Splish-Splash

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. Since the potty party days I have pretty much cut out all computer time while the twins are awake...and I've also started to make a point of using naptime to 1) complete some of the adoption education 2) accomplish at least one household chore 3) nap myself...which only leaves the evenings. And, in all honesty, the time I'm currently spending on the internet is way down. I like it because it's nice to detox from the web world. But I'm way behind in things like returning e-mails and updating the blog. I'll try to figure a better balance. It doesn't help that we've had a slow string of sickness (Lucas...then the twins...then me...all strung out to equal a lot of sick days in a row), which means not many activities to post about!

But I've been feeling the guilt. Guilt for not posting. Guilt for not doing anything worth posting. Guilt for being a bad mommy (I always feel like the worst mom when I'm sick. I'm usually too tired to come up with fun things to keep them entertained, and they inevitably get into something they shouldn't because of a lack of constructive activities to distract them, and I get upset, and they end up watching tv so I can rest without them getting into trouble). Guilt for focusing so much time and energy to completing the home study that I'm sure the twins are feeling the void. Guilt for having a week go by where I took no pictures to document this week of their life (can you tell I get a little irrational when I'm sick, and that adds to the incessant guilt?). Lucas had to be gone tonight and I wanted to redeem the day with a fun activity.

I've wanted for a while to try making this cool shower puffy paint I found once. I loved the idea of a fun activity for the kids that would simultaneously clean part of my house! Plus, it was perfect for tonight because the prep would be easy, but then they would pretty much be self sufficient and contained in the play. It was the perfect recipe for a fun end of the day with an under the weather mommy!

We used the blender to mix the soap and water to make the paint. The twins LOVE pushing the blender buttons, so that was half of the fun of the activity!

Ryan was super into painting...even though he had trouble figuring out how to get the paint out of the plastic baggy.

Allie wasn't into painting with the bag at all. She immediately opened the bag and started scooping it out and spreading it all over.

It wasn't long before she was painting her brother...

Ryan discovered that, if he put it in his water bowls (filling them and dumping them out already being a favorite shower activity), it would change the color and he could dump yellow water everywhere! Mixing the perfect paint/water combo became his focus.

It wasn't long before Allie joined and my two shower scientists were working on the perfect chemistry of combined colors and water.

Ryan holding the bowl under the water to create the sudsy concoction.

While Allie adds a little last-minute pink to the mix.

It kept them busy for a long shower, which let me relax and just look on with a smile. They were extremely excited and pleased with the special surprise. I was thrilled when I simply ran the water around the shower and cleaned up the full mess! Here's hoping that tomorrow we have a better day...or that I'm at least able to move past the guilt that so easily piles on when I'm feeling less than my best.

p.s. The performance of the Sesame Street Live that we saw used the song "Splish-Splash," which means it is on the cd that the twins listen to almost daily. It is now one of their favorite songs and their favorite to sing at bath/shower time. Thus the title of the post :)