Post-Op and the Upstairs Party

Brad had outpatient sinus surgery today. Which believe it or not isn't a big deal, we've done this rodeo once before. His nose is all bandaged up and he's on pain meds which make him super happy and talkative. Which is a lot like me except he's medicated and I'm not. Which makes me giggle. 

Doctor's orders were for Brad to rest, sleep upright, drink lots of water, take it easy blah blah blah. Which to me translates to: keep the kids away from Daddy while he recovers on the couch. 

But kids have built-in sonar radar for people who need peace, quiet, relaxation and not to be bothered. And that sonar radar triggers some sort of guided missile of energy that sends said kids straight to whoever is sick/injured, and assaults them with incessant questions (about nothing) and a thousand attempts to leap on them or use their defenseless bodies as a stadium or habitat for their monster trucks and dinosaurs. 

Which MEANS that I basically am tasked with keeping the kids completely out of the living room for the entire week.

Yee-haw!

We started off with running errands this afternoon, and while I tried to take my time in the stores (the longer we aren't home, the better), Camden was getting crabby so I finally had to surrender and go home. 

Once we got home I immediately shuffled the kids upstairs with the promise of having an "Upstairs Party" (whatever that means). So I locked the baby gate at the top of the stairs, locked the bathroom and master bedroom doors, and let the kids have free range of both the boys' rooms and the hallway.

Usually, the boys do not go in each other's rooms except right before bedtime so the prospect of being allowed to screw around and play was particularly exciting for them.



We spent most of the time in Calen's (larger) room. We set up the ball pit and the boys took turns running across the room and throwing themselves into it. (this is why boys are awesome). Calen and I colored in a coloring book and Cam had fun running from one room to another. I'm pretty sure Brad didn't actually get any "peace and quiet" downstairs, because it probably sounded like the entire second floor was going to collapse on top of him.

The boys kicking balls at each other

Then Calen looked out his window and saw his neighbor friends having a water gun battle outside, and said "LOOK! My FRIENDS I go play water?" Conveniently I had just purchased him a small Super Soaker on clearance today. So we ran outside and had an impromptu water fight. 

Drive by shooting.

Once that was over we went back upstairs and played with Calen's big quarry/construction site (and the boys even shared and were all nice about it), and then I pulled out this fun little Pinterest project for Cam that I had been saving for a rainy day. 

Construction Zone

Several months ago I bought a bag of maybe 50 very small colored foam blocks at the Dollar Store. I then took an old baby formula can (the big wholesale ones) and on the lid cut out a square hole just slightly bigger than the blocks, so that it's not impossible for the blocks to fit through the hole, but it still takes a small amount of coordination. The idea obviously is to put the blocks one by one through the hole and into the can. It's supposed to help hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills blah blah blah. I figured it would either frustrate Cam or bore the crap out of him within 30 seconds, but it was worth a shot. 

Apparently this is the best little game in the history of Camden's short little life. He sat on the floor and carefully put the blocks into the can one by one for probably two hours. Once he filled it up, I would take the lid off and empty it out, and he would sit down and start over again. He was having so much fun that even when I came upstairs with a picnic dinner of grilled cheese and peaches for the boys (their favorites), he refused to eat and continued playing. I attempted to take away his "game" to see if he would eat. 

"BRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!" 

Translation: "STAY AWAY FROM MY FAVORITE GAME WOMAN!!"

Whoa, okay! Give the man his block game back! (and this is why Cam has a Hulk toothbrush. Their personalities are fairly similar. You don't like me when I'm angry!)

The best game in Camden's entire life.

I gave Calen the option of sleeping in his ball-pit tent tonight (minus the balls) and he was like "heck yes!!" (no, he didn't say "heck") and as of half an hour ago he was still sacked out inside the tent surrounded by pillows and blankets. I wonder if I will ever be able to get him to sleep in his bed again.

"Mommy! I sleep in tent!"

So I successfully kept them away from Brad for ONE day, with FIVE more days to go!

What the hell am I going to do tomorrow? 

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