Welcome to the Mad House

Where life is as crazy as can be. Yesterday was another one of those Manic Mondays. It was Jake's last day off before returning to work. Ellie had school and a Valentine's Day/100th Day of School celebration to prepare for. Ava and Carter had school. Hannah had her newborn check-up. And life just ran its course through our house. With all the running around, when Jake, Hannah, and I got home around lunch, the kitchen looked like this.

I've actually been doing a really good job of keeping up with things around the house. However, Monday mornings involve making lunches for kids, packing toddler backpacks with extra clothes, cramming a bite of breakfast down several throats, and the new added task of packing a diaper bag again with diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, spare clothes, and hunting down one of the pacifiers that Ava has hijacked as her new toys. Preschool starts at 9:30 and Hannah's appointment was at 10 so there was no time for one of us to do drop-off and the other to pick up the house first. Add to this mess the fact that I hadn't hauled out my Sunday paper and other recycling, needed to unload the dishwasher, wash bottles and other non-dishwasher items and the kitchen was a ground zero for household disaster.

Of course, there is also the mess of the living room. While this is just one container of Littlest Pet Shop toys, this is the result of what happens when Mom and Dad tell you for the millionth time to leave the baby alone. If your name is Carter, you don't handle scolding well and tend to get destructive before running off to the downstairs bathroom where you shut the door and hide out until you are no longer mad that you were scolded.

How Jake and I have wished we could have spent the last week much like this little baby has. Sleep she does, nearly all she does. And Miss Hannah weighed in at 7 lbs 9 oz at her newborn check-up. She has surpassed her birth weight and is growing well. Poor baby does have a cold though, the unfortunate result of being sneezed on by her adoring brother when only 7 hours old. Which is why my hospital stay was supposed to be my solitary honeymoon and older children were only supposed to be allowed to visit when I decided I missed them (which likely would have been several days after I had returned home!). But alas, it is over and done and if there is one thing to be said, it is that Hannah will have a very strong immune system as she grows.

The weekend was a busy one, including Hannah's first trip to Target. She slept the entire time we picked up groceries. But it was still a wonderful bonding moment between Mother and Daughter, specifically because it was nice and quiet for both of us!

We also entertained Joy and Tonester on Saturday. Zoey came with as well and succeeded in ruining a few more toys and licking the baby's face. Note to self: remember what a pest she was when kids start talking about wanting a pet. Ava and Joy danced together while Daddy and Tonester grilled and Carter ran in and out of the house checking on everyone.

And while there was nothing I wanted more yesterday when getting home than to take a nap for a few hours before the twins came home and Jake returned from the gym, I decided to leave the sleeping to the babe.

I redeemed myself and decontaminated the kitchen. Social services need not be called now as it has been sterilized and scrubbed down.

Now to keep it like this for more than 10 minutes!