(More than) Fourinarow.net

The morning began with it’s usual chaos – potty, teeth, dressing, feeding and getting kids to school.  It was a Lukie day, which means we all had to park and walk across the street to school.  In the freezing cold snow.  Sam fell.  Twice.

After dropping the kids, I swung by the house and grabbed the list for Walmart.  I wanted to pick up some warm waterproof gloves for the kids and I knew we needed a few other items, as well.

We got everything on our list and Sam was an angel the whole time.  With just one kid, Walmart is a piece of cake.

When we arrived home I discovered that something I bought for Dan had already been bought.  I put it in the return pile.

I gave Sam a Poptart for a snack (you know, because 100% sugar is a good thing) and put some things away.  I looked over to find Sam, his hands, his face and my countertop covered with fudge Poptart filling.  I was pissed.  And not because of the mess.  I was mad he wasted part of a perfectly good chocolate fudge
Poptart!

After getting cleaned up, we went outside to attempt putting up our outdoor Christmas tree.  (A lot of people in the neighborhood buy little ones for their yards.)  Dan put ours up on Sunday, but it fell over during the snow “storm” and was just lying in a heap in the front yard.  Trying to avoid any Clampett comparisons, I attempted to raise the tree.  We have an extra stand and I thought that’d do the trick.  (vs. stake and wire.)  No luck.  When I attempted to steady it, it fell on Sam.  They both went down in a snowy heap.  He was pissed.  I guess that made us even.  I stuck the tree against the house for Dan to mess with later.

With little time left, Sam and I ran to the post office before heading back to school.  We picked up the kids and returned home.  I was just about to let Lukie into the house to show him his cool new gloves when I discovered we were LOCKED OUT.  I had locked my keys in the car.  And, no, of course I didn’t hide a key somewhere last time I was locked out.  That would have been too prudent.

At least I had my phone on me.  I called Dan.  We agreed that he could get home as fast as a locksmith could get here and he headed our way.  We all tromped into the backyard and played in the snow for a while before we started freezing to death.  Lukie couldn’t keep his arms inside his jacket for some reason, so his hands were cold.  Sam started crying.  Maria complained about her feet.  Cheerio wailed at us from inside.  We played some more.  Cried some more.  Took a walk.  Complained.  Cried.  Then Daddy-The-Hero showed up.

We got warmed up and everyone had lunch.  I put Sam down for a nap and then made some phone calls.  To the dentist (ouch) and then to the school to find out about registration for next year.  It was yesterday.  Is preschool full?  No telling… someone will call me tomorrow.  It’s DECEMBER people!  What’s with having preschool registration NINE months early???

We went back to school to pick up Jack, Sam crying most of the way because his nap wasn’t long enough.  When we got home, Jack and Maria ran outside to play in the snow and Sam sat at the counter and colored.  I walked past him once or twice thinking to myself that I was kind of impressed – none of the other kids had shown an interest in coloring this early.  Maybe this means he’s really smart.  Or he’ll be really talented.

Turns out he’s in really big trouble.  When I walked by again there was a pencil mural on my new kitchen wall.

It’s 8 minutes to 4 p.m.  Didn’t someone officially announce that 4 p.m. is the new 5 p.m. with regards to the first glass of wine of the evening?