The Circus

Sorry if you thought this post was going to be us on an outing to the Circus. It's not. We don't need to GO to the circus, sometimes we ARE a circus. At least that's how I feel. We had a few circus-y moments this week, and I feel the need to blog about one of them for some reason. They happen a lot more often than I would ever say, but sometimes it's just too much to retell.....

Wednesday was an okay day overall... I felt good, I was getting lots done, Steve came with the boys and I on all our errands and we helped Steve run a few as well.... we were hanging out, so it was just fun for the first half of the day. We even went to the park!! Then all of a sudden my phone alarm went off and it occurred to me that it was 3:00!!!! How could it be 3??? I hadn't even thought about getting the kids ready for our 4:00 swim lesson and it was almost time to pick up the girls!!! I started to scramble. I had to wake up Noah from his dead asleep nap (apparently I didn't realize how late I had put him down for it). I needed to get the boys ready for their lessons (they are first so we get them in their suits before we go and then the girls just get ready there) and I couldn't even find their suits. Took me about 10 minutes to realize we hadn't even gotten them out of the wet wrapped up towels that were still in the back of the car (yes, I do realize how gross that is, and I'm really not sure why I'm admitting it) so I dug those all out.... waved the suits around a little to make myself feel better about the dampness.... and hussled the shoeless boys and my unfed Erika out to the car. Ran back in to get the shoes and the swimming gear all the while hearing Erika scream out in the car (poor thing). We got to the school a little early, but not early enough for me to feed Erika, so she cried the entire time we did that (she doesn't love the motionlessness of picking up the girls for some reason). Charity and Kelly had both forgotten about swimming and made plans with friends that they thought they would be able to hang out with and were then disappointed when I told them no.
So we were really off to a "great start" with all the kids at this point. My blood pressure was starting to get up there.... but I recognized this and gave the kids a little pep talk, got things under control as much as I could with a crying baby, and it felt like things were going to get better. Well, I was wrong.
As we were unloading everyone and everything (and we had a LOT of stuff!! 4 towels, 4 swimsuits, shampoo, clean underwears in a big bag; the girls' backpacks because we were going to do their homework while the boys had their lesson; and the diaper bag all piled on the handlebars of my little umbrella stroller AND I was carrying Erika in her carseat) Kelly and Bradley started fighting over who could push the stroller. He was trying to sit on it, she moved it away, he got some scratches, she got pinched.... crying.... whining..... you know the drill I'm sure. And then it was all downhill from there. Noah had fallen asleep in the car so he was crying when I got him out to sit in the stroller, Erika was still crying- hungry still, go figure- And now Luke was refusing to unbuckle himself, he wanted me to do it. During all this I noticed a man across the aisle in the parking lot who just couldn't help but watch us. I thought of the million things he could be thinking at that moment, wondering if I was helping or hurting these children and why they were crying, why there were so many of them.... who knows what he was thinking. He couldn't take his eyes off us though. I tried SOOOOO hard not to let it bother me. I have been doing so much better at not letting the stares get to me and just being in touch with the reality that we are different, but even with all the tongue-biting, I just couldn't help myself and I said, "WHAT??" to him. He tried to look away and pretend like he hadn't been staring, but I kid you not, it was at least 3 minutes there where he did not even turn his head from our direction.... just stood there gawking! I felt bad after that. I hate it when I am rude. I just get SO sick of that. And it was quite the show I'm sure, but come on! So we slowly made our way into the building, and down to the hall with the TWO (NOT ENOUGH) family dressing rooms that we constantly have to fight for. Of course, since I had a crying baby, crying 2 year old, unhappy 5 and 6 year olds with me, of course we would have to wait. Well, we were going to be late. Out of frustration I just dragged them all down the hall into the girls locker room. The crying echoed. The girls went into the stall and started getting ready (they really were overall very helpful during this whole thing... I have to give them some credit). Then I realized Brad was missing. I found him just around the corner of the entrance, feeling very embarrassed that he was in the girls locker room. And why wouldn't he, there was a completely naked elderly lady sitting in the middle of the room!! So I covered his eyes and quickly walked him through to the other stall in the section that we were in. I threw him his suit and then tossed Luke in there as well for them to get ready. And I should mention that this was when Erika started her really high pitched SCREAMy cry where she sounds like someone is ripping off her fingernails one at a time.... she'll never get kidnapped, but it is SOOOOOO loud!!!! So I hurried to get her out of her carseat and feed her but realized she had completely blown out her diaper!!! It was EVERYWHERE!!! Luckily I had a change of clothes. But we all had to listen to her screaming, WITH the echo, the ENTIRE time that it took me to change her. All the while with ladies staring, Luke's shoes flying all over the place, clothes being dumped wherever, then Luke bouncing and running from here to there completely naked saying, "I need to go potty, I need to go potty!!" That was actually one of the times that I couldn't help but smile.... he's just so funny sometimes.... I made him get his swimsuit on first and then he was able to go potty. Erika was finally changed. still screaming, but changed. The kids were all ready to go, the girls had helped compile all the clothing back into the bag, and we were ready to head on down to the pool. I thought the madness was over, but of course this was the ONE time (out of like 20) that they wanted the kids to shower first before entering the pool (I get that it's a rule, and I'm glad it's there, I've just never seen ANYONE follow it, so I never felt the need, and then just forgot about it).... so it was back down the hall and into the locker room to shower. Sounds simple on paper, but with a stroller, baby, carseat, sweat dripping down my face, my bad attitude and 4 other kids..... well..... it wasn't. And the little voice inside my head was whining the entire time. Well, we finally made it to the pool. The excitement really ends here, but for me it still felt like it hadn't. The boys got in for their lesson and since we were in a different pool, Brad "almost drowned" thinking he could touch. we realized we didn't have a pen or pencil to do the girls' homework that hadn't even been touched for three days. I realized I didn't even have my phone and had no idea where I may have left it. And Nate still wasn't there. During the girls' lesson Charity lost her bracelet *sad*. Found it *happy*. Kelly "almost drowned" a few times *sad*. And the boys just couldn't sit still *restless*. I had all the lifeguards mad at me for letting them wander around, most of the men in the room were bugged at me for nursing my baby, and well, I was pretty ticked off at myself for being all worked up!!! Not to mention I was starting to worry that something had happened with Nate and he couldn't reach me because I had no idea where my cell phone was and couldn't leave to go find it. Well, lessons ended, we went out to the family dressing rooms and they were full- OF COURSE!- I ran out to the car to see if my phone was in there.... came back in to ask if it'd been turned in at the lost and found.... and then desperately rummaged through the diaper bag again.... luckily I got a text right then, so I could hear it go off as I was digging.... it had been in the diaper bag all along. Nice. Nate had forgotten about lessons (but in his defense was at home making dinner and getting things all nice and ready for us to go on our Jazz Game date- thank goodness I was getting a break!). The dressing room was still occupied so I finally just dragged us all out to the car to shower at home. Barefeet, swimsuits and all..... lots of looks too (needless to say I'm sure). And then it was over.
I really can't tell you how frustrated and worn out I was at the end of this. These kinds of things always make me wonder what the heck I am doing. Luckily it's not always like this, and I'm sure there are MILLIONS of things I could have done differently to remedy MOST of the problems, but you know how it goes.... sometimes you just have to learn the hard way. I think I'll feed Erika and just be late for lessons.... the crying is a HUGE factor, and having the boys ready beforehand..... priceless. Better luck next week :) (and I actually took a few pictures of the girls in their class- got the boys last session- but I'm sitting here with a sleeping Charlie (SO CUTE!!) on my lap, so I'll get the camera later to post them)

That night Nate and I got to go to the Jazz Game while Sarah watched our kids again. It was a fun game. I needed more suspense, but it's always fun to be there. Erika wore her cute little Jazz Tee :) This date was nice little refreshment after that grouling 2 hours (was it really only 2 hours!!!?? That's nuts)