This crazy life.

If ever there were a day to blog about, today might be it.  I often have requests for more of these type blogs, as if peaking into this life is so chaotic, so crazy and humorous, it couldn't possibly be true. Oh but it is.  The plus side?  It's pretty typical of most mothers so I don't feel quite as alone in this mess. Right?!?  ;)

Our family is in a huge transition right now. Kaylea started kindergarten, Natalie began preschool, I start school Monday to finally finish my degree, and that puts Carter in daycare.  Sean must now push his work schedule behind to take kids to school, which inevitably means later nights.  Between the tears of guilt, exhaustion and frustration, I've been trying to organize our house and life in a way that allows me to quickly get things done and keep things in order.  (Too little too late, I'm afraid.)   My only goal today...finish laundry and clean house.  Now insert Carter, Kaylea and Natalie :)

It's one of those days where you're pretty serious about hunting down that easy button in the commercials.  Everything I touched fell, emptied, or blew up in my face. Our dishwasher AND microwave both quit this week. (how did people LIVE before those?!?)   My sweet, responsible Kaylea has decided to go haywire since starting kindergarten.  I know that she's exhausted, but she's also been sassy, demanding, emotional and now sick. Natalie has decided she's not talking about anything and instead she will be stomping her feet and huffing around the house.  They are still 5 and 3 right? Did I miss the years before they hit teenager status? And Carter caught on pretty quick to the fact that he was the only child in the house during the day, which is why he's taken the liberty of destroying twice as much, talking WAY more, and making sure I'm never left alone with his constant tackles, pushes and hold-me tantrums.  Ahhh, sweet bliss.  How could it get any better than this?

I'll tell you how.  I finally finish all the laundry and leave it on the table nicely folded to go get a basket and carry it upstairs.  Carter climbs on the table while I'm away for 1.3 seconds and wipes the table clean for me.  I come back with my jaw to the floor and he's sitting there laughing like he's just done something completely cute and rewarding.  Carter now goes in the pack 'n play.  While refolding all the laundry I hear Natalie's sweet stomps upstairs as she's yelling at Kaylea to stop talking to her.  Kaylea then responds with a lovely ear-piercing scream and drama rolls through the hall. Carter is taking off every magnet on the chore charts and eating them. I set him free.  While cleaning bathrooms Natalie empties half the bottle and all of the paper towels on one mirror, Carter drips toilet water from the brush all over the carpet and Kaylea's still crying.  Lunch time rolls around and Carter climbs the table again, knocking off the clothes I didn't get put away.  Kaylea starts talking again and Natalie plugs her ears.  Sweet nap time is just around the corner, but first a phone call-warning me to check my kids for lice, and another needing an invoice made.  Nap time finally comes, the clothes finally get put away and the floor gets swept and mopped. Before I know it they're all awake again and we must get ready for a birthday party.  More tears fall over outfits and hair bows, but we're all clean, ready to go and only 20 minutes late.  Except Carter gets outside undetected and finds a mud puddle.  After we chase him down and change his clothes, Kaylea gets sick.  I get her cleaned and changed and we FINALLY take off.  We stop to pick up a present at Wal-mart, but Kaylea gets sick again.  Clean her up, get the gift, get out....she gets sick again. Clean her up, get in the car, go home.

I walk in and crunch a handful of cereal balls on the floor with my foot. Didn't I JUST sweep and mop?  Did I exchange my life for a zoo?  Suddenly it makes perfect sense to me why mothers get such a bad rap for being crazy.  It's completely and totally because of their children!  And you can bet that the first time Kaylea calls me crazy, I'm going to sit her down, pull up these blogs, and tell her abstinence is the only way to stay sane. ;)