It's getting closer and closer to Halloween and we needed to add a little decoration to the house so after lunch I set the kitchen table up for an afternoon of crafts. Painting pumpkins (using marker), creating pumpkins for the front door, playdough, etc. The kids were happy and I was getting the dishes cleaned - all was well...for the moment. Shortly into the pumpkin decorating Calum decided it was best to decorate himself. No problem - marker comes off. I simply went over, reminded him that the marker goes on the pumpkin or the paper, and gave him his choices --- marker the pumpkin or get down. He decided to get down...with a marker. I'm blissfully soaping up a plate when I hear the sound of marker on the floor. Ugh. Ok - wet paper towel, Calum helping to clean, remove suspect marker from his hands, remove suspect kid from craft area. All is well.
Calum decides to return to our table of creation to complete his glue pumpkin. He does a great job all by himself w/ very little help. I get up to burp one of the babies I was nursing only to turn around to find Calum back on the floor, gluing orange construction paper to the floor. Is he trying to tell me he'd like a new kitchen floor? When did it become his canvas?! Again, being the calm & ever-present mother (wink), I remove the glue stick from his hands and guide him along to a more practical activity.....and by guide him & practical activity I mean drag him up off the floor screaming and crying and beg him to play with his cars....his other sibling is now ready to nurse. I need a few minutes since my arms will now be occupied with hungry baby.
Cut to an hour later. Calum's older sister is wanting to work outside on the front porch so I'm helping her get socks & shoes & a jacket. It's raining and cool outside...but she's happy and being very patient so she gets whatever she wants...survival of the fittest here! I look into the kitchen to see Calum standing on his chair throwing all contents from the kitchen table, onto the floor...crayons, napkins, orange paper. Oh my goodness child, what ARE you striving for today - Mommy's meltdown. You're close. Let's see how close you can get.
So, at 4:35pm yesterday this is the scene in the Levy household....babies waking up from their naps - crying from their cribs. Ella on front porch doing some 'challenging' work (her words, not mine...but fitting), Calum - back porch, naked. Back porch and naked. No shirt, pants, diaper, shoes. I put him on the back porch in an effort not to kill him, or scream at him. He didn't quite see it that way & in protest, stripped. Surprisingly, he didn't pee out there....it was a bit cold. There was a battle of the wills for the next 10 minutes or so - up to & including my calling Adam to say, 'Fair warning --- DO NOT come home right now. Drive around the block for ten minutes. You DO NOT want to walk into this house. If you do, I cannot hold myself responsible for any screaming that comes your way. You're likely to get caught in the crossfire and I'm deadly this afternoon.' He giggled, I giggled, Calum screamed as he sat in time out. Ella -- still working on the front porch.
Our day ended a few hours later with me cuddling that boy and asking him what was his favorite part of the day. He thought for a moment and responded, 'naked on back porch.'
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