Five minute Friday: May 2

Mess.

As a regular person, this could go in so many ways. As a parent, we all know where it's going to go. :)

Alexander and Colette are clearly brother and sister. They look SO much alike, from their big blue eyes to their crowded set of teeth to their goofy sense of humor. However, there are also many differences. One is that Colette is neat and clean, and Alexander is... well, a MESS.

He's 9 years old now. When he was 2, I expected his messes. He was a huge drooler, so he always had a bib on until he was, like, 3, and I carried extras around with me in the diaper bag. As he got older, he began using his shirt sleeve/shoulder as a napkin. I made jokes that they should sew napkins onto the shoulders of all of his shirts, detachable so that I could toss those directly into the OxiClean without even looking at them.

Unfortunately, he hasn't cleaned up his act much at this age. At the end of any typical day I can see exactly what he's eaten throughout the day. I know in the morning if he's brushed his teeth or not just by looking at his shirt. If he's used the towel, it's often on the floor. He's a MESS, and he leaves a mess wherever he's been. He's like my own little Pigpen.

The ironic thing is that he's in Cub Scouts, and one of their sayings is "Leave no trace." Cracks me up. Oh, he leaves traces all right, and lots of them. The path of his destruction has become legendary in this house.

The past couple of nights when I've checked on Colette before bed, she's entangled in her quilt. It's falling off the bed, it's over her head. Her pillow is askew and her sheets are all wadded up at the bottom of the bed. No matter how neatly she starts out, it's nothing short of a disaster by morning.

I really need just one neat kid. Please, can we keep her messes contained to nighttime tossings and turnings? I'm hoping her big brother will learn a thing or two from her.