MY WHIPPING POST!

Okay, this blog is actually like my whipping post!  It gives me a place to vent  :/

The past two days have been NUTS!  I stripped all the beds and washed everything to get ready for school on Thursday.  I purchased all the school supplies a couple weeks ago at Wal Mart.  I know I could've saved a few dollars by shopping at three different stores, but the chaos that surrounds me (my 6 children) when I shop just isn't worth the headache.  Not to mention that I would probably pay more in gas because my van, BIG RED, guzzles through it faster than my five year old guzzles my diet coke when I'm not looking!

 Yesterday was a typical busy day.  The kids woke up and my younger three (Colin-7, Ryan-7, Connor-5) immediately wanted to play with the neighbors.  I forced them to eat breakfast and they were out the door.  I headed downstairs to visit Mount Everest (that's what I call the four bins of laundry when they're full) and started chopping away.  I came upstairs to some peace and quiet. All of my children were outside...SWEET!  I was like, no way, I can actually SIT and eat breakfast.  I was so excited!  I made fried eggs over easy, one slice of toast, coffee, and orange juice.  I head into the living room and turn on the tv.  I started eating and after 2 bites I hear someone crying in the kitchen.  I put my breakfast down and head into the kitchen to find Ryan.  He starts screaming that our neighbor called him a cry baby!  While he's telling me that Connor comes running in and tells me that Ryan pushed Alex (she's 9).  Ryan starts yelling that she deserved it because she called him a cry baby.  I take them both outside and Ryan is still very upset but more angry at this point.  So, he starts pulling at my hydrangeas.  All the kids (my six kids and three of the neighbor kids) are looking at me wondering what I'm going to do.  I say to Ryan, "Go ahead and pull them out...they never bloomed anyways."  Probably not the best thing to say...oh well.  So ALL the kids attempt to tell me what happened.  Long story short, Alex apologized for calling Ryan a cry baby and Ryan "kind of" apologized to Alex.  Shoot....that just reminded me that I forgot to talk to Alex' mom!!  I send Ryan into his room and tell him to cool down for 15 minutes.  He asks me to set the timer!  

I didn't get to have my "sit down" breakfast...but what else is new?  Eventually the timer goes off and I enter Ryan's room to discuss why he's in there.  This is what Ryan says, "Mom, yesterday I was on Justin's team for man hunt and I was guarding the base.  Alex scored and Justin called me an idiot."  I said, "What does that have to do with today?"  Ryan says, "We were picking teams for man hunt and Justin and Mason were the captains.  Justin picked me and I said I didn't want to be on Justin's team because he was mean yesterday and I started crying and Alex called me a cry baby so I pushed her."  I said, "Ryan, do you know what a draft is?  A draft is when people get chosen to play for a certain team.  For example, a few years ago the Cleveland Browns football team had a really stinky season.  They lost almost every game.  So, because they stunk so bad they got to pick the football player of their choice to play for them.  They chose Tim Couch.  Tim Couch was a great quarterback.  Ryan, do you think Tim Couch was happy to play for the Cleveland Browns?  No, because they were the worst team in the NFL.  But he didn't have a hissy fit and say he didn't want to play for the Browns.  He joined the team and tried his best for THE TEAM."  Ryan says, "Did the Cleveland Browns start winning?"  I said, "No, not really, but that's not the point.  The point is that he was chosen because the Cleveland Browns thought he would help them win."  Ryan says, "How many games did they win? Does Tim Couch still play for the Cleveland Browns? Do they still stink?"  The discussion of the Cleveland Browns still stinking continued....eventually, the point I was trying to get across, which was to do your best for your team, was made ;)

Then later during the day I'm in my bedroom folding laundry.  Mason comes running in telling me Justin hurt his ankle and he can't get up.  I ran outside and apparently he sprained his ankle.  I can barely lift him and he's in a lot of pain.  So, I call Jim (he's a freshman football coach) because I, well I don't know, I just called Jim!  Haha!  Jim came home and took a look at his ankle.  We decided not to take him into the hospital for an x-ray yet for two reasons: 1) I had all the kids and the thought of having the younger boys running around and harassing me wasn't going to work 2) It didn't look broken and Justin was able to move his ankle.  So, we iced it for 15 minutes every hour until he had football practice and he sure as heck wasn't about to miss that.  A few hours later I pile all the kids into the van.  I start up Big Red (our 15 passenger van) and immediately the gas light turns on.  I thought...SHOOT...we won't make it there...and I know gas tanks because when I was growing up our cars always ran on fumes and I wasn't about to run out of gas with 6 kids in the van.  I run into the backyard and get the gas can out of the shed and put about 2 cups of gas in the van!  Then I take Justin to football and speak with the coach and trainer.  The trainer wrapped his ankle and said he just sprained it.  YEAH!  No need to go to the hospital.  So, after I leave the middle school I take Jenna and Mason to their open houses with the three younger boys.  The van is a beast and I had trouble parking because I'm not confident with my parking skills.  Colin and Ryan stood in the back of the van and assured me that I wouldn't hit another car while reversing into the parking spot.  There's the blind leading the blind for ya!

Open House was a success!  We drive back to the middle school to pick Justin up from football.  I look in the rearview mirror and I see his friends, Will and Tom (twins) putting their bikes in the back of the van.  I said, "What on earth are you doing??"  They tell me I'm giving them a ride home!  I told them we probably won't make it home if I take them home because we don't have any gas.  Everyone laughs...except me!!  The gas light comes on again and I make it to Will and Tom's.  I ask them if they have a gas can so I can put some gas in the van.  They bring it out from their garage and I started pouring gasoline in and it starts spilling all over my hands.  I probably got a couple more cups in the tank.  I head into their house to wash my hands...get back in the van...and MADE IT HOME!!

The rest of the night was a blur....

I wonder what tomorrow will bring??

TTFN  :)