing I wanted was to have them  relentlessly bugging me about it.

"What's this, Mom?" Chloe asks with the bag in her hand, standing in front of the fridge.

I don't know what to say, so I blurt out, "It's poop."

Chloe and Logan both give me a look of absolute confusion. I'm a little astonished at my own answer, quite honestly. I have no idea where it came from.

Logan tries to clarify, "What's in the bag?"

And, thinking to myself, well, what did I just do?  I guess I should follow through. So I said, "It's poop! Leave it alone."

Chloe set the bag down on the counter and looked at me like she was trying to figure me out. Then, she got curious. "Who pooped in a bag?! Tell me! Tell me who pooped in a bag!"

I'm now in hysterics.

Chloe continues on with her questioning, as though this is a perfectly normal conversation. "Why did someone poop in a bag?"

I can tell Logan is still processing. He just keeps piggybacking Chloe's questions, "Yeah Mom! Tell us!"

I'm a terrible liar. I just kept laughing, which only seemed to confuse them more.  I can't believe I've gotten myself into this mess! Fortunately,  dinner was basically ready.  So I distracted them with that, and hoped that they would completely forget what just went down.

Michael was not privy to this... mishap of mine. He wasn't home when it all went down and I tried to forget about it as quickly as I could. But, my kids forget NOTHING.

So, after dinner, Michael gives them their cookies and starts getting our dessert ready. I'm doing the dishes. All of a sudden, I hear Chloe start yelling, "No Daddy! That's poop!!" as Michael begins frosting our cookies.

I about die, and probably turned 20 shades of red,  because when I turned around, I see Michael licking an entire spoonful of the frosting, and Chloe and Logan looking at him in utter horror. And, in that moment, I quickly realized that I have to confess because otherwise I will very likely encounter my children eating their poop, or at the very least, find a real bag of poop in the fridge at some point in the future. 

So, while still laughing uncontrollably, I manage to say, "Guys, I was just kidding with you. It's not poop. It's actually frosting."

Chloe gives me another look of utter confusion. She really doesn't know what to make of me at this moment. "It's not poop?" she asks.

"No, Chloe. It's frosting."

"Can I smell it?" Why, yes. Yes, you can dear. So, she timidly sniffs the chocolaty fluff.

"Can I taste it?" Sure! And she dips her finger in it.

Then Logan wants to get in on the action. He sniffs and tastes, and then asks, "Why didn't you tell us it was frosting?" Hmmm.... good question, kid. I have no idea! But, I tell them, "Because I didn't want you guys bugging me about it right before dinner."

We then go over the fact that it is FROSTING and NOT poop about 15 more times, just to make sure they understand. I'm still not really convinced that they get it. And I have a bad feeling that, one day, I will discover a nightmare of my own making.

Moral of the story, don't lie to your kids. Especially about frosting.

Nighttime Memories

Sometimes, I want to record the moments that drive me completely insane. It isn't because I want to complain. It's because I so desperately want to make sure I remember them.

Someday, I will long for the chance to spend one more minute putting my babies to sleep. I will desperately try to remember Chloe's sweet little voice calling out "Mommy, hold my hand. Sing, 'rock-bye baby, in treetop, wind blows, the cradle-adle'" and the thousands of times I have sung that lullaby song to her while I held her hand as she finally gives in.

I will laugh when I think about how she would slump herself over the crib railing and tell me she's going to sleep like that.

And, someday, I will smile when I remember Logan pulling himself into my lap and laying his head on my chest when he has had enough playtime and wants to sleep.

I will be sad when I think about all of his tummy problems and all of the sleepless nights we have had this first year.

And, someday, I will cry for all of the lost time. I will wish that I could have taken a little more joy in these moments now, instead of just trying to get through them.

Baking with Baby

Tonight marks the first night that I have baked with Chloe. It was a whoooole lot of fun :)

We decided to make cookies. And, she spent the entire 30 minutes, from starting the mixer to pulling the cookies off the cooling rack, yelling "cookies, cookies!" Her enthusiasm was contagious. She helped me pour the ingredients in the mixing bowl. While watching the mixer mix, she was pumping her arms up and down, cheering for it, haha. She tried to drop the batter onto the cookie tray, but that was a little difficult for her. And, whenever the timer went off, she jumped up and starting yelling "cookies! I want some! I want some!"

We brought Michael a plate with a cookie for him and a cookie for Chloe on it. But, he was in the middle of a video game, so... he was kind of distracted. And, Chloe just kept running back and forth yelling "stop it, daddy!"

Best of all though, when I was uploading pictures, she held up her hand and said "high five!" She was so proud of herself!

I can hardly believe that she will be 2 in September. Where has the time gone?

Tonight was one of those moments I want to remember forever. She wasn't her usual almost-two-year-old-stinker-self... she was this sweet, adorable little girl. It breaks my heart, but makes me proud all at the same time.

Baby Battles

Chloe learned a new trick today. It's really fun to try to hit Logan with the bouncy ball.
Unfortunately, he did not think it was as fun. :)
She tries so hard to be sweet. I know they will both be happier when he can move around. He's trying so hard right now. Probably won't be long!

Remembrances from Cornerstone '08

It's five am, and I've been driving since midnight. The big red apple in the sky began blushing over an hour ago, and I wish you were here to see it with me. It has been six months since I last saw this side of morning, and a year since I've been surrounded by these cornfields. I cannot bring myself to fall asleep. I'm mesmerized by this picture. Long, wispy clouds are spread throughout the sky, acting as dividers between the different colors on God's great palate. I stop myself with the realization that this exact picture will only happen once, and I'm a witness to it.