No pictures this week. And the sole purpose of this journal entry post is to serve as a reminder for my future self when I look back and wonder what I did all day (after day) with six children living under one roof. I'm going to miss these days. I know I am.
I think I'll select one random day to write about - Wednesday, February 18, 2015. Ah yes, I spent a lot of time in the car on this one and it went something like this...
At the last minute (because everything is last minute with this coach), Jantzen's basketball coach sent out a text changing morning practice to Wednesday (6am) instead of Thursday. Jantzen was excited to start practicing again (for real) with his wrist 'cleared' by Aaron and myself (after getting the bill for the initial exam/x-rays, we determined he didn't need a return appt.). Truthfully, I look forward to taking Jantzen to his morning practices each Tuesday/Thursday because I go running with Alisa G. (mother of teammate). We prefer to run outside but when the roads are slick and it's super cold, we run on the indoor track at the college not far from where our boys are practicing basketball. This only gets a little tricky when Aaron is out of town because Jantzen and I don't get home until 7:15am. Fortunately, Tanner is usually great at getting the other kids up for family scriptures/prayers before he leaves for early morning seminary. Anyway, changing practice to Wednesday meant no running for me and a slight adjustment in our Wednesday morning routine.
Most days Aaron leaves the house at 5am to work-out at World's Gym (and returns home to shower/scriptures/breakfast with the family) but I needed him to take Jantzen to practice since I had to get Anna to piano lessons by 6:30am. She and Jantzen usually go together and alternate between private lessons with David L. and music tech time until 7:30am. This time Aaron dropped Jantzen off at 6am ball practice then went to the gym with the plan to pick up the kids after piano lessons and take them to the middle school and then go in to the office. While Aaron was at the gym, I sat through most of Anna's lesson before I needed to run and get Jantzen from basketball practice and bring him for his private lesson. Knowing Aaron would finish up his own work-out/shower and get the kids (thank you Jamba for being around the corner from the piano teacher's house and having $1.29 oatmeal special on Wednesday mornings), I cruised home to get Elsie's hair done and help her pack a lunch, etc. before she caught her 7:40am bus for the elementary school. Tanner was already gone but Brinley was home getting ready for school as he had an 8:45am orthodontist appointment in town so we didn't bother sending her on the bus.
I quickly cleaned up the kitchen, started a load of laundry and helped Quinn get ready for the day before loading him up and taking Brinley to her appointment. After dropping her off, I met Aaron at the auto repair shop where we were leaving the Subaru for the day so the timing belt could be replaced. I took him back to work and then received a text from Tanner asking if I could please bring ibuprofen/tylenol to school. He had not taken anything since the day before and the pain (wisdom teeth) was getting pretty intense. Quinn and I drove clear back home, picked-up what Tanner needed, drove to the high school and made it right on time for our 10am appointment with a speech therapist. We are in the process of finding the right situation to help Quinn along in this department. His oral motor skills need some help and we are learning that the fluid-filled sack under his tongue that he was born with (surgically removed at age 5 mos.) has not help matters any.
Not knowing exactly when Brinley would be finished with her appointment (45 minutes - put in her second retainer on bottom), I told her she would need to walk the few blocks from the ortho office to school and check herself in - I would call to excuse her later. So glad the wacky-warm and wonderful weather cooperated because I could not be in two places at once and Aaron didn't have a car. Anyway, after this initial speech evaluation with Sandy, Quinn and I quickly stopped at the bank, gassed up the Yukon and picked up our favorite farm-fresh eggs from my friend's garage fridge on the way home. I cooked a few eggs for Quinn's lunch and then we were off to pick-up our neighborhood kindergarten carpool at 11:15am. It's always entertaining driving Aiden, Brock, Collin (triplets), Quinn and Kamay (only girl) to school. The routine is for me to ask them what they had for breakfast that morning and if I forget, they remind me without fail! The triplets get a bit competitive with each other about who gets out of the car first when I pull up to the school so I always remind them "ladies first" as I walk around to help Kamay out and put the seat down for the boys to scramble out.
Back in the car, I cruised home to grab a quick bite for lunch then threw on a skirt and grabbed my temple bag. Once a week I keep my schedule clear of foot zone appointments (and all other appointments) from 11:30-2pm so I can fit in the 12 noon temple session. It isn't the same day each week but it's something I look forward to. I've only waited 17 years for this opportunity to open up and I don't take it for granted. In fact, it's one of the reasons I requested afternoon kindergarten for Quinn. Yep, I calculated the timing of school and the temple schedule way back when. I love the peace I feel inside the Lord's house - it's my 'calm amidst the storm'.
I felt rejuvenated leaving the temple and drove out to the elementary school to pick up Elsie and Quinn. They usually ride the bus home but since Anna had a dental appointment at 3pm, I had to get the younger kids from school and bring them with me (if they rode the bus, I'd be late getting Anna). The middle school doesn't let out until 3:30pm so I had to check Anna out early. While driving from the school to the dentist office, we realized she had left her violin in the orchestra room so we quickly turned around and drove back to the school. She needed it because she had a lesson at 5pm. It was also at this time I received a text from Elsie's Let's Play Music teacher (Ms. Justine) asking if Elsie could please come to the 4pm class that day instead of her usual 5pm time. My mind quickly thought through the events of the next few hours and figured a way to make it work. But darn - it meant an additional trip into town!
Anna wasn't thrilled about her visit to the dentist but she was a trooper. After the hygienist took her back, I cruised home to get more food (apparently, the snacks I brought with me for the kids were not sufficient and they were starving) and Elsie's music bag and then drove way up on the 'hill' for Elsie's 4pm class. Once a month a parent is required to attend class with their child but fortunately, it was not parent-week! Calculating that Anna would be nearly done, I drove back to the dental office (located between my house and the 'hill' in town) to check in. Meanwhile, Jantzen and Brinley were getting off the bus at home (I'm usually home when each wave of children get off the various buses). Quinn and I waited a few more minutes for Anna to finish up and then the three of us drove home. When Anna came out with marks on her face, I wondered if she had been given 'laughing gas' but in our haste to exit, didn't think to ask. The dentist confirmed my suspicions when he said she was a bit anxious toward the end. With a numb mouth, Anna didn't say much while we drove home.
As I pulled into the driveway, we did a quick shuffle. Tanner was home from school/work early (computer issues at work) so I left Quinn with him. Jantzen cooked up plans to go to Max's house then go to his 6pm basketball game with teammate Max. (Though not ready to play quite yet, Jantzen has still been attending his games). That worked perfectly well since Max lives across the street from where Elsie's music class is. That also meant Jantzen did not have to sit through Anna's violin lesson before I could take him to the junior high at 5:30 for his 6pm game. At the same time, Brinley informed me she wanted to go out for the tennis team so could she please get a ride to the courts in town so she could practice with her friends. We quickly found a racket and tennis balls and picked up Haylie (neighbor). I dropped the girls off at Smith Park, picked up Elsie from her LPM class (ends at 4:55pm), and let Jantzen out at Max's house then drove around the corner for Anna's 5pm violin lesson. Elsie brought along her homework and waited while I sat through Anna's lesson. She just started this month with Lisa M. - so it was her 3rd lesson. Poor Anna was still numb and a bit dazed from her dental appointment but she made it through. All during the lesson, I was getting various texts about different issues. The courts were locked so Brinley and her friends walked up to Niki's house to practice on her driveway instead. I was also coordinating a ride home for Jantzen after the ball game (there is only one boy on his team that lives out of town - we're a few miles apart but have helped each other out on occasion).
After the lesson, we picked up Brinley and Haylie and found Jantzen and Max walking to the junior high so I told Jantzen to get a ride home with Landon's brother after the ball game. Aaron had a fellow employee drop him off at the auto repair shop to pick up the Subaru and we were all homeward bound. It was a left-overs kind of night. People ate any and all left-overs which included chicken enchiladas, oatmeal, thai curry, etc.
Aaron, Tanner and Brinley then headed to the church for a youth trek committee meeting and I started getting the others ready for bed. We finished up homework and prepared for the coming day and went through the evening routine. Meanwhile, Landon's brother (Logan) ended up having his own church ball game to play in (in town) so Jantzen stayed with Landon and they got home rather late (keys got lost, Jantzen sprained two fingers - ugh, etc.). Aaron and the kids returned from meetings and we finished out the day. Wednesday is music lesson day but it isn't usually so complicated. Quote of the day from Tanner - "Mom, I wish you earned a dollar for every mile you drove because you'd be rich.". I couldn't agree more.
1 comment:
It is a good thing you wrote that down while it was fresh on your mind. A couple of years from now when you tried to tell someone, they would think you had "misremembered." Amazing what you fit into a day. The temple experience is what makes it work, I'm sure.
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