** This post is really more for me to remember this day. It's very long! And, it has taken a whole week to get it written and published but it was a great day and I want to make sure I remember it! If you are not into long, wordy posts you might just want to skip over it!
What a wonderful Mother's Day I had! It started off as any old usual morning... me dragging my tired self out of bed while my bright eyed and bushy tailed family was having breakfast. I am not a morning girl- although I wish I was.
Anyway, I headed straight to the coffee...yummm. It really is a good jump start in the morning. Then I turned around the Puddin saying, "HAPPY MUDDERS DAY!!!!" **precious!!** Then, I was definitely awake! I swear, I could eat that girl up she is so sweet!
She then went on to tell me they had something for me... yay! presents!
I noticed they were all holding slips of paper in their hands. Upon closer observation I noticed they were Chuck E. Cheese coupons, for me!!! Don't be jealous, now. They were spectacular! Just the kind of Chuck E. Cheese gift every momma dreams of, one was for a free hug, one for a clean room, one for an extra nap (for me)- you get the picture. They were perfect! And even better was that Bud and Daisy were even holding one for me and neither of them had even slobbered on them yet!
After loving on my adoring children, I turned around yet again to find my hubby standing in the kitchen with a dozen roses!!! **sigh** I love that man! I have no idea when he picked them up, unless it was the night before, when around midnight he mentioned we were out of milk and he really needed to go to the store so we would have some for the kiddos tomorrow. Such a sneaky man!
Anyway, after hugs and kisses all around we started the mad dash to get to church, hopefully on time, preferably before worship ends and most definitely before the invitation. Some days you take what you can get. This day, however, we made it- early!!! How, I'll never know. The important thing is we managed to get everyone dressed, fed, and bags packed and in the van and to church EARLY! Like I said, It was a great day!
Monkey See has started having some separation issues as of late so I knew to expect him to throw a kink into things during drop off. And as expected, he did. It turned into the teacher prying him off of me as I promised I would be right back after I learned about Jesus and me dashing out of the room. We finished dropping everyone else off and made it to the sanctuary before the 1st song!! However, into the 2nd song, Mommy Guilt sat in, so I had to go check on my sweet little Monkey. As I walked passed the room the babies were in I heard the all too familiar screeching cry of Daisy. She was throwing an all time fit but after checking in the peep hole I could see she was ok, just wanting her mommy. I continued down the hall to Monkey See's room and all was quiet. Thank you Lord.
Church was great, really great message and worship. Just all around great!
After church The Family decided we would go to brunch for Mother's Day. So off we headed to our local Ryans. This was a out first ever visit to Ryans and I think everyone in the place could tell. For those of you who have never experienced it, let me explain... it's sort of like a cafeteria, but it's a buffet, with a waitress. Clear as mud, right? We didn't know that as soon as you walk in you immediately give your order and pay at this stand, then you are allowed to find a seat and get your food and stuff. We had 5 small children and an extra large diaper bag, and 2 of those 5 smalls were potty training! So, we patiently stood in line, Hubby juggled Daisy and the diaper bag while I juggled Bud and my purse while wrangling the other 3 munchkins. Whew- we were so happy to find a table after we paid the hostess!
And that's when we realized we were center stage.
After i had everyone in a seat with a cup and a cracker (meaning they were quiet) I could hear the murmur throughout the dining room! It really was very funny. At least the kiddos were good. Bud made some friends a couple of tables over so entertained numerous people while he played peek-a-boo and made faces with his new friends. Puddin entertained another table with her sweetness and talk of her one day, soon to be, prince charmin', and the other 3 were just hilarious! the boys loved the food and in between bites you could hear, "Umm, that good Momma!", or " Umm, I wike it!" And Daisy, well she isn't called sourpuss for no reason. She really is very selective about who she flashes her pearly whites at, and if it's you, consider yourself lucky! That girl can give some serious
Idon'tknowwhoyouthinkyouare looks!
So while feeding our brood hubby and I would tag team, I'd get the food for the kids, he'd get his food while I would chop and serve. When he returned I would
get my food get the kids round 2 (they really did like the food!) Finally, we all had a plate and were having a nice little family meal when the man sitting behind us comes over and asks us if our kids have a piggy bank. Hubby said yes, they did. He then hands us 5 $1 bills and says it's for our kids piggy banks! We kept refusing the money but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Then he and his family kept remarking on how well behaved they all were. It was really very sweet.
Eventually the kids finished their food, with only 1 potty break in between, and they even had dessert! (Puddin was
very happy!)
Everyone there was so nice! People kept coming up and wishing me a happy mother's day and complimenting the children. It was a sweet lunch for sure.
The it was time to leave and hubby picked up Daisy and I carried out Bud. I think I left out the part about Bud doing his business during dessert... well, he did, and sheeeewwwww-eeee! I thought I had gotten the wrong end of the deal until we got to the van and hubby's shirt was soaking wet. I asked him what happened, turns out Daisy had soaked her diaper all the way through! We thought she had been changed at church, still not sure about that, either way she was soaking wet! So, we did what we always do when this happens, I got the other 3 in their seats (thankfully Monkey Do and Puddin can fasten their buckles on their own so I only have to do Monkey See's harness) and then we changed the babies in the front seat of the van.
Once they were dry we headed home for a family nap.
Thankfully, everyone cooperated. Except me. For some weird reason, I couldn't sleep. So I laid there and watched the rest of some weekend movie and then thought about how blessed I am. I know that sounds so cliche, but really, I have everything I ever prayed for or dreamed I wanted, and they were all sleeping! It was very peaceful, and sweet. I am blessed.
So fast forward a couple of hours, I decide that I would like to go to Lowes and pick out some flowers to plant outside (and the kiddos love Lowes). We also realize that we are out of wipes so since Target is next to Lowes we swing in there first, I jump out and go in while hubby circles the parking lot. While in Target I saw a friend of mine and visited with her quickly, got my wipes, and a few other things and then headed out. Hubby wasn't answering his cell phone so I just waited on the curb for him. After a few minutes I could see him in the distance approaching...very slowly. As he got closer I saw it. A flat tire. My immediate reaction was I was so grateful it happened right then and right there. I mean, most of the time I am alone with the kids, what would I have done? I know how to change a flat, probably, but how do I do that and keep 5 small kids safe at the same time?? Also, I am all over town, a lot, and a lot of the streets/interstate aren't very conducive to a mother of 5 small young 'uns changing a tire. Thankfully we were in the Target parking lot. I know Target, I feel safe there and I visit there often. So, in my head and heart, I was so happy for God's sovereign timing! Yay!
So we pull to the back of the parking lot, which actually happens to be the front. I mean it's where all of the cars entering to shop drive past, but it was the best possible place for us to find open parking. So we unload the kids, I put the babies in their stroller and the other 3 on a little grassy curb. I set the rules, stay on the curb, no moving about. We had lots for them to do anyway. Since our donut is located under the middle seat hubby had to completely remove both middle seats and get the donut. Now comes the embarrassing part. My filthy van!! Oh my word! It was terrible!! There was so much stuff!!! So I grabbed a bag, positioned myself to have one eye on the kids and I started cleaning the van out. This gave the children tons of books to read and coloring books to color in and toys to lay with that they hadn't seen in a while.
Finally, after many cars whizzing past (scaring me half to death- I was finished with the van by this point) hubby gets the donut on And we realize.... it's flat!
Now, a nice man had pulled up about this time and offered to help. Maybe it was the look on my face that screamed " these people are driving too fast in this parking lot and we have a flat donut and need help" that made him stop. I don't know, but we were sure grateful he did. He offered to take the donut off and get air in it so that we could get home. This also allowed for hubby to help me for a bit since the kids were now getting hungry and bored. NEVER, EVER a good combination.
So, while they removed the donut, the potty training Monkey's decided they needed to potty... BAD! thankfully, I keep a potty in the van and, it just so happens, it was handy! So I flipped the lid on it and one at a time they sat on their potty in the Target parking lot and did their business. And they stayed dry!
After the man left with the donut, hubby and I were dealing with the kids when it became apparent things were going down hill fast. We had been out here well over an hour by this point and they were hungry and bored. So I took them into Target for popcorn while he waited for the man with the donut to come back. Right before I headed that way a big truck pulled up with a couple in it. The woman asked if we were ok, and she was showing genuine concern, almost like there was some familiarity there, like we knew each other. Only we didn't. Clearly she could tell I had no idea who she was. Then her husband leaned in and I could see his face and I realized they were Bud's friends from Ryan's earlier in the day! It was so funny! The woman said she saw us from a distance and said to her husband, "Hey! It's The Family!" HA! Hubby and I both thought that was funny!
Finally I made it to Target, fed the children, talked to several people who had seen us in the parking lot, visited the restroom with all of them, changed diapers and headed back to the van.
And they were just finishing up! The seats were already in the van so we loaded everyone up, decided to wait on the flowers and headed home.
Hubby called Walmart on the way home and found out their automotive center would be closing in about a half an hour so he dropped me and the kids off at the house and headed to Walmart to get a new tire. He got there minutes before they closed and was able to get 2 new tires! It all worked out perfectly.
I fed the hungry children, bathed them and got everyone ready for bed. Hubby got home just in time to help tuck them all in.
It was a another adventure for sure- but a wonderful mother's day!
(But a really bad hair day! Ugh- what was going on with my hair here?? Oh well!)
