And the adventure continues...

I joked a few weeks ago that I was going to write a book about the adventures I have as a mom of three boys and I really am considering it. I really have some stories to tell. Sometimes I wonder if people just watch me with my boys and laugh, or pray for me. So today it all started when we woke up to rain. Rain is never a good thing when you have three preschoolers and you need to go somewhere, unless you are talking about the Chickfila drive through and for that, rain is acceptable. It's our last day of preschool for the week and all the way there I am thinking about my different options to get the kids inside. I can actually think in the car because the big boys are happily watching a praise and worship video. I've decided that I can tolerate the TV on in the car if I actually enjoy what they are watching without actually being able to see it, worship videos are great. Anyway, we pull into the parking lot, late as usual, and decide that it is raining enough that I don't need to deal with three kids in the parking lot. I pull up to the overhang and three other moms that I teach with are letting kids out as well. I decide that the big boys should get out and let me walk them to the playroom where they hang out while the moms get their rooms ready. The dilemma here is that I have to walk them to the point where the playroom teacher can see them and I can still see Sawyer who is in the car. I am only 8 feet from him which means I have to trust the other two to walk through a door and go about 15 feet without me being able to see them into the playroom where I can see them again. They made it and the rain slacked enough after we parked for me and Sawyer to make it in with my raincoat and the little shades on his seat and stroller showing just a few raindrops. Whew! But guess what we had to repeat the whole thing when school got out! Oh and we had to go to the Doctor's office for Sawyer's shots that he couldn't get last Monday because he had hives! He couldn't get them last Friday because he had an ear infection. So to the doctor I go for the third time in less than two weeks with 3 kids, in the rain. Feel sorry for me yet? Oh and by the way going anywhere after school without naps is never a good thing. I'm sure we were quite comical in the parking lot because we only had one umbrella and I was carrying the baby seat and Mason while Rush held the umbrella. You can't take in the stroller because there isn't enough room in there for it all. Did I mention that I was having problems getting my remote to close the door? We have been inside 20 minutes or so and they have asked us the same questions about our insurance, home address and phone number, and emergency contact that they asked us both times last week. "It's still the same" doesn't work as the appropriate answer by the way, you have to fully answer each question. Mason, being tired, is really loud and wants to talk about every picture and climb on every chair. Sawyer wants to eat and Rush wanted to play. While I reminded Rush how to play inside the doctor's office and fed Sawyer, Mason decided to spit, yes I sad spit, on every empty chair on the well side. I marched him up to the front and got some Kleenex and asked for something to clean those chairs with and made him wipe every chair off and I followed with alcohol wipes. We have now sat for 30 minutes, not to see a doctor, but just to see a nurse for shots. This man walks in with his kids and begins going through the 20 questions games with the front desk ladies when I hear him mention that there is a red van in the parking lot with it's side door fully open. Guess who's car that was? Mine! Now it's still raining and I have three kids inside and my remote doesn't work very well at a distance. What to do... I did the half of my body in and half of it out the door thing with one eye on the kids and the other on the car trying to make it work and praying that it will close so I don't have to drag all three of them out in the rain again. Please keep in mind that there are other parents in the lobby all of which came in after I did and only one noticed that there was a door open. Oh and there is a security guard out there as well that watched me come in with the kids. One of my spiritual gifts is helps, but apparently I was not among like gifted people today. That's OK, I made it and I promise to use my gifts. The shots were OK, he only cried a little. We made it out of there without breaking anything or loosing anybody. I decided Target was out of the question. We made it home and we are having a perfectly normal afternoon with the same amount of tears, hurt feelings and timeouts as normal. The day goes on. I am sure there will be another adventure tomorrow. Hopefully we can have the house picked up by the time Brian gets home since I don't have a wonderful meal fixed for dinner. I don't want him to wonder what we did all day! I am thankful for the gifts that God has given me in my children. I love each one of them unconditionally and am blessed to have them. I wouldn't trade them and the craziness for anything!

Ugh!!!

Do you ever have those days where you wish you could go back to the beginning and just start over? Today has been one of those days. It has been by far the worst day in 2010 for me. Where to begin... Nobody has been sleeping good. Sawyer has his first ear infection and is a little sniffly at night since he still sleeps in my room, I hear the sniffles all night long. Mason has the cough that is keeping him from sleeping good so when he wakes up he comes to our room. If Rush wakes up and realizes that Mason isn't in the room he goes looking for him. So at about 3:30 or so this morning everyone is in the bed with me and Brian. Queen size beds are not for 5 people. Brian relocated them, but after a while Mason came back. Sawyer wakes up really early to eat, but goes back to sleep. Just when I get good and asleep again the alarm goes off. I avoided it as long as possible, but had to get up. Immediately the routine kicks in... check the weather, turn on the oven for breakfast, check my email, do some dishes, iron clothes, put breakfast in the oven, shower, get dressed, bathe a child, dress 3 children (well dress one and stay on the others 2 so they will actually get dressed), pack lunches, make bottles, pack bags, tie shoes and load the car. Somewhere in there I think I moved some laundry from the washer to the dryer, broke up a few fights and dried some tears. While I was fixing lunches Mason poured sprite on the kitchen floor which of course had to be partially cleaned up before I could leave. Rush walked around for 15 minutes with one sock on because he "couldn't get the other on" which worked out because the other would have gotten wet from the Sprite. So we load up the car and about 20 minutes off schedule we were able to pull out of the garage. Did I mention that Mason also got the Sprite on his pants and I didn't even notice it until I was buckling him in and at this point it was too late to change his clothes. Anyway, off to school we go. Please keep in mind that I am not just taking them to school I actually work at the school so I am also late for work. The ride there was uneventful and even unloading the car was uneventful. Don't you know though that when you are late you always get caught. Not that I was trying to sneak in, but it would just be better if it wasn't blatantly obvious that I was really late. I dropped the kids off with no problem clocked in at the exact time I should have been unloading carpool and headed on my way. Sawyer is a gem through all of this craziness by the way. Needless to say at this point I am just not myself. During my first class, chapel, my CD player acts up and somehow I had copied the songs onto a CD in a different order than I had written down so I can't find my song. It's bad when 2 and 3 year olds look at you like you are an idiot. I couldn't find the tape I needed for my lesson, but in the end they sang praise to God and learned about loving GOd with your whole heart. As if the day wasn't bad enough the next class came into music and it just happened to be Rush's class. They were scattered around my room and I called them over to me to sit in front of me and Rush sat down and as soon as he did Chloe tripped over him and fell. Immediately there were tears and I saw some blood. I heard her hit, but couldn't really tell at first what had happened. I picked her up to comfort her and saw blood on her lip and thought that it wasn't too bad because I didn't see a gash or anything. I put her on the stage and then I saw this stream of blood. I sent Rush to go get Mrs. Terry and Marlee Grace to get me another paper towel and then I saw where it was coming from, her chin was completely gashed open and there was a definite need for stitches. Good thing that I know her mom since she works at the church. Amanda was close and she is laid back, a freak out would not have been good. We got her taken care of and I realized I have blood all over me, not just on my clothes, but all over me. Oh well, at least the child is ok. Rush was so worried that he did something wrong, but he didn't. His heart just aches for other people, he was worried. You have to love filling out paperwork stating that a child was hurt in your presence. Did I mention that all of this happened before 11 am. The rest of school was uneventful and of course my CD player never acted properly for the rest of the day. THe journey home was pretty good. Mason fell asleep, but didn't transfer when we got home. A two year old with a 20 minute power nap might very well be harder to handle than one that hasn't taken a nap. Sawyer is an angel and all Rush wants to do is play the Wii with his class mascot who got to come home with him today. Leo the Lion did not know what he was in for when he rode home in the Lachina van. He was content to hang out and was doing so until I found him swimming in the washing machine! I had the top open and was letting the water get hot for the towels I was getting out of the next room and when I came back there was Leo. You know the animals from the cat family don't like water and Leo came home with a note specifically saying he doesn't need to take a bath with you. Right now he is being fluffed in the dryer and I am praying that it all turns out ok. At this point I called Brian and told him that he need not be delayed in his arrival home from work. Rush still hasn't noticed Leo isn't playing the Wii with him and maybe he won't. There are still a few more hours in the day so who knows what else will happen!

Trying to catch up

Needless to say I have been very busy lately. The boys are doing great. Brian and I aren't too sleep deprived, but we could always use a nap. Rush is growing up and has become a wonderful helper to me. Mason is going through the terrible two's and is just the slightest bit moody these days. He does love "Sawyer baby" though. Sawyer is doing great as well. He is growing and sleeping as well as starting to laugh and play. As you could imagine there isn't much spare time around here. The only reason I am even able to do this now is because I have had a little too much caffeine. After months of no caffeine my body likes to stay awake after I drink my tea or Dr.Pepper. This has never happened before! Caffeine never used to phase me, but after a short hiatus I guess I have to get used to it again. Maybe I am just getting old! Anyway, three boys is very busy, but also very rewarding. God has truly blessed me with a wonderful family. I don't thank him enough for them. I promise to try and post more often, but we will see if I can follow through!

The Boys