Just Another Normal Tuesday

Hello, faithful readers.  I have been lazy as well as clueless about what to write about, and so tonight I am going to write about our Tuesday.  It is identical to most every Tuesday for me.  My apologies.

I woke at 7:00 am when I heard Silas (2) calling me from his bed. I didn't want him to wake his brother Forrest (4) so I grabbed him & headed downstairs.  Forrest managed to sleep through his roommates bellowing and didn't wake until about 20 minutes later.  Silas & I snuggled on the couch watching "Max & Ruby on Nickelodeon.  Once Forrest came down I went upstairs to wake Jackson (6) for school.

By now it's about 8:10am, & Jackson has dressed himself and its time for breakfast-we had waffles today since I ran out of milk.  After breakfast Jackson took his medicine (he has low iron, asthma & allergies) & brushed his teeth while I changed diapers on the other two. Then I had my hourly potty battle with Forrest which ended triumphantly (for me) with him peeing in the potty & putting on his underwear.  Jackson then tells his sleeping father goodbye. His dad is already gone to work at 4:10 pm when school ends for the day.

Next I packed Jackson's lunch, checked his backpack and put shoes on everyone, except Jackson who does his own, thank God.  At 8:40 am the boys & I leave the house on foot to walk with Jackson to kindergarten.  The school is almost 3 blocks away and Silas battles with me with me the entire time because he doesn't want to hold my hand.   This twice daily walk usually follows the same pattern.  Silas starts out happily holding my hand, but soon tries to give me the slip.  I pick him up and carry him every time he fights and runs away, which occurs frequently and without change.  "He HAS to catch on soon," I keep thinking to myself. I am adamant that if he wants to walk he MUST hold my hand.  Meanwhile Jackson is falling behind, getting lost in Lala Land, while Forrest runs ahead yelling "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" to every person we come across.  Once we get to the   crossing guard and say bye to Jackson,  the 3 of us return back home in much the same fashion.

 We get home from the walk around 9:20 and the boys  watched cartoons for an hour while I laid on the couch catnapping.  I am NOT a morning person and I usually stay up too late because its so nice and peaceful after their bedtime.  Around 10:30 I began to feel like a person once again and Forrest and I argued again about pottying and somehow today he scammed me into agreeing to a picnic lunch outside if he shows me he can be a good boy. And so Forrest won that battle.  He still dawdled and wasted time fidgeting & talking but finally he peed like a big boy.

At 11:20 I woke Matt up for the first time.  Then Forrest and I packed lunches-with Forrest leading the effort.  His and Silas's lunches consisted of a slice of bread, a slice of cheese, a cookie, Goldfish, cheese puffs, and tortilla chips.  Oh, and a juice box too.  Let the record state these are NOT my choices-but I am so sick of the boys wasting food that I chose not to fight this particular battle today.

 At 11:40 am we went out back to eat after I yelled at Matt a second time to get out of bed.  Forrest and Silas ate for 2 minutes or less before they decided to play, leaving me yelling at them to to clean up the mess they had made of their lunches.  In the short time it took for me to put the trash in the bin just around the corner they managed to dig in the mud with their trucks, making a huge mess of their toys, clothes, faces and hands.  Instead of showimy annoyance,  I let them continue on another ten minutes or so because the mess was done, my anger wasn't going to change anything.   When the neighbors began mowing their yard I knew we were done outside because I can't handle mowing thanks to my allergies, so I dragged Silas inside. Happy that Matt was now on the couch and out of bed, I requested that he help clean Forrest and get him ready for pre-school, which he attends in the afternoons.  I started to wash my hands but had to race BACK outside to haul Silas inside again.  He screamed and fought as I tried to wash his hands, telling me I was "bad and needed a time-oup".

By now it was about 12:15 and Forrest was ready for the bus which picks him up at 12:45.  I jumped in the shower and left Matt on duty.  Silas tried to break down the bathroom door for awhile but the lock held firm thankfully.  I finished up and was getting dressed when I heard Forrest start fighting with his Dad because the bus had arrived and Forrest wanted ME to walk him out to it.  I threw on whatever I found ("mom" capris and a tank top) and I ran him to the impatiently waiting bus driver.  Then I came back inside and allowed Silas use of the Nabitab and soon he was busy playing Angry  Birds.

It was now 1:10 pm and I did the dishes, cleaned the kitchen, and started a load of laundry.  Then I cleaned up the living room and vacuumed.  After that I folded and sorted three loads of clean laundry which had become permanent fixtures in the living room.  Matt was helpful and he sorted, folded, and put away his laundry. We also watched a show from our DVR as we folded the clean clothes.  Then he made a pizza to take to work for dinner and we watched another show off our DVR.  

Silas had fallen asleep on the couch-he was laying on top of his game-super funny!  I left him there until 3:30 pm, when I had to wake him up and change his diaper so he would be ready for Grandma. She usually picks him up on Tuesdays after getting off work at 3:30. Today she arrived here at 3:45, and Silas happily left me and his Dad to head up to Grandma's House. 

It was time to walk to school and pick up Jackson, so I left home at 4:00.  Matt also leaves for work at four, so we kissed and said goodbye for the day. I took Jackson's scooter with me since I only had one boy to keep track of, which he was ecstatic about. At home he had an apple while he watched Pokemon, and then he was allowed ten minutes of Angry Birds playtime. 

It was now five pm, and Forrest was due home at 5:10.  His preschool ends at 4:20 but because of distance, crazy traffic and frequent bus stops he arrives home late.  He usually is asleep and grouchy, so today was a nice change-he happily climbed off the bus and came inside agreeably.  He peed and we got ready for Jackson's karate class.  It starts at six and ends at 7:30.  Forrest played with toys, colored, or used the iPad or Nabitab quietly during class as he waited with me.  After karate ended I grabbed some yucky burgers from Sonic for the two boys to eat. Then we drove halfway to Excelsior Springs to meet my mom and collect Silas, who was all clean, bathed & fed!  Thanks Mom!  

Once we arrived home it was already 8:10 so Jackson & Forrest washed up and got pajamas on.  I have them their medicine and they went up to brush teeth followed by prayers. After tucking them in, I rocked Silas for 15 minutes, then put him in bed, even though he was awake.  He knows what  bedtime is and usually he falls asleep with no problems.   By now it was 9:00 pm and I had laundry to switch & dishes to do....so I got on facebook of course...and now I must end this story because the laundry and dishes are still waiting.  I will go to bed around midnight, because this is MY TIME, and it is precious and rare! There  is so much that I needed to do today that did not get done but that is the story every day!