Some days.....

Some days I just want to crawl back into bed and start over. Today is one of those days.

It started off OK...I managed to crawl out of bed and take a shower early enough that I could enjoy the warm water and just relax while I woke up. My good start ended there, as I ventured into the kid's rooms to start their day. Paige began her day off by complaining to me about Coleton's recent habit of climbing into bed with her in the middle of the night. Though I felt her pain, I can't seem to get him to stay in his bed. Short of tying him down, I have tried everything from bribery to threats. What can I say? He loves his sister.

Once I addressed her complaint, Coleton proceeded to sit on the floor and pout that he was cold, tired, and didn't want to go to school. I tried to move him along by reminding him that today was his Friday, since there isn't school tomorrow (or Monday), and told him that he wouldn't be cold or tired once he got dressed and moving. He then whined because he wanted me to dress him...SERIOUSLY?!?! I picked out his clothes & told him that he was a big boy and that he could dress himself while I tended to "the baby".

On to Jadyn's room...where my sweet little angel transformed into a tantrum stricken crab the second I lovingly rubbed her back to wake her up. It seems that the Crabby Monster made a special visit to each of my kids during the night, and I was in for a long morning. After about 5 minutes of trying to get Jadyn calm enough where I could take her PJ's off, she immediately began another tantrum because she was now cold. I rushed to put her clothes on, but dressing a 2 year old who is uncooperative is both exhausting and difficult, to say the least. Once she was dressed, I tried to calm her down with bribery, "If you stop crying, you can bring your "Cat in the Hat" books (various stories all by Dr. Seuss, but she calls them based on the picture of the Cat on each) and baby dolls downstairs!" We ventured to the stairs, a toddler in one arm, 4 babies in the other, and 3 books in each hand, while thinking, "Please don't let me fall."

I knew that this morning was one in which I needed to carefully pick my battles.

Now downstairs (and running quite late) I rushed around getting things ready. Paige & Coleton sat at the table, out of my way, watching in fear as if I had transformed into a wild tornado. Afraid of being whisked away in my trail, they asked me from a distance to get their waffles that had just popped up in the toaster. I buttered, cut & syrup-ed their homemade frozen factory processed breakfast and handed them over while simultaneously making Jadyn's chocolate milk, who was now upset because I shook her cup rather than stirred to mix. I distracted Jadyn by asking her to get her shoes from the closet, which she did. As I poured some cereal into a baggie for her to eat on the way to preschool, she began to have another tantrum because she couldn't untie her triple knotted shoe laces. (hey, who has time to keep re-tying?)

I sat down to put her shoes on and I noticed that Coleton had hopped onto the counter to get a glass for milk. I scolded him climbing the counters (as I do 100 times a day), and as he jumped down, he dropped his glass, which hit the tile floor & shattered into a million pieces. I managed to maintain my cool (which I must admit was an amazing feat) and told him not to move. I plopped Jadyn on the couch with her books & babies, made my way to Coleton while avoiding the shards of glass that were literally EVERYWHERE, and put him (ironically) back on the counter. I called work to let them know that I really WAS going to be late now, got the broom & dustpan, and swept the whole kitchen floor. After about 15 minutes, I was confident that I had found all of the glass, so I got Coleton down.

I proceeded to finish putting Jadyn's shoes as she screamed and cried because she wanted to do it herself. Coleton decided that it was the opportune time to tell me that his book order was due and he REEEEAALLLYY wanted a book on Science. When I told him that he wasn't going to get it, the little snot decided to put plan B into action, and called Elmo. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Right then, the Crabby Monster paid ME a visit, and I had a momentary loss of sanity. I snapped at Coleton and told him that if he ever went behind my back again he'd live to regret it and took the phone away. Paige trotted downstairs and slipped a paper in front of me that she told me I needed to sign. As I finished yelling at Coleton, tried to filter words from Jadyn's crying & signed Paige's paper, it occurred to me that I should look at what my darling daughter had so stealthy slipped for me to sign. It was a math test...with a big fat "D".

I raised my eyes from the paper to her and, immediately recognizing that she had been caught, she too began to cry. Not wishing my house to become any more upset than it presently was, I assured her we would discuss her test later, and gave her a hug. Now, with all 3 of my beauties bawling as if life as they knew it had ended, I was ready to leave. With one last futile attempt to finish getting Jadyn ready without upsetting her further, I put her coat on. Sadly, it wasn't the coat she wanted to wear, which led to crying, screaming & kicking all the way to the car.

By the time we got to preschool, I was very high-strung. I contemplated calling in and going back home to enjoy the empty house...but decided that I really should save my "sick days" for days when I or (more likely) my kids are sick.

My only salvation of sanity came when found a classical radio station, which seemed to calm me right down.

Can't wait to see what kind of mood my kiddos are in when I get home today...especially since today is THURSDAY!

Wish me luck.