don't play with your food!

I mean, seriously.

Did you not LOVE to do this as a kid??

I have memories of doing this. It makes my heart smile that my kids love to do this too. Even if their mom had to show them it was even an option.

Next thing ya know, they'll be slinging pasta on the wall to see if its done.

What food fun do you remember doing when you were a kid??

(Mishka, do not say "using mom's attempt at homemade biscuits as weapons or as a tennis ball." Because, obviously, I got that baking gene passed down to me).

Cooking dinner: good night vs. bad night..

Having four kids is a blessing. Lots of blessing. Multi-tasking is the name of the game. And what you are able to accomplish in a day can vary from day to day.

Take for example, cooking dinner.

Most days my hubby is home by 4 p.m (he leaves at 5:30 a.m). So he is typically available to help entertain the kids (or at least re-direct their energy) so that I can cook dinner. However, there are some days where he is not home in time for the dinner preparations and I have to occupy four children while trying not to burn something.

thus we have cooking good days and bad days.

BAD DAY:

Jorge and Alex: Arguing, complaining, asking for items I am NOT cooking for dinner, tormenting their sister, running around the house nekked (yes, you read that correctly), "drinking water from the bathroom sink" (aka making a huge mess while laughing hysterically at the way water can splash all over the place). Generally, destroying the house.

Eva: crying, wandering around without her diaper since she took off her clothes and the diaper (and thus, typically pees on my floor), running around nekked with her brothers, getting water dumped on her in the bathroom while her brothers are "getting a drink of water," getting knocked down by brothers running around the house.

Isaac: crying. period.

But then, alas, there are good days. Days where I have my wits about me and can redirect all the energy into some productive things they can do while I cook our dinner.

A Good day looks like this:

Jorge and Alex: happily playing with their cuisenaire rods, (as they are in this pic while listening to classical music), coloring, building spaceships, happily playing together with their clothes on.

Eva: sitting contentedly in a high chair playing with playdoh (while occasionally tasting it, of course), singing, talking sweetly to Isaac, and NOT pulling her diaper off and peeing on my floor.

Isaac: NOT crying. (for the moment).

So there you have it. Dinner is served.. just a little toasty.

(it is important to note that my children do much better while playing outside, which is generally where they are when it doesn't feel like 115 degrees outside. Fall, please come quickly. Besides, "nekked" is so much more fun outside).