For some people, waking up in the morning is easy-peasy. For others, it is a traumatic experience. Eve woke up in the worst of moods. Two bad things had happened before she even said "Good Morning." First, her brother woke up before her. Yep, you read that right. She was upset because she didn't wake up first and wasn't the first person downstairs. I don't know when this became a competition, but whenever there's a competition in our home, there's always the same winner......Elijah (The Athlete). Nevertheless, she was very upset. 

Secondly, she woke up with a crook in her neck. I'm in the laundry room, transferring loads when she comes in. 

Eve: Mom, my neck hurts.
Me: Eve, you probably slept wrong.
Eve: No I didn't. I sleep on the bed. (Trust me, that's worth noting.)
Me: (deep breath) I know that honey, but you just have a crook in your neck.
Eve: Well take it out Mom.
Mom: It's not something you can take out, you have to massage it out. Go ask Elijah to massage your neck.
Moments later.
Eve: Mom, Elijah doesn't know how to do it.
Me: Then go ask Aiden.
Moments later.
Eve: Mom, I hate to tell you this, but Aiden doesn't know how to massage my neck either.
Me: ...(Thinking....What 4 yr old says, "I hate to tell you this...")
Me: Okay Eve, I'll do it. Just give me a minute.

FYI....Her neck hurt the entire day. She couldn't eat at the dining room table (so she says). Therefore, he food had to be brought to her. She had to rest on the couch and watch ALL of her favorite shows while eating her favorite snacks. It felt better when we went out though.

BTW...I never got a "Good Morning Mom."

Meet Elijah. He's full of energy and very competitive. Seriously, he's competitive when there isn't a competition!!! When we walk to the front door, Elijah yells, "Ha ha, I'm first." The rest of us just stare at each other wondering when did anyone say "on your mark, get set and go." He's even competitive when fishing. While 3 of the 4 Lockhart kids went inside when the fish weren't biting, not Elijah. He hung with the adults determined to catch a fish. 
But his competitive nature goes deeper than that. Many of my readers know I enjoy running/walking 5ks. I complete about 1-2 per month.

Well, after each and every race Elijah ask me, "So how did you do Mom?" 
Me: Well in my age category, I ranked 67 out of 93.
Elijah: ......(Covers his mouth in a failed attempt to hold the giggles in.)
Me:....I just stare at him....
Elijah: Wow, Mom. That's so far from 1st place. (and he laughs....out loud.....LOUDLY)

I know this might make him seem mean, but......okay it's definitely not nice! But this is what he says to me after every race. Well, not every race. At first, he was proud and supportive of me. That was until he ran his first race. He won 1st place in his age category. His average pace is 12-13 mins per mile. Yeah, he's darn fast. So now it's like he's waiting for me to get first place. Although, I think he would settle for me getting second.

When we train together, which is not often (though it should be), he runs ahead of me saying, "Come on Mom, move your legs faster." "Mom, my legs move like this and your legs move like this (he's running in slow motion)."  "Come on Mom....RRRUUUUNNNNNN!!!" So yeah, he's a tough coach too.

Even when he meets someone new, his first words before "Hi" are, "I bet I can beat you in a race." He sizes up everyone!!!!!!

​But he's my little 6 yr old athlete and I wouldn't want him any other way. 

GO ELIJAH GO!!!!!!

I'm in the last days of summer vacation. 
The last days of sleeping until 9am.
​The last days of kids practicing "self-feeding"
The last days of playing games on the iPad for endless hours
The last days caring less if the kids had a bath that day or not
The last days of watching tv until 1am
The last days of allowing the kids to dress themselves
The last days of getting turnt on a Tuesday (thanks sister!)
The last days of picking clean clothes from the basket to wear (not folding clothes..HA)
The last days of allowing wine or beer to be my actual dinner (hold up....that's a lie)
The last days of freebies and festival
The last days of the Summer Series at the Levitt Shell
The last days of playing on SnapChap and Facebook filters
The last days of watching and re-watching Jurassic Park (I might get a Sex in the City Binge in soon....hopefully)


I am now in the days of prepping
Prepping for school supplies
Prepping by attending doctor and dentist appointments
Prepping by getting started on those "summer packets" the teachers gave out in May
Prepping by trying to spend time with every friend and most family members
Prepping by getting the kids to remember that bedtimes do exist.
Prepping to get my attention span at an adequate adult level
Prepping, prepping, prepping......getting ready........

I'm sure that my prepping list should be longer, but I can't really think about what else I should be doing.....

Elliott and Elijah were arguing in the back seat.
Elliott: Elijah, let me see your toy.
Elijah: No I’m playing with it.
Elliott: Come on Elijah. Let me see it for just a little bit. I’ll give it right back. And I’m for real this time.
Elijah: I said no!
Elliott: Fine then. I’m not gonna be your friend anymore!!!!!!! (That statement has brought many kids to tears.)
Elijah: That’s okay. You don’t have to be my friend, you’ll always be my brother.
Elliott: ...silence...


1 point for Elijah and 0 for Elliott

I love these guys. #twinsforever #brothersforever

Elliott is a self-proclaimed artist. He has always had a knack for drawing and the comprehension of colors. Before Elliott started Kindergarten, we as a family always admired his drawing and painting. We nurtured his interest by taking him to art gallery and showing him how to appreciate all forms of artwork and how to respect other artist.
 
Yeah…. appreciating all forms of artwork and how to respect other artist. That was a hard lesson for Elliott. On a trip to the Brooks Art Museum, many local artists had booths set-up outside to sell some of their work.
Elliott: (Loudly): What is this?
Me: These are some of the other artist in Memphis selling some of their arts and crafts.
Elliott: This doesn’t look like art to me. I really don’t know what all this is.
(The local artist begin to stare.)
Me: Elliott, art comes in all different forms and sizes. It's about creating, drawing or making something that speaks to you.
Elliott: Oh, okay then. But my artwork could be up here too.
Me: Yes, it could Elliott. You’re an artist too.

Then he proceeds to stand awkwardly close to many of the artist explaining how he is an artist, but not like them because his artwork is different.
Elliott is very serious about his artwork. If you ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he will simply reply, “I’m already an artist, so I don’t have to wait until I grow up. See look! (Raises up his shirt.) You can see my ribs already!!! Whoever told him about the saying “a starving artist” shame on you!!!!!
Sometimes his seriousness about art gets a little out of hand. I have rarely, very rarely, had to be interrupted during instruction at work. Well, one day during Art Class, Elliott has a conniption fit. Apparently the Art Teacher instructed the class to draw a beautiful city landscape. Well, Elliott wasn’t feeling it. She brings him into my room and he is crying hysterically!!!!! He cries so hard that he throws up!!!!!!!! After about 10-15 minutes he calms down enough to tell me what happened.
Elliott: The teacher asks us to draw a beautiful city landscape, but that’s not what I feel like drawing! I want to draw a beautiful countryside!!!
Me: Elliott, you should what the teacher asked you to do.
Elliott: BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT I FEEL. THE ART TEACHER SHOULD UNDERSTAND THIS!!! SHE’S AN ARTIST TOO. ARTIST DRAW AND PAINT WHAT THEY FEEL!!!
Me: Whew…..Elliott, write a letter apologizing for you behavior and go back to class.
 
                His latest outburst was when another student was admiring his work and wanted to copy his drawing. Elliott politely yells, “I’M THE CAPTAIN OF THIS SHIP! YOU DO YOUR OWN DRAWING!!!”
Yep, that’s Elliott the Artist. And I love him!!!!

Eve really wants to be a mermaid. She talks about this all the time. Well, one day I decided to entertain this notion and converse with her.
Eve: Mom, I really wish I could be a mermaid.
Me: Yes, I know. That would be awesome. We could be mermaids together and could swim and play all day.
Eve: Yea, but we wouldn't have any legs. Daddy would have to carry me places.  How would you get to places?
Me: Dad can carry me too Eve.
Eve: Wait, wait, hold up. What??? (Eve gestures her hands in front of her in that universal "stop" position.)
Me: (I give her a little side-eye.) Dad can carry me too Eve.
Eve: Are you sure  about that Mom? Because I'm not!!!

​I tighten my lips and do a silent nod. That's the end of that conversation.

It’s an early Thursday morning. It not a bad Thursday, just a slow one that feel eerily like a Monday morning. (I guess sleeping for most of the 4th will do that to you.) So as I’m prepping for work, I overhear the following conversation...

Elliott: Aiden, can I play with your phone?
Aiden: No
Elliott: But why?
Aiden: Because I said so.
Elliott: I KNOW YOU SAID SO BECAUSE I JUST HEARD YOU SAY IT. I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU SAID IT.

Y’all my whole body froze! I seriously couldn’t believe what I just heard my 6 yr old say to my 10 yr old. However, it makes ALOT of sense. Whenever I tell the kids “Becasue I said so,” they know that I said it, they are just looking for the rationale behind it. And truthfully, I only say “Because I said so” if I don’t feel like explaining my rationale or if I really don’t have a reason why I said what I said. (Which is even crazier when I think about it...who says things for no reason at all? A Crazy Mumbling Person!!!)

Nevertheless, I’m trying my best not to bust out laughing because I want to hear Aiden’s response. This could go one or two ways...bad or good. If Aiden is in a good mood, he will simply explain why Elliott cannot see his phone. If Aiden is in a bad mood, Elliott could get the “Because I said so” again or told to go away.

Aiden: (pauses).....Elliott, I don’t want you to play with my phone because you will run the battery down.

Wow Y’all! Aiden took the higher road. Couldn’t have been me! If Elliott would’ve asked me that our conversation would have went quite differently because it’s too early in the morning and only 1/2 way into my coffee cup for me to be explaining stuff.

​Once upon a time, I was downstairs minding my own business when I heard a loud crash followed by a terrible scream and the words, “OH NO!!!! HELP HIM. HELP HIM.” I get up from the couch and head upstairs. Meanwhile, anxious thoughts flood my head.
What the hell happened now?!?!?
I wonder how much blood there actually is?
I wonder if my mom can watch the kids while I’m at the emergency room?
I hope the emergency room isn’t crowed.
 
Yes. These are the actually thoughts a mother of 3 boys has whenever there is a loud boom and crying. Nevertheless, I make it upstairs and the twin’s bedroom is an utter mess. But thankfully, all 3 boys are standing, there is no visible blood and tears are minimal. (Now I feel okay fuss.)
 
Me: What the hell are y’all doing?
 
Before I give you Aiden’s reply, let me describe the scene I walked in on.
 
The twins each have a twin sized bed, one bed is on the left side of the room and another is on the right side of the room. There is a tent, fully pitched, by the doorway. Attached to the tent is a crawling tube. This tube is connected to another tube that continues into the room, between the 2 beds and all the way to the wall. This tube is covered by a brown quilt. The brown quilt extended from one bed, over the tube and onto the other bed. The tubes are fortified with pillows on each side. (I can only assume this is to keep them from rolling.) There are more pillows and covers. It’s very colorful and reminds me of a “Genie in a Bottle” home. (You know, pillows and covers everywhere.) Except that home been in a tornado and had a visit from The Cat in the Hat with his friends Thing 1 and Thing 2. (Please tell me you have seen Mike Meyer’s Cat in the Hat!)
 
Aiden: I was building a city and there was an accident.
Me: Huh?
Aiden: There was an accident in the city. The tunnel collapsed on Elliott.
Me: What? (Places hand on forehead.)
Aiden: Mom…This is the city….There was an accident…Elliott was in the tunnel…It collapsed…We had to rush him out.
Me: (Stare……I’m trying to determine if they are pretending this scenario of not.)
Elijah: Come on Aiden, let’s show her what happened. Elliott, get back in the tunnel.
Me: No!!! Didn’t he get hurt the first time?
All 3 boys: Blank stare……
Me: Okay, Okay…..How did the tunnel collapse?
Aiden: Elijah was walking on the road that goes over the tunnel.
 
{Aiden is talking real slow like I’m dumb on something. He’s about to get hit.}
Me: (Deep breath) So the brown quilt is a road.
All 3 boys: YES!!!
Me: And Elijah was walking on the road.
Elijah: Yes, I was walking from one side of the road to the other side of the road. Then I fell on the tunnel.
Me: (To Aiden) You realize that it’s just a blanket over a tunnel. It has no real support.
Aiden: Ooooohhhhhhhhhhhh…….So that’s why he fell thru.
 
(The twins nod in agreement.)
 
Me: (I’m so done with this situation. There are no injuries and no need to give myself a headache.) Aiden you will receive a pink slip for building structures with no support in the house. You also owe me $2 as a fine.
Aiden: Ok Mom. Okay guys, lets fix this.
 
I walk back downstairs, but little did I know that this would only be the first of many “pink slips.” Aiden, our little engineer loves to build. He collects boxes and other random stuff to create something new. I have now banned empty boxes from the house. I have run out of glue, Play-doh is no longer allowed upstairs, couch cushions must now remain on the couch, buildings cannot obstruct the upstairs hallway, tunnels cannot go on the stairs, the balcony is completely off-limits, top bunk beds cannot be used in forts, you cannot use things on the walls as anchors, mattresses cannot be used as slides (especially when sliding into an un-anchored bookshelf) and the scissors are very dull.
 
One day he will actually have a real toolbox………Jesus!!!