Our latest (blog worthy) antics occurred last week…. two antics actually…. and both happened on the same day (a stellar day it was, indeed). Our morning started out normally. We took the big boys to school and then came right back home to play. It was a rainy day, so we were definitely staying indoors. My trio likes to ‘test’ me. Maybe it’s in my head, but I swear they know EXACTLY what they are doing. Every time I sneak over the baby gate to go to the bathroom, to throw a diaper out, etc., they wait until my back is turned and immediately run and get themselves into trouble. They usually either head to the kitchen gadget drawer for something dangerous, or pull all of the sippie cups and plastic containers out of the cabinets. I always know they are up to no good when I come back and find them hiding behind the drapes. Typical items retrieved from the drapes are the pizza cutter, meat thermometer, cheese grater, and the wine opener. My cell phone is a fan favorite, and my missing track ball is evidence of that. They are quick to move the end tables around the room to access my computer, or whatever else they find intriguing on the counters, and they’ve been known to shimmy over the baby gate with them too. Luke has a lamp that he is especially fond of. I am quite shocked that it still works… a little crooked from all the carrying around the room, but it works, regardless. But I digress….
So on this particular day, I was changing Liam’s diaper on the floor in the family room. Luke and Aidan were playing in the kitchen. While I was tending to Liam I hear this ‘click-click-click-click-click-click- – – WHOOSH’! I look up to see Luke and Aidan standing next to the range in the kitchen, and a stack of paper ON FIRE on the back burner. Yes, FIRE. This house has a commercial range and the knobs turn really easy, apparently. I jumped up leaving Liam on the floor and was able to turn off the burner and flap the papers around enough to extinguish the fire. My heart was racing and I was just praying that the fire sprinklers didn’t go off. That is all I needed! Luckily there was no damage, other than to the mail that was not in it’s proper place to begin with. Nothing the vent-a-hood and a candle couldn’t handle. I already have a problem with them opening the very heavy oven doors and standing on them, now I have another. My next step will be to remove the burner knobs, but for now I think my impersonation of a fleeing firefighter screaming ‘HOT!’ may have scared them from touching the knobs for awhile.
As if that wasn’t enough excitement for the day… Since it was a rainy day I decided to leave early to pick N&E up from school. I have learned that on rainy days, the pick-up line at the school is a mad house. I walked all three boys out into the garage at the same time and told them to ‘stay’ (yes, like you would to a dog) at the end of the garage. I was pretty confident they wouldn’t dart out since it was raining, but you never know with these guys! I grabbed the umbrella and put my purse, phone, keys, etc. in the front passenger seat. I grabbed Luke and put him into the 3rd row of the car. I didn’t strap him in since I had the other two ‘loose’. I grabbed Liam and put him into the back seat next, again, not strapping him in. I turned around to pick up Aidan, who had decided to sit in his choo-choo wagon. Juggling the umbrella and dodging the wagon handle, I picked Aidan up. Unfortunately when I went to open the car door to put him in his chair, I found the doors locked. ALL THE DOORS WERE LOCKED. My heart started racing again…. was I being punked??? Luke was sitting in the driver’s seat holding the steering wheel, while Liam was riding shotgun. There I was on the driveway, holding a toddler, pounding on the windows, pleading with the two inside to ‘press the button’. Luckily there were no bystanders, as I’m sure I looked like some nut-job talking to herself out in the rain. Luke & Liam were loving life, laughing hysterically and were quite impressed with themselves. At one point Liam picked up a bottle of hand sanitizer, opened it, and just gave me his best ‘I’m going to eat this’ look (another test… he didn’t, thankfully). After about 15 minutes of running around the car pounding on windows and pointing to the unlock button, and after several lock-lock-lock-lock-lock attempts, Luke’s finger slipped and hit the unlock button. I yanked the door open before they knew what hit them. The first thing I did was put my keys in my pocket. Finally after strapping all 3 kiddos in their car seats we set off to pick up N&E….. LATE, of course. At least it stopped raining.I love these three little monsters to pieces, but GEEZ…. they certainly keep me on my toes. I think we’ll keep these shirts in the laundry rotation just to remind me that there is TROUBLE behind those sweet smiles and dimples…. just in case I have a momentary lapse in judgement…. (Not)! Better end this blog post now… my can opener just went behind the curtains!
Tina says
February 4, 2010 at 4:06 amWhat a day. the same car incident TOTALLY happened to my DH!!!! I think you are right, just before these kiddos get up in the morning they plan out their day…….ways to GET US! I am convinced too.
I LOVE your blog. I really would feel at home living your life…scary I know but true. You make me smile and of course make me feel normal Thank You!
Triplets Plus Two Momma says
February 6, 2010 at 3:01 amoh. my. God.
Your boys are trying to kill you! hahahah.
Holy cow. What a day. My baby dumplin is heading into the terrible 2's also. God help us both. Amen!!!
Jennifer says
February 14, 2010 at 2:12 pmOy vey, Michelle…need some cabinet locks? I didn't do them at first with our twins, but after picking up the contents of the sippy-cup drawer 27 times in one day, I changed my tune.
Bless you, I have "just" 3 kids total and barely hold it together!!
mpannek says
February 14, 2010 at 3:56 pmLOL, Jennifer…. our last house had cabinet locks, and Luke actually learned how to unlock them. He actually child-locked his brother Liam IN the cabinet at one point. Unfortunately some of the cabinets in this house are not so easy to baby-proof (the way they are designed inside). I have the ones that are 2 doors side-by-side strapped together, but the single ones don't work. I am DYING not being able to protect the drawers!!! They are a bigger problem! 🙂