In a quiet moment
Late tonight (or early this morning for those wanting to be more accurate), I was stealing a few moments of quiet, soaking in the peacefulness of a sleeping household and a decorated Christmas tree. It was much needed after the chaos of the day.
Today had been one of those days that seemed to have one challenging thing after another. The key fob for the van came apart as I was going to put the keys in my purse while at the same time trying to convince A-girl to get out of the van for a doctor's appointment that we were late for and she was determined she was not going back to the allergy and asthma clinic (allergy testing nightmares for that kid) under any circumstance. Of course the fob could not just fall to the ground, it had to shoot out across the parking lot under a nearby car and settle to rest under the other car in the middle requiring me to lay down, reach as far under as I could all the time listening to LJ state "Mom, get up off the road! You can't lay on the road! Why are you going under that car? The keys?! Cool. I see them! I can get under there easier. Let me do it! Come on! Please!" and A-girl chanting "Mom! You are making us late. We are now really late and its because you lost the keys!" We walked into the clinic just as the receptionist was leaving a message on our home phone to reschedule our appointment. The doctor (whom we have never seen before but a colleague of the one we have) graciously agreed to see us. I am sure that 3 minutes after being in a room with LJ, he was wishing he had not. The entire time I was trying to talk, LJ is nattering "I need a drink. I am thirsty. Can we leave yet?" while opening and closing the door to the room every two seconds.
The afternoon continued to be challenging as my computer was having issues and when one's children are enrolled in an online school, and it is the day before a "big portfolio" day, there is no time for such shenanigans. I need a computer to work quickly, print when requested and not lose all capacity to link to it, not have the writing program I am using crash no less than 7 times in 45 minutes and not leave me with the only thing to write in being my email (its hard to write the material for AJ's powerpoint in email and keep him focused). Luckily S is a computer geek and he was able to restore my computer to a functioning state and AJ finished his portfolio after 11pm. Hopefully he gets enough sleep so that he can present it well first thing in the morning.
A-girl had a roller skating party for girl scouts tonight. I was taking 4 other girls and in the pick up process, we realized that the gift for L's secret Santa at dance (the exchange was this evening) was missing. It had been in my purse along with the birthday gift for Sunday afternoon but I had taken it out after she had removed the birthday gift on Sunday afternoon. L was upset as there was no time to get anything else, I was frazzled because I could not remember what I had done with it. After much frantic looking and thinking, we found it.
So I was savoring my brief calm. I then heard the hall door creak, looked up and A-girl is walking towards me with her swim bag in her hand. She pushed it towards me and I asked her what she wanted me to do. It became very clear the poor kid was half asleep (or completely!) as she could not formulate her words, kept opening the bag and pushing it towards me mumbling about something. I walked her back to bed and she sleeps soundly while I sit on the couch trying to figure out what she was doing. 
