Day to Day / Know When to Quit!

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Have you ever had a day like I just had? Start out with great intentions of running a few arenas after a trip to the library. Not much just a trip to the bank and the tax office for my auto registration sticker. Easy right?

We get 20 books at the library and the line and the counter is always crazy for us. One of the twins managed to get out of the stroller, the other twin wasn't in one so he is twisting in my arms. I am trying to get the other 3 to put the checked out books back in their bags as the pile is mounting in front of us. Finally we are out the door and off to the car. Everyone has questions for me, can I read as we walk, can I have some water, what's for lunch, can we play on the play ground, are we going for a walk, what's that word, can you carry my bag, where are we going now, etc, etc and we haven't even reached the car yet.

Finally we are all buckled in and off to the tax office. It is down Nacodoches and well we are right on that corner. So I start driving but notice the the address I have is WAY smaller than the address around where I am. So I pull over and call my husband. He assures me that I don't need to go to the tax office. Just go to one of those municipal buildings by or house. So I turn around and head for home. At this point still feeling pretty good about the days plans.

I even see a KFC. I have been wanting to check out the grilled KFC. Now I shouldn't have to worry about having hungry kids. Everyone will be well fed.

Now we are at the municipal buildings and since I haven't a clue which one to go in I hop out leave the kids in the car and run in to ask. Hooray I am in the right place. Go mommy 1st try. Back out, unload all the kids, twins in strollers, etc. Kay is so into her book that she reads all the way into the building. Sure this will be great she can read to the little one that are beginning to cry. No problem, short line we will be out of here in no time. Hooray I am next. At the counter the lady asked for the "paper." I don't have the paper, that is why I am here. I never got the paper. Sorry lady you will need to go the tax office off of Nacodoches. Hmm. Where have I heard that before.

Now in the mean time Reye has gone to the restroom and he is taking forever.

The twins are pulling each others hair and drawing attention.

Finally Reye is out and we can leave. Kay is still trying to read her book and my 3 year old is pushing one of the babies strollers into everything. Finally I ask Kay to take over but her head is so into the her story that I don't think she heard me. Standing in the open door staring off to never land, while I try and pull one stroller out and unjam the other that is stuck on the open door.

Back to the car again, more questions from the peanut gallery and it is Texas HOT. What to do, what to do? The twins have had enough, I have had enough, but, but I don't want to have to try this all over again. This is it. This is when I had that still small voice in my head that said GO HOME. Did I listen? No. Did I pay for it? YES.

Certainly nothing else could go wrong. I knew exactly how to get to the tax office so let's just get this over with. FLASHING RED LIGHTS "Let's Just Get This Over With" is a bad sign that I am not going in the right direction. The babies are crying but we have water, everything will be fine. It wasn't fine, not one bit.

The babies screamed in alternating high pitches the whole time and my older three still had questions. Finally I instituted the NO questions rule and the NO why rule. If mommy tells you to do something or not to do something you just say YES mam and do it. Anything less and I will come unglued on you. Only to follow with a question from my daughter wanting to know what coming unglued was.

We finally make it to the area where the building should be. Lot's of office buildings, wonder which one it is. Oh, I have certainly pasted it by now. Turning around I enter into every business complex in search for the right number. Hooray we are here. Every one out with a strong reminder that their is no talking and no questions. Of cource the babies are still crying. Up to the counter only to see a big sign, "no credit cards." What was I thinking. Of course they aren't going to take credit cards. The lady reassures me that I can use my credit card at the ATM machine they have. Nope, mine is declined. Without a word I get my kids out and into the car. They aren't speaking but I bet they think we are done. If only we were done.

Finally we are home, babies have some milk, and I call the gang in for a group hug and lot of praise for how well they all handled this difficult day. We all laughed about how we spend two hours getting NOTHING done.

So please listen to that small voice and KNOW WHEN TO QUIT!