recapping a one hour period last night
Pick up A from daycare and get her in the car and on our way. Stop at E's school to pick him up. He is challenging to round up, but I manage to do so without losing either kid. Get home, A has a fit in the car over who knows what and is crying her head off. Get both kids in the house, only to find that the dog has pooped in multiple locations in the dining room and bathroom. Open window, refrain from cursing dog at the top of my lungs, clean up poop to the tune of "when can we play star wars? you promised! when!!!". Take deep breaths AFTER poop is gone as now breathing is not disgusting.
Realize that we have to leave for the TS support group in an hour, and that I need to get moving even faster. Start dinner while listening to E cry incessantly about us going to meetings "all the time" and "why didn't you tell me sooner" and "I don't want you to goooooooooooo" ad nauseum. Scurry downstairs to take sheets from the bedwetting incident the previous night and get them in the dryer. Hope that they'll be dry in time to re-make bed before leaving!
Continue working on dinner, take the dog out (why???), come back in and realize the bathroom rug now needs washing from the dog and go downstairs with it to put in the washer. Check the dryer, nowhere near done. Clean lint trap to hopefully hurry things along. Choose a vegetable from the downstairs freezer that should, in theory, be acceptable to both children to eat. Trudge upstairs.
Listen to kids fighting loudly as I try to brown meat. D comes in to the chaos, is tired and grouchy from a long day and a bad sore foot. D gets accosted by kids with whining and anger about us leaving. D is not pleased. D takes over the kitchen duties, allowing me to get the dog and the mail. Bills. Ugh. Curse the dog quietly under my breath while kids are not within earshot.
Set the table and feed the dog. A helps me set the table as best she can, which often results in things being spilled on the floor. Deep breaths trying to remain positive about the 'help' I am receiving. Get hands washed, dog fed, dinner on the table. Listen to both kids complain about the dinner option, and continue to complain about why we are going out. Patience dwindling from adults at a RAPID pace. E eats the entree, but not the veggie. A turns her nose up at the entree, but eats the veggie. If they could only be combined into one child! E complains that the portion size of veggie was too big, D snaps, E melts down. That's it for my meal! A then also cries her head off because E is, and heck if she's going to let that opportunity go to waste. A is sent to her room, E to his, I clear the table.
I go downstairs to check the progress of the sheets, and find them dry. Up two flights of stairs, amid cries of children, to re-make the bed. Realize that re-making the bed involves about 100 stuffed animals. Work very carefully to keep as many as possible in their places under the fitted sheets to make it all easier. Sweat and strain to get the sheet on the bed without knocking everything off and dodging the cat's repeated attempts to help.
Listen to the sounds of my mother arriving to babysit (bless her) and the insane frantic dog barking that goes along with anyone coming in or leaving the house. Know that D is really fed up, E is still crying, and mother is clueless so I scurry downstairs to deflect anything that needs deflecting. Listen to both kids AGAIN complaining about going, and listen to D saying she doesn't want to go EITHER, prompting me to say that I would go on my own, and was promptly discouraged from that.
Get into car, ride to gas station in QUIET, pump gas. Deep breaths. Realize that it has seriously only been one hour since I got home. No freaking WONDER I am so wiped out.
Realize that we have to leave for the TS support group in an hour, and that I need to get moving even faster. Start dinner while listening to E cry incessantly about us going to meetings "all the time" and "why didn't you tell me sooner" and "I don't want you to goooooooooooo" ad nauseum. Scurry downstairs to take sheets from the bedwetting incident the previous night and get them in the dryer. Hope that they'll be dry in time to re-make bed before leaving!
Continue working on dinner, take the dog out (why???), come back in and realize the bathroom rug now needs washing from the dog and go downstairs with it to put in the washer. Check the dryer, nowhere near done. Clean lint trap to hopefully hurry things along. Choose a vegetable from the downstairs freezer that should, in theory, be acceptable to both children to eat. Trudge upstairs.
Listen to kids fighting loudly as I try to brown meat. D comes in to the chaos, is tired and grouchy from a long day and a bad sore foot. D gets accosted by kids with whining and anger about us leaving. D is not pleased. D takes over the kitchen duties, allowing me to get the dog and the mail. Bills. Ugh. Curse the dog quietly under my breath while kids are not within earshot.
Set the table and feed the dog. A helps me set the table as best she can, which often results in things being spilled on the floor. Deep breaths trying to remain positive about the 'help' I am receiving. Get hands washed, dog fed, dinner on the table. Listen to both kids complain about the dinner option, and continue to complain about why we are going out. Patience dwindling from adults at a RAPID pace. E eats the entree, but not the veggie. A turns her nose up at the entree, but eats the veggie. If they could only be combined into one child! E complains that the portion size of veggie was too big, D snaps, E melts down. That's it for my meal! A then also cries her head off because E is, and heck if she's going to let that opportunity go to waste. A is sent to her room, E to his, I clear the table.
I go downstairs to check the progress of the sheets, and find them dry. Up two flights of stairs, amid cries of children, to re-make the bed. Realize that re-making the bed involves about 100 stuffed animals. Work very carefully to keep as many as possible in their places under the fitted sheets to make it all easier. Sweat and strain to get the sheet on the bed without knocking everything off and dodging the cat's repeated attempts to help.
Listen to the sounds of my mother arriving to babysit (bless her) and the insane frantic dog barking that goes along with anyone coming in or leaving the house. Know that D is really fed up, E is still crying, and mother is clueless so I scurry downstairs to deflect anything that needs deflecting. Listen to both kids AGAIN complaining about going, and listen to D saying she doesn't want to go EITHER, prompting me to say that I would go on my own, and was promptly discouraged from that.
Get into car, ride to gas station in QUIET, pump gas. Deep breaths. Realize that it has seriously only been one hour since I got home. No freaking WONDER I am so wiped out.