This is how we do it

I'm having a bad day!

OK, so you know those days where everything that can go wrong pretty much does? Well, for me, today is that day. I know you have all had them, especially those of you with kids; they are much more likely to happen with kids around. I thought I would share a little how my day is going since most of our posts tend to be the happy fun things that happen. If anything, your day will seem much better after reading about mine!

So I wake up today and start rushing about trying to get a few things done before I head to the mall (mistake #1, I was askin' for it!) I had to get a few last minute gifts so I thought I would get out as early as possible. Leaving the house actually went pretty smooth, it was once we left that things started to go wrong. Parking, yeah, I know, it's the holidays, it's busy, I was prepared for that. What I was not prepared for was on three different occasions, (yes, I said 3) I got cut off and lost a key parking spot to rude impatient shoppers. So, I had to get tough and it was my turn to take some spots. I started to pass a spot where someone was getting into their car. To avoid someone else taking MY spot, I turned on my blinker and stayed in the middle of the aisle so nobody could pull around me and take it. Of course, the guy behind me had to be the impatient mean guy who lays on his horn and waves choice fingers out the window while yelling at me to pull over. Whatever dude, I've got 2 kids and a stroller to push across this rainy parking lot, I am NOT moving over to let yet another spot be taken away from me!

So we hurry inside, dashed in and out of stores finally finding what we needed. By this time the kids were getting restless and only a promise of the mall playground was holding them off while I finished up. I turned around to purchase some items when I hear my son start his "I am hurt" cry. I look over at the stroller to see Beckham red faced and crying and Madison red faced and GUILTY! Yeah, you know that look- totally guilty. I asked her what happened and she said in her sweet little voice, "I punched Beckham in the stomach." "YOU WHAT?" Yeah, you heard it, she punched him in the stomach! We're talking full on, fist closed, Layla Ali style punch! I am not sure where she decided to learn how to do this but I was darn sure it wasn't going to happen again. That was that, no mall playground for you missy! Oh yes, I am not a give in kind of mom, the "be good and you can go to the mall playground" bribe went right out the window, we were going home! So after I sheepishly backed out of that store with my now 2 crying kids, we headed to the car.

It took us about 35 min. to get out of the parking lot and down the street two blocks to the freeway. Once we were on the freeway I thought it would be smooth sailing. Oh no, this is one of those days, remember? There was some kind of construction going on where they had 3 of the 4 lanes blocked right where a few freeways come together so the mounds of traffic that is normally at that intersection was not getting through. It took another 45 min to go a few miles on the freeway and by the time we got up to freeway speed, I was done with the car and so were the kids. I heard "I'm hungry, I wanted to play at the mall, when are we going to be home..." for a good hour before I saw flashing lights in my rear view mirror. Great! So I got pulled over for going 10 miles an hour over the speed limit. OK, now first of all, I am like the most granny driver out there compared to most people. I thought the speed limit was 65 so to keep up with traffic, that usually does 75, I was going 70. Well, Mr. officer kindly informed me that the speed limit is 60 and I was doing well over 70! Oh, 73, sorry! He told me he would write me a ticket for 70 and to have a nice day. "Yeah, thanks, MERRY CHRISTMAS to you too!" (Umm yeah, I really said that, like you think I said that, with that tone of voice!) I shouldn't complain too much, I still have California plates and a Utah drivers license and he didn't say anything about that. But I am 100% positive the CA plates are why I was the one who got pulled over and not the black Audi with WA plates passing me on the left!

So by now, the kids are starving, I am steaming, and it is way later than I want it to be. We pull over at the nearest exit and go to Subway for lunch so I can calm down and call Ronnie to cry about my day. Little did I know, it wasn't over. Of course the guy making our sandwiches gets just about everything wrong. Madison won't eat half of it because he put too much mayo on it, and they are out of apples and juice. So I give in and get her orange soda and let her pick chips out. What does she pick? Cheetos of course, the messiest, most unhealthy chips she could find. We rarely let our kids have soda and I always opt for the apples instead of chips. But, maybe I was feeling guilty for not letting her play at the mall, or maybe I was just hoping someone in the family would find happiness today; so, I let her get Orange soda and Cheetos- mistake! After calling Ronnie and not eating much of my soggy, vinegary, peppery sandwich, we hop in the car and head home. Madison proceeds to slime me with her orange Cheetos fingers as she gets in the car and I now have a nice orange smudge on my new grey wool sweater! Nice! Then, about half a mile from home Madison says "oops, sorry mommy!"- I didn't even want to know! She had spilled her orange soda all over the back seat. I had no napkins, was out of baby wipes, and couldn't think of anything to throw back there to sop it up so we drove the rest of the way home with a puddle of orange sloshing around the seat (thank goodness for leather seats!)

We finally make it home and I run to clean up the mess leaving my screaming one year old strapped in his car seat thinking I might prevent anything else from going wrong. Nope, not gonna happen today. After I clean the car, unload the bags, and unstrap the boy, I reach around back to pick him up only to run my hand across his poopy back. Major blowout, up the back, all over the clothes and even on the car seat. UGH! This is when I lost it- I cried! So unfair. Why me? I should have stayed home! All I wanted was Ronnie to come home early and rescue me- then I remembered, he gets to go to see a Sonics game, court side, with his boss tonight, and will get home very late! Very very late.

So, I cleaned up- AGAIN, put BOTH kids down for a nap (yes, Madison is 5 and does not need a nap, but I needed her to need a nap!) and blogged about it. Phew, I feel better! I think I will stay home tonight, order pizza (I wouldn't want to cook and burn the house down or something) and go to be early. As my sister's boyfriend Robb said, after I complained to him too, "tomorrow can only get better!" I sure hope so!