Tuesday Tornado

Today I successfully managed five kids. Everyone lived, the house didn't implode - neither did I, only two 'time-outs' were used, and everyone wants to do it again tomorrow, though I'll have more mommy hands around. What a great day for me as a mom, and for my kids because now, finally, life is getting back to normal. Friends are coming over, they are playing, I am playing. Just me, my kids, their friends, my friends. I miss my family and all their help, don't misunderstand, but after today I now know I can do it. I can mother these kids, allow them their lives, and still be sane enough to smile at the end of the day. No promises for tomorrow but today worked.

Pause -- who is my husband talking to outside? I don't recognize the car but it must be a neighbor. This is the dynamic of a stay-at-home mom. We know EVERYTHING in the neighborhood. I know that if my neighbors don't open their blinds by 8am then they are sick, out of town, or at the hospital. Seriously. If someone gets a new car, I know about it. I know when the school kids from down the block bring home friends. I can set my schedule to the mowing routine of my neighbors. So - who is this newby taking up space in the road. I'll just have to wait & see. Yep - I'm nosy. But nosy isn't a bad thing when you're home all day with kids. We have to be aware of the workings in the neighborhood so that we send the signals of concern when something doesn't add up.

Back to the day.... Ella told me she was going to be a grown up, when she grows up. Calum fell asleep while hanging off the couch. Imagine a small child leaned over the seat part of a couch with his feet dangling, not touching the floor. This is how Calum slept for 45 minutes. Ella's friend told me today that gum makes a tummy happy --- in response to my 'no' when asked for some gum. Drew & Oliver are sitting next to me right now in their respective bouncy chair. Oliver is slobbering bubbles and getting a work out - don't come a knockin' if the chair is a rockin'. Drew is having quite an angry conversation with a bird. I retract, she's having an angry conversation with the backside of the bird. Now she's smiling because I turned the toy around. Funny -- all of my babies have a love/hate relationship with this bird. I might have to rip the thing off the chair as a momento. But ahh - who will get it when I die; they've all loved it so.

Dinner is waiting for attention. Leftovers tonight from one of the freezer meals we prepared last week. I think we have 14 dinners in the freezer - all prepped and ready. We won't have to think about a main course for for at least two more weeks. This coupled with the occasional meal with family - we're good to go. So nice not having this be a main focus of our everyday. Adam can come home and catch up with the kids and we can have a home cooked meal every night. Now if I could get on the same sort of rotation for desserts...