** WARNING **  

If you have aversions to pictures of feet, you may not want to continue reading.

 

Here’s my basic math equation. Are you ready?

You start with the picture of innocence.

Then add a can of beef stew stolen from the pantry while Mom wasn’t looking.

 

Put them together with a well-aimed throw.

And what you get is one broken toe.

I love my children. They’re just a little hard on my toes.

 

 

 “Muffin-Tin-Muppet-Monday-With-Mom.” That’s what Porter officially dubbed our night together. I have seen the muffin tin dinners on so many blogs lately and I finally decided to give it a try. My boys loved it. Porter was excited about the variety of foods to choose from and Dallin was just excited to be eating out of a muffin tin. We threw a blanket out downstairs and ate picnic style while we watched The Muppets. Dallin giggled at Animal and Porter did his best “wocka, wocka, wocka.” It was one of our better surviving-without-daddy nights.

Jared’s school and work schedule are such that on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he is gone before the kids wake up and doesn’t come home until long after they are asleep. So the question I ask myself every other day is, how will I survive from dinner until bed time? That seems to be the most difficult time of the day and it takes every ounce of creativity and energy I have left to make it through those few hours. Here’s what a typical night without Dad is like.

Clean up dinner. Just as I finish Porter usually says, “Can I have a snack?” (Are all seven-year-olds constantly hungry, or it just mine?) We pick a fun recipe to make together. Sometimes it’s rice crispie treats, other times it’s orange juliusssss (what’s the plural of orange julius?), tonight it was chocolate chip cookies. He helps me mix and stir whatever we are making while Dallin runs circles between the kitchen and the living room randomly throwing things at Porter who keeps yelling “STOP IT DALLIN”. We finish cooking and while I try to do a quick clean up, Dallin pulls out every piece of tupperware we own and scatters it throughout the house.

I pick up tupperware while the boys wrestle in the living room. This typically involves Porter laying on the ground and letting Dallin climb all over him.

This continues until Porter screams “OW DALLIN” and then the wrestling match is called by the ref. Then comes a nightly occurrence called “The Throwing of the Balls”. Dallin and Porter throw balls at each other, down the stairs, at each other, into the kitchen, at each other, down the hall and at each other.

This continues until Dallin cries “OWIE PODA” and Porter yells “I DIDN’T DO IT!” Then “The Throwing of the Balls” is officially over and “So You Think You Can Dance” begins. Porter turns on his favorite CD and he and Dallin dance like mad men. Like everything Porter does, he takes dancing very seriously and it usually involves a sword or a light saber.

 

They usually get tired of dancing within the first ten minutes and just leave the music playing while looking for alternative entertainment. Porter likes to tell me jokes and act silly for Dallin. He loves to make people laugh. Dallin likes to play peek-a-boo from the kitchen.

Finally, the clock says it’s time to get ready for bed and Dallin definitely agrees.

We say prayers and I tell Dallin to go give Porter hugs and say “nuh-night”. Dallin goes over to Porter and blows raspberries at him instead.

After a somewhat giggly, “No, no Dallin”, I convince him to give Porter hugs and say “nuh-night”.

And all goes well for about 2.3 seconds. Then Porter holds on too long.

I pry Dallin out of Porter’s loving arms and take him to bed. Ahhh . . . bed time. Then Porter and I spend some quality one-on-one time doing something of his choice. Usually it’s watching The Muppets. Tonight, this part made us both laugh out loud. I think we both needed it.

After two episodes of Muppets, it’s Porter’s turn to go to bed. We say prayers and brush teeth, then I tuck him in. I go downstairs to cook Jared’s dinner and when I’m done, I survey the damage. Dishes, balls, tupperware containers I didn’t see during the inital hunt, backpacks, swords, socks, shoes, bits of chicken nuggets or spaghetti, sippie cups, school library books and a variety of other things are scattered haphazardly throughout the house. Then I decide I’m done for the day. I grab a book and wait for my Sweetie to come home. It’s the only way I survive to do it all over again.

August flew by, don’t you think? It started out with a trip to Bear Lake for our little family. We got to ride in the boat, swim in the lake, ride four-wheelers, and visit with family. We had a good time, but took off early because Dallin got sick and started throwing up. What we didn’t know is that it was the beginning of what my husband has affectionately dubbed Pukefest 2008. Here are some pictures from before the puke.

After we recovered, we enjoyed what was left of our August by going to family parties and reunions. We went to the annual Farley Family Reunion after missing it for six years in a row. Everyone grew up! It was nice to visit with everyone and the boys had a wonderful time.

Before we knew what hit us, it was time for school to start again. It was an emotional Sunday as we contemplated Porter and Jared leaving for school again. I love summer vacation. I love having my boys home. I miss them both when school starts, but I suppose it must be done. Here’s my goofy second grader on the first day of school.

And here’s what Dallin does these days to keep himself entertained without “Poda”.