Oh What A Day

It started like all others.

Running just a little late.

Rushing to make lunches, shower, get everyone ready and out the door on time.

A whole lot of, "shoes on, in the car, buckle up!"s.

(Whole lot means more than the usual 10.)

All day school for the three biggest kids, pre-school for the littlest, dentist appointment for me, grocery store.

Typical, typical, typical.

Except, that when I pulled a container of chili out of the freezer for Mark's lunch I realized it wasn't quite all the way frozen.

Huh.

Later he called me to check on the freezer when I got home again to see if it was ok.

Fine.

I'm actually a little frightened of the freezer right now.

Mark just got a big buck a week ago and guess what's lurking inside my freezer.

Just guess.

That big buck's head in a garbage bag, with the rack sticking out above it.

Ew.

So, when I've been reaching in there I avert my eyes as best I can, hold my breath (I don't know why but I do), quickly reach in and grab out what I need then slam the door shut.

Like I'm afraid it's going to jump up and bite me or something.

Or else whisper, "hellllpppp meeeeeee" in a creepy soft voice.

Yeah I know, overly dramatic.

The point is, today I checked the freezer and found that the food was defrosting.

So, I had to reach back and play with the dial to see if it got bumped by big big rack as he struggled to break out of the freezer.  The dial is awfully close to those horns.

I think this calls for a discreet picture...

I was discreet.  I didn't include the part of the head I keep staring at through the garbage bag, as much as I keep trying to look away when I get in there.

Anyway, my chore was to clear out anything of value in the dying freezer to haul up to my in-law's freezer while they're out of town.

All while avoiding that sad nose inside the garbage bag.

Oops, I told you what I keep staring at.

I'll admit, I was patting myself on the back for handling that chore when I greeted the boys getting off the bus.

And guess what?!

Mom of the year forgot all about the Quality Work Assembly today for Carl.

He earned it for not one, but two assignments.

DAMN IT!

I was apologizing profusely as he kept listing all the parents who WERE there.

Salt in the wound little buddy.

As I'm still reeling from that terrible lapse, I look up at the clock.

4:02pm.

DAMN IT!

I was supposed to pick Sarina up from school at 4:00 after getting some extra math help from her teacher.

I arrive a mere 10 minutes late.

While I'm in the main hallway at school waiting for Sarina, I leave the rest of the brood out in the car.

And, as luck would have it, Miss Elsa rolled backward out the suburban door.

That's a good height for a little body to tumble out of.

Then back at home, feeling moderately confident I can pull the rest of the night off when I call the pediatrician's office to try and find a time to get Sarina in and her planter's wart looked at.

Oh happy day, they can get us in at 5:50pm.

So, race through dinner prep, order the little ones up to shower, ask grandma to keep the kids while I take Sarina in to get her foot worked on.

Fine.

Make it out the door with a good number of, "I said now!"s (in a mean threatening voice).

Pull up to grandma's.  Two little ones pop out of the car.

Carl refuses to get out.

I try to pull him out.

He won't go.

I threaten, beg, plead.

Nope.

He says, "It's because I love you too much mama."

Which makes the following even worse.

I'm stretched in the middle between a big girl scared the Dr. will have to dig out her wart and a little boy stuck like glue to me.

I pulled him out of the car, locked the doors and tried to drive off.

But I couldn't take it.

I caved and ordered him back in the car.

Which lead to WAILING (Sarina).

Then me screaming.

Truly.

At the top of my lungs.

It really is a great stress reliever.

We make it to the stop light when he says, fine take me to grandmas.

I u-turn and drop him off.

And as I pull away he's standing in the driveway, with his back to me, arms folded across his chest.

Poor buddy.

He went into her side yard and hid.

I think to compose himself so she didn't see his tears.

Triple DAMN IT.

The rest of the day was fine.

But to review the fails here: dead freezer, forgot quality work assembly, almost forgetting a child at school, smallest child tumbling out of parked car door, screaming at the kids multiple times in a single day (I really prefer to keep it to once a day), trying to drive off and leave my little boy crying in the driveway (because he just loves me too much).

I think that last one will haunt me for years.

DAMN IT!

It was a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day.

Even here in Olympia.