SUMMER!

SUMMER!

I have been neglecting my blogging duties terribly lately. Out of sheer exhaustion an peer pressure I sit here writing this now. We have had an eventful few weeks. Austin said goodbye to 1st grade and we all said HELLO to a viral infection! Some of the kids manifest into a terrible rash and others got ear infection. Now they have just settled into a wonderful summer cold. Not that that stopped the Stinner Clan! We stopped in at the Science Museum and said Goodbye to Elmo the Body only to return on Friday to see a sneak peek of the new Dinosaurs LIVE exhibit. The kids seemed fascinated by the movement and realistic sounds that surrounded them. Emerson was so fascinated. He tried several times to get a closer look by ducking under the ropes they had sectioning off the exhibits. Griffin was unfazed. He preferred the new toddler play area. Alex was freaked out by the dinosaurs and cried. "NO RAWWWWWWSSSSS MAMA!" Poor baby. Max was fine. He wanted to share his sippy cup. Apparently, they must have been thirsty. All was well until Maxim took off running through the 3rd floor of the museum and some how ended up running through to the school(Buffalo Science Magnet)that is attached.

It's been 2 long weeks of preparation but I finally organised a weekend long garage sale for this past weekend. We really needed to clean out our house and make room. We where claustrophobic in here. Despite the Saturday rain, we made a killing. We where able to turn junk that was stored in our attic, basement and garage into some mad money! With it we took the kids on their VERY FIRST outing to the DRIVE-IN movie. We wanted to take them to see Toy Story 3 and realized a movie theatre would be impossible unless we rented out the whole thing(which was something I was considering). The Drive-In seemed the most cost effective and what could be the harm? The worst case scenario we would leave. Well we dressed the boys in their Toy Story jammies and headed to the Transit Drive-In with snacks and drinks for everyone. We also took the octagon baby gate in case they wanted to escape. Well they where fine for a while but eventually got restless and the gate came in handy. The only problem was now they where like puppies in a cage. People walked by and stared at the 4 little boys in matching jammies looking cute and cuddly. I was actually OK with it. I figured as long as no one "petted" them, I wouldn't freak out. When the movie started it took the boys a couple of moments to realize what was going on. Then they got so excited about the movie they where giggling and pointing. This lasted about an hour before the "fussies" kicked in. They lost interest a couple of times and then would rediscover the movie. They all made it until the end and packed up and left. It was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again...after I recover from this one!

My children have taught me...

Since starting this blog 3 years ago I have learned a lot about being a mother. My children have taught me the ins and outs of parenting and the do’s and don’ts. They have taught me about food, clothing, speaking, sneezing, helping, hurting, all the above and many more. Here are some of the things my amazing children have taught me.

-Bananas are the worlds most perfect food. However, if they are not at the exact ripeness for a toddlers liking, they become a sufficient wall paper paste.

-Dirt IS a food. It doesn’t matter where it came from or how they found it, it is edible.

-Light colored clothing IS NOT AN OPTION.

-Shoes are optional, even in a Buffalo winter.

-Teeth are a weapon, no explanation needed.

-Hugs and kisses make every boo boo better.

-Toddlers drink anything that looks like juice.

-Ants are not a deterrence from eating candy off the ground.

-Chairs WILL be used to reach permanent markers hidden on a high shelf.

-Cars are just large mobile trash receptacles

-A queen size bed is not appropriate for 2 adults, 4 toddlers a growing 7 year old, a cat and a blanket stealing 55lb dog.

-When your 2 year old insists on calling his brother “ASS” it’s because M’s are difficult for him to pronounce. However, “Mom, Ma, Mommy & MOOOOOOOOOOOOM!” come out just fine!

-Favorite toys and blankets MUST be brought with us NO matter what. Nothing like a melt down in the middle of a super market to draw even more attention to us!

-Sippy cups ferment in the heat!

-Wearing mommies shoes make them feel “creative”.

-If drawing on themselves with marker is any indication of how many tattoos they would like when they are older, we are going to have some crazy tatted up boys!

-Yes the dog has teeth and no you can’t pull them out.

-Eating cookies out of the bag or box is fun but eating them off the freshly washed floor makes them taste awesome!

-If an item says “Keep out of reach of children” they seem to want it more.

-Diapers are completely optional when mommy is out of the room.

- (in keeping with the above theme)They can write their names in the snow or on the carpet.

-Peanut butter is a cure all! It also makes lovely wall designs.

-If an adult comes in this house dressed up they will inevitably leave with some sort of goop on them.

-Anything and everything can and will be used as a sword or gun.

-Even if their favorite food is on the table, they want what I am eating.

MOST OF ALL........

My children have taught me to have a sense of humor about most things. If not I would go insane…and take ALL OF YOU WITH ME!