Saturday

There are some days that just stand out as such a Mom kind of day, you can't help but laugh at the comedy that has become your existence compared to your life before kids.  No offense, but often when someone who has no children says, "I just have no time!" I secretly roll my inner eyes at their idea of having no time. 

Today I spent the day with only 2 of my kids.  Zac was at a friend's house getting much needed boy time, and giving Abby a much needed shot at being in charge around here.  Sitting here, now, at the end of this day, I think it would have been easier to have all three.  Abby and Catie fought, cried, yelled, and fussed all day long.  Girls are so dramatic.

Abby woke bright and early and dressed immediately.  This is completely uncharacteristic of my sweet girl, but today was special.  Her 2nd grade class has had twenty something eggs in baby chick incubators for some time.  This week they have begun to hatch.  Since they have to be checked on daily, her teacher invited the whole class to a "Chick Party" today.  This party was at 10:30.  Abby was up at 7:45, standing on the side of my bed, fully dressed, asking if she needed a belt to go to her class.  We got up and around eventually, and all headed to school.

The party was exciting.  The kids loved it.  However, behind the scenes, a neighboring classroom's incubator showed signs of the travesty that had unfolded just 20 minutes prior to our arrival.  Apparently, 2 chicks hatched overnight.  One was fine, but the other had not fully developed and was hopping all over the incubator, leaving little chicky inside parts all around. (Gag!)  Thankfully, someone with farm animal knowledge came along and put the little critter out of its misery.  The incubator, however, looked as if a little chicky horror flick had been filmed.  Abby's poor teacher gagged when she showed me and could not stand to see it.  Not wanting the kids to see it on Monday, I offered to clean it. {{{Gag!}}}  So, I did.  Lovely.  Fun times.

Next we went to my classroom where I was certain I would spend 30 minutes grading my last test of the year, enter them in the computer, and go.  Sure.  I spent 30 minutes refereeing, 20 minutes finding a snack where equal parts were available, 10 minutes setting up their movie...the list goes on and on.  I was there several hours.

Next, Home Depot.  I spent too much money on electrical supplies for my house, paid an extra $20 for a light that hides in a rock because Abby put it in the basket, was plowed down by the basket being steered by the girls several times, and suffered through the embarrassment of Catie's Oscar-nominated performance after she received a tiny paper cut apparently almost lost 2 fingers to a finger thirsty fan.  The paper cut  gash was one I could not see and had no blood.  That did not stop her.  She cried.  She whaled.  She kicked.  She screamed.  She shook, shook, shook her tiny fingers.  The Home Depot employees fell  into her scheme, offering her ice and band-aids giggling the whole time.  This performance went on for the rest of the day, periodically, at times when she felt I may have forgotten about her.

Finally, we went to our new house where my husband is tirelessly tiredly installing lighting fixtures all around our house.  We were going to "help".  As it turns out, a hungry 7-year-old and a whiny, dramatic 3-year-old are not very helpful.  In fact, Dad was better off without them there.  So we left.  I, feeling like I was no help to him, came home and put the whiny girls to bed.

So, I end this day exhausted, still in a messy rent house, not from working hard, but from simply being so overwhelmed I feel I can't see straight at times.  It will be worth it in the end.

Lesson:  Carry a first aid kit anytime Catie is concerned.

~ACZ