I am so tired...

This week has been good so far, but man am I tired. It's days and evenings like today that I really miss having Kris here to share in the parenting. Here's a rundown of my day:

8:30am--take Ross and Hope to daycare; bring Grant with me to Jenny Craig

9:30--speedy grocery shopping at WalMart

10:10--head from southwest Fargo to the middle of Fargo to take Grant to his first day of writing enrichment class in summer school. Walk all the way around Clara Barton Elem and enter 3 different doors before finding the right entrance.

10:35--take Lola out of the van (yes, she tagged along too this morning) so that we can take a walk around the neighborhood.

11:00--run home to put away groceries, drop of the dog, and eat a quick and healthy lunch

11:50--leave home to pick up Grant at noon

12:10pm--take Grant out for an afternoon with mom: Space Aliens (where I did not eat--yay me!), bumper cars and minigolfing at Thunder Road; used bookstore; and new Fargo Library (again driving from southwest Fargo to downtown)

4:30--leave library to head back to south Fargo to pick up Ross and Hope; call doctor to see if Grant can get in tomorrow for a probable sinus infection. Dr is out tomorrow. Begin entertaining idea of taking him to walk in clinic tonight. Decide I'm too tired to even make hotdogs, so we run through the BK drivethrough

5:00--get Hope and Ross inside, hands washed, and started eating. Pee. Go back out to van to wake up Grant who has fallen asleep. Serve all the food. Heat up my own Healthy Choice meal (and eat with Grant's french fries).

5:30--clean up kitchen, kids, and call gma Carol to see if she can watch Hope while I take both boys to the clinic. No answer. Call my mom. No answer. Call neighbor girl next door--she can come in 10 minutes. Yes! Promise her to be as quickly as I can. Wrangle both boys into peeing, washing hands, and blowing noses. God, it's like herding cats!

6:35--leave for clinic. Turns out both boys need antibiotics. Grant for a sinus infection and Ross for an ear infection.

7:35--call babysitter to check in and explain we need to stop at the pharmacy. She says all is well, but I feel badly for keeping her there for more than an hour. Pull into Hornbachers and hope that their pharmacy is still open...it is until 8! Whew! Answer all questions since I've never filled prescriptions there before. Try to keep boys busy while waiting. Call dad. Talk to dad. Play gimme five with Ross. Let Grant buy a word search puzzle book. Chase after Ross.

7:55--FINALLY get the antibiotics and instructions. Ross runs off. Send Grant one direction while I look in the opposite. Grant finds Ross. Try to be firm and convey that it's scary for me when you run off.

8:05--get home. Give boys medicine. Ross dribbles half his dose down his shirt. Hug Hope then put her down to make her bottle. Finally lose my patience with the whole situation--EAT YOUR CRACKERS AND COME UPSTAIRS WHEN YOU'RE DONE! Go upstairs to have 5 minutes alone with Hope to clean out her drippy nose, check her diaper and tuck her in. Feel my blood boiling when both boys follow me. Get totally pissed off when they start to fight AGAIN right in Hope's room. Ross accidentally spills Grant's goldfish crackers all over the carpet. GET OUT OF THIS ROOM SO I CAN BE ALONE WITH HOPE! SIT IN THE HALLWAY, BUT DO NOT STAY IN HERE.

8:20--head back downstairs to clean up kitchen a second time while boys finish snack. Let Lola out. Yell at Ross to come back in. Tell Grant it's time to come up to bed. Go upstairs and realize that this time, neither boy is following me. Mutter something about how my children never listen to me. March back downstairs and yell--get upstairs right now!

8:30--tinkle. brush teeth. put on PJs. Tuck in. Kiss, cover up, ruffle hair, and say good night.

8:55--go back downstairs with all the trash from upstairs and begin taking out garbage to the curb. Get one bin out and hear scream-crying coming through the window. Run inside to truly terrified boys screaming and crying at the top of the stairs: MOM! WHERE ARE YOU???!!!! They were completely freaked out. Calm everyone down and agree to let them watch a cartoon for 15 minutes to help them relax.

9:10--Finish taking out garbage. Come in to find that Grant has taken out the Goldfish again and Ross wants blueberries. Oh, whatever. Let them eat again. Go through the day's receipts, prep my coffee for the morning, and wipe down counter. Find a forgotten bottle of wine in the wine rack. Thank you, God. Pour a glass and come into the den.

9:40--tell boys it's time for bed. Tinkle again. Tuck in again.

9:55--Come back downstairs and pour another glass of wine, eat two slices of cheese, some pretzels, and some popcorn. Begin an episode of Little House on the Prairie. Pull chocolate chips out of the freezer and eat a bunch with a third glass of wine. Shit. Feel overfull and frustrated that I let myself stress-eat. Turn off the DVD and put wine away.

10:55--finish this post. Go to bed. Get ready to do it all again tomorrow. Ugh.

Only 4 more weeks until Kris comes home.