Dining Room Or Race Track

When Jon and I bought our house, we (meaning I) couldn't wait to have a nice dining room set. I wanted a big table and a buffet and breakfront to hold all of our wine glasses, serving pieces, glass pitchers. It took us months to find one we (I) liked. I loved it. I still do, although I probably would go with a mahogany wood if I could do it all over again.

Now, 11 years and 4 kids later I cannot believe what the dining room I longed for has become. I don't know what kind of rules you have at home, but my number one rule: You can only ride your scooter/bike/car in the dining room. Not in the kitchen, not in the family room, keep it in the dining room.

Huh?

Why am I letting my kids ride these things in my house and why are they doing it in my dining room?

As the weather gets nasty outside I like my kids to still be active. And since our basement is very small, our big dining room makes a great track around the table. My kids circle around and around, and although it is totally annoying and drives me absolutely crazy, I prefer it over sitting on the couch watching tv or playing on the computer or playing Mario. I do actually wish they played Rock Band and Dance Revolution more often. I like playing those with them. I am really good at the guitar and drums. And I can beat my kids at Dance Revolution any day of the week.

Anyway, it is really starting to annoy me that we have a parking lot

in the corner of the dining room for all these outdoor vehicles, and between them and the strollers I'm totally getting claustrophobic and stressed. I think that not having a garage and our small basement is part of the problem. I try to take them downstairs in the utility room every so often. But sure enough I hear, "Where's my bike?" and "Where's my scooter?" I take Alyssa's trike and car downstairs but when she follows me to do laundry, she sees it and it always ends up back in the dining room. Truthfully Alyssa is rather cute with it. She takes a set of keys and puts it in the ignition and is off. And she has turned into Speedy Gonzales on her trike.

She always seems to find interesting things to put in the little basket on the back of her tricycle. Sometimes its the crayons she was using. Or the balls from the cariboo game. Other times she takes a snack and a drink. I actually love to look what is in there when I clean up the house every night. It always seems to put a little smile on my face.

Also, the kids always seem to get along while riding on their various vehicles. I almost died laughing last week when Will (while riding his bike) said, "I have an awesome ride." Who taught that kid to say these things? They sometimes even share their "rides" and take turns on each other's. I stress that it is only sometimes. If a scooter is missing from the "parking lot" I'll usually find it behind the living room couch. That means, "I am NOT sharing and nobody can touch my scooter." That is not one of those "sometimes."

Which brings me to another point. Do you remember when you were little and you had "control" of the remote. And if you ever had to leave the room, you would say to your sibling, "I call I still have the remote when I get back..." Or something like that? Well apparently kids these days have a similar thing going on except it's called squatters. And I can't stand it!!!! All day long this is what I hear....

"Squatters, I call you can't take my seat."

"Squatters on the remote."

"Squatters on my seat, the remote, and the blanket."

"Squatters, I get the remote and my seat back after my shower..."

"Squatters on my pencil."

"Squatters, Squatters... Squatters."

And if for some reason when they come back and someone is in their seat or using the blanket or writing with the pencil, I hear...

"What are you doing? I called squatters. Give it back."

Oh my freaking God!!!

I cannot stand it anymore. They say squatters about everything!

Oh, and remember that Saturday Night Live Skit... "Jinx. Buy me a coke."

I found it online:

SNL had a skit about "Jinx buy me a coke". they'd break into the rhyme:

Jinx! Buy me a Coke! Inky-dinky-pinky-winky! Flush it down the kitchen sinky! Alley Ooop! Alley Ooop! Doh hinky. The king of France wet his pants right in the middle of a ballroom dance. Yodleayheehoo! Yodleayheehoo! Nee nee nee ne nee nee neee ne nee nee nee nee. Huh!"

Well, apparently the new yorkers have taken over because now the kids know it as "Jinx. Buy me a soda."