The day started out like no other. Milo slept eight hours through the night and I woke up to my other three happy children. Feeling somewhat back to normal, I decided that today is the day I'm going to get things done before the holiday weekend.
My agenda looked like this:
1. Potty train Tucker
2. Wipe clean hard drive in desktop after making sure all files are backed up onto laptop. See if that fixes desktop that has been sitting dormant for almost a year.
3. Make Christmas cookies.
4. Wrap Chet's presents.
Remind me next time that this to-do list isn't such a good idea all at once.
I put Tucker on the potty before breakfast but he didn't go. After he complained that his legs hurt, probably dead from sitting so long, I let him eat his breakfast. I sat down to feed a now screaming Milo. Then I heard a gasp from Avery and some whimpering from Tucker. I knew this would happen. Tucker went in his pants. I put Milo down and went to rescue Tucker. I put him in the shower and recruited Avery to keep Piper away from the puddle. I mopped up the mess, put Tucker in clean underwear (no diapers allowed while potty training) and sent them to play upstairs. I sat down to finish feeding poor Milo.
All was quiet and I sat down at the desktop computer, ready to wipe the hard drive clean. This computer has been sitting, collecting dust, behind our laptop for almost a year. I gave up on trying to fix it a year ago and we went out and bought a laptop. I was able to transfer all of our files to our laptop using Carbonite. I cringed as I clicked Ok, allowing the desktop to clear all files and restore to factory condition.
The kids came calling at 10am, reminding me that it was snack time. I instructed Tucker to go potty before he could have a snack. He sat, and sat, and sat, and sat, and sat. Nothing. I gave him books and his trains. And again, he sat, and sat, and sat, and sat. Nothing. I allowed him to eat his snack and then try again. I sat down to feed Milo. I heard a gasp from Avery and a whimper from Tucker.
Chet called as I was in the middle of cleaning up another puddle but during the conversation, an excited Tucker called from the bathroom. He pooped on the potty! After another shower and a clean pair of undies, I sent him upstairs to play. I got back to my computer and started setting it up.
The kids came downstairs, bored, and I instructed them to throw away all their toys if they were so boring. They disagreed and retreated back upstairs.
I called them down a few minutes later to help me wrap Chet's presents. Bad idea. After Piper ruined the wrapping paper by walking all over it and after Avery drew stitches up and down her arms with a marker, I sent them away.
I fed Milo again and instructed Tucker to use the potty. He went and was successful. I was so proud.
Milo was quiet and I pulled out the dough to finish making Christmas cookies we had started a few days prior.
After that, everything became pure chaos. I don't remember anything except a knock at the door at 5pm. My friend Krista showed up with Avery's Christmas present and as I welcomed her into the house, I turned around and silently gasped. When did my house become so messy? Every surface of the counter was covered in flour and dough and frosting and cookie cutters and cookie sheets and cooling racks. The dishes were heaped in both sinks. The kids brought down their Little People to the kitchen and they were scattered everywhere, along with their house, their buses, their airplane, their van and their amusement park. Avery had made confetti at the table with scissors and paper and it was everywhere. The garbage was heaped and overflowing. The living room was a dive, pillows thrown in all directions and books everywhere. And the worst of all, I was still in my robe from morning. I had planned on showering and getting dressed at some point in the morning or early afternoon, but all of a sudden it was evening. Good thing it was Krista, who likely understands and won't hold it against me.
Chet called and asked how it was going.
"We're surviving." I answered.
By the time he got home, order had restored. And the day ended like no other. Four happy children tucked into their beds by 9pm and time to spend with my quarter century old husband.
But today, my agenda will be more realistic.
1. Feed baby.
2. Do dishes x1.
3. Sit and admire baby.
My agenda looked like this:
1. Potty train Tucker
2. Wipe clean hard drive in desktop after making sure all files are backed up onto laptop. See if that fixes desktop that has been sitting dormant for almost a year.
3. Make Christmas cookies.
4. Wrap Chet's presents.
Remind me next time that this to-do list isn't such a good idea all at once.
I put Tucker on the potty before breakfast but he didn't go. After he complained that his legs hurt, probably dead from sitting so long, I let him eat his breakfast. I sat down to feed a now screaming Milo. Then I heard a gasp from Avery and some whimpering from Tucker. I knew this would happen. Tucker went in his pants. I put Milo down and went to rescue Tucker. I put him in the shower and recruited Avery to keep Piper away from the puddle. I mopped up the mess, put Tucker in clean underwear (no diapers allowed while potty training) and sent them to play upstairs. I sat down to finish feeding poor Milo.
All was quiet and I sat down at the desktop computer, ready to wipe the hard drive clean. This computer has been sitting, collecting dust, behind our laptop for almost a year. I gave up on trying to fix it a year ago and we went out and bought a laptop. I was able to transfer all of our files to our laptop using Carbonite. I cringed as I clicked Ok, allowing the desktop to clear all files and restore to factory condition.
The kids came calling at 10am, reminding me that it was snack time. I instructed Tucker to go potty before he could have a snack. He sat, and sat, and sat, and sat, and sat. Nothing. I gave him books and his trains. And again, he sat, and sat, and sat, and sat. Nothing. I allowed him to eat his snack and then try again. I sat down to feed Milo. I heard a gasp from Avery and a whimper from Tucker.
Chet called as I was in the middle of cleaning up another puddle but during the conversation, an excited Tucker called from the bathroom. He pooped on the potty! After another shower and a clean pair of undies, I sent him upstairs to play. I got back to my computer and started setting it up.
The kids came downstairs, bored, and I instructed them to throw away all their toys if they were so boring. They disagreed and retreated back upstairs.
I called them down a few minutes later to help me wrap Chet's presents. Bad idea. After Piper ruined the wrapping paper by walking all over it and after Avery drew stitches up and down her arms with a marker, I sent them away.
I fed Milo again and instructed Tucker to use the potty. He went and was successful. I was so proud.
Milo was quiet and I pulled out the dough to finish making Christmas cookies we had started a few days prior.
After that, everything became pure chaos. I don't remember anything except a knock at the door at 5pm. My friend Krista showed up with Avery's Christmas present and as I welcomed her into the house, I turned around and silently gasped. When did my house become so messy? Every surface of the counter was covered in flour and dough and frosting and cookie cutters and cookie sheets and cooling racks. The dishes were heaped in both sinks. The kids brought down their Little People to the kitchen and they were scattered everywhere, along with their house, their buses, their airplane, their van and their amusement park. Avery had made confetti at the table with scissors and paper and it was everywhere. The garbage was heaped and overflowing. The living room was a dive, pillows thrown in all directions and books everywhere. And the worst of all, I was still in my robe from morning. I had planned on showering and getting dressed at some point in the morning or early afternoon, but all of a sudden it was evening. Good thing it was Krista, who likely understands and won't hold it against me.
Chet called and asked how it was going.
"We're surviving." I answered.
By the time he got home, order had restored. And the day ended like no other. Four happy children tucked into their beds by 9pm and time to spend with my quarter century old husband.
But today, my agenda will be more realistic.
1. Feed baby.
2. Do dishes x1.
3. Sit and admire baby.
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