Mom vs. the kids - Day 1

Jason is gone for a week.  He leaves for one week every year to take his youth group on a mission trip.  Survival is all I'm aiming for.  I'm not very optimistic about the rest of the week.  We barely made it out of Day 1 alive.


The morning started great.  Kids dressed, bathed and ready for Mass.  We got there 2 minutes late (I HATE being late) and had to sit in the front row.  Aside from Leo twirling in my new dress (I'm still praying he didn't manage to flash anyone behind us) and deciding he was done eating cheerios and didn't want anything to do with them while a handful was still in his mouth, the hour-long service was problem free.


Naptime wasn't terrible.  I woke Elena up a little early from her nap to pack them up and get down to a huge barbeque at my sister's house.  While I was nursing Elena, a huge thunderstorm rolled in...huge thunderstorm.  The car still had to be packed.  I braved the rain for a few trips in and out and only had to wring my dress out once before we headed down the highway.


This barbeque party was awesome.  Friends are everywhere, children everywhere, the pool is packed, the bands are playing, the keg is almost tapped at 4 pm and the rain let up completely.  Now the fun begins.  It's tipping the scales at 100 degrees and I have a super shy 2 year old who wants to be held and a 5 month old baby who is also unsure of what is going on.  Mere seconds after we arrive, I need to change Leo's entire outfit.  Turns out he sat on a fruit snack and it was melted into his shorts.  I spend the next 6 hours bouncing between the two of them, meeting new friends, catching up with old, keeping Leo from drowning in the pool, and trying to remember where I put Elena last (usually in a friends arms - figuring out which friend was the problem). 

I noticed Leo wasn't eating much, but blamed it on the heat.  I gave him a juicebox.  At 6 pm I offered him a burger - no dice.  Chips?  Nope.  Okay, onto Plan B.  I let him continue swimming while I wrangled up some peanut butter and jelly.  He wasn't interested in that either.  I put the PB&J away to offer to him again later, but his Uncle spotted it and it was gone.  No one is immune to the magical powers of a PB&J - except Leo I guess.


Ice cream cones started popping up everywhere.  The look on his face was so sad - at 2 years old, to already understand the feeling of being left out is a terrible thing.  Oma pulled out the ice cream again and Leo was a brand-new man.  Strong Mans were flying left and right.  He was giving hugs and kisses to everyone. 


Once Leo started dancing to the music and running in circles, I knew it was definitely bedtime.

I made one more PB&J and offer it to him in the car.  Once again - he turns it down.  Great - it's magical powers are reeling me in...I'm powerless.  One more PB&J gone.  Home at 9:30 and in bed.  Around 10:00 pm I hear crying.  I go up to a puke-filled bed and a very confused and scared little toddler.

Between 10 and 1, he is out of bed and crying.  At 1 I'm about to lose it.  He finally takes a sip of water and goes to bed...1:15 - Elena wakes up.


Chaos 1 - Lisa 0...here's hoping the week turns around a little!