Adventures with Lexi and Zach

As it has been since I went back to work after Lexi was born, Mondays and Fridays are my days "off" from work...which really just means that they are the days that I can wear jeans and pull my hair out at home, instead of in my office...where it's quiet. While I often reserve Fridays for fun, and less pressure for getting stuff done, Mondays are my prep days. I try to get enough done on Monday so that I can simply survive Tuesday through Thursday without anything major falling apart.
Yesterday was a pretty "regular" Monday, all things considered, but despite the amount of chores and errands, and playdates I chose to cram into the day, Lexi and Zach apparently made it their mission to make mom laugh. The amusement started early and just kept on coming...

Zach: (7am) Heads toward the kitchen pointing to the cabinet and saying, "cheese? cheese?" I realize that he now thinks that crackers are called "cheese" since often when I pull out the crackers for a snack, Lexi comes bounding in saying, "I want some CHEESE!" I find it hysterical that he calls them "cheese", and I would probably feed him a pound of crackers just to hear him ask for them. :)

Lexi: (1pm) While Zach was napping, she offered to help me clean out my car. I lost sight of the floor mats several months ago...thanks in large part to the 5-10 pieces of artwork that come home from school each day. So I handed her the stack of no less than 50 pictures and asked her to go through and pick out which ones she wanted to keep, and which ones we could get rid of. The very first one off the pile she announces is trash. I think, "Hmm...this is going to be great. She actually wants to throw some away..." So back outside I go, leaving her with her task. 10 minutes later she arrives on the porch to announce that she's done. "I picked one that I want to throw away, and the rest I want to keep." Oh boy...

Zach: (4:45pm) While shopping at Target Zach spots a ball on the ground. "Ball? Ball? Ball?" Yes, I see the ball, and for the next 5 minutes he and Lexi try to convince me to hand them the ball so that they can play catch with it in the cart (Uh...no.) A few minutes later I was done in that spot so I said to Zach, "Say byebye to the ball, Zachy" and he says in the saddest baby voice ever..."byebye ball....sigh..." and put his head down on the side of the cart as though I'd just given him the news that balls have now been banned in Massachusetts. Poor, sad baby. You'd never know he has at least 37 balls at home...in different sizes, textures and colors...more than most babies could ever imagine.

Lexi: (4:50pm) Still at Target, now in the soap section, Lexi spots Princess Soap (God help me, could we please have ONE product that does not come with a Princess on the label?? I'm waiting for the day they start making Princess Tampons!). "LOOK!! MAMA!!! PRINCESS SOAP!!!" "Yes, Lexi. I see the Princess soap. Very cool." "Do you think it comes out like a princess, Mama??" "Um...no...I think it comes out looking like soap." "Do you think it helps you to prepare to be more like a princess, Mama??" "No Lexi. The only difference between that soap and the rest of the soap on the shelf is that that soap has princesses on the label." Ahren later told me this was mean. I suggested he might think differently if he spent more time shopping with her.

Zach: (5:30pm) Paying at Target, Zach sidles up to the checkout "bar" and babbles to the cashier something that sounds very much like, "What are you doing?" to which the cashier responds, "Did you ask me what I'm doing?" Zach says, "Yea" so he replies, "I'm ringing up your stuff." and Zach replies in a tone that screams "that is SO boring", "Oh...wow."

Mondays can be stressful, but this day was filled with laughs. My kids are such joys, and they really make my days at home so much more fun.