I spent this entire morning on the phone. Yuck. I despise trying to make phone calls during daylight hours...and then to have a whole list of phone calls...ugh! I had seven or so calls to make and the kids at home were in rare form for sure. With the older ones back at school today, it was a new sort of free-for-all as the little ones regained their top-of-the-totem pole status. They tested all the rules again...from trying to swipe snacks before I even had the breakfast table cleared, to jumping on older siblings beds, climbing to new heights (atop the fridge) for access to dad's flashlight, and on and on. Of course Lucy is 3 now, and has to have at least a minor meltdown or two while I'm telephoning away. That's par for the course right? The nurse at the health department where I called to schedule Anne's 2 month immunizations surely scheduled us for his day off! And the secretary at church where I called to line things up for Annie's baptism beleived me when I said we really needed to get this scheduled (it sounded like all the kids were posessed as she kindly took my information...and probably sprinkled holy water on her phone when we were done.) Oh the lady at the hospital who needed some updated insurance information was very gracious when I firmly commanded "I can't peel an orange right now!" followed by a "Get down from there right now!" and "Oh my Lord, what did you do?!" (She probably suspects I have Turrets, and most definitely should not be in charge of a daycare.) I remind myself that the noise at my ankles is a good thing...it's the silence that I have to be most worried about!
I made it through my list though..and felt quite pleased with all I managed to accomplish despite the tugs at my legs for attention. I'm reminded often to enjoy these times, cause all too soon these little buggers will grow up and move away, and I'll be left wondering where the time went. Perhaps I'll give them a call, and hear the sounds of my screaming grandchildren and barking parents and smile remembering when...