Monday, all day

Oh my word. I cannot tell you how glad I am to be to the end of this day. It was Monday. All. Day. Long. My oldest child woke up with a vendetta against me this morning. So, just overlay that over everything else. Two kids started the day with minor tummy troubles, which they got over fairly quickly, but which were not any fun at the time. Jeff had a meeting in Austin this morning, so I had to take the whole crew into town when it was time for Max to go to preschool, which isn't a big deal at all. It just puts everything out of whack for our school day. Attitudes toward school work were already pretty far out of alignment today, so we really didn't need the added burden. Over lunch, one child became enraged by the lack of spinach dip in the house and just could not regain control. In the early afternoon, I had to learn how to use the delay feature on the oven for "a vegetable dish to feed 20 people," that we would need for the Cub Scout Banquet later in the day. At 2:30, Weston had his follow-up appointment with the pediatrician to see whether all his infections had cleared up. They had, thank goodness. While we were there, I went ahead and had them do Clay's weight check, so I wouldn't have to come back later in the week. Well, somehow that kid managed to fall right off the growth chart he had worked so diligently to get his dot on. Doc is perplexed. She hasn't ordered any tests yet, but she wants me to keep a food intake journal for him for a few days, and then she will consult with a pediatric advisory board she is part of to see what they think. At 3:30, Ruth had an appointment with the orthodontist. She got new rubber bands, a different wire and an excellent report. After that appointment, I went to the preschool to pick Max up. I reached for something on the console and discovered melted Valentine candy everywhere. Lovely. At 4:15, I took the boys to martial arts. Ruth stayed in the van, I thought, to get some neglected school work done. But she was so upset about losing some privileges during the day, that she actually just sat there and worked herself into a frenzy, which ended in a migraine headache for her. At 5:15, we arrived at the location of the Cub Scout banquet so Weston could place his centerpieces out on the table. I found out the hard way that the paint wasn't dry on one of them. And, when Jeff met us there, he reported that the "vegetable for 20" (baked beans) had spilled in his car on the way over. (There was still plenty to serve, but the prospect of a dirty, stinky car and an impending road trip were not exciting). Then, my third child, making a mad and reckless dash to the restroom, managed to run into a wall and jam his thumb, though it sounded more like he was being murdered. Jeff stayed and watched Weston receive his Tiger Cub badge, and then hit the road for a work trip that will keep him away all week. But, the straw that just about broke the camel's back, was when our very own newly christened Tiger Cub won the award for sportsmanship at the Pinewood Derby, and burst out crying because he didn't win a trophy like some of the other boys. That's when I knew it was time to end this day before I did something crazy. I sped home like a maniac, insisted the children go straight to bed, and poured myself a large glass of wine. I'm so thankful we get to start over tomorrow!