one 6 month old, two 21 month olds, a three year old, and a partridge in a pear tree....

I was going to blog about the 10 things I love today, since I blogged about the 10 (okay 12) things I hate yesterday, but today was far to eventful to NOT blog about it.....and it's only 3:00! Let me back up to yesterday. I was just about finished feeding the boys their lunch and my phone rang. I answered and it was my old principal, where I last taught. Now, those of you how actually know me in real life, know that she and I, well.....we didn't get along so good. She's essentially the reason I no longer teach. I'll spare you all of the details of our relationship, but just know, she's not someone I would ever, ever, expect to call me, unless of course, she needed to tell someone what a shitty person they are. In that case, I'm sure I'd be first on her list. So, anyway, she says that she heard that I sometimes watch kids out of my house. I told her that, indeed, I do and she asked me if I was available to watch her 2 grand daughters for her daughter for the next couple of weeks. (Her daughter is a CPA and is, of course, overloaded right now and needs some help. ) Ummmmmm, WHAAAA??? You want ME to watch YOUR grand kids? I confusingly tell her that I am available and give her some information. Her son in law calls me a couple hours later to set everything up with me. He says we'll have a "trial" day today and see how everything goes, and go from there. Fair enough. So he brings his beautiful little girls over this morning. A 3 year old and a 6 month old. Their schedules are a little different from the boys, but hey, it's only a couple weeks, and I could really use the money right now, so I'll adapt. Everything is going pretty well. Jackson is enamored with the 3 year old. He's having a ball playing with her and following her around. Christopher, on the other hand, is stealing toys, hitting, pushing, screaming. He's less than thrilled about our special guests. I finally get the boys to take their morning nap, but still can't get the baby down. After a while, I rock her until she's so far asleep that I can put her in the bed. Right when I do that, Jackson wakes up, then Christopher. :( I do, however, manage to get lunch made and served before the baby wakes up again. They all eat really well, then I ask the oldest girl if she likes to go for stroller rides. She says she does so I get the big 4 person stroller out of the garage. I put the baby in the car seat by the front door, but behind the gate so the boys can't get to her, take Jackson out to the stroller and buckle him in, come back. Take Christopher out to the stroller, buckle him in, come back. Take the baby in the car seat and put her in the stroller, but the car seat is too big. So I take her out of the car seat, lay the stroller seat down and buckle her in. Then I take the car seat back to the house, get the 3 year old and put her in the last seat of the stroller. She says she doesn't want to be buckled in, so I oblige. She's 3, what could happen? So, everything is going great. No one is crying. The boys are pointing out the doggies and cars and airplanes. The 3 year old is "navigating" telling me every time she sees a rock, so I can steer around it. Until......crash! The 3 year old fell out of the stroller. I have no idea how it happened, but there she is....out of the stroller. So much for the trial day! I immediately stop and pick her up. Her nose is a little red, but no blood (whew!). She's a trooper and stops crying almost as quick as she started. I tell her we'll go right home and get her cleaned up. She agrees. I put her back in her seat, and buckle her in this time! She seems unscathed and immediately goes back to navigating the stroller. By the time we get home, she seems to have completely forgotten about everything. I clean her up, she says it doesn't hurt at all. I think I'm more hurt about the whole thing than she is! There is the ONE person in the world that I have to prove myself to, and I just scraped her grand daughter's nose up! The kids played for a while, then it was time for afternoon naps. The afternoon naps go a little better this time. I take Christopher up first, since he seems to be the most grouchy. Then I take Jackson up. Then I take the baby and the 3 year old down to the basement and tell her to stay down there, because I have to let the dogs outside, and they are in the room that she needs to nap in. I let them out and begin coaxing the 3 year old to go to bed. After about 30 minutes, 2 snacks, and an "accident" in her pants, she finally goes down! Now I have the baby. I give her a bottle and rock her. I rock and rock and rock until she's finally asleep! Yes! I can't believe it. I have 4 kids, (one 6 month old, two 21 month olds, and a 3 year old) all sleeping at the same time. I rush around the house and clean up as much as I can making as little noise as possible. I did it! I managed to get all the kids asleep AND get the house back in order...kinda. Just when I sit down to pee for the first time since this morning, I hear it. AHHHHHH....It's Jackson! No you don't buddy! You're mine and I'm the boss of you. You're staying in that crib until another kid wakes up! I get a sippy cup, fill it with milk and take it up to him. He drinks it until he falls back asleep! I've managed to sit down and write this blog in 25 minutes without hearing a peep from any of them! I should totally apply to be on the super nanny show!