Jeff and Katie were three and two respectively when we bought our first house and they moved out of kiddie beds and hand-me-down sheets to big beds and brand new bedding sets that I was more excited about than they were.
Jeff had graduated from his Mickey Mouse obsession and moved onto dinosaurs and Katie loved everything about Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I remember how excited I was to find the perfect comforter and sheet sets for them at Target and for a price I could afford.
Moving into a new house with two toddlers underfoot quadrupled my frazzled and frenzied approach to unpacking and settling in. I was glad that the kitchen was within earshot of their bedroom and I could listen for mischief while I unpacked the pots and pans. I smiled to the sound of quiet, mentally patting myself on the back for having such well-behaved kids and I wondered what imaginative game they were playing.
I opened the door and two sets of blue eyed guilt glanced up from between the twin beds. I scanned the room; the walls were still white, the carpet was still blue, and there was no sign of scissors or missing chunks of hair.
Confused, I stepped further into the room, “Your sheets! Oh no, what did you do to your sheets? They are covered with blue ink.”
Silence.
“How could you ruin your brand new sheets? I’ll never get the ink out. You two are in time out until I say otherwise. Do not leave this room!”
Silence.
For the next thirty minutes I paced between the kitchen and their bedroom and tried to calm down. I’m sure I sounded like the teacher in a Peanuts cartoon and all they heard was “Wah wah…” every time I opened their door to scold them.
I opened the door one last time, “Ok guys, I’m done being mad now, but before your time out is over is there anything else you want to tell me?”
They stood facing each other, turned toward me, and pulled their shirts up in unison to reveal tummies decorated in blue ink.
I stared at them and did the only thing that made sense. I burst into laughter and captured the artwork with a picture.
The photo has faded, but the memory has not.
it's a whole new world 
Hard to believe this was so long ago!
I know! It seems like just yesterday. I couldn’t believe it when I found the picture from that day 🙂
I love this. So cute! And you are a wonderful storyteller! And I so get it too. I still have my son Eli’s dinosaur comforter in the linen closet, and he is twenty-one! I tell myself I’m keeping it for company or grandchildren, whichever comes first. I smile every time I make up a guest bed with it. Kids grow up so fast! I loved almost every minute of it. I can tell you are the kind of mommy who knows how to enjoy it too. There is a post on my blog that you might want to look up if you have a moment sometime. It is called “The Secret Object I Keep Hidden in My Underwear Drawer.” thanks for a great post that me smile and took me back. http://naomibaltuck.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/the-secret-object-i-keep-hidden-in-my-underwear-drawer/
Naomi,
thank you so much for your kind words and especially for sharing the link to the post on your blog, what a beautiful and tender story.
I’m having fun writing about these memories and my kids are glad I’m doing it as well
Cheers!
Hi Beth,
I kept a journal for each kid, in which I wrote down cute or interesting things they said–I thought I would remember them, but my head was so full that I would forget in a day or two. Now, even as big grownup kids, they love to read through them and read them aloud to the family. As a writer, they will also be something you go back to–your story bank for future articles or novels.
Ha! I remember being furious with my son when he was little and then suddenly bursting into giggles at his antics! Love this post.
Thanks Julie 🙂 I think we have all had moments like that – they are fun to remember!
Hi Beth,
I just wanted to let you know that I am nominating you for the Versatile Blogger Award. I get such a kick out of your blog!
Hi Naomi!
Wow! thanks 🙂 I’m glad you enjoy it. (I’m grinning from ear to ear)
I have to confess that I’ve seen the award on other blogs, but I’m not sure how the process actually works.
thanks for your help!
Hi Beth, it’s easy. You thank the one who has nominated you, share seven facts about yourself, display the Versatile Blogger icon somewhere in your post, and then pass the award on to 15 worthy bloggers. Don’t worry about this, if it feels like too much, but it’s always a nice thing to share.
Thanks Naomi 🙂
It doesn’t sound too overwhelming, I just wasn’t sure how it worked. One more question – where do you get the icon from?
thanks!