Last Train to Crazyville

Every mother, whether they're willing to admit it or not, has moments when their children drive them a little bit crazy. It doesn't mean you don't love them, it just means that you, and they, are human. My ladies drive me crazy everyday. I still think they're cute though. Who wouldn't? Look at them.

Every day is filled with ups and downs. Like when Ava sticks her finger in my wet toenail polish, which is annoying. But then she holds her chubby little foot out to me to paint her nails. So how can I resist her cuteness? I cannot. I paint her nails, then help her blow on them till they're dry. Or when Alana tells Ava to do bratty things at the store, like hang on the cart. But then she sits nicely in the cart, behaving and not asking for candy. It still confuses me that my four year old will sit in the cart, but my one year old thinks she's too big.

When you have more than one kid, they're not always going to agree on everything. Sometimes one will cry because she doesn't want to watch Gnomeo & Juliet, but the other one does. Sometimes one of them isn't interested in a toy until her sister starts playing with it, then it becomes the. most. awesome. toy. ever. It must be played with immediately. Part of the mom resume includes being a referee. But then the same bratty children also comfort and hug each other. That's when I really like them.

Ava makes the saddest crying face humanly possible. Alana doesn't care. She still insists on watching a movie that Ava doesn't like. But then they eat popcorn nicely together on the floor.

Sometimes they're so good I almost think they're planning something, like world domination. Then I walk into the living room and the floor is covered in crushed goldfish crackers. The only plan was to drive me crazy. World domination can wait. After I vacuum for the third time in one day I dream about hiding in my closet with some ice cream.

That's not what I usually do, because my closet is dark and they will find me. They always find me.

After I've reached the end of my patience and David is home for the night, they usually behave themselves. Look Daddy, we're so nice. Buy us stuff! I don't care, as long as they're good. Beggars can't be choosers.

Cuteness and sweetness, plus an ability to say hilarious things and rock a Rapunzel shirt everyday of the week, are Alana redeeming qualities. She has a fiery temper, and will give me the cold shoulder when I make her mad. She always forgives me though, cause I'm awesome like that. Plus, she will inevitably fall asleep, and that's when she's nicest.

Ava's a baby, so it's harder for me to get mad at her. She's cute and squishy. Her mullet rocks. She dances along to music on the TV, growls and grunts her way through the day, and makes her mean face just often enough. She gets more excited about bubbles than I get for anything, even York Peppermint Patties. She will eat as much white chocolate as possible, she's not a quitter. And her long eyelashes really push her cuteness over the limit.

She always gets bubbles in her hair. Crazy lady.

It doesn't hurt one bit that she looks so cute when she's asleep. And her big sister makes sure to give her a toy to snuggle with, in case she gets lonely during her nap.

At the end of the day, when my kids are asleep and it's nice and quiet, I'm most grateful to be a mom. Even when they're fighting and screaming and crushing goldfish crackers into the carpet. I just tell myself that eventually they have to go to bed, then they'll be nice.