Kids are Crazy

       I was walking through the health food store, which I shop at constantly since my kids have food allergies, when Chris, one of the managers there asked how I was doing.
       I stopped, pausing for a second as I debated giving the usual response we all give to most people when asked, which is 'good or fine' even if our world is in turmoil or I could tell him how my wonderful kids are driving me insane this past week.
       "Kids are crazy." I said with a slight laugh and a shake of my head. He chuckled heartily and then a few seconds caught up with me in the store.
       "It's funny you should say that because this morning my son was driving me crazy."
       I stopped shopping and turned towards him. If there is one person in the world who understands a parent it's another parent. They know. They understand.  And they completely agree with you when you say things like, 'kids are crazy.'
      "For the past three weeks we have been riding our bikes to school." He's laughing now but I can just imagine he wasn't finding the humor earlier. "But today since it's so windy and we were running late I told him that after I took the trash out we would be driving to school. I get the trash to the curb, walk back up the drive way and there he is...on his bike, helmet on and ready to go."
      I grinned and nodded, waiting for him to continue his story.
      "I reminded him that we were driving. And you would have thought I told him I shot the family dog." He shakes his head and then gives me that look. You know the one; I shouldn't have given in but I did 'look'.
       "We rode our bikes to school."
       I laughed.


      In the meantime, I started writing this blog entry two days ago and the kids have been so crazy that I'm just now finishing and that's only because I'm keeping them busy with chocolate chip cookies. They aren't even great tasting cookies. I had bought a new gluten free mix that we haven't tried before and then made the mistake of putting a precious bag of gluten and dairy free chocolate chips in it. It was nearly a waste, all those lovely chocolate pieces lost in a horrible baking mix. The kids are still eating the gross cookies but only for the chocolate chips. 
      
       Yesterday I was interrupted by my youngest daughter, nickname Abu, yelling and hollering and informing me that she found my lost money.
        For the last three weeks I haven't been able to find an envelope with eighty dollars in it. Not the highlight of my month but suddenly it was found....in the inside of the piano. We had to take the top off and then the front of the piano to reach it. But at least it was found. And all four kids thought we had discovered hidden treasure, finding it was the highlight of their day.
        "I wonder who put it in there." I said aloud, not really expecting an answer as we put the piano back together.
        "I put it in there, Aunt Christy." My niece, CT said with a grin. "I kept pushing it until it got stuck."
        I shook my head in resignation and humor. I should have just asked the three year old to begin with. What was I thinking? :)

       And then with everything being hectic and chaotic around here, my youngest niece who is almost one, nickname Bug, for reasons about to be clear, has decided that her fascination right now is...bugs. She wants to touch them and capture them and when you're not looking- eat them. The other day she grins at me, her eyes glinting with trouble and her mouth full of something. When I told her to say 'ahh', she opens her mouth wide and sitting on her tongue was the remains of a dead wasp. She had been happily chewing on it and luckily hadn't been stung. This was only the first bug she has decided to try to munch on since then. Yuck!! I'm guessing she will either be the next Andrew Zimmerman and have her own Bizarre Foods show or she will be an entomologist. (grin) Hopefully not an exterminator.

      Today marks the last day of summer and I could just cry, if I wasn't so busy chasing after crazy kids. In the meantime, now that the cookies are gone, I have sent the oldest ones outside to enjoy this beautiful day we're having, especially since tomorrow is Autumn and just a reminder that we're that much closer to a horribly cold winter. At least there won't be as many bugs for Bug to eat. :)