The Harrowing/Heartwarming Parent Moment of the Week

This week I will feature a harrowing afternoon/evening.

The boys really did wonderfully through most of this. It could have been a lot worse if they had acted up. But what might have been is besides the point, what happened is featured below.

The boys’ swim lessons start at 6:00pm. I had to go to the bank to switch up some accounts and go shopping and so I left our house at 4:00pm thinking that I would have plenty of time. And so I marched my three small sons into the bank to do signature cards and things and they actually did quite well considering but it still took a bit of time. Then I marched my three small sons into Safeway and again they did great, we had fun and each one picked out something for the Hunky Hubby for father’s day and I restrained myself from being the evil grumpy witch mother that I tend to lean towards when stressed but we were still late. And then in the checkout line the boys put our small jar of pimentos into the cup holder of the grocery cart and with 10 min. until swim lesson the checker had to stop scanning groceries, wrestle with the pimentos, send someone to the help counter for scissors, use the scissors to pry the pimentos from the cup holder and then return to scanning the groceries. Then I forgot the ice for our meat, then the boys found the Go-Gurt that the hunky hubby packed for them and they wanted to eat them and like a fool I opened the little plastic packets and handed them over and sweet boy #3 promptly squirted yogurt all over himself and his swim trunks and his car seat and I absently licked my finger therefore ruining the freaky anti-carb diet that I vowed to endure for the two weeks before my lovely (size nothing) sister arrives and goes jean shopping with me.

Sorry Mama Griffith I forgot to ask. Will you go shopping with me so that we can enjoy the calmness of 6 small children and two adults instead of the insanity of 3 small children with one adult while trying on various clothing items? Sounds fun…right?

Then we rushed to the pool and rushed through the locker room and rushed out to the boys’ lessons and the clock said that they had 7 min. of swimming left. But by the time everyone was with their class, it was about 5 min. And so they enjoyed 5 min of class, got soaking wet, and then had to leave. I started out of the pool with sweet boy #3 under my arm while holding sweet boy #2’s hand, but after he sunk like a paralyzed whale shark into the water and refused to lift a toe in the direction of the locker room, I ended up holding sweet boy #3’s hand and hoisting sweet boy #2 up under my arm and marching him into the locker room. He weighs 37lbs now, did I mention that?  Thank God that sweet boy #1 obeyed and walked on his own. Then we rushed through the 15 min. that it takes to get them out of their wet things and into their jammies. I was still wet of course, there is no way I can change when I have all 3 of them alone. I put them into the car, gave them snacks, drove them toward home. But of course we had to stop by the side of the road for sweet boy #2 to pee. Then we got home and all 3 boys had to poop. One of them is still in diapers. Then I unloaded all of our groceries while still wearing my wet swimsuit. Then I put my 3 disappointed cyclones into bed. Then the hunky hubby arrived home just in time for me to pick a fight with him before he left again! Then I finished up the day with a relaxing bath wherein I attempted to pump conditioner into my hand but squirted it all over the bathroom and into my eye instead. Then I had the indignity of scraping conditioner off of our bathroom wall and applying it to my hair.

I could have been alot worse. But it was bad enough. So now you know. If shopping and banking before swim lessons leave at least 2.5 hours early although perhaps 3 would be better.