Please Pause for Station Identification

Today the kids were in the backyard playing in our lovely green blowup frog pool we procured for $10 at the local wholesale grocery store. Coy and I joined the other three kiddies for a short time until Coy decided to eat a hunk of mud plus weeds while I wasn't looking. He just might have gotten away with it if it wasn't for the choking. He's a "leave no trace behind" kind of eater. Cue nap time. Choking on muddy weeds can really wear a kid out.

My latest routine with Coy is singing a few hit tunes from the Children's songbook just as we do with Dashle at night before bed. I decided to do it for Coy's morning and afternoon naps since he sweetly puts his head on my shoulder as soon as I near the crib. "Okay, mom. I'm ready. Go ahead."

I could hear the other three playing in the back yard and even though we have a small wading pool I still keep a close watch so I know why someone is screaming frantically. (Admittedly it's usually because they're getting wet via a menacing sibling. Aren't you supposed to get wet in a pool?)


I decided to double up on duties.


While I sang a few songs to Coy with my world-renowned warbler voice I also acted as life guard keeping watch over the swimmers from my tower post. Standing at the boy's bedroom window singing "I hope they call me a mission" I watched Emery on all fours chasing a shrilling Addie around the yard. Clearly Emery was pretending to be a wild Dingo.


Then I noticed Dashle climbing up the swing set and positioning himself at the top of the slide. He has always shied away from going down the slide by himself.

He was wearing Coy's sunhat obviously determined to make it fit because it looked like the seams were about to pop...fat boy in a little hat. ha.ha.

Then suddenly without much hesitation my brave boy went down the slide. No one was watching...so he thought. No one was there to catch him and yet he took the plunge.

In the middle of my primary song to Coy I started laughing uncontrollably. Perhaps Coy enjoyed the intense shake of my shoulders and whispered giggles. If it were me I would be a bit put out. I can hardly imagine lying my head on a bony shoulder and only to have it bobbled up and down while my mother struggles to contain herself. He barely flinched.

Dashle's face once he hit the bottom was of shock and terror. He landed on his rear so forcefully his head was resting on the bottom edge of the slide.


I watched Dashle get up a bit dazed and then walk around to the ladder to have another go. Apparently the adrenaline canceled out the horror. Once I composed myself I finished the song, gave Coy some loves, put him in the crib, and rejoined the kiddos outside to catch some sweet shots of their antics on the slide.

Whenever the girls notice a camera pointed at them they put on their best acrobatic moves. "Showtime!"


Dashle became frustrated with his sisters once they started cutting in front of him at the slide. The poor guy's energy was nearly spent trying to get up the dang ladder. I could tell he was tired every time he finally approached the slide. To have his inconsiderate big sissies step in front was proving to be too much. He kept saying, "No, Emery! My turn! My turn!" or just simply, "Hey!" That's a common phrase around our home when someone is disgruntled. The kids know my response pretty well so they say it with me to the disgusted family member, "Hey yourself!"

I love how sometimes the seemingly monotonous activities day in and day out can generate the most giggles and the highest volume of smiles...well at least for me. I don't think the kids ever appreciate the amount of laughter I devote to their mishaps and frustrations.

Mental note: I must remember to be more sympathetic and consoling some time soon.

My mom would become enraged with me as a teenager simply because I delighted in making my younger siblings squeal. Yes, I pestered them incessantly. She often asked, "Why do you like making them scream so much?" A lot of times I would shrug my shoulders. I never really had a good answer. I obviously needed a good giggle for the day and tormenting my siblings was an easy way to do it. Clearly things haven't changed much in this respect now that I am a mother. Ahem.