Do You Have Any Ritz Crackers?

Years and years ago, when Glenn was just seven, we had a babysitter who made the three kids some chicken noodle soup.  (Yes, at one time we had only three kids!)  Glenn asked the sitter for some Ritz Crackers to go with the soup.  She looked and said she was sorry, but there were no Ritz Crackers.  Glenn jumped up and said, "Follow me!"  She followed him to the garage to the food storage shelves.  There were 5 boxes of Ritz crackers on the shelf.  He said, "We ARE the Ritz's!  We ALWAYS have Ritz Crackers!!" 

Even before I became a Ritz, I preferred Ritz Crackers to the generic grocery store brands of the same kind.  Whenever they are on sale I buy several boxes.  Recently I bought a big box of them at Costco.

Two weeks ago we vacuumed and cleaned out the cars.  Harrison helped.

Two days later I rushed home with the little boys.  I had ten minutes between running errands and picking up the older kids from school before rushing off to piano lessons.  I took Bennett and ran upstairs to start dinner.  Harrison was playing with his guys in the driveway.... or so I thought.  Ten minutes later I ran out, ready to speed off and found complete destruction!  Harrison had ripped to pieces the Transformers pinata we were saving for Maxwell's upcoming 8th birthday.  He had gotten into some gummy snacks and I found a total of 10 wrappers throughout the garage and driveway!  He had opened a box of Ritz Crackers and crushed them all over the garage and driveway!!!!  I swept up and did a 2 mninute clean up.  I then opened the van and found an even bigger mess! 

He had turned on my wipers and my lights, good thing I hadn't left my keys in there for him!  He had crushed Ritz crackers all over the van.  Ritz Cracker crumbs covered EVERY surface!  They were in the cup holders, on the dashboard, in every nook and cranny!

I was NOT happy.  As we were driving to the school to pick up the older kids, I asked Harrison if what he had done was fun.  This is what he did.

By they way, he's wearing all brown on purpose.  He wanted to look like Jerry. 

Bennett was really happy because he kept finding Ritz cracker bits to snack on in his car seat.

Bennett was happy about the yummy crumbs everywhere.

After we dropped off the older kids at piano, we came home and he had to sit in the driveway and watch me vacuum out the van.  He cried the whole time.  He wanted to vacuum so badly.  I think that's why he made the mess.  It was a huge headache and set me behind, but it was worth me cleaning up the mess with him watching and not allowed to help.  I felt really evil about the fact that I was laughing in the van while he was crying in the driveway.   I was able to laugh about the fact that he did all this because he wanted to vacuum so badly.

A week later I was Facebooking (HAH!  I just made up a new word!) in my bed on the laptop.  I was making a photo album for my mom for Mother's day on Facebook. There now, that doesn't sound so bad, right?  Harrison was watching Tom & Jerry downstairs and Bennett was taking a nap.  When I was about 10 minutes from being done, Harrison came upstairs and Bennett woke up.  I could hear them playing and so I kept working.  When I was done I went in there and found that Harrison had brought up some Ritz crackers and some scissors, to open them and got in the crib.

He also brought up some dried Mango's.

First he piled about 5 extra blankets/quilts in the crib.  That made the mess even more fun!

Bennett's cheeks were filled with crackers.  He was having so much fun with all the attention from his big brother!

Crackers all over the floor as well.

The pack of Ritz Crackers became a gun. 

Then the packs became special guns that could shoot with his eyes!

After I shook out the blankets and put them in the wash, this is what was left.  I had to vacuum out the crib before I could change his sheets.

I am seriously wondering now if the Ritz Family is going to continue buying Ritz Crackers.  We might take a break from them.  At least till Harrison has passed through this phase where he feels the crazy need to smash them everywhere!