Bring back the naps!!

Thomas is the sweetest boy ever... UNLESS he is tired.  Then he likes to pick and start fights with his siblings, and just general naughty stuff.  We have been adjusting to Adam's new schedule.  I have been trying to keep the kids up in hope of getting them to bed early.  Throw in the time change.  Odd 80 degree weather and many long days at the park running and playing.  What do you get?  Wild, overly tired kids who do not want to listen.  Thomas was mad about something... never quite figured out what.  He was growling at me from the bottom stair, so I decided it was best to ignore him and start making dinner.  Well, I didn't hear any whining, so I went to investigate.  I found him sound asleep on the floor in the front room.  Baby Jaguar in hand.   Today... we were sure to get a nap in, and my sweet, darling, non-growling kids were back!!!

Nature Girl

Eleanor spent yesterday weeding the garden on hands and knees (by her own choice).  She is such a nature girl.  She also rolled over each and every rock.  Looked for worms and centipedes.  She would find a worm, pick it up.  Roll over the next rock in search of a new worm hole, then place the worm by the hole and let him climb on in to his comfy new home.  ha!  She was outside for hours doing this.  :)

I was inside getting the boys dried off and in clothes.  My sister and her kids were over, so I was helping with baby Eliza.  I thought Eleanor was still working on her worm project, but I went outside to check on her.  I found her completely naked (I used the edited picture here) and covered in mud.  She said she wanted to be a Brown Mud Monster.  That she was.

No Fear

Well, this is how you hold a snake Mom.  It is no big deal when you have nerves of steal and love for all creatures, no matter how ugly.  See the attitude on the face?!  The Romano family found this snake at Aunt Denise's new lake cottage and knew that Eleanor would just love him.  She named him Pebbles and spent the day searching for worms and slugs for him to eat. This girl would have a whole house full of creepy crawly pets if I would let her!  Pebbles spent 3 days at Casa de Schmitt, but found a new home in the woods this afternoon (with my rubber gloves and bucket to help).  I know there might be some heartache when she finds her friend is gone, but I thought it was better than a dead snake friend... and we all know it won't be the last critter pet!

Band-Aid Man

Will has been destroying his poor knees ever since this weird warm streak started a week ago!  He is flat on his face at least 2 times a day, and this is a low estimate!  He has become obsessed with Band-Aids.  We blew threw a box of transformers in one week.  Each time we go to the park, new skinned knee wound to show for it.  The poor guy in childwatch at the Y actually tried to tape his band-aid back together for him last Saturday to stop the flow of tears from Will.  So... to get to the story behind this picture.  We made a special trip to Wal-mart for more band-aids tonight.  No transformer, but oh the luck... they had SPIDERMAN!!!  They are these strange waterproof tattoo kind.  Well, we took a bath.  I put one on each knee.  We read our books.  We said goodnight.  I went up for bed an hour later, and there he is at the top of the stairs asking for water.  I took him in the bathrom, turned on the light... and WOW!  Will had been busy using each and every one on his legs.  Lesson learned.  Never leave a box of band-aids with a 3 year old boy!  :)