Some days are easier than others...

I know I have a great "job."  I know there are many many people who envy me (well, not me, but stay at home moms in general).  I have three sweet and wonderful boys; a husband who works hard so that I can be at home with these awesome little people; a house to live in; food to eat (even if I HATE the grocery store); and on and on.  But, some days are just better than others.  Yesterday fell into the 'not so hot' category...

It started like any other day.  Got up, got the older two boys up, got their breakfast, supervised tooth brushing and dressing, got shoes on, and sent Seth off to school via the Daddy school bus.  Luke watched some television while I mopped the kitchen floor and cleaned a few other things.  Then I got myself ready.  Next up, I cleaned out some of Luke's clothes that are too small and put them in a tote.  Finally, I got Max up and fed and dressed, and eventually we headed out to pick up Seth at school.

Dave had called and said gasoline prices were going up (he'd driven by two different gas stations, one with prices about a quarter higher), so to fill up if I needed to and could still find cheaper gas on my way to get Seth.  The cheaper station was on my way to get Seth so we swung by their and it had already gone up.  Knew I could find another on the way home so we went on to school and got Seth.

Drove by another gas station, already the higher prices.  Drove by a third - they were all basically on my way so I wasn't really insanely driving the gas out of my car to save a couple of dollars.  My third and final option had the cheaper gas.  And most of the southside was there filling up on gas.  I pulled right up to the pump and got my gasoline.  No problem.  It was leaving that caused a small problem.  There was a lady that really wanted my pump.  But she blocked me in.  So, I sat.  This was no big deal - she finally moved.  But, Luke's observations were hysterical.  He said, "Oooh, she's grumpy."  I asked why he thought that and he said, "Her mouth is gruuuuuuuuuuumpy!"  And he was right - she had the biggest scowl.  But, it was funny to hear a 3 year old calling her out.  (well, not to her face, as that would've been rude and not amusing)

So, we head home.  This is how returning home from picking Seth up goes:  Every. Single. Day.  I pull into the garage.  Seth is in a booster seat, using a regular seat belt so he can just unstrap and jump out.  Luke is in a carseat and needs help unlatching it - there's a lever on the side, etc.  So, Seth jumps out of his seat and Luke puts his feet up to block Seth so that Seth can't get out first.  Seth breaks through while Luke kicks and screams.  Seth runs to the back of the car and checks to be sure the van is in far enough to close the garage door.  Luke folds his arms across his chest and pouts (making it nearly impossible for me to unbuckle him), because HE wants to check that the car is in far enough.  Every. Single. Day.

This day, after above scenario played out, we headed inside and the boys started playing.  I think Seth and Luke really miss each other all morning and they are currently obsessed with the bigger lego blocks so they immediately started building.  And then they both wanted one particular block, which there are probably 20 of, but the other 19 would not do.  Then there was fighting and screaming and crying.  I don't know who had the block first.  Nor do I care as the blocks are plentiful.  But, Luke (yes, the younger one) came after Seth (yes, the older one) and sent Seth into an [I'm tired because I've been at school learning and playing all morning] tailspin during which Seth announced that he would like for Luke to be sold at a garage sale.  Ugh.

I threw together some lunch, clinging to the hope that everyone would just eat and then go rest peacefully.  I was noticing that the earlier mopped kitchen floor was still not clean so I wanted to mop again but there are no doors to close everyone out of the the kitchen so I can't do it when everyone is up, especially not Max.  So, I got the boys their lunch.  Luke had his head down on the table part of the time and I let myself get all excited about how he was going to take a great nap.  Max always naps and Seth plays (semi) quietly in my bedroom, so I was looking forward to some quiet mopping time.  How pitiful is that that I was looking forward to mopping time? 

Anyway, I got everyone settled into bed and it became apparent that Luke, who chose to go to bed in only his t-shirt and underwear, was not going to sleep.  And that's okay, but we are really working on Luke staying in his room quietly for awhile.  It's a good break for all of us and he can be in his room looking at books or playing quietly with cars.  Luke just isn't good at staying in his room.  I had to stop mopping/tidying multiple times to get him back into his room.  Finally, I could hear him (there's a monitor in their room) talking and playing.  I was so glad he had finally settled down and was staying put in his room.

Then I heard his door open.  I went to the stairs and saw him standing at the top of the stairs.  My view looking up from the bottom of the stairs?  Luke.  In a t-shirt and underwear.  Slathered in shiny oil.  Looking like a well-greased three year old body builder.  Holding the bottle of Vitamin E oil.  Giving me his sheepish grin and a little, "I got some on me."  Uh, ya think?  I told him to march back into his room.  Then it occurred to me that he was going to get everything in his path greasy.  I quickly ran up the stairs to his room and told him to stand still.  That's when I noticed he had pulled the tote of clothes over to his dresser and stood on the tote to get the basket of band-aids and first aid supplies.  He opened maybe 25 band-aids (checking out the pictures, I assume).  There were at least that many more unopened all over the floor.  I grabbed baby wipes and started wiping his legs - only to discover that it was doing absolutely nothing except sliding down his leg.  Bathtime!  I ushered him to the bathroom and got him undressed.  I didn't think to take a picture until then and it wasn't appropriate so we skipped it.  I bathed him and put him in my room with Seth, turned the television on and instructed the two of them NOT to move.

Next, I went down and googled how to get the oil out of the carpet.  Dishwashing liquid was mentioned repeatedly so I grabbed a plastic cup, some Dawn, hot water, and an old towel.  I was down on my hands and needs scrubbing the oil out of the carpet when his little face appeared in the doorway.  He looked at me and very sweetly said, "I think I have poop in my underwear."  WHAT?!? 

Back to the bathroom to clean up again. 

Back to the bedroom to finish scrubbing the carpet. 

Next up was Seth's I-don't-want-your-help-with-my-homework.-I-wan't-Daddy-instead rant.  Oh goodness.  He's five.  It's kindergarten.  It's writing his name four times.  What will this scene look like when it's algebra?

We made it through dinner and Seth was in an oddly agreeable mood for that.  Thanked me for making dinner and raved about how great it was.  He even told Luke that Luke was missing out by not eating it.  It was meatloaf.  Bizarre.

I was excited that it was my scheduled walking night.  I'm a stress eater and the donut holes and I had had a rough afternoon.  See above.  We decided to do our usual - Gretch picks mom up, they drive to my house, we all walk mom a couple of miles back to her apartment, and then Gretch and I walk back to my house - usually through some neighborhoods, etc. 

Gretch came in the door and said it was National Chocolate Day and we should just go for coffee.  I have really been wanting another Salted Caramel Mocha since I tried it last week and the idea didn't sound half bad!  I think we all wanted to, but no one wanted to be the one to opt for high calorie drinks rather than exercise.  So, we set out for our walk.  It seemed really dark.  Darker than usual.  Maybe just because it's getting darker earlier and it used to be a little light when we started.  But last night it was not light at all.  My neighborhood was fine.  Next we have to walk on a main road.  There's a little stretch with no sidewalk and I forgot my tiny flashlight.  No big deal.  We got over to the part with the sidewalk just fine.  The sidewalk is pretty far off the road so the traffic isn't a problem.  But there are not many lights on the main road.  Actually, when I drive home that way I often think about how dark it is and how crazy we must look. 

We were not far down the road when a car drove by and honked.  We get a lot of that.  Usually rusty old beat up clunker cars whose drivers must have nothing better to do than annoy people who are out exercising.  But, this horn sounded odd and when it drove by it was a police car.  And not a beeping horn but more of the siren/horn.  We were annoyed that a police officer would honk to annoy us.  And then he started shining his spotlight ahead of us on the side of the road, in the trees, on the sidewalk, etc.  The dark and the police freaked us all out and we took a vote and opted to turn around, avoid the area where he was shining the light, and head back to my house.  We walked 1.25 miles.  Whoo hoo. 

I was so mad that we got scared by a police car.  And a police spotlight.  And then after a little visit in my kitchen, sans coffee, my sister took my mom home, where there were multiple police cars at the entrance to my parents' apartment.  So, it's back to the indoors and the treadmill for us!  My parents move starts this week so we are hoping their new neighborhood might be better lit and more suitable for walking. 

All that to say, some days are just easier than others!