Keeping Busy, Getting Dirty

I've been "in charge" of the kids while we've been re-landscaping our backyard. And because I am the typical consumer (who wants things done quickly, professionally, and inexpensively), that means Jason gets to do some of the work (it's how we can ensure all three of my demands are met).

This weekend, Jason and his dad were using the bobcat and a dump truck to clear out some of the dirt in our back yard and to take out some of our side bank in preparation for new concrete and stuff. And Jason warned me, repeatedly, not to let the kids outside at all once his dad left because he didn't have a spotter. So I busied the children with finger painting (and closed and locked all the doors in our 85+ degree home without the air conditioning turned on because I'm being cheap) while I stepped into the laundry room to fold a load of laundry.

When I reappeared, Marcie seemed occupied enough:

But I had made the mistake of leaving her with a cup of water to wipe off her hand so she could switch colors. As you can see, it did not really work, as her painting became a blur of colors anyway. On top of that, the mess she created on the floor, well, let's just say I was less than pleased.

After I yelped my dismay, Casey wandered into the kitchen to see what the ruckus was. And he joined in the painting fun.

Don't get me wrong, though, Casey did plenty of mess-making of his own. He managed to knock the dog food container bottom off, spilling all the hard dog food onto the kitchen floor. That required both broom sweeping and vacuum-cleaning plus a bit of mopping up to clean. And we couldn't reuse the dog food because a couple weeks ago a glass broke on the floor and I couldn't risk the tiniest sliver ending up in Pugasus's stomach.

After all that, the kids and I ate and I bathed them, read them some stories, and sent them to bed without a problem. Their new thing is the "hide" at bed time (they are terrible at it). Last night I told them they could hide twice. It's always under covers. Last night they chose my bed, and Casey let his feet stick out from under the blankets. I tickled them before I pulled back the covers and tickled the kids. The thing is, Casey and Marcie are hilarious about hiding. They cannot contain their excitement. They squeal and wiggle as soon as they anticipate either me or Jason is in the room. I love it.

Oh, and Jason got quite a bit done on the yard. Check it out: