Mischief Managed

I swear, some nights the twins go to bed, and just look at each other and rub their hands together with a maniacal laugh.  Then they talk to each other in their twin speak: "We sure got mom good today.  What should we do tomorrow to drive her crazy?"

Let me give you some examples of things that have happened over the past few months.

Just yesterday, I came out of the bathroom and heard Brady's voice, something about grandma at work.  Then I heard a female voice on the phone.  I thought maybe he had somehow dialed my sister.  So I chased him down, he was hiding, took the phone from him (where I noticed he'd been talking for over 2 minutes).  "hello?" "Yes, this is 911."  How on earth did he manage to call 911??  I had to give her my name and assure her that there was no emergency.

Here's another Brady one.  I needed to run into Target to buy a baby present.  I figured it was going to be in and out so I could take all three littles in.  I put Jackson's seat in the cart and let the twins sit in that giant part behind the cart.  Well, as soon as I stopped on an aisle, they hopped off and took off in two different directions.  That was a first.  I caught up to Carter, got him back in the cart, but by then had no idea where Brady was.  Yes, I totally lost my child in Target.  I found him, but it required two employees, walkie talkies, and a description of what he was wearing.

They absolutely love to empty things.  Everything.  Like a tube of toothpaste into the sink.  Or a bottle of shampoo into the bathtub.  My makeup bag onto the closet floor, and my loose powder on said floor.  I have walked into the kitchen many times and found them on the floor surrounded by crackers or dry cereal just munching away.  More than once I have found that they have emptied the toy bins all over the playroom.  I got so sick of cleaning up their room each morning.  I finally took everything out of their dresser, put it all in the closet, and tie their closet shut when we aren't using it.  That is how bad they were at emptying their dresser and closet every day.

But the worst time of emptying things?  I keep my daily meds in my bathroom, so I can take them right when I get up or right when I go to bed.  When the twins started this emptying phase, and I saw them open a child-proof lid, I put them on a high shelf in my closet.  Well, one day after I finished feeding Jackson, I went into my closet and saw my pill bottles on the floor, open, and I could tell that Carter had bitten into one of my prenatal vitamins.  Freak out moment!  I called poison control.  She assured me that it is rare for a kids to bite into one, not like it, and then bite again.  But just to be sure, we ought to get his iron levels checked by his pediatrician.  I tried to teach Carter that by eating mommy's medicine he had bad consequence of a needle prick.  And I did move my pills up to an even higher shelf that they can't climb to.  (Please do not make me eat those words!)

And I haven't even mentioned all the fights I break up, the screams and screeches, and the hanging on my leg.  Oh does that one drive me crazy.

But I wouldn't change it.  Even though I am exhausted every night, and want to pull my hair out many days, and feel like I am losing my mind--I love them.  I love all my boys and wouldn't change things for the world.