Business in the Front, Party in the Back

Yesterday was pretty routine for our tiny "medical ward." A lot of sleeping and medicine taking. However, today made up for that ten fold! Craig was well enough to go to work today and Rae still had one more day of Fall Break to recover. I decided not to risk it and still bunker down in Camp Germ (which is what we lovingly refer to our home right now) Rae and Addie played hard in their playroom today and made a huge mess. Rae made a book of dogs that she drew and cut out and they colored pictures to mail out to Grandparents. At about 4pm, I asked them to clean up and get ready for dinner because Daddy would be home soon. Addie is oblivious to what cleaning actually is...she really just gets in the way. But, what better way to learn than hands on experience. Addie kept escaping and I had to keep telling her to go back and help. Rae came out and said, "That is okay, Momma, I will just do it for her. I want to be a good big sister." My sweet and thoughtful girl! Rae kept coming in and out to get Windex, the vacuum, the duster, and then finally the Lysol spray. She is so my daughter! When she finished, they pulled up a stool to help me with dinner. An old episode of Grey's Anatomy came on and there was a man crying. Rae looked at me and said, "Momma, I would be so sad if something happened to you and you weren't here anymore." I said, "Rae, I love you so much and I would be sad to not be with you. But, don't worry about that." Her answer..."OK, Momma." She is funny!
We finished dinner and Craig came home. We talked about our day and then I turned on Tinkerbell for the girls, so I could watch the Kate interview (oh my gosh...a lot to say about that, but not today!) All was quiet. Which should have been my first clue.

Rae came walking out with something in her hand. It was about an inch of hair. Uh oh! She said that while she was laying down Addie Grace cut a piece of her hair. I called Addie out into the living room and then I saw it. She didn't cut Rae's hair, she cut her own...and A LOT of it! On the left side she had cut the side straight and even to the top of her ear. On the right side, she left a little bang and cut a triangle out. I just kept saying, "Oh my God! Oh my God!" I ran into the playroom and found little snippets of Barbie hair...which she must have practiced on. Then huge clumps of her own hair on the carpet next to Rae's craft scissors that she used earlier for her book and forgot to put back. Rae kept apologizing, "It is my fault! I forgot to put them back!" She was so upset. I said that I wasn't mad at her and not to worry. Craig was flipping out.
"What did you do? Why did you do that!? What were you thinking!? Addie, go to your room!" I just laughed...which seemed to aggravate him more. He asked me, "What is wrong with her? Who does this" I said, "Kids do it...she is not the first one to cut her hair. I am sure you did it when you were little."
"No, I did not. Did she even look in a mirror!?"
"Yeah, Craig. She is 2 yrs old and she thought ahead enough to pull up a stool and look in the mirror. Are you serious!?"
He looked at me with no expression and said, "I am calling my mom!"

Conversation with Craig and his mom...
"Mom, did I ever do this."
"No, you cut your eyelashes with scissors."
"Oh well that was because they were too long and poking me in the eye."

Well, if you had a reason then that is totally different! Oh my gosh!I am telling you I was cracking up by what he was saying. I just couldn't believe I was listening to the things he was saying...they were so funny. I called Addie out of her room and smiled at her big bright eyes. She was trying so hard to look remorseful, but she thought it was as funny as I did. My 2 yr old gave herself a mullet! My mother in law made the point that at 2, to be able to use scissors so well was so good. That was pretty talented to do that. I said. "Oh yes, she is a genius." Then I looked over at Addie with her finger jammed up her nose and said, "Genius, stop picking your nose please." She smiled at me and I smiled back. This kid....(sigh)
It is moments like these that make me so grateful that I am a mom. No one person can make you cry harder, laugh louder, love deeper than your children. My husband and I both say that having a child awakens a whole other part of your heart that you never knew you had.
Of course I took pictures. I even picked up her hair off the floor and put it in a Ziploc bag and wrote the date and what happened that day. Craig said to her, "Addie, I hope you have lots of kids and they are just like you." It made me smile as I thought...so do I. Not because of the shenanigans that she pulls, but because then she will know the laughter she brings us through her mischievous deeds. It may be an inconvenience at the time of the incident, but it is things like this that make up a family and its history. It will be stories like this that I will share with Rae and Addie girl on their tough Mommy days. Whether it be a self given haircut, or a shaven eyebrow...hug them anyway. I mean really...it is just plain funny. Mommas, sometimes a mischievous grin is a prelude to a very memorable Laughable Moment. Hug those babies tight tonight and don't forget to hide the scissors.