CHEESE!!!

I came downstairs this morning after taking a lightning speed fast shower cuz I know that my little Ben will literally get into anything and everything and I will  be cleaning up for hours. Today he got out a block of cheese and was happily nibbling away in a corner, and he happily said "cheese" for me when I grabbed the camera. 

Meet Ben the mouse.

So a few nights ago Daniel asked me why I hadnt written a new blog post lately. I had to laugh cuz last week I spent almost every waking hour cleaning up after Ben. He is a maniac. At many various times I had  to clean up yogurt and go-gurts and yogurt smoothies that had been dumped on the couches, the carpet, the floor, the tables, the walls, the cupboards- you name it. Four jars of pasta sauce were thrown out of the pantry and all over the kitchen. all at different times. I HATE cleaning up broken shards of glass! The ketchup from the fridge was used as paint one day. A bottle of V8 was dumped all over the couch and the carpet. A new box of Fruit Loops was opened and throw all over the kitchen and family room and then stomped on to make quite the colorful explosion of sticky sugary crumbs. Chocolate milk was spilled several times, a full bag of frozen peas was scattered all over, several containers of jello puddings were smeared on the table and chairs and floor and of course all over Bens hair and face and clothing.. Fishes, animal crackers, ritz- all had a turn being dumped out and thrown about. And just so you know, I am NOT exaggerating. Once I got one mess cleaned up, there was another one already made. Suffice it to say, the few nights Daniel made it home before the kids went to bed, I immediately turned them over to him before collapsing from exhaustion on the couch. Several times over I told Daniel I was ready to send the kids back where they came from. Kylie heard me say that on Sunday after church when I was contemplating what the point of dragging them there is, just to have them run and yell and throw things the entire time. In her beautiful little mind she thought about that before asking me if I would have to eat them up in order to get them back in my tummy. Yeah. Cannibalism, why didnt I think of that before? Then she thinks about it some  more and says, "but then you'd just poop us out again."  Then she looks really puzzled for a minute and says-"did you poop us out when we were babies? Is that how we are born?" ......yup my daughter, it's something like that....

So  after that week of pure insanity, Monday night came and we had a little FHE and then got some diary queen for dessert. I was still pretty high-strung and feeling overwhelmed, but as my little kiddies were coming back into the house, I had one of those very small and over much too quickly moments when I was overcome with how much I love my kids. I held my Ben so tight as my eyes just kinda stung for a second while I offered a silent prayer of gratitude that I am a mother, and that I have been entrusted with these crazy, hyper, wild, fun, creative, hilarious, loving, smart, beautiful kids.  How blessed I am! I just need to remember that in the chaos of their childhoods.