Mommy's Arsenal

Sleeping.  Finally.  For the first time today.  All of my children.  Finally sleeping.

I don't know what it is about having a house guest for the weekend that makes my children so crazy on a Tuesday.  You other Mom's know what I'm talking about - just having your husband go back to work on a Monday can make the kids crazy, but throw in a houseguest for the past 3 nights and days, and a long holiday weekend - and it's over.  The war began the minute my little ones started babbling to each other over their cribs.

Breakfast wasn't the same or wasn't right.  Ok, I didn't think I could miss with homemade cinnamon rolls and bacon, but CLEARLY it was not a good choice.

Playtime after breakfast usually consists of playing outside in the pool and chase in the backyard before it gets too hot.  HA!  They didn't even want to go down the porch to get to the backyard.  Both Ella and Maggie thought it was way too hot and that was after the struggle to get Karlie out there.  Alright, no problem, I'll change gears.  Let's dance.  Dancing is failproof - everyone dances in our house and loves it.  HA, HA!  What the hell?  Why the tears?  Not so fun today?  How about blocks, books, dress-up, hide-and-seek?  We played all of those for approximately 5 minutes each.  How about a movie?  We don't normally do movies unless it's raining, but we can try it.  Nope.  At this point I'm starting to get the tri-cry.  You do NOT want to get the tri-cry before lunch - that makes for a really bad afternoon.

Ok, ok, everyone hold on just a sec and we'll do early lunch (since no one ate their damn breakfast!)  Hot dogs, cukes and peaches have got to work.  I open up the lunch line and take a sigh of relief for a few minutes of peace.  Blissful, quiet pea....WHAT???  Why are you crying now Mags?  You're so sleepy, how about a bath to help calm you down?  So I give Mags a cuddle until lunch for the other two is over and get everyone in the bath.  The whole time I'm thinking that this is yet another failproof, and I can get everyone back to normal.  HA, HA, HA!  They did NOT want to be in the bath together.  Ok, Ok, Ok!!!!  I'll get everyone dressed and settled down for a nap.  HA, HA, HA, HA!

I'm running out of tricks.  The only things I have left are the park (I really don't want to strap a cranky baby on my back, pushing the other two and walk in the hottest part of the day because the hubs has the car), the vaccuum and Mommy and Daddy's bed.  So, I yank out the vaccuum.  This has got to calm everyone down.  Normally everyone follows me around and dances and shakes their head to the vaccuum - they love it.  HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!  Tri-cry.  And not just tri-cry, but pissed off and disgusted tri-cry.

So, Mommy and Daddy's bed it is.  HA, HA to you, you cranky babies!!!!  Yep, that is where we spent the last hour and a half.  Everyone jumping and being tickled.  The last line of defense worked.  Everyone got happy and decided that since it was late afternoon they would grace Mommy with a nap. 

I've got to get better arsenal.