Blogging With Small Children in Real Time

My baby is asleep in his crib and #4 and #5 are outside drawing with sidewalk chalk. Both the back door and the front door are open; cool breezes are blowing through the living room. It's cloudy today, and I imagine that rain will be following (as it did last night). The Disney Pandora station is playing because....

....nope. Nevermind. The kids were fighting (they were out there for about 50 seconds) and I had to go out and suggest some solutions. They're now in the backyard drawing with more chalk...

and, the 3 year old is screaming and crying. Sigh. Just a second.

Okay, now the 5 year old knows he needs to share. Because he obviously didn't know it. *rolling my eyes*

Where was I? Oh, yeah, the radio. I don't know why I'm listening to it anymore because the kids went outside. I should change it to U2 or ...

Oh, geeze. The kids are fighting again. I'm ignoring them now. Not going to say a word. Okay, I yelled one instead. Moving on. I should change the station to something that will motivate me to get up off this couch and start cleaning! So much to clean! But it's okay, because I know it'll get done and as soon as I start, the baby will wake up and I'll have to finagle and figure out something else so I might as well waste that precious time writing some interesting prose on this here blog post, eh? Or another list. Of stuff:

1. Two more soccer games today. And an SEP. Last night was conquered (all the craziness) and it was awesome.

2. Book we're reading for book club this month: "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley

3. I'm teaching... oh, #4 had to come tell me about the spider he caught and released back into the grass. Anyway, I'm teaching Gospel Doctrine on Sunday and it will include one of the most quote scriptures in all Mormondom. See if you can finish it: "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ..."

4. The boys are inside. #4 is eating cheerios and #5 threw a wooden spoon gleefully across the room. And I can't stop sneezing --allergies? Please! I hope it's not a cold. :(

5. I'm trying to decide how to incentive-a-size the kiddos into getting their chores done BEFORE school. I honestly think their lives will be happier (as will mine) if we can do it. I'm thinking simple rewards. Oh, lovely, and now the boys are crushing up the leaves that we used from yesterday's leaf rubbings. Nice. Good thing I haven't swept the floor, yet.

6. My friend (and neighbor) introduced me to this magazine. I'm liking it. A lot.

Quote that defines my current state of living: Wait, #4 needs me to fix his lego guy. Hold on...

Okay, here's a good quote that defines my current state of living: "My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance." -Erma Bombeck

[I wrote this blog post in real time, to show how long it takes me to write something, because of the constant...hold on, #5 has decided I'm a jungle gym... what was I saying? Nevermind.]