I was in the middle of getting the babies ready for bed last night when my sweet, but senile, neighbor came over to visit. Bedtime is a delicate balance of routine and patience, and visitors kinda throw a wrench in the whole process. So Olivia is crying because the bedtime routine has begun, I’m trying to talk to Kathe (my neighbor), and Calvin is fussing because I’m not holding him, and he’s really tired.
Next thing I know, Calvin falls, bites his lip, and starts spurting blood. I finally tell Kathe I HAVE TO GO! and start running for the bathroom to clean Cal up. As I turn the corner I trip on my China Chest, spilling Olivia’s soda pop all over the hardwood floor. Now Olivia is really upset, but Cal is even more. I grab a rag, which was readily available because Olivia has discovered the rag drawer and uses them as blankies for her plenitude of stuffed creatures. Rag goes on the floor, Cal and I rush to the bathroom to inspect and clean him up. Kathe lets herself out, Olivia finds her way to her bedroom, and we can finally really get bedtime started.
On Wednesday I took the babies with me to the Outlet Mall in Park City. As I’m lifting Cal out of the car, I realize my hand is wet, and look down to see pooh covering my hand, keys, Cal’s shorts, and leg. It’s all over him, and now all over me. But I’m in a parking lot, and have no where to lay him down to clean him up. So I stand him up against the side of the car, and pull his clothes off, which have poop all over them, and smear it further on him as I lift and pull the outfit off. Of course I only have a piddly two wipes on me, so burp rag, clean part of his clothes, and wipes are used to clean him AND ME up as much as possible. Then the whole bundle gets tossed in the nearest garbage can. Cal shops the rest of the day in just his diaper.
On Thursday we went to the Lehi pool with Grandma Christensen and cousins Alea and Weston who are in town for the week, and Jena and her kids. But as I pull in to Utah county, Olivia, who had been asleep, wakes up and starts crying, telling me her eyes hurt. I look back, and her eyes are gooey and runny. I assume its allergies since I had horrible allergies as a kid. I eventually find the pool (I hate Utah County–no organization or structure to their infrastructure), and try and find Lois and Jena, but they are not to be found. Finally I take off on foot with the kids to find a grocery store. I’m pretty sure there’s one within a block. Three blocks later, I’m stuck behind two old, slow ladies at the pharmacy counter. I give Olivia the benadryl, get her a soda (which spills the next night all over my hardwood floor), and head back to the pool. Olivia never gets happy, and finally we head home from the disastrous afternoon. As we get home Olivia’s eyes have now swollen shut, and I take her to the doctor. He tells me it’s a double eye and double ear infection. No wonder why the kid cried ALL DAY LONG! Poor baby. Some high powered anti-biotics seem to have helped.
There’s a song on the radio right now called “You’re Gonna Miss This” – extolling the sentiments of raising children. I think it’s cute. But I really wonder.