Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins...and other Stuff

In other words, busy busy busy!

I introduced these one-of-a-kind hand drawn pumpkins and I didn't expect the crazy response! I knew I would sell a few, but I was suddenly inundated with sales!

Awesome.

I'm not complaining because ever since I took a break from teaching to stay home with X-man and launch this little art venture, I want this kind of "problem"!

I do have to say, I about went cross-eyed with the 4-5 days that Chris was in Vegas as I worked on pumpkin orders while trying to run the house, go to Parent teacher conference (because it was the end of the first quarter) and not kill the kids. But I caught up! 

It is tricky with an almost 3 year old in the house. The house isn't the only place at risk. I had to go to my local print shop and have them scan one of the custom orders that was going to my wonderful repeat Canadian customer (see artwork at left and below), and I had just picked up more white pumpkins at the craft store. 

As for the scans, Chris usually takes care of the scans for me, but he was out of town and I couldn't wait for him to return to scan the artwork. It had to go out to the customer. 

I THOUGHT Alexander would be happy playing with the pumpkin while I was taking care of the scan in the print shop. I don't know what I was thinking. OF COURSE it was going to be nuts. He lost interest in the pumpkin and promptly began running around. The employees know me and have seen Alexander's modus operandi there previously. But some customers were giving disapproving looks because I wasn't "controlling" my child. What I did wrong? I didn't bring the monkey leash. But that would bring on a different set of dissaproving looks.


But then....it happened. 

Alexander pushed over one of those rotating towers of greeting cards. Cards flew everywhere like a ticker-tape parade. If someone was near the tower, they could have been hurt. Of course that wasn't the end of the fun, but that was the high point of interest in his rampage that Monday late morning.

I think any teens or irresponsible young adults who are thinking of having unprotected sex should just follow me around. It'll scare them enough!

Luckily, despite all the Judgy McJudgersons out there who assume I am a lousy mom and my kid goes crazy and I don't do anything about it, many other Moms "get it". I loved some responses (later that day...after I recovered somewhat...) from my nearby and "far-by" friends:  

- Yeah...I had a 2 year old once. He licked a downtown street. With his tongue. (what else do you lick with?) Yeah the dirtiest street in town. I had great control too.

- That's in the same category as a child getting overstimulated and biting a complete stranger on the butt at Fry's. No wonder moms go crazy!

The following weekend, after Chris had arrived back in town and Fall Break officially started (Fall Break for the kids. Not for me or Chris! lol), I got an order for a print of this artwork (left).

Well, since it was only five days after the "incident", I wasn't about to walk back into that print shop. Chris was going in that direction to see a movie with Mikelle. I gave him the thumb-drive and detailed instructions of what I needed. Normally an artist shouldn't assign such matters to an engineer, but in this case, like I said, I wasn't about to go back into that place and show my face! 

He said when he was in there, THEY brought up how cute our son was (referring to Thing 3). Chris said, "Not when he's dumping over a tower of cards." They just laughed and said it was fine.  Another employee said, while laughing, "I wasn't here but I heard about it." 

Yeah, fine for them. I know it's on surveillance there and I wish I could destroy the tape.

And yesterday, Chris took the boys on an outing to Peter Piper Pizza (below). He admitted later that he and Christian briefly lost track of Alexander (why does he tell me these things?). Where was he? INSIDE the little basketball netted game. There is no picture of that because he said he and Christian had to get him out of there before they were kicked out. 

Part of me is glad it happened, because then these fun happenings in public don't just happen to me. Not that I want that kind of parenting stress to happen to Chris (well, maybe a little. After all, he is the one that got to go out of town for 4 days...). It just feels like it happens to me more because I'm home and dealing with it more. To echo one of my friend's words again: No wonder Moms go crazy!