I often get comments like "you certainly have your hands full" or "how do you do it with 4 young kids?". I'm sure many of you reading my blog have wondered that also. Well, the truth is some days are incredibly challenging and I wonder how I survive them. But, the good news is that I can look back at the challenging moments and laugh. So, this entry is all about one of those challenging moments.
Paige stayed home from school today because she wasn't feeling well. She slept most of the afternoon and didn't really eat anything because her tummy was hurting. I had to wake her up so we could go pick Kaeli up from school. Now, let me first say the arrival home from school is never a smooth transition. There's a lot of excitement and everybody wants something. And, as much as I've tried to teach my kids this fact, they still don't seem to understand that I'm only one person. So, we walk back in the door after school. Ryan and AJ are let loose on the floor. Kaeli and Paige are both vying for my attention. Paige asks for a drink of water because her tummy is starting to hurt REALLY bad. I get the water and, before handing it to her, ask her if she's ok. She just answers with "My tummy is just hurting so bad I think I need medicine". My heart truly goes out to her-but there's nothing I can do except offer a hug and kiss. I then hand her the water. She goes to take a drink and pukes right into the cup. I grab her and try to get her to the bathroom, attempting to leave as little of a trail as possible. Just as we get to the toilet Paige slips in the vomit and falls right into it. She's now covered in stinkiness. I have to leave Paige at the toilet to fend for herself because by now I realize AJ is trying to crawl into the bathroom. In case you're wondering, I don't think it's because of his concern for Paige. I think it's that he realizes the bathroom door is open and he now has access to his two favorite past-times--eating toilet paper and splashing in the toilet bowl. So, I quickly wash his hands (because I don't need him to catch this bug) and stick him in the high chair. He doesn't like being confined so he screams and cries during the remainder of this incident. I hear Kaeli screaming because Ryan is walking right through the vomit. I don't quite remember how I did this, but somehow I managed to simultaneously throw Paige in the bathtub and strip Ryan's pants and socks. I put Ryan on the other side of the gate so he can't get into the mess again. He also doesn't appreciate this confinement, so he proceeds to scream. Fortunately, Paige seems much better once she's in the tub. With much screaming in the background, Kaeli assists me by getting paper towels, cleaning supplies and garbage bags. Of course, she's keeping her distance because she informs me that she feels like she might throw up because of the smell. I get the floors cleaned and put all the dirty clothes in the laundry. Then I bathe Paige and wash her hair in record time! Now I can finally release Ryan and AJ and things begin to settle down. WHEW!!
AJ's first steps happened after the mayhem. So, that explains why Kaeli and Ryan don't have on pants, why AJ's overalls are unbuttoned, and why Paige is not involved in the fanfare.
Paige seemed much better after that one incident. Hopefully that was the end of it.
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