what makes my children happy

I've just got to laugh. My kids are so funny.

This morning, I woke up in a pregnant "gotta run to the bathroom" stupor and there was my little boy sitting on the couch looking very secretive. He had stopped whatever it was that he was doing and gave me this funny little look. He raises his eyebrows and tucks his chin down --- think of what an adult would do that looks at a tiny kid who is not doing what they should --- which always makes me laugh. Then I see what's in his lap, he's trying to cover it, but he's really not good at stealth yet. It's a loaf of bread, it's still in the bag and there are about 4 slices left in it. I was wondering where that bread ran off to! He has a secret stash! He stole my bread out of the pantry and hid it! I found where he hid it too! I just pretended I didn't see it (remember, I'm in a stupor, wanting to go back to sleep) and went back to bed. He was up waaay to early. Nick would get up in a few minutes anyway to get them ready for the day and off to school (it's really daycare, but we call it school b/c school is cool). I got up thinking the bread would still be on the couch, but no... he has it shoved between the wall and the couch. ha ha! Ohh, that totally reminds me of me, but I did it with candy and sweets.

Such a weird child, who hides bread? Who craves it every waking moment? Benjamin! He comes home, "hi mom! I went to cool, bye pease!" --translation, hi mom! I went to school, bread please-- He wakes up or gets woken up, "bye pease!! bye pease!" He wants it for everything. He especially likes it when he gets tired, he just sticks it on the roof of his mouth and falls asleep -- sick, I know. We are trying to break this weird nasty habit, but it takes time.

Nick and I joke about what we're going to give them for their birthdays. Benji - a loaf of bread just for him. Jenee'- a box of wipes just for her. That girl is obsessed with wipes, we have to hide the containers from her. I've given her one filled with torn up toilet paper (she tore it up, I was just trying to make use of the scraps we could no longer use), and she was very snobby about it. We tear one in half to give her when it's time to change her diaper, and she tries to help wipe herself, it's too cute. She loves to clean everything in site (not with the same wipe she wipes herself with, we're not that gross), she wipes the couch, the tv (it's actually very helpful), her face, her clothes, the cabinets, walls... oh you get the idea. She always has to have her tray on her high chair clean. That doesn't mean she does it in a way we like. The plate/bowl and spoon go down on the floor (usually with food still in it) and she's way too fast to stop her before it falls to the ground. The remaining food on the tray is then picked up individually by those teeninesy fingers and thrown to the floor and she'll take her napkin (she has to have one!) and wipes the tray, her hands, and her face. Where did she come from?? I am not a neat freak at all. I enjoy neatness, more than I did when I was younger, but I'm still not a good housekeeper. Both my children love to clean and pick up and have to have their face and hands clean. Myself, I like to roll in dirt; the dirtier the hands the more fun I had.

It's so nice though that they're so easy to please. Bread and wipes. whew.. that means I don't have to make them all these things to try and be the mother of the year! What a relief. Will I still do that? H - yes! but at least I'll have the bread and wipes with the handmade toys/clothes.