Rough Day

Today has been rough.

My day started with rushing kids out the door for school like normal. It seems like no one is ever on time around here unless I use a cattle prod.  After that rush I spent time cleaning up the mess from the night before that I had gotten too tired to take care of, as well as the mess left by rushing kids out the door.  This takes about 30 minutes then I hear a knock on the door...oh no.  It's Wednesday.

Micah's behavior therapy is moving from the tutor working with him to the tutor "teaching" me. I use the quotation marks because I've read the book that they are teaching out of, I've been through the slide show, I've basically taken the class before. They keep using excuses with this "class" because it's one on one and individualized to what Micah needs right now, but the reality is, I'm talking to my "teacher" and telling her how to make data forms more effective and showing her ways to streamline her teaching sessions. I'm basically adjusting Once a month her supervisor comes in and we actually stick to the program. 

So this morning I forgot it was Wednesday.  To be honest, the therapy lady isn't all that consistent anyway, but really it's my fault for not looking at my calendar that morning.  Good thing I'd at least cleaned up, but I was hoping for a little quiet time.  Not happening.

Instead I got a lecture about taking data on the weekends (one phone app is all it would take for me to record stuff. Paper doesn't fit in my life), and going over stuff she's required to talk about so I can have my hours of Micah therapy.

The morning is shot, I didn't even make it to the bank in the morning like I needed to and so I'd have to take the twins with me after school.  Hooray! They love me at the bank when I do that!

I pick up the twins and it's obvious that Ali has had some sugar that morning because she is just everywhere. She can't sit still, she can't stop talking, and she is just nuts.  She said her friend gave her candy (lecturing a sugar high 5 year old is ineffective-- for those of you non parents or parents who just haven't had that lovely experience).

So I run to the bank with a sugar high child and her giggly twin, run back home in time to grab Becca's art supply bin for her ATC party thing after school, then rush back to the school to get her because it's a minimum day.  I then transport Becca with supplies to friend's house, then rush home to make sure I'm there in time for Micah's bus...apparently I didn't need to rush.  His bus came 45 minutes later. Apparently the bus driver lady takes the 1 hour limit for Micah's bus ride and assumes that he has to be on the bus for the whole hour.  During that hour I'm fielding a work call, sending off a really important couple of emails (one that I couldn't find the info for so I had to get in touch with Tony so he could save me), and giving the twins magic erasers so they can clean the stuff off the walls that they just decided to draw there.  I was really happy to see the bus arrive.

I put 3 kids in the car and go to hang out with Becca and let the twins make ATC's too.  Micah doesn't care and wants the DS. Whatever.

After the girls have gotten their crafting on, we clean up and head home. Micah begins his after school chart.  This is part of his therapy. I'm not totally convinced it's working, but since it's taking up half my wall in the living room now, it's happening.  Tantrum begins as soon as he gets to the chores.  He's figured out that I'm not feeling super today, so he presses his luck assuming that I'm giving in...nope, not happening.  The problem is, as soon as he figures out I'm not feeling great, he gets physical.  I got kicked, hit, slammed, but he took out the trash.  Next step, homework.  I got him over to his backpack and he starts laughing...I opened it and didn't find the folder. I have no idea what he did with it, but he swears it's at school. Nothing I can do about that.

Next therapy project. Oh, and along the way I'm trying to help 2 Kindergarteners with homework, fielding questions from the 3rd grader about vocabulary ("can't I just google the answer?"...NO!), and attempting to answer the phone when important business calls come in.  Yeah, I can do all that....

I finally get everything done, kids all finish homework, everyone sits to relax for a minute with Micah on the Wii and the girls watching him play...then Daddy walks in the door.

I haven't started dinner.

Nevermind, I don't need a break. I get up and start something when I realize that my oven stopped working AGAIN!

I lost it.  I started to cry.  Tony came in the kitchen and moved me out.  I went to my room. I heard him send the girls off to clean their room.  The girls obeyed without much fuss.  All was right...until I heard the sound of the toilet not quite flushing.  Bad mom forgot to buy toilet paper and one of the girls used a baby wipe...or maybe 2 or 3...then tried to flush them.  Tony comes in and tells me he's going to run to the store. No! I want to go! I rush out for my retail therapy (okay, I bought toilet paper, but it was still theraputic) and come back just a bit happier than when I left.

Why was this day rough? Mostly because I forgot to look at the calendar at the beginning and plan my day right from the start. I found myself just feeling like I needed to catch up all the time.  Tomorrow will be better.  I'm going to be a super mom tomorrow. Today I'm just Super Dad's sidekick.  Not horrible, but I keep getting into trouble.