Thanksgiving Eve/Bubble Guppies ...

We managed to make it through Day 2 relatively unscathed. We had a play date scheduled which was perfect because my children are usually angels in front of other people. The only mishaps during the play date consisted of R fighting with her friend over a green balloon (never mind the 20 other colored balloons from which to choose), P refusing to listen to me while leaving our friend's house and running around the yard like a looney bird, and a play make-up incident. Let's just say that I was proud of how R played nicely with her friend's little sister, but we left their house like this:

After wipes and a bath, I still can't make it go away.

This morning, we are watching a Nickelodeon Fall Cartoons DVD (because I have to bake pies all day so the TV will help me keep the children alive). Can we please take a minute to talk about Bubble Guppies? Who created this show? It makes no sense. Let's start with the theme song:

This is the stuff that every musician/mother's nightmares are made of. THERE ARE NO WORDS, JUST REPETITIVE SYLLABLES. I think you have to be on something to enjoy this song -- maybe the same thing that the producers were on while creating this eyesore for the ears.

Once you get past the theme song, you are taken into a world of the Bubble Guppies, who live under water. In this episode, they are singing about trees with falling leaves. Under water. And even though the Bubble Guppies have mermaid fins, they sing about their feet touching the ground. (Please enjoy this bootleg YouTube video of the "Falling Leaves" song).

How does this make any sense? Icing on the cake? They have a dog that lives under water with them. Don't worry, it can still "make sense" because he has a mermaid fin for a tail:

I need more coffee. 

Also, P informed me that while I was upstairs getting dressed at 7:00am this morning, that he and his sister were downstairs in the kitchen raiding the m&m bowl.

Cool.

Thanksgiving Break: Day 1

Thanksgiving Break (AKA PRESCHOOL IS CLOSED ALL WEEK)
Day 1 | 11.23.15

- 06:00am - Both kids are up. "Mom, why is it so dark out?" Because God is still sleeping.
- 06:30am - Both kids are eating "breakfast" snacks in our bed. I don't even know what the snacks were, nor do I care.
- 07:00am - "Mom, can I have a creamsicle?"
- 07:45am - Had every puzzle we own out and mixed up
- 08:30am - Chastise the potty talk for the 15,000th time

- 09:00am - MOM WE ARE STARVING AGAIN! 

- 09:04am - I text my friend: "Bring your kids over today; We'll be home all day!" 
- 09:30am - Sword to the eye? Check!

- 09:31am - "Being home all day" suddenly sounds like a death sentence

Who are these children and where is their parole officer?!

- 09:32am - IF YOU DON'T CLEAN UP THOSE PUZZLES I WILL PACK THEM ALL UP AND TAKE THEM TO CHILDREN WHO DON'T HAVE ANY TOYS

- 09:35am - GET IN THE CAR I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING BUT AT LEAST YOU'LL BE STRAPPED IN 

Guys, I made up as many errands as I could that didn't involve getting out of the car. I know you've done this, so don't judge me. {Side note: Remember when you were a teenager/young adult and knowing that the malls opened at 10:00am seemed silly because who gets up before noon? Fast forward to motherhood: WHY IS NOTHING OPEN?! WE'VE BEEN UP FOR 4 HOURS ALREADY.} We had to drop a off a travel-sized hairbrush in a friend's mailbox (I know), then go to the post office (drive-thru mailbox), go to the bank (drive-thru ATM), pick up lunch (drive-thru bad food), drop a bag of clothes off to a friend, and then go to Jump Jump to save my children's lives. 

"MOM THESE ERRANDS ARE TAKING FOREVER!" Really? Seems like we could use about 10,324 more things to do today because it is ONLY LUNCH TIME.

While at Jump Jump, my kids played like little angels whose halos were perfectly adjusted for the audience of strangers who had no idea why I looked like a crazy rabid animal entering the indoor playground. We ate lunch, I got them off and playing, and then I pulled out my iPad to continue reading Mindy Kaling's book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). I sat in my happy place, reading and laughing like a hushed hyena while the kids played. They came over to me every few minutes to remind me of how sweet they can be and that maybe I didn't need to spend $15.00 to play inside today, and I sent them back on their way each time with a, "...remember we are here to play! GO play!" 

One of the times they came over to see me and get water, P saw that I had my iPad out and said, "What are you reading? The Bible?"

My own son just gut-punched me with a heavy dose of ironic conviction.

"No baby. It's one of mommy's books." 

But I need to go read the Bible ... 

Hiccup.

P was born with the vertebral, anal, renal, and limb anomalies that are all a part of VACTERL Association. P and his twin sister, R, have been obsessed with HTTYD for about a year and a half now. We own both movies and all DVD series, own all of the action figures, play HTTYD by channeling our inner viking (and dragon), and we dream of owning a real-life Toothless and Stormfly one day. P and R had a HTTYD-themed 4th birthday party this spring, and asked my mom to make Stormfly and Hiccup costumes for Halloween this year. When I asked P why he wanted to be Hiccup, he said, "Because of his metal leg! This one is my metal leg," and pointed to his right foot. My heart melted inside my chest. Thank you, @dreamworksanimation for making a character as cool as Hiccup, who happens to have a pretty cool prosthesis. Now, if you could just let us know where we could find a real Toothless and Stormfly, that would be great ... the kids have saved a place in their beds for each of them.