The joys and the ummmm, unexpected

Oh my goodness...

Yep, that's how this blog post is going to start. Sit and let me tell you a little long story, folks, about what it's like every once in a while around my household. Most of the time it's wonderful, overjoyed, and blissful. Sometimes it's frustrating/exhausting. And a few times it's a little crazy.

Let me just start by saying, I've waited for the moment when my boys would play happily together and run around the house laughing. Well, it's happened! I'm so overjoyed I can't even tell you. I love hearing them giggle and see their sweet grins as they run around. Before they would wrestle and within minutes someone would be crying or fussing or irritated. It's changed in the last couple of weeks, maybe a month. And, it's soo exciting. This was my wonderful, blissful, happy story.

However, with the good comes the bad (or mainly funny). The other day at nap time the boys decided to meet up at their respective doors and do some planning. You see, they didn't want to take a nap and they had a way out! We moved Tate's baby gate from his door because he just didn't need it. He knew at bedtime he had to stay in. There was a magic wall preventing him from leaving his room, although it was just his conscious scolding him. He's my good little boy. On the other hand, Bowen was already trying to figure out this strange baby gate contraption so he could rig it and break free from his room. They came up with a plan. I was listening from the living room as this whole thing unfolded by the way. They were jabbering back and forth and giggling and then I hear Tate leave his room (say what? yes, my good little boy listened to little brother and left his room) and here is the kicker. Then, I hear some jiggling on the baby gate and hear Tate say "here baby you free!" and I hear scampering feet coming from their room all the way to the living room. Bowen had his hands above his head as if saying "VICTORY IS MINE MAMA!". It was hilarious, cute, and ummmm...terrifying.  They put those two big brains in those little big bodies in motion and overthrew me. I'm starting to realize I just might be in trouble. 


Second story, and this one is truly scary...not the joking way like above, but real life heart-sinking scary. So, last night I was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner and Trevor had the boys outside. After I finally finished cleaning up I went outside to play with before sundown and Trevor was sitting with Tate playing fishin'. I asked "where's Bowen?". He said, "he went inside earlier". Insert instantaneous freak out here. I yelled "no he didn't!" and we both sprung up and went searching. I ran in the house and out the garage door because I remembered that Tate had gone in there earlier to get the fishing rod but I never saw Bowen go in with him but I did shut the door because he left it open. Also, the garage door was OPEN! So, I sprint out the garage door and I look across the street and I see Bowen at my neighbors house talking to them. I run across the road and scoop him up. It was the worst feeling ever. A horrible, heart-sinking, panic-stricken, "I'm completely failing as a parent" moment. They said he was after the kitties. Which is not that surprising. He's independent and so these kind of things are going to happen but I feel like I'm a watchful parent, always around, very aware, and diligent but my neighbor said something "don't worry about it. It's happened to us all". It didn't make me feel better at the time. After I talked to Bowen for a long time about never going outside without Mommy, and don't leave the house, etc etc etc, and coming in the house giving him a bath and putting him to bed and saying what seems like a thousand thanks to God for not letting anything bad happen in what could've been a disastrous situation. I know he was looking over us! Lesson learned---lock all doors when Bowen's around and be aware that anything could happen at any moment.

Third story, today Trevor left today at 4:30 and Tate and Bowen decided to wake up at 4:45 this morning! For this Mama, morning wake up calls that early are a form of punishment! Even if they were being friggin' precious I was exhausted! And to make this an even more interesting situation, Tate woke up soaked..in underwear. Hmm, that's strange he went to bed in an overnight diaper. He's potty trained but we keep him in an overnight because it's a long time to go without a potty break. But apparently he pooped his diaper in the middle of the night, went to the diaper took off the dirty diaper and dropped it on the floor, went back to his room, and put on his underwear and went back to bed. He's such a big boy and although I'm proud of him it was definitely an unexpected surprise.

For the last couple of days I've learned even more about my sweet boys and what it takes to raise toddlers. It's been fun, unexpected, and interesting. I adore them and their personalities and I'm falling more in love watching them interact because I know Trevor and I have given them the best gift of a sibling. Life is wonderful and thank God for the blessings I have been given.