Mary Poppins, Please

Many days I am amazed that somehow, (by God's grace), I can "pull everything off". By saying that I mean keeping up with the boys' needs, meals, clean up, dishes, laundry and manage to feel pretty good by the end of the day.

In the past several days I've been SO exhausted by the time the boys go down (still managing every other day with Ms. Schwinn though!!), and wake up not as rested as I would like to feel as I jump into the next day.

This morning started a little earlier than normal with the baby monitor loudly conveying the message from our 3 year old (waking me from a very deep sleep)..."Potty, Mommy!". He's been doing awesome and never had an accident at night even though it means that he usually goes from 8 pm to 8 am! I did not want this morning to be the first time, so I quickly ran to get him and help him with this new routine in the morning.

Shortly after this, our one year old was up and ready for the day...needing me to come release him from the constraints of his crib. We all headed down for breakfast. I discovered a blow out diaper belonging to our one year old that needed immediate attention (you know the kind that is up, out and on the clothes and baby).

Next, our 3 year old decided that he did not want breakfast this morning (even though I gave him several tasty choices). I can't force him to eat but knew that this was only going turn into Mr. Grumpy Pants.

Sure enough, 30 minutes later he hit our one year old (I KNEW it, lack of food will do that!). In the midst of time-out he was calling to me that he had to go potty. Do I believe him and let him get out of time out for the moment to go, or do I tell him to wait? Time out is 3 minutes long and I did not want to be cleaning any more messes up after all, I was trying to finish the breakfast mess.

Turns out I let him try going, no, he did not have to go, so back to the time out (I'm already exhausted and it's only 8:30 am). I then go and try to unload the dishwasher while our one year old is pulling out all our (very breakable) plates off the bottom rack. I usher him into the other room with the hopes to just have 2 minutes to finishing uploading. I hear both boys mischievously giggling in the living room...they are both pulling the new curtains as far as they can go.

Once again, I usher them into a different activity this time in the family room. Less than a minute later our baby has escaped and is playing in the bathroom (leaving the door open is a BIG no, no since he has SO MUCH fun in there). I decide to ditch the dishes and play with them. After playing for a bit it's time for our baby's nap. This is a special time in the morning that I look forward to. I put our 3 year old in his room with a child gate in the door. He's done this for a long time and happily reads books and plays with trains, etc. while I jump in the shower. I keep the baby monitor on just in case one of the boys might need me.

Sure enough, I had just finished shampooing and had conditioner in my hands moving on to my head when I heard our 3 year old yelling. He was expressing interest in going number 2 on the potty...VERY loudly. I had to make the choice -- do I quickly rinse the conditioner out, leave it in (it's NOT the "leave in" kind). I jumped out of the shower with it still in, DRIPPING all the way to his room. Come to think of it, did I ever rinse it back out? My hair does seem a little greasier than normal, perhaps that was somehow over looked!

With me, he tried to go and could not make it happen and was distressed (all the while I am REALLY dripping everywhere). He was crying, I was very wet and still needed to rinse, shave my legs and wash my face. He came in and stood next to the shower (pounding on the glass door). Relaxing it was not but I was able to complete my shower. I tried to put him back in his room only to have him cry very loudly saying that he had to use the potty. We tried 4 or 5 times with no success.

I brought him to the kitchen in hopes that a change of environment would help him be happier. I started the dishes again only to hear him screaming on the other side of the island. Pardon the descriptiveness, but the poop had started to come out (in his underwear) and he could not stop it. There was A LOT! He was really upset and disappointed, and needless to say, I was not happy to be cleaning yet another mess up.

We went upstairs to get new underwear but he was crying so loudly and woke our baby very prematurely from his nap.

My sweet husband called with a question and realized that I seemed a little stressed. He kindly prayed with me, which allowed me to take the first deep breath since I had woken up.

We all headed downstairs for lunch just praying and pleading with the Lord that everything would be delightful the rest of the day. Lunch was nice -- THANK THE LORD! We then went outside to play in the sprinkler and kiddie pools. Our one year old somehow tripped on the hose and smacked his head really hard on the patio ground leaving a huge goose egg. (See picture above...keep in mind that the dim lighting does not do his injury justice).

As we were cleaning up to go inside, I was nailed on the head by a flying shovel (now granted, it was a plastic sand shovel), that our 3 year old had ever so lovingly sent sailing my direction. I still don't know if it was an accident or if it was intentional, he would not say either way.

We came in and grabbed a snack before nap time. I situated our 3 year old in his chair at the table, however, could not secure our baby in his highchair since the tray was still SO messy from lunch. I thought I would be safe leaving him for 30 seconds as I literally sprinted to the bathroom, (5 feet away from them). In that time I hear our 3 year old crying again. Our baby had managed to grab the pack of crackers off the table and send them flying ALL over the kitchen floor...THEN walk across them crushing them into tiny pieces. Now the crackers are all over the floor AND on every centimeter of his feet...now walking towards me down the hall!

Then and there, I decided it was nap time for them both. So, that's where they are now...this is the first quiet I've had all day. I'm LOVING it! Now I know why I have been a little tired lately...potty training, literally running after our toddler, etc.

This is when I'd love a nanny. She could come and whisk the children off to bed then head down and tackle the kitchen, then prepare dinner...instead, that's calling me now. I could really use a spoon full of sugar right now...Where's Mary Poppins when we need her?! :)