Not every day in my life is crazy, but this last week has been full of them. Yesterday was one of the worst! I woke up at 7am, got my son off to school by 8am, got my daughter off to school by 9am, and had 30 minutes to get myself and 2 smaller children ready and be at the Honda dealership for my 9:30 appointment Of course I was running late because only a superwoman could get everyone ready that fast (yes, I admit I'm not superwoman) so I pulled in at 9:45. Of course the baby decides it's the perfect time to tell me she's hungry so I'm bouncing her on my hip to keep her quiet (which didn't help much) and practically yelling at the car guy so he can hear me. Oh yeah, and little S is not happy about being buckled into the stroller so I resort to letting him play games on my iPhone. By 10am they took my car away and I was told it would take 2-3 hrs to do everything. What do you do for 2 hrs at a car dealership with 2 small kids??? Nothing, that's what. So I walked across the street to the mall. Well, it would be nice if I reported that I had a great time leisurly strolling the mall, but afterwards I felt like I had run a marathon (not that I've ever run one before).
First, I didn't realize the mall was like a half mile away. Second it was hot outside which made the walk longer. Third, because of the heat my feet were rubbing on my shoes and hurting. And fourth baby E was screaming to eat. I trying to quickly make it to the mall so I could feed her in the mother's lounge, but the crying finally broke me so I decided to stop at a bench along the sidewalk and feed her, despite the busy traffic going by. The only problem is, I didn't realize I had sat down next to a bus stop and all of a sudden a bus pulls up and waits for me to get on. Uhhh...embarassing. I quickly motion for the driver to move on and she gets the hint. Ok, baby done eating, baby quiet, baby goes back in the stroller and we keep walking.
I finally get to the mall, grab a drink for me and S because after a long walk in the heat we need it, rush to the two stores I needed to hit, and then quickly leave because I'm nearing my 2 hr mark. As I'm heading out of the mall, little E decides she is hungry again, or maybe tired, but anyway she starts screaming once more. Another long walk, in the heat, with a screaming baby and sore feet. Meanwhile, S is beginning his meltdown because it's lunch and nap time, and to top it off I have a UTI and I have to go to the bathroom like NOW! (I can't believe I just admitted that but if you've ever had one it helps you understand the urgency and discomfort I was in). By the end of my walk I just started sprinting because I couldn't take the crying any longer, my feet were killing me, and I just wanted this all over.
Luckily the car was done, so I buckled now sleeping S and still screaming E in their seats and sped off. Unfortunately I didn't make it home by the 12:00 mark so I had to ask a friend to keep A after preschool until I could pick her up, and I also forgot I had someone coming to my house at 12:00 for a craigslist item I was getting rid of, and she was annoyed I wasn't home. Aahhhh, I can't please everyone.
So on my speedy drive home I texted the craigslist person to say "Be there in 10" and I get there and hang out in my driveway and she doesn't show up. Meanwhile the clock is ticking and I'm supposed to pick up A from my friend's house by 12:45 and it's now...uh...12:45! Aahhhhh! So I call the craigslist lady and say I'm leaving your stuff on my driveway, gotta go, bye. And I speed to my friends house. I can't even begin to explain how tired I was after all this.
I get home and decide I really REALLY need a power nap, so I lay down on the couch and as soon as I drift off to sleep little S (who had a great nap in the car on the way home and is now raring to go) yells "Mooooom!" and brings me back to reality. I want to cry. Can't I just get a nap!??? Please, please, please!!! Then C gets home from school, my friend stops by to pick up her daughter who I was babysitting, and one thing leads to another and the day just keeps going. There's no time to stop. And to top it off, as I'm standing outside talking to my friend and holding S on my hip so he won't run into the street, he drops older brother's cool lightning McQueen flashlight which I just put new batteries in and it rolls down the street and drops into the gutter drain. Another aaahhhhh!
It was at that point that I promised my friend a blog post. So Heather, this is for you.
The rest of the evening is pretty much a blurr, running around after kids, cleaning kitchen, fixing food, scrubbing dishes with vinegar water because dishwasher has been leaving hard water spots all over them, etc, etc, etc. But, the most vivid memory I have of the evening (besides the feeling of complete and utter exhaustion) is my husband calling on his way home from work to tell me how tired he is. What do I say?
