While Daddy's Away the Nino's will Play

Just a few highlights from today:

*Owen wet through his p.j.'s onto crib sheet and favorite blanket.
*Took 45 minutes to get everyone together to go on morning walk/bike ride...took longer than the actual walk. Abby, who can ride her bike, wants to sit in the stroller...and Ella, who can't ride a bike yet, wants to bike. Go figure!
*Owen dropped his banana on nasty floor, mashed it in fingers, ate a little of the fuzzy nana and then handed it to me...nice.
*Went to Post Office to mail a package...promised kids some popcorn if they behaved...they didn't make popcorn today.
*Scored the big kiddie cart at Wal-Mart...then they all fought over who sat where.
*Owen's strap in the cart was broken after I finally got him to sit down
*Went to get a certain ball in the toy dept that Abby's been wanting for her b'day...it wasn't there
*Kids started really fighting and irritating each other by this point...starting to get embarrassed
*Finally make it to the check out line...kids escape out of cart and head toward arcade
*Go to pick Owen up off the floor as he throws a full out tantrum...
*Cashier misses my price adjustment items - I work so hard to get these organized! UGH.
*Back Home - feed the kids lunch while I unload groceries that need to be refridg/frozen
*At last, I sit to eat my lunch...as I'm finishing up my big bowl of strawberry spinach chicken salad...I see a LIVE LADYBUG flailing around on a piece of spinach. I almost vomited right there on the table. Was nauseous for hours.
*Answer machine blinks with 8 messages...hoping they are all people calling to just say hi and how much they love me...or, even better, that they are coming to pick up one or more of my children.
*Put younger two down for nap and send oldest to room for how he behaved at Wally World
*Lots and Lots of return phone calls made
*Oldest comes down to negotiate getting out of his punishment
*As older two interrupt a phonecall, we see on the video monitor that Owen has jumped out of his crib! (this has never happened before!!)
*Start dinner...go to finish putting up groceries in the mean time...see that I left a huge box of Fish Sticks in my bag of what I thought was pantry goods. Wonderful.
*I see Owen, out of the corner of my eye, about to launch my Avocado I bought today to use in a recipe...I ask him to please put it back on the shelf...instead, he takes a huge bite out of it! Please tell me the avocado will survive!! I absolutely cannot go back to the grocery store again!
*Get everyone's drinks, vitamins and dinner on the table...Owen goes #2.
*Go to change him while his and I food gets cold.
*Return to find out that Abby doesn't like baked potatoes after asking for them at the grocery store...refuses to eat (very unlike her) but then begs for dessert for about 30 minutes.
*Got Ab & O bathed and just about to get Ella out when I hear a loud crash and then screaming. Will was horsing around with O on Ab's bed...bump the size of Texas on O's forehead.
*Had Will ice O's head while dried girls' hair...their brush was missing...Daddy took it on his trip b/c he couldn't find his.
*Had Will read to O while I got his sheet and blanket out of dryer...
*Put O down to bed and proceeded to go read to girls...phone rings...it was Daddy...he made me feel better when he told me his roommate snored the entire night and he didn't get a wink of sleep. Isn't it terrible how we feel better when other people suffer?! He proceeded to tell me how incredibly tired he was after his long day of golf and a "business" mtg at a nice restaurant. Poor, poor guy.

~ The little ones are tucked in and lights are out...I have my first minute alone since 7:00 a.m. this morning, and yet I am out of energy, out of brain cells, craving unhealthy food (gave in and had a 1/2 a cupcake with choc ice cream), and the dryer is dinging! I get to go to bed to start the whole process all over again. :) Thank You Lord that your mercies are new every morning...

(Please note: despite all the negative connotation in this entry, I would not, no I could not, trade my life with anyone!)