Tired.

This life we live is pretty unreal most days.  I have many days when I think all day long that I am going to blog about the day so I remember the absolute insanity that it is, and then by the time everyone goes to bed, the last thing I feel like doing is talking about the day.  I feel like zoning out and having a huge bowl of ice cream, to be honest. But tonight, I'm blogging.

I traveled to Milwaukee Sunday through Wed. this week for work, so I'm not sure if it was that I am coming off of a few evenings off, or if the boys just know that mama is tired, or what, but they are CRAZY.  And really, if I had just one of these guys, I wouldn't think they're crazy at all.  It's just the combo that makes it crazy. 

Last night I was up 3 times throughout the night:  2x with Micah (which is so rare!) at about 2 and 3, and then at 5 a.m. with Tyler, who had wet his bed.  So I stripped everything off to wash and tried to get him settled back down.  By 6:45 a.m. everyone was pretty much up for the day.  M and A are sharing a room, so when one wakes up, they both do.  And if they're not both carried out of their room at the same time (like if I leave one in their crib to bring the other one out), they scream their cute little heads off.  So I pick up Micah first, since he's the heaviest, get him set on a hip, then pick up Andrew out of his crib with one arm.  He also always has to take every thing in his crib, so along with him comes 3 blankets, a raccoon, an owl, and sometimes more.  I carry both out, and sit down with them.  Then I hear Derek.  I wriggle out from under both of them, which makes them both cry b/c they don't want me to leave, so I quick put something on TV to calm them down so I can go get Derek from his room downstairs.  Derek is standing in his crib and he has turned the light on in his room by himself.  Derek sleeps with a football lately.  So then he comes up and watches TV.  I start changing diapers.  Tyler starts yelling for me from downstairs.  So I get him up and pottied, and up stairs.  He immediately starts laying on his brothers, trying to aggravate them.  So at least a couple are screaming, and he is mad that I told him to stop.  So he's screaming, too. 

Breakfast.  I get all 3 babies strapped into their seats, and get them fed.  AFter I get all the Captain Crunch cleaned up off the floor, and sticky jelly wiped off of the seats, and 8 hands and 4 mouths cleaned up, I get all four dressed.  Then I attempt to pull my hair back and brush my teeth.  I have MIcah running circles around my legs, and Derek digging in the toilet in my bathroom, and Andrew begging to brush his teeth, too.  Tyler is jumping on my bed.  I manage to at least get clothes on and we go outside.

I get everyone strapped into the choo choo wagon, get 4 snack cups and 4 sippy cups, and we're off.  Pulling 120 pounds up and down our neighborhood hills is my most relaxing time of the morning.  Everyone is content and happy.  Once we get back, I've got all 4 in the backyard, and Derek poops.  I sprint in the house to grab a diaper and wipes and blanket, and change him outside in the backyard (be glad you're not our neighbors) so I can watch the other guys at the same time.  15 min. later, Micah poops, and I do it all over again. 

I'll spare you the rest of all the details, but then we had lunch, naps, and play time again until dinner.  Tyler was rambunctious, and ended up in a few time outs.  When I try to put Tyler in time outs, typically it goes like this:  I get him into our room into the time out corner, and right behind me come the other three.  I then need to try to get 3 babies out of the room, who definitely don't want to go.  Meanwhile Tyler is yelling "Get the babies out of here!", and all the babies are screaming b/c they want to stay by Tyler.  Fiasco.

At dinner, Micah and Andrew dumped their entire bowl of corn upside down on the tile floor.  Corn does not sweep up.  I know which veges and foods sweep up well and which don't.  :)  Micah also dumped his whole hamburger with ketchup on on the floor, and got a hold of Tyler's cup with milk in it and spilled that all over his shirt and floor.

Evan came home while I was feeding them.  He quick ate, we got Tyler inside to eat (screaming....didn't want to come in...are you noticing a theme here?), and Evan went out to mow, trim, and water our new landscaping.  So I tried to clean up the kitchen, which was a complete disaster, and the boys were crabby b/c daddy was outside and they weren't, and blah blah blah....you get the picture.  Chaos.

There are so many times when I feel stressed, like my blood pressure is rising, and I need to take a deep breath and bite my tongue before I raise my voice.  There are many times when I feel like I am just trying to manage the chaos the best I can, and I'm not enjoying these boys, but yet I wouldn't have it any other way.  I'm so thankful I get to be home most days (also thankful for my two work days/week!), and see the crazy, and experience raising triplets and a big brother.  I still don't have a CLUE why God thought this was a good job for me and Evan (He and I have had many talks about that) and I get tired of feeling like nothing is ever "easy", but I do know that he's teaching me to be more patient than I thought possible, and to give up control of my life and let Him work out His plan.  We are blessed.