Monday Mayhem

There was no doubt - today was Monday.

I began my morning at 6:30 a.m. when Kyle decided it was time to be awake and start his day. He is always so happy in the morning though so it is difficult to be upset that I had another hour to sleep.

We played in bed though. He is so cozy in the morning. I'd tickle him and he'd laugh. Then he would grab my face and try to "kiss" me. It's so sweet.

Around 7:30, I rolled out of bed shortly after Kyle decided to fall back asleep - just my luck.

None of the boys were happy with having to get out of bed this morning. It must have been in the air. But irregardless, we all started our day.

I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off. This is my normal routine. Mostly trying to get the diaper bag packed and getting the kids fed. I named off everything I needed to pack in the diaper bag, double checked my list, packed my lunch and sent the kids to the van. I then ran and grabbed my sleepy little Kyle, kissed Mark good-bye and out the door we went - it was 8:45 a.m.

Around 9:00 a.m. I made it to my first stop-Travis and Alex's Aunt's house. She watches them during the day. Sent them out the door and took off to my next stop.

Around 9:15 a.m. I made it to destination #2 - the babysitter's house. I quickly ran through the diaper bag with her - making sure everything was there. I mentioned Kyle's new eating schedule etc... then it hit me. I had forgotten to pack Kyle's milk! UGH! This meant a 15-20 minute trot back to my house to pick up his milk and then a 15-20 minute trot back to her house! I didn't need this. But Kyle needs to eat.

After running to the pharmacy (saving the babysitter a trip since I was going back through town anyway) I made it to the road my house is on at approximately 9:45 a.m. What is this? Road closed signs on my street? How ridiculous. I live on a little country road they never fix - heck they hardly ever plow - what do they want now? I figure I can get through - after all they can't block the people that live there from their homes, right? WRONG. I had to turn around and go around the block (5 miles around the block) and enter my road from the other side. UGH!

9:55 a.m. I leave my driveway - again.

I arrive BACK at the babysitter's house at approximately 10:10 a.m. with milk in hand. Then back to the car I go.

Stop #3 finds me at a customer's home. I have to drop off the company "loaner" car I had been driving all morning and pick up her vehicle for work. I arrive there at 10:20 a.m. and back on the road in no time at all. PHEW! What a morning. It can only get better from here.

The time clock clicks 10:50 a.m. as I punch in - 2 HOURS after I left my house the first time - what the heck! Oh well. Two seconds later the phone rings - it's the babysitter - I forgot to pack Kyle's bottles to drink the milk I ran back to get! I give up.

She's a great sitter and tells me that she will see if he will drink milk from his cup today (we are trying this "cup-thing" for a week or so now) if not, she thinks she has a bottle that maybe he'll use though it isn't the same kind as his. I tell her that I will see if I can reach my father to run some bottles out to her - just in case.

More worries? Yes. I try calling my Dad, his line is busy. 15 minutes later, still busy. 15 minutes later, still busy. 15 minutes later, still busy. Now, I begin to worry. 2 1/2 hours later when it still busy - I am in a state of panic. My Dad is never on the phone that long, besides that, I think he has call waiting - I shouldn't be getting a busy signal unless something is wrong. My nerves get the best of me and I start thinking all kinds of horrible things. So I call the next door neighbor. She calls back about 20 minutes later to tell me that his phone was off the hook and he's not even home. PHEW! O.k. - my heart begins to rest. But what about Kyle's bottles?

I call the sitter - he's taking her bottle and everything is o.k.

The Lord is so good. Through my chaos, He made sure that my baby would be o.k.

4:00 p.m it's time to leave work early today as the sitter had to be someplace too. I reach in my purse to get out the keys to MY car that I haven't driven since Friday (I had to take home that "loaner" vehicle for the customer, remember?) Wouldn't you know? I forgot to bring my keys to work! I had to borrow another "loaner" vehicle from my boss to get home! UGH! it continues!

I get in the van that he loaned me and look down - the gas tank? EMPTY! So now that I am running late - I need to stop for gas. No big deal, this should only take a minute and it did. Back on the road - thankful to be heading home.

I arrive at the babysitters house at 4:45 p.m. - right on time. The kids were good - everything is o.k - load them up and off to pick-up the older boys.

I arrive at their Aunt's house at 5:20 p.m. Unload Jacob and Kyle so I can quick talk to her. She mentions she has some clothes for me for Jacob - this is good news as he is always in need! We go through them, pick out some nice things and pile them up in the back of the van I am driving, after which, we pile the kids in too!

Finally, homeward bound.

6:00 p.m I pull into the driveway. I climb out of the van, open the door for the kids to pile out and remind Travis and Alex I will need their help bringing in the clothes. I open the back of the van just in time to be sprayed with sprinkler. The sprinkler? Yes, the sprinkler is on the grass right next to the van - Jacob thought it would be funny to turn it on and spray "his brothers!" Instead, he got me and ALL THE CLOTHES in the back of the van! Will today ever end?

Into the house to wake Mark up for work. Pack his lunch, kiss him good-bye and turn back to the house of screaming children.

After a quick visit by my Dad, the kids and I sit down to eat dinner. During dinner, Jacob starts acting silly. I can't even tell you what he was doing, because I really don't know. I do know that it made the boys laugh so hard they were afraid the food they were eating was going to come out of their noses! Kyle was in his high chair laughing and spitting out his peas. Jacob continued his entertainment. Finally, all I could do was laugh and laugh.

Monday mayhem? Yes. But tomorrow is another day and if I had missed today and all the messes that surrounded me, would I have had the moment of silliness at dinner and the chance to laugh with my children? I don't know, and that is something I wouldn't ever want to give up.