A few kiddo stories to share

Emma: “Mom, I want to tell you something without you getting your feelings hurt.”
Me: “Okaaaay.” (bracing myself for the all-out honesty that is so refreshing in children).
Emma: Well, I’m not saying this because I don’t think you know anything.”
Me: “Wow- all right…”
Emma: “I sometimes wish I had a mom that had all the answers to everything I want to know all the time.”
Me: (letting out a sigh of relief) “Oh, well, I can handle that. I wish I knew everything too. I think we all wish that. But then I’d be a superhero and probably be so busy that I wouldn’t have time to have these fun heart-to-hearts, right?”
Emma: (staring blankly at me for a few seconds)“Well, I‘m gonna go play outside now.”
Allrighty then….

    You know that phrase "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray”? Well, that happened at my house tonight. I had GLORIOUS plans. FUN plans. I made a snap decision sometime around 7pm that I would surprise the kids with a game of hide-and-seek. Instead of our standard story time, we would run around the house giggling and having a ball.
    It sounded AMAZING in my head- it really did. Hard core bonding time is always a great idea right before bed, right? Anyway, things started out great. When I told the kids my idea they FREAKED. My announcement was met with awe and a round of applause. I felt like mom of the year.
    But then the game started. Fights broke out right away. There was one MAJOR temper tantrum. One shoving match. 2 skinned knees. 1 door slammed on a hand. A torn shower curtain. A bag of spilled coconut (don’t ask). About a million “Hey, that’s not fair’s!” And 1 mom with CRAZY I’m-about-to-lose-it eyes.
    Our game ended abruptly at 8:09. 21 minutes before it was supposed to end but ½ an hour too late. I tucked  3 crying and frustrated kids into bed, and am trying to process what just happened. It was scary, really. Apparently in my house when we play a game of hide and seek our motto is “Go big or go home.” I am now going to drown my sorrows in chocolate, and will be taking a permanent leave of absence from any and all games resembling hide and seek.

Me: “Why is Katie crying?”
Ben: “I gave her a hug, that’s all I know.”
Me: (with one eyebrow raised) “Why would she be crying if you gave her a hug?”
Ben: “Hmmm.. Well, I did hit her on accident first before I gave her the hug, so I think maybe that’s the real reason she‘s crying.”