can't get me down

Today started beautifully...

I woke up this morning sometime while steve was getting ready for work. That's the BEST way to wake up for a variety of reasons. First of all, it means that I am still in bed, which is one of the many reasons I love being a work from home mom. However, the sweetness today was mostly because it meant that Josiah, my dear, loving, sweet, non-sleeper SLEPT ALL NIGHT! No bad dreams, no owie toes (or elbows, or knees, or cheeks or anything else he can think of to hurt), no sneaking into our room to ask when he can get up. NOTHING!

It was lovely.

And the day progressed like most MOPS days: take a shower, warn the kids it's almost time to get up, get dressed, get the big kids up and dressed, feed the big kids, get Brielle up, feed Brielle, start freaking out about time, put makeup on, yell for the kids to get shoes on, change Brielle, keep freaking out about the time, yell for the kids to get thier shoes on AGAIN, start the search party for matching pairs of shoes, find sweatshirts or jackets for the rainy day, you get the picture.

today, however, we added a few extra steps, like find umbrellas for the kids, because they really really love them lately and even though it was only sprinkling, I decided to let them use them, even if it made us a few (more) minutes late.

I also didn't realize that we were OUT of gas, as in, sometime last night the light came on and much driving was done since then, so I couldn't just risk it today. So we were a few (more) minutes late.

We're always a LITTLE late, but today we were like 25 minutes late or something ridiculous like that. oh well, can't get me down today. :)

So after MOPS we only have a few minutes to eat before we have to have Lillian at school. Instead of having to pack a lunch and arrive even LATER than usual, we have just made it a tradition that after MOPS we stop by McDonalds with some friends and order a few cheeseburgers, fries to share, and water for the kids, and an entire meal for me, complete with my OWN fries AND a drink. I'm so unfair. :) BUT, there's an old guy there that occasionally gives the kids their own drinks and even happy meal toys because "they are so well behaved and you just don't see that too often these days." So they come out alright in the end. :)

But today our friends couldn't make it, so I decided that instead of McD's AGAIN, we'd do something different. I figured that if I got them something cheap like usual, and didn't order Brielle anything, then Brielle and I could eat at Chipotle while the kids ate thier burgers. I could use "Brielle's money" that would have paid for her food, and add it to the cost of what I would have paid for my McD's meal, and come up with about the same cost as a chipotle burrito, and Brielle could eat a side of beans and rice for like $.80 and we'd be spending about the same amount on lunch but Mommy would get chipotle. :)

so on the way to Chipotle, we stop at Wendy's and run through the drive-through to get their burgers. I know what to order, because they always want the same thing, every time. So I order a plain cheeseburger with small fries for Lillian, and a regular cheeseburger for Josiah, and even throw in another order of fries, hoping that it will make me feel less guilty about dragging them into chipotle to eat it.

So the guy clarifies that I wanted waters with that, and said something about ten dollars and pull ahead or soemthing. I'm thinking surely he wasn't giving me my total, because if cheeseburgers are like a buck, and fries are about a buck, then I shouldn't be spending more than four or five bucks at this stop. So I pull up to the window and say "how much was it?" and he says "ten sixty five" or something and I say "really? for two burgers and two small fries?" and he nods, giving me a look like I'm really stupid, or maybe just that he's really not wanting to be at work. and I think, 'ah, well, I get chipotle, ya can't get me down..." and hand him my card, which he drops, and I open my door to get, and bang it into the ledge, so have to pull ahead and open the door and squeeze out and hand him my card again. nothing like providing a little entertainment for those behind me.

Okay, so I get BACK in the van, drive to the next window where they hand me about a ten pound bag and a couple waters. It's then that I realize that these are not "kid quality" burgers, and there's a reason they were three bucks each. They are MASSIVE. So at least I feel better about spending the money, even though I know about half of each burger will be eaten IF I'M LUCKY.

Off we go to chipotle. mmm... The line was short, I ordered my perfect burrito, a side for B, and found a table to eat at. And it all went wonderfully. A few spills here and there (because those burgers were jammed full of condiments, it was really quite nasty), but nothing to really get me down. Lillian even ate EVERY bite of her burger, which wasn't even plain! I had to scrape off the stuff into her wrapper bc Mr. I'MTOOCOOLTOBEWORKINGATWENDY'S didn't pay attention to my order. Anyway, it doesn't matter. it's a good day.

While leaving chipotle I'm sure I looked a bit...um...flustered. we had to hurry to get Lillian to school, so I'm holding Brielle who is trying her best to get out of my arms and over to Lillian's fries, and holding Josiah's hand with one hand, and his fries with my diet coke in my other hand, which is the arm that's holding Brielle, and dodging puddles and holding my leg up as a road block after I let go of Josiah so that he doesn't go in the wrong side of the van and step on the pizzas I made for supper tonight at MOPS. (see? good day! supper is already ready!)

I put my diet coke on the top of the van, brielle in her seat, Josiah's fries in her lap, buckle her in, and try to "help" Josiah with his seatbelt. He really needs more than "helping" though, so I half climb into the van with my butt sticking out for all the lovely people in Chipotle to see, but figure they are not looking at my butt anyway so get over it. Josiah gets buckled, asks for his fries, so I take them from Brielle, and trade her for Lillian's, crisis averted. :)

WHOO! So we're finally in the van and ready to go and I pull out and notice like ALL the people in chipotle looking at me. nice. I figured they'd have other things to do besides watch me try to manage my three kids in a rainy parking lot while holding all our food and drinks we didn't have time to finish.

ah, well, can't get me down today! happy viewing people!

As we pull into Lillian's school, I can finally take a breath, and grab another sip of diet coke, and realize that the people in chipotle really could care less about me managing my kids and such. They were probably just placing bets on how far I could drive before my diet coke fell off the top of my roof. hopefully somebody got rich. :)

ANYWAY, came home to a crazy messy house because I've been neglecting it in the pinkadink busy-ness these last few days. Left the milk out on the counter this morning. Can't see the couch bc it's covered in laundry (but at least it's CLEAN! just not folded). There's lot of last night's supper on the dining room floor, and a bit of this morning's breakfast has joined it. But right now, the kids are in bed, the house is quiet, and I'm going to tackle the mess right after I'm done wasting time by writing this. :)

It's a good day. when I wake up like I did today, there's nothing that can get me down. :)

happy friday!