Pantry Surprise 6/19/14

I haven't posted a Pantry Surprise in just over a year. A year! Oh, it's not that we haven't had random things left in strange places. In fact, I think I've gotten so used to finding things where they don't belong that I don't even question it anymore. 

Tyler was on a big kick for a long time where he'd throw things in the fish tank, the toilet, and the sinks. 

And the bathtub. 

And down the heating vent. 

Oh, and the down the laundry chute.

Pretty much anywhere toys were not supposed to be.

But when I found a true panty surprise in the actual pantry, I figured it was time to dust off that title and revive this section of the blog. 

 

 

This Chima wolf was zooming through the pantry on his Speedor, looking for a snack. Battling for Chi is hard work, you know, and one needs to refuel every now and then.

We try not to aid the enemy, but one time can't hurt, right?

Not sure what a Pantry surprise is? You can catch up on past surprises here.

Pantry Surprise 6/8/13

I was was putting things away in the closet . . .

. . . and found a Slinky in Leighton's shoe.

Now that's what I call putting a spring in your step!

Want to catch up on Pantry Surprises? You can find the entire list here. (Ha, I just realized that the last surprise I shared was something very similar. That baby . . .)

Pantry Surprise 3/3/13

The baby has been practicing his fine motor skills. 

No, he hasn't been creating masterpieces with paints.
Or smooshing play dough into fantastic sculptures.
Or  sketching magnificent illustrations with pastels.
He hasn't even been drawing intricate designs with crayons.

(And it's a good thing, too, because he would eat the art supplies before he could finish his handiwork.)

So how has he been building up his muscles and strengthening his fine motor skills???


By filling holes, of course.  

Specifically, shoes.

He leaves little surprises for us all quite often.

Leighton tries to put his boots on for work? Surprise! A ball.
Alyssa tries to put her shoes on for church? Surprise! A block.
Jake tries to put his shoes on to play outside? Surprise! A plastic toy strawberry.

This time was a double surprise - a ball in a cup in a boot in the middle of the house. (Kinda makes you think of this song, huh?)


He's been practicing so much that he's just about mastered hole-filling. I think it's time to start working on another fine motor skill.


Maybe next week, he'll learn to write his name.




Want to see more Pantry Surprises? You can find the entire list here.
 

Pantry Surprise 10/13/12

We had our house broken into and robbed a couple weeks ago.

And the creep had the audacity to try it again.

Let me start at the beginning . . . 

It was a Saturday. The whole family left the house to run a few errands. I don't remember where we went. It's not important. All I know it that we came home to a ripped screen.

I distracted the kids while Leighton searched the house, looking for the intruder.

We never found him, but we do know he came in.

He even came back the next day, looking to steal more from us.

Yeah, I'm on to you buddy.

When he trespassed into our home, he knocked two small, glass bowls off the window ledge. One fell onto the counter, the other into the sink. It must have scared him off. 

But only after he was able to snatch one of our possessions.

A chicken wishbone lay helplessly on the window sill, drying in the warm air.

Instead of my kids breaking the bone and making a wish, that crook stole it and crushed their dreams in the process.

He's an evil one.  

I guess there were signs that we should have taken note of earlier. I mean, he was lurking around our house even before the break-in.

 

He scouted out our house more than once. He was looking for the best way in. 

And he waited until we left the house to make his move.

He's a sneaky felon.

Although, it did take him a couple tries before he found the perfect route into the house. 

But once he did, he couldn't stop himself from coming back for more. He's in deep. Robbery is becoming a way of life.

He was prowling around again today.

This guy will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

He even tapped on the window like he was trying to get my attention, mocking me. 

Maybe I will cook Leighton some squirrel soup like he's been wanting to try.

I wonder how it would taste with chicken . . . 

Pantry Surprise 10/5/12

I think my 6 year old is sending me subliminal messages. Let me explain.

I always go grocery shopping on Fridays while we're at my parents' house. They watch the kids while I head to the store. (Can you say blessed???) That 1-2 hours is my me-time for the entire week. That's not the only reason I choose to go by myself though. Whenever  the whole family goes shopping together, it takes much longer and we end up spending much more money. 

I'll let you in on a not-so-secret secret, I like to save money. I know, shocker, right? So, the idea of spending more money than I need to is not my idea of a good time. (That's partly why we enjoy DIY so much.) And the kids know this, of course. They know how important it is to buy things on sale. And they especially know about my relationship with coupons (i.e. #8.)  Me + Coupons = Love


So, there I was, minding my own business, compiling my list for the store today. And what did I find???

A Lego piece in with my coupons!

He must figure that the more I see Legos with coupons, the more I'll start to associate them with saving money. And the more I recognize them as saving money, the more likely I'll be to start buying them regularly. Pretty tricky, I tell ya.

Subliminal messages at its finest.


Hmm, I wonder if it would work if I tried keeping my cleaning supplies in his room . . .



Want to see more crazy surprises? The entire list can be found here.

Pantry Surprise 10/3/12

I'm pretty sure it's best to apply makeup in a well-lit room. While looking in a mirror.

Not a dark closet with no chance of viewing your reflection.

Maybe that's just me though. 

Apparently my 4 year old has another opinion. It's a good thing her makeup is only an empty case with dried nail polish inside to look realistic. Otherwise, we might have a clown in our midst. 

Although, that might help keep the boys away when she older. Hmm . . .

Pantry Surprise 9/22/12

I said it before, and I'll say it again: My kids are geniuses. 

They really know how to maximize their time. Remember this tip? They have implemented it many times since then. Just think how much time they've saved!

Their ingenuity has amazed me once again.

See? A hanger in the shower! 

I didn't even notice it until I was in there. I thought, how silly, a hanger in the shower. Then, a hanger in the shower! Of course. We should totally start hanging our clothes in there. Who needs closets? Just think how much time we'd save if we didn't have to go to our rooms to get clothes before bathing! And then we just get dressed right there once we're done. 

Geniuses, I tell ya. 

Want to see more crazy surprises? Find them here.

     

Pantry Surprise 9/8/12

I think we have a closet eater.

Some people leave empty potato chip bags scattered around.

Others shove candy wrappers into pockets or drawers.

Our kids?

Our kids sneak uncooked pasta from the pantry and leave traces of it on the bedroom floor.

For now, I'll assume it's a passing phase. But if I start to find spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese on the dressers, we'll seek therapeutic help.

Pantry Surprise 8/5/12

˙əsıɹdɹns sıɥʇ punoɟ ɐssʎlɐ


˙ ˙ ˙ dləɥ əɯ ʇəl ¿uʍop əpısdn sı uəəɹɔs ɹnoʎ 'ɥo


d ı l ɟ

There. Is that better?

I was ironing when Alyssa started crawling under the ironing board. Immediately, I scolded her and told her not to play there. (What if she knocked it over and the hot iron fell on her?!?)

"But, Mommy," she said, "I need to get my girl."

Get your girl?

I looked under the board and saw Cherry Jam just hanging out. Alyssa was just as surprised as I was to find her beloved toy trapped in a hole. How do these things even happen???

All I know is that this Cherry Jam surprise is much better than this cherry jam surprise. Don't you agree?

Pantry Surprise 7/20/12

Kids think that moms have eyes in the back of their heads because we always know what they do.


Sometimes though, the information comes from our spies.

Like appliances for instance.

My kids tried to use the microwave without my knowing. They thought they were so tricky. They thought they took the necessary precautions to keep their operation covert. 

 

Oh, but I'm on to them. They never expected  the microwave to be my secret agent and inform me of their clandestine acts. Muahaha!!!!

 Moral of the story - Don't mess with moms. 

After all, we have eyes in the back of our heads.

Pantry Surprise 7/14/12

Imagine my surprise when I bought this bag of chocolate chips.

Only to bring it home and find out that it's actually a bar of chocolate.

The funny thing is, I was sure it was indeed a bag of chips when I bought it.

And put it in my van.

And left it there for hours in the 90-degree weather.

I was sure it was chips. I just don't get it.
 


Want to see more fun surprises? Click HERE.

Pantry Surprise 7/7/12

I've been wanting my kitchen cabinets re-done for a while now.


This isn't exactly what I had in mind though.

I was thinking more like painting them.

I suppose plastering the cabinets with stickers would work too.



Want to see other crazy surprises? You can find them HERE.

Pantry Surprise 6/21/12

Today is our anniversary! It's amazing how fast the past 9 years have flown by.

This was actually my second surprise of the day. First of all, Leighton brought home a dozen roses yesterday so I could enjoy them the entire day today. Then, I found a card when I opened up the laptop this morning. 

It wasn't until 1:30 pm that I found this second card. And I even had to close the pantry door when I got up this morning because he left it open, but I didn't see it! Of course, he says he left it open on purpose so I would see it, but he always leaves the door open so I didn't think twice about it. I eventually found it as I was closing the door after the kids left it open. 

I think we need to practice closing doors in our house. And when I say we, I mean the rest of my family.

Regardless, it was a pleasant surprise. 

Want to catch up on other Pantry Surprises? You can find the entire list here.

Pantry Surprise 5/26/12

I know you're totally going to be jealous.


After all, not everyone finds . . . 

dirty socks in their pantry!

This is not the first time I've found laundry in my pantry, like the time I couldn't even post a picture or the time I had no explanation. At least this time it makes sense. See, our pantry is over our basement stairs, so the one side is sloped. Jake told me he took off his socks because he kept slipping as he tried to climb the wall to reach something on the top shelf.  Just like the other pantry surprises, he forgot about them and shut the door. There they remained until I entered the pantry a little white later.

I suppose there could be worse things to stumble upon, as long as they don't expect me to cook up some dirty socks for dinner!

Pantry Surprise 4/14/12

I was sorting through the mail when I heard, "Why is the salt and pepper in the living room?"

Some things are better left unanswered.

Pantry Surprise 2/25/12

I had a basket or two of laundry dumped out on the living room floor, and all three kids were "helping" me fold it. Zac mostly just likes to jump and roll in the clothes, which is a pet peeve of mine. He'll stop and then play with random articles of clothing. The older two were working on socks. Jake's folded socks were more like balls instead of tubes. Alyssa does pretty well at folding most things. She loves helping me, and I love when she does. There was a day when I'd go behind and "fix" the things they had folded - wash cloths with edges that weren't lined up, shirts with sleeves that were uneven, socks that were mushed into a half-folded/half-rolled ball. I've realized though, that they are learning valuable skills. They're strengthening fine motor abilities, gaining independence, learning life skills, and building a sense of accomplishment. Those qualities are more important than having pants that are folded perfectly. 

Whether or not they help me fold the laundry, it is their responsibility to put their piles of clothes away (except for 2-year-old Zac.) If they change outfits during the day (which they love to do, especially girly-girl Alyssa), it is also up to them to fold those clothes and put them away. 

We finished folding and putting everything away and went on with our day. It wasn't until a couple hours later that I opened the pantry door. I found something I've never seen in there before. Apparently not all the clothes had been put in their proper places. Sitting in the middle of the pantry was a pair of underwear. Where's the picture, you ask? Oh, let's just say it didn't belong to any of the kids, and I didn't think it would be appropriate to plaster my unmentionables all over the internet (though it might increase my stats!) Remember I said Zac likes to play with the clothes while I'm folding them? That certain item was one that he had chosen and had apparently wandered off with them. Little Stinker. Zac that is. Ahem. 

Let's just hope that he doesn't do something like that again when we have company over, because in Jake's words, "that would just be awkward." 

You can catch up on all Pantry Surprises here.

Pantry Suprirse 1/29/12

It's a joke in our house that we have pet squirrels. So often when we open the front door, 1 or 2 (or even up to 5!) squirrels will come running to our house. You can see them coming from down the street, going as fast as their little legs will carry them. When they get to our house, they just sit there looking at us, waiting for food. They are so used to us throwing out stale bread, crackers, pizza, cookies, cake, whatever the kids have left sit out. Sometimes when we leave the house, the squirrels will walk right up to the front door and just look at it. It's like they're saying, "Hey, I heard the door open. Where's the food?" They are trained. 

This is what I found a couple days ago when I was getting the mail:

That is a homemade biscuit (remind me to post the recipe one day!) in the back of our on-the-house mailbox. I have found all sorts of food in there. The squirrels think it's their own, personal pantry.

When I start finding toys in the back of the mailbox, then I'll be concerned.

Pantry Surprise 1/23/12

Either my kids are complete geniuses . . . or just really forgetful.

I found this snack cup sitting helplessly on a pantry self. This leaves me to believe one of three things happened:

1) A child entered the pantry, cup in hand, looking for a snack. Said child got distracted by something amazing, set the cup on the shelf, and left the pantry in a rush.

2) A child entered the pantry, cup in hand, looking for a snack. Said child was told, "You don't need a snack," set the cup on the shelf, and left the pantry in a rush.

3) A child entered the pantry, cup in hand, set the cup on the shelf just so it was readily available for the next time, and left the pantry in a rush.

Just think how much time we could save if we just implemented #3 more often. We could keep the bowls on a shelf next to the cereal, the pasta in the cupboard by the pots, the crackers in the fridge near the cheese, the milk in the pantry by the Oreos, and everything else scattered across the kitchen counters! We could literally shave seconds off each time we needed something in the kitchen.

I tell you, my kids are geniuses!

Pantry Surprise 1/9/12

I posted the other day about Zac being able to open the pantry door. He's already left his very own Pantry Surprise. He's a quick learner.

These Kids K'Nex are really cute. Zac got them for Christmas and plays with them all the time. So much so that he couldn't bear to set it down before venturing into the pantry to play, I mean get into trouble, I mean find a snack. 

Yep, he's a Leaf.

Find the entire list of Pantry Surprises HERE.

We're in Trouble . . .

We're in trouble . . . and that's an understatement. 

If you've read the blog for any amount of time now, you'll know just how much little Zachy, our 2 year old, loves food. Some people eat to live. He lives to eat. He's always been our solid, chunky little boy. While the other 2 kids weighed 6 lb 8 oz and 6 lb 4 oz when they were born, he weighed in at a whopping 7 lb 15 oz. The other 2 are still super skinny, super tiny. He is . . . not. We've had people ask if he and Alyssa are twins even though there are 19 months between them. 

Not only is he built bigger, he eats to maintain that figure, as seen here and here and here and here. He learned many months ago how to open the refrigerator door. There was a black cloud hovering that day as I envision my grocery bill rising each time he ventured into the kitchen.

But this week, we experienced something even more monumental, maybe even worthy of 2 black clouds . . . Zac figured out how to open the pantry door. What? No big deal, you say? This child already gets into everything, like here and here and here. In his eyes, the pantry is a food shrine. It attracts him like lint to a black skirt or rain to a clean car or kids to anything disgusting.

Again I say, we're in trouble.

"Oh, hi, Mom. I'm not getting in trouble. See how innocent I look?"

 "What? I'm not supposed to play in the pantry? But see how cute I am?"

Yep, he was definitely quite proud of himself.

 

 And quickly turned mischievous.

After a few minutes, I heard a click and then "Mommy! Mommy! I stuck!" I got a good chuckle and took my time releasing him from his food prison. Then he thought it was funny, and closed it again and again.

Yep. We're in trouble.