The Making of M.O.M.

Holy frijoles! It's Friday again? I think my weeks keep getting shorter and shorter. While I don't know if I can top last week's edition of Das Not Funny! Friday I can tell you some of the things our children did this week that I found pretty hysterical.

(On a side note: I had to go back to the optometrist on Wednesday to pick up the glasses I ordered. This is the 3rd time I've been back since the incident yet only the 1st time since then that I've ventured back to the bathroom again. Um..yeah, it looks A LOT different than it did the last time. AND they've either added a second paper towel holder since Lucas and I were there or I totally missed it the last time - which is possible. And, it would have been nice to see the "extra" paper towel holder the last time since it had actual paper towels and not the generic bathroom kind that disintegrate when you get water on them.)

Alrighty, on with the funnies...

On Wednesday as I was putting together The Mothership I had a special little "helper" named Olivia. My helper enjoyed playing in the dog bowl and a tiny little stream of water that was running across the sidewalk, despite my efforts to keep her out of the dog bowl and dry. As I was intently focused on one step of the assembly instructions I hear from behind me...

"Sllllluuuuuurrrrrrpppppp"

I turn around and see Olivia, with her face pressed onto the concrete. Yes, she was "drinking" from this:

That's when I decided that maybe she was thirsty and we got her a sippy cup.

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Elizabeth LOVES to accessorize her hair. It's not uncommon for her to have in multiple hair clips or pony tail holders (which we call hair-ties) and a headband or large flower clip. From her bedroom one afternoon this week I heard,

"Mooooooooom! Can you come help me get this out of my hair?"

"Sure peanut, give me a couple minutes, okay?" I responded.

A few seconds later she walked into the kitchen holding a hair tie with a massive clump of hair attached to it.

"Here Mom," she said nonchalantly, "I just janked the hair tie outta my hair without you."

Nice. And the bald spot goes perfectly with her eyes.

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Wednesday night we had cupcakes for dessert, after dinner. I'm working on cleaning up the kitchen, while Luke conquers baths. Lucas and Elizabeth are standing in the kitchen having some discussion that I am either too old or too stupid to follow. Something about dinosaurs and princes, I'm not sure. At any rate, Elizabeth is finished with her cupcake yet still has a face covered in white icing. She also has a large blob of icing just beside her mouth on her chin.

I see Lucas stretch out his pudgy index finger, swipe the icing off her chin and cheerfully stick the dollop of icing into his mouth.

He smiles, clearly pleased with his additional sugar intake.

Suddenly, Elizabeth realizes what he's done and screams, "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! I WAS SAVING THAT!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! MOOOOOOM! I WAS SAVING THAT FOR LATER!!"

Tears and wailing and excessive screams followed except I didn't hear much else she was saying because I was too busy trying to catch my breath.

Y'all have a great weekend!

When we first found out that I was pregnant with Ella (though we obviously didn't know it was Ella then) one of my first thoughts (after the reality of us actually have SIX children set in) was transportation.

At the time we were driving the Big Red Beast which only had 7 seats. In the world of automobile transportation we were maxed out. Additionally, in the world of stroller transportation, we were also maxed out.

You see, back before the twins were born a very generous friend bought us a double stroller as a baby shower gift. It was an awesome stroller that has served us very well over the last 4 years. However, that double stroller does not accommodate infant carriers. When the twins were still in their infant carriers we just took two single strollers everywhere and clipped their carriers onto compatible single strollers. When Aaron and Olivia were in infant carriers it was always a bit trickier. I was always waking up a little baby to transfer him or her to the double stroller. It wasn't fun.

Now that we have 3 little ones who need a ride when we are out and about it became clear we ~~needed~~ wanted a new stroller. I mean, after all, these two had used our current one..

as well as these two...

Yes, our trusty double stroller had served us well these last four years, but it was slowly dying a painful death. That bar on the front had somehow gotten ripped off as well as the carrying strap that helps you fold the darn thing up. Not to mention the baskets on the bottom had been well used and were stretched and literally dragging the ground. Basically, the only parts still in tact were the seatbelts and wheels.

Other strollers mocked us when we went out into public.

So, what do you do when you have 3 little ones under 2 years old AND you ~~need~~ want a stroller that accommodates an infant carrier?

You call in the big dogs, that's what.

Behold the mothership of all multiple capacity strollers.

Yesterday when I saw this box sitting in my carport, I may or may not have physically clapped my hands. I also may or may not have emitted an excited little girl shriek and hopped up and down for a brief second until I realized IT IS JUST A STROLLER and I should get a stinkin' grip.

Here's a little perspective for you. This is Ashlee beside the mothership shortly after she was removed from the box (the stroller, not Ashlee).

It would do you good to know that I made Ashlee move from her spot in "time out" and stand beside the stroller so I could take a picture for you all. Additionally, the ONLY reason she is smiling in this picture is because I told her that if she smiled, she could get up from time out.

That's award-winning parenting right there.

Anyway, this stroller is serious business. Assembly was not easy, especially considering that this person really wanted my undivided attention...

and I only had to install about 57 different sized washers before attaching the wheels. Thankfully, this person....

thought he could handle a fussy little sister and proceeded to do this for the next 10 minutes...

which resulted in Ella doing this...

This sad face was quickly resolved with a ride in the kikoi and after Luke arrived home from work, I finished up assembling the mothership and packed my people on for a test ride.

See Aaron back there in his little "jump seat?" He is SO stinkin' proud of himself! This morning's trip to CBS went extremely well and it was so much less stressful than packing up the double stroller and struggling with Ella's carset on one arm while pushing the double stroller with the other hand.

Which proves, in my opinion, that evolution could not possibly be plausible. Because if it were, I would have surely started growing a much needed 3rd arm by now. And I'm most certainly not.