Trying to Smell the Roses

It's Tuesday morning just past midnight, but if I post this before 1 a.m. it posts at Monday. So... my cute lil' brother is online and asks what I'm doing up so late. I reply: ..."trying to blog for a second and record the chaos swirling around me so when I'm old and senile someone can remember why and how I got senile and will tell me. you?" He is at work downtown finishing a report. I'm luckier than him, cause I just have to go upstairs when I'm done. He's got an hour-ish drive home, poor thing. I shall see my staying up late through rose colored glasses.

So, what was the chaos of the day? It was a doozie. Sure, it's the beginning of the last week of school (pant -pant!) can't be that bad, right? Well, I hope it's more of a reflection of how crazy the school year was and not a sign of how crazy the upcoming summer break will be.

So, started off with no jazz band carpools this morning for both of the jr. high kids (since Eth and Joseph are both in band at different schools, almost killed me this year) ...I was having a slow morning, (love the sun so early!!!) I was already awake, which was good cause I had to be up to answer the door for some Churchill kids who were here to "kidnap" Joseph.

Fortunately, that meant I could get in a quick 20 minute run before the rest of the kids were up. But I cut it short cause I wanted to help Ethan, who I felt bad for cause he was trying to cram out his homework from his two week absence that he honestly didn't have time to do on his trip in Brazil (one of his things was bake cookies via a solar oven!?!? honestly!) He just decided to get an F on that homework. I'm glad that he didn't beat himself up over it, I promised him that I don't care and I know he's a good student and I totally don't care if he gets bad grades. So, F on the solar oven thingy, but we did finish a book report poster before the bus left (I helped with some fancy lettering) so I was glad I didn't have to drive him. Sophia usually sleeps in a long time, but she came downstairs early this morning. And that was okay cause she was in a cheerful mood (which is rare when she wakes up early). The rest of the elementary kids trickle down for breakfast and I am reminded that today is Pet day for Wesley. Natalie was awake, Lily was still asleep. And I'm trying to plead with Wesley with my eyes to not make me leave the house with three little girls AND guinea pigs...

The girls had a long week last week as I drug them with me to attend end of school assemblies and performances... Hyrum's state float parade (did okay), Welsey's "School House Rock" program (all three were terrible), Joseph's COW (only Natalie was terrible there)... they are tired of "going to school" with me...

So I'm remembering that and hoping Wes will have mercy, but no, he really really wants to show his class the guinea pigs. DEEP BREATH, I can do this... I try to wake up Lily, she's kinda out of it and thus uncooperative in her sleepy state. I look at Wes... look buddy, I can't carry all three girls over to the school (Might be three instead of just the regular two (Natalie and Sophi) if Lily doesn't wake up sufficiently). Wes? Anyway you'd forgive me if I don't come to Pet day? He really really wants me to bring the guinea pigs, and says it's okay if I just bring one. That's nice of you to try and help, but that solution doesn't make my task much easier... A little, but that would still require me leaving the house with three little girls and a pet. Hyrum is still eating a big bowl of cereal and says it's time to go to the bus stop and stands up to head out, and I stop him: "You are not allowed to waste that whole bowl of cereal (like he did on Friday, a whole big bowl.) I hate wasting food!! You eat. I'll take you to school when I take the guinea pigs and you can help me." So he reluctantly eats his food. Abi leaves for the bus stop on her own, Wesley runs upstairs to change into his pajamas cause he forgot that today is also a pj party/reward from doing multiplication tables so well. So Wesley is bringing his pillow and blanket and stuffed animal, I tell him to go get the Hamlet ready (the guinea pig). I'm trying to get Lily up. Lily gets up, no time for her to have breakfast if we're gonna make it to the Pet show and tell on time. Sophia sees what Lily is wearing and demands Lily remove it and hand it over. (Sophia has been doing this for the past week - like whatever Lily has on, be it pajamas, a dress up costume, play clothes, Sunday dress... whatever... Sophia will walk over to Lily and point at what she has on (or grab and pull it) and look at me and demand "DAT!" aka "that" aka "I want her dress! I command you that you retrieve it from off of her body and deliver it to me and put it on my body right now!" Lily is so patient with this new and constant request, and more than not will humor Sophia (and her desperate mother) and does let Sophia have the dress off of her back. But this morning, she had just woken up, give her a second to get her footing for the day... "No, little sister... I don't want you to take off my clothes from me..." So Sophia starts to freak out, and I'm giving up and praying and I don't think I have what it takes to leave the house for this... Lord, help me not have to go to pet day or help me that I will have the strength to go to pet day. It's 8:45, Lily is alert and helpful and puts on her shoes, we convince Sophia to wear something else somehow and we go get in the car. Wesley's got all his bedding and a guinea pig, Hyrum finished his cereal and is helping put Natalie in, and we're off...

We get to the school. The pet show and tell will be on the lawn on the north side of the school. Ok, I can handle that. Lily and Sophi play on the playground while I stand too far away to save them if they fall and break their legs or neck, I'm watching them from across the school yard, I'm holding Natalie, the guinea pig is on the grass hiding in his little igloo. A few other parents show up with their dogs. The dogs are barking and greeting each other and I can just imagine that Hamlet is nervous and might be aware of the false security he has under that little plastic igloo house. A toad, a cat, a few more dogs show up. Parents are chit chatting, Natalie is being good, Sophi and Lily are fine over on the slides and playground. The kids finally come out...

They all come running over to their pets. I was standing more over by the playground and not by Hamlet, and Wesley ran to Hamlet before I could say anything to him about how I thought Hamlet was probably feeling pretty nervous with all these dogs barking kinda close to his little house. Wes runs up and with a big smile cheers "HAMLET!!!" as he rips the roof off of Hamlet... and then Hamlet has had enough of this and makes a b-line for wherever - he starts bookin' it across the grass field making a little guinea pig run for his life. There is a big boxer dog very close to Hamlet who was strong and giving his mother master a real challenge holding him back, he was seriously so close to Hamlet, and Hamlet's just running and bouncing like a little rabbit as fast as his little guinea pig legs will carry him... Lady is trying to hold back the boxer, Wesley is screaming "No! Hamlet!" and running after him with the igloo in hand and trying to catch him with it. He misses, then they get far enough away across the school field that Hamlet's racing heart tries to recover a bit and he slows down... Wesley gets him to to into the igloo. All the kids run over to give comfort to Hamlet, the terrified guinea pig. I'm laughing and also just shaking my head that this day is already more crazy than I'd like...

Hamlet hides in his igloo for the next half hour as the dogs, chickens, toad, and bird are all introduced. Natalie has fallen asleep in my arms. Hamlet has probably hidden long enough to have recovered from his trauma. One by one the other parent's have left with their pets. Wes does well on his own showing Hamlet to his class and then we head to the car. We get situated in the car. Natalie sleeps through the transfer to carseat. We go home. We get out of the car. Natalie is still sleeping. I load the dishwasher and clean up a little bit. Quick bath with two little girls and a chance to change out of my exercise clothes. Natalie wakes up and I nurse her. As Sophia and Lily get dressed, a new fight over clothing begins. I usher them out of my room and continue to nurse Natalie, and she and I both fall asleep.

I have an ear on them and things are quiet. I tell myself that they have resolved their conflict and are just playing nicely and quietly downstairs in the lego room or basement (where we moved the pirate ship last Wednesday, so it's kind of a temporary novelty). Abi comes home. I ask her to check on her sisters. They are not downstairs. They are in their room... Playing with Melodie's fingernail polish... which Melodie left out (she used it to try to paint her flashlight for her CTE class, cause you get extra credit if it's painted and she's trying to make up lost points.) They painted hearts and a chicken on their wall... and a little on the window... and a lot on their toys, and a little on the carpet and on themselves.... I did not yell. But I did promptly began my deep breathing calming technique as I grab the makeup case of fingernail polish from off of the bed and want to throw it through the window, but end up just putting it up high in the closet in my bedroom.

Sigh. Can't really blame them, I knew it was too quiet. Can kinda blame Mel, but I shouldn't have been taking a nap without properly securing the house and everything within it. Sorry toys...

A few of them looked similar to this, but this one was the worst. I was pretty sure this doll would now be an outcast/reject toy, just like all the Friend Lego heads that Lily puts in her mouth and chews on and then get's mad that they've got bite marks on them. I ask Lily if she thinks the toys look good or bad with fingernail polish on them. "Bad..." she admits. Yes, they look bad. Please don't paint on your toys again.

"But it's okay mom, cause she is the girl that eats grass." So I guess that is grass all over her face and she has a role to play in their imagination. They also painted the dresser a little bit. I needed to repaint it anyway. But first we'll experiment and see if we can answer the big question of if fingernail polish removes just the fingernail polish, or if it removes the original paint below it too.

So that was my morning before lunch. Then spent the afternoon working on 20 year reunion stuff - emailing confirmation emails to people who have paid and entering stuff in a spreadsheet. Then the kids came home and looked through each other's year books (thought it was cute that Ethan was reading Joseph's and Jospeh was reading Ethans... Joseph wanted to see how his old classmates who are now 8th graders looked, Ethan is checking out people at the school he will be going to next year...)

Then Melodie had her ballet rehearsal from 4 - 8. And I went to the grocery store after dropping her off for that. Then dinner at 6:40, Nice to have a sit down dinner again, since it's been low key the past two weeks with Corey gone (top ramen and eating at the bar). Melodie has her ballet performance tomorrow and Wednesday. Beauty and the Beast at Juan Diego High School. If I can make it through the ballet and Joseph's last day on Thursday, then I'll officially be done with school and be able to begin my summer recovery program, which is going to include time smelling roses and attempting to kinda garden for the first time since 2004. My dad's garden inspired me. Do you like the Hibiscus plant I bought recently?

(I couldn't resist buying it cause of the Studio C reference, kinda fun)

Trying to start with something easy: the flowers already in our yard. I think it will be good therapy.