Common Sense We Don't Have

We are idiots and this is why:

We needed to paint the living room. So we said to each other: Let's do it after dinner and the kids can help. Ok? See? You know this is a stupid as hell idea. Why didn't we?

We put the kids in paint clothes and they jumped right in ready to help. We quickly realized that we weren't going to accomplish anything but create a HUGE mess and lots of frustration.
I turned my back to wipe paint off of Nick's arm because he stuck it onto the painted wall and Lucas climbed the ladder and dipped the roller into the paint tray while I wasn't looking. And I swear it happened so fast - anyway he flung paint onto my carpet.

I bent down to clean the carpet and Olivia came over to lick my face and get in my way which made me even more frustrated. So I stood up and AJ thought I was frustrated with him so we started bickering about how he disappeared for 5 minutes and left me juggling kids and paint. Meanwhile Olivia stuck her nose and tail into the paint and then onto my couch and recliner. So now my furniture is "adobe white" in places.

Then AJ got a little paint onto the window and exclaimed without thinking: "Oh Shit!"
Lucas followed up with: "Oh SHIT Daddy! Oh shit!"

Then Lucas climbed the ladder AGAIN after we threatened him with death (not really but it was a stern warning). Instead of following through with our threat we decided to tell the kids we were all done painting and stick them in the shower.

I helped AJ clean up the messes in the living room while the boys were playing in the shower. I like the shower because I don't have to supervise them 100% of the time. I can leave for a minute or two and them come back. Or so I thought.

I returned to check on the boys and Lucas had fed Nicholas the shower play soap that Grandma (AJ's Mom) had given them for Christmas. It was toy soap that you can mold and play with in the bath or shower. It is messy and the kids love it. Except now Nick had a mouthful of it and was upset. Anyway. He started crying and wanted to get out of the shower except I still had to rinse his body and mouth off. It was a complete cluster (insert F-word).

We got the kids in bed finally and finished painting the living room. Which is what we should have done to begin with. So learn from my idiotic mistake: NEVER, EVER, EVER paint ANYTHING you care about with children helping. You will regret it.

Today the boys were ready to help again, here are the boys "helping" Dad put new guts into the toilet. This is a much more manageable project. I think we will stick to these types of projects in the future.

Here are the boys laughing at me while I tried to tickle them.

Here is my little book worm.

This is how I accomplish things around the house. Give the kids beans and various sized tools to scoop with. This fun lasted for a full hour.

Lucas helped stir the french toast eggs and Nick felt left out, so AJ gave Nick water with parsley flakes in it to stir. He was perfectly happy that he was able to help.