Destructobots

These babies are full-fledged destructobots. When the older boys were this age, I admit I was a bit of a freak about certain things. I HATED having books destroyed. I HATED it when they step on a toy on the floor, just because it's there. I HATED losing pieces to toys. And I really HATED it when stuff breaks or looks all tattered and torn. Times have changed. This stuff still really bugs me when I focus on it but most of the time, I admit that I'm willing to sacrifice a few things to the name of discovery (yeah, that's it). Actually, they just have me outnumbered. Here is a short list of the things that the twins have destroyed in the past year or so:

- books: I have a pile to be repaired; several I've repaired multiple times and given up on and a new one missing a cover this morning. M is lying on the couch screaming that C just ripped his library book. The kicker was one day when C ripped the cover off a book and then S came by and peed on it. Nice.

- Lamps: we have no lamps in our livingroom. 3 have been destroyed. Seriously, destroyed. Uggh.

- Food: I don't know how many boxes of cereal and crackers have been dumped onto the floor. The 5 second rule is fully in effect at this house.

- Toys: many pieces missing despite my best efforts to the contrary. On the other hand, I'm always very excited when I can actually find all of the pieces to something and was thrilled to see that a red ball wintered perfectly outside and is now back with its mates in the livingroom.

- Toilet paper: we have lost many, many rolls despite our "leave the bathroom door shut at all times" rule.

- Laundry basket: not sure who did this one. The older boys are kind of tight-lipped about it but the bottom is completely cracked nonetheless.

- Sunglasses: they can only open so far before they break.

- My cell phone: it creaks, the back constantly falls off and it has been oddly reprogrammed several times. So far, no calls to China.

- The house phone: it no longer beeps but oddly enough, you can still talk on it and hear through it. That's good news.

- Countless games: many, many bent cards.

- Computer games: they don't work so well with numerous scratches on them.

Yes, I know what you're thinking...just don't give them those things. Watch them more carefully when they have them. Nice in theory and I've thought it many times myself but when you're listening to yet another screaming fit (in stereo) and you just want to get through the grocery store...you give them the cell phone. And when you are trying to do school with the older boys and impart a bit of well-deserved attention onto them...you turn your head to the toys being flung across the room and when you see those cute little bare butts being flung over the arm of the couch with glee, you sometimes ignore the crash of the lamp. In the end, they're just things and if I was that attached to them, I'd leave them locked up somewhere. For now, I value my sanity too much for that. But man it will be nice to have lamps again some day.