I am Michelle D. Carter

“Mom, we need to brush Zoey’s teeth. Her breath stinks.” Alyssa has said this several times. I find this a bit ironic from a girl who starts her day with morning breath so strong it will bring a tear to your eye.

Tim stopped by the Petco to pick up a dog training device that emits ultrasonic sounds that dogs find annoying. It is like fingernails on a chalkboard to us humans. It’s his attempt to break Zoey from barking at him EVERY time he walks… into the house, by the front door, in the back yard, down the stairs, or anywhere the dog is. Remembering Alyssa’s comment about Zoey’s teeth, he also grabs a package of DoggieDents, which are pre-pasted disposable toothbrushes for dogs.

The kids are thrilled that they each will get a turn brushing the dog’s teeth. Zoey’s a good dog. She takes it all in stride. She lets me hold her mouth open while the giggling kids scrub her canine choppers.

Why Alyssa was so adamant about brushing the dog’s teeth I’ll never know. I just hope it makes her brush her own teeth more especially before she wants to have an in-depth conversation first thing in the morning.

Alyssa paid for her DS with her own money. We planned to give each of the boys one for Christmas. However, the boys love to play with their sister’s. As with most video games, the player must master one level before advancing. Accumulating points is the key to moving ahead. Points may be lost and must be replaced before moving on. A less experienced player, such as her 5-year-old brothers or parents, could easily “mess up” any progress Alyssa has made with the game.

As parents, this puts us in a difficult situation. We want to encourage the kids to share their toys. At the same time Alyssa should enjoy some advantage because she chose to spend HER money to get this game. If she is generous and chooses to share, it could erase some of the fruits of her labor. I’m obviously using an extremely broad definition of labor.

Tim has a business trip in a couple weeks to Minneapolis. We are going to go with him to have a little mini-vacation. He decided we should get the boys their own DS’ before the trip. This would give all the kids something to do, besides watch movies, on our road trip.

How did parents survive without video in their cars? Think about the pioneers, traveling westward in search of opportunity. It took months. After twenty minutes I’m tired of hearing, “Are we there yet?” Interstate highways, air conditioning, drive thru’s and rest stops were generations away.

Saturday I caught Alex with Alyssa’s DS. I asked him, “Did you ask your sister if you could play her game?”

“No” was her shrill reply as she ran over and ripped it from his hands.

Alex looked at me with his sad little puppy dog eyes, “But Mom, she always says no.”

Tim, unaware of the situation, tells me he needs to run to the hardware store. “Again,” I ask.

Without tipping off the boys, I whisper that he should pick up a couple of DS’s while he’s out. He sneaks them into the house when he returns so we can get the batteries charged. Want to frustrate a 5-year-old? Give them a new video game and then tell them to wait four hours before they can play with it.

Later that evening, we share the exciting news with the boys. They are so excited they can hardly contain themselves.

On Sunday, Alyssa returns from a sleep-over with the girls next door. The boys are now in the DS owner club with the girls. All five were sitting in our living room playing video games. It was so cute. The system has the ability to communicate with others wirelessly within a short range. They were sending messages to each other and having a blast. All the laughter was worth it.

“Boys, I brought you home something.”

Andy responds, “A DS?” For those of you living in the dark ages, DS is a hand-held gaming device from Nintendo.

“No. I got you these.” I pulled a pair of T-Rex masks from my bag. As I imagined, they immediately put them on and began growling and chasing each other around.

Aren’t they cute?!!

St. Louis was SO awesome!! We had an amazing time! The girls got along great. There was only one little argument and even that didn’t last long. There were a few hot days but those were the days we did inside activities. Then a storm came through and cooled things down so we were able enjoy the outside activities without the scorching heat.

Our first stop on Saturday was the City Museum. Made entirely of re-cycled products, this museum of mazes kept the kids entertained for hours. MonstroCity, Skateless Park, Enchanted Caves and the Monster Slide are just a few of the attractions the kids enjoyed. The Architectural Museum is a favorite for adults. The only “down side” to the museum is that the mazes and caves can separate your group. Not being able to find your child puts an incredible fear in your heart. I experienced this twice on Saturday. Two times too many!! The girls were fine. They were having the time of their lives exploring. We will never forget the largest pair of underwear in the world.

Sunday we experienced the Gateway Arch, Science Center and Union Station. I had been in the Arch before (at night) with Tim. It was the first time for Alyssa. It’s incredible to see how advanced architecture was in 1965. The Arch was built to commemorate Thomas Jefferson’s westward expansion of the United States.

After seeing the view from the top of the monument, we watched a documentary that followed the footsteps of Lewis and Clark. Usually my inner child wants to avoid anything educational when I’m on vacation. I did my time in school. However, this is a great film. The incredible visuals and narration made you feel like you were right on the river with them. Simply amazing.

Science Center had something to appeal to everyone. Dinosaurs and space travel were the highlights. The girls got to practice their circus tricks on the trampolines and bungee cords at Union Station. They really enjoyed that.

 

Monday we got a late start, sleeping until almost 10:00 am. I don’t remember the last time I did that. All the fun must have caught up with us. We went to The Magic House, which was awesome!!! The girls enjoyed learning about magnets, art, math and fitness. They surrounded themselves in a giant bubble and experienced static electricity that made their hair stand on end. The Magic House is expanding to double their size. I can’t wait to go back once they’ve completed.

That evening was about the adults. We went to “the Hill” and ate at Charlie Gitto’s. The authentic Italian cuisine was delicious. After all the garlic, we soothed our taste buds with Ted Drewes frozen custard, a St. Louis tradition.

 

Most of Tuesday was spent at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It was fun to see all the different types of flowers. I have even been inspired to plant a couple of them in my garden next year. Their “plant” doctor helped to diagnose a beetle boring in my maple tree. Hopefully the prescribed insecticide will help our tree survive. Our old house had a huge red maple in the backyard. I missed the tree so Tim got me one for my birthday a couple of years ago.

 

We thought the Botanical Garden included a butterfly garden. We searched around and finally asked an employee. It was not a good sign when his response started with laughter. We made a mad dash to the other side of town to the Butterfly House. By the time we got there, we only had about a half hour left, but it was well worth it. They were everywhere! And so beautiful.

 

On Wednesday we made it to Grant’s Farm and the Zoo. At the farm, we fed the baby goats milk (they were hungry little rascals) and saw the majestic Clydesdales. This is Matt. He was in several commercials for Anheuser-Busch. The tour ended in my favorite spot, the beer garden. I really don’t drink that much beer. I prefer margaritas, but I now have a new favorite beer, Michelob Ultra Pomegranate Raspberry.

It was a bit too warm for us to see a lot of the animals at the zoo. We did get to see some bears and penguins. It was a nice ending to the day.

We returned home around 9:30 pm Wednesday night. It was a great trip, but I was glad to be home with my boys. They ran out to see me and jumped in my arms with a big hug and kiss. I love those little moneys.

Alex lost ANOTHER tooth this morning!!

Last night as I was putting the kids to bed, I was checking out Alex’s newly vacated space from the tooth he lost last Friday. The tooth right next to it was pretty loose. I asked him if I could pull on it.

“Tomorrow, Mom.”

This morning he grabs the Puffs and tells me I have to wait until Alyssa is awake so he doesn’t wake her with his cries of anguish. Awe, isn’t that sweet?! But for some reason it didn’t stop him and his brother from running around screaming earlier.

He must get his OCD from me because it wasn’t long and he said I could try. I learned that it is easier to twist the tooth than to pull it right out so I began twisting. Like before, he kept letting me work on it. About the third time it was barely hanging on. I asked him if he wanted to look at it in the mirror. Before he could walk into the bathroom, he had pulled it out himself.

It wasn’t quite the excitement as the first tooth, but he was happy. It warranted a call to Daddy.

“Dad, do you have any meetings today?”

Tim must have said, “No, why?”

“Because I need your little pillow thing.” Tim has the pillow he used as a kid and that is what we use for the tooth fairy. Alex knows the routine. Too cute!

Last Friday was CRAZY! I always think I have to get EVERYTHING done before I leave for any kind of trip. It helps me to relax. Tim thinks I have an OCD. The only thing Tim asked me to do before I left was go to the grocery store. By 6:00 pm, I still hadn’t been.

Earlier in the day, I was getting things accomplished. I mowed the yard so Tim wouldn’t have to worry about it. Then Andy began complaining that his ear hurt. He’s been prone to ear infections. Not wanting to leave Tim with a sick child, we rushed to the urgent care clinic before they closed at 11:00 am.

Sure enough, he has an ear infection. When we finally made it out of the doctor’s office, it was time for lunch. We make a quick run through McDonald’s drive-thru on our way to Target. I needed to get some toiletries for the trip.

After running our errands, I decided it was time for my shower and pedicure. Alyssa decided she was ready to do the same. However, when it came time to paint her nails, she wanted a fancy design. I knew the pressures of getting ready for the trip didn’t leave me with enough patience to even attempt intricate toenail art. Trust me, there isn’t much canvas on an 8-year old.

Despite the additional last minute items added to my day, we were doing fairly well on time so I asked her if she wanted to get them done at a local nail salon. Generally you can get in and out of this salon rather quickly. However, since I was on a tight schedule, it was not the case. They kept telling us, “Just a few more minutes.”

Alex had a loose tooth that I had been keeping an eye on. OK, I admit it, I was obsessing over it. While passing the time waiting at the nail salon, I did my usual inspection and realized it was REALLY loose. This is his first loose tooth and I was afraid it would come out while I was gone. I couldn’t let that happen. I needed to “work” on it.

I asked him if I could pull on it. Surprisingly, he let me. One yank and he lets out an, “Owie” that could be heard in the back of the salon. Blood filled his mouth. I ran to the van to get some tissue. I couldn’t work effectively without drying things up a little. Even more surprisingly, he continued to let me manipulate it. I grabbed it firmly, gave it another good yank and the tooth was in my hand. YES, success!!

The expression on his face told you that he couldn’t decide how to react. It hurt, a little. However, the tooth in his hand meant the tooth fairy would be visiting. He summed things up with one word, “Cool.”

He couldn’t wait to call Daddy to let him know the good news. “Daddy, guess who’s coming tonight?”

He also asked if we could keep the doors unlocked so the tooth fairy could come in at night. I told him we didn’t need to because she could get in, even with the doors locked.

“Does she have a key?”

Trying to keep this as simple as possible, I said “Yes.”

“Does she have a key to everyone’s house?”

“Yes.” Imagine carrying all those keys in her purse. She must be one strong woman!!

Playing dentist did help to pass the time however; we still spent two hours getting Alyssa’s nails fancy. I finally made it to the grocery store after dinner. Tim was very appreciative. It was the least I could do since he made our hotel arrangements.

In the middle of the night, Alex came running to our bedroom, “The tooth fairy’s been. I got money.” It was so cute. I don’t regret pulling that tooth out for one second. I would have hated to miss that.

Alyssa and I left for St. Louis at 10:00 am Saturday and returned around 9:30 pm last night, Wednesday. We had an awesome time. Watch for upcoming blogs on our adventures.

By the way, I returned to a few REALLY nice surprises. Tim re-potted some plants and ran drip lines so I don’t have to water them. There weren’t any dirty dishes or laundry waiting for me. Our kitchen island wasn’t stacked to the ceiling with “stuff.” He even worked on my fence staining project and the huge pile of mulch in the driveway was gone. Thanks honey pie!

Yesterday I had the baby sitter take the kids to the pool so I could get some of my other projects done. I wanted to work on my scrapbook page for an upcoming swap but the house needed to be cleaned. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I rushed around trying to clean and still have some time for me. Just as I finished and began thinking about my craft project, the kids returned from the pool. That’s my luck!

During my mad dash and fog of cleaning products, the phone rings. A friend, Kathleen, calls to invite Alyssa and me to join them on a road trip to St. Louis. Her daughter, Delaney, is Alyssa’s best friend.

After some discussions with Tim and the babysitter, I’ve got the logistics worked out so we’ll be St. Louis bound on Saturday. Tim’s prerequisite is that I can’t leave town with the cupboards empty. So tell me again how is that I can take all three kids and go to the grocery store, but he can’t take two? Of course, that also means I have to have laundry done. After all, Alyssa and I will need clothes to wear. Not to mention all the other prep I need to do with going out of town like mowing and watering the yard, a pedicure and the emergency trip to the doctor’s office due to Andy’s ear infection.

So, Dr. Imakwac, how do I divide up my chores now?!! And yes, a pedicure is a necessary chore!

Needless to say, I will resume normal blogging when I return on Thursday. I hope to have some great travel adventures to share with you. Have a good one!!

Did you see the “nice” comments from yesterday? Here they are with my comments added:

Bob (name changed to protect innocent spouse) Says:

Does “heat and serve” qualify as cooking?

Yes “Bob,” heat and serve qualifies as cooking. And while we’re at it, a bowl of cold cereal qualifies too. If there is food on the table then someone cooked it.

Just a little side note here: my sweet husband, Tim, has been adding drip lines to our sprinkler system to water the plants. Tim was explaining to our neighbor, Tony, that he was putting them in so I wouldn’t have to water out front. Tony asked, “What is Michelle going to do if she’s not watering?”

Tim responded with, “Hopefully cook.”

Like I said, if there is something for you to eat, you should just be happy!

Steve (name changed to ensure spouse’s safety) Says:

Doesn’t someone at the gym watch your kids while you’re at the gym? Wouldn’t that be considered a break?

“Steve,” yes, my boys go to child watch while at the gym. However, my daughter works out with me. Being a good Mom, I’m constantly watching her to make sure she is doing OK and isn’t trapped under a treadmill. Her interruptions take away any possibility of my workout being classified as a break.

Doug (Definitely not Tim) Says:

I heard there is a life guard at your neighborhood pool? Doesn’t this person keep an eye on your kids while you chat with friends and develop your lovely bronze glow?

Yes “Doug,” we do have a life guard at our neighborhood pool. However, the guard’s job is to save lives and enforce the rules of the pool, NOT to baby sit all the kids. While my kids are good swimmers, I still need to make sure they are OK and are being well behaved. So the trip to the pool is NOT a break!!

Sally (Wrong gender to be Tim) Says:

I overheard you at the sporting goods store talking about buying additional work-out clothes so you could spend more time at the gym and less doing on laundry. This blog makes it seem you don’t appreciate all your husband does for you. He is way too good looking to treat this way.

Awe, “Sally,” you are so sweet yet misguided. Yes, I did buy a new sports bra the other day because I was one short of making it through the week. ONE BRA does not mean I get to spend more time at the gym and less doing laundry. It just means now I’ll be able to make it an entire week and accumulate a whole load of laundry. I love my husband and I DO appreciate all he does for me.

Dr. Imakwac (Tim was a finance major, so I’m certainly not him) Says:

After reading this post, I have diagnosed your situation as a chronic case of AT-TO-DO-TOO-MU with acute hostility (I’m going to beat them down???) People who suffer from “ATtemp TO DO TOO Much” often feel overwhelmed, and in your case angry, by the amount of things they feel should be done.

Instead of spreading the “to do” items over a timeline that could reasonably be accomplished, they feel the need to attempt to do it all NOW. Your list of responsibilities is impossible to complete over the next 8 hours. If you gave yourself 8 days, wouldn’t it be doable?

I’m certain that your devilishly handsome and extremely intelligent husband has told you that you try to do too much. Hopefully you’ll take the advice of a disinterested third party and self-proclaimed AT TO DO TOO MU expert, regardless of my fake my credentials.

I have developed a two step treatment plan for you:

First, stop trying to do too much at once. Take your projects and divide them over a reasonable timeline. Break the larger items into smaller units that can be accomplished.

Second, you need to increase time spent “doing” your husband. How can you keep your hands off the man? Your hostility should dramatically decrease. Since you won’t be able to slap the smile off his face, he certainly won’t be complaining about dirty dishes or that he’s worn the same underwear for days.

So, “Dr. Imakwac,” with the fake credentials. Yes, I do tend to do too much, that would be because I have a lot to do. However, if I broke my chores down over 8 days, after the 8^th day, I’d just have to start my chores all over again. Where’s MY TIME then?!!

Obviously, all these comments were from my darling husband, Tim. As I said in my post yesterday, most of the time he understands I need a break every now and again. Lately things have been tense because we’ve been working on a lot of “extra” projects. We took on the task of removing the cement pad, moving sod and planting shrubs. Tim’s “other” projects around house include working on the sprinklers, replacing siding and windows, just to name a couple.

Tim is a good kind generous loving man. However, there are moments when he gets under my skin and irritates me to no end. Sometimes I just need to vent. Last night I got to hear him go on and on about how much he does around the house. We had a good laugh about all of this. It’s working through moments like this that makes your relationships stronger. I love you, Timothy. Although, there are days I’d like to tie together the hairs in your butt crack. This way you’d know what it feels like to live with a constant pain in the butt.

If I hear just one more time how EASY it is to be a stay-at-home Mom, I’m going to beat them down until they can’t get up and then ask them how they feel. Because that is how I feel. It is much easier to work outside the home than to work IN the home.

Yes, I do have advantages. I get to go to the gym every morning to workout. I get to hang out at the pool and work on my tan. However, my job NEVER ends! I am on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week including holidays. At least when you leave the office, you leave your boss and responsibilities; not to mention weekends and holidays.

I know that Tim works hard at work but so do I. And typically he understands that I need a break. However, lately it’s been a different story. It is my responsibility to get the kids around, fix breakfast, lunch and dinner, do dishes, clean house, do laundry, take out the trash, mow the yard, run the edger and trimmer, water the yard and plants. Not to mention that I’m also a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator, the chair head to our Neighborhood Watch program and a blogger.

I do all of this while getting asked every five minutes, “Mom, where are you?” or “Will you help me?” or “Someone’s hurt.” So while it may seem these are little tasks, try doing them with three kids all needing something.

So, today, I called a babysitter. Yep, sure did. She’s going to come on Thursday and will take the kids to the pool for a couple of hours and I’m going to… I don’t know maybe just sit in total silence just because I can. I doubt it though, the house needs to be cleaned, I’ve got a scrapbook page I need to finish for a swap and there is always laundry to do.

Those couple of hours will go by way too fast. However, I’m going to try to re-group and take some time for me, before I go insane. Wait, I’m already there.

“OK, while I love your creativity, you guys need to slow down on the tape.” They have gone through an entire roll of tape in two days. Before that it was a roll in a week.

Their response, “OK, we’ll use staples now, right Mom?”

“No, you’re done for now.”

“But we are making Sponge Bob.” It takes eight pieces of paper and a quarter roll of tape to make him. Instead of taping a few spots to hold the paper in place, they think every bit of paper needs to be covered in tape. It would be easier just to get a laminating machine. They don’t care; they must think the tape fairy visits good boys and girls who don’t have a sufficient amount of office supplies. I start to walk away and they shout, “We are making Patrick too.” Great! More paper strewn around the house.

The island in our kitchen seems to be the final resting place for all objects that don’t have a home, especially art projects. I attempt to recycle them, but the kids usually go with me to the paper recycling dumpster. I can only handle so many sad, rejected, looks from them when they “rescue” their beloved and until this instant, forgotten, art projects. The look is usually accompanied by, “Mom, why did you throw this away?”

Problem solved!!! Yep, all three of them now have their own tape dispenser. They will get a new roll of tape every two weeks. One way or another, we’re going to teach them how to budget their resources. At this point, tape is more valuable to them than cash. Does anyone know the conversion rate of masking to duck tape?