Sometimes You're the Windshield, Sometimes You're the Bug

Score: Boys=windshield, Mom=bug...dead bug (which is surprising a calming yoga posture that is the same as "happy baby" minus the rocking-you may have to trust me on this one...anyone else see the irony?)

Not my best day as a Mom...and not even because Nolan cried for the better part of the day (read any time he was awake), Collin and Aaron had serious ear wax buildup (Collin's explanation for why it was difficult to listen*), Aaron spilled not one, but two packages of oatmeal on the floor at noon, I mopped up pee from the floor twice (for some reason I decided today was the day for Aaron to don the big boy Elmo underwear), Aaron puked down my back after his bath, Collin spilled Nolan's bath oil on my living room rug, Nolan screamed through the subsequent 15 minutes following previous two incidents and then puked on me...and to top it off, the water glass was just spilled in Collin and Aaron's bed...and Adam is now changing sheets and cleaning up that mess. Somewhere in all of that I lost patience...and that is why it's not my best day. God...grant me patience...PLEASE!

*It is worth noting here that the solution to how we're going to listen better is not mentioned, which was not the case a year ago when Collin and I had the following dialogue:
Mommy: "Collin, it seems like you're having a little trouble listening right now. How are we going to fix that?"
Collin, "with tape maybe?"

Speaking of Collin, he had his appointment with the speech therapist this morning. He's in the 28th percentile, so we'll be re-checking his progress with certain sounds in 6 months. They will only proceed with treatment if kids are in the 10th percentile. Adam and Collin picked up some exercises to do in front of a mirror, as well as some worksheets, so all is well. We'll be working on those...but not too much that he gets tired of it. Don't want to seem pushy in this area...just helpful.

We all have a serious case of cabin fever. The weather is schizophrenic in March, so today it is raining...tomorrow it may be snowing...who the heck knows. I'm not going to make it a habit to speak of the weather...but the events of this week may warrant some time. I'm getting regular updates from the North, and Fargo and the surrounding communities are in serious danger of flooding. Linda and Max have been sandbagging. My Grandma Darlene has water lapping at the rocks behind her house (which is on a hill next to a creek). Western SD received over a foot of snow...and there is a tornado warning for the Sioux Falls area. Are you kidding me?

In '92 on the day some guy at the DMV awarded me my first driver's license, the aforementioned creek next to my Grandparent's home flooded, which destroyed their home and both of their vehicles. Ironically, again, the '79 Plymouth Volare that I drove to take my exam was unscathed, while my Grandparent's Cadillac and Grandpa's pickup were totaled. In '97 I was dating a guy who was in school at UND. Due to the flooding, college was cancelled, and all of the students went home in early April for the year. During my Americorps service year, Chad and I drove to Afton, MN to help sandbag. Floods are devastating...surprisingly devastating. One would assume that there is only water damage...but it is actually mud damage. Floods are dirty, smelly...and sad.

Let's pray the sandbagging works.