How...(oh how?) do we do the things we do?

Wednesdays are great... but full when Neil's on the road.
8am-3pm ~ schooling, breakfast, schooling, laundry, schooling, baby's bum, nap time, cleaning, sledding, snacks, settling disputes, lunch, pack supper, pack awana bags, pack some school to bring, try to squeeze in one more subject... fail... wake the baby from his too short nap, rush out the door, forget jacket.
3-3:30 ~ negotiate traffic & try to negotiate a truce between an irate 4year old & a belligerent 6 year old. Baby crying 'cause he's still tired. Put on the never fail "Watoto Children's Choir" cd. Louder, louder, louder... Success... happy baby...
3:30 ~ arrive at the college & tell Cai & Sloan to run for Cai's coaching that starts in 15 minutes...
3:30-3:55 ~ pay for parking, find a parking spot, unload stroller, baby, school books, realize i forgot my jacket & i live in Canada... run for the college, find an elevator, get to the conservatory & find Sloanie waiting for us in the hallway.
3:55-4:30 ~ Read Charlotte's Web with Peyton in the hallway. Make googly eyes at Gage who is angelically sitting in his stroller, mediate for the children who gets to play hangman on the electronic dictionary & listen to Sloanie's poem she memorized.
4:30-5:22 ~ find Cai's empty classroom & feed everyone supper. 7 trips to & from the bathroom. Play piano & have them act out what i'm playing. Charter is a rock, rolling to the bottom of a hill. Peyton is a baby growing into an old woman. Mollen is a tree growing up from a seed. Sloanie & Charter are a mom & a dad waking with an alarm clock & going about their day... Cai was a baby growing into an old woman too... Played musical chairs till it was time to go. Felt sick, loading up all the children, our suitcase on rollers that held our food, now empty, & leaving Cai all by herself in her room waiting for her class to start at 6pm. Sloan begs to sit in the front seat.
5:22-5:41 ~ try to corral the troops through the hallways of the college... Sloan begs to sit in the front seat. Through the parking lot... (Man, is it getting cold now...) i notice that none of the children want to wear their jackets... the irony is not lost on me. Wrestle with the stroller... feel like stomping on the stroller... pulling levers with each hand & pushing with my toe on another lever, trying to balance on one foot & make the stroller collapse with my stomach... Sloan begs to sit in the front seat. Remember that all the children are watching me... reign in my temper.... contemplate leaving the blasted stroller there.... finally manage to get it in the truck. Ahhhh....
5:41-6:10 ~ drive back to McKenzie Towne. Baby cries, Watoto sings, Baby happy. Sloan loudly reading the airbag warning on the back of the sun visor..."CHILDREN CAN BE KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED BY AN AIRBAG??!! THE BACKSEAT IS THE SAFEST PLACE FOR CHILDREN??!! i slow down & feel guilty for letting her sit in the front seat.
6:15 ~ Drive home to pick up a cheque i was supposed to deposit... feel guilty dropping the kids off at church early...
6:15-7pm ~ Drive back to the college to get Cai... put Gagey in the mai tai wrap & he looks at me sweetly, like, "what, we're here again?" & grins. My heart melts... Grab Peyton's sweater from the backseat as it's *really really* cold & she refused to wear it into the church & hey, i'm not proud. Run up to Cai's classroom, to hear the last bit of her practice. She looks so happy & confident. i notice her bowing is so much improved. She finishes up & breathlessly tells me how that's the best she's ever done at her practices... She loves her teachers... i feel suddenly like this is all worthwhile.
7pm-7:30 ~ get back to the vehicle, listen to non stop chatter... over the sounds of Watoto... over the sounds of angry baby who is sick of his carseat... Arrive at Superstore... debate leaving Cai in the vehicle with Gage... but then decide to bring them in.
7:30-7:55 deposit cheque, grab oranges, black tights for Cai, baby cookies for Gage, caesar dressing & croutons... no cart... carrying G in the mai tai... rush back out to the vehicle & am in time to pick up the kids by 8.
8-8:20... get into the *chaos* of the church.... Someone says, 'hey, there's chaos...' & i'm not sure if they're talking about me, or to me. Gather 4 sweet, excited, talkative children... meet 1 new friend, who i'm excitedly told is *homeschooled*, feel relief that i don't have to find jackets because nobody will wear them... Get everyone buckled, & head home.
8:20-8:40 ~ beg everyone to help carry something... groceries, awana bags, fiddle, music, schoolbooks, lunch bag, purse, cellphones, sweet sleepy baby.... We all put away shoes, groceries, bags, books... & head to bed.