Rough Night, Rotten Kids

Tonight, my kids were rotten.

...even after a trip to the pumpkin patch, or in Makayla's words - the pumpkin festival, decorating the yard for the fall season, popsicles, and macaroni and cheese...

They were still rotten!

But it's not fair for me to just say they were rotten only tonight, because Makayla has been rotting for the past two weeks.  Mason, on the other hand, was just having a bad night...and we're all entitled to those every once in awhile.  I'm just not used to dealing with rotten babies.

Look at her.

Attitude.

Pursed lips.

Thinks she's funny.

Broken listening ears.

...but she's still beautiful. And with these mismatched jammies, it's hard to let my smile fade away. 

Look at him.

Mini Dennis the Menace.

Stained cheeks and shirt.

Crazy breathing through his nose.

...but he's still beautiful.  And with those big cheeks and blue eyes, it's impossible not to smile at him.

It's been a rough night...

and I'm glad the kids are sound asleep in their beds.

After having a long talk with Makayla about her behavior and how it's not going to be accepted, Kevin tucked her in to bed and I gave her butterfly kisses.  She giggled and said she was going to be a 'doog' girl.  We'll see what tomorrow brings, though...

Hopefully this phase will not last too long.

In the meantime, here's a few snippets of what makes Makayla and Mason so amazing.

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 Holding her purse in the air Makayla said “Say 'How’d you zip this up'”

Daddy: How’d you zip that up?
Makayla: Um, with my hands.

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Makayla: Mom, my eyes are yellow.

Me: What?

Makayla: The sun is making my eyes yellow.

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Makayla and Mason have developed a new game where they crawl all around the house and chase each other.  They both laugh so hard, it gets to the point that Mason runs out of breath, where I'm pretty sure his lips are turning purple and numb.  I love it.  I love that they are playing with each other and I love to hear them laughing...especially that they are making their own laughter.  It's yet another reminder why I'm so thankful that they have each other. 

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I made a vow near the beginning of Summer (or maybe it was Spring) that I was going to teach Makayla to sing the song "Sweet Caroline".  Well...we're almost there.  It's her favorite song, she can sing this much ~

Hands, touching hands
Reaching out, touching me
Touching you

Sweet Caroline
Good times never
Seemed so good

Bum Bum Bum

 ~and picks up bits and pieces throughout the rest of the song, and asks to hear it every single time we get in the car.  BUT - the best part is, she has Mason loving the song just as much as she does!

When I turn that song on, the kids go crazy.  Mason claps his hands and waves his arms in the air while Makayla sings it and they go back and forth with their laughter.  It's something that I think we all look forward to every day.  Sweet Caroline.

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So, I have beautiful, smart babies who can make me smile more than anything else on this earth...even when Makayla has forgotten how to listen and Mason is in a bad mood.

If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware. The tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered around the house, the piles and piles of laundry lying around to be tackled, will disappear all too soon. And, you will, to your surprise, miss them profoundly.
President Thomas S. Monson