Tuesday Night Chaos and an Orange Slush Please!!

In order to tell you the story of my Tuesday night, I must first give you a background story. Two, in fact. The first is the story of Destination Imagination. You may be familiar with this program. It is a program that challenges kids to think and work together and use their imaginations to accomplish challenges that they present in a tournament in February. Both of my elementary age girls, Hannah and Sarah, were interested in participating. At the beginning of this school year, I went to the parent meeting and signed them up. They were placed on a team, together (yeah - consolidate activities whenever possible) with 3 other girls. They were happy and excited!!

That's when the emails started coming. My girls team, the Rainbow Diamonds, did not have a team manager. All 3 of the other moms had a great excuse for why they could not be in charge. The school sponsor insisted that because it has to be the girls work ALONE, that really all a team manager has to do is provide the home and snacks, and as a bonus, you can schedule the meeting around YOUR schedule. Well, that's a bonus indeed!!! My schedule is full, full, full with 6 kids and lots to do. Okay, surely I can do this. It's not that much work for me, the kids have to do it on their own. Okay! Settled, I'm the team manager.

Three hundred pages of information that I need to read, read and re-read then found themselves in my inbox. WHAT???? I can't read that on the computer. The team moms all met and talked about what to do. Only, we didn't really ever say what to do. Mostly what not to do and be sure to have fun!!!! Have fun???? Have fun??? Have fun doing what??? I still have not figured that out. Listening to the other managers talk, I managed to pick up that I am supposed to do an instant challenge at each meeting and I find those somewhere. Online, or in those 300 pages of stuff (which are coming to me in hard copy today, I think) or just make them up. That doesn't sound like providing the house and snacks to me.

How does any of this relate to my Tuesday night, you might ask? Well, the first district wide meeting of all DI (gotta learn the lingo) Team Managers was Tuesday night. Yes, finally!!! I'm going to get some help figuring out what to do.

The second background story that you need to know is the story of the gas tank in our Suburban. Yes, I said the gas tank. Two years ago, when I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Rebekah, in the middle of July, in South Louisiana (all that to say it was Dang Hot!!!) my Suburban stopped running on the interstate. I managed to pull off the road and wait to be rescued with Hannah and Sarah (barefoot and wearing leotards from gymnastics) and Daniel, who was 20 months old at the time. By the time we were picked up, we were drenched with sweat. YUCK!!! Hot, tired, hungry, cranky and scared kids on the side of the interstate - not where I want to be on a good day, but remember, I was big and pregnant. Grumpy, myself.

So, the car had to be towed. The very sympathetic repair men (NOT!!!) were very quick to judge me as a stupid, pregnant woman and declare that I had run out of gas. What???? That can't be. I do know that it was low but not to the "red, your out of gas line" on the gas gauge. Okay, so maybe the gas gauge is broken. We take the car, fill it up (this was when gas prices were out the roof - so filling up was about $140) and go home.

The next morning, I went outside to find my $140 worth of gas running down the driveway. That CANNOT be good. So, the car had to be towed. This time the repair men looked a little closer at the gas tank. It was leaking and would have to be replaced. Have you ever heard of someone having to REPLACE the gas tank on their car???? I haven't!!! This is unbelievable. New gas tanks for Suburbans are not cheap. We replaced the gas tank, which had to be special ordered.

Fast forward to 17 months later, around New Years this year. We went to my in-laws house for the holidays. While we were there, we started smelling gas. WHAT????? That's a new gas tank. Can't be!!! But it is. The gas tank was leaking out into the driveway at my father in-law's house. So, the car had to be towed. The gas tank would have to be replaced. Have you ever hear of someone having to replace the gas tank on their car, TWICE?????? I haven't!!!! This is unbelievable. Again, the gas tank had not gotten any cheaper. To top it off, vacation was over. So, while they ordered the tank, and repaired the car, we had to rent a car (big enough for 7) and drive back home to Houston, from Alexandria, LA, so the kids could go back to school. This also means that we would have to drive back a week later to get our car. Nice, hun??!!

You might be wondering what THIS has to do with my Tuesday night. Well, I'll tell you. Yesterday morning, when I went to take Daniel to preschool, I smelled gas. That's right!! You heard me!! Gas. I looked under the car, and there it was. Gas. Leaking right out of that new gas tank that is only 10 months old this time. WHAT????? AGAIN!!!!!! You have got to be kidding me. Just as a side note, Raymond works at home, so this suburban is our ONLY vehicle.

Now, we are at Tuesday, and I think you have all the background information that you need to get a true feeling for where I was. We had a juggling act on our hands for Tuesday night, BEFORE the car problems. Now, it was just worse. I would have to continue to drive the car, as it is our ONLY car. We have places to go. As it is, Raymond will be borrowing my mom's car to meet me and trade kids because of the overlapping activities of the evening.

I took Sarah for her 8 year old checkup at 3. I wish I had thought more carefully about this. Right now, everyone else in town is sick. We have somehow escaped all the crud that is going around. So, what do I do? Take my healthy children to the doctor's office???? Am I cray??? Have I lost my mind??? What was I thinking??? I was following instructions. Someone told me that when they have a birthday, they are supposed to have a check-up. I'm going to have to learn to break the rules sometimes. I'm way too much of a rule follower.

We were there for what seemed like forever. Probably only seemed that way because I knew the chaos that would follow the rest of the night (that and the masses of sick people in the waiting room). I got home from the doctor at 4:30. We had to leave the house at 4:45 for Daniel's tee-ball practice. Grab a snack. Everyone change clothes. Get what you need for the rest of the day. We won't be home till 9:30 tonight. Gym clothes, glove, hat, diapers and wipes to reload the diaper bags, snacks, and drinks. Okay, out the door!!

Tee-ball practice from 5-6. First game is the next day (today)!! Little Daniel is soooo excited. I watch him bat and run and catch the ball. Ahh!! Being a mommy is sooo much fun. It is rewarding to watch him enjoy life. He has legs to run and arms to throw. Thank you, God! I watched the clouds float by. Hannah, Sarah and Rebekah were playing together on the playground. I could see them laughing. Yes, these are the moments to treasure. They are happy with one another. For a brief moment, I was enjoying myself. Thank you, God for my precious children.

About half way through practice, Leah Beth realized that it was hot. REALLY HOT!! I took her out of her seat and she was soaked. Poor, baby!! She just goes where we go and has to be sweaty for others. Poor thing. I tried to hold her in the shade and fan her. SPIT UP!!! All over me. I am dressed, for my DI meeting. I'm sweaty, too and now I have baby accessory on my shirt. YUCK!! Oh, well. That's the life of a mommy. No time to change it's on to the next activity.

Oh, yeah, Toby. Where's Toby? Toby is at after school band practice for marching band. He loves it!!! Yeah!! I'm so glad that Toby has found something that he loves. They practice almost everyday and have weekend competitions and practices and he never complains or asks to miss. He really enjoys it. I'm so proud of him. Today, he has to find a ride home, though, because I am at tee-ball and he finishes between 5;15 and 5:30. He got home and started pacing waiting for my mom to bring them her car so he and Raymond could catch up with us and swap kids then head on to bass guitar lessons for Toby a little later. Oh and he would like food, please. Lots of it. He's a teenage boy, you know.

Food. Next item on the list. I must feed these people and get to gymnastics. Leah Beth. She's hungry too. Oh, no. I did not think this evening through very well. Somehow, I must get food for my kids, nurse the baby, which usually takes 20-30 minutes, get Hannah, Sarah and Daniel to gymnastics for 6:40 and get to my meeting by 7. Tee-ball ended at 6. I don't care how you do the math. That does not add up to enough time!! So, I'll be late for something, or everything. What's new?

There is a Sonic across the street from gymnastics. That works. I owe Hannah a lemonade slush anyway. Why, you might ask do I owe Hannah a slush. Well, we bribed her. Yes, we did. You heard me. We told her that if she completed a section in her AWANA book, we would get her a slush. She is struggling to memorize her verses and we thought some incentive beside the obvious good of knowing God's word, might help. I guess we decided to do whatever is necessary to encourage, help and reward our children for learning scripture. So, a lemonade slush, coming up.

Sonic turned out to be a great choice for another reason. I was able to feed Leah Beth as we sat and made our choices, placed our order and waited for our food. Multitasking. A mommy necessity.

I used to pride myself at being able to master ordering for the masses at a fast food establishment. So much so, that when we are all together and Raymond is driving, he would pull over and trade places with me so that I was driving and placing the order. Apparently, there are just too many of us, with too many choices and too many picky eaters and too much noise for me to be able to handle it. I almost lost it right there at Sonic. I couldn't figure out what I needed to order. It didn't help that Hannah and Sarah were in the back of the Suburban (yes, the one with gas leak) singing at the top of their sweet little lungs, "99 bottles of whatever will rehydrate me on the wall, 99 bottles of whatever will reahydrate me. Take on down and pass it around, 98 bottles of whatever will rehydrate me on the wall". Some of you may think, "wow, her children are so smart to be singing about hydration." And, you are right. My children are brilliant. However, this rendition of this song, comes from an episode of Suite Life on Deck: Lost at Sea. Yes, my kids watch too much TV!! Apparently, I do too, because I knew where the song came from.

I managed somehow, to order the food. Double Cheeseburger, plain, Tator tots and a grape slush for Toby. He will need to share his slush with Rebekah. She'll only drink a little. Popcorn chicken, tots and the lemonade slush for Hannah. She'll share the chicken with Daniel and Rebekah. They won't eat too much. And Sarah. She wanted chicken strips, big surprise. Sarah orders chicken strips EVERYWHERE!!! There isn't a chicken strip out there that Sarah hasn't ordered. I say ordered because she hardly ever eats what she gets. She's my little bean pole. So chicken strips with apples, instead of fries or tots, and a strawberry slush. Wow!!! She ordered apples. Yeah!!! What a great mommy I am. One of my children would rather healthy apples than greasy fries or tots. Look at me. Yeah, me. "Mom, can I eat some of Hannah's tots, too?" Okay, so progress. Now, I have to order something. I'm trying to watch what I eat these days. Leah Beth is almost 4 months old. It's time to stop looking pregnant. I ordered some kind of grilled chicken wrap thing. Now, feed Leah Beth and wait for our food. "MY ORANGE SLUSH, PLEASE!!! YOU FORGOT MY ORANGE SLUSH!!! I WANT AN ORANGE SLUSH!! I TOLD YOU I WANT AN ORANGE SLUSH, PPLLEEAASSEE!!!" "Mom, you forgot to order Daniel's orange slush!" Push the red button and add the orange slush.

After a reasonable amount of time passed, which is unusual for Sonic (the slowest "fast" food I know of), a teenage boy car hop walked toward our car carrying our slushies and food. As he got closer, his teenage boy eyes got bigger and bigger. Keep in mind, that I was nursing Leah Beth. I was fully covered under my lovely nursing cover that I ordered, with only one hand free to pay (the automatic card swiper machine at the car was not working - of course) and receive the food from him. He looked at me and very matter of factly asked, "Am I supposed to give all this to you?" All I could say was, "Yes. Yes you are."

I finished feeding Leah Beth once we got to gymnastics and Hannah and Daniel had about 3 1/2 minutes to eat their food before darting off into class (Sarah's class starts later). Raymond met me at the gym. Toby got his food. Raymond got everyone else's food for them to finish later. I took Leah Beth and the Suburban leaking gas and left for my meeting. Raymond took everyone else and stayed at gym.

Only 15 minutes late for the meeting. The only one there toting in a baby, diaper bag, DI binder and my purse. A spectacle. As usual. The meeting that I had hoped would leave me feeling empowered to manage a team of creative, imaginative and brilliant elementary kids failed at its purpose. I got a list of dates by which time I should have filled out and filed forms that I know nothing about. As for the meetings with the kids. Still clueless. Hopefully the 300 pages of whatever it is that I have to read will get me started. Otherwise, we will be having snacks at our house until February and other people can go to tournament.

The meeting ended an hour early, which was a relief because someone forgot to tell the air conditioner that we were meeting there. It was so HOT!! Again, poor Leah Beth. She endures so much for her siblings. Siblings. Where are they now? At the church for Toby's bass lessons. I'm so pleased to be part of a church that sees value in teaching people music with the intent of training up worship leaders. I love that Toby is able to learn to play the bass guitar while learning worship songs as well as secular songs he is interested in. He chooses worship choruses to have on his ipod now so that he can practice his bass while playing along. Praise God. I'm so proud of Toby. Music is his thing and he is finding so many ways to be involved with his music. He is going to start playing in the youth worship band on Sunday mornings at our church. That's where I want him to be.

I met up with Toby, Daniel, Rebekah and Raymond at bass lessons. Leah Beth and I sat with Raymond and finished off the cold, soggy, gross tator tots that the kids left. Rebekah and Daniel chased one another through the atrium at the church, laughing and smiling. Again, a moment of peace and happiness watching my children play together. We decided the best course of action at this point would be for me to take these 4 children home and get the little ones ready for bed, let Toby do his homework and feed Leah Beth (yes, it was almost time for her to nurse again). Raymond would go back to the gym to get Hannah and Sarah when gymnastics ended at 9.

Leah Beth screamed at the top of her lungs all the way home. I guess we deserved it at this point. She had endured all she could take. I don't know that I blame her, though it was challenging to listen to. I think I maybe wanted to cry with her. I was driving a car that was still leaking gas (no, it had not miraculously fixed itself), I still don't know how to manage a DI team, and I was tired. Very tired.

We got home and Toby helped me unload the car. Diaper bags, dinner trash, shoes, glove, hat, cleats, DI stuff, purse, Daniel. Sound asleep. Daniel was worn out. Preschool, tee-ball, gymnastics and running in the church. A busy day for an almost 4 year old. He was out cold. I brought him in and put him on the couch. No sheet on his bed (accident the night before). The sheets were still in the dryer. Thank goodness they were in the dryer - not the washer. Leah Beth was still screaming and Rebekah had joined her. Keep in mind that it is now 9 pm. Rebekah is a 2 year old that has endured quite a bit today, herself. Her current meltdown was because she did NOT want Toby to get her out of the car. Toby is such a great help to me with the little ones. But this night, she did not want me to have his help. I ended up carrying screaming Rebekah and sleeping Daniel into the house at the same time. They are not light.

I got Leah Beth out of her seat only to find the real reason for her screaming. She was covered in stuff out of her diaper. Again, poor baby. I felt like a horrible mom. I didn't even think to check her diaper. Honestly, during the chaos of this evening, I don't even know when it was last changed. Poor, poor, Leah Beth. I quickly ran upstairs and gave her a bath. She did not like that. It was time for her to eat and a bath doesn't sound or taste anything like time to eat. I was as quick as I could be. Got her dressed and started feeding her. I love the smell of a baby right after a bath. She snuggled up so close and ate and rested. Sweet, sweet, Leah Beth.

My moment with Leah Beth was interrupted by Rebekah. "Detta stinky". And yes she was. Toxic waste would run from that stuff!!! Seriously! She has got to be potty trained soon. Another diaper changed. Back to sweet, Leah Beth. Oh, good. Raymond and the girls are home. Reinforcement. Raymond was able to make Daniel's bed, change ANOTHER toxic waste diaper for Rebekah and get her to bed. When Leah Beth finished eating, she went to bed and I was able to change Daniel into a pjs and a pull up (don't want to wash sheets again tomorrow) and get him up to bed.

By 10:30, Raymond and I were in the kitchen alone, spending a moment just talking about the car and what to do about the leaking gas tank. We still haven't decided what to do but thinking back to last night, it was nice to stand at the kitchen counter and talk to one another in the quiet of the night. I really have a wonderful husband and I love him dearly. In the chaos of this evening and life, it is easy to lose sight of how wonderful he is and how much I love him. Thank you, God for my dear, sweet husband.

This morning things look much less chaotic. This big kids are at school and the little ones are at home with me. We abandoned our Wednesday morning Bible study, in exchange for a quiet morning at home. We needed that. Right now, Daniel and Rebekah are playing in the game room, together, happily!!

When Daniel came downstairs this morning, after falling asleep last night in the car and sleeping on through the night, the first thing he said to me was, "Mom, where is my orange slushie, please?"