Oh Tiny Cross!

At the brief park visit...toddler sleeping, trying to feed baby a bottle (didn't want it) and watch the preschoolers play right outside the car. Definitely a picture moment! Not sure I'm cut out for 5 children anytime soon!

I know my own crosses are tiny in the grand scheme...but sometimes they feel a bit heavy, don't they?

These past two days have each been one of those days. You know, those days when nothing goes quite right? Add two additional children to the mixture and things get spiced up quite a bit!

Yesterday we got the news that a dear friend is in her final days/weeks of her 5-year battle with breast cancer. Oh, she has fought so hard! She has taught me many a lesson in determination, acceptance, and trust. I know she appreciates any and all prayers as she says goodbye to friends and family, in particular her two young boys. May Our Lady of the Rosary cover Kelly in her mantle of love and peace.

Steven has started a new job which we are so thankful for! But his hours leave a lot to be desired, and his time at home is very, very limited. We have done this before; I know how to run the house without backup. But still we miss him, especially little SJ who talks about "Ball...Daddy" all day long! And waking up with him for work during the 4 o'clock hour is just not a natural thing for hubby or for me (but at least I get to go back to sleep for a bit). Lots of adjustments...

Yesterday the children spent quite a bit of time fighting over toys, and today we experienced more of the same. Steven Joseph has been great with little Baby "D" overall, but there are of course the moments when both are crying...one needs a bottle and the other needs nursing, the older ones are arguing, and I can't meet everyone's needs at once! Also add in a brief illness scare (which looks to be nothing), and this mama is worn out physically and mentally!

Yesterday after the boys had left, my kids were getting really whiny, when all of a sudden I realized it was National Night Out and there was a big festival at the park! So I packed them all up in the double stroller and braved the heat and mosquitoes for an adventure down the street. Free safety goodies, chips and hot dogs, and a fun park tired them out! The kids fell asleep watching one of the new PBS National Parks documentaries online--highly recommend it! Steven Joseph woke up today demanding to eat some of the Cheetos he'd gotten last night. Took me a long time to distract him on that one. Then he kept asking for something on top of the fridge (I assumed it was the chips), when I finally realized it was a fishing lure that he wanted! Oh boy!

This afternoon things started to go haywire when we readied ourselves for Mary Clare's Pickwick Meeting (little girls' club). We had the two additional boys over, so I started getting everyone ready about 40 minutes before we needed to leave. Both boys were supposed to get picked up before we left, but there was a chance they would come with us, so I was planning accordingly. I was trying to put on some decent clothes and makeup, find shoes for everyone, a dress for MC, diapers, water, and the like. Steven Joseph had been eating crayons from last night's goodies and needed a shirt change after drooling colorful crayon bits all over the one he was wearing! Then it turned out I would need to bring both of the other boys with me.

About 15 minutes before we needed to leave I realized that I had no carseat for one of the children! His mom came to bring one, and then I realized I also could not fit all 5 children in my van because of a broken seatbelt. I lost my keys, and was starting to lose my cool! I should have taken hubby's advice and called it a bust at that point. But C's mom followed us to our destination, I got Mary Clare to her meeting only a few minutes late, and I headed with the rest of the crew over to the park down the street from the meeting (only lasting a few minutes there because of the blazing sun!).

I somehow handled those two hours with 4 little ones out of the house...bottles, diapers, and all! A few friends with extra arms at the meeting were a God-send. Both girls went to the bathroom before we left to go home, but of course one of them needed to go again as soon as we started driving. Thankfully she fell asleep! Not sure how I would've managed that one. I got home just before the 2nd mother came to pick up the baby (today was his last day here), and I found the entire contents of our trash can...full of food and diapers...all over the kitchen floor. The dog had pushed open the back door while we were gone. I forgot to feed him this morning, so he did have a reason for rummaging, poor guy!

As I was picking up the last of the fruit peels and coffee rinds, the broom fell over smack right on top of my head. Ouch! It "hit the nail on the head"...a crazy end to a wild two days! I can do no more. My day is done. Off to find some dinner that I don't have to cook...

But also reminding myself how blessed I am to spend these days with my children and these other sweet boys. My heart is heavy for my dying friend...

Oh tiny Cross!