Library

Today I took all three kids to the library after I picked up Connor from school. They have a promotion going for free hamburgers at In N Out when your kid reads 5 books. It only goes until the 15th...which is a bummer because it went on all through October! Same as with the free Zoo for October. So lame that we missed out on that. We'll know for next year I guess.  Anyway, it's never hard at first. I was grateful that I had remembered the stroller (rather it was left in there after our Disneyland trip yesterday) so I didn't have to lug Felicity around.  I returned our old books and ran to the grown up books to get a couple for myself then ran back to see what the kids were into. Thankfully no chaos had erupted yet. Parker found the puzzles and Connor was just looking for papers to write on. I got Connor to sit with me and read 5 books with me which was a miracle. But halfway through this Parker had gotten bored with the puzzles and decided to run around. And his footsteps were not quiet...they were really loud. Flip flops...and I didn't want to disturb people so I hunted him down. Right about the time I captured him Felicity got bored with the library card I was letting her hold and she started fussing. Parker got mad at me and went back to the puzzles. I put my hair up (this is why I never do my hair...it always ends up in a ponytail anyway) because I was sweating...and got her out of her seat. Finished reading books with her in my arms reaching for things.   Sigh...finished the books. Miracle. Ok Connor now you get to pick some to take home. Whoa whoa whoa, don't grab every book on the shelf. Let's choose them together. OK still grabbing too many at once. Let's look inside to make sure it's a book we want to read (and doesn't have a thousand words on a page-because that would lead to attention deficit on both our parts).  Hey let's not grab all the movies ok? Let's just pick a couple movies.  Oh my gosh who is banging puzzle pieces? Is that Parker? No. ok it's the other kid that showed up whose mom left him there to play while she read with her other kid. She's not going to stop him? Ok then I guess nobody else notices the loud slamming noises. Back to Connor. No we're not going to get a Thomas the Train movie-- there are plenty on Netflix. CRASH..what the heck was that?! Oh that boy Parker is next to pushed a puzzle onto the floor. Was Parker a part of that? Ask them both to pick it up. Other mom is showing no interest in her child or his craziness. Ok then I'm not going to pick it up, I'm holding the baby and trying to keep Connor at bay. Need to grab a few toddler books for Parker to enjoy. He's fighting me- doesn't WANT me to pick books to bring home. Takes books out of my hands and yells at me. Awesome. He walks off so I grab some really fast anyway. Now Connor has crayons and bookmarks to color. Ok that's cool. Where's Parker? Found him. Why is Connor over behind the desk area where he shouldn't be? Connor please don't grab papers from the grown up stacks. Great he's fighting me. Felicity is getting mad. Time to go. Where's Parker? How am I going to get all these books to the desk? Found my bag, put all the books in there, put baby back in the stroller. She's crying. Ughhh... Connor went back and got the paper he shouldn't have gotten and is now writing on it. Not a big deal but really maddening that he doesn't listen or obey. Grab his stuff and tell him to put it all away. Felicity is crying. Pick her up. Get the boys..time to GO! Parker doesn't want to go. grab his hand and bring him to the front. Connor is wandering and telling employees he is getting a free hamburger. Tried putting Felicity down to run after boys who are running around. She cries some more. HOw many books am I getting?! How did that happen? Oh well. Pick up baby. Parker doing potty dance and says he has to potty. GREEAAAT. Finish checking out books, put them in car seat, push it and take the boys to the potty while holding the baby. Lift Parker up onto toilet while holding Felicity. No way can we wash our hands, I'm holding the baby and can't hold him up that long. Gross. We're all going to die of germs. Get out to the car. FINALLY. Load everyone up. Call Ben who had called wondering where we were. Tell him I'll be home soon to claim the parking spot he was able to get while home for lunch. Parking is a big deal. After street sweeping day it's every man for himself and there is a golden spot everyone wants. We got it. So I need to get home soon. We're in Dana Point about 12 minutes away because the San Clemente library is closed for a year. Lame. Start driving. Kids ask what's for lunch. They had peanut butter and jelly yesterday so I guess that means on our rotation it's time for mac n cheese. Call Ben to have him start it. That would be great if it was done before we get there and they can eat fast and go down for naps. He doesn't answer. We just hung up a minute ago. What happened? Call 8 more times. Felicity crying the whole way home. Pass a big billboard that says Kids Free in October for Zoo! Rubs salt in my wounds. How did I not see that last month?! Ben still not answering. REALLY?! Baby still crying. Finally get home. Ben answers as I pull up. Grrrrr....get the golden spot. Feel bad because he didn't answer cuz he was washing dishes. There are a LOT of dirty dishes. And the house is a pig sty. I was buying groupons all morning and balancing our checking account. No time for cleaning.  Begin the lunchtime chaos. Get everyone's hands washed and pray nothing in the house was contaminated before I had a chance to do so. Oh well. builds immunity. Watch the kids tear into the library toddler boxes. GRRRR...get them to sit and wait for food. Check on macaroni between feeding Felicity bites of baby food. Feeding babies takes FOREVER especially with no high chair. I think she should get a high chair for Christmas.  Finally the food is done. Everyone is fed and it's time for naps. Now I can veg and watch my show. But I so needed to remember this day that I sat down and typed up this lovely journal entry. My eyes are begging for a nap and I'm hoping I can get some rest before the baby wakes up....