A Day of Days

Today was one of those days. Not terrible, but little, annoying things kept popping up, so I never quite felt on top of things. It felt like I was running two situations behind most of the day.

I actually got up early, which is always a good way to start the day, but it also means I am much more laid back. Lily got up a few minutes before time to get them up. Of course, we had to cuddle. And then I was late getting Orianna up. While I was finishing up their hair, two minutes before the bus came, they told me their parties were today. I told them, no, their parties were on Friday. But they said the parties were today with such conviction that I started believing them. The presents for the gift exchange were already in school, but I had been planning on going to town today to get things to make treats. I finally got a hold of the secretary at the school and she said their parties were today. So I scrounged around and found the fixings for cupcakes. Little itty bitty ones.  Instead of icing, I put a few chocolate chips on top. It seems lame, living in the age of pinterest as we do, but it was all I had to work with. And they looked cute. The second batch over cooked a little, and as I pulled them hurriedly out of the oven with one hand, they slipped. Some on the bottom of the oven, some on the door, some on the floor. So then I decided to just bring cupcakes to Lily's room, since Orianna's teacher encourages people to bring healthy treats, rather than sweets. Copying Clover, I decided to grab a bag of cheddar popcorn and call it good. I got the kids in the van and went in to fetch the cupcakes. I came out, realized I hadn't buckled Gilbert in and saw him hitting the lock button. Since the keys were in the van, I jumped a bit, dropping the top plate of cupcakes. Cupcakes rolling all over the drive way. At this point, I was feeling a little like going back to bed, pulling the blankets up and starting over tomorrow. We sorted out the lock situation and I went back in for the other plate of the few slightly overdone cupcakes that had landed right side up when the rest fell out. I stopped by the convenience store and grabbed the popcorn on the way to school. At school, I figured Gilbert would get a kick out of seeing the Christmas-y classrooms, so we all got out and went in, balancing everything precariously. Only to be told that actually, people weren't allowed to walk down the halls anymore. So I had to leave them with the gatekeeper. Which took all of thirty seconds. So back we went to the van. I ran errands, which all went well. Then home again with bags and bags of groceries and gifts for teacher things. When we got home, I was busy making hotdogs for Gilbert and Elsie was fussing, so the bags sat on the floor for a bit. Then the girls came home, trailing glittery, sugary bits of a successful Christmas party. Candy, present wrappings, papers all went every which way. Elsie fussed again, so I went to feed her. The phone rang and I ran downstairs and heard Gilbert talking to who ever it was. Then Orianna grabbed it. As I passed the front door, there was the piano teacher, waiting to be let in. (She is a super girl, grew up on the farm next to us. But still, it is a little disheartening to see people high stepping through your kitchen, no matter how understanding they are.) So in she came, I gave her a blanket apology of "I am an idiot, my house is a mess" while grabbing the phone and trying to sort out insurance. Then the doorbell went again. I looked out the window and thinking it must be a relation, just kept talking. The kids let whoever it was in and I hear, "You shouldn't let me in until your Mommy is here" and I started frantically wondering who on earth was seeing my house such a mess while trying to understand what the insurance questions were. Ran to the door and found the mother of a girl that rides the school bus with Orianna. Orianna and Sophie had switched gifts, a makeup set for a puzzle. Orianna told Sophie that she couldn't wear make-up, so Sophie gave her the puzzle and took the makeup because Sophie loves makeup. Sophie's mom just wanted to clarify that this was okay, because it was a neat makeup kit. Nice of her. I was really pretty proud of Orianna being willing to give it up, so I told her it was absolutely fine. And we yakked back and forth, me apologizing for my house. She told me "You should see my house!" Except I have seen her house. And despite 3 kids, two house pigs, some dogs, and parakeets it is spic and span. (I kid you not, they have pigs in their house with them.) This woman, lysols the sidewalk after the garbage truck stops, since it stinks and just seems dirty. She is in a whole different housecleaning universe than I am. I am still cringing that she saw my house.

And after all that, Gilbert's special ed teacher showed up right on time instead of 10 minutes late, so I was still trying to get the kitchen cleared and the cupcake crumbs up. While trying to decide if I needed to save the 10 different pinterest creations for fun school treats that came home with the girls. (Icing was big this year. There were little snowmen on a stick, made out of marshmallows and icing, icing covered candy canes, icing covered cake pops, icing covered oreos, icing covered pretzels... You name it, somebody in America, somewhere this holiday season, probably dunked it in frosting and put some strategically broken pretzel pieces on it and painted it to look like Rudolph.)

But then Ashley came over and cooked us a yummy supper. And Livie, Tori, and Owen came to help me put the living room back together. And everyone was so nice, kind, and full of holiday cheer today when I was shopping. So all in all, it was a good day. Just crazy busy. A day I will look back on in ten years and think "Those were the days."