two for the books

The following two events happened the last couple of days that surely seemed worthy of documenting.

Friday, I was feeding and putting Noelle to nap, Dallas and Emily were playing downstairs. Emily has two craft scissors which she is allowed to play with and she said she was making a craft. (no this is not a haircut story) After a while they come up stairs, I decide Dallas needs a new diaper and then notice his pants are much altered. It looked as though someone had taken a scissors and sniped up 1" from the hem all around the leg hole, causing a fringe "look" it was too perfect to have been ripped, especially with both of the pant legs affected. As soon as I say something aloud about the state of his pants, Emily runs out of the room, dead giveaway! I called her back and she confessed. I sent her to her room, and called Rob for a consequence meeting. Our rules about scissors have always been only paper use from the beginning and she clearly knew this was wrong. I felt like the consequence needed to be more than just a "timeout", and Rob agreed. I wanted to have her give me five dollars from her savings so she could learn about not ruining clothes, and that clothes cost money to replace. I decided against this since I really don't think she has captured the "value" of money yet. We have not gone to the store so she could spend her money yet, she has only started giving at church. I guess I didn't think she would feel the pinch of losing the money. So, instead I gave her the choice of missing ballet class next Thursday or going 1 week without tv. I told her she could think about it, she chose skipping tv.

Fast forward to today. Rob and I had attended a marriage conference the last day and half, and the kids had spent the morning at the church in childcare. We came home, rushed to get lunch done, and I put everyone to nap. Rob left for a meeting in DSM, and I started on making some treats for church tomorrow. I had the mixer running, doing laundry and emptying the dishwasher... normal nap time things I try to get done. I decided to run upstairs and grab a flashlight, and I commenced to freak out. All of the bedroom doors were open. Emily was napping in our room, I thought it was strange, as naps started with all the doors closed. My first thought was someone came in a took the kids. Then I noticed I could still see Em curled up amongst her pillow pets. And then I heard music from Noelle's room...(she can't turn on music), heart beating fast... I round the corner and see Dallas sitting in the corner of the crib, the mobile is on, and he is giving her and switching out different paci's for her. At least they were all safe! We had a discussion about not waking up our sleeping sisters, not climbing in their beds, and again not touching her paci's.