Overwhelmed

I had an overwhelming day, to say the least. I can't believe it is finally over.

First, you get the long version for my venting purposes. If you would like to read the condensed, bullet point version please scroll down to the end.

It all started by getting up early and getting Gavin ready for school. I was so organized. I had his lunch made, the backpack packed and I even had every one's clothes laid out. I even had time to throw a load of laundry in, empty the dishwasher and make my bed before we walked over to school. Just as we were leaving, Charlotte thew up on the floor. My first thought was, "Typical middle child - had to get some attention in there somewhere on Gavin's big day!" I thought her breakfast was just too sweet on her tummy. So, I cleaned up the mess and off we went. I did great until Gavin started walking into school. He looked SO NERVOUS. I was sobbing hysterically. As soon as he was inside I was booking it home b/c I was so embarrassed. I was literally crying my eyes out. Pathetic, I know. But Gavin is such a mama's boy and he's been my best bud for the last 5 and 1/2 years! It was tough. So, I spent the next hour crying off and on and doing laundry and clinging to sissy (who wanted nothing to do with me - she was thrilled to have the toys all to herself. She went straight for Gav's Lego's the moment we stepped back into the house. It was like she had been waiting for this moment all summer long.)

Next, I was out of the house headed up to church to prepare for our big AWANA leader training tonight. I've spent weeks prepping for this. I've made power points, a 10 page handout, team binders, missionary hand outs for special sections and the list goes on. I'm not telling you this so you'll be impressed. I'm telling you so you can grasp the enormous disappointment that is coming towards the end of this post. Anyhow, I spent the morning w/ a friend making copies, assembling the packets and setting up the room. Charlotte was being SO GOOD this whole time. She is usually into all kinds of mischief at church. I kept on commenting on how good she was being. I figured that there was no one to compete for attention with b/c Gavin wasn't there. So, we left church and headed to Target to get some snacks for the meeting. By the time I got home, sis had fallen asleep in the car. I tried to transition her into her crib, but she just sat in there and talked for awhile. After a bit, she started yelling at me. I finally went in there and she was tucked away in the corner of her crib and she points to a big pile of puke on the other side. Nice. At this point, I figured she must be sick or something. I called the babysitter I had scheduled for the meeting tonight and told her not to come. It looks like I will be staying home. Weeks of prepping for this meeting and I don't even get to go.

I get Charlotte all cleaned up, do another load of laundry and then go and pick Gavin up. As soon as I see him, I start crying again. He had a great day, though. I thought he would be sad and would have had a rough time being gone so long. Not so much. He actually liked it. He had lots of stories for me. He was laughing at me b/c I was crying. When we got home I was hugging him and crying and he said, "Why are you crying now? I'M HOME!!" I thought that was funny. By this time, I was laughing too. I realized that all my tears were for nothing. He enjoyed himself. Whew. Then, I crashed. I felt the weight of the day. I tried to lay on the couch while the kids played, but I still had so much to do. Ryan came home and I started making dinner (while on the phone with some gals from church giving them some of my jobs that I wanted to do tonight). I was also prepping the snacks for the meeting. Dinner was almost ready, I was going to sit down and give Ryan on the low down on the meeting - something I thought I was going to get to do on the way. Then, Charlotte pukes ALL OVER THE KITCHEN. It was awful. I threw her in the bath, we ate our dinner in the living room. I threw the flash drive at Ryan with the power point on it and told him to call me on the way. Charlotte cried the whole time in the bath. Gavin was trying to make her happy, but he was only making it worse. I had ANOTHER load of laundry to do and puke all over the kitchen to clean up. It was ridiculous. After I calmed down a bit, I walked up to Walgreens to get some pedialite (and a coke!). Charlotte fell asleep on the way back which was heavenly. She is still sleeping. Ryan called me three times in the middle of all of this to ask questions. Then, I had to start on homework with Gavin. Are you kidding me? We finally finished, I played with him a little bit and then put him to bed. Then I had to clean up the kitchen, call my friend and cancel our play date for tomorrow and finish up the laundry (which still isn't done). I am pooped! Once I get Gavin to school tomorrow, I am coming home to CRASH!

Okay, here's the bullet point version (still kind of long, sorry!):

- get up early.
- as we are leaving to take Gav to school, Charlotte throws up. NICE.
- clean it up, rush to school.
- sob hysterically as I watch my eldest nervously enter kindergarten
- run home b/c I am so embarrassed at my lack of emotional restraint (I AM 33 weeks pregnant)
- spend an hour crying over Gavin and trying to clean up the house
- leave for church to prep for big AWANA training tonight (I've spent weeks preparing for this!)
- spend the a.m. with a friend setting up and assembling the training packets (while crying intermittently over Gavin.
- go to Target to pick up snacks for meeting (call my Dad on the way b/c I realized I missed his bday last week)
- head home, put Sis in bed
- she does not sleep. I go in after awhile and she is sitting next to a pile of puke.
- more laundry
- cancel baby sitter for tonight
- answer some e mails, fill out some forms for Gavin's school
- pick up Gavin, blubber all over him again, realize I am ridiculous and he had a great day!
- head home and try to crash - the day is getting to me - but the kids are ready to play
- go through Gavin's back pack and realize there are more forms for me to fill out and homework for Gavin.
- start making dinner, trying to make phone calls and pass some of my responsibilities off from the meeting, also prepping the snacks for the meeting
- sit down to dinner to give Ryan the low down on the meeting (he's running it). I thought we'd have time on the way to the meeting, but since I am not going, there is no such time.
- about to take one bite of my dinner and Charlotte pukes ALL OVER THE KITCHEN
- throw both kids in bath
- eat dinner with Ryan in living room while kids are in bath
- throw flash drive at Ryan with his power point on it and tell him to call me on the way
- more laundry
- more cleaning puke up
- more phone calls about the meeting
- cancel play date scheduled for tomorrow
- walk to walgreens to get some pedialite for Charlotte and COKE for me ( I am desperate)
- come home, Charlotte finally asleep, start Gavin's homework
- put Gavin to bed, clean kitchen, make lunches for tomorrow, fill out crazy forms

Now I am waiting for Ryan to come home to tell me the meeting was a success (hopefully!). I may not be able to keep my eyes open that long, though. Seriously, I can't believe this day did not kill me - God's grace. I am going to NAP tomorrow! Woo Hoo! I can confidently say that his has been one of the worst days of my adult life. I sure hope Sissy sleeps all night. I'm glad tomorrow is another day!