Burnt rice and pecans in the shoes

My kids are creative and intuitive. They are also onery and downright rotten, which makes them about normal...I think. And I love them for all they are, even on the days they frustrate me.

Maybe because there's so much drama with Abby at school or because I'm working full time outside the house again. Or maybe because I'm older and wiser and have the gray hair to prove it. I don't know why, but I didn't completely lose it this morning when I smelled something burning right about the time we were getting ready to leave for school.

I couldn't immediately find the source. And while I was searching for appliances that might be to blame in the kitchen, I saw a blur of colors zoom right past the window...on the outside of the window. To their credit, the kids had backpacks, lunches and jackets neatly lined up on the sidewalk while they were running around and hollering in the front yard at 7:30 a.m. I called them both in so I could question them on the burning odor. Abby quickly admitted that she "did it" and then moved the kitchen garbage can aside. Behind it: a old Winnie the Pooh plastic bowl full of burnt rice. She wanted to make white rice for her brother, and according to her story, there were no directions on the box. (I doubled checked. There are.) I think she didn't add any water, and it was a black, stinky mess. We cleaned it up together, and I quietly thanked God that once again her mishap wasn't disastrous. We talked about having adult supervision in the kitchen, which is tough because she can make a lot of things on her own. But, even though she can, doesn't mean she should do it while I'm in the shower!

Later in the day, after the kids were picked up from school and we began settling in to evening routines, I found a trail of mulch on my bedroom floor near my son's shoes. Not unusual. Except one piece is literally the size of a pecan and as hard as a rock. I couldn't walk around with a pecan in my shoe all day. I'm relatively sure that I wouldn't last 30 seconds, and I'm not willing to experiment and see if I can. But I'm keeping the mulch...just like I do every day. We're planting a flower garden, and the school playground is funding the mulch! :-)

Harry Potter spectacles, please!

So, I picked up the kids from school today -- something I miss terribly already -- and Ryker immediately begins jabbering, which is A. weird. He never recounts his day and B. hilarious. He only talks about recess, as if it was the highlight. Well, I suppose it probably was.

Turns out his new group of recess buddies are still a mix of genders but also play Harry Potter just like last year. What's different is that his new friend, whom I don't know but love based solely on his ability to get my stubborn son to relent, insists on being Harry Potter. And Ryker who believed last year that he WAS Harry Potter and asked us to call him as much, has allowed it, graciously agreeing to the part of Ron Weasley. (He might be more accommodating based on who is playing the part of Hermione, but I don't have all the details as the boy rarely tells me much!)

Today, he's excited because we're on our way to the eye doctor. And the new Harry Potter told Ryker if he has to get glasses then he'll let Ryker play the part of Harry Potter for the rest of the year! Whoa, whoa, whoa! (He couldn't verify calendar or school year, but this is big news nonetheless.) Frankly, I was sort of pulling for Ryker to get glasses simply because the story was so cute, and I wanted him to turn into the triumphant hero in the end.

I figured he would try to intentionally "throw" the examination like Abby did last year. I gently reminded them both that no amount of fudging could fool the doctor. Ryker appeared to "try" to fib, but alas -- like his mom -- he just does not have a poker face. I thought Abby learned her lesson after last year, but she lied straight through her eye exam for the second straight year.

Either one of them would look adorable in glasses. Seeing as their parents both are nearsighted, and mine is pretty bad, I figured one or both would end up in them eventually. Turns out, both are just slightly nearsighted. Nothing our doctor recommends glasses to correct yet, and it's nothing either have ever complained about. So we'll check in again in another year. In the meantime, I might have to hit Amazon and get Ryker some Harry Potter costume glasses so he can play the part at recess sometimes. 'Cause I love my little Harry Potter!