Last night, I fed 16-month-old Chase and Harlowe dinner and then asked them to play quietly and happily at my feet while I prepared dinner for my older girls.
But they, for some reason, only wanted to be held.
And because it’s really difficult to actually make dinner while holding two children, I finally got them interested in one of the kitchen cabinets.
They seemed really intrigued and everything was going swimmingly for a good 8 seconds until they spilled an entire box of Life cereal on the floor.
And while I was trying to find a broom and a dustpan in my rental house to clean it up, they stepped on the cereal, mashed it into the floor and tracked it as far as they could toddle.
As I attempted to clean up the cereal mayhem that was spreading faster than Contagion, the twins had turned their efforts to the open freezer and began removing ice cubes and throwing them on the floor.
This seemed harmless enough until the ice cubes started melting, turning the cereal remnants into paste and also causing C & H (sort of like B & H without all the cameras and other electronics) to slip all over the place.
And, of course, Dylan and Summer were still hungry and for reasons that are still unclear to me did not want to eat wet soggy Life cereal off the floor.
So I strapped Chase and Harlowe right back into their chairs and squelched any possible protests by handing them each a gigantic chocolate chip cookie.
Life is working out just fine for these two.
28 Responses to it’s not so bad being kid number three and four
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kelcey kintner
Too funny! That brings back memories!
Too funny! That brings back memories Kelsey!
Gosh, I miss you.
And although I never met your kids. I miss them too.
Is that weird? It is!
Big smile for this one. 🙂
You are blessed! I was always told to ‘change her focus’ if she got whiney… because the more whiney she got, the more winey I got… not really a great combo when you still have to bath the Bunny and read a story (apparently falling asleep mid-way through Peter Pan is NOT appreciated). Please bare in mind I’m not a lush… I just don’t hold a glass of wine too well. But I found the change in focus worked really well until she turned three – it appears she’s cottoned onto the ploy and will have nothing of it now.
You know what’s weird: paste like Life cereal is my favorite food. You should have made those girls at least try it! Also, those twins are so adorable I want sqeeze ’em!
If you give me a huge cookie, I’ll be quiet too.
The parenting books never ever want to admit that most of the parenting struggles can be solved with bribes. There should be an entire book (or a series) devoted to all the ways that bribes can be deployed–and what bribes work at which ages. Cookies work right on up through the mid-fifties, I think, at which point softer food needs to be utilized (them choppers not what they once were); teen-agers need money. I think you’ve hit on the perfect combination: straps and sugar. In fact, perhaps that could be the name of the entire series. Just a thought. Perhaps in your copious free time you’d like to write the book proposal?
Chocolate chip cookies. The greatest mood enhancer. Ever.
I know this isn’t the point of the post, but they are so CUTE!
Skip the cookies, I want to eat those two. They could not be cuter. No, they couldn’t.
Kelcey, you’re amazing. Juggling four kids at crazy dinner time ain’t no small feat! Love the strapped in and cookie idea!
Love those sweet smiles!
Hugs to you all. Chocolate chip cookies can fix almost anything. Perhaps we should mail some to the middle east. Take care. xoxo
Chase looks REALLY happy. He has good taste, chocolate chip cookies are the best.
A chocolate chip cookie solves any problem. at any age. :-}
Love it! You know… I learned last week that chalk turns into a really fun paste-like cement that is almost impossible to clean off the floor when my daughter sucks on it instead of writing with it. I can’t imagine cleaning up after 2 at this stage… u r amazing.
Thankfully there are few things in life that aren’t made much much better with a big cookie!
Oh they are quite a team…and have got it all figured out. So cute.
So wanting Mama Rose to strap me in and give me a cookie right now.
What I love is that you managed to bib them! Also that you are such a progressive mom you put your son in the pink bib and your daughter in the yellow!
Now I want a chocolate chip cookie, too!
A chocolate chip cookie solves everything.
Thanks for making me laugh!!
I’d be thrilled if someone told me to just sit there and eat a big fat cookie! They are adorable!
love this! kids and cookies is always a winning combo.
They’re so cute. I can’t believe how big they’ve gotten! My goodness, time flies. Also, the disasters and messes I pick up daily is totally blog worthy but I’m so tired, so so tired…
It’s all about containment and then some type of mute button! I just came across your site today and have spent an hour (it’s naptime at my house) enjoying your posts. I can relate to much and appreciate your humor. See, the day after my son turned 11 months I gave birth to boy/girl twins. Its all about survival mode at my house. So thank you for sharing your stories, I’m off to grab a chocolate chip cookie myself 🙂