Moments to remember. . . or try to forget

This is another one of my "tired mommy posts". I hope I am just hormonal, but YIKES--- I am grouchy this week. Sometimes writing a bit helps me organize my grouchy thoughts. So here goes.

Taking the lemonade stand to the next level. My kids have done so many lemonade stands and they have all been relatively successful, but recently they took it to the next level. They made about 10 cups of lemonade and 10 cups of lemon snow cones (they used a little home-snowcone maker). They put them all into a big metal basket from our deep chest freezer. They took a role of duct tape and made a neck strap for the metal basket. The end result closely resembled a vendor selling hot dogs and popcorn and soda at a ball game. ALL 4 of the kids then went door to door in the neighborhood selling their goods. They even took Faith with them. The sad part is I didn't know what they were doing!!!! I looked out the window and I saw them way down the street. I was HORRIFIED!!!!!!!!!!! I knew their hair WAS NOT combed. Their teeth WERE NOT brushed, and did they even have shoes on??? Geez, we already home school and have five children under the age of 10, do we really need to do anything else to make our neighbors look sideways at us? I threw Cannon in the stroller and chased them down. As I was walking I couldn't decide if I should be proud of their entrepreneurial initiative or be super embarrassed. Truthfully, it was a little bit of both.

Elinor, MOVE FASTER.
Oh, my funny little Elinor. I have never seen a child who can move slower than Elinor. If there is something she doesn't really want to do she never refuses, cries, or complains-- she just goes into SUPER slow motion. At home this can be a little bit irritating, but okay. However, in a softball game when she is playing catcher it is a bit more of a problem. The ball comes to her, passes by her and she super slowly walks to get the ball. Walks back up towards the plate (slowly, of course) and throws the ball back. It really slows the game down. We had a talk today before her second game about moving quickly and we even practiced getting the ball quickly and throwing it back QUICKLY.

Don't make eye contact.
Cannon is getting more teeth. He is sad. He is quite cranky (hmmm, so am I). Before going to bed tonight he was crying in his bed and Clark was also in his bed. I went in to get Cannon (he wasn't going to sleep) and talked with Clark for a few minutes. Clark told me the most important rule about sharing a room with Cannon is "Never make eye contact". He said if Cannon is awake he is just fine unless he makes eye contact or smiles at him. Then he starts crying.

Things you CANNOT do while I teach piano lessons.
Some of you know that I teach a few piano lessons. I quite enjoy it, and the kids enjoy it, but we are still working this new element into our schedule. Last week it was a warm day and the children donned their swimsuits and turned on the hose in the backyard and had a grand time. Yesterday at lunch I told them there were to be no swimsuits or water during piano lessons that day. They obeyed. I was so pleased. Then I found them up on the rafters in the garage. HIGH!!!! DANGEROUS!!!!!! Why are you up there??? GET DOWN!!!

Okay. I am feeling better. I'll go fold my laundry now.