The other day, I was building legos with the boys and we were having a grand time.  After a while though, Dexter got bored and he started to use his little plastic bin (about the size of a lunch box), to smash the legos from side to side on the table – going into full destructo mode.  Nicholas perked up with interest and of course, copied his brother.  For those of you who have stopped by to visit, you know that our living room, with the high ceiling, can get very loud, very quickly.  Think about how long Lego crashing on a wood table can be.  Yep – darn tootin’ loud.  I put up with it for a while and then kindly asked the boys to stop.  Nicky complied.  Dexter smiled and did it again.  “Dexter – this is your warning – no more crashing legos.”  CRASH.  “OK Dexter, time for a time out – 3o seconds.”  We walked to the blanket and I set the timer.  Yes, I realize you are all thinking – a time out for crashing legos?  Yes – it had been a long day and I was done with that noise.  Anyway, the timer went “ding” and the time out was over.  Back to the table and CRASH.  Nicky followed his brother’s lead – CRASH.  “OK – both of you to the blanket.  A minute time out.”  They walked over to the blanket and stood looking at me.  This is were things really started to get interesting.  I honestly can’t remember who started it so I’ll blame Dexter, but all of a sudden, a Dexter’s toe crept off of the blanket and was on carpet.  If they didn’t want to be in time out, the boys had a way of getting off the blanket before time was up.  So I said “time out isn’t over, back on the blanket.”  Then Nicky was straddling the blanket – one foot on / one foot off.  He was smiling - it was rather a large smile with a definite twinkle in his eye.  “On the blanket, Nicky.”  “Dexter – back on that blanket, mister.”  Ding – time out was over.

They both ran back to the legos and shouted “Time out!” and ran back to the blanket with hug smiles and giggles.  They would then say “Ding – timeout over” and run back out of the family room.  I’d hear Dexter shout “timeout” and he’d run back to the blanket.  Giggles became laughs and I could no longer keep a straight face.  This game lasted a good 5 – 10 minutes.  How are you suppose to discipline kids if they make a silly game out of it?   Today Malin told me that she and Nicky played the timeout game.  Lordy – Joel and I are doomed.

Other interesting items to note: for the first time –  Nicholas called out to me from his bedroom after I had put them down for bed and said “Mamma – come here” in that super sweet Nicky voice.  In the past, he’s just screamed or yelled Mama, no “Mama, come here.”  My heart melted and I whispered “sucker” under my breath to myself as I headed back upstairs, caving to his stall tactic.

Crap – I know I had more to tell you but my brain just shut down.  Oh, Nicky learned how to make the mouth work on a frog puppet we have.  Dexter learned to whisper.  He only uses it in the middle of the night though.  Now I remember the other one.  I don’t know who to give this one credit to, but as Joel and I were cleaning up from dinner tonight, we heard a lid bang, a toilet flush, and giggles erupt.  Joel and I looked at one another in horror and I ran for the bathroom.  Yes, today, one of my sons figured out how to flush a toilet.  It was only with the promise of TV that I pried them loose from the toilet and diverted their attention to brain rot.

That’s all I have for you tonight.  Time to go rest my weary head.  We are hopefully nearing the end of the boys’ two year molars entering service in their mouth.  Dexter has just a half a tooth left to go and Nicky won’t open his mouth for us.  Only for his hand and food.  At least he can now tell us where he hurts.  That’s a bonus.