These Silly, Crazy, Funny (and Exhausting) Kids

I'm ready for summer.

Ready for kids to run and play outside, to build forts and jump on the trampoline, pick dandelions and ride bikes.  They come up with the craziest things, and lately it seems to be just one thing after another.

For example, Alan has been thinking the chimney needs cleaned out from creosote buildup from burning wood this winter.  It turns out the little ones have been climbing under the deck and putting rocks in the chimney inspection hole.

And today Briana took Destry and Easton into town to get Easton's hair cut, Destry's piano lesson, and to pick up a few items from Dollar General (kinda nice having another driver!).  I was uploading pictures to the computer as Kiana and Tyrell played in the yard and the phone rang.  I didn't look outside for maybe five minutes and when I checked on them, I couldn't see them.  They had gone on an adventure through the bean field to go find some cows.  (And Tyrell had taken his boots off and walked through the field bare footed!  When I got to him he was sitting on the ground crying because of the stickers in his feet!)  I couldn't see them because the stinkers had gone clear across the yard, up the hill in the bean field, and on to the other side.  They about gave me a heart attack!

Speaking of heart attacks, you should have seen all the blood when Tyrell split his lip yesterday in a scooter accident.  It was literally dripping as he walked and I couldn't figure out where it was coming from.  His mouth was just full of blood.  Now he's sporting a fat lip.

Those puppy dog eyes! He looks so pitiful!

Then of course there was the day Kiana had permission to play with Briana's American Girl doll.  She asked if she could get some barrettes to fix the doll's hair.  I said yes, assuming she would grab just a handful of barrettes and never dreaming she would bring out an entire box of hair tools full of products nicely sorted into their appropriate compartments.  Two packages of tiny little rubber hair bands got scattered all over the floor--approximately 1000 pieces.

We're getting into desperation mode in coming up with ideas for them to stay productively occupied and out of trouble while the older kids finish their schoolwork.  I have a professional hair dryer. . .

expert egg crackers. . .

and efficient button sorters.  (You would be amazed at what all kids can come up with when confined to a blanket on the floor with nothing but an egg carton, a jar full of buttons, a few dishes, and a couple small dump trucks.  They had a blast!)

Summer break, come quickly!