2 years and 1 month old

In the time it took to load a washing machine Lily located some Halloween make up and was halfway to a mime before I caught her. Even her hands have a white glove effect.

Lily will ask for TV shows and watch about 5 minutes of a Backyardigans or Little Einsteins or Sesame Street before screaming at me that she wants a different show. Sometimes she will sit a little longer, pause the tv show, tell me she needs to go to the potty, and heads up to the bathroom. I have to set her on her princess throne seat. She gets TP, she wipes, she flushes. She just leaves out the part about actually going potty. She has had a few successes (and no, we are NOT trying or even encouraging our 25 month old to potty train) only to be followed by a poop in the bathtub.

Yesterday I had a mothering first. I would like a certificate for this one. I can't believe it took me 4.5 years. I washed a diaper in the washing machine. Actually, it was a night time pullup. What a slimy, goopy, incredible mess. I shook all 92 pieces of clothing my kids wore in the last week out on my laundry room floor. Now I know why the shake weight "works." My arms were tired! I rewashed the clothes and they came out fine. I vacuumed up the gelly precipitation and I made dinner.

The other day I was cleaning the bathrooms and my toilet bowl cleaner bottle was having a malfunction and blue toxic chemicals were leaking out all over the bottle, down the wall, and onto the floor. Always my right hand gal, Lily was right there, threatening to touch the mysterious blue stuff. "Lily, please get out of my bathroom. I'm trying to clean but I've made a big mess. " "NO!" "Please move. Please get out." "NO!" "Lily, I'm sick of always having to get you out of my bathroom. I'm sick of it!" "I'm fick ov it!" I had to laugh at that. I laughed and then pushed her out the door with my foot and shut the door. And on a side note, is it just me or do kids always need something when you're busy with cleaning-the-bathroom-dirty-hands? I hate stopping in the middle to wash up, go open a granola bar, e.g., to go back to the grime.

Today at the park: "Lily, it's time to go now." "No. In a minute."

eating a cookie

And lest you think Elliott has moved onto sainthood at 4.5 years old, the ONLY way it seems we can get Elliott to do what we ask is with bribery or by using reverse psychology/opposite day speak. "Elliott, go get your pjs on." "No." Repeat 8 times. "Elliott! Do NOT go get your pjs on!" " I WILL go get my pjs on!" and he runs to his room. What does that say about us? him? I need a new parenting book.

Did you notice a theme in this post? Laundry, cleaning, bribing, go to park, cook, repeat. I bet that sounds familiar to you, faraway readers.