The Rat Race

Gosh today it just seemed as if I could not get on schedule if my life depended on it. For starters I could NOT get to sleep last night. I am not sure why. I lied in bed on the couch, back in bed, TV on, TV off, tossed and turned and finally about 2 am I finally dozed off. Not for long....dogs started barking out in the kennel. Finally got that under control and then it was time for Bart to be home. And of course he can't come in and quietly slip into bed--NO he makes a ruckus taking off his boots, getting something to eat, tripping over something in the hallway (no I didn't look to see what it was or if he was ok, I was beyond peeved at this point and really didn't care!) just to come in and blare the TV in the bedroom. I stole the remote, turned off the tube and threw the remote across the room all with my eyes still closed. Finally got sleep again and wouldn't ya know it....that annoying sound.....BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. Oh how I could so strangle the person who decided that was the best sound to put in that device known as alarm clock.

So I manage to get the a.m. school kids to school on time, come back, pay some bills online, feed two babies and dress them for the day all before 9am. Not bad, right? But sometime after that I lost my mojo. And I found myself saying the entire rest of the day "Is it bedtime for these kids, yet?" Then when bed time got here; I didn't even have them ready for bed! Really, what's up?

But I did manage to make a killer pot of beef stew--first time making it by the way. Had some left overs so Bart took them in his thermos to work tonight.

This weekend was pretty low key; kids didn't even leave the house Sunday until about 6 pm. Saturday we packed up all five kids and went to visit my parents out at Lincoln where they were camping for the weekend. We love to camp and managed to go once this year before we were bombarded with babies. Everyone had a nice time. Hot dogs cooked on sticks, trees climbed, worms ripped in half, (rubber ones for fishing, Gosh did you think my kids were demented!) ghost stories and best of all....S'mores. YUMMMM! Sourkraut had his first s'mores and he loved it. If I wouldn't get in trouble for posting pics of foster kids I would show them to you. We stayed well past dark and then loaded up for home. All the kids were beat when we finally pulled in the drive. Did I mention they built the new 231 bypass around Dale and it is complete? Totally threw me for a loop when we came out between Dale and Gentryville. But a lot shorter and better travel. TomTom was completely lost--I guess it is time to plug him into the computer and update him, yeah.
Sunday Bart left his jacket at home it was chilly at night so the kids and I went for a drive to take it to him. They love to go out to the mine and see all the equipment. The last time Bart took them they had a major mudslide and were about to loose some 1 million dollar pieces of equipment, so Bart has not taken them since. But we just stopped at the guard shack and he came driving up in his massive truck. The kids just love it. I have pictures on my phone of it but not on here. It would just vaporize my truck if it ran it over. None the less the kids got a hoot of the left hand driving pattern and got a few extra minutes in with Dad, which is always a plus when he works so much.
But I hope the rest of the week is brighter and better. Sunday is the March of Dimes-March for Babies here in Jasper. It's a 5K at the River Walk, not that I will be running it; I will have the kids with me. We are doing this in memory of Keegan Scott Harger, my cousin who was stillborn in January after a rocky 23 week pregnancy. It is his momma's way of letting him live on and help others who are in a similar situation. So come out and join us, it will be fun. Noah's Ark Workshop will be there, too!

So today with my lack of ready and defensive parenting b/c I was just in a total fog all day I found myself repeating myself numerous times, over and over again and thought if you have kids yourself you may find it amusing to hear what other moms have on repeat for their vocab.

1. I thought I told you no...

2. Stop stealing the babies bottle

3.Goodness kid, what did you eat?!?!

4. Let's go or your gonna be late

5. Maybe you will think twice now

6. Are we buckled, yet?

7. If you are so sick you can't remember to cover your mouth then maybe you need to be in bed

8. If you don't eat your dinner then there is no DQ for you afterwards.

9. Why did you get a yellow card at school today?

10. Where do your shoes/backpacks/jackets belong?

11.Is that safe, responsible and respectful?



*You all can think the local elementary school for #11. That is their motto this year, "Whiskars says, 'Be safe, responsible, and respectful.'"

Isn't life grand?