It started this morning at 7a.m. I was tucked warm and cozy into bed, debating getting up and going for a walk before the kids woke up, when I heard Sam cooing in his bed. I walked into the boys' dark room and picked up a cheerful baby and wandered back to my room to cuddle a warm baby before we had to start the day. As I lay down the stench hit me. Sam was poopy with a really really, stinky poopy. Then I felt it. There was something wet on my arm. I asked Michael to turn on the light and help us out. That's when we discovered Sam's diaper had come unfastened. I was covered with poo, my floor was defiled and my sheets now need washed. It was a poop-a-palooza. This necessitated a shower for Sam and I. There was poo and snot everywhere. Sam also has some sort of snotty virus that covers him in goo all day long. By the time Sam and I had been decontaminated the rest of the kids were up and my day had to start. Forget exercise, this was a battle for sanity.
Ethan woke up complaining of a sore throat and stomach ache. Everyone else was freezing to death. People needed fed and dressed. It was mayhem but we made it through.
After breakfast the big kids practiced playing piano. It was sweet and they sounded like angels. They sat there with big expectant eyes that said, "I love you Mommy. Thank you for all you do. I'm so glad you take us to piano lessons every week and have us practice. We know this is a skill we will appreciate having when we are older." It was touching I tell you. No wait. That was the kids on TV. My kids screamed, ran from the room, and told me they were never going back to lessons, ever, ever, ever. After much coaxing and threatening they finally sat down and dully plunked the same note over and over for five minutes. Hooray for piano lessons.
After that things seemed to be going a little smoother. Sam fell off a couple chairs but managed to land on his bum both times, Ethan was laying on the couch and Libby was playing outside. Life was calm. Oh wait, where is Grace? Not in her room, not in her brother's room, check the bathroom. Yep there she is. She crawled up on the counter and emptied an entire bottle of lotion onto her hands, arms, and the entire front of her dress. Not to mention the counter and mirror. I wiped her down with a damp cloth, stripped off her dress, took it across the hall, dumped it in the washing machine, came back to the bathroom and there she sat. With my lip gloss all over her face. I was gone for 15 seconds! Just 15 lousy seconds! Wipe Grace down round two. Redress her and take a deep breath. I then realized it was only 9:30 in the morning. I'm afraid it's just going to get worse from here. I think I'll move to Australia.