Just another Manic Monday

Day 16 - Monday - August 7, 2006

I have relocated the laptop to a more central location. These 5 kids need a lot of supervision! Or at least a witness in close-pro(just settled another mid-sentence dispute)ximity for the he did it, she did it incidents. Now I will continue my typing of the never-ending blog. I really hope I can get it all caught up before we leave!

0645 - Up really early today! Sack out on the couch with Ron, watching the Floyd Landis interviews. I think those French cyclists have a vendetta against the Americans. Is there any way to get some in undercover to figure out whether all the doping is real or planted?

Garbage Day today - oh look, someone already put it out. How nice.

The boys are coming over at 1000 while Baby Seth goes to his 2-week check-up. Of course this means Ron heads out for a bike ride at 0930. Great. Thanks.

1135 - Ron is back from his bike ride.

1140 - Maybe I should have brought those PMS mood pills along after all... these kids will be lucky to survive the morning. Grrrr...

12:1o pm - Kids get their revenge by playing Hungry, Hungry Hippos - one of the loudest games EVER MADE! And I can't yell at them because they are all cooperating and playing nicely. So I will groan and bear it.

12:30 pm - Doors slamming upstairs again. Tell Ron it's time to go yell at the kids again. He says Okaaaaayyyy... and gets out of my way. I have implemented the "Keep the Doors OPEN" Rule to prevent crying when the youngest can't get in and even louder crying when someone's face, hand, etc. is inevitably slammed by the door. Offer PB&J for lunch. Tell them to keep playing upstairs while I get it ready. The last thing I need is 5 kids underfoot while I'm trying to make lunch.

12:32 pm - Having a bit of a PB&J crisis. Can't find any jelly. Can't find the peanut butter. Maybe I should have checked ingredient availability before I offered!

12:43 pm - Crisis averted. One round of PB&J's on a Hot Dog Bun for everyone! Elena and Seth come back and they all head home for naps after lunch.

1:30 pm - I have no email and no comments on my blog lately. I'm feeling a bit forgotten.

1:40 pm - Upon further reflection, decide that I probably have emails but my email at home has timed-out so it isn't forwarding anything anymore. Ask Ron to reset it when he gets home.

2:43 pm - Head out to the store(s).

4:15 pm - Back from our errands. Kinko's to send house-buying-and-selling paperwork. Barnes and Noble for a magazine for Ron. And while we're there we have to get an ice mocha for me and a book for each kid. Then Smiths to pick up some tortellini and garlic bread for dinner.

5:15 pm - headed over to Elena's. Ron asks what I'm bringing. I tell him salad, garlic bread, plain noodles and broccoli for the picky kids, and the casserole for everyone else. "Wow - you did all that in an hour?" So nice that he noticed and was suitably impressed!

Soon after our arrival, the kids have managed to get into BIG trouble. Somehow Thomas climbed up in his closet and pulled down a bag full of paint tubes and glitter glue tubes. All 5 of them have created a masterpiece and somehow, miraculously, managed to not get a single drop on the carpet. Luckily Elena became suspicious of the silence (which we all know means trouble!) and discovered them before it went too far.

7:45 pm - after a yummy dinner (if I do say so myself!) and lots of baby cuddles, we load up and head back to the house to pick up Ron's bags.

8:23 pm - Drop Ron at the airport. Everyone is sad to see him leaving already. And now we are officially back to the single-parent vacation adventures.

8:47 pm - Stop at Hollywood video. 3 movies for me and one for the kids. I'm sure I won't be able to sleep tonight after that big ice mocha I had this afternoon!

10:20 pm - Finally get around to doing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. Turns out Psych was on when we got home so I had to watch that first. :)

10:40 pm - More typing of the blog... getting closer to caught up.

11:32 pm - Not sleepy. Maybe I should bring one of my new movies and use the portable DVD player in the bedroom. Then when it's over all I have to do it turn it off and roll over. My blog fans (ha, ha) will have to wait.

1240 - OR... I could mindlessly blog-surf for an hour. I'm definitely going to bed now. Really. I mean it.