Multiple Children

To be honest, I don't find having two kids "hard"... as much as I find it a tiresome and consistent use of good planning.  For instance, when we first started going to the pool this summer Brian and I had to brainstorm about how I was going to be able to have Chloe in my arms and be able to watch Mr. Daredevil who thinks he can swim (by the way - the answer was that I stuck Chloe in a float in the baby pool which allowed her to still walk around but be pretty much unsinkable so I could watch both).  Or, when I go to the grocery store with both of them I need to think ahead about how to occupy Evan since Chloe is now in the cart.

This is nothing new.  Because... and I know this is going to be shocking so just wait for it... people have had multiple children for thousands of years and lived to tell the tale (well, most people lived to tell the tale, I have no doubt some succumbed to the stress of multiple children).  In all honesty I even hate calling two children "multiple" since I have as many children as hands and I can't even imagine what someone does who has MORE children than hands.

But, today I ran into a situation which made multiple children challenging... someone got hurt at the park.  Here is the scenario.  It's a beautiful day outside so, surprise, the Castrucci kids went to the park (and Castrucci mom drove them there).  It was only going to be about an hour trip as it was our stop before Target (you know, that place where I have yet to walk out of spending less than $100... I have no idea how they get me each time but someone should study this phenomenon).  Evan was running around like a maniac and I was following around Chloe who firmly believes that she can do anything that Evan can do even though she is 20 months younger than him. 

So while I'm watching Chloe try to climb this gigantic spiderweb thing with 2 peanut butter crackers in her hands (don't focus on the details, just go with it) Evan runs off to some slides.  He has been down these slides already a couple of times but this time he slipped on the step right before the slides.  At first it was a small uh-oh and I asked him if he was okay.  There was no response so I waited... not wanting to be "that" mother.  And then the wailing began.  My son was wailing and calling out "Mama" (which is his new name for me - it used to be just Mom - and I think he switched to the new one because he secretly knows that when he calls me it my heart melts and I will gladly give him whatever he wants but Brian thinks he is just imitating Chloe).  Since my son hardly ever cries in public anymore and pushes me away if I try to comfort him after a fall I know something bad happened. 

I have to take action and make some decisions.  Do I:

1. Pretend I have upper body strength and bring Chloe with me up the jungle gym so I can then carry both of them down?, or
2. Pretend I'm super fast and try to make it up to Evan and carry him back down BEFORE Chloe gets to the bottom of the jungle gym and starts to make the climb for herself?

I quickly realized both decisions sucked and went with #2.  I looked at Chloe and willed her to stay in place then scaled the jungle gym (you know, ran up the stairs), grabbed Evan and brought him to the ground.  In the meantime Chloe had made it up to step 3,  hands full of crackers, teetering on the edge, and smiling.  I tried to scoop her up as I went past (so option #1 came in to play anyway) and was able to at least grab a part of her.  All three of us made it to a bench and I hadn't thought much past that.

Evan was telling me his foot hurt and he wouldn't let go of me.  Chloe was squirming out of my lap and running back to the jungle gym.  Moms and nannies were just watching me, some with sympathy but most with humor.  And not one person thought it would be a good idea to help me stop my 15 month old from climbing up.  I'm not saying it was anyone else's responsibility... but, come one, it takes a village. 

I was finally able to peel Evan off of me, securely grab the wandering toddler, somehow pick Evan back up, grab my backpack (I think I sprouted another arm from my back), and waddle to the car... on the other side of the parking lot where I parked it so I would have easy access to open both of my rear doors - another "planning" item I learned with multiple children.

Everyone survived.  I think Evan twisted his ankle which is fine now as he was just dancing around my living room to The Fresh Beat Band.  Chloe didn't fall... not that she would care if she did.  And I was able to handle the situation.  I'm thinking next time I'll just, you know, completely wing it again.

So... This Happened Tonight

Sometimes I feel like I'm in a Fellini movie.

This Week

Summary of my week:

• Weekend started by finding water in our kitchen that due to the broken kitchen tiles in our rental leaked through down to a wet spot on the ceiling in the playroom.  Thankfully since this is a rental we don't have to do too much but let people in.  Sadly because this is a rental any repairs are someone else's decision and someone else's time frame.
• Evan got a cold which means at night he coughs a lot and sleeps very little.  This means that Brian and I also sleep very little... as in not at all Sunday night.
• Evan's cold also means that he gets diarrhea (stick with me here).  So the other day, as he was standing on my highly textured rug, when he said "Mommy, I'm leaking," I knew it wasn't good.  Turns out he WAS leaking... poop all over my rug. 
• Evan's cold also means that he swallows a lot of mucus (because he is CLEARLY allergic to blow his nose... at least he must be or I don't understand why he runs screaming when he sees a tissue) and then he spits up a lot of mucus... again on my rug.
• In the meantime, while I was cooking dinner one night Chloe burned me.  I know this sounds like some bad Lifetime movie, but I'm not claiming parent abuse.  Here is what happened.  I had reached into my stove to stir the butternut squash and to make sure that Miss Nosey Rosy didn't stick hand in the oven I cocked my butt (hey, it covers a lot of area) to hide access.  What I didn't realize is that Chloe might see the oven door as the dishwasher door... that is, one you slam shut... which she did... on my arm.  It's a rather large burn.
• Then, the next day, while I was changing Chloe (oh, and she is CLEARLY allergic to getting her diaper changed since she becomes an acrobat on the changing table) she pinched and twisted the burn.  I swear I almost threw her off the changing table due to the haze of pain... but I didn't, and she is fine.  And a few days later I'm now fine too.
• I woke up one morning to a cat puking all over our bedspread.
• Chloe has decided she only eats processed food or food with bananas and/or peanut butter.  This week her meals have consisted of homemade muffins, store bought chicken nuggets, baked bananas, peanut butter crackers, and random snacks of mostly goldfish.  If you give her anything else she puts it in her mouth, chews it just enough to make it gross, then spits it out.  I spent a lot of time this week cleaning up the floor around her high chair.
• I sliced open my hand on a box I was taking out to the trash.  Did you know you could get a "box" cut... seriously meaner than a paper cut.
• Chloe has decided that this week she is going to stage non-violent protests of her current bed time... every night.  She sits in her crib for at least 30 minutes and lets us know exactly how she feels about the 7:00 pm curfew.
• I  just (about 10 minutes ago) put ketchup in front of a 15-month old and walked away.  And she is wearing a new shirt... and pants she has never worn before.

I'm mom-burnt-out.  Thankfully my friend is getting married so I'm off to VT this weekend... without kids... without a husband (who, by the way, has been trying to be supportive but since I'm burnt out the only support could be doing my job and that ain't happening so he sadly gets the brunt of my annoyance sometimes so while he doesn't want 2 kids alone for the weekend he is willing to pay that price for me to come back better... any amount of better)... and to a spa.  Yes, I said spa.  I'm already packing and I don't leave until tomorrow. 

Of course I'm also waiting for the appliance repair guys to come to see if the leak is from our ice machine in the freezer.  They're coming between 1:00 - 4:00pm.  Oddly enough the exact same time frame my children nap.  Sigh...

Thank God this is NOT as good as it gets.