Sadly typical. Except maybe add six to eight neighborhood kids to the mix to make it truly authentic…
The kids get home from school to find me in the kitchen trying to put together a new recipe for dinner. I’m trying to get it done early because we have piano lessons that night and dinner is always crazy because of it. I’m also on the phone trying to figure out a make-up tennis class for Max and whether or not someone else can drive him so I don’t have to haul everyone in the car to drop him off in the middle of the commotion that’s building. So Elle starts begging me to help her print out some pictures of elephants for her report that’s due the next day that she’s been talking about incessantly. Seriously, I’m so sick of hearing about elephants…love the things, but I’ve had enough of them for one week! So I try to help her but the printer’s broken. I try to figure out what’s wrong with it while my sauce for dinner is burning, and Gracie’s begging me to help her take out her earrings so she can change them. And Claire’s still crying from earlier because I let her and her friend sit on the rocks by the pool and Gracie turned on the ice cold waterfall so their bums got wet. Then Claire’s friend gets picked up and Claire starts to howl even louder because she’s dying that her friend can’t stay longer (she’s our biggest drama queen these days). All the while Lucy is crawling around and trying to get me to pick her up with snot dripping off her nose and an extremely full diaper. And then Elle reminds me again that her report is due the next day and she really needs to print her pictures. Then Max starts stomping around because he’s mad as can be that I’m making him practice the piano before he goes to tennis, and apparently he is starving to death and just has to have a snack. Then I get a call that he does have a ride to tennis (bless good friend’s hearts), but then he can’t find his racket. And Grace comes up and begs me to change her earrings again, so I do, then she begs to have a friend over. By this time it’s too late for friends since we’re having dinner early so she turns all pouty and Elle reminds me we need to find some rings for her darn elephant flip chart. At this point I’m about to cry. How in the world can I be there for everyone at the same time? And how in the world am I going to get this kitchen back in shape before the piano teacher arrives…it looks like a hurricane just hit with all my stuff out for making dinner and all the kids’ backpacks and papers strewn all over the place?
This is all after I had taken Claire and Lucy in for hearing checks, and Claire failed hers in both ears and Lucy was completely uncooperative so I have to drive all the way over there again in two weeks and wait in line all over again with dozens of developmentally delayed kids who make me worry even more about Lucy’s development. And what do I do about a child who fails her hearing test? The last time I took her to the doctor about it they prescribed antibiotics even with no sign of ear infection. I don’t like that, so now I have to figure out if the insurance will cover an ENT doctor and whether or not I need a referral which means more hours on the phone on hold…..
Such is life. But I still wouldn’t trade it.
i am SO SORRY…and now i’m tired. hahaha! 🙂
you’ll be happy to know that as soon as o logged off of your blog, for some STRANGE reason tatum asked me to draw an ELEPHANT!!!!! hahaha! how random is that?!?!?! happy elephant day 🙂
Shawni you better bring Claire over here when you have to take Lucy back for the hearing test. No need to subject yourself to that. I am so sorry it was such a rough afternoon. I know your well aware that I’ve been feeling the same “pulled in all directions” feelings as you. Please let me take the kids whenever you need a break. I’m praying for you!
hahahahhaha!! Sorry, I don’t mean to laugh!! But you have just described my night EVERY night! :)It’s the *5* kid thing. Our only son is our oldest, too. He starts HS next year and it was a mess last night trying to figure out what classes he was going to take. Things were CRAZY last night…maybe something was floating in the air and we all caught the bug!
**crossing fingers that tonight is better for all of us**
wow, i’m tired just reading that. you’re amazing. is that really what i’m in for in the next 8 years or so. i’m enjoying these 2 little ones for right now while i can. you’re doing it and your kids are generally happy and they know they’re loved. mission accomplished.
& why does the house have to be clean for the piano teacher? they just need the piano, right?
Hey Shawni… our family blog is http://www.azrigbyfamily.blogspot.com. I’m not sure why it signs me in w/ the other blog. I went to HS w/ Dave, so he knows most (if not all) the girls on the other blog.
I’m learning so much about teenage boys… and I feel that I have just “lost” mine. Not “lost” in a gospel sense, but in the friend/school/social/skate/sport sense. I wept a little on Sunday when it hit me. I’d give anything to get back just one more year. It really has made me look at my other children in a differnt light. And gets me excited to do it one more time…and I can’t believe I can admit to that. ha.
This is great! I love realistic people-
Like another comment said- You have described my life- but I call myself the CEO of Chaos. That is my home business! Last night at a CES Institute Meeting I was in, the director said “even chaos has order” – I thought for sure he didn’t have children- I don’t know what chaos planet he came from…he he he-You make me laugh- and I hope everything is well with your daughter (previous post) – I am glad your doctors are taking you serious. Moms know best!
Angela
http://www.luxetveritasacademy.org
Thank you for sharing. It is refreshing to hear someone else’s reality and feel a little more normal when I am on the verge of tears myself. Anne’s harp teacher comes to our house and sometimes the choas continues during the lesson. I have often chuckled as I look around the crazy madness while beautiful harp music is being played. The picture around me is so opposite of the peaceful, tranquil music.
I love that you are so REAL! I am right there with you… I wouldn’t trade these kids for the world, and why is it that we feel like we have to have the house clean for Sandy? I find my self doing the same thing every Thursday!!!
If it makes you feel better. As a child I use to fail the hearing test at the Dr. office every year and would have to go to a special place to get my ears tested. I had lots of ear infections as a child and it caused some slight damage to my eardrum and my hearing, but over time it got better and now I can hear perfectly, well almost…..”huh, whatcha say?” justing kidding, trying to makes you laugh when I know you are so stressed, but it will be alright. I just know it!!!
After I spent like 3 hours in the kitchen from snacks, to making muffins, to dinner to major clean up and running back and forth, taking kids here and there with stuff cooking while I running around helping everybody I went to bed exhausted last night. I was thinking why do I do these things? It is a major balancing act. Some days are smoother than others. In the end, we know we gave it are all. Right!!
That’s why your the mom…….Remember to count to ten and just smile when it gets crazy.
I have learned so much about ears from my first one, I have learned that most of the time, there is fluid in the ears from allergies, not infections and antibiotics doesn’t help that. After figuring out what my first was allergic too, the fluid cleared up instantly after 8 months of failed tests. No Dr. told me that. I had to read it for myself. The first thing is to take them off milk. Allergies were also a major cause of problems in my youngest autistic child.