When Dad Steals the Show!

This week I have been really try to get back into the swing of things by staying on top of my housekeeping and by making sure we polish off the last few items on our "summer to-do" list (the fun stuff not the work stuff).  All I have to say is . . .

I'm exhausted!

But a good exhausted.  Even though I am bone-tired, I feel that I have accomplished something this week, and it feels good!

As you have heard, I am in a bit of a panic as to how I am going to get everything done now that our days will be incorporating three hours of school work somewhere amongst all the other craziness that goes on around here, so I came up with a plan to keep my house clean without having to spend an entire day doing it.  No, unfortunately, I am not hiring help, but if some gracious reader out there would like to volunteer their time, that would be greatly appreciated . . . tee hee!  No, I have started something called zone cleaning.  I read about it on a blog earlier in the summer and thought it was the perfect solution to my predicament.  You need to check out the Fly Lady.  Her website has wonderful ideas to help you get on top of your clutter.  I love her!

But, the kids are not loving it.  They do not like when mama is busy cleaning because that means they have to entertain themselves.  GASP . . . the horror!  Yesterday, though, I got wise and and warned that whenever they whined about this being the most boring day ever, I would find something for them to do.  With the threat of work hanging over their heads, they ran outside and enjoyed a lengthy, and very intense game of Capture-the-Flag.  But then 4pm hit, and they couldn't take it any longer.

You see, Mr. Level-Headed promised the boys he would take them fishing Wednesday evening at one of the lakes up from our house.  Okay, let's be honest here, I promised them their dad would take them fishing . . . tee hee!  

Well, after an entire day of waiting, Elliot finally lost his cool and the whining commenced.  So, as I had promised earlier, he was kindly assigned this task to help distract him:

This is a win-win situation. I got my beans cut up
 and he got to look out the window watching for dad's car.

Then, in typical sibling fashion, when the angst of anticipation becomes too much to bear, the bickering, the poking, and the teasing erupted, and I, who at this point had lost all patience, declared it was quiet time!  Initially, if you were standing outside my window, you would have thought I was performing cruel and unusual torture on each them, but, eventually, they settled into it.  I really should have done this earlier!

For most people, I am sure this is what your entire summer looked like, but not here at Shenanigans Inc.  I have high-maintenance, high-energy kids,who need to be moving at all times of the day.  Thank heavens they are cute!

Finally, Mr. Level-Headed called to say he was on the ferry, and the boys sprang into action.

  I am beginning to think their favourite part about fishing is digging for worms.

Don't feel sorry that Zoe appears to be doing all the work here because this
only happened after she yelled at the boys for doing it all wrong and
demanding the shovel from them . . . tee hee!

Don't you love the vest?  As soon as he heard he was going
fishing, he ran down to the dress-up box and pulled this out.

  Once supper was done and the fishing poles were de-tangled, the boys were off and ready for some adventure!

Zoe and I were heading to soccer practice so I handed over the camera to Mr. Level-Headed and begged him to take a few pictures for today's post.  He was less-than impressed, but being the good husband he is, he simply nodded and put the camera in this pocket. 

When Zoe and I arrived home, they were all curled up on the couch eating their bed-lunch and watching one last cartoon for the day. 

How was it?

And the stories began . . .

We got lost!

Yeah, dad took us too far in the woods!

Scouty loved it!

He swam and swam!

Avery caught some green, slimy stuff,

but, no, we didn't get any fish.

It was still awesome, though!

Look closely in the water:

Yep, that's Scouty . . . tee hee!

I wonder why they didn't catch anything?

Thanks, Mr. Level-Headed, for being a fantabulous dad and for creating treasured, summer memories with our boys.  They will never forget it!  Oh, and by the time they are old and gray, the green slime on Avery's hook will have grown into a three foot trout . . . tee hee!

Love you, babe!