my wild life

After a week of being with the kids - all day, every day, by myself - Charlie will usually take the children off somewhere for a few hours on Saturday morning, after breakfast, so that I can have some time alone. On these days, I have found that the sounds in our house are always a little bit louder. The whining a little bit whinier. The fighting a little more severe.

Subsequently, the degradation of my patience happens just a little bit faster.

While I was cleaning up from breakfast, every one was talking at once. William was standing in front of me asking "Mom, did you buy this shirt in the store?" Elizabeth was asking "Did you see my TWO bunnies?" and Carolyn was pointing to a shiny red apple, the most obvious looking piece of fruit in the entire world, and asking "What's this?!"

To William, I responded "Yes."

To Elizabeth, I responded "In your room."

To Carolyn, I responded "An apple."

But those answers did not satisfy my kids. They just kept drilling me with questions, over and over and over again. And then, Charlie, started to tell me something about his upcoming trip, just as the baby started crying.

This is the symphony I heard, "What store?" "You go get my TWO bunnies?" "This an apple?" "To fly up north instead of driving..." "Wahhhhhh!!!" "What store?" "You go get my TWO bunnies?" "This an apple?" "Will save us at least 8 hours..." "Wahhhhhh!!!" "What store?" "You go get my TWO bunnies?" "This an apple?" "Not to mention a bundle on gas..." "Wahhhhhh!!!" "What store?" "You go get my TWO bunnies?" "This an apple?" "And the wear and tear on our car..." "Wahhhhhh!!!" "What store?" "You go get my TWO bunnies?" "This an apple?" "I'll rent a van..." "Wahhhhhh!!!" "What store?" "You go get my TWO bunnies?" "This an apple?" "Car seats will be installed when we get there..." "Wahhhhhh!!!" "What store?" "You go get my TWO bunnies?" "This an apple?" "And I guess I can bring sleeping bags for the kids..." "Wahhhhhh!!!" "What store?" "You go get my TWO bunnies?" "This an apple?" "..." "Wahhhhhh!!!" "What store?" "You go get my TWO bunnies?" "This an apple?" "Wahhhhhh!!!"

Charlie stopped talking and said - a split second before it would have happened, "Wow, I'm looking in your eyes and your pupils are starting to quiver. It looks like you're ready to explode. Are you alright? Do you need to take off and go somewhere?"

I responded, "NO. I'd like it very much, though, if YOU would take off and go somewhere and take all of these little people WITH you."

Charlie vacated the premises with four children, and while he was outside washing cars - I cleaned the bathrooms. I poured myself a mimosa, grabbed my iPod and headphones and scrubbed toilets while listening to The Cranberries.

I had such a fantastic time, I really wonder how a week in Florida will stack up.

Last night, we had a birthday celebration. Not for any person in our family, but for anyone that had a birthday on February 29th. Considering the day only comes once every four years - that's enough of a reason for us to celebrate with cake and ice cream.


We are a crazy bunch, we are.