One of those days

Turtle has been a wonderful sleeper since the beginning. I started to depend on that, and expect it. But last night was different. For whatever reason. He just wouldn't sleep. Kept waking up hungry and crying. As soon as he finally, thank goodness, fell asleep, I rolled over in bliss thinking I'd finally get some rest, when Rene's alarm goes off, loud as can be and he's so dazed and tired he doesn't remember how to switch it off. And Zoe wakes up. Screaming.

I finally settle her down and Glenn wakes up again. I nurse him to sleep, at long last. And then Kaya comes in to wake me up for breakfast.

So I started off the day grumpy. And it was destined to not end well.

I thought it would be best to just get out of the (very messy) house and have some fresh air. I got the kids ready to go and loaded into the car.

Ha! That sounds easy doesn't it? It fit into one little tiny sentence, just like that. In reality, it was
Kaya:"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhh the hair brush HURTS! NOOOOOOOOO. I'm never brushing my hair ever again"
Kaya: "I'm not putting trousers on, I want to go in my jammies"
Me: "Zoe, please don't throw everyone's shoes down the stairs"
Me: "No Lana, you can't go in just a t-shirt, you need a sweater or a coat. This is winter!"
Glenn: "waaaaaaaaa" (hungry)
Me: "No kids, please keep your coats and shoes on. We're late"
Lana: "But I'm thirsty and I didn't get my vitamin!!"
Me: wondering why someone's car is beeping so obnoxiously, then wondering where my keys are....then realizing they're in Zoe's hands and she had pressed the panic button "oh crap"
Kaya: "can I bring my toy car?" "can I bring my elmo?" "can I bring this game?" "can I bring this bag?" "can I bring another game?"

And more and more. So finally we leave, late. But we leave. We went to the la leche league breastfeeding cafe. That all went smoothly apart from Lana coming to me near tears telling me she was hungry and wished we brought food. So I promised her we'd get lunch as soon as we were done.

The meeting is at the library. When we were done, the kids wanted to go into the library to get some books. Sounded like a good idea. I forgot they had been cooped up in the house since before Christmas, that they had LOADS of energy built up and the library might not be the most accommodating location for their needs.

I set Zoe in front of the toys, Kaya and Lana quickly noticed a craft table set up and sat right down at it, while I searched the computer catalog with Turtle in the sling. He was a little fussy so I bounced him slightly and scribbled down reference numbers. Zoe started getting roudy. I scribbled faster. Zoe started running away. I ran after her and put her back in place. Zoe started having a melt down. I left Kaya and Lana to their crafts and took Zoe with me to the adult section to look for books, hoping that she just needed to stretch her legs a little and have a wee change of scene.

But no. She was running away from me saying "No mummy. No catch me." and pulling books off the shelves! She was pulling them down faster than I could pick them up. She was running to the next aisle while I picked up one aisle. Then she'd be hiding in some other aisle, doing more damage. I wish I had an extra set of arms and legs. Glenn started fussing because every time I bent over it squashed him in the sling. I scooped Zoe up and she started kicking and screaming and I struggled to not drop her as we made it back to the kids section.

By this point I was drawing a good bit of attention. And a few of my friends from LLL were in there too. Zoe didn't want to be in the kids section and started running away. I found a book for Kaya and scooped it up while catching Zoe for the umpteenth time and told kaya and Lana it was time to go NOW!

But Kaya didn't care for that idea. "But I didn't choose a book yet!" "No, you chose to make crafts instead" "That wasn't MY FAULT!" Meanwhile Zoe has another pile of books around her, parents and kids are staring and watching us like a good TV drama, and Zoe starts stripping off her coat and shoes. I'm squatting down again with Glenn fussing and getting squashed, while I try to put her shoes on and she screams "NO SHOES, NO SHOES" while Kaya yells "JUST ONE BOOK MUM". Kaya wouldn't hold her bag, I had a baby and a kicking and screaming toddler, Kaya's bag, Kaya's coat, my purse, Zoe's boots and coat and the book I was trying to take out, oh and Lana's hat, all clumsily in my arms while I tried to get Kaya to give up on the book idea and come with us.

I balanced all the way to the craft table and told Lana we have to go. "But I'm not finished my craft yet! waaaaaah" Thankfully when she saw how stressed I was, she was wise enough to do as I said, and she helped me carry my purse and came. I had to sternly tell Kaya "If you don't come now, we get no book today" and she eventually yelled "FINE!!!!!!" and came. Zoe dropped to the floor and made her body go limp in protest. I scooped her up as best as I could and made it to the counter, got the book out and got to the car where I had a chat with Kaya.

PHEW.

I had promised Lana lunch but did NOT want these kids getting out of their car seats. I was quite pleased to have them all strapped down. So I did the drive through at taco inn. First time I've taken them on a drive through. I don't think Zoe's ever been to a drive through..not that I can recall. We don't do it often, but it seemed like a good idea. However, it turned into fusses and fights and mess and ice cubes chucked all over the car. I tried to ignore it and enjoy my burrito. Took one bite and my CREAM CHEESE burrito had CHICKEN in it. Ugh. Forget it. So I went hungry.

The rest of the day went the same way. Constantly at least one kid crying. Somebody needs help reaching something, somebody spilled something, somebody is stuck, somebody needs help with the computer, somebody had a poop day (I think that's why he was fussy last night, he hadn't pooped in a week! And had a LOT stored up) and was up to his shoulders, somebody wouldn't share the chair, somebody's food is too cold, then too hot after microwaving it, somebody wants to remind me of every single thing I've ever promised to do but have failed to do yet, somebody stubbed their toe and thinks the whole world is about to end...

I just didn't have a good day. I'm sure it wouldn't have been half as bad if I wasn't sleep deprived and hungry all day. But it's over. And tomorrow is Saturday and I'm asking for a sleep in.

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