A Tornado, A Circus and a Panic Stricken Mother

Last night- Emily's glasses broke......again.  This time the little teeny tiny screw that holds the side things together to make the lense stay in came out.  Now I'm not wanting to disclose any family secrets here- but the........um, what word am I looking for here..............quality of cleanliness in this home is lacking just a touch so the actual thought of being able to find said screw amongst the globs of blowing dog hair and debris infultrated rugs was completely out the window.  We had to go to that place.  The Wal Mart.

So I figured since we were going there, we were going to make a night of it and pick up the junk on the list I had started.  Only problem was I don't really shop at that store for anything other than having Emily's glasses fixed and buying guinea pig litter.  So it was like a really hard scavenger hunt with a posse of fighting monkeys. 

And just as we walk into the store, no joking, the tornado alarms start sounding.  And I just looked and Dan and laughed and said it would COMPLETELY figure that I was gonna die in Walmart (of all places).  The sirens sounded off and on the entire time we were in there.  I spent much of our shopping trip trying to figure out what part of the store I wanted them to have to dig my body out of.  That- and telling the children to freakin STOP that bickering or I was gonna BEAT them!  Something about that place just brings it out in all of us.

No kidding- they were on a rampage.  One would distract me with questions of what we would do if we got home and a tornado had taken our house away (not to worry Mom- we'd come live with you and Kimmy) while the other two would grab the nearest ball and begin throwing it around.  As if we were not in the middle of a store.  Then one would hit the other.  And the other would try to lick them back.  Then they'd start trying to kick.  They'd run around me like I was home base or something.  Pinching.  Poking.  Arguing.  Yelling.  Laughing. Playing.  STOP IT ALREADY.

And right there, on aisle 18, as I looked for ketchup to complete the list of items to purchase, I realized that they get out of school soon.  As in tomorrow.  For the whole entire summer.  Every single shopping trip for the next two months, as well as doctors appointment, library trip, work day and lazy day at home with be just like...............this.

I seem to recall days on end this winter where the ice and snow trapped us in our home.  No school for like over a week.  And there were discussions of make up days, new school ending times, etc.  And yet- nothing.  SOMEONE OWES ME THOSE DAYS BACK!  No possible way should they be getting out of school before memorial day?  They are not smart enough yet- they are lacking knowledge.  Please don't send them home yet- they fight, and bicker and argue.  They want me to entertain them.  They chase each other around.  They poke and pinch and hit.  I'm not ready.  It can't be time yet. 

I realize this may seem like me being a bad mother.  But you take on all three of them together and after 15 minutes of arguing, hitting, fighting, bickering, teasing, laughing.......you'll bring them back.  Guaranteed.  For the record, I love my children.  Give me any single ONE of them at a time and their company is the perfect addition to whatever activity we are doing.  I enjoy them INDIVIDUALLY.  But when the three of them are together.......complete madness.  And I'm just not yet prepared for that kind of summer.  Yet.  But apparently I will be........tomorrow.

And for my last two days of 'normal'?  I will attend field days, award ceremonies, lunches, deliver end of the year teacher gifts.  Very tricky school, taking my last two days away from me like that.