A Day in the Life of Two Little Troublemakers

...in which Levi commits a federal offense and Ethan causes David to bleed.

Ethan and Levi

So, our Post Office is only open from 10 am to 3 pm. And I have these two packages sitting on my kitchen counter for about 2 weeks now waiting to be mailed ASAP. I also have two toddlers that go down for a nap at around noon (which is when I get myself in the shower and ready) and wake up again at 2:30 pm. Anyone who has a child, knows that it takes at least 15 minutes to change a diaper, get him/her dressed, put his shoes on, grab a little snack and a cup of milk, get down from the third floor, buckle your baby up in a car seat, drive to the post office, get the stroller out, unbuckle your baby, buckle him again in the stroller, and push the stroller through the door hopeful that the place has not yet closed for the day.

Now do the math for two babies. I tell ya, this Army Post is not very well suited for families with 14 month-old twins. Oh, and did I mention, that 2:30 is the time when school's out, and it's against the law to leave your kids under 12 unnattended. Plus, Nadia had a choir practice right after school that day and I really had to make sure David made it home (even if unnattended). It's really hard to get kidnapped here, but stll...

I start driving towards the Post Office at 2:53, stopping at SAS on the way (School Age Services, or продлёнка in Russian), looking for Dave, cause he still was not home when I left. Of course, with my luck, he was not there. I make a quick decision to postpone the search for my child but mail Grandma's Cuckoo Clock before I see more strange inscriptions on the box (such as "baby inside - handle with care"), and especially, before Christmas is here.

It must've been 3 o'clock sharp, when I burst into the Post Office, tossing my packages on the counter before the mailman, then running out again yelling on the way, that I'd be back. About 3 minutes later I slowly entered the post office again, carefully balancing under the weight of my twins, huffing and puffing, finally ready to do my business with the perplexed mailman. I was very thankful that he was understanding of my situation and was kind not to turn me around, even though it was past closing time. While I was busy filling out the forms and paying for the service, the babies were thoroughly inspecting the surroundings. I was not paying close attention to their activities. I assumed they were just trying to rip off the posters, or gnawing on carton mailboxes stacked against the wall... There was not really much that they could hurt there. (That's the kind of Mother I've recently become, I pick my battels wisely.)

It was not surprising, that when I was done, one of my monkeys was missing. He could not have gotten out, since the doors were locked and I was the only late customer. The mailman let me in behind the counter. I was starting to get nervous not seeing my baby around. We had to walk to the back of the building, where we finally spotted him, among the boxes of mail and packages stacked up high. Levi looked so innocent for a violator of a federal law. He was quickly forgiven for breaking into the Post Office and everyone actually had a good laugh over this. Not that I encourage such behaviors...

P.S. David was found at the park playing with his friends, totally oblivious that I've been worrying for him all this time. "You're coming home with me right now, young man!"

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Another incident happened later the same day. We were having dinner. Feeding babies is a challenge for me now. They hate mush, or anything that travels in their mouths by spoon. They spit it right out and make faces as if it was an insult to them and not at all a delicious, home-made dish. And their savage manners mean mopping the kitchen floor after EVERY meal. Plus, I worry that they don't get enough, which turns a regular mealtime into an hour-long process, because I am offering them any finger food that can be found in the house at a given moment, until they throw a fit. That's how I know they are full.

I did not realize it, but last night, I got so busy helping Nadia and Dave with their dinner, that babies got their chicken soup in BREAKABLE bowls. Finally, it was peace and quiet as everyone was taken care of and busy eating their dinner. Using this moment, I slipped out to go to the bathroom (sorry for unnecessary detail.) I specifically went into the farthest possible bathroom, so I could enjoy the silence, meditate there for a bit, and regain my sanity. My solitutde only lasted for a couple minutes, when I first heard a big bang on the kitchen tile floor. I tried to ignore that. Soon after the bang, I heard screeches for help like: "911! 911! Emergency!! Help!!!" Ok, ok, coming.

It turned out that Ethan, having had enough of his soup, threw his bowl smack on the floor. It broke. No, it shuttered into hundreds of small pieces all over the place. David stepped on one of those pieces and stabbed his toe badly. There was blood around the house, as he was leaving a bloody trail wherever his feet landed. It was not pretty... I hope one day, possibly after reading this, Ethan tells Dave he's sorry.

Believe it or not, but that endless day came to an end too. To tell the truth, at this point of my life, I would not know what to do with myself, if I had not had my children and all the tasks and chores to tackle. Oh, wait!... I could actually use up my gift certificates and go get me a massage!

Anyone wants to babysit?!