Candid Camera

Have you ever had one of those days where you literally look for the hidden camera?  Where so many things go wrong, one after the other, that you stop for a second and think this really can't be happening?

I seem to have a lot of those days.  Today was another one...

Jason is out of town, Jack has been showing signs of the terrible twos (We are aware that we have been lucky so far since he is 2.5), and Charlie is happiest if I am carrying him around.

The cleaners show up and the dogs go out when I open the door for them.  That is normally okay.  They do their business and come back to the garage door.  Charlie woke up from his nap so I went and got him.  Ten minutes later, I see a flash of golden out of the corner of my eye.  Darn it!  I forgot the dogs.  I call them in and as soon as they step in the back room, there are muddy prints everywhere.  I immediately shoo them back out and go the garage and call them in that way.  My plan was to clean/wipe their paws and be done with it.  Well, they don't come when I call them.  I hear crying behind me.  I close the door and find both boys on the floor crying.  Apparently their wrestling match had gotten out of hand.  Ten minutes later, you guessed it - I realized I forgot the dogs again.  I go back to the garage and call them in.  I hear them running towards the garage.  But what comes to me is not my beautiful Golden dogs.  What comes towards me are black dogs.  I just stare at them in disbelief.  I have to leave for work.  I still have to load up our stuff and the boys.  Really?!?

I leave them in the garage, throw their beds in the garage, and leave them a bowl of water.  Thank goodness it was warmer today.

I put Charlie on the counter to put on his shoes.  He looks at me, smiles, and slowly, but methodically, dumps out a whole cup of cereal on the island.  I clean that up.  Finish packing the diaper bag and start to walk to the garage.  Realize I can't go through the garage because the dogs are in there.  I go through front door (which, of course, is not near the car) and put Charlie in the car.  Go get Jack and put him in the car - through the front door.  Go back to get the diaper bag and tell the cleaners not to go through the garage.  And we are off and very late.

I get out of the neighborhood and realize I forgot my phone.  I turn around, get the phone, and tell myself to slow down even though we are really late now.

Later that night, we come home to a clean house and two very dirty dogs still in the garage.  (Remember, Jason is out of town.)  I make dinner for the boys.  We play for a little while.  We go upstairs.  Play some more.  We take baths.  Put PJs on.  Five minutes later (no joke), Charlie has messed up his diaper.  Clean him up and play some more.  Put Charlie down for the night.  Play with Jack.  I get him set up playing with a train and get ready to bathe the dogs.  This is not an easy task.  They both weigh 80 pounds and don't particularly like the bath.  I get Dennis and get him in the bath.  No exaggeration, the water is black that is coming off of him.  And he has small trees in his fir.  The bathroom is getting filthy.  The cleaners just came.  Ughh!

I get him cleaned and dried and go get Sam.  I am in the middle of washing him and Charlie starts crying.  I tell Sam to stay and go in there.  He has thrown his pacy across the room.  I give it to him, close the door, and guess who is standing in the hallway dripping water and mud everywhere.  Have you ever tried to get a wet dog in a bath when he doesn't want to without a collar?  I did and it wasn't easy or fun.  I start washing him again and I hear, "Mom, I have to stink stink!"  I turn from Sam and take off the things I have put on the toilet.  I turn to grab Jack and his face is red, his eyes are watering, and my sweet boy is going in his pants.  And this is where I start looking for the camera.  This has to be a set up, right?

Bath Aftermath:

Notice a little boy's bottoms?

Trying to keep the floor clean...

Fail.  And the cleaners just came!!

As I was doing dishes later, I was going over my night.  I try to find lessons.  God must really want me to learn patience because I have a lot of days like this.  I feel like I actually handle them pretty well.  So maybe that is not it.  He was probably just having a slow night and thought it would be fun to mess with me.

I don't know.  What I do know, though, that among all this craziness, there were some precious moments today.  And honestly, as annoying as I know some people think this is, I am actually smiling right now.

As I sat down to feed Charlie, Jack said, "We forgot to say our blessing!"  We have been trying to get him to show an interest in the blessings.  I thought he wasn't.  I was wrong.

Jack came in when I was washing the dogs and talked with me.  It was like he knew I needed someone to make me smile.  He "helped" me by holding onto the shower head hose.  He was quiet while I was rinsing off Sam and then I heard a sweet voice say, "You are the best mom I ever had."  And my heart melted along with my tiredness.

As I was finally eating dinner at 9:00 PM, I heard Jack calling me.  I asked him (through the monitor) what he needed.  His response?  I just need you.  I happily go up there to give him one more kiss, one more song, and one more tuck in.

As I walked away from him, I hope the camera caught that moment also - me smiling at the sweetness in my life.