the Vaseline Event

Many of you saw these pictures on Facebook. Many of you probably did not. The Vaseline Event, as I now "lovingly" refer to it, has been a turning point in the way we parent these boys. And because this blog is about milestones for our family, it is only fitting that the Vaseline Event be included. Also, this is hilarious and I want you all to get a good laugh. New parents and parents-to-be, learn from us. And everyone else, you will also learn what gets Vaseline out of hair.

I am sure you are saying WHAT?!!??!!  Vaseline??!  Hair?!!

Um. Yep. An entire jar of Vaseline in the hairs of two little boys. Short story is that this is what happens when two little boys are being quite and Mommy and Dad think they are just being sweet and playing nicely together. WRONG. They are conniving. And doing something they shouldn't be doing.

Now for the long story. The boys have recently been playing together. Wanting to play together. And they will play back in their rooms, they will color together or play play-doh, or they will play trains together in the livingroom. Usually I can hear them....but not always. And there is occasionally a scream, tattle, cry out, or whatever...but then they seem to work it out. So last Wednesday as Josh and I were preparing supper (for our family AND a friend who just had a baby) the boys were doing their recent play-together-thing. And they were being good...and quiet. (First lesson: quiet boys = trouble) I recall telling Josh to go check on them but he replied he didn't want to disturb the peace and I completely agreed. Usually when we stick our heads in to peek on them, all harmony goes out the window. So we let them play. Then right before our lasagna was to come out of the oven and our friend's was to go in, all hell broke loose.

Josh went back to check on the kids/tell them to come eat, and instead of a parade of little feet out to the kitchen I heard my name. I rolled my eyes and walked back to Keagan's room. And that's when I saw it:

Vaseline. Everywhere. Not just on the boys and in their hair, but all over their play tent, the dresser, the throw pillows off our couch, the blankets. And the now empty Vaseline jar sat open, quietly, on the greasy dresser. I fell to my knees in a laughter. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes. I was so mad at them, yet they looked hilarious and I couldn't believe what they had done that I seriously couldn't stop laughing. I wanted to cry! Where in the world do I begin to clean this mess up?! How in the world will we get this out of their hair, off the furniture/toys/linens/everything?!!?!!! I continued to laugh.

Then Keagan, also laughing, thinking this was actually funny and he wasn't in trouble, said: "Mommy, we need more of that stuff." (Lesson #2: When your child(ren) does something terrible, don't laugh. It is too hard to go back and really reprimand.)

OH Supper!!!!! Must.Not.Forget.About.It.  (We somehow made it all work in the end...we ate good, then took supper to our friends...all before 10 o'clock)

Continuing to laugh I grabbed Finn's slick Vaseline-covered hand and led him to the bathroom nagging that he NOT TOUCH ANYTHING while we are making our way. We bathed the boys twice, washed their hair so many times we lost count. The water just beaded off their heads in a Nanny-Nanny-Boo-Boo type of taunt, like water rolls off a duck. We washed with grown-up shampoo, bar soap, their shampoo...then we realized Dawn soap is the ultimate de-greaser. So we washed a bunch with Dawn. And combed out the Vaseline. Then between bathings Josh tried baby powder (something a quick Google search must've brought up). Then back to the bathtub. Nothing really helped.

The next day Ms. Brittney was good enough to just have a "bath day" with the boys. She did some Googling and decided to try Coke and then eggs, along with Dawn soap. She managed to get it pretty well out of Keagan's hair, but Finn was still a bit greasy. Both boys' hair is now beautifully conditioned. (Lesson 3: Eggs + Dawn soap seem to be the magic combo should you ever find yourself needing a hard-core degreaser)

(Lesson 4: While terribly hard to get out of your hair, Vaseline seems to be a great conditioner!)

Needless to say, they are not allowed alone together for a while. Oh and the biggest lesson I have learned, bigger than something being wrong if my little boys are quiet, is that you should NEVER-EVER leave a jar of Vaseline in the child's room. It may have been there since they were born, and seem like an unassuming permanent fixture on a dresser that a child will never touch, but rest assured your 2 and 4 year olds will find it. We are just thankful that it wasn't something dangerous or poisonous.

Oh. And those boys are the luckiest little boys on the face of the earth. They never got reprimanded, just a "talking to." Nope, the moment passed. We laughed too much during the incident...and I am still tickled about it.