Our house in the last month or so.

As you know I've got 5 kids, one of them named Rachel. I know kids spill, I know kids make messes, I know they break things. I know my kids are no exception. They, especially Rachel, are destructive to put it bluntly. In the last month my house has seem more destruction then in the previous 7 1/2 years combined. I don't know how, I don't know why. Maybe it is because Rachel is getting older, stronger, or just more sneaky. We started with a hole in the wall behind the door. I think one of my older boys slammed it open one day and the knob went right through the dry wall. Throwing the door open is nothing new but usually there is that little spring thing attached to the bottom of the door that keeps it from going through the wall. This time the spring thing was gone. Rachel took it off. She likes to play with them, she thinks it is fun to untwist them and take them off. She hasn't figured out how to get them back on, and even if she could she probably wouldn't - putting them on isn't much fun. So we got a hole in the wall.

It is now winter and it is cold. The kids like to sit by the heater and put their feet in it. They also like to drink hot chocolate - it warms the up. Sitting by the heater with a nice cup of hot chocolate is a cozy thing to do on a cold winter day. Drinking it without spilling is nearly impossible if your name is Rachel. We now have chocolate stains all around several of our heaters and little lines of drips from the kitchen to the heater. Eating breakfast by the heater is also a fought over privilege (that none of them are supposed to have - but all feel they deserve). Well Rachel is never the fastest and never seems to get the kitchen heater so if you look closely you will see mashed in cereal and yogurt stains all around our bedroom and living room heaters.

Rachel got a tea set for Christmas. She loves having tea parties. We don't drink tea so she uses water. What could be so messy about water you may wonder. Well to begin with her tea cups are very small so carrying a tiny cup filled with water is very tricky for a 3 year old. Filling up the tiny little tea cup with our new water in door fridge also is tricky - especially because Rachel doesn't know tea should be hot and first fills the cup with crushed ice. Next Rachel somehow learned that you a good hostess offers sugar or honey with the tea and serves cakes or cookies too. So puddles of water on the kitchen floor isn't too bad but when you mix it with sugar, honey, and crumbs you get an icky sticky mess that tends to stick to little feet that track it all over the house.

Rachel also has learned to watch for when Mom isn't looking and is pretty fast at getting herself and all her tea things downstairs. You can see that by looking at the stains on the stairs.
If mom is around then the tea things go under her shirt or behind her back just in case Mom turns around and sees. Rachel still has a hard time figuring out why Mom still comes and looks behind her back and under her shirt even when she says "I don't have anything - don't come over here, don't look under my shirt or in my pocket".

Rachel also like to paint and doesn't always choose the water based easy to wipe off paint. If you look on the kitchen wall or under the kitchen table you can see that her favorite color is blue. She also likes glitter paint - you can see that on the wall above the table.

Something went down the toilet that shouldn't have. We know this because now the things that are supposed to down the toilet don't. And our kids don't see anything wrong with just leaving them there for others to see and smell. I guess this is better than when they keep flushing even though the water keep rising and they don't give up trying to get it all down until it is all over the floor and they are calling for help.

Rachel also got a scooter for Christmas. She likes to ride it but there is too much snow outside so she thinks inside is a good option. Ryan got a remote control car which Rachel really enjoys driving. She just hasn't mastered the steering and stopping. Both of these recent Christmas gifts have left their mark on the walls especially on the corners were there isn't as much paint as there used to be.

Rachel and Anna got new make up for Christmas. I think it came from the dollar store - I know the kind Anna got for her dance recital did. Well dollar store make up doesn't easily wipe off walls, or counter tops. Nail polish doesn't come off bathroom floors or bedroom carpets. I can't figure out why make up made for kids is harder to remove than Mary Kay - but it is.

And finally Rachel likes to stamp. Anna got new stamps and ink pads for Christmas. Yesterday Rachel got them out and stamped. One of her little friends was over. They had make footprints in nursery and decided to try it again. They had a great time. Our bedroom carpet now has little pink footprints all over it. Pink ink doesn't come out of carpet very well even after scrubbing and carpet cleaning. I put the ink away. Dallin got it back down. I went to the store, Rick went downstairs to play Rock Band. There is now green footprints all over the living room. Pink ink in the bedroom is one thing but bright Christmas green all over the living room is a bit more troubling to me so I googled removing ink and got out the hairspray, vinegar, baking soda, WD-40 and an old toothbrush. 2 hours and about 4 carpet cleaner tank fulls later my hands are raw, my arms are aching and there is now much fainter green footprints on the carpet.

I thought all of this might win Rick over into my way of thinking about installing hard wood floors. Rick thought all of this might win me over to his way of thinking about waiting till our kids move out before spending any more money on our house. I am beginning to think his way of thinking may have some merit but I am still looking into hardwood floors.