Can I Have a Minute....PLEASE!!!!

Today has been a really good day. Nothing extraordinary but good none the less. I have made it pretty clear that I love my life so ordinary is great in my book.

The day started out like many. Bob needed to be at work early so I was a solo mommy. Since the week that I made everyone get up on their own with alarm clocks all the smalls have been pretty cooperative about getting out of bed. The morning went smoothly. Sophia made her lunch and I made lunch for the boys. Cereal all around for breakfast, backpacks prepped and we were out the door at 8:10. I was Carpool Mom this morning.

I originally had some nice weather fun things to do this morning (a walk with a friend and yard saleing) but it was pouring out so I came home. I let the dog out and made a quick breakfast since that doesn't seem to happen as I am getting everyone else ready. I sat down and watched TV for about 20 minutes while I had my food. I did have to let the dog back in and clean her feet during breakfast.

Back to work. I started by refilling all the things in the kitchen that needed it. At breakfast this morning there were only 2 choices!!!!!!! OH MY!!! I refilled the other 4 containers. Refilled the....salt, soy sauce, egg container, dog food, cheese sticks, brought sausage up for tomorrow, restocked drinks, brought up coffee etc, etc, etc... There was lots of running up and down the stairs. I moved papers around the house, put away books, cleaned up markers, mail, vacuumed, put away coats, put stuff on the stairs in hopes that people will take their own things....Yeah, RIGHT! I moved things around the house for almost 2 hours. Barely any of this would fit the definition of house work. I just moved around the house putting things back in the proper places. It's hard to tell that I did anything but I do know where a few things are now.

Oh, it's 11:30...Time to go get Kees and Truman and it's our day for a play date. Let the dog out, let the dog in, clean her feet..... I go. First, I pick up the book that Kees and I wrote about he and Slippy and the adventure they had last week. He left it at home. Slippy is his classes stuffed animal that they all take home and journal about. Next, I drop by the library to pick up the paper airplane book that is on hold for Kees. He's really into paper airplanes right now. And off to school.

I get the boys and we decide to go to OMSI! This is a great option 95% of the time. When we get there we check out the OMSI Store where they ask for, well, everything. They get exactly NOTHING!!! I was looking for a certain book on Leonardo DaVinci...we'll have to order it.

We go upstairs to the little kid area. This area is great especially for 2, almost 5 year olds. There is plenty to do and they can run around fairly independently. I had planned for this so I had magazines to go through. I try and do this at least once a year...damn, I miss leisurely going through my magazines. If you have kids you will understand this, if you don't, you won't. It's loud in the kid play area and because of the volume and sheer intensity of noise it's like a white noise for reading. You become like a mama penguin and the only thing that you can pick out of the "white noise" is the sound of your own chicks. That being said, you can also read or go through magazines.

INTERMISSION - Why is there and intermission in this piece? Because I completed this blog and the stupid computer or Internet failed. Yes, I was done and now it's gone and I am pissed..... I will now carry on.

I go through my magazines and find some fabulous recipes and vacation spots that I would have been sorry to miss. Just this week I weeded out about 20 magazines and just tossed them out with out so much as opening them. They were cluttering up my life and I am pretty sure that at least one article, in at least one of those magazines, would have said, "De clutter Your Life" and so I preemptively did. I spend about an hour going through magazines, tearing out things that look good and periodically prairie dogging to check on the boys. They were playing nicely, sharing, sticking together and generally playing well with others....they get an "A."

When it is almost 3 I announce that, "it's time to go home. Put on your socks and shoes." They both ask if we can go get something to eat. We usually do but this time they were so engrossed that once they were playing they didn't even think of it. This is great for "quiet time" for me but I didn't get lunch. I have, let's say, reserves. It's the price I pay.

We head toward home to make the Truman for Coulter and Sophia trade. Sophia wants to stay with her friend Amelia for a play date, fine. I take Kees and Coulter home.

As soon as we get home the boys decide they want to go outside and play 500 (whatever that is). I say, "That's fine but I have to pick up dog poop first." This is where the glam part of the job comes in. Food can wait. The dog is the first one out the door. If I don't do this it will mean WAY more work for me later. I get a couple bags because, "Surely Bob has picked up a few poops this week." Apparently I am mistaken. I ask Coulter to go get a couple more bags, "OK mom." He runs in and brings out a couple more bags. And still I need more, "Kees, please go get a couple more bags for me." He says, "No! I don't want to." And he is standing there arms crossed looking defiant. Really? Is now the time? I'm hungry and tired and I AM CLEANING UP POOP!!!!! I say, "You better go in and get some bags or you will be in BIG trouble." He can tell I am serious and he retrieves a couple bags. I continue picking up poop when they change their minds and ask, "Can we play Wii? Can we? Can we play Wii?" I am beginning to HATE that f&%@ing Wii. And really? I am just finishing picking up poop in lieu of eating so you can play out here. Kees tromps across the yard and steps in poop. The last poop I was headed toward. Damn it... I clean his foot off. I now start the final step of cleaning poop up, sand. I get some sand out of the sand box and walk around sanding all the spots so that the little pieces of poop that you just can't get (mind you it's been raining so the poop is all cold and gooey) don't get on shoes. Poop on shoes means poop in the house which means more work for mom. Just as I am finishing the sanding process it starts to rain.....hard. Well, I guess that needed to be done anyway.

We go inside. The boys run upstairs. Great, I can eat.... I get out a couple things and they come back down the stairs chanting, "We're hungry." I stop with my food and we decide on scrambled eggs and sausage for them. I make the food and they sit down. I step toward my food...."We need a drink" Ordinarily there is lemonade in the refrigerator but it's empty. I get them a drink. They finish, clear their plates and run into the living room.

I step toward my food...and they yell, "Mom, come and make us some paper airplanes!" I know they're excited but I am starving! Coulter comes walking in with a magazine page folded into the beginnings of an airplane. A magazine page that I cut out with intentions to read someday. I had saved it for 6 months already, cut it out for me to read sometime in the future, sometime that may never come, but if it does I know I'll have something good to read for the 10 minutes that it will take. And he, with out thinking at all has folded it into the beginnings of an airplane. I tell him to, "Put that back where you found it." And then, "Mommy needs some food and some quiet time. You can go up stairs or downstairs but you CAN NOT be on this floor!" They go.

I finally get some food. I have a handmade corn tortilla with jalapeno jack cheese and some home made guacamole. Heaven. It may not sound good to you but it hit the spot.

With a little food under my belt I was beginning to feel a little better. I decided I should blog. It is the one totally selfish thing that I do. It keeps me sane and helps me remember why I am glad my kids are growing up. I know they're cute but they are also a lot of work. And when all my memories are all hearts and flowers I will be able to go back and see that there was some poop and yelling in there too. We all forget the poop and yelling and retain the hearts and flowers. Someday when my kids have kids I'll remind them that their frustrating experiences are not unique and then I will have LOTS of specific stories for them. OK, I know that sounds resentful but I am not resentful. I just like having the full picture of my day to day. It's always funnier the next day and sweet a week later.

As I am typing the boys come in and yell, "Can we play Wii?" Sakkkkee fracka grrrrr... My computer is in the same room as the big TV and the Wii. I say, "No BUT, do you want to watch a show?" "YEAH!" they say in unison. This is the pay off for not letting them watch TV all week. When they get to, it's a big deal. They run off and turn on the boob tube in the other room. Awesome. I am alone to blog.

And so I sit here and finally have my minute. It's quiet, I have eaten, the boys are happy and maybe later we'll make airplanes.