what a day - kinda got long sorry

I will post pictures later - but for now, just let me rant about my day just a little.

To say that I have been beyond busy this week would be putting it mildly. I have rushed to answer this email, to run to that meeting, to answer this and that phone call, to cuddle a sad child, to fix dinner, to work out, to organize everything that is in chaos, to read to a child, to sort junk mail, to go over the school work we are about to start, to celebrate my Mother's birthday, to visit the sick-lonely-elderly, to reassure my sweetheart that he can get that bonus if he works 70hours a week, to find lost shoes, to wipe runny noses, to read the scriptures, to have Mommy prayers, to unload the dishwasher, to re-wash the laundry that sat too long in the washer, to find matching socks, to pick up dry-cleaning, to heat up left-over pizza, to email friends, to figure out scouting and how far behind we are, to gas up the car, to return library books, to dye my hair - all to lay myself down at night and sleep as soundly as my restless mind will allow so that I can get up and do it all again tomorrow.

So today.

We, the kids and I, were at the dark and vacant church to print off paperwork for the new counselors and secretary. Let me add here that the computer at the church is a Dinosaur that moves far slower than molasses. I had six copies of about 10 different multiple page reports to print, collate and staple. After waiting and waiting and reciting Brother Nelson's reassurance "just be patient with it and it will print" over and over to myself to try and not throw the printer through the window I realized that the ancient printer that gave no warnings or codes to explain the stall - was jammed.

Noble and Liam played in the High Counsel room and held "pretend church" and Hewy was with them for the first half of the time I was there. I had told them they could only play in the hallway where the Stake offices are, in the High Counsel Room or in the office where I was. Because honestly, I am a little scared of the church when it is abandoned and dark as it was, and I didn't want to have to track them down. Did I mention that I lock the doors behind me so that no one that doesn’t have a key can get in, and that when I don’t have the boys with me, I lock myself in the office? About half way finished with my madness of printing, Hewy came in and I could tell he was growing tired of being in the dark deserted church. I gave him four sheets of paper and Crayola marker that I found on the desk. he was satisfied.

A little too satisfied.

I heard him say:

"Mom, I draw mine hand" glanced over my shoulder, "Good H. you drew your hand!"

"Mom, I draw plane" and I not looking back said, "Wow, that's great!"

"Mom I draw race car, vroom, vroom!" I repeat, "Vroom, Vroom!" to fake my interest.

"Mom, I draw music, da-da-da-da" and I sang along with him, still not looking at him.

"Mom, I draw circles."

Mom, I draw a star" so at this point I am mostly tuned out.

until I hear:

"look Mom, I draw'd pants, see me"

I think to myself… “See…me?”

And when I look back I see my fair haired pale skinned boy is, well, BLUE! He had taken off his shoes and covered his feet, his legs, his belly under his shirt, his arms, his hands, his face and neck - BLUE. But not a single stroke had marked his clothing - because he apparently understood that was a no-no.

Then and only then did I realize that the Crayola marker I had given him was not a "washable" one.

I finished my reports, logged off and shut down the computer and loaded everyone in the car. I pulled several baby wipes out and attempted to wash his face and the blue didn't so much as smear. I realized that I would probably take skin off if I tried to remove the blue.

I decided we should just continue errands for the day rather than attempt a bath first - if it wasn't coming off with wipes, a bath wasn't going to help either. We headed for Costco.

And the day just keeps getting better.

Noble and Liam were very good at the church and they were mentioning that they were hungry, so we decided to eat first while we were at Costco. 2 hot dogs w/drinks, 1 slice of pepperoni pizza and a turkey wrap. We had just sat down, handed out the grub, negotiated sharing the drinks and I was taking the first bite of the wrap when...

Thud, swoosh, splash - I can't remember if I heard it or felt it first, but I knew what had happened. Hewy had dropped the full lemonade and it had spilled, gushed, flowed freely to freedom all over the floor and my feet and legs. I remember closing my eyes and inhaling - I don't recall how long that was, but I know that a female voice sounded while my eyes were still closed "I'll get you some help." I don't think my eyes were closed more than a blink and half to calm myself, but something of her motherly instincts told her I was about ready to flip to the dark side of Motherhood.

Help came. They were nice. They all cleaned. The other women said "I've been there." I sucked it up, we ate, we refilled our drinks, we headed to the greater abyss of Costco to shop for our bi-weekly staples of Milk, Fiber One cereal and cucumbers...

Did you read the part where I said - we refilled our drinks? Did you think I was testing fate? I didn't realize it at the time, but I guess that is what I was doing.

We were not 2 minutes into our shopping, nothing had even been put in the cart yet when I turned around to see Liam shaking his leg like he had wet himself - and yes, I recognize what a child looks like when he has done that, because I have seen it, but that's another story.

I think I closed my eyes and inhaled again, deeply this time. Calmly, "what happened?"

“Well, I was just...” (no words just an expression) “and then...” (no words just hand movements towards the empty cup and puddle on the floor)

I let the authorities know and then I walked away.

I fully expected to hear someone come over the loud speaker and say "Would the woman with the Blue Child please leave the store immediately."

But that didn't happen. We got our three gallons of milk, cucumbers and two (yes two) Costco size boxes of Fiber One cereal and made our way to the cashier. I know I have mentioned before that we are at Costco frequently enough that they know not just me, but my kids by name. As I unloaded the cart the cashier, Chrissy, said, "Hewy! What happened to you buddy?" I explain. She laughs. The person I would describe as a bagger, other than Costco doesn't have bags, I guess he is the "Boxer" laughed too. Yeah, Ha-ha-ha, no pride left. We take our ticket-outta-the-place (A.K.A. the receipt) and start to walk out, past the food court and I hear from behind us as we pass, "hey Hewy, you're blue!" I turn to see Hewy's favorite checker/cashier, Kristen, who has been in love with him since he was an infant. "yeah, we are trying to teach him his colors" Ha-ha-ha please get me outta here.

H-y is strict when it comes to routines. Like at the gym - he HAS to push the handicap button to open the doors, he HAS to wash his hands before he goes through the child-center gate, he HAS to turn around to have his sticker put on (not have the person reach around him, to put it on his back). Certain things have to happen in certain order. Like leaving Costco. He HAS to have the receipt and he HAS to give it to the person to be checked, and he HAS to get a smiley face.

I thought the receipt checker was going to bust her side open when she saw him. She even went to get a BLUE marker to draw the smiley for him.

This is my humble life.

I told a friend this afternoon that I really wanted to eat my weight in potato chips - but instead I went to the gym while my kids swam in her pool. Hewy is still blue. If chlorine didn't work...

And he had a bath tonight. Still blue.

:)