April Fools! Not really...

I guess you could say it's been one of THOSE days. You know...the one that just starts off crappy and just keeps going berzerk from there.

It started off a little before 5am when Julia started fussing in the bassinet. I gave her her pacifier and waited for her to fall back to sleep like she usually does. I thought I was home free when I heard her fussing again around 5:15am. I give her the pacifier again and get up since I was awake anyway (nevermind that Paul had gone downstairs to soothe Jakob during this time as well). I went downstairs (quietly) and turned on the computer. About 10 minutes later Paul comes down with Julia. Ah well...it was a good thought...maybe I'll just nurse her and she'll go back to sleep. No such luck. So Julia and I shared a quiet early morning together. Until the troops come padding downstairs at 6:45...when they should have stayed in bed until 7:30 when their alarm clock goes off.

It was about this time that I realized that we didn't have coffee.

No matter. I'll just get the kids ready early and we'll go to Peet's before Sarah's ballet class.

But does it go smoothly? Why would it? The baby FINALLY falls asleep in her bouncy chair when Michael, sweet boy that he is, wants to give her a kiss. Normally I would say yes, but I just wanted her to sleep a little. Michael, of course, NEEDS to give her a kiss RIGHT NOW and does so, waking her up. I settle her and go about getting Jakob dressed, who, of course, needs to have a huge fit about getting dressed. I finally get upstairs to take a quick shower...it's now about 9am. Paul gets up and goes downstairs to tend to Julia who is now fussing. I take the quickest shower in history and get myself clothed and semi-presentable to the world (i.e. brush teeth, wash face, comb hair, put on non-pajamas).

Now I start telling Michael to get his socks and shoes on. I have to tell him this 8 times before it actually sinks in. We finally all get in the car when Michael starts having a fit because he wants to blow Daddy a kiss. I get out and fetch Paul to do so. Fine. On the road, la dee da...I get behind THE SLOWEST driver. Natch. Get on the freeway. La, la, la. CRAP!!

I forgot Sarah's ballet shoes at home.

Get off freeway. Go back home. Thank God for cell phones because Paul met us at the top of the driveway and tossed them in the car. By now it is too late to go to coffee before Sarah's lesson so I'll go during. That actually goes well and the latte tastes HEAVENLY.

I go back to Sarah's class and the kids behave well and occupy themselves with crayons and paper while I nurse Julia. During this time I arrange to meet a friend at the park but will have to go home and get Sarah's clothes and some food for lunch. I get home and start TRYING to get things together. Luckily Paul was still at home and helped with the kids. It's when I FINALLY get them in the car again that all those little things that slow you down happen. I forget something in the house. Then Jakob has a poop. Then I forget something else in the house. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Finally I'm on the road and get to the park in one piece. The kids have a fun time at the park, and I'm able to chat with my friend. We stay there for a little while longer and have lunch. When it's time to leave the kids are fine except for Jakob. I smell a distinct "odeur" and go to the grass to change his diaper. Jakob, of course, has to tell me about his seeming phobia of laying down on the grass by pitching a fit. I get his shorts off and notice that there is some poo starting to leak out of his diaper. Wonderful. I open his diaper and see that he has had the poo of the millenium. Sigh. 1000 wipes later he's clean but won't stay still to put another diaper on. I try to do it with him standing up but that was an epic fail. I finally get a diaper on his bum and wrangle him down to the car. He's screaming, as is Julia who is hungry and tired. I turn on the car and the a/c and try to nurse Julia in the front seat, but she'll have none of that since she needs complete silence in order to savor her meal. I get her back in her car seat and we arrive home safely in one piece.

Yes, I think I will have a drink.