Let’s set the mood, shall we? On Mondays, I rush home, get Princess and take her to dance class. This particular Monday, the duo was pretty grumpy when I came in. I tried to hold them both a little before running back out the door with Princess to make it to her class in time. The great thing about Monday is that I have 55 minutes all to myself while dance class takes place. If the weather permits, I like to go for a walk. I have a few friends who sometimes join me, but I don’t mind going alone if no one is available. It is 55 minutes (minus drive time) that I do not have to feel guilty for having, since I’m technically multitasking. Since having the twins, finding time to exercise is even harder than before and sometimes I convince myself that it’s just not worth the guilt. Today, I dropped Princess off and headed to our walking trail where I met up with two friends. The walk was great, and I felt pretty good about this being the second time in three days that I actually got to exercise. I picked Princess up and dashed back home because there is only one hour between the end of Princess’s dance class and the time our youth group (Dean and I host and lead a youth aged small group on Monday as well) begins. That gives me about 40 minutes when you subtract pick up and travel time to get home and fix dinner for around 5-8 people. (Imagine “I’m Every Woman” playing in the background.) It’s an absolutely packed day. When we were driving home today, Dean sent me a text asking if Sissy could help me until small group started so that he could go out and tend to the livestock. I should have known right then that all heck had broke loose at home, but this silly girl didn’t think too much of it. I walked in the door, where Dean met me with a crying Tinker Belle, handed her to me, and all but ran out the door. Either he was afraid of being late for his own small group, or a common sense instinct had set in and he had chosen flight over fight with two 6 month olds. Tank was also screaming in the living room, because Dean had walked out of the room (an interesting new phobia he has developed.) So I get home from my relaxing and exhilarating walk to be met with a stressed out husband, grumpy babies, and a dinner that wouldn’t cook itself. Sissy did come in to help even though I know she had places to be, God bless her heart. We switched babies back and forth like some crazy circus act while I cooked dinner and washed bottles at the same time. Not an easy evening. The youth kids came, and I’m pretty sure the experience itself was better than any abstinence speech I could ever give. However, in the end, everyone ate and the duo actually stayed quiet during our lesson (the same cannot be said for Princess, but…). Tinker Belle, due to teething we believe, has screamed bloody murder on and off all day, and small group was no exception. Someone please tell me, what do you do for your child when NOTHING you do comforts her? Well, I think Dean and I have both teetered on the edge of insanity ourselves this evening, but at the moment, all I know to do is rock her in her bouncy chair while she cries and intermittently attacks the little teddy bear paci holder is has in there with her by chewing his arms (while I blog about the experience of course). Maybe one day I’ll learn how to keep a one child meltdown from becoming a two to three child meltdown and sometimes (though I hate to admit it) even a mommy and daddy meltdown. If you have ever been there, or ever find yourself here, just know you’re not alone. Here is some encouragement for me: 1. Tank is asleep in his bed, 2. My awesome husband is cleaning the kitchen, 3. Princess has somehow managed to fall asleep next to me, 4. I've been wanting to have a new post this week anyway, and 5. Eventually, all of my kids will have all of their teeth.
I thank God for the chaos of today, for I know that without it, my life would be empty.
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