NO NAPS AND NO MERCY

I haven't been writing recently... I know, I know. The grandmoms and the aunties want MOAR BABY STORIES. Well here is the story about how I ended up in the fetal position eating a chocolate bar. We shall call this story, The Day Kyle went to Atlanta and Left me ALL ALONE.

It's Tuesday which normally means Kyle is home. Tuesdays are his Saturdays. We spend Tuesdays catching up on rest, playing outside, visiting museums, and doing all the activities mommy is too scared to do on her own with both kids.

The kids started off the day over tired. Last night we went to see our friends Ellen and Dave the newborn Sara Kate. On the drive over Kyle made me write "I will not kidnap the newborn baby no matter how good she smells" fifty times on a college rule notebook. Sara Kate was lovely and understandably very confused by the two toddlers who examined her abittooclose and squealed, "Yay we are getting a new baby!" Mmm I am not sure her parents are going to go for that but good try girls!

For babies over stimulation = NAP and about twenty minutes after her lovely mother finally got her to sleep, Miss SK was awoken by a screech coming out of Juliette that can be very accurately described "as a noise I thought only dementors could make". So after an early exit from the home of our gracious hosts (with a few cookies in hand) we drove back to put the girls to bed. And of course they slept in the car so OF COURSE they were up late... therefore, starting off the day over tired.

Side bar- You know your daughter has been watching a little too much Dora the Explorer when you pull into your driveway after a long outing and she starts singing, "We did it! We did it! We did it! YEAH! We did it!" And then talks about a back pack and a map in her sleep. True Story.

Okay, so back to The Day Kyle went to Atlanta and Left me ALL ALONE. The girls were exhausted and so was I. I thought this would work to my advantage. That we'd have a nice peaceful day with TV and pictures and books and coffee. Rookie mistake. Apparently over tired actually means NO NAPS AND NO MERCY!

Well, I have scrubbed down the floor four times and the table five. Madeleine has had five accidents. Juliette has had seven tantrums and Madeleine, a respectable four. Juliette managed to spill yogurt over every pot and pan I own while I helped Madeleine after an accident. The sink got covered in pudding, the door to the bathroom and the fridge have something blue on them, and there is paper shredded across the floor. There is crayon on the train table, four drawers of toys were emptied onto the playroom floor, the books were knocked off of the book shelf in one swift ninja move by the baby... AND Juliette dumped a thing of shampoo on her head while I washed my hands after changing her diaper... AND WE HAVE NO COFFEE.

You might read that list and wonder, what was I doing all day that they were able to do so much damage. I was on. top. of. them. They were just far quicker and, because of the lack of coffee, much sharper than I was.

And now they are sitting on the couch, almost ready for bed, watching a Dora episode, holding hands, and beaming peacefully. So all those maternal hormones are making me feel all warm and mushy inside.

Of course, after they go to bed I will be forced to scrub the floor and get whatever that blue stuff is off the fridge and I will be praising God above that they are asleep... but still. They are so freaking cute.

Before I finish this post, the last act of insanity involved a yogurt covered Juliette chasing a screaming Madeleine around the house. The screaming was hurting my ears so I had to intervene.

"Madeleine, WHY are you screaming like that?"
"Mommy, Juliette is scaring me. She keeps chasing me."

At that moment Juliette came toddling towards me and I started to laugh because she was just such a mess. An adorable and apparently terrifying mess. And then instead of cleaning her right away I took some pictures. Because that is what a good mom does. And of course, I took some of Madeleine too because she was posing.

These faces are why I am so tired but I think you'll understand why I find it all to be completely worth it.