Anyway, I celebrated the return to school until about 9:30AM at which time I realized having the big kids out of the house is not all it's cracked up to be. Sure, it was nice and quiet around here. Yeah, there wasn't any fighting. But the messes. Oh, the messes the little ones got into! And there was no one here to tattle on them. I didn't have any extra pairs of eyes to help watch them. No one was around to entertain the little ones while I changed loads of laundry or went through paperwork.
There was the cereal spilled on the floor, the water spilled on the floor, the 5 million gold dubloons from the Sponge Bob game scattered about the house, and of course, the "speriment".
As I changed loads of laundry, I heard Clay and his apprentice, Brooklyn, run into the bathroom and turn on the water. I finished throwing clothes into the dryer and headed toward the bathroom to check out their latest mischief. I found the two of them perched on the side of the sink, a big bucket filled with water, toothpaste and shampoo. They were vigorously stirring their concoction with toothbrushes. Several toothbrushes.
"What are you two doing?!!!" I demanded.
"It's my speriment!" Clay proudly proclaimed.
"Your what???" I yelled.
"My speriment!" he repeated.
"Your experiment? What kind of experiment is this?"
"It's my soapy speriment!"
"And just what did you think would happen with this experiment? What were you trying to do? Invent a shampoo and toothpaste in one? Clean your hair and freshen your breath all at once?"
He stared at me blankly and said a succinct, "I don't know."
"Ugh. Did you really think this was a good idea?" I asked exasperated.
"I wanted to see if it would be bubbly." He looked up at me innocently.
"Ugh, what am I going to do with you?"
I'm still holding out hope that he'll be a magnificent scientist. Maybe he'll discover a cure for cancer. Hey, it's my fantasy!
By the afternoon, after I squashed all their "speriment" fun, they were bored. Here they are staring out the window waiting for their siblings to get home.
I found out a day late that my girls were cleaning with their toothbrushes.
ReplyDeleteCleaning the bathroom.
*shivvers*
Oh, Dawn...I just LOVE that last photo of them waiting on their siblings to come home. That is adorable!
ReplyDeleteHaving had that terrible foot trouble myself, I know that taking a magnesium supplement helps to clear up those obnoxious and painful heel spurs internally. Most moms get adequate calcium, but not enough magnesium to help properly distribute it in your bones, and so it deposits abnormally in the form of spurs. It helps, trust me.
Oh yes, what is it with water, toothpaste, shampoo and "speriments"? My children also enjoy these little activities. Oh, it could be worse, they could be rewiring the house or rebuilding the DVD player (the one that does work and still connected to the TV.)
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo. First comment. I think. When I first saw Speriment, I thought it would mean spearmint, not experiment. Oh well. Good laugh.
ReplyDeleteHmm...maybe you could help them do some useful experiments? Some that would bubble would be sour dough starter, baking soda and vinegar (have the kids to clean the bathtub with this ;), and mildly soapy mop water in small amounts for them to clean the floors with (they could use old towels to "skate" the floor dry).
ReplyDeleteMy three-year-old's latest thing is to fill the soap dispensers with water and plug the bathroom sink. I do sometimes water down the soap, but he just doesn't know the correct ratio. There are times when the pump(s) are almost entirely water.
Totally feeling your pain, my 5 yr old has been obsessed with experiments this summer, so we went to the library and took out some books on experiments. We did volcanoes, cornstarch and water goo, food coloring and paper towel experiments to name a few. SHe still getsinto messes in the bathroom, but the books satiate her a little bit. I can't wait for school to start next week!
ReplyDeleteYEAH for back to school! I'm doing the happy dance for you...it's the same one I did on Monday when my own kiddos went back. Sorry about your heal..hopefully after the bruising goes away the cortisone will actually help.
ReplyDeleteSo are ya gonna share with the siblings the fact that their toothbrushes were swirled in shampoo or just let it be a surprise the next time they brush? ****insert evil maniacal laugh here*** = )
On their knees, no less. And now Bossy is on hers: so cute.
ReplyDeleteMe again.... I just noticed your link to the Stuebs family article on the side of your blog page. My husband plays in a band and his band just played at a benefit Sunday for them. What a tragedy. I can't even imagine. I didn't know them but still a heartbreaking story.
ReplyDeleteOh, Dawn, thank you so much for the laugh! The "Spiriment" brought back lots of memories of my siblings, not to mention the fact that I can see my son doing something like this in a few yrs!!!
ReplyDeleteDawn--why did you get the cortisone injection? Did you get more yea's than nay's on your feedback? Well, I hope it works for you. I know what plantar fasciitis feels like and it's not fun. Take care--we love you.
ReplyDeleteClay sounds like a smart kid! He should hang around with my #4, who pulled little #5 into his experiment to see what would happen if you pour bubbles onto the air hockey table and turn it on.
ReplyDelete(In case you're wondering, it makes bubbles. Lots of bubbles.)
What an awesome picture! That's how we feel waiting for big sibs to come home too.
I'm late on commenting on this but your journal page with the spider on the bow-legged chair and your commentary "hurry whip the beads and kill the spider" or something to that affect had me laughing so hard I had to go pee.
ReplyDeleteOh and thanks for the link to the cake wrecks, I spent an hour detouring over there. Ugh, I didn't get anything done tonight but had a lot of fun reading!
Long ago...and far away-I can remember those spirament days! :D
ReplyDeleteLoved the whole mess! Thanks for sharing and triggering the memory.
I am so excited that my teacher hubby and girls are back to school. The problem arose when I went to take a shower. Who was going to watch the 22 month old? Little bugger was into everything. I may only get to shave on weekends. Come on long pants weather.
ReplyDeleteSo, did you tell the owners of the speriment'ed toothbrushes?
ReplyDeleteOh. Yeah. Keeping the little ones out of trouble. Yeah, I get that. But hey, at least he knew what he was testing for -- bubbles! And who doesn't love bubbles? Oh yeah. You. And me. And any sane mom. Dads I think might be good with it though ;)
ReplyDeleteJust wait until they're old enough to do kitchen experiments. I remember making creations out of random kitchen ingredients a la Betsy Tacy and Tib. The only rule was that whatever I made I had to eat.
Here's hoping your heels feel better soon!
Am I the only one who is amazed how clean your house always is in these pictures? I am impressed...my sink doesn't even look that clean after I clean it lol...oh and yes the experiments...good times, good times...
ReplyDeleteDawn, that last photo could win a contest somewhere. Thanks for the laugh.
ReplyDeleteOMG! My kids still do "speariments" and they are much older! 14,11,9 to be exact. Some days I fear for the toothbrushes. Many times the flouride, toothpaste and soap and water sit blending on my bathroom counter. I hope they outgrow it soon!!
ReplyDeleteOh Dawn! I'm hugging you all the way from El Paso, TX. My 4 kids do things like this, too, but they call their concoctions "mixtures." They'll add just about anything from shampoo, hair gel, conditioner, bubble bath, toothpaste, and hydrogen peroxide (trust me...a chair plus a booster seat precariously perched on the cushion were needed to reach the highest shelf in the linen closet for the brown bottle of HP!) to come up with different textures, bubble sizes and colors.
ReplyDeleteOh and did I mention that I homeschool? So we're making mixtures all day long! Oh the mess! Oh the fun! Oh the yells...but I try to remain calm most of the time. LOL A friend suggested that I add this into my lesson plans as Chemistry. And Art. And HomeEc (due to the clean-up involved.) And Recess. ROFL
Hugs from El Paso,
Karla
I'm so glad school started! I think....
ReplyDeleteLove the photo!
Tell them to brush their teeth with that concoction and that will be the end of that "speriment".
ReplyDeleteDid their older siblings notice a nice soapy taste when they brushed their teeth that night?
Hi, Dawn-
ReplyDeleteI just thought I'd drop in and say thank you for your diligence in maintaining your blog. My friend linked me to your site shortly after the ebay incident, and I've been reading your posts regularly since then. I don't have children so clearly I can't relate in many respects. But my friend thought I might enjoy your work anyway. And I do. I appreciate your seemingly natural talent (not that you do not work very very hard) at storytelling. Late at night when I have my "me time" (I know that must sound indulgent to you!), I enjoy reading your blog and tossing back a glass of wine..or two. With that, I blame the wine for what I'm about to say (typically I am the epitome of class and daintiness ;)). That sn**ch-wad of a woman who wrote unkind things to you needs a punch in the face. Some people confuse genres--read Flowers in the Attic as a manual rather than as fiction, for example. These misunderstandings we cannot control . Anyway, thank you for your writing, as well as for your parenting, because I'm tellin' you--if I had babies I might have that same picture up, but it would not be them waiting for their beloved siblings. It'd be them scanning the walls in search of an escape.
Best,
Nicole
That is SO somthing my four-and-a-half year old would do....but hey, ont he bright side, your caulk job still looks great! :)
ReplyDeleteWe start school today, and because I am a high school teacher, it's just really hitting me how much I feel guilty that I'm missing the first day for my second-grader. I know it's only five minutes of walking him to his room, and his Dad is perfectly capable, but it's gonna be rough. In a week, I'll be jumping for joy that I leave the house before anyone else is awake, but for today, I'm kinda misty.
~Laura
We have girls who love to make "potions" in my house. Whatever they can find, and the foamier the better (i.e. daddy's shaving cream, hair mousse). What a pain but good laughs after.
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA Dawn, thats pretty funny, and creative I might add. Nicole and one of her little friends when they were about 5 or so decided to do something similie speermenting on the bathroom floor. Only they added nailpolish to it for some insane reason. I heard them laughing and went in there and about had a heart attack.
ReplyDeleteThere was water, soap ( body wash) and shampoo everywhere including them , with brightly polished toes to boot. I marched the naeighbor girl back home to her mother because she siad she wasnt' going to help clean it up - I told her she was as did her mom when she promptly marched her back home with me and we watched them clean it up for the most part with all my towels which I then had to wash..
Hope the kids had a great time in school and like their teachers
The rare moments I get to just browse the net, I come here to see what's going on in your house. I am always encouraged to read your blog. Having just eleven of our sixteen kids home this year is going to be so much easier! In fact, my only preschooler is going to be gone every morning to his developmental preschool class (for occupational and speech therapy due to his being born blind in one eye and premature).
ReplyDeleteI will have the mornings everyday all to myself beginning next Tuesday!!!! Yippeee!!!
Hang in there girl. You will one day face liberation too.
Then we wonder what to do with ourselves! he he
Clay looks big for his age - maybe you can fool the school into thinking he's old enough??? Hey, it's worth a shot!
ReplyDeleteI just read on a message board - salvation is the color of school bus yellow!! SO true! This all mkaes me recall the summer I went thru no fewer than *5* babysitters, 2 of whom left in tears! And I only had 3 kids.
from Sparkle
hopefully, that soreness in your heel gets better in a day or 2, that is how it was for me last summer, the shot in my foot, would be really sore for a day, and I would wake up the next day with almost complete relief!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the experiment mess!!! I think the little ones become more adventurous, as they try to emulate all the older kids.
Too funny, my oldest went back to school on the 25th and everyday when we drop her off my 3 year old is excited and tehn as soon as we get home she sadly announces "theres nothin to dooooooo it's time to go get sierra" and the bathroom sink has become the bathtub for all her babies including the stuffed animals fun times---sasha
ReplyDeleteI had a cortisone injection in my foot about 3 months ago. The pain flared up after the injection for about 2 days, then it slowly got better and better.
ReplyDeleteHope yours is feeling better today!!
PS - fun 'speriment' - mix cornstarch and water in a bowl. It makes the craziest "slime" - so long as you're handling it, it stays fairly firm but as soon as you stuff it oozes thru your fingers. And it's totally water soluable!
I love that picture! How sweet!
ReplyDeleteI sent my youngest off to Kindergarten on Tuesday. He's the last one and I cried. None of the other parents were crying, but I had tears streaming. I've been with this child pretty much every waking moment for 6 years, with a few exceptions (but only for a few a long weekend getaway and back surgery). I actually wanted to bring him back home with me.
He loves it, though. Tuesday, I had to drag him out of bed, toss him in the shower just to wake him up. Today, the minute I stepped into his room and said his name, he was on his feet telling me he had to get his shower! He was more than ready to go back. LOL...Thanks kid. You could at least PRETEND that you are going to miss me. LOL...I think it was harder sending this one. Probably because I KNOW he's my last one. Now, he's no longer my baby. My older boys are 18 and 16 and then there is a 10 1/2 year gap. I was so young when the older two started school, it was almost a relief to send them. Plus, I worked an odd shift and cherished the time they were at school because I got much needed sleep during school hours. This time, I'm just lonely and bored. :( I miss my baby. I feel kind of like your little ones...waiting at the window...lol
We are breathessly waiting for our oldest five to go to school. They seem so bored!
ReplyDeleteAs for the experiement, that is too funny! Kids love trying out things...Maybe you could get him a neat science kit for Christmas? :)
That is so cute! I very clearly remember experiments with soap shampoo toothpaste and anything else I could find. I was maybe 4 at the time. I had heard my mom talking about not mixing cleaners cause it would cause fumes. Me being me I wanted to see if I could make fumes. So I mixed everything I could find that was used to clean anything LOL
ReplyDeleteSigh. Same problem here. The oldest at home during the day now is only a couple months older than your Savannah. Her "speriment" yesterday involved smearing a cube of butter on the table with our 1yo. What fun do we get today?
ReplyDeleteLove it!! I found my 23 month old splashing in the toilet the other day with my hubby's toothbrush! I could have freaked! And I would have left it in the sink that way too, but I had witnesses...hahaha!
ReplyDeleteDawn I am soooo sorry your shot hurt and caused you more pain! Did they use the numbing spray? My POD is great and he hasn't hurt at all. Just a little sting when the needle first goes in, and then warmth from the cortizone. I would never hestiate to do it again if my PF ever comes back.
ReplyDeleteThe last photo is so cute. All I can say is UGH about the res.
ReplyDeleteTry zapping those "gently used" toothbrushes in the microwave for one minute. It works with kitchen sponges, so why not toothbrushes, too?
ReplyDeleteYou win the award for Patient Mom of the Year. I would not have been nearly so calm or kind, I'm afraid.
-Beth in MI
Oh my! I have been so excited for school to start on Tuesday that I havent even thought about things like this happening! Way to ruin my back to school joy! lol j/k
ReplyDeleteI found my three year old conducting his own little speriment in our bathroom a couple days ago. It involved themirro and an entire bottle of suntan lotion!! It was a bummer to have to clean!
ReplyDeleteDawn...thanks for stopping by my blog, your prayers, bringing smiles and laughter to my life, and your cyber-friendship! My youngest daughter's cats would line the driveway and wait for the school bus (not that I'm comparing your two little one's to cats) It is a great photo! So...what was the wambat?
ReplyDeleteKendra
My oldest started kindergarten yesterday and when he got home his brother put his backpack on and marched around the room. Then my 16mo old daughter brought a backpack that we keep a building set in over to me. I thought that she wanted to play but then realized that she wanted to get in on the action too. I took a picture of the two of them with backpacks marching around the playroom:)
ReplyDeleteMakes me glad my 10-month-old isn't walking yet!
ReplyDeleteSweet. I used to love my kids experiments. Sometimes I would give them a cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar and a stool to reach the sink and let them play with it. I ended up with a really clean sink!
ReplyDeleteHey, that gets me thinking that if you put them in bathing suits and into the tub with some baking soda and vinegar, they could really clean the tub! Geez, I wish my kids were still little when I have these great ideas.
that's too funny, but it's pretty smart of him and it is learning in it's own way... can he go to preschool? he'd probably do well there..and you'd do well with him there =)
ReplyDeleteDawn, I'm relatively new to reading your blog, but I was wondering. You talk about having at least one of your DC on a special no artificials/no preservatives diet. By chance, is it the Feingold diet, or do you just try to read labels? My DS, and our whole family, has been on FG for over 5 years now - it's done wonders for us. I was just curious.
ReplyDeleteYou know Dawn, he does have a point... after all, both shampoo and toothpaste *are* bubbly! (no need to stir with toothbrushes though... heehee).
ReplyDeleteI check your blog regularly but I rarely post. I want to take the opportunity to say you are a wonderful mom and person and bring a smile (ok, a BIG LAUGH) to many around the world. Bless you (and your wonderful kids) for that.
And I also want to take the opportunity to say that the post with your drawings was one of the best things I EVER read in a blog. WONDERFUL. Both the pics and your comments afterwards!!!! Absolutely hilarious. Thanks so much for that laugh!!!
Keep them coming Dawn!! Cannot wait for your book to come out!!!
Magda
Dawn-
ReplyDeleteI too had Plantar Fasciitis until I tore my plantar fascia running from my neighbor's house to my house while trying to get away from a skunk (sounds like a Dawn story!) 6 weeks in a cast later, I haven't had pain for 3 years. I could throw a skunk your way - wanna try??? It worked to me!
BTW- soooo jealous your kids are in school. Michigan passed a law a couple years ago that no public schools could start before labor day because too many businesses were losing their employees to go back to school just before the "big weekend"... so I have to wait until next Tuesday. (sob) And then I go back for my last semester starting Wednesday. One whole day to myself. In December I'll be done with my BSN (and my oldest will be 18 months behind me!)
Finally - the picture was too cute. If that was my kids in that pose, they'd be begging to go out - just one more time- at 11pm!! (the younger two are 9 and 11) Gotta get them back into the "school mode" of wakeup!
Just be thankful their "speriment" wasn't nearly as eventful as my little sister's tended to be. For example:
ReplyDeleteExhausted, I changed into my nightgown, and went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth before bed. Just as I lifted the capful of listerine to my lips, my sister (then 8) comes running into the bathroom shrieking at the top of her lungs.
"Don't use the mouthwash! I put bleach in it!"
When asked why she had thought putting bleach in the mouthwash would be ok, she was quoted as saying, "I was trying to make my teeth white. I didn't remember that bleach could kill you."
Oh my! This sounds like a typical day at my house with my 2 YEAR OLD! I found him on the sink in my bathroom, after having to search through every room in the house to find him cause he had shut every door. I went in to find in one hand my eye glasses and the other covered in hand soap. He had happily covered everything in site with the beautiful color and scent of my most recent Bath and Body Works purchase.
ReplyDelete