Sometimes (most of the time), it's really hard to get out the door in the morning. Especially this week while Patrick was in Minneapolis. Usually he dresses piper, while I'm feeding the baby. Then he's on his way, and i get graham and myself ready.
Our beloved art easel doubles as a teepee!
Sometimes I strap poor little piper into the stroller if shes being an extra curious two year old, so i can finish getting everything together without worrying about what she might be up to. And sometimes she is very interested in what i'm doing, and just stays close by instead. The rest of the morning consists of packing breast milk, getting my pumping bottles, tending to piper's curiosities, burping the baby, wrestling a two year old into pigtails or a pony, sneaking in a snuggle, and finally grabbing miscellaneous items for the day: laptop, phone, keys, spare clothes for the kids, diapers, daycare payment, my lunch, whatever else, etc. Sometimes these things are ready from the night before, and sometimes this requires turning the house upside down. Every morning I cross my fingers that we make it out the door without a blowout and necessary wardrobe change.
Then we go through the grand exit ritual. Which from piper's side sounds like, "Let's go! Come on, mom mom! I press button. Basement! ...B! I hold keys? I hold keys? I hold keys? Pweeeeeaaze? Hold your hand? Watch out for cars! Put stuff in! All by self. No! All by self! Seatbelt! Missmanda's? See Aunni? Get baby brother!"
From my end it sounds like, "Ok, we're going. Go ahead and push the button piper. Wait for mommy. Yes, we're going to the basement. What letter is this? What do you need to say when you're asking for something? Come on, hurry out before the door closes. Yes, hold my hand. Good job, watch for cars. Can I have the keys back please? Hop in. Ok, ok. Where do you think we might be going this morning? Who are your friends at school?"
All the while I'm pushing the double stroller loaded with our stuff, or parking it in a utility closet next to my parking spot. Once piper is in the car, I can't yet put the baby in, because the other side of my car is parked half an inch (ok two inches, which is not an exaggeration) from a wall. So I get in, pull the car out, then get back out of the car, hurry over to that utility closet area I mentioned (the door is at least permanently propped all the way open, so it's more like a utility hallway) and grab graham from the stroller to put him in the car. Then I push the stroller deeper into the closet in hopes it doesn't get stolen while i'm at work, hop back in the car, and we are FINALLY on our way!!
I am so nervous that one of these days I am going to take right off and forget my son in a garage closet. That's why piper helps me remember, "get baby brother!" once we are in the car. Haven't forgotten any children yet!
I drop the kids off at Miss Amanda's and get to work about 3 hours after waking up.
Last night after picking them up, Patrick still wasn't back from his trip because his plane was delayed, so after a few errands with two kiddies, we needed take out.
Lest you fear I let my child eat weird MSG-laden Chinese food, first of all, it's Japanese :) and the Bento Box is very good :)
She loves using chopsticks.
We took a break from eating to check in with Patrick, still delayed in MN.
Then she decided to go in on my chopsticks, my jidori, and my "pickles." they were just cucumbers, but we've been making homemade pickles lately and so she was convinced they were pickles.
I offered her a small piece of my chicken. She reached out, PET it, and said, "aww, baby chicken! so cute!" and she wouldn't eat it! What???
It was a long week but I still loved it.
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