I think the most irritating question a man can ask a woman is "What did you do all day?"  Not that mine asks me that, but maybe sometimes I wish he would.  It would be a lesson in perspective for any man who thinks he has it hard sitting at a desk all day, dealing with people for only a few minutes at a time.

It is 3:30.  I have now been home for a total of 30 minutes today: I spent those 30 minutes unloading and putting away groceries, then unloading and reloading the dishwasher.  I have exactly 30 more minutes before I get my children from the bus stop, so I figured I could do something relaxing, but not too relaxing or I will fall asleep.  Hence, I am writing in my long-neglected blog.  So much for starting a blog to become a more diligent journal-writer - I stink at this too!

I woke this morning, fed, dressed and groomed 4 people, checked backpacks for all schoolwork, remembered at the last minute that today is hat day, scrambled around for hats, changed Claire's outfit to match the hat, and ran out the door.  As the children were climbing out of the car at school, Joshua tearfully remembered that he forgot his Porsche book, which he has been planning to share at Show-and-Tell for the last three weeks.  I promised him that I would make every effort to bring it.

I then raced through town to a high school, where the band was performing a Tiny Tots Christmas Concert, for which I had purchased tickets months ago.  James and I had a fantastic hour watching Bob the Builder, Pooh and Tigger, Dora, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Elmo, Frosty, Rudolph, Santa and Mrs Claus all dance to the band playing Christmas music.  After the concert, James got to meet the characters.  When asked by Santa, all James wanted for Christmas is chocolate cupcakes.  This almost beats Joshua's request: a Christmas tree.  I think I must have the weirdest children on the planet.

After the concert, we rushed back home, grabbed Joshua's book, and went school.  We found Joshua in the cafeteria, where he informed us that we had already missed sharing time! Luckily, the teacher was accommodating, and willing to let Joshua share after lunch.

I then left the school for Wal-Mart.  James fell asleep in the car almost immediately, and I started thinking of ways to let him sleep longer.  Ignoring my bursting bladder (even though I had used the bathroom at every stop), I went to the Taco Bell drive-thru, where I treated myself to an al-fresco bean burrito: for only one dollar, it is low fat, high fiber, delicious, and a great way to stall.  I am sure the workers roll their eyes when I order one burrito and a tap water, but we all make our sacrifices.

I then filled up my car with gas and even went to a much needed car wash.  Out of ways to stall, I woke James up at Wal-Mart, which didn't even have the paint that I had come for!!!  I don't know how Wal-Mart does it, but I still managed to spend a large sum of money on things that I decided that I needed (not wanted, needed), but hadn't planned on buying.  I swear there's subliminal messages going on in there!

James and I then went to BJ's to do our grocery shopping.  I would have preferred a grocery store, but it was already two p.m. and BJ's is next door to Wal-Mart.  Again, my small and simple grocery list grew as I was in the store, all with things that we need but I had managed to forget about.

I doubt I need to mention any of the trials I was up against as I attempted to accomplish my errands: a tired, hungry potty-training two year old, a ringing phone, traffic, trying to remember every last thing so that I don't have to come back tomorrow, people who stop and turn suddenly in the aisle, and then look at me like the near-collision is my fault.....  

It is mind-numbing trying to remember which days are library days so we can return books, which days are gym days so the kids are in the right shoes, who did their homework and who didn't, whether or not everything made it into backpacks, and who brushed their teeth.  Claire frantically searched for her snack for ten minutes this morning, before finally finding it in Joshua's backpack.  What can I say, I tried!  And this is just the school stuff!  Do all the bathrooms have extra toilet paper?  Did I take out all the trash for trash day?  Do we have more sandwich bags?  Do I need to move money around so none of our bills bounce?  Have all the kids had their shots and medications?  Did we have enough fruits and vegetables today?

I think the best mothers, the ones who have a load of kids and still smile, must be ultra-organized and ultra-relaxed.  I envy the mothers who bring eight perfectly well-behaved kids to church, and none of them have claws for fingernails.  I'll bet they're all wearing clean socks and undies, too.

Oops, have to run.  I forgot that I need to get my kids from the bus stop.....