Two, Four and Seven

The Almost Two Year Old (I think he's getting terrible a little early):

Turned off the computer while I was formatting a spreadsheet with stats on all the different cars we were looking at. I lost a good 45 minutes worth of work. When will I ever learn to save?

"Helped" Alice with her finger painting by spreading red paint all over himself and the table top.

Colored on his legs with a blue Crayola marker right after the bath that washed the red paint off of him. His legs are still blue because I am not bathing him again today.

Has decided that screeching is far more effective at catching my attention than saying "Mommy."

Stole the key to my treadmill which I searched frantically for (I think I burned almost as many calories as my normal run) and eventually found tucked in the back of his diaper. It may or may not have been covered in something that we won't get into here.

Enjoys turning the dishwasher off and on a hundred times in the middle of each cycle.

Found that things make cool noises when you throw them down a flight of stairs.

I think the reason that God made two year olds cute (especially mine) is so we don't completely lose it when they are naughty. A friend's blog had a quote that called little boys "noise with dirt on them." I couldn't have said it any better.

The Four Year Old:

Rarely causes a minute's trouble and is delightful in almost every way.

Except that she insists on choosing her own clothes. Sometimes tears are involved. Which means I occasionally show up at the grocery store toting a little girl wearing a plastic tiara, an old purple flower girl dress that is two sizes too small, a tutu and brown leather boots.

Also except for sometimes she uses a half a roll of toilet paper in the bathroom and then she tries to flush it. Today before I got it unclogged, somebody else in the house got desperate enough that they had to do their business on top of the clog, which only made the whole situation that much happier.

Believes that I am capable of doing all the things that she sees the Olympic gymnasts do on TV.

The Seven Year Old:

Made my bed today (and other days) without being asked. Also, his own bed and his sister's bed. He gets so excited about surprising me that he hides in my room and giggles to himself until I come in to see what he is up to.

Doesn't care what he wears, so I can ask him to put on shorts and a t-shirt and he'll do it.

Followed his little brother around at the indoor playground today and watched him for and hour and a half. He did such a good job babysitting that he earned 50 cents. I was able to sit on the bench and talk to grown-ups, which is pretty much my favorite activity right now.

Played "Sorry" with a four year old and a two year old (even though they have no idea how to play) for half the afternoon while I worked on the computer and made phone calls.

Prefers fresh strawberries to strawberry ice cream.

Has read so many books at the library this summer that the librarian knows him and has new suggestions ready when we come in each week. Right now he is working his way through the Magic Tree House Research and Field Guides.

Can't wait for school to start next week!

One last tidbit:
Over tonight's pancake dinner T pointed to the Syrup and asked for "ketchup." Alice laughed and said, "If T calls the syrup ketchup, I'm going to call my syrup honey!" Seth added, "Then I will call my syrup VENOM!"
Boys.