Play by Play

I read a play-by-play of another mom's day this morning on her blog and thought it might be fun to do myself, so here goes my attempt at journaling today's happenings:

6:30 I arise, head to the computer and check email (printing off pertinent ones for today's PEACH board meeting), Facebook, my favorite blogs, read a couple of articles and a couple of devotionals at John Piper's website: desiringgod.org. I then go to our bank website and my online budget program to work on getting the checkbook up-to-date before our bank's big switch-over to a new online banking system tomorrow.

6:45 Kevin comes upstairs to shower after making us muffins for breakfast before he heads out at 7:15 for a 12 hour day at Kroger in Charlottesville.

7:00 I'm still at the computer when the two earliest risers (Karson and Kurtis) ask if they can start in on the muffins that are on the table. I tell them to hold off, so they request to watch a DVD instead. Weighing brain mush vs. the thoughts of what trouble they might get into and what noise they might make over the next hour.....I give in to brain mush.

7:45 I head downstairs and start making the calls for breakfast. Peeking my head in the girls' room, I'm greeted with "Be Quiet!' from Kendra. Once in the kitchen, I set Kurtis to the task of setting out paper plates while I remember that the meat I left out on the counter all night needs to be put in the crockpot for tonight's roast beef dinner. I set about making that happen, while Karson rounds up the still sleeping kids from upstairs.

8:00 Everyone's at the table except for Kara-Faith, who soon groggily wanders in. Karson asks some question about the bulge in her pants and I'm reminded to remind her to go change out of her pull-up. She complies, the rest of us pray over the meal and dig in (except for me, I'm still searing meat and chopping onions).

Talk of the day's plans ensue. Kody announces that he needs to pack today for his camping trip tomorrow night. I make sure that he still wants to go despite the dismal weather and continuing rain through the weekend. He assures me he does. Once again I, his procrastinating mother, discourage his plan-ahead plans by telling him he doesn't really need to pack until tomorrow. The others are discussing their make-believe play. Kendra has set up office as a lawyer named Mr. Shen who declares today's weather "a good day for suing someone." Kylie is her secretary and Karson and I have gone into business together and will be opening up "Food Central" around lunchtime. Although, today will be rushed and I may have to back out of my end of the deal.

8:10 Kara-Faith returns. Somewhere in there, Kendra calls her "pull-up girl" and I chide her for her insensitivity. Kara-Faith is sitting at her place not touching the 2 muffins on her plate. I finally hear Kylie tell her that we've already prayed and that she can say her own blessing and eat. Kara-Faith starts quietly crying. Probably a combination of Kendra's comment and feeling left out of the meal's beginning. I scoop her up and take her away from the table to hold her for about 5 minutes. She's never able to identify why she's crying, but she keeps it up, head buried in my shoulder. She refuses the offer of going back to the table to eat, but agrees that she'd like to go lay back down until she feels better.

8:23 Everyone else has finished and evacuated the kitchen, Kara-Faith returns, blows her nose and she and I sit down to eat. Bailey streaks into the kitchen and, quick as can be, steals a muffin (muffin-paper and all) right off of Kara-Faith's plate! I manage to smack her hindquarters as she's making her get-away, but the muffin is gone.

8:30 I announce that I'm going to go take a shower and do some laundry (my hope always is that they'll get the message that I'm going to be unavailable for the next 1/2 hour, but I'm thinking I need to be more specific). Then I get the brilliant idea to start this blog post....although I really need to be showering and working on the massive laundry pile.

8:50 Blog post is finished up until now....so NOW I'm heading to the shower and the laundry room.

8:54 My cell phone rings in my purse, so Karson runs it up to me. I miss the call, but it's a message from our internet company saying that our automatic billing, which has been messed up since February and for which I've called them every month since, is now fixed! Woohoo!

9:12 I'm out of the shower, but apparently 18 minutes is all they can give without a knock at the door. This time it's Kurtis asking if he can play Playdoh. When my answer is no, he whines about not wanting to go. I'm confused...what's that got to do with Playdoh: "Go where?" He manages to whine, "I don't know!" Apparently he's confused, too.

9:28 I've managed to get dressed and blow-dry my hair. Another knock at the door brings Kylie, posing as Miriam Schenowshky, Mr. Shen's secretary. Standing next to me in the bathroom, she "calls" me from the pen she's holding to her ear and we converse via fake phones regarding setting up an appointment with Mr. Shen. He'd like to see me at 10:30. I agree.

9:36 I'm almost done updating this when Kara-Faith shouts into the room: "Hey, Mommy, have you done laundry yet?" I have about a week's worth of clothes backed up. Better get to it! Instead I decide to glance over what I've already written. Another 5 minutes goes by and Kody has a question about his writing assignment today and Kara-Faith yells into the room again: "Mommy, when are you going to do laundry?" Right now, apparently.

10:30 I've put in a load of clothes, helped Kara-Faith get dressed and with some cursive, dictated some spelling words to Karson and checked his work from yesterday. I proceed to meet with Mr. Shen. He (she) requests that I be the judge at a trial at 11:00 and doesn't need my qualifications or references - "You have a lot of kids, right?" seems to be her only requirement. I accept the job.

11:00 By now, I've helped Kylie with algebra, switched the clothes to the dryer, and made several long-needed phone calls to make appointments: well-checks at the pediatrician as well as dentist for Kurtis and Kara-Faith, a hair appointment for myself, and a call to the piano tuner. I also call the other gymnastics car-pool mom to see if it's okay with her husband (filling in for her today as she's leaving on a missions trip to Uganda) if I drop Karson off at their house early. I wish her well on her trip and head to the "courtroom" (den).

11:15 The trial of Waterloo vs. Kar has concluded with Mr. Waterloo (Kody) accusing Mr. Kar (Karson) of turning out the bedroom light and throwing balls at him. A couple of witnesses are brought forth that seem to have been coached in their testimony (Kara-Faith and Kylie). An expert witness psychiatrist (also Kody) with questionable credentials is brought forth to declare Mr. Kar not-guilty by reason of "anger issues". I dismiss the court for 5 minutes to make my decision.

11:20 Court is now in session whereupon I declare my verdict that Mr. Kar is guilty and that I don't buy the "anger issues". I share a bible verse regarding anger and sentence them to hug and make-up. No one is impressed with my judge skills (overheard: "see if we ask her to be judge again") and a very rough man-hug turns into a fight with Karson getting hit in the head with the bailiff's (Kurtis') rifle. Karson screams and storms off. Maybe I was wrong about the anger issues. I think I'll stick to laundry. Time to put in another load.

11:30 The requests begin: "Mommy, when is my breakfast going to be ready?" Kurtis is still confused about which meal is upcoming.

12:00 I've put in another load, gotten lunch ready for the little ones and fixed myself a cup of tea, while listening (over and over and over again) to Kody plunking out Ode to Joy on the piano. (Kody, the boy who was kicked out of piano lessons several years ago for non-compliance). I decide to appreciate this as it isn't last week's song, Axle F (the theme song to Beverly Hills Cop). There is a break during which I hear Mary Had a Little Lamb. Turns out, it's Kara-Faith! Pretty good for just having been taught by her big brother, Karson, who just started piano lessons himself (I'm hoping he has a better go at it than Kody). Not to be outdone, Kendra comes into the kitchen with her guitar and plucks Ode to Joy.

12:20 Kody man-handles Karson, who screams, his screechy scream. I lose it and pump some foam soap into his mouth letting him know that I would very much appreciate NOT spending my elderly years deaf due to his high-pitched invasions on my ear drums.

1:00 I have updated my journaling, folded a few of the now dry clothes, put a turkey breast (for sandwich meat) in the oven, finally gotten Kurtis dressed and searched high and low for a match to the one shoe in my hand from his newest pair. I decide to move the heavy sofa in the den. I lift one end then go to lift the other. Not realizing that it had been shoved closer towards the direction of the fireplace than usual, I lift and swing, slamming my hand between the sofa and the edge of the brick fireplace. Not fun. I leave the sofa where it is, maintain my composure, give up on the shoe hunt and head to the kitchen to finally get some lunch before we need to leave at 1:15 for our homeschool group's (PEACH) Activity Day (where I attend the PEACH board meeting). Fighting off the urge to sit with my head between my knees because I'm now feeling faint from the pain, I microwave the leftover green beans, eat a handful of cashews and start in on eating an apple. More Ode to Joy on the piano.

1:10 Carrying the apple with me, I think about folding more clothes, but in frustration, realize that I'm out of time. I dig out the sewing machine, sewing scissors and seam ripper for Kylie's sewing class, while Kylie digs out coats for the littles and puts Kurtis' old shoes on him. Meanwhile, Karson can't find a tank top (clean OR dirty) for gymnastics. Feeling the time crunch, I suggest that he just wear a t-shirt and explain to his coaches about his mother being behind in the laundry. This starts a crying meltdown that I quickly curtail by finding a loan tank top at the bottom of the laundry basket. Bonus: it even passes the smell test.

1:15 I check email one last time to see if there are any other newsletter submissions that I need to bring with me to the meeting. I pass along instructions to Kendra (who doesn't attend Activity Day) to take out the turkey breast when the temperature indicator goes off and to please keep the laundry work line going by folding the clothes and putting the wet clothes in the dryer.

1:20 Everyone is out the door and in the car. I drop Karson off at the home of the family with which we carpool.

1:28 We pull into the church parking lot where our Activity Day is held. We're actually on time! A rarity. My hand is only slightly swollen, bruised and sore in that one spot.

3:30 Each child has attended a class and I've attended a very full meeting. Everyone present and accounted for but Kody. I'm told that his "backyard ballistics" class is still outside exploding their potato cannons. We load up in the car and drive over to the other side of the parking lot, missing Kody, who ends up searching for us where we just were. We finally meet up and head home.

3:50 Arrive home, Kylie scoots off to get ready for dance class and I finally consent to getting out the Playdoh for Kara-Faith and Kurtis then check phone messages. While we were gone, Kendra went above and beyond and actually put in another load to wash. I can see the floor again! Woohoo!

4:00 I drive Kylie the 4 blocks to dance and am back within a few minutes. Kody greets me in his heavy coat. He says he's cold. Hmm. I then spend time updating this journal, unsuccessfully trying to figure out a problem in Kendra's math book and answering the phone twice.

4:30 Playdoh continues to entertain the littles. Back to the laundry room.

4:45 I've managed to fold one pair of jeans when I decide to go downstairs to retrieve Kendra's bin that is for her clean clothes. I find Kody still in his jacket. Although, in light of tomorrow's camping trip, he says "I refuse to be sick!", I forget about why I came downstairs and head back up for the thermometer. Yep. It's 100.5. I promise Kody he can still go camping if his fever is gone tomorrow morning. I've a hunch that it may just be his body's reaction to being outside in the cold drizzle for hours in just a hoodie during "Backyard Ballistics". Back upstairs to put the thermometer away, back downstairs to get the bin, then back upstairs to the laundry room....well, after a sidetrack to Facebook. Read my home page status updates and watch a couple of very funny videos. I needed that : )

5:03 Folding laundry.

5:37 Realize I'm late picking up Kylie (her class ended at 5:30) - rush out the door.

5:45 Dinner prep. I pay for the last 2 hours of peace with about 20 minutes worth of cleaning up Playdoh. Totally worth it!

6:30 Kevin comes home early bearing gifts of pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream!

6:45 We sit down to dinner, but not before Kurtis is certain to tell me that he is a "wiggler tonguer" and proceeds to demonstrate by wiggling his tongue side-to-side. He can also touch his tongue to his nose. I take pictures: (bandaid leftover from yesterday's head-on collision with the door jam)

7:15 We've finished dinner. The girls have clean-up duty, but not until after Kendra makes me take about 25 pictures of her to get just the one of her catching a grape in her mouth. Daddy gets the little ones ready for bed and I set to slicing the cooked turkey breast. I make it about 3/4 of the way through, but ask Kevin to finish up for me when my hand is bothering me too much.

7:45 I take some more time to update, Kevin finds me at the computer and proceeds to read about our day. Intermittent chuckles. Karson arrives home and eats dinner.

8:00 Time to break out that Ben and Jerry's (S'mores and Chocolate Fudge Brownie) and sit down to finally watch some of Ben Hur (we've had the Netflix DVDs sitting here for more than a week, but haven't had time).

9:30 A little more than 1/3 of the way through Ben Hur and everyone is enjoying it, but that's all for tonight. Daddy carries a sleeping Kurtis upstairs and the rest are also off to bed. Good-night kisses and tucking-ins ensue.