Pancake Flipper

Mike and I decided to reclaim our lives.  We explained to the kids they came into our lives, not vise-versa.  We also explained that as long as they continue to drop their coats/boots/gloves/backpacks (aka: gear) on the floor creating a “gear” path leading to the snack cupboard, I will be collecting those items and charging a 25 cent fee to return them.  Effective immediately.

 

 

Last week, I taught Ross how to make his lunch for school.  We went step-by-step on how to spread mayo, how to arrange meat and cheese to create maximum coverage, how to cut a tortilla on the diagonal and how to layer the items in a lunch box from most to least heavy.  We closed the lesson by discussing the importance of storing the lunchbox in the refrigerator overnight. 

 

 

Last night after the ‘reclaiming-our-life’ discussion, I asked told Ross to make his lunch.  He fought me on it.  The situation became heated and before long we ended up with a broken pancake flipper…all the wooden spoons were in the dishwasher. 

 

 

Believe it or not, this isn’t a Debbie Downer story.  Here’s the good part.

 

Throughout the entire ordeal, it was Maisie who lined-up the kitchen stools creating a shield around Ross. It was Maisie who tried to yank Daddy away from Ross when Daddy spanked Ross with the pancake flipper and then carried him to his room.  It was Maisie who sat with a sobbing Ross under the dining room table, threatening anyone who came near him with her evil eye.  It was Maisie who became her brothers’ protector.

 

Later, at Maisie’s gymnastics lesson, I sat with Ross and explained what Maisie had done for him.  I don’t think he realized it until that moment.  He smiled as he watched her straddle jump and giggle on the trampoline. Watching him watching her, gave me that darn ball-feeling in my throat.  I successfully willed it away… I definitely didn’t want to start bawling at Maisie’s gymnastics lesson.  Can you imagine what the instructor would think? 

 

 

In other news, Maisie now wishes she had gotten Molly’s Dreamlight for Christmas instead of her own.  She said the “indigo” color of the Butterfly Dreamlight is just so beautiful at night.



Ross freaking out about having to make a lunch.  Snapping photos of him seemed to escalate the situation. Tough luck.

Maisie climbed into the fridge to retrieve the ingredients for Ross' lunch.  She was going to make his lunch for him.

 They decided to work together.

Maisie explaining that she wouldn't let his bag of chips get smashed.

 Molly waits patiently in her booster seat.  Just another day in paradise.