a long day.

Today I feel like I reached a new low point as a mom. It seemed like a really awful day, but I can't name anything that went terribly wrong... it was just one little tiny thing after another. I was scheduled to work from 9-1, but I had scheduled Casey and I together at the store I usually work at, which can be fun but also can make for extra stress! Every time we work together, I end up staying with him all day because once he has me there with him there's no way he's letting me walk out that door :) So.... I let the kids stay at the babysitter's for a few extra hours (she is always happy to get extra hours) and we worked at the store together remodeling it while we were helping customers at the same time. I was very stressed out because we were overwhelmed with people, yet we were a mess and the store was a disaster because we were staining some of the wood fixtures to make it match some new fixtures (something that should only be done after hours, but who wants to stay after hours!?), so there were rags and newspapers and paintbrushes everywhere... I went to pick up the kids and take them home to make dinner at 4, but then Casey called me and asked me to come back to the store... which was fine, I know he needed help. Caleb fell asleep so i left him in the car with the windows rolled down a little, and I parked right in front of the store. Maggie and I went in and started helping customers, and meanwhile, I can't even begin to describe all the little things that went wrong. The internet went down for some reason, phones wouldn't activate correctly... lots of silly little customer service issues, etc... and Maggie was starting to get hungry and was acting out right in the middle of it all. I kept wanting to go check on Caleb but there were too many customers to be helping. Finally I went to check on him and he was awake and crying. I brought him inside and we were still overwhelmed with customers.... and Maggie and Caleb were both crying. Finally I had to just take them home because I was more of a hindrance than a help, with two babies. It started pouring down rain and we kept waiting for it to slow down. Finally it did, and when we got to the car I remembered how I had left the windows partly down for Caleb earlier. My seat was soaking wet. We got home at 6:30, and Casey stayed at work to finish up until 10. This is where I started to feel like I was reaching an all-time low in the mothering department. I fed the kids chef boyardee. Maggie's was apparently too hot because she about choked on it and started screaming when she put it in her mouth. Caleb climbed on top of his high chair and started crawling around in the lovely chef boyardee "sauce" when I wasn't looking.... they both fussed and whined about every possible little thing.. Caleb got into Maggie's potty just after she stood up from having used it.... they dumped out a whole bag of Craisins onto the floor in my bedroom when I wasn't looking... Maggie got into trouble for climbing on Caleb and "squishing" him about 7 times.. Maggie dumped her bowl of ice cream out on the floor and Caleb stepped in it... anyway... I was not very patient. So none of the little events were a big deal or even unusual at all, except that when it all added up it felt like a very stressful day and it made me wonder how in the world single moms who work full time do it. I cannot imagine. The day ended well because I put the babies down at 9 and worked hard for an hour straightening, sweeping and mopping before Casey got home, and we both feel better for being in a cozy and clean house!