Life sure has gotten busy. I went from no schedule/ every day the same for 5 years, and now with kindergarten and preschool I feel like I spend a lot of my day running back and forth with not enough time in-between. Still no real schedule, Zeke naps so randomly that I feel like I'm always waking him up, hurredly buckling him in his car seat or cramming him in the bike trailer to pick someone up. I know this is just the beginning, but I'm glad I can sort of ease into it. I've been suprised at how much baby #4 has increased my work load and decreased my time in a day. I really didn't think it would be a big adjustment, but he always needs to be fed or changed or just snuggled at times when I thought I'd be free to get other things done. Thus, I feel like the house is sorely neglected. I only have time and energy to keep up on the really scary stuff, or if Jon's out of underwear. As I sit reading with the kids or feeding Zeke, I'm staring at smudge marks that need to be wiped, cobwebs to be dusted, stains on the carpet that could be scrubbed. I either turn a blind eye or try to make a mental note to remember it next time I happen to be walking through the house with a steam cleaner loaded and ready.
Yesterday I spent most of my morning getting Primary things done while the kids played. Then we all had to hurry to get ourselves together to take Adren to school, then the three babes and I went straight on errands until it was time to pick up Adren again. As I was pulling onto the driveway, I noticed a car parked out front waiting for us to arrive. I'm sorry to say- it was to my horror- to see it was Sharon, her sister Sandy from Colorado (whom I haven't seen for at least four years), Gertrude, (Paul's mom) and Loise,(Sharon's step mom) who I haven't seen for probably just as long. My first reaction should have been "Wonderful! They can finally meet my kids!" Instead I was panicked and cursing in my head while smiling and waving, remembering that while I was getting the boys ready upstairs, Paisley was emptying a container of pretzels downstairs, smashing them all over the place, and I had had no time to deal with it before we left- nor had I even cleaned up breakfast from our busy morning- well, the list could go on. Do you ever wish you could freeze time? By the time I had everyone unbuckled and out of the car they were all right there, ready for their hugs. There would be no time for a quick scramble of stashing and wiping while they slowly got out of the car. We all entered the house as I was cringing, seeing the mayhem through their eyes. None the less, it was good to see them and catch up and they enjoyed seeing the kids. Loise is always fun to chat with, she was telling me how she had just had her house re-painted (interior) ceilings and all, and how it really freshened up the place, and how that caused all her drapes to be cleaned, and furniture re-polished, and she is really enjoying it-(Oh- so the opposite of the sticky disgusting couch you are sitting on?) And Sandy has just remodeled her kitchen, causing updates into the family room, new furniture to update the old. She and her husband never had kids, so I'm sure she can't imagine why anyone would choose to live this way, not vacuming up pretzels that have been ground into the carpet for crying out loud.
I'm glad they got to meet little Zeke, he put on his adorable little show of bubble blowing, babbling and kicking his legs, smiling big for each of them. Paisley had dressed herself several times that day, and at that moment was wearing a winter shirt underneath a summer tank and shorts and her big black knee high boots. (sigh)
After they left I got a fire under me to clean up this place, thinking of all the times I have freshly mopped, ran the vacume through, dusted, sorted through the pile of junk mail and school papers.... why couldn't people pop in then? But then again, it only lasts a few hours. While I bustled around I listen to Zeke fuss, wanting to be fed, the kids started rustling in the cupboards wanting a snack, spilling more crumbs onto the floor. I watched the clock tic closer to when Jon would be coming in the door, hungry and ready for dinner. I looked at the FHE chart pointing to the fact that I was in charge of the lesson that night.
The house will just have to wait, and risk another car full of grandma's.
Yesterday I spent most of my morning getting Primary things done while the kids played. Then we all had to hurry to get ourselves together to take Adren to school, then the three babes and I went straight on errands until it was time to pick up Adren again. As I was pulling onto the driveway, I noticed a car parked out front waiting for us to arrive. I'm sorry to say- it was to my horror- to see it was Sharon, her sister Sandy from Colorado (whom I haven't seen for at least four years), Gertrude, (Paul's mom) and Loise,(Sharon's step mom) who I haven't seen for probably just as long. My first reaction should have been "Wonderful! They can finally meet my kids!" Instead I was panicked and cursing in my head while smiling and waving, remembering that while I was getting the boys ready upstairs, Paisley was emptying a container of pretzels downstairs, smashing them all over the place, and I had had no time to deal with it before we left- nor had I even cleaned up breakfast from our busy morning- well, the list could go on. Do you ever wish you could freeze time? By the time I had everyone unbuckled and out of the car they were all right there, ready for their hugs. There would be no time for a quick scramble of stashing and wiping while they slowly got out of the car. We all entered the house as I was cringing, seeing the mayhem through their eyes. None the less, it was good to see them and catch up and they enjoyed seeing the kids. Loise is always fun to chat with, she was telling me how she had just had her house re-painted (interior) ceilings and all, and how it really freshened up the place, and how that caused all her drapes to be cleaned, and furniture re-polished, and she is really enjoying it-(Oh- so the opposite of the sticky disgusting couch you are sitting on?) And Sandy has just remodeled her kitchen, causing updates into the family room, new furniture to update the old. She and her husband never had kids, so I'm sure she can't imagine why anyone would choose to live this way, not vacuming up pretzels that have been ground into the carpet for crying out loud.
I'm glad they got to meet little Zeke, he put on his adorable little show of bubble blowing, babbling and kicking his legs, smiling big for each of them. Paisley had dressed herself several times that day, and at that moment was wearing a winter shirt underneath a summer tank and shorts and her big black knee high boots. (sigh)
After they left I got a fire under me to clean up this place, thinking of all the times I have freshly mopped, ran the vacume through, dusted, sorted through the pile of junk mail and school papers.... why couldn't people pop in then? But then again, it only lasts a few hours. While I bustled around I listen to Zeke fuss, wanting to be fed, the kids started rustling in the cupboards wanting a snack, spilling more crumbs onto the floor. I watched the clock tic closer to when Jon would be coming in the door, hungry and ready for dinner. I looked at the FHE chart pointing to the fact that I was in charge of the lesson that night.
The house will just have to wait, and risk another car full of grandma's.