Trying SO hard!

The other day Jack was driving Michael crazy by copying him.  Anything Michael wanted, Jack wanted.  Milk instead of his usual apple juice for breakfast? Ok by Jack.  No ketchup on his hamburger that day? Jack said "fine." Michael was trying everything to get his brother to stop copying.  Finally, Michael had a heart-to-heart with him and Jack promised to try to not copy his big brother all day Thursday. 

Thursday

I took the boys to Cold Stone for ice cream after running a million errands.  I asked the boys what they wanted and after stalling for a long time...

Jack: "Whatever Michael is having." 

Michael: "Mom, Jack is copying me again. Jack, I thought you were going to try to not copy me all day today."

Jack: "Michael, I said try and try is when you try to do something. I tried."

Michael: "Two small peanut butter perfections please." 

Oh, Jack.

Jack and Steve were outside this morning mowing the lawn. When Steve was emptying the lawn mower, Jack said "Dad, I want to go cow-tipping-overing sometime. You know, when you push the cow and they run away." 

Everyone misses Daddy

Steve is coming home today! Normally it's not this big of an occasion, but I think summer vacation has put a new spin on things. I am excited about having another adult around the house, and the kids are excited about playing with someone other than me :-)  While I have been cleaning, Jack has been hard at work making signs to hang on the doors: 

He told me that this one has X's and O's 

because "Grandma Sharon always puts X's and O's on  her 

cards, and that means kisses and hugs". 

This one started out with big letters but Jack had a lot to say, so I ran out of room. 

He's getting to be quite the tracer, though! 

Your WHAT is falling off?

Actual conversation:

Jack: "Dad, can this part of your penis fall off?" 

(Thank me for sparing the pictures this time)

Dad: "What?!"

Mom: hiding behind book laughing hysterically

Jack: "Is this part of my penis falling off?"

Dad: "I don't know. Ask your Mom."

Jack: "Mom, is this part of my penis falling off?"

Mom: "No, I think it's fine."

Jack: "Is it bad if this part of your penis falls off?"

Dad: "It's bad if any part of your body falls off.  Go get in the bath."

Jack: "Ok." (walks away and looks very concerned)

Dad: "Jack, did your brother tell you that?"

Jack: "Yes."

No Jack Allowed

Jack is not allowed in the bathroom by himself until further notice.  Says me.  "Why?" You might ask...  Let me count the reasons...

1. Mysteriously, large amounts of "foamy soap" have appeared on the wall, floor, and cabinets around the bathroom after Jack has washed his hands.  When I say "large amounts" I mean "Holy crap - How did half the soap container get on the walls and floor!?"

2. After sending Jack to wash his hands, I have found that Michael's retainer cleaning bowl has been filled with foamy soap, mouthwash, toothpaste, and basically anything BUT retainer cleaner. Not that he is allowed to touch the retainer cleaner - because he dumped one full $10 bottle down the drain about 3 months ago.  

3. Michael's retainer has been dropped in the toilet. AFTER Jack peed. 

4. Gracie has been closed in the bathroom. With Jack. And when I opened the door, Gracie flew out and hid for a long, long time. 

5. Jack just came into me and said "I just made A LOT of toilet water. A LOT.  And the wipes aren't going down."

Is it vacation time YET?

For the past 2 weeks, the boy's bathtub has been draining r-e-a-l-l-y 

 s-l-o-w.  I asked Jack what that problem could be 

(because really, who else do you ask?) and he said - 

this is a pretty direct quote -

"Maybe, it could be, but I don't think so, but maybe it's those little sponge thingys that the Easter Bunny got us, maybe they are stuck, but maybe not, I don't think it's them, but it might be them."

I asked Steve to look at the drain this morning.  

Lesson learned. 

By the way -this came from the same kid who came out of his room last night dressed like this:

What a day!

Is this not the funniest picture you have seen all day long? Steve was working hard at getting whatever animal (we thought it might be a pack rat) that was under the pool equipment out so the dogs would stop digging around there. The poor guy was stuck like that for at least 30 minutes:

Riley helped a lot, too:

After Steve finally got the chipmunk out, Riley grabbed it, Steve yelled 'drop!' and Riley dropped it, then Gracie swallowed it whole...  She looks SO happy here:

and here she is after getting her well-deserved 

drink of pool water after it all:

Just in case you needed a laugh...  This is our CERTIFIED pack rat 

(and chipmunk) removal team in action: