Talkative Tuesday

I have to say that as much as I love summer, I am so ready for school to begin again. My kids can't go five minutes without a fight, a temper tantrum or a tattle tale. Due to hateful words and hateful actions my children are all grounded from TV and friends today. Their only recourse is to play with each other. I know this sounds like a crazy solution but they are actually playing together and having fun.

I bought a plastic pool yesterday. I have been searching for one everywhere all summer. When Wal-Mart runs out of something for the summer there is a little chance of finding it the rest of the summer. Well, I finally tracked one down, stuffed it into the back of my very versatile new Honda Pilot and brought it home. It is already worth the hours of peace it brings me. All three of my kids are out there playing go fish for the Littlest Pet Shop animals right now.

It is always a miracle when all three kids find something they want to play together. They are such totally different personalities. The only thing that is the same about them is their big age gaps.

Lia is three and probably my most stubborn child. All my children are stubborn, they have a stubborn mother, but she is by far the worst. I have learned that you just have to outstubborn her if you are going to win any battles. My SIL Camille watched all three kids on Friday and Saturday when Tom and I made a trip to Salt Lake. I have to give Kudos to Camille for her ability to not give in to Lia. Lia told Camilled she wanted to wear her yellow dress. I had not packed the yellow dress. There was no yellow dress. But for Lia it was the yellow dress or nothing. Fine with Camille. She told Lia she could wear the clothes available or go naked. Lia decided to go with the naked option. She wanted to wear underwear but Camille said "Nope its get dressed or go all the way naked." Lia ran around buck naked for awhile until she finally realized she was actually not going to get her way. I would not have had the courage to let her run naked due to the fact that she is still not all the way potty trained. Kudos for Camille for following through on this risky venture.

Rebecca's personality can be seen in this latest incident. We were out shoe shopping at one of the two department stores in Cedar. One of the male sales associate had on a very vibrant outfit of tight lavendar pants, a white shirt and a lavendar tie. As he walked past us Rebecca said very loudly and very snidely. "Is he really wearing purple?" I responded with a suppressed giggle, "Did you really have to say that out loud." A few minutes later she asked me this very astute question. "If they call girls who like boy things 'Tomboys' what do they call guys who like girl things?" I could only respond, "Good question."

Rebecca always says whatever she thinks. It doesn't matter how rude or crazy or inappropriate. She is also extremely smart and sees things so clearly for a six-year-old.

Isaac is all silliness. If only he would stop teasing for five seconds the daily dose of girl screams would be cut in half. At the recent 24th of July celebration Isaac kept getting in line again and again for the dunking booth, not the throwing part, the dunking part. After a couple of hours he was close to growing fins.

I do so love my kids and most days, navigating their differences is a humorous and joyful experience but on other days I am grateful that next year our summer break will only be six weeks. I am sooo excited about the year-round school at the charter school my kids will be attending this year.