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I had a rough morning.  It’s hard to get kiddos ready for church on a Sunday morning without Daddy.  I’ve kind of gotten into a swing of things, though, and I’ve been doing pretty good with it.  But we got a puppy this week.  I haven’t gotten a decent night’s sleep since Tuesday.  The dog has been getting me up every morning around 5 or 5:30 and also being rambunctious enough to wake Elijah that early as well.  This has obviously prevented any kind of quiet time with God for 4 days now.  Not good.

This morning, we got up super early.  The dog peed in the floor.  The child whined nonstop.  Mommy lost her temper.  The dog chewed on some receipts, a paper bag, and Elijah’s cowboy vest.  The kiddos fought.  Mommy lost her temper.  The dog barked and whined.  The children constantly interrupted Mommy getting ready.  Mommy lost her temper.  Sense a trend?  Finally, everyone was ready to go.  15 minutes to spare!  Then Mommy stepped in another pee spot.  The dog got sent outside.  I had a wardrobe problem and had to change.  Elijah pooped in his pants.  We had to fight to get the dog in the crate.  Now we left for church 5 minutes late! Wonderful.

Managed class with no problems.  Skipped church because for some reason I didn’t feel much like worshipping.  Or wrestling my children during the service.  So Brian took us out to lunch.  This was a big deal, because we’ve really had to tighten the purse strings lately.  This is the first time we have eaten out this month.  So lunch was good.  Brian puts us all in the van (he’s going to stay at church all day because he has to be there for evening services and it will save gas) and tells the boys to be extra good because Mommy is having a rough day.  To put it mildly.

Within 5 minutes of heading home, Elijah drops his cup.  The lid pops off and spills water, ice, and lemon slices all over the back floorboard.  Uh-oh.  Mommy has a slight temper tantrum, about how we’re supposed to be having a better day and it’s not working.  Elijah then proceeds to fall asleep.  I have a little trouble with that myself, slapping my legs and face occasionally to keep from drifting off.    I forgot to mention the breaking of sunglasses this morning, so I’m having to squint and that doesn’t help the sleepiness.  We get home and I find that Elijah apparently spilled half his drink on himself before he dropped it in the floor.  I have to change him.  This wakes him up fully.  I take the dog out of the crate and let her outside.  We get everyone settled down, and I put Elijah in my bed to nap (because he asked).  While I am in the bathroom, the dog pees in the floor.  I clean it up, then settle her in the bed to nap with us so there will be no more accidents.  She won’t be still.  I finally decide I can’t take it because I REALLY want to nap, so I take her out of the bedroom.  Where I find another pee spot.  I clean that up.  I get back in bed.  Elijah is quiet just long enough for me to drift off, then he gets in my face and starts talking.  I get up, take him to his own bed.  Go back to bed.  Drift off to sleep again.  Wake to a large crash and screaming.  Elijah has tried to climb the dresser in the bedroom and it has toppled on him.  He is scared but unhurt.  I put him back in the bed and leave the giant mess (including Noah’s ceramic tooth holder which is broken in several pieces) so I can go back to bed.  Within 2 minutes Noah is opening the door to Elijah’s room.  His pants are wet “somehow.”  I go and get him clean shorts.  I block the hallway so the dog can’t get down it and can only pee in the living room, where Noah can see her and hopefully stop her.  I lay down AGAIN.  How many times is that?   Five.  Within about 30 minutes here, people.  I think this time I got to sleep about 5 or 10 minutes before Noah and Elijah started arguing and Noah knocked on my door asking for a snack.  I get up and put Elijah back in his bed.  In the living room I step over the hallway barricade into a pee spot.  Nice.  I put the dog outside.  Decide a nap is just not going to happen.  Put some laundry out on the clothesline.  Start another load of dog laundry (stuff we’ve cleaned up so many pee spots with).  Why am I doing laundry on Sunday?  Isn’t it supposed to be a day of rest????  Elijah comes out of his room.  He’s poopy.  Goes outside before I can change him, plays a few minutes, then comes back in with his diaper almost falling off and stuff running down his legs.  Off to the bath.  I leave him in there to play, and go into the living room to straighten up (I can hear him and the bathroom is very close, please don’t think I am leaving my child to potentially drown).  I hear screaming.  Go into the bathroom to find he has emptied the very large bottle of baby wash into the tub, on his head, and in his eyes.  I rinse him off good, get him out, and add baby wash to the shopping list.

Can this day possibly get any better?  I am still waiting to see.  It’s only been 3 hours since we got home.   But hey, only an hour and a half to bedtime.  Surely I can make it????