"Your Life Is Crazy, Mom."

The blog has been neglected lately. My "real" life has gotten in the way of my "cyber" life, just as it should be. I am always blogging about how hectic the pace of life around here is...and it's only amplified when something unusual happens. Late last week, it was a change in our normal schedule that brought even more than the usual chaos into our happy little home. {grin}

Brad was out three nights in a row last week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday). This is so unusual for us. He was helping his former employer (boat dealership where he worked until his teaching fellowship began) during the annual boat show in downtown Lexington. Brad shares a great relationship with his former boss and his co-workers...and he loves boats! So, while he was earning a little extra cash for the Tribe, I was at home. ALONE. WITH. THE. BOYS. Please don't misunderstand, I love the little men and we spend lots of time alone together. {grin} Three long days followed by three dinners, two nights of baths, and three bedtime routines to do alone....it's a little much. I have such a greater appreciation for all that Brad does around here after he is gone...sigh. I also think God uses these times of "single parenting" to remind me to be mindful of my friends who truly are parenting children without help of any kind. I need to be offering help to them - even just a trip to shop alone for groceries or get a hair cut is a much-needed break. I digress...back to my "crazy life."

Let me try to paint the picture for you...we had just finished dinner and I was cleaning up the high chairs (totally disgusting) and removing a layer of food/grime from the boy's cute little faces. Sam and Luke were chasing one another around the kitchen pretending to be pirates and making all of the noise that goes along with that. "ARGGHH! YOU'RE WALKIN' THE PLANK!" Caleb is a child given to extremes -when he is happy, he is so very happy! When he in unhappy, he is attached to my pantleg howling loudly. The pirate boys were loud, but Caleb was unhappy...and much louder. {sigh} Matthew, the mellow one, was protesting at having his face washed - or maybe the loud noises were too much for him. Did I mention it was loud? Surprisingly, our home isn't often very loud...and I like it that way. Peace is a good thing. Again, I digress.

I needed to get the little one's dressed for bed (they had a bath earlier in the afternoon, following a major diaper blow-out incident that left me calling on The Lord for help), so I moved the mess into the living room where I had laid out the pj's earlier. The loud noises continued. Caleb was still unhappy - and very vocal about it...and still attached to my leg. Sam and Luke were now "space men" and were "blasting off into space in...5...4...3...2...1." So, babies were crying and rockets were blasting and the phone was ringing. It was nutty! Sam brought his rocket ship to a halt, looked seriously at me and said, "Your life is crazy, Mom."

You can say that again, Sam. I am glad you noticed. {grin}