A Day with No Grand Kids

At the end of the day yesterday we DID pick up the toys.  I KNOW we did, because I helped.

Jonge and I picked up the blocks, Famke and the little boys picked up the plastic animals.

Yet this morning, this is what I found when I walked into the living room.

 I tripped over a rock.

A rock.

It is my belief that with five children six and under the most important thing is that we all stay alive.  Next is that we learn to be kind to each other - you remember, The Golden Rule.  After that comes being responsible for our own clean-up.

Sometimes there is just not enough time in the day for that, as messes are much more easily made than cleaned up!

This little gate was a thrift store purchase.

For two dollars.  Oh, the happy children!  The big three can climb it with ease (except i have to tighten that screw on the right - kado's shorts got stuck in it on about his 20th trip over) and the babies can still see me on the other side!  And as an added benefit, I no longer have to hear that annoying sound the pocket door makes as it opens  and closes millions of times each day.

Zeke does not like it, as the opening and closing of the pocket door allowed him opportunity to slip in and out of rooms unnoticed.

Oh.  And yesterday?  I spilled an entire mug of flavored coffee onto possibly the only unstained bit of carpet in the living room.  THIS picture was taken after I was convinced I had cleaned it all up.

The mess isn't all from the kids, I tell you - as I tend to be the cause of most of it.

I'm just wondering, do you trip over rocks in your living room, have a pink bike helmet on your floor, or spill coffee on a regular basis?

Curious minds want to know.